Volume III, Issue VIII
4th August, 2019
Summer XlX
Director, Nestle Bangladesh, Firoz Ahmed, COO, Dan Foods Ltd., Ghulam Sumdany Don, Chief Inspirational Officer, Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy, and Masud Khan, CEO, Crown Hiya Islam Cement, delivered speeches and presentations on Journalist diverse skills that are needed to qualify through the hiring process. Tips on writing CV, acing interviews, On June 27th and 28th, students were presented developing leadership qualities, etc. were also with an opportunity to explore the job market at the discussed with curious attendees. National Career Fair 2019 hosted at the Bangabandhu The opening speech was given by our very own International Conference Center (BICC) in Agargaon, Professor Vincent Chang, PhD, Vice Chancellor, Brac Dhaka. The two day long fair was organised by Brac University, followed by Amzad Hossain, Director, The University in collaboration with OCSAR (Office of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce Career Services and Alumni Relations) and sponsored and Industry (FBCCI). Fair activities began at the by NRB Jobs. pre-announced time slots where students were able The program was graced by the presence of its to drop their CVs in their interested company booths chief guests, Dr A K Abdul Momen, MP, Honourable and had the privilege of walk-in interviews as well. Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Nasrul The event was attended by students from various Hamid, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of VC Chang honours the chief guests at the event . Source: Facebook universities across the nation to reach out to their Power, Energy & Mineral Resources, Government of potential employers and future workplaces. There the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Special guests included Dr Md Jafar Uddin, were over a hundred companies participating. Noteworthy examples include Secretary in Charge, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, Augmedix, BEXIMCO, CodersTrust Bangladesh, Grameenphone, LafargeHolcim, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Youth and Sports. and so on. To attend, students were only required to go through a free of cost The agenda of the program was divided into approximately one hour sessions. registration process to access the tickets. Here, renowned guest speakers such as, Fatema Rizwana, Human Resources
BracU hosts National Career Fair 2019
IEEE BracU Student Branch presents ‘TournaTech 2019’ Farhin Husain Journalist The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch of Brac University organised the intra-university competition, TournaTech 2019, on the 26th of July. The day kicked off at about 8:30 am with about 75 students signing up and reporting to their booths. Each team started setting up their posters and projects for showcasing at the Indoor Auditorium of UB2, where the daylong event took place. At about 10 am, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Students showcasing their projects to the judges Dr Mohammad Tamim, inaugurated the ceremony along with the Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Dr Abdul Mottalib, Dr Motaharul Islam, Associate Professor (CSE), Jia Uddin, Associate Professor (CSE) and Md. Mosaddequr Rahman, Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), BracU. After the inauguration ceremony, the judges began going around each of the teams’ booths as the students began to showcase their projects. The faculty members present, were pleasantly surprised with the turnout for the event, and the projects had all been very interesting ranging from student resource websites to home automation projects. The winner of the Project Showcasing segment was Team Mibe Motion. Following the Project Showcasing segment, students took a lunch break and continued with the Poster Presentation segment starting soon afterwards. The judges observed all the teams’ posters and gave their feedback. Team 007 were then declared as the winners of the segment. The last segment of TournTech 2019 was the Problem Based Idea Competition. This event consisted mainly of presentations and a question-answer session based on the problems provided in the competition. The participants all portrayed innovative solutions to the problems provided to them, and handled the questions really well. Team IC-32 was the winner for this segment. The day finally came to an end, with the commencement of the closing and prize giving ceremony. Md Mosaddequr Rahman, Dr Abdul Mottalib, Saifur Rahman Sabuj, Assistant Professor (EEE), Supriyo Shafkat Ahmed, Senior Lecturer (EEE), Dr Motaharul Islam, Associate Professor (CSE), Annajiat Alim Rasel, Lecturer (CSE) and Arif Shakil, Lecturer (CSE) were called up on stage and shared their thoughts about the success of TournaTech 2019. They also appreciated the event, and encouraged the IEEE BracU Student Branch to carry on with such events in the future as well. “It was a huge success given that it’s our 1st flagship event,” said Samiha Haque ( Junior, CSE), the Vice-Chairperson of IEEE BracU Student Branch. “We are looking forward to better and bigger versions of TournaTech in the coming years.” The event wrapped up with a photo session and everyone could be seen leaving with a smile on their faces.
