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Cartoon People presents #DCDC
mahatab-690x450.jpg

Art lovers and comic enthusiasts in Dhaka rejoice
There’s a new challenge in town, and it’s called #DCDC or Deshi Character Design Challenge. A new Facebook based character design competition, it aimsto reimagine local flavours as potential superheroes. Cartoon People, a group of slightly eccentric art enthusiasts, is bringing this challenge to your home screen every week.

The first ever challenge, which took place last week, had the “tong man” as the subject. With more than forty five great entries the focus of the artworks was to draw a super hero inspired from our local tong walas/ tea vendors. The winners was selected from the artworks that got most comments saying “Vote.”

Adrian-Anik.jpg

Morshed-Mishu%E2%80%8E.jpg


Last week’s winner is Mahatab Rashid who drew a magical tong guru who uses mystical energy “arms” to multitask. In the second position is Morshed Mishu who turned his tong man into a trigger happy gunslinger, but with cups instead of guns.In third place, was Junayed Iqbal Ishmam who drew the tong man as a hot headed salesman, who harnessed the power of the sun to heat the tea on his bald pate.
These are just few examples out of so many innovative interpretations. If you want to see the whole collection, visit theCartoon Peoples group on Facebook. And if you want to participate in their ongoing challenge, draw the new challenge, take a good photo and post it to the Cartoon People group. Who knows, you could be the next winner.
The ongoing challenge is called the DCDC “Hey Mama” Challenge.
From mama halim to mama piyaju, jhal muri mama to your neighborhood’s chotpoti mama, here you are challenged to draw your most favorite “mama”of all time!
Concept is pretty much open ended.
Dead line: 12 June, Monday 11:55 pm!
 
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Skeletons in the closet
14-9-690x450.jpg

A lot left to uncover /BIGSTOCK
There are a lot of things we’re not allowed to talk about
On a Saturday afternoon with the energy-sapping weather triggering a nap, cries of help from, what seemed to be from young girls, made me alert. Took a few seconds to grasp if this was for real or something I imagined in a daze.

Nope, the cries were real.

I went to the veranda and the scene on the other side was distressing: In a colony building, some sort of untoward incident had taken place — girls from the window were appealing to the people below, and frantically gesturing to those on the road to come to their aid.

The police were also there: One sub-inspector talking intently on the phone, possibly asking for more men in uniform, as he and three other law enforcers were encircled by about 50 young men.

From the commotion it was hard to detect what exactly had happened, but from what I could understand from the screaming girls plus others, was that a group of goons had entered the colony premises and vandalised their home, since some of their demands were not met and had started beating up the girls’ father.

Eventually, the commotion died out. The crowd left but the disquietude I felt lingered.

The desperate calls for help from the girls kept coming back and, gradually, a series of other events, some experienced first-hand, others read in the papers, coalesced to form a very disconcerting image.

Extortion brings out the worst

As a result of a turf war in Old Dhaka between two rival groups, one man was slashed with a butcher’s knife. He was disemboweled, but the man in question simply asked someone else to put a gamcha around his waist and take him to the hospital. But lying on the van on his way to DMCH, he vowed revenge.

The cause of the rift was the distribution of protection money accumulated from local shops just prior to a major religious celebration.

From the Banani rape involving the well-heeled, to the hacking of a girl for repudiating a romantic proposal, there is a disturbing connection. These events highlight the level of intolerance that typifies modern life

To be honest, I have seen countless such violence, resulting from the distribution of money collected through the use of oppression or intimidation.

Violence erupts when someone dares to start a satellite dish service in an area without the right patronage. There has to be public admission: To start a business, the “right” connections are essential — this means business starting from a tea shop to a large-scale industry.

Violence steps into family spheres

Lately, the most unnerving event has been the death of a mother and three children, allegedly from suicide. In Kamarpara, a mother and her children were all found dead in their home, and, while initial findings point to killing of the children by the mother followed by the latter’s self-immolation, not all questions relating to the deaths have found satisfactory answers.

Was it a planned killing by someone or a group or was it suicide?

The thing is, as part of this society, which has diabolically become accustomed to gruesome deaths, we need to look at both possibilities as symptoms of an inner decay.

Regarding the Kamarpara incident, many have underlined family feud, while others point to large amounts of money being loaned and never returned. Details are still sketchy, and whether it was about borrowed money or not should not be a major concern here. The focus should be on how violence and angst have blended to form a vicious social sub-culture.

