Bangladesh in Italy

2011 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony in Bangladesh

2011-01-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

Cricket is a great sport and the Cricket World Cup is the highlight of every cricket lover’s year.

This time the event, which is held every four years, will be even more memorable for cricket lovers living in Bangladesh.
The opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup will be held in Bangladesh.

The event will take place almost exactly two years from now on February 19, 2011, and proceedings will coincide with the opening game which will also take place in Bangladesh on the same day. The number of matches to be played at the fifteen different selected venues had been discussed. If you would like to combine sport with leisure, you’ll be happy to know that the World Cup will be making its way to either Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah or the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The final decision as to which stadium will be used for the event is yet to be made.

2010-12-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

2010-12-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

16th December 1971 - Bangladesh Victory Day

2010-12-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Bangladesh Liberation War or Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict pitting West Pakistan against East Pakistan (two halves of one country) and India, that resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the independent nation of Bangladesh.

The whole nation today celebrates the anniversary of its glorious Victory Day to uphold the spirit of liberation, secularism and democracy as opposed to autocracy, theocracy and/or, any closed system that hinder peoples progress.

Warmest greetings on occasion of the Victory Day of Bangladesh by BCII. As a token of homage to the three million martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War and to createawareness among the people.

Happy Eid ul-Fitr or celebration of brak-fasting after Ramadan

2010-09-09T04:27:00.001-07:00

Eid ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm).

Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "break-fasting"; and so the holiday symbolizes the celebration of break-fasting after completing the fasting of the entire month of Ramadan (calendar month).

The first day of Eid, therefore, is the first day of the month Shawwal that comes after Ramadan.

BCII is very glad to celebrate the end of Ramadan and to share its happiness with all muslim friends in Italy and all over the world.

2010-08-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

3rd Anniversary of BCII foundation

BCII has the pleasure to celebrate

its 3rd Anniversary of its Foundation.

Thanks to all friends who support us,

with all the activities in order to spread bangladeshi traditions, culture and language,

in Italy and all over the world!

2010-04-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

VIDEOZOOM: BANGLADESH VIDEOARTISTS
Curated by Tayeba Lipi – Britto Arts Trust Dhaka

Opening: Monday May 10, 2010
6 p.m.
Sala 1 – Centro Internazionale d’Arte Contemporanea
(Scala Santa/Padri Passionisti)
Piazza di Porta S. Giovanni, 10 – Roma T. 06. 7008691 I saluno@salauno.com

Monday-Saturday I 4.30-7.30 pm I Sundays by appointment Closes May 17, 2010

Sala 1 is pleased to present the first survey of Bangladesh videoart shown outside that country: entitled Videozoom Bangladesh, the initiative will be presented on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 6 pm at the Sala 1 center for international art in Rome.

Videozoom Bangladesh, produced thanks to the support and patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Bangladesh in Rome, is curated by aritst Tayeba Lipi, co-founder of the Britto Arts Trust in Dhaka, active since 2002 in the field of contemporary art of the region, organizing workshops, artists residences, education and international documentaries as well as a role in the Dhaka Biennale of Asian Art.

After survey exhibitions involving videoart from Spain, Iran, China, Morocco, Poland, San Marino and Israel, this 8th edition of Videozoom is dedicated to Bangladesh. It will show videoworks by a selection of both well-known and emerging Bangladesh artists who illustrate the various aspects of their country: contemporary, extremely dynamic and well-informed, and underlining the tensions typical of a society in transition.

Present at the opening will be the representatives of the Embassy of Bangladesh as well as various organizations representing the Bangladesh community in Italy. The exhibition will be presented by Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and a brief conference by the artist Mahbubur Rahman, founder of the Britto Arts Trust who will introduce the works produced by the invited artists Promotesh Das Pulak, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Mahbubur Rahman, Molla Sagar, Reaz Hossain and Imran Hossain Piplu.

#1 Little Learner
by Tayeba Begum Lipi
durata 1:25

#5 The Dream
by Molla Sagar

#9 City Gate
by Mahbubur Rahman
durata 9:03

#8 When My Mind Was Cold
by Mahbubur Rahman
durata 2:14

“Olgiata” by Mahboobur Rashid

Works on Paper 2010

Curated by Paolo W. Tamburella

Opening: 8 May 6 to 10 pm
Ends May 17, 2010

Sala 1 centro internazionale per l’arte contemporanea
(Scala Santa/Padri Passionisti)
Piazza di Porta S. Giovanni, 10 00185 Roma tel 06-7008691

http://www.salauno.com/ salauno@salauno.com

Mahboobur Rashid is an artist from Dhaka, Bangladesh, currently living in Rome.
After working for several years as a graphic designer and making interiors for Adcon Architectural Design Firm in Dhaka, Mahboobur Rashid left Bangladesh in 2006 with the aim of working as an artist in Italy.

The choice of Italy as a new home was based on his fascination of Italian history and cultural heritage and on recognizing this country as the epicenter of Renaissance Art.

Upon arriving in Rome, Rashid had to face a far less romantic reality, relying on limited financial resources and confronting a virtual absence of art related jobs for a person from Bangladesh without a work visa.

After attempting to sell water color copies of famous tourist attractions such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Saint Peter's, Rashid found a job as a gardener in Olgiata for two years, a period in which the artist was unable to make his art.

The works in this show, curated by the artist Paolo W. Tamburella, are all produced recently for Sala 1 as a reflection on that period: they are watercolors depicting interiors and exteriors of houses in Olgiata.

The exhibition is in tandem with the video survey “Videozoom:Bangladesh”, the first exhibition outside Bangladesh of videoartists from that country.

Contacts: Sala 1 06-7008691

Happy Bangla New Year 2010 - Subho Noboborsho 1417

2010-04-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

BCII wishes a very happy
Bangla New Year!

Happy 1417 to everybody!
Wonderful 2010!

Bengali New Year (Bengali: Nôbobôrsho) or Pohela Boishakh (Pôhela Boishakh or Pôela Boishakh or Poila Boishakh) is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in Assam and Tripura.

Pohela Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences. It falls on April 14 or April 15 of the Gregorian calendar depending 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 Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh is a national holiday and in West Bengal and Assam it is a public holiday.

Bengali New Year 2010 or Boishakhi Mela 1417 in Rome

2010-04-12T04:20:00.000-07:00

2010-04-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

26th March 2010 - Independence and National Day of Bangladesh

2010-03-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

The nation observes the Independence and National Day
paying deep homage to the martyrs and recalling their supreme sacrifices in the Liberation War of 1971.

Under the charismatic leadership of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and responding to his call of independence, the whole nation was united as one and took up arms to free their motherland from the clutches of Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

On the black night of March 25 in 1971, when the brutal Pakistani military junta started genocide, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of the eastern part of Pakistan, now Bangladesh, to end once and for all the 24 years of subjugation and exploitation.

The Declaration of Independence

"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 EPR and Police on the one hand and the
armed forces of Pindi on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting
the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May God aid us
in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla."

Soon after the Pakistani army crackdown on the night of March 25, 1971, the first declaration of independence was made over the radio by M. A. Hannan, written by the leader of (as Bangladesh was formerly known) East Pakistan and Chief of Awami League Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from the Kalurghat Betar Kendra, Chittagong on March 26, 1971. Very few people heard this declaration and Major Zia's famous Ami Major Zia Bolchhi declaration over Chittagong radio on March 27 was picked up by foreign news agency and was given wide publicity.

Italian books about bengali

2010-03-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

Grammatica Bengali - Bangla Grammar
"Grammatica Bengali" (Bangla Grammar)
Editing by "Libreria Bonomo Editrice" on 1st May 2008.

This is the only all-italian-language hand-book sold in the world about bangla language's learning. This grammar follows a progressive and logical method to introduce at the bangla language, from basic alphabet notions to all the hardest grammatical rules. It explaines also bengali daily life, society, culture. In appendix a huge practicle glossary

Dizionario Bengali - Bangla Dictionary
"Dizionario Bengali" (Bangla Dictionary), p 592, paperback edition, size 10,5x14,5. ISBN code 9788878871687. Editing by "Antonio Vallardi Editore" on October 2009.

This is the only complete Italian-to-Bangla, Bangla-to-Italian dictionary sold in the world. It includes 14,000 words and 38,000 translations, more a small Bangla Grammar (for italians) and a small Italian Grammar (for bengalis) practicle to learn something about those languages. Usefull for those italian who want to visit Bangladesh and West Bengal, and for those bengali who live in Italy and they need to learn correctly italian.

International Women's Day - March the 8th (annually)

2010-03-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

March 8 rally in Dhaka, organized by Jatiyo Nari Shramik Trade Union Kendra (National Women Workers Trade Union Centre), an organization to the Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on the 8th of March every year. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.

Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday in the Northern Hemisphere as the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season.

The mimosa (technically, the Silver Wattle) is the symbol of the celebrations of Women's day in Italy . The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it came to commemorate the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions.
In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen (in the labour-movement building located at Jagtvej 69, which until recently housed Ungdomshuset) by the Second International and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified. The following year, 1911, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, on March 19.

However, soon thereafter, on March 25, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.
Demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik feminist Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared as a non working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."

Today BCII wants to remember a very important woman for Bangladesh: Roquia Sakhawat Hussain

Roquia Sakhawat Hussain, (1880 – December 9, 1932) was a prolific writer and a social worker in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She is most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues. She established the first school aimed primarily at Muslim girls, which still exists today. She was a notable Muslim feminist. Names She was born Roquia Khatun but achieved prominence as Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain. Begum is an honorific, that is, a title of respect in addressing a woman. When she wrote in English, she transliterated her name as Rokeya. Life Roquia Khatun was born in 1880 in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur, in what was then the British Indian Empire and is now Bangladesh. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a highly educated zamindar (landlord). Roquia had two sisters, Karimunnesa Khatun and Humayra Khatun; and three brothers, one of whom died in childhood. Roquia's eldest brother Ibrahim, and her immediate elder sister Karimunnesa, both had great influence on her life. Karimunnesa wanted to study Bangla, the language of the majority in Bengal. The family disliked this because many upper class Muslims of the time preferred to use Arabic and Persian as the media of education, instead of their native language, Bangla. Ibrahim taught English and Bangla to Roquia and Karimunnesa; both sisters became authors. Karimunnesa married at the age of fourteen, later earning a reputation as a poet. Both of her sons, Nawab Abdul Karim Gaznawi and Nawab Abdul Halim Gaznawi, became famous in the political arena and occupied ministerial portfolios under British authorities. Roquia married at the age of sixteen in 1896. Her Urdu-speaking husband, Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain, was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur, which is now a district under the Indian state of Bihar. He continued her brother's work by encouraging her to keep learning Bangla and English. He also suggested that she write, and on his advice she adopted Bangla as the principal language for her literary works because it was the language of the masses. She launched her literary career in 1902 with a Bangla story entitled Pipasa (Thirst). In 1909, Sakhawat Hussain died. He had encouraged his wife to set aside money to start a school primarily for Muslim women. Five months after his death, Roquia established a high school in her beloved husband's memory, naming it Sakhawat Memorial Girls' High School. It started in Bhagalpur, a traditionally Urdu-speaking area, with only five students. A dispute with her husband's family over property forced Roquia to move the school in 1911 to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), a Bangla-speaking area; it remains one of the city's most popular schools for girls. The school is now a West Bengal state government runned school and has two medium of instructions. One section of the students have Bangla and the other learns all subjects except English and Maths in Urdu. This school can help ameliorate communal harmony in the country. Begum Roquia also founded the Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam (Islamic Women's Association), which was active in holding debates and conferences regarding the status of women and education. She advocated reform, particularly for women, and believed that parochialism and excessive conservatism were principally responsible for the relatively slow development of Muslims in British India. As such, she is one of the first Islamic feminists. She was inspired by the traditional Islamic learning as enunciated in the Qu'ran, and believed that modern Islam had been distorted or corrupted; her organization Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam organised many events for social reforms based on the original teachings of Islam that, according to her, were lost. Begum Roquia remained busy with the school, the association, and her writings for the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932. In Bangladesh, December 9 is celebrated as Rokeya Day. Gender Equality Begum Roquia was an inspiring figure who contributed much to the struggle to liberate women from the bondage of social malaises. To raise popular consciousness, especially among women, she wrote a number of articles, stories and novels, mostly in Bengali. Begum Roquia used humor, irony, and satire to focus attention on the injustices faced by Bengali-speaking Muslim women.
She criticized oppressive social customs forced upon women that were based upon a corrupted version of Islam, asserting that women fulfilling their potential as human beings could best display the glory of Allah. Begum Roquia wrote courageously against restrictions on women in order to promote their emancipation, which, she believed, would come about by breaking the gender division of labor. She rejected discrimination for women in the public arena and believed that discrimination would cease only when women were able to undertake whatever profession they chose. Works Sultana's Dream, a notable early work of feminist science fiction involving a utopian male/female role-reversal.
Oborodhbashini ("The woman in captivity")
Motichur Paddorag ("Essence of the Lotus")
Narir Adhikar ("The Rights of Women"),
an unfinished essay for the Islamic Women's Association

Sultana's Dream is a classic work of Bangla science fiction and an early example of feminist science fiction. The Bengali short story was written in 1905 by Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain, a Muslim feminist, writer and social reformer who lived in British India, in what is now Bangladesh. The word sultana here means a female sultan, i.e. a Muslim ruler. "Sultana's Dream" was originally published in English in The Indian Ladies Magazine of Madras. It depicts a feminist utopia of role reversal, in which men are locked away in seclusion, in a manner corresponding to the traditional Muslim practice of purdah for women. As a result, women run everything, aided by science fiction-esque "electrical" technology which enables labourless farming and flying cars. Crime is eliminated, since men were responsible for it all. The workday is only two hours long, since men used to waste six hours of each day in smoking. The religion is one of love and truth, rather than any traditional faith with a history of denying the rights of women.
To read Sultana's Dream: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sultana/dream/dream.html
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

21st FEBRUARY 2010 - INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

2010-02-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

I have not come to mourn
I have come to appeal for hanging
The people who have lost their lives here
Under the bloody red flowers in Ramna
Where there are still traces of blood burning like a fire
There I have come to protest, I have not come to cry
[Translated from the first poem composed in memory of the martyrs on 21st February, 1952, “Not for Tears Have I come, but I demand They be Hanged” by Mahbubul Alam. The 17 page poem was published on 22nd February, 1952 and the Government confiscated all the copies.]

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
On 16 May 2007, by resolution 61/266, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

The 21st of February is of special significance to the people of Bangladesh. Each year, on this date, the country commemorates International Mother Language Day in recognition of the preservation ofBangla as the official language of Bangladesh. At the request of the people of Bangladesh and after investigating the matter, UNESCO declared the 21st of February each year to be International Mother Language Day on a world-wide scale among United Nations member countries.

What makes the 21st of February so special?
The events leading up to the adoption of the 21st of February as International Mother Language Day started when the Governor General of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, declared at a public meeting on 21 March 1948 that Urdu would be the only official language for both east and west Pakistan. The majority of the people living in eastern Pakistan were Bangla-speaking and therefore protested against this declaration. But on 21 February 1952, ever in history, a bunch of young Bangalee students gave their lives in a protest rally at the Dhaka university campus against the Pakistani authority’s attempt to impose Urdu (as the state language of Pakistan) over the 70 million Bangalees of East Bangla (then East Pakistan). The slain students are seen as martyrs for their cause, which turned out to be the beginning of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence. The time was 3.20 p.m. to 3.50 p.m. on 21st February '52. It was these 30 minutes that seeded a nation in the hearts of millions... Bangladesh!

Our struggle for the right to speak in our mother-tongue Bangla is recognized now around the whole world as International Mother Language Day. In the coming 21st our Brand is going to bring us together again.

Each year the 21st of February was commemorated as Language Martyrs Day in Bangladesh and other parts of the world that have sizeable groups of Bangla-speaking people. In 1999 the proposal was made to UNESCO to create International Mother Language Day in the belief that a culture of peace can only really flourish where each individual enjoys the right to communicate freely in their mother language in all aspects of their lives. UNESCO supports this conviction, as well as the belief that there should be cultural and linguistic diversity in education and the preservation of languages in danger of dying out. So at the 30th session of the General Conference of UNESCO in 1999 the decision was taken to launch International Mother Language Day throughout the world.

In Bangladesh, International Mother Language Day is commemorated with events taking place primarily around the Language Martyr’s Monument in Dhaka. Many people bring flowers, mainly in red and yellow, which are spread out in front of the monument. It is a solemn day as respect is paid to the martyrs who brought to the world’s attention the necessity of keeping marginalized languages alive.
The nation to immortalize 21st February has termed this day as Amar Ekushay (immortal 21st) and commemorates its historical significance by observing it with due solemnity paying tribute and homage to the sons of soil for their heroic sacrifice to uphold the dignity of mother tongue. The Amar Ekushay extents into what is popularly known as the Shaheed Day (Martyrs Day) that reflects upon the language movement on 21st February and the grand scale uprising to establish the due position of Bengali as the official language of the country.
As the clock strikes 00:00 hours, the Honourable President and Prime Minister begin the procession of the nation that pays its tribute to the martyrs at the Shaheed Minars (Monuments for Martyrs) all over the country. People from all walks of life, wearing black badges and bare footed, throng at the Shaheed Minar to show their respect to the sons of the soil. The children, youth, young and old, men and women walk towards the Shaheed Minar singing Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February Ami Ki Bhulite Pari (21 February a day immersed in the blood of my brothers, can I ever forget it).

The mass of people at every corner of the country lay wreaths of flower as a token of their respect and pledge a fresh vow to translate the dreams of the martyrs into reality towards establishing a democratic order, of a society free from exploitation and of economic emancipation of the nation.
Its significance transcends from language movement to symbolize the struggle for emancipation from the oppression of the oppressors. Through the sombre but intrinsically native observance the day continues to define the national and cultural identity that set Bengalis apart as a nation of independent people. It stands as a monumental pride for Bangladeshis who refused to accept domination and culminates into their victory for the mother language and the map of Bangladesh in the globe.

2009-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Bangladesh Cultural Institute of Italy

wishes to everybody :

and

16th December 1971 - Bangladesh Victory Day

2009-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

Bangladesh Liberation War
26 March – 16 December 1971

The Bangladesh Liberation War or Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict pitting West Pakistan against East Pakistan (two halves of one country) and India, that resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the independent nation of Bangladesh.

The war broke out on 26 March 1971 as army units directed by West Pakistan launched a military operation in East Pakistan against Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, and armed personnel who were demanding separation from West Pakistan.

Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians formed the Mukti Bahini (or liberation army) and used guerrilla warfare tactics to fight against the West Pakistan army. India provided economic, military and diplomatic support to the Mukti Bahini rebels leading Pakistan to launch Operation Chengiz Khan, a pre-emptive attack on the western border of India which started the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

On 16 December 1971, the allied forces of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini decisively defeated the West Pakistani forces deployed in the East, resulting in the largest surrender, in terms of the number of prisoners of war, since World War II.

A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army — codenamed Operation Searchlight — started on 25 March to curb the Bengali nationalist movement by taking control of the major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military,within one month. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan.
The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East Pakistan later in the same year. The international media and reference books in English have published casualty figures which vary greatly, from 5,000–35,000 in Dhaka, and 200,000–3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole.

Although the violence focused on the provincial capital, Dhaka, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dhaka were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall — the Jagannath Hall — was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denies any cold blooded killings at the university, though the Hamood-ur-Rehman commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used at the university. This fact and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dhaka University are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Prof. Nurul Ullah of the East Pakistan Engineering University, whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories.

Hindu areas suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dhaka was literally burning, especially the Hindu dominated eastern part of the city. Time magazine reported on 2 August 1971, "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Pakistani military hatred."
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Mujib with multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case.[citation needed] Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dhaka to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan.

Declaration of independence
The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971, proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these outrages, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration

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.

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.

During the war there were widespread killings and other atrocities – including the displacement of civilians in Bangladesh (East Pakistan at the time) and widespread violations of human rights – carried out by the Pakistan Army with support from political and religious militias began with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971.

Bangladeshi authorities claim that three million people were killed, while the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, an official Pakistan Government investigation, put the figure as low as 26,000 civilian casualties. The international media and reference books in English have also published figures which vary greatly from 200,000 to 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole. A further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek safety in India.

A large section of the intellectual community of Bangladesh were murdered, mostly by the Al-Shams and Al-Badr forces, at the instruction of the Pakistani Army. Just 2 days before the surrender, on 14 December 1971, Pakistan Army and Razakar militia (local collaborators) picked up at least 100 to 300 physicians, professors, writers and engineers in Dhaka, and executed them, leaving the dead bodies in a mass grave. There are many mass graves in Bangladesh, and more are continually being discovered (such as one in an old well near a mosque in Dhaka, located in the non-Bengali region of the city, which was discovered in August 1999). The first night of war on Bengalis, which is documented in telegrams from the American Consulate in Dhaka to the United States State Department, saw indiscriminate killings of students of Dhaka University and other civilians.
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.
On 16 December 2002, the George Washington University's National Security Archive published a collection of declassified documents, consisting mostly of communications between US embassy officials and United States Information Service centers in Dhaka and India, and officials in Washington DC.

These documents show that US officials working in diplomatic institutions within Bangladesh used the terms selective genocide and genocide (see The Blood Telegram) to describe events they had knowledge of at the time. Genocide is the term that is still used to describe the event in almost every major publication and newspaper in Bangladesh, although elsewhere, particularly in Pakistan, the actual death toll, motives, extent, and destructive impact of the actions of the Pakistani forces are disputed.

(From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

2009-09-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

The Bangladesh Cultural Institute of Italy is happy to celebrate its second birthday.

BCII was founded on the 1st September 2007. Today is going on with its beautiful and interesting activity, to spread the language and the culture of Bangladesh in Italy and all over the world.

Thanks to all friends for their support to BCII activities.

Happy birthday BCII !!

Boishakhi Mela 1416 in Rome - Begali New Year 2009 in Rome

2009-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Like in BANGLADESH, bengali community in Italy celebrate the Boishakhi Mela.

Bengali New Year (Bengali: Nôbobôrsho) or Pohela Boishakh (Pôhela Boishakh or Pôela Boishakh or Poila Boishakh) is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in Assam and Tripura.

In Bangladesh, it is celebrated on April 14th according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy.

In Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh is a national holiday.

On 2009, celebrations in Rome are in Villa Gordiani Park, from the 23th till 31st May 2009.

A Boishakhi fair is arranged in Rome. Various traditional handicrafts, toys, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at this fair.

The fair also provides entertainment, with singers and dancers.

They present folk songs.

People wear traditional Bengali attire:

young women wear white saris with red borders, and adorn themselves with churi bangles, ful flowers, and tip (bindis).

In Rome men are dressed in an occidental style, but in Dhaka still nowadays people prefer to wear white paejama (pants) or lungi(dhoti/dhuti) (long skirt) and kurta (tunic).

People can eat the traditional Panta Ilish - a tradtional platter of leftover rice soaked in water with fried Hilsa, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), lentils (dal), green chillies and onion - a popular dish for the Pohela Boishakh festival. But, also, jahal muri, the traditional kebab and the jalapi pancakes.

The celebration of Boishakhi Mela in Rome it's an opportunity to maintain a tradition of Bangladesh and to make now to youngers how a New Year's Day is celebrated in Dhaka.

It'a also an opportunity to discuss about racism in Italy, the second and the next generation and the new concept of nationality.

Paan and Betel leaves

2009-07-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Display of the items usually included in a chewing session. The betel leaves are folded in different ways according to the country and have mostly some Calcium hydroxide daubed inside. Slices of the dry areca nut are on the upper left hand and slices of the tender areca nut on the upper right. The pouch on the lower right contains tobacco, a relatively recent introduction.

Paan, from the word pan in Urdu, پان, and Hindi, पान, is a South, East and South East Asian tradition which consists of chewing Betel leaf (Piper betle) combined with the areca nut. There are many regional variations.

Paan is chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener.
It is also commonly offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality and as an "ice breaker" to start conversation.
It also has a symbolic value at ceremonies and cultural events in south and southeast Asia.
Paan makers may use mukhwas or tobacco as an ingredient in their paan fillings.
Although most types of paan contain areca nuts as a filling, some do not.
Other types include what is called sweet paan, where sugar, candied fruit and fennel seeds are used.

Areca nut is often mistakenly translated in the English language as "Betel nut", a misnomer, for the betel vine has no nuts. This name originated with the fact that the betel leaf is chewed along with the areca nut, the seed of the tropical palm Areca catechu. Supari or adakka is the term for the nut in many Indic languages.

Although "paan" is generally used to refer to the leaves of the betel vine, the common use of this word refers mostly to the chewing mixture wrapped in the Betel leaves.

Pan Dan (Urdu: پان دان) is used for serving Paan after a meal. This was a tradition in the Royal families of Pakistan and India and continues to this day.

Varieties
Paan is available in many different forms and flavours.

The most commonly found include:

Tobacco (tambaku paan): Betel leaf filled with powdered tobacco with spices.
Areca nut (paan supari, paan masala or sada paan): Betel leaf filled with a mixture consisting of a coarsely ground or chopped areca nuts and other spices.
"Sweet" (meetha paan): Betel leaf with neither tobacco nor areca nuts. The filling is made up primarily of coconut, fruit preserves, and various spices. It is also often served with a maraschino cherry.
"Trento" (olarno paan): It is said that it tastes like betel but has a minty after taste. Eaten along with fresh potatoes, it is served in most Indian restaurants.

There are a variety of betel leaves grown in different parts of India and Bangladesh; the method of preparation also differs from region to region.

The delicately flavoured paan from Bengal is known as Desi Mahoba. Maghai and Jagannath are the main paans of Benaras. Paan prepared from small and fragile leaves from south India is known as Chigrlayele. The thicker black paan leaves, the ambadi and Kariyele, are more popular and are chewed with tobacco.

