SpotLight

The Nobel Peace Prize 2003

The Nobel committee awarded the 2003 peace prize to an Iranian writer, lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi.

"As a lawyer, judge, lecturer, writer and activist, she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country, Iran, far beyond its borders," the Norwegian Nobel committee said in its citation.

The committee praised her courage, and said she had never heeded threats to her own safety.

"Her principal arena is the struggle for basic human rights, and no society deserves to be labelled civilised unless the rights of women and children are respected. In an era of violence, she has consistently supported non-violence," the committee said.

Ms Ebadi, 56, is only the 11th woman, the 1st Muslim woman and the first Iranian - to have won the peace prize since it was first awarded in 1901.

The committee said Ms Ebadi represents reformed Islam, and lauded her for arguing for a new interpretation of Islamic law which is in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy and equality before the law.

The secretive five-member awards committee, which is appointed by but does not answer to Norway's parliament, gives no hints about its choice beforehand. It also keeps the names of candidates, a record 165 this year, secret for 50 years, although those who make nominations often reveal them.

She is small in stature but a force to be reckoned with in and out of the courtroom. Shirin Ebadi is said to be one-woman human-rights machine, inspiring students through her law faculty lectures, forcing judges to acknowledge contradictions in Iran's legal code and lobbying parliament to protect the rights of children born out of marriage.

As a lawyer, judge, lecturer, writer and activist, she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country, Iran, and far beyond its borders. She has stood up as a sound professional, a courageous person, and has never given into the threats to her own safety. Shirin Ebadi is definitely a role model for both Muslim and non-Muslim women. Even in a conservative society, she has stood out and made her mark on the global scene.

By Mishel Ali Khan

Opening of Epique Institute

Life isn't easy for the modern urban woman. The feminist movement has ensured access to education, and career opportunities for her, but at the end of the day, no matter what exhausting timetable she has to follow at work, she is expected to play the role of homemaker. If she doesn't possess all the different skills required to be successful in this role, she is considered incomplete as a woman.

Keeping this quandary in mind, Epique Institute, an associate company of Epique Home Appliances Ltd., formally began operation on October 10, 2003, following a simple inauguration ceremony. The aim of this institute is to help today's women develop skills necessary for modern living. The courses available are Healthy Food, Home/Interior Decoration, Health Care, and Child Care. Starting December, the institute will also offer courses on Self-Grooming and Beauty Care. The course duration for each course is 1-4 weeks, and there are two separate sessions: a Morning Session from 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., and an Afternoon Session from 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. A special Evening Course is available for working women. Epique Institute is possibly the first of its kind in Bangladesh.

The opening ceremony, which was held at the Institute at "Swarachito Sheboti", House 50, Road 10/A, Dhanmondi, enjoyed a massive turnout of invited guests and members of the Press. Chief Guest Ms. Rokeya Afzal Rahman, Advisor for the Interim Caretaker Government inaugurated the ceremony. Mr. M.S.I Dastagir, Chairman of the institute conducted the ceremony, and Mr. Mizanur Rahman Laskar (Director), and Ms. Rahima Sultana (Principal), gave the guests a tour of the building.

The classrooms are small, but airy and comfortable, with the intention of providing individual attention to small class groups. The dé cor of the building is simple, neat and functional. The ground floor houses a showroom for Epique Home Appliances Ltd., which is an exclusive distributor for well-known brands of home appliances like Moulinex, Tefal, Brandt, and Yashica, to name a few. The upper floors of the building contain the classrooms, as well as the administrative department of the institute.

Those who attended the function were offered a Tk. 500 discount from the Admission Fee if they joined that very day. Needless to say, there were many that took up on the offer. There were snacks for everyone, and the programme ended with a Raffle Draw, and a few lucky winners went home with attractive prizes.

So if you want to brush up on your homemaking skills, it wouldn't hurt to give Epique a try.

