TODAY'S LINKS* Bangladesh bombs - blog buzz* Fear of Islamic state in Bangladesh grows after bombers target.* TV becomes new weapon in fight on terror.* Man gets 5000+ channels on 12 dishes.* Iran's war on weblogs - the new voice of dissidents.* Cattle can stop Bangladeshis!* Can the EU be a model for Indian subcontine...
November 29, 2005
LIFE WITHOUT MUSICIts Saudi blogger Alhamedi again having a critical look at the Saudi fundamentalist's view of music and their oppression towards Saudi musicians. Don't forget to read it.Mike C. comments:Most of my favorite music is by Islamic artists, from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's heavenly Qawwali to Youssou N'dour & Thione Seck blending Senegalese & Egyptian music.I'm not a Muslim & I don't live in the Middle East, but with all of the current crap, we forget the beauty Islam has brought the wor...
BIRD FLU ALERT!From the 'Bird Flu Alert in Bangladesh!!' blog: Bird flu is now the greatest health crisis both for humans and birds. It’s also the gravest epidemic crisis faced by mankind ever. This not a secret and international media has been saying this for a long time. We can’t behind the argument that it will not affect us, that it will cause panic or adversely affect the poultry industries. It’s too late for such arguments. Bangladesh is alarmingly unprepared to handle this crisis. Millions of people are at risk of dying. Dristhipat is working...
THE MILITANT MAYHEM CONTINUES IN BANGLADESHWake up! Suicide bombing has arrived in Bangladesh. The militants have done it recently killing two judges. Today three people, including two suicide bombers and a policeman died when a bomb exploded during a scuffle near a police checkpoint near the main court in the port city of Chittagong. Another three died when a bomb was thrown inside a court library in Gazipur, north of capital Dhaka. (Source BBC, AP)Really we are living in a wonderful situation. After the so called Islamic militants jihad against...
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INDIA ON TRIGGER HAPPY BSFIndian border security force (BSF) had become famous for 'killing one Bangladeshi every five days' on the charges of alleged intrusion into Indian territory including no-mans land. Now human rights watch India reports that BSF personnel did not spare their own countrymen as they had injured and killed villagers of Muradpur, West Bengal, India. According to the fact-finding team from MASUM, on 20 November 2005, like other days, the BSF personnel at the Muradpur border were allowing these villagers to...
November 27, 2005
UTOPIA OR REALITY?"The world we are fighting for — a world where an Imam teaches a Rabbi words from the Holy Koran to comfort a young Muslim boy, and that rabbi himself is comforted by a Christian, a Catholic priest."Read this touching story of a Jewish community chaplain's experience in Mosul, Ir...
PERILS OF TECHNOLOGYIranian blogger Hoder was refused re-entry to US from Canada after the US customs and border security officials read his blog in front of him at the border to build a case of non-compliance of visa regulations."these things are not quite appropriate to be on your blog when you are at the border." - The offic...
November 26, 2005
BANGLADESH BLOGOSPHERE ON ABU HENA'S EXPULSION FROM BNPThe hottest topic of the town was the expulsion of ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmaker (Rajshahi-3 constituency) Abu Hena from the party. His outspoken comments blaming a section of his party and the qualition Jamaat-e-Islami party for patronising the militants aroused many controversies. Rajputro mocked that he received 'the truth award' from the prime minister for speaking against the party. Previously Awami League , current opposition party, awarded this prestigious award...
THE SWORD IS MIGHTIERSimon Denyer writes in Boston.com:"Outside Iraq, Bangladesh is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist, especially outside the relative safety of the capital, Dhaka, according to global press watchdogs. At least nine reporters have been killed since 2000, hundreds more beaten or intimidated into silence.The threats come from Maoist rebels, Islamic militants, organized crime and even the political establishment. What's worse, journalists say, they have almost no recourse to the law.Bangladesh's government...
November 23, 2005
TODAY'S LINKS* Blog etiquette for newspapers.* The Mongolian government wants to change the Mongolian language from the Cyrillic to the Roman alphabet.* How Islam got political.* The 15 enemies of the Internet and other countries to watch.* Top ten things you can do to get blogged.* Pakistan's top 10 test cricketers.* A bit of backstory on Pajamas Media/OSM.* A day in the life of bloggi...