Effects on Health
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) regards the chewing of betel-quid and areca nut to be a known human carcinogen.

The main carcinogenic factor is believed to be areca nut. A recent study found that areca-nut paan with and without tobacco increased oral cancer risk by 9.9 and 8.4 times respectively.

Culture
Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf is a tradition, custom or ritual which dates back thousands of years from South Asia to the Pacific. Ibn Battuta describes this practice as follows: "The betel is a tree which is cultivated in the same manner as the grape-vine; … The betel has no fruit and is grown only for the sake of its leaves … The manner of its use is that before eating it one takes areca nut; this is like a nutmeg but is broken up until it is reduced to small pellets, and one places these in his mouth and chews them. Then he takes the leaves of betel, puts a little chalk on them, and masticates them along with the betel."

It constitutes an important and popular cultural activity in many Asian and Oceanic countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam. It is not known how and when the areca nut and the betel leaf were married together as one drug. Archaeological evidence from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines suggests that they have been used in tandem for four thousand years or more.

Paan is a ubiquitous sight in many parts of South and Southeast Asia, It is known as beeda (in Tamil), Killi/Tambulam in (Telugu), 'sireh (in Bahasa Melayu) and Pan Dan (in Urdu). In urban areas, chewing paan is generally considered a nuisance because some chewers spit the paan out in public areas. The red stain generated by the combination of ingredients when chewed are known to make a colorful stain on the ground. This is becoming an unwanted eyesore in Indian cities like Mumbai, although most see it as an integral part to Indian culture. This is also common in some of the Persian Gulf countries like the UAE and Qatar, where many Asians live. Recently, the Dubai government has banned the import and sale of Paan and the like.

According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a good remedy against bad breath (halitosis). However, as mentioned previously in this article, chewing this mixture can possibly lead to oral cancer.

Bangladesh
In Bangladesh paan is chewed all over the country by all classes of people. Paan is offered to the guests and festivals irrespective of all religion. A mixture called Dhakai pan khili is famous in Bangladesh and the subcontinent. The sweet pan of the Khasia tribe is famous for its special quality. Paan is also used in Hindu puja and wedding festival and to visit relatives. It has become a rituals and tradition and culture of Bangladesh society. Adult women gathered with pandani along with friends and relatives in leisure time.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Nakshi kanthar maath, by Jasim Uddin

2009-07-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Nakshi kanthar maath, by Jasim Uddin

Spreading the embroidered quilt,

She works the livelong night,

As if the quilt her poet were

Of her bereved plight.

Many a joy and many a sorrow

Is written in breast;

The story of Rupa's life is there,

Line by line expressed.

The fishes find the deep sea,

The birds the branches of the tree.

The Mother knows her love for her son,

By the sharp pain in her heart alone,

Many and diverse the colour of the cows,

But white the colour that all milk shows.

Through all the world,

A Mother's name,

A Mother's song is found the same.

Black is the pupil of my eye,

Black ink with which I write,

Black is Birth and death is black,

Black is the universal Night.

(From http://www.fhiredekha.com/forum/index.php?topic=77.0 )

Jasimuddin
Jasimuddin (full name Jasimuddin Mollah) (1903-1976) was a renowned Bengali poet.

He is commonly known in Bangladesh as Polli Kobi, the Rural Poet.

Biography
Jasimuddin was born in the village of Tambulkhana in Faridpur District. While still a student at university, wrote the poem 'Kabar' (grave), a very simple tone to obtain family-religion and tragedy.

Simplicity was his style.

That poem was placed in the entrance Bangla book. After obtaining a master's degree in Bangla, he taught at the University of Dhaka. Later, he worked in the information department of the Government.

Major works

Rakhali (Shepherd), (1927)
Nokshi Kanthar Maath (1929)
Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933)
Ranila Nayer Majhi (1935)
Matir Kanna (1951)
Suchayani (1961)
Padma Nadir Deshe (1969)
Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962)
Padmapar (1950)
Beder Meye (1951)
Pallibodhu (1956)
Gramer Maya (1959)
Thakur Barir Anginay (1961)
Germanir Shahare Bandare (1975)
Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978)
Bangalir Hasir Galpa(Part 1 & 2)
Dalim Kumar
Boba Kahini (1964)
Field of the Embroidered Quilt (Nokshi Kanthar Maath's English version)

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jasimuddin From 1931 to 1937, Jasimuddin worked as ramtanu lahiri assistant research fellow under dinesh chandra sen, collecting folk literature. In 1938 he joined the university of dhaka as lecturer. He left the university in 1944 to join the Department of Information and Broadcasting. He continued working here, first under the Bengal government and then under the East Pakistan Government, until his retirement as Deputy Director in 1962.
Jasimuddin's talent as a poet developed early. As a college student, he wrote the poem 'Kabar' (Grave). The poem, a dramatic monologue of an old man talking to his grandson in front of his wife's grave, was included in school textbooks while Jasimuddin was still a student at university.
Jasimuddin's first book of verse, Rakhali (Shepherd), was published in 1927. His other books are Naksi Kanthar Math (1929), Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933), Ranila Nayer Majhi (1935), Matir Kanna (1951), Suchayani (1961), Padma Nadir Deshe (1969), Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962), Padmapar (1950), Beder Meye (1951), Pallibadhu (1956), Gramer Maya (1959), Thakur Badir Aninay (1961), Germanir Shahare Bandare (1975), Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978), Bangalir Hasir Galpa, Dalim Kumar, etc. He also wrote a novel, Boba Kahini (1964). He edited two books on folk music: Jarigan (1968) and Murshida Gan (1977). Naksi Kanthar Math and Bangalir Hasir Galpa have been translated into English as The Field of the Embroidered Quilt and Folk Tales of East Pakistan respectively.

Called 'Palli Kavi' (folk poet), Jasimuddin is the poet of rural Bengal, depicting the natural beauty of the rural world as well as the lives of ordinary peasants.

His poetic rhythms are drawn from folk poetry, easy on the ear and quick to imbed themselves in the memory. He was also a writer of fine prose, fluent, witty, and expressive.

Jasimuddin was one of the pioneers of the progressive and non-communal cultural movement. He was an ardent supporter of socialism and of Bengali nationalism. In the 1950s when the government of Pakistan attempted to stop broadcasting tagore songs, he protested boldly.

In 1969 Jasimuddin was awarded the DLitt by Rabindra Bharati University.

He also won several awards, including the President's Award for Pride of Performance (1958), Ekushey Padak (1976) and Swadhinata Dibas Puruskar (posthumous, 1978). In 1974 he was also selected for the Bangla Academy Award but refused it. Jasimuddin died in Dhaka on 13 March 1976 and was buried in his own village.

(From Banglapedia, the international encyclopediaa of Bangladesh)

http://sos-arsenic.net/lovingbengal/news.html#7

Sultana's Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain

2009-07-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Sultana's Dream is a classic work of Bangla science fiction and an early example of feminist science fiction.

The Bengali short story was written in 1905 by Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain, a Muslim feminist, writer and social reformer who lived in British India, in what is now Bangladesh.

The word sultana here means a female sultan, i.e. a Muslim ruler.

"Sultana's Dream" was originally published in English in The Indian Ladies Magazine of Madras.

It depicts a feminist utopia of role reversal, in which men are locked away in seclusion, in a manner corresponding to the traditional Muslim practice of purdah for women. As a result, women run everything, aided by science fiction-esque "electrical" technology which enables labourless farming and flying cars. Crime is eliminated, since men were responsible for it all. The workday is only two hours long, since men used to waste six hours of each day in smoking. The religion is one of love and truth, rather than any traditional faith with a history of denying the rights of women.

Roquia Sakhawat Hussain, (1880 – December 9, 1932) was a prolific writer and a social worker in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century.

She is most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues.

She established the first school aimed primarily at Muslim girls, which still exists today.

She was a notable Muslim feminist.

Names
She was born Roquia Khatun but achieved prominence as Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain. Begum is an honorific, that is, a title of respect in addressing a woman. When she wrote in English, she transliterated her name as Rokeya.

Life
Roquia Khatun was born in 1880 in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur, in what was then the British Indian Empire and is now Bangladesh.
Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a highly educated zamindar (landlord). Roquia had two sisters, Karimunnesa Khatun and Humayra Khatun; and three brothers, one of whom died in childhood.

Roquia's eldest brother Ibrahim, and her immediate elder sister Karimunnesa, both had great influence on her life. Karimunnesa wanted to study Bangla, the language of the majority in Bengal. The family disliked this because many upper class Muslims of the time preferred to use Arabic and Persian as the media of education, instead of their native language, Bangla.
Ibrahim taught English and Bangla to Roquia and Karimunnesa; both sisters became authors.
Karimunnesa married at the age of fourteen, later earning a reputation as a poet. Both of her sons, Nawab Abdul Karim Gaznawi and Nawab Abdul Halim Gaznawi, became famous in the political arena and occupied ministerial portfolios under British authorities.

Roquia married at the age of sixteen in 1896. Her Urdu-speaking husband, Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain, was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur, which is now a district under the Indian state of Bihar.

He continued her brother's work by encouraging her to keep learning Bangla and English. He also suggested that she write, and on his advice she adopted Bangla as the principal language for her literary works because it was the language of the masses.

She launched her literary career in 1902 with a Bangla story entitled Pipasa (Thirst).
In 1909, Sakhawat Hussain died. He had encouraged his wife to set aside money to start a school primarily for Muslim women. Five months after his death, Roquia established a high school in her beloved husband's memory, naming it Sakhawat Memorial Girls' High School. It started in Bhagalpur, a traditionally Urdu-speaking area, with only five students. A dispute with her husband's family over property forced Roquia to move the school in 1911 to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), a Bangla-speaking area; it remains one of the city's most popular schools for girls. The school is now a West Bengal state government runned school and has two medium of instructions. One section of the students have Bangla and the other learns all subjects except English and Maths in Urdu. This school can help ameliorate communal harmony in the country.

Begum Roquia also founded the Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam (Islamic Women's Association), which was active in holding debates and conferences regarding the status of women and education. She advocated reform, particularly for women, and believed that parochialism and excessive conservatism were principally responsible for the relatively slow development of Muslims in British India. As such, she is one of the first Islamic feminists. She was inspired by the traditional Islamic learning as enunciated in the Qu'ran, and believed that modern Islam had been distorted or corrupted; her organization Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam organised many events for social reforms based on the original teachings of Islam that, according to her, were lost.

Begum Roquia remained busy with the school, the association, and her writings for the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932. In Bangladesh, December 9 is celebrated as Rokeya Day.

Gender Equality
Begum Roquia was an inspiring figure who contributed much to the struggle to liberate women from the bondage of social malaises.
To raise popular consciousness, especially among women, she wrote a number of articles, stories and novels, mostly in Bengali.
Begum Roquia used humor, irony, and satire to focus attention on the injustices faced by Bengali-speaking Muslim women.

She criticized oppressive social customs forced upon women that were based upon a corrupted version of Islam, asserting that women fulfilling their potential as human beings could best display the glory of Allah.
Begum Roquia wrote courageously against restrictions on women in order to promote their emancipation, which, she believed, would come about by breaking the gender division of labor. She rejected discrimination for women in the public arena and believed that discrimination would cease only when women were able to undertake whatever profession they chose.

Works
Sultana's Dream, a notable early work of feminist science fiction involving a utopian male/female role-reversal.

Oborodhbashini ("The woman in captivity")
Motichur Paddorag ("Essence of the Lotus")
Narir Adhikar ("The Rights of Women"),
an unfinished essay for the Islamic Women's Association

To read Sultana's Dream: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sultana/dream/dream.html

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Rickshaw Art - decorative art of rickshaws

2009-07-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

Rickshaw, one of the principal means of transport in the urban areas of Bangladesh.

With the improvement of road communication throughout the country, rickshaw has now found its way into rural areas as well.

As a mode of transport rickshaw was first introduced in Japan in the early twentieth century. This mode of transport became particularly popular there due to the Second World War situation, which made petrol and motorised transport scarce and expensive. Japan, however, had soon replaced rickshaw, nintaku in Japanese, with motorised vehicles and by the 1950s the cycle rickshaw had disappeared from Japan.

In the 1930 and early '40s rickshaw became popular in Indonesia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. Rickshaw is said to have reached Chittagong from Myanmar in 1919. Interestingly, rickshaw did not spread out to Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh from Chittagong.

Dhaka got rickshaw from Calcutta, where it was first introduced around 1930. European jute exporters living in Narayanganj and Netrokona (in Mymensingh) had first imported cycle rickshaw from Calcutta in 1938 for their personal use. The new vehicle roused great curiosity among the people of Dhaka, who were traditionally used to horse carriages, palanquins and city-canal boats. Initially cycle rickshaw did not receive enthusiastic response from users.
The Dhaka city had only 37 rickshaws in 1941 and 181 rickshaws in 1947. Before 1947, Dhaka was a district town, which had a population of 62,469 only according to 1951 census. But in 1998, the city's population grew over 8 million and the number of registered rickshaws in the city was 112,572. The number of rickshaws in all other cities of Bangladesh in that year was 274,265 and in all villages 91,040. Rickshaw and rickshaw vans (also a tricycle vehicle similar to rickshaw but with the difference that instead of passenger seats, these have a flat bed of wooden bars resting on the axle over the rear pair of wheels and they carry goods in small lots) are now fast replacing the traditional transports like horse carriages and bullock carts in the country.

It is a popular guess that the total number of rickshaws in the city is at least two and a half times that of the registered ones and accordingly, the city had at least 280,000 rickshaws in 2000. Estimates based on the figures that each rickshaw is operated by two pullers in morning and evening shifts and the average number of family members of a rickshaw puller is five, suggest that the rickshaws of Dhaka city alone is a source of income for nearly three million people.

Unlike in all Southeast Asian countries, rickshaws in Bangladesh have a lasting foothold. It has established itself with a dominance unmatched by other modes of transport. The predominance of rickshaw as a transport is evidenced by the fact that the percentage-wise traffic composition in Dhaka, Sylhet, Comilla and Rangpur cities are 49%, 78%, 80% and 55% respectively.

Other means of transport in Dhaka are, in order of traffic, the (a) cars, jeeps, pick-ups etc. (b) baby taxi, (c) bus, (d) truck, (e) tempo and (f) bicycle. Bicycle, however, is the second in the list of predominant vehicles in cities outside Dhaka.

Fifty percent of the value added in transport sector is being contributed by rickshaws and the mode of transport provides employment and living to people engaged not only as the pullers directly but also as its manufacturers of its mainframe, the body with seat and hoods and its spare parts. A great number of people depends for the living on the decoration of rickshaw body, artwork on it and rickshaw garages.

Rickshaw Art - decorative art of rickshaws, which may be extended to cover all rickshaw decoration, from painted backboards and rear side panels to cut-outs appliquéd on to hoods and brass vases replete with plastic or paper flowers.

In a restrictive sense it is generally applied to the painted backboard, a tin plate fixed to the lower rear of a rickshaw hiding the chain. In this sense it is also extended to include the paintings on the rear of autorickshaws or baby taxis. Rickshaw art has been compared to traffic art in other parts of the world, such as the decorated trucks of Pakistan.
Rickshaw art is mainly an urban phenomenon and perhaps dates back to the 1950's. It shares some similarity of theme and execution with movie billboards, which may be ascribed to the fact that many rickshaw painters had either themselves painted movie billboards or had apprenticed with such painters. The art of the rickshaw painter is passed on from ustad, master, to apprentice. There is a lot of repetition, either because of the popularity of some motifs or because of the influence of the master craftsman.

The paintings are executed quickly, with readymade enamel paints, which do not allow paints to be mixed. Bright primary colours are popular and the painting is flat, lacking shadows, perspective, and scale.

There are variations in rickshaw art in different towns of Bangladesh.

For example, nearly eighty per cent of rickshaws in Dhaka city are decorated and most of them have animal scenes, natural scenes, and pictures of movie themes.

Chittagong and Comilla areas show less enthusiasm about decorating rickshaws and the rickshaw art there contain fewer human images and have more images of flowers, birds, animals etc. Rickshaws in Sylhet, considered to be a more pious area, are rarely decorated.

Among popular themes are: the Taj Mahal, movie scenes and portraits of movie stars, idyllic scenes of rural Bengal with plump hens, placid cows, coconut palms, neat huts, gentle streams. Islamic scenes such as mosques and Borak, the winged horse, are also frequently found.

Because rickshaw backboards have to be painted annually, rickshaw artists often depict topical themes. In the early seventies, scenes of fighting between muktijoddha (freedom fighters) and Pakistani soldiers were common. Increasingly common, especially on autorickshaws are scenes of futuristic cities, planes and other fast-moving forms of transport.

Rickshaw artists do not always sign their pictures. Sometimes the name of the rickshaw garage owner or rickshaw maker or mistri is noted on the plate. Sometimes artists paint under pseudonyms. Occasionally, a number of artists share the same name, and, at other times, a plate executed by an apprentice, is signed with the name of the master.

It is probable that, with the increasing recognition being given to this form of folk art (a collection of rickshaw paintings has been given to the bangladesh national museum and a non-government organisation is popularising rickshaw art) more and more artists will sign their names.

To know more about it: http://www.artsricksha.com/index.htm

(From Banglapedia, the national encyclopedia of Bangladesh)

Rickshaws ( riksha) in Bangladesh are cycle-powered, and are available for hire throughout the country; Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka is known as the "Rickshaw Capital of the World".

However, increasing traffic congestion and the resulting collisions have led to the banning of cycle rickshaws on many major streets in the city. Still, in many neighborhoods of Old Dhaka, rickshaws are the only kind of vehicle that can travel through the narrow streets. Rickshaw-pullers are known as rikshawala in Bangla.

Bangladeshi rickshaw pullers are mostly from the district of Rongpur.

Because of the recent famine and less job opportunities, people from there migrate to Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong to pull rickshaws.
Rickshaw man Omar Ali is Bangla's music star winner in the television "Pop Idol"-style talent show.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Basanta-Utsab, the spring festival in Bangladesh

2009-07-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

In West Bengal of India and Bangladesh it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta-Utsab ("spring festival").

Basanta-Utsab is also called Holi, the Festival of Colors.

It is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and countries with large Hindu diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, the UK, Mauritius, and Fiji.

The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days.

The main day, Holi, also known as Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in Andhra Pradesh.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March.

In 2009, Holi (Dhulandi) was on March 11 and Holika Dahan was on March 10.
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colors.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The population of Bangladesh is greater than Russia’s.

Dhaka, the capital, is now the ninth most populous city on earth with some 12 million inhabitants, a megalopolis that, like all others, is firmly enmeshed with world economics and culture.

Even so, two thirds of Bangladesh’s people farm for a living, and because of the nation’s geography, dominated by immense rivers and weather blowing in from the Bay of Bengal, contemporary culture is still steeped in the seasons.

Bangladesh actually observes not two or four but six seasons, “Grisma (summer), Barsa (rainy), Sarat (autumn), Hemanta (late autumn), Shhit (winter) and Basanta (spring).”

And by the Bangali calendar Basanta/Spring begins with a celebration known as Basanta Utsab.

“People of all ages with yellow and festive dress gathered at the compound of Farida Biddayatan, to welcome the season.”

An audience showered with flower petals is treated to Bangali dance, music, and poetry.

The young women do it up especially right with Bashonti (yellow) sarees and alluring eye paint.

While the celebration of spring likely has roots in rural folk tradition, the current outpouring of cultural performances in the capitol seems to have begun more recently. Chhayanaut, a cultural organization, started holding artistic programmes “celebrating the advent of spring in the city in the late 1960’s,” and the annual event “gradually gained a wide currency among the people….It is a reunion for the people who love the Bangali culture, irrespective of caste, creed and colour.”

Consider what wintertime’s like if you live on the streets, as many thousands do in Bangladesh. It’s no wonder the Bangali people call Spring (Basanta) king of seasons, a king crowned with shimul and palash.

Yet it seems no coincidence that the festival arrives just at Valentine’s Day, a western holiday that is being adopted in much of urban Bangladesh. Basanta Utsab, as well as seasonal, is a cultural pushback, an affirmation of Bangla history and customs as not only spring but Western styles and habits advance.

One commentator wrote, “The people of the Parishad think that Basanta Utsab is not merely a cultural programme, involving music, dance or performing arts; it is rather an effort to introduce the Bangali culture to the new generation.”

And what finer introduction than young women adorned with yellow silks, yellow bands of flowers.

(From http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/basanta_sixth_season/ )

Mehndi, application of henna

2009-07-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

Mendhi (also Mehandi, Mehendi, etc.) is the application of Henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in South Asia, Southwest Asia, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, as well as by expatriate communities from these areas.

Mehendi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and festivals.

It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin which binds temporarily to lawsone, the colorant of henna.

Henna was originally used as a form of decoration mainly for brides.

The term henna tattoo is inaccurate, because tattoos are defined as permanent surgical insertion of pigments underneath the skin, as opposed to pigments resting on the surface as is the case with mehndi

Likely due to the desire for a "tattoo-black" appearance, many people have started adding the synthetic dye PPD to henna to give it a black color. PPD is extremely harmful to the skin and can cause severe allergic reactions resulting in permanent injury or death.

Alata (Mahur) is a flower-based dye used to paint the feet of the brides in some regions of India. It is still used in Bengal.

Etymology
The term Mendhī in Sanskrit refers to the plant Lawsonia inermis and the dye produced from it, while the word Hinna was used with the same meaning, in Arabic.

Although these were originally synonymous terms from different languages, a distinction later arose between them, wherein Henna became the term for the dye and Mehndi for the related art form.

This distinction is fully realised in English usage of the two terms.

Process
Henna paste is usually applied on the skin using a plastic cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped jacquard bottle used for silk painting (a jac bottle) is used. The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense colour on the skin. The wrap is worn overnight and then removed. The final colour is reddish brown and can last anywhere from two weeks to several months depending on the type of the paste.

Tradition
There is evidence that mehndi as a ceremonial art form originated in ancient India.

Intricate patterns of mehndi are typically applied to brides before wedding ceremonies.

The bridegroom is also painted in some parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sudan.

The use of henna and mehndi by Muhammad insured its place in history and its popularity and acceptance among the Muslim people.

In Arabic speaking countries such as Morocco, and some other countries in central Asia, it is done for any special occasion. It is done during the seventh month of pregnancy, after having the baby, weddings, engagements, family get-togethers, divali, as well as on other occasions.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Lungi and Dhuti

2009-07-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

The lungi ([ˈluŋgi]) is a garment worn around the waist in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar (formerly Burma).

While its origin is found in Indian culture, it is worn by diverse communities across Southern Asia.

It is particularly popular in regions where the heat and humidity create an unpleasant climate for trousers.

Design
Unlike dhotis, which are linear like sheets, lungis are sewn into a tube shape like a skirt.

However, cheaper "open" lungis are available in identical dimensions without being sewn into a tube shape. The standard adult lungi is 115cm in height and 200cm in length, when open. Children's dhotis are available in approximately 2/3rd of this size.

It is normally woven from cotton in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are available for ceremonial purposes such as weddings.

The most common styles are either solid-colored or plaid, reflecting the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of producing these patterns on a power loom. Blue is particularly popular, since it fades to pleasant tones in contrast to other colors. Regardless of the design or color, lungis are often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe containing reinforced weaving to prevent fraying.

Usage
Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men and/or women.

They are tied or fastened in various ways, and can be used in different cultural activities, ranging from normal daily life to elaborate wedding ceremonies.

For daily purposes, a simple "double twist" knot is most popular, where two points in the upper edge of lungi are brought together and twisted around twice, with the ends tucked in at the waist.

However, it is also common for wearers to simply tie a double "pretzel knot" from 2 points on the upper border, which produces a more secure knot. The lungi's length can also be adjusted, for example, by tucking in the lungi at the waist to make it resemble a short skirt.

Regional variations

Bangladesh and West Bengal
The lungi (usually pronounced "long-gee" in Bengali) is the most commonly-seen dress of Bangladeshi men, although it is not normally worn on formal occasions.

In Bangladesh, lungis are worn by most men on a daily basis, although elaborately-designed tartan cotton, batik, or silk lungis are also often presented as wedding gifts to the groom.

The typical Bangladeshi lungi is very rather unique and different to other lungis as it is a seamless tubular shape, in comparison with the single sheet worn in other parts of the Indian subcontinent and Sout-East Asia.

In Bangladesh, the lungi industry is concentrated in Khulna, and leading brands include Alauddin Textile Mills (ATM), Smart, and Alphabet Textiles.

Bengali women do not traditionally wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in some parts of southeastern Bangladesh.

In neighboring West Bengal, the lungi is fast replacing the dhoti as the most popular men's garment for everyday wear.

Some Bengali men avoid wearing the lungi, considering it to be too informal or inappropriate, despite the fact that it is both ubiquitous and comfortable. Despite the fact that the usage of lungi is declining slowly, it is still the most common male attire in rural Bangladesh.

Dhuti.

The Dhotī or Doti in Hindi, called Suriya in Assamese, Vaytti or Veshti(informal) in Tamil, Dhuti in Bangla, Dhoti or Kachche Panche in Kannada, Dhotar,Angostar,Aad-neschey or Pudve in Konkani, mundu in Malayalam, Dhotar in Marathi , Laacha in Punjabi and Pancha in Telugu is the traditional men's garment in India.

It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 7 yards long, wrapped around the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist.

In northern India, the garment is worn with a Kurta on top, the combination known simply as "dhoti kurta", or a dhuti panjabi in the East. In Tamil Nadu, it is worn with an angavastram (another unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders) or else with a chokka (shirt) in Andhra Pradesh or jubba (a local version of kurta).

The lungi is a similar piece of cloth worn in similar manner, though only on informal occasions. The lungi is not as long and is basically a bigger version of a towel worn to fight the extremely hot weather in India. The sarong is another similar item of clothing.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Bindi or Teep (decoration) and Bangles or Chudi or Churis

2009-07-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

A bindi (from Sanskrit bindu, meaning "a drop, small particle, dot") is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia (particularly India) and Southeast Asia.

