IMPROVEMENTS SINCE RANA PLAZA POST

Improvements since Rana Plaza
6
POST-QURBANI BUSINESS
18
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 25
2013
vol 1 Issu e 26
Bruno Metsu
27
1
CONTENTS
1Editor’s Note
2 This Week in Pictures
4 Bottled Up
5 Whose Line Is It Anyway?
It’s all about priorities
10 Post-Riposte
Nobel Peace Prize
A Weekly Pro ducti o n o f
DhakaTribune
11 Top 10
Censorship
Vo lume 1, Issu e 26
OCTOB ER 2 5, 2 0 13
12 Big Mouth Strikes Again
Bridget’s back
Editor
Zafar Sobhan
13 Photo Story
A month of fun
Magazine Editor
Faruq Hasan
Weekend Tribune Team
Sumaiya Shams
Faisal Mahmud
Yusuf Banna
Joseph Allchin
Shah Nahian
Phil Humphreys
Adil Sakhawat
Rohini Alamgir
6 Pick of the Week Improvements since Rana Plaza
20 Digital Bangladesh
Telecom zones
21 Crime File
Murder in Mohammadpur
22 Tough Love
23 WT | Leisure
Art Direction/Photography
Syed Latif Hossain
24 Interview
Samina Alam
Cartoon
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy
Rio Shuvo
Contributors
Syed Samiul Basher
Naheed Kamal
Ikhtisad Ahmed
Dina Sobhan
Nadia Chowdhury
Prima M Alam
Design
Mohammed Mahbub Alam
25 The Way Dhaka Was
Gulistan outer stadium area
26 6° of Connotations
If love could kill
Circulation
Wahid Murad
Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com
Web: www.dhakatribune.com
Cover
Rising out of the debris
by Rajib Dhar
27 Obituary
Bruno Metsu
18 FEATURE
Post-Qurbani business
Production
Masum Billah
Advertising
Shahidan Khurshed
17 Realpolitik
Women’s rights
28 Last Word
EDITOR’S NOTE
Too ready to move on
I
t’s nearly six months since the
collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar,
and the blame game goes on.
Unfortunately for both the survivors
and those who died, the government
and the business community are all
too ready to move on. There have
been a multitude of reports about
businesses continuing to flout safety
measures, and politicians cosying up
to unscrupulous entrepreneurs all
too eager to make a quick buck at the
expense of workers’ concerns. Joseph
Allchin talks to the deputy director
general of the International Labour
Organisation, Gilbert Houngbo, about
preventing a catastrophe like the Rana
Plaza disaster ever happening again.
Elsewhere, our Top 10 features the
most controversial banned books and
movies, Crime File spotlights murder
and sex in front of a harmless ATM
machine, while we interview Samina Alam, who loves playing with fire,
literally. Hope everyone had a festive
Eid! n
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
2
THIS WEEK
INTERNATIONAL
The US Ambassador to
France Charles H Rivkin,
right, leaves the foreign
ministry in Paris, after he
was summoned on October
21 to explain why the
Americans spied on one of
their closest allies. According
to the Le Monde newspaper,
documents leaked by
Edward Snowden show that
the US National Security
Agency swept up 70.3
million French phone records
in a 30-day period
An Egyptian youth takes in the scene beneath him at a Coptic Christian
church in the Waraa neighbourhood of Cairo on October 20 after
gunmen on motorcycles opened fire, killing a man, woman and child.
Egypt has been on edge since a July 3 military coup ousted the country’s
Islamist president. Since the coup, Coptic Christians have been killed
and their churches attacked by angry mobs
AP
AP/Claude Paris
US Secretary of State John Kerry has a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif at the State Department in Washington on October 20
AP/Cliff Owen
One of the Greenpeace International activists Iain Rogers, from Britain, attends his bail hearing at a court in
Murmansk, Russia on October 21. Iain Rogers is one of the Arctic 30 who are in custody charged with piracy,
punishable for up to 15 years in jail, after being caught on board the Arctic Sunrise, which was seized a month ago
by Russian security forces after some activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform
AP/Greenpeace International, Igor Podgorny
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who broke the
first stories about the National Security Agency’s
global spy programme, speaks via teleconference
from Brazil at the 69th General Assembly of the
Inter-American Press Association in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil on October 21. Greenwald, an American
reporter based in Rio de Janeiro who broke his
stories for Britain’s Guardian newspaper, spoke to
a group of reporters from around the Americas
who have gathered in Denver and promised there
are many more to come, including details about
the United States’ spying on its own citizens
AP/Gustavo Miranda, O Globo
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
3
NATIONAL
A fire gutted at least 350 houses in a slum
in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh neighbourhood.
The photo was taken on October 17
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Assistant Deputy Commissioner
of Police Mehedi Hasan assaults
BNP chairperson’s security staff
while detaining party leader Sultan
Salahuddin Tuku from Khaleda Zia’s
motorcade on October 21
Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune
World Bank Country Director
Johannes Zutt speaks at the
organisation’s report publishing
programme on “Bangladesh
Development Update” at
Agargaon in the capital
Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
4
BOTTLED UP
letters to the editor
LETTER
of the week
Eid Mania
W
eekend magazines usually come out with an Eid
themed issue and the WT was no different. What
I did like about the issue, however, was the different
spin you put on the festivities. I especially liked Faisal’s
piece on the lesser known occupations that are in high
demand during the festivities. However, it’s sad that
you folks did not have a special photo feature to cover
the preparation for the occasion. Hope you remember
that next year! n
Abul Hai
Wari, Dhaka
Top 10 misses the mark
I am an avid reader of your Top 10s, but have to see last week’s issue had a rather
tepid list. Most readers are deluged with suggestions of what to do to spend Eid
day, so I was rather disappointed that you did not offer anything different. Hope
to see your customary unusual lists again soon.
Fariba Shahriar,
New Elephant Road, Dhaka
Cows need data
I have been enjoying the Everyday Economist section of the WT. Last issue was
great, I believe it really got into the dynamics of explaining how the cattle market
works. However, I think the writer should present more empirical evidence to
support his data. Sometimes the section felt more like an opinion piece rather
than a mini-study.
Samir Shaker,
Mohammadpur, Dhaka
Fairytale lost
I sincerely appreciate Ms Nilufer’s attempts to integrate lessons into her ‘fairytale’
columns, but her efforts have been more misses than hits. I think her writing
needs a more ‘grown-up’ edge to it, because right now they read more as a part of
a children’s supplement than a weekend magazine.
Ayesha Maruf
Gulshan, Dhaka
Send us your feedback at: weekend@dhakatribune.com
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
5
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
It’s all about priorities
I am proposing
an all-party interim government to
conduct the upcoming elections,
instead of bringing back the
caretaker system
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Ninety percent
of the people want a free and
fair election under the caretaker
government. There is no
alternative to that.
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir,
acting secretary general, BNP
I must be in the 10%
who don’t care about
elections and just want
food and shelter.
Mr Mango
Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
We would not
participate in the
election if all the
political parties
do not take part.
Without all party
participation,
the election
would not be
acceptable.
HM Ershad,
chairman, Jatiya
Party
We proposed to form
the new caretaker
government, comprised
of 10 members from
1996 and 2001 caretaker
governments, as both the
party won the national
polls under these two
caretaker governments.
The polls were credible
and accepted by the
people.
Khaleda Zia, chairperson,
BNP
We are already in the
middle of a process
to approach all the
parties on the caretaker
government issue. We
will stand on the same
platform to rejuvenate
the movement for
reinstalling caretaker
government system.
Mahi B Chowdhury,
joint secretary general,
Bikalpadhara Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina’s role was
controversial as she came to
power through the caretaker
government system, and then
abolished it to stay in power
for ever. There is no instance
in the democratic world
about elections under ruling
parties without dissolving the
parliament, and people will
resist such kind of elections.
Kamal Hossain, president, Gano
Forum
Hasina launched the movement
for the caretaker system, but now
she is acting like a mother willing
to kill her own child for power and
self-interest. We should not play
any political game on a non-level
playing field with Sheikh Hasina
as the referee, because the country
and its people are not safe under
her leadership.
Kader Siddiqui, president, Krishak
Sramik Janata League
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
6
Joseph Allchin
is a senior reporter
at Dhaka Tribune.
Follow him on twitter:
@J_Allchin
PICK OF THE WEEK
Improvements since Rana Plaza
Six months later
Joseph Allchin speaks to the deputy director general of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Gilbert Houngbo about the progress in the RMG sector
Scenes of chaos gripped the world as the scale
of what ultimately was a multinational tragedy
became clear. Multinational, because those who
went to the site were all too often standing on
products that were destined to clothe far flung
European nations. A rapacious industry has led
to brands and retailers seeking to cut corners on
costs, and here in Bangladesh that means cutting
corners on worker’s wages and ultimately their
safety. The efforts to rehabilitate the industry will
be crucial to the sustainability of Bangladesh’s
industrial economy.
Six months since our worst industrial tragedy,
we should ask ourselves: what progress has been
made? Do the promises that were made by the
politicians, NGOs and foreign stakeholders stand
the test of time and their world? The ILO thinks it
can, and Gilbert Houngbo tells us how.
Photos: Joseph Allchin
What’s your evaluation of the
new labour law amendment?
Our assessment has not changed. In
July, when the new labour law was
issued, we made a statement. Let’s be
all clear on that: we have made a lot of
improvements when compared with
the older labour law and on freedom of
association and collective bargaining,
and quite frankly, there have been a
lot of strides there and we are already
seeing much more union registration
than in the past. However, we at the
ILO are still a little bit unsatisfied
by some dimensions – namely the
requirement of signatures from 30%
of the workforce before you can form
a union. There is no convention, really.
