tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73862601296606220472024-02-18T19:40:30.958-08:00Bangladesh 360 Degree viewnonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-45633670625292802512007-04-14T21:10:00.000-07:002007-04-14T21:14:58.823-07:00'Chief Adviser's speech reflects people's desire<div align="justify">Lauding the speech of Chief Adviser(CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed, different political parties, civil society leaders, and former advisers to the caretaker government yesterday said the speech was tuned to people's desire as the uncertainty over holding of the next election has been dispelled.<br /><br />Political parties, however, expressed concern as the CA said nothing about the lifting of ban on political activities.<br /><br />They urged declaration of a more specific timeframe of election.<br /><br />Fakhruddin Ahmed in his address to the nation on Thursday outlined the road maps of his government. He categorically said that the next parliamentary election would be held before the end of 2008.<br /><br />Welcoming the chief adviser for setting the timeframe for the next election, BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said some aspects of his speech are positive.<br /><br />He lauded the government's steps for political reforms and strengthening constitutional and democratic institutions as well as the local government system.<br /><br />Bhuiyan also praised the CA's assurance to create a congenial environment for holding free, fair and neutral elections without the influence of black money.<br /><br />Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil in his reaction appreciated the chief adviser for mentioning a timeframe to hold the next general election.<br /><br />Jalil also hailed the caretaker government for the achievements during the last three months.<br />Workers Party of Bangladesh described the CA's speech as the reflection of people's desire.<br />They, however, expressed concern over the CA's silence on the issue of ban on political activities.<br />Jatiya Samajtantric Dal in their reaction said the CA's speech has helped to remove the uncertainty and concern over holding of the next election and over the future politics of Bangladesh.<br /><br />Former adviser to the caretaker government SM Shahjahan said the CA's speech is a 'very good gift' to the nation on the eve of the Bangla New Year.<br /><br />"We have got a timeframe of the next general election that we all craved for. Now the chief adviser should set a timetable for implementing everything that he has mentioned in his speech," he said.<br /><br />Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said, "It is a positive matter that the chief adviser has set a timeframe for the next election."<br /><br />Muhammad Kamaruzzaman of Jamaat-e-Islami welcomed the CA's speech for mentioning a timeframe of the next general election."<br /><br />He, however, said, "It would be beneficial for all if the timeframe of next general election were shorter."<br /><br />Jatiya Party and Palestine Returnees' Muktijoddha Sangshad also hailed the CA'a speech.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-71487278864501109672007-03-05T13:10:00.000-08:002007-03-05T10:13:51.187-08:00'Banker to poor’ Nobel Peace prize laureate formed political party<a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2006/yunus_interview2_photo.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2006/yunus_interview2_photo.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify">Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace laureate known as the “banker to the poor”, is to form a political party to try to rescue Bangladesh from a political crisis that has raised the spectre of military rule. </div><div align="justify"><br />The founder of Grameen Bank raised hopes for a new era of democratic rule in an open letter to the Bangladeshi people exactly a month after the army forced the President to cancel an election and impose a state of emergency. </div><div align="justify"><br />A military-backed caretaker government took power on January 12, promising to clean up its notoriously corrupt politics and to organise elections as soon as possible, but it has yet to set a date, raising fears of a return to formal military rule in the world’s third-largest Muslim country.<br />Dr Yunus, 66, who won the Nobel prize for his work of granting small loans to very poor people, lives an austere life in Dhaka, wearing clothes made of a simple cotton cloth that he designed to help poor textile workers. He asked Bangladeshis to send him letters, e-mails and text messages advising him how to build a “Bangladesh we all dream of”. </div><div align="justify"><br />He said: “The way the present caretaker Government is trying to create an acceptable atmosphere by carrying out necessary reforms has made me optimistic, along with all citizens of the country. In this situation, I feel it with my heart that I should, showing due respect to the people’s expectation of me, participate in the mission of taking the nation to the height it deserves . . . I know that joining politics is to become controversial. I am ready to take that risk.”<br />His announcement offered the first real prospect of a democratic alternative to the “battling begums” — the two women who have dominated Bangladeshi politics for the past 16 years.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">(By Jerome Page)</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-45358027303391701302007-03-04T18:12:00.000-08:002007-03-04T18:31:48.126-08:00Expert body on voter ID card submits report - Cost estimated at Tk 385 crore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_YP-NgpDf2nRTD1FcveSbLVq1OZon6wGwb7PeCl9L-qxV_xchmNZ6Z4w06ZCRIYMvOJ3lm4L2QrYbDL11izmxhrEpjMdSIO86dXFQrj9r7WyUjoHQutKoO9m7fskfZjNxRZe3RikZPQ/s1600-h/bangladesh_people_vote1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038262387949988402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_YP-NgpDf2nRTD1FcveSbLVq1OZon6wGwb7PeCl9L-qxV_xchmNZ6Z4w06ZCRIYMvOJ3lm4L2QrYbDL11izmxhrEpjMdSIO86dXFQrj9r7WyUjoHQutKoO9m7fskfZjNxRZe3RikZPQ/s200/bangladesh_people_vote1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify">An expert committee has estimated that preparation of voter identity cards will cost about Taka 385 crore.The eight-member committee, constituted by the government to examine the proposals for introduction of voter identity cards, on Sunday submitted its report estimating a budget of Taka 385 crore for the ID cards which would be bio-metric and laminated.</div><br /><div align="justify">According to sources close to the expert committee, the report recommended for creating a database of voter ID cards on a priority basis which could later be expanded to a national database for distribution of national identity cards.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The cost could be reduced by Taka 50 crore if a list with photographs is prepared and cards are not provided immediately, the report says.The report suggested that the ministry of home affairs could be the authority responsible for maintaining the database—a job so far done by the Election Commission.</div><br /><div align="justify">The expert committee handed over the report to science and ICT adviser Tapan Chowdhury. The committee prepared the report incorporating all the ‘best proposals’ made by different institutions including the army, BUET, BASIS, BSC and a number of NGOs .</div><br /><div align="justify">The committee, headed by Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, comprised secretary to the ministry of science and ICT Wahid-uz-Zaman, IT specialist Mostafa Jabbar, executive director of Bangladesh Computer Council and representatives from BUET, army and ministries concerned. It was formed on February 1 to conduct a feasibility study on the preparation of the voter ID cards. </div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-65881523988611636802007-03-04T17:58:00.001-08:002007-03-04T18:30:21.666-08:00Drive against corruption will be conducive to fair polls : Chief Adviser<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFv8KROa-nuJx11TQiiLzyOtHzRAUWQ6g9EAxbbhdXNxAVu7f914a6GlG7xjWsPer1DMSgOI1LxtT7AudReFZYjYsrkcr-HiskFHx0IxlsaL2JWFrYmghT_a6xRH5-619H1BYYniNeqXU/s1600-h/crime_justice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038261958453258786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFv8KROa-nuJx11TQiiLzyOtHzRAUWQ6g9EAxbbhdXNxAVu7f914a6GlG7xjWsPer1DMSgOI1LxtT7AudReFZYjYsrkcr-HiskFHx0IxlsaL2JWFrYmghT_a6xRH5-619H1BYYniNeqXU/s200/crime_justice.jpg" border="0" /></a>Chief Adviser of the Caretaker government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed on Sunday said drive against corruption will create a favourable atmosphere of election and at the same time will help bring economic benefits to people.