Bangladesh Blogspot blog.

Clean Dhaka , Green Dhaka

2010-02-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

Moving in and around the city during the Eid-ul-Azha is absolutely a horrendous experience. Cleaning the capital during the Eid Ul Azha becomes a major challenge for the responsible government agency since thousands of animals are sacrificed right on the streets and the waste is usually left out in the open. Apart from its regular task to clean the waste generated by over 12 million people living in the capital, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has to take additional responsibilities of creating systematic disposal options for the city dwellers during this particular Eid. With limited manpower, financial support and equipment, cleaning the city in the shortest period of time continues to be an uphill task for DCC.

As a result, the waste remains rotting in the streets for at least two-days emanating the noxious smells.

The problem begins a few days before Eid day when people buy animals from the local haats that spring up everywhere and then when they keep these animals in apartments and houses, which do not have any facility to keep such animals for a few days. Many citizens indiscriminately dispose of the straw and excreta of the animals here and there, contributing to the pollution even before the sacrificing of the animals.

It is a mammoth task for DCC to clean this extra waste.

It is a mammoth task for DCC to clean this extra waste. This problem deteriorates on the Eid day when millions of cattle are sacrificed and blood is spilled on the lanes. Claiming DCC is gearing up activities to remove the waste generated from the sacrifice of animals in two days, DCC Chief Waste Management Officer, Captain Bipon Kumar Saha says that along with the fleet of 8,000 regular cleaning staff, DCC has employed 1,400 additional cleaners to do the job. Moreover, private waste collection service providers will be included in the cleaning programme led by DCC.

"We will also deploy all of our logistical equipment such as garbage trucks, containers, trawlers, pray loaders, tire-dodgers, dump trucks and water lorries for this purpose. Moreover, we have requested Wasa and the Fire Service department to provide us water-carrying trucks, which will be engaged in spraying water in all the areas to clean the blood of the sacrificed animals. Sufficient amount of bleaching powder and antiseptic to be used for cleaning, has also been distributed to the zones."

However, the DCC high official believes that only DCC cannot tackle this situation unless people become more aware and carry out their responsibilities properly. "Without support from the public it will be difficult for us to clean the city in time. We will try our best to clean the waste but most people do not behave responsibly. It would be a lot easier to clean the city if the devotees sacrificed the animals in a designated spot instead of soiling the streets," he says.

DCC will start awareness generating programmes for proper disposals in every locality ahead of Eid. The high official says a mass awareness programme has already been launched by posting advertisements in newspapers, and distribution of stickers, leaflets and posters. "We will also request the imams of mosques and Eid congregations to create awareness among the devotees about cleanliness and tell them how the wastes should be removed. Moreover, we will start making announcements on mikes two days ahead of the Qurbani Eid in all the wards. The do's and don'ts prepared by the DCC regarding animal waste disposal will be read out so that people get an idea how to deal with it," says the high official.

Piles of garbage in alleyways are a common sight in Dhaka. It is most likely to get worse n the coming days.

He further adds, "If people keep the Qurbani waste in a separate dustbin other than throwing here and there, our cleaners would be able to pick it from the dustbin. It is very important that nobody dumps the waste in the drains."

The best way to manage the waste would be to dig a hole and bury the leftovers there. If there is any blood spilt on the ground it should immediately be washed off with a lot of water and bleaching powder.

Economy of Bangladesh

2010-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Just imagine, a country in where 38.6% people live under poverty line. In 2008, per capita income was US $1389 where by the average was us$10,497. According to the International Monetary Fund, Bangladesh is 48^th largest economy in the world in 2008. GDP is now US $0228.4 billion and half of this GDP belongs to service sector where two third of the population are working in agricultural sector. Rice is most important product upon which the GDP relies significantly. Peoples, who work overseas mostly in Middle East and East Asia, have significant role as Bangladesh earns remittances.

Besides garments is another source of foreign exchange earning. Rice and jute, two most important products upon which our economy depends a lot. Jute is called the golden fibre of Bangladesh. Now a days wheat production is increasing. But as population is increasing at a very high rate, Bangladesh is facing food problems thereby it has to pay a lot of currencies to import food products especially child food. 10% to 15% of population is facing serious nutritional problems and 45% people are at risk of food security. Again it is a country of rivers, so floods affect a lot in cultivation. Natural disaster also plays vital role in destroying our economy.After achieving independence in 1971, Bangladesh confronted the challenging task of developing and diversifying its economy, as the country had very limited natural resources and arable land with which to support its rapidly growing population. The task was complicated by years of political turbulence and military coups (in 1975, 1981, and 1982) that did little to attract international investors and by devastating natural disasters that regularly visited Bangladesh in the 1970s and 1980s. By the beginning of the 21st century, according to the World Bank, Bangladesh had become one of the poorest and least-developed economies in Asia.

During the 1970s and 1980s the government of Bangladesh promoted economic development based on heavy state involvement both in economic management and economic planning. In fact, after achieving independence, the government led by the Awami League, nationalized large and medium-sized enterprises in jute, cotton textile, sugar processing, banking and insurances. Its economic policies were centered on 5-year plans (the first 5-year plan was launched in 1973), which aimed at development and public resource allocation modeled on the Soviet 5-year experience. However, the Bangladeshi experiment with socialism did not last long, and the government eschewed radical changes. The country's average gross domestic product (GDP) growth of around 3.3 percent in the 1970s and 4.4 percent in the 1980s (World Bank calculation) were very impressive, but this growth was offset by even more rapid growth of the population.

In 1991, new civilian government considerably revised the economic policies of the previous government, introducing elements of free market economy, limiting state intervention, downsizing the government, launching privatization and attempting to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) and technologies. The political stability of the 1990s and the new economic policies attracted international investors and greatly contributed to the economic growth of around 5 percent throughout the 1990s. However, Bangladesh still depends heavily on international assistance and loans, as well as remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad. According to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Country Report, in 1999 the country's external debt stood at US$15.145 billion, or 35 percent of GDP. This amount is relatively small according to international standards and mainly due to past capital account restrictions. According to the IMF, one of the peculiarities of the Bangladeshi foreign debt that makes it different from that of Indonesia or Malaysia is that it is almost entirely public, with private debt accounting for a low 5 percent of the total country's debt. Bangladeshi official reserves stood at a level of US$1.522 billion in 1999.
The structure of the Bangladeshi economy changed gradually over the last 3 decades. According to the World Bank, the contribution of agriculture to the country's GDP has been steadily declining from 55 percent in 1970 to 31.6 in 1999, although it still provides employment to large numbers of people. Bangladesh remains one of the world's leading producers of jute and rice, although most of the rice is for domestic consumption rather than export. The proportion of manufactured production grew from 9 percent of GDP in 1970 to 19.3 percent of GDP in 1999. Manufactured products accounted for around 60 percent of gross export earnings in 1999, with clothing goods becoming the single most important product. Tourism is a very small but rapidly growing sector of the economy that increased by around 42 percent between 1993 and 1998. Approximately 171,000 tourists visited the country in 1999, contributing Tk2.4 billion to the national economy. By comparison, tiny Singapore attracts a similar number of tourists every week.

For a long time Bangladesh struggled to diversify its economy. Large and medium state-owned enterprises dominate the manufacturing sector, although a number of private enterprises were established during the 1990s. Medium and small farms dominate the agricultural sector, and many farmers are still engaged in subsistence agriculture. Meanwhile, a number of medium and small, usually family-owned, enterprises dominate the service sector, especially retail. Bangladesh tried to catch up with the information technologies boom in the 1990s, but unlike neighboring India, it failed to promote this sector of its economy on a similar scale.

Economic growth and stability failed to bring economic prosperity to a large proportion of the population, especially in rural areas. Since the 1970s there has been an outflow of large numbers of the young and the most talented people from the country through various legal and illegal channels. Allegedly, organized criminal groups connected to drug trafficking control this outflow. Drugs are another important issue, as Bangladesh shares a border with Burma (Myanmar), which is a part of the world's largest opium producing region called the "Golden Triangle" (an area between Burma, Laos, and Thailand). The shadow economy is believed to be very large due to incomplete economic activities data collection, tax evasion, and a strong tradition of cash economy, although this shadow economy is not necessarily related to organized criminal activities. In 1996 a national account task force was formed to upgrade the outdated and inefficient system of national accounting, having among other goals to deal with the problem of calculating and capturing shadow economy activities.

Eco

There is no doubt that Bangladesh is developing at a good rate but its internal infrastructure to support the communication, transportation, water and power supply is quite limited. The service sectors are developing rapidly but industrial sectors are remaining undeveloped. There is eye catching development in coal mining. Lastly, we have large human resource, abundant water and agricultural land. But what will be happened while we would use all of these resources??

Climate issues of Bangladesh

2009-12-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. According to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the effects of climate change have already been observed, and scientific findings indicate that precautionary and prompt action has become imperative.

Preferring economic development rather than for sustainability, industrialized countries invested heavily in carbon intensive technologies, such as coal-fired power plants, massive road systems, and electrical grids. Some greenhouse gases remaining in the atmosphere for centuries, human induced emissions have guaranteed the inevitability of climate change regardless of policy responses. Most greenhouse gases have been and are emitted to meet the needs of modern industrial societies. The burden of impacts is likely to be most serious in developing countries even though they have contributed very little to historical emissions.

Developed countries account for high percentages of annual greenhouse gas emissions. In 2000 total emission of all greenhouse gases was 24,790 million tones CO2 equivalents of which share of the G8 countries, least developed countries and other countries were 48%, 0.4% and 51.60%, respectively. Annual CO2 emission per person from the burning of oil, natural gas and coal in 2003 for USA, Russia, UK, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Senegal and Bangladesh were 20 tones, 11.2 tones, 9.5 tones, 9.4 tones, 2.7 tones, 2.0 tones 1.0 ton, 0.5 ton and 0.2 ton, respectively.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased exponentially from about 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1800 to over 380 ppm in 2006. The concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are now at the highest levels over 650,000 years. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very closely linked to global temperature. IPCC has projected that by 2100 atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide could have reached between 540 ppm and 970 ppm and that, as a result, global surface temperature could rise by between 1.4 degree C and 5.8 degree C.

Climate change threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world -- access to water, food, health, and use of land and the environment. On current trends, average global temperatures could rise by 2 - 3°C within the next fifty years or so, leading to many severe impacts, often mediated by water, including more frequent droughts and floods.

Rising sea levels will result in tens to hundreds of millions more people flooded each year. There will be serious risks and increasing pressures for coastal protection in South East Asia (Bangladesh and Vietnam), small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and large coastal cities, such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Calcutta, Karachi, Buenos Aires, St Petersburg, New York, Miami and London. By the middle of the century, 200 million more people may become permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods, and more intense droughts, according to one estimate. Melting or collapse of ice sheets would raise sea levels and eventually threaten at least 4 million Km2 of land, which today is home to 5% of the world's population. .

Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to climate change because of geographic exposure, low incomes, and greater reliance on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture. It is noticed that climate related disasters such as floods, droughts, and tropical storms are gradually increasing in Bangladesh along with frequent depression in Bay of Bengal.

In particular, sea level rise is of grave concern to a developing country like Bangladesh with a vast, low-lying, densely populated deltaic coast. Tens of millions of people are at risk of becoming climate refugees. One meter sea level rise will inundate about one fifth area of Bangladesh which will displace 25-30 million people. This is many times higher than the entire population of all pacific islands combined, and twice the total population of Australia or the Netherlands. Bangladesh is the victim of climate change without inducing any climate change acitivites.

Bangladesh is fully committed to addressing the challenges of climate change and has signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in June 1992 at Rio and ratified it on 15 April 1994 and the Kyoto Protocol on 22 October, 2001.

Bangladesh attaches highest priority to the Climate change negotiation and is playing a vital role on behalf of LDCs from the first Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCCC, held in Berlin, Germany in 1995. The ensuing 15th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen is of prime importance for LDCs and SIDs in general and Bangladesh in particular. The following issues are needed to be considered by this COP for combating future climate change regime:

* The adaptation fund must be fast tracked and the least developed countries should get top priority under it. Efforts are should made to substantially increase the level of support to the LDCs, particularly through operationalizing and developing new mechanism/instruments with adequate resources, in adaptation needs of various sections such as agriculture, forestry, protection of coastal belt, biological diversity, eco-system, infrastructure, health etc, so that they can manage climate risk and adapt better to the speed and the scale of climate change and its impacts.

