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| vol 2 Issue 3 | FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014

6 HoMegRown HARMonIuMs 8 QuIRks oF

BAnglA cIneMA 15 TAkA FAkeRs

Dhaka: Art city

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01730-701-608

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E FRI DAY, MAY 23, 2014

A weeklY PRoDucTIon oF

DhakaTribune

EditorZafar SobhanFeatures EditorSabrina Fatma AhmadAssistant Magazine EditorRumana HabibWeekend Tribune TeamTasnuva Amin NovaPromiti Prova ChowdhuryRifat Islam EshaFaisal Mahmud Shah NahianSyeda Samira SadequeAdil SakhawatTausif SanzumJames SavilleFarhana UrmeeArt Direction/PhotographySyed Latif HossainCartoonsSyed Rashad Imam TanmoyRio ShuvoContributorsSafia AzimGopa B CaesarIshrat JahanChanchal KamalJennifer Ashraf KashmiDIna SobhanGraphicsSabiha Mahmud SumiAlamgir HossainColour SpecialistShekhar MondalKazi Syras Al MahmoodProductionMasum BillahAdvertisingShahidan KhurshedCirculationWahid Murad

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Music remixing the legends

1cONTENTs

Volume 2 | Issue 3 | May 23, 2014

PhOTO sTOry rickshaw art9 Editor’s noteDhaka is city full of under-appreciated art, and this week we celebrate our music, film, painting, and emerging digital forms.

In the heart of Shankharibazar, the family of Jatin Mandal has been making harmoniums and tablas for “144 years of harmony” (pg 6).

Art is a living evolving thing. Modern rockstars are “Remixing the legends” (pg 5), and technology steps in to shape “The future of digital art” (pg 12).

“Rickshaw: Art on wheels” (pg 9) showcases our kitschy pop-art style, which has a language all of its own. The same can be said of

the “Quirks of Bangla cinema” (pg 8). A gallery in Gulshan opens its doors to would-be professional painters in an “Art exchange for all” (pg 4), painters who may one day grace the walls of the likes of Durjoy Rahman Joy, interviewed in “The collector” (pg 20). Durjoy always pays with real banknotes of course, unlike the artful “Taka fakers” (pg 15).

And we also celebrate the love of literature in “The race to read” (pg 17).

Finally, check out the arty events around town this week (pg 19), or stay in (pg 18) and get a healthy dose of inspiration online.

Make art not war.

IN THE NEWS2 in the news

3 say what?

FEATURES4 culture gachhatola gallery

5 Music remix

6 Feature Jatin & co

8 Listology Bangla cinema

9 Photo story rickshaw art

12 Feature digital art

15 crime file Forged banknotes

17 Education dhaka reading race

20 interview durjoy rahman Joy

REGULARS14 Legalese cut and run

16 Tough love cheapskates and

18 stay in

19 Go Out

name-fakers

5

At the studio of SM Samsu, rickshaw artist extraordinnaire.

PhotographerSafia Azim

the cover| vol 2 Issue 3 | FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014

6 HoMegRown HARMonIuMs 8 QuIRks oF

BAnglA cIneMA 15 TAkA FAkeRs

Dhaka: Art city


2 iN ThE NEws

The right-wing hardliner Narendra Modi stormed to victory at the polls, throwing the left-leaning secular Congress from office and handing his party BJP a powerful mandate for promised sweeping reforms. On the campaign trail Modi had threatened to expel Bangaldeshi immigrants living in India, and millions of India’s own Muslims fear Modi’s landslide election will fuel religious discrimination and intolerance. The number of Muslim lawmakers dropped from 30 in the outgoing parliament to a record low of 24, limiting their clout for the next five years. But some hope that Modi’s promise during the campaign of jobs and development to revive the stalled economy will benefit all classes, castes and religions, not just the Hindu majority. News and photo: AFP

Fear for India’s Muslims in Modi era

Ferry capsizes in munshiganj

Turkey mine collapseA woman searches for relatives while rescuers carry out dead miners. On May 13, an explosion and fire in a coal mine

in the western Turkish province of Manisa killed 301 people. News and photo: AFP

Bangladeshi rescue workers search for dead bodies inside a sunken ferry on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50km south of Dhaka, on Saturday. The heavily-laden

ferry capsized and sank in central Bangladesh after being caught in a storm, leaving at least 45 people dead and hundreds more missing. News and photo: AFP


3say whaT?

A technician lies next to the femur of a dinosaur in Rawson, Chubut, some 1,300 km south of Buenos Aires. Paleontologists in Argentina’s remote Patagonia region have discovered fossils of a creature believed to be a new species of Titanosaur that lived some 95 million years ago, likely to be the largest animal ever to roam the earth.News and photo: AFP

Biggest dinosaur ever

Remains of Russian rocket found in china

#bring back our girlsSchoolgirls hold placards bearing the first names of the 223 Nigerian schoolgirls held hostage in Nigeria, by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, as part of a demonstration held in Paris on Saturday. French

President Francois Hollande said Saturday that Nigeria’s Boko Haram had “established links” to Al-Qaeda and urged countries in the region to devise a common strategy to combat its threat. News and photo: AFP

Chinese government technicians prepare to remove space debris that fell in Qiqihar, in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. Objects that crashed to the ground in China have been

identified as space debris, state media reported, after a Russian rocket carrying a communications satellite fell back to Earth minutes after lift-off. News and photo: AFP


Art exchange for allgachhtola offers amateur and professional painters everything they need to get creative Tausif Sanzum

4 cuLTurE | Gachhtola Gallery

Gachhtola Fine Art Space was created for amateur painters, a place for them to get

encouragement, and maybe even sell a painting or two.

Every week (usually on Saturday) the doors of this gallery open up to the public.

Visitors are not limited to the inside of the buildling. “Gachhtola” in Bangla refers to the space under a tree; the gallery is situated in a serene garden full of trees, an oasis of calm amid the hustle-and-bustle of Gulshan.

The canvases, colours and other materials required to create an art are provided by the gallery free of cost. Once the painting is complete, if it is sold, Gachhtola Gallery will keep a 30% commission and give the rest to the artist. Gachhtola even provides art classes.

Showcasing new workThey use the premises’ boundary walls as stands to display the artists’ paintings. Passersby can view the items displayed without having to stop and enter the space, unlike the majority of other galleries.

Wadud Kafil, one of the founders of the gallery, and himself an abstract artist, says: “Some people find it weird, others come up to the canvases and comment on how beautiful

the colours are – a few onlookers are inspired to stroll through and look at the paintings.”

He tells me he believes that “people these days do not have the time to go to exhibitions, so for art to survive it must be made as accessible as possible for them.”