<br /><p align="justify">The government is determined to check corruption, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said and called upon all to cooperate in rooting out the menace from the society.Corruption was spread out everywhere and it made lives of common people vulnerable, he added. The Chief Adviser made the remarks while exchanging views with high civil and military officials of Barisal division at the local circuit house. Previously he exchanged views with divisional level government officials at Chittagong.</p><p align="justify">Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed asked the officials to take effective steps so that price of the essentials can be kept at a tolerable level. Price level can be controlled by ensuring smooth supply system, he said and added vigilance should be kept so that the dishonest businessmen cannot manipulate the market. He also asked the officials to be alert so that the genuine businessmen are not being harassed during the drive of the law enforcers. </p><p align="justify">The Chief Adviser directed the government officials of all levels to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity, neutrality and responsibility rising above fear and intimidation. "You are the officials of the republic and will perform your work as per rules under the constitution and not being loyal to any party or opinion" he added. </p><p align="justify">Terming the government officials as servant of people, he also asked them to work with a mentality of service. Referring to various reforms undertaken by the government including the Election Commission and Anti- Corruption Commission, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said these are aimed at holding a free and fair election.</p>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-8598634511732486382007-02-19T08:43:00.000-08:002007-02-20T12:18:15.284-08:00Bangladesh Facts (Language)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP5n0Pm8mN3GBWuSbTOuItE0SS-dBLAiYui6q6VQM1uCxfwMOI6UZhhvk_pjk6FOI_XTM2cxcdmsQms8rsXWIi85QAxUezSb7i7z43Enjr1wXI8je2rOR_uQNjiI5T7Ms4i-LDUAS8lE/s1600-h/ekush_bangla2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033713166173196226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEP5n0Pm8mN3GBWuSbTOuItE0SS-dBLAiYui6q6VQM1uCxfwMOI6UZhhvk_pjk6FOI_XTM2cxcdmsQms8rsXWIi85QAxUezSb7i7z43Enjr1wXI8je2rOR_uQNjiI5T7Ms4i-LDUAS8lE/s320/ekush_bangla2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUGXRlI_4BFsCYrMwuq5JUkWV1KrUanFsXKCbPSERZMdaI3z0IWv8CC7t2TKLrXjz2L6TOzan_aLFCiDdYN9eJTOsJxtzbwrKVdPBp8eGHLJfTo5n4Kf3kwvzOxB9B7uZVcKhTaftg8Y/s1600-h/ekush_bangla1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033713033029210034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUGXRlI_4BFsCYrMwuq5JUkWV1KrUanFsXKCbPSERZMdaI3z0IWv8CC7t2TKLrXjz2L6TOzan_aLFCiDdYN9eJTOsJxtzbwrKVdPBp8eGHLJfTo5n4Kf3kwvzOxB9B7uZVcKhTaftg8Y/s320/ekush_bangla1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUreGCuhskLSqQut_nXAzsvitWQkS7cRzADRKqR-fG_zl-uebI6YG_waaPjxejCG4l8O82AwoytyAt-sh0NgHnXszo_y4H37anSrSjGFc6W-vq6PMfb6MjDAbKISJl6bUErkIyhQ0t6WU/s1600-h/ekush_bangladesh.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033712904180191138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUreGCuhskLSqQut_nXAzsvitWQkS7cRzADRKqR-fG_zl-uebI6YG_waaPjxejCG4l8O82AwoytyAt-sh0NgHnXszo_y4H37anSrSjGFc6W-vq6PMfb6MjDAbKISJl6bUErkIyhQ0t6WU/s320/ekush_bangladesh.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RKePfN1BDkkZLXY9QASWHiG-1maPh3npAdgnbymQK9Bi3olOYfYlAtTnHTvxA9Bas2ytk29Wcxc3xZUW4LaWFYhJ_Sd_W8dkI5utswbu-mwIidzmd9UIaE5ANxklYHV4k7P0JQ6Y9qA/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026237734947113122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RKePfN1BDkkZLXY9QASWHiG-1maPh3npAdgnbymQK9Bi3olOYfYlAtTnHTvxA9Bas2ytk29Wcxc3xZUW4LaWFYhJ_Sd_W8dkI5utswbu-mwIidzmd9UIaE5ANxklYHV4k7P0JQ6Y9qA/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Bangla is the language of more than 99 percent of the population. Bangla is the seventh most extensively spoken language in the world after Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Arabic. The Bengali script is derived directly from Gupta Brahmi script which has close affinity to Cambodian and Thai scripts. The origin of this language is usually traced to the 10th century. Bengali is a rich language capable of expressing the finest nuances of thought and feelings, a language that continuously mirrors the ever-changing play of life. It is rich in poetry, short story, novel, drama, essay and belles-lettres.</div></div></div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-84642428471467625162007-02-15T19:18:00.000-08:002007-02-15T19:18:28.446-08:00Bangladesh Facts (Art and Architecture)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiD0nnT3Mv4LHf_hkUMzIsDso-QlMGBIRWnodC7TBRQDpqj_y6fuVtcIcjqgC8uTyFbla4U5lhB5eNSjAcZxm8bfKEOeCxqGVQgGJBN9rEIgQ_mzm-nG_56ClI5NKElUK8US8-B1J3LU/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026238598235539634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiD0nnT3Mv4LHf_hkUMzIsDso-QlMGBIRWnodC7TBRQDpqj_y6fuVtcIcjqgC8uTyFbla4U5lhB5eNSjAcZxm8bfKEOeCxqGVQgGJBN9rEIgQ_mzm-nG_56ClI5NKElUK8US8-B1J3LU/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The Bangladesh region contains relics of the finest specimens of Buddhist monastic architecture. The Buddhist vihara at Paharpur occupied a quadrangle measuring more than 900 feet externally at each site.<br><br> "No single monastery of such dimensions" asserts an art historian", has come to light in India, and the appellation mahavihara, the great monastery as designating the place, can be considered entirely appropriate". Similar vihara of Deva dynasty has been unearthed at Mainamati. The relics of Mahasthangarh where the ancient city of Pundravardhana was located suggest that a large monastery was built there. Of notable sculptures in ancient Bengal, stone figures of Buddha from Ujani in Faridpur district, Varaha avatara from Bogra (10th century) the Vishnu Stela from Comilla (11th century) and Chandi image from Dhaka district (12th century) deserve special mention. Another remarkable achievement was the terracotta art of Paharpur which drew its inspiration from the simple village life. This depicts the daily life of people with intense human interest. As an art historian observes, "It is impossible to find in the hieratic religious art of India at any given period such a large social content, such variety of human feelings, such intimacy of contact with the events and experiences of daily life, such spontaneous action and movements, depicted with such powerful and purposeful rhythm".<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />The Middle Age in Bengal saw the construction of a large number of Islamic monuments which were characterized by massive arches and bold clean lines. The emphasis was on utility and simplicity. Among these monuments the Satgambuz mosque of Bagerhat, the mausoleum of Shah Ali Bagdadi at Mirpur and the mosque of Rasti Khan at Hathazari deserve special mention</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-18819527140773333252007-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:002007-02-14T09:11:43.817-08:00Bangladesh Facts (Religion)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9P79Ru8ESVXMFaf7Uo9k63qnjNH3fh3RiWfZIHlXSSDPAPjZk3OEEr5EOCjK8MRYqMHjB8RO8UuvmdoPs_r1gb5S3I34NgbqMaSgBTHHW9I9IxgjBZ57GgTX_dKH75WpGCkIfjiXiZmY/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026239083566844098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9P79Ru8ESVXMFaf7Uo9k63qnjNH3fh3RiWfZIHlXSSDPAPjZk3OEEr5EOCjK8MRYqMHjB8RO8UuvmdoPs_r1gb5S3I34NgbqMaSgBTHHW9I9IxgjBZ57GgTX_dKH75WpGCkIfjiXiZmY/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Bangladesh contains the second largest (after Indonesia) Muslim population in the world. In 1981, 86.6 percent of the population was Muslim. The proportion of Muslims increased from 85.4 percent in 1974 to 86.6 percent in 1981. On the other hand, the proportion of Hindu population dropped from 13.5 percent in 1974 to 12.1 percent in 1981. </div><div align="justify"> </div><br><div align="justify">The increase in proportion of Muslim population may be attributed to higher birth rate among the Muslims. Census records from 1872 to 1981 clearly indicate that birth rate among the Muslims was always higher than that of the Hindus. The Buddhists constituted about 0.6 percent of the population in both 1974 and 1981 censuses. There are about 175,000 Christians in Bangladesh. The percentage of Christians was about 0.3 percent.