"It is no longer a question of whether we'll continue to have capitalism. It is a question of what will replace it." - Immanuel Wallerstein, keynote, Yale, Mar 28, 2009. Neo-imperialism in post-independent Africa conference.Via: Steve Sha...
March 31, 2009
March 27, 2009
The British Connection
On March 25 Bangladesh was shocked by a massive arms haul in a madrassa and orphanage in Bhola. The ten acre compound was situated in a remote place in Bohranuddin Upazila and was fortified by a 'drawbridge' over a large pond leading to the Madrassa entrance. There were 11 children between the ages of 7 and 8 at the compound during the raid by the Elite force RAB, which arrested four people including a teacher. All the three rooms of teachers’ dormitory...
March 24, 2009
Digital presence of the South Asian leaders
BBC published a review of the websites of the South Asian head of states. The Bangladeshi, Bhutanese and Maldives leaders' sites have scored 7 out of 10 which should be way better. The rest fared badly including a disappointment of the Indian Prime minister's site which displays "best viewed in IE 5 or above".Read the article here.The concluding comments from Keith Black, senior web consultant of Turboweb Limited - a UK-based company which designs...
The world's 20 largest importers and exporters
Top 5 Exporters:1. Germany, $1.47 trillion worth of merchandise.2. China, $1.43 trillion.3. United States, $1.30 trillion.4. Japan, $782 billion.5. Netherlands, $634 billion.Top 5 Importers:1. United States, $2.17 trillion.2. Germany, $1.21 trillion.3. China, $1.13 trillion.4. Japan, $762 billion.5. France, $708 billion.Details can be found he...
March 19, 2009
They have killed one of us
Just got this message from the Committee to Protect Bloggers:----------------Omir Reza Misayafi has died in an Iranian prison. Omir was a blogger. Read the rest here. Get. Mad. ----------------I am speechless. Rest in piece Omir. And let all bloggers unite in condemning this.Please put this badge on your blogs:Let’s let the people responsible for Omid’s death know that it’s not going away, that by “martyring” him, they’ve turned him into their constant...
March 14, 2009
Links of the day
Internet EnemiesWhy Hamas is no ‘extremist’How Social Media War Was Waged in Gaza-Israel ConflictCase Study: Applying Facebook Technology To Online OrganizingSay bye to JamaatTraumatized Rohingya flee squalid life in BangladeshSlowly, Bangladesh shows the world how change is possibleWhat am I weari...
March 13, 2009
Basundhara City Shopping Mall in Flames
Bashundhara City, Asia's largest shopping mall situated in Dhaka is burning in flames. BDNews24 reports:A towering inferno engulfed mainly the corporate office of Basundhara City shopping complex in Dhaka Friday, with clouds of thick black smoke billowing from the burning building.The fire is dying down after the flames spread downwards from the top floors, trapping many inside.Some of the injured were taken to Dhaka combined Military Hospital.Army...
March 11, 2009
The Situation in Pakistan
Pakistan is moving towards a political crisis. From Global Voices:A section of the Pakistani Lawyers and political activists have finished all their preparations for a scheduled Long March and sit in protest starting tomorrow to reinstate the deposed judges. Tensions are running high in Pakistan because the opposition leader Nawaz Sharif's party (PML-N) is participating in the protests and the government has started crack down on activists and imposed ban on protests. Pakistani citizen journalists have started to cover the events as they unfold...
How twitter breaks the news
Germany was shocked by another shooting incident in a school in Winnenden near Stuttgart. Today morning 17-year-old youth killed 16 people (including 10 pupils and three teachers) in a shooting rampage.It is interesting to learn how twitter updates of citizen journalists are used by the media. The Observer posts details how journalists of France24, a French TV channel tracked an eyewitness of this incident via twitter updates and broadcast her interview. The Blog of France24 notes:It's not the first time that Twitter's helped with breaking news...