Traditionally it is a dot of red colour applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows, but it can also consist of a sign or piece of jewelry worn at this location.

Nowadays, bindis are worn throughout South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan) by women and girls, and no longer signify age, marital status, religious background or ethnic affiliation.

The bindi has become a decorative item and is no longer restricted in colour or shape.

Self-adhesive bindis (also known as sticker bindis) are available, usually made of felt or thin metal and adhesive on the other side. These are simple to apply, disposable substitutes for older tilak bindis. Sticker bindis come in many colors, designs, materials, and sizes. Fancier sticker bindis are decorated with sequins, glass beads, or rhinestones.

Outside South Asia, bindis are sometimes worn by women of Indian origin. Some Western women who have converted to Hinduism, such as in the Hare Krishnas, also wear bindis. Sometimes they are worn as a style statement. International celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Madonna, Nina Hagen, Nelly Furtado, and Shania Twain have been seen wearing bindis.

Sometimes the bindi is a symbol of religious affiliation, or a mark of a recent religious ceremony; sometimes the bindi is mere beautification.

A bindi can be called:
Tikli in Marathi
Pottu in Tamil and Malayalam
Tilak in Hindi
Chandlo in Gujarati
Bottu or Tilakam (in Telugu)
Bottu or Tilaka (in Kannada)
Teep (meaning "a pressing") (in Bengali)
Nande is a term erroneously used to describe the bindi in Malaysia. It may contain pejorative connotations although not in most cases.

Religious significance
The area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, ajna, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Hinduism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck.

Related customs
In addition to the bindi, in India, a vermilion mark in the parting of the hair just above the forehead is worn by married women as a symbol of their married status. During North Indian marriage ceremonies, the groom applies sindoor on the parting in the bride's hair. Ancient Chinese women wore similar marks (for purely decorative purposes) since the second century, which became popular during the Tang Dynasty.

Bangles or Chudi (Urdu: ﭼﻮﮌﯼ) (Tamil: Valayal) (Telugu: Gaaju) are traditional ornaments worn by Indian women and Pakistani women, especially Hindus. They are worn after marriage to signify matrimony.
They are circular in shape, and, unlike bracelets, are not flexible. The word is derived from Hindi bungri (glass).

They are made of numerous precious as well as non-precious materials such as gold, silver, platinum, glass, wood, ferrous metals, plastic, etc.

Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewelry. They are usually worn in pairs by women, one or more on each arm.

Most Indian women prefer wearing either gold or glass bangles or combination of both. Inexpensive Bangles made from plastic are slowly replacing those made by glass, but the ones made of glass are still preferred at traditional occasions such as marriages and on festivals.

The designs range from simple to intricate handmade designs, often studded with precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, gems and pearls.
Sets of expensive bangles made of gold and silver make a jingling sound. The imitation jewelry, tend to make a tinny sound when jingled.
Some men wear a single bangle on the arm or wrist called as kada or kara.

In Sikhism, The father of a Sikh bride will give the groom a gold ring, a kara (steel or iron bangle), and a mohra.

Chooda is a kind of bangle that is worn by Punjabi women on her wedding day. It is a set of white and red bangles with stone work. According to tradition a woman is not supposed to buy the bangles she will wear.

History

Bangles—made from shell, copper, bronze, gold, agate, chalcedony etc.—have been excavated from multiple archaeological sites throughout India.

A figurine of a dancing girl—wearing bangles on her left arm— has been excavated from Mohenjo-daro (2600 BC).
Other early examples of bangles in India include copper samples from the excavations at Mahurjhari—soon followed by the decorated bangles belonging to the Mauryan empire (322–185 BCE), and the gold bangle samples from the historic site of Taxila (6th century BCE). Decorated shell bangles have also been excavated from multiple Mauryan sites. Other features included copper rivets and gold-leaf inlay in some cases.

Types of bangle
There are various types of bangles available on the market.

Primary distinguishing factor for these is the material that is used to make the bangles. This may vary anything from glass to metal to lac and even rubber or plastic. Traditionally bangles were made of various types of metals like gold, silver, bronze etc. Bangles made from gold are considered the most expensive ones.

Another factor that adds to the price of the bangles is the artifacts or the work done further on the metal. This includes embroidery or small glass pieces or paintings or even small hangings that are attached to the bangles. The rareness of a color and its unique value also increase the value. Bangles made from lac are one of the oldest ones and among the brittle category too. Lac is clay like material which in molded in hot kilns-like places to make these bangles. Among the recent entrants are the rubber bangles that are worn more like a wrist band by youngsters while the plastic ones are there to add the trendy look.

Normally, a bangle worn by people around the world is simply an inflexible piece of jewelry worn around the wrist. However, in many cultures, especially in the Arabian Peninsula and in South Asia, bangles have evolved into various types in which different ones are used at different occasions.

Production
Glass bangles are mostly produced in only one Indian city called Firozabad in North India.
In India, Hyderabad has a historic market for bangles named the Laad Bazaar.
In Pakistan, glass bangles are almost all produced in Hyderabad, Pakistan

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Kurta

2009-07-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

A kurta (Persian/Urdu: کُرتا, Hindi: कुरता, IPA: [ˈkɜrtə]) (Nothing like kurti) is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women.

They were traditionally worn with loose-fitting paijama (kurta-paijama), loose-fitting salwars, tight-fitting churidars, or wrapped-around dhotis; but are now also worn with jeans.

Kurtas are worn both as casual everyday wear and as formal dress.

A kurta is also referred to as a panjabi, (usually spelled lower-case) in Bengal, Britain, and Canada.

Women often wear kurtis as blouses, usually over jeans.

These kurtis are typically much shorter than the traditional garments and made with a lighter materials, like those used in sewing kameez.

Imported kurtas were fashionable in the 1960s and 1970s, as an element of hippie fashion, fell from favor briefly, and are now again fashionable. South Asian women may also wear this Western adaptation of South Asian fashion.
Formal kurtas are usually custom-made by South Asian tailors, who work with the fabric their customers bring them. South Asians overseas, and Westerners, can buy them at South Asian clothing stores or order them from web retailers.

Styles
A traditional kurta is composed of rectangular fabric pieces with perhaps a few gusset inserts, and is cut so as to leave no wasted fabric. The cut is usually simple, although decorative treatments can be elaborate.
The sleeves of a traditional kurta fall straight to the wrist; they do not narrow, as do many Western-cut sleeves. Sleeves are not cuffed, just hemmed and decorated.
The front and back pieces of a simple kurta are also rectangular. The side seams are left open for 6-12 inches above the hem, which gives the wearer some ease of movement.
The kurta usually opens in the front; some styles, however, button at the shoulder seam. The front opening is often a hemmed slit in the fabric, tied or buttoned at the top; some kurtas, however, have plackets rather than slits. The opening may be centered on the chest, or positioned off center.
A traditional kurta does not have a collar. Modern variants may feature stand-up collars of the type known to tailors and seamstresses as "mandarin" collars.

Material
Kurtas worn in the summer months are usually made of thin silk or cotton fabrics;

winter season kurtas are made of thicker fabric such as wool (as in Kashmiri kurtas) or Khadi silk, a thick, coarse, handspun and handwoven silk that may be mixed with other fibers.

Kurtas are typically fastened with tasseled ties, cloth balls and loops, or buttons. Ready-made kurtas often avoid the use of horn buttons, in deference to Hindu sentiments; such buttons are frequently made from cow or buffalo hooves or horns. Buttons are often wood or plastic. Kurtas worn on formal occasions might feature decorative metal buttons, which are not sewn to the fabric, but, like cufflinks, are fastened into the cloth when needed. Such buttons can be decorated with jewels, enameling, and other traditional jewelers' techniques.

Decoration
South Asian tailors command a vast repertoire of methods, traditional and modern, for decorating fabric. It is likely that all of them have been used, at one time or another, to decorate kurtas. However, the most common decoration is embroidery. Many light summer kurtas feature Chikan embroidery, a speciality of Lucknow, around the hems and front opening. This embroidery is typically executed on light, semi-transparent fabric in a matching thread. The effect is ornate but subtle.

Etymology
The word "kurta" is a borrowing from Urdu and Hindi, and originally from Persian (literally, "a collarless shirt") and was first used in English in the 20th century.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank and Microcredit

2009-07-25T12:14:00.001-07:00

Muhammad Yunus (pronounced Muhammôd Iunus) (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi banker and economist.

He previously was a professor of economics where he developed the concept of microcredit. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans.

Yunus is also the founder of Grameen Bank.

In 2006, Yunus and the bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below."

Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation.

In early 2007 Yunus showed interest in launching a political party in Bangladesh named Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power), but later discarded the plan. He is one of the founding members of Global Elders.

Yunus also serves on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support United Nations causes. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN.

Early years and background
The third oldest of nine children, Yunus was born on 28 June 1940 to a Muslim family in the village of Bathua, by the Boxirhat Road in Hathazari, Chittagong, then in Bengal Province of British India (now in Bangladesh).
His father was Hazi Dula Mia Shoudagar, a jeweler, and his mother was Sofia Khatun.
His early childhood years were spent in the village.
In 1944, his family moved to the city of Chittagong, and he was shifted to Lamabazar Primary School from his village school.
By 1949, his mother was afflicted with psychological illness.
Later, he passed the matriculation examination from Chittagong Collegiate School securing the 16th position among 39,000 students in East Pakistan. During his school years, he was an active Boy Scout, and traveled to West Pakistan and India in 1952, and to Canada in 1955 to attend Jamborees.
Later when Yunus was studying at Chittagong College, he became active in cultural activities and won awards for drama acting.
In 1957, he enrolled in the department of economics at Dhaka University and completed his BA in 1960 and MA in 1961.

Following his graduation, Yunus joined the Bureau of Economics as a research assistant to the economical researches of Professor Nurul Islam and Rehman Sobhan.
Later he was appointed as a lecturer in economics in Chittagong College in 1961. During that time he also set up a profitable packaging factory on the side.
He was offered a Fulbright scholarship in 1965 to study in the United States. He obtained his Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt University in the United States through the graduate program in Economic Development (GPED) in 1971.
From 1969 to 1972, Yunus was an assistant professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.
During the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, Yunus founded a citizen's committee and ran the Bangladesh Information Center, with other Bangladeshis living in the United States, to raise support for liberation.
He also published the Bangladesh Newsletter from his home in Nashville.
After the War, Yunus returned to Bangladesh and was appointed to the government's Planning Commission headed by Nurul Islam. He found the job boring and resigned to join Chittagong University as head of the Economics department. He became involved with poverty reduction after observing the famine of 1974, and established a rural economic program as a research project. In 1975, he developed a Nabajug (New Era) Tebhaga Khamar (three share farm) which the government adopted as the Packaged Input Programme.
In order to make the project more effective, Yunus and his associates proposed the Gram Sarkar (the village government) programme. Introduced by then president Ziaur Rahman in late 1970s, the Government formed 40,392 village governments (gram sarkar) as a fourth layer of government in 2003. On 2 August 2005, in response to a petition filed by Bangladesh Legal Aids and Services Trust (BLAST) the High Court had declared Gram Sarkar illegal and unconstitutional.

Grameen Bank
In 1976, during visits to the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University, Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to a poor person. Jobra women who made bamboo furniture had to take out usurious loans for buying bamboo, to pay their profits to the moneylenders. His first loan, consisting of USD 27.00 from his own pocket, was made to 42 women in the village, who made a net profit of BDT 0.50 (USD 0.02) each on the loan, thus vastly improving Bangladesh's ability to export and import as it did in the past, resulting in a greater form of globalization and economic status.
The concept of providing credit to the poor as a tool of poverty reduction was not unique. Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan, founder of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (now Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development), is credited for pioneering the idea. From his experience at Jobra, Yunus, an admirer of Dr. Hameed, realized that the creation of an institution was needed to lend to those who had nothing. While traditional banks were not interested in making tiny loans at reasonable interest rates to the poor due to high repayment risks, Yunus believed that given the chance the poor will repay the borrowed money and hence microcredit could be a viable business model.
Yunus finally succeeded in securing a loan from the government Janata Bank to lend it to the poor in Jobra in December 1976. The institution continued to operate by securing loans from other banks for its projects. By 1982, the bank had 28,000 members. On 1 October 1983 the pilot project began operations as a full-fledged bank and was renamed the Grameen Bank (Village Bank) to make loans to poor Bangladeshis. Yunus and his colleagues encountered everything from violent radical leftists to the conservative clergy who told women that they would be denied a Muslim burial if they borrowed money from the Grameen Bank.

As of July 2007, Grameen Bank has issued US$ 6.38 billion to 7.4 million borrowers. To ensure repayment, the bank uses a system of "solidarity groups". These small informal groups apply together for loans and its members act as co-guarantors of repayment and support one another's efforts at economic self-advancement.
The Grameen Bank started to diversify in the late 1980s when it started attending to unutilized or underutilized fishing ponds, as well as irrigation pumps like deep tubewells. In 1989, these diversified interests started growing into separate organizations, as the fisheries project became Grameen Motsho (Grameen Fisheries Foundation) and the irrigation project became Grameen Krishi (Grameen Agriculture Foundation). Over time, the Grameen initiative has grown into a multi-faceted group of profitable and non-profit ventures, including major projects like Grameen Trust and Grameen Fund, which runs equity projects like Grameen Software Limited, Grameen CyberNet Limited, and Grameen Knitwear Limited, as well as Grameen Telecom, which has a stake in Grameenphone (GP), biggest private sector phone company in Bangladesh. The Village Phone (Polli Phone) project of GP has brought cell-phone ownership to 260,000 rural poor in over 50,000 villages since the beginning of the project in March 1997.
The success of the Grameen model of microfinancing has inspired similar efforts in a hundred countries throughout the developing world and even in industrialized nations, including the United States. Many, but not all, microcredit projects also retain its emphasis on lending specifically to women. More than 94% of Grameen loans have gone to women, who suffer disproportionately from poverty and who are more likely than men to devote their earnings to their families. For his work with the Grameen Bank, Yunus was named an Ashoka: Innovators for the Public Global Academy Member in 2001.

Recognitions
Muhammad Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development. In the prize announcement The Norwegian Nobel Committee mentioned:
"Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh, but also in many other countries. Loans to poor people without any financial security had appeared to be an impossible idea. From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty. "

Muhammad Yunus was the first Bangladeshi and third Bengali to ever get a Nobel Prize. After receiving the news of the important award, Yunus announced that he would use part of his share of the $1.4 million award money to create a company to make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor; while the rest would go toward setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh.

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton was a vocal advocate for the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Muhammed Yunus. He expressed this in Rolling Stone magazine as well as in his autobiography My Life. In a speech given at University of California, Berkeley in 2002, President Clinton described Dr. Yunus as "a man who long ago should have won the Nobel Prize [and] I’ll keep saying that until they finally give it to him." Conversely, The Economist stated explicitly that Yunus was a poor choice for the award, stating: "...the Nobel committee could have made a braver, more difficult, choice by declaring that there would be no recipient at all."
He has won a number of other awards, including the King Abdul Aziz medal in 2007, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize the Sydney Peace Prize, and in December 2007 the Ecuadorian Peace Prize. Additionally, Dr. Yunus has been awarded 26 honorary doctorate degrees, and 15 special awards. Bangladesh government brought out a commemorative stamp to honor his Nobel Award. In January 2008, Houston, Texas declared 14 January as "Muhammad Yunus Day". He was invited and gave the MIT commencement address delivered on 6 June 2008, and Oxford's Romanes Lecture on 2 December 2008. He received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service from the Eisenhower Fellowships at a ceremony in Philadelphia on 21 May 2009.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Salwar kameez

2009-07-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Salwar kameez, Salwar Qameez (also spelled shalwar kameez or shalwar qameez) is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in South Asia and is considered the National Dress of Pakistan.

Salvar or shalvar are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle.

The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the chaak) are left open below the waist-line, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the garment is worn by both sexes. In Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, it is most commonly a woman's garment, albeit still worn by some men.

Salwar are gathered at the waist and held up by a drawstring or an elastic band. The pants can be wide and baggy or more narrow, and even made of fabric cut on the bias. In the latter case they are known as churidar.

The kameez is usually cut straight and flat; older kameez use traditional cuts, as shown in the illustration above. Modern kameez are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. The tailor's taste and skill are usually displayed, not in the overall cut, but in the shape of the neckline and the decoration of the kameez. Modern versions of the feminine kameez can be much less modest than traditional versions. The kameez may be cut with a deep neckline, sewn in diaphanous fabrics, or styled in cap-sleeve or sleeveless designs. The kameez side seams may be split up to the thigh or even the waistline, and it may be worn with the salwar slung low on the hips. When a woman wears a semi-transparent kameez (mostly as a party dress), she wears a choli or a cropped camisole underneath it.
When women wear the salwar kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck.

For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less stringent alternative to the chador or burqa.

For Sikh and Hindu women (especially those from northern India, where the salwar kameez is most popular), the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a Gurdwara or a Temple, or the presence of elders.

For other women, the dupatta is simply a stylish accessory that can be worn over one shoulder or draped around the chest and over both shoulders.

The Shalwar kameez is sometimes known as "Punjabi suit," in Britain and Canada.

In Britain, especially during the last two decades, the garment has been transformed from an everyday garment worn by immigrant South Asian women from the Punjab region to one with mainstream, and even high-fashion, appeal.

In India, the garment was originally confined to the North, but as a convenient and modest alternative to a sari - and also as one that flatters practically any body-type - it has become popular across the nation. By varying the fabric, color and the level of embroidery and decoration, the salwar-kameez can be formal, casual, dressy, or plain; and it can also be made to suit practically all climates.

The pants, or salvar, are known as salvar in Punjabi: ਸਲਵਾਰ ਕ਼ਮੀਜ਼, salvaar or shalvaar શલવાર કમીઝ in Gujarati, salvaar or shalvar शलवार क़मीज़ in Hindi, and shalvar in Urdu: شلوار قمیض. The word comes from the Persian: شلوار, meaning pants.
The shirt, kameez or qamiz, takes its name from the Arabic qamis.

There are two main hypotheses regarding the origin of the Arabic word, namely:
that Arabic qamis is derived from the Latin camisia (shirt), which in its turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European kem (‘cloak’).
that Mediaeval Latin camisia is a borrowing through Hellenistic Greek kamision from the Central Semitic root “qmṣ”, represented by Ugaritic qmṣ (‘garment’) and Arabic qamīṣ (‘shirt’). Both of these are related to the Hebrew verb קמץ qmṣ (‘grip’, ‘enclose with one’s hand’).

Garments cut like the traditional kameez are known in many cultures; according to Dorothy Burnham, of the Royal Ontario Museum, the "seamless shirt," woven in one piece on warp-weighted looms, was superseded in early Roman times by cloth woven on vertical looms and carefully pieced so as not to waste any cloth. 10th century cotton shirts recovered from the Egyptian desert are cut much like the traditional kameez or the contemporary Egyptian jellabah or galabia.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Sari

2009-07-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

A sari or saree or shari is a female garment in the Indian Subcontinent.

A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff.

The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (pavada/pavadai in the south, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment.

The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cholis may be "backless" or of a halter neck style.

These are usually more dressy with a lot of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery and may be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist.

The saree was born in both South and North India and is now a symbol for all of India.

In Bangladesh
The Sari is worn by women throughout Bangladesh.

There are many regional variations of Saris in both silk and cotton.

But the Jamdani Tanta/Taant Cotton, Dhakai Benarosi, Rajshahi silk, Tangail Tanter Sari– and Katan Sari as the most popular in Bangladesh. Popular actresses Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit wore the Dhakaiya Benaroshi Sari in the song"Dola re Dola" of the film "Devdas".

Saris are woven with one plain end (the end that is concealed inside the wrap), two long decorative borders running the length of the sari, and a one to three foot section at the other end which continues and elaborates the length-wise decoration. This end is called the pallu; it is the part thrown over the shoulder in the Nivi style of draping.

In past times, saris were woven of silk or cotton. The rich could afford finely-woven, diaphanous silk saris that, according to folklore, could be passed through a finger ring. The poor wore coarsely woven cotton saris. All saris were handwoven and represented a considerable investment of time or money.

Simple hand-woven villagers' saris are often decorated with checks or stripes woven into the cloth. Inexpensive saris were also decorated with block printing using carved wooden blocks and vegetable dyes, or tie-dyeing, known in India as bhandani work.

More expensive saris had elaborate geometric, floral, or figurative ornaments or brocades created on the loom, as part of the fabric.

Sometimes warp and weft threads were tie-dyed and then woven, creating ikat patterns.

Sometimes threads of different colors were woven into the base fabric in patterns; an ornamented border, an elaborate pallu, and often, small repeated accents in the cloth itself. These accents are called buttis or bhutties (spellings vary).

For fancy saris, these patterns could be woven with gold or silver thread, which is called zari work.

Sometimes the saris were further decorated, after weaving, with various sorts of embroidery. Resham work is embroidery done with colored silk thread. Zardozi embroidery uses gold and silver thread and sometimes pearls and precious stones. Cheap modern versions of zardozi use synthetic metallic thread and imitation stones, such as fake pearls and Swarovski crystals.
In modern times, saris are increasingly woven on mechanical looms and made of artificial fibers, such as polyester, nylon, or rayon, which do not require starching or ironing. They are printed by machine, or woven in simple patterns made with floats across the back of the sari. This can create an elaborate appearance on the front, while looking ugly on the back. The punchra work is imitated with inexpensive machine-made tassel trim.

Hand-woven, hand-decorated saris are naturally much more expensive than the machine imitations. While the over-all market for handweaving has plummeted (leading to much distress among Indian handweavers), hand-woven saris are still popular for weddings and other grand social occasions.

A prominent weaver who designs brocades, Paithani and other types of saris is Meera Mehta.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

How to wear a Sari?

The success of the Sari is attributed to its total simplicity, practical comfort, and sense of luxury a woman experiences when she wears one.

A Saree properly draped transforms a woman to become graceful, stylish, elegant and sensuous. So we just make a note on some basic steps about how to drape a Sari.
A sari is an outfit which reveals as much as it hides. Wearing a sari is an art which require practice. A perfectly draped sari makes personality but a clumsily draped sari can equally bring down the look of the Sari and spoils the whole appearance of the woman. So just make a note on some basic steps about how to drape a sari in different styles.

Sari is worn on different occasions and thus there are number of sari drapping styles available. If you are going to an office its advisable to pin up your sari, this looks smart and is manageable too.

For parties, just pin up the tip of the sari and let the rest fall on your hand. This gives a very graceful look.

We understand how important it is to know how to wear sari in proper style thus we learn you how to wear a sari in different styles with illustrated demonstrations in different steps.

Different ways of wearing a Sari :

Nivi style of Sari drapping :
This style of sari draping is common to the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the most popular style of sari draping. In this style of sari draping, one end of the sari is neatly tucked into the band of the petticoat on the waist. After wrapping the sari cloth around the waist once more, the sari is neatly folded into pleats, which are then tucked into the waistband of the petticoat just below the navel. Then after wrapping it around the body one more time, the other decorative end of the sari also called the “pallu” comes diagonally in front of the torso and draped over the left shoulder.
STEP 1
1. A waist - to - floor length petticoat tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring.
2. A tight fitting blouse that ends just below the bust.
STEP 2
After step one you take the sari and tuck the plain end of the sari into the petticoat for one complete turn from right to left. Make sure that the lower end of the sari touches the floor.
STEP 3
Beginning from the tucked-in end start making pleats in the sari, about 5 inches deep.
STEP 4
Make about 7 to 10 pleats and hold them up together so that they fall straight and even.
STEP 5
Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to the left of the navel, and make sure that they are turned towards the left.
After this you take the sari and tuck the plain end of the sari into the petticoat for one complete turn from right to left. Make sure that the lower end of the sari touches the floor.
STEP 6
The end portion thus draped is the pallu, and can be prevented from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.
You are now draped in a saree . Now stand before the mirror and get enchanted by the grace you exude.

Gujrati / North Indian Style :
This style of sari draping is very similar to the nivi style with the only difference being that in this style, the “pallu” or the decorative end of the sari is draped over the right shoulder rather than the left shoulder. Also, in this style the pallu is draped from back to front and not like the nivi in which the pallu is draped front to back.

Maharashtrian Style :
This style of sari draping is very similar to the way the Maharashtrian dhoti is worn. This style of sari draping is common among the Brahmin women especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This sari is draped in a way that the center of the sari is neatly placed at the back of the waist and the ends of the sari are tied securely in the front, and then the two ends are wrapped around the legs. The decorative ends are then draped over the shoulder and the upper body or torso.

Dravidian Style :
This sari draping style is common in the state of Tamil Nadu. The archetypical Dravidian sari is the “veshti-mundanai”, which is draped in two parts: The veshti covers the lower body, while the mundanai, or mundu, is an add-on to the veshti. The draping of the veshti is fairly simple as it draped like a towel around the waist and is usually 4 yards in length. This is then folded in half lengthwise. The mundunai is usually one yard in width and two yards in length. Some of these saris are distinctly characterized by a pleated rosette also called pinkosu at the waist.

Madisaara Style :
This sari draping style is common among the Brahmin ladies of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This style of sari is worn on festive occasions or ceremonies and since the style of draping this sari is different as compared to other styles; nine-yard sari is required to wear this style. The Madisar sari is draped in the following way: The sari is neatly wrapped around the waist, with the one end of sari on the right side, while the rest of the saree on the left. A knot is tied at the left waist firmly. The rest of the sari is gathered near the waist. Then a bit of the sari is neatly tucked into the right side of the waist. The end of the sari is then pleated into folds and tucked into the waist. The rest of the saris then folded into 4 to 5 fold, with each fold measuring approximately three fourth of the hand. The pleated sari is then brought at the back with the folded saree between the legs. After neatly gathering the folds, they neatly tucked at the back side of waist. The sari is then gathered to the right side in front and draped over the left shoulder. The end or pallu of the sari is then gathered around the waist and neatly tucked into the left side of the waist.

