ISSUE #01

JULY 2011

An Online Publication by the IBA Communication Club

PREFACE
Wikipedia describes kaleidoscope as container of a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such that when the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors. Now imagine IBA as the vessel and the life of IBA, its people, as the mirrors. Picture the many glorious achievements, the vibrant events and even the everyday humdrum as the colored objects the color to the LIFE in IBA. The very first newsletter in the history of IBA, prepared by an extremely dedicated team of editors and designers, supervised and published by the IBA Communication Club (IBACC), tried to capture this exact quintessence and reflect it through the name Kaleidoscope. It encompassed in its pages, the words of the students of IBA, expressing their thoughts and sentiments about the multifaceted aspects of this institution and creating a retrospective recap of the eventful year.

EDITORS PANEL
Ehsan Malek Chowdhury
BBA 16th Batch Vice President Press & Publications IBA Communication Club

Tasmia Tasbih Nova

BBA 16th Batch

Nawazul Kabir
BBA 18th Batch Coordinator Press & Publications IBA Communication Club

THANKS TO:
Sharjil Muktafi Haque, BBA 16th Mir Naquibul Islam, BBA 17th Syed Arefinul Haque, BBA 17th Kazi Hirok Al Arafat, BBA 19th

DESIGN & LAYOUT:

Sheikh Ashraful Abedin, BBA 16th

An Online Publication by the IBA Communication Club

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EDITORIAL
Substitute damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be JUST as it should be ~ Mark Twain Slightly, but surely I can relate to the significance of this quote by the famous Mark Twain, now that I have successfully managed to wrap up the month long toil and endeavor of putting together this years issue of the IBA Newsletter. Cross checking all the write-ups for the umpteenth time, pondering over a sentence that needed to be re-structured, a word that needed to be replaced and not to mention the number of times I had to call up the writers to do a status check on their progress! The fruit of all this labor is now a polished print of the Kaleidoscope in your hand, the very first issue of our IBA Newsletter. Kaleidoscope is a main course of the IBA moments of glory the achievements of the young aspirants of this reputed school of business and the grand events that took place this year, with some contemplation and feelings on the side. It intended to encompass the happenings of this year the told & the untold, the many experiences of the high fliers accomplishments. It holds the emotions of the senior most batch, who dread every passing moment as a step closer to the end of IBA life, while it also embraces the sentiments of the very new addition to our IBA family 19th batch, who are bursting with exuberance of starting the most amazing journey of their life, with a known gleam in their eyes. Before I put forth my concluding words, it would be wrong not to acknowledge some saviors, without whom, the sole responsibility of putting together a great newsletter would have seemed slightly daunting and maybe even impossible at times. I heartily thank Sami, Nova and Ashraful for selflessly helping through the many tasks of compiling, editing and designing the newsletter. I dont know what I would have possibly done without you all. We have tried to capture the many multi-faceted IBA happenings and insights under one cover, the essence of which is Kaleidoscope. The effort was worthwhile and the journey, an enlightening and pleasurable one; I truly hope all of you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed publishing it. Happy Reading!

Ehsan M. Chowdhury

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CONTENTS
05 EVENTS
06 The Lemonade in the Sun 07 The beginning of something beautiful 08 26th March: Celebration at IBA 08 An evening in Black and white 09 IBA Renovation 09 Thank you 14th for a fantastic thanksgiving 10 Intra-IBA Debate 2011: Reminder of a Legacy 11 Reliving that scorching day at Gazipur

17 ACHIEVEMENTS
18 IBA wins KUET Tourney 18 The Debate Realm 19 The OIC Experience 20 Bronze in Hong Kong 21 HSBC YEA 2011: Experience of a Lifetime

22 IN RETROSPECT
23 A Bitter Sweet Symphony 24 The trip That Ruined It All

12 SPORTS
13 A Fight to the Finish 14 IBA suits down, boots up 15 Unmatched pride, passion & perseverance 16 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: A Firsthand Take

27 Never Stop Believing

28 FREESTYLE WRITING
29 Trap!

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Events
06 The Lemonade in the Sun 07 The Beginning of Something Beautiful 08 26th March: Celebration at IBA 08 An Evening in Black and White 09 IBA Renovation 09 Thank You 14th for a Fantastic Thanksgiving 10 Intra-IBA Debate 2011: Reminder of a Legacy 11 Reliving That Scorching Day At Gazipur

The Lemonade in the Sun

Md. Maidul Islam MBA 45th Batch
The beautiful azure sky and scorching sun announce the arrival of summer and it is time for the IBA Annual Picnic 2011. It was a special Friday on 8 April, 2011. Early in the morning, the IBA students gathered together on the IBA campus in order to launch for Shohag Palli Picnic Resort, Kaliakoir, Gazipur. There were T-shirts, cap and other kits in each of the daypack distributed among the picnickers. After having breakfast, we started for the picnic spot. It was a hot morning with full of sunshine. The sunrays were just intruding through the windows and nearly baking us. The pure fun started when we all started singing together in the bus. After reaching Shohag Palli, seeking shade became our first and foremost task. The midnoon sun was just shining over the head then. Some people started searching for beverages while some others were taking preparation for playing cricket and football. The spot included forests and plantations, lake, swimming pool, cottages, playgrounds, small hills, and even a small mysterious cave guarded by an artificial giant spider. The place was also populated with the sculptures of deer, tigers, monkeys and a big Genie. The lunch was arranged on a big ground where there was a stage aside equipped with a sound system. The coolest thing of the picnic was the six fabulous beverage icons on each ticket. Is there any more blessing than the feeling of being content? Definitely, No! Beuty Lebur Shorbot (Beauty Lemonade) and juices were the topmost demand until sunset. After a good lunch, we enjoyed the amazing Water Balloon contest where BBA boys showed their throwing skills and running agility through trees. Just after the water balloon contest, there was another competition named Sack Race competition where Ziad and Mashrifa, our two MBA classmates, grabbed the first prize, a bottle of Horlicks! After the Raffle Draw, it was the evening already, we arrived at the final event- the DJ dance. We all danced with the music with our utmost zeal and energy. On the way of returning to the buses through the paths of the Palli, the tranquil evening breeze was giving us a fluffy feeling. The shimmering moonbeams through the leaves of the trees and their reflection on the calm waters For sure, there will be picnic held every year, but as the fresh MBA batch, this daylong fun will always remain as an exclusive experience in our mind. We want to thank all the sponsors involved and specially BBA 16th for such a well-organized picnic. The afternoon came with the most exciting event of the day-the Raffle Draw. Holding the coupons, all were eyeing the first prize - a Dell Vostro Laptop. The excitement reached its zenith when a number of exciting prizes were being raffled off, including prizes like Dhaka-Calcutta-Dhaka airplane ticket, Hotel Sheraton Dinner coupon, DVD-player, Pride Saris gift voucher for females etc. At about 7:30pm, we left the silent Shohag Palli behind and started for the swarming city of Dhaka. There was not an iota of fatigue in anyone throughout the day. Some already began updating their Facebook and twitter status: a high-voltage picnic, an awesome daylong fun etc. The big moon above the head in the starry sky seemed like declaring the end of an unforgettable day behind. of the lake created an ethereal atmosphere.