Intra-girls programming contest Summer 2019
Contest in progress. Picture Credit: BUCC
Sadman Hasan Journalist Brac University Computer Club (BUCC) in collaboration with BracU ACM Student Chapter, organised a programming contest for the female students of BracU on July 5th. The event was attended by distinguished faculty members from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE). Participants of various disciplines took part in the event. All the participants had to go through a mandatory workshop which was arranged on 3rd July where all the contestants were given the necessary guidelines and instructions for the main event. Faculty members from the CSE department attended the workshop giving their insights on how to approach a programming contest. The speakers also discussed the importance of taking part in such competitions and how events like this help the participants with their problem solving skills. The main event was a three hour long contest which took place at the BracU premises. All the contestants were given a set of tasks which they had to solve within the allocated time frame. The judges’ panel included competitive programming trainers of BracU and faculty members from the CSE department. Zarin Tahia Hossain (Sophomore, CSE) was the winner of the BracU Intra Girls’ Programming Contest (Summer 2019) while Samiha Shameem (Sophomore, CSE) and Rabeya Bosri (Sophomore, CSE) grabbed the first and second runner-up spots respectively.
2 | BRACU Express
BRIEFS TEDxBRACU Brac University will be hosting its own TEDx conference this August. The organising committee for this event is being spearheaded by three current undergraduate students of BracU namely Sadia Anjum Eera (Senior, CSE) who serves as the curator and lead organizer and co-lead organizers Sudeepto Bose (Senior, CSE) and Khandker Tanvir Hasan (Senior, CSE). Speakers for the conference will include some of the university’s greatest minds including the 2013 world debating champion, Aaquib Hossain, renowned faculty members like Dr. Samia Haq and Dr. Mahbub Majumdar, and many more. There will also be other speakers of great expertize in their respective fields like renowned cartoonist, Morshed Mishu and Hossain Elius, the current CEO of Pathao. The venue for this mega event will be unveiled to the masses soon. For more details, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
BUDC’s first ever bilingual intra tournament Brac University Debate Club (BUDC) arranged its first ever bilingual debate championship, “BUDC: The Awakening,” on 12 July. Consisting of 2 preliminary rounds followed by a grand finale, fierce debates raged on a range of current issues such as the success of the #MeToo movement, citizenship of Rohingya refugees and so on. The Bangla debates were held in a 3vs3 format and the winning team was team Joyeeta consisting of Sadia Islam (Sophomore, LLB), Md. Khaliduzzaman Khan Samrat (Freshman, CSE) and Ishrat Sultana Munira (Sophomore, BBS). The debater of the tournament was Abdullah Hasan Sajjad Rafi (Freshman, CSE). The English debates were held in British Parliamentary format. The winning team was Team ZuBair consisting of Jobayer Bin Showkat (Senior, CSE) and Nishat Tasnim ( Junior, BBS).
4th August, 2019
Scribbler’s Den at BracU
CAMPUS NEWS
Sagarika Shahriar Journalist
Selina Hossain in the prize giving ceremony
Free graphic designing course at BracU Jahin Kaiissar Journalist
Although Bangladesh is currently on its way towards a fourth Industrial Revolution, many people are either unaware of it or are unsure of how to adapt to this new change. In order to encourage students to embrace and to face the challenges of the impending Industrial Revolution, Brac University Film Club (BUFC) has started offering a free special course on Graphic Designing called GNP101. The course aims to improve the students’ technical skills by teaching them about graphic designing, UI/UX design, Microsoft office suite, basic web development and other useful skills. As one of the instructors for the course, BracU student Maisoon Ul Amin ( Junior, CSE) said that many students lack technical knowledge and cannot catch up to the wave of new and advancing technology and innovation, and that this lack of knowledge can become a major problem for them in the future. Thus, learning graphic designing will allow these students to ride the wave of the changing tide. Students will be able to thrive in the new technological era by building skill sets that will become useful when applying for jobs in the future. With this vision in mind, the first class of GNP101 took place on July 9th and was attended by around 20 students. In addition, the first class was met with positive feedback from the participants. Since the course is still in its test phase, BUFC are hoping to officially launch the course next semester. This course will be highly beneficial to those who are willing to work in the creative field. Graphic designers, UI and UX experts are hired by different organisations including tech companies, marketing agencies and so on. The participants of this course can expect to learn a lot from it for their professional lives.