This 30% requirement is quite high
if you compare it to the regulations
within the region or even worldwide.
That being said, I’m of the opinion
that you don’t want to wait till things
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
are perfect before you start working
with the government. We have to
constantly engage the government
and work together to continue
improving. Our colleagues here in
Bangladesh have been working
tirelessly with the authorities to
implement the new law, preparing
the decree and the regulation of the
laws, and the modus operandi to
enforce the said law.
In terms of the labour law,
is there any chance that
Bangladesh will make
changes based on your
recommendations?
As part of the European Sustainability
Compact,
the
Bangladeshi
government agreed they would
continue working with the ILO to
improve the law.
At Rana Plaza, it was often
implementation that was the
problem in this environment.
Considering this, how do you
affect change?
Well, in the past, the law was not
that conducive for the organisation
of workers. The position that we
are taking is that, had the workers
been free to associate and organise
themselves, maybe the tragedy could
have been avoided. The new law
allows them to be better organised,
to be assisted by experts with
implementation, etc. Part of what
we are going to launch is an increase
in capacity through the equipping
and training of inspectors, and the
implementation thereof.
Right now, they have about 60
inspectors for the whole country.
However, it’s estimated that the
garment industry alone needs
400-500 of them, giving you some
impression of the magnitude of
the gap. So the government has
committed itself to recruit 200 in
the first batch and up to 8,000 by
next year. Part of the reason why I
came here is not only for the launch,
but also because we have agreed to
have a follow up. And I know that
the process will go on. And now, they
are in the process of recruiting the
200 they promised. The devil is in the
details: on one hand, you do have laws
that ask the government to follow
certain procedures in the recruitment,
but on the flip side, we need to find
ways to speed this process up.
7
But the government started
an industrial police, and
in places such as Liberty
Fashions, the police opened
fire on the workers for asking
for their wages, and so there
seems to be impunity for
bosses. Why is that?
The problem of Liberty Fashions is
quite complex. There is the issue
of inspections. Now the fact is that
the report was not unanimously
accepted. That’s why I am calling
for better coordination. I believe
it’s important to have the steering
committee that has been established
with the government, with the social
partners, and with the different
actors. I will see the international
buyers, the international unions, etc
so that the big decisions are part of
and vetted by that committee, and
a sense of ownership and what to
do would not be left simply to an
international buyer such as Tesco, or
just an owner that is trying to use a
loophole to get away.
There’s also a capacity issue about
being able to do the right thing and
to enforce it. But how? We believe it’s
going to be put together, for example
in fighting against corruption or
suspicion of corruption. We may want
to find a way where the result of the
assessment, once its been vetted by
the committee, is put on the web for
everybody to have access to what the
report says. Therefore, the attention
and expectation from the government
to act will increase. Finally, the issue
of impunity is a serious one. My point
is: how do you go and fight impunity
if there is no consensus about the
findings? See, that’s what I think is
pitiful. I want to insist again to find
ways to have consensus or the buy-in
from the government, because there
is nothing you are going to solve
without the government and the
national social partners.
In terms of compensation,
why is it taking long?
You know, I’m afraid if you look at
the history of disasters elsewhere,
especially in the international scene –
compensation is always very complex
and it takes time. It’s very painful for
me to say that, because the victims
can’t wait that long. That’s what
makes it more complicated. There
has been some discussion with
the key partners, the international
buyers, the local employers, the
government, and the ILO, though
I believe there’s no concrete result
that I can talk about now. But the
work is going on underneath, and
I’m very hopeful that in the coming
weeks something concrete will be on
the table. Though by now it’s easy to
identify the victims, legally speaking,
how do you identify the beneficiaries
for the compensation for those
who have unfortunately lost their
lives, may they rest in peace? How
do you determine the amount and
identify the amounts to be shared?
How do you operationally make the
money available and make sure the
right people receive the amount?
So there are a lot of issues that you
need to dig into, so we are looking
for international expertise that has
gone through similar cases in other
catastrophes.
credibility. Going about this issue is
like dealing with a baby who is trying
to crawl: either you’re patient and
give it some time to do it on its own,
or carry it, and get there faster. Some
may feel: I better go straight, I better
go alone, I better get it fast. You can
get short-term, faster results, but in
the medium to long term, if you want
sustainability, it’s better to have a
coordinated road and make it clear
that if it occasionally takes longer, it’s
not because you are not willing. I do
understand that the short-term goal
might be more attractive, but it’s not
a sustainable result.
Who’s coordinating that?
What would you say to the
industry figures who say
increased regulation will harm
employment?
Coordination has been an issue;
everybody needs to act to speed
things up. Obviously a lot of the actors
are concerned about their image and
Well, clearly the ILO are fighting for
Latest initiative
On October 22, the government
along with the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) launched a new
initiative as part of the national
tripartite action plan. This plan,
funded by the UK, Netherlands and
other donor nations, will seek to train
workers and managers in factories,
to train and equip inspectors of
factories and capacitate disabled
and injured from the recent
tragedies with skills training. This
program would be worth Tk1.87bn
over three and a half years.
What’s
happened
since
April 24
Rana Plaza collapses
April 26
Workers across the
country riot against the
industry
April 28
Sohel Rana is arrested
near the Benapole
border crossing after a
national outcry over the
tragedy
May 4
ILO team arrives
in Bangladesh and
institutes National
Tripartite Action Plan, to
now include structural
safety as well as fire
safety
May 13
The search for survivors
trapped in the building
ends
May 16
Global unions and
brands sign the Accord
on fire and safety,
which now has over 100
signatories
June 27
US suspends GSP status
because of concerns
over lack of action on
RMG safety
July 8
The EU threatens
removal of GSP
status and then
Foreign Minister Dipu
Moni signs a ‘Safety
Compact’ with EU trade
commissioner Karal De
Gucht
July 22
Government releases
new amendment to the
2006 Labour Law
October 8
Fire at Aswad Factory
which produced for
H&M and Wal-Mart,
kills nine
October 22
The ILO and Bangladesh
government launch a
major intiative to fund
capacity of workers and
inspectors
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
8
PICK OF THE WEEK
Improvements since Rana Plaza
Who died?
As of yet, no complete list of the
deceased has been compiled. This
makes giving compensation difficult,
particularly when it comes to next of
kin - who should receive what? The
German government development
agency GIZ has been active in this
respect and has conducted an
“assessment,” but as of yet no full
list has been made public, and the
victims and next of kin continue to
wait.
the respect of fundamental worker’s
rights, our fundamental conventions,
freedom of association, collective
bargaining, ending forced and child
labour; we need to fight against
those. That being said, ILO is a
tripartite organisation. You have the
union on one side, the government
and the employers on the other, and
we are saying it’s an economic model
that Bangladesh chose, to lift people
up and out of poverty. We need to
do it in a way that doesn’t kill the
economy. We firmly believe that
fixing those working conditions will
not jeopardise the economy. On the
contrary, it will boost productivity.
And when you think about it, there
is also an issue of productivity
behind that; when you get into the
workplace in the morning and you
don’t know if you’re going to go home
safe, obviously your productivity
is not going to be the same as in
countries where you know you will.
When we look at it, we do not believe,
here at the ILO, that by fixing this
problem it will make Bangladesh less
competitive.
Bangladesh can create truly
democratic unions?
In terms of the formation of
unions here, how do you think
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
It’s a fair concern. We are calling for
more transparency across the board.
But my point is, Bangladesh is not
unique in facing this sort of problem,
and I don’t want to create some sort
of double standard. Clearly, it’s an
issue, and I think you’d agree with me
that the devil is in the details. We have
to be mindful that we are not going
to solve all the problems over night.
It will take some time and it will only
happen if the Bangladeshis choose
to not give up. It’s a fair point, but
elsewhere in the region or across the
globe, we have the same challenges.
Wages are a big issue here
every three years. How can a
better system of arbitration
for wages be developed?
In the current system, some kind
of committee is set up, a body of
independent thinkers, to advise
the partners. My unofficial contact
suggests it seems to work well. Let’s
see what happens between now and
the end of the year. I think things are
going to move positively.
But is it not problematic if
workers have to riot to have
wages increased in line with
inflation?
Yes, that’s why we are having, as part
of our fundamental workers rights,
a social dialogue. When you have a
social dialogue, that’s a function that
works well and that, on a continuous
basis, helps to avoid problems. Yes, we
should avoid having to go on strike
before you get any increase in the
minimum wage, but as part of the
implementation of the new law, we
need to treat both the employer’s
associations and the worker’s
associations in context with how to
really improve the social dialogue
from the actors.
How do you achieve that?
Well, the ILO has quite a vast amount
of expertise in that, but we remain
neutral, and so, leave it to the national
parties. But one of the issues you face
here is minimum trust.
Would you say this is related
to class?
Maybe. I want to believe it’s not, but I
don’t think we should exclude it.
What is the main message
you bring for the Bangladesh
government?
Well, to the government, all the social
partners and the people, I want to say:
When we were here in May, together
with the government, we agreed to
have a follow up in six months. For the
government to stick to that is a sign
9
What will more
regulations do to
the RMG sector?
The increased attention and
inspections of RMG factories will
have an effect on the nature of
the industry. Already, western
buyers have cancelled orders
from factories that they have
audited and found to be unsafe.
The
reputational
damage,
therefore, means brands will
only work with bigger players.