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THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

Mayesha Mehnaz BBA 19th Batch
professors G.M. Chowdhury, Syed Alamgir Zafar, Nurur Rahman and Syed Ferhat Anwar proceeded to inspire everyone with their moving speeches. delighted The when students Director were GM exceptionally Chowdhury very reassuring to know that academics was not everything IBA was about. The students were then split into two groups each comprising of fifty-eight students. They were taken on a tour of the IBA facilities by Sharjil, Shanil, and Shafquat Bhaiya. The state-of-the-art library was lined with shelves of books and had free wifi which only served to add to everyones joy. Then the students were shepherded down to the discussion rooms. These rooms were frequented by students for studying, the free wifi and everything else. The computer lab too managed to grab everyones attention with its old world charm. Everyone was then free to go. The students climbed down the stairs, still digesting everything that had happened in the course of a few hours. Every face was alight with new dreams and hopes. At that point of time, the entire nineteenth batch was truly united as one. In the words of the great Bryan Adams: informed them of the recently established student exchange program with Aston University. He also added that there was a possibility of collaboration of IBA with twenty other universities abroad His words were met by tremendous applause from the crowd. Everyone was excited at the prospect of spending six or more months at such a reputed university as Aston. The director then Eager faces; the boys on their best demeanor, a little fidgety in their formal attires; the girls too in their best dresses, surreptitiously looking at each other and talking in hushed tones. Some had joyous pride on their faces, and were somberly taking in the surrounding grandeur, already making plans; whereas, others had a dazed expression indicating that they were yet to believe their good fortunes on their faces. Almost everyone was out to make friends. The excitement in the room was an almost tangible thing. The rapid drumming of fingers, the quite humming of lost melodies were all subtle indicators. Everyone was ready for the most important orientation of their lives to begin. It was ten in the morning when the IBA nineteenth batch orientation finally started with recitations from the Holy Quran. Next in line was a video showing the universitys rich history and its countless achievements over the years. Then handed over the responsibility of organizing the 21st February program to IBAs newest batch. It was around midday when the students were finally ushered to the canteen for a sumptuous treat of Shwarma and cakes. Most people did a double take entering the canteen. There were no chairs; instead, people were having their food sitting cross-legged on the canteen floor. It was certainly unique, just like everything else at IBA. Everyone tucked in their food with glee. It tasted especially delicious after the long and eventful morning. After a while the students were again told to wait in the auditorium. There Saif Noman Khan, the Chairperson of the BBA program, shared his life experiences with the students. He also outlined the basic rules and regulations which the students had to abide by. He then went on to introduce everyone to Faiyak Rishad, the president of the IBA Communication Club. Rishad Bhaiya listed the various extracurricular activities that IBA had to offer. To most, it was

"It's a new world - it's a new start It's alive with the beating of young hearts It's a new day - it's a new plan I've been waiting for you Here I am."

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26th March Celebration An Evening in Black and White At IBA

Mahran Fadlullah MBA 45th Batch
For the first time in IBA history MBA 45th batch organized a cultural program titled Ekaturer Bijoy Gatha to celebrate our nation's independence. To celebrate the occasion IBA was given a new look with a statue of a freedom fighter with the Red and Green flag at the entrance. The program which was held at the IBA auditorium began with the singing of our national anthem. The proceedings started with the speech of the Honorable Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Prof. A A M S Arefin Siddique who was the chief guest of the ceremony. He congratulated IBA on observing the Independence Day for the first time and expressed his desire to see such programs in the future as well. His speech was followed by Major General(retd.) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, who is a renowned freedom fighter himself. As the guest speaker, he shared his experiences of the liberation war with all the students. Following this was also a Q and A session in which he answered different questions asked by the students. Honorable Director of IBA Prof. G.M. Chowdhury concluded the first part of the program with a note of thanks. The second part of the program consisted of cultural performances by the students. The performances included patriotic songs and recitation of poems. After that a documentary was shown describing the mass murder which occurred on the black night of 25th March in the was staged. The drama portrayed the struggle of a freedom fighter, remembering his horrific experiences during the war. At the end of the performances a common message was given to all- "We have been through a lot as a nation. Though we're still struggling, we have many achievements to be proud of. And we should take pride in our country for those achievements. " As the new comer batch to IBA we had a lot to prove with organizing the program. But with the help of our teachers and also from the BBA batchs we successfully pulled it off! And in the process new experiences were gained and new friendships were made and these will make our stay at IBA much more enjoyable.

pramiti, anika, juthi and their dance teams took the stage and exhibited their dancing prowess with various traditional and mesmerizing Bengali music. A solo dance performance was presented by Maliha Tarannum from the 18th batch.The chorus performance on the revolutionary song ' Karar oi louho kopat' was presented by our chorus singers Moshfeq,Hirok, Anas, Saeed, and many others while Sayra took on the harmonium accompanied by Mir Naqibul Islam(17th batch) with tabla whom we cannot thank enough for his cooperation . No sooner had they got down from the stage then an epic performance which completely grabbed the audiences minds. It was a renowned drama on 'Kobor' by Munir Chowdhury which was adapted and directed by Hisham and performed by Nabil,

Muntasir Tahmeed, BBA 19th Batch

According to mythology, language is the divine gift which has been bestowed upon the humankind by God Himself. And when the 'procession of language' comes to Bangladesh , travels through the Bangla language arena it glorifies itself. On 21st February the bold and valiant sons of our soils sacrificed their lives in front of the erstwhile exploiters and snatched away our right to speak in our own maternal essence. Now, the historic 21st February is not only glowing in the calendars worldwide but also stands as an inspiration for all.

This year the newcomers in IBA,(BBA 19th Batch) being inspired by our honorable director G.M. Chowdhury took the initiative to organize the observance of 21st February. In spite of time constraints and lots of initial hurdles, 19th's young minds with the direction of BBA chairperson Saif Noman Khan Sir and in collaboration with other senior batches paved the way towards a successful program. After long anticipated hours of preparation , finally it took place in the IBA auditorium on 23rd February. To portray the real commemorating spirit of the red lettered day Shamroze, Tahrima, Sabah , Nashwa and many of our 19th batch students decorated the whole auditorium as well as the stage with the heart felt love for their mother tongue. At,3.30 pm, when the invited faculty members and our director sir entered into the auditorium, the jam packed auditorium welcomed them. The program kicked off with formal speech from our honorable director G.M.Chowdhury. The very first performance was a renowned song 'ami banglar gaan gai' performed by Mashfique khalid , escorted with a guitar percussion by Naznoor Rino ,and an excellent slideshow created by Hirok which delineated the true sense of the song.This performance was followed by two consecutive recitations of Taoseef and Tahrima. Then orpita,

Jishan, Farhan, Naseef, Bivu .Well, drama team, you guys were splendid!!! The awesome procession of gorgeous performing continued and after the drama Tanvir bhai(18th ),Rahat bhai( 18th ) and naqib bhai ( 17th ) came to the stage with a flamboyant instrumental performance. It was flawless combination of guitar and tabla and light projection. While the program was approaching towards the end Ahabara came on the stage with the final solo performance. Finally it was our beloved song , the one closest to our hearts 'Amar Bhai er Rokte Rangano' was performed in chorus and needless to mention the whole auditorium stood up paying homage and reverence to the martyrs of language movement.The the program came to an end. As soon as we entered into IBA , organizing the whole program was a tremendous job through which we explored IBA and its environment . Initially we felt a lot of pressure and huge tension but at the end of the day we came out with flying colors. Behind our success we would like to thank all the seniors, specially Md. Faiyak Zaman Rishad( 16th batch) who co-operated in each of our efforts. With this program we have started our adventurous journey in IBA which we dream of.... program was directed and presented by Muntasir ( 19th ).Thus

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IBA Renovation
Nawazul Kabir BBA 18th Batch
IBA has been the leading business school of the country; therefore it should have the touch of grandeur in its manifestation. With the target of giving IBA a grand outlook, the foundation of the renovation of ground floor took place in the last year. The renovation included the base of the tree at the front yard entrance to the corridor of the ground floor. This endeavor was sponsored by British American Tobacco Bangladesh. The inaugural ceremony of this renovated entrance was held at the IBA auditorium on the 30th September, 2010. Borwin Jung, the Regional Director of HR, BAT, South Asia, Arun Kaul, the Managing Director and Syed Imtiaz Faruque, the Head of HR, BAT Bangladesh along with Prof. G.M. Choudhury, Director, IBA were present at the ceremony. The IBA entrance now has a splendid appearance with gorgeous looking gates of crafted wood, artistic chandelier with fabulous lighting enhancement, floor of tiles, newly groomed side walls of bricks with three new notice boards on them. Recently, there has been a reconstruction of the gents, ladies and faculties washrooms. The mosaic floors have been replaced by high class and best fitting tiles and the washrooms have been facilitated with all modern features and neatness. There are still some renovation works going on throughout the ground floor and the first floor which will also add more to the grandness of the campus.