ENH Seminars Series - Exploring the fields of literature
Thalassemia awareness camp at BracU On July 3rd, between 9:30 am and 2.30 pm on the 19th floor of UB2, a free thalassemia awareness and screening camp was organized by the Rotary Club of Dhaka North in collaboration with the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi). A total of 177 volunteers participated in this camp including students and employees of the university. Thalassemia is a deadly yet preventable genetic disorder. Thus, blood from Brac University students and employees were taken to check for carrier detection. The aim of thalassemia carrier detection is to discourage marriage between two thalassemia carriers. Marriage between two carriers will transfer the defective genes to the children which will result in the children become carriers as well.
Brac University Communication and Language Club (BUCLC) organised the “Scribbler’s Den”, a freehand story writing competition among the young writers of BracU. The event took place from 2nd to 4th of July at the Listening Lab located at UB2. The contest asked writers to compose stories of maximum 5000 words, fiction or nonfiction of any genre within the freedom of the writers’ minds. But the catch was to complete a piece while inside the listening lab, although one could use a break and come back again to finish it. Multiple stories of both English and Bangla were submitted and were later screened by the panel members. The prize giving ceremony took place on 17 July where six winners were announced, three for the English and three for the Bangla stories. Honourable novelist Selina Hossain was present as the chief guest of the program, who was also accompanied by Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, Director, Brac Institute of Languages, and the Director of the Office of Co-Curricular Activities (OCA), Ms Dilara Afroz Khan. At the program Selina Hossain spoke about her journey in literature and emboldened the students to grasp the power of pen and imagination. The ceremony was brought to a close with a cultural program and winners were given certificates and crests as tokens of appreciation.
Ms Nahid during her presentation. Source: BracU website
Tasneem Habib Journalist The Department of English and Humanities (ENH) conducted a series of seminars titled “ENH Seminar Series” that began on 20th June. These seminars included the lectures of reputed university professors and writers along with their opinions regarding the focus topics. The first seminar of the series was on “Tagore’s Thoughts and Observations on Translation.” This session was held at the ENH department located at UB2. The lecture was delivered by Nahid Kaiser, a PhD researcher on Tagore at the Department of English, Dhaka University. She discussed
how the beauty of literature in native language faded due to English Translation. She also analysed how authentic translation was not possible since languages are different in meaning, resulting in the loss of the original beauty of the literary piece. Kaiser gave examples of Tagore’s Gitanjali (1910), which was translated into the Song Offerings (1912) and how these two texts were completely different from each other as the translation failed to capture the beauty expressed through the native language. The second seminar of the series was a lecture delivered by Debjani Sengupta, Associate Professor at Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University. She is the author of “The Partition of Bengal: Fragile Borders and New Identities.” Her lecture was titled “The Search for Herself: Refugee Women and Political Mobilization in Sabitri Roy’s Bwadwip (1972).” This seminar was held on June 26th at the GDLN Conference room of UB2. She discussed the obstacles faced by Sabitri Roy, who was a famous activist and author during her time. Debjani Sengupta also discussed how Sabriti Roy was a representation of the migrant women during the partition of the Indian Subcontinent, who were courageous to stand up for their position in the society with a hope of bringing change in their lives and the people around them. These seminars not only provided insight on various topics that were important for the young generation of students to observe but it also gave them an opportunity to quench their thirst for curiosity about the ways in which writers portrayed the society through their literary text.