* Adaptation fund and LDCs fund under GEF should be simplified with reduced transaction costs. Greater focus of the funds should be accorded to the project and programme implementation, not on reports and consultation exercises. The RAF should be revised to take into consideration the special situation of the most disadvantaged countries, the LDC Parties. The GEF criteria of co-financing of adaptation projects are a serious constraint for the LDCs. GEF should look for options to overcome this conditionality. Global environmental benefits should not be used as criteria for access to funds under the RAF.

* Agreement for development of vulnerability index and categorization of countries according to their vulnerability in order to identify scale of specific needs and actions for adaptation to climate change under future climate change regime is urgently required.

* Efforts should be made for process simplification and uniform geographical distribution of CDM projects along with capacity building of LDCs.

* There should be consensus for establishment of an International Adaptation Centre to address relevant needs, finding of priorities and devices of adaptation regime. This institution will spearhead the sharing of know-how and practice to build necessary capacity among the vulnerable nations, pooling, sharing and building on each other's capacity.

* Preferential access to environmentally sound technologies know-how, practices and process pertinent to climate change is crucial for LDCs. There should be specific modalities in the post Kyoto instrument for the development, application and diffusion of both mitigation and adaptation technologies to LDCs at an affordable cost.

* Any further delay in setting targets for deeper cuts in GHG emission will jeopardize the very existence of millions of people with little staying power. COP 15th should agree on firm reduction commitment without which effective adaptation measures cannot be designed along with funding and technology deployment. Bangladesh believes that to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change, the global average temperature increases must be kept as far below 2°C as possible. In this regard, deeper cut of GHG (40% within 2020 and 80% by 2050) is urgently needed.

* Displacement of millions of people from coastal areas is inevitable due to sea level rise as indicated by the IPCC. COP should consider the permanent migration issue of climate refugees.

Fifteen years have already been passed but negotiation processes of UNFCCC have yet to deliver a substantial outcome regarding mitigation, adaptation, financing and technology transfer in line with the related articles of the convention for supporting developing countries to combat climate change, rather than providing a complex and tedious negotiation process.

Attitudes of the World Leaders who are the top emmitter manifest that COP-15 may not yield any encouraging result regarding deep emmission cut for the second commitment period. It is noticed that there is lack of progress to comply with present commitment period too by the Annex-I countries. Bangladesh as a most vulnerable country to climate change cannot sit idle or cannot depend only on UNFCCC. Hopefully, the government of Bangladesh is pursuing intensive bilateral talks with the countries and development partners for getting support to combat climate change.

Campus News of Bangladesh- ICCIT 2008

2009-11-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

ICCIT 2008- ICT Future in Bangladesh

The 11th International Conference on Computer and Information Technology (ICCIT 2008) has been successfully staged in the campus of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET) . With 101 acres of campus and with its nice green landscape blended with beautiful architectural maneuvers, KUET- one of the top technological universities in Bangladesh, took the challenge to host the 11th ICCIT 2008. This is the first time ICCIT is held outside capital city Dhaka.

The conference was scheduled for three days (25-27 December, 2008). That included the inauguration ceremony, presentations on 138 technical papers, 6 keynote sessions addressed by 6 prominent researchers around the world, a session on BdREN, a gala dinner and a cultural show. Workshops organized by two prominent universities of Australia also took place in conjunction with the conference.

Initially 538 papers were submitted from 24 different countries. However, 158 papers were finally selected for the event. The selection panel consisted of 83 reviewers from all around the world. The paper acceptance rate of 29.4% indicates the acceptability of the conference. Out of these 158 papers, 138 papers finally took their places in the conference proceedings. Out of these papers, 42.4% have originated from authors outside of Bangladesh. The conference was technically co-sponsored by IEEE Bangladesh Section and the papers in the proceedings would be included in the IEEEXplore digital library. For the first time, some of the selected papers would have the chance to be extended and to be included in six distinguished journals- Journal of Computers, Journal of Communications, Journal of Multimedia, Journal of Networks, and Journal of Software published by Academy Publisher and International Technology Management Review published from Australia.

On 25th December the session began at early morning with registration & kit distribution. The formal opening of IICIT 2008 kicked off with a great style at 4.30 pm as there was a delay in the flight schedule of the chief guest. Before that there were two keynote sessions on the following topics: “How may research crank-up economic engine” by Mohammad A. Karim, PhD, Vice President for research, Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA and “Utility Oriented Grid Computing and the Gridbus Middleware” by Rajkumar Buyya, PhD, Director of GRIDS Lab, University Of Melbourne& CEO, Manjrasoft pty Ltd, Australia. In his lecture Prof. Karim addressed the major re-engineering milestones and the transformational context that has evolved research universities into what are now primary drivers of regional economic engines.The chairman of the university grants commissions of Bangladesh Prof. Nazrul Islam was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. Other special guests at the occasion included Prof. Dr. Nawsher Ali, VC, KUET, Chair, advisory committee, Iccit2008, Prof. Dr. Basudev Chandra Ghos, Co-chair, advisory committee, Iccit2008, Mohammad A. Karim, Chair, international programming committee, Iccit2008, Prof. Dr. M.M.A Hasem, Chair, organizing committee Iccit2008, and Prof. Dr. MD. Rafiqul Islam, Secretary of organizing committee Iccit2008. Among other distinguished guests, Dr. Jafar Iqbal, Shahjalal University Of Science & technology, Prof. Dr. Saifuddin Ahmed, VC, Khulna University, faculty members from different universities, authors and researchers were also present. 'The recent rapid development in information and communication Technology has urged scholars, scientists, researchers, academicians, theorists, professionals, technologists and entrepreneurs to share the improvement they are inducing. Conference like ICCIT is one of the strong and prestigious platforms for them to sustain the newer technologies they are inventing ' the chief guest was quoted saying.

He also added that the newer technologies should be used for the mankind and the political leaders of our country should also be aware of this ICT revolution. Prof. A. Karim said that this type of conferences energizes a large number of unusual young and talented people by providing them a world-class platform. 'The true measure of success of this major international conference will be judged by the newer ideas and techniques disseminated by it. It would help nurture a technological climate in Bangladesh,' Prof. A. Karim also addressed.

Over the next two days the research papers in the field of algorithms, information system and software engineering, bio-informatics, wireless communication, artificial intelligence and various other topics related to the respective field were presented. Some of these papers are very lucrative if implemented in Bangladesh. The four other keynote speakers of the conference were Abdul Sattar, PhD, Professor and Director, Institute for integrated intelligent systems, Griffith University, Australia and Research leader, National ICT Australia University, Ramamoharano Kotagiri, PhD, Professor, Department of Computer Science and software Engineering, The University Of Melbourne, Australia, Mohammad Atiquzzaman, PhD Professor, School Of Computer Science, University Of Okalhoma, USA, Alamgir Hossain, PhD, MOSAIC Research centre, Department Of Computing, school of informatics, University Of Bradford, UK.

When asked for his feedback Prof. Dr. Jafar Iqbal said, 'Unless we generate knowledge the education is not complete. So we need to have conferences where our researches will be able to contribute. because of this conference- I feel encouraged.' Mr. Abdul Sattar, PhD also shared his optimism. He said, ' In my view this conference was very well organized. I am particularly impressed by the enthusiasm shown by young academic staff and students; and the energy they employed in this event. For me it was the first visit to Bangladesh and I found people very warm, welcoming, respectful, polite and sincere in their jobs. I would like to thank the organizers and wish them all the best in future.' In the last day an invited session called 'A New era in Bangladesh higher education: joining the global alliance of emerging high performance research and education network' was conducted by Jabed. I. Khan, Ph.D, Professor, Department of Computer science, Kent University, USA. Professor Dr. Ehsanul Haque, member of UGC Bangladesh was also present with him as a supplementary speaker. Also for the first time in the history of ICCIT two international workshops on 'Internet and distributed computer system (IDCS2008)' organized by The University Of Melbourne, Australia and 'Data mining and artificial intelligence' were also held on 24th December in conjunction with ICCIT2008. The bandwagon came to an end by gala dinner and exclusive cultural show.

Art and festival

2009-11-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

Climate change has captured public attention much like the cold war, we all know there is a common enemy and there is a real threat of disaster, but at the back of our minds we think, if all else fails at least we have a bomb shelter. The only difference is that while a bomb shelter may protect one from a Soviet onslaught, it won't be of much use underwater, because that's what climate change can, will and is doing to millions of homes across the world. For those who think it's a myth, all they need to do is travel to the south of Bangladesh so see the first hand effects of climate change and how it destroys more than just homes, but dreams and aspirations.

Jamie Hewlett the British artist and co-creator of the comic strip Tank Girl and the band Gorillaz recently travelled to Bangladesh with Oxfam to see what climate change meant to those on the front lines. From his travels and experiences in Bangladesh he pieced together a small exhibition titled Under Water Colours, which was recently exhibited at the Dray Walk Gallery in London. The collection of watercolours are as distinct as his other graphic work. Yet the series from Bangladesh is interesting as he uses his comic book/ guerrilla graphic style to deal with life in the spectre of disaster. Known for his offbeat style in the hugely popular comic Tank Girl, he later explored his artistic boundaries with Blur's Damon Albarn to create the characters for immensely successful "virtual band" Gorillaz. His futuristic take on a virtual band included an extensive back-story, with intricate details as he fleshed out his characters with an urban grunge flair.

The basic elements of his artistic temperament remain unchanged in his exhibition on Bangladesh, the only major departure being the light in which he treats his subjects. In his piece "Chums" he painted two young girls he was following around the village. The view of their backs as they walk with an arm around each other is playful and feels almost as if it's out of a children's book. When talking about the painting Hewlett says, "We followed these two girls in the village looking happy and smiling. The children always looked so innocent. I wanted to portray the next generation and their future in an optimistic but realistic way - and show what a beautiful place Char Atra is. I think many people have sadly become numb (or immune) to footage of dying children. If people can relate to a picture, then it can sometimes have more of an impact. Showing two children being playful, walking down a path with their arms around each other is a connection that people here might understand from their own or their children's experiences."

While none of the paintings really jump up and hit you, there are a few which are quite surprising when one pays enough attention to them. In "Tree Kids" Hewlett portrays two children up a tree, but what could be a playful scene is actually about as frightening as one can get. On closer inspection the children are not up in the trees playing, they are up there to get away from the floods. One is griping the tree as hard as he can while the other is in a more comfortable position looking down on what surely is a flood, clutching a container of water. Interestingly Hewlett did not paint the flood, nor anything other the trees and the kids. One would assume that was to highlight the danger of what we cant see, in the larger sense of the exhibition and for that matter Bangladesh that would be climate change.

Another painting of the riverbank showcases the raw power of climate change. In it people stand on a riverbank inspecting the latest land erosion which threatens both their lives and their livelihoods. In a dairy he wrote of his time in Bangladesh he said, "we got to see the river erosion, where the river just gets slowly eaten away by the tides. We saw a concrete bridge with no land either side of it because the land's dropped back so far." While such a sight may be new to him, in Bangladesh river erosion is treated as a simple part of life, the only problem is that climate change exacerbates the damage.

Possibly the best painting to come out of the exhibition is "A boy called Zahid". In the painting he puts a little boy named Zahid who he met on his trip on a chair and tries to encapsulate his innocence and emotions as he looks up to the sky that brings his family and village so much hurt. The expression of pain on the boy's face is as beautifully nuanced as the delicate shading on his body and the creasing of his shorts. It is the piece which really brings the exhibition together and in a way serves as both the starting and ending point of journey.

In his diary on the trip to Bangladesh Hewlett wrote, "My first impression of Char Atra was that it's quite idyllic. It's very beautiful and green and there's a community living together, with the children just running around, having fun and swimming in the river. There's a sense of community, which you don't really have in England at all. It's hard to imagine this place being completely washed away, that the river rises so high that it can actually destroy all this." Nothing could be truer than this. His words just like his paintings have a way of cutting right to the point in a minimalist yet fulfilling manner. Hewlett's trip to Bangladesh may have been an eye opener to him on the reality of climate change, one only hopes those who saw his exhibition understood the human toll of the global phenomenon called climate change.

Labbaek Allah Humma labbaek- Al Hajj. Go and come back with good health

2009-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Health and safety is always a big concern of about 3 million Muslims who have already started and will travel to Saudi Arabia within a few days to perform the holy Hajj. One must be in good health, not only to perform Hajj and Umrah but also to make maximum use of the opportunity to make as much prayer as possible. The more physically fit one is, the easier it would become to perform the many rituals that a complete Hajj include. The following is a guideline to follow during performing Hajj which must be accompanied by your own doctor's advice pertaining to your health needs.