Blurring the lines“Gachhtola was created to promote art and to hold onto culture. If it was meant to be just a commercial project, we might as well have opened up a shop,” says Wadud. “Gachhtola pays homage to artists like Zainul Abedin, who for the first time, in our subcontinent, represented the problems of the common man on canvases.”

Prior to him, art in Bangladesh consisted mostly of romanticised pictures of women.

“Artists who perform Ranbindra Sangeet or Nazrul Geeti are elite. They have less of a connection with the common people. But as an artist, when we draw pictures of the common man and his problems, it is impossible for us to detach ourselves from them, or to not draw by being among them.”

The local art sceneMusing on the condition and future of fine arts in our country, Wadud says: “Back in the

days when I was a student at Charukala, we were the ones who pooled our limited resources and initiated the Baishakh Rally. At that time, people looked down on us, but now the rally has become a significant part of our culture. It is the same story with of Chhobir Haat.”

Wadud thinks that once you nurture an art-related project, and find a way to involve the common people in it, over time it should pick up steam and remain established for a long time.

“Our culture holds treasures, which can be the inspiration for the new generation of artists, but provisions should be made to make the information available to them.”

To hold on to our cultural wealth, he emphasises the need to promote fine arts, history and other similar subjects.

He is upset about these subjects not being seen with the same esteem as buisness, engineering and other more mainstream subjects.

Wadud raises a fundamental question: How reasonable is it to be able to expect current and future generations to have an awareness of our rich culture, if no students are studying it?

“Maybe we are a poor country, maybe we do not have enough money, but our culture is strong.” .

Gachhtola Fine Art spaceIf you are interested in visiting the gallery to see and buy artworks House 8, Road 6, Gulshan 1, Dhaka 01914741007, 01711616185 www.facebook.com/Gachhtola

More than words: The open space invites interaction, conversation, and art appreciationPhotos: Courtesy


5

In Bangladesh, the music of Rabindranath, Nazrul and Lalon will always be immortal.

Dhaka is full of new rock bands, but people outside the capital still regularly hum the compositions of the legends, says Rahul Anondo from Joler Gaan. Even a band as popular as his still has only a fraction of the popularity of a beloved folk singer like Shah Abdul Karim, who passed away in 2009.

The local music scene can be divided into two sectors: urban and rural/small town. Musicians in Dhaka make a living by playing at functions, releasing albums, and getting promotion from institutions and organisations. But the majority of the audience lives in small towns and villages. Current artists are bridging the divide by remixing old folk favourites and making them their own.

Global phenomenon The art of remixing and fusion has existed as long as there has been a recording industry. Though it was not originally called “remixing” there has always been manipulation of music to make it into a new composition. Remixes became popular in the late 60s, when Jamaican music producers

deconstructed and rebuilt popular reggae songs to suit the audiences at street dances.

In the 70s, American disco producers started to apply similar techniques to make pop songs suitable for the newl-hip nightclub dance floors. Remixes ranged from minor bass-enhancement of the originals, to the creation of unrecognisable new versions of the song.

This trend of re-working to suit the dance floor continued with modern electronic music like house and techno, which often “samples” refrains from old funk and jazz songs. There is also the phenomenon known as mash-up, where a group of popular songs are edited and placed in such a way that they form an altogether new song.

Remix BangladeshContemporary artists and bands like Arnob and Shironamhin have released their own versions of Ranbindra Sangeet. They experiment with the tune, tone, instruments and singing styles.

Ziaur Rahman Zia of Shironamhin notes that artists are experimenting with compositions, keeping true to the soul of the classics.

When Habib Wahid released his album Krishno back in 2003, young people had a renewed interest in the works of maestros like Shah Abdul Karim and Rajon Saha.

Waqeel Ahad, a baul singer, lyricist and composer, believes that music composed during a particular period needs to accommodate itself according to the changing times, so fusion is something which should not be avoided.

Fuad Al Muqtadir, a popular contemporary musician says: “If we have permission from the original artists, I don’t think it’s an issue to remix. In fact, remixing is good, since it only makes songs more popular and brings old songs to new groups of people.”

Rock passportMany remix artists are consummate musicians themselves. To truly understand the nuances of classical music, one needs a lot of training. If you look at the band mates of Bangla or Bahok, you will realise that they are not only music enthusiasts, but highly talented and well trained.

Their skillful fusions of Lalon or baul with jazz or rock end up leaving behind a distinctive Bangladeshi flavour to the western forms.

Rahul Anando says we have such a rich heritage, every time we fall short we can go back to our roots. He also acknowledges that when his band releases a new composition, it faces direct competition from Afro-Brazilian or Latin American bands, due to globalisation. The reason people listen to world music is because they gain something unique from it.

When our musicians compose music and expect to have a wider international audience, they need to add something distinctive to them. He says whenever he creates a composition for the band, he always tries to give a flavour of our country, so that musicians from around the world can get a taste of something truly Bangladeshi.

John Lennon once said: “Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.”

The great forefathers of Bangladeshi music did not know about copyrights or fusion or remixes. For them music was a mode of expression. They would likely be glad that their original musical ideas remain valid today, even though the modes of expression have changed with the times..

Graphic illustrations: Sabiha Mahmud Sumi

Musical renaissance or death of creativity?when rabindranath tagore wrote lyrics and music, did he expect his songs to still inspire generations of musicians 100 years later? Tausif Sanzum

remix | Music


6 FEaTurE | Jatin & co

114 years of harmony

More than a century ago, there was a man named Jatindra Mohon Mandal who loved music and

dance. He was from Dhaka, but as part of a traditional Jatra theatre troupe, he wandered from place to place to perform.

Working with music inspired him to try and build his own harmonium. To his surprise, he managed to make the instrument. He was even more surprised when he put it up for sale and got a good price for it.

This is where the story of modern instrument sales in Dhaka starts: with Jatindra Mandal.

He initially started making, repairing and selling harmoniums on a small scale, before formally setting up Jatin & Company in 1910. The shop has now been at 14 Shankharibazar for 114 years.

Today, Jatin remains the go-to destination for music lovers looking for instruments, made by the hands of artisans from the Mandal family factory.

The name Jatin, carved onto

the side of their harmoniums, is the ultimate indicator of quality, sought out by those searching for the finest instruments. It has been the choice of muscians from all over the subcontinent since it opened.

Three generations of musicmakersAfter Jatindra died in 1970 his son Suneel Kumar Mandal started running the business. He is now retired but occasionally helps his

son Jatindra Mohon Mandal who now runs the business.

Surjeet Mandal, Jatindra's grandson, currently oversees the business.

He is himself an extremely talented musician, as becomes obvious when asked to demonstrate one of Jatin's signature harmoniums. He plays an improvised melody, smiling at our amazed reaction to his playing.

