A superb edifice at Barisal

Maswood Alam Khan

If you ever visit Barisal your local host, or the receptionist of the hotel you have boarded at, may fumble if you ask him to find for you some places of interest you may like to visit. They fumble because in and around Barisal town there is not a single tourism spot one can really shout about.
   But of late, hosts in Barisal nag their guests to visit "Baitul Aman Jame Masjid and Idgah Complex", popularly known as "Guthia Masjid", a new grand mosque that may impress a tourist. Indeed, Guthia Masjid and the adjuncts to its complex will keep you captivated if you ever visit the spot.
   Located in Uzirpur Upazilla, which is only a 30-minute drive from Barisal town, the mosque is perhaps the best tourist attraction in Barisal from the architectural point of view. Everyday about 200 visitors---and not less than 1,000 every Friday---visit the complex not only to pray inside the palatial mosque but also to stroll around the adjacent compound of 14 acres of landscape. The mosque having 7,000 square feet floor area can accommodate up to 1,500 devotees at a time for any prayer.
   The mosque faces a big lake. A beautifully designed flight of stairs, reinforced embankment with squares of tiles on the western side of the lake, open lounge around the lake with concrete benches, and other architectural features are enlaced by shading trees and conifers to offer a visitor a serene respite from the suffocating heat on a summer day.
   A paved Idgah ground facing a 'Mihrab' (a niche indicating the direction of Makkah) and a high wall decorated with a mosaic of excerpts quoted from the Holy Quran in embedded calligraphy can accommodate not less than 10,000 devotees to have their Eid Prayer.
   An orphanage of 5,000 square feet floor area with a capacity for 100 orphans is also annexed with the complex where already quite a number of orphans are being given free food, boarding and education based on Islamic disciplines.
   Every morning the orphanage vibrates with tumultuous and full-throated chants of parentless children reciting chapters from the Holy Quran all at a time resulting in a inharmonious chorus of young voices that should evoke your childhood memory when perhaps you as a child also learnt those lessons by rote under tutelage of a 'Hujur' (religion teacher).
   At one corner of the complex is a decently manicured compound earmarked for burial grounds in two sections, one for males and the other for females. Guarded by a fence, a small patch of land on the bank of the lake is designated for future burial of the man and his wife, who spent their fortunes to build the complex---in other words, to leave an imprint for their progenies.
   From the hidden loudspeakers atop the 162-foot tall ornamental minaret of the mosque reedy and somber voice of a muezzin reciting 'Azan" wafts across the open surroundings, traveling as far as three miles away, to invite Muslim devotees for prayers.
   Mr. S. Sharfuddin Ahmed Shantu, aged 65, reportedly a businessman in export-import trades, had spent more than Taka 10 crore from his personal fund and took almost three years to build the complex and made it open for public use in 2006. Spending money for legacies seems to be a passion of Mr. Shantu. Besides the mosque complex, he spent his personal fund to establish three colleges and a dozen of philanthropic organizations in and around Guthia, the village he was born in.
   Not far away from the complex is a nice two-storey yellow bungalow where Shantu stays whenever he takes a break from his business in Dhaka. He relishes from his main bedroom the panorama of the complex through a wide window facing the mosque.
   Maswood Alam Khan is a banker. maswood@hotmail.com

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Speakers at a roundtable on Monday said the rate of pilferage of luggage at the Zia International Airport (ZIA) is alarming although the airport is not too exposed as per terrorist point of view.
   The observation came from a roundtable on "Understanding Aviation Security" organized by Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) at the Hotel Sheraton in the city. BIPSS president Maj Gen (retd) Muniruzzaman presided over the roundtable. Dr. John Harrison, a leading expert on Aviation Security and Head of Terrorism Research at the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, presented the keynote paper. Taking part in the discussion, Group Capt Shawkat, Officer Commanding, Operation Wing of BAF Base Bashar, said the security at the ZIA is running as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standard.
   "As per terrorist point of view we are not too exposed, but theft at the airport is alarming," he said. Replying to a question, Azad Zahirul Islam, Deputy Director Aerodrome, Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) said despite manpower shortage, they check everything at the airport.
   He informed that the Civil Aviation Authority is planning to shift a two-kilometer road from Uttara-5 to Kawnia considering the security aspect of the airport. An airlines representative mentioned that pilferage of luggage mostly occurs during offloading and requested the authorities concerned to take remedial action. In response, Azad Zahirul said the responsibility of handling luggage usually lies with the airlines but assured of considering the matter. Dr. Johnston in his power point presentation showed different aspects of aviation security including history of attacks and threat groups in Southeast Asia.
   Officials of Air Force and Civil Aviation Authority, and representatives from different airlines attended the roundtable.
   -Agencies

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'Dubai will navigate itself out of crisis'

Emirates airline is one of Dubai's crown jewels and enjoys a strong reputation. If it continues its present growth trajectory, Emirates could emerge as one of the biggest long-haul carriers within a decade, as it strives to make Dubai an international travel hub, linking Europe and North America to West Asia, Asia and Australia.
   Emirates Airline President Tim Clark recently said that ''Dubai will navigate itself out of this, as will we. I am confident the airline will not be affected by this".
   Clark said his airline did not intend to cancel any orders for new aircraft and its finances would not be impacted by the current crisis. The airline has independent Sukuks (Islamic bonds) and bonds, maturing in 2010 and 2011. Unlike many of its global peers, Emirates is profitable. Its profits rose 165 per cent to $205 million in the six months ended September. Started in 1985, the airline has been making a profit every year, from the third year of its operation. With 137 aircraft, it flies to over 100 destinations in 60 countries and is still expanding. But, experts feel the airline may have over-expanded. Like many other carriers, it was caught in a "whirlwind of expansion" syndrome. It is funded well, had limited competition and tried to expand its market as much and as fast as possible. ''It was successful in doing so and perhaps too much,'' says Steve Forte, a former CEO with Jet Airways. Nobody had anticipated the severe economic downturn in Dubai, although there were signs in the air.
   ''For years, Emirates has cashed in on business traffic, but clearly thought such a bonanza would last indefinitely. Their massive orders of the A380 is a good example of that. Now, they have to reel in their oars,'' says Forte. Pressure to maintain high profitability could build if Dubai put Emirates up as collateral for the billions of dollars it needs to get out of the woods.
   -Agencies

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