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-85741704807554105272007-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:002007-02-10T07:44:51.952-08:00Bangladesh Facts (Ethnic Background)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l-kkHqJ0pDD24amFT9TmcsDIyuDsiaRJ3NePwN0wOSBVb4Bif-TCSYBfri9ieIlrX8Dvq-Y6-4xVZuK9TNdQqcYwqyix4cKLblbPmf31vRw7utFjQR8gLyCs5ZZmSq3uPgw2GvQ6W4E/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026239933970368722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l-kkHqJ0pDD24amFT9TmcsDIyuDsiaRJ3NePwN0wOSBVb4Bif-TCSYBfri9ieIlrX8Dvq-Y6-4xVZuK9TNdQqcYwqyix4cKLblbPmf31vRw7utFjQR8gLyCs5ZZmSq3uPgw2GvQ6W4E/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Though the overwhelming majority of the population in Bangladesh forms a homogeneous ethnic group today, the racial mix of diverse races occurred in this region over a long time. Broadly speaking, there are two major racial elements in the people of Bengal: (1) the primitive tribes like the Kols, Sabaras, Pulindars, Hadi, Dom, Chandala and others who were designated as the Mlechchas; (ii) the Aryan and Aryanized elements.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">The major pre-Aryan racial elements in Bengal were the proto-Austroloids. There is a striking similarity between the language of the aborigines of Bengal and the people in South-East Asia, the archipelago and the aborigines of Australia. The Dravidian languages of South India also belong to proto-Australoid group. Bangladesh, being the frontier of South Asia, also came into contact with the Mongoloid tribes who lived in the adjoining areas. The Mongoloid influence was dominant in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region where Chakmas and other tribes belong to this category. The Mongoloid influence is, however, limited in other areas. Scholars maintain that there is also a substratum of Negroid racial elements in the racial mix in this region. </div><div align="justify"></div><br><div align="justify">Thus Bengal was the home of mixed races long before the Aryans came. The Aryan influence in Bengal was primarily limited to upper castes. The gradual stages in the Aryanization of Bengal are not very clear. It appears that the Aryans brought the indigenous people into the framework of Aryan society. This is indicated by the fact that some of the indigenous tribes were classed at Khastriyas (the warrior class). The majority of these pre-Aryan tribes were classified as untouchables. The process of racial mix did not, however, stop with the coming of Aryans. The Semitic traders from the Arab world frequently visited the coastal areas in the Middle Age.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-35288175380484195082007-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:002007-02-08T12:51:42.492-08:00Bangladesh Facts (The Birth of Bangladesh and Resolution of the Identity Crisis)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GohUPOVhCUYLerWNbZYME_vc6h6rjEfqcDz3ZLrn2ntRfjuet5tkqhWTvJYXQc9DkZESJb2Ru_0yC-nLWj01NqoRPSaYfa0DdJuyBGiD7qXrfLbT86kPHAVhuO2lsAwJ_7IE6vUWBno/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026240642639972578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GohUPOVhCUYLerWNbZYME_vc6h6rjEfqcDz3ZLrn2ntRfjuet5tkqhWTvJYXQc9DkZESJb2Ru_0yC-nLWj01NqoRPSaYfa0DdJuyBGiD7qXrfLbT86kPHAVhuO2lsAwJ_7IE6vUWBno/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Pakistan, which emerged constitutionally as one country in 1947, was in fact "a double country", the two wings were not only separated from each other by more than one thousand miles, they were also culturally, economically and socially different. "The cure, at least as far as the East Bengalis were concerned, proved to be worse than the disease". </div><div align="justify"><br />The relationship between the East and the West wings of Pakistan was the mirror image of the Hindu-Muslim relations in the undivided sub-continent. The creation of East Pakistan did not resolve the identity crisis of the majority people in the Bangladesh region. The political leadership in Pakistan was usurped by the ashraf and their fellow-travellers. The spread of secular education and monetization of the rural economy swelled the ranks of the vernacular elite who was intensely proud of the local cultural heritage. This compounded the dichotomy of language and religion. As a recent scholar rightly observes, "The Bengali love affair with their language involves a passionate ritual that produces emotional experiences seldom found in other parts of the world". </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">The Language Movement during 1948-52 which demanded the designation of Bengali as the state language of Pakistan undermined the authority of the ashraf and reinforced the role of the vernacular elite. In British India, the Muslims of Bengal united under the banner of Islam to escape from the exploitation of Bengali Hindus who shared the same mother tongue. In the united Pakistan, the Bengalis of East Pakistan reasserted their cultural and linguistic identity to resist the exploitation of their co-religionists who spoke in a different language. Though history repeated itself in Pakistan, the lessons learnt from Hindu-Muslim confrontation were forgotten. Neither in undivided India nor in united Pakistan, the dominant economic classes agreed to sacrifice their short-term interests. Democratic verdicts were brushed aside and economic disparity between the two wings widened under the aegis of military dictatorships in Pakistan. </div><div align="justify"><br />The disintegration of united Pakistan is not, therefore, in the least surprising. However, the way in which Bangladesh was born is unique to South Asia. Bangladesh was the product of a sanguinary revolution. The Pakistan army had to be defeated physically in 1971 to establish the new state. The birth of Bangladesh resolved the dichotomy between religion and habitat, and between extra-territorial and territorial loyalties by recognizing both the facts as a reality in the life of the new nation.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-33664993565232550382007-02-08T09:02:00.000-08:002007-02-08T12:50:21.636-08:00Bangladesh Facts (The Road to Pakistan)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCudVkBNxcOVcor9BvuLO32etMAskNzlqqt3c4yI05A3mLYP9fVv_Jlv2NnjTXmydiYQXVAzflCeG1rQWgpCCZmN5nTAO-wOfsnOs_CyhS5fyfEnjw4boTNUNUxFVcyXf1IEWmwYFfTEk/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026241274000165106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCudVkBNxcOVcor9BvuLO32etMAskNzlqqt3c4yI05A3mLYP9fVv_Jlv2NnjTXmydiYQXVAzflCeG1rQWgpCCZmN5nTAO-wOfsnOs_CyhS5fyfEnjw4boTNUNUxFVcyXf1IEWmwYFfTEk/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The Pakistan Resolution of 1940 at Lahore was the outcome of the political confrontation between Hindus and Muslims. The Lahore Resolution demanded that geographically contiguous units "be demarcated into regions which should be constituted with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary so that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority should be grouped to constitute "Independent States" in which the constitutional units be autonomous and sovereign". </div><div align="justify"></div><br><div align="justify">From the constitutional point of view, the Lahore Resolution asserted that South Asia consisted of many nations and not of two nations. It was, in effect, a blueprint for the balkanization of South Asia and not merely for its partition into two units. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">The fervour for the Lahore Resolution sprang not merely from the disillusion of the Muslims with the Hindu leadership. It was also facilitated by the vagueness of the Resolution which promised everything to everybody. The vernacular Muslim elites in Bengal maintained that the Lahore Resolution was legally a charter for a Muslim dominated independent and sovereign Bengal. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The immigrant Muslim ashraf in Bengal thought that the Lahore Resolution was a mandate for merging geographically dispersed Muslim majority areas into an Islamic state. Ultimately the demands of the vernacular Muslim elite for an independent Bengal was opposed by both the ashraf and the Hindu middle class. Ironically the formal decision for partition of Bengal was taken not by Muslim but by Hindu leaders who fought for an undivided Bengal four decades ago. </div><div align="justify"><br />The partition of the South Asian sub-continent into two independent states in 1947 was a defeat for the British policy. It partially undid the Pax Britannica which was the greatest achievement of the Raj. Nevertheless, the partition forestalled the balkanization of the sub-continent which would have swept away the entire political structure which was so labouriously built by the British rulers. The eastern areas of Bengal were constituted into a province of Pakistan and her political boundaries were drawn up arbitrarily.