Shop special

Shetuli - Artisans' Haven

Wara Karim

Shetuli now wears an all new look! After being remodelled recently, this handicraft shop at the moment looks lovelier than before. The vibrant colours that have been applied to its interior are sure to drag your attention to their collection.

Shetuli is a project of Heed Handicrafts Bangladesh. With a wide array of products gracing their purple shelves, this is a store for those who have passion for handmade goods. Shetuli upholds an extensive collection of clothes, toys, beauty care products, and fabric accessories for home, bags, jewellery, leather merchandise and what not.

New addition to their product category includes wooden photo frames, bangle stands, and looking glasses made from wrought iron, jute baskets and clocks.

All the products displayed at this outlet are manufactured at their handloom factory situated in Tongi.

Prices are very reasonable at Shetuli. For instance, men's fotuas arrayed with choice block prints are available for tk.250-tk.450. For women, they have created some pretty short kameezes whose prices range from tk.775 to tk.1260. They also exhibit a variety of long kameezes made from both cotton and silk. There are saris too. Embellished with block prints, these cotton saris are available from tk.700 to tk.1000.

Besides block prints, beautiful Kota, Tangail and hand painted saris have also enriched their racks.

Apart from clothes, at Shetuli you can also get herbal beauty care products like shampoo, mehedi, hair oil and face pack. Made directly from natural ingredients these products promise to take great care of your face and hair.

There are also garments available for children. You can purchase a frock for your daughter or a cute fotua for your son from this shop.

There are numerous other household accessories available at this handiwork shop. There are jute mats, embroidered bags in different shapes and sizes (price ranges from tk.30 to tk.300), decorative pieces made from brass, candles, table cloth, silver and terra-cotta jewellery, table mats and runners. Their lovely handwork is sure to fascinate a person who has devotion for handmade accessories.

There are bedcovers made from hand woven textile available from tk.550 to tk.1000. There are pleasing cushion covers with hand embroidery priced as high as tk.400. Besides table covers are also accessible in different sizes adorned with checked prints.

There are attractive terra-cotta vases in diverse designs and colours available at this store marked from tk30 to tk.400.

An entire chamber of Shetuli has been allotted for leather accessories. Photo frames, exquisite jewellery boxes, penholders and bags made from pure leather adorn the leather section.

Shetuli also makes dolls and stuffed toys for children.
If you have been looking for a gorgeous nakshi katha for a long time, then don't miss this opportunity.

Shetuli has a rich collection of nakshi katha, whose prices start from tk.1600 and mount as high as tk.5000.
The indoor of Shetuli holds up a blend of energetic colours. The chambers painted in blue, yellow, pink and green have added to the beauty of this store.
Today, it's trendy to use products manufactured from natural components. Purchasing a handicraft product will boost those businesses of our country that aim to promote craftsmanship. Remember that the rural poverty-stricken people of Bangladesh produce these products with immense manual dexterity. Let's help these people live to lead a better life.

Address: Shetuli, House # 104, Road # 12, Block-E, Banani, Dhaka.

Shop talk

Lift your spirits
Scent has the power to transform our emotions and heal our bodies. It can take you to another place and time. Although aromatherapy has been practiced for thousands of years modern day scientific research verifies the physical and emotional benefits that it provides. With the recent launch of "The Home Store" brand in Etcetera, aromatherapy has become easier to practice. Try aromatherapy with Potpourri, which is available in Peach, Jasmine, Strawberry and Rose varieties and is priced at Tk.89/- for 100 gm. and reinforce its effect with potpourri oil, which is also affordable at Tk.49/- per bottle. Also available are bath salts, incense sticks and soaps. So go ahead and beat stress with aromatherapy! "The Home Store" is here. While in Etcetera do not miss the "The Home Store". Whether it is table napkins, crockery, cutlery or futons all that you need for your home is right here. The pillows and cushions look nice and assure very high quality. The tea sets are in bright colours and look stunning. The prices are reasonable and the products very stylish and it will add that special touch to your home decor. They have to be seen to be believed.......The Home Store is a godsend for the modern and trendy homemaker.

Creativity with candles
Floating candles add a special ambience to a room and can create a dramatic display in the dinner table. Lovely designs of floating candles are now available in Aarong. Some are leaf shaped and come in a variety of colors while others come in two or more complimentary colors. Also available are blocks of candles decorated with shells and beads and candles in soothing colors set in glass pots, which will make very attractive gifts.