“I love music and have learned to play these instruments since childhood, but I am much more of a

Jatin & company is dhaka’s oldest and most reputed musical instrument maker Farhana Urmee and James Saville

The oldest harmonium maker at Jatin & CompanyPhotos: Farhana Urmee


7

craftsman than a player,” he says.Surajeet dreams of rejuvenating

the business he inherited. He sees his only child, a daughter, taking responsibility for business some day. He wants her to resurrect the old music scene that centred around the shop many years ago.

Craftsmen at workJatin’s factory is housed in the rooms above and behind the shop. Surajeet walks me through it. Four craftsmen sit around chatting with each other as they trim various bits of materials. As they talk, they occasionally – as if to emphasise a point – send splinters flying with a flick of the hand.

Shunil, Jatin's oldest harmonium maker, has a weathered face that belies his ability to create fine instruments. He has been given the status of “Bagh,” meaning tiger, in honour of his decades of experience at harmonium making.

Much like Surajeet, he inherited his position; his father was also a harmonium maker at Jatin, and so Shunil grew up among the reeds and boxes of half-built harmoniums.

Sitting in the shop, he speaks softly while the TV is turned on as other employees are watching a Bangla drama serials on one of Kolkata’s TV channels.

“A musician who comes into the shop might be famous, but I can always tell if he or she knows music in the true sense.” Shunil's experience is reflected in his confident gaze.

A skilled harmonium maker can make up to six harmoniums per month with the help of assistants. Only the tablas are made offsite in Narayanganj, since it involves leather work, which has to be done separately.

Musical range“We make a variety of harmoniums – simplified ones for beginners, and more sophisticated ones with greater tuning options that are required by professionals,” says Surjeet.

In addition to their signature harmoniums, Jatin also makes other instruments like guitars, tablas, dholoks, ektaras, dotaras, flutes and other kinds of percussion instruments.

Suneel ensures that other classical instruments, like tanpuras, esrajs and sitars, are imported from India. These are instruments that Jatin doesn't make, but the Mandals would like to start in the future. The demand for the instruments is highly dependent of the teaching of classical music in Dhaka. “I would love to make these other instruments for the ustads as well if there is adequate demand,” says Surajeet.

The shop's staples, the harmoniums and tablas, get a sales boost at the end of the year, when school exams are over and parents want their kids to learn music.

Storied pastDuring Surjeet's grandfather's days, there used to be regular musical programmes arranged on the shop floor, where local musicians would perform. Eminent visiting musicians, poets, and singers would often join in the musical adda.

Stories of these kinds of musical soirees can be found in the writings of poets and musicians. Surajeet shows me a collection of such

literature and correspondence.Ustad Allauddin Khan was a

renowned music teacher of 20th century Indian classical music. Pointing at a framed picture of his grandfather Jatindra posing alongside the ustad, Surajeet says: “People like him bought their harmoniums from my grandfather, which is a source of great pride for us.” Kawali singers from India and Pakistan come to Jatin to get high quality harmoniums to this day.

As he talks of his grandfather’s stories, a procession goes past carrying a Hindu idol on an open cart. Surajeet does not forget to bow his head silently, closing his eyes mid-conversation. The intensity of his faith mirrors the intensity of his passion for music.

The music scene in Dhaka has been grateful for Jatin & Co ever since it opened, contributing to the growing culture of learning music across the country. This shop is a symbol of the indivisible relationship between music and the lives of Bangalis thoughout time. It gives birth to a new musician with every single instrument sold..

A musician who comes into the shop might be famous, but I can always tell if he or she knows music in the

true sense

People like Ustad Allauddin Khan bought their harmoniums from

my grandfather, which is a source of great pride

for us

Surjeet Mondal, the third generation owner of Jatin & Company


8 LisTOLOGy | BanGla cinema

Quirks of Bangla filmYou know you’re watching a dhalliwood movie when... Gopa B Caesar Damsel in distress is saved by the heroThere is always a heroine, who is usually coy but virtuous. She manages to draw the eye of the hero’s rival, whether he be good or evil. And at some point in the film she will give up the attempt to save her honour by herself, as there has to be a hero to come to her rescue. As soon as she shouts “Help!” the hero arrives out of nowhere and saves her.

1 vs 100 in noisy action-fight sceneIt is typical for the hero to have superlative strength. He can beat at least 20 people single-handedly. No weapon is enough to get the better of this stud. The action scenes are so noisy, it can sound like moon-rockets are being launched. They fight a lot, but shout even more. A single movement of a limb makes so much noise that you may be reminded of the adage: “Empty vessels make much sound.”

The never-ending dialogue of a dying man With so many action sequences, someone must die. But they often refuse to die before reminiscing about their entire life in a will-it-never-end last breath. They may reveal the truth about somebody’s birth or legacy or marriage, ensuring their final revenge. As a result, such deaths are often followed by shrill cries or growled promises.

Poetic justiceBangla cinema serves a raw version of poetic justice to its audience, inducing feelings of euphoria after three hours in front of the screen. The evil ones, however powerful they seem, get severely punished and the hero is triumphant.

Police in the last sceneEverybody in the film enjoys impunity until the final 15 minutes, and then suddenly, out

of nowhere, the police enter the scene and oh-so-humbly request everyone to surrender. It often provides a moment of comic relief after the tiring action scene just preceding it.

Elderly people exhibiting emotional fitsElderly people occupy “important” roles in almost all our films, and speak mostly in an melodramatic tone – they cry loud, they laugh loud, they live loud. They speak in a screeching tone and are always chaotically emotional. They also have a very strong code of honour and a keen sense of pride, both of which can be easily offended, to raise the temperature of the storyline.

Singing in the rainIt is almost a rite of passage: Every poet from our country has appreciated the romance of rain. But the way we see rain in our cinema is all about seduction; the heroine somehow takes an (un)fortunate shower in the rain, accompanied by a song that always turns out to be the most popular songs in the film. BTV would often “creatively” censor the wet scenes by trembling flowers, perhaps without

realising how that connoted consummation too!

Gopa B Caesar teaches English literature at a private university, and is currently studying Television and Film Studies at Dhaka University.

“Bachaaaaao! Chhere de shoytan! TUI AMAR Deho pabi, mon pabi na.”“Save me! Let me go Devil! You might get my body but not my heart,” screams the heroine to the goons/villain before the hero swoops in.

“Chowdhury Shaheb, amra gorib hote pari...”“Mr Chowdhury, we might be poor, but… [insert life lesson here].”

“Ma, ami first class first hoyechhi!”“Mom, I got first class first!” the hero says as he enters the frame with exam results in hand.

“Ain nijer haate tule neben na.”“Don’t take the law into your own hands,” say the police whenever they enter the scene.

“Amar mayer kosom”“I swear on my mother’s soul.”