Physical fitness

Prepare yourself for the Hajj rituals prior to your departure by gradually walking greater distances starting 4-6 weeks before you leave. A brisk walk of 1 hour three times a week should be sufficient. One should practice one's walking in slippers that will be worn during the Hajj.

You should seek advice from your doctor if you have heart disease, lung disease, cancer or have previous or a family history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), hormone treatment, recent surgery, recent trauma involving lower limbs and any abnormalities of blood clotting factors.

Food and water safety

Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere. Drinking water has to be bought in the form of bottled water. However, Zam Zam is available freely in Makkah and in Medinah. Using this opportunity, you can fill containers with Zam Zam water and bring it to your room. Avoid ice cubes from vendors that is sold for cooling water.

Due to a change in the diet, indigestion and constipation may arise. Maintaining a high fibre diet, like a bran or wheat cereal, wholemeal bread, dried fruit, not eating an abundance of fried or fatty foods, drinking adequate amounts of water can avoid constipation and indigestion. Do not over eat. Eat small meals, have adequate liquids and keep out of the sun until you are required to stand outside. People should avoid eating exposed food, unpasteurised milk, milk-products and buying food from street vendors.

Prevent Swine flu

This year's Hajj will take place during flu season. Many individuals and governments are concerned about the possibility of an outbreak. The Saudi health ministry, aided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is setting up emergency operation centers to get real-time reports from area hospitals and clinics to track how many are sick and will need the free anti-viral medication stockpiled for the dense gathering. The density of the pilgrims, with shoulder-to-shoulder contact as they pray, provides 'a perfect transmission atmosphere' for the new flu that scientists call the 2009 H1N1 strain, officials warned.

Saudi health officials during the summer urged that children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic diseases postpone this year's trek, but they will not be banned. Flu virus is transmitted via the respiratory route and you should exercise sensible precautions:

• Where possible, avoid close contact with persons who are ill with an flu-like illness.

• Wash hands with soap and water; use waterless alcohol-based hand gels when soap and water is not available.

• Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes to prevent the spread of germs.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue promptly. If you fall ill (especially with flu like symptoms) you should seek medical assistance.

Diabetes

Please make sure that diabetes control is at its optimum. Together with a Doctor's help, optimal diabetic control should start at least two months before departure to make sure that control is good and the correct medication is taken.

A proper diabetic diet is very important. Most people would have their food included in their accommodation package. The hotels provide food for many people who do not have special dietary requirements. Diabetics should make their own arrangements where possible, e.g., use brown bread which can be bought easily instead of the tempting white flour rolls or bread that may be on offer, or the abundant white rice that may be prepared.

Fruit juices that are made in take-away places have large amount of sugar added to them to make the juice taste nice. Diabetics must make sure that no sugar is added. Fruit juices are plentiful and extremely tempting.

Diabetics must take extra care of their feet. Treat scratches and even tiny cuts promptly until they heal. Apply extra moisturiser to keep the skin supple and elastic. Care of nails and feet are also important. Remember that open sandals will be worn for the duration of Hajj. Nails should be well trimmed and not catch on clothes. When walking, allow enough space in front so that feet are not trampled.

Asthma

Asthma sufferers must ensure that their asthma is well controlled with preventative medications. They must ensure that they take adequate supply of their medications with them including preventative medication, broncho-dilator inhalers and tablets. If well controlled, asthma does not pose a problem during Hajj and Umrah.

In situations where there are crowds of people, infections are more likely to spread. Remember that germs spread by droplets from our mouth as we speak or when we cough, especially if phlegm is present or by direct contact as in sharing a cup, spoon, fork, etc. The unhygienic act of spitting phlegm onto the pavement that is very commonly seen must be prevented to avoid spreading germs.

Conclusion

If you intend to perform Hajj or Umrah, you need to make sure that your general health is good. If you suffer from any illness, please visit your doctor early so that your condition can improve before you leave. Adequate preparations will make the performance of Hajj a fruitful and memorable experience. It may bring the intention of performing the perfect Hajj that much closer. May Almighty Allah bless each and every Hujjaj with a safe and healthy Hajj.

Ten!! Years of Artcell

2009-10-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Friday the 23rd celebrated mega-band Artcell's 10-year anniversary in Dhaka Sheraton's Winter Garden. Along with Artcell performing there was Powersurge, Mechanix and Reborn with special guest appearances from Cryptic Fate, Rockstrata, X-Factor, Aurthohin, Warfaze, Miles and Feedback. Artcell began the show with a few of their own tracks starting with 'Shaheed Sharani' a tribute to the martyrs, 'Onno Shomoy' and 'Dukho Bilash'. The audience was cheering and singing them selves hoarse making it difficult to hear anything that anyone was saying. It was worth the wait because the music was unbelievable! During 'Dukho Bilash',

Artcell frontman, Lincoln, didn't even have to sing 'cos the audience was doing it for him. It was one of the best moments of the show. After the first three songs by Artcell, the first video message of the night was shown on the screen (again, couldn't hear ANYTHING because of the cheering) and members of Cryptic Fate joined them on stage. They started with a Cryptic Fate track 'Cholo Bangladesh' and then did a rendition of 'Bhul Jonmo' and the frontman, Shakib, lead the crowd in a “Happy Birthday” song to Artcell. Next up with the band were members of Rockstrata followed by Jewel from X-Factor who performed a song called 'Rupok' dedicated to the memory of the late Artcell lyricist, Torikul Islam Rupok. Shumon 'Bassbaba', from Aurthohin, joined the band next and did a couple of songs ending with Poth Chola, an Artcell classic. Mechanix replaced them on stage and performed 'Dhrubo Shor'. They also paid a VERY lenghty tribute to Bangladesh's rock music scene with a medley of songs from Azam Khan, Miles, Bacchu, James, Warfaze, Artcell, Powersurge, Aurthohin and one of their own.

Artcell came back on stage with Romel on keyboards and they did Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' (again in memory of Rupok), Metallica's 'The Unforgiven' and 'Tomake'. Reborn followed, after setting up for what seemed like a bajillion years, with an Artcell tribute of 'Odekha Shorgo' and a Warfaze tribute of 'Ekti Chele'.

Powersurge got up next and stole the show with their incredible performances of Artcell's 'Rahur Grash', Jame's 'Sultana Bibiani' and their own 'Mitther Aggroshon'. This was the last Dhaka show for Powersurge guitarist Samir Hafiz, one of the best in the business. The band dedicated their performance to Artcell as well and Samir and thanked him for the wonderful year and the journey they shared together. Samir also had a very emotional moment up on stage while thanking his devoted fans. 'Bangladesh is losing one of its best guitarists.' says a sad Powersurge fan. Samir, we all love you and will miss you very very much. Come home soon! The legendary Warfaze came next and following them was Feedback who performed one of their own songs 'Shunina Purono Diner Oi Gaan' and the Artcell version of Nazrul Sangeet 'Kandari Hushiyar'. Miles, singing 'Sriti Sharok' and 'Shopnobhongo', was the last band to join Artcell on stage.

Artcell ended the show with 'Aniket Prantor' and thanked the fans for a great 10 years. A video of 'Pathor Bagan' an Artcell track was screened along with mini video messages to and from the bands performing with them throughout the concert. Overall, performance-wise, the show was immensely successful with every band giving us all an unforgettable show. However, the same could not be said for the organizing: there seemed to be a lot of technical difficulties (during Mechanix's tribute, the sound kept failing) and then there was the whole Bengali tradition style wait at the start. The concert was supposed to start at 3:30 but ended up hitting it off at 5:52. During this whole wait, the audience actually had to stand waiting for Artcell to finally get on stage. The '10 years of Artcell Insanity' show credits go to ConcitoPR, Spotlight Events Management and Game Theory, with Media Partner Radio Foorti and, of course, the band.
Congratulations Artcell on ten years of progressive rocking out. May you continue to record and perform your extensive songs for another 10 more successful years!!

Sher-e-Bangla A.K Fazlul haque- The Tiger of Bengal

2009-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

BANGLADESH remembers today a great hero, a giant among men, who was born on this red-letter day in 1873. The whole nation honours and respects and admires this brave son of Bengal because he loved peace and did everything in his power to avert dire calamities; because he merited the high and exalted positions to which the suffrage of a grateful nation elevated him; because he was regardless of personal gains and cheerfully endured all toil and hardship so that he might elevate the masses of mankind; because he had a high sense of honour, respected the rights of conscience, and nobly advocated equality of privileges and the universal brotherhood of man; because he had an unshakable faith in Islam but never spoke ill of any other religion; because he was a man of the people. And Bangladeshis believe that he was one of us and that he was for us. Yes, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq, whose birth anniversary we celebrate today, really gave enormously of himself to the people, and he really loved the people.

He came right from the heart of Bengal, not from its geographical heart but from its spiritual heart. He exemplified what millions of parents hope their sons would be: strong and courageous, intelligent and erudite, honest and compassionate. He personified integrity, he personified honour, he personified modesty, he personified dignity, he personified dedication, he personified loyalty, he personified patriotism. And with his qualities of head and heart, he personified the best in Bengal.

His was indeed an eventful life, his personality multi-faced and his achievements many. Many were the roles he had filled with distinction. At one time or another, he was one of the greatest legal luminaries the Indian subcontinent had produced, an unparalleled ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, a great constitutionalist, a distinguished parliamentarian, a top-notch politician, an indefatigable freedom fighter, a fiery orator of the first water, a political strategist of the highest order, an educationist of rare caliber, a social reformer with foresight and acumen, and, above all, an indomitable champion of truth and justice.

No wonder the people loved him with all the warmth and sincerity under the sun, and every trust that the people of this country had in their power to bestow, he was given. And yet, he always retained a saving humility. His was the humility not of feat but of confidence. He brushed shoulders with the "greats" of both the subcontinent and Great Britain, and he knew that the "greats" were human. Yes, his was the humility of man before Allah and before the truth. His was the humility of a man too proud to be arrogant.

When Sher-e-Bangla was born in 1873, Bengal lay prostrate at the feet of the British, groaning from the wounds inflicted upon it. The Great Mutiny of 1857 had been ruthlessly quelled and the ancient ruling classes had either been wiped out or lay cringing in the dust. The poor and helpless people of Bengal were so hungry, ragged and unhappy that they thought with their stomach, saw with their nakedness and felt with their misery.

The Tiger of Bengal genuinely believed that he was one of them and that he was for them. He was driven by a mission to serve, to improve and uplift the toiling masses. He inspired them to go forward, to take their lives in their hands, fully and joyfully as he himself did. And the hundreds and thousands of hapless and downtrodden have-nots, who stood in awe of the mighty, very easily gave their heart to this person who renounced personal advantages and dedicated himself of the general welfare. It is true some differed with him, but all respected his sincerity, his wisdom, his solicitude for the toiling masses and his passion for truth and justice.

No one who knew Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq would attempt to describe him in a nutshell. He was many-sided, complex, full of conflicting enthusiasms and burdened by many sorrows. Yet, there has seldom been a public hero who was more open with his problems and his thoughts, in private letters and public prints, in speeches and conversations with friends and colleagues. He always seemed to talk fully and freely, to say just what he thought and felt, to make every effort to see that his listeners understood his viewpoint, regardless of what they might think of its merits.

Some remember the mastery of language, the gift of oratory that placed him in a class with Edmund Burke and Winston Churchill. Some remember that he was human and humane, a fully developed man who responded so keenly to the joy of life as he did to the cry of human distress. Some remember that he was a lover of people, a lover whose loyalty was pledged to all mankind. Some remember that all his life he pleaded and strove for social justice, for the right of the lowly to dignity, of the poor to material well-being, of the citizen of self-government, of the ignorant to knowledge, of the child to unfettered development, of the chained Bengalees to consciousness and freedom.

Some remember how he truly loved problems, and with an exuberant confidence that few politicians could match he thought that he could solve some of them, though not single-handedly. He delighted in leading and managing and inspiring people, all kinds of people, people in every walk of life, in every domain of thought. As he could persuade, he could also be persuaded. He had respect for others' points if he was persuaded that he had been wrong. Tolerance and sympathy were elements of his character, and that character gained him the affection and esteem of millions of his countrymen. But let none forget even for a moment the single quality that made him unique, the quality that made him powerful, the quality that endeared him to the common masses: the qualities of head and heart, the quality of character. His greatness derived not from his office, but from his character, from a unique moral force that transcended national boundaries, even as his deep concern for humanity transcended international boundaries.