Kodagu Style :
This sari draping style is typical to ladies from the Kodagu district of Karnataka. This sari draping differs from other styles because in this the folded pleats of the sari are formed at the back instead of the usual front side. The pallu or decorative end of the sari is carefully draped from the back to front over the right shoulder. This is secured by a pin to the sari to keep it in place.

Gond Style :
This sari draping style is common in central parts of India. In this style, before arranging to drape the sari over the body, the sari is first draped over the left shoulder.

Mundum Neryathum Style :
This sari draping style is common in the state of Kerala. This is essentially two-piece sari attire, in which the mundu forms the lower garment while the neriyathu forms the upper garment. This sari can be draped either in the customary style in which the neriyathu is tucked inside the blouse or the more modern style in which the neriyathu comes over the left shoulder.

Tribal Styles :
The tribal styles are usually draped to cover the chest by tying and securing the sari firmly across the chest.

(From http://www.utsavsarees.com/saree/wearsari.htm )

Nakshi Kantha - embroidered quilt

2009-07-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Nakshi Kantha or embroidered quilt is a folk art of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India that has been passed down through generations.
The art has been flourishing in rural Bengal for centuries.
The name nakshi kantha became particularly popular among literate people after the publicaton of Jasimuddin's poem Naksi Kanthar Math (1929).

By far the most renowned embroidery of Bangladesh is the Nakshi Kantha.

Immersed in ritual and social custom this “enchanted wrap” is an exquisite art where the basic material used is thread and old cloth. The art of kantha furnishes an illustration of the wonderful patience, craftsmanship and resourcefulness of the village woman.

Kanthas are made throughout Bangladesh; but greater Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur and Jessore areas are most famous for this craft.

The colourful patterns and designs that are embroidered resulted in the name “Nakshi Kantha”- derived from the Bengali word naksha which refers to artistic patterns.
The early kanthas were of white ground reinforced with red, blue and black embroidery; later yellow, green, pink and other colours were also included.
The running stitch called kantha stitch is the main stitch used for the purpose.

Traditionally kantha used to be produced for the use of the family. Today after the revival of the nakshi kantha these are produced commercially and have gained popularity.

Etymology
The word kantha has no satisfactory etymological root. The exact time of origin of kantha is not accurately known but it probably had a precursor in kheta (khet in Hindi and Bangla means "field"). According to Niaz Zaman the word kantha originated from Sanskrit word kontha meaning rags as kantha is made of rags.

The Kantha Tradition
Like any other folk art kantha making is influenenced by the factors like materials available, daily needs, climate, geography, economic factors. Probably the earliest form of kantha was the patch work kantha and the kanthas of decorative applique type evolved from this.

Kantha in Literature
The earliest mention of Bengal Kantha is found in the book, Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita by Krishnadas Kaviraj which was written some five hundred years back.

Kantha Making
Traditionally old saree, lungi and dhoti were used to make kantha.
Kantha making was not a full time job and women of almost every household were expert in the art. Rural women worked at leasure time or during the lazy days of rainy season, thus taking months or even years to finish a kantha was normal.
At least 5/7 sarees were needed to make a standard size kantha. Today the old materials are replaced by new cotton cloths.
Traditionally the thread was collected from the old sarees which is rarely in practise today.

When making a kantha first the sharees are joined together to attain the required size and then layers are spread on the ground. The cloths are smoothed leaving no folds or creases in between. During the process the cloth is kept flat on the ground with weights on the edges. Then the four edges are stitched and two or three rows of large running stitches are done to keep the kantha together. At this stage the kantha can be folded and stitched at leisure time.

Originally designs and motifs were not drawn on the cloth. The design was first outlined with needle and thread followed by focal points and then the filling motifs were done. In a kantha with a predominant central motif the centre was done first, followed by corner designs and the other details. In some types of kanthas (carpet, lik and sujni, etc) wooden blocks were used to print the outline. The blocks are replaced today by patterns drawn in tracing papers.

Different Types of Kantha
Niaz Zaman in her book The Art of KANTHA Embroidery classified the kanthas in following categories according to the stitch employed:

Running Stitch kantha: Running stitch kantha is truly the indigenous kantha. They are subdevided into Nakshi or figured and par tola or patterned. Nakshi or figured kanthas are again divided into motif kantha or scenic ones.
Lohori Kantha: The name derived from Persian word ‘lehr’ meaning meaning wave. This kantha is particularly popular in Rajshahi. These kanthas are further divided into soja (straight or simple) kantha, Kautar khupi (pegion coop or triangle), borfi or diamond (charchala, atchala or barachala etc).
Lik or Anarasi (pine apple) Kantha: Found in Chapainawabgonj and Jessore area. The variations are lik tan, lik tile, lik jhumka, lik lohori.
Cross Stitch or Carpet Kantha: This kantha was introduced by the English during the British Rule in India. The stitch employed in these kanthas are cross stitch.
Sujni Kantha: This kantha is Found only in Rajshahi area.The popular motif used is undulating floral and vine motif.

Influence of Religion and Folk Belief

Kantha Stitches
The earliest and most basic stitch found in kanthas is the running stitch.

The predominant form of this stitch is called kantha the phor or kantha stitch.

The other form of stitches used are Chatai or pattern darning, Kaitya or bending stitch, weave running stitch darning, Jessore stitch (a variation of darning stitch), threaded running stitch, Lik phor or anarasi or ghar hasia (Holbein stitch).

The stitches used in modern day kantha are the Kasmiri stitch and the arrow head. Stitches like herring bone, satin stitch, back stitch and cross stitch are occasionally used.

Motifs
Motifs of the nakshi kantha are deeply influenced by religious belief and culture.

Even though no specific strict symmetry is followed a finely embroidered naksi kantha will always have a focal point. Most kanthas will have a lotus as focal point, around the lotus there are undulating vines or floral motifs or shari border motifs. The motifs may include images of flower and leaves, birds and fish, animals, kithen forms even toilet articles.
While most kantas have some initial pattern, no two naksi kantas are same. Traditionals motifs are repeated, the individualtouch in variety of stitches, colours and shapes. The notabale motifs found in naksi kantha are as follows:

The Lotus Motif
Lotus motif is the most common motif found in kanthas.
This motif is associated with Hindu iconography and thus is also very popular in the kantha. Lotus is the devine seat, it is also symbolic of cosmic harmony and essential womanhood. Lotus is the symbol of eternal order, of the union earth water and sky.
It represents the life giving power of water but is also associated with the sun for the opening and closing of the petals. It is also the symbol of recreating power of life.
With the drying up of water the lotus dies and with the rain it springs to life again.
Lotus is associated with purity and the goddess Laksmi, the goddess of good fortune and abundance. There are various forms of lotus motifs like eight-petalled astadal padma to the hundred petalled satadal. In the older kanthas the central motif is almost always a fully bloomed lotus seen from above.

The Solar Motif
The solar motif ic closely associated with the lotus motif. Often the lotus and the solar motifs are found together at in the centre of a nakshi kantha. The solar motif symbolizes the life giving power of the sun. The sun is associated with the fire which plays a significant part in Hindu rites, religious and matrimonial.

The Moon Motif
The moon motif has a religious influence and is popular amongst the Muslims. Mostly it is in the form of crescent accompanied by a star. The motif is particularly found in jainamaz kanthas.

The Wheel Motif
The wheel is a common symbol in Indian art, both Hindu and buddhist. It is the symbol of order and order. The wheel also represents the world. The wheel is a popular motif in kanthas even when the maker has forgotten the significance of the symbol. The motif is relatively easy to make with chatai phor.

The Swastika Motif
As a motif in Indian art it dates back to Indus Valley civilization. It is symbol of good fortune. It is also known as muchri or golok dhanda. With the passage of time the design is more curvilinear than the four armed swastika of the Mohenjodaro seal. The synmbolic design has significant influence in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

The Tree of Life Motif
Contemporary Nakshi Kantha (used as a wall hanging) with animal, fish, butterfly, tree and human figure motif
The influence of this motif in Indian Art and Culture (as with kantha) may be traced back to Indus Valley civilization. It is likely that the Indus people conceived the pipal as the Tree of Life...with the devata inside embodying the power of fecundity. During the Buddhist times the cult of tree continued. Pipal is sacred to the Buddha because he received enlightment under its shade. It reflects the fecundity of nature and is very popular in Bengal. Vines and Creepers play an important role in kanthas and they contain the same symbolisation as that of tree of life. A popular motif in Rajshahi lohori is betel leaf.

The Kalka Motif
This is a latter day motif, dating from Mughal times. Kalka or paisley motif originated in Persia and Kashmir and has become an integral image of the subcontinental decorative motif. It can be compared with a stylized leaf,mango or flame. The kalka is an attractive motif and number of varieties are experimented. Similar motifs can be found in traditional kashmiri Shawls.
The Water Motif
The Mountain Motif
The Fish Motif
The Boat Motif
The Footprint Motif
The Rath Motif
The Mosque Motif
The Panja or Open Palm Motif
Agricultural Implements
Animal Motifs
Toilet Articles
Kithen Implements
The Kantha Motif
The Palanquin Motif

Borders
Most nakshi kanthas have some kind border either a sari border is stitched on or a border pattern is embridered around kantha. The common border found in kanthas are as follows: necklace border, ladder border, gut taga, chik taga, nose ring border, fish border, panch taga, bisa taga, anaj taga
The Paddy stalk or date branch (dhaner shish or khejur chari)
The Scorpion border(Biche par in bangla)
The Wavy or bent Border (Beki in bangla)
The Diamond border (Barfi)
The Eye border (chok par in bangla)
The Amulet border (Taabiz par in bangla)
The Necklace border (mala par in bangla)
The Ladder Border (Moi taga)
The Gut taga
The Chick taga
The nolok taga
The Fish border (Maach par in bangla)
The panch taga
The Bisa taga
The Anaj taga
The shamuk taga
The wrench border
The anchor (grafi par in bangla)
The pen border (kalam par in bangla)

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Roti and Bakarkhani, the typical bread in Dhaka

2009-07-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Roti in general, is defined as an unleavened flatbread made from atta flour in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Assamese, Indonesian, Malay, Bengali, Thai, Marathi and Somali languages.
Roti and its thinner variant, known as chapati, are an integral part of the Indian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine. It is particularly popular in northern India, Central India and Western India..In the Indian state of Maharashtra and some parts of Gujarat, poli and bhakri are used to denote unleavened Indian breads.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Roti, chapatti or nan made of wheat flour is popular among the masses and parata, also made of wheat flour but fried in oil or butter oil, is popular in the homes of the rich.
Roti is usually taken with vegetables or simply with sugar or gud or just a cup of tea.

Roti, nan and parata are acceptable for all meals. Not surprisingly, wheat has become an important second crop during the dry season, especially in the western region of the country.

(From http://www.bangladeshinc.com/w2bd/liv_food.asp )

Roti/Chapati: unleavened, unsalted simple breads . This is simple, unpretentious home cooking but very satisfying, healthy and easy on the pocket book. There are also excellent for those with a yeast allergy. Rotis are made from small balls of dough that are rolled out and then partially cooked on a hot griddle and then finished directly over high heat. The high heat makes the rotis puff up into a ball. They are then lightly coated with ghee to keep them pliable until serving time. Line a tortilla basket with a napkin and keep the rotis in it. Allow 2-3 chapatis or rotis per person. This is everyday Indian bread made in most Indian homes daily.

Ingredients to make about 6:

2.5 cups chappati flour with 1 cup water at room temperature made into a dough
1 cup chappati flour in a large plate for dusting the dough while rolling it outghee for brushing the bread

Method to roll out the dough:

Prepare the desired amount of dough from the Basic Dough recipe. After resting for 2-2 1/2 hours, knead well. Divide the dough into peach-size balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with your hand. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the dough into a thin,round patty, about 5 inches in diameter. Roll from the center, turning patty several times to prevent sticking. Try to make the edges slightly thinner than the center. As you cook the chappati/roti, one could be rolling out the next, rather than shaping all of the chapatis at one time.

Method of cooking the chappati or roti: preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium heat.

Place the rolled dough on the palm of one hand and flip it over on to the tawa.

When the color changes on the top and bubbles appear, turn it over.

When both sides are done, use kitchen tongs (chimta) to remove the chapati from the skillet.

Gas Stove: if you have a gas stove, hold the cooked chapati over a medium flame and it will puff up immediately. Turn quickly to flame-bake the other side. Do this several times, taking care that the edges are well cooked.

Electric Stove: if you have an electric stove, chapatis can be encouraged to puff by pressing them with a clean kitchen towel after the first turn on each side. Repeat the shaping and cooking process until all chapatis are cooked.

To keep the chapatis warm as they are cooked, place them in a towel-lined bowl and fold over the sides of the towel.

Serve hot, either completely dry or topped with a small amount of ghee or butter.

(From http://www.indianfoodsco.com/Recipes/breads.htm )

Roti recipe in video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS1S1SJoahw&feature=related

Bakarkhan - History, the typical bread in Dhaka

Sagar Singh Rawat liked the bread and decided to change the recipe based on his own tastes. Eventually, it grew to become very popular, and was known as "Sagar's Bread"

Baking Methods

In the past, the Bakarkhaniwalas (bread-makers) used to light their Tandoor ovens around midnight in order ot have their product available by morning. Bakarkhani dough of white flour and mawa thoroughly mixed and kneaded for hours before stretching thin by hand over the entire span of wooden board. Then after spreading ghee over it, flour is strewn on. It was folded and process repeated several times. After sizeable numbers of such small dough are ready, they are made into roti on the board and sesame (teel) seeds are spread on it. The rotis are then put inside the tandoor. During the process of baking, pure milk is sprinkled on them twice.

This is the story of making pure bakarkhanis. But now in place of ghee and milk, molasses solution is added so that the bread turns reddish.

Dhakai style
Hakim Habibur Rahman in his book Dhaka pachash barash pahley published in the 1940’s gives a detail account of the variety of original food items of Dhaka and its preparation. He said, the unique feature of Dhaka was that though rice is the staple food, the varieties of roti (bread) available were simply amazing and every roti has a history and ancestry of its own. Shirmal has basic ingredients of flour and semolina (suji), Persian background, it was soft and thick, whereas, Bakarkhani made of white flour and mawa is thin, crisp and melts down in mouth, it is known as sukha ruti.

Other Types of Bakarkhani
Cheese bakarkhani was another delicacy. In every fold, instead of ghee and flour ‘mohanbhog’ mishti or semolina (suji) halwa was used. These breads known as ‘bhigaroti or bhijaroti’ are sent on ‘dalas’ (high rim trays) dipped in creamy milk with almond and raisins from the house of the bride to the groom as part of a traditional matrimonial ritual. Soon other men joined in this trade, bidding goodbye to quality and hygiene of the food and this business came to an end.

The Legend of Bakarkhani
Nazir Hossain, a local of Dhaka gives an interesting story about naming of Bakarkhani in his book Kingbadantir Dhaka.

The story goes in 1700 A.D. when Murshid Quli Khan came to eastern Bengal after obtaining the title ‘Dewan’ (chief officer), he brought along with him Aga Bakar Khan as a small boy. Aga Bakar grew up as a great warrior and during the reign of Nawab Shiraj-ud-Doula held a crucial role in the then Bengal politics. Aga Bakar was appointed the commander of military forces in the Chittagong district and his amour was a 'nartaki' (dancer) of Arambag called ‘Khani Begum’. However, Ujir-e-ala (minister) Jahandar Khan’s wicked son Kotwal Jainul Khan also had an eye for Khani Begum. One day jainul Khan attempted to take away Khani Begum by force. Learning this Aga Bakar went hastily for her rescue. There was a fight and Jainul Khan fled. A rumour spread that after assassinating Jainul, Aga Bakar had hidden his dead body. Both Khani Begum and Aga Bakar were arrested and taken to Murshid Quli’s court. As neutral judge Murshid Quli Khan gave the death sentence to Aga Bakar and put in the cage of a tiger. He fought valiantly with the animal for his life and eventually succeeded in killing it and escape. On the other hand, Jainul abducted Khani and fled to the forests of South-East Bengal. In search of Khani Begum, Aga Bakar Khan headed towards ‘Chandradip’ accompanied by his commander Kala Gazi. When Jainul saw that he had no hope for survival he plunged his sword into Khani Begum's chest and Aga Bakar reached the spot only to find his beloved dying. After the death of Khani Begum, Aga Bakar almost lost his mind. He stayed in Chandradip which he eventually took under his possession besides Selimabad and Buzurg Umidpur (Bakarganj named after Baker presently in Barisal). On Murshid Quli Khan’s order, Aga Bakar had to wed to a respectable Shia family who gave birth to two sons Aga Sadek and Mirza Mehdi. Aga Baker was subsequently killed in a battle by his conspirators; his mutilated body was buried in old Dhaka in the field Aga Sadeq Maidan. Though Aga Bakar got married, he never forgot Khani Begum, and this he proved by naming the specially prepared bread 'bakar-khani' roti thus making his love a part of legend.

Tandoor
A tandoor (Hindi: तन्दूर, Urdu: تندور) is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Transcaucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia as well as India and Bangladesh.

The heat for a tandoor was traditionally generated by a charcoal fire or wood fire, burning within the tandoor itself, thus exposing the food to both live-fire, radiant heat cooking, and hot-air, convection cooking.
Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 480°C (900°F), and it is common for tandoor ovens to remain lit for long periods of time to maintain the high cooking temperature. The tandoor design is something of a transitional form between a makeshift earth oven and the horizontal-plan masonry oven,
The tandoor is used for cooking certain types of Afghan, Pakistani and Indian, foods such as tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and bread varieties like tandoori roti and naan.

The word tandoori is the adjective meaning "pertaining to the tandoor" and is used to describe a dish cooked in a tandoor.

The tandoor is basically used to cook meat while Hindus and Sikhs of India are mostly vegeatarian so it was popularised during Muslim reign in South Asia. It is thought to have travelled to Central Asia and the Middle East along with the Roma people, who originated amongst the Thar Desert tribes. In India, the tandoor is also known by the name of bhatti. The Bhatti tribe of the Thar Desert of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan developed the Bhatti in their desert abode, and thus it gained the name.

The tandoor is currently a very important fixture in many Indian restaurants around the world. Some modern day tandoors use electricity or gas instead of charcoal. In Armenia, It is known as a tonir which is a widely used method of cooking barbecue and lavash bread. In Georgia it is called a tone and is used for bread and kebab.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Pohela Boishakh or Boishakhi Mela

2009-07-25T01:15:00.001-07:00

Bengali New Year (Bengali: Nôbobôrsho) or Pohela Boishakh (Pôhela Boishakh or Pôela Boishakh or Poila Boishakh) is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in Assam and Tripura.

Pohela Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences.

It falls on April 14 or April 15 of the Gregorian calendar depending 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 Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh is a national holiday and in West Bengal and Assam it is a public (state) holiday and is publicly celebrated on April 15 every year.

History
The Hindu solar calendar based on the Surya Siddhanta commences in mid-April of the Gregorian year. The first day of this calendar is celebrated as the traditional New Year in various parts of South Asia, including Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. It is also celebrated as the traditional New Year across Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (see Songkran).

Under the Mughals, agricultural taxes were collected according to the Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar, it does not coincide with the harvest. As a result, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and solar Hindu solar calendars.

The new Fasli San (agricultural year) was introduced on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar's ascension to the throne in 1556. The new year subsequently became known as Bônggabdo or Bengali year.

Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar's reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair. 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 practised, especially by jewellers.

In Bangladesh:

In Dhaka.

New Year's festivities are closely linked with rural life in Bengal. Usually on Pohela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours. Special foods are prepared to entertain guests. This is one rural festival that has become enormously big in the cities, especially in Dhaka. 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.

Many old festivals connected with New Year's Day have disappeared, while new festivals have been added. With the abolition of the zamindari system, the punya connected with the closing of land revenue accounts has disappeared.

Kite flying in Dhaka and bull racing in Munshiganj used to be very colourful events.

Other popular village games and sports were horse races, bullfights, cockfights, flying pigeons, and boat racing. Some festivals, however, continue to be observed; for example, bali (wrestling) in Chittagong and gambhira in Rajshahi are still popular events.

Observance of Pohela Boishakh has become popular in the cities. Early in the morning, people gather under a big tree or on the bank of a lake to witness the sunrise. Artists present songs to usher in the new year.

People from all walks of life wear traditional Bengali attire: young women wear white saris with red borders, and adorn themselves with churi - bangles, ful - flowers, and tip - bindis.

Men wear white paejama (pants) or lungi(dhoti/dhuti) (long skirt) and kurta (tunic).

Many townspeople start the day with the traditional breakfast of panta bhat (rice soaked in water), green chillies, onion, and fried hilsa fish.

Panta Ilish - a tradtional platter of leftover rice soaked in water with fried Hilsa, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), lentils (dal), green chillies and onion - a popular dish for the Pohela Boishakh festival.

The most colourful new year's day festival takes place in Dhaka. Large numbers of people gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at Ramna Park where Chhayanat artists open the day with Rabindranath Tagore's famous song, Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho (Come, O Boishakh, Come, Come).

A similar ceremony welcoming the new year 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. Newspapers bring out special supplements. There are also special programmes on radio and television. The historical importance of Pohela Boishakh in the Bangladeshi context may be dated from the observance of the day by Chhayanat in 1965. In an attempt to suppress Bengali culture, the Pakistani Government had banned poems written by Rabindranath Tagore, the most famous poet and writer in Bengali literature. Protesting this move, Chhayanat opened their Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Ramna Park with Tagore's song welcoming the month. The day continued to be celebrated in East Pakistan as a symbol of Bengali culture. After 1972 it became a national festival, a symbol of the Bangladesh nationalist movement and an integral part of the people's cultural heritage. Later, in the mid- 1980s the Institute of Fine Arts added colour to the day by initiating the Boishakhi parade, which is much like a carnival parade. [edit] In Chittagong Hill Tracts The punya or rajpunya is now observed only in the three figurative tribal kingdoms in Bangladesh - Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachori. In Rangamati, the principal town of Chittagong Hill Tracts and the seat for the Hill Administrative Council, three different ethnic minority groups have come together to merge their observance of Pohela Baishakh. Boisuk of Tripura people, Sangrai of Marma people and Biju of Chakma people have come together as BoiSaBi, a day of a wide variety of festivities. One of the more colorful activities of the day in the hills is the water festival of the Marma people.

In Kolkata
In Kolkata, Pohela Boishakh (and indeed the entire month of Boishakh) is considered to be an auspicious time for marriages. This day people wear new clothes and go about socialising. Choitro, the last month of the previous year, is the month of hectic activities and frantic purchases. Garment traders organize a Choitro sale and sell the garments with heavy discounts.
Pohela Boishakh is the day for cultural programmes. Prayers are offered for the well-being and prosperity of the family. Young ladies clad in white saris with red borders and men clad in dhuti and kurta take part in the Probhat Pheri processions early in the morning to welcome the first day of the year.

This day being auspicious, new businesses and new ventures are started. The Mahurat is performed, marking the beginning of new ventures.
Pohela Boishakh is the beginning of all business activities in Bengal. The traders purchase new accounting books called halkhata. The accounting in the halkhata begins only after offering puja. Mantras are chanted and shostik ("Hindu swastika") are drawn on the accounting book by the priests. Long queues of devotees are seen in front of the Kalighat temple from late night. Devotees offer puja to receive the blessings of the almighty.

On Pohela Boishakh various fairs are held in West Bengal. The most famous of these is Bangla Sangit Mela, held at Nandan-Rabindra Sadan ground. This fair is conducted by the Government of West Bengal.

Celebration in other countries
The Bengali community in the United Kingdom celebrate the Bengali new year with a street festival in London. It is the largest Asian festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside of Bangladesh and India.

The Hindu communities in India, where the holiday is called Vaisakhi, also celebrate the beginning of Spring and the end of the harvest season on Pôhela Boishakh. The Sikh communities celebrate 'Vaisakhi because it is the birth of the Sikh order of the Khalsa. Vaisakhi is also called Rongali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pooram Vishu in Kerala.

In Buddhist communities, the month of Boishakh is associated with Vesak, known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Wesak in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha on the one historical day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. Although this festival is not held on the same day as Pohela Boishakh, the holidays typically fall in the same month (Boishakh) of the Bengali, Hindu, and Theravada Buddhist calendars, and are related historically through the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

Pohela Boishakh does, however, coincide with the New Years in many other calendars, including those of South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Eastern India (Assam, Manipur, Orissa), and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand).

In Australia, the Bengali new year is celebrated in various cities such as Melbourne and Canberra through Boi Shakhi Melas (fairs) where people gather to celebrate the culture of Bangladesh through dances, fashion shows, stalls of art, music, clothing, food and etc. However the largest celebration for the Bengali new year in Australia is the Sydney Boi Shakhi Mela which was traditionally held at the Burwood Girls High School but from 2006 has been held at the Homebush Stadium. It attracts large crowds and is a very anticipated event on the Australian Bengali community's calendar.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Bengali wedding

2009-07-25T00:46:00.000-07:00

Bride's friends and family apply turmeric paste to her body as a part of Gaye Holud ceremony.
Bengali wedding includes many rituals and ceremonies that can span several days. Although Muslim and Hindu marriages have their distinctive religious rituals, there are many common Bengali cultural rituals in weddings across both Bangladesh and Indian West Bengal.

Arranging the wedding
A traditional wedding is arranged by Ghotoks (matchmakers), who are generally friends or relatives of the couple. The matchmakers facilitate the introduction, and also help agree the amount of any settlement.

In Muslim marriages another settlement to make which is called Mahr or Kabin to be paid by the groom to the bride - which is a religious requirement in Muslim marriages.

Bengali weddings are traditionally in four parts:

the bride's gaye holud,
the groom's gaye holud,

the wedding ceremony,

the reception.

These often take place on separate days.

