Interview with Metal Maze
Current Line up
Raziv: Vocals
Faisal: Guitars
Zahin: Guitars
Shimul: Bass
Rubel: Drums
Raziv: Vocals
Faisal: Guitars
Zahin: Guitars
Shimul: Bass
Rubel: Drums
Metal Maze, heavily influenced by Rock and Metal music, emerged in October 1995, is a renowned ‘Rock Band’ of Bangladesh. Their debut song was released in 2001 in the album ‘Charpotro’. Finalist of ‘Benson & Hedges Star Search 2001’ competition round the country, they are now young craze and committed to do something better for listeners. They shared their journey of music with The Joven.
Joven: Let us start with your journey when you first appeared in a mixed album ‘Charpotro’. . .
Metal Maze: The aim of the mixed album was to promote promising bands. Interestingly, it was a time when ‘Benson & Hedges Star Search 2001’ auditions was going on, and at the same time we were working for a song titled ‘Proshno’ for the mixed album ‘Charpotro’. We took part in the audition, and to our surprise, we became the finalist. After the competition, our song got popular along with the album. Still now, this song gives us inspiration.
Joven: Your genre is ‘rock’, but we can see a frequent shift in style and patterns of your music.
M.M: Well, music is ever changing throughout the world. If we look back in the 80’s, hard rock songs of that time had different flavour than that of today’s hard rock. With time, you will find that there is a huge change in music, knowledge, and idea. For example, our album “Ajana Oddhay”, released in 2003, was influenced by 80’s -90’s. Then, our second album “Corporate Robot” was released in 2009; within six years span our music changed too. As rock musicians, we believe that there should not be any specific stance in rock genre. We have to think about our listeners, so we have to synchronize our test with that of the listeners’.
Joven: Do you think that drug is necessary to do music.
M.M: No, absolutely not. To do music first you have to learn music; to play my guitar I need to know basic grammar of guitar, processor etc. Therefore, drug is not necessary. Drug never helps to be innovative and creative. If anyone takes drug before a stage performance, s/he will never be able to play with precision, and will make errors.
Joven: Tell us about your next album.
M.M: Already we are doing our composition. We hope that it will be released in the middle of this year.
Joven: what are your suggestions to the newcomer bands?
M.M: Lots of practise, practise, and practise. As there is no proper music institution in the country, you have to do lots of practise. One of our senior musicians, band leader of LRB, legendary Ayub Bacchu once said , ‘you guys are lucky now, when we started to play guitar there were only four Bangla guitars in Chittagong city, and each guitar was allocated for one week over a month. When our time would come, we used to practice twenty four hours.’ Main thing is dedication and practise.
Joven: What is your say about piracy?
M.M: (Razib) I do not want to say ‘stop piracy’. It is just a matter of consciousness. I just want to say, listen to a huge number of good songs. If you have humankind, I think you will give the honour to the artist.
Joven: Is corporatisation of album good or bad?
M.M: When professional artists find piracy, they do not get feedback from production companies, what will they do? It is their profession; they live by it. Just to earn they prefer to get sponsor.
Joven: Say something to the audience.
M.M: We want to say, please listen to good Bangla songs along with other songs.
Interview by: Mahbub Khan
Photography by: Nirjon Mahmood
Metal Maze: The aim of the mixed album was to promote promising bands. Interestingly, it was a time when ‘Benson & Hedges Star Search 2001’ auditions was going on, and at the same time we were working for a song titled ‘Proshno’ for the mixed album ‘Charpotro’. We took part in the audition, and to our surprise, we became the finalist. After the competition, our song got popular along with the album. Still now, this song gives us inspiration.
Joven: Your genre is ‘rock’, but we can see a frequent shift in style and patterns of your music.
M.M: Well, music is ever changing throughout the world. If we look back in the 80’s, hard rock songs of that time had different flavour than that of today’s hard rock. With time, you will find that there is a huge change in music, knowledge, and idea. For example, our album “Ajana Oddhay”, released in 2003, was influenced by 80’s -90’s. Then, our second album “Corporate Robot” was released in 2009; within six years span our music changed too. As rock musicians, we believe that there should not be any specific stance in rock genre. We have to think about our listeners, so we have to synchronize our test with that of the listeners’.