AcCha shunen: Typical Bangla filmy dialogue

Infinitely virtuous hero always earns a ‘first class first’The hero can never be virtuous enough: If he is a thief, he is an honest thief; if a dacoit, one with a heart of gold. It doesn’t matter what his occupation, honesty is the best policy in our films! And when he graduates, no force in the universe that can stop him from getting a “first class first.” These days we even find heroes passing with distinctions in BCom (commerce) from a renowned

university that only offers degrees in engineering.

Poor vs rich family conflictsThis is the most common theme for formula-films here, but do not misjudge it as a Marxist depiction. This is less about class-struggle and more about developing a conflict to reach a dramatic climax. It dotes on the universal idea that love is blind. Thus, there is always a Chowdhury Shaheb who learns the lessons of love from his children..


Rickshaw: art on wheelsProviding a canvas for artists, rickshaws feature rich paintings and decorative flourishes that reflect both the personal style of the rickshawallah and the evolving tastes of the culture around them Safia Azim

Turn Page for photographs

The eco-friendly and human-powered rickshaw is the most ubiquitous vehicle for public

transportation in Bangladesh. It is a veritable mobile museum, with comprising an estimated 3 million vehicles strong across the nation.

Today the rickshaw is taken for granted as part of our landscape, even considered traditional and folksy. However, its introduction, as recently as in the 50s, was via the urban interface of global trade. Chittagong merchants first imported rickshaws from

Myanmar around 1919, while jute traders of Narayanganj and Netrokona got theirs from Kolkata in the 1930s. It took another 20 or so years for it to take its place alongside horse-drawn carriages, the palanquin and bullock carts on the roads of old Dhaka..

9rickshaw art | PhOTO sTOry

Safia Azim is a freelance photographer, psychologist, and member of Naripokkho. This work is from her research for a book on Bangladeshi transportation arts, to be published by UPL at the end of the year.


the rickshaw hood – possibly the most showy part of the vehicle – is a plastic cloth on a bamboo frame, adorned either with appliqued patterns by ‘tailors’ or painted over by a roadside mechanic (known as a rickshaw mistri), one of his assistants, or a rickshaw artist. the mistri also wraps the bars of the rickshaw frame with plastic, embellishing it with tinsel, tassels, metal strips, and other baubles. he paints in various patterns. common themes include floral and avian forms, religious images like boys in prayer, or film-inspired scenes like femme fatales and love triangles.

10 PhOTO sTOry | rickshaw art


11


FEaTurE | DiGital art12

where is technology leading us? Shah Nahian

Camille Paglia, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, is pessimistic.

“As a veteran of 40 years teaching in art schools, I am alarmed about the future of American art. Young people today, immersed in a digital universe, love the volatile excitement of virtual reality, but they lack the patience to steadily contemplate a single image – a complex static object such as a great painting or sculpture. The paintings of their world are now video games, with images in febrile motion; their sculptures are the latest-model cell phone, deftly shaped to the hand.”

While Paglia might be right, many artists, such as Aaron Koblin, look at this new fascination with technology as an opportunity, one that allows them to work in a manner that would otherwise not be possible.

Reynold Reynolds, the director and writer, explains: “I would be very curious to get to a level of experience that would be dream-like, where you could be walking through space in someone else’s dream. It’s very hard for me to know if I dream similarly to the way you dream, or even to remember my dream precisely.”

“I think it would be very

Of Digital Art The Future


13interesting if someone could create a piece as real as a dream,” he says. “I think that must be the future, where art is about ‘I have an experience and I want to share it with people,’ and ‘I’m limited if I’m painting on a canvas.’

Aesthetics of art in the modern worldWith the rapid development in technology, the world is much smaller than it once was. Heather Kelly, media artist and video game designer, believes the job of artists in the modern world is to make connections that are not obvious.

Independent filmmaker Vincent Moon has felt his work grow and evolve along with the information age. “The amount of information available and the amount of books available suddenly became more than human beings are able to read and understand. So how do we deal with this? Basically we deal with it on a daily basis, one by one. It is a very interesting subjective process that I apply myself on a daily basis – like grabbing information from here and there, and putting them in contact, and seeing what happens. It is very exciting.”

Artist Ken Wahl suggests the idea of originality and proprietary is slowly disintegrating. Today, ideas get thrown out there, and it is the use of it that is the art, rather than the person who comes up with the idea.

Zeesy Powers, a live performance artist, believes there is something truly magical in taking something that was created for one purpose, and then using it to make something completely new, beautiful and artistic.

However, she is not just excited by a technology that comes into play just because it is new. There has to be a reason why it is being used. It must somehow support

or enhance the meaning or the beauty of what you’re making.

Caleb Larsen, an artist who often produces work that plays with technology, explains further: “I identified myself as a painter who was constantly pushing away ideas and things that I wanted to work with, because I didn’t feel like I could paint them. The best way to approach a project or a problem is to use the best tools for the job. Sometimes it is painting; sometimes it’s a computer program.”

“Often when I have picked up new technologies and incorporated them to my work, it hasn’t been because I saw the technology and said: “Ok, I want to do something with this.’ Rather, it was a project that called for a technological solution. Every once in a while you do see something and think: ‘This is cool and I want to do something with it.’ When I approach things that way, it’s really difficult to make the work not simply about the technology.”

The Era of New Media ArtsTo make use of the rapid development in technology, both digital and traditional artists may use sources of electronic information and programs to create their work. “New media art” is considered to be any artistic practice that uses new media technologies as an essential part of the creative or presentation process.

Charlie Gere, a British academic and director of research at the Institute for Cultural Research at Lancaster University, mentions in his book Digital Culture: “Given the parallels between visual and musical arts, it is possible that the general acceptance of the value of digital art will progress in much the same way as the increased acceptance of electronically produced music over the last three decades.”.

It is an inevitable future that technological advancements will change how people work in all

sectors. Dr Professor Amirul Momanin

Chowdhury, dean of the school of fine arts at Khulna University, believes, similarly to what is happening abroad, these innovations are enlightening a lot of artists from Bangladesh.

He explains: “Sometimes as we work, we end up creating boundaries for ourselves. We create walls around us. However, technological advancements are tearing these walls down. In this day a lot more is possible, a lot can be achieved without much difficulty, and those who dare to break out from these boundaries are generally doing well. They are able to branch out and find work a lot more easily.”

However, he cautons: “A lot of discipline and skill is involved when working with traditional forms of art. If we work only with computers and technology, this will be forever lost. So yes, new technologies are there to expand our horizons, but digital or media arts can’t completely replace the traditional art forms.”

“The value of both forms of art also has to be taken into consideration,” Amirul says. “Suppose I edit a photograph of you and create a beautiful piece and at the same time I also paint you the same portrait by hand. Which one would you value more? Which one would you want to put up on your wall? Something printed or something created by hand?”

Bangladesh has not yet completely embraced digital art. There are a few universities who are encouraging both forms, but many still do not allow its students to work with computers. However, as time progresses, people want something new, something different. With that, the look of art also changes.