BRACU Express | 3
4th August, 2019
OPINION & ACADEMICS
The fight against terrorism
to be more involved in militancy, a study has in fact shown that about 56% of people pursuing general education are involved in militancy, compared to 22% from madrasa background. A seminar titled “Preventing Professor Fuad Hassan Mallick, PhD, Terrorism and Extremism through Dean, Brac School of Design, and Community Engagement� was held on Advisor, Postgraduate Programs in June 22nd, at the Indoor Auditorium of Disaster Management Board, Brac Brac University. Organized by the AntiUniversity followed with a discussion Terrorism Unit (ATU) in collaboration of BracU’s Disaster Management with the Community Development for Programs. Deputy High Commissioner Peace and Brac University, the seminar of Australia Penny Morton, Deputy was attended by around 100 students High Commissioner of Britain Kanbar of different schools, colleges, madrasas Hossein Bor, Additional Inspector and universities along with the faculties General of the ATU, Mohammad Abul of BracU. The main aim of this seminar Kashem, among others, also spoke at was to raise awareness among young the seminar. people about the dangers of radicalism, extremism and terrorism across the Terrorism has been on the rise world and our own nation. everywhere around the world, and The seminar on terrorism terrorist groups tend to target young The seminar commenced with a individuals to try and instill in them a welcome address from Professor Zainab very toxic mentality that justifies terrorism. It is therefore of utmost importance Faruqui Ali PhD, Chairperson, Department of Architecture while Didar Ahmed, that the youth is aware and active in the fight against extremism. The speakers Deputy Inspector General (DIG) presented the opening speech at the seminar. Md emphasized that as 80% of radicalization happened via the internet and through Moniruzzaman, Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG), of police currently friends, the law alone cannot stop such activities. We therefore need to raise serving at its ATU unit (ATU), revealed a shocking report. awareness regarding this issue, and the battle is for all of us to fight. While it is oftentimes assumed that people associated with madrasas are likely
Farhin Husain Journalist
BRACU Express on the new BracU Express For years the thousands of students of BracU, who come to Mohakhali from every imaginable corner of Dhaka city, have been clamoring for an inexpensive and convenient way to travel to and from university. In response, BracU has started a fledgling transportation service for BracU students that travels 2 routes across Dhaka and costs Tk 100 per trip. The pilot program began operation from June 23rd, with an extra inbound and outbound trip from Zigatola and Abdullahpur being added from 7th July. For the sake of journalistic The much awaited BracU bus service integrity and to gather firsthand experience, I decided to use the service myself. Shahad Muktadir After classes ended, I got on Journalist the Zigatola bound bus that was scheduled to leave at 5.15 from in front of UB2. There are no external ticket counters, you get on the bus after displaying your ID card and payment is collected in cash by a staff member en route. The buses seat 29 people and are fully air-conditioned. We left BracU on time and despite the usual Dhaka traffic, were able to maintain schedule. The staff and driver were cordial and answered any questions regarding the route or the ticket price the students might have had. During stops, the bus was brought to a complete halt to allow the students to disembark safely. Overall, my personal experience with the service was surprisingly pleasant and I also received an overwhelmingly positive response from other students when asked about their experience of using the service. The initial reaction of the student body to the announcement of the service was lukewarm, the major complaint being the fare and the limited routes. These are valid concerns. What the service deems to provide is a safe and, for some, convenient alternative and it is always nice to have options. We can only hope that if enough interest is generated the authorities will expand the routes and reduce the fare, making the service more accessible. Any endeavour is bound to have some missteps while they are attempting to get off the ground. However, this initiative is indeed a step in the right direction.
Time and Existence Rafsan Zia Opinion and Academics Editor What follows is a couple of questions that will cripple you surely, if not entirely, with anxiety, depression and existential crisis. The first question is on the subject of time, a concept so abstract that it trumps all other notions of similar philosophy. The second question on the other hand, comes with a bit of attached controversy and is related to the purpose of existence. Hence you may continue, at your own risk. Time. Will time ever end? Science has one theory. Time will end with the Big Crunch, when the universe will stop expanding and will contract back into nothing. However, looking at it from the perspective of religion, there is a life after death. The hereafter is said to last for eternity. ETERNITY. Think about that for a moment, the gravity of the underlying meaning of the word. Eternity has no end ergo time will never end. Who knows, time may even exist beyond the Big Crunch in scientific theory. Existence. Why do we exist? As conscious living beings, what is our purpose here? Neuroscience answers that the meaning and thereby the purpose of life is maximizing pleasure. Life has purpose because of its entailed rewards and the motivation to pursue flourish for all conscious creatures is what it means to be alive. Again, looking at the other side of the table and turning towards a spiritual answer, God created the universe to take a test. Now the question arises- why did God decide to take this test? The answer is known to no one but the Supreme Intellectual Being, as termed by the infamous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Now that both questions have been addressed, one final query remains. Should we endeavor to understand these topics of controversy and confusion or are some things better left alone? If I were a man of science the answer would most certainly be yes. It would be fascinating to fully understand these concepts of intriguing nature and as intellectual beings, our brains crave for knowledge of the unknown. And, if I were a spiritual man, I would no doubt succumb to my inability to understand these concepts for they are far superior to my own intellect. But I am neither scientific nor spiritual. I am but another confused soul in the vast expanse of the cosmos.