Joven: Do you think that drug is necessary to do music.
M.M: No, absolutely not. To do music first you have to learn music; to play my guitar I need to know basic grammar of guitar, processor etc. Therefore, drug is not necessary. Drug never helps to be innovative and creative. If anyone takes drug before a stage performance, s/he will never be able to play with precision, and will make errors.
Joven: Tell us about your next album.
M.M: Already we are doing our composition. We hope that it will be released in the middle of this year.
Joven: what are your suggestions to the newcomer bands?
M.M: Lots of practise, practise, and practise. As there is no proper music institution in the country, you have to do lots of practise. One of our senior musicians, band leader of LRB, legendary Ayub Bacchu once said , ‘you guys are lucky now, when we started to play guitar there were only four Bangla guitars in Chittagong city, and each guitar was allocated for one week over a month. When our time would come, we used to practice twenty four hours.’ Main thing is dedication and practise.
Joven: What is your say about piracy?
M.M: (Razib) I do not want to say ‘stop piracy’. It is just a matter of consciousness. I just want to say, listen to a huge number of good songs. If you have humankind, I think you will give the honour to the artist.
Joven: Is corporatisation of album good or bad?
M.M: When professional artists find piracy, they do not get feedback from production companies, what will they do? It is their profession; they live by it. Just to earn they prefer to get sponsor.
Joven: Say something to the audience.
M.M: We want to say, please listen to good Bangla songs along with other songs.
Interview by: Mahbub Khan
Photography by: Nirjon Mahmood
Interview with Zubuyer Kaolin
Zubuyer Kaolin is a globally renowned Digital Artist. He grew up with a dream to make fantastic stories come to life. He is a multiple award winner in international Animation contests and has appeared in prestigious international publications. He is the founder of GRAFA (Graphics and Animation Association) and the CEO of Ogniroth Studios. The Joven talks with him about his vision.
Joven: What made you interested in animation?
Zubuyer Kaolin: When I was a small kid, movies, cartoons and anything with animation always fascinated me, especially Disney Movies and action cartoons. My favourite TV channels were Discovery and Cartoon Network. It still is.
I received my first PC, when I was in grade five after begging for it for years. It was exciting for me. I couldn’t do much with it but it was enough to dip my hands in Photoshop, Premiere and other basic programs. Since I couldn’t do things I wanted to, like 3D animation, I occupied myself with programming in Basic. In 2000, I received a proper computer for to with 3D graphics. I started to play with 3DS Max. I took 3D Animation seriously from 2003. Right after I finished high-school I landed in my first studio job as an Animator in 2004. And I’ve been at it ever since.
Joven: Tell us about your achievements.
ZK: In 2005, I won the 7th Runner-up prize at the prestigious CG Society challenge for the ‘Master & Servant’ contest. In 2007, I won the Excellence award for my animated short ‘Polkarella’ for the ‘Strange Behaviour’ contest. Both were the biggest internet-based animation contest in the world. And, I have appeared twice as featured artist in 2 international printed galleries from Ballistic Publications.
Joven: Why did you choose being a professional animator?
ZK: What excited me most was the blend. I loved technology and art since I could remember and 3D Animation seemed like the perfect medium for me. It opened a whole new door to creative possibilities. I never had to think twice to choose this field.
Joven: What skills are necessary for an animator?
ZK: Drawing. It’s the very basic for visual communication and animation is all “Visual Communication”. One doesn’t need to draw well, but it’s the habit of drawing that matters the most. It helps to increase observation skill, which is also vital for animators. The next step would be to learn the tools. I personally work in Maya now but there are other software out there i.e. 3DS Max, Soft image, Bender etc. that lets you do the same thing with slightly different workflow. I think it’s important to have firm knowledge of these software tools. You don’t need to learn all the software out there. Just learn one and try to be very good at it, but you should remember learning the tool is useless without the knowledge of applying them.
Joven: Why didn’t you work for films that represent our culture?
ZK: I’m working on it. I have some interesting ideas floating around and I do write them down. So hopefully I’ll have some materials ready for my film soon. And hey, I’m still young. If nothing happens in 2012 then I’ll have my film ready in the years to come. Rushing on passion projects is not my style.
