Bangla underground: Revealed

In mid 2005, when underground music forums, like Amader Gaan, Tunes BD and Underground Inc, were climbing at astronomical rates in fan base, a forum called BanglaUnderground (BU) made its entrance in the underground music scene. Officially released on 28th of July last year by the site administrators Shezaad Yawar (who fancies the alias shezavu) and Rajdeep Dasgupata (almost psycho) BU is the newest online forum based on Bangladesh's underground musical community offering tons of interesting features for music freaks all over the nation.
The BU website has excellent graphics, something you rarely see in Bangladeshi sites. It has got online forum activities, chat-rooms and a spot for thread-messages for the members to interact. Though mostly it is based on underground music, the topics can range from anything to everything. They even have a separate thread line for mindless bantering. Besides these the most innovative thing BU offers their members is the BU Messenger. The software is created exclusively for the convenience of BU members, similar to the Yahoo! Messenger. There's a News section to inform the visitors about concert dates and what's happening "under the ground". There's an Information section that provides you with in-depth insights about underground and mainstream Bangla bands and foreign ones. The best thing however is the Downloads section where they give you multimedia goodies' galore courtesy of the moderator Auvik. You will find anything you want as far as your demands bear credibility. Almost all the underground songs released to date are available with a few early extrications. You will also find foreign music here, software if you need them and all you have to do is just ask. BU also lets their members upload demos of their own music, which gives talented hidden rockers a chance to show off a bit.
The forum is managed by a very passionate team of music lovers. Besides being the administrators shezavu, who operates from Canada, personally handles the monetary management and internal affairs and almost psycho takes care of the graphical aspects of the site. Apart from the Administrators the management team is split into two divisions, the web-team and the street-team. The web-team controlled by almost psycho is liable for managing the site and updating it. The street-team, with Abrar-ul-Haque (sin eater) in charge, mainly organizes concerts and promotes the forum to music lovers and concertgoers. The members can join the management team if they please.
Within a month of their launching BU organized their first (and only till now) gig titled "The Concert for Saving a Life" on the 26th of August. This was a fund raising concert to collect charity for Mr. Mojibur Rahman Dilu, who is suffering from GBS. Top-line bands including Artcell, Cryptic Fate, Stentorian, Arbovirus and others performed at the concert and raved the audience.
Now six months after their launch BU has around 750 registered members. Their future plans include a more enriched forum website and organizing concerts for 2006 and 2007. They are planning to have an unplugged acoustic session and a concert to pay tribute to foreign rock bands within 2006. And a very ingenious scheme that stirred up from the mind of Tashhid Abdullah (lord voldemort), second in charge of the street-team, BU will arrange a concert, Underground Battle. Here up to 25 bands can enter and battle it out for the prize at the end of the road, an album contract. The gig will be stretched for a month and the audience will select the winner themselves and for the other bands they will get a much-needed exposure and hence have a podium to perform in the underground scene. Since this will be a giant leap for BU and will be tough to organize the gig is due for late 2006 or early 2007. For more information and details logon to their website: www.banglaunderground.com.

By Knafice-Man

I do not know why they titled it as “march.” I am saying so because many of the well-off marching people used vehicles instead of actually walking whereas the poor people really did walk. Talk about the poor-rich gap even in this issue. Nonetheless, no matter what, we all know that there is always a good side and bad side to everything. As the marchers entered Dhaka this Sunday, I suddenly realized how great an event this would be as a Bangladeshi Olympic game. Of course, when talking about Bangladeshi Oympics, the first thing that comes to ones mind is Rickshaw races but just think about it - a marathon race from Tefnaf to Tetulia! Certainly that would take quite a few days but wouldn't that be a better sport than just having a silly long march protesting against the present government. Moreover, no one would be caught by the police and thrown into the jail then.

Diabetic patients certainly should have joined the long march. I am sure no sane doctor would recommend over a 200 km march for a diabetic patient but if walking helps to keep diabetics under control, then why not? Walking so much should then instantly cure diabetics. Worried mothers (including girls) who are over cautious about getting fat (or are already fat), and are marching in the public parks and roads day and night wearing those fat-reducing belts just to reduce some weight and get a slim figure the long march IS the thing for you. Just join the long march and I guarantee you… you are bound to become the size you want. Of course there is one condition you have to WALK!

One common scene during the march was dogs. Yes, d-o-g-s. In case you were not attentive enough, every day during the news, when the long march was reported, there was always a dog or two. Apparently, not only people were involved in the protest dogs too were marching and protesting. This maybe because dogs are not that well treated in our country like in other developed countries but considering the economic status of the country, how many people would?