The first event in a wedding is an informal one:

the groom presents the bride with a ring marking the "engagement" which is gaining popularity. This can sometimes be considered as Ashirwaad.
There can be subtle differences in Hindu marriages in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The rituals sometimes differ. Even in West Bengal people who moved from Bangladesh during pre-independence time still follows the tradition that is followed in Bangladesh today.

A Bengali Hindu Marriage can be divided into the following parts:
Pre-wedding Rituals: Adan Pradan, Patri Patra, Ashirvad, Aai Budo Bhaat, Vridhi, Dodhi Mangal, Holud Kota, Adhibas Tatva, Kubi Patta, Snan, Sankha Porano.
Wedding Rituals: Bor Boron, Potto Bastra, Saat Paak, Mala Badal, Subho Drishti, Sampradan, Yagna, Saat Pak (couple), Anjali, Sindur Daan and Ghomta.
Post-Wedding Rituals: Bashar Ghar, Bashi Biye, Bidaye, Bou Boron, Kaal Ratri, Bou Bhaat, Phool Sajja, Dira Gaman.

Gaye holud
Bride's friends and family apply turmeric paste to her body as a part of Gaye Holud ceremony.
Gaye holud (Bengali: gaee holud lit. "yellow/turmeric on the body") or turmeric ceremony is a ceremony observed mostly in the region of Bengal (comprising Bangladesh and Indian West Bengal).

It is part of an elaborate series of celebrations constituting the Bengali wedding. The gaye holud takes place one or two days prior to the religious and legal wedding ceremonies.

For the bride's gaye holud, the groom's family - minus the groom himself - go in procession to the bride's home. They carry with them the bride's wedding outfit, wedding decorations including the turmeric paste (Bengali: holud) and henna (Bengali: mehedi/mendi), sweets and gifts.

They also often bring fresh fish dressed as a wedding couple, or desserts molded to resemble fish. The procession traditionally centers on the bride's (younger) female relatives and friends, who traditionally dress in matching clothes. The bride, her attendees, and all the guests traditionally wear red, yellow, orange, or green clothing. The guests then enjoy a feast arranged by the bride's family.
The bride is seated on a dais, and the henna is used to decorate the her hands and feet with elaborate abstract designs. The turmeric paste is applied by the guests to her face and body. This is said to soften the skin, but also colours her skin with the distinctive yellow hue that gives its name to this ceremony. The sweets are then fed to the bride by all involved, piece by piece. There is, of course, a feast for the guests.
The groom's family members often bring fish decorated as a wedding couple to the bride's gaye holud.
The groom's gaye holud comes next, and has the same form as the bridal ceremony. In this program the bride does not participate. The groom is accompanied by his younger male relatives and friends, and as with the bride's ceremony, the guests traditionally wear red, yellow, green, or orange. The bride's family brings the gifts for the groom (usually the wedding outfit and some cosmetics) to his house. The guests exchange sweets with and apply turmeric paste to the groom, and a feast is arranged for the guests from the bride's family.
Although similar ceremonies exist in other parts of the Indian subcontinent, the gaye holud is a custom particular to the Bengali people. It is not considered a religious function, as it is celebrated by both Muslims and Hindus in both Bangladesh and Indian West Bengal. It is not considered a part of the marriage ceremony, as there is no legal marriage performed during the gaye holud.

The groom's family members often bring fish decorated as a wedding couple to the bride's gaye holud.

Wedding ceremony
The wedding ceremony (Bengali: bibaho/bie) follows the gaye holud ceremonies. As the wedding ceremony is arranged by the bride's family, much of the traditions revolve around embarrassing the groom. The groom, along with his friends and family, traditionally arrive later than the bride's side. As they arrive, the younger members of the bride's family barricade the entrance to the venue, demanding money from the groom in return for allowing him to enter. There is a bargaining between groom and the bride's family members on the amount of money of the admission. There is typically much good-natured pushing and shoving involved. Another custom is for the bride's younger siblings, friends, and cousins to conceal the groom's shoes for money; to get them back the groom must usually pay off the children. Siblings, friends and cousins also plays many practical jokes on the groom.
For a Muslim wedding, the bride and groom are seated separately, and a kazi (person authorized by the government to perform the wedding), accompanied by the parents and a witness (Bengali: wakil) from each side formally asks the bride for her consent to the union, and then the groom for his.
For a Hindu wedding, a priest asks the couple to chant mantras from the holy texts that formalises the following:
Kanyadaan (Bengali: konnadan lit. "giving the bride"): the ceremonial giving away of the bride by the father of the bride
Saat Phera (The couple walks round the ceremonial fire seven times.)

The actual formalizing of the wedding and the signing of paperwork is now done before the ceremony for convenience. Usually it is carried out on the morning of the wedding and the feast is at night.
At this time, for Muslim weddings, the amount of the dowry or mahr is verified, and if all is well, the formal papers are signed, and the couple are seated side by side on a dais. The bride's veil (Bengali: orna/ghomṭa) is draped over both the bride and groom, and a mirror is placed in front of them. The groom is then supposed to say something romantic on what he sees in the mirror—notionally the first time he has laid eyes on his bride. A traditional answer is to say that he has seen the moon. The bride and groom then feed each other sweets, while the bride's family members try to push the groom's face into the food. All the guests then celebrate the union with a feast.
In Hindu marriages on the day of the marriage (after wedding ceremony is over), close friends and relatives remain awake for the entire night. This is called the Basor Raat. Generally the day on which wedding is held Basor Raat starts after midnight if the wedding ceremony is over by evening. Most Hindu Bengali marriages happen in the evening. The next day, preferably before noon, the couple make their way from the venue to the groom's home, where a bridal room has been prepared.

Reception
The reception, also known as the bou bhat (lit. "bride feast") or walima among Muslims, is a party given by the groom's family in return for the wedding ceremony. It is generally a much more relaxed affair, with only the second-best wedding outfit being worn.
Unlike in the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom act as a couple at the reception; the bride and groom arrive together, receive and see off guests together, and dine together. After the party, the bride and groom go to the bride's family house for two nights. On the second day, the groom's family are invited to the bride's house for a meal, and they leave with the bride and groom. This meal is called firani.

Flower bed ceremony
In the flower bed ceremony (Bengali: ful shôjja, lit. "flower bed"), the bride wears a lot of floral ornaments and their marriage bed is decorated with flowers by the groom's family. This is the night of consummation. In Muslim marriages, this takes place on the night of the wedding. In Hindu marriages, this takes place on the night of the reception.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Kabadi or Kabaddi, the national game of Bangladesh

2009-07-25T00:32:00.001-07:00

Kabadi, recognised as the national game of Bangladesh, is played by two teams of 12 players each on a 12.50 metre by 10 metre rectangular court in which a player, while holding his breath, dashes into the opponent team's area, touches some player(s) and/or wrestles out to come back home safely without releasing his breath and thereby scores point for his team.

The team consists of 12 players, but only seven play in the court and the rest stay out of court as extras.

While intruding into the opponents' area the player clearly and audibly repeats the word 'kabadi' without break and without releasing the breath. This is called cant or 'dak' (note).

The time for the match comprises two halves of 20 minutes each and 5 minutes break in between. A team earns one point by throwing out each one player of the opposite side. Two extra points are added as bonus when all players of the opponent party are out. The team that earns the greater number of points in the stipulated time wins the game.
A kabadi match.

Kabadi is a very popular game in Bangladesh, especially in the villages and, for that, it is also called the 'game of rural Bengal'. In some areas kabadi is also known as ha-du-du. But despite its popularity ha-du-du had no definite rules and it used to be played with different rules in different areas. Ha-du-du was given the name kabadi and the status of National Game in 1972.

Bangladesh Amateur Kabadi Federation was formed in 1973. It framed rules and regulations for the game. Bangladesh first played kabadi test in 1974 with a visiting Indian team, which played test matches with the district teams of Dhaka, Tangail, Dinajpur, Jessore, Faridpur and Comilla. In 1978, the Asian Amateur Kabadi Federation was formed at a conference of delegates from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan in the Indian town of Villai.
In 1979, a return test between Bangladesh and India was held at different places of India including Bombay, Hyderabad, and Punjab. The Asian Kabadi Championship was successfully arranged in 1980 and India emerged as the champion and Bangladesh as the runners-up. Bangladesh became runners-up again in 1985 in Asian Kabadi Championship held in Jaipur, India. The other teams included in the tournament were Nepal, Malaysia and Japan. Kabadi was included for the first time in Asian Games held in Beijing in 1990. Bangladesh took part in it and won silver medal.
The tournaments arranged by Bangladesh Kabadi Federation include National Kabadi Competition, National Youth Kabadi Competition, Premier Kabadi, First Division Kabadi League, Second Division Kabadi League, Independence Day Kabadi Competition, Victory Day Kabadi Competition, Baishakhi Kabadi Fair, Boys' Kabadi Competition and School Kabadi Competition. Teams of different services (Bangladesh Rifles, Police, Fire Service and the Army), clubs, and corporations play kabadi in Bangladesh. Major local clubs that play kabadi include Dilkusha Sporting Club, Dhaka Wanderer's Club, Brothers' Union, Maniknagar Kabadi Club and Bangladesh Bank Club.

(From Banglapedia, the national encyclopedia of Bangladesh)

Kabaddi (sometimes written Kabbadi or Kabadi) is a team sport originally from Pakistan and India.
Two teams occupy opposite halves of a field and take turns sending a "raider" into the other half, in order to win points by tagging or wrestling members of the opposing team; the raider then tries to return to his own half, holding his breath during the whole raid.
Kabaddi is popular throughout South Asia, and has also spread to Southeast Asia, Japan and Iran. It is the national game of Bangladesh where it is known as Haḍuḍu. It is the state game of Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra in India. It is played by the British Army for fun, to keep fit and as an enticement to recruit soldiers from the British Asian community.

Gameplay
Kabaddi at the Asian Games 2006
In the team, or transnational, style of kabaddi, two teams of seven members each occupy opposite halves of a field of 12.5m × 10m (roughly half the size of a basketball court). Each has five supplementary players held in reserve. The game is in 20-minute halves, with a five-minute half-time break during which the teams switch sides.
Teams take turns sending a "raider" to the opposite team's half, where the goal is to tag or wrestle ("confine") members of the opposite team before returning to the home half. Tagged members are "out" and sent off the field.
Meanwhile, defenders must form a chain, for example, by linking hands; if the chain is broken, a member of the defending team is sent off. The goal of the defenders is to stop the raider returning to the home side before taking a breath. If the raider takes a breath before returning, the raider is sent off the field.
A player can also get out by going over a boundary line or part of the body touches the ground outside the boundary, except during a struggle with an opposing team member.
Each time a player is out the opposing team earns a point. A team scores a bonus of two points, called a lona, if the entire opposing team is declared out. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins.
Matches are staged on age and weight. Six officials supervise a match: one referee, two umpires, a scorer and two assistant scorers.

History and development
The origin of Kabaddi can be traced to pre-historic times when man learned how to defend in groups against animals or attack weaker animals individually or in groups for survival and food. Though Kabaddi is primarily an South Asian game, not much is known about the origin of this game. It was probably invented to ward off group attacks. The game was popular in southern Asia in different forms under different names. A dramatized version of the Mahabharata has made an analogy of the game to a tight situation faced by a character called "Abhimaneu", heir of the Pandava kings, when surrounded by the enemy.

Buddhist literature speaks of the Gautam Buddha playing Kabaddi. History reveals that princes played to display their strength. The game, known as Hu-Tu-Tu in Western India, Ha-Do-Do in Eastern India and Bangladesh, Chedugudu in Southern India and Kaunbada in Northern India, has changed through the ages. Modem Kabaddi is a synthesis of the game played in various forms under different names.

There is a popular belief that Kabaddi originated in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The story of origination of Kabaddi begins by hitting and running of a boy for a candy. The boy who was hit chased the boy who hit him, and hit him back and ran away and it goes on this way. Holding the breath while chasing was an added element when the game evolved. There are various names to this game. KABADDI (Tamil), SADUGUDU (Tamil), GUDUGUDU (Tamil), PALINJADUGUDU (Tamil) and SADUGOODATTHI (Tamil). The word Kabaddi could have originated from the Tamil words KAI (hand), PIDI (catch).

Kabaddi received international exposure during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, demonstrated by Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal, Amaravati, Maharashtra. The game was introduced in the Indian Olympic Games at Calcutta in 1938. In 1950 the All India Kabaddi Federation came into existence and compiled standard rules. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was founded in 1973. After formation of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, the first men's nationals were held in Madras (re-named Chennai), while the women's were in Calcutta in 1955.The AKFI has given new shape to the rules and has the right to modify them. The Asian Kabaddi Federation was founded under the chairmanship of Mr. Janardan Singh Gehlot.
Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation is now Headed By Mr. Janardan Singh Gehlot as President and Mr. Muhammad Sarwar as Secretary General.

Kabaddi was introduced and popularized in Japan in 1979. The Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation sent Prof. Sundar Ram of India to tour Japan for two months to introduce the game.
In 1979, a return test between Bangladesh and India was held at different places of India including Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Punjab. The Asian Kabaddi Championship was arranged in 1980 and India emerged as champion and Bangladesh runner-up. Bangladesh became runner-up again in 1985 in the Asian Kabaddi Championship held in Jaipur, India. The other teams in the tournament were Nepal, Malaysia and Japan. The game was included for the first time in the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990. India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh took part. India won the gold medal and has won gold at the following three Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994, Bangkok in 1998 and Busan in 2002. India won the gold medal in the 2006 Asian Games at Doha.

Attempts to popularize kabaddi in Great Britain saw British TV network Channel 4 commission a programme dedicated to the sport. The show, Kabaddi, on Channel 4 in the early 1990s, failed to capture viewers despite fixtures such as West Bengal Police versus the Punjab. Kabaddi was axed in 1992, but not before its presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy suffered a collapsed lung while participating in the sport.
In the 1998 Asian games the Indian Kabaddi team defeated Pakistan in a thrilling final match at Bangkok (Thailand). The chief coach of the team was former kabaddi player and coach Flt. Lt. S P Singh.
The first World Kabaddi Championship, was in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, when 14,000 at the Copps Coliseum watched top players from India, Pakistan, Canada, England and the United States. The next edition was in Surrey, British Columbia, which hosts the first all-kabaddi stadium. India has remained world champion since it was included in Asian Games and South Asian Federation games. In 2008 Sukhbir Singh Badal mooted a professional world kabbadi league with sponsorship to attract the best players; this league will be based in India with tournaments in Canada as well. The current Kabaddi Championship team consists of several local Indian players, Himanshu Batta, Ravi Venkataya, Harman Dhaliwal, Kapil Singh and Mayank Gauri.
Kabaddi is now a very popular game and is a regular sport in Asian Games, Asian Indoor Games and Asian Beach Games apart from SAF Games. Kabaddi will be a demonstration sport during Commonwealth Games 2010 at New Delhi.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jackfruit, Kathal, Cãţtal or Enchor

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The jackfruit - kathal, cãţtal or enchor (the unripe fruit, used in curries), 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 world, 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.

The jackfruit is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also possibly native to the Malay Peninsula, although it may have been introduced there by humans.

It is commercially grown and sold in South, Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

It is also grown in parts of Hawaii, Brazil, Suriname, Madagascar, and in islands of the West Indies such as Jamaica and Trinidad.

It is the national fruit of Bangladesh and Indonesia. Jackfruit plants are frost sensitive. The jackfruit bears fruit three years after planting.

In areas where they are cultivated, jackfruit trees are a highly valuable resource, particularly for poor rural families. The tree bears fruit for over six months, yielding many fruits over the course of the season. The starchy fruit is a good substitute for rice, for which reason the tree is called "rice tree" by rural Sri Lankans.

The jackfruit has played a significant role in Indian agriculture for centuries. Archeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago. Findings also indicate that Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great (274–237 BC) encouraged arbori-horticulture of various fruits including jackfruit. Varahamihira, the Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer, wrote a chapter on the treatment of trees in his Brhat Samhita. His treatise includes a specific reference on grafting to be performed on trees such as jackfruit.

The jackfruit is considered an invasive species in Brazil, specially in the Tijuca Forest National Park in Rio de Janeiro. The Tijuca forest is mostly an artificial secondary forest, whose planting began during the mid-nineteenth century, and jackfruit trees have been a part of the park's flora since its founding. Recently, the species expanded excessively, due to the fact that its fruits, once they had naturally fallen to the ground and opened, were eagerly eaten by small mammals such as the common marmoset and the coati. The seeds are dispersed by these animals, which allows the jackfruit to compete for space with native tree-species. Additionally, as the marmoset and coati also prey opportunistically on bird's eggs and nestlings, the supply of jackfruit as a ready source of food has allowed them to expand their populations, which has negatively impacted the local bird population. Between 2002 and 2007, 55,662 jackfruit saplings were destroyed in the Tijuca Forest area in a deliberate culling effort by the park's management.

Outside of its countries of origin, fresh jackfruit can be found at Asian food markets. It is also extensively cultivated in the Brazilian coastal region, where it is sold in local markets.

It is available canned in sugar syrup, or frozen. Dried jackfruit chips are produced by various manufacturers.

Parts

Skin.

The skin of the jackfruit is thick and prickly.
Flesh.The flesh of the jackfruit is starchy and fibrous. It provides food energy and is a source of dietary fibre. Varieties of jackfruit are distinguished according to the characteristics of the fruits' flesh.

Seeds. The seeds of the fruit are also edible, and contain starches and dietary fibre. They may be prepared by boiling or roasting, or made into a flour.

It's commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. It can be eaten unripe (young) or ripe, cooked or uncooked. The seeds may be boiled or baked like beans. The taste is similar to chestnuts. The leaves are used as a wrapping for steamed Idlis ( savory cake popular throughout South India).

Young fruit
Unripe (young) jackfruit may be eaten whole. Young jackfruit has a mild flavour and distinctive texture. The cuisines of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam use cooked young jackfruit. In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a staple food.

Wood
The wood of the tree is used for the production of musical instruments. Jackfruit wood is widely used in the manufacture of furniture, doors and windows, and in roof construction. The heartwood of the jackfruit tree is used by Buddhist forest monastics in Southeast Asia as a dye, giving the robes of the monks in those traditions their distinctive light brown color.

Names
A variety of Jackfruits, called "koozha Chakka", found widely in the Southern Indian state of Kerala. The fruit is called a variety of names around the world. The English one, jackfruit, is thought to derive from the Malayalam chakka or cakkai via the Portuguese jaca. This name is used by the physician and naturalist Garcia de Orta in his 1563 book Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India. A botanist, Ralph Randles Stewart suggests that it was named after William Jack (1795-1822), a Scottish botanist who worked for the East India Company in Bengal, Sumatra and Malaysia. This is unlikely, as the fruit was called a "Jack" in English before William Jack was born: for instance, in Dampier's 1699 A new voyage round the world.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Hilsa fish or Ilish and Panta Ilish

2009-07-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Hilsa (Bengali: Ilish) is the national fish of Bangladesh, also popular in India's Assamese-, Bengali- Oriya-speaking regions and in Telugu-speaking regions and in Pakistan Sindh. 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.

As it is anadromous in nature (an uncommon phenomenon in tropical waters), the hilsa lives in the sea for most of its life, but migrates up to 1,200 km inland through rivers in the Indian sub-continent for spawning. Distances of 50-100 km are usually normal in the Bangladesh rivers.

Hilsa is mainly available in the major Bangladesh rivers of the Padma (lower Ganges), Meghna, Jamuna (lower Brahmaputra), and Godavari.

Those from the Padma are considered to be the best in taste.

However, Hilsa is also caught from the sea. But those caught from the sea are not considered to be so tasty as those caught from the river. Hilsa is an oily fish rich in essential fatty acids(omega 3 fatty acids). Recent experiments have shown its beneficial effects in decreasing cholesterol level in rats and insulin level.

In Bengal, hilsa can be smoked, fried, steamed, baked in young plantain leaves, prepared with mustard seed paste, curd, brinjal (eggplant), different condiments like jeera and so on. It is said that people can cook hilsa in more than 50 ways. Hilsa roe is also popular as a side dish. Hilsa can be cooked in very little oil since the fish itself is very oily.

Panta Ilish - a traditional platter of stale rice (in soup) with fried Hilsa slice, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal, green chillies and onion - is a popular serving for the Pohela Boishakh festival.

In many Hindu Bengali families two Hilsa fishes (Joda Ilish) are bought on special auspicious days, like some pujas.

It is considered auspicious to buy two Hilsa fishes on the day of Saraswati Puja (The Goddess of Learning and Beauty), which takes place in the beginning of Spring and also on the day of Lakshmi Puja (The Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) which takes place in autumn. But this custom is prevalent mainly among the Hindu Bengalis of former East Bengal (now Bangladesh) many of whom now live in West Bengal in India after the Partition of India. Some of them give Hilsa fish as an offering to the goddess Lakshmi, without which the Puja is thought to be incomplete.

Hilsa is an important source of foreign exchange for Bangladesh. They export it to the European countries and USA. In Europe, Hilsa is available at the Bangladeshi grocery stores.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The Sundarbans and the Royal Bengal Tiger

2009-07-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Sundarbans (Bengali: Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.

The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language (Sundar, "beautiful" and bans, "forest" or "jungle").

The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban (Bengali: Shomudrobôn "Sea Forest") or Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe).

But the generally accepted view is the one associated with Sundari trees.

The 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 km2 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 ecotope, these are separately listed in the UNESCO world heritage list as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans National Park, respectively.

The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes.

It is estimated that there are now 500 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. Sundarbans was designated a Ramsar site on May 21, 1992. The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. The remaining forests, together with the Sundarbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered tiger. Additionally, the Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Kolkata (Calcutta) against the result of cyclone activity.

In popular culture
The Sundarbans has been celebrated in numerous Bengali and Indian English novels, songs, and film.

The Bengali folk epic Manasamangal mentions Netidhopani and has some passages set in the Sunderbans during the heroine Behula's quest to bring her husband Lakhindar back to life.

Sundarbaney Arjan Sardar, a novel by Shibshankar Mitra, and Padma Nadir Majhi, a novel by Manik Bandopadhyay, are based on the rigors of lives of villagers and fishermen in the Sunderbans region, and are woven into the Bengali psyche to an extent.

Part of the plot of Salman Rushdie's Booker Prize winning novel, Midnight's Children is also set in the Sundarbans.

Most of the plot of prize-winning anthropologist Amitav Ghosh's 2004 novel, The Hungry Tide, is set in the Sundarbans.

The Sunderbans has been the subject of numerous non-fiction books, including the The Man-Eating Tigers of Sundarbans by Sy Montegomery for a young audience, which was shortlisted for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award.

The area provides the setting for several novels by Emilio Salgari, (e.g. The Mystery of the Black Jungle).

Padma Nadir Majhi was also made into a movie by Goutam Ghose.

Numerous documentary movies have been made about the Sunderbans, including the 2003 IMAX production about the Bengal Tiger - Shining Bright. The acclaimed BBC TV series Ganges documents the lives of villagers, especially honey collectors, in the Sundarbans.

The Sunderbans are celebrated through numerous Bengali folk songs and dances, often centered around the folk heroes, gods and goddesses specific to the Sunderbans (like Bonbibi and Dakshin Rai) and to the Lower Gangetic Delta (like Manasa and Chand Sadagar).

(From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

26 March 1971 - Independence Day of Bangladesh

2009-07-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

The Bangladesh Liberation War (Bengali: Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict pitting West Pakistan against East Pakistan (two halves of one country) and India, that resulted in the secession of East Pakistan to become the independent nation of Bangladesh.

The war broke out on 26 March 1971 as army units directed by West Pakistan launched a military operation in East Pakistan against Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, and armed personnel who were demanding separation from West Pakistan. Members of the East Bengal Regiment, East Pakistan Rifles, East Pakistan police and other Bengali military and paramilitary forces, and armed civilians revolted to form guerilla groups and forces (generally termed as the Mukti Bahini) to fight against the army of West Pakistan.

During the following months, India provided economic, military and diplomatic support to the Mukti Bahini in East Pakistan.

On December 3, 1971, (West) Pakistan launched a pre-emptive attack on the western border of India, which marked the commencement of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Finally, on December 16, 1971, the allied forces of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Liberation Army) decisively defeated the (West) Pakistani forces deployed in the East resulting in the largest surrender, in terms of the number of POWs, since World War II.

Language controversy
In 1948, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's first Governor-General, declared in Dhaka (then usually spelled Dacca in English) that "Urdu, and only Urdu" would be the sole official language for all of Pakistan. This proved highly controversial, since Urdu was a language that was only spoken in the West by Muhajirs and in the East by Biharis. The majority groups in West Pakistan spoke Punjabi and Sindhi, while the Bengali language was spoken by the vast majority of East Pakistanis. The language controversy eventually reached a point where East Pakistan revolted. Several students and civilians lost their lives in a police crackdown on 21 February 1952. The day is revered in Bangladesh and in West Bengal as the Language Martyrs' Day. Later, in memory of the 1952 killings, UNESCO declared 21 February as the International Mother Language Day in 1999.
In West Pakistan, the movement was seen as a sectional uprising against Pakistani national interests and the founding ideology of Pakistan, the Two-Nation Theory. West Pakistani politicians considered Urdu a product of Indian Islamic culture, as Ayub Khan said, as late as in 1967, "East Bengalis... still are under considerable Hindu culture and influence." But, the deaths led to bitter feelings among East Pakistanis, and they were a major factor in the push for independence.

Operation Searchlight
A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army — codenamed Operation Searchlight — started on 25 March to curb the Bengali nationalist movement by taking control of the major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan.
The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East Pakistan later in the same year. The international media and reference books in English have published casualty figures which vary greatly, from 5,000–35,000 in Dhaka, and 200,000–3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole.
At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared: "Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands." Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to "crush" Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down.
Although the violence focused on the provincial capital, Dhaka, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dhaka were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall — the Jagannath Hall — was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denies any cold blooded killings at the university, though the Hamood-ur-Rehman commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used at the university. This fact and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dhaka University are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Prof. Nurul Ullah of the East Pakistan Engineering University, whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories.
Hindu areas suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dhaka was literally burning,especially the Hindu dominated eastern part of the city. Time magazine reported on 2 August 1971, "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Pakistani military hatred."
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Mujib with multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dhaka to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan.