Joven: Well said! However, how do you think you can contribute in social progress by your work?
ZK: Our parents cannot teach us everything even if they want to. Today’s kids are growing up watching mostly foreign programs. It has both good and bad sides. Good side is they are learning about the world. Bad part is they are forgetting their identity. It’s not only affecting our kids but also our whole nation. I’m not against globalisation. I’m only saying we should know who we are and cherish our culture. Animation is perfect for this. If we can portray our own stories and culture to the youth, then I think we can at the same time inspire the youth about our culture, grow their respect for it and most importantly keep them entertained. From my part I look forward to producing such TV programmes for kids that will do just that.
Joven: Who or what is your inspiration?
ZK: What really got me interested in animation were Disney films like Peter Pan, Alladin, Lion king and so on. Later on Pixar films were a big source of inspiration. I would say Monsters Inc. is my most favourite animated film of all time.
Joven: How much money can be made from this profession?
ZK: Animation and VFX is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Even in Bangladesh it’s becoming big. But I’ll be honest; if you aren’t good there then the money won’t be good either. But what’s really special thing about this industry is whoever is doing well, is doing it for the passion. Money is just the by-product for them. In Bangladesh, salary- wise it can range from 20k-200k depending on skill. But beware if you are interested in animation just for the money, you should find another career path. This is a field of art; you must have a heart of an artist to be a part of it.
Joven: What is your initiative for the youth?
ZK: If I ever have the chance I would like to make films that portray our culture and identity to which our youth can relate to. Youths don’t like to be bored, they like entertainment, they like inspiration. I want to picture our identity in inspiring and entertaining films that we can all relate to and show a path to a better future. And of course I would like to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of artists.
Joven: What is the policy of our government for this sector? What should be done?
ZK: Actually, there is no policy for this sector. Mainly it is very new and the government lacks knowledge about this field. I think the first thing our government should do is to increase our internet speed this is because Internet is a huge knowledge resource. Secondly animation films should be promoted. The more we see it, more we would want to make them. BFDC (Bangladesh Film Development Corporation) should decrease feature-film duration limit. Many films are not being made just because it has to be over 3 hours long. This can be really expensive to do in terms of animation. Cinema halls should be more children friendly and should show more animated films. Above all, local animated films must be promoted.
Joven: Are there available jobs in Bangladesh for an animator?
ZK: There are two kinds of jobs in Bangladesh for an animator: full time jobs and freelance jobs. New TV channels and Advertising firms are opening opportunity for full time jobs. One can even use the Internet to work for outsourced animation market and draw handsome payments. In both ways the job field in this field is indeed flourishing.
Joven: How can this industry be developed in our country?
ZK: Individual initiatives should be taken first. Every small step can make a huge impact. Ethically, at first none should think about his/her personal gain. Everyone should try to do good work and help them who are passionate for this sector. When investors find this a lucrative sector, the industry will boom on its own.
Joven: Like our neighbouring countries, we do not have quality access to training facilities. How can we still move forward?
ZK: Yes, there aren’t any quality-training institute for animation in our country. But good news is I’m hearing several Universities are including Graphics and Animation in their curriculum. I hope this trend will keep going. GRAFA or Graphics and Animation Association which I founded in 2008 is a Bangladeshi community for Digital Artists and Animators, dedicated to the promotion and education in this field. We have already organized two very successful workshops on Animation and Digital Art and hope to organize more in the future. If you are interested in animation you should get registered at www.grafaonline.org and be a part of the community.
For people interested in a career in animation, I suggest you should try to learn as much as possible from the Internet until proper training institutes show up. Remember to get a good job; it’s your portfolio that will matter the most not your certificate.
Interview by: Mahbub Khan
Photography by: Mahfuz Alam
Zubuyer Kaolin: When I was a small kid, movies, cartoons and anything with animation always fascinated me, especially Disney Movies and action cartoons. My favourite TV channels were Discovery and Cartoon Network. It still is.
I received my first PC, when I was in grade five after begging for it for years. It was exciting for me. I couldn’t do much with it but it was enough to dip my hands in Photoshop, Premiere and other basic programs. Since I couldn’t do things I wanted to, like 3D animation, I occupied myself with programming in Basic. In 2000, I received a proper computer for to with 3D graphics. I started to play with 3DS Max. I took 3D Animation seriously from 2003. Right after I finished high-school I landed in my first studio job as an Animator in 2004. And I’ve been at it ever since.