Sher-e-Bangla, the beloved Tiger of Bengal, is a part of history now -- he had shaded himself, in the words of Omar Khayyam, "with yesterday's seven thousand years." Once again we celebrate today the birth anniversary of the doyen of Bengal, once again the whole nation salutes the great personality, a fond salute to a man whose extraordinary life was dedicated to service, a profound respectful salute to a man larger than life who, by any standard, was one of the giants of all times. The beautiful eulogy of John Maidston aptly applies to him: "A larger soul hath seldom dwelt in a house of clay."

Blazing a trail for Bengali Muslim artistes: Abbau Uddin

2009-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 107th birth anniversary of legendary folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed (October 27, 1901-December 30, 1959). He was born at Balarampur in Tufanganj subdivision in the district of Cooch Behar, now in West Bengal. His father, Zafar Ali Ahmed, was a lawyer at the Tufanganj Subdivisional Court. Abbasuddin's interest in music grew through attendance at cultural functions at school and college. He was self-taught, except for a brief period when he trained under Ustad Jamiruddin Khan in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Ustad Kader Buksh in Murshidabad. He sang different types of songs such as folk, adhunik, patriotic and Islamic. But Abbasuddin became renowned mainly as a singer of folk songs.Initially, he became famous for his renditions of bhawaiya and chatka songs. He became increasingly popular with his jaari, shari, bhatiyali, murshidi, bichchhedi, marsiya and pala gaan, especially when these were made into gramophone records. No other singer could surpass his emotional, full-throated rendition of folk songs.

The fact that the virtuoso artiste played a key role in popularising Islamic songs in Bangla is often overlooked. "Ramzan-er oi rozar sheshey elo khushir Eid," a song that has become the unofficial harbinger of Eid-ul-Fitr, was originally recorded by Abbasuddin. This song, composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, brought about a cultural renaissance among Bengali Muslims. According to Ferdousi Rahman, daughter of Abbasuddin and a renowned artiste: “In those days Abba was singing in Kolkata with HMV; he had also done various songs of Nazrul by that time. He wished to sing Islamic songs and told Nazrul about his desire to record Islamic songs like qawwali, which were very popular at the time. In those days conservative Muslims considered singing and even listening to music sacrilege. Bhagabati Babu, the rehearsal manager of Gramophone Company, was approached, but he angrily rejected the idea. At a suitable moment, Bhagabati was requested again and this time he gave his consent.”

Nazrul composed the song within a matter of half an hour and taught Abbasuddin the song the very next day. The song became an instant hit and this marked the beginning of the era of Islamic songs in Bangla. Abbasuddin stayed in Calcutta from 1931 to 1947. In 1947, after Partition, he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting as an additional song organiser. He participated at the South East Asia Conference in Manila in 1955 and at the International Folk Music Conference in Germany in 1956. Abbasuddin wrote an account of his life as a singer in "Amar Shilpi Jiban-er Katha" (1960). For his invaluable contribution to music he was posthumously honoured with the "Pride of Performance Award" in 1960, "Shilpakala Academy Award" in 1979 (posthumously) and "Swadhinata Dibas Puraskar" in 1981 (posthumously). Apart from Ferdousi, Abbasuddin's son Mustafa Zaman Abbasi and his granddaughter Nashid Kamal are also renowned singers.

Banks Of Bangladesh with SWIFT code and other information

2009-10-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here I have gathered most popular local banks of

Bangladesh

with the location, contact information and SWIFT code. I only have used the SWIFT code of head office of each bank as there are numerous branches of each bank and the SWIFT code differs from each branch from other.

Name	Head office	SWIFT	Telephone	E-mail
Al-Arafah	Rahman Manssion,161 Motijheel C/A Dhaka-1000,	`	(880-2)-9568007, 9560198, 9567885,9567819, 9569353	alarafah@bangla.net
AB Bank	Corporate Head Office BCIC Bhaban, 30-31 Dilkusha C/A Dhaka 1000,	ABBLBDDH	+880-2-9560312	info@abbank.com.bd
Agrani Bank	9/D, Dilkusha C/A, Motijheel, Dhaka	AGBKBDDH	9566153-54, 9566160-69, 9566074-75	enquiry@agranibank.org

Bangladesh Commerce	Principal Branch, Taranga Complex 19, Rajuk Avenue, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka		9553832, 9668171 PABX: 9559831, 9571581 Ext-123	bcbl@bdmail.net
Bangladesh Shilpa Bank	8, Rajuk Avenue Dhaka-1000		+880-2-9556786 PABX: +880-2-9555151-59 Ext- 412 +880-2-9560014-15 Ext- 412	misd@shilpabank.gov.bd

BRAC Bank	1 Gulshan Avenue , Gulshan -1, Dhaka 1212 .	BRAK BD DH	+880-2-8824051-4	enquiry@bracbank.com
Citibank N.A.	23, Motijheel C/A Dhaka-1000	CITIBDDX	+880 2 9550060
Dhaka Bank	Adamjee Court 115-120 Motijheel C/A,		9556583, PABX: 9556587,	shihab1@bdonline.com

Dutch-Bangla Bank	Sena Kalyan Bhaban (3rd & 4th floor) 195, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000	DBBL BJ	88-02-9568542-44	dbbl@bdmail.net
Eastern Bank	Jiban Bima Bhaban (2nd floor) 10, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000	EBLD BJ	9558390, 9558391, 9562348, PABX: 9556360-70,	info@ebl-bd.com
Exim Bank	Printers Building (5th, 6th & 10th & 13th Floor) 5, Rajuk Avenue, Dhaka-1000		9566418, 9561604	eximho@bdonline.com
First Security Bank	23, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000,		9564733, 9560229, 95626878	fsbldil@bdonline.com
Habib Bank:	PO Box 201, 53 Motijheel, Commercial Area, Dhaka		+880 2 9563043-5	hbldhaka@bdonline.com
IFIC Bank	Head Office BSB Building (8th, 10th & 16th – 19th Floor) 8, Rajuk Avenue G.P.O. Box – 2229 Dhaka-1000	IFIC BD DH	9563020, 9562060, 9562062, 9562068	info@ificbankbd.com
Islami Bank Bangladesh	75, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka	IBBLBDDH	9563040	sheikhul@islamibankbd.com
Jamuna Bank:	Printers Building (3rd & 8th) Floor 5, Rajuk Avenue, Dhaka,	JAMUBDDH	88-02-9570912-16, 9555141	jamunabk@bdcom.com
Janata Bank	48, Motijheel Corporate48, Motijheel Commercial Area, Dhaka-1000,	JANBBDDH	9566094,9565003,9566089	md@janatabank-bd.com
Mercantile Bank	61, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka	MBLBBDDH	880-2-9559333	mbl@bol-online.com
Mutual Trust Bank	68 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka.	MTBL BD DH	717 0138 – 40	mosharraf@mtb.com.bd
National Bank	International Division 18 Dilkusha C/A,Dhaka-1000	NBLBBDDH	(880) (2) 955 7045, 955 1200	nblid@bdonline.com
National Credit & Commerce Bank	7-8 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000 G.P.O. Box No. 2920		88-02-9561902-4, 9566283, 7117314	nccbl@bdmail.net
One Bank	HRC Bhaban, 46 Kawaran Bazar C/A, Dhaka	ONEBBDDH	8122046	obl@onebankbd.com
Pubali Bank G.P.O. Box. Number : 853. CODE :	26, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka-1000	PUBABDDH	9551614	pubali@bdmail.net
Premier Bank	IQBAL CENTRE (4th Floor), 42 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka-1213		880-2-9887581-84, 8811417, 9890591-2, 8819916, 9890547, 9890012, 8825614	info@pemierbankltd.com
Rupali Bank	Rupali Bhaban, 34, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka	RUPBBDDH	9551624-25, 9554122, 9552163,	rblhocom@bdcom.com
Shahjalal Bank	Head Office, 35-44, Motijheel C/A Dhaka -1000,		88-02-9550655	sbhoitd@bttb.net.bd ; sbhoid@bdmail.net
SouthEast Bank Limited	1, Dilkusha Commercial Area 3rd Floor, Dhaka - 1000,	SEBD BD DH	(88-02)9550081-5, (88-02)9567271-2	seastbk@citechco.net
Uttara Bank	90, Motijheel Commercial Area, P.O. Box No. 217 & 818 Dhaka-1000,	UTBLBDDH	9551162-3, 9553085-6, 9558656, 9566067-9, 9565732, 9568941	uttara@citechco.net ; ublmis@citechco.net
Standard Bank Limited	Chamber Building 122-124, Motijheel C/A	SDBLBDDH	017111-425402	info@standardbankbd.com
The Trust Bank	Peoples Insurance Building, 17th,16th & 2nd floor, 36 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000,		9570261, 9570263, 9572012-3	tbl@global-bd.net ; info@trustbankbd.com
United Commercial Bank	58, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000	UCBLBDDHPRB	+88-02-9555799, 9561054,9559744 Pabx: +88-02-9550836, 9550833,9568547-48	prb@ucbl.com
Southeast Bank	Address: 1, Dilkusha Commercial Area 3rd Floor, Dhaka - 1000,	SEBD BD DH	(88-02)9550081-5, (88-02)9567271-2	seastbk@citechco.net
Standard Bank:	Chamber Building 122-124, Motijheel C/A	SDBLBDDH	9559044	info@standardbankbd.com

Art and culture of Bangladesh

2009-10-21T11:45:00.001-07:00

Lalon: Reverberations in the soul

After 119 years of his demise, Fakir Lalon Shai's philosophy continues to have a strong hold, especially in the greater Kushtia and adjacent areas. Every year a large number of people from all corners of the country as well as from abroad visit Lalon's shrine and pay homage to the great bard.

On the occasion of Lalon's death anniversary and 'dol' utshab, special programmes were arranged in Chheuria. The programmes featured rendition of Lalon's songs and a 'mela'.

This year's programme on the occasion of Lalon's 119th death anniversary began on October 16 (the first day of the Bangla month 'Kartik'). The festival ended on October 18.

Lalon Academy -- the organisation consisting of elected people responsible for looking after Lalon's shrine and preserving his works -- organised a programme in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Banglalink was the sponsor of the programme.

The three-day programme by the academy included a 'Lalon Mela,' discussion and rendition of baul songs. Enlisted artistes of the academy and invited baul singers from across the country rendered popular and lesser-known Lalon songs on the stage.

This year, the academy honoured ten personalities including renowned Lalon researcher Professor Abul Ahsan Choudhury, Abdur Razzak and Abdul Latif Shah.

Apart from the Lalon Academy event, several programmes by different groups were also held at the adjacent areas of Lalon's shrine.

'Nabopran Andolon,' a cultural movement based on Lalon's philosophy, arranged a programme at its centre, just opposite the shrine.

Another group known as 'Mazar Sharif and Sheba Shadan Committee’ organised a three-day programme at Fakir Anwar Hossain aka Mantu Shai's residence. A group of bauls led by Humayun Shadhu rendered songs all day and night next to the shrine.

The bauls made space for themselves here and there in little groups and paid tribute to the great bard in their own ways -- through rendering songs. Not only bauls, enthusiastic urbanites were also in the crowd.

Apart from the Lalon Akhra premises, adjacent villages were also in a festive mood on the occasion. The villagers also made arrangements for performances at their yards. Music continued throughout the night. The nearby 'shamshan ghat' (cremation grounds) also came alive as bauls sat there and sang devotional songs of Lalon. All in all, the bard's songs reverberated in the locale throughout the festival.

The 'mela' (fair) was held at an open space in front of Lalon's shrine. It was the main attraction for those who were less interested in the spiritual aspects of the festival. Almost everything that is found at a village fair, was available at the mela. Locally made sweets, reputed handloom products from Kumarkhali and other areas of the district, musical instruments like 'ektara,' 'dotara,' 'dhol,' 'khol' and flute were also available at the mela.

For children there was 'nagor dola'. A street magician amused the spectators with his tricks. It was obvious that the Lalon Mela has turned into a cultural tradition of the locality.

Breast cancer in Bangladesh

2009-10-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

October which is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds our pledge to boost awareness about breast cancer. Every year, the deadly cancer affects thousands of women in Bangladesh. Many of the deaths from this cancer could be prevented through adopting useful measures like self examination of breast, regular and periodic screening, early diagnosis and treatment.

