Banking Tips

Nasreen Sattar, Head of International Sales, Standard Chartered Bank

Q. Is it necessary to have a third person as a nominee for joint accounts with Either or Survivor mandate?
A. Please note that ' Either or Survivor' is both a mandate to operate the account during the lifetime of the joint account holders and also doubles as nomination by each to pay the balance of the account to the survivor(s) in the event of death of any one of them. Hence, if one person has given a nomination for payment of the entire balance it is only logical that she/he cannot again nominate another person for the same balance.

Moreover, it is now mandatory for all personal accounts to have nominees declared by account holders on nomination forms. Since 'Either or Survivor' itself doubles as a nomination of each other there is no need for a third party to be nominated.

Q. I am travelling overseas and I know my maximum travel quota for the whole year to any destination other than SAARC country is USD 3000/. May I take as much as I can from my RFCD account ? Will this be endorsed in my passport?
A. Yes you can take foreign currency from your RFCD account at the time of travel after producing required documents such as ticket, passport with valid visa etc. Please note you can only take USD 1500 in cash, the balance has to be in Travellers Cheques. The amount will be endorsed in your passport mentioning that this is from your RFCD Account.

Q. As a Bangladeshi I want to send money overseas to the vendor to import books and computer software for personal use. Can I do it through my bank?
A.For books yes. You can remit up to USD2500 without prior approval of Bangladesh Bank in favour of supplier against its invoice for importation of books and journal.

Q. What is lien, pledge & hypothecation?
LIEN - (1) a legal claim or attachment, filed on record, against property as security for payment of an obligation. (2) Qualified right of property, which a creditor has in or over specific property of a debtor as security for the debt or for the performance of an obligation.

PLEDGE - Bailment of goods as security for payment of a debt or performance of a promise. It means to hold the goods as security for the payment of a debt or the performance of a promise.

HYPOTHECATION - The pledging of property as collateral for a loan. The creditor is not given title to the property but has the right to sell it in the event of default.

Dental wise

DR. Mahfujul Haq Khan BDS, DDS, FSDCE (USA), PhD (Japan), Post Doc.(Japan) Specialised: Crown and Bridge work, and Periodontal plastic surgery (USA) Senior Medical Officer, Department of Dentistry, BIRDEM Hospital.

Dear Dr.Mahfuj,
My daughter is now seven years old. Her teeth started falling when she was only four years. When I noticed her permanent teeth, it was not properly positioned and she had spaces in between her teeth which were not proper in size. Please advise what can be done about this problem?
Hasina Banu, Mirpur

It seems your daughter lost her milk teeth little earlier than usual. Sometimes a primary tooth is lost before the permanent tooth beneath it is ready to erupt. If the primary teeth are lost too early, nearby teeth can tip or move into the vacant space. When the permanent teeth are ready to come into the mouth, there may not be enough room. As a result, teeth may erupt out of their proper positions, leading to malocclusion. Early tooth loss due to dental decay can have a serious impact on your child's self-esteem and self-confidence in their appearance. I think you should immediately consult with your family dentist.

For more information visit Dr. Khan's website "www.aikodental.com"

Style Files

By Maheen Khan Fashion designer, Mayasir

Q. I am a thirty something woman. I have always preferred wearing westerns casually, but lately as I have gained a little weight, I find it very difficult to find anything to wear. I would like you to suggest a style that is slimming.
A. Many women who are like you prefer western clothes to lounge around the house or simply wear it casually to go out. The latest fad is to wear long flowing skirts and tunic tops. The skirts as well as the tops come in many different styles. Let me share with you a few styles. Bias skirts cut in tiers. The direction of the bias should alternate in direction to achieve better drape, drawstring straight length skirts lots of pockets, some zipped some patched, and there is the all time favourite skirt in gathered tiered length. This could be in three, four, or six tiers. All these skirt styles could be very slimming if they are worn with the right kind of blouses. The blouses should be about hip length. Butterfly, kimono, kaftan and kurti cuts are some good shapes to carry this season. Try them with élan.

Q. I work as a marketing executive for an advertising company. I need to look sharp and smart, as it is very important to project a good image that generates confidence. Please suggest a few styles that will help me project a brand new rejuvenating look.
A. I suppose when you are working for advertising you need to be in contact with clients, do presentation, brain storm with other team members and so on. These professional moments will call for sharp clean styles. I think you should stick to neutral colors, like beige, gray, ivory, coffee. Wear knee length with salwar or trousers with bright dopattas, which will be a great accent to your suit. The necklines could be Nehru collar, mandarin style a-symmetrical, shirt collared to create a more formal look. Please wear clutter less jewelry as otherwise it can take away much of the interest. Try them out. I don't think you can go wrong.