Joven: Tell us about your achievements.
ZK: In 2005, I won the 7th Runner-up prize at the prestigious CG Society challenge for the ‘Master & Servant’ contest. In 2007, I won the Excellence award for my animated short ‘Polkarella’ for the ‘Strange Behaviour’ contest. Both were the biggest internet-based animation contest in the world. And, I have appeared twice as featured artist in 2 international printed galleries from Ballistic Publications.
Joven: Why did you choose being a professional animator?
ZK: What excited me most was the blend. I loved technology and art since I could remember and 3D Animation seemed like the perfect medium for me. It opened a whole new door to creative possibilities. I never had to think twice to choose this field.
Joven: What skills are necessary for an animator?
ZK: Drawing. It’s the very basic for visual communication and animation is all “Visual Communication”. One doesn’t need to draw well, but it’s the habit of drawing that matters the most. It helps to increase observation skill, which is also vital for animators. The next step would be to learn the tools. I personally work in Maya now but there are other software out there i.e. 3DS Max, Soft image, Bender etc. that lets you do the same thing with slightly different workflow. I think it’s important to have firm knowledge of these software tools. You don’t need to learn all the software out there. Just learn one and try to be very good at it, but you should remember learning the tool is useless without the knowledge of applying them.
Joven: Why didn’t you work for films that represent our culture?
ZK: I’m working on it. I have some interesting ideas floating around and I do write them down. So hopefully I’ll have some materials ready for my film soon. And hey, I’m still young. If nothing happens in 2012 then I’ll have my film ready in the years to come. Rushing on passion projects is not my style.
Joven: Well said! However, how do you think you can contribute in social progress by your work?
ZK: Our parents cannot teach us everything even if they want to. Today’s kids are growing up watching mostly foreign programs. It has both good and bad sides. Good side is they are learning about the world. Bad part is they are forgetting their identity. It’s not only affecting our kids but also our whole nation. I’m not against globalisation. I’m only saying we should know who we are and cherish our culture. Animation is perfect for this. If we can portray our own stories and culture to the youth, then I think we can at the same time inspire the youth about our culture, grow their respect for it and most importantly keep them entertained. From my part I look forward to producing such TV programmes for kids that will do just that.
Joven: Who or what is your inspiration?
ZK: What really got me interested in animation were Disney films like Peter Pan, Alladin, Lion king and so on. Later on Pixar films were a big source of inspiration. I would say Monsters Inc. is my most favourite animated film of all time.
Joven: How much money can be made from this profession?
ZK: Animation and VFX is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Even in Bangladesh it’s becoming big. But I’ll be honest; if you aren’t good there then the money won’t be good either. But what’s really special thing about this industry is whoever is doing well, is doing it for the passion. Money is just the by-product for them. In Bangladesh, salary- wise it can range from 20k-200k depending on skill. But beware if you are interested in animation just for the money, you should find another career path. This is a field of art; you must have a heart of an artist to be a part of it.
Joven: What is your initiative for the youth?
ZK: If I ever have the chance I would like to make films that portray our culture and identity to which our youth can relate to. Youths don’t like to be bored, they like entertainment, they like inspiration. I want to picture our identity in inspiring and entertaining films that we can all relate to and show a path to a better future. And of course I would like to pass on my knowledge to the next generation of artists.
Joven: What is the policy of our government for this sector? What should be done?
ZK: Actually, there is no policy for this sector. Mainly it is very new and the government lacks knowledge about this field. I think the first thing our government should do is to increase our internet speed this is because Internet is a huge knowledge resource. Secondly animation films should be promoted. The more we see it, more we would want to make them. BFDC (Bangladesh Film Development Corporation) should decrease feature-film duration limit. Many films are not being made just because it has to be over 3 hours long. This can be really expensive to do in terms of animation. Cinema halls should be more children friendly and should show more animated films. Above all, local animated films must be promoted.
Joven: Are there available jobs in Bangladesh for an animator?