Experts recommend that certain simple measures like maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, taking a low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats and taking vitamin-D can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer to a significant level.
The research by American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund has found that 40 percent of all cases of breast cancer could be prevented with lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes concerning certain risk factors may help prevent breast cancer. The best advice today to help lower the risk of the disease is to maintain a healthy body weight, especially after menopause.

Maintain a healthy body weight

There is a clear link between obesity, especially if you have gained the weight later in life, after menopause. Excess fat is a source of circulating estrogen. And breast cancer risk is linked to how much estrogen we are exposed to during our lifetime. Regular exercise can help us maintain healthy weight and, also helps in lowering the risk of breast cancer.

Eat a healthy diet

Aim for a low-fat diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats. It is not known which specific foods increase the risk. More and more evidence shows alcohol is related to breast cancer, but some evidence shows moderate drinking is beneficial for heart disease prevention.
According to the studies, foods that may help preventing breast cancer include fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Fill two-thirds of your plate with plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Include whole grains, canned tomato products such as pasta sauce, and cruciferous vegetables (including cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower) often, as these foods in particular may offer protection against breast cancer.

Stay physically active

Women should get 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity everyday. According to the National Cancer Institute, women can reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by 25 percent with exercise. If you have not been particularly active in the past, start your exercise program slowly and gradually work up.

Take vitamin D

In a study of 1,760 women, scientists of California found that risk fell steadily with increasing blood levels of vitamin D. The highest levels (more than 52 ng/mL) correlated with a 50% reduced risk of breast cancer, compared with the lowest amounts (less than 12 ng/mL).
Vitamin D supplemen-tation is one of the most promising approaches to prevention. Nutrition experts have already begun to recommend that adults get 800–1,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Vitamin-D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods like egg, cod liver oil, tuna, margarine, butter (fortified) and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.

Avoid hormone replacement therapy

Hormone replacement therapy really does increase breast cancer. Try to avoid hormone replacement therapy. If you need it, use the lowest possible dose for the shortest period possible. These measures cannot provide a guarantee that you will not develop the disease, but, they will give you a great start towards breast cancer prevention.
There are risks for breast cancer that we cannot control like age, gender, family genes and the environment. So the easiest thing for us to control is our choices of foods and drinks, and next is our activity levels. Let’s start the simple strategies to decrease the risk of breast cancer.

Free Home based online earning from job without invest a single cent.

2009-10-16T09:43:00.001-07:00

In my previous post I have mentioned that Bangladesh is economically poor country. A large number of people live under poverty line and because of population explosion the condition is becoming uncontrolled day by day. Unemployment, food crisis, disaster, illiteracy and some social factors are responsible for low level of life in our country. Again, as necessity knows no law so corruption becomes another typical factor in all aspect of the country. So, hence question arises, which is most important for the development of our country?

As it is a multi factorial problem, so numerous factors are associated and if we want to solve or develop our country, we need to make a lot of changes in nearly every aspect of our country. As I am a online surfer and a free lance worker I have a small solution of this problem, I think. I am talking about online job, mainly home based. We live in such a country where online or internet is becoming more popular each day and we mainly young citizen use internet as a media of amusement, communication and education also. But most of them do not know that it can be turned into a good source of earning. If you have a PC, a internet connection and above all desire to earn money, Online is a mercy place for that. Even you may start your business without any investment except your time and labour.

Several questions may arise regarding earning.

1) Is it really possible to earn from online?

Answer: You will certainly earn but at the same time, keep in mind that there are a lot of sites or programs are there and they offer money by doing certain jobs. But at last you will get nothing. They are called scam sites. Some site pays their member for certain time like first and second time. But when they able to earn your respect and believe they will not pay you any more. Again there are a lot of sites they really pay their members. So before starting any job in any particular site you should search the information about that particular site in various community forums, Yahoo search and Google search or any other place where you may get information. And you should share your opinion, experience regarding any jobs as it will help the other online earner.

2) How much a man could earn from online job?

Answer: It is a nice question, no doubt. My answer is- it varies. You may earn a lot, again you may earn a little. But the more time and labor you would invest here, you would earn the more. Experience is a vital factor and you may gain a lot of experience within short time if you try. Go through various money making website and forums, again search the reviews about online earning and browse the internet. Try to understand their strategy, see how they work. What are the plans, find out what they want to say. Keep in mind that it is not so easy, there is hardly anyone who may earn for nothing.

3) What is needed to earn then?

Answer: Especially time, labor and intelligence and good plans are needed. Money is also needed but not for all. As a new online surfer or earner investing money is dangerous. All time just remember that good, real paying sites or jobs never ask money to start the work. Again, there are certain programs, demand or ask money and they are also legit or paying but those are not recommended for new online user.

4) When and how, we would get money?

Answer: Each site or program has specific policy and rule towards the member regarding payment. Those programs which transit money are called money processors and they pay according to their policy. Each earning site have made link with the money processing program and you can withdraw your money through the processors. Then according to the payment method of the processor, your money will be sent to you. e.g. You have an account in the site named A. You need to work there and earn minimum money (in most of the cases) to request payment from that site. In the site, a link to money processor was there, such as B. So, your earning from A site would be withdrawn in B(money processors) according to the policy of A and B. Then you may cash or withdraw your money from B. Easy process. In every step you need to have account with particular site and money processor.

5) What are the important and reliable money processors and method of paying?

Answer: Alertpay, Paypal, Liberty reserve, debit and credit cards, check and direct bank processing. I have said that each program has specific one or more payment processors and according to policy your money would be sent to you. So, no need to loss the hair. To start with the processors, firstly you need to have account with the processors also. Some site uses debit card, credit card and even bank account to transit money.

Historical places in Dhaka- Hossaini Dalan

2009-10-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

“Hossaini Dalan”
An ancient Shi'a Shrine of Mourning

The mourning of Muharram is an important period of mourning in the Shia’s branch of Islam, tking place in the first month of the Islamic calendar. Many of the events associated with the mourning take place in the congregation halls known as Hussainia. A Hussainia is a different from a mosque in that it is made mainly for gatherings for Muharram in the mourning of Hussain Ibn Ali (RA). In the south Asia, a Hussainia is also referred as an “imambara”, imambargah or “Ashurkhana”. In Bahrain it is acalled a “ma’tam”. Hossaini Dalan at old Dhaka is such one of the oldest imambara in the Indo-Pak subcontinent.

Legend has it that one Sayyid Murad built the building during the Subedari (Governorship) if Shah Shuja, son of Mughal emperor Sah Jahan after receiving instruction from Imam Hussain in a vision. Since then, the building has been enhanced and renovated between the year 1996 and 2006 under the auspices of able management team and donors from both home and abroad.

At the battle of Karbala imam Hussain Ibn Ali, a grandson of prophet Muhammad (SM) the founder of Islam and Shia Imam was killed by the force of the second Umayad caliph yazid I. The event is marked by arranging ‘majalis’ to review Islamic teachings and to commemorate Hussains’s sacrifice. The mourning reached its climax on the tenth day, known as Ashura, on which the forces of Yazid killed the 72 individuals who fought, including Hussain and his family and supporters.

Imam Hossain embraced the martyrdom in Karbala, Iraq on 10 october 680 AD. According to Shi’a school of thought, the events of Karbala reflect collision between good nad bad, virtuous versus wicked. Imam Hussain was a revolutionary person, righteous man, the religious authority and Imam of Muslim Ummah. As the representative of his granfather Prophet (SM), Imam Hussain’s main concern was to safeguard and protect the follower of Islam and guide them to the best of his ability. Shi’as believe , Muawiya was out to establish a permanent Ummayyads rulership over the muslim ummah by doing it in the name of Islam. But Imam Hussain brilliantly succeeded in foiling this pan at the expense of his valuable life.

Historical places in Dhaka-Ahsan Manjil

2009-10-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

AHSAN MANJIL

It is the most magnificent architectural monument in Bangladesh. It is located in the bank of river Buriganga. It is now a museum that preserve the culture and history of Nawab’s of Dhaka. Recognizing the historical and architectural importance of the Ahsan Manzil, the government of Bangladesh took some measures to renovate it. In 1985 Ahsan Manzil and its surroundings were acquired.

After the completion of the renovation work in 1992, it was brought under the control of Bangladesh National Museum (20 September 1992) and was opened for visitors. It was considered as official residents of the then Dhaka’s Nawabs. The building has a long history. First, it was the Rangmahal and lastly it became the French Trade centre. It took several years extending from 1859 to 1872, to complete the total architecture and was named “Ahsan Manjil” by Abdul Ghani after the name of Nawab kwaja ahsanullah.

Famous People like Lord Dufferin, Northbrook, Lord Curzon visited the place and accepted the hospitality at Ahsan manjil in different time. Almost all political activities of Nawab Khwaja Salimullah centred round this palace. Ahsan Manzil was the cradle of the All India Muslim League.

Established on a raised platform of 1 metre the two-storied palace measures 125.4 m by 28.75 m. The height of the ground floor is 5 metres and that of the first floor 5.8 metres. The dome is 27.13 m above the ground. There are porticos the height of the ground floor, both on the northern and southern sides of the palace. An open spacious stairway comes down from the southern portico, extending onto the bank of the river through the front garden. There was once a fountain in the garden in front of the stairs that does not exist today. The spacious north and south verandas of both the floors rest on semicircular arches. The verandas and rooms are covered with marble.

Arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh

2009-10-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Arsenicosis in Bangladesh

Arsenic contamination in ground water was 1st identified in Argentina. Arsenic contamination has become a problem in more than 20 countries of the world. It is a very common problem of Bangladesh.

The arsenic contamination in Bangladesh is believed to be biggest arsenic calamities of the world. In Bangladesh the origin of arsenic in ground water is geogenic. Arsenic already exist in sediments at varying level of depths in varying amounts in different parts of the country. Most of the arsenic contamination of tube wells occurs in the middle and upper Holocene sediments. Arsenic is carried with sediments from upstream through the rivers and deposited in these area over thousands of years.

Arsenic contamination of ground water is a major public health problem in Bangladesh. In1993 the contamination was officially first reported following detection of excessive arsenic I 4 tube wells of Chamagram village of Barogharia union of Nawabgang by DPEH. Subsequently in 1994 the existence of arsenic related problems were formally recognized following detection of 8 arsecosis patients through fact finding survey in 1994 by DOEH of NIPSOM. At present it has been estimated that about 50 – 75 million people are at risk distributed in 61 districts out of 64 districts. So far as many as 15000 arsenicosis patients has been detected.

Some question and answers to provide a guide line about arsenic contamination.

Q: What are the sources of arsenic contamination?

Ans: Sources of contamination:

1) The contamination of water has resulted due to leaching of arsenic from mining sites.

2) The contamination is related to relies of arsenic sediments into the pore water of aquifers.

Q: Define arsenicosis?

Ans: Definition of arsenicosis – A chronic Condition due to prolonged exposure of arsenic above safe level (0.05 mg/L) of water usually manifested by characteristic skin lesion with or without involvement of internal organs and malignancy.

Q: Whar are the sign symptoms of arsenicosis?

Ans:

Signs and symptoms of arsenicosis:

1st. Phase- Pigmentary changes in skin and mucus membrane e.g. hyper pigmentation (melanosis), keratosis, conjunctival congestion, bronchitis, asthma and gastroenteritis.

2nd Phase- luekomelanosis, hyper keratosis, non pitting edema weakness, peripheral neuropathy e.g. tingling, numbness, burning sensation and pain.

3rd.Phase- Gangrene, cancer of skin, urinary bladder, lungs and liver and kidney failure.

Q: Steps of diagnosis of arsenicosis?

Ans:

Lab. Investigation:

Evaluation of arsenic contamination of drinking water
Examination of body tissues like hair, nail, skin and urine

Steps for diagnosis of arsenicosis:

History : H/O exposure- History of consumption of arsenic contaminated water for a period exceeding 6 months.
Clinical Examination- a) Characteristic skin manifestation,

b) Nondermatological manifestation and

c) Presence of complication

Q: How to manage a case of arsenicosis?