While digital and media art has not been embraced by the people and artists of this country completely, it still affects the work process to some extent, even when working with traditional forms. Monirul Islam, the Bangladeshi born veteran artist who spent the last 45 years of his career in Spain, believes: “Nature is the original teacher of artists. In the

time I spent abroad, I noticed a significant difference in style from the artists there and the artists at home. In Bangladesh we get a lot of sunlight and we see a lot of colours. This gets embedded into our system and transfers to our work. We like working with a lot of bright colours, but the artists refer to this as ‘curry painting’ abroad, because they don’t see so much colour in their life and they like working with a lot of grey, white and black. So when I think about the future of art, though art itself is universal, our future is most likely to be a little different from what we might see from somewhere else.”

“However, the technological advancements are likely to affect the work process as they can be helpful to our work,” he says. “I personally prefer the touch of the hand for my work, but with the availability of the internet and computers, it is easy for people to access an infinite amount of information, resources and even get recognition on a global scale. So even in my work, though I don’t like working with only with digital means, it is still sometimes incorporated to my pieces.”

Future of art in Bangladesh

Artwork: Linda Bergvisit


14

Q

A

My friend got married last year and conceived almost immediately following the marriage. As a first time expectant mother, she was excited and thrilled about it, but also a tad worried about possible complications. Her husband told her not to worry, told her that money was no object and that he would find her the best doctor in Dhaka.

They finally consulted a well known doctor at an exclusive private hospital and began treatment. During the course of her

pregnancy, my friend had to stay at the hospital 5 times as the doctor constantly recommended care and bed rest.

During the delivery — a caesarean — the doctor just came in for two minutes, performed the delivery, hurriedly applied the stitches and then rushed off to complete another caesarean. She later developed an infection following the hurried stitches, which then led to further complications. Can my friend take legal action against the doctor or hospital?Cut and run

Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales. She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate.

Got a

problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@

dhakatribune.com

Dear Reader:Firstly, let me begin by saying I hope that your friend and the young angel are currently healthy and keeping well. Sadly, these days, this is an altogether common occurrence in Bangladesh. The families who can afford it usually head abroad during the course of a pregnancy to get regular checkups and to ensure an uncomplicated delivery. The families who fall in the middle still opt to settle for one of the few well known and “exclusive” private hospitals in Dhaka – their reasoning being that since these hospitals and the doctors charge such high fees, they must truly know what they are doing. Unfortunately, quite a few hospitals in Bangladesh fail to adhere to the appropriate medical ethics. Some even resort to prescribing and suggesting additional, complicated treatments and procedures which may be completely unnecessary but which the patients and their families then feel obligated to follow. Who’s doing to argue with a doctor – especially when he has all those impressive degrees and those fancy letters after his name?

Unfortunately, the law relating to clinical negligence in Bangladesh is not very well developed. To be honest, it is practically non-existent. Negligence is defined as “failure to exercise reasonable care and skill” in a particular situation. Applying this definition, clinical negligence will occur when a health professional will fail to perform their duty in the correct way, and as a result of any act or omission by the healthcare professional, a patient will have suffered loss or injury. The fact of the matter is that Bangladeshi law does not provide separate statutory provisions regarding clinical negligence; to put it simply, we just do not have any adequately drafted law to deal with these issues. Although laws do

exist in this area, they cover a whole range of other related medical issues, critically missing the focus on clinical negligence.

Even the enactment of a new law to address this situation will take quite a bit of time and has to get over a few bureaucratic hurdles. So, what can victims of clinical negligence do in the meantime?

These are a few courses of action available. Departmental proceedings, though a rare practice in Bangladesh, can be instituted. The BMDC, as a regulatory body of physicians, dentists and medical assistants, is legally empowered to initiate such proceedings. Whether they choose to do so, however, will depend on them and remains to be seen.

Your friend may also have the option of bringing a criminal action against the doctor. However, this may only be done in appropriate cases of negligence. Your friend’s lawyer will be able to provide further advice on whether this qualifies as appropriate.

Additionally, another available option is launching a civil suit for compensation.

I am obligated to point out that, in spite of these options being available to the general public and patients who have suffered clinical negligence, there are very few amongst us who actually persist with taking legal action against medical practitioners or hospitals. I have friends and know people who have suffered miscarriages and even lost their babies less than a week after birth; these same individuals soon fell silent and resigned themselves to their losses instead of pursuing valid courses of action. Sometimes the pain of loss dulls everything and makes everything else seem insignificant in the process. I hope that everything works out for your friend and there are no further complications in the future. .

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

LEGaLEsE | with Jennifer ashraf kashmi


The government keeps issuing redesigns of the taka, but forger manage to stay one

step ahead. Recently the police has been

catching up with them, and uncovering their methods and techniques.

The Detective Branch (DB) recovered a laptop, two printers and other equipment used for counterfeiting money in Gazipur, when they arrested three people with forged notes worth around Tk1.8lakh in April.

In a bust by Rab-2 in February, officials recovered watermarked papers, security ribbons, monograms of Bangladesh Bank, screen printing dyes, negatives, and note cutters. The fake currency manufacturing factory, in the capital’s Hajaribagh area, had Tk1.59 lakh of fake money in Tk100 and Tk500 notes.

During primary interrogation, Sumon, 28, who was arrested in the drive, confessed and described the process.

How fake notes are madeThere are two ways of forging currency. One is by printing scanned images of real notes onto high quality paper with gum and security ribbons.

The other one is by using the “washing system,” whereby Tk100 notes are washed with a special kind of liquid, and the numbers are changed to give it the appearance of a Tk500 note.

Sumon also disclosed how the forged notes enter the market.

First, one bundle of forged notes worth Tk50,000 are sold at Tk5,000-10,000 to wholesalers. Then retailers buy those at Tk10,000-15,000 and sell these fake notes to persons who cheat vulnerable people – the uneducated, poor and elderly – into accepting them.

It costs only Tk1,500 to produce Tk1 lakh of forged notes. Sumon said he had bought a laptop and a colour printer worth Tk80,000 to run the illegal business.

Passage to IndiaDetectives have found that Bangladesh is also a transit route for smuggling counterfeit Indian currency. A number of couriers are involved in this process throughout the border areas. They often perform this activity alongside other legitimate businesses.

The demand for fake Indian currency is high among illegal cattle traders, smugglers and narcotics dealers based in the India-Bangladesh border areas.

“The notes are printed in Pakistan and India,” said the DB, “and then transferred through Bangladesh. Gang members find this country to be safer with less risk of being caught.”

Corridor upazilasBangladesh Bank has identified eight upazilas near international borders where fake notes are produced.