ZK: There are two kinds of jobs in Bangladesh for an animator: full time jobs and freelance jobs. New TV channels and Advertising firms are opening opportunity for full time jobs. One can even use the Internet to work for outsourced animation market and draw handsome payments. In both ways the job field in this field is indeed flourishing.
Joven: How can this industry be developed in our country?
ZK: Individual initiatives should be taken first. Every small step can make a huge impact. Ethically, at first none should think about his/her personal gain. Everyone should try to do good work and help them who are passionate for this sector. When investors find this a lucrative sector, the industry will boom on its own.
Joven: Like our neighbouring countries, we do not have quality access to training facilities. How can we still move forward?
ZK: Yes, there aren’t any quality-training institute for animation in our country. But good news is I’m hearing several Universities are including Graphics and Animation in their curriculum. I hope this trend will keep going. GRAFA or Graphics and Animation Association which I founded in 2008 is a Bangladeshi community for Digital Artists and Animators, dedicated to the promotion and education in this field. We have already organized two very successful workshops on Animation and Digital Art and hope to organize more in the future. If you are interested in animation you should get registered at www.grafaonline.org and be a part of the community.
For people interested in a career in animation, I suggest you should try to learn as much as possible from the Internet until proper training institutes show up. Remember to get a good job; it’s your portfolio that will matter the most not your certificate.
Interview by: Mahbub Khan
Photography by: Mahfuz Alam
Feature Fiction
http://www.esamakal.net/pop_up.php?img_name=2013%2F08%2F04%2Fimages%2F23_105.jpg
Dugdugi: first online music store in Bangladesh
Dugdugi, a traditional Bangladeshi musical instrument, today is synonymous with the name of an up and coming online music store. Dugdugi.com.bd was founded by two very young and enthusiastic individuals, Saddam Azad and Wakil Ahmed Isnad.
Dugdugi.com.bd participated in a competition titled ‘StartupWeekendDhaka’ which was the first of its kind, to be held in the city. And the only requirement to participate was, the business must be web based and it should be innovative. Starting from January 10 till January 13, the competition was held at Independent University Bangladesh and was organised by 1° Initiative. Dugdugi.com.bd prevailed and conquered 2nd position among the 21 teams that participated.
The idea for an online music store was the brainchild of founder Saddam Azad. ‘I used to play music with a few friends’, said Saddam. ‘Then I realised that Bangladesh harbours a lot of talented musicians and they are capable of performing a majority of the musical genres. However, due to a lack of platforms to express their talents they are rather hindered in their journey. Hence I have decided to create a platform for some of these talented musicians’, he added. Wakil Ahmed Isnad met Saddam during the initial stages of the competition. Later, he collaborated with Saddam and together they founded Dugdugi.
According to the founders, they started work on their project after having received the award. Later on, Asif Rahman, CEO of A R Communications and a sof tware developer, decided to collaborate with them, assuring them full technical support.
Dugdugi.com.bd was officially launched on April 21. Their journey started with streaming songs from 19 different bands, some being very prominent names, such as Stentorian, Owned, School of Niloy, Poraho etc. Their ambition is to host songs from all record labels and all genres, on their website. ‘We intend to provide a platform for new comers, hosting their songs along with our own folk music, and making them available to international listeners’, said Saddam.
They have discovered that people generally prefer to download pirated songs from various websites. Thus, their main objective is to get these people to buy songs. ‘It might be easy to download from any website, however, it is illegal and rather harmful to our music industry’, said Wakil. ‘Dugdugi was founded on the idea that people prefer to download songs from websites rather than buy CD’s from music stores. And you are able to do just that, buy and download music online, from our website. On buying the music, by buying the music you help the musicians get their royalties and moreover keeps our music industry prosperous’, he added.
The website currently supports streaming only. Visitors can access and customise their playlists online, by logging in with their facebook or email id. Songs can be bought approximately after two months from now and prices shall range between 80-120 BDT. The method of purchase shall be via electronic means and for now is limited; Nexus card from Dutch Bangla Bank and Visa or Master card from Brac bank. Support for other card holders is in the pipeline and will be implemented shortly. For more updates and future information you can always check out their facebook page, facebook.com/dugdugimusic.