Ans:

Management:

Stop intake of arsenic contaminated water
Vitamin -A 50000 I.u, Vitamin – E 200 mg and Vitamin - C 500 mg daily.
Application of Keratolytic – 5 – 10% urea-salicylic acid ointment

Alternate water supply option:

Treatment of surface water
Rain water harvesting
Dug/ ring well
Deep tube well
Treatment of arsenic contaminated water
Piped water supply

Special days and festival- part 2

2009-09-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

Pohela Boishakh

Bengali New Year, we also called Nobo borsho or Pohela Boishakh, is the first day of the Bengali calendar. It is a national holiday of Bangladesh. Also it is celebrated in west Bengal, Assam, Tripura. It connects all ethnic Bengalis, irrespective of religious and regional differences. It is celebrated either in 14 or 15 April and it depends on the use of the new amended or the old Bengali calendar respectively. In Bangladesh, it is celebrated on April 14 according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy. In West Bengal and Assam it is a public (state) holiday and is publicly celebrated on April 15 every year.

During reign of Akbar the celebration was started. The customer had to pay or clear all their dues on the last day of Choitro or last day of Bengali year. On the next day, or the first day of the New Year, landlords would welcome them with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivals. Gradually it becomes as part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of celebration. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practiced, especially by jewelers.

Pohela Boishakh is deeply rooted with in the heart of Bengali people. In the past it was mainly celebrated in rural areas but now it has become enormously big in the cities, especially in Dhaka and Chittagong. Usually on this day we wear new dresses, clean up our homes and get up from bed early in the morning. Peoples spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbors. Special foods are prepared to entertain guests. Boishakhi fairs are arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers and dancers staging jatra (traditional plays), pala gan, kobigan, jarigan, gambhira gan, gazir gan and alkap gan. They present folk songs as well as baul, marfati, murshidi and bhatiali songs. Narrative plays like Laila-Majnu, Yusuf-Zulekha and Radha-Krishna are staged. Among other attractions of these fairs are puppet shows and merry-go-rounds.

There are some festivals we have added recently and we do not follow some old festivals. Community people of Dhaka city arrange “Kite flying” and “bull racing” arranged by Munshiganj people, two very much enjoyable events. Other popular village games and sports were horse races, bullfights, cockfights, flying pigeons, and boat racing. We still two events very much. One is bali (wrestling) in Chittagong and gambhira in Rajshahi are still popular events.

Now city peoples enjoy this day especially the younger peoples more. They wake up early in the morning and gather under a large tree mainly under big banyan tree and observe the sunshine. The main event of the celebration used to happen under the large tree in Ramna Park and we called the place Romna Botmul. Artists, singers and other people present song, drama and the whole atmosphere turn into musical. People of all walks of life used to wear traditional dress. Girls wear white sari with red border and bindis on forehead. Bangles of various color are a good stuff and commonly use. Male people wear Pajama, panjabi and village people wear lungi and shirt. Various foods are made in this day. We usually start our breakfast with fried Ilish fish, rice soaked in water, green chilies and onion.

Television, radio and other news media publish special news and programs. A similar ceremony is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Students and teachers of the institute take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus. Social and cultural organisations celebrate the day with cultural programmes. There is a historical importance of Pohela boishakh. Pakistan government had stopped all the poetries by Rabindra nath tagore and the then tagore’s supporter protested againt the declaration and at first opened their celebration from Chhayanat by singing the song of Rabindra nath. Before the liberation war it was celebrated as a Bengali cultural program of the than east Pakistan. But after the liberation war it becomes our national holiday.

Special days and festival- Part 1

2009-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

1st February- International mother Language day

If any one asks me why I am discussing this type of event at first I would say, This “Bengali” language is our pride and the movement for language was a war winning day for Bengali nationalism. Yes, we are the only nation who sacrificed lives for language. 21st

February is called, “International mother Language day”. We called it “Ekushe February”, now we call it, “Omor Ekushe”. It is also known as Martyr’s day, Shohid dibosh. It reflects and is originated from the protests and sacrifice by the Bengali people to protect the Bengali language, their mother tongue During Pakistani regime, 1952. UNESCO proclaimed this day as International Mother Language day on 17 November, 1999. International Mother Language Day is observed yearly by UNESCO member states and at its headquarters to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the then Governor General of Pakistan. On 21 March 1948, he declared that Urdu would be the only official language for both West and East Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), whose main language is Bengali, started to protest against this. On 21 February 1952, students of capital city of Dhaka called for a provincial strike. The government invoked a limited curfew to prevent this and the protests were tamed down so as to not break the curfew. The Pakistani police fired on the students despite these peaceful protests and a number of students,common people and other protestors were killed, including Salam, Barkat, Rafique, Zabbar. The movement spread to the whole of East Pakistan and the whole province came to a standstill. Afterwards, the Government of Pakistan relented and gave Bangla equal status as a national language.

Actually it made the first steps towards our liberation war on 1971. It made the concept of democracy more strong. It also helped to nourished the patriotism of

Bangladesh

It inspired the Bangalees to live as a different and independent nation from Pakistan. We will never forget their sacrifice and through out the whole time we will remember them. To commemorate their sacrifice, Shahid Minar, a beautiful sculpture was made at the place of sacrifice. UNESCO was trying to make the way to promote the mother tongue and to establish Mother Language Day. They observe the history and found that though Bangladesh was a independence country but still people of Bangladesh celebrate the day as before and there is no history that any nation could sacrifice their life for Mother tongue. So, UNESCO decided to observe 21 February as International Mother Language Day. The UNESCO General Conference took a decision to that took effect on 17 November 1999 when it unanimously adopted a draft resolution submitted by Bangladesh and co-sponsored and supported by 28 other countries.UNESCO's declaration of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day has brought fresh glory and prestige to Bangladesh.

Main attraction of Bangladesh

2009-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Cox's Bazar

Cox's Bazar is a town, a fishing port and district headquarter in Bangladesh. It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is known for its wide sandy beach which is claimed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. Since the rise and fall of the tide here is not great, it is a good place for sea bathing. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong. Cox’s Bazar is also known by the name "Panowa", the literal translation of which means "yellow flower". Its other old name was "Palongkee".

The modern Cox's Bazar derives its name from Captain Cox (died 1799), an officer serving in British India. In the 18th century, an officer of British East India Company, Captain Hiram Cox was appointed as the Superintendent of Palongkee outpost after Warren Hastings became the Governor of Bengal. Cox's Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh, it becomes a major international tourist destination, now-a-days.The main reason to visit Cox's Bazar is, of course, the beach, which is shark free. The beach of Cox's Bazar has a lot to offer, such as silvery sands, low cliffs, surfing waves, conch shells, colorful pagodas Buddhist temple, variety of tribes etc. The breath-taking beauty of sunset behind the waves of the sea is captivating. Attractive local cigars and handloom products of the Rakhain Tribal families are good buys.

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Sundarban

Sundarbann can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language. The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.

Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban or Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe). But the generally accepted view is the one associated with Sundari trees. Every nature oriented tourists will get an unequaled opportunity to find and unique environments and over whelming spectrum of unusual exotic wildlife and natural bounty that has no match in the world .The most prominent and fascinating Islands, which offers various attraction to touristsThe forest lies at the feet of the Ganges and is spread across areas of

Bangladesh

and West Bengal, India, forming the seaward fringe of the delta. The seasonally-flooded Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests. The forest covers 10,000 sq. km of which about 6,000 are in

Bangladesh

. It became inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997, but while the Bangladeshi and Indian portions constitute the same continuous ecotop. Additionally, the Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Calcutta.

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Rangamati

Rangamati is a favourite holiday destination because of its beautiful landscape, scenic beauty, lake, colourful tribes (Chakma, Marma etc), its flora and fauna, tribal museum, hanging bridge, homespun textile products, ivory jewellery and the tribal men and women who fashion them. For tourists, the attractions of Rangamati are numerous . It's a travel destination of Bangladesh which is known as "Lake City”.

From Chittagong a 77 km road amidst green fields and winding hills leads to Rangamati; which is a wonderful repository of scenic splendors with flora and fauna of varied descriptions. The township is located on the western bank of the Kaptai Lake.. Tribal life, fishing, speed boat cruising, hiking, bathing or merely enjoying nature as it is. It is queen of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Here the hills covered with the forest stand steel with their shadows in the crystal blue water of the Kaptai Lake, largest man made lake ever. Hanging Bridge: Hanging Bridge(Jhulonto Bridge in Bengali)is the landmark icon of Rangamati. It's a popular tourist spot and a must go destination.Kaptai lake is a wonderful spot for boating and cruising. Parjatan and private tour operators offer a number of cruises by mechanical boats. One can go to various scenic spots in Shuvalong, Barkal, Longadu, Mainimukh and other areas by boat from Rangamati. The only Tribal Cultural Museum in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region was established at Rangamati town in 1978 and run by the Tribal Cultural Institute. It preserves valuable objects and articles of different tribes depicting their socio-economic, cultural and historical tradition. These include typical tribal dresses, ornaments, arms and ammunitions, coins, statues made of wood, bronze and other metals, musical instruments, ivory products, handicrafts, paintings on tribal life etc.

Open: Saturday- Thursday, 10.00 a.m.- 4.00 p.m. Closed: Friday & Public Holidys.

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St. Martin Island

It is the only coral island in BangladeshSt. St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northeast part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar at the mouth of the Naf River. The local name of the island is "Narical Gingira", also spelled "Narikel Janjina/Jinjera", translated from Bangla, meaning 'Coconut Island'. Martin's Island has become a popular tourist spot. Currently, three shipping liners run daily trips to the island, including Sea-Truck and Keary-Sindbad. Tourists can book their trip either from Chittagong or from Cox's Bazar.

At high tide the island is about 3 miles around, and pinched in the middle. The island exists only because of its coral base, so removal of that coral risks erosion of the beaches. St. Martins has lost roughly 25% of its coral reef in the past 7 years. The dumb bell shaped Saint Martin's island has an area of about 8sq. km. Main attraction St. Martin Island is the Chera Dip or Narikel Ginjira . It is little isolated from the main land but you can go by walking during low tide. The small island is full of coconut (Narikel) trees from which the name Narikel Ginjira came.

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Kuakata

It is a famous destination for people around Bangladesh and from overseas. The most important attraction of the beach is that one can see both sunrise and sunset from some of its locations. That perhaps makes Kualata one of the word's unique beaches. People of Kuakata were not friendly and business concerned and communication system was very bad. Road was very dangerous not now there is no problem.

Government and local people are now business concerned and amicable and also the communication system is now very good and comfortable. The long and wide sandy beach has gentile slopes into the sea. Bathing there is as pleasant as is walking or driving. Boat plying in the Bay of Bengal with colorful sails, fishing. Towering clifts, surfing waves everything here touches every visitors' heart. The kuakata beach is 30 km long and 6 km wide. On 13 September, 2007 government have announced red alert in Kuakata as caution for a possible Tsunami. One should visit the Sagor Kannya ( Daughter of the Sea), Kuakata and discover the lovely grace of Bangladesh.

National icons

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The national memorial of Bangladesh

The national memorial of Bangladesh reminds of those who sacrificed their lives for the independence. It is a tourist spot. The monument is located in Savar, about 35 Kilometres north-west of the capital, Dhaka. Jatiyo Smriti Soudho (Bengali: Jatio Sriti Shoudho) or National Martyrs' Memorial is a monument in Bangladesh. It is the symbol of the valour and the sacrifice of the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule.

Plans for the monument were initiated right after the independence, in 1972. Following the site selection, road and land development, a nation-wide design competition was held in June, 1978. Following evaluation of the 57 submissions, Syed Mainul Hossain's design was chosen. The main structure and the artificial lake and other facilities were completed in 1982. The monument is composed of 7 isosceles triangular pyramid shaped structures, with the middle one being the tallest. The highest point of the monument is 150 feet. There is an artificial lake, and several mass graves in front of the main monument.

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The National Parliament (Sangsad Bhaban)

The National Parliament (Sangsad Bhaban) is the seat of the government. Situated at the center of Dhaka city, it is an architectural wonder. It was designed by the famous American architect Louis Kahn. Decision to construct the National Parliament Complex at Dhaka was originally taken in 1959. Louis I Kahn. one of the greatest architects of the time was initially selected for designing the complex. which would include the National Parliament Building. Hostels for members of parliament. ministers and secretaries. hospitality halls and communally buildings.

All linked by roads and walkways and surrounded by attractive gardens and lakes. The main characteristic of the building is its monumentally. The mass of concrete lined with marble strips, the outer wall punctuate by pure geometrical openings and the dominating circular and rectangular concrete masses impart a supreme instrumentality to the building quite suited to its noble function.It is one of the most majestic public buildings in Bangladesh. The National Parliament (Sangsad Bhaban) complex is located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of Dhaka city. The National Parliament Building is an architectural masterpiece for which the nation can be said to be justifiably proud.