Thank you 14th - For A Fantastic Thanksgiving

Rishad Habib, BBA 17th Batch

What do you get when you put Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chowdhury Zafarullah Sharafat together at the Oscars on Thanksgiving night? Well, an extremely entertaining award show; one thats far more engaging than that fiasco put together by Anne Hathaway and James Franco Junior. The highly anticipated Thanksgiving Dinner organized by the 14th batch (and Wali bhaia) to thank their 4 junior batches for last years 3-day Graduation on March 5th at Saffron in Gulshan was an immense success, partly due to the more than lifelike impersonations of the two aforementioned characters by Naheyan bhaia and Aumio bhaia. Their repetitive adjectives and unrelated proverbs, respectively, delivered in the characteristic accent and style of the two commentators managed to make the crowd laugh every time. The favourites of the night, Takar khela, walked away with the most awards, including the prestigious best video award and best dialogue for walai-kumassalam. 15th managed to attain all 4 nominations for technical difficulties and eventually clinch the honor while 18ths musical masterpiece Ami IBA Graduate won packets of Rajar Dudh in the best song category. 17ths boys took home the prize, which was fittingly a banana, for best dance number for their somewhat lewd but highly amusing interpretation of Momtazs classic Doyal Baba. The award session ended with the Never Stop Clapping video, a humorous yet relevant take on Maverick Studios Never Stop Believing, placing the 14th batch in the central role previously occupied by the Bangladesh cricket team. Next came the scrumptious buffet dinner, followed by the zenith for some and the nadir for others; the raffle draw. Over 20 prizes, of which

yours truly won nothing, were announced.. The exhilaration on several lucky faces was contrasted with the dissappointment felt by the less fortunate sitting beside them. Tasnims commentary at our table was comprised of interesting statistics which seemed to show beyond any reasonable doubt that only a select group of blessed people, the chosen ones, consistently won at these events. It appeared to prove her right when Afrida Mahbub, winner of a netbook at the picnic and an LCD monitor at the previous thanksgiving, stood up as a contender for one of the best prizes. Bad buzz did its work that day as the collective consciousness of the people around her stopped her from winning this time. Another interesting theory was that raffle draws increase disparity in the IBA population, with the rich getting richer and the poor remaining in poverty. This hypotheses was further strengthened when the somebody won his 3rd X-Box and the 1st prize of a 32 LED TV went to someone who already had a 3D one! Last but not least, there was the dj party; speakers blaring with the most popular club songs (a few rock numbers like Summer Of 69 and Its My Life managed to creep in too), people dancing on and near the stage with all self-consciousness strewn aside and singing along with the music in their loudest, most off-pitch voices. The party ended after 11:30 that night; a bunch of tired but happy students went back home in high spirits, some with prizes, others with their consolation goody bag, all thanks to the brilliant, co-ordinated, organized and above all united efforts of a batch that once again showed the rest why 14th is the best!

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Intra-IBA Debate 2011: Reminder of a Legacy

Nazia Zebin, BBA 17th Batch

The fresher gets up from the chair with a piece of paper in his hands. The room is emerged in utter silence while only his footsteps towards the podium are resonating. His eyes pop out as he figures that he has become the center of attention. After a gulp, he utters the first words, broken yet approaching logic The above happens to a debater at the Institution of Business Administration, University of Dhaka only once. After the Intra IBA Debate Tournament, there is no looking-back, neither for the freshers nor for the others. This years edition of the Intra IBA Debate Tournament has been a big success. The objective of the tournament was to create the debaters and adjudicators pool for the year 2011-12. A total of 66 students signed up for debate while 30 students tried out for the adjudicators pool. A majority of our participants were from the new entrant to our IBA family, BBA 19th batch. Some of them never even debated in their life. Therefore, before the real deal of the debates, a workshop was organized for the participants on March 28th, 2011. It was conducted by our veteran debater and adjudicator Tausif Hossain from BBA 15th batch who has represented IBA in both international and national endeavors. Tausif Bhai provided the participants with great insight into both debating and adjudication. The participants were also

given supplementary resources to aid their understanding of debating and adjudication. On the same day, a lottery was conducted to form the teams. The participants were initially divided into three tiers. Tier A included those debaters who have represented IBA in national or international tournaments previously. Tier B included those who were in the pool previously and lastly, Tier C consisted of the debaters from the fresher batch. The big day of debate came on the 1st of April, 2011. Four rounds of debate had to be arranged within one day- a difficult task in its entirety. As always, we invited our great Alumni debaters and adjudicators who have carried the flag of IBA in many tournaments and have given us occasions from which we still take inspiration to become chairs for the debates. This year we had Waheed Bhai (BBA 12th), Fahmida Apu (BBA 12th), Shakil Bhai (BBA 13th) and Sagor Bhai (BBA 13th) coming in for adjudication. There was great participation from BBA 14th from which we had Kibria Bhai, Ridwan Bhai, Arif Bhai, Salmina Apu, Albaab Bhai and Laila Apu. Tausif Bhai (BBA 15th) was surely there all throughout the way. Apart from the Alumni, we also had as chairs some adjudicators who have participated in national and international tournaments last year. The alumni were also the ones who got to decide the motions for the debates.

Our first debate started at around 10:30 a.m. Once it ended, the results were put into the tab and power match ups for the next round were prepared. Although there was a doubt about whether we will be able to finish the second round before Jumah prayers, we cruised through the second round and settled for a break. After offering prayers and having lunch, the debaters hurled back to the podium for the third round. Raging debates took place for the last two rounds as everyone battled for their place in the pool. With the end of the fourth round, the debating came to an end. Everyone waited as the final scores were being submitted and tab was sorted out. In the meanwhile, Arbaaz Bhai (BBA 13th) joined us before he along with Shakil bhai and Kibria Bhai announced the pool for the year 2011-12. In the end, we had a pool of 30 debaters and 10 adjudicators selected from the four rounds of debate based on individual scores. All of them were ecstatic since they had the prospect of representing IBA and leaving their mark on the legacy that has been created by their seniors. For many, the feeling was totally new, especially for those from BBA 19th batch. Yet, they all had the same flare in their eyes, ready to make IBA proud; ready to continue the legacy.

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Reliving that scorching day at Gazipur

Lamia Aroni, BBA 19th Batch

Even before getting to know about the phamous lingo of IBA or where each corridor leads to, I was very well informed about the most longed event of the IBA-ites _the IBA Annual Picnic. So finally after the long wait and a lot of anticipation we finally bumped our way on the 8th of April to Shohag Palli Picnic Resort in Kaliakoir at Gazipur. The picnic attendants gathered at the IBA premise early in a Friday morning which depicted the level of their enthusiasm and anticipation for a fun filled day. And boy oh boy, they surely werent disappointed! Unfortunately for us it was a very warm and humid summer day. We all gathered in IBA to see the sun beaming at us with probably the same outburst of excitement as us. The picnic spirit was reflected through everyones attires and their high spirits. Almost the entire IBA along with many of the ex students were present. A long queue was formed in the ground floor corridor where we were each given our picnic backpack with some exciting gifts, two t-shirts, a cap and other goodies. Most changed into their t-shirts and jumped into their respective buses for the 2.5 hour ride to Gazipur. For us, the 19ths, the bus ride was probably almost as fun, if not more, than the picnic itself. With the cameras clicking away and capturing our beaming smiles, we sang and screamed to our hearts content. The road to Gazipur was very dusty which probably added to our discomfort due to the heat. In each bus a senior was assigned who helped us out, and distributed the

(yummy) food. And after a very short 2.5 hours ride we finally arrived at the picnic spot. The panoramic view of the venue, surrounded by forests and plantations as far as the eyes can see, awed and mesmerized everyone. In spite of the weather, the slides, the slippers the huge dummy cow and the monster turned us all into the naughty kids that we once were. People took their turns in posing with the big monster, the fake cart, and then riding on the boat. The picnic spot had it all; literally! Its very own resident monkey, two very proud deer, a giant spider cave, see-saw rides, football field, waterfall, boating lake, suspension bridge you name it! We were assigned a few cottages where we took refuge after the long bumpy and dusty ride. There we freshened up, said our prayers changed into comfortable clothes and got prepared for spending an exciting day out in the sun. Also waiting for us, was probably the most refreshing and satisfying lemonade I have had till date. Beautyr Shorbot was like heaven in that hot sticky afternoon. From then, till lunch was served, we were free to do what we wanted. So people got engaged in exploring the area, taking pictures, playing football and more or less having a fun time. Very soon food was served. And the food was mouth watering. With a lot of items in the menu the lunch was delicious!