</div><div align="justify"></div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-34016222165611566202007-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:002007-02-06T12:25:59.842-08:00Bangladesh Facts (British Rule in Bangladesh, 1757-1947 )<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0o4777vfa1bOpKRV-sF5ybDADEo2uVJGRlPGTTqYXEdn4LE_akG4t8nov3azetghLOE83Sk_LwAv8ObYOyoOeMuwPaa2ebPW9KR4E4ttMZkyXJQezPNyyGdxswIfde4b2keKm0-OEqc/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026242906087737634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0o4777vfa1bOpKRV-sF5ybDADEo2uVJGRlPGTTqYXEdn4LE_akG4t8nov3azetghLOE83Sk_LwAv8ObYOyoOeMuwPaa2ebPW9KR4E4ttMZkyXJQezPNyyGdxswIfde4b2keKm0-OEqc/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The greatest discontinuity in the history of Bengal region occurred on June 23, 1757 when the East India Company - a mercantile company of England became the virtual ruler of Bengal by defeating Nawab Siraj-ud Daulah through conspiracy. Territorial rule by a trading company resulted in the commercialization of power. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">The initial effects of the British rule were highly destructive. As the historian R.C. Dutt notes, "the people of Bengal had been used to tyranny, but had never lived under an oppression so far reaching in its effects, extending to every village market and every manufacturer's loom. They had been used to arbitrary acts from men in power, but had never suffered from a system which touched their trades, their occupations, their lives so closely. The springs of their industry were stopped, the sources of their wealth dried up". The plunder of Bengal directly contributed to the industrial revolution in England. The capital amassed in Bengal was invested in the nascent British industries. Lack of capital and fall of demand, on the other hand, resulted in deindustrialization in the Bangladesh region. The muslin industry virtually disappeared in the wake of the British rule.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">In the long run, the British rule in South Asia contributed to transformation of the traditional society in various ways. The introduction of British law, a modern bureaucracy, new modes of communication, the English language and a modern education system, and the opening of the local market to international trade opened new horizons for development in various spheres of life. The new ideas originating from the West produced a ferment in the South Asian mind. The upshot of this ferment were streams of intellectual movements which have often been compared to the Renaissance. Furthermore, the Pax Britannica imposed on South Asia created an universal empire that brought different areas of the sub-continent closer to each other.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The British rule in Bengal promoted simultaneously the forces of unity and division in the society. The city-based Hindu middle classes became the fiery champions of all-India based nationalism. At the same time, the British rule brought to surface the rivalry between the Hindus and Muslims which lay dormant during the five hundred years of Muslim rule. The class conflict between Muslim peasantry and Hindu intermediaries during the Muslim rule was diffused by the fact that these intermediaries themselves were agents of the Muslim rulers. Furthermore, the scope of exploitation was limited in the subsistence economy of pre-British Bengal.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The economic exploitation of the British provoked an intense reaction against the Raj in Bengal. However, the grievances against the British rule varied from community to community. The Hindu middle class, which styled itself as the bhadralok, was the greatest beneficiary of the British rule. The Hindu middle class primarily originated from trading classes, intermediaries of revenue administration and subordinate jobs in the imperial administration. On the contrary, the establishment of the British rule deprived the immigrant Muslim aristocracy (ashraf) of state patronage. The immigrant Muslim - upper caste Hindu coalition which characterized the Muslim rule was replaced by a new entente of the British and the caste Hindus. The new land settlement policy of the British ruined the traditional Muslim landlords. The Muslim aristocracy which had hitherto been disdainful of their native co-religionists sought the political support of the downtrodden Muslim peasantry (atraf) who were exploited by Hindu landlords and moneylenders. The Muslim elite in Bengal manipulated to their advantage the social insecurity of the less privileged without giving up their exclusiveness.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The conflict between Muslim peasants and Hindu landlords was reinforced by the rivalry between Hindu and Muslim middle classes for the patronage of the imperial rulers. In the nineteenth century, both Hindu and Muslim middle classes expanded significantly. The Muslim middle class did not remain confined to traditional aristocracy which consisted primarily of immigrants from other Muslim countries. The British rule in Bengal contributed to the emergence of a vernacular elite from among locally converted Muslims in the second half of the nineteenth century. This was facilitated by a significant expansion of jute cultivation in the Bangladesh region. The increase in jute exports benefited the surplus farmers (Jotedars) in the lower Bengal where the Muslims were in a majority. The economic affluence of surplus farmers encouraged the expansion of secular education among local Muslims. For example, the number of Muslim students in Bengal increased by 74 percent between 1882-83 and 1912-13.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Faced with the economic and cultural domination of the Hindu intermediaries in Bengal (bhadralok), the ashraf (traditional Muslim aristocracy), the newly created Muslim jotedars who constituted the vernacular elite and Muslim peasants (atraf) closed ranks. Despite their outward unity, the coalition of various Muslim interest groups in Bengal was fragile. The interests and ideological orientations of these groups were dissimilar. Unlike the jotedars and peasants, the ashraf in Bengal spoke Urdu. The vernacular Muslim elites and peasants in Bengal wanted agrarian reforms; the ashraf was a staunch proponent of absentee landlordism. The Muslim vernacular elite and atraf identified themselves with the local culture and language, the ashraf was enthralled by Islamic universalism. The internal contradictions of the Muslim society in Bengal were naturally mirrored in their political life.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Initially, the leadership of the Muslim community in Bengal belonged to ashraf for two reasons. First, the size of the vernacular elite was too small in the beginning of the twentieth century and the vernacular elite itself tried to imitate the traditional aristocracy. Secondly, because of the institutional vacuum in the rural areas, it was very difficult to mobilise politically Muslim masses in the Bengal region. The easiest means of arousing such masses was to appeal to religious sentiments and emotions. In this charged atmosphere the natural leadership of the Muslim masses in Bengal lay with the immigrant ashraf who monopolized the religious leadership.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The rivalry between Muslim ashraf and Hindu bhadralok first surfaced in the political arena, when the British partitioned the province of Bengal in 1905 for administrative reasons. The nascent Muslim middle class under the leadership of the Muslim Nawab of Dhaka supported the partition in the hope of getting patronage of the British rulers. To the Hindu bhadralok who had extensive economic interests on both sides of partitioned Bengal, the move to separate the Bengali-speaking areas in East Bengal and Assam was a big jolt. They viewed it as a sinister design to weaken Bengal which was the vanguard of struggle for independence. The bhadralok class idolized the "Golden Bengal". Though initially the anti-partition movement was non-violent, the dark anger of the Hindu middle class soon found its expression in terroristic activities. The emotionally charged atmosphere culminated in communal riots. The partition of Bengal ultimately turned out to be a defeat for all. The Raj had to eat the humble pie and annul the partition in 1911. To the Muslims, the annulment of the partition was a major disappointment. It virtually shook their faith in the British rulers. To the Hindu bhadralok of Bengal, the annulment was a pyrrhic victory. "The net result of these developments in Bengal during the first decade of this century, so far as the bhadralok leadership of Bengal was concerned, lay in the exposure of its isolation, its inner contradictions and the essentially opportunistic character of its politics".