These upazilas are Chakaria of Cox’s Bazar, Ishwardi of

Pabna, Ashashuni of Satkhira, Kamalganj of Moulvibazar, Babuganj of Barisal, Ranisankail of Thakurgaon, Gafargaon of Mymensingh, and Khetlal of Joypurhat.

Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Dasgupta Asim Kumar said: “These areas have been identified on the basis of the number of fake bank notes accounts seized. Counterfeiters take real money in exchange for fake notes by duping ordinary people, particularly cattle traders.”

“Though fake note dealers are often nabbed, the kingpins seem to evade the dragnet,” he said. “The Tk500 and Tk1,000 notes happen to be the forgers’ favourites.” He added that the printing of fake notes rises over Eid when people go shopping.

Workshops are being held in these upazilas to raise awareness of fake notes.

Existing lawsOften law enforcement agencies release the criminals despite catching them red-handed with forged notes, because of a lack of further evidence or witnesses.

According to the experts, a stronger law is needed for prevention of fake notes in Bangladesh, like the ones that exist in developed countries, like the US, Canada and Australia.

Kumar said: “Some 5,468 cases have been lodged with different police stations across the country since 1998, of which only 1,234 cases have been resolved to date.”

He urged the government to enact a separate law to dispose of the pending cases.

“Dismissal of such cases indicates that the old British laws we have at present are inadequate to deal with counterfeiting cases. Speedy trials and proper punishment are not ensured. So considering these facts, the government should draft a new law to prevent these illicit activities,” said Kumar.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB agrees: “A separate law is a must to prevent the circulation of fake notes in the market … We have arrested a number of gangs in last few years, but the criminals have been acquitted from the cases because of absence of a stricter law,” claimed Islam.

A draft law is in fact due to be submitted to Parliament soon. The Fake Currency Prevention Bill 2013 is part of a two-pronged approach by Bangladesh Bank to address the prevalence of counterfeit money that has dogged the economies of Bangladesh and India for decades.

“The maximum punishment proposed under the new law is life imprisonment for counterfeiting,” Kumar said.

Zeauddin Ahmed, managing director of Securities Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) said: “As law enforcers alone cannot stop counterfeiting, people should learn about the security features of the notes. .

15forGeD Banknotes | criME FiLE

Taka fakerscurrency forgers reveal the secrets of their craft Adil Sakhawat

Size 160×70 mm

PaperHighly durable synthetic paper

SignatureDr Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank

Marks in intaglio (textured) printing• 7 parallel slanted lines on the right

side • A portrait of Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman on the left side• 5 small dots for blind people to

recognize the note• Photo of the parliament building

A 4mm security ribbon embedded on the left side containing the Bangla text “1000 taka” and a bank logo, which appear white when viewed from above and black when viewed from a 90 degree angle

On the upper right, the text “1000 taka” is printed in optically variable ink, which appears golden and green as you oscillate it

When the note is held horizontally, the text “1000 taka” appears in the lower border

Repeated micro-prints of “1000 taka” and “Bangladesh Bank” in two distinct vertical straight lines on the left side of the security thread, visible with a magnifying glass

Watermarks• Portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman• “1000” just below the portrait in

bright electrotype• A picture of Bangladesh Bank,

brighter than the portrait, to its left

how to identify a real Bangladeshi Tk1000 note


16 TOuGh LOVE | Dina soBhan

Dina Sobhan is a freelance writer, and cautions readers not to take her ‘advice’ here too seriously!

I would delight in announcing to you the debilitating physiological condition causing this ailment but for

the fact that – alas – there isn’t one. Your problem has nothing to do with Alzheimer’s or any other disease. You’re just not that into them.

You find them dull and uninteresting because, well, they’re probably dull and uninteresting. You may find things about them that are intriguing, such as their love of Chihuahua-shaped topiary or the inability to eat anything orange, but that alone does not compel the necessary memory retention required to recall something so mundane as their name. I’m not sure how to help you with this dilemma except to tell you to hang out with more interesting people.

However, since everyone you meet cannot be boring, you must simply take a greater amount of interest in people.

If that’s just too impossible a feat to accomplish, employ some pneumonic devices to help you out. For example, your friend Ashley smokes like a chimney and is always surrounded by a cloud of ash, hence Ashy Ashley. Or your friend, the compulsive

I am struggling to remember people’s names in the office and in my wider social circle. The problem isn’t restricted to people

I’ve just met. I often forget the names of people I’ve hung out with for years.

This is becoming a real problem, as people I’ve met numerous times and had long conversations with get offended when I forget their names. Strangely, I often remember a lot of other details about the people in question, just not their names.

I’m in my mid-twenties, so I don’t think its Alzheimer’s. Any idea what could be causing this?

A

QGot

a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

com

AWhat I think you’re saying is you got together with your girlfriend ‘cause she was hot and now she’s not, but you’d be okay with that if she stopped eating salad?? Should she have chosen the cheapest meat item on the menu as you have been doing, purportedly to save your relationship? Listen guy, your lady is clearly not having a party, either at your expense or otherwise. If she were, she’d be deriving pleasure from your company instead of “gourmet meals,” which in turn have made her fat and unhappy, neither of which were issues until she met you. If you love her as much as you claim to, worry more about her happiness and less about her ever-widening girth.

If, however, you’re already treating her like a princess and she’s simply taking you for granted by letting herself go and consuming all your resources – literally – then maybe you need to man up and tell her to skip everything BUT the salad and start showing some self-respect. That should work; no woman wants to be thought of as slovenly and unattractive… even if she is.

I am madly in love with the girl that I am going out with now, but she is definitely having a party at my expense. She used to weigh 110lbs when we started going out. Now, barely one year later, she weighs more than 150lbs! That’s not the main problem, though. The main problem is that whenever we eat out, she scolds me for my order (a meat item, and usually the cheapest one) while she has three-course gourmet meals starting with salad. I just want to tell her to skip the salad because that’s not helping. But that’s my problem: How can I do that?

Q

Cartoon : Syed Rashad Tanmoy Imam

cheapskates and name-flakes

dater, can be thought of as Amorous Amer. Or carry a pen and paper around with you and take detailed notes. People will realise that there’s something wrong with you and instead of being offended, will now be full of sympathy for your plight. .


“Are you excited?” “Yes!” screamed

the thirty odd voices of Sunbeam’s

Class VI. After completing the month-long Dhaka Reading Race hosted by Monasa Learning Centre, with a whopping total of 57,469 minutes, they earned their winning prize of pizza, courtesy of Pizza Roma. The aim of the “race” was to rack up as many reading-hours as possible.

Kids from five schools in Dhaka completed the reading race, a reading competition for children ages 5-14, held from March 1-30. The Canadian International School, Sunbeams, Scholastica, the American International School Dhaka, the Canadian Trillinium School and the French International School were participants in the competition, which was the first of its kind.