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The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: Shohid Minar)

The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: Shohid Minar) is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate the martyrs of the Language Movement of 1952. On February 21, 1952, dozens of students and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal status to their native tongue, Bangla. The massacre occurred near Dhaka Medical College and Ramna Park in Dhaka. A makeshift monument was erected on February 23[1] by students of University of Dhaka and other educational institutions, but soon demolished on February 26[2] by the Pakistani police force.

The Language Movement gained momentum and after a long struggle, Bangla was given equal status as Urdu. To commemorate the martyrs, the Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor. The monument stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, when it was demolished completely during Operation Searchlight, a genocide carried out by the Pakistani Army resulting in an estimated 50,000 civilian deaths. After Bangladesh gained independence, it was rebuilt. Today, the Shaheed Minar is the centre of cultural activities in Dhaka. Every year, the Language Movement is remembered at the monument.

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The water lily (Shapla)

The Water Lily (shapla) is the national flower of Bangladesh. It is found almost in every water body in the country.

Beside it also remove hunger as it is also a food. common name for some members of the Nymphaeaceae, a family of freshwater perennial herbs found in most parts of the world and often characterized by large shield-shaped leaves and showy, fragrant blossoms of various colors.

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The Jackfruit [Kathal]

The Jackfruit [Kathal] is our national fruit. Thorny in outlook this fruit is big in size. The fruit is juicy and delicious. It is also widely consumed as curry. It is a species of tree in the mulberry family (Moraceae),

which is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is well suited to tropical lowlands. Its fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the worl^d, seldom less than about 25 cm (10 in) in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree, around 10 cm (4 in) diameter, can bear large fruit. The fruits can reach 36 kg (80 lbs) in weight and up to 90 cm (36 in) long and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter. The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste, but it is very popular in many parts of the world. The sweet yellow flesh around the seeds is about 3–5 mm thick and has a taste similar to that of pineapple, but milder and less juicy, though some have said its taste is somewhat reminiscent of cantaloupe. The Mexican variety of the Jackfruit tastes of fruit cocktail. Flavours of pineapple, strawberry, and peach can be discerned. This variety bears smaller fruits than the S.E. Asia type and the trees are likewise smaller.

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The magpie-robins (Doel)

The magpie-robins (Doel) are medium-sized insectivorous birds (some also eat berries and other fruit) in the genera Copsychus and Trichixos. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Muscicapidae.Old World flycatcher. These are African and Asian garden and forest dwelling species.

The Doel ( magpie robin) is the national bird of Bangladesh. It is famous for its sweet look and melodious whistle and is found everywhere especially in rural Bangladesh.

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Royal Bengal Tiger

Royal Bengal Tiger Worldwide Known Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh. The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in India and Bangladesh. They are also found in parts of Nepal, Bhutan,Pakistan, Myanmar and southern Tibet. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger sub-species. This majestic beast finds its home in mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in the southern part of the country. The Bengal subspecies P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh, while at the species level, the tiger Panthera tigris is the national animal of India.According to lateset Pug mark census, 400 Bengal tigers are counted to live in Bangladesh.Most are in Sundarbans while a few could be found in easter hilly paty of the country. The Sundarbans tiger project is a Bangladesh Forest Department initiative that effectively started its field activities in February 2005.

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BangabandhuBridge

A bridge on the river Jamuna was a long cherished desire of Bangalees. Ultimately the dream came true. Two detached parts of Bangladesh are now connected by Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge. The biggest of its kind, this Bridge is one of our greatest achievements.

Bangabandhu Bridge, also called the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge (Bengali: যমুনা বহুমুখী সেতু Jomuna Bohumukhi Shetu), is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998 It connects Bhuapur on the Jamuna River's east bank to Sirajganj on its west bank.

It is the eleventh longest bridge in the worl and the second longest in South Asia (after Mahatma Gandhi Setu). It is amongst the longest bridges in the world. It was constructed over the Jamuna River, mightiest of the three major rivers of Bangladesh, and fifth largest in the world in terms of volumetric discharge.

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Hilsha Ilisha

There is a proverb that ‘Vat-e Mas-e Bangali’ (Bangladeshis are fond of rice and fish). Hilsha fish is national fish of Bangladesh. It is very delicious and nutritious. People in our country like this fish very much. We get sufficient protein from Hilsha fish. Not only have these, Hilsha fishes also contribute 1% in our GDP. Our national economy is being developed by exporting Hilsha Fish. In the world about 60% Hilsha fishes are found in Bangladesh. In Gujarat it is known as either Modenn or Palva.

It is an economically important tropical fish. This fish exists and is caught in Narmada and Padma river deltas. The fish in coastal area of Gujarat is known as Modenn if it is female and palva if it is young male. Like Bengal or Sindh this fish is not well known in Gujarat because fish eaters in Gujarat are Mostly Muslims and Hindu fisherman of the coastal areas. The Hilsa fish is full of tiny bones which require trained eaters/hands to handle. Pohela Boishakh (1st Day of Bengali Year) is celebrated by eating fried Hilsha fish with Panta Rice. New or rich guests are entertained by the Hilsha fish.

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Baitul Mukarram

Follower of the Islamic faith consider a mosque to be the primary place of worship where Muslims gather together for prayer. Mosques reflect traditional Islamic architecture and are recognized world-wide for their importance to the Muslim community. In addition to the importance mosques have with regard to worship and prayer, they also serve as places to learn about Islam and to meet fellow believers. With this in mind, it is clear that Baitul Mukarram, being the national mosque of Bangladesh, is of significant importance to Muslims in the area.

The national mosque of

Bangladesh

, Baitul Mukarram, is situated in the heart of the busy city of Dhaka, the capital of

Bangladesh

. Dhaka is the largest city in

Bangladesh

. The mosque has a capacity of 30,000, giving it the respectable position of being the 10th biggest mosque in the world. However the mosque is constantly getting overcrowded. This especially occurs during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which has resulted in the Bangladeshi government having to add extensions to the mosque, thus increasing the capacity to at least 40,000.

Liberation war Heroes- Bir sreshtho

2009-09-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Nur Mohammad Sheikh

Nur Mohammad Sheikh was a Lance Nayek in East Pakistan Rifles during the Liberation War. He was born on 26 February 1936 at village Maheskhali in Narail district. He became an orphan in childhood and had to sell his paternal landed property for his livelihood. He then joined the local Ansar Force.

He joined the then East Pakistan Rifles on 14th March, 1959. On completion of training he was posted at Dinajpur sector. He was transferred to Jessore sector headquarters in August 1970.Nur Mohammad joined the Liberation War in March 1971 while on leave at his village home. During the Liberation War he fought in Sector 8 in Jessore. He was then in charge of a regular petrol force. He was killed in an engagement with the Pakistani Army with fire for covering the extrication of fellow soldiers at Goalhati in Jessore district on 5th September, 1971. Nur Mohammad heroically died saving his compatriots and inflicting heavy casualties on his enemy.He was honoured with the highest state insignia of 'Bir Sreshtha'.

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Mohammad Ruhul Amin

Mohammad Ruhul Amin was an engineering officer in the Bangladesh Navy during the Liberation War. He was born on 1934 at village Bagh-chapra under Begumganj thana of Feni district. Ruhul Amin had his early education in Bagh-chapra Primary School and Amishpara High School.

He joined the Pakistan navy in 1953 as junior mechanical engineer, and was elevated to the post of artificer in 1965. While working at the PNS Bakhtiar naval post at Chittagong Ruhul Amin left the post in April 1971 to join the liberation war.

He joined the newly formed Bangladesh Navy in September, and was placed as the Chief Artificer at the gunboat styled 'Palas'. Beer Shreshtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin was not a commissioned officer and he was never commissioned in Pakistan Navy.

Ruhul Amin was burnt to death by a shell thrown from Indian Aircraft mistakenly into the engine room of the gunboat while attempting to capture the Pak naval post and PNS Titumir at Mangla port on 10 December. He tried to save his ship valiently but ultimately could not do so and lost his life.

In recognition of his chivalry and sacrifice in the Liberation War, Ruhul Amin was awarded the title of 'Bir Sreshtha', the highest honour of the state bestowed upon the freedom fighters.

***

Mahiuddin Jahangir

Mahiuddin Jahangir was a Captain in the Bangladesh Army during the Liberation War. He was born at village Rahimganj in Babuganj upazila of Barisal district in 1948. He passed Matriculation examination in 1964, I Sc in 1966, and joined Pakistan Military Academy as a cadet in 1967. He obtained commissioned rank in 1968.
Mahiuddin Jahangir was posted in the 173 Engineer Battalion in West Pakistan during the War of Liberation. With an avowed object of joining the War Mahiuddin along with three of his fellow officers managed to escape from his station on 3rd July, and passing through the inaccessible hilly tracts reached the camp of the freedom fighters at Mehdipur in Maldah district of West Bengal.

Jahangir had displayed extraordinary skill and valour in some of the successful operations against the Pakistan occupation army, and was consequently placed in charge of the contingent of the freedom fighters deputed to capture Nawabganj in Rajshahi. Captain Mahiuddin along with Lieutenant Qayyum, Lieutenant Awwal and nearly fifty freedom fighters took position at Bargharia at the west of Nawabganj townon 10th December, 1971. At the dawn of 14th December, they crossed the Mahananda through Rehaichar on some country boats and surprised some trenches of the enemy. In a fiercely contested battle an enemy bullet struck Mahiuddin on his forehead and he succumbed to death. Undaunted the freedom fighters renewed their attacks and compelled the Pak-army to take to their heels. Mahiuddin was laid to rest at the premises of the chhota sona maosque.

He was awarded the highest recognition of bravery in the Bangladesh Army, 'Bir Sreshtha'.

***

Mostafa Kamal

Mostafa Kamal was a Sepoy in Bangladesh Army during the Liberation War. He was born on 16 December 1947 in Hajipur village of Daulatikhan upazilla under Bhola district. His father was retired Havilder Habibur Rahman.

He joined the East Bengal Regiment as a soldier on 16 December 1967, and on completion of training he had his posting at the Fourth East Bengal Regiment in Comilla.

In March 1971, he was transferred to the headquarters of the Regiment at Brahmanbaria whence he joined the War of Liberation.

During the War he had the status of a Lance Nayek, and was posted at village Daruin in Akhaura as a section commander.

The Pak-army launched an attack on the second platoon of the Fourth East Bengal Regiment at village Daruin on 17 April. In the encounter that followed Mostafa Kamal was killed after a heroic resistance. He lies buried at village Daruin.

He was awarded the title of 'Bir Sreshtha' by the Government of Bangladesh for his sacrifice in Liberation War.

***

Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman

Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman was born in 1945 at village Dumuria in Chapra thana of the district of 24 Parganas in West Bengal. After the partition of India at 1947 his family migrated to East Bengal and was permanently settled at Gharoda under Khalispur in Khulna district. He had his primary education at Khalispur Primary School and subsequently at a local night school.

He joined East Bengal Regiment on 2 February 1971 and was posted at EBR centre in Chittagong cantonment. On the face of the attack of Pakistan army on 25 March Hamidur Rahman left the cantonment for his village home, and then joined the liberation force at Dhalai on the south-eastern border of Sreemangal thana in Sylhet district.For its strategic importance the freedom fighters took a bid for capturing the Dhalai border outpost of the Pak-army. The 'C' Company of the First East Bengal Regiment was entrusted with the task with which Hamidur Rahman was enrolled. On the preceding night of 28 October, 1971 three platoons of freedom fighters silently advanced towards the outpost. The platoons while approaching near to the enemy post and were on the verge of attempting a surprise, a sudden explosion of a mine alarmed the enemies who started indiscriminate firing. A battle continued for hours; but the advance of the freedom fighters was seriously obstructed by enemy firing with LMG from south-west direction. This Light Machine Gun was to be neutralized and the onerous responsibility of doing so was reposed on Sepoy Hamidur Rahman. Instantly he crawled very close to the Light Machine Gun post undetected by the enemy. The hard ground under his chest and the volume of fire on all directions from either side could not for a moment discourage this illustrious son of the soil from fulfilling the assigned task. Not caring for life, determined Sepoy Hamidur Rahman jumped into the enemy Light Machine Gun post and engaged in hand to hand fight with the two crews and at one stage neutralized the gun at the cost of his life. Thus Dholai Border Outpost was captured. Sepoy Hamidur Rahman never knew that it was because of his supreme sacrifice that the mission was achieved.