4 | BRACU Express
4th August, 2019
SPECIAL FEATURE
Know your camp In your four years of Brac University, you will have peers from all walks of life. From the Rangpuria to Chatgaiya and the classic nerds to jocks, BracU has all the stereotypes. We decided to dig around and present to you our favorite ones. See if you find your friends here: The Snoozers These are the ones who have a habit of falling asleep in random places. They might be anywhere: snuggled in the prayer room or sprawled on the library armchair with a newspaper covering their faces. If you happen to be one of them, you should know by now that all your friends have put up Snapchat stories of your drooling face. But do not worry, your overwhelming self-assurance is awe inspiring to us. And to the ones getting some much needed shut eye in class: thank you for being a constant source of entertainment for those around you. The Future TAs “Miss you are my favorite faculty in the department!” “Sir, that shirt really brings out your eyes.” No matter how creative you get with your compliments, you need to get one thing through your head: your transparent attempts to become the teacher’s assistant are the cause of countless eyes rolls around you. Your persistent groveling is only welcome when you manage to help the rest of us skip a boring lecture by making the faculty reminisce about the good old days. The Chronic Grade Complainer If you fall under this category, we are sorry to say you too, are secretly hated by all. Whilst you whine about why your professor can not curve your 98 to a 100, the people with grades that you frown upon are hurling curses. Watch out, mate! The worst of this kind have grade-sabotaging traits. “…think I’m gonna fail”, “I haven’t really studied” - do this ring a bell? At the end of the day, it is no surprise that they emerge with flying colors and making you look like a joke because of all the time you wasted on consoling them. The No-Risk Taker This group of people are too smart to let their hearts be broken by meaningless intra/ inter-university competitions. Their key characteristic is a lack of participation in ANY extracurricular activities. They love to entertain the thought of participation and the spotlight, but always justify why it is not worth their time. If this sounds like you, our advice would be to step out of this comfort zone and fail. Take the risk and join something for the heck of it - at least your CV will thank you for it. The Fitness Freak These people are probably out of their minds. Why? Because we are referring to the kids who willfully abandon the elevators and use the stairs. Yes, you can read that again. When probed for reasons, they say it has to do with making time for daily exercise and something along the lines of prolonging their lives. Pfft. All we notice is their atrocious body odour and frequent leg-stamping. Apparently, they also hate cramped spaces. We say the cramped elevators are worth it because they take you to your classroom - where you will nap for that one hour and twenty minutes - faster. Stuck in TARC These are the people who still listen to the residential semester’s theme song on their phones. Look around you, the one hogging the cafeteria table with his bunch of friends humming Shurjer Rong, is the one we are referring to. The worst of this kind are the people who constantly upload #ThrowbackTARC pictures on their social media accounts. Trust us when we tell you this, everyone except your residential semester batch mates have secretly unfollowed you. We have nothing against you. In fact, we know that these three months are memorable for each of us here. However, the TARC er akash and #YOTO really lose their charm by the time you are in your sophomore year. Move on.
BRACU Express | 5
4th August, 2019
SPECIAL FEATURE
pus stereotypes The Club Fanatics This is a common Brac University scene: friends singing to “Amar Poth Chola”, couples sitting in a corner, or students enjoying their lunch. That is, until you find the one carrying club posters. Be wary of him, because he will coerce you into attending his various events, or at the very least bore you with upcoming event promotions. You can easily map them running around intensively trying to stick posters on the board or putting up a banner in front of the lift about some random club trip. The next time you detect someone randomly approaching you while you are sitting at the café, it would probably be in your best interest to run… The PDA Couples Between all the fuss of the BracU Cafeteria and Prangon, there is always that one couple sitting in the corner, being overly clingy and displaying their undying affection towards each other. Busy in their intimacy, they barely notice anyone else staring at them. Often, after a tiring day of class, you will spot the same odd couple arguing loud enough for the authorities to intervene. Ah young love, right? The Omnipresent You go to The Palace for breakfast, they are there. You are rushing from one building to another between classes, you see them in Bottola. They are downing their fourth cup of tea for the day. You go to the lab to get your slides from TSR, there they are again, playing games like there is no tomorrow. On your way home after a late afternoon class? They are still there, enjoying an evening smoke and having a laugh with their friends. They just cannot seem to get enough of the campus. If you are having a hard time figuring out which one of your friends fall in this category, it is probably you. The Cool Cookies See that girl with the blue hair walking with an easy, breezy, summers are meant to be lazy stride? Surely you can spot the boy standing by the elevator, lost in innocent thought with a naive smile, while ideas about fascinating deaths circulate inside his mind silently. Do you happen to have perfect hair day, every day, with the world as your oyster, a rocking career ahead as your vast shell? Or maybe you’re the quiet kind, waiting to erupt into the most unexpected tales of lore, adventure, horror and unsaid secrets.. In short, this category deals with the stereotype that laterally crosses all those aforementioned, found in a little boxy room in building 3, stenciled in ink on the door as BRACU EXPRESS. From studious scorers to languid lifestyles, the office hosts a fusion of them all. The cookies are retiring soon, with a fresh new batch taking over. If reading this makes you realise this (debunked) stereotype is not you, but wish it were, then you’re in for some luck; legend has it that forms will reopen soon once again. P.S. It was too complex to settle on defining this type as just one kind, so we decided to name them the Cool Cookies. Naturally, our second choice for defining them was Cheeky.
