Much of today’s beleaguered economy turns on the axis of appearances. Since a great deal of money comes in – or, at least, is invited in – to any country from outside it, that country has to present an image that is favourable, “pretty”, perhaps a little mendacious. It happens anywhere in the world; just before an event that focuses the global media’s hawk-eyed lenses on any nation, there is a frantic rush to get things cleaned up, to make sure the best face is presented, even if it means last minute whitewashing (literally and metaphorically), huge amount of ill-afforded money spent on cosmetic alterations and more manpower than is practical put on the job. Read more »

Let us say what we really want to say — we want Shakib Al Hasan as our prime minister, maybe even as the Chief Justice and not to mention the Chief Collector of Customs too. Let’s face it, we have no record of our PMs delivering much but here is one man who has taken on the hopes of the nation and taken it to a level no one has before. He has given us reasons to be proud of as Bangladeshis. On the occasion of the World Cup which began by the warm-up thrash of Canada, let us show the honours to the one who deserves. Read more »

While I was cleaning my house the other day, I came across an old notebook of mine, written 24 years ago in Argentina, precisely half a lifetime ago.

Housecleaning, “Squaw work”, my Alaskan friend Jason used to call it (or anything else he was incapable of doing) has often been the epicentre of my personal life-changing earthquakes. Twenty-four years ago, I was berating myself for the dingy condition of my very first apartment. In bold letters, I wrote in my diary – “How can anyone hope to change the world if he can’t even clean his own home???” Well, I guess you can improve bad habits over time. In 2011, my house is clean. Maybe it’s finally time for me to think about helping to change the world, or at least to celebrate the amazing changes made by others. Read more »

HVD is indeed not a disease and most certainly a day that brings in expectations of bouquets, gifts, dinners and celebration. Flowers are sold from before, hearts are racing for attention. This day, a young woman proposed just a minute ago, should be used for fund raising through ‘speed-dating’. Unfamiliar with the term, I enquired and found that it is the most modern form of match-making in the West where single, eligible couples sign up online, pre pay for their attendance and then table hop and get to explore their prospects.

A little bit more of looking around and there I was…reading The New York Times story (13th of February) on Speed-Dating: Muslim Style. It reports an event with some 75 participants, with parents watching their kids in a middle-school dance, hoping for a match to be made and marriage to follow within a month by paying $270 price tag ensuring five-minute “dates” over a plate of biryani complete with hot tea or Kool-Aid. Read more »

In just 18 days, young Egyptians waged a peaceful revolution that brought down the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak and his failed police state. Inspired by Tunisians, empowered by social media and driven by a fierce yearning for freedom, they tore down the wall of fear and made Egypt free.

“I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see,” wrote Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) during a dark moment in his life. How the Egyptian Nobel Laureate (Literature, 1988) would have exulted if he could see his people making history in Tahrir Square! Read more »

Everybody loves a holiday, more so when there is no real reason to have one. Many working professionals do their thing through the week, looking forward to Sundays or even two-day weekends, while some who work in government organisations get breaks more often, as the bank or office or department takes time off whenever the local authorities declare it to be a time-out. And of course, especially on the sub-continent, play day is, logically speaking, time to take a day off and…err…play! Like next week, on February 19, when Bangladesh plays India, and next month, on March 19, when Bangladesh will play South Africa in the World Cup line-up. Read more »