SOUTH ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN NEW YORKThe South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting established and emerging artists from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. With a focus on dynamic, visionary independent cinema, SAIFF aims to bring communities together to support these artists and unite in celebration of a common spirit. (via Faruq Faisel)This year, the 2005 festival titled 'colors in fusion' will run from December 7 through December 11, 2005 in New York...
TOWARDS UNITY OR CHAOS? (Picture courtesy: The daily Star)Yesterday can be a turning point of Bangladesh politics, which is bound to shape up the 2006 election. As the Daily Star reports:Despite the government's last-ditch attempts to prevent people from joining the 14-party opposition grand rally, the city's Paltan Maidan yesterday turned into a human sea, where top opposition leaders pledged to establish a secular democratic government after dislodging...
GLOBAL VOICES WIN'Global voices online' has won the jury’s choice for the Best Journalistic Blog in English from Deutsche Welle, the German state broadcasting service. Many kudos to the co-founders Ethan Zuckerman and Rebecca MacKinnon and the GV editors and contributors for their outstanding efforts. I am proud to be one of the contributors.Lisa Stone writes about GV:"In my opinion, Global Voices is the most important blog in the English speaking world, bar none. This site is more than an up-to-the-minute guide and encyclopedia of the international...
HARRY POTTER'S BANGLADESH CONNECTIONThe latest film of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire casts two Bangladeshi actresses. According to this news:"The girls - Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad are second-generation Bangladeshis currently based in London. They play the characters of the 'Patil twins' in the film slated for a worldwide release this November.Shefali and Afshan who play Harry and his best friend Ron's dates...
November 22, 2005
RACISM IN SAUDI ARABIASaudi blogger "The Religious Policemen" on racism:....up until now, we've been one of the most rabidly racist countries in the world, and totally unconcerned about it. Walk down any Saudi street and ask anybody who looks as though they come from points East, how do the Saudis regard and treat you? Ask the Pakistani taxi driver. Ask the Bangladeshi street-cleaner, in his orange jump-suit, sweeping up the tissues and fast-food boxes that we thoughtfully throw out of our car window as we pass. Best of all, if you get the chance,...
BLOG OF AN EXILED JOURNALISTI have discovered the blog of the exiled Bangladeshi journalist Saleem Samad, who was granted political asylum in Canada. Some excerpts:"The government framed me under sedition laws and for conspiracy to slander the country’s image abroad. It was heartbreaking that the coalition government dubbed me for destabilization of the state. I would have been glad, if the authority accused me under punishable offence acts for critiquing the government. With the present circumstance, I will never be able to return to my country...
TODAY'S LINKS* The partnership between Grameen & Nokia will expand the Village Phone network in Africa.* Music: On a ship to Bangladesh, Artist: Three Mile Pilot* HIV and Bangladesh.* The deadly kiss.* Images: Life in Bangladesh.* Save Pranti, a Seven and a half year old girl.* Losing my religion - Communalism in Mumb...
November 21, 2005
MY WAY OR HIGHWAYAdda posts some thoughts on the nature of the Bangladeshis. He says:As Bangladeshi, we faithfully practice, "Either it is my way or Highway". No one over here tolerates dissidence; no one wants reality check... So, if it’s not my way, you’re blamed. I wonder why we always think ourselves as some lord who want to dictate others in our own will. Why we want to have privileges we have not earned with hard work? Why do we feel ourselves superior to others? Why even the poors want to be rich only to be an oppressor and to have privileges...
November 19, 2005
WORK HARD, LIVE HAPPYI am writing from an Internet cafe in Changi airport, Singapore. The internet is free but the food is not. Well, what more would you expect? You have to earn the amenities you enjoy. There is no free lunch and it is foolish to expect that everything will be awarded to you automatically. Like the average taxi drivers I met in Singapore, were senior citizens and very very nice people. They are well behaved and will give back every penny that belongs to you. You would be urged to leave the odd changes to him, but not always they...
November 18, 2005
BUSY IN SINGAPOREAt last got some time to be in an internet kiosk. The first 2 days were hectic. But we did the business with pleasure. That means after a nightlong journey we had the energy to find time for having a walk around the corner (window shopping), sight seeing or some shopping spree in-between the conference. Like many in Singapore, our hotel is really big and houses a lot of people. But the amenities like well equipped room, conference center, sufficient lifts etc is well worth the price (Us$65 PD). The hotel is located in Victoria...