A toxic credo of rapacity and intolerance

From the Banani rape involving the well-heeled, to the hacking of a girl for repudiating a romantic proposal, to the suicide of a father and daughter to protest injustice, there is a disturbing connection. These events highlight the level of intolerance topped by a vicious nature that typifies modern life.

In the Kamarpara tragedy, if this was due to family unhappiness, then there has to be an attempt to delve deeper and flesh out what family problems has the capacity to drive someone to such extreme acts of brutality.

If we assume that it was a family discord, then it’s about time we try to discuss hitherto concealed family complications openly. Unfortunately, we still hear a lot of elders talk about making compromises and carrying on, about how it’s better to not air your dirty laundry.

Time to tackle demons openly

Well, that veneer of traditional stoicism that prevents us from talking openly about the myriad faces of social afflictions, has to go. This may mean that many will have to bring out their skeletons from the closet.

Honestly speaking, there is no other way.

Unless the demons within the family are dealt with, afflictions in society at large, such as institutional bribery, syndicated extortion, exploitation in the name of the political party in power and fanaticism will only become more ensconced.

Deaths fade away, barbarism proliferates

In two weeks these deaths will be buried under the joy of Eid. Whatever the established reason for the Kamarpara incident, there won’t be any effort to deeply analyse the murkier sides of society.

The side where rapacity, unrestrained flow of yaba, desire for fast glory and wealth, vicious political ambition, and a sense of impunity that money gets all blend to overpower the live and let live ideology. Let’s face the inner devils now, without shame. We ignored the threat from Phensidyl — a codeine-based cough syrup — back in the 80s, saying: “What can a mere cough syrup do?”

Well, it destroyed a whole generation in North Bengal, tore apart thousands of families, decimated any youth with potential, was the cause of numerous conjugal strife, and finally left a grotesque scar on the socio-political tapestry of the 80s and 90s.

An honest sociological assessment, that is the need of the time.

Towheed Feroze is a journalist working in the development sector.
 
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'O Madams', a trip to find ancient ruins and haors
Abida Rahman Chowdhury June 16, 2017
o_madams1.jpg

Looking out over the tea-gardens of Rema in Habiganj. Photo: Sakib Ahmed

Not quite as famous as the busy and bustling Sayedabad Bus Terminal or Gabtoli Bus Terminal, two of the main gateways out of capital Dhaka, the Mohakhali Bus Terminal manages to look deceptively calm and organised to the onlooker. But it has slowly worked its way into the 'notorious' bus terminals of Dhaka. Chaos ensues as you enter the compound to get your tickets. And one fine Thursday in April, just as dusk was approaching and dust hung low over Dhaka, I along with one of my closest female friends Asma, found ourselves fighting the crowds for our chance at a ticket to Shayestaganj in Habiganj.

This trip was many things all rolled into one, a symbolic rite of passage for us if you will. One of us was graduating college soon, the other a recent graduate and both together grappling with the woes of pre and post 'Graduation Blues'. This was also our chance to get away on our own for the first time. In a country, where women are often chaperoned from birth, first by their fathers, brothers or other male members in the house then by significant others or where we usually travel with some male counterpart, this was our first shot at going somewhere by ourselves. No male friends, no brothers or male counterparts in tow. Albeit, we have travelled many a times with male friends or co-workers and although enjoyable, this was a chance at trying something new.
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Inside one of the rooms of the Rajbari, the pink walls beginning to crumble over the years. Photo: Asmaul Housna

We were to do everything, book tickets, haggle, stand in lines, cut lines, manage lodging and food in the two days ahead of us and look for ancient ruins, old mosques and walk around what is claimed to be the 'largest village' in Bangladesh and even South Asia.
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A door leading to an abandoned building beside the 'Ancient Rajbari' Baniachang. Photo: Abida Rahman Chowdhury

With these thoughts gripping our minds, we headed inside the bus terminal only to find our ticket booth teeming with people. Lazily swatting flies, the men at the ticket-counter told agitating people that the tickets have run out, there are no more seats. Crushed, we decided to join the crowd, fighting, trying to make our way to the front and after much pleading the tickets were magically available. Why they would reject people and then eventually give out tickets that were there, I fail to understand.

Armed with our tickets, we waited on the steel chairs fixed to the mosaic floor, now grey and brown from all the grime. The bus terminal, much like a railway station or an airport, was a fascinating place, a place of transition, men and women ate bananas and peanuts and threw the peels away, someone fanned themselves with a tabloid magazine, a child got her leg stuck in the steel chair and time slowly ticked away until it was 5:00pm and time for our bus.