After lunch, a few games were arranged for us. Best among which was probably the water balloon fight that took place in the wood outside the premise. Balloon fight. Shakira motivated dancing competition and sprint sharee race for the guys made everyone gasp for breath and grasp their stomachs with laughter. But the best part of the day was the raffle draw. The 19th batch left their mark in this round. The first prize which went to a fellow class mate was a Dell laptop. The second and the third prizes were a home theater and a gift hamper from Apex. Soon after, we all cheered as the BBA 16th and the BBA 18th batches danced to some popular and chic music. The fun filled day ended with a crazy DJ Party! And trust me when I say this, everysoul out there turned absolutely wild! But ohh wait, calling it wild would be an understatement yes, it was that awesome! But we all know that, all good things must come to an end, and the mind blowing picnic was no different. But even though the picnic was over there was no stopping us. The bus ride home was even wilder!! So here goes three cheers to the BBA 16th batch for their wonderful and organized effort! That was indeed the BAST picnic ever!!!! BBA 17th batch won the Water

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Sports
13 A Fight to the Finish 14 IBA Suits Down, BootsUp 15 Unmatched Pride, Passion & Perseverance 16 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: A Firsthand Take

This was the game where IBA was finally able to show their true potential. It did not seem like Economics was one of the favorites for the tournament, as IBA ran riot and scored with ease. Supported by the airtight defense, IBA eventually won by an 18 point difference. The second league game was against IR a team IBA had struggled against in the earlier stages. However, it seemed that the team had learnt from their mistakes, and were easily counterattacking whatever IR was throwing at them. IBA won by a difference of 12 points. And finally the tournament comes to the point that has, for the last 3 years, defined the results, Applied Physics vs. IBA - fittingly the last game of the tournament, where the victor would be crowned champions. Every time IBA got close to touching the elusive championship, there was always AP standing in the way but IBA seemed determined to change that. Dr. Ziaul Haque Mamun was one of the chief guests for this match. As the crowd settled in and the teams took to the field the game erupted in a blistering atmosphere. The whole game was an intense power struggle. The supporters from each department were definitely making their presence felt and the noise was bringing the roof down an atmosphere that would put Nou Camp or Old Trafford to shame(!?). As soon as one team had In terms of sports achievements, the IBA basketball team can be said to be the most successful in the department for the last few years. In the Intra-Basketball tournament held annually in Dhaka University, IBA has been runners-up twice and semi-finalists a few times but the ultimate prize had always seemed to be just out of reach. This year, IBAs very own - Dr. Ziaul Haque Mamun, has been appointed the Dhaka University Sporting Director, and with Siam from BBA 16 appointed as captain of the team, IBA was determined to win silverware. Even though the team lost some key players from BBA 15 to the corporate lifestyle, everyone went into the tournament believing that the Force was strong with them, and this year will be the one. The team line-up this year: Siam (captain, BBA 16), Niaz (BBA 16), Andalib (BBA 17), Mushfique (BBA 18), Ahnaf (BBA 18), Maugham (BBA 18), Sadman (BBA 18), Shamjid (BBA 18), Saif (BBA 19), Tamjid (BBA 19), Dip (BBA 19), Akash (BBA 19), Asif (BBA 19). Being last years runners up, IBA got a free pass on the first phase of the tournament. The first game of the second phase started on the 8th of April and IBA was picked to start off the season The first game for IBA was against Economics. At this phase of the tournament, it took the form of a league, with each of the 4 remaining teams playing each other. The last 4 teams standing were from the following departments IBA, Applied Physics (AP), International Relations (IR) and Economics. The team with the highest points at the end of the league would be the champions! The next game against International Relations (IR) stretched the IBA players to the limit. The whole game was a struggle to keep up with the pace, and at one point, IR was up by 12 points. Still trailing at the start of the fourth quarter, IBA finally pulled together and started an unstoppable scoring run that saw them take the lead and eventually triumph at the end of the whistle. The next game against English was rather the opposite, with the team walking to one of the easiest wins in the tournament. against IER. It was a good test for the newcomers from BBA 19 to show off their skills and fight for a place in the starting line-up. Clad in not so subtle black and (disquieting) yellow, IBA started the tournament with a convincing win! the lead, the other team would make a comeback. This went on until by the end of the allocated normal time - there was no winner and the score was tied. The game went into overtime. The intensity continued to the last minute of overtime when AP was leading by just 1 point. With 10 seconds remaining IBA had won 2 freethrows, and had the chance to win their first championship. Unfortunately, that wasnt to be. IBA failed to convert the freethrows, and as the final whistle went, AP was crowned the champions. Being runners-up itself is a big achievement, but you wouldnt know it by looking at the IBA players who had almost grabbed the championship itself. History had repeated itself, but it was the closest they had gone to winning the elusive prize. Dr. Ziaul Haque Mamun had some words of encouragement for the distraught players. When the game becomes this close you have to sometimes rely on luck. Unfortunately, luck was not with them that day. IBAs Ahnaf was awarded the player of the tournament, and as Siam lifted the runners-up trophy, the players realized what they had achieved, and their spirits lifted. But it could also be seen that they couldnt wait to start the tournament again next year and hopefully go all the way.

DU Basketball Tournament 2011:

A Fight to the Finish

Siam Hossain, BBA 16th Batch

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Intra-IBA Futsal Tournament 2011:

IBA SUITS DOWN, BOOTS UP

Orin Tasnima Haque, BBA 18th Batch

IBA-ites suited down and booted up on a fine Friday morning to fight for the ultimate glory in IBA Futsal as the Intra IBA Futsal tournament made its annual visit this year. On 18th march, this years tournament came back bigger and fiercer than ever as 24 teams fought for the trophy. Co-ordinated by Mr. Iftekharul Amin sir, assist by Maayas Secutronics Ltd. and Organized by BBA 18th batch, this years tournament saw some of the best names in futsal (in IBA), fight each other. 10 teams from IBA alums and 14 from the current batches were the hopefuls for this year, but only 6 from the current batches got past the gruelling and sometimes heartbreaking qualifiers. The teams were from IBA alumni: BBA 1st, 911, BBA 12th, BBA 13th, ac 15th, inter 15th, Pinduck Red, Pinduck Black, Pinduck White, BBA 14th, and from existing batches: GDFC (18th), dj vu (45D), The underdogs (19th), Modhyorater Rakhal (19th), Amateur 19th, P .F.C (19th ), Purplepool 18th, Juvenile MBA 45th, backteria (19th ), BBA 16th (1), SWOT, Aguner gola(17th), BBA 16th (2) and guinea pigs.

To make the tournament even more eye catching (!), there was also a friendly match between the girls from BBA 17th and 18th batch (Aww FC), which was won by 18th thanks to their star defender Nazikas goal. Now back to the main tournament, we saw an awesome futsal display on that day. There were surprise wins, even more shocking losses and every match managed to keep the spectators on the edge of their seats, with 4 games ending in penalty shootouts. As always, the alumni teams were dominating the tournament, but the existing batches did not let go without a fight. Even though BBA 16th was shocked by 19th in the qualifiers, ironically it was their players who were making other teams win. In the quarter finals, they managed to give the alumni teams a big fight and as GDFC and BBA 1st faced each other off; the tournament had reached its peak. PurplePool, AC 15th, BBA 1st and BBA 13th reached the semis to bring themselves on step closer to victory, but only AC15th and BBA 1st went on to the final.

As the night grew older the tournament reached its finale and BBA 1st held that cherished champions trophy tightly. Vuvuzelas blasted our ears, dust covered our faces, few angry words were exchanged, dreams were (At least for another year) crushed and under the floodlights, some man-tears were shed. But at the end of that day, what we had witnessed was a brilliant display of football talent and sportsmanship on the very futsal ground that we all have come to know and love.

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filled partnership, the rest of the teams job was to maintain the flow of runs and that we did successfully. Development Studies were never able to threaten to chase down the mammoth total as our bowling and fielding were top-notch. Our bowlers bowled to a specific plan and due to the spirited fielding, our opponents were always behind the required run rate. Inevitably, we won the match by substantial margin and roared in joy together! After our first win, we hoped to keep the momentum and play with our heart for the upcoming matches. We had a tough task in our hands as we were against the defending champion of the tournament- Political Science. Our captain won the toss and chose to bat again. To avoid the collapse of the top order, we were a bit tentative in the beginning and it was a slow start for us. After a steady start, the middle and late-middle orders job was to accelerate and reach a competitive total. Unfortunately, we lost wickets at Without any doubt, Cricket is the buzzword in the whole subcontinent for the last two months. Being one of the host countries, people of Bangladesh were in a frenzy mood during the whole tournament. As the heat and hype of the World cup increased, it was time for IBA-ites to go out there and show our skills in the field. Like every year, University of Dhaka organized Annual Inter Department Cricket Tournament. Under the guidance of our respected faculty, Md. Iftekharul Amin, lecturer of Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, we prepared ourselves for the battles to come and worked hard in the nets to make our preparations as thorough as possible. Finally, the day had come! Our first match was against Development Studies. Although it is small compared to other departments, Development studies were definitely not short of inspiration and talent. But IBA was equally up to the task. Anyways, our captain, Md. Abir hasan(BBA 16th) won the toss and chose to bat first without any hesitation. The decision seemed to back fire us once the match started. The top order crumbled under pressure and we were in a spot of bother. Under those grave circumstances, we seemed to find our Messiah in Nazibur Rahman(BBA 15th) & Ahmed Niaz Murshed(BBA 16th) who counterattacked and actually took the game away from the opposition. After a strokeregular intervals and despite a spirited innings from our captain, Md. Abir hasan, we simply didnt have enough runs in the board to defend against the defending Champions. Although there were ups and downs, it was simply a privilege to be a part of IBA cricket team. One or two students from almost every current BBA & MBA batches played their part in the team and it was a rewarding experience for all of us to go out together to wave the flag of IBA.