Contributors: Kashfia Hassan Hiya Islam Tawsif Alvee
6 | BRACU Express
4th August, 2019
OFF CAMPUS & Mechamind - Humanity meets science
Faiza Khondokar Administrative Unit It’s not every day that you get to see a college student utilize his/her knowledge for the betterment of society and welfare of the underprivileged. But, Salman Khan Promon, currently a Masters student of the James P. Grant School of Public Health, BracU, is an exception. Salman’s vision to combine the knowledge of biology, electronics and computer science and integrate them for doing something positive for the society, has led him to create a utilitarian organization, Mecahmind. Mechamind was initially started by Salman, along with some close friends, with the aim to provide free prosthetics to amputees, who are not willing to give up on life and who want to work and earn for themselves, if given the choice. When asked what motivated him to take such a humanitarian initiative, Salman says that a few years ago, he heard of news where a poor orphan lost his hand in a road accident. This victim eventually succumbed to his injury, leaving behind two younger siblings, who had no means of living and no one to care for them. “Reading this news, I realized that I could have been that victim too. Anyone can be such a victim. This realization made me feel helpless and scared. And that is when I decided to look for an affordable solution to help such people,” says Salman. Salman was part of Team’ Shamol, the team from Asia to become the first runner up in The Geneva Challenge, 2018. He used the prize money from that competition to purchase equipment and resources that were needed to make those prosthetics. They finished their first prototype (V1.0) and gave it to an amputee named Javed Miah, who had lost both his arms 12 years ago.
Salman Khan Promon - The man behind Mechamind
With the prosthetic, Javed is now able to do all day-to-day life activities like any other person, making Mechamind’s prototype a success. Mechamind is now working on a better version of this model to help many such victims. Other than making prosthetics, Mechamind is also working on AI based education and healthcare systems. Fahim Uddin, from the EEE department of BracU and Saydur Rahman, from BBS, BracU, are the other two masterminds behind the organization. Salman calls upon all students of BracU to support them in any way they can, which will greatly help him to carry out his mission and change the lives of many a Javed.
AC48 in Tokyo! Syeda Tasnim Islam Journalist Brac University’s School of Law recently got qualified to participate in the oral round of the prestigious Asia Cup International Moot Court Competition 2019, which is to be held in Tokyo, Japan. The competition entails teams to write memorials, and presentation of oral pleadings on a fictional lawsuit regarding international law. According to the information provided on the official website of Asia Cup 2019, it is “designed to disseminate the knowledge and the understanding of international law in the Asian region.” The selection process rigorously cut through 60 teams from various countries submitting memorials, which later got shortlisted to the 16 remaining and qualifying teams. The team AC48, representing BracU School of Law is comprised of all seniors - Adnan Uddin Ahmed, Sayma Akher, and Ujma Mashiat. It is one of the 16 participating teams from all around Asia and the only team from Bangladesh which got selected. They are being led by their coach MD Mostafa Hosain, Assistant Professor, School of Law. An interview with one of the team members, Ujma Mashiat, Team AC48 about their journey up until this point highlighted that it was their perseverance and hard work that got them this far. Since last year, the team has competed at both national and international levels of Moot Court Competitions. “We have worked very hard to get to this point and we are hoping for the best. This year has been the most competitive. Since the quality of the memorials submitted were all good so shortlisting the competitors was difficult for the organizers.” revealed Ujma. “This year the focus is on current legal affairs, we are going to be addressing Refugee Law, Law of the sea, Crimes against Humanity, and State Immunity.” replied Ujma when asked about any specific issues that are being addressed in the competition. The oral round of the Asia Cup International Moot Court Competition is going to be held on 6th and 7th August, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.