These “industry heads” will
make it much more difficult
for smaller players to enter the
industry. If smaller units don’t
enter the market and take on
subcontracting work as has been
common, this will push up prices
that bigger, regulated factories
will offer brands. Smaller units
also act as training centres for
unskilled new employees, who
after learning the trade move
into better, bigger factories. The
natural choice then is to invest
in machinery, which will increase
productivity. But this may also
push many female employees out
of the industry. “There is a long
history of mechanisation leading
to a decline in women’s formal
employment,” says academic
Dina Siddiqi. This has already
been seen in knitwear, where it
is more mechanised. Culturally,
mechanised jobs are associated
with men who also tend to
capture the more desirable,
lucrative jobs. This would be a
big blow to Bangladesh, where
women’s
employment
has
been credited with impressive
development achievements. The
challenge, then, will be to break
down cultural barriers towards
women continuing to power our
most important export industry.
of willingness to keep the momentum
up. Secondly, there has been a lot of
work in the two months since I came
here. In May and June, we focused on
the new labour law. After the passing
of the labour law, we have had to deal
with the accord, the alliance and the
EU Sustainability Compact. After that,
it’s trying for better coordination –
bringing what was signed in March
and what was signed in May to a new
national action plan. Now, we have
prepared the ground for recruiting
people to work on the project. We
are ready to move to the action, the
operation, so I am calling to sustain
the momentum. I am also calling
for everybody to be vigilant that we
don’t slack. And though we are going
to face some challenges, we are going
to have to be patient. Sometimes,
operationally, you have to accept that
things can sometimes go speedily and
sometimes they slow down, before
you have to jump again. n
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
10
POST-RIPOSTE
Nobel Peace Prize
Did Malala deserve one?
She faced down the extremists
Philip Humphreys
T
he Nobel Peace Prize should have gone to Malala.
She has become the symbol of a struggle against
a brand of radical Islam that breeds armed conflict
wherever it is found.
The Taliban’s world outlook is embedded in a belief
that women should be held separate under lock and
key, and denied their basic human rights of association,
expression and education – a doctrine that says, “If you
are not with us, you are against us,” and enforces its
aims through violence, not mediation. In 1908, Begum
Rokeya Hossain, a pioneer Bangali writer, imagined in
her seminal book “Sultana’s Dream,” a place where the
opposite is true, her rationale being that if men lock
away their women to protect them from other men,
then is it not the men who should be locked up? Yet, this
vision of equality has never been more distant.
Malala’s campaign for universal education strikes
a chord with young girls across the globe, in Islamist
countries and wherever else they face oppression,
through the literal interpretation of a religious text. The
Taliban, by choosing to board Malala’s school bus, asking
for her by name, and then shooting the 16-year-old point
blank in the head, paradoxically did more to advance her
cause, served to make her stronger, and turned more
people against their oppressive strain of radical Islam.
After cheating death, it will take far more than a
Nobel snub to weaken Malala’s resolve. For her, an
education remains the ultimate peace prize. n
She promotes education, not peace
Faisal Mahmud
T
he purpose of the Nobel Peace
Prize is to reward those who
work toward and promote the
cause of peace. While Malala was a
victim of the highly misinterpreted
fundamentalism of the recalcitrant
Taliban, that doesn’t necessarily make
her a peacemaker. As Iqbal Khan, a
hotelier from of the town Mingora,
Swat Valley, said to The Telegraph: “The
schoolgirl has left the local population
at risk of attack.”
The peacemakers who got the
Nobel Prize all have one thing in
common: they reflect on the issues
harming their own communities and
others like themselves, then figure
out a way to stop or at least hinder
these problems. This is why they
get considered for the peace prize.
Malala Yusufzai hasn’t done that – to
be precise, that’s not her “motto” or
the “cause” for which she has been
fighting so ardently. She promotes
education and gender equality, and
while she deserves to be considered
for prizes related to those topics, the
fact that her work has been divisive
purely in her own country, Pakistan,
immediately invalidates a nomination
for a world peace prize.
This isn’t to say that Malala isn’t
praiseworthy, although it does seem
she is increasingly serving as a puppet
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
of secular Western interests, but a
Nobel Peace prize? It doesn’t make
sense. It seems the Nobel Peace Prize
has become an award that simply goes
to people we like and not people who
necessarily promote peace. n
TOP 10
11
Censorship
Silence is (not) golden
Faruq Hasan looks at some of the most infamous books and films that have been
banned in Bangladesh
10
8
6
The title is a derivation of Bertrand
Russell’s “Why I Am Not a Christian”
and was penned under a pseudonym
which means ‘bookseller’ in Arabic.
The book is an apologia for leaving
fundamentalist Islam and offers
insight into why the religious-political
movement is dangerous. It was
banned in Bangladesh for hurting
religious sentiments.
Bangladesh banned the Hindi-dubbed
version of this popular Japanese
cartoon, Doraemon, from its TV
screens for fear that youngsters
hooked to it might struggle to learn
their native tongue. The ban has yet
to be raised.
In his controversial book, the author,
a former aide to Awami League
president Sheikh Hasina, criticised
the then ruling AL administration
for the government’s poor handling
of freedom fighters, and specifically
targeted some of its leaders, including
party chief Hasina. The government
banned the book almost as soon as
it came out on the grounds that the
contents were inflammatory and
could provoke hatred toward the
government.
Why I Am Not a Muslim
by Ibn Warraq
9
Fitna
This is a 2008 short film by Dutch
parliamentarian, Geert Wilders.
Approximately 17 minutes in length,
the film attempts to demonstrate that
the Quran motivates its followers to
hate all who violate Islamic teachings.
The film was immediately banned by
the Bangladeshi government.
Doraemon (Hindi
dubbed)
7
Innocence of Muslims
This title is attributed to a
controversial anti-Islamic movie
“trailer” that was written and
produced by Nakoula Baseley Nakoula.
The 14-minute video clips were
initially uploaded to YouTube in July
2012, and were instantly banned in
Bangladesh.
Amar Fashi Chai by
Motiur Rahman
5
Meherjaan
Directed by Bangladeshi auteur
Rubaiyat Hossain, the film is set
on a backdrop of the Bangladeshi
Liberation War, and depicts a romance
between a Pakistani soldier and a
Bangladeshi woman. The Bangladesh
Censor Board eventually banned
this film from public screenings for
“distorting history.”
4
Ka by Taslima Nasreen
An infamous autobiography of the
author, the book was banned both in
West Bengal and Bangladesh because
of “strong sexual content” and
“derogatory remarks” against religion.
Faruq Hasan
is the Magazine
Editor and the
resident devil’s
advocate
3
Nari by Humayun Azad
An eloquent analysis of the
patriarchal and male-chauvinistic
attitude of religion towards women,
the author attracted negative
reaction from the conservatives.
The Government of Bangladesh
banned the book in 1995. The ban was
eventually lifted in 2000, following a
legal battle that Azad won in the High
Court of the country.
2
Satanic Verses
Salman Rushdie’s book, first published
in the UK in 1988, caused a huge
controversy in Bangladesh for fanning
religious hatred and distorting the
Quran. Processions were brought
out in parts of Bangladesh against
the author, which prompted the
government from banning the sale of
the book.
1
Lajja by Taslima
Nasrin
Taslima Nasrin describes a
country immersed in religious
and political conflict through
a story which revolves around
the aftermath of Babri
Masjid demolition, and its
aftermath in Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi government
in 1995 decided to ban the
book on allegations of being
anti-Islamic and stoking
communalism. Since then,
the author has been living
in exile after receiving death
threats from extremists. n
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
12
Big Mouth strikes again
Naheed Kamal
Bridget’s back
Naheed Kamal is
an irreverent and
irreligious feminist.
An old soul of
indeterminate age,
with one too many
opinions and a very
loud voice (for a little
person), she laughs a
lot, mostly at herself.
She lives in Dhaka,
against her best
judgement. Mostly,
Ms Kamal rants, a lot!
What havoc will the neurotic heroine wreak on women’s psyche this
time around?
I
am not a fan of chick lit, because
everything the genre stands for
insults my intelligence.
From the few I have read, I found the
stories to be dismissive of women with
a stereotypical female narrator, how
women today can possibly identify
with such a personality is beyond
me. I am dreading the onslaught of
Bridget Jones on popular culture,
because I found her ditzy, indecisive,
self-loathing personality particularly
annoying.
There was nothing endearing about
Helen Fielding’s exaggerated literary
doppelganger, and the experience of
reading her “diary” was excruciatingly
painful. I have never bothered to count
how many cigarettes I have smoked or
how many glasses of wine I drank on
any given night – perhaps I counted
the number of bottles, occasionally.
And I try to avoid uncomfortable
knickers, but Bridget even managed a
crisis about underwear. I did not want
to know Bridget, and in the intervening
years since she first pushed hordes of
women over the edge of reason, my
opinion of her hasn’t changed. I still
can’t stand her. If that woman defined
a generation of women, my concerns
are bigger than those granny pants.
“Chick-lit” was coined by writer
Cris Mazza in an alternative women’s
fiction anthology. Several years later
she tried to defend herself when she
wrote in an essay – for her, the term
was about exciting women’s stories,
so it is not her fault the genre came
to revolve around one-dimensional
characters. I am not ready to let Mazza
off so easily, because my issue is with
the label itself, which says a whole lot
about Mazza the woman.
So I turned to ChickLitBooks.com
(seriously!). The website says it is a
genre “written mainly by women for
women” – which makes me want to
scream and curse – and is different
from women’s literature, because
chick-lit stories are “told in a more
confiding, personal tone, like having
your best friend tell you about your
life.”
Make no mistake; the chick lit
market is worth millions, earning
authors and publishers good money.