Unmatched Pride, Passion & Perseverance IBA Cricket

Abdullah Al Rezwan Fuad, BBA 18th Batch

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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2011 A FIRSTHAND TAKE

Nazia Zebin, BBA 17th Batch
The most sensational event in the history of Bangladesh took place this year. And no, I am not talking about Ashraful dancing gracefully to Momtajs songs. Jitbey! Eibaar jitbey CRICKET! Does the verse sound familiar? I bet it does! For years we have been looking forward to hosting one of the greatest sports events of the worldICC Cricket World Cup 2011. When the time came, I had been very fortunate to get the chance to work with the local organizers of the event NOT as volunteers, but as service providers which our id cards read. There were a total of around 24 students from IBA who worked side by side with Local Organizing Committee (LOC, ICC CWC 2011) under Bangladesh Cricket Board in different departments- Commercial, Logistics, Media, Enhancement, etc. I am sure when I say this, I am saying it on behalf of everyone in the team- This was by far the most exhilarating experience of our lives. Cricket World Cup 2011 started with a bang in our own Bangabandhu National Stadium. The opening ceremony was, in one word, legendary! Although at first we were bombarded by stupid political speeches and poorly and wrongly pronounced numbers (read: two-jiru-jiru-one), we were blown away by the grand display of Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cultures proficiently done by participating students of various schools of Bangladesh and national and international artists. And the fireworks, aerial cricket, LED kites, Bryan Adams- All of them took our breath away. Tahsin Saeed- an IBAite from BBA 5th Batch and currently the executive direc1.We think that we are right and others are wrong- even if every reasoning and rule stands against us. 2.We would rather stand in long queues than go to relatively small ones because we, as a nation, have been standing in queues almost everywhere since ages. 3.People would rather listen to the tokais than people in uniforms. The much-treasured memories of the opening ceremony actually worked as an incentive when we were running around during the matches and doing all the mundane tasks thrown upon our back. As a member of the commercial team, I had gate duty, which was perhaps one of the worst jobs ever. We had to stand there for 3-4 hours straight after the gates opened asking people to read what was written behind their tickets and not bring the things that had been prohibited inside. In that period, I made three important peopleobservations about Bangladeshi Bangladesh is a very small country. But I can definitely say that through hosting the Cricket World Cup successfully, we have affirmed that we are not far behind than others. The Bangladeshi cricket team may not have performed their best this time, but should we lose hope? Henry Kissinger once said about Bangladesh- It is and will always be a basket case. I bet he never thought we would be able to earn independence by kicking the Pakistani army out of our motherland. Nothing is impossible if we set our mind to it. Victory shall be ours one day. And that day, we shall hunt down Sidhu and give him a black eye and a broken nose! tor of Asiatech- the organization in charge of conducting the opening ceremony along with Wizcraft India- mapped out the entire idea of the grand event. Here I should also mention Gausul Azam Shaon- another IBAite from BBA 7th batch and currently the managing director of Grey Bangladesh- the organization appointed by ICC to take care of the promotions and activations done in Bangladesh. He had a major contribution in conceptualizing School of Life- the renowned promotional ad which also premiered in the opening ceremony. The best part of watching matches in the stadium was the crowd. I remember the last minutes of the match Bangladesh played against Ireland. You could feel the joy and pride in the air and in everyone present there. The roars, the screams, the smiles, the celebration of victory. I was completely overwhelmed by the feeling of unity and by the end of the night I had a broken throat due to shouting at the top of my lungs. But who cares?

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Achievements
18 IBA wins KUET Tourney 18 The Debate Realm 19 The OIC Experience 20 Bronze in Hong Kong 21 HSBC YEA 2011: Experience of a Lifetime

DEBATE COMPETITIONS &TOURNAMENTS

IBA Wins KUET Tourney! Ashiq Alam, BBA 18th Batch
Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) campus is a serene place with lash green fields all around the beautifully planned structures. A fierce battle of words took place in this serene place during the 2ndProthomAlo KDS Debate festival organized by KUET Debating Society (KDS) from 27th to 29th January. The Bangla and English tournament ran simultaneously during the festival. IBA participated only in the English tournament of the festival. Team IBA comprised of Gaows Mohammad, Mohammed Masudur Rahman and Ashiq Alam. All of them are from BBA 18th Batch. It was a very new combination. Moreover, the name IBA added a lot of pressure. Nobody was expecting anything less than a championship. But the competitors were not that easy. The other teams participating in the tournament were Dhaka University Debating Society (DUDS), Rajshahi University, Khulna University, Stamford University, Chittagong University, United International University, East West University and the host institution, KUET. All of them were very talented teams and could give any other team a run for their money on their day. But Team IBA managed to pull it off. And they did it in style. In the 1st Round, IBA as the Government defeated Chittagong University in 3-0 ballots on the motion This house believes that sanction on Iran is no good. For the Quarter finals, IBA faced the home team, KUET. It was sheer pressure from the home crowd who applauded the KUET team when they were talking and even when they were not! On the motion Yellow is the new White IBA knocked out the home team by a 2-0 ballots. The semi-final was a treat for the neutral. On the motion, This house believes that SEC is not responsible for the share market crash, IBA and United International University (UIU)-2 faced each other in a close debate. IBA once again came on top with a 4-0 ballot win. The tournament might not have been that big like a tournament in Dhaka, but the quality of debating made sure everything had to be done right if the trophy was to be won. IBA did just that once again. In the grand finale, IBA was poised with team UIU-1. The motion was This house believes that Palestine is responsible for its own status. IBA was the Government side. The debate was a high voltage one. IBA was confident but the IBACC debate team consisting of Syed Ibrahim Saajid (BBA 17th), Moshfeqa Karim (BBA 17th) and Nawazul Kabir (BBA 18th) became runner up in the Sandalina-Prothom Alo 14th Inter Club Bengali Debate Competition 2011 organized by Viqarunnisa Noon Debating Club in February. Total thirty-six teams participated in the competition and after four knock out rounds they made it to the finals. Topic of the final round debate was-This house believes that information war would be the third world war. The team was in the proposition side and lost it to the Dhaka University Debating Society. Moshfeqa Karim also stood second in the public speaking competition held among the best speakers of the first round. debate might go to other side. After an hour or so of formal ceremonies, it was time to announce the results. The master of the ceremony declared IBA the winner on a staggering 5-0 ballots. It was a flawless victory. Not a single ballot was lost by IBA in the whole tournament. The young Team IBA finished it in style. Gaows was ruled to be the best speaker of the final. Prizes were handed over by the Vice Chancellor of KUET, D. Md. Alamgir and few other dignitaries.