November 15, 2005
BANGLADESH IS BEING HELD TO RANSOM(Picture courtesy of the Daily Star)If you are wondering about the image you are seeing, its Bangladesh, not Iraq. Yes that is a wreckage of a car torn to pieces by a bomb blast. And ofcourse there is a suicide bomber who was apprehended one person with an unexploded bomb strapped to one of his thighs along and confessed. He was identified as JMB cadre Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun, 28, a member of the JMB suicide squad....
November 13, 2005
QUOTE OF THE DAY"It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims. We cannot clear our names unless we own up to the shameful fact that terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise; an almost exclusive monopoly, implemented by Muslim men and women."- Abdel Rahman al-Rashed - a Saudi journalist in Lon...
WORDS OF ADVICEWords of advice for not to be mistaken as a gay:1) Never wear a non-white towel at the gym.2) Don't wear your wrist watch on the right hand. 3) Don't wear colorful shirts.4) Don't carry your cell phone in your right chest pocket.5) Talking in a high pitched voice.6) If you carry a bag with a sash wear it on your left, not on the right.7) Don't tie your cardigan at the waist. Wrap it around your neck.These might sound weird, but that's how gays spot each other.(Via Mezba's bl...
November 12, 2005
THE 13TH SAARC SUMMIT TAKES OFF IN DHAKAThe 13th summit of the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has begun in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh today. Being active since 1985 the forum steps into the third decade amidst great expectations. Representing a combined population of over 1.4 billion, these seven nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and SriLanka) are yet to sort out poverty reduction issues, trade barriers and travel restrictions, and other cooperation between them, which could be...
November 06, 2005
IS SAARC BECOMING LESS IMPORTANT?Amidst high security, Dhaka is preparing for the 2nd time in this year to host the postponed 13th SAARC Summit. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 with great visions. The founding leaders had visualized economic self-reliance for the Seven member countries where poverty is a persistent problem. With a combined population of over 1.4 billion, the economically developing region faces multifarious problems. Removing trade barriers, visa free travel and other cooperation...
KILLERS' RELIGIONDilip attracts all the heat after he wrote of news items about Muslims condemning the Delhi blasts, and asked: why should Muslims have to prove this every damned time? This follows an interesting discussion.One commentator Anand says:Frequently demanding the minority communities to prove their allegiance is a successful fascist ploy. That even secular minded people sometimes fall into these traps is indeed unfortunate. Let's not have first class citizens whose patriotism is never questioned and groups of second class citizens who...
POST EID BLUESI miss my single life. We used to have so much fun with friends and family on the Eid day: going for a long drive, adda (hanging around with freinds, gossiping), fast foods and ice-cream. Now apart from the Eid prayers, on Eid holidays the world is confined to visiting relatives, watching special TV programs alongwith commercials of same duration and seeing the common Shemai & biriyani as menu. Pretty boring. I rebelled on the 2nd day, grabbed some kids (including my 1 year old) and drove to Nandan Park, a theme park 50 km away...
November 03, 2005
CELEBRATING EID IN BANGLADESHI take this opportunity to wish every person I can reach with this weblog a happy Eid. Let the festivity touch everybody and let us hope for a peacefull coexistence of people of all color, religion and race in the world without hatred or friction. I also wish everybody a happy Diwali which took place a couple of days ago. Probably tomorrow (4th of November) will be the Eid day in Bangladesh depending on the sighting of...
November 01, 2005
TODAY'S LINKS* Yahoo Messenger password scam warning.* Business school flap a 'breakout moment' for Indian blogosphere.* Saudi Dollars and Jihad.* What is cricket doing for the earthquake victims?* Ten very surprising things about Iran.* List of top 100 intellectuals of the world.* The 'Third Way' Leads to the 'Third World': Choosing the Path to Economic Prosperity.* TIME magazine's 100 best Novels - 1923 to present.* Alcohol - Not Prohibited in the Koran ?* What ails the IT sector in Banglade...
ITS ALL ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY NOT THE FIGUREThe world bank and other donors are pressurizing Bangladesh to curtail government jobs saying its too big for a poor country. Probably that is the cause behind the government decision to stop recruitments, which has aroused much resentment. According to an information, 60,000 posts of officers and employees are still vacant in different government offices.But the point is are these jobs required? The civil administration sadly follows the work culture of yester years. The government offices have many unnecessary...
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