Rafia Tamanna

According to the United Nations, one of the six practical issues to consider before deciding whether and how to observe an election is, 'Are sufficient personnel available for the observation? Do they have the necessary expertise, or can they be trained in time?' It also says that if the answer to one or more of these questions is no, then a credible observation may not be possible.

The year was 2006, when an Indian fashion designer, Tushar Kumar, arrived in Rangpur as a consultant on a CARE Foundation project to train and supervise local artisans. During his visit, a shrub-like plant caught his attention. When the villagers were asked about the tree, none of them could identify it, instead, everyone in Rangpur referred to the  herbaceous plant as "Malkhari." Tushar identified the tree as "indigo," and it turned out that its use is not limited to daily activities.

With wounds on different parts of the body, stench and filth all around, amidst the loud clamour of the streets, the horses carry on. They drag their feet as they move with half-open eyes. They do not even have energy left to neigh loudly. Horse carts are known as tomtoms. These old vehicles - that go back hundreds of years - can still be seen on the streets of Dhaka. It was an Armenian named GM Sirco who started the horse-drawn carriage business in the city.