Sale Of Nomination
Khaleda Ask 5 Cr Taka Bribe Son of a senior BNP leader (Tanvir Ahmed Siddiki) Irad Ahmed Siddiki has alleged that BNP chief Khaleda Zia sought Tk 5 crore from him in return for the Dhaka mayoral ticket from the party. "She asked me if I had enough money. She asked for Tk 5 crore for election (expenses). But I am no (Mosaddek Ali) Falu or (Mirza) Abbas," Chowdhury Irad Ahmed Siddiqui told a news conference Monday in Dhaka. (BDNews24)No wonder BNP will now grill both Siddikies. This is the sad state of Bangladeshi politics where able candidates...
Bangladesh: The Mystery of a Mutiny
Watch this video from PBS site if you cannot watch it hereWhy rank and file soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles went on a killing spree earlier this week that left at least 56 of their senior officers dead is still shrouded in mystery. David Montero, on the scene soon after, describes how events unfold...
March 08, 2009
YouTube ban confirmed
Cartoon by Kolpo courtesy ArifAFP reports:Bangladesh has blocked the video sharing website YouTube for hosting a recorded conversation between the newly elected prime minister and the country's powerful army officers, officials said Sunday.Internet users were unable to access the site after it hosted the audio tape, which appeared to show angry officers shouting at Sheikh Hasina over her handling of a bloody mutiny that has threatened Bangladesh's...
YouTube and Some File Sharing Sites Blocked In Bangladesh
First published in Global Voices Online.Internet users in Bangladesh are not able to access YouTube since Friday (March 6, 2009) evening. Soon people discovered that other Social Media and file hosting/sharing sites like Esnips, mediafire etc. were also not accessible. Apparently these are blocked by the firewalls at IIG (International Internet Gateway) as these can be accessed by proxy.Torpon appeals to the Bangladesh government not to takeaway...
March 05, 2009
Massacre - a plotted conspiracy
From the Daily Star:Citing telephone records of some suspects, investigators said the February 25 massacre at BDR Pilkhana headquarters was planned at least two months back.Those involved in the investigation said so far they have collected the suspects' phone records for the last two months.“Most likely the networking between them had begun much before that time. Further investigation will shed light on that,” said a high official of a law-enforcement agency, requesting anonymity.The information obtained in interrogations of the arrested mutineers...
March 03, 2009
Behind the BDR massacre
The BDR massacre has been done with outside help is being more prominent each day. There is the evidence of a grey colored pickup which brought the ammunition to kill the officers via gate no. 5. Many mutineers escaped through that gate which was not properly sealed and speedboats were used for the escape. Here is a telling photo (thanks Asif) taken on 25th of February during the standoff:Notice that the uniform shirt is half tucked out. His hair...
Pakistan at war
This doesn't look good at all:A dozen men attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers Tuesday ahead of a match in Pakistan, wounding several players and killing six police officers and civilian in a brazen attack on South Asia's most beloved sport.Pakistan stock exchange is falling as a result.CNN Video:Embedded video from CNN Vi...
March 02, 2009
Herdict is here
Herdict Web - the verdict of the herd:Have you ever come across a web site that you could not access and wondered,"Am I the only one?" Herdict Web aggregates reports of inaccessible sites, allowing users to compare data to see if inaccessibility is a shared problem. By crowdsourcing data from around the world, we can document accessibility for any web site, anywhe...
BDR Massacre, Searching for the Truth
Yesterday another body was found washed out from sewerage. So far the death toll from the BDR rebellion has risen to 74 and 71 army officers still missing. It was in reality not a mutiny but pre-planned attack and pre-meditated murder, which was later revealed. Bangladesh is mourning and the TV channels are broadcasting worries, pains and tears of the families. Wives lost their husbands, children their fathers and parents their sons on whom they depend. Its really a grim situation. These scenes are unbearable and you can't stop your tears watching...
March 01, 2009
Latest News from Dhaka
Al-Jazeera:BBC:The Indian press is all over Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury.Times of India:The preliminary interrogation of some of the rebels has thrown up the name of Salauddin Qadeer Chowdhury, a well-known shipping magnate and reportedly very close to the Pakistan military-intelligence complex and the opposition BNP. According to sources monitoring the situation, about one crore taka has already changed hands to help the mutiny along. Indian Express:The interrogation reports, which include one Subedar Major Zafar, point the finger of suspicion to...
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