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A Nordic treat for Bangladeshi children An initiative by Save the Children, the international children's charity, impresses DhakaLive's Faizul Khan Tanim

FACE 2 FACE The Big Mac Maqsoodul Haque discloses to Faizul Khan Tanim some of the secrets behind his music We call him the Big Mac of Bangladesh’s music industry...the tall, bespectacled man with a great sense of humour, which some might say is sarcasm but that’s because they don’t understand him, is prone to emotional outbursts, and one of the greatest lyricists of our generation. And his graceful voice is a testament to many immortal hit songs of Bangla pop and rock. When and why did you start playing music and how has it affected your life? I think I was born with music; that's how early it was. But what was important was convincing my family that I want to do music, which was difficult because there were no musicians in seven generations. I recall, it was after the Liberation war, the situation was not good in the city, the drug scene had taken hold and some of the musicians began abusing substances; the news got around and so my father thought it was a bit too much. But,

Blast from the Past Metallica – Master of Puppets After rewinding Metallica’s album, Faizul Khan Tanim believes it’s an epic album Recorded at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark from September through December, 1985, Master of Puppets was Metallica’s third album released in 1986. It is the epitome of metal and thrash at its peak and in spite of not containing any singles; it was the breakthrough to US rock radio airplay that they had been looking for. It was also the very last compilation to feature the bassist Cliff Burton dying later in a tragic bus accident while touring. Running time a little under fifty-five minutes with eight powerful tracks of non-stop great riffs, killer solos, pounding drums and one of the best thrash voices of all time, Master of Puppets is arguably the band’s most successful thrash metal act. There is not a single moment in this masterpiece of puppetry where it does not scream energy or is not lyrically intriguing. The punchiest numb

Shahriar Kabir and his youthful fiction The author of Bangla children’s literature blends dreams and reality with intriguing youthful realisations, writes Faizul Khan Tanim A child’s imagination is triggered by stories and children’s literature aims to introduce people, places, and ideas and builds the foundation of practical matters such as right and wrong. Reading habits help to cultivate a bond between a child and the written word, enhancing their vocabulary and grasping the nuances of language. In Bangladesh, there are few writers who write just for children; the gap between the number of books written for children and those written for adults is inconsolably wide. Shahriar Kabir is one of the few writers who write for children. His books focus on the vision and ideas that gave birth to our nation. He believes it is necessary to educate and inform the younger generation about the country’s history and origin, and link it to the present. His stories inspire young Bangladeshis and t

Food Fest Time-out at Time Out Faizul Khan Tanim introduces a new hangout in Banani The popular place to hang out in Gulshan 1, Time Out, has expanded to Banani. The new branch also offers the same great taste, menu and reasonable prices. To add to the culinary experience is the fine décor and plenty of seating for all. A few of the friendly staff members from the Gulshan 1 branch are here; they will welcome you with a smile, and ensure your order arrives timely. Apart from the house favorites – Thai mixed noodles at Tk 130, egg fried rice with stir-fried chicken or beef and basil leaf at Tk 95, chicken in red and green curry at Tk 95 – they offer delicious oil-free parathas at Tk 20 to go with the beef/chicken chaap at Tk 105 each; add the chili mint sauce and fresh salad and you are good to go. They serve Mexican and South Indian dishes alongside the exclusive Thai cuisine at affordable prices. The multicultural variety appeals to a large crowd and that is why we so often find

‘B’ for Bangladesh Faizul Khan Tanim writes about how Brand Forum is branding the nation Goldman Sachs named Bangladesh as one of the next eleven (N11) economies with the potential to become an important player in the world economy by 2050. Considerable progress has been made in the last two decades, the ready-made garments (RMG) industry and IT solutions lead with exports, and advances in health, education, and agriculture, indicates the country’s potential to become one of the leading economies of South Asia. However, Bangladesh still lacks initiatives in the public and private sectors that can improve its image globally, and the images that do appear in the international media are often of a nation at the mercy of natural disasters, poverty and corruption. In this milieu, Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) is an initiative with a vision, of transforming Bangladesh’s image by applying branding ethoses, and believes in promoting a positive image of Bangladesh. Shariful Islam, the managing d

Aromas of the world - sipping on a hot cup of warmth Faizul Khan Tanim gets emotional sipping a cup of coffee in the new café, North End Organic Ethiopia Sidamo, Ethiopia washed Sidamo, Sumatra Mandheling, Brazil, French Roast, Decaf Sumatra, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Hill Tract Blend - choose the coffee beans from a wide selection and have it brewed to your taste. At North End Coffee Roasters, the aroma of the roasting beans, cozy décor and friendly staff comes together to bring you the finest cup of coffee in town. The café opened in March this year and is run by the Hubbards, Rick, the barista and Chris, the pastry chef, who are not just coffee connoisseurs but passionate about what they serve, which is the very best coffee in town. North End offers premium quality single-origin coffees from around the world and also has a special blend of locally-grown in the Chittagong Hill Tracts coffee. The Hubbards hope to encourage the growth of coffee culture and build a sense of commun

Food Fest War of the veggie burgers Faizul Khan Tanim goes into battle mode If you’re craving a burger but need to shave calories off yourself then the answer is veggie burgers. There are several kinds on the menu. Let’s look at a few of the options: KFC’s veggie burger and veggie feast burger The delightful veggie burger is packed with light and golden crispy hash brown tri-patties made of potato while the scrumptious veggie feast comes with a mixed-veg patty. Both are garnished with creamy pepper mayo, lettuce, onion rings and tomato in oven-fresh buns freckled with sesame seeds and is a fantastic non-meaty delight. This burger will tantalise you with crunchy sound, green flavour, with or without cheese; you will most definitely not miss the organic protein editions at all. Veggie Burger – Tk 160 without cheese / Veggie Feast – Tk 180 without cheese Chicken King’s veggie burger This veggie burger has a hamburger-style patty that does not contain meat but is deliciously made from

The Man-eating Tigers of the Sundarbans On April 28, Faizul Khan Tanim attended the screening of a documentary produced by the BBC, ‘The Man-eating Tigers of the Sundarbans’. The gripping documentary highlights the urgent need to conserve the habitat of the Royal Bengal tigers, the tension and heartache faced by those living close to these majestic animals, and the unusual attempts that involve street dogs into canine defense forces to scare away rogue tigers from areas inhabited by people. The documentary, shot by filmmaker Tanjilur Rahman and narrated by Adam Barlow, project manager of the Bangladesh Tiger Programme, explains the plight of the people and sheds light on how to protect the endangered species.