As we zoomed out of Dhaka city, the countryside slowly took shape, industries and blue-black dyed creeks reeking of industrial waste slowly gave way to undulating rice fields. Petrol-pumps, garishly decorated, broke the monotony of the highway. It was 11:00pm by the time we reached our destination. A friend's village home would be our residence for two days. Almost empty except for an aunt, the house spoke of stately old times, where conversations flowed well into the night.

A piping hot meal of simple rice, dal and fried fish was dinner. The next day we were headed to Baniachang, long famed to be the 'largest rural settlement' in Bangladesh and even Asia. A local bus ride ironically named 'Birotiheen' (no breaks), and a few CNG rides later we were nearing the legendary old village of the Zamindars.
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The ‘Ghat’ of the old Rajbari. Photo: Sakib Ahmed

The green-autorickshaw whizzed past the empty fields that rolled on and on, there passed the many haors, Sona, Jaldoba, Baram, now almost running dry, glistening under the sun. Men in starched lungis took puffs of their local 'biri' as they tended their cows in the fields. And the fisherman cast his net as birds of prey came and perched on the long electric lines.

Baniachang plunges you into the serene quiet village life that you read about in stories. The roads zig-zag through the haors, now somewhat empty, owing to the scorching March that just went by. Armed with our notepads, Asma and I got dropped off at Boro Bazar (a local market) and started asking locals about the way to the 'Ancient Rajbari' thought to have been built by King Habib Kha during the Baro Bhuiyan Era. An animated discussion over tea later, a little boy offered to guide us to the Rajbari.

We were soon to find out that here 'Rajbari' means a newly constructed, tiled building that some London living expatriate built! After some more looking around and coaxing, we were finally led to the real ancient Rajbari. A huge empty compound led to the crippling mansion. The place was empty except for us. Not many tourists or visitors make it here.

Madrasah children in light blue Punjabis and crew cut hair climbed over the walls to take a shortcut and broke the silence of the mid-morning time to time. There is something humbling about being in an ancient house. It reminds you of all the memories made here. Not much has been documented about this 'Rajbari' but we sat there inside the roofless rooms, quiet and cold, and thought about the days spent here. Maybe there was a Zamindar here, rich and forlorn, maybe he was kind or was he the ruthless type?
o_madams5.jpg

Crumbling walls and vegetation take over what remains of the old Rajbari. Photo: Asmaul Housna

The call for afternoon prayer jolted us out of our thoughts and we slowly made our way out of the 'Rajbari' in search of large ponds, some lunch and haors to while away the afternoon.

While we moved through the village, the locals, mostly men, became impromptu guides. They showed us old derelict mosques, 200-year-old granaries, and told us their stories. Stories of Zamindars, of their large village and how everything in these villages used to revolve around their haors.

When the rains came, the haors would fill up, the villagers would take their boats out and sing songs of the water. Many wanted to know our stories, why, we, two women were travelling around their village? Were we from an NGO, was this work? And when we told them we were merely here for travel, they welcomed us, some with wry smiles.

For lunch, one of the villagers took us in, opened their homes to us. We were fed sticky rice, fresh fried fish, a tangy tomato curry and shutki (dried fish).
o_madams6.jpg

Photo: Asmaul Housna
With evening approaching, we headed out of Baniachang, in search of ride for our long way back to the village we were staying at. Two 'local autorickshaws' (shared autorickshaw rides) later, we were back where we intended to spend the night.

Here in the tiny village of north-east night was quick to arrive, most people retired early to their homes to watch cable TV drama, while my friend and I quickly dozed off.

We spent our two days in Habiganj, eating through the town – small mishtis, Binni chal er Payesh (sticky rice pudding), spicy beef curries with Shatkora (the citrusy fruit that lends a unique flavourr to curries)—walking through the forests that house the last vultures and sitting under the shade of an old banyan tree and catching some old-time village gossip.
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Photo: Asmaul Housna
The trip gave us many identities, many names. We were called 'O Madams', got misled into 'Rajbaris' and welcomed into the homes of locals, travelled through small towns and bazaars well into the night, took public transport and sometimes pushed and shoved our way into buses and busy restaurants! We took away a lot from this journey, but the most lasting memory was the constant feeling of liberation that did not leave us once during this time.

And we realised that through mobilisation even within our own social setting, we managed to escape some of our confines and its social norms. We were able to be free because to the locals, we were outsiders.

Abida Rahman Chowdhury is an online journalist, The Daily Star.
 
. . . .
Koi jani?



Khaiteo pare.
Manush bhat khay,cheka khay aro koto kichui ba khay toh ban keno khete parbe na?




Kira.