Colour your wardrobe
For those who love ethnicity or want to make a fashion statement, there are eye catching "Tie-Dye" shirts for men in "Banglar Mela". They are available mostly in cotton and "khadi" material and come in psychedelic colors such as saffron, orange, yellow, red and blue. The prices are reasonable and range from Tk.275-Tk.350/-. And of course their are "fatuas" for both men and women which has created ripples in the fashion industry and is a rage among teens. They are available in block prints and tie-dye and affordable at Tk.175-Tk.275. Team it up with your denims for a casual look or with formal trousers and a stole for a sophisticated look.

Small is beautiful
Bonsai available in Midas MiniMart in Gulshan-1 looks enchanting and they can lend charm to your living room, family space and balcony. Planted in attractive pots and decorated with stones they look like a snapshot of a big tree. The roots, which entwine the bonsai, are also part of its beauty. Among others bonsais of Thai Jade, Chinese Jade and Woodplant are available. Prices are between Tk. 250-Tk.3000/-.

Object of Desire
Exquisitely shaped stone clips available in Lavender in Gulshan-2 will catch the imagination of every woman. The small clips adorned with stones are available in blue, amber and other striking colors and priced between Tk.300/- -Tk.350/-. Hair clips in a dragonfly shape adorned with stones are dazzling and are priced at Tk. 2500/-. Bigger fasteners and clips are available in butterfly shapes and come in striking colours such as pink, violet and yellow. Bigger clips are more expensive but may be worth it as they will undoubtedly look dazzling with eveningwear.

Adornments for your neck
If you are looking for necklaces go and check out "New Pearls Fair" in DIT market in Gulshan II. They have elegant white pearl necklaces, which are priced at Tk.1000/- each string. There are necklaces which have a combination of grey and white pearls as well as others in different stones such as coral, amber and sandstone. Modish necklaces with geometrical shapes are also available to wear with your denims or "kurtis" and they come at Tk.300/-. The general price range is Tk.300-Tk.2000/-

By Malina Islam Halim

 

 

Essentials

Errata
Sorry we did it again. Last week (in our 2-9-03 issue) we forgot to mention the photographer's name. Munem Wasif took all the photos in our centerfold and cover page.

Did you know…
that from now on, the Central Library of the University of Dhaka will be open until 12 midnight, seven days a week? This is definitely a very interesting addition to the largest and oldest public university in Bangladesh. However, the entrance of all the dormitories for females shut down at 9pm in the evening. Which brings us to an important question. Why leave them out of this fine facility?

More dormitories needed
Most of the public universities have a serious accommodation problem. Dorms are always packed with more students than they can accommodate. Students who come from different parts of Bangladesh to study in these universities mainly face the problem. In the first year they have to live in the common room, some times they even have to share a tiny bed. All these universities need more dormitories.

Worst quality foods served
Food usually served in these dorm's dining halls, is terrible beyond imagination. It is extremely unhygienic and lacks balanced nutrition. A very monotonous menu is served everyday. Ordinary meals contain a little bit of vegetable curry, alternately a tiny piece of mutton, chicken, and fish. Within the 4 or 5-year period, many students usually suffer from chronic dysentery. Subsidies provided by university authority for these canteens are not enough. These canteens need more attention from house tutors and hall provosts for proper maintenance of balances diets and hygiene.

Lavatory for female
students
Inadequate lavatory for students is another major problem. The condition is even worse for females. A little ratio might help you apprehend. At Kolabhaban (arts faculty) of DU, in 24 departments, thousands of students attend classes everyday. There are 70 urinals and 24 toilets for men on the other hand for female students; there are only 7 toilets. Among the total number of students, around 40 percent are female. You must have got the general idea by now.
Paracetamol and Flagil
Students live far away from parents and loved ones to get a higher degree. When they are ill they have no one but themselves as the university authorities do not take care of their sick students. There are regulations about these types of situations but as we know regulations remain in the books only. During illness it could be very painful for a student if friends are not around. In the medical centres of the public universities, all they have is Paracetamol and Flagil.

You must have noticed…
the crammed university buses on the streets in which students swing like monkeys. All the public universities have problems transporting non-residents. And if we continue more with all the problems they have, there will be no room left for other columns of LS.

 

By Shahnaz Parveen