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Shop
special
Idea:
For the heart
and mind
If
you have been to Probortona near Mohammedpur, this shop, situated on
the ground floor of the building, is hard to miss. Despite being a tiny
shop, it boasts a vast and amazing array of products made mainly from
clay, along with wood, bamboo, glass and fabric.
Most
of the products are made by the students of the Art College and the
according to the shopkeeper(s), very few other shops in Dhaka have such
an extravagant display of the same items. This is the only shop in Dhaka
with another similar branch in Sherpur and the main office in Jamalpur.
The
first thing to catch your eyes will be the jewelry. They are made from
clay, wood or bamboo occasionally accessorized with colourful beads.
They include necklaces, lockets, bangles, bracelets, earrings, rings
and hairpins, with no two sets of jewelry looking alike!
Then
there are vases, flowerpots, hanging flowerpots, wind chimes, mirrors,
bells, wall hangings, masks, lamps, pencil holders, candelabras and
statues and figurines all made of clay. While some of them are painted
in a variety of colours, others are left in their original hues. The
vases and bells come in a variety of sizes and shapes, while some of
the wall hangings, which are very colourful and come in various geometrical
shapes, are also made of fabric, wood and jute. The candelabras and
the lamps are of interesting shapes and have very intricate patterns.
The statues vary in size and colour, as well as in complexity, ranging
from the simple elephant or horse to the complex figurine of Buddha
or Jesus. The masks made of clay take the cake though. They are beautiful
in a very odd fashion and can add a touch of difference to every household.
The masks are those of humans as well as elephants and deer.
Panjabis,
shirts, fatuas and kameezes are also found here. Decorated either with
block prints, sprays, embroideries and tie-dye, the clothes are rather
exclusive in design.
As
for the price, you will be pleasantly surprised at the costs of the
products found in this shop. Not only are they very affordable, they
are also very rare indeed.
By
Armeen Khan
Shop
talk
Woven
and Jute Bags
Jute and woven bags are really in. They give a bohemian look to your
whole get up as well. And now there are more innovative designs and
snazzy colours to go with any outfit you want. Some are heavy duty while
others add a touch of mischief to that demure party outfit. They are
relatively cheap and are available at places like Aarong, Nipun and
Probortona. Prices start from Tk. 90.
Terracotta
Artefacts
Terracotta artefacts and showpieces are really seizing the market. You
can find masks, hanging wall pieces, display items and small jewellery-trinkets
as well. They are really innovative and add a unique touch. The showpieces
are done in tones of terracotta and chocolate brown in the shapes of
turtles, horses, dolls, etc. For people who want to use local decoration
pieces, these items are perfect. Available in Aarong, Vertical (Aziz
Co-operative supermarket) and Ideas (Aziz Co-operative supermarket).
Prices depend on the intricacy of design.
Geometric Bangles
Bangles in different geometric shapes are now a craze among women especially
teenagers. Squares, triangles, even hearts. Just name it and you have
it. They are available in different shapes with tiny dangling chimes
on them that tinkle when you move your hands. Mostly in metallic hues,
metallic pink, blue, green and silver are the most popular shades. These
bangles are available in shops like Priyo and Prime. Cheaper versions
are available in New Market. A pack contains of six and costs Tk. 60.
Carpenter
Box for Kiddies
Folk International now has a small carpenter box for children of pre-school
age (3 plus) that contains small carpentry tools like hammers etc. It
is a great educational and fun learning kit for children to while away
their time. It costs Tk. 500 plus.
Frilly
Pillow Cases
Folk International now also sells a range of large pillowcases. These
pillowcases are in white with white cut work and frills that look really
chic in one's living room or even in the bedroom. The embroidery is
well done and tasteful. These pillowcases cost Tk. 250 plus.
Crunchy
Cookies
There is a new cookie assortment tin available in the market now. It's
called Style and comes in a long pink cylindrical tin. The assortment
contains chocolate cookies, which are hard outside and have a soft chocolate
filling. It also has a raisin cookie with ground raisin filling. The
other cookies are assorted flavours such as coconut and butter checks.
The tin costs Tk. 220 and is available at Nandan Super Store.
Brass
bracelets
Check out the beautiful large bracelets found at any of the Grameen
outlets. They cost 75 taka. These are chic and worn by guys even. Also
you can find these from the hawkers in New Market and you'll find amazing
varities including oxidised silver. Obviously they are cheaper than
the ones at the brand outlets. They cover a large portion of the wrist
and looks a bit like the ones worn by warrior princess Xena.
Monica
Ali's Brick Lane
This controversial yet amazing story written by Monica Ali has been
lauded by even the harshest of critics. The book is a great buy. Omni
Books situated in Gulshan-I opposite to Azad Mosque, initially ran out
of copies but they now have their second batch arriving. Each copy costs
Tk. 750.
By
Tahiat-E-Mahboob
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Essentials
Did
you know…
the Jatiya Shangsad recently passed a bill raising the perquisites
of the MPs? The benefits were raised by 100 to 600 percent. There
will also be additional allowances such as telephone bills. The government
will have to spend an additional Tk 5.31 crore to meet the benefits.
You might also be interested to learn that the Jatiya Shangshad regularly
experiences quorum crisis, which costs the nation over Tk 2.35 crore.
Notice
how…
CNG auto rickshaws are not demanding extra bucks any more. Surprising
isn't it? What is more surprising is that they are running with petrol
instead of gas.
Efficient
judicial system
We hail the move to use the speedy trial system to resolve some sensational
cases: Bushra, Sony, Don, Ranta would have wanted it. These trials
proved that it is possible to solve cases fast. But why should this
only happen for a selected few cases? There are thousands more pending
cases that need to be resolved, which even though not as sensational,
are equally deserving of judicial efficiency. Why can't we build an
efficient judicial system that ensures quick verdicts and justice
for all?
A praiseworthy move
Another bill passed by the Shangsad secures one important right that
should have been guaranteed a long time ago. The bill ensures that
from now on, days served in police custody during trail will be deducted
from the imprisonment given to a convicted person. We also hail this
move. However, there should be more steps to ensure that a person
does not stay in custody for long. There are scores of examples in
which the accused remains in custody for years, sometimes even without
trail. It is therefore necessary to resolve cases faster. In addition,
a person who has served more days than the verdict announced should
be compensated.
Gross
negligence
On July 8, a photograph was printed in the Daily Star showing that
police men at Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat are working inside the police
station with umbrellas in their hands to protect themselves from pouring
rain water. The thana building was build in 1916 and its condition
is very poor. At the thana level, police stations are really in a
sorry state. Buildings constructed during British rule are still allotted
to them as housing. How can we expect law enforcers to work efficiently
when we do not even provide them with proper office buildings?
By
Shahnaz Parveen
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