Children who read for more than 600 minutes were rewarded with a certificate from Monasa and coupons for free frozen yogurt from Yoberries. The Dhaka Tribune was a media partner.

Ambreen Lakhani Miraly and Mary O’Connor from Monasa Learning Centre attended the pizza party, and were chatted with the students.

Ambreen gave a pep talk to the Sunbeams class before the pizza party. “When we were kids back in Chicago, reading competitions were a common method of getting children into the habit of reading. It was fun, engaging and colourful. I hope all of you had a great time, and loved reading as much as I did back in school.”

Participants competed as a class, and the class that scored the highest number of minutes altogether won the pizza party. After all the pizzas these pre-teens have eaten, one would think the excitement at finally getting their hands on the trophy would outweigh that at seeing more piled up boxes of pizzas. But hard-earned pizzas beat trophies for the wide-eyed winners.

The competition has been a memorable journey for the children and teachers who took part. Throughout the month, the competing classes set aside time for reading. Many children said

it was the most enjoyable time of their week.

“For the reading race, we are doing a camping week this week, where students are allowed to bring in flashlights pillows and tents. “There used to be a time when they’d just roll around on the floor not knowing what to do between classes, but now they’re focused and they’re reading in their tents. We’re doing a technology theme next week, where they are allowed to bring books on their iPads,” said Ms Pidduck, a Grade 3 teacher at Canadian Trillinium School.

Prior to the reading race, Monasa put up a reading list on their Facebook page.

“The idea behind the list was to try to introduce the children to new and contemporary authors and books that are not available or well circulated in their educational environment,” said Mohammad Miraly of Monasa.

That list also included old favorites like Goodnight Moon (ages 3-5), The Velveteen Rabbit (ages 5-8), and the Little House on the Prarie series (ages 9-14).

“Reading is essential when trying to instil better writing and communication skills in children. Hence the competition was welcome encouragement for the children to take up their books. I believe it also gives them life experiences that they won’t otherwise have, and that goes a long way toward creating open-minded individuals,” said Amna Rahman, one of the teachers who conducted the reading race at Sunbeams.

Monasa provides a structured, custom-tailored, afterschool programme in English and maths for children between ages of 3-14. It strives to support children to overcome their weaknesses at the critical early stage of their education, encouraging their progress at every step. Monasa is currently hosting a Children’s Bookclub every Saturday, throughout the month of May. The children will practice three types of reading skills, and will participate in discussions and write about their reading. To participate, call 017-66-900-900. .

17Dhaka reaDinG race | EDucaTiON

The race to readreading may be its own reward, but the dhaka reading race sweetens the deal for local schoolchildren Ishrat Jahan

Ages 3-5• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric

Carle• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise• Brown Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What

do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats • The Runaway Bunny by Margaret

Wise• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John

Archambault

Ages 5-8• Goldilocks and the Three Bears by

Alvin Granowsky• The Little Red Hen by Paul Gladone • The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul

Gladone • The Polar Express by Chris Van

Allsburg • The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss • Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice

Sendak• Love You Forever by Robert N

Munsch

• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

• The Mitten by Jan Brett• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery

Williams

Ages 9-14 • Charlotte's Web by E. B. White• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine

Paterson• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by

Roald Dahl • Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia

MacLachlan• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott

O'Dell• Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli • The BFG by Roald Dahl • The Giver by Lois Lowry • James and the Giant Peach: A

Children's Story by Roald Dahl• Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner • Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

DHAKA READING RACE samping of the reading list

Reading race winners Sunbeams class 6 at their pizza party with Ambreen Miraly of MonashaPhoto: Chancahal Kamal

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

com


18

Listening BoothShah Nahian

sTay iN

There is nothing worse than a stale playlist. After hearing the same songs over and over, you can start

to lose your passion for the art. While local radio stations and TV channels are dominated by commercial music, it can get difficult to quench your thirst for your favourite genres, or to discover non-commercial artists/bands. With these four websites, this issue will be a thing of the past.

Dugdugi.com.bdIf it’s new Bangladeshi music you’re craving, Dugdugi is what you’re looking for. Dugdugi is the only legal online music distribution platform in Bangladesh. Here you can stream music online for free, buy singles or albums, and support the bands - as all royalties are shared directly with

the artists.

SputnikMusic.comSputnik Music’s best offering is its reviews. It has an endless database of well-written reviews by professional staff reviewers, as well as by its users.

Sputnik also allows you to browse through charts of the most popular and recently released albums, start your own music blog, rate albums and keep yourself updated with all the latest music news.

RateYourMusic.comRate Your Music is for music what IMDb is for movies. At first glance, the site looks extremely boring, but don’t let that turn you off.

It has vast listings of bands and artists from all over the world - even local bands from Bangladesh!

The site allows its users to browse through various custom charts. The user ratings can play a vital role in your quest to discover new music.

Last.fmLast.fm is an online radio and a social networking site. You can listen to stations according to your favourite genres or artists, including music suggestions from artists and groups similar to those you’ve chosen to follow. The site automatically maintains a live journal of all the music you listen to, as well as shares that list with other Last.fm users and Facebook friends. You can also exchange messages and wall posts, check your music compatibility with your friends, and receive music recommendations according to your favourite artists and songs. .

SudokuUse the numbers 1-9 to complete each of the 3x3 square grids such that each horizontal and vertical line also contains all of the digits from 1-9

Last week’s sudoku solutions

“Art is a spiritual transaction”, reads the first line.

The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron is a bestselling book that has been unblocking creatives for more than 20 years. Its 12 week rehabilitation program provides what feels like deep therapy and practical advice.

Morning pages is the key exercise. Cameron asks readers to wake up and write three pages – no more, no less – every day for the twelve weeks.

Cameron asks you to sign the following contract with yourself: “I, [your name], understand that I am undertaking an intensive, guided encounter with my own creativity... I commit to weekly reading, daily morning pages, a weekly artist date, and the fulfillment of each week’s tasks.”

Every single person in artistic professions in New York City, at least those whose apartment I got to visit, has this book on their shelves. .

Unblock your inner artist

Rumana Habib

Animatedgenius

Rumana Habib

The sweetest lecture I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending was given by 20-year-old Fatema Jannat Mony, a young animator who spoke from the heart about her lifelong fascination with making art.

This video is from that TEDxDhaka talk last September. I was so touched by it that when I ran into her at the tea break, I couldn’t resist giving her a hug. If you watch it, you’ll see why. Her pure love for her creative work shines through.

“Never let go of your dreams – be who you want to be,” she affirms.

http://tedxdhaka.com.bd .