For further information on course timings and fees, contact:
Phone: 9140611, 011-087437
Fax: 880-2-8313687, 9330909

A true taste of Asia byTommy Miah

Jeera Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Kg Chicken Cut into small pieces
4 tbsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
2 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp crushed Red Chilli powder
1/3 cup Ginger, Garlic, Green Chillies each (make a coarse paste)
4 medium sized Onions (finely chopped)
2 Lemons
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil
Method:
Roast Cumin seeds and black pepper in a pan and grind them well. Add red chilli powder to the mixture.
Marinate the chicken pieces with a ground paste and also add ginger, garlic and green chilli paste for 45 minutes
Heat the oil. Add chopped onions and fry till light golden brown.
Add the marinated chicken and fry them in medium-high heat. Add salt to taste.
Stir till the chicken becomes tender.
Reduce heat and cover container. Add some water if gravy base is desired. Continue heating, stirring occasionally till chicken is fully cooked.
Squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle with fresh green coriander.

Chicken chops
Ingredients:
Chicken - 300 gms
Onion - 1
Tomato -1
Clove - 2
Cinnamon -2
Cardamom - 2
Ginger & garlic paste
Garam Masala powder- 3 tsp
Chilli powder - 4 tsp
Red chillies - 4
Ghee - 250 gms
Cashew nuts - 200 gms
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves
Mint Leaves
To Grind:
Heat a pan and add the cut onions, ginger & garlic paste, pepper, coriander powder, cloves, cinnamon, mint leaves cardamom, red chillies cashew nuts. Fry them well
Then grind them well.
Preparation :
Heat 200 gms of ghee in a pan, add the cut onions and the tomatoes. After the tomatoes are well fried add the cut chicken, fry them and add the paste and salt.
Let the chicken cook well with the water in the paste and the water from the tomato.
Reduce the flame and let the chicken cook for 40 minutes.
Add the garam masala and red chilli powder.
Then add the coriander leaves .
Close the stove and serve hot with rice/chappathis
Tip: Don't add extra water to cook the chicken, let the chicken cook with the paste.
You can also add some lemon at the end to enhance the taste.

Check it out

Of pies & coffee

To tempt the taste buds, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel will hold a month long Pie Promotion at the Lobby Café and will also be featuring a unique coffee promotion with a touch of different flavours. For those who want to relax and enjoy light snacks over a selection of international coffees don't forget to try the hotels's café this October and through November. The Lobby Café is open until 10.00 pm.
- LS Desk

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Hanging Out

Hot Cake at Banani

Cakes are toothsome. Even though they add to our weight, we can't keep a hold on our tongue when a lovely cake embellishes the dinner table. There are some moments when we crave for a piece of cake and are willing to go miles just to have a bite. If you are looking for excellent qualities of cake in this capital, then Hot Cake is the ultimate choice for you.

Shumi's Hot Cake is now at Road 11 of Banani. Tastefully beautified, this fast food outlet is popular for its mouth-watering cakes. The new branch fitted with pleasing tables, seats, and a decorative interior is a perfect place to be with your friends and spend some delightful moments over its delicious patisseries, sandwiches or muffins. Prices are very reasonable at Hot Cake. The chocolate muffin is delicious and the Black Forest delight garnished with chocolate on top and peanuts in inside will please anyone with a tooth for sweet. Both of these items are available for tk.15.

Hot Cake has been reigning the special day cake market of Dhaka for a pretty long time. Their new photo albums have been enriched with over 100 eye-catching creamy cakes. Hence, one of them will definitely go hand in hand with the celebration of your special day. Be it a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a welcoming party or anything else, Hot Cake's palatable cakes have been Dhakaites' top choice for a long time. Each pound of Black Forest will cost you tk.175, whereas, each pound of cake with Vanilla flavouring will cost tk.150. There are also ready-made Black Forest cakes available at Hot Cake; the prices will vary according to the weight. But you can get a pretty medium sized cake for tk.300, and if you have a special message to write on top, the staffs will also do that for you.

So, the next time you come along Banani, do peek inside Shumi's Hot Cake to relish over its gustatory yummies.

By Wara Karim