Welcome back after your hiatus. :enjoy:

Cartoon People presents #DCDC
mahatab-690x450.jpg

Art lovers and comic enthusiasts in Dhaka rejoice
There’s a new challenge in town, and it’s called #DCDC or Deshi Character Design Challenge. A new Facebook based character design competition, it aimsto reimagine local flavours as potential superheroes. Cartoon People, a group of slightly eccentric art enthusiasts, is bringing this challenge to your home screen every week.

The first ever challenge, which took place last week, had the “tong man” as the subject. With more than forty five great entries the focus of the artworks was to draw a super hero inspired from our local tong walas/ tea vendors. The winners was selected from the artworks that got most comments saying “Vote.”

Adrian-Anik.jpg

Morshed-Mishu%E2%80%8E.jpg


Last week’s winner is Mahatab Rashid who drew a magical tong guru who uses mystical energy “arms” to multitask. In the second position is Morshed Mishu who turned his tong man into a trigger happy gunslinger, but with cups instead of guns.In third place, was Junayed Iqbal Ishmam who drew the tong man as a hot headed salesman, who harnessed the power of the sun to heat the tea on his bald pate.
These are just few examples out of so many innovative interpretations. If you want to see the whole collection, visit theCartoon Peoples group on Facebook. And if you want to participate in their ongoing challenge, draw the new challenge, take a good photo and post it to the Cartoon People group. Who knows, you could be the next winner.
The ongoing challenge is called the DCDC “Hey Mama” Challenge.
From mama halim to mama piyaju, jhal muri mama to your neighborhood’s chotpoti mama, here you are challenged to draw your most favorite “mama”of all time!
Concept is pretty much open ended.
Dead line: 12 June, Monday 11:55 pm!

Love this. :toast_sign:

Glad to see that local art is moving closer to hipster art.
 
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Wow!! love this.
Our music industry is now much matured and developed and quality is increasing very fast.Our drama is also very good if you consider their diverse content/theme.Our cinema only remain behind.But if you look just 3-4 years ago,improvement is apparent in cinema also.Many would find it astonishing that,our first digital cinema was made in 2012! Up to that point all our cinema was done by 35mm reels!and no cinema hall had the capability to show cinema in digital format(except Bashundhara multiplex). Now almost all the hall are able to show digital cinema,many are planning to build hundreds of cinema hall.Directors are making popular movie and people are gradually returning to the hall. Just look at the public craze for latest Eid release. So there is a strong sign that,Bangladeshi cinema is about to take off.
 
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Guys, take a look at this masterpiece! :D


I literally forgot the original after watching this. Don't know how many times have watched it already! :lol:
Best Bangla parody ever. :rofl::rofl: My stomach is aching for laughing non stop after seeing this.Just gone to Youtube and subscribed VIDEO BABA.

@Bilal9 @TopCat @Philia @bluesky @Species
@Khan saheb @UKBengali @PersonasNonGrata @Shorisrip @chatterjee
@Nabil365 @SajjLad @bd_4_ever @Arefin007 @mohammed Khaled
@Russel @riasat @BDforever @shourov323 @Kandari-Hushiyaar
@damiendehorn
 
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Guys, take a look at this masterpiece! :D


I literally forgot the original after watching this. Don't know how many times have watched it already! :lol:
Best Bangla parody ever. :rofl::rofl: My stomach is aching for laughing non stop after seeing this.Just gone to Youtube and subscribed VIDEO BABA.

@Bilal9 @TopCat @Philia @bluesky @Species
@Khan saheb @UKBengali @PersonasNonGrata @Shorisrip @chatterjee
@Nabil365 @SajjLad @bd_4_ever @Arefin007 @mohammed Khaled
@Russel @riasat @BDforever @shourov323 @Kandari-Hushiyaar
@damiendehorn
i have watched it yesterday ! !! ! ! it says that we bengalis are so creative :sarcastic::sarcastic:

Wow!! love this.
Our music industry is now much matured and developed and quality is increasing very fast.Our drama is also very good if you consider their diverse content/theme.Our cinema only remain behind.But if you look just 3-4 years ago,improvement is apparent in cinema also.Many would find it astonishing that,our first digital cinema was made in 2012! Up to that point all our cinema was done by 35mm reels!and no cinema hall had the capability to show cinema in digital format(except Bashundhara multiplex). Now almost all the hall are able to show digital cinema,many are planning to build hundreds of cinema hall.Directors are making popular movie and people are gradually returning to the hall. Just look at the public craze for latest Eid release. So there is a strong sign that,Bangladeshi cinema is about to take off.
welcome to BD EDM world, listen to this
new hit song
 
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