Q. This year I am turning sixteen. I am really excited. I think it is going to be a turning point in what I can wear or like to wear. I want to try a few hip styles. Could you help?
A. Sixteen is your stepping-stone to adolescence. These are your crucial years that will shape your life. You need to set your priorities right and your appearance will definitely matter. I suppose there is always space for experimentation but I suggest you go for well-tested pieces. That way you cannot go wrong. Denim should be a staple, whether it comes as a skirt, full length or cropped pants. Pair them with t-s. Now you are ready for v-necked instead of crewel neck. These days you can find a wide array of styles, prints, and themes. If you are fun loving, go for t-s that have smart trimmings. If you please you can also go the ethnic way, but keep it down with simple styles. Short blouses with little embroidery paired with flared or drain pipes with slits running up. Carry a scarf instead of a long fussy dopatta. You must also carry a purse, and claim your individuality. Sling it across your shoulders or swing it on your wrists. Always be confident. It will only take you places.

Q. This 'Nabo Barsho' every one was swept away in the celebration of things like never before. I had the opportunity to walk along with the stream of people taking in all the gaiety and fun at the center of all the activities in Ramna. I couldn't help noticing that people looked like clones of each other. In the process of merry making, most people went overboard with their clothes, with all the colours of the palette all at the same time. The motifs, the styles, the layouts were outlandish. Could you please tell me how one should be presenting themselves?
A. I believe we Bangladeshi's have very few secular celebrations. The Bangla Nabo Barsho is an occasion where people of all back grounds come together and join in all the fun activities. Most people go outdoors with their family and friends to seek entertainment. Colour naturally plays an important role in our hearts. I suppose it is our psychology to believe that the more colour the more merrier it is. I don't think you need to look like a clown to celebrate. Just wear the colours that you find suitable for a Boishakh morning. It is not a must to wear red. The key is to look beautiful and charming as you get a chance to start afresh with renewed zeal.

Solution for clogged kitchen drains

To avoid that disastrous clogging of your kitchen drain, keep the tap open for one or two minutes after you've cleared the dishes. Also pour half a litre of hot salt water into the sink every night.

 

UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY

By Iffat Nawaz

Not in a nutshell…

So I was here, and still am. Couldn't leave, didn't leave, will I ever? I don't know. I stayed back not because I bumped into a child who had bumped into a nonchalant speeding car in some wanna-be highway near Narayongonj. The child with his green Madrasa uniform lied on the side of the street, not bleeding enough for the car to stop, not hurt enough for me to give him a few hundred, his cries remained a forgotten incident that I will not recall a few months from now.

I didn't stay back because a friend told me about a rikshawala who came to Dhaka with only 40 taka and his rickshaw was taken away by some police man who was of course doing his "job." His rickshaw was saved with a 100 taka bribe to the dutiful police man and my friend had let the rikshawala cry on his shoulder, a few drops of tears had fallen from his eyes too. I couldn't cry hearing this story, I didn't stay back for that.

I didn't stay back because my Pohela Boishakh had turned into everyone else's Pohela Boishakh. Not because this event like most western ones have turned too commercial for me to accept, too red and white to symbolize any core elements that once made Pohela Boishakh. I didn't stay back for that.

I didn't stay back for random stares, for abrupt meetings, for rumors or praises. Not for pleasure or accidental belongings. I didn't stay back because I wanted to discover or forget. I didn't stay back to listen to more ignored folks songs and neglected roadside dhabas.

I didn't stay back to experience Dhaka concerts, the ocean of people who are glued to the ground with their empty bottles ready to be thrown on and off demand. I didn't stay back to realize how Bengalis leave their vodorta behind when they jump into the open field to enjoy some good old Bengali music, the crude art lovers, the rude remarks, no I didn't stay back for that.

I didn't stay back to spend more money on another sari or salwar kamiz only meant to be worn a couple of times in my life, I didn't stay back to have another fight with the dorji, didn't stay back to wear more kacher churi and complain about the lost simplicities of colourful bindis.

I didn't stay back to notice the noticeable difference between Aziz super market and shopper's world. I didn't stay back to notice the vivid difference of conversations of both crowds, the Gulshan to Dhanmondi, Dhanmondi to Shahbag, Shahbag to Motijhil, Café Mango to Sakari Potti, the authentic that seems too real to be true and the imitation which is more true than the originals. I didn't stay back for that.

I didn't stay back to get acquainted with the new trends, the new form of society that will eventually take over the "prominent" ones. The prominence that is created by just a few generations of inherited money and painted on culture, by sleeveless blouses and exploitation of uneducated naivete. The cinema paintings and rickshaw art, the artists who created them still boiling in some Puran Dhaka goli and their art bought with mock smiles and pride of accomplishing something humorous in posh Dhaka boutiques. No I didn't stay back for that.

I didn't stay back to get facials from a girl and her buddies from Chittagong, working hard without any tips or promises. I didn't stay back to find the similarity between her and my Korean pedicurist, about how they speak in their own dialects and languages while providing me their services. How they equally make me conscious about my unkempt nails about my black heads.

I did stay back to not think, to not feel, to float away by the ones I trust. I did stay back to renew, to refill, and to redo. To gather the souls that I once lost, to empty my hands that never was full. I didn't stay back for you, not for Dhaka, not for the mud and the rain or the dust. I stayed back for a pair of 'kajol kalo chokh', a drop of pure honey and a few forever-- unclosed ambiguities.