The Debating Realm Moshfeqa Karim, BBA 17th Batch

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THE OIC EXPERIENCE

Ashfaqul Haq Chowdhury, BBA 16th Batch

Their campus, which had hills, rivers and cloud in it, was huge and there were a few Bangladeshis who joined in the tournament as spectators and supported us throughout the tournament. As like any other debating tournament, OIC IV was also not confined in debating. We had gala diners and barbeque parties after the debates were gone every day. And that is where the Bangladesh contingent proved how spontaneous they are even outside the debating rooms. We made a huge noises in the diner party and our fellow Bangladeshi debaters performed songs like Saadher Lau which seemed to mesmerize the audience (if not with the singing talent then with the ever flowing enthusiasm of us). But it was definitely all about party, it should not

International debate tournaments are always a lot of fun. I had my first exposure to international tourney when I was in my second year at IBA and I still treasure that as one of my memorable experiences. Representing my institute, making friends from different parts of the world (having a German friend added in facebook really seemed awesome :p) and most of all, addafying with bhias and apus and polapains from all batches (from 14th to 17th means all for then, sorry 18th and 19th) was amazing! Experience at OIC was a bit different though. We had only one team from IBA which had me, Abir and Gaushey in it. But we had Masud from 18th

waiting in Malaysia to join us. Four of us together had spent some great times together the day before the tournament started. Roaming around in KL, tasting something in almost all known and unknown food shops (from SubWay to Indian roadside cafes) and annoying the superstore salesmen did a lot to relieve us from the tension that we were feeling about the debates. The debates went great though. Starting with an opponent from Egypt, we faced team from many nationalities and whatever the result came out, we became good friends after the debates, having a few more foreigner friends in facebook. And IIUM was just mindboggling as organizer.

be even. Yes, we waited for the parties every night but before that we had to go through grueling sessions of debating everyday and we were determined to do well to take the IBA and Bangladesh Flag one step higher. The day of the final started early in the morning. We were less than 5 minutes late and that resulted in a huge queue of buses because no buses could start until the bus carrying the finalists start its journey. Not knowing how to feel after receiving so much of embarrassment (it doesnt feel nice to know that you kept more than 150 people waiting, even if that is for only 5 minutes) I myself decided never to be late again in my life in these debate tournament.The final had a huge arrangement. Malaysian government officials, ambassadors from different OIC member states and an enthusiastic crowd waited for us there and it felt so nice to make our supporters happy after the results. Before ending this piece, let me get a bit serious. As we all know, achieving anything might be tough but keeping that is even tougher. I hope all the junior IBA-ites understand that how huge responsibility has bestowed upon them with this win. I believe, you all understand that and you will act that way and you will take the flag of IBA and Bangladesh even further. My time is running out really fast and its a nice feeling to handover the responsibility to you guys because I know, YOU CAN! Signing off-

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BRONZE IN HONG KONG

For the first time ever, Bangladesh won a Title in the PolyU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Student Challenge (GSC) 2011 organized by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University during June 11th to June 17th, 2011. Team Reborn consisting of Nusrat Tamanna Prianka, M. Faiyak Zaman Rishad, and Asif Iqbal Arnob, final-year students (BBA 16) of Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka won the Bronze Award in this prestigious Global Competition. After three rounds of keen competition, the Gold Award for the University Division went to Purdue University of the US and the Silver Award went to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The Finalist Teams included big names such as the Princeton University, Southeast University, P China, etc. It is an extremely .R. great honor for the Bangladeshi Team to beat such big names and bring back glory for its home country. Apart from the competition, the 7 days spent in Hong Kong turned into a melting-pot of culture and heritage of 21 different countries. Starting from the University Tours to visiting Ocean Park and trying out Tai-Chi, every little experience was once of a lifetime. Talking of shopping in Hong Kong, it was one hell of an experience. None of us knew that well be bargaining like how we do that in Bangladesh! Whenever you ask a price, they would bring out a calculator and type a number, which is actually the price! We somehow managed to end up with a good strike price (!) and buy the things. Memories have we had all throughout the trip! Starting from Prianka getting locked the fire Ok I might now move to the details to competition, or else the editor will have me beaten up for writing these faul pechal all along! This unique event was launched by PolyU in 2010 as a major initiative to embrace internationalization, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This year, a total of 60 teams from 21 different countries participated in the University Division and out of these 60 teams, only 6 teams were chosen to compete in the Final which was held on the 16th June in the Jockey Club Auditorium of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The competition attracted prestigious and world-renowned universities from all round the globe, including Princeton We made friends, a lot of them! One guy from Australia amazingly understood very well what I said when I shouted Arnob, birir packet tor kase? He was actually from Assam, and one of his teammate also enlightened us with the fact that, this guy smokes so much that probably he knows what Cigarette is called in every language! Then there was Idris from Kenya who would carry a Dagger (trust me, it was!) with his traditional dress. escape staircase to Arnob talking about Random stuff with a random French guy at 7eleven and me having no idea where to find Arnob at 2 at night in lung kuo feng popularly known as the party place (!), everything was like little pieces of puzzles which made up the whole trip a lot more fascinating. Georgia others.

M. Faiyak Zaman Rishad BBA 16th Batch & President, IBACC

University, Purdue University, Johns Hopkins, Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon, University of Manchester, UTS Australia, National University of Singapore, and many

The idea that won us the Bronze Award was To produce and market more affordable, more effective, and eco-friendly bio-diesel and bio-fertilizer from Jatropha in Bangladesh. This business primarily focuses on pulling down the cost of fuel and fertilizer used by farmers by producing the alternatives from Jatropha seeds, a plant that naturally grows in abundance in Bangladesh. We found out that the centralized nature of the distribution system of diesel oil for irrigation pumps in Bangladesh rarely meets an adequate amount supplied to the farming communities. Also, high import cost of fuels and chemical fertilizers worsen the situation. To mitigate these problems of high cost, we plan to has introduced both Jatropha of Bio-diesel are and Bio-fertilizer, which organic,

environmentally-friendly, and most importantly, cost-effective. The idea was very much praised by the judges of the semi-final and the final round. Last but not the least, mingling with students from all over the world, the International Students came to realize that us, the Bangladeshi students, are not far behind than the rest of the World. We might be a developing country, but the young talents that we have are absolutely capable of competing with the best brains of the world!

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HSBC YEA 2011: Experience of a Lifetime

Nusrat Sharmin Moutusi, BBA 17th Batch
The journey began in January 2011, when suddenly one day we, Upoma, Shehreen and I, decided to participate in HSBC YEA 2011. After one or two days of brainstorming, Upoma first came up with the idea of CocoCrete, an idea that became so close to our hearts that it literally changed our lives 6 months after its inception. We, team Stalwarts, started working on the idea and after the rigorous preliminary selection process; seven teams out of more than 300 applicants were shortlisted based on their submitted business plans for the final presentation to be held on April 26, 2011. April 26. We arrived a little late at the Lakeshore hotel, the venue for local finale of YEA, which only accelerated our already palpitating hearts! All of the other six competing teams were brilliant. Either they had the YEA experience of participating in YEA in the previous years or they were experienced in participating in business competitions. In comparison with them, we felt like novices! After four astounding presentations, we were up next! I do not know how we did, but half an hour later, when all the presentations were over, the judges announced us as the gold winners of YEA 2011! Preparations begin for the regional finale. From making PowerPoint presentation, brochures, CDs to designing sharee for our final presentation and shopping for our anticipated tour to 7 gold teams from 7 different countries with innovative ideas, battled to become the Best of the Best, Diamond and Jade award winners. With the dream of continuing the IBA legacy of getting a place in the top three in YEA regional round, with the help of brilliant seniors like Siffat, 17th to 25th of June- 9 days of our lives we will never forget. HSBC in collaboration with Chinese University of Hong Kong arranged programs for us, which included team-building, trip to Ocean Park, visiting the culture and heritage of old Hong Kong at Wan Chai, seminar on cross-cultural communication, and a guided tour to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. And of course, the heart of the entire tour-the grand finale, which was held at the HSBC Head Quarter on June 20. This entrepreneurial tour to Hong Kong was an experience of a lifetime that taught us so many things. It helped us to become closer to our seniors, provided us with the opportunity to have a glimpse of the business hub of Asia-Hong Kong, to work with the brilliant young minds of Asia, and to have some of these brilliant people as friends. Even if we had not won the Diamond award, I think we would not have had any regrets. Because this experience was just a steppingstone to achieving something bigger in life, sky SHOULD be our limit! Hong Kong- all had to be done within 16th of June. To make matters worse, this semester turned out to be the toughest and we had to attend four finals before departing for Hong Kong, one of which was on the very morning of our flight, 16th of June! The moment we had all been waiting for came finally. Thailand was announced as the Jade winner. Team Stalwarts from Bangladesh is the Diamond award winner! All the hard work and sleepless nights of the past six months seemed worth it! It was an amazing feeling! Rifat, Laura, Lamia, Sababa Apu and Aumio bhaia and with the support of wonderful friends like Sumaya, Amani, Rishad, Adib, Walid, Adittya- we managed to give our very best.

