My Publications

liberation war & March 26 special issue - music *This article is dedicated to my 4+month old son ABEER...i love u baba, may u know the true history of our existence :-]    The Unofficial Anthems of Bangladesh There are some patriotic songs of contemporary impression which boils our blood with nationalistic passion, give us goose bumps and even make our hair standup. Writes Faizul Khan Tanim A not-so super-star singer-songwriter Kaiser Cartel once wrote and sang these beautiful lines and got his name nailed in the heart of good tunes - End of the day on the subway, in my ear, along the way, the headphones play...i can hear you, you’re my favourite song...i want to sing it again . And call it remembrances or loyalty, there are some songs about Bangladesh which give you immense kicks to sing them again...and again...and again. Bangladesh had its fair share of these songs from pre-Liberation era and the phase while we got our independence. However, ther...

Food for Thought - A Foodie’s Trip Around Dhaka Once again Faizul Khan Tanim goes out on a food quest and came back absolutely mesmerized It was a random day and one of those bleak days as well that this stomach wanted to indulge in an explosion between unusual food and a gurgling stomach’s digestion juices. And I must confess that these wide range of food items can be very potent, tempting and cure emotion sickness on top of catering a rendezvous with voracious appetite. To begin with, I was hungry and needed energy in my blood stream and what can fetch it more speedily than eggs? So I spotted this van near Shahbagh which says Dim Cake/Egg Cake (Taka 20 each). And to my mind’s amusement and my stomachic curiosity, the person making the cake or pie was putting in raw egg in between a rush of golden yellow liquid dough. And what came out of the stove? A delightful oval cake with the sun in the centre of full boiled texture and my god it had such an im...

And how does your watch tick for you? Faizul Khan Tanim writes on the availability of original premium wrist watches and how they are grooming generations So, how does your wrist watch depict you? What makes it tick for you? Most of these time pieces can be more complex than the inner brains of your computer and some of them may hold more history than you learned till grade 10. At the same time, they can be as pricey as your first second-hand car...a wrist watch will not only give you time but give others the impression of your taste through the radium hour hands on the dial, stainless steel bracelet, ceramic links or leather straps, embedded stones and the gold, platinum, titanium finishes...however big or small, it will definitely make your personality sing. The number of watch/time piece collectors have increased in this country and there are both the affluent class aficionados whose hobby is collecting unique and classy pieces like Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, ...

Fire epidemic in the apparel sector Faizul Khan Tanim writes on the epidemic that can cost us a lot “In Bangladesh, the words ‘safety’ and ‘regulation’ are only meant for the upper class of the society. The poor will be poorer and more prone to fatality and death because our lives have no value and since there is an explosion of population, garment workers are a genre of labours, readily available after little training. Tell me why should I not come to this conclusion? Would you be able to count the number of deaths caused by fire in the garment factories after the 80’s? And after so many incidents and being the world’s second-biggest clothing exporter, at least three big events each year takes place and its the same issues – inferior fire drills, escapes and locked fire exit doors killing scores of my colleagues, which are issues never addressed properly”, these opinions were voiced by a 29 year-old garment worker from Savar requesting anonymity, who saw at leas...

Get Up, Stand Up...Stand Up For Your RIGHTS   An Unprecedented Phenomenon– Shahbagh Square Movement, Bangladesh 2013 Faizul Khan Tanim writes on a People's Movement which triggered a historic Mass Awakening  N.B: Some of the pictures used here are not in the original article “Get up, stand up...stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up...don’t give up the fight!” – And the people of Bangladesh think that these immortal Bob Marley lines are reverberating in quick succession in their might and mind from a realization of ‘Mass Awakening’ kick started by a blogger group at the now Shahbagh Square or Projonmo Chottor (square). The cause is unanimously voted – demanding the highest punishment of the country for the perpetrators/collaborators also known as Rajakars from pre and post independent Bangladesh. Thus an energized, non-partisan, non-violent protest developed from the ‘revolution epicenter’ of Bangladesh and this call for justice and freedom was voluntar...

Omor Ekushey Boi Mela 2013 begins  The Fair of Goodreads Faizul Khan Tanim writes on-by some distance-the most anticipated book fair of the country “There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.” - Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, mathematician and writer And probably the above quote was coined for these reasons – armed with ambition to buy books, sporting the green-red of Bangladesh or the Shahid Minar picture painted on faces, sporting an overall look of moral boost that would make all apprehension dissapear with the chant – books will guide us and race through our private emotions. This was visible in all the visitors, although a very low turn out of visitors on the noon of February 4, thronging the fair. Albeit all the preparations made, plenty of stall owners are asserting that this month-long exposition has not bloomed to its full potential by the end of February 04, primarily because this fair is only fo...

Shahbagh Square, Dhaka, Bangladesh - from where the Revolutionary Inferno Ignited We a re looking at a revolution that ignited in Bangladesh demanding proper justice against the perpetrators/collaborators /RAJAKARS who committed war crimes against humanity...a justice demanded by the freedom fighters of 71, for the scores of people who lost their lives during 1971 Liberation War , for us who demands that GOOD JUSTICE must prevail because it is our basic right.