***

Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman

Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman was born in dhaka on 29 November 1941. He received his primary education at Dhaka Collegiate School. Next he got himself admitted into Pakistan Air Force Public School at Sargoda in West Pakistan. After completing his twelfth class course there he entered Pakistan Air Force Academy.

He was commissioned in June 1963 and was posted at Risalpur, West Pakistan. He successfully completed the Jet Conversion Course in Karachi before he was appointed a Jet Pilot in Peshawar.

During the Liberation War he made a secret plan of hijacking an aircraft. His aim was to join the liberation forces with the hijacked plane. On the morning of 20 August,1971 Pilot Officer Minhaz Rashid was scheduled to fly in a T-33 aircraft from Masrur Airbase in Karachi with Matiur Rahman as his trainer. He attempted to pilot a T-33 trainer to India in order to defect from the Pakistan Air Force and join the liberation movement of Bangladesh. The T-33 aircraft was code-named 'Bluebird'. However, Matiur Rahman could not take the plane out of Pakistani territory, as reportedly, the other pilot Rashid Minhas in the plane forced it to crash. The plane crashed in Thatta, a place near the Indian border. His body, which was found near the crash site was reportedly buried at the graveyard of fourth class employees at Masroor Air Base, Pakistan.
Matiur Rahman was awarded the highest state title of honour 'Bir Sreshtha' in recognition of his patriotism and sacrifice. Matiur's widow, Milly, and his two infant daughters were imprisoned for a month by Pakistan Air Force, and were released on September 29, 1971.

After over 30 years of negotiations, his body was finally returned to Bangladesh for a ceremonial and highly symbolic reburial in 2006. His original burial in a nondescript grave in Pakistan had been a sore point between Bangladesh and Pakistan for decades.

***

Munshi Abdur Rauf

Abdur Rauf was a Lance Nayek in East Pakistan Rifles during the Liberation War. He was born in May 1943 at village Salamatpur in Boalkhali upazila of Faridpur district.

He lost his father while an infant. Poverty compelled him to seek for a job for the maintenance of his family.

In 8th May, 1963 Rauf was enrolled with the East Pakistan Rifles as a Lance Nayek. He had been serving in the East Pakistan Rifles in Chittagong till March 1971.

With the beginning of the Liberation War he made himself associated with the Eighth East Bengal Regiment. He embraced martyrdom in a battle fought against the Pakistan army at Kurighat in Chittagong Hill Tracts on 7 April 1971.

He was honoured with the highest state insignia of 'Bir Sreshtha' in recognition of his valour and sacrifice in the War of Liberation.

Liberation war part -2

2009-09-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Operation search light

It was a planned killing, a military extermination done by the then West Pakistan armies.They tried to eliminate even the root of East Pakistan’s people so that they never could be able to stand against them.

All of these were done according to the order of West Pakistan. Most likely nothing but a sequel of “Operation Blitz” that was happened in

1970. The West Pakistan wanted to capture the most of the East and then they would kill the political, officials, teachers and all man of words but their all tries were came to vain. People of Bangladesh raised their voices against them and inhibited them. The violence resulting from Operation Searchlight was one of the precipitating factor for Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, which led to full fledged Indian retaliation augmented by the Mukti Bahini on Pakistani occupation forces in Bangladesh, resulting in Pakistan Army's unconditional surrender to the joint command of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini on December 16, 1971.

Unlawful killing, rape, torture and violation:

The actual scene of the war

The West Pakistan never thought that was only the beginning of a war. From the OPERATION SEARCH LIGHT to 16 DEC, 1971, there was unlawful, widespread violation of human rights in the East Pakistan. All of there were happened by the order from West Pakistan. Also some local people and political personnel helped them. They are the war criminals and we called them RAJAKAR, AL-Badr, Al- shams. Bangladeshi authorities claim that 3 million people were killed,^[while the Commission. The international media and reference books in English have also published. A further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek safety in India.

The Al-Badr, Al- Shams killed a large number of people of intellectual community. There are still undiscovered graves and now we are discovering new graves, till now!! At the first night of war indiscriminate killing was found on students of Dhaka varsity and other communities.

Numerous women were tortured, raped and killed during the war. The exact numbers are not known and are a subject of debate. Bangladeshi sources cite a figure of 200,000 women raped,

giving birth to thousands of war-babies. The Pakistan Army also kept numerous Bengali women as sex-slaves inside the Dhaka Cantonment. Most of the girls were captured from Dhaka University and private homes. There was significant sectarian violence not only perpetrated and encouraged by the Pakistani army but also by Bengali nationalists against non-Bengali minorities, especially Biharis.

Our Glorious 71

Then after 9 months bloody war we have gained our Independence. Our country. Our national anthem. Our language. Bangladesh is our and we feel proud to be a citizen of Bangladesh. There is no other nation in the world who gave their life for language. Now we have our own identity. All of us should love their country.

Liberation war- Part 1

2009-09-26T05:20:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh

has a prideful past, a history which is written with golden words, tears of mothers, blood of my brothers and by the dismissal of prestige of my sisters : the Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971. This was the first time we fought for the recognition as a distinct nation. The endless bloodshed and struggle for centuries came to an end (at least from outsiders) with the maturation and rise of "Bangabandhu" Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the country and the architect of the nation.

The Liberation War and the independence was not an act of a single person or event. Rafiq, Saalam, Barqat, Jabbar, and many others gave their life during the Language Movement of 1952. Many were imprisoned and killed protesting Ayub Khan's military rules: 6-point of movement of 1966, Mass Uprising of 1969, etc.

Finally, Bangabandhu asked his people to raise arms against the Pakistani military who killed hundreds of people during the peaceful protests of the 1971.

If you tell the story of the war, you must mention the bravery and far-sightedness of Tajuddin Ahmed, Syed Nazrul Islam, Captain Monsoor Ali, Kamrujjaman, General Ataul Gani Osmani, and many others.

Three milion people were massacared by the Pakistni military and local collaborators. Hundreds of thousands of women were raped. Village after village, town after town, were burned to the ground. There were dead bodies lying in every plain, and floating in every river. There was hardly any family who did not lose something in this war.

At the very end, facing an imminent defeat, the coward Pakistani military and the local collaborators systematically killed many of the leading intellectuals of the country.

These war criminals have never faced justice for crime against the humanity. We should raise conscience among the people of the world to try these criminals. If we forget, as Elie Weasel depicted, "we are guilty, we are accomplices."

In August 1947, the Partition of British India gave birth to two new states named Pakistan and India. Areas containing the Muslim-majority became Pakistan while areas with Hindu and Non-Muslim majority states became India, which was later pronouced as a secular country with equal rights to citizens of all religions. The new nation of Pakistan included two geographically and culturally separate areas in the east and the west of India. The western zone was popularly (and for a period of time, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh) was initially termed East Bengal and later, East Pakistan. It was widely perceived that West Pakistan dominated politically and exploited the East economically, leading to many grievances.

On 25 March 1971, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishmentin what came to be termed Operation Searchlight.

The violent crackdown by West Pakistan forces led to East Pakistan declaring its independence as the state of Bangladesh and to the start of civil war. The war led to a sea of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) flooding into the eastern provinces of India. Facing a mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India started actively aiding and organizing the Bangladeshi resistance army known as the Mukti Bahini.

Declaration of independence:

Official declaration by Shekh Mujib:

Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dhaka. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla.

Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio message. Mujib was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 a.m. (as per Radio Pakistan’s news on 29 March 1971).

A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bangla by Dr. Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station of Radio Pakistan. They crossed Kalurghat Bridge into an area controlled by an East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman. Bengali soldiers guarded the station as engineers prepared for transmission. At 19:45 hrs on 27 March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman broadcast announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur. On 28 March Major Ziaur Rahman made another announcement,which is as follows:

This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla.

Audio of Zia's Announcement (interview - Belal Mohammed)

The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited. The message was picked up by a Japanese ship in Bay of Bengal. It was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

M A Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong, is said to have made the first announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio on 26 March 1971^.There is controversy now as to when Major Zia gave his speech. BNP sources maintain that it was 26 March, and there was no message regarding declaration of independence from Mujibur Rahman. Pakistani sources, like Siddiq Salik in Witness to Surrender had written that he heard about Mujibor Rahman's message on the Radio while Operation Searchlight was going on, and Maj. Gen. Hakeem A. Qureshi in his book The 1971 Indo-Pak War: A Soldier's Narrative, gives the date of Zia's speech as 27 March 1971^.

26 March 1971 is considered the official Independence Day of Bangladesh, and the name

Bangladesh

was in effect henceforth. In July 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi openly referred to the former East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Some Pakistani and Indian officials continued to use the name "East Pakistan" until 16 December 1971.

Short description of Bangladesh

2009-09-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh is called land of natural beauty and as it is daughter of nature.

Bangladesh

, officially it is known as People’s Republic of

Bangladesh

. This country is in South Asia. It is bordered by

India

on all sides except for a small border with

Burma

(

Myanmar

) to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The name

Bangladesh

means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali language.

The official and most widely used language in

Bangladesh

, as in West Bengal, is Bengali, an Indo-Aryan language of Sanskrit origin with its own script. English is used as second language among the middle and upper classes and in higher education. Since a President Order in 1987, Bengali is used for all official correspondence except those that are to foreign recipients.
The majority ethnic groups of

Bangladesh

are the Bengali people, comprising 98% of the population. There are thirteen tribal groups located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; the most populous of the tribes are the Chakmas. The region has been a source for ethnic tension since the inception of

Bangladesh

.^] The largest tribal groups outside the Hill Tracts are the Santhals and the Garos (Achiks). Human trafficking has been a lingering problem in

Bangladesh

and illegal immigration has remained a cause of friction with

Burma

and

India

Bangladesh

is the seventh most populous country in the world and is among the most densely populated countries in the world with a high poverty rate. However, per-capita GDP has more than doubled since 1975, and the poverty rate has fallen by 20% since the early 1990s. The country is listed among the “NEXT ELEVEN” economies. Dhaka and other urban centers have been the driving force behind this growth. Geographically, the country straddles the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta and is subject to annual monsoon floods and cyclones

Recent estimates of

Bangladesh

's population range from 149 to 165 million, making it the 7th most populous nation in the world. With a land area of 1,44000 square kilometers, ranked 94th, the population density is remarkable. A striking comparison is offered by the fact that

Russia

's population is slightly smaller even though

Russia

has a land area of 17.5 million square kilometers, at least 120 times larger than

Bangladesh

has the highest population density in the world, excluding a handful of city-states and small countries such as

Bahrain

Bangladesh

's population growth was among the highest in the world in the 1960s and 1970s, when the country grew from 50 to 90 million, but with the promotion of birth control in the 1980s, the growth rate slowed. The population is relatively young, with the 0–25 age group comprising 60%, while 3% are 65 or older. Life expectancy is 63 years for both males and females.

The major religion practiced in

Bangladesh

Islam (89.7%) and a sizable minority adheres to Hinduism (9.2%). About 96% of the Muslims are Sunni while over 3% are Shi'a. Ethnic Biharis are predominantly Shia Muslims. Other religious groups include Buddhists (0.7%, mostly Theravada), Christians (0.3%, mostly of the Roman Catholic denomination), and Animists (0.1%).

Bangladesh

ranks fourth after

Indonesia

Pakistan

, and

India

by the number of Muslims, with over 130 million. Islam is the state religion of

Bangladesh

, but other religions may also be practiced in harmony.^] The United Nations has recognized the country mainly as a moderate Muslim democratic country.

Bangladesh

is a parliamentary Democracy. Direct elections in which all citizens over the age 18 can vote are held every five years for the unicameral parliament known as Jatiya Sangsad. The parliamentary building is known as the Jatiyo Shanshad vaban and was designed by architect Louis Kahn

Bangladesh at a glance

Name: People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Area: 55,599 sq miles

Population: 163,220,000

Government: Democratic

Language: Bengali

Currency: Taka

Time zone: (GMT+6), But now GMT+7 (temporary)

Phone code: 088

Drivers drive on: Left

Parliament: Jatiyo Sanghad Vaban

Members of :

1. Commonwealth of Nations,

2. The OIC,

3. SAARC,

4. BIMSTEC,

and

5. the D-8.