Dugdugi.com.bd participated in a competition titled ‘StartupWeekendDhaka’ which was the first of its kind, to be held in the city. And the only requirement to participate was, the business must be web based and it should be innovative. Starting from January 10 till January 13, the competition was held at Independent University Bangladesh and was organised by 1° Initiative. Dugdugi.com.bd prevailed and conquered 2nd position among the 21 teams that participated.
The idea for an online music store was the brainchild of founder Saddam Azad. ‘I used to play music with a few friends’, said Saddam. ‘Then I realised that Bangladesh harbours a lot of talented musicians and they are capable of performing a majority of the musical genres. However, due to a lack of platforms to express their talents they are rather hindered in their journey. Hence I have decided to create a platform for some of these talented musicians’, he added. Wakil Ahmed Isnad met Saddam during the initial stages of the competition. Later, he collaborated with Saddam and together they founded Dugdugi.
According to the founders, they started work on their project after having received the award. Later on, Asif Rahman, CEO of A R Communications and a sof tware developer, decided to collaborate with them, assuring them full technical support.
Dugdugi.com.bd was officially launched on April 21. Their journey started with streaming songs from 19 different bands, some being very prominent names, such as Stentorian, Owned, School of Niloy, Poraho etc. Their ambition is to host songs from all record labels and all genres, on their website. ‘We intend to provide a platform for new comers, hosting their songs along with our own folk music, and making them available to international listeners’, said Saddam.
They have discovered that people generally prefer to download pirated songs from various websites. Thus, their main objective is to get these people to buy songs. ‘It might be easy to download from any website, however, it is illegal and rather harmful to our music industry’, said Wakil. ‘Dugdugi was founded on the idea that people prefer to download songs from websites rather than buy CD’s from music stores. And you are able to do just that, buy and download music online, from our website. On buying the music, by buying the music you help the musicians get their royalties and moreover keeps our music industry prosperous’, he added.
The website currently supports streaming only. Visitors can access and customise their playlists online, by logging in with their facebook or email id. Songs can be bought approximately after two months from now and prices shall range between 80-120 BDT. The method of purchase shall be via electronic means and for now is limited; Nexus card from Dutch Bangla Bank and Visa or Master card from Brac bank. Support for other card holders is in the pipeline and will be implemented shortly. For more updates and future information you can always check out their facebook page, facebook.com/dugdugimusic.
BSF gunshot injures Bangladeshi in Thakurgaon
New Age Online
Anowar Hossain, 28, a Bangladeshi a cattle trader was injured by Indian BSF’s gunshot in Molani border area under Haripur upazilla of Thakurgaon district.
Anowar along with some other cattle traders went to Molani border to settle a deal and bring in Indian cattle Saturday early in the morning. Border Security Force of India shot him when he trespassed in to India near Indo-Bangladesh 371/6-s border demarcation pillar, Border Guard Bangladesh officials said.
He has been admitted to an unknown hospital in Rangpur for treatment. He is the son of Mohammad Shakil of Haripur Upazilla.
30 BGB operational officer of Thakurgaon Major Kazi Alamgir Hossain said cattle trader intruded inside India as far as 400 yards when Sreepur camp BSF shot him on sight near the pillar.
BGB also sent a protest memorandum in this regard and sought for a flag meeting.
Anowar Hossain, 28, a Bangladeshi a cattle trader was injured by Indian BSF’s gunshot in Molani border area under Haripur upazilla of Thakurgaon district.
Anowar along with some other cattle traders went to Molani border to settle a deal and bring in Indian cattle Saturday early in the morning. Border Security Force of India shot him when he trespassed in to India near Indo-Bangladesh 371/6-s border demarcation pillar, Border Guard Bangladesh officials said.
He has been admitted to an unknown hospital in Rangpur for treatment. He is the son of Mohammad Shakil of Haripur Upazilla.
30 BGB operational officer of Thakurgaon Major Kazi Alamgir Hossain said cattle trader intruded inside India as far as 400 yards when Sreepur camp BSF shot him on sight near the pillar.
BGB also sent a protest memorandum in this regard and sought for a flag meeting.
Police arrest 29 ICS activists
New Age Online
Police arrested 29 Islami Chattra Shibir (ICS) activists in the last 24 hours from Rangpur, following the attack on Bangladesh Chhatra League Carmichael college unit leader Mosharraf Hossain on September 11.