Sustainable Commuting – Walking and Cycling   Faizul Khan Tanim writes on the benefits of walking and cycling and the feasibility of practicing them in Dhaka With increasing reduction in physical activity or manual labour, growing number of desk jobs and with most people living increasingly stressful lives, the first thing that hits us is the fatigue factor. Therefore, opportunities are needed to incorporate some form of regular exercise or physical activity into our daily routine and what better activity can there be than relying on walking or cycling as means of commuting and transportation? Choosing walking or cycling as modes of commuting can significantly improve our health and fitness as well as the vitality and well-being of our community. Not only in Western countries but citizens of a number of developing countries are adopting walking and cycling as integral parts of their daily lives. These two modes are the most sustainable means of...

Welcome to Dhaka International Trade Fair 2013 Faizul Khan Tanim writes an overview of DITF 2013 The whole of Dhaka city waits eagerly for this month-long Dhaka international trade fair (DITF) in the begining of each year. Every year the residents expects to be part of something exciting and magnetic and even if every year is not a let down, but this 18th installment could not surprise the audiences as well. Sprawling over an almost 12.5 lakh square feet venue with a  total of 505 stalls from both home and abroad participating, the entrepreneurs are more or less failing to address the concept of ‘variety’ and ‘appeal’, alleges the viewers thronging this fair. They say there is huge potential if the vastness of venue land is considered, the only thing lacking is creativity. A 35 year old Banker Mahmudur Rahman from Dhanmondi said, “It seems i came to the same fair as last year, only with minor modifications here and there. The reason i bring my family i...

Bites of Dhaka Megacity Dhaka's street food has evolved a lot over the past decade or so. While some of the items are traditional, there are a few new inductees in the Hall of Names. Writes Faizul Khan Tanim We Bangladeshis love to associate our food, especially snacks with conversations, laid-back attitude and nostalgic walks. And if these addas (conversations) can fetch all the different snacks between breakfast, lunch and dinner...then why not? Let us take a look at some of the newer Dhaka street snacks which evolved during the past one or two decades mainly. Although consumption of these food items in large quantity is not recommended, especially with the ones who have weak stomachs, but a word of caution – you cannot escape having only one! The Evolving Taste of our Street Food Authenticity The idea of ‘fusion’ has not only passed musical boundaries and it is in fact one of the innate features of food business today. For instance, w...

Sounds of 2012 Faizul Khan Tanim writes on the many different audio sounds that were LOUD last year and governed our generally arid music scene There’s a track called ‘Adhek Ghumey’ in Ornob’s Rabindra Shangeet album. Considering Ornob’s classical training and his ingenious efforts behind this CD’s arrangement, the song can be interpreted as something of an anthem for the country because the words of Tagore are involved with this nation and our Bengali psyche in a symbolic way. Other songs ‘Kotha Hotey Baje’, ‘Dhonilo Ahobaan’ and ‘Rakho Rakhore’  has given us sounds that is magnetic and forward-looking, intriguing and driven, with hugely varied rhythms and melodies. However, the absolute magical vocals that became a trademark of Ornob from exemplary albums like ‘Chaina Bhabish’ and ‘Hok Kolorob’, for the most part in this compilation, shed lights in favor of a statement – Ornob can sing better. But eventually, this man-machine combination enhanced the songs e...

*My very short tribute take on the Legend Ravi Shankar – the man behind ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ Pandit Ravi Shankar ‘got by with a little help from his friends’ and made this concert one of eastern classical and rock’s greatest acts of philanthropy. Writes Faizul Khan Tanim I wonder if i could accommodate one minute’s silence in this article to show respect to the legend Pandit Ravi Shankar who paved his way to the other side of the world on a sombre December 11 at age 92 in San Diego California. As Bengalis we would remember him as one of the greatest musicians to have represented us at peaks of musical heights worldwide. And as Bangladeshis, we must remember the value of friendship through the mellifluous tunes and weeping strings of his sitar when he helped assemble one of the greatest musical groups during our Liberation War in 1971 to perform in front of a strong 40,000 audiences on a hot August night at New York’s epicenter for life – the M...

Old Dhaka Heritage Walks – discovering a secret Dhaka Faizul Khan Tanim takes a stroll down memory lanes where myths unfold and stories of conservation are told The significance of Puran Dhaka (Old Dhaka) heritage walks lies greatly in the storytelling and therefore, appreciation will start once you see the historical structures through the eyes of a passionate, a patriot and you will love it once you feel that you are rediscovering history. Ace architect Taimur Islam and his fascinating wife Homaira Zaman and Shamira Islam are the heart and soul of Urban Study Group (USG). USG is a voluntary organization, campaigning for the conservation of the heritage of Bangladesh, and at present their work is mostly focused on Puran Dhaka. USG’s heritage walks in and around the different mohallas (suburbs) of old Dhaka are about discovering the fascinating history behind what is now known as the city of personal biographies and organic phenomenon – the hustle and bustle, the people and th...