Stacked High Roshni Shamim Managing Editor I look outside as I hear the thunder rumbling from the skies; the atmosphere has gone willowy and dark, a looming shadow hovering above everything as far as the eye can see and an almost damp, heavy flow of air lingering all around. I look down to notice I’m beginning to shed, once again, as little tufts of paper drop noiselessly on the ground. I crumble up my covers and walk over to the musty cupboard fixated at the corner of this boxy room and open the groaning doors of the ivory cupboard. I know what I’m looking for, as my headlines flit across the stacks of paper piled high inside the cupboard. Finally, I zero in on the faded corner of an issue slightly sticking out from the piles of white layers surrounding it; ah, there it is. A swirl of dust goes up as I delicately take out the oldest memory of me that exists. It already feels weird to hold. With my smooth, colored, crinkle free corners now, this black and white copy rustles with friction in comparison. I straighten out the copy, holding it in its vertical angle as I stare at it in awe. The headline still stands out sharply: BRACU EXPRESS, Volume 1, dated September 27, 2016. I smile, knowing the time has come once again. I look down below to my current stenciled headlines: BRACU EXPRESS, Volume 3, dated October 7, 2018. A few more tufts of paper fall out. I sigh, as I put my oldest memory back and begin to take off the one, I’m wearing. I delicately put in Volume 3 with Volume 1 & 2 and close the cupboard. I look down below and see it: BRACU Express, Volume 4, 2019.
BRACU Express | 7
4th August, 2019
SPORTS NEWS
Dengue versus You
Hiya Islam Journalist Disease Profile Name: Dengue Fever Pathogen: Virus (DENV); 4 serotypes Origin: From monkeys Carrier: Mosquitos, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (female) Classification: Mild dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome Treatment: No vaccination; requires medical intervention Common symptoms: intense fever, headache, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, pain behind eyes, mild bleeding (such as, bleeding gums or nose or easy bruising) etc. With the current rising toll of dengue cases, it has been predicted to turn into an epidemic soon. Since January, there has been a total of 6544 reported cases of infection according to Directorate General of health Services (DGHS). As each day passes, news feeds pop with horrifying fatalities. Here’s what you can do to protect and save your community and yourself from this malicious family of viruses. #1 Fight the bite As vaccinations are still a distant dream, the best approach is to not get bitten in the first place. Do whatever it takes to clear out your zone; use aerosols, coils, nets, anything. Try to minimize the exposure of skin to outside. Wear full-sleeved shirts and long pants. Or, get some certified mosquito-repellant creams. However, be sure to use them on exposed areas only. And be aware of the “bite hours” like dusk or dawn. #2 Banish breeding grounds This means to destroy any area that is likely to collect water. Stagnant waters are the perfect place for breeding killer mosquitos. Also, change water in bird baths, pet bowls or flower vases if over 5 days old. Contrary to the myth, Aedes mosquitos breed in clean water and not in dirty water.
#3 Seek doctor’s advice Times are harsh these days. And it is better to be safe than sorry. Seek medical advice immediately with the onset of fever. The doctor will prescribe a blood test to conclude the dilemma. Dengue tests are widely available at hospitals. At public hospitals, these are free of cost while private hospitals charge a meagre amount of 250-300 Tk. As luck would have it, you get afflicted with the disease. In that case, be sure to follow these: * Adequate liquid intake- Drink plenty of fluids and rest. * Medication- It is advised to avoid any form of painkillers or NSAIDs. Suppositories can be taken, if prescribed. Pills to ward off vomiting can also be taken. * Daily platelet test- Daily trips to the hospital is mandatory as these tests help to reveal the status of the immune system.
