From Greta Thunberg's book to an exquisite pen: What Tarique gifted CA Yunus

The meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London yesterday (13 June) has been hailed as a historic point for Bangladesh's democracy.

While many important issues – including a February election – were floated at the meeting, Tarique scored another political point: his image was further bolstered, with his poise earning praise on social media, while the memefication of the meeting in some quarters also increased its visibility.

Tarique also handed over three gifts to CA Yunus, all of which were praised.

One of the first items was a Waterman Expert pen.

What is a Waterman Expert?

Waterman pens are renowned for their elegance and writing comfort. The Expert model stands out with its unique blend of contemporary design and classic charm, featuring a signature cigar-shaped profile. It's often recommended as an excellent entry-level option for those new to the brand.

The Waterman Pen Company is a major manufacturing company of luxury fountain pens and ink, based in Paris, France.

In the early 1880s, Lewis Waterman, a New York City insurance salesman, developed the first reliable fountain pen. According to a popular—though likely embellished—story, a leaky pen ruined an important contract he was about to have signed. By the time he returned with a fresh copy, the client had gone with another agent, prompting Waterman to create a pen that wouldn't fail at critical moments.

The Expert line of the pen was said to be launched sometime around 1992.

The fountain pen version of it can cost around €132.70. Many praised the choice of the pen as befitting a Nobel Laureate.

The second gift was a book by Greta Thunberg titled 'No one is too small to make a difference'.

'No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference' is a book by climate activist Greta Thunberg, first published on 30 May 2019. It brings together eleven of her powerful speeches addressing global warming and the urgent need to confront the climate crisis. Through these speeches, Thunberg shares her message of activism, responsibility, and the power of individual action.

Greta Thunberg delivered the speeches featured in No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference at major international platforms such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Economic Forum, as well as at various protests and demonstrations. Among the most well-known is her striking address titled "Our House Is on Fire."

The original edition of the book was released on 30 May 30 2019, and a revised edition followed on 21 November 2019, which included five additional speeches.

The choice of Thunberg's book was met with a lot of praise, especially from environmentalists.

It was also quite the choice, given Thunberg had just wrapped up her flotilla mission to the Gaza Strip, which was in the end disrupted by Israeli forces.

Another aspect of the book was Greta herself.

In one of her speeches, she wrote, "I'm too young to do this. We children shouldn't have to do this."

While it wasn't exactly children, it was the youth, after all, who had shaped the July revolution.

The third gift was yet another book titled 'Nature Matters'.

In another nod to the importance of the environment in the growing world, the third gift was a book titled "Nature Matters".

Revitalising conversations around environmentalism and ecopoetics, this gathering of African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora voices is both urgent and inspirational, The Guardian wrote.

English author Bernardine Evaristo said of the book: "An exquisitely profound and groundbreaking testament to our natural world by many of the most powerful poetic voices of our times."

The Guardian termed the anthology as a "revelation".