Declaration of independence
The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971, proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these outrages, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read:
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).

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.

Language Martyrs' Day or Martyrs' Day or Shohid Dibosh

2009-07-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

Language Movement Day or Language Revolution Day (Bhasha Andolon Dibosh), which is also referred to as Language Martyrs' Day or Martyrs' Day (Shohid Dibosh), is a national day of Bangladesh to commemorate protests and sacrifices to protect Bangla as a national language during the Pakistani regime in 1952.

Background
Around 1950-52, the emerging middle classes of East Bengal underwent an uprising known later as the Bangla Language Movement. Bangladeshis (then East Pakistanis) were initially agitated by a decision by the Central Pakistan Government to establish Urdu, a minority language spoken only by the supposed elite class of West Pakistan, as the sole national language for all of Pakistan. The situation was worsened by an open declaration that "Urdu and only Urdu will be the national language of Pakistan" by the governor, Khawaja Nazimuddin.

Protest
Police declared Section 144 which banned any sort of meeting. Defying this, the students of University of Dhaka and Dhaka Medical College and other political activists started a procession in February 21, 1952. Near the current Dhaka Medical College Hospital, police fired on the protesters and numerous people, including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Sofiur Rahman, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar, died.
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.

Effects
This movement is thought to have sown the seeds for the independence movement which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.

Commemoration
To commemorate this movement, Shaheed Minar, a solemn and symbolic sculpture, was erected in the place of the massacre. The day is revered in Bangladesh and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in West Bengal as the Martyrs' Day.
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.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

International Mother Language Day

2009-07-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

Shaheed Minar, or the Martyr's monument, located at Dhaka University Campus, Bangladesh, commemorates the sacrifice for Bangla Language on 21 February 1952.

21 February was proclaimed the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO on 17 November 1999.

Its observance was also formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.

International Mother Language Day originated as the international recognition of Language Movement Day, which has been commemorated in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) since 1952, when a number of Dhaka university students were killed by the Pakistani police and army in Dhaka during the Bengali Language Movement.

International Mother Language Day is observed yearly by UNESCO member states and at its headquarters to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

History
On 21 March 1948, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Governor general of Pakistan, 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, (8 Falgun 1359 in the Bengali calendar), students in the present day 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 were killed.

Annual themes
The observances of International Year of Languages tend to have a theme, indicated either in the formal program set for observance at UNESCO headquarters, or more explicitly in the publicity.

2000, Inaugural celebration of International Mother Language Day
2001, Second annual celebration
2002, Linguistic Diversity: 3,000 Languages in Danger (slogan: In the galaxy of languages, every word is a star)

2003, Fourth annual celebration

2004, Children's learning (the observance at UNESCO included "a unique exhibition of children’s exercise books from around the world illustrating the process by which children learn and master the use of written literacy skills in the classroom")

2005, Braille and Sign languages
2006, Languages and Cyberspace
2007, Multilingual education
2008, International Year of Languages

International observances
The Linguapax Prize is presented annually on International Mother Language Day.
UNESCO sets the theme for each International Mother Language Day and holds related events at its headquarters in Paris on or around 21 February each year.
In 2008, the International Year of Languages was formally launched on International Mother Language Day.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Doyel, Doel or Oriental Magpie Robin, the national bird of Bangladesh

2009-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Doyel or doel or the Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. They are distinctive black and white birds with a long tail that is held upright as they forage on the ground or perch conspicuously. Distributed in many parts of tropical South and Southeast Asia, they are common birds in urban gardens as well as forests. They are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds.

Description
This species is 19cm long, including the long tail that is usually held cocked upright. It is similar in shape to the smaller European Robin, but is longer-tailed. The male has black upperparts, head and throat apart from a white shoulder patch. The underparts and the sides of the long tail are white. Females are greyish black above and greyish white. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts and head.

The nominate race is found in the Indian Subcontinent and the females of this race are the palest. The females of the Andamans race andamanensis are darker and the birds are heavier-billed and shorter tailed. The Sri Lankan race ceylonensis and southern nominate individuals have the females nearly identical to the males in shade. The eastern populations (Bhutan and Bangladesh) have more black on the tail and were formerly named erimelas.The populations in Burma and further south are named as race musicus.A number of other races have been named across the range including prosthopellus (Hong Kong), nesiotes, zacneus, nesiarchus, masculus, pagiensis, javensis, problematicus, amoenus, adamsi, pluto, deuteronymus and mindanensis. However many of these are not well marked and the status of some are disputed.

It is mostly seen close to the ground, hopping along branches or foraging in leaf-litter on the ground with cocked tail. Males sing loudly from the top of trees or other perch during the breeding season.

Distribution and habitat
This magpie-robin is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, Thailand, south China and the Philippines. They have been introduced to Australia.

The Oriental Magpie Robin is found in open woodland, cultivated areas often close to human habitations.

Etymology
The name dhyal or dhayal has led to many confusions. It was first used by Albin in 1737 (Suppl. N. H. Birds, i. p. 17, pls. xvii. xviii.), and Levaillant (Ois. d'Afr. iii. p. 50) thought it referred to a sun dial and he called it Cadran. Thomas C. Jerdon wrote (B. India, ii. p.1l6) that Linnaeus, thinking it had some connection with a sun-dial, called it solaris, by lapsus pennae, saularis. This is slightly incorrect and it is noted that the Hindi word saulary was Latinized to saularis. A male bird was sent with this Hindi name from Madras by E. Buckley to Petiver, who first described the species (Ray, Synops. Meth. Avium, p.197).

Behaviour and ecology
Magpie Robins breed mainly from March to July in India and January to June in Southeast Asia, nesting in tree hollows or niches in walls or building. The female is involved in most of the nest building that happens about a week before the eggs are laid. Four or five eggs are laid in intervals of 24 hours and these are oval and usually pale blue green with brownish speckles. The eggs are incubated by the female alone for 8 to 14 days.

The nests have a characteristic odour.

Females spend more effort on feeding the young than males. Males are quite aggressive in the breeding season and will defend their territory and respond to the singing of intruders and even their reflections. Males spend more time on nest defense.

Studies of the bird song show dialects with neighbours varying in their songs. The calls of many other species may be imitated as part of their song. This may indicate that birds disperse and are not philopatric. They appear to use elements of the calls of other birds in their own songs.

Females may sing briefly in the presence of male.

Apart from their song, they use a range of calls including territorial calls, emergence and roosting calls, threat calls, submissive calls, begging calls and distress calls. The typical mobbing calls is a harsh hissing krshhh.

The food of Magpie Robins is mainly insects and other invertebrates. They are known to occasionally take geckos, leeches, centipedes and even fish.
They are often active late at dusk.

They sometimes bathe in rainwater collected on the leaves of a tree.

Status
This species is considered as one of "little concern" globally but in some areas the species is on the decline.
In Singapore and Hong Kong (Malay names Kampung/Cerang) they were common in the 1920s, but declined in the 1970s, presumably due to competition from introduced Common Mynas Poaching for the pet bird trade and habitat changes have also affected them and they are locally protected by law.
This species has few avian predators. Several pathogens and parasites have been reported. Avian malaria parasites have been isolated from the species while H4N3 and H5N1 infection has been noted in a few cases. Parasitic nematodes of the eye have been described

In culture

Doyel Chatwar, Dhaka
Magpie Robins were widely kept as cagebirds for their singing abilities and for fighting in India in the past.

They continue to be in the pet trade in parts of Southeast Asia.
The Magpie Robin is the National Bird of Bangladesh, where it is common and known as the Doyel or Doel.

It is a widely used symbol in Bangladesh, appearing on currency notes and a landmark in the city of Dhaka is named as the Doyel Chatwar (meaning: Doyel Square).

In Sri Lanka this bird is called Polkichcha.

(From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

Shapla or Water Lily, the national flower of Bangladesh

2009-07-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Shapla or Water Lily is an aquatic plant of the genus Nymphaea which has large, disk-like, floating leaves and showy flowers.

There are about 50 species growing in different countries. In Bangladesh there are two species: N. nouchali (blue variety) and N. pubescens (white variety).

Both species grow abundantly as a mixed population in almost all shallow natural waterbodies, but the latter is more frequent and popular in Bangladesh and has been designated as the national flower.

Water lily
Another species, N. rubra, is often cultivated in ponds and tanks as an ornamental plant.

Each plant produces several solitary flowers with long peduncles and blooms above the water surface.

It is seen in abundance in the monsoon season. The peduncle is a popular vegetable to villagers; the tuberous rhizomes are also eaten. Seeds on frying are eaten as puffed-grains in some places.

The giant water lily or Amazon water lily (Victoria amazonica) is occasionally grown in some gardens for its enormous (about 2m in diametre) orbicular floating leaves.
(From Banglapedia, National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh)

Shapla Square

Shapla Square monument in Dhaka
Shapla Square (Bengali: Shapla Chottor) is a huge sculpture at the heart of Motijheel near the center of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.

It depicts a Shapla (water lily), the national flower of Bangladesh. The sculpture is surrounded by a fountain.

The location also marks a mass grave of Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Coat of arms of Bangladesh

The National Emblem of Bangladesh was adopted shortly after independence in 1971.
Located on the emblem is a shapla or water lily, that is bordered on two sides by rice sheaves. Above the water lilly are four stars and a three connected jute leaves.

The water lily is the country's national flower, and is representative of the many rivers that run through Bangladesh.

Rice represents its presence as the staple food of Bangladesh, and for the agriculture of that nation.

The four stars represent the four founding principles that were originally enshrined in the first constitution of Bangladesh in 1972: nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Shaheed Minar or the Martyrs' monument

2009-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Shaheed Minar, or the Martyrs' monument, located near Dhaka Medical College.

The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: Shohid Minar) is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Language Movement demonstrations 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 23by students of University of Dhaka and other educational institutions, but soon demolished on February 26 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 dead, 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, during which the Pakistani Army estimates they inflicted 26,000 civilian deaths, while other organizations such as National Geographic estimate casualties numbering over 3 million.

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.

The First Shaheed Minar

The first Shaheed Minar, built on February 22, 1952. It was demolished by Pakistan Police and Army four days later.
The first Shaheed Minar was built immediately after the events of February 21. According to Saeed Hayder, a main planner and the designer of the first Shaheed Minar, the decision to build it was first taken by the students of Dhaka Medical College. The planning started at midnight on February 22 and the work started the next day.This Minar was sponsored by Pearu Sardar, one of the old dhaka panchayet sardars when some of the students asked his help at the midnight of 22 February to contribute the raw materials needed to build the monument. Although curfew was in place, students started building the Minar in the afternoon of February 23. They worked through the night and finished it at dawn. A hand written paper was attached to the Minar with ‘Shaheed Smritistombho’ written on it. The original Minar measured 10 feet (3.0 m) by 6 feet.The Minar was inaugurated by the father of Sofiur Rahman, killed during the massacre. It was demolished within a few days by the police and Pakistani Army.

Shaheed Minar (1963-1971)
When the Awami League government came to power, it became possible to construct the new monument without fear of government retribution.

Famous architect Hamidur Rahman created the design of Shaheed Minar under which construction was started in 1957.

The foundation stone of this Shaheed Mianar was laid on February 21, 1956. Hamidur Rahman’s model was a huge complex on a large area of land in the yard of Dhaka Medical College Hostel.

The enormous design included a half-circular column to symbolize the mother with her fallen sons standing on the monument's central dais. Yellow and deep blue pieces of stained glass, symbolizing eyes reflecting the sun, were also to be placed in the columns. The marble floor was designed to reflect the moving shadows of the columns. The basement of the Minar also included a 1,500-square-foot (140 m2) fresco depicting the history of the language movement. A railing decorated with Bangla alphabet was to be constructed in front. Two footmarks coloured red and black, indicating the two opposite forces, were also in the design. Besides this a museum and a library were also included in Rahman's design. A fountain shaped like an eye was also to be constructed. Rahman specifically designed the materials of the monument to withstand the area's tropical climate.

Construction started in November 1957 under the supervision of Hamidur Rahman and Novera Ahmed. Most of the work, including the basement, platform, some of the columns with the rails, footprints and some of the murals were also finished when the Martial Law was introduced and construction was forced to a halt. Construction work was completed in 1963, leaving much of Rahman’s design unfinished. It was inaugurated on February 21, 1963 by the mother of Abul Barkat, Hasina Begum. The Minar was severely damaged during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The columns were destroyed during the fighting. The Pakistani Army crushed the Minar and placed over the rubble a signboard reading "Mosque."

Current Shaheed Minar
The current Shaheed Minar design mainly follows the original plan of 1957. The minars are constructed with pure marble stone upon a 14 feet (4.3 m) high stage. The stairs and railings are painted white to create a heavenly appearance. The fence on both sides is highlighted with lines from poems of famous poets in iron letters. The entrance of the monument includes two statues.
The previous plan of Watch house, library and other statues were also included.
The plan was again accepted on May 5, 1973 and Hamidur made a rough agreement to submit to the Purto Secretary for sanction.
Previously, in February 1973, the government had hurried to repair the Shaheed Minar. As a result the Minar was constructed incorrectly. The height of the column was shorter and the head bent more than originally planned, and the proportions of different parts of the monument were not propertly maintained.
Repair of the Shaheed Minar was again started during the Ershad regime. This time the main stage and the columns were unchanged, but the stairs were extended forward and the huts at the bottom of the Minar were closed. The front premise was also made higher. As a result, the area of the premises and the stairs was increased.

Replicas

A replica of the Shaheed Minar at Altab Ali Park, in east London
The large scale emigration of Bangladeshis to other parts of the globe has led to several permanent replicas of the Shaheed Minar being built outside Bangladesh. Two of these are in England. One is in Altab Ali Park, near Whitechapel and Brick Lane in Tower Hamlets, east London. The second is in the Westwood neighbourhood of Oldham, in Greater Manchester.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jatiyo Smriti Soudho or National Martyrs' Memorial

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Jatiyo Sriti Soudho at Savar, a tribute to the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Jatio Sriti Shoudho or National Martyrs' Memorial is a monument in Bangladesh.

It is the symbol of the valour and the sacrifice of those killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule. The monument is located in Savar, about 35km north-west of the capital, Dhaka.

History
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.

Structure
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.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Bangladesh

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Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bengali: Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh) is a country 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 borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became the eastern wing of the newly formed Pakistan. However, it was separated from the western wing by 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) across India. Political and linguistic discrimination as well as economic neglect led to popular agitations against West Pakistan, which led to the war for independence in 1971 and the establishment of Bangladesh. After independence the new state endured famines, natural disasters and widespread poverty, as well as political turmoil and military coups. The restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by relative calm and economic progress.

Geographically, the country straddles the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta and is subject to annual monsoon floods and cyclones.

The government is a parliamentary democracy; however, political rule was suspended under emergency law for two years from 11 January 2007 to 17 December 2008.

Bangladesh is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the OIC,SAARC, BIMSTEC, and the D-8. As the World Bank notes in its July 2005 Country Brief, the country has made significant progress in human development in the areas of literacy, gender parity in schooling and reduction of population growth. However, Bangladesh continues to face a number of major challenges, including widespread political and bureaucratic corruption, and economic competition relative to the world.

Bangladesh is in the low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta. The Ganges (local name Padma or Pôdda), Brahmaputra (Jamuna or Jomuna), and Meghna rivers and their respective tributaries.

The Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal. The alluvial soil deposited by these rivers has created some of the most fertile plains in the world.

Bangladesh has 58 trans-boundary rivers, making water issues politically complicated to resolve - in most cases as the lower riparian state to India. Most parts of Bangladesh are less than 12 metres (39 ft) above the sea level, and it is believed that about 50% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by a metre (3 ft).

The highest point in Bangladesh is in Mowdok range at 1,052 metres (3,451 ft) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to the southeast of the country. A major part of the coastline comprises a marshy jungle, the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger. In 1997, this region was declared endangered.

Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladeshi climate is tropical with a mild winter from October to March, a hot, humid summer from March to June. A warm and humid monsoon season lasts from June to October and supplies most of the country's rainfall.

Natural calamities, such as floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores occur almost every year, combined with the effects of deforestation, soil degradation and erosion. Cox's Bazar, south of the city of Chittagong, has a beach that stretches uninterrupted over 120 kilometres (75 mi).

In September 1998, Bangladesh saw the most severe flooding in modern world history. As the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna spilt over and swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,000 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,700 mi) of embankment 1,000 people were killed and 30 million more were made homeless with 135,000 cattle killed, 50 square kilometres of land destroyed and 11,000 kilometres of roads damaged or destroyed. Two-thirds of the country was underwater. There were several reasons for the severity of the flooding. Firstly, there were unusually high monsoon rains. Secondly, the Himalayas shed off an equally unusually high amount of melt water that year. Trees that usually intercept rain water were cut down for firewood or to make space for animals.

Bangladesh is now widely recognized to be one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Natural hazards that come from increased rainfall, sea level rise, and tropical cyclones are expected to increase as climate change, each seriously affecting agriculture, water & food security, human health and shelter. It is believed that in the coming decades the rising sea level alone will create more than 25 million climate refugees.

Despite continuous domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a developing nation.

Jute was once the economic engine of the country.

However, polypropylene products began to substitute for jute products worldwide and the jute industry started to decline. Bangladesh grows very significant quantities of rice (chal), tea (Cha) and mustard.

Although two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the garment industry.

The industry now employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women.

A large part of foreign currency earnings also comes from the remittances sent by expatriates living in other countries.

Obstacles to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, mismanaged port facilities, a growth in the labour force that has outpaced jobs, inefficient use of energy resources (such as natural gas), insufficient power supplies, slow implementation of economic reforms, political infighting and corruption. According to the World Bank, "among Bangladesh’s most significant obstacles to growth are poor governance and weak public institutions."

Despite these hurdles, the country has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5% since 1990, according to the World Bank. Bangladesh has seen expansion of its middle class, and its consumer industry has also grown. In December 2005, four years after its report on the emerging "BRIC" economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), Goldman Sachs named Bangladesh one of the "Next Eleven," along with Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam and seven other countries. Bangladesh has seen a dramatic increase in foreign direct investment.

A number of multinational corporations and local big business houses such as Beximco, Square, Akij Group, Ispahani, Navana Group, Transcom Group, Habib Group, KDS Group and multinationals such as Unocal Corporation and Chevron, have made major investments, with the natural gas sector being a priority.

In December 2005, the Central Bank of Bangladesh projected GDP growth around 6.5%.

One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2006) through the Grameen Bank. By the late 1990s, Grameen Bank had 2.3 million members, along with 2.5 million members of other similar organisations.

In order to enhance economic growth, the government set up several export processing zones to attract foreign investment. These are managed by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority.

While Kabbadi is the national game of Bangladesh, Football and Cricket are more popular with Cricket being the most popular sport in Bangladesh followed very closely by Football. The Bangladeshi cricket team won the ICC Trophy in 1997 against Kenya which qualified them for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. In their very first world cup Bangladesh beat Pakistan in first round. In 2000, the Bangladeshi cricket team was granted Test cricket status and be able to play other test playing nations. At various times Bangladesh has beat Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan; more importantly Bangladesh has beat India and South Africa in 2007 Cricket World Cup.They have also beaten West Indies in ICC T20 World Cup 2007. Other popular sports include field hockey, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, chess, carrom games, and kabbadi, which is the national sport of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Sports Control Board regulates twenty-nine different sporting federations.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Timeline: Bangladesh
A chronology of key events

1947 - British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, either side of India. The two provinces are separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory.

1949 - The Awami League is established to campaign for East Pakistan's autonomy from West Pakistan.

1970 - The Awami League, under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, wins an overwhelming election victory in East Pakistan. The government in West Pakistan refuses to recognise the results, leading to rioting. Cyclone hits East Pakistan - up to 500,000 people are killed.
Independence.

1971 - Sheikh Mujib arrested and taken to West Pakistan. In exile, Awami League leaders proclaim the independence of the province of East Pakistan on 26th March. The new country is called Bangladesh. Just under 10 million Bangladeshis flee to India as troops from West Pakistan are defeated with Indian assistance.

1972 - Sheikh Mujib returns, becomes prime minister. He begins a programme of nationalising key industries in an attempt to improve living standards, but with little success.

1974 - Severe floods devastate much of the grain crop, leading to an estimated 28,000 deaths. A national state of emergency is declared as political unrest grows.

1975 - Sheikh Mujib becomes president of Bangladesh. The political situation worsens. He is assassinated in a military coup in August. Martial law is imposed.

1976 - The military ban trade unions.

1977 - General Zia Rahman assumes the presidency. Islam is adopted in the constitution.

1979 - Martial law is lifted following elections, which Zia's Bangladesh National Party (BNP) wins.

1981 - Zia is assassinated during abortive military coup. He is succeeded by Abdus Sattar.

1982 - General Ershad assumes power in army coup. He suspends the constitution and political parties.

1983 - Limited political activity is permitted. Ershad becomes president.

1986 - Parliamentary and presidential elections. Ershad elected to a five-year term. He lifts martial law and reinstates the constitution.

1987 - State of emergency declared after opposition demonstrations and strikes.

1988 - Islam becomes state religion. Floods cover up to three-quarters of the country. Tens of millions are made homeless.

1990 - Ershad steps down following mass protests.

1991 - Ershad convicted and jailed for corruption and illegal possession of weapons. Begum Khaleda Zia, widow of President Zia Rahman, becomes prime minister. Constitution is changed to render the position of president ceremonial. The prime minister now has primary executive power. Cyclonic tidal wave kills up to 138,000.
Awami League returns.

1996 - Two sets of elections eventually see the Awami League win power, with Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, becoming prime minister.

1997 - Ershad is released from prison. The opposition BNP begins campaign of strikes against the government.

1998 - Two-thirds of the country devastated by the worst floods ever. Fifteen former army officers sentenced to death for involvement in assassination of President Mujib in 1975.

2000 September - Sheikh Hasina criticises military regimes in a UN speech, prompting Pakistani leader General Musharraf to cancel talks with her. Relations strained further by row over leaked Pakistani report on 1971 war of independence.

2000 December - Bangladesh expels Pakistani diplomat for comments on the 1971 war. The diplomat had put the number of dead at 26,000, whereas Bangladesh says nearly three million were killed. Bangladesh wants Pakistan to apologise for alleged genocide it says Pakistani forces were guilty of during the war.

2001 April - Seven killed in bomb blast at a Bengali New Year concert in Dhaka. Sixteen Indian and three Bangladeshi soldiers killed in their worst border clashes.

2001 April - High Court confirms death sentences on 12 ex-army officers for killing Mujib. Only four are in custody.

2001 June - Bomb kills 10 at Sunday mass at a Roman Catholic church in Baniarchar town. Bomb at Awami league office near Dhaka kills 22. Parliament approves bill providing protection for Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, who feared that the killers of their father Mujib were out to get them too.

2001 July - Hasina steps down, hands power to caretaker authority, becoming the first prime minister in the country's history to complete a five-year term.

2001 September - At least eight people are killed and hundreds injured as two bombs explode at an election rally in south-western Bangladesh.

2001 October - Hasina loses at polls to Khaleda Zia's Nationalist Party and its three coalition partners.

2001 November - Law repealed which guaranteed lifelong security to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and sister Sheikh Rehana.

2002 March - Government introduces law making acid attacks punishable by death amid public anger over escalating violence against women.

2002 May - Government orders tightening of safety standards after up to 500 people die when a river ferry goes down in a storm.

2002 June - President Chowdhury resigns after ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accuses him of taking an anti-party line.

2002 July - Pakistani President Musharraf visits; expresses regret over excesses carried out by Pakistan during 1971 war of independence.
2002 September - Iajuddin Ahmed sworn in as president.

2002 December - Simultaneous bomb blasts in cinemas in a town north of Dhaka kill 17 and injure hundreds.

2003 April - More than 100 people killed in two almost-simultaneous ferry disasters.

Many of those behind a string of explosions remain at large
Government blames banned Islamist group for blasts
US concerned that country could become platform for global terror

2004 Opposition calls 21 general strikes over the course of the year as part of a campaign to oust the government.

2004 May - Parliament amends constitution to reserve 45 seats for female MPs.
Bomb attack on Muslim shrine in north-eastern town of Sylhet kills two and injures UK high commissioner and 50 others.

2004 July onwards - Worst flooding in six years leaves nearly 800 people dead, millions homeless or stranded, and an estimated 20m in need of food aid. September's floods in Dhaka are said to be the worst in decades.

2004 August - Grenade attack on opposition Awami League rally in Dhaka kills 22 people. Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina survives the attack.

2005 January - Prominent Awami League politician Shah AMS Kibria is killed in a grenade attack at a political rally. The party calls a general strike in protest.

2005 February - More than 140 people are killed when a ferry capsizes near Dhaka.

2005 May - Some 150 people are killed within a week in three ferry accidents.
Bomb attacks.

2005, 17 August - Around 350 small bombs go off in towns and cities nationwide. Two people are killed and more than 100 are injured. A banned Islamic group claims responsibility.

2005 November - Spate of bombings, blamed on Islamic militants, hits Chittagong and Gazipur.

2006 February - Opposition Awami League ends year-long parliamentary boycot
Political crisis.

2006 October - Violent protests over government's choice of a caretaker administration to take over when Premier Zia completes her term at the end of the month. President Ahmed steps in and assumes caretaker role for period leading to elections due in January 2007.

2006 November - A 14-party opposition alliance led by the Awami League campaigns for controversial election officials to be removed. Chief election commissioner MA Aziz steps aside.

2006 December - Election date set at 22 January. Awami alliance says it will boycott the polls. Awami leader Sheikh Hasina accuses President Ahmed of favouring her rival.
Blockade aimed at derailing parliamentary elections paralyses much of the country.