So naturally they defend the genre.
Faced with diminishing sales, couple
of years back some concerned authors
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
and publishers shared the importance
of the genre in an article. Am I wrong
to think they are out of sync with the
world today? How can Bridget, Carrie
and their chick-lit sisters be relevant
for women when our reality is defined
by sites such as Everyday Sexism and
Project Unbreakable?
Not even as light, easy reads can
chick lit be justified as a worthy niche
genre.
In the article, one author is said
to “presuppose” the ideal woman,
and actually questions if sexy and
sophisticated contemporary women
want to read intelligent “romantic”
literature, while another author says
chick lit opened the doors for readers
who might not otherwise read at all,
and then concludes by saying “surely
writers everywhere” would appreciate
how people who wouldn’t read “at all”
are inspired to read by chick lit, and
only chick lit.
The genre’s specialists say the
criticism is unfair, because they
sometimes address “both light and
serious” topics, and “legit” subjects
that are “both empowering and
validating.” Some claim their heroines
have changed how society views
single women, because historically
“spinsters” were scorned, pitied and
derided, while their stories always
end with marriage. And that doesn’t
undermine single women’s standing
in society?
That, dear readers, is sexism.
I understand why those who
benefit from the sale of the genre
want to keep it going. Publishers, also
often women, with writers and fans
of the genre, preach about freedoms,
to read what we like. They tell people
to stop sneering because millions of
copies are sold, bought by women who
know what they want: they want chick
lit!
The stories are not funny after
you’ve read several, because they have
very similar storylines and settings. But
accusations of stupidity are rampant.
Sophie Kinsella, one of the genre’s
leading ladies, said in an interview that
ditzy does not mean stupid. I agree. So
tell me Sophie, why are so many of
your leading ladies so exasperatingly
vacuous, when you clearly know there
is a difference between a klutz and a
bimbo?
In my ideal world, all kinds of different women
would write and be published and read –I see
it online- countless women’s blogs written as
crassly and as wittily, as men’s, read by everyone.
In the real world, too many women waste too
much time on restrictive and sexist mores, worth
nothing, so we don’t need, and I don’t want, books
shoving these down my throat. I want books that
shows exism is stupid, repressive and a waste
of time, and our time would be better spent on
having fun and being happy. Like reading a good
book, which is fun and makes me happy
P
ersonally, I have too many concerns
with the term and the genre, so
I will try to stay focussed … can you
explain why women call it a guilty
pleasure when it is written for them?
Could it be the ridiculous covers, so
cute and so often pink?
I love pink, but all too often, the
label implicates all books written by
women, which is why so many writers
disguise their names, to avoid the
dreaded label.
My biggest issue with chick lit is
this: I find the label distasteful. Chick
and lit, are two wrong words. When a
woman is called a chick, it diminishes
and dismisses her worth, as a person.
You don’t hear women calling men
cocks, do you?
While we are here, same goes for
using female – it is not a substitute
for women. Neither is girls acceptable
when addressing or referring to adult
women. Avoid madam, try ladies
instead, and stop using obsolete, sexist
and offensive terms. If you are in the
habit of calling women chicks, don’t.
Stop it now.
Then there is that half-arsed tag at
the end – “lit.” What is that? It is not
literature. Lit is not “light” reads, a label
used for John Grisham and what’s-hisface of the “Da Vinci Code” fame – they
do not write “cock lit.” The books are
read by men and women, so what is
it with chick lit and why is it “only for
women”? This needs to stop.
I don’t appreciate how the genre
claims to speak about the lives, fears
and aspirations of ordinary women –
like myself, and I am no chick. Instead,
it confines women by trying to fit us in
boxes, and tries to define us by ticking
off boxes. In a world where we are told
to fit in, it is hard to decipher if we
really want or need any of the things
made especially for us and served on
pink platters.
Women already have enough on
their plates; we don’t need labels
designed to grab a corner of a
diminishing niche market, to define
us. Adding to our burdens, drum rolls
… research indicates chick lit affects
women’s body image negatively. Why
am I not surprised calorie counting and
weight obsessed heroines are partly to
blame for female readers’ body image
issues? Duh!
In February, Virginia Tech published
research that studies “the effect of
protagonist body weight and body
esteem on female readers’ body
esteem” and warned health officials
should be concerned about the effect
chick lit might have on women. I rest
my case. n
PHOTO STORY
13
A month of fun
A festive month
G L I M P S E S F R O M F E S T I VA L S I N O C T O B E R
Technological advancement finds its way into how we celebrate religious festivals, too. Above, laser lights largely replace the more traditional
light bulbs and oil lamps jazzing up a mondop of Durga Puja at Gol Pahar area in Chittagong. Below, a digital print replaces the hand drawn
ornamentation on the wall outside the mondop at Bananai, Dhaka
SYED LATIF HOSSAIN/Dhaka Tribune
Mumit M/Dhaka Tribune
With diminishing summer heat and promises of winter, October
always puts the Bangladeshis in a joyous mood at the same
time, making them upbeat with the rhythmic drumbeats as the
celebration of Hindu religious festival Sharadiya Durga Puja falls
within the second week of the month. The Puja seems to touch the
hearts of a larger audience regardless of the creed they follow. This
year, October has been unique with two other festivals, Eid-ul-Azha
for Muslims and Probarona Purnima for Buddhists, following one
another in a row.
Here, we put together glimpses from these festivities for you
to enjoy.
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
14
PHOTO STORY A month of fun
Above: A worker at the site of Durga Puja
dismantling the mondop at Banani after the
festival is over
Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Right: Crowd of home-bound people at
Sadarghat launch terminal before Eid-ul-Azha
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
15
Right: Sacrificial animals, being brought
mostly from remote places out of the capital,
get scared with honking horns and busy
urban traffic, and bringing them to buyers’
home is always a battle-like experience
Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Below: Both the cow seller and the cow, having walked
a long distance, doze off at a Banani neighbourhood
Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
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PHOTO STORY A month of fun
Buddhist devotees flying lanterns
at Sobuj Bagh Bouddha Bihar in
Dhaka, celebrating Probarona
Purnima on October 18
Photos: Mohammad Asad
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
REALPOLITIK
17
Women’s Rights
Silence no more
Ikhtisad Ahmed
is a writer and an
erstwhile lawyer. He
is bound by absurdity,
and exists, therefore
he is
Ikhtisad Ahmed writes about One Billion Rising
Did you know?
•
I
n two decades of democracy,
Bangladesh has only ever had female
prime ministers. They seem to have
done very little for their kin, however.
Women’s rights remain a critical issue,
regularly making the news due to
violations, and protests by activists
and organisations. The country’s
participation in the much vaunted One
Billion Rising (OBR) global campaign
that calls for an end to violence
against women, culminating in the
events organised for Valentine’s Day
this year, once again put the matter
front and centre.
On the aforementioned day,
over three million men and women,
through more than 335 organisations,
exercised their constitutional right to
freedom of assembly and took to the
streets to demand an end to violence
against women. Less than a year prior,
Eve Ensler of the Vagina Monologue
fame (who had visited Bangladesh in
January 2013) had announced OBR. It
was a call for the one billion women
worldwide who, statistically, suffer
violence – forced marriage, domestic
abuse, torture, trafficking, acid attack,
rape, murder – and for those who love
them to strike, to rise, and dance on
February 14.
Ranking fourth (down from second
10 years ago) among the world’s
nations with respect to violence
against women, Bangladesh partaking
in the movement should not have
come as a surprise. On the other
hand, the constitution makes the
equality of women and their rights
absolute (Article 28). If that were not
enough, as party to the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women, the
country has a legal obligation to
comply with the provisions contained
therein, which it seeks to do by
amending domestic law now and
again. In light of that, what should
come as a shock is the systematic
66.8%
of
women
in
Bangladesh experience some
form of domestic violence
during their lives, up from
60% in 2006
•There were 19,617 reported
incidences
of
violence
against women in 2012 alone.
According to police figures,
there have been 184,422
reported cases since 2001
mistreatment of women in a society
and family structure that undermines
them, and denies them equality,
security, self-esteem and dignity.
The government has, from time to
time, introduced various measures to
address gender discrimination and
violence against women. Laws from
the Dowry Prohibition Act 1980 to the
Domestic Violence Act 2010, however,
have not changed the overriding
mentality. This stems from the fact that
the very constitution that establishes
equality, also takes it away. It
recognises personal and religious laws,
which govern, amongst other things,
the four most important events in the
life of a woman: marriage, divorce,
custody of children, and inheritance.
The prevalence of patriarchy that
dictates the religious and social value
systems makes chauvinism acceptable
and instils male dominance as the
natural law, thereby taking away the
right to equality.
These
are
the
underlying
messages hidden behind the colour
and celebrations that marked OBR’s
programmes in Bangladesh. The
problem with activism and the hype
surrounding OBR is that they fail
to address the main problem: the
women’s rights movement does not
need the wheel to be reinvented, it
needs the existing laws, specifically the
constitution, to be enforced by legal
and law enforcement systems that
are not inherently discriminatory. For
instance, the Child Marriage Restraint
Act 1929 exists only to be made a
mockery of on a daily basis, especially
in the rural areas. Other favourites of
these areas are dowry and polygamy,
but for men only. Incidentally, these,
and not urban areas like the capital
where literacy rates are higher and
where OBR had activities planned in 40
locations, are where women are more
likely to fall victim to violence. Perhaps
the events planners and managers
behind OBR Bangladesh would do
better to focus their attention on
educating and empowering women
in rural areas so that they are able to
treat men as men treat them, thus
achieving true equality.