<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The communal politics of confrontation and violence which erupted during the partition of Bengal was interrupted by a brief honeymoon during the non-cooperation movement led by the Indian National Congress and the Khilafat movement of the Indian Muslims in the second decade of 20th century. Bengal witnessed in the twenties the emergence of the charismatic; leadership of Chitta Ranjan Das who had the foresight to appreciate the alienation of the Muslim middle classes. In 1923 Das signed a pact with Fazlul Huq, Suhrawardy and other Muslim leaders. This pact which is known as the Bengal Pact provided guarantees for due representation of Muslims in politics and administration. The spirit of Hindu-Muslim rapprochement evaporated with the death of C.R. Das in 1925. However, even if Das were alive he might not have succeeded in containing the communal backlash. The communal problem was not unique to Bengal, it became the main issue in all India politics. As the communal tension mounted in the 1930s, the Muslim ashraf in Bengal which had close ties with the Muslim leadership in other parts of the sub-continent pursued a policy of communal confrontation.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-68649401441571524822007-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:002007-02-05T10:25:19.196-08:00Bangladesh Facts (The Glory that was Mediaeval Bengal)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX8mvNAdovZukZTlW3Guw_RdtImQ506htblKqWeFgz9JrogcqR_F_Qy1Sd2W5lxGKAn9oYeBwNcuw4BBxHFkX_HCmKKIGn5qojI-c_-rnWglDQKVUhyphenhyphen24Ib_7Ef-2mSgIoTMyTWEpAKY/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026244791578380594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX8mvNAdovZukZTlW3Guw_RdtImQ506htblKqWeFgz9JrogcqR_F_Qy1Sd2W5lxGKAn9oYeBwNcuw4BBxHFkX_HCmKKIGn5qojI-c_-rnWglDQKVUhyphenhyphen24Ib_7Ef-2mSgIoTMyTWEpAKY/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The Bangladesh region reached the zenith of economic affluence during the mediaeval period. It was known as one of the most prosperous lands in the world. The Moorish traveller Ibn Batuta who visited Bengal in the fourteenth century described Bengal as the wealthiest and cheapest land of the world and states that it was known as "a hell full of bounties".<br /><br />In the same vein, the seventeenth century French traveller Francois Bernier observed: "Egypt has been represented in every age as the finest and most fruitful country in the world, and even our modern writers deny that there is any other land so peculiarly favoured by nature; but the knowledge I have acquired of Bengal, during two visits paid to that Kingdom inclines me to believe that pre-eminence ascribed to Egypt is rather due to Bengal". </div><br /><div align="justify">Because of her fertile land and abundance of seasonal rainfall, Bengal was a cornucopia of agricultural products. Famines and scarcity were virtually unknown as compared to other areas of Asia. Bengal was the focal point of free trade in the Indian Ocean since the 14th century.<br /><br />She was the virtual store-house of silk and cotton not only of India and neighbouring countries but also of Europe. The Dhaka region used to produce the finest cotton in the world. A very large quantity of cotton cloth was produced in different areas of Bengal. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">The best and well-known variety of textile was muslin produced in Dhaka. Some of the muslins were so fine that, as the seventeenth century traveller Tavernier notes, "even if a 60 cubit long turban were held you would scarcely know what it was that you had in your hand". Some of the muslins were so fine that a full size muslin could be passed through a small ring. Bangladesh also had extensive export of silk clothes.<br /><br />According to Tavernier, Bengal silks were exported to other parts of India, Central Asia, Japan and Holland. The Bangladesh region was also one of the largest producers of sugar. The sugar from this region used to be exported to other parts of South Asia and the Middle East. </div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-47901612713129642012007-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:002007-02-04T07:24:35.419-08:00Bangladesh Facts ( Evolution of Mediaeval Bengal 1204-l757 )<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pKVyW2JM2yUIbotAV-R9i84OEo4iUtP4Rn_EvHZGGMcFKXHR93BC9KTaD9QP2hJkiQX95fAXUz3qnGwTU6aflX4QtFJpZ1JMKhmXEO6XYp8-dJtw_twc5F3pfNnoHagqDaOcxg5A5iY/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026245440118442306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pKVyW2JM2yUIbotAV-R9i84OEo4iUtP4Rn_EvHZGGMcFKXHR93BC9KTaD9QP2hJkiQX95fAXUz3qnGwTU6aflX4QtFJpZ1JMKhmXEO6XYp8-dJtw_twc5F3pfNnoHagqDaOcxg5A5iY/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The Middle age in Bengal coincided with the Muslim rule. Out of about 550 years of Muslim rule, Bengal was effectively ruled by Delhi-based all India empires for only about two hundred years. For about 350 years Bengal remained virtually independent. The Muslim rule in Bengal is usually divided into three phases. The first phase which lasted from 1204 to 1342 witnessed the consolidation of Muslim rule in Bengal.<br /><br />It was characterized by extreme political instability. The second phase which spanned the period 1342 to 1575 saw the emergence of independent local dynasties such as the Ilyas Shahi dynasty (1342-1414), the dynasty of King Ganesha (1414-1442) and Husain Shahi dynasty (l493-1539). The third phase which lasted from 1575 to 1757 witnessed the emergence of a centralized administration in Bengal within the framework of the Mughal empire. The Mughal viceroys in Bengal curbed the independence of powerful landlords who were known as Bara Bhuiyas and suppressed the Portuguese pirates who frequently interfered with the flow of foreign trade.<br /><br />There were two major achievements of Muslim rule in the region. First, prior to Muslim rule in this area, Bengal was an ever-shifting mosaic of principalities. The natural limits of Bengal were not clearly perceived till its political unification by the Ilyas Shahi rulers in the fourteenth century. The political unification of Bengal was thus a gift of the Muslim rulers. Secondly, the political unity fashioned by the Muslim rulers also promoted linguistic homogeneity. Unlike their predecessors, the Muslim rulers were ardent patrons of Bengali language and literature. Prior to<br /><br />Muslim rule, the Bengali vernacular was despised for its impurities and vulgarities by Hindu elites who were the beneficiaries and champions of Sanskrit education. The spread of Islam challenged the spiritual leadership of upper caste Hindus. The intense competition between Islam and resurgent Hinduism in the form of Vaisnavism for capturing the imagination of unlettered masses resulted in an outpouring of their stirring messages in the vernacular.<br /><br />The Muslim rule in Bengal also witnessed the gradual expansion of Islam in this region. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Muslim rulers in Bengal were not in the least idealists and proselytizers; they were primarily adventurers whose sole aim was to perpetuate their own rule. The preponderance of the Muslims in Bangladesh region stands out in striking contrast to signal failure of the Muslims in converting local people in other parts of north and south India. The distribution of Muslims in different regions of South Asia clearly contradicts the hypothesis that the patronage of the temporal authority was the most crucial variable in the spread of Islam. If this hypothesis was correct there would have been Muslim preponderance in areas around the seats of Muslim rule in North India. The fact that the Muslims remained an insignificant minority in the Delhi region where they ruled for more than six hundred years clearly suggests that Islam in South Asia was not imposed from above. In Bengal also, the share of Muslims in the total population was higher in areas remote from the seats of Muslim rule.<br /><br />Islam was propagated in the Bangladesh region by a large number of Muslim saints who were mostly active from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Among these missionaries Hazrat Shah Jalal, Rasti Shah, Khan Jahan Ali, Shaikh Sharafuddin Abu Tawamah, Shah Makhdoom Ruposh, Shaikh Baba Adam Shahid, Shah Sultan Mahisawar, Shaikh Alauddin Alaul Huq, Shah Ali Bagdadi, etc. deserve special mention. While similar Muslim missionary activities failed in other regions of South Asia, Islam ultimately succeeded in penetrating deeply into Bengal because the social environment of this region was congenial to the diffusion of a new religion. In much of South Asia, strong village communities were impenetrable barriers to the spread of alien faiths.