2007 January - A state of emergency is declared amid violence in the election run-up. President Ahmed postpones the 22 January poll. Fakhruddin Ahmed takes over as head of caretaker administration.

2007 March - Six Islamist militants convicted of countrywide bomb attacks in 2005 are hanged. They include the leaders of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen.

2007 April - Sheikh Hasina is charged with murder. Begum Khaleda Zia is under virtual house arrest. Several other politicians are held in an anti-corruption drive.

2007 May - Interim government eases restrictions on former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia.

2007 August - Government imposes a curfew on Dhaka and five other cities amid violent clashes between police and students demanding an end to emergency rule.

2007 November - Cyclone Sidr hits Bangladesh killing thousands. Hundreds of thousands of survivors are left struggling for basic necessities such as tents, rice, drinking water and medicines.

2008 May - Military-backed interim government says delayed elections will take place in December.

2008 June - Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina is temporarily freed from jail to get medical treatment abroad.

2008 August - Local elections take place, seen as a big step towards restoring democracy. Candidates backed by the Awami League party perform strongly.

2008 November - The authorities announce that general elections will be held on 18 December. Since January 2007 the country has been run by a military-backed interim government.

2008 December - The Awami League alliance led by former PM Sheikh Hasina wins a landslide victory in general elections, capturing more than 250 of 300 seats in parliament. International observers declare the vote broadly free and fair.

2009 January - Sheikh Hasina sworn in as prime minister.

2009 February - Around 74 people, mainly army officers, are killed in a mutiny by border guards unhappy with pay and conditions. Police have charged over 1,000 border guards in relation to the rebellion at their Dhaka compound headquarters.

(From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1160896.stm )

Bengali alphabet

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The Bengali alphabet is derived from the Brahmi alphabet. It is also closely related to the Devanagari alphabet, from which it started to diverge in the 11th Century AD.

The current printed form of Bengali alphabet first appeared in 1778, when Charles Wilkins developed printing in Bengali. A few archaic letters were modernised during the 19th century.

Bengali has two literary styles: one is called Sadhubhasa (elegant language) and the other Chaltibhasa (current language). The former is the traditional literary style based on Middle Bengali of the sixteenth century, while the later is a 20th century creation and is based on the speech of educated people in Calcutta. The differences between the two styles are not huge and involve mainly forms of pronouns and verb conjugations.

Some people prefer to call this alphabet the Eastern Nagari script or Eastern Neo-Brahmic script The Bengali alphabet is a syllabic alphabet in which consonants all have an inherent vowel which has two different pronunciations, the choice of which is not always easy to determine and which is sometimes not pronounced at all.

Vowels can be written as independent letters, or by using a variety of diacritical marks which are written above, below, before or after the consonant they belong to.

When consonants occur together in clusters, special conjunct letters are used. The letters for the consonants other than the final one in the group are reduced. The inherent vowel only applies to the final consonant.

Bengali, an eastern Indo-Aryan language with around 211 million speakers in Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal and also in Malawi, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia, the UAE, UK and USA.

Vowels and vowel diacritics

Consonants

A selection of conjunct consonants

Modifier symbols

Numerals

(From http://www.omniglot.com/writing/bengali.htm )

Bengali Calendar

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The Bengali calendar (Bônggabdo or Bangla Shôn) or Bangla calendar is a traditional solar calendar used in Bangladesh and India's eastern states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

The year begins on Pôhela Baishakh, which falls on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in India. In Assam, this corresponds to Bhaskar Era, named after the Kamarupa king, Bhaskara Varman.

The current Bengali year is 1416.

The Bengali year is always 593 less than the year in the Gregorian calendar of the Christian Era or Anno Domini era or Common Era or Current Era for the period after Pôhela Boishakh. However, the Bengali year is 594 less than the Gregorian year if it is before Pôhela Boishakh. King Shashanka of Ancient Bengal, who ruled approximately between 590 AD and 625 AD, is credited with starting the Bengali era.

Shashanka was the sovereign king of Bengal at the start of seventh century. Much of today’s Indian states of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa was under his kingdom. The starting point of the Bengali era is estimated to be on Monday, 12 April 594 in Julian Calendar and Monday, 14 April 594 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. The Bengali calendar is derived from the Hindu solar calendar, which is itself based on the Surya Siddhanta.
Mughal Emperor Akbar, who ruled from 1556 AD until 1605 AD, and one of his councillor Fatehullah Shirazi are credited with modifying the new Bengali calendar for tax collection purposes. Before the introduction of the Bengali calendar, during Muslim rule in India agricultural and land taxes were collected according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri Calendar is a lunar calendar, the agricultural year did not always coincide with the fiscal year. Therefore, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Amir Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar of the time and the royal astronomer, formulated a new calendar based on the lunar Hijri and solar Hindu calendars. The resulting Bangla calendar was introduced following the harvesting season when the peasantry would be in a relatively sound financial position. In keeping with the harvesting season, this new calendar initially came to be known as the Harvest Calendar, or Fôsholi Shôn. During the reign of the Mughals, the Bengali Calendar was officially implemented throughout the empire. The name of the months continued to be in Sanskrit. Akbar did not start the Bengali calendar with a value 0, but instead jump-started it with the then existing hijri-calendar value.

Seasons
The Bengali calendar consists of 6 seasons, with two months comprising each season.
Beginning from Pohela Boisakh, they are:

Grishsho or Summer;
Bôrsha or Rainy/Monsoon season;
Shôrot or Autumn;
Hemonto or the Dry season;
Šit or Winter;
and Bôshonto or Spring.

Months
The names of the twelve months of the Bengali calendar are based on the names of the nokkhotro (lunar mansions): locations of the moon with respect to particular stars during the lunar cycle.

These names were derived from the Surya Siddhanta, an ancient Indian book on Astronomy. The names of the months are:

Boishakh after the star Bishakha (Librae)
Joishţho after the star Jeshţha (Scorpius)
Ashaŗh after the star Uttorashaŗha (Sagittarii)
Srabon after the star Srobona (Aquilae)
Bhadro after the star Purbobhadropôd (Pegasus and Andromeda)
Ashshin after the star Ôshshini (Arietis)
Kartik after the star Krittika (Pleiades)
Ôgrohaeon after the star Mrigoshira
Poush after the star Pushsha (Cancer)
Magh after the star Môgha (Regulus)
Falgun after the star Uttorfalguni (Leonis and Denebola)
Choitro after the star Chitra (Spica)

Days
The Bengali Calendar incorporates the seven-day week as used by many other calendars. Also like other calendars, the names of the days of the week in the Bengali Calendar are based on celestial objects, or nôbogroho.

Monday: Shombar, after Shom (a Lunar deity)
Tuesday: Monggolbar, fter Monggol (planet Mars)
Wednesday: Budhbar, after Budh (planet Mercury)
Thursday: Brihoshpotibar, after Brihoshpoti (planet Jupiter)
Friday: Shukrobar, after Shukro (planet Venus)
Saturday: Shonibar, after Shoni (planet Saturn)
Sunday: Robibar, after Robi (a Solar deity)

In the Bengali calendar, the day begins and ends at sunrise , unlike in the Gregorian calendar, where the day starts at midnight.

The Bengali Calendar in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was modified by a committee headed by the celebrated scholar Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah under the auspices of the Bangla Academy of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, on 17 February 1966.
The length of a year in the Bengali calendar, as in the Gregorian calendar, is counted as 365 days. However, the actual time taken by the earth in its revolution around the sun is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 47 seconds. To make up this discrepancy, the Gregorian calendar adds an extra day, to make a leap year, to the month of February every fourth year (except in years divisible by 100 but not by 400). The Bengali calendar, which was based on astronomical calculations, did not make this extra leap year adjustment. Bengali months, too, were of different lengths. To counter this discrepancy, and to make the Bengali calendar more precise, the following recommendations of the Bangla Academy are followed:
The first five months of the year from Boishakh to Bhadro will consist of 31 days each.
The remaining seven months of the year from Ashshin to Choitro will consist of 30 days each.
In every leap year of the Gregorian calendar, an additional day will be added in the month of Falgun, which is just 14 days after 29th February. (Modified without material change).
The revised calendar was officially adopted in Bangladesh in 1987. However, it is not followed in the neighbouring state of West Bengal, India, where the traditional calendar continues to be followed due to the deep bond of Hindu culture with the Bengali calendar. Hindu religious festivals are celebrated based on a particular lunar day and Bengali calendar combination.

The first of Boishakh, Pôhela Boishakh, is the Bengali New Year's Day. In West Bengal, it is celebrated on 14/15 April. However, since the calendar was revised in Bangladesh the new year now always falls on 14 April.
In West Bengal, India, the Bengalis follow a sidereal solar calendar unlike the tropical solar calendars, such as the revised Bengali and Gregorian Calendars. The mathematical difference between the sidereal and the tropical calendars accounts for the difference of starting the new year in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Because of this the length of the months are also not fixed in the Bengali sidereal calendar, but rather are based on the true movement of the sun.

Although the sidereal solar calendar is followed in West Bengal, India, the number of days in the months are determined by the true motion of the Sun through the zodiac. In this calendar, seven is subtracted from the year number the result is divided by 39. If after the division the remainder becomes zero or could be divided by 4, the year is then designated as a leap year and contains 366 days with the last month Choitro taking 31 days. There are 10 leap years in every 39 years, although an extraordinary revision may be required over a long time.

According to the new calendar system in Bangladesh, Falgun (which begins mid-February) has 31 days every four years. To keep pace with the Gregorian calendar, the Bengali leap years are those whose corresponding Gregorian calendar year is counted as a leap year. For example, Falgun 1410 was considered a Bengali leap month, as it fell during the Gregorian leap month of February 2004.

The usage and popularity of the Bengali calendar in eastern South Asia is partly due to its adaptation to the unique seasonal patterns of the region. Eastern South Asia has a climate that is best divided into six seasons, including the monsoon or rainy season and the dry season in addition to spring, summer, fall, and winter.
In everyday use, the Bengali Calendar has been largely replaced by the Gregorian Calendar in Bengali-speaking regions, although it is still essential for marking holidays specific to Bengali culture (e.g. Pôhela Boishakh, Durga Puja, etc.), and for marking the seasons of the year. Bangla calendar is recognized by the government of Bangladesh as all its offices use Bangla Date with Gregorian one for all their correspondance. Almost every Bengali- and English-language newspaper in Bangladesh and West Bengal prints the day's date according to the Bengali Calendar alongside the corresponding date of the Gregorian Calendar. Many newspapers in Bangladesh also add a third date, following the Islamic Hijri Calendar. Thus, it is quite common in Bangladesh to find the date written three times (e.g. "25 Falgun 1412, 17 Muharram 1427, 27 February 2006") under the newspaper title.

(From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

Principal monuments in Dhaka

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Baitul Mukarram The Mughals built Dhaka into a magnificent city, with a sultan's palace, dozens of ornate mosques, covered markets, gardens and a huge citadel to protect it from pirates and foreign powers.
(From http://visitdhaka.blogspot.com/2008/07/tourist-spots-in-dhaka.html )

Baitul Mukarram Mosque is the National Mosque of Bangladesh. Its construction began on 27 January 1960, and has been going on in phases. In the late 1950s Dhaka grew very rapidly. Abdul Latif Ibrahim Bawani first came up with the idea of building a grand mosque with a large capacity. The 'Baitul Mukarram Mosque Society' was formed in 1959 to facilitate the project. Land was allocated for the mosque complex at the meeting point of Old and New Dhaka. The site was also in close proximity to the central business district of the city. Architect T Abdul Hussain Thariani was commissioned to design the mosque complex. The plan included shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within the complex. The design of the mosque reflects the architecture of the period as can be seen from the use of a white and almost cube-form for the main building. A Mosque without a dome over the roof of its main prayer hall must have been a unique experiment. The main building is eight storied and 99 feet high from the ground level. According to the original plan, the main entrance of the mosque was to be on the eastern side. The shahan on the east is 29,000 square feet with ablution space on its south and north sides. The absence of a dome on the main building is compensated by the two shallow domed entrance porticoes, one on the south, and the other on the north. The elevation of these porticoes consists of three horseshoe shaped arches, the middle of which is bigger than the rest. Two patios ensure that enough light and air enter the prayer hall. The area of the main prayer hall is 26,517 square feet with a mezzanine floor of 1,840 square feet at the eastern side. The hall is surrounded by verandas on three of its sides. The mihrab of the hall is rectangular instead of semi-circular. Excessive ornamentation is avoided throughout the mosque, since minimizing ornamentation is typical of modern architecture. According to Thariani's original plan, the minar was a detached structure on the south side of the main building. However, two new minars are now under construction according to a new plan. The Baitul Mokarram mosque is modern in its architectural style. But it has not discarded traditional principles of mosque architecture. It has found its place in the hearts of the Muslims because of the resemblance of its form to the famous Kaba at Mecca.

(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

The Old City is a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys, difficult to find your way around without a guide. Running along the waterfront is the Bund, a bustling street that overflows with rickshaws and vendors, sweaty workmen in white loincloths humping goods up from the ghats, and eager commuters rushing down to the ferry piers.

(From http://visitdhaka.blogspot.com/2008/07/tourist-spots-in-dhaka.html )

Shaheed Minar monument built in memory of the mother language martyrs, who were killed on 21 February 1952 during the language movement. A memorial to the martyrs was built immediately after the killings, on 23 February 1952. The memorial became a focal point for the city dwellers and became the symbol of protests. People thronged there in groups. The memorial was formally inaugurated by abul kalam shamsuddin, the then editor of the daily azad, on the morning of 26 February. Police cordoned the Medical College hostel that afternoon and demolished the monument. Although the monument was demolished, the Pakistani ruling coterie could not efface the memory of the martyrs. Innumerable small memorials on the same model were built all over the country, specially in the educational institutions. In 1953 the students and youth community of the country observed 21 February as 'Shaheed Dibas' (martyrs' day). A replica of the memorial in red paper was installed in 1953 in the yard of the Medical College Hostel at the spot where the first memorial had been built. It was covered with a black cloth. From that symbolic Shaheed Minar, students launched their prabhat pheri (mourning procession) on 21 February for the first time that year. The following year (1954) as well the students observed Shaheed Day in a similar manner. The United Front Government assumed power on 3 April 1954. In the Session of 9 May the government announced that, according to their commitment in the 21-point programme, the Shaheed Minar would be built. 21 February was declared as Shaheed Day and also as a public holiday. However, the United Front Government could not execute its decision as it was ousted from power on 30 May the same year. The foundation stone of the Shaheed Minar was laid for the second time on 21 February 1956 by Abu Hossain Sarkar, the then Chief Minister of East Pakistan, along with Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani and Hasina Begum, mother of Abul Barkat, the language martyr. Simultaneously, 21 February was formally declared Shaheed Day and also a public holiday. In 1957, with an Awami League government in power in East Pakistan, the construction work of the Shaheed Minar commenced in the yard of the Medical College Hostel. hamidur rahman had designed a massive Shaheed Minar complex on a large tract of land. In the design there was a half-circular column as a symbol of the mother and her martyred sons standing on the dais in the main part of the monument. Many yellow and deep blue pieces of glass were to be imbedded in the column as symbols of eyes from which the rays of the sun would be reflected. Besides these, there was to be a railing adorned with the Bangla alphabet in front of the monument complex and also two footprints, one red and one black, symbolising the two opposing forces. The design also included a museum, a library and a series of mural paintings. At one end there was supposed to be an eye-shaped fountain with a high undulating platform. Based on this design, the construction work was started in November 1957. Hamidur Rahman, assisted by Novera Ahmed, supervised the construction. During this time the basement, platform and some of the columns were completed. The rails, footprints, some of the murals as well as three sculptures by Novera Ahmed were also finished. However, marital law was promulgated in 1958 and the construction was stopped. Despite this, people continued to visit the Shaheed Minar to place floral wreaths and hold meetings. It was inaugurated on 21 February 1963 by Hasina Begum, the mother of Barkat. Though reduced and curtailed, the Shaheed Minar became the symbol of the spirit of the Language Movement in the mind of the people. During the war of liberation in 1971, the Pakistani army again demolished the Minar and placed a signboard there with the word 'Mosque' written on it. The mosque was not built, and in 1972, in an independent Bangladesh, initiatives were taken to construct the Shaheed Minar anew. This time also the construction was hastily completed according to the abridged design of 1963. In 1976 a new design was approved, but it was not implemented. Subsequently in 1983, the Shaheed Minar was expanded to its present dimensions. The Shaheed Minar, with all its architectural and sculptural imperfections, still stands as a symbol of the linguistic and nationalistic struggle of Bangladeshis.

(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

Ahsan Manzil , the palace of the last Nawab of Dhaka, stands just behind the waterfront. It's now fully restored. Situated at Kumartoli of Dhaka on the bank of the Buriganga, was the residential palace and the kachari of the nawabs of dhaka. It has been turned into a museum recently. It was said to be the Rang Mahal of Sheikh Enayetullah, a zamindar of Jamalpur pargana (Barisal) during the time of the Mughals. Having purchased it from his son Matiullah, the french made it their trading centre. Khwaja alimullah bought it from the French in 1830 and converted it into his residence, effecting necessary reconstruction and renovations. Nawab Khwaja Abdul ghani engaged Martin & Company, a European construction and engineering firm, to make a master plan for their residence. The construction of the palace was begun in 1859 and completed in 1872. Abdul Ghani named it Ahsan Manzil after his son Khwaja ahsanullah. At that time the newly built palace was known as Rang Mahal and the earlier one was called Andar Mahal. On April 7, 1888, a terrible tornado caused severe damage to Ahsan Manzil, particularly the Andar Mahal that was entirely damaged. Nawab Ahsanullah rebuilt the Andar Mahal and also repaired the Rang Mahal using good quality bricks from Raniganj for this purpose. The exquisite dome of the present Rang Mahal was interposed. Ahsan Manzil was badly damaged again by the earthquake of 12 June 1897. However, Nawab Ahsanullah had it repaired again. Ahsan Manzil is one of the significant architectural monuments of the country. Established on a raised platform of 1 metre, the two-storied palace measures 125.4m by 28.75m. The height of the ground floor is 5 metres and that of the first floor 5.8 metres. There are porticos of the height of the ground floor, both on the northern and southern sides of the palace. An open spacious stairway has come down from the southern portico, extending upto the bank of the river through the front garden. There was once a fountain in the garden in front of the stairs, though it 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. To construct the dome of Ahsan Manzil, the square room on the ground floor was given a round shape with brickwork in the corners. The room was then given an octagonal shape near the roof by squinches. This octagonal shape took the form of the drum of the dome. Finally, the kumud kali (buds of lotus) shaped dome was constructed by gradually slanting the eight corners to the peak. The dome is 27.13 m high from the ground. Internally, the palace is divided into two symmetrical halves on either side of the dome. There is a large drawing room in the east wing of the first floor. On its northern side there is a library and a card room, and in the eastern corner there are four square rooms. On the western wing of the first floor there is a spacious Jalsaghar with a Hindustani room on the northern side and four square rooms in the western corner. The vaulted artificial ceilings, made of wood, in the drawing room and the Jalsaghar, look very exquisite. The floors of these two rooms are made of wooden planks. On the ground floor there is a big dinning hall and six square rooms in the eastern part. In the western side, there is a gigantic darbar hall and to its north is a billiard room. The floors of the dining and darbar halls are decorated with white, green and yellow coloured ceramic tiles. The famous strong room, where the valuables of the nawabs used to be stored, was in the middle of the five rooms located in the western half of the ground floor. There are attractive wooden stairs in the room that is attached to the north of the domed room. The balusters were ornamented with vine leaves made of iron along the railing of the stairs. The wooden ceiling of the room, decorated with geometric designs, is very elegant. A visitor's book bound in gold used to be kept by the stairs during the halcyon days of the nawabs. Distinguished visitors to the palace would note down their observations. The thickness of the walls of the palace is about 0.78 metres. The doorways are placed within semicircular arches. The inner doors had multi-coloured glasses and the exterior ones were of wood with designs. Wooden beams supported the roof of these rooms. The height of the two-storeyed inner house is less than the height of the Rang Mahal. Nevertheless, the wide southern verandas on both floors and the parapet on top offer a delicate look that is in harmony with the Rang Mahal. Iron beams have been used in constructing the roof. Ahsan Manzil, an architectural treasure, is a witness to many historical events of Bangladesh. From the last part of the 19th century to the initial years of Pakistan, the Muslim leadership of East Bengal emerged from this palace. The nawabs of Dhaka used to conduct their court affairs here as chief of the panchayet (village council) everyday. Many anti-Congress meetings were held here under the patronisation of Nawab Ahsanullah, a staunch believer in Muslim identity. Almost all the Viceroys, Governors and Lieutenant Governors of British India who visited Dhaka spent some time at the Ahsan Manzil. In 1874, Lord northbrook, Governor General of India attended an evening function here in the palace when he came to lay the foundation of a water works installed by Nawab Abdul Ghani. In 1888, Lord dufferin also accepted the hospitality offered at Ahsan Manzil. In 1904 Lord curzon, on a visit to East Bengal, stayed in this palace on 18 and 19 February to win public support for the proposed partition of bengal. Almost all political activities of Nawab Khwaja sallimullah centred round this palace. Ahsan Manzil was the cradle of the all india muslim league. With the decline of the nawabs of Dhaka, Ahsan Manzil also started to decline. When in 1952 the Dhaka Nawab State was acquired under the East Bengal Estate Acquisition Act, it became impossible for the successors of the nawabs to maintain the palace due to financial constraints. Nawab Khwaja habibullah started living at Paribag Green House soon after the acquisition of the zamindari. The palace was on the verge of collapse in no time as successors rented out rooms without considering its dignity. Over the years illegal occupants turned the place into a filthy slum.Recognising the historical and architectural importance of the Ahsan Manzil, the government of Bangladesh took the initiative to renovate it. In 1985 Ahsan Manzil and its surroundings were acquired. After the completion of the renovation work in 1992 under the supervision of the Directorate of Public Works and Architecture, it was brought under the control of bangladesh national museum (20 September 1992). A museum has been established there.

(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

Star Mosque is situated in Abdul Khairat Road, Armanitola, in the old part of Dhaka City. The mosque is not dated by any inscription. It is known that one Mirza Golam Pir, whose ancestors had come to Dhaka and settled in Mohalla Ale Abu Sayeed (present-day Armanitola), erected it. Mirza Golam Pir died in 1860, and hence the date of construction of the mosque may conveniently be placed in the first half of the 19th century. Originally it was an oblong (10.06m × 4.04m) three-domed mosque. There were three mihrabs on the Qibla wall in alignment with the three doorways of the mosque, of which the central one was larger than the side ones. The prayer chamber was roofed with three domes, the central one being taller and larger than the other two. The domes are carried in the interior on squinches. The original mosque building was not as decorated as it is now. The dilapidated plain and naked wall of the western side bears witness to the plainness of the past. The three southern doorways of the mosque are no doubt the old ones. In 1926 a local businessman named Alijan Bepari added a verandah to the mosque on its eastern side, thereby almost doubling the width of the mosque without changing its original plan. Five arches were erected on four pillars on the eastern facade of the verandah. He also financed its resurfacing with delicate and richly coloured tiles of variegated patterns. In 1987 the three-domed mosque was transformed into a five-domed mosque. At present, the length and breadth of the mosque is 21.34m and 7.98m respectively. Some changes took place in its plan; one mihrab was demolished and two new domes and three new mihrabs were added. Five arched doorways provide entrance to the mosque. The multifoiled arches spring up from octagonal pillars. The mosque, both inside and outside, is decorated with mosaic. Small chips of Chinaware-plate, cup etc and pieces of glass have been used for mosaic. This type of mosaic is called 'Chini Tikri' work. Vase with flowers is an important decorative motif on the spandrel of the arches and elsewhere on the facade. Flower-vases, flower branches, russet, crescent, star, and Arabic calligraphic writing have been used in the decoration of the mosque. The outer wall between the doors are decorated with the motif of Fujisan (Mount Fuji) on glazed tiles and a crescent-and-star design decorates the upper part of the facade. Hundreds of blue stars have been created on the domes of white marble. All over the mosque the motif of stars dominate the decoration and so the mosque is called the Star Mosque (Tara Masjid).