Activism will only go so far. In a
country where the top office in the
land has been monopolised by women,
the solution lies in asserting every
woman’s constitutional and Godgiven right to be treated the same
way. Putting the prime ministers on
a pedestal and making them appear
to be special, while enacting new
measures without enforcing them or
the existing ones, only compounds
the problem. Then again, when the
problem is such that the only solution
is reprogramming people’s minds, it is
already a mammoth task. n
How the
laws came
to be
1972
The Constitution comes
into effect on December
16. Article 27 establishes
the principle of equality
before law: ‘All citizens
are equal before law
and are entitled to
equal protection of law’
1980
The Dowry Provision Act
is passed
1983
The Cruelty to Women
(Deterrent Punishment)
Ordinance becomes
the second major legal
provision relating to
violence against women
2002
The Acid Control
Act and Acid Crime
Prevention Acts become
law
2010
The Domestic Violence
Act comes into effect
specifically to deal with
the widespread issue of
domestic violence that
had risen alarmingly
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
18
Adil Sakhawat
reports on crime for
Dhaka Tribune. Any
information
can be sent at
weekend@
dhakatribune.com
THOUGHT PLOT Post-Qurbani Business
The raw deal
Adil Sakhawat looks into the details of the cow hide trade after Eid-ul-Azha
W
hile
observers
were
celebrating Eid-ul-Azha by
sacrificing cattle, tension
was mounting at rawhide markets
nationwide due to the fixing of prices
by the Bangladesh Finished Leather,
Leather goods and Footwear Exporters’
Association (BFLLFEA), Bangladesh
Tanners Association (BTA) and
Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants
Association (BHSMA).
According to the BTA, around 50%
of the annual supply of cattle skin
comes from animals slaughtered
during the Eid-ul-Azha. Now experts
are worried that if such stress in the
leather industry continues, it could
affect the country’s third-highest
foreign currency earner (after Ready
Made Garments (RMG) and frozen
food).
On a visit to Amin Bazar, one of the
largest rawhide markets in Dhaka City,
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
Chanchal Kamal/Dhaka Tribune
the Tanners Field level officers said
they are facing a big problem to collect
rawhides at the fixed price during this
year’s Eid festival.
“The seasonal businessman and
the wholesalers are buying the
rawhide without maintaining the
announced rate. We are also trying
to collect rawhides from the retailers
but they think that as this is the
election season, so many cattle are
slaughtered and price must be higher,”
said Nuruzzaman Ripon, the Senior
Purchase Officer of Appex Tannery.
Price fix comes unstuck
Prices were fixed on October 12 at
Tk85-90 per square foot of cattle skin
in Dhaka and Tk75-80 elsewhere, Tk5055 per square foot of goatskin and
Tk40-45 per square foot of buffalo skin.
After Eid-ul-Azha, however, it became
obvious that these fixed rates were
not being maintained by retailers,
wholesalers and even by the tannery
owners themselves. In the three days
after Eid day, for example, wholesalers
of rawhide in Amin Bazar, Posta, and
Hazaribagh in the capital were buying
rawhide from seasonal businessmen,
madrasas, and middleman for Tk110120 per square foot.
Nur Islam, a rawhide wholesaler
of Amin Bazar, said he had bought
rawhide at a higher rate than
the declared rate of the tanners
association.
“The middlemen - the retailers - do
not want to sell the collected rawhide
from different areas of the capital
and even from outside of the capital
according to declared rate,” he said.
Amin Hamza, a seasonal rawhide
businessman, travelled to Posta in
Old Dhaka to sell the rawhide he had
collected from Banani. He sat with 25
Rawhide prices were
jointly fixed ahead of Eid
by three organisations
representing traders and
manufacturers of leather
goods in Bangladesh, but
the price of sacrificial
animal skins at market
was up to a third higher
19
pieces from 2pm to 4pm on Eid day.
“I have bought these for an average
of Tk2,200,” he said, “If I cannot sell
them for in excess of Tk2,700 each
then I have to face a loss. Here the
wholesalers offer me Tk2,400-2,500.
When I went to collect these rawhide,
people told me that this year the price
was higher than last year.”
Fortunately for Amin, by 5pm he
had sold his hides for Tk2,750 per piece
on average.
Tipu Sultan, general secretary of
BHSMA, told Weekend Tribune, “If
tannery owners will not collect the
salted hide from us according to the
market price then we will face huge
loss. We have to collect the rawhide
by Tk110- 120 per square foot and
after preserving it with salt, the actual
price will be nearer Tk150. Maybe the
Tanners Association will sit with us
over the next two days about this
matter and we expect they will take
decision keeping the market situation
in mind.”
Exports still buoyant
Experts do not think this will impact
the international market of leather
exports, but the domestic leather
industry will be adversely affected as
the market price is too high.
Tipu Sultan, former president
and present adviser of BFLLFEA, said,
“This year will be a bad year for us
as the market price of rawhide is so
much higher. Maybe we the tannery
associations are responsible for this
hazardous situation, or maybe it is
the wholesalers who buy the rawhide
without maintaining declared rates.
“We were aware that the price of
rawhide will jump this year as this is
election year, but this will not affect
the export situation as this year the
supply of rawhide is higher.”
When
asked
about
the
unsustainable market price in
spite of a fixed rate, the BFLLFEA
president decried a lack of perfect
monitoring from the association: “In
this case either tannery owners or
the wholesalers will face the loss. The
wholesalers have to make a profit
without their buying cost. So this will
affect our market badly.”
The leather industry in Bangladesh
has grown exponentially since 1970,
and leather is now exported to over
50 countries worldwide. Over 50
local companies are involved with
manufacturing various leather goods
such as footwear, suitcases, briefcases
and attaches, and fashion accessories
like belts, wallets, hand bags and
case holders. According to the Export
Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh
earned around Tk43.6bn by exporting
leathers and leather goods in the 20122013 fiscal year, up from Tk33.4bn in
2011-2012 fiscal.
The seasonal opportunists
The tannery owners estimate that
over six million cows and up to four
million goats were slaughtered during
Eid-ul-Azha this year. In general, most
Eid observers have no intention of
making a profit by selling the skin of
their sacrificed animals. Some will
donate their proceeds to a madrasa,
an orphanage institution or to poor
people, rather than keep it in their
own pocket. Nevertheless, cattle skin is
a lucrative business for some.
“Those culprits could not be barred
from the market as some syndicates
are becoming active across the country
only on this occasion, aiming to grab a
large amount of money by creating a
hazardous situation in the market,”
says a tannery owner, requesting
anonymity.
Four state-owned commercial
banks - Bangladesh Janata Bank,
Rupali Bank, Sonali Bank and Agrani
Bank - are providing loans worth Tk472
crore for the purchase of cattle hides
The leather industry in
Bangladesh has grown
exponentially since
1970, and leather is now
exported to over 50
countries worldwide
this year, up from Tk3.55bn in 2012.
The privately-owned City Bank are
also providing loans to small leather
traders during the Eid season, to the
consternation of the tannery owner.
“They do not know the local or
international markets and they do not
even have any interest to rise up this
leather business to a better situation,”
he says, “They have only the intention
to grab money from the root level.” n
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
20
DIGITAL BANGLADESH
Telecom SECTOR
Zoning out
Faisal Mahmud discusses the new BTRC plan to improve telecom services in the country
Faisal Mahmud
is a staff reporter at
Weekend Tribune who
specialises in writing
IT and telecom articles
with depth and
analysis
The five
telecom
zones
Zone 1
Dhaka city and parts
of Zinzira, Savar,
Narayanganj, Gazipur,
Tongi
Zone 2
Brahmanbaria, Comilla,
Narsingdi, Chandpur,
Lakshmipur, Noakhali,
Feni, Chittagong, Cox’s
Bazar, Khagrachhari,
Rangamati, Bandarban
Zone 3
Sunamganj,
Sylhet, Habiganj,
Moulvibazar, Sherpur,
Jamalpur, Netrokona,
Mymensingh,
Kishoreganj, Tangail,
Munshiganj, Manikganj
and the rest of
Narayanganj, Gazipur,
Tongi, Savar, Zinzira
Zone 4
Kushtia, Chuadanga,
Meherpur, Jhenaidah,
Magura, Jessore, Narail,
Khulna, Satkhira,
Bagerhat, Barisal, Bhola,
Jhalkathi, Pirojpur,
Barguna, Patuakhali,
Rajbari, Faridpur,
Gopalganj, Madaripur,
Shariatpur
Zone 5
Dinajpur, Panchagarh,
Thakurgaon,
Nilphamari,
Lalmonirhat, Kurigram,
Rangpur, Gaibandha,
Bogra, Jaipurhat,
Rajshahi, Natore,
Naogaon, Nawabganj,
Pabna, Sirajganj
B
angladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC)
has revised the rollout plans
for Nationwide Telecommunication
Transmission
Network
(NTTN)
licensees and has divided the country
into five telecom zones in order to
bring the whole country under a fiber
optic cable fast and even network.
The plans were reworked in the
amended regulatory and licensing
guidelines for the NTTN to ensure
internet penetration at the grassroots
level, according to a BTRC official. He
said: “The previous plan didn’t have
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
Illustration: Asmaul Hoque Mamun
that specific zone-wide development.”
According to the draft guidelines,
Zone 1, comprising Dhaka City and
parts of Zinzira, Savar, Narayanganj,
Gazipur and Tongi, will be open to all
the NTTN licensees.
Each licensee will work in two
zones. They will have the option to
choose one zone, and the BTRC will
assign the other.