<br /><br />In Bengal, the corporateness of village institutions was weak in eastern areas; it gradually increased towards the western areas. The distribution of Muslim population also followed similar spatial pattern in this region. The Muslims in Bengal were concentrated in the eastern areas and the share of Hindu population was much higher in western areas.<br /><br />The Muslim rule in Bengal contributed to economic polarization and cultural dichotomy. Except the brief interludes of the northern Indian empires, pre-Muslim Bengal was ruled by local potentates. Most of the Muslim rulers either acted as agents of Delhi or tried to use Bengal as a stepping stone for attaining political authority in Delhi. Economic exploitation intensified during this period owing to transfer of resources to north India. The main victims of this exploitative system were locally converted Muslims and low caste Hindus. The sole aim of the Muslim rulers was to mobilize as much resources as possible. The size of the immigrant Muslim ruling elite was small. Furthermore, different factions of the ruling elite did not trust each other. Consequently, Muslim rule in Bengal became, in effect, a coalition of immigrant Muslims and upper caste Hindus<br /><br />The gradual process of conversion to Islam in Bengal resulted in an intense interaction between Islam and Hinduism. At the folk level, however, there was less confrontation and more interaction between Hinduism and Islam. A syncretic tradition developed around the cult and pantheons of pirs. The actual practices of local Muslim converts were an anathema to both Hindu and Muslim religious leaders. The orthodox Hindus, despite their political reconciliation with Muslim rulers, despised the local Muslims as untouchables (Mlechhas).<br /><br />The Muslim religious leaders were equally scornful of the customs and practices of local converts. Hated by immigrant religious leaders for their ways of life and by the local aristocracy for their adherence to an alien faith, local converts faced a dichotomy of faith and habitat which found expression in an emotional conflict between religion and language. This dichotomy can be traced in Bengali literature as early as the fourteenth century. 'Those who are born in Bengal but hate Bengali language", asserted the seventeenth century poet Abdul Hakim "had doubtful parentage. Those who are not satisfied with their mother tongue should migrate to other lands".</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-48514083738334830002007-02-02T09:22:00.000-08:002007-02-02T19:03:40.100-08:00Bangladesh Facts ( Contribution of Bangladesh to Ancient Civilisation )<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgCNVZvg3EgpALoQVwo6axsIlrvDyvWtqRr6uPBVqyYXaahAjNEeKq56KATC-8pTkWSNlrJ320YQmax1MqzPN2fwofQUAnL0qlgX1TAY1o_FOMFMFVY5Xsf8RM8OLRRBrf2s5FktByro/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026246655594187090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgCNVZvg3EgpALoQVwo6axsIlrvDyvWtqRr6uPBVqyYXaahAjNEeKq56KATC-8pTkWSNlrJ320YQmax1MqzPN2fwofQUAnL0qlgX1TAY1o_FOMFMFVY5Xsf8RM8OLRRBrf2s5FktByro/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Bangladesh is the frontier of South Asian civilization. It is the natural bridge between South and South East Asia. Because of its location, Bangladesh was the intermediary in trade and commerce between the South Asian sub-continent and the Far East. This region, as a distinguished historian observed, "played an important part in the great cultural association between the diverse civilizations of Eastern and South Eastern Asia which forms such a distinguished feature in the history of this great continent for nearly one thousand and five hundred years." </div><div align="justify"><br />Tradition has it that Sri Lanka was colonized by a Bengalee Prince Vijayasingha who established the first political organization in that island. Gadadhara, another Bengalee, founded a kingdom in the Madras state in South India.</div><div align="justify"><br />Bangladesh region also played a seminal role in disseminating her beliefs, art and architecture in the wider world of Asia. The Bengali missionaries preached Mahayana Buddhism in the Indonesian archipelago. Kumaraghosha, the royal preceptor of the Sailendra emperors of Java, Sumatra and Malaya peninsula, was born in Gauda. The Bengali scholar Santirakshit was one of the founders of the Buddhist monastic order in Tibet. The great Buddhist sage Dipankara Srijnana, also known as Atish ( 10th-l1th century) reformed the monastic order in Tibet. The Bengalee scholars Shilabhadra, Chandragomin, Abhayakaragupta, Jetari and Jnanasrimitra were venerated as great theologians in the Buddhist world. </div><div align="justify"><br />Ancient Bangladesh also witnessed the flowering of temple, stupa and monastic architecture as well as Buddhist art and sculpture. There was discernible influence of the Pala art of Bengal on Javanese art. There was a close affinity between the scripts used on certain Javanese sculptures and proto-Bengali alphabet. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">A group of temples in Burma were built on the model of Bangladeshi temples. The architecture and iconographic ideas of Bengal inspired architects, sculptors and artists in Cambodia and the Indonesian archipelago. The influence of Pala art in Bengal could be easily traced in Nepalese and Tibetan paintings, as well as in Tang Art of China.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-5153008844293229832007-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:002007-02-01T06:13:24.885-08:00Bangladesh Facts ( Political Dynamics in Ancient Bengal -326 B.C. to 1204 A.D )<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIfE60bXblGDYkjtW1HN5j6wCRlOAUuL84FINv9hPb7NsKLuc4fWddZmjuxVxazjzjGP8xMMSoQNUMAY0x2nwloanwFgB0VWpgqLjM1aFVjWMU-_MLKU8Re88AWGNt0OVoO87RTExOcA/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026251302748801378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIfE60bXblGDYkjtW1HN5j6wCRlOAUuL84FINv9hPb7NsKLuc4fWddZmjuxVxazjzjGP8xMMSoQNUMAY0x2nwloanwFgB0VWpgqLjM1aFVjWMU-_MLKU8Re88AWGNt0OVoO87RTExOcA/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>The earliest historical reference to organized political life in the Bangladesh region is usually traced to the writings on Alexander's invasion of India in 326 B.C. The Greek and Latin historians suggested that Alexander the Great withdrew from India anticipating the valiant counter attack of the mighty Gangaridai and Prasioi empires which were located in the Bengal region. It is not, however, clearly known who built these empires. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Literary and epigraphic evidence refer to the rise and fall of a large number of principalities in the region which were variously known as Pundra Vardhana (northern Bangladesh), Gauda (parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh), Dandabhukti (southern West Bengal), Karna Subarna (part of West Bengal), Varendra (northern Bangladesh), Rarh (southern areas of West Bengal), Summha Desa (south-western West Bengal), Vanga (central Bangladesh), Vangala (southern Bangladesh), Harikela (North-East Bangladesh), Chandradwipa (Southern Bangladesh), Subarnabithi (central Bangladesh), Navyabakashika (central and southern Bangladesh), Lukhnauti (North Bengal and Bihar) and Samatata (Eastern Bangladesh)<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">There are two schools of opinion regarding the political evolution of ancient Bengal. According to one school, the Bangladesh region in the ancient period was an integral part of mighty empires in north India. These historians maintain Gangaridai and Prasioi empires were succeeded by the Mauryas (4th to 2nd century B.C.), the Guptas (4th-5th century A.D.), the empire of Sasanka (7th century A.D.), the Pala empire (750-1162 A.D.), and the Senas (1162-1223 A.D.). Specially, the Pala empire which lasted for more than four hundred years and reached its zenith in eighth and ninth centuries under the leadership of Dharmapala and Devapala is cited as an example of Bengal's political genius. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">The revisionist historians are of the opinion that the traditional interpretation overstates the role of all-India empires in the political life of the Bangladesh region. They maintain that epigraphic evidence suggests that only some of the areas which now constitute Bangladesh were occasionally incorporated in the larger empires of South Asia. In their view, political fragmentation and not empire was the historical destiny of Bangladesh region in the ancient times. Inscriptions attest to the existence of a succession of independent kingdoms in southern and eastern Bengal. These local kingdoms included the realms of Vainyagupta (6th century), the Faridpur kings (6th century), the Bhadra dynasty (circa 600-650 A D), Khadaga dynasty (circa 650-700 AD), Natha and Rata dynasty (750-800 A D ), the rulers of Harikela (circa 800-900), Chandra dynasty (circa 900-1045 A D), Varman dynasty (circa 1080-1150 A D), and Pattikera dynasty (circa 1000-1100 A D).