(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

The old Armenian Church is one of the few remnants of the large community of Armenian and Greek traders who settled Dhaka in the late 18th century. They weren't the only ones attracted by the dazzle of Mughal Dhaka. Portuguese, Dutch, British and French all came here to trade during the 17th century, establishing their own enclaves along the waterfront. They tussled with one another for the favour of the Mughals, but it was the British who finally triumphed (as they did in most of India) and took Dhaka as their own in 1765. Under the British an entirely new colonial city was built to the north of what became the Old Town. Great government buildings and posh bungalows arose along the shaded avenues. And Dhaka continued to prosper on trade, this time as a conduit of raw commodities from jute, sugar, tea and indigo plantations established by British planters in the interior of what was then Bengal province.
(From http://visitdhaka.blogspot.com/2008/07/tourist-spots-in-dhaka.html )

Lalbagh Fort or Fort Aurangabad, an incomplete Mughal palace fortress at Dhaka on the river Buriganga in the southwestern part of the old city. The river has now gone further south and flows at quite a distance from the fort. D'Oily's painting (1809-11) shows that more than half of this east-west oblong fortress touched the water of the river on its south and southwestern sides. The construction of the fort was commenced in 1678 AD by prince muhammad azam during his 15 month long vice-royalty of Bengal, but before he could complete the work he was recalled by aurangzeb. His successor, shaista khan did not continue the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688. His daughter bibi pari (Lady Fairy) died here in 1684 and this led him to consider the fort to be ominous. For long the fort was considered to be a combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-i-Aam), two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall. But recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh have revealed the existence of other structures and it is now possible to guess a more or less complete picture of the fort. In the present fort area of 18 acres, excavations have revealed remains of 26/27 structures with elaborate arrangements for water supply, sewerage, roof gardens, and fountains. Renovation work by the Archaeology Department has now put Lalbagh Fort in a much-improved shape and has now become an interesting spot for tourists and visitors. Of the three surviving gateways, the southern one is the most imposing. Seen from the front it is a three storeyed structure with a fronton, bordered with slender minarets. From inside it gives the impression of a two storeyed structure. The gateway on the northeast is a much smaller and simpler structure. It is gathered from structural evidence that the fort extended to the eastern side beyond the present Shaista Khan Road. The third gate, now in the centre of the northern boundary wall, was left incomplete. The present one is a recent construction. The southern fortification wall, running westward from the South Gateway went up to the huge bastion in the southwestern corner of the fort. Then the fortification ran northward for a distance and then it is lost. The boundary wall on the eastern side connecting the southern and northern gateways is a modern wall and it is now assumed that the fort originally embraced areas further east beyond the present Shaista Khan Road. On the northern side of the southern fortification were placed utility buildings, such as the stable, the administrative block, and its western part accommodated a beautiful roof-garden with arrangements for fountains and a water reservoir. The residential part was located on the eastern side of the western fortification, mainly to the south-west of the mosque, where the remains of a sewerage line have been found. The southern fortification is a twin wall, the outer one is about 6.10m high and 1.37m thick, while the inner one is 13.72m high with same thickness. The two are solid up to the height of 6.10m and there are regular openings in the upper part of the inner wall. The original fortification wall on the south had 5 bastions at regular intervals and the western wall had 2 bastions. Among the 7 bastions the biggest one is near the main southern gate at the back of the stable, which occupies the area to the west of the gateway. The bastion had an underground tunnel. Among the five bastions of the southern fortification the central one was single storeyed, the rest are double storeyed structures. The central one contains an underground room with veranda on three sides, and it can be approached either from the riverside or from its roof. The double-storeyed bastion at the southwestern corner of the fort was possibly a Hawakhana, with a water reservoir on its roof. Two lines of terracotta pipes have been found, which connected all establishments of the fort with this reservoir. An extra-strong terracotta pipe line made with double pipes, one inside the other, have been uncovered in the area between the Hammam and the tomb of Bibi Pari.The area westwards from the stable parallel to the southern fortification once had a beautiful roof garden with fountain, rose and star designs marking the flowerbeds, and a water reservoir. The buildings underneath contained the administrative blocks and the residential part on the western side. The central area of the fort is occupied by three buildings - the Diwan-i-Aam and the Hammam on its east, the mosque on the west and the tomb of Bibi Pari in between the two - in one line, but not at equal distance. A water channel with fountains at regular interval connect the three buildings from east to west and two similar channels run from south to north, one through the middle of the ground in between the Diwan-i-Aam and the tomb forming a square tank with fountains at the intersection with the east-west channel, and the other from the water reservoir passing through the bottom of the tomb.
The water channels and the fountains, a very common feature of Mughal architecture, set an atmosphere not very unlike north Indian Mughal forts. A big square water tank (71.63m each side), placed in front (to the east) of the Diwan-i-Aam and in between the southern and northern gateways, adds to the beauty of the building. There are four corner stairs to descent into the tank. The double storeyed Diwan-i-Aam attached with a single storeyed Hammam on its west is an imposing building. The Hmmam complex includes an open platform, a small kitchen, an oven, water storage area, a masonry brick bath-tub, a toilet, a dressing room and an extra room. The Hammam portion has an underground room for boiling water and a passage for sweepers. A long partition wall runs north-south along the western facade of the Hammam dividing the whole fort area into two divisions. The building in the middle, the tomb of Bibi Pari, is the most impressive of the surviving buildings of the fort. Eight rooms surround a central square room, containing the mortal remains of Bibi Pari, which is covered by a false dome, octagonal in shape, and wrapped by brass plate. The entire inner wall of the central room was covered with white marble, while the four side central rooms had stone skirting up to a height of one metre. The wall in the four corner rooms was skirted with beautiful glazed floral tiles. The tiles have recently been restored; two of the original tiles have been retained. The southeastern corner room contains a small grave, popularly known to be of Shamsad Begum, possibly a relative of Bibi Pari. The Lalbagh Fort Mosque is a three-domed mosque with a water tank in front (on the eastern side) for ablution. The archaeological excavations have revealed strata of the Sultanate as well as of the pre-Muslim periods, from where terracotta heads and plaques have been found. Thus it is now justified to say that though the Mughals founded Dhaka, it was definitely inhabited long before the Muslims came to Bengal.
(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

Bangabhaban: Tourists can have a look (outside view only) of Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President.

(From http://visitdhaka.blogspot.com/2008/07/tourist-spots-in-dhaka.html )

National Martyrs' Memorial situated at Savar, about 35 km north-west of Dhaka, symbolises the valour and sacrifice of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Bangladesh.
A national competition was held for the design of the project in June 1978. Among the fifty-seven competitors Architect Syed Moinul Hossain's design proposal was selected. The main monument is composed of seven isosceles triangular planes each varying in size in its height and base. The highest one has the smallest base while the broadest base has the lowest height. The planes are folded at the middle and placed one after another. The highest point of the structure reaches 150 feet. This unique arrangement of the planes has created a structure that seems to change its configuration when viewed from different angles. The architect has used concrete for the monument while all the other structures and pavements of the complex are made of red bricks. Use of different materials has added to the gravity of the monument. X pavements and cross an artificial lake by a bridge-all these represent the struggle for independence. The project was constructed in three phases. The first one, began in 1972, involved in acquiring land and constructing road for the project at a cos t of Tk 26 lacs. During the second phase, 1974 - 1982, Tk 3.77 crores were spent in order to build the mass-graves, helipad, parking space, pavements etc. In the third phase, began in August 1982, the main structure was built apart from the artificial lake, green belt, cafeteria, housing etc. The third phase required Tk 848.65 lacs. The Public Works Department of the Government of Bangladesh supervised the construction of the project.

(From BANGLAPEDIA, the National Encyclopdedia of Bangladesh )

Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh

2009-07-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Dhaka, formerly Dacca and Jahangir Nagar, is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia.

Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, has a population of over 12 million, making it the largest city in Bangladesh.

Dhaka is known as the City of Mosques and renowned for producing the world's finest muslin.

As a cosmopolitan city, Dhaka has been the center of Persio-Arabic and Western cultural influences in eastern Indian Subcontinent.

Today it serves as one of the prime centers for culture, education and business in the region.

Under Mughal rule in the 17th century, the city was known as Jahangir Nagar. It was a provincial capital and a centre of the worldwide muslin trade. The modern city, however, was developed chiefly under British rule in the 19th century, and became the second-largest city in Bengal after Calcutta (presently Kolkata). After the Partition of Bengal in 1905, Dhaka became the capital of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam but lost its status as a provincial capital again after the partition was annulled in 1911. After the partition of India in 1947, Dhaka became the administrative capital of East Pakistan, and later, in 1972, the capital of an independent Bangladesh. During the intervening period, the city witnessed widespread turmoil; this included many impositions of martial law, the declaration of Bangladesh's independence, military suppression, devastation during war, and natural calamities.

Modern Dhaka is the center of political, cultural and economic life in Bangladesh. Although its urban infrastructure is the most developed in the country, Dhaka suffers from urban problems such as pollution, congestion, and lack of adequate services due to the rising population. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen modernization of transport, communications and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation. Dhaka is consistently ranked as one of the least livable cities in the world.

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh, on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River. The city lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta.
It consists of seven principal thanas – Dhanmondi, Kotwali, Motijheel, Paltan, Ramna, Mohammadpur, Sutrapur, Tejgaon – and 16 auxiliary thanas – Gulshan, Lalbagh, Mirpur, Pallabi, Shah Ali, Turaag, Sabujbagh, Dhaka Cantonment, Demra, Hazaribagh, Shyampur, Badda, Kafrul, Kamrangir char, Khilgaon and Uttara.

In total the city has 130 wards and 725 mohallas.

Dhaka district is bounded by the districts of Gazipur, Tangail, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Narayanganj, Manikganj.

Tropical vegetation and moist soils characterize the land, which is flat and close to sea level. This leaves Dhaka susceptible to flooding during the monsoon seasons owing to heavy rainfall and cyclones. Dhaka experiences a hot, wet and humid tropical climate. The city is within the monsoon climate zone, with an annual average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) and monthly means varying between 18 °C (64 °F) in January and 29 °C (84 °F) in August. Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall occurs between May and September.
Increasing air and water pollution emanating from traffic congestion and industrial waste are serious problems affecting public health and the quality of life in the city. Water bodies and wetlands around Dhaka are facing extinction as these are being filled up to construct multi-storied buildings and other real estate developments. Coupled with pollution, such erosion of natural habitats threatens to destroy much of the regional biodiversity.

As the most populous city of Bangladesh, Dhaka has a vibrant cultural life. Annual celebrations for Independence Day (March 26), Language Martyrs' Day (February 21) and Victory Day (December 16) are prominently celebrated across the city. Dhaka's people congregate at the Shaheed Minar and the Jatiyo Smriti Soudho to remember the national heroes of the liberation war. These occasions are observed with public ceremonies and rallies in public grounds. Many schools and colleges organize fairs, festivals and concerts in which citizens from all levels of society participate.

Pohela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year, falls annually on April 14 and is popularly celebrated across the city. Large crowds of people gather on the streets of Shahbag, Ramna Park and the campus of the University of Dhaka for celebrations. The most popular dressing style for women are sarees or salwar kameez, while men usually prefer western clothing to the traditional lungi.

The Durga Puja is the most important Hindu festival of the year. Large processions of Hindus perform devotional songs, dances, prayers and ceremonies for Goddess Durga.

The Muslim festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha witnesses widespread celebrations, with large numbers of Muslims attending prayers in mosques across the city; Dhaka being known as the 'City of Mosques'.

For much of recent history, Dhaka was characterised by roadside markets and small shops that sold a wide variety of goods. Recent years have seen the widespread construction of shopping malls, multiplexes, hotels and restaurants attracting Dhaka's growing middle-class and wealthy residents. Along with Bangladeshi cuisine and South Asian variants, a large variety of Western and Chinese cuisine is served at numerous restaurants and eateries.
Dhakai Bakarkhani is the traditional food/snack of the people of old Dhaka. It is famous for its quality and taste and it was highly praised by the Royal court of the Mughal Empire in Delhi.
Despite the growing popularity of music groups and rock bands, traditional folk music remains widely popular. The ghazal songs of artists like Runa Laila and the works of the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and national anthem writer Rabindranath Tagore have a widespread following across Dhaka. The Baily Road area is known as Natak Para (Theater Neighborhood) which is the center of Dhaka's thriving theater movement. Indian and Pakistani music and films are popular with large segments of Dhaka's population. This area is also credited for the revival of the Jamdani due to the many local saree stores selling and promoting these locally hand-made age old traditional Bengali sarees. Jamdanis are 100% hand weaved and originate from the Persian and Mughal era. Jamdanis are produced by a traditional high quality cottage industry, which is slowly dying out due to the slow production process. A single medium range Jamdani saree may take as long as 3 months to complete.

Bangladesh Betar is the state-run primary provider of radio services, and broadcasts a variety of programming in Bangla and English. In recent years many private radio networks, especially FM radio services, have been established in the city such as Radio Foorti FM 88.0, Radio Today FM 89.6, Radio Amar FM 101.6 and ABC Radio FM 89.2. Bangladesh Television is the state-run broadcasting network that provides a wide variety of programmes in Bangla and English. Cable and satellite networks such as Ekushey Television, Channel I, ATN Bangla, RTV, NTV and STAR TV are amongst the most popular channels. The main offices of most publishing houses in Bangladesh are based in Dhaka. The Prothom Alo and The Daily Ittefaq are the most popular amongst the large number of Bangla language dailies, periodicals and other publications in the city. The Daily Star and The Independent are the largest English-language dailies published.
Although cellular phones are gaining popularity, less than 10% of households have telephone access.

Dhaka is known as the rickshaw capital of the world. Approximately 400,000 rickshaws run each day. Cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws are the main mode of transport, with close to 400,000 rickshaws running each day – the largest number for any city in the world. However, only about 85,000 rickshaws are licensed by the city government. Relatively low-cost and non-polluting cycle rickshaws nevertheless cause traffic congestion and have been banned from many parts of the city. Public buses are operated by the state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and by private companies and operators. Scooters, taxis and privately owned automobiles are increasingly becoming popular with the city's growing middle class. The government has overseen the replacement of two-stroke engine taxis with "Green taxis" locally called CNG, which run on compressed natural gas.
Dhaka has 1,868 kilometres (1,161 mi) of paved roads. It is connected by highways and railway links to Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur and Sylhet. Highway links to the Indian cities of Kolkata and Agartala have been established by the BRTC which also runs regular bus services to those cities from Dhaka.
The Kamalapur Railway Station and the Airport (Biman Bandar) Railway Station are the main railway stations providing trains on suburban and national routes operated by the state-run Bangladesh Railway.
The Sadarghat Port on the banks of the Buriganga River serves the transportation of goods and passengers upriver and to other ports in Bangladesh.

The Zia International Airport is the largest and busiest in the nation.

Dhaka is the commercial heart of Bangladesh. The city has a moderate-sized middle class population, driving the market for modern consumer and luxury goods.
The city has historically attracted a large number of migrant workers. Hawkers, peddlers, small shops, rickshaw transport, roadside vendors and stalls employ a large segment of the population. Half the workforce is employed in household and unorganized labour, while about 800,000 work in the textile industry. Even so, unemployment remains high at 23%.
Karwan Bazar is the the business district.
The main commercial areas of the city include Farmgate, New Market, Gulshan and Motijheel, while Tejgaon and Hazaribagh are the major industrial areas. Bashundhara City is a developing economic area that will include high-tech industries, corporations and a large shopping mall in about 5 years. The Export Processing Zone in Dhaka was set up to encourage the export of garments, textiles and other goods. Dhaka has two EPZ's. They are home to 413 industries, which employ mostly women. The Dhaka Stock Exchange is based in the city, as are most of the large multinationals including Citigroup, HSBC Bank Bangladesh, JPMorgan Chase, Standard Chartered Bank (Bangladesh), American Express, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Total, British Petroleum, Unilever, Nestle, DHL Express, FedEx and British American Tobacco.
Large local conglomerates such as Navana Group and Rahimafrooz also have their corporate offices located in Dhaka. Microcredit also began here and the offices of the Nobel Prize winning Grameen Bank and BRAC are based in Dhaka.
Urban developments have sparked a widespread construction boom; new high-rise buildings and skyscrapers have changed the city landscape. Growth has been especially strong in the finance, banking, manufacturing, telecommunications and services sectors, while tourism, hotels and restaurants continue as important elements of the Dhaka economy.

The Dhaka College is the oldest institution of higher education in the city and amongst the earliest established in British India, founded in 1840. Since independence, Dhaka has seen the establishment of a large number of public and private colleges and universities that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as a variety of doctoral programmes. The University of Dhaka is the largest public university in the nation with more than 30,000 students and 1,300 faculty staff. The university has 18 research centres and 70 departments, faculties and institutes. Eminent seats of higher education include the Jahangirnagar University and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). The Dhaka Medical College and the Sir Salimullah Medical College are amongst the largest and most respected medical schools in the nation. Dhaka's college campuses are often hotbeds of political conflicts. Protests and strikes, and violence amongst police, students and political groups frequently disrupt public university campuses.

(From Wkipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

Kazi Nazrul Islam

2009-07-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Kazi Nazrul Islam

(25 May 1899 – 29 August 1976)

was a Bengali poet, musician, revolutionary, and philosopher who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against orthodoxy and oppression.

His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi (Rebel Poet). Accomplishing a large body of acclaimed works through his life, Nazrul is officially recognized as the national poet of Bangladesh.

Born into a poor Muslim family, Nazrul received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned of poetry, drama, and literature while working with theatrical groups. After serving in the British Indian Army, Nazrul established himself as a journalist in Kolkata (then Calcutta).

He assailed the British Raj in India and preached revolution through his poetic works, such as Bidrohi ("The Rebel") and Bhangar Gaan ("The Song of Destruction"), as well as his publication Dhumketu ("The Comet").

His impassioned activism in the Indian independence movement often led to his imprisonment by British authorities. While in prison, Nazrul wrote the Rajbandir Jabanbandi ("Deposition of a Political Prisoner"). Exploring the life and conditions of the downtrodden masses of India, Nazrul worked for their emancipation.

Nazrul's writings explore themes such as love, freedom, and revolution; he opposed all bigotry, including religious and gender.

Throughout his career, Nazrul wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best-known for his poems, in which he pioneered new forms such as Bengali ghazals. Nazrul wrote and composed music for his nearly 4,000 songs (including gramophone records), collectively known as Nazrul geeti (Nazrul songs), which are widely popular today.

At the age of 43 (in 1942) he began suffering from an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. Eventually diagnosed as Pick's disease, it caused Nazrul's health to decline steadily and forced him to live in isolation for many years. Invited by the Government of Bangladesh, Nazrul and his family moved to Dhaka in 1972, where he died four years later.

Nazrul reached the peak of fame with the publication of "Bidrohi" in 1922, which remains his most famous work, winning admiration of India's literary classes by his description of the rebel whose impact is fierce and ruthless even as its spirit is deep:

I am the unutterable grief,

I am the trembling first touch of the virgin,

I am the throbbing tenderness of her first stolen kiss.

I am the fleeting glance of the veiled beloved,

I am her constant surreptitious gaze......

I am the burning volcano in the bosom of the earth,

I am the wild fire of the woods,

I am Hell's mad terrific sea of wrath!

I ride on the wings of lightning with joy and profundity,

I scatter misery and fear all around,

I bring earth-quakes on this world!

I am the rebel eternal, I raise my head beyond this world,

High, ever erect and alone!

(English translation by Kabir Choudhary)

Published in the "Bijli" (Thunder) magazine, the rebellious language and theme was popularly received, coinciding with the Non-cooperation movement — the first, mass nationalist campaign of civil disobedience against British rule.
Nazrul explores a synthesis of different forces in a rebel, destroyer and preserver, expressing rage as well as beauty and sensitivity.

Nazrul followed up by writing "Pralayollas" ("Destructive Euphoria"), and his first anthology of poems, the "Agniveena" ("Lyre of Fire") in 1922, which enjoyed astounding and far-reaching success. He also published his first volume of short stories, the "Byather Dan" ("Gift of Sorrow") and "Yugbani", an anthology of essays.

Revolutionary
Nazrul started a bi-weekly magazine, publishing the first "Dhumketu" (Comet) on August 12, 1922. Earning the moniker of the "rebel poet”, Nazrul also aroused the suspicion of British authorities. A political poem published in "Dhumketu" in September 1922 led to a police raid on the magazine's office. Arrested, Nazrul entered a lengthy plea before the judge in the court.

I have been accused of sedition.

That is why I am now confined in the prison.

On the one side is the crown, on the other the flames of the comet.

One is the king, sceptre in hand; the other Truth worth the mace of justice.

To plead for me, the king of all kings, the judge of all judges, the eternal truth the living God... His laws emerged out of the realization of a universal truth about mankind. They are for and by a sovereign God.

The king is supported by an infinitesimal creature;

I by its eternal and indivisible Creator.

I am a poet;

I have been sent by God to express the unexpressed, to portray the unportrayed. It is God who is heard through the voice of the poet... My voice is but a medium for Truth, the message of God... I am the instrument of that eternal self-evident truth, an instrument that voices forth the message of the ever-true.

I am an instrument of God.

The instrument is not unbreakable, but who is there to break God?

On April 14, 1923 he was transferred from the jail in Alipore to Hooghly in Kolkata, he began a 40-day fast to protest mistreatment by the British jail superintendent. Nazrul broke his fast more than a month later and was eventually released from prison in December 1923. Nazrul composed a large number of poems and songs during the period of imprisonment and many his works were banned in the 1920s by the British authorities.

Kazi Nazrul Islam became a critic of the Khilafat struggle, condemning it as hollow, religious fundamentalism. Nazrul's rebellious expression extended to rigid orthodoxy in the name of religion and politics. Nazrul also criticized the Indian National Congress for not embracing outright political independence from the British Empire. He became active in encouraging people to agitate against British rule, and joined the Bengal state unit of the Congress party. Nazrul also helped organize the Sramik Praja Swaraj Dal, a political party committed to national independence and the service of the peasant masses. On December 16, 1925 Nazrul started publishing the weekly "Langal”, with himself as chief editor. The "Langal" was the mouthpiece of the Sramik Praja Swaraj Dal.
During his visit to Comilla in 1921, Nazrul met a young Hindu woman, Pramila Devi, with whom he fell in love and they married on April 25, 1924. Pramila belonged to the Brahmo Samaj, which criticized her marriage to a Muslim. Nazrul in turn was condemned by Muslim religious leaders and continued to face criticism for his personal life and professional works, which attacked social and religious dogma and intolerance. Despite controversy, Nazrul's popularity and reputation as the "rebel poet" rose significantly.

Weary of struggles, I, the great rebel,

Shall rest in quiet only when I find the sky and the air free of the piteous groans of the oppressed.

Only when the battle fields are cleared of jingling bloody sabres shall I, weary of struggles, rest in quiet,

I the great rebel.

Mass music
With his wife and young son Bulbul, Nazrul settled in Krishnanagar in 1926. His work began to transform as he wrote poetry and songs that articulated the aspirations of the downtrodden classes, a sphere of his work known as "mass music." Nazrul assailed the socio-economic norms and political system that had brought upon misery. From his poem Daridro (Pain or Poverty):
O poverty, thou hast made me great.

Thou hast made me honoured like Christ with his crown of thorns.

Thou hast given me courage to reveal all.

To thee I owe my insolent, naked eyes and sharp tongue.

Thy curse has turned my violin to a sword...

O proud saint, thy terrible fire has rendered my heaven barren.

O my child, my darling one I could not give thee even a drop of milk

No right have I to rejoice.

Poverty weeps within my doors forever

As my spouse and my child.Who will play the flute?

In what his contemporaries regarded as one of his greatest flairs of creativity, Nazrul began composing the very first ghazals in Bengali, transforming a form of poetry written mainly in Persian and Urdu. Nazrul for the first introduced Islam into the larger mainstream tradition of Bengali music. The first record of Islamic songs by Nazrul Islam was a commercial success and many gramophone companies showed interest in producing these. A significant impact of Nazrul's "Islamization" of Bengali music was that it drew an audience amongst conservative Muslims, traditionally averse to music.

Nazrul also composed a number of notable Shamasangeet, Bhajan and Kirtan, combining Hindu devotional music. Arousing controversy and passions in his readers, Nazrul's ideas attained great popularity across India. In 1928, Nazrul began working as a lyricist, composer and music director for His Master's Voice Gramophone Company. The songs written and music composed by him were broadcast on radio stations across the country. He was also enlisted/attached with the Indian Broadcasting Company.

Nazrul professed faith in the belief in the equality of women — a view his contemporaries considered revolutionary. From his poet Nari (Woman):

I don't see any difference between a man and woman

Whatever great or benevolent achievements

That are in this world

Half of that was by woman,

The other half by man.
(Translated by Sajed Kamal)

His poetry retains long-standing notions of men and women in binary opposition to one another and does not affirm gender similarities and flexibility in the social structure:
"Man has brought the burning, scorching heat of the sunny day;Woman has brought peaceful night, soothing breeze and cloud. Man comes with desert-thirst; woman provides the drink of honey.Man ploughs the fertile land; woman sows crops in it turning it green. Man ploughs, woman waters; that earth and water mixed together, brings about a harvest of golden paddy. "

However, Nazrul's poems strongly emphasize the confluence of the roles of both sexes and their equal importance to life. He stunned society with his poem Barangana ("Prostitute"), in which he addresses a prostitute as "mother". Nazrul accepts the prostitute as a human being, reasoning that this person was breast-fed by a noble woman and belonging to the race of "mothers and sisters"; he assails society's negative notions of prostitutes.

Who calls you a prostitute, mother?

Who spits at you?

Perhaps you were suckled by someoneas chaste as Seeta.....And if the son of an unchaste mother is 'illegitimate',so is the son of an unchaste father.
("Barangana" ("Prostitute")
(Translated by Sajed Kamal)

Nazrul was an advocate of the emancipation of women; both traditional and non-traditional women were portrayed by him with utmost sincerity.

Nazrul's songs are collectively called as Nazrul geeti.

Nazrul also was shaken by the death of Rabindranath Tagore on August 8, 1941. He spontaneously composed two poems in Tagore's memory, one of which, Rabihara (loss of Rabi or without Rabi) was broadcast on the All India Radio.

(From WIKIPEDIA, The Free Encyclopedia)

National anthem of Bangladesh

2009-07-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

My beloved Bengal My Bengal of Gold, I love you. Forever your skies,your air set my heart in tune as if it were a flute. In spring, o mother mine, the fragrance from your mango groves makes me wild with joy.

Ah, what a thrill! In autumn, o mother mine, in the full blossomed paddy fields I have seen spread all over sweet smiles. Ah, what a beauty, what shades,what an affection, and what a tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread at the feet of banyan trees and along the banks of rivers! O mother mine, words from your lips are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill! If sadness, O mother mine, casts a gloom on your face,
my eyes are filled with tears!

Amar shonar Bangla, Ami tomae bhalobashi.

Chirodin tomar akash, Tomar batash, Amar prane bajae bãshi.

O ma, Phagune tor amer boneGhrane pagol kôre, Mori hae, hae re, O ma, Ôghrane tor bhôra kheteAmi ki dekhechhi modhur hashi.

Ki shobha, ki chhaea go, Ki sneho, ki maea go,Ki ãchol bichhaeechhoBôţer mule, Nodir kule kule!

Ma, tor mukher baniAmar kane lage, Shudhar môto, Mori hae, hae re, Ma, tor bôdonkhani molin hole, Ami nôeon jôle bhashi.