The Superintendent of police, Abdur Razzak, said police conducted intensive raid in different upazilas of the district, including the city area, from Wednesday afternoon to early hours on Thursday, and arrested 29 ICS activists.
Of the arrested, 24 were picked from the city area, two from Pirgacha upazila, two from Pirganj and one from Mithapukur upazila of the district.
The arrested are being interrogated at police stations. Case filing is also in process till the filing of this report.
On Wednesday, some ICS activists attacked BCL Carmichael college unit organizing secretary Mosharraf Hossain and cut his tendons at college para area, adjacent to Carmichael College.
Mosharraf was admitted to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital (RMCH). Later, he was transferred to Dhaka Wednesday evening as his condition was deteriorating.
BCL district unit president, Dhanjit Ghosh Taposh, demanded ban on ICS politics and bringing the culprits to justice immediately.
ICS city unit president, Mostaq Ahmed, claimed the attack was a result of internal feud within BCL. 'No ICS activists were involved in the attack', he said.
Police arrested 29 Islami Chattra Shibir (ICS) activists in the last 24 hours from Rangpur, following the attack on Bangladesh Chhatra League Carmichael college unit leader Mosharraf Hossain on September 11.
The Superintendent of police, Abdur Razzak, said police conducted intensive raid in different upazilas of the district, including the city area, from Wednesday afternoon to early hours on Thursday, and arrested 29 ICS activists.
Of the arrested, 24 were picked from the city area, two from Pirgacha upazila, two from Pirganj and one from Mithapukur upazila of the district.
The arrested are being interrogated at police stations. Case filing is also in process till the filing of this report.
On Wednesday, some ICS activists attacked BCL Carmichael college unit organizing secretary Mosharraf Hossain and cut his tendons at college para area, adjacent to Carmichael College.
Mosharraf was admitted to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital (RMCH). Later, he was transferred to Dhaka Wednesday evening as his condition was deteriorating.
BCL district unit president, Dhanjit Ghosh Taposh, demanded ban on ICS politics and bringing the culprits to justice immediately.
ICS city unit president, Mostaq Ahmed, claimed the attack was a result of internal feud within BCL. 'No ICS activists were involved in the attack', he said.
88 more visas arrive from Malaysia
New Age Online
88 more work visas arrived in Dhaka on Thursday from Malaysia for employment in the plantation sector.
Officials of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training confirmed to New Age.
On 14 September, 2012, a Malaysian delegation, led by human resources minister Datuk Seri Subramaniam, held a bilateral meeting in Dhaka with the Bangladeshi government, and both sides signed the ‘agreed minutes’ on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
As per the agreed minutes, Bangladeshi workers will be sent to Malaysia on a government-to-government basis to stop the involvement of middlemen who charge too much and, more often than not, cheat the workers.
According to the agreed minutes, the migration cost of a worker to Malaysia will be only Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000.
Malpractice by some recruiting agencies over the years led Malaysia to stop recruiting Bangladeshi workers in 2009.
Till August, 2013, only 374 out of 10,000 workers selected for the plantation jobs left for Malaysia under the newly worked out government-to-government mechanism.
BMET officials said, about five lakh Bangladeshi workers are currently working in Malaysia.
88 more work visas arrived in Dhaka on Thursday from Malaysia for employment in the plantation sector.
Officials of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training confirmed to New Age.
On 14 September, 2012, a Malaysian delegation, led by human resources minister Datuk Seri Subramaniam, held a bilateral meeting in Dhaka with the Bangladeshi government, and both sides signed the ‘agreed minutes’ on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
As per the agreed minutes, Bangladeshi workers will be sent to Malaysia on a government-to-government basis to stop the involvement of middlemen who charge too much and, more often than not, cheat the workers.
According to the agreed minutes, the migration cost of a worker to Malaysia will be only Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000.
Malpractice by some recruiting agencies over the years led Malaysia to stop recruiting Bangladeshi workers in 2009.
Till August, 2013, only 374 out of 10,000 workers selected for the plantation jobs left for Malaysia under the newly worked out government-to-government mechanism.
BMET officials said, about five lakh Bangladeshi workers are currently working in Malaysia.