<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">pinions differ on the reasons for political fragmentation in Bengal. Some scholars attribute it to Bangladesh's topography specially to difficulties in negotiating its swamps and marshes, its unending maze of rivers and creeks and dislocations caused by the Bengali rainy season. Others emphasize the frontier character of the region which attracted from north India a continuous stream of rebel, heretics, and malcontents who destabilized the political life. Some scholars maintain that political fragmentation was fostered by a lack of corporate life at the village level. Specially, the village organizations were weakest in the eastern and southern areas; the corporateness of villages gradually increased in the western areas. Political fragmentation was, therefore, endemic in eastern and southern areas which now constitute Bangladesh.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The primacy of the individual in social life and the concomitant institutional vacuum in Bangladesh region was not, however, an unmitigated shortcoming. The weakness of social, political and economic institutions provided a congenial environment for freedom of religion. The Buddhist rulers continued to rule Bengal long after the resurgence of Brahmanism in the rest of north India. Nowhere in South Asia were the deviations from the Brahmanical orthodoxy so glaring as in the Bengal zone. The esoteric cults like Vajrayana, Shajayana, Kalachakrayana, Nathism, the Bauls and the folk cults flourished in pre-Muslim Bengal. Throughout history, small kingdoms blossomed and withered like wild flowers in this region. In an environment characterized by weak political institutions, heresy, heterodoxy and alien faiths thrived in defiance of the Brahmanical orthodoxy.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-5408050607370150572007-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:002007-01-31T11:31:04.496-08:00Bangladesh Facts ( Protohistory and Prehistory )<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzo5NbZDvYW1vAVMbC-oJ39hy1k3OxnLCOohqX75mmYUSTiRi_Ie9lap1OesHCl8fAhLX7uhZXaOQcqAIB1amtCRq6gYybdJ4RUDa5TLSdamHHiL93nY5WOs5j0DK_JKxzq-B2AyBxZo/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026252582649055602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzo5NbZDvYW1vAVMbC-oJ39hy1k3OxnLCOohqX75mmYUSTiRi_Ie9lap1OesHCl8fAhLX7uhZXaOQcqAIB1amtCRq6gYybdJ4RUDa5TLSdamHHiL93nY5WOs5j0DK_JKxzq-B2AyBxZo/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.png" border="0" /></a>Geological evidence indicates that much of Bangladesh was formed 1 to 6.5 million years ago during the tertiary era. Human habitation in this region is, therefore, likely to be very old. The implements discovered in Deolpota village in the neighbouring state of West Bengal suggest that paleolithic civilization in the region existed about one hundred thousand years ago.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">The evidence of paleolithic civilization in Bangladesh region is limited to a stone implement in Rangamati and a hand axe in the hilly tip of Feni district. They are likely to be 10,000 to 15,000 years old. New stone age in the region lasted from 3,000 B C to 1,500 B C. Neolithic tools comparable to Assam group were found at Sitakunda in Chittagong. <span style="font-size:+0;"></span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:+0;"></span><br>Hand axes and chisels showing close affinity to neolithic industries in West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa have been discovered at Mainamati near Comilla. The thinly forested laterite hills in eastern Bengal dotted with fertile valleys provided a congenial environment for neolithic settlements. However, the archaeological evidence on transition from stone age to metal age in this region is still missing.</div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386260129660622047.post-13297262109985736392007-01-29T20:35:00.000-08:002007-01-30T13:18:58.197-08:00Bangladesh a short history<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWzilEScO8UA4IXaQ4CRSfPJHKV7SzGynpzn28oj75AjOmZqELx2pzaahw1BElXQ3in4zvH3WfLXCNvU4Howdi1z_vat7PrwzrGIqKmXmNXJTFaLN3gAoRg0KuQG2htMXX1cDQLxd9EM/s1600-h/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.svg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025680694868690802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWzilEScO8UA4IXaQ4CRSfPJHKV7SzGynpzn28oj75AjOmZqELx2pzaahw1BElXQ3in4zvH3WfLXCNvU4Howdi1z_vat7PrwzrGIqKmXmNXJTFaLN3gAoRg0KuQG2htMXX1cDQLxd9EM/s320/125px-Flag_of_Bangladesh.svg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>History</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The Shaheed Minar, which commemorates the Language Movement, is a well known landmark in BangladeshRemnants of civilization in the greater Bengal region date back 4,000 years, when the region was settled by Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman, and Austro-Asiatic peoples. The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RXIWntEhpfNfQXyY4EM3fl5p9GGEZJhU7cHmBoGKaQ_TNKI9jbccP0txUlcqGQPIq_V3lMc4LDb_3YapEKuPrOb-o42qmwzGAJuyVjK0wzb9EWfBdyub2qCpRNx-L8VFxtKf7CHc7VQ/s1600-h/200px-Shaheed_minar_Roehl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025680952566728578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RXIWntEhpfNfQXyY4EM3fl5p9GGEZJhU7cHmBoGKaQ_TNKI9jbccP0txUlcqGQPIq_V3lMc4LDb_3YapEKuPrOb-o42qmwzGAJuyVjK0wzb9EWfBdyub2qCpRNx-L8VFxtKf7CHc7VQ/s320/200px-Shaheed_minar_Roehl.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After the arrival of Indo-Aryans, the kingdom of Gangaridai was formed from at least the 7th century BCE, which later united with Bihar under the Magadha and Maurya Empires. Bengal was later part of the Gupta Empire from the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE. Following its collapse, a dynamic Bengali named Shashanka founded an impressive yet short-lived kingdom. After a period of anarchy, the Buddhist Pala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years, followed by a shorter reign of the Hindu Sena dynasty. Islam was introduced to Bengal in the twelfth century by Sufi missionaries, and subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region. Bakhtiar Khilji, a Turkish general, defeated Lakshman Sen of the Sena dynasty and conquered large parts of Bengal. The region was ruled by dynasties of Sultans and feudal lords for the next few hundred years. By the sixteenth century, the Mughal Empire controlled Bengal, and Dhaka became an important provincial center of Mughal administration.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />European traders arrived late in the 15th century, and their influence grew until the British East India Company gained control of Bengal following the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The bloody rebellion of 1857, known as the Sepoy Mutiny, resulted in transfer of authority to the crown, with a British viceroy running the administration. During colonial rule, famine racked the Indian subcontinent many times, including the Great Bengal famine of 1943 that claimed 3 million lives. </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjRamUHztPZoGaEeuxsnUm_aiozAAGUNS2fEw5c1gNzgxFAocbKNn2hzovLO0y2g__UE_Kku64HL3XjBxXBoLQrvYAiaHs4S_5g48AUU3XUUvXJb3aVWqiiIi3mYynIf6yguBlN5pSsY/s1600-h/150px-Map_Bangladesh_RoadRail.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025681442193000338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjRamUHztPZoGaEeuxsnUm_aiozAAGUNS2fEw5c1gNzgxFAocbKNn2hzovLO0y2g__UE_Kku64HL3XjBxXBoLQrvYAiaHs4S_5g48AUU3XUUvXJb3aVWqiiIi3mYynIf6yguBlN5pSsY/s320/150px-Map_Bangladesh_RoadRail.png" border="0" /></a>Between 1905 and 1911, an abortive attempt was made to divide the province of Bengal into two zones, with Dhaka being the capital of the eastern zone. When India was partitioned in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines, with the western part going to India and the eastern part joining Pakistan as a province called East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan), with its capital at Dhaka.