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4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30 31

MAY2014

Send us your events to [email protected]

“dog, woman, man” is a contemporary german play by sibylle Berg. the love story is portrayed from the perspective of a dog, with a couple that lives in an urban area. their love story starts with passion, but soon descends into suspicion and disrespect. the frustrations as city dwellers who grew up in the concrete jungle makes a great impact on their romantic life. according to director reetu

sattar, it is an quintessentially urban story. the three characters of “dog, woman, man” is played by samina lutfa mitra, shahadat hussain and shahriar Ferdous. it premiered on may 20 at the goethe-institut.

the play is in english. tickets are available at the goethe-institut at an advance sale price of Tk200, and a box office price of tk300.

19

dog, woman, man

GO OuT

the american center’s movie club presents a screening of “akeelah and the Bee.” the plot revoles around an 11-year-old african american girl named akeelah anderson, and her love for words. she enters a number of spelling contests. On her path, she is opposed by some but receives moral support from many others. she eventually unites her

neighbourhood in south los angeles while she competes the scripps national spelling Bee. The film is directed by doug atchison and stars laurence Fishburne, angela Bassett and keke Palmer. if you enjoyed the wildly successful documentary “spellbound”, you will love this family-friendly film. the screening is free and open to the public.

WHEN may 26at 1:30pm

akeelah and the beeWHERE american center, Plot 1, Progati sharani, Block J, Baridhara

WHEN may 27-31, at 7pm

WHERE goethe-institut, house 10, road 9 (new), dhanmondi

Weekly PlannerMAy 23

FESTIvAL | CITy FESTWHEN 10am-10pmWHERE the westin, gulshan avenueWHAT the festival offers a taste of life in the city of dhaka, with all its food, fashion, and other amusements.

ART | LIBERATEdWHEN 5:30pmWHERE red shift coffee lounge, radius centre, Bay galleria, 57 gulshan avenueWHAT artist nusrat Jahan nazlee pays tribute to freedom fighters. she attached their letters to the canvas, portraying the time it was written as the theme for the background. nazlee is known for her extensive work on calligraphic painting.

EvENT | HUMAN CHAIN: CITIzENS UNITE AGAINST Food AdULTERATIoN WHEN 3pmWHERE national Press club WHAT a human chain protests the contamination of food products with banned chemicals.

MAy 23-244ExHIBITIoN | GRoUp MASk ExHIBITIoN: MUkH o MUkHoSHWHEN 11am-8pmWHERE gallery kaya, house 20, road 16, sector 4, UttaraWHAT 106 masks by 19 artists will be exhibited.

MAy 24

FESTIvAL | NAzRUL UTSHAB 1421 WHEN 6:30pm-9pmWHERE main auditorium,

chhayanaut, dhanmondi WHAT a two-day nazrul festival to mark the birth anniversary of national poet kazi nazrul islam, with lectures on his life and works, along with a cultural programme consisting of performances of nazrul songs, dances and recitations of his poems.

MUSIC | THE poETS ANd THE pIANo WHEN 7pmWHERE emk center, house 5, road 27, dhanmondiWHAT Organised by Ohornish and the emk, the event acknowledges five poets from across the country by playing their most famous songs. nirjhar chowdhury and Farhin khan Joyita are the vocalists and ehsanul haq will be playing the piano. tickets are available at the emk center for tk200.

CoMEdy | NAvEEd CoMEdy CLUB pRESENTS ToNy BAkERWHEN 7:30-9pmWHERE club amazon, gulshanWHAT stand-up comedy show by tony Baker from los angeles, california. tickets are available for tk1000.

MovIE | pREMIERE oF ‘JANANI’WHEN 6:30pmWHERE Bangladesh shilpakala academy, shegunbagichaWHAT The film on the Liberation war was directed by rawshan ara nipa. the casts includes Joyeeta mahlanabish, shajahan samrat and singer Pritam ahmed. the premiere show is open to the public.


meet durjoy rahman Joy, one of the biggest Bangladeshi art collectors Faisal Mahmud

20 iNTErViEw | DurJoy rahman Joy

“I know a thing or two about dressing up,” says Durjoy Rahman Joy, the avid

art collector, clad in a stylish sweater. “After years of collecting artwork, I try to find aesthetics in many things. Clothes are no different.”

Joy’s collection includes more than eight hundred artworks and paintings ranging from famous Western names and sub-continental greats, to up and coming local Bangladeshi artists.

He has one of the largest private art collections in the country, though he is not particularly hung up on those numbers. Collecting art is something that Joy takes very seriously. “It’s my passion,” he says.

Joy started collecting paintings in the early 90s. Twenty years later, he now has such a large collection that he has constructed his own museum to accommodate the paintings. His space, “Winners Gallery” in Baridhara, displays his private collection. The gallery won the Nokia Award for Architecture in 2009.

“The pleasure is that I don’t

need to go to a museum to fulfil my desire to see some good paintings. I can be here, look around, and feel lucky to live in my own personal museum.”

Durjoy says: “Collecting art is also an art. With a painting, an artist imparts a sign and with a collection of artworks, a collector amalgamates those signs and triggers his own message.”

Bangladeshi painter Rafiqun Nabi is Joy’s favourite. He has the largest collection of works by the veteran artist.

In addition, Durjoy also collects paintings of other prominent Bangladeshi artists including: Aminul Islam, Shafiuddin Ahmed, Murtaza Bashir, Quamrul Hassan, Shahabuddin and Samarjit Roy Chowdhury.

Internationally acclaimed artists can also be found in his collection, including: Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, Lucian Freud, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar, Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, Subramanyam, Jogen Chowdhury, Paritosh Sen, Sunil Das, Bijen Chowdhury, MF Hussain and Sanat Kar.

Tete a TETeWhich is the most expensive work of art in your collection?Though the word expensive relates to money, for me it means something beyond money. I would say a woodcut by Rafiqun Nabi. Though many may differ, this work is priceless to me.

Is there a painting that you’d like to acquire but have not been able to collect?The list is very long. However, there is a work of Rafiqun Nabi that his wife does not want to let go from their family collection. I think it is a work that could enrich my collection.

Can you identify a fake painting, or do you need a specialist?Some works are very easy to identify, but these days forgers are becoming quite intelligent! It is recommended to consult experts to be sure of the authenticity before acquiring any work.

Do you paint yourself?No. But my wife does.

Do you consider art collecting just a hobby or more of a profession?It is a hobby.Would you sell any piece from your collection if you were offered a lucrative price?First offer me a price! Wise men say: “Money can buy everything, even the eye of a tiger.”

What is the hardest part of being an art collector?To refrain from going on a buying spree, and resisting whenever good work comes up on the market.

Have you been to million dollar art auctions?Because I also have a residence in Toronto, I have had that opportunity quite a few times.

Do you have any rival art collectors in the city?Collecting is not business. It is just a hobby. Hence I don’t think there is any rivalry whatsoever.

Some words for people who want to collect art?Collect what you like. It is not just an investment..

The collector

Photo: Chancahal Kamal

Wt 23

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