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In Retrospect
23 A Bitter Sweet Symphony 24 The Trip That Ruined It All 27 Never Stop Believing

A BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY
FLASHBACK: The eve of Fresherz 08
Tasmia Tasbih Nova, BBA 16th Batch
The IBA premise was beautifully lit and adorned, ready to greet us freshmen. With some nerve and unmatched valor we walked through the main gate dressed in the most outrageous outfits ever! The guys of our batch sported punkjabis & real short shorts, gelled up spikes & collar high attitude! And us girls?! Clad in neon orange and yellow bua der shari with a pair of sunglasses to (mis)match, we had all marched in, leaving the senior bhaiyas and apus completely stunned, and for most of them, not in a good way. As hilarious as the situation was, the desired effect was not very desirable; a practical joke had gone wayward. We had, most unconventionally, violated the dress code and were in for a REAL reception! The director was ever so mad and declared that we were not to step into the auditorium before we had a change of clothes. And I'll tell you the truth, we WERE scared. And we felt horrible for letting down our seniors the very first day they were to welcome us into the family. Three long years have passed by since then but the memory is raw, like an un-attended cut. And when I jog down the memory lane right into the corridors of IBA that night, it is not bitterness or regret that I see. What I see is the closeness that we shared when the entire batch had taken the blame on its shoulders instead of pinpointing at any one. What I see is the unimaginable spirit that we managed to display even after being chastised by the director for our wardrobe malfunction. What I see is the undaunted courage and unity with which we faced the pochani of the evening This seems like such a long time ago. Heck, I am a senior now! My life is mostly a blur of all kinds of 7th semester pera. Everyones at the point of their life where they are shaping up and honing themselves for the corporate world out there, for very soon, we are to step out of our shells. Priorities, they are called! Its true that the carefree fun we used to have in the first couple years are rare occasions these days, its true that we have exhausted a lot. But we still try to hold onto some precious time of togetherness. A little bit of respite, a lot of laughter. At least I do. hang outs, the birthdays, the last minute report and assignment works, the month-long busting our backs to organize events and SO MUCH MORE have been captured in an irreplaceable time & frame. And when its hard to catch a break with my friends, I indulge in reminiscence. I switch on my laptop and browse through the countless photo albums that are neatly categorized, semester-wise, in my IBA folder. Some of the pictures make me smile, some make me laugh out loud and some bring a lump in my throat. They remind me of all the bitter sweet memories, the big IBA events, the most humdrum of days. A photo from our first picnic us girls doing what we can to win the tug of war, Aumee sprawled on the ground after slipping on the soap water! Our very first Pohela Baishakh, where we performed our very first dance and managed to look like white-faced, red-lipped ghosts in broad daylight! A photo where Raquib is dressed as Rupbanu in a saree for our Bhanga TV shoot! A photo from the Comilla road trip for Bangladesh Studies, where our car broke down and we sat on the bonnets drinking dab er pani! The Grads, the Fresherz, the countless aimless hang outs, the birthdays, the last minute report and assignment works, the month-long busting our backs to organize events and SO MUCH MORE have been captured in an irreplaceable time & frame. I cannot quite fathom the intensity of affection that my friends and batch mates have towards IBA, but I can certainly say its more than I can comprehend, more than they portray. Just like me. It has always been easier for me to pour out my feelings on paper than in action, and this article is an outlet for my pent up sentiments. I believe my life had started when I stepped into the doors of IBA for the first time. I learnt to grow up here, to devote, to hate, to envy. I tasted the sweetness of true friendship, the bitterness of losing friends who werent meant to be. I fell in love here, I got my heart broken. I was praised, I was reprimanded. Sometimes I was disappointed, sometimes devastated; I learnt to get back up on my feet and embrace what I had. I was let down, I let others down; but I learnt to forgive and forget. I learnt to laugh like theres no tomorrow, to care unconditionally and to be happy. And I learnt not to regret, for my experiences are what made myself ME. Truth be told, it was out of boredom that I had offered to do this write-up for the news letter. Had I known then that Ill be coming to the harsh realization of the fact that Im only a few precious months away from the end of what was the most inexplicable, overwhelming journey of my life, I would probably have written about something mundane. For I am not ready to believe my IBA life is coming dangerously close to the Finish Line. I am NOT ready to let this aching numbness and anguish sink in yet.

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THE TRIP THAT RUINED IT ALL

Sami Ullah Khan, BBA 16th Batch
started to sing in front of an extremely diverse audience (parents, random travelers, railway officials, cha-walas, beggars, dogs). Things did

on the beach with a guitar. So, when out of nowhere, an orange disk (yes, orange) twice the size of a football (yes, twice) appeared through the middle of the two large swaying boats in front of us, its out-of-this-world beauty was enough to make us speechless. The light, the reflection on water, and the rocking boats that is one wonderful image to cherish for years to come.

Batch trip has ruined it for me.

Seriously. I had a post batch trip depression period of one month. Family trips bore me to death now. Overnight stays at friends houses are much less fun without the 4 am walks on the beach. And whenever someone uploads an album of a Coxs Bazaar trip on Facebook, I go through all the pictures and inevitably come to the conclusion that we had 10 times more fun! So what happened in the 6 days between 21st and 27th December that made it THE trip, the best trip ever, the trip that made life worth it for those 34 people? Well, lets take a look.

get worse, however, when we got to know there will be another hours delay. And finally, when the train did start at 3:30 am in the morning, bad buzz was the only word on our minds. The word became BADD BUZZZZ!! at 8:30am, when news came that there was some problem with the rail line or something, and we were only halfway through! When the journey did end at 1:30 pm in the afternoon, we had lost an entire morning and all our energy by then. Not the best start to the trip, and everyone prayed the rest of the trip would go smoother. Well, our prayers were answered, and not for a single moment did anyone feel bored in the next five days.

BHAAT DE
Food has been a mixed experience throughout. Hundys Biriyani of Chittagong is by far the best biriyani I have had I my life, and 90% of my classmates will agree. Mermaid Caf in Coxs bazaar, on the other hand, was an entirely different experience. Lets just say unbelievably overpriced food, annoyingly long cooking time and half cooked food was not worth the two hours of make-up that our girls put on before going to this supposedly best restaurant in Coxs Bazaar. The night we reached Coxs Bazaar, everyone headed straight to the famed Angel Drop right after unpacking. It was 11pm already and we were ravenous. Naturally, when food didnt come even by 12pm, it was really hitting the nerves. 12:30am and still no food - it was finally too much. So some resorted to the desperate trick of crying out Bhaaaaat deee!!!, which was met by the oshobhhogula kotha theke aschhe? stare by the waiters. Bhaat came at 12:45, and it tasted like heaven. If there was any discontent over the food, it was wiped away by having coffee at Sweetys at 2am, and late night walks on the beach till 4am! Ahhh I miss those days!

The Train Journey

Our trip plan was something like this: DhakaChittagong-Teknaf-Saint Martins-Coxs BazaarDhaka. Why the unnecessarily complex route? Because everyone wanted the trip to start with a TRAIN JOURNEY! And Turna-Nishitha it was, set to leave Dhaka at 10 30pm. Batch trip was finally going to begin! So everyone reached Kamalapur on time. There was just so much of excitement that when it was announced the train will leave at 12 am instead, nobody cared much. Instead, the entire batch just sat on the platform, took out our guitars and

Astounding Astronomic Acumen

We carefully timed our trip so that it coincides with the night of full moon. Naturally, when night came on our first and only night at Saint Martins, everyone expected the moon to come out and dazzle. Except that it didnt come out. It was past 6 30, an hour after sunset, and there was still no trace of that thing! And then someone uttered the following words of wisdom Ami to agei bolsialm purnimar porer raate chaad uthe na!!! Seriously? And yet, no one had enough knowledge on the topic to challenge that statement! Almost accepting that the night was going to be dark, we just sat and sang together

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The Bond That Will Never Break This is the most emotional event of the trip. Memories will fade, but the union of the souls that took place on the night of December 25th will remain for eternity. There were 10 of us. It was way past midnight. The beach was cold and empty. The moon shone, the sea roared. Even though we stood in a line, one meter away from each other (the hygienic distance), we felt

connected like never before. We were the band of brothers. The unbreakable bond had been formed. A bond that could only be created by urinating in the sea together. Fear of the Dark It was with a heroic effort that I was able to repress a scream when our speedboat took an almost 90 degree turn, and managed to say with all my masculinity and cool attitude Haha. Bhoy e to lage dekhi. Haha. Stupid social norms that say men cannot scream! The trip to Maheshkhali was totally unplanned and totally worth it. It took a 15 minute super

exhilarating speedboat ride from Coxs Bazaar to reach the island. And right after getting down on the jetty, we were flooded by numerous proposals by locals that made many wonder whether we were in Thailand! Anyway, we politely declined (stating time constraint as the reason), and took 90 minute rickshaw rides through this exotically beautiful island. However, after getting back to the jetty, it was discovered with horror that there were no speedboats waiting for us! So we waited with anxiety, and when the speedboats did arrive, there was complete darkness. Thus began the most hauntingly memorable journey of our lives. Through the middle of the Bay of Bengal, with huge waves

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and no light whatsoever, not even a searchlight on the speedboat. The memory still gives me goose bumps. Unbelievable. Fall of the Wall Dear 18th batch, your crushing of the wooden stairs in this years IBA picnic was not the first time IBA students have destroyed others property and gotten away without paying for it! Theres this nice open beachside place called pacific caf where we had a barbeque dinner on our last day of the trip. Good food, good music and the fact that we had the entire place to ourselves put us in a real festive mood, and accordingly many went dancing in a newly built open cottage of the caf. Everything went well, until suddenly all the dancers came back with faces full of fake innocence that said something was wrong. What had happened? The mystery was solved when the clearly irritated manager came and said Sami bhai, oi BORO Apu ta to amar wall bhenge felse! Someone had actually broken a part of the 2 feet wall by sitting on it!