Not Insomnia Rafsan Zia Opinions and Academics Editor A few years ago, we got a call from dad’s office. He was admitted in a hospital because apparently, the man fell ill during a meeting. The hospital ran numerous tests on him, but failed to identify the root of the problem because his body was functioning to its best ability except, poor old dad slept for three days straight. No. He was not in a coma. According to him, he felt drowsy at first which eventually translated into sleepiness and boy, that urge to sleep was unbeatable. The fact that this urge stays with you for days on end, like that clingy ex-girlfriend, only makes it worse. Fast forward six months, countless sleep attacks and many doctors later, dad was diagnosed with Hypersomnia. According to MedicineNet, Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder condition in which a person finds it difficult to stay awake and is highly likely to fall asleep at any time. Further problems associated with this disorder include a lack of energy and inability to think clearly. Now, what causes this eerie illness that a myriad of the top doctors around Dhaka simply ruled out as a mental health issue and referred my dad to a psychiatrist? Well, there are several “potential” causes- sleep deprivation, narcolepsy, alcohol abuse, head injury, genetics etc. In other words, no doctor could provide concrete evidence as to why a healthy man was suddenly sleeping for half the week. In fact, in order to diagnose hypersomnia, a sleep test called a Polysomnography is required and yet, this test was never performed on my dad, probably due to the rarity of such an illness in the country and the unavailability of corresponding tests. However, as horrifying as I have painted it out to be, this ailment is not
without treatment. After what seemed like ages, an Indian doctor of neurology, Dr Sandeep Kumar, was consulted and he prescribed a methylphenidate drug sold under the trade name of Ritalin. This drug is a stimulant exclusively used for the treatment of narcolepsy and unsurprisingly, is as unconventional as the disorder it treats. Alongside stimulants, antidepressants are also prescribed for tending to the condition. Three years later, dearest daddy is somewhat safe from the clutches of an alien sleep disorder. Although the sleep attacks are very rare nowadays, he still has to continue his medication until further notice. In my opinion, if sleep deprivation is indeed a potential cause of hypersomnia, I would bet on that since dad is a workaholic and barely got three hours of sleep before his illness.
8 | BRACU Express
4th August, 2019
A year later
ENTERTAINMENT Executive Panel Editor-in-Chief -Subah Shaheen Managing Editor - Roshni Shamim Creative Head - Md Rezwanur Rahman Administrative Director - Saadman Saif Web Media Manager - Tashfia Zaman
Editors News - Faisal Bin Iqbal Opinions and Academics - Rafsan Zia Features - Nishat Tasneem Shahara Off-Campus - Kazi Saad Asif Sports News - Safir Zawad
Editorial Board: 2018-2019
The weather leading to August has been alternately sunny and rainy. I would summarize our tenure as Editorial Board in quite the same way; in fact, I should add, the rainy days have actually been just as interesting as the sunny ones. It has been a long year and many issues since we, the soon to be former, Editorial Board took charge of the sole monthly publication of Brac University. Publishing one issue after another was no easy task to say the least but the opportunity of being able to provide to you, our dear readers, the news from all over campus and the stories of the people behind the news have always kept this express’s engine roaring. Come hail, rain, or snow we have strived to maintain what you loved about the paper while bringing in something fresh to cater to your ever evolving tastes. Introducing a fiction section has definitely been my favourite addition, and I am so grateful for the number of submissions we have received- Reading your work has been a pleasure and we are glad that you chose to publish your thoughts through us. “Out with the old,” is the rule of life and so we retire, happy to have been able to reach you through these pages and hopeful to see our successors do the same, hopefully even more. Wishing you all the best for a Fall full of beginnings, the Editorial Board-19, signs off.
Contributors Graphics Designers - Ashrar Hussain
Subah Shaheen Editor-in-Chief
Ibnul Mubin Niloy Md Sizer Ahmed Sajid Hossain Artist - Junaid Iqbal Photographers - Meekail Mughdo Sharar E Noor Web Media - Afra Antara Anjum Maisha Rafa Khan Rawnak Tahnia Tamanna Tasnim Administration - Faiza Khondokar Md Tawsif Ur Rashid Saika Farhin Umma Khadija Alam Warda Asif
@bracuexpress
fb.com/bracuexpress
Advisory Panel Roohi Huda Masnoon Khair Shehzad M. Arifeen Correction Policy BRACU Express will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations, or factual errors for an article within the semester that it is printed. Email us at Contact us at - bracuexpress@gmail.com.