The long march did prove one thing though. That the people of Bangladesh really are hot-tempered determined proliferating tigers! They are ready to move into action anytime! And when they have a goal be it fighting against the police, or breaking a double-decker bus apart, or even going out on a date with his/her loved ones they accomplish it no matter what the resistance. That's the spirit! Go Bangladeshi GO!!!

By Adnan M. S. Fakir

Uncle and i

Leaving' is agony, 'leaving' is happiness, 'leaving' is departure and 'leaving' is arrival.

Sometimes people want to run away, leave and escape from life. At one stage people begin to suffer from frustration. Their miseries rule them. Their minds become rusty and they suffer from the spells of guilt, jealousy, rage and hatred. People want to escape from this polluted and fake world, the world of betrayal and heartlessness. A time comes, when they want to leave the urban life in search of a utopian society. People want to feel Nature, wake up from sleep with the chirping of birds and not honking of cars.

A river leaves the mountain to meet the sea. Birds leave and fly away from their nests in search of food. In order to achieve independence of a country freedom fighters dedicate their lives and leave this world with their mothers and loved ones to mourn.

The word 'leaving' is not always associated with the agony and sorrows of life. It also has a brighter and cheerful aspect. A rocket leaves the launch pad to open a new horizon for mankind. A train leaves the station and the ship leaves the port only to come back for more passengers and cargo.

On the spiritual tone, even when saying prayers, ones leaves this painful, deceptive and materialistic world in search of harmony and tranquility and attains eternal peace and happiness. On the other hand, when death comes knocking on one's door, he provides utmost resistance to not to leave this world, which a moment ago he may have considered a bitter place to live in.

I dedicate this piece of writing to one of the finest men I have ever known. His sweetness of temper, amiability and soberness portrayed a profound and great personality. He is none other than the Late Mr Rasul Nizam. Rasul uncle is no longer amongst us. He has left us behind with bleeding hearts. His departure has made us appreciate his wonderful life, even more which he had lived and shared with his friends and family.

I will cherish my memories with Uncle life long, uncountable memories that will always make me feel his presence, be it at a picnic or on Eid day. It seems only the other day, at the office picnic Uncle and I enjoyed long conversations on a variety of topics starting from fashion to politics; going to the beach for a swim; looking for cigars at the Burmese Market ....

I remember on Eid when he used to give my Edi to my Maa, even when I was not home. When I was a child, Uncle used to give me 100 taka for every massage I gave him. I will always cherish that moment, when he gave me the privilege to become his junior friend and shared a piece of his Swiss chocolate and said, he only shared it with his closest of friends!

A man with perfection, always vibrant and a man who always sowed the seed of love and friendship to every person he came across, will be greatly missed. May his soul rest in peace.

By Eshita Islam

Jokes

The Sergeant and the Cadet
A drill sergeant had just chewed out one of his cadets, and as he was walking away, he turned to the cadet and said, "I guess when I die you'll come and dance on my grave."
The cadet replied, "Not me, Sarge. I promised myself that when I got out of the Army I'd never stand in another line."

Hungry?
At the site, one lone survivor sat with his back against a tree, chewing on a bone. As he tossed the bone onto a huge pile of bones, he noticed the rescue team.
"Thank God", he cried out in relief. "I am saved!"
The rescue team did not move, as they were in shock, seeing the pile of human bones beside the lone survivor. Obviously he had eaten his comrades. The survivor saw the horror on their faces and hung his own head in shame.
"You can't judge me for this," he insisted. "I had to survive. Is it so wrong to want to live?"
The leader of the rescue team stepped forward, shaking his head in disbelief. "I won't judge you for doing what was necessary to survive, but my God man, your plane only went down yesterday!"

Help From the KGB
A phone rings at KGB headquarters.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this the KGB?"
"Yes. What do you want?"
"I'm calling to report my neighbor Yankel Rabinovitz as an enemy of the State. He is hiding undeclared diamonds in his fire wood."
"This will be noted."
The next day, the KGB goons visit Rabinovitz's house. They search the shed where the fire wood is kept, break every piece of wood there, but find no diamonds. They swear at Yankel Rabinovitz and leave.
The phone then rings at Rabinovitz's house.
"Hello, Yankel! Did the KGB come?"
"Yes."
"Did they chop up your firewood?"
"Yes, they did."
"Okay, now it's your turn to call. I need my vegetable patch plowed."