And it was very confusing when Navid Sarwar of our batch came forward and casually confessed that he did it. Navid cannot possibly be the BORO Apu, he is not BORO by any means! The mystery remains, and we are just happy the manager didnt charge us extra! The Minor Hiccup No trip is completed without some small complications, right? On the last day of the trip, we had a minor problem. And by minor, I mean one of us sitting over the side railing of a chaander gari and hitting the steel bars of a bridge at full speed and falling off the vehicle and rolling over the bridge for 10 seconds and in the process convincing us that he is not going to live. Well, he did live, and turned out the injuries were, miraculously enough, only minor. But the major, permanent damage was done somewhere else. Those of us who had to lift that 200 pound lump up on the chaander gari had waist pain for the next two months. More tragically, those who had to witness him in the disturbingly disordered state of clothing right after the accident and in the hospital are yet to recover from the trauma.

AndBBA 16th Batch Ill only say that I am proud, glad, thankful and fortunate. Being a part of BBA 16th has been a life changing experience, and this trip would not have been half as much fun without this group of multitalented high-spirited awesome people. No need to say anything else. So many other stories that I couldnt tell here regular verbal molestation of Sharjil by everyone during the Mafia games; the failed attempt to cut NIazs birthday cake with a steel ruler; the RAMBOBRA; rise of the addictive game of BhabiBhabi; improper dancing moves; ShafquatTasnuva-Sidrat triangle; Kawsars cowboy hat; Arnobs motivational speech; custom made super-cool hoodies for the trip; certain disappearances, sightings and new beginnings that keep us talking even today the list goes on. End of this year, there is nothing stopping me from going on the Batch Trip: Volume 2, and I am sure everyone else feels the same way. So, my dear classmates, let the planning begin, again!

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NEVER STOP BELIEVING

Sidrat Talukdar, BBA 16th Batch
This is a story of how the tiny efforts of a faithful few can still make a difference. 11 March, 2011. ZAC Stadium, Chittagong. As the ninth Bangladeshi batsman walked onto the pitch that night, hundreds of disappointed fans started to leave the stadium. Across the country, many more switched off their TV's, unable to swallow the bitter disappointment of early elimination from the first Cricket World Cup to be held on home soil. At 169-8, with another 57 runs required for victory against a resurgent England side, and with the memory of an embarrassing capitulation to the West Indies still fresh in their minds, Bangladeshi cricket fans felt something far too familiar: a sense of utter hopelessness. But not everyone had lost faith. And as those who kept watching would soon find out, a little belief can truly make a world of difference. Mahmudullah Riyad and Shafiul Islam - the pair at the crease - did not give up hope. Together, they put in an inspired and heroic last-ditch performance. Their partnership turned the match around - ball by ball, run by run - so that by the time the bewildered Englishmen realized what was happening, the two had scripted one of the most dramatic and sensational comeback victories of all time. At the post-match press conference, the new heroes were asked about their performances.

Where did they find the strength and the guts to do what they had just done? We were heavily inspired, they replied, by a video. That video, entitled Remember the Spirit, was made by us, Maverick Studios. Along with another video titled Never Stop Believing (shown to the team before the Ireland match), it was part of an internet-enabled, fan-based movement that centered around the slogan Never Stop Believing. The objective of the movement was simple: to inspire the Bangladesh Cricket Team to play their best in the World Cup. And after suffering a crushing defeat to West Indies in their third match, the Tigers bowling coach (with whom we had worked before) asked us to do whatever we could to raise the teams spirits before the do-or-die England game. So we got to work. We brainstormed. We asked each other: if we were them, what would inspire us? What would lift our spirits and drive us to play our best? Two approaches came to mind. The first was the Bengali heritage. If theres one thing that weve proven in the dark days of 1971 and in the innumerable disasters that weve faced throughout our history, its that we, as a people, never give up. The second idea was fan support. Few other national teams can boast such emotional (sometimes over-emotional) fans. We knew that if the team could just see how much the whole country was backing them, through thick and thin, they would feel less insecure and more confident about playing their best. But how would we communicate this fan support to the team? Enter Facebook! We created an event where we invited every supporter of Bangladesh cricket to send in a picture of themselves holding up a supportive message for the team. We would then

use the submitted photographs in our video, as well as print them out as a mosaic-poster that would be given to the Bangladesh team prior to the match against England. Within hours, the event had some 3000 invited guests, and the pictures started rolling in. People of all ages, from all walks of life, and from all over the world joined in to show their unabashed support for the national team. In the end, we got some 350 photographs, along with a similar number of supportive wall posts, in just three days. Using this material, we were able to create the Remember the Spirit video, and a quartet of posters with the message Amra kokhonoi bisshash harabo na, which we hand delivered to the national team coaches Ian Pont and Julien Fountain in Chittagong just hours before the match got underway. Later, the were kind enough to notify us that posters were hanging proudly in the teams dining room, and that the team had seen the video. The rest, as they say, is history. In conclusion, although it is easy to be disappointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Team in the world cup (since they got knocked out early), we prefer to look at it differently. Rather than letting the nervous defeats or the wholesale drubbings be the highlight of our World Cup, we like to remember those moments against Ireland and England, especially the dewy night in Chittagong, when we could have capitulated so easily, but against all odds, we didnt. We want to remember how, after those matches, our chronically divided nation was united in frenzied celebration for just a few moments, forgetting all the hardships of life. That was the whole point of our movement., after all: to show people that anything and everything really and truly is possible, as long as there are enough people who Never Stop Believing!

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Freestyle Writing

Trap
[~]

written by

Anik Ehteshamul Arefin, BBA 19th Batch

Deep beneath the cover Of another perfect wonder Where its so white as snow.. Privately divided By a world so undecided And theres nowhere to go.. Snow - Red Hot Chilli Peppers..

You do know that its not the stuff that makes me come here, dont you?, the boy would always ask. The girl would just smile back at him. The white flakes of snow infiltrated their nervous system with amazing effect. Nothing else mattered now- all the problems and harshness of life were now suddenly a distant past. Utopia. Zenith. Ecstasy. Call it whatever you want, all that mattered to the two of them now was that they were together, the syringe full of the drug amplifying the experience to tremendous extents. By street language, they refer places like this as traps. Very justifiable given the number of hours the young couple spent here in the old, abandoned warehouse, getting high all the while. In a way, both knew what they were doing was not the right thing to do, but every single time, the human conscience gave in to the mighty syringe in their hands. It was all so easy. Just one little push, and your off to wonderland. Holding hands and getting high- not the most romantic of scenes, but that was love to them in their own little world. In a weird way, yes, but love nonetheless. So the day when the girl suddenly dropped lifeless on the dusty warehouse floor right next to him, the boy wondered where he really stood: the reality, or in a realm of fake promises? Next to the exhausted syringe, her numb body still emitted the usual, warm glow. Her dark, slender hair covering half of her peaceful face; of the other half, the familiar hazel eye seemed to beckon for one last kiss. Her lips were cold. He took her in his trembling arms. You do know that its not the stuff that makes me come here, dont you?, the boy whispered softly to her. She never smiled back.
[~]

Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball, Where were you when we were getting high? Someday youll find me, caught beneath the landslide, In a champagne supernova in the sky.. Champagne Supernova - Oasis..
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