However, according to the draft
guidelines, the licensee may deploy
its network anywhere in the country,
provided the place included in the
network plan is duly approved by the
telecom regulator.
Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of the
BTRC, said: “The decision to (divide the
country into five zones in order to lay
out the NTTN) was made to ensure
that the internet facilities percolate to
the upazila level.”
In Bangladesh, the internet is
still an urban phenomenon as the
infrastructure to carry it to the rural
parts of the country is still insufficient,
according to the BTRC chairman. He
added: “It’s partly because the service
providers in this sector don’t find it
profitable enough to lay out a network
and take the information revolution to
the grassroots.”
Fortunately, one of goals that the
government plans to reach is to bring a
digital revolution in Bangladesh, where
even the remotest villages would
have internet facilities. “Therefore,
as per the amended guidelines, each
operator has an obligation to lay
out its network in all the divisional
headquarters within the first year of
receiving its licence,” Bose said.
Networks in all district as well
as upazila headquarters of the
designated zones will have to be laid
out by the NTTN licensees within three
and five years respectively, according
to a BTRC official.
Meanwhile, the two current NTTN
providers – Fiber@homes and Summit
Communications Ltd – said that they
had already reached many parts of the
country.
Arif Al Islam, managing director
of Summit Communications Ltd, said
they had laid out nearly 600km of
network in the Dhaka, Chittagong and
Sylhet divisions.
“We are gradually expanding
our network. Before we entered the
market, the rent per metre of fibre
optic cable was Tk150, as the market
was still a monopoly, but the price
has come down as the current NTTN
service providers are renting the cables
to the internet, mobile or cable services
operator at Tk2 a metre,” he said.
Abbas Faruq, Head of Public Affairs
of Fiber@homes, said they had already
reached all the divisions. “We have laid
over 7,000km of network so far,” he
added.
“The government is yet to ensure
a lucrative business environment for
the NTTN providers,” Faruq said. “As
per the licence agreement, we the
NTTN providers can’t directly reach
the subscribers; we can only offer
the network to the internet service
providers (ISP), mobile operators and
cable operators.
“If the government doesn’t bring
those entities under a common NTTN
network, setting up the network
throughout the country would not
bring the desired result. It will also
force the NTTN providers to shut down
their businesses,” he added. n
CRIME FILE
21
Murder in Mohammadpur
Sex, death and an ATM machine
Adil Sakhawat reports on the killing of a Dutch-Bangla Bank security guard
E
Crime
timeline
namul Haque, 22, an
employee of a private
security provider had
been working for DutchBangla Bank’s fast track
automated teller machine
(ATM)
booth
number
P-28 on Nurjahan Road in
Mohammadpur. He was
allegedly killed in front of
the booth early on October
6. The Police recovered the
body from in front of the
booth where the locals had
spotted him. Enamul, who
came from Bhauail village,
Kishoreganj, lived in a slum in
Mohammadpur
October 6
Among them, Parvej gave a confession
statement under Section 164 of the
Penal Code. After interrogation, they
were sent to jail.”
Sub inspector Ratan Kumar,
Mohammadpur police station
First police on
site
“The miscreant hit
Enamul on his head. This occurred in
front of the booth on Nurjahan Road,
between 4:00am and 5:30am. Local
people found him lying in a pool of
blood there and informed the police.
Later, the police recovered the body
and sent it to Dhaka Medical College
Hospital morgue for an autopsy. No
money, however, was looted from the
ATM booth.”
Sub inspector Ratan Kumar,
Mohammadpur police station
First public on site
“When I was coming back home after
saying my prayers, I saw the guard
and realised that he was seriously
wounded and bleeding from his head.
Adil Sakhawat
reports on crime for
Dhaka Tribune. Any
information
can be sent at
weekend@
dhakatribune.com
It seemed to me that the miscreants
had attacked him mere minutes ago.
Then I, along with some other locals
who were also present, informed
Mohammadpur police. But I was
astonished to see that the other guard
was sleeping inside the locked booth.”
Amir Salehin, a resident, Nurjahan
Road
Lead investigator
“We have arrested four
people, including a woman,
in connection with the
murder. They are: Meghla (40),
Sunny (25), Parvej (28), and Jewel
(26). We have arrested them from
different areas of the capital. After
the incident, Enamul’s father lodged
a case with Mohammadpur police
station. The Court allows us three
days to interrogate the arrestees.
“Police first arrested Meghla after
identifying her from the CCTV video
footage taken from the booth. We
arrested the others based on the
information provided by her. On that
night, Meghla first called Enamul out
from the booth and talked to him. She
left at 5:10am according to the video
footage. A little later Sunny, Parvej,
and Jewel strangled and stabbed him
to death. Then the footage shows a
group of four to five people gathered
in front of the booth around 5:26am.
These locals later informed the police
about the murder.”
Inspector Abdul Matin, Mohammadpur
police station
Meghla was a sex worker and had
an illicit relationship with Enamul.
They had a clash between them,
according to Meghla. She also told
the police during interrogation that
Enamul owed her some money, but
did not pay the money on time and
subsequently refused to pay the
money back. After quarreling with
Enamul, she then assigned the three
youths to kill him.
Prime
suspect
“From the
interrogation, it
was determined that Meghla, the
sex worker, ordered the other three,
Sunny, Parvej, and Jewel to stab
Enamul. These three are professional
muggers and have been arrested
several times before for various
criminal charges.”
Sub inspector Ratan Kumar,
Mohammadpur police station
Witness
“I talked to Enamul at
3:30am that night, in
front of that ATM booth.
At that time he was sitting outside
the booth. After talking with him for
some moments, I came back. When I
was coming back home from work at
approximately 5:15am, I saw Enamul
sitting with three or four young boys
standing beside him.”
A CNG driver, Enamul’s neighbour,
requesting anonymity
5.10am
Meghla comes, talks
with Enamul and
leaves
5.10-5.26am
Suspected time
frame of Enamul’s
murder
6am
Police recover the
body after being
informed by local
people
8am
Enamul’s body
is sent to Dhaka
Medical College &
Hospital for autopsy
3pm
A case is lodged with
Mohammadpur
police station by
Enamul’s father
October 10
8pm
Meghla is arrested
by Mohammadpur
police
9pm
Police arrest Sunny,
Parvej, and Jewel
according to the
information received
from Meghla
October 11
10am
A three-day
interrogation of
the four arrestees
begins
October 14
11am
After interrogation,
the four arrestees
are sent to court
12pm
Parvej gives a
confessional
statement under
Section 164 of the
Penal Code and the
court orders them to
be sent to jail
Azizul Huq, officer in- charge,
Mohammadpur police station
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
22
Dina Sobhan
is a freelance writer
and cautions readers
not to take her
“advice” here too
seriously!
Got a problem? Write
to Dina at weekend@
dhakatribune.com
TOUGH LOVE
1
I live in a joint family, and
it’s difficult to find some
‘alone time.’ This is a problem
especially during Eid when the whole
extended family is in a boisterous
mood and I feel pressured to
participate in the festivities. Do you
think it’s a good idea just for me to
disappear during Eid for a couple of
days without really telling anyone?
Or is that a cop-out?
DINA SOBHAN
Eid is an important holiday for our
people. It is also a monumental pain
in the ass for introverts who barely
like their immediate family, much less
the extended family they are forced
to hobnob with in forced gaiety and
merriment. Of course it’s a total loser
move to bail on everyone without an
announcement; however it may be
your only recourse. You should hightail it to Bangkok for three days of
fun-filled family-free frolic and make
sure you get in all the good stuff that
you can never do with them around,
like going to a movie you want to see,
not the latest Hindi blockbuster or
Pixar family flick, or getting drinks in
Soi Cowboy (if that’s your thing…) and
so on. When you return home, look
suitably po-faced as though you’ve
been through a massive ordeal. Turn on
the waterworks at first sight of family
and proceed to tell them how you
had a nervous breakdown and found
yourself in a Thai hospital with no
memory of how you got there. [Make
sure you go to one of the hospitals for
a quick visit during your trip to get
your alibi straight.] The story is farfetched enough to be believable only
if your acting is Oscar-worthy. Practice
on the plane if necessary. If you pull
it off, not only will you get away with
having missed Eid, you may never have
to attend another family function
again. n
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
2
My first big job interview
is coming up and I want to
make sure I am dressed right.
I’m pretty attractive and leggy,
and although I don’t want to look
unprofessional, I do want to use my
natural “assets” to impress, if you
know what I mean. What do you
advise?
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
I am marginally troubled by the fact
that you plan on landing a job based
on your ‘assets’, as you so charmingly
put it, as opposed to, say, your
qualifications. Of course, it is possible
that you have none and the only way
you get a job or anything else, for the
matter, is by flaunting your wares. If
the latter is the case, use what you
got while you got it because that plan
is going to go downhill in about 10
years when you do, if you catch my
drift. Having said that, however, I’m
sure you’ve noticed that you live in
a fairly conservative society, where
dressing suggestively will get you
that necklace you’ve been coveting
from Jawra House but probably not
the job. In fact, it may work against
you to be too hot, as attractive
women are considered less intelligent
and capable than their homelier
counterparts. In western countries,
where superficial appearance is
everything, that wouldn’t be an issue
but in Bangladesh, I would advise
you to wear that salwar kameez you
got for Eid from your grandmother.
