Spotlight

Dreams drowned in the sea

When they boarded the Boeing 727 their hearts must have been full of hopes, hopes of meeting the loved ones after months of separation. Meanwhile, back home, family members were preparing gleefully for a happy reunion. All dreams were over just in a moment, drowned in the sea.

They were the brave sons of Bangladesh, serving thousands of miles away to rebuild troubled nations in a far away land.

When the plane crashed, the news was all over the international news channels. While surfing through, the news attracted the eyes and ears of many. Even then no one in Bangladesh realised that a shock was awaiting them. Everyone was getting ready to celebrate the beginning of a new dawn. Word of the catastrophe reached us two days later.

The tragic accident occurred on 25th December. During take-off the UTA flight 141 tumbled into the sea after clipping a building at the Cotonou's Airport in the West African country Benin.

15 Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers died in that crash among the total 119. This is the largest casualty in a single accident in Bangladesh army since independence and a huge blow for the nation.

The entire nation joined with the mourning families. 31st December was declared the national mourning day.
Bangladesh has the second largest number of troops working as UN peacekeepers around the world. Their contribution was highly praised by the international society. The tragedy cut short the lives of these people who could have served more in their lifetime for the greater good of the world.

By Shahnaz Parveen

Remembering Salma Sobhan

The country has just lost a strong voice in the fight for human rights. Barrister Salma Sobhan, eminent lawyer, social worker, and human rights activist passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, December 30, 2003, at her Gulshan residence.

A dedicated devotee to the human rights revolution, Barrister Sobhan was very well known for her efforts to help rehabilitate acid victims, battered women, and other repressed people.

Other than her passion for her work, Sobhan was also an avid sitar enthusiast, with a keen interest in politics. She also had a strong fondness for word games, winning the champion's title at the Scrabble Club a few weeks before her demise. Niloufer Mahmood, a fellow Scrabble enthusiast, remembers her as a 'very sweet, soft spoken person, very down-to-earth, who was ardently fond of the game."

Barrister Sobhan's demise is a blow, not only for her friends and family, but also for the entire country.

Born Salma Rasheeda Akhtar Banu, on August 11, 1937, she was educated in England, where she studied law at Girton College, Cambridge. She was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1959, becoming one of Pakistan's first women barristers. She practised law in Karachi, and came to Dhaka after her marriage to Prof. Rehman Sobhan in 1962.

Mrs. Sobhan taught law at the Dhaka University between 1962 and 1981, before she joined the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA). She was also the editor of the Supreme Court Law Reports for several years. In 1982, she co-founded the HR organisation Ain-O-Shalish Kendro (ASK), and was its first executive director until her retirement in 2001. She also helped established the Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (BLAST), as well as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). She was also involved with many HR organisations, including the international network Women Living under Muslim Laws, and UNRISD, Geneva. Amongst the publications she authored are, Legal Status of Women in Bangladesh (1975), Peasant Perception of Law (1981), and she also co-authored No Better Option: Women Industrial Workers (1988).

LS Desk

News flash

Green broiler chicken from INF

The supply of protein in Bangladesh has increased drastically in the past few decades. The advent of 'broiler chicken' is mostly the reason for this silent revolution in the food sector.

Integrated Nature Farming added a new dimension to this food production. To make the flavour more satisfying to the consumers, INF used 'Green Broiler Technology' from Japan. GBT means using natural methods, as opposed to chemicals to treat diseases. Vitamins, minerals, and grains are the only ones used to feed the chickens. Antibiotics and chemical stuffs are usually dropped out of the food list during production.

These green broilers are available in superstore Agora.
INF is situated at Nowab Mansion, 34 Green road, Dhanmondi.

LS Desk

Toothbrush Care

Many of us ignore the fact that our toothbrushes must be kept clean and germ-free to avoid numerous diseases of our teeth. If you leave your toothbrush damp, then it's very likely that bacteria will thrive on it, eventually affecting your precious teeth. Don't forget that as a grown-up, you must take tremendous care of your teeth because, if any of them ever decays then there's narrow chance of getting it back to its original form-the scar often stays for life. You can start taking your dental care from your home by just increasing your attention towards your toothbrush.

In order to make sure that your toothbrush is disinfected, immerse it in boiling water for about half a minute. You can also use an antibacterial solution if you want.

It's a bad practice to keep the toothbrush near the toilet. Instead keep it outside your bathroom. Or if you have a medicine cabinet at your lavatory, then place your toothbrush inside that cabinet. Remember that every time you flush the toilet, germs burst forth from the toilet, engulfing your toothbrush.

Many of us pay little weight to the fact that every toothbrush must be changed after 3 months' use. We often have a tendency to overuse a toothbrush, and discard it only when the bristles look flat and deformed.

When you plan to spend a night at someone else's place, remember to wrap your toothbrush properly before putting it inside your bag. If you leave the thing open and loose, it's very likely to come in contact with other items (which are probably not sanitary) in your bag.

Keep in mind that only if you take care of your toothbrush, your toothbrush will take care of you.

By Wara Karim

Manly Arts

The warm-up

It's amazing how knowing one or two little workout tricks can energize a stale routine. Consider the "warm-up." The goals of the warm-up are: an improved elasticity and contractibility of muscles, greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, a shorter reaction time, improved perception, better concentration, improved coordination, and regulation of emotional states. The whole warm-up before the main part of a workout should take 22 to 40 minutes. The length of the warm-up depends on the task and intensity of work that will follow. The greater the intensity of the workout, the longer its warm-up should be. Speed, strength, and difficult technical workouts should have longer warm-ups than aerobic fitness or endurance workouts.

By the lizard king

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Hanging Out

New Yorker

Located on the Kemal Ataturk Avenue, right beside the Banani outlet of Hallmark, New Yorker, as the name suggests has strived to uphold a mini New York in the heart of Dhaka. The interior of the shop has been decorated with large posters of New York City, picture of pop guru Elvis Presley, baseball gloves and balls, city map, enlarged picture of New York Times and much more.

New Yorker offers a broad range food items for their customers. The foodstuffs are simply lip smacking. They also offer a wide range of mouth-watering drinks, which are so elegantly decorated, that the very look of the glass would tantalise your gustatory nerves. You can try out their chicken broast, which is accompanied by a bun, coleslaw and French fries and costs Tk.100. The best part of this outlet is that the staffs decorate every dish with great care and attention, which is why when the plate is brought at your table you can't wait but start eating to your heart's content.

At New Yorker, the menus have been enriched by special meals that are prepared especially for kids. So if you take your child along with you, then he/she can also try out one of these enjoyable dishes. They also serve steaks. The place also serves up ice cream of a wide range of flavours just for you.

So, the next time you plan to hang out with your friends in a quality place; don't forget to opt for New Yorker. The very exterior décor of this food outlet will pull you inside.

By Wara Karim