You should look pretty, but God
forbid you’re smart and sexy, you’ll
seriously threaten the status quo (i.e.
the imminently fragile Bangladeshi
male ego) and risk being labeled a
‘fast’ girl in the process. Moreover, you
don’t want to advertise all the goods
from the get-go. Land the job on the
strength of your merits and use the
good stuff to climb the ladder and
become the boss. n
|
23
WT LEISURE
DILBERT
Across
1
6
7
8
Apt season for a leap year? (6)
Magistrate concerning first lady (5)
Thin glass instrument (5)
Greeny sort of power (6)
Down
PEANUTS
2
3
4
5
Smell of each French smoke (7)
Shipping hazard of lettuce (7)
Actress Jackson might dangle oddly (6)
Not much of a pudding (6)
Solution and clues for
last week’s crossword
Across
1
5
6
8
10
11
Animal that is all about Mum (5)
In London a china version of 2 (3)
Fail to please, strangely (5)
Iron newspapers (5)
Endless ale for queen (3)
Unit of the Royal Marines (5)
Down
1
2
3
4
7
8
9
Tune a bully plays after first light (7)
A record peak (3)
Copy primate (3)
Prosper on May’s first after British defeat (7)
Knight of the Zambesi river (3)
Favourite Geordie term of endearment (3)
Look for sounds of Scottish approval (3)
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
24
Shah Nahian
is a staff writer at
Dhaka tribune with
a passion for music
and art. When he’s
not being forced to
work, he spends his
time daydreaming
and hanging out with
friends
INTERVIEW
Samina Alam
Spiralling fire
Shah Nahian learns that playing with flames isn’t just fun, but is also a profession
During the workweek, Samina Alam is a hardworking
pharmacist – a product executive at Eskayef Bangladesh
Limited. However, her leisure hours bring out her inner
persona: she is a real-life fire spinner who has been
doing it professionally, as part of the fire spinning
group Naur.
What inspired you to be a fire
spinner?
My friend Saiful used to be a fire
spinner. Watching his performances
back in the day, it just seemed like a lot
of fun and I really wanted to learn.
When did you start?
I have been fire spinning since 2007,
right after I finished my A-levels.
How often do you have to
practise?
When I initially started out, I had to
practise almost every day to pick up
different moves. We used to have a lot
of fire nights – like every Friday. We got
to show off the new moves that we
had picked up over the week to people
on those nights. The moves looked
pretty easy, and they were, but you
need a lot of drive and hard work if you
want your moves to be fluid. You can’t
put up a good show if you’re not sure
of what you’re doing. However, now
that I have a job, it gets really difficult
to make the time and frankly, I’m just
too lazy.
What are the perks of being a
fire spinner?
You get to go to a lot of places you
normally wouldn’t be able to visit. I get
to travel all over the country; I even got
to go to the national parade ground for
a show.
This all sounds dangerous. Is
it?
Not if you know what you’re doing. A
designated “safety” person is always
ready with a wet towel and a fire
extinguisher throughout the show.
Furthermore, we carefully check our
gear to make sure nothing comes off.
One time, during one of our shows, a
burning poi tore off from the chain
and went flying into the nearby pool.
The audience thought it was all part
of the act and cheered us on. Little did
they realise that we were as surprised
as them.
Have you ever been burnt?
You know how every time you go for
a swim, you end up drinking a little
bit of the pool water? Fire spinning is
a lot like swimming. When you spin
fire you get burnt every now and then,
but every burn is so minor that it’s
negligible.
Out of all of your shows, which
one was the most memorable?
All shows have a feel of their own.
However, the most memorable one for
Did you know?
•
With enough drive, practice and proper training, anyone can learn
to become a fire spinner. Naur gives professional training to anyone
interested
•Fire spinners use lighter pois to master moves before trying to perform
with fire
•To be a fire spinner, one must be ready to get hit by his/her pois repeatedly
without getting frustrated
•Samina and her brother Tihan Shah perform a sibling duet, which is one
of a kind in the country
• Naur can be found online at www.facebook.com/Naurbd
me was not because of the act itself,
but rather the journey there. We had a
show at Khulna. The clients had paid
for our bus tickets, but as soon as we
got to the station, we realised we had
left all our gear back at my place. The
bus would not wait for us a minute
longer, so two of us started off, while
three of us went back for our gear.
By the time we got back, the bus had
already left, so my dad drove us till
Savar trying to chase it down. We kept
on just missing it every time. We had
to take two taxis from Savar till we
finally caught up with the bus at the
port, because luckily, the ferry was
running a little late.
What are the cons of your
work?
I don’t know if these count as real
cons, but we never get to dress up for
the events we go to! We see people all
dressed up in saris and suits, smelling
nice, and here we are in our old Naur
t-shirts, drenched in the smell of
kerosene, unpacking our gear from a
backpack which is equally drenched in
that same smell. n
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
THE WAY DHAKA WAS
GULISTAN OUTER STADIUM AREA
25
Gulistan, 1956
Bangladesh Old Photo Archive
Today
Chanchal Kamal
The Gulistan outer stadium area was
not built over a year, it took almost
a decade to finish. Amidst political
tension in the 1950s, most people in
Dhaka didn’t think it would be built in
the first place. I would pass the skeletal
remains of the construction site every
day on the way to school, and wonder
what a grand sight it would be if it ever
got finished. Eventually it was, and it
opened to the public within the first
day. Kicking around a football in the
stadium is one of my all-time favourite
memories.
Ishtiaque Taleb, Doctor, Gulistan resident
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
26
Nadia Chowdhury
contributes to the
Weekend Tribune
because she loves
writing, oh yes
she does. Read
her works, you
will love them
6o of connotations
Nadia Chowdhury
If love could kill
There is a fine line between emotional attachment and stalkeresque infatuation
Watching ‘Darr’ as a kid,
I remember it giving
me goose bumps. It was
certainly masterful in
its ability to convey the
horror of an obsessive
love: a one-sided fantasy
that manages to blend
into, and become, one
person’s reality
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
A
lmost everyone and anyone
who is South Asian has
watched “Darr.” You know what
“Darr” is? You don’t? Well, it is a film
that stars Sunny Deol, Juhi Chawla
and Shah Rukh Khan, and it is about
an obsessed lover who is clearly off his
rocker and goes after the “girl of his
dreams,” leaving a trail of bodies and
blood in his wake. In the end, he dies: a
love-consumed hero, not a murderous
villain.
Enchanting.
Wait, that is not so enchanting.
That is horrific.
But how is one to know what a
person is thinking about another?
How is one to know what one is feeling
toward another, for that matter?
When one thinks about it, emotions
built on possession and obsession
often lead to tragic results. In real
life, abuse and violence is greater in
intensity and occurrence, often built
on simple greed and hate. As a child, I
remember films such as “Darr” having
an incredible impact on me with how
they depicted the destructive forms of
human nature let loose by unrequited
love. Yet, the idea of being shamelessly
and persistently pursued by someone,
regardless of whether one feels the
same way, is a fantasy shared by many.
Who would not want to be loved that
passionately?
But when that passion borders on
sadism, it stops being a dream and
rather becomes a nightmare. What
is the connection between human
emotions and violence, then? While
word limits deter the addressing of
issues relative to emotional wellbeing
and violence, it is still necessary to
get the conversation started. Indeed,
movies such as the aforementioned
aim to do exactly that, as do others
like “Devdas” and “Agni Sakshi,” not
to mention “Daraar,” “Tere Naam,”
“Vaada” and “Gupt.” For those who
have not watched these films. While
they all have contrasting storylines,
and they all focus on the detriments
and pitfalls of human emotions gone
awry.
One of the best examples of this
is found in the TV series “Game of
Thrones,” where Petyr “Littlefinger”
Baelish’s obsession for Catelyn Stark
nee Tully is enough for him to cause a
string of events that would lead to her
husband’s death. In this case, it is not
just love for Catelyn – or Cat, as he often
calls her – that inspires his actions, but
also the fact that, by obtaining her,
he might also obtain her land, wealth
and title. Regular viewers of the show
know Baelish to be quite wealthy and
influential, even in the King’s Landing,
but even then, the desire for Cat (and
her property, perhaps) still remains,
and will possibly be accomplished
through Cat’s daughter, Sansa Stark.
A certain attraction to these
types of characters, however, is not
unusual, since we all value persistence
and consistency of emotions in our
partners. And yet, there is the flipside
to this coin: what happens when the
roles are suddenly reversed? I mean,
what if the victim turns out to be
a psycho killer and kills the stalker
instead of the other way around? See,
that would make for splendid irony.
I have barely touched upon the
topic of obsessive desire on which
there is a wealth of literature out there,
but if you were to ask me, it is never a
good thing to obsess over anyone; you
never know if they will obsess over you
back. Instead, a healthy, boring life is
always best. One never knows when
excitement might kill people. n
The line that separates
passion from obsession is
rather thin. For one’s own
peace of mind, one needs
to know when to simply
stop
OBITUARY
27
Bruno Metsu
End of white magic
Faruq Hasan recalls the career of a football coach who weaved tactics and inspiration to
spur a nation to glory
W
hen Senegal’s Papa Bouba
Diop scored the only goal of
the game, a glancing header
to the bottom-right corner of the goal,
in the first match of the 2002 World
Cup against world champions France,
a small piece of history was made.
Diop’s 30th-minute lone strike in front
of 15,000 French supporters in Osaka,
Japan not only meant a first ever win
for the African minnows at the highest
stage of the game, but also gave them
a crucial three points. As Senegal drew
the next two games against Denmark
and Uruguay, they qualified for the
second round for the first time in the
nation’s history, and only the second
time for an African nation at that time.
While football pundits who had
predicted an early exit were made to
eat humble pie, and journalists were
fast running out of superlatives to
describe the athletic but tactically
savvy team, one man seemed unfazed.
Coach Bruno Metsu stood in the
background, relaxed and confident,
plotting his next move. He seemed
to have anticipated success when all
around him were sceptical.
Except that he couldn’t have, really.
In fact, nothing in the Frenchman’s
playing career, and later his stint as
a coach, had indicated his meteoric
rise. For Metsu, Senegal proved to be
an exception to an otherwise largely
pedestrian career.
Bruno Metsu was born in January
28, 1954, in Coudekerque-Village, a
suburb of Dunkirk, in northern France.
He worked on Dunkirk’s docks before
starting his professional football
career. A gritty midfielder, he played
out his peripatetic career with stints in
France, Spain, and even in the Middle
East, eventually returning to French
clubs like Valenciennes and Lille, where
he later coached. He ended his playing
career with Beauvais Oise in 1987 and
became a manager there that year.
After 13 years of plying his trade in
Europe, Metsu made the bold leap for
Africa. In 2002, Metsu began coaching
several smaller clubs in Nigeria,
Cameroon and Kenya, before landing
the Senegal national team position.
Before the World Cup, Senegal sent
out a strong signal to the footballing
fraternity by defeating Nigeria to reach
the final of the 2002 Africa Cup of
Nations. It eventually lost to Cameroon
on penalty kicks in the championship
game, but that was just a beginning.
Later that year, Metsu guided the team
to its first ever World Cup.
Few thought the team would
survive its opening game in 2002,
in which it faced heavily favoured
France, the defending champion. Some
members of the French team, as well
as high-profile players on other teams,
publicly dismissed the Senegalese.
Metsu obviously had other ideas.
In a passionate speech to the team
before the game, Metsu used the
criticism levelled at his team to spur
his players forward.
“When I read them Pele’s remarks
that Senegal was the weakest link of
the group, I immediately noticed a revolt
in their eyes,” Metsu told the African
newspaper Vanguard later that year,
referring to the Brazilian superstar’s
disparaging comments before the game.
“I knew they were going to fight like
lions. And in the end they did.”
Metsu’s long and unruly blond
curls earned him the moniker White
Sorcerer, and indeed he seemed to
wield some sort of magic as Senegal
made remarkable progress throughout
the tournament. After beating France
and qualifying for the next round, they
knocked out Sweden in the Round of 16
on an extra-time goal by Henri Camara.
Their run finally ended in a quarterfinal
1-0 loss to Turkey, again in extra time.
Senegal had become only the
second African team to advance
that far; Cameroon went to the
quarterfinals in 1990. Since then, only
one African team has reached the
quarterfinals: Ghana in 2010 after
ousting the US. Metsu’s inspiration
and tactical acumen had attained
himself legendary status in Senegal,
and indeed much of Africa as well.
After the 2002 World Cup loss, he
coached in the Middle East, leading Al
Ain of the UAE to the Asian Champions
League title the next year. He was still
coaching in the region, but prolonged
illness (he was diagnosed with colon
cancer) finally caught up with him, and
he died on October 14.
Even a sorcerer’s magic, it seems,
has limitations. n
Faruq Hasan
is the Magazine
Editor and the
resident devil’s
advocate
Metsu’s life
at a glance
1969
Starts playing career
with SC Hazerbrouck in
France
1987
Retires as a player and
starts his coaching
career in the same year
with FC Beauvais
2000
Changes continent and
becomes the national
coach of African nation,
Guinea. Resigns later
that year to take up
the national coaching
position of Senegal
2002
President of Senegal
declares national
holiday after the
national team beats
France. After the
tournament, Metsu
marries a Senegalese
woman and converts to
Islam
2004
Travels to the Middle
East in a career
spanning six years
where he coaches
several clubs to
domestic success
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3
28
Prima M Alam
is a social researcher
based in Dhaka. Last
year, she conducted
a study on female
sex workers in the
capital as part of
the Liberation and
Empowerment:
Attaining Dignity and
Rights (LEADR) project
for sex workers and
their children in
Bangladesh
LAST WORD Prima M Alam
Making sense of rehabilitation
How humane is the rehabilitation process imposed on sex workers?
S
ex sells – sometimes for as
little as Tk20. From seedy hotels
scattered across the city, to
poorly lit street corners and parks in
prominent neighbourhoods – sex sells
openly and in abundance.
Despite this ubiquity and increasing
visibility, the state does not recognise
prostitution as a legitimate profession.
Yet, it does not explicitly prohibit the
trade either.
Sex workers in Bangladesh,
therefore, exist within this murky
grey area of the law. In most cases,
the women and girls providing sexual
services have to bear all the risks of this
transaction, and yet are not afforded
any basic rights. Indeed, violence and
harassment, particularly at the hands
of their handlers, corrupt policemen,
local goons and aggressive clients, is a
widespread phenomenon.
The commercial sex industry has
seen vast improvements over the past
two decades, largely due to the donorfunded STI/HIV/AIDS and health
initiatives. Sex workers have also taken
on leadership roles through various
organisations, most notably Durjoy
Nari Sangha and Sex Workers Network
of Bangladesh. These have garnered
tremendous support and exposure in
recent years.
Nonetheless,
the
stigma
surrounding the trade continues
to pose a major challenge for
development practitioners and policy
makers.
‘In the eyes of society, we are bad women.
No one will support us,’ Rupali (not her real
name), a young sex worker from Gazipur,
says. This opinion seems to resonate with
many in the sex workers’ community
In a patriarchal society like ours,
women who depart from cultural
norms of chastity are seen as social
deviants. Irrespective of how a woman
joins the sex trade, she is almost
always considered a “fallen woman.”
Sex workers are conditioned by this
forced identity and suffer from low
self-esteem as a result. They struggle
with significant internal stigma,
often labelling themselves as noshto
(ruined) and sex work as kharap kaaj
(bad work). This perhaps stems from
the deeply ingrained belief that sex
outside of marriage, consensual or
otherwise, is immoral and women
who engage in such sinful activities
are at fault. Even women who are
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3
trafficked may perhaps feel that, since
they are already “ruined,” sex work is
the only viable option. And so, despite
the change in terminology from
potita (prostitute) to jounokormi (sex
worker), female sex workers continue
to be fallen women.
For these reasons, it is not surprising
that many well-meaning politicians
are adamant that sex workers must
be rehabilitated and reintegrated
into society as “respectable women,”
categorising these women as either
victims of circumstance or a source
of disease. Is this what rehabilitation
means? An incredibly pertinent and
pressing question, given the heinous
attack on a Madaripur brothel by Islahe
Qoum Parishad activists. Incidentally,
during an NGO-organised advocacy
meeting, local elites and religious
leaders of the area purportedly refused
to acknowledge that these brothelbased sex workers were even human.
Although organisations, such as Ain o
Salish Kendra, BLAST, Manusher Jonno
Foundation and PIACT Bangladesh, are
tirelessly pursuing legal action, the
brothel was violently evicted despite
a stay-order from the High Court. If
past experience is anything to go by,
then we must think ahead and devise
an in-depth action plan of what a
rehabilitation programme should
entail.
The forced closures of the Tanbazar
and Nimtoli brothels in 1999 and the
subsequent “rehabilitation” efforts are
testament to the fact that mandatory
rehabilitation is inhumane and
redundant. Moreover, governmentrun vagrant homes, described by sex
workers as “crime centres,” are not
serving their intended purpose. “We
have been cheated all our lives; people
always misbehave with us. How can
you expect us to act like saints if you
treat us like sinners?” quips a defiant
Rupali (not her real name), who was
sold into the trade at a very early
age. After all, rehabilitation cannot
mean sweeping the problem under
a proverbial carpet and ridding the
country of these “sinners.” Even
voluntary rehabilitation is riddled
with numerous social, economic and
psychological barriers. According to a
human rights activist, some women
may want to leave the profession, but
tend to return to sex work as they are
either rejected by their relatives or
cannot adjust to “normal” life.
The eviction of a brothel must
follow a legal procedure; it cannot
be a decision dictated by hostility
or political clout. In the same vein,
The challenge is psychologically adjusting to
patriarchal family life; listening to the head
of the household, not having decision-making
power, or a source of income, all the while
grappling with an internalised stigma
local or national rehabilitation efforts
should not be reactionary in design.
Commercial sex work is essentially
a multi-faceted and ever-changing
trade and sex workers are far from
homogenous.
The
government
must collaborate with development
partners, legal aid organisations,
sex workers and civil society to
formulate an operational action
plan. For instance, aged sex workers,
underage sex workers and children
of sex workers are considered to be
most at risk. Programmes could target
these groups in an innovative and
confidential manner.
There is also a need to
simultaneously address ambiguities
in the legal framework governing the
sex industry. Besides comprehensible
prostitution laws, ensuring stringent
enforcement
of
existing
antitrafficking legislation is critical. For
most of us, the illegal eviction of the
Madaripur brothel is a disturbing
yet distant reality – one we can
connect to previous injustices that
have collectively led to an increase
in the marginalisation of an already
vulnerable group. It is perhaps
something we passively frown upon,
for whatever reason. Irrespective
of one’s viewpoint on prostitution,
the incident has also provided an
opportunity to discuss the current
situation and stand up for the rights of
sex workers, not as victims or villains,
but as fellow citizens and as human
beings.
As Rupali so eloquently puts:
“We are sex workers, but above all
we are human beings.” Only by truly
appreciating this sentiment can one
begin to understand the meaning of
rehabilitation and thereby increase
the effectiveness of such efforts, if and
when these are required. n
Findings from a study conducted under the
Liberation and Empowerment: Attaining
Dignity and Rights (LEADR) project were used
for the purpose of this article.