<br /></div><br /><div>In 1950, land reform was accomplished in East Bengal with the abolishment of the feudal zamindari system. However, despite the economic and demographic weight of the east, Pakistan's government and military were largely dominated by the upper classes from the west. The Language Movement of 1952 was the first sign of friction between the two wings of Pakistan. Dissatisfaction with the central government over economic and cultural issues continued to rise through the next decade, during which the Awami League emerged as the political voice of the Bengali-speaking population. It agitated for autonomy in the 1960s, and in 1966, its president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was jailed; he was released in 1969 after an unprecedented popular uprising.</div><div><br />Bangladesh - also showing road and rail lines.In 1970, a massive cyclone devastated the coast of East Pakistan, and the central government responded poorly. The Bengali population's anger was compounded when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose Awami League won a majority in Parliament in the 1970 elections, was blocked from taking office. After staging compromise talks with Mujib, President Yahya Khan arrested him on the night of March 25, 1971, and launched Operation Searchlight, a sustained military assault on East Pakistan. Yahya's methods were extremely bloody, and the violence of the war resulted in many civilian deaths. Chief targets included intellectuals and Hindus, and about ten million refugees fled to neighbouring India. Estimates of those massacred range from three hundred thousand to 3 million.Most of the Awami League leaders fled and set up a government-in-exile in Calcutta, India. The Bangladesh Liberation War lasted for 9 months. The guerrilla Mukti Bahini and Bengali regulars eventually received support from the Indian Armed Forces in December 1971. Under the command of Lt. General J.S. Arora, the Indian Army achieved a decisive victory over Pakistan on 16 December 1971, taking over 90,000 prisoners of war in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. </div><div><br />After its independence, Bangladesh became a parliamentary democracy, with Mujib as the Prime Minister. In the 1973 parliamentary elections, the Awami League gained an absolute majority. A nationwide famine occurred during 1973 and 1974, and in early 1975, Mujib initiated a one-party socialist rule with his newly formed BAKSAL. On August 15, 1975, Mujib and his family were assassinated by mid-level military officers.<br /></div><div>A series of bloody coups and counter-coups in the following three months culminated in the ascent to power of General Ziaur Rahman, who reinstated multi-party politics and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Zia's rule ended when he was assassinated in 1981 by elements of the military. Bangladesh's next major ruler was General Hossain Mohammad Ershad, who gained power in a bloodless coup in 1982 and ruled until 1990, when he was ousted in a popular uprising. Since then, Bangladesh has reverted to a parliamentary democracy. Zia's widow, Khaleda Zia, led the BNP to parliamentary victories in 1991 and 2001 and was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to end of 2006. At the present, the caretaker government is in power and after a successful election the new government will be formed. </div><div> </div><div>Sheikh Hasina, one of Mujib's surviving daughters and the head of the Awami League, was in power from 1996 to 2001. Although Bangladesh enjoys the distinction of having two female politicians leading national politics, it continues to suffer from extensive corruption, disorder and political violence.<br /></div><div>Government and politicsMain article: Politics of BangladeshNational symbols of Bangladesh Anthem Amar Shonar Bangla Animal Bengal Tiger Bird Oriental Magpie Robin Fish Hilsa Flower White Water Lily Fruit Jackfruit Sport Kabadi Calendar Bengali calendar Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban houses the Parliament of BangladeshBangladesh is a parliamentary democracy. The President is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post. The real power is held by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The president is elected by the legislature every five years and has normally limited powers that are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government, mainly in controlling the transition to a new government. Bangladesh has instituted a unique system of transfer of power; at the end of the tenure of a government, power is handed over to members of a civil society for three months, who run the general elections and transfer the power to elected representatives. This system was first practiced in 1991 and institutionalized in 1996 as the 13th amendment to the constitution.</div><div><br /> </div><div>The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president and must be a member of parliament (MP), commanding the confidence of the majority of the MPs. The cabinet is composed of ministers selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president. The unicameral parliament is the 300-members House of the Nation or Jatiyo Sangshad, elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies for five-year terms of office. There is universal suffrage for all citizens from the age of 18.<br /></div><div> </div><div>The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone fourteen amendments. The highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court, whose Chief Justices and other judges are appointed by the President. The Judiciary is not separate from the administration, which has caused much commotion in recent years. Laws are loosely based on English common law, but family laws such as marriage and inheritance are based on religious scripts, and hence differ from one religious community to another.<br /></div><div>The two major parties in Bangladesh are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Awami League. BNP finds its allies among Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jot, while Awami League aligns with leftist and secularist parties. Another important player is the Jatiya Party, headed by former military ruler Ershad. The Awami League-BNP rivalry has been bitter and punctuated by protests, violence and murder. Student politics is particularly strong in Bangladesh, a legacy from the liberation movement era. Almost all parties have highly active student wings, and students have been elected to the Parliament.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two radical Islamist parties, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were banned in February 2005. Bomb attacks taking place since 1999 have been blamed on those groups, and hundreds of suspected members have been detained in numerous security operations, including the head the of those two parties in 2006. The first recorded case of a suicide bomb attack in Bangladesh took place in November 2005.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Divisions of Bangladesh The six administrative divisions of BangladeshBangladesh is divided into six administrative divisions, each named after their respective divisional headquarters: Barisal (বরিশাল), Chittagong (চট্টগ্রাম), Dhaka (ঢাকা), Khulna (খুলনা), Rajshahi (রাজশাহী), and Sylhet (সিলেট).<br />Divisions are subdivided into administrative units known as zila, or districts. There are 64 districts in Bangladesh, with each district further subdivided into thana, or police stations (formerly called upa-zila or sub-districts). The area within each police station, except for those in metropolitan areas, is divided into several unions, with each union consisting of multiple villages. In the metropolitan areas, police stations are divided into wards, which are further divided into mahallas. There are no elected officials at the divisional, district or thana levels, and the administration is composed only of government officials. Direct elections are held for each union (or ward), electing a chairperson and a number of members. In 1997, a parliamentary act was passed to reserve 3 seats (out of 12) in every union for female candidates.<br /></div><div>Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. Other major cities include Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet. These metropolitan cities have mayoral elections, while other municipalities elect a chairperson. Mayors and chairpersons are elected for a span of five years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Geography and climateMain article: Geography of Bangladesh Satellite image presenting physical features of BangladeshBangladesh is located in the low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta. This delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges (local name Padma or Pôdda), Brahmaputra (Jamuna or Jomuna), and Meghna rivers and their respective tributaries. The alluvial soil deposited by these rivers has created some of the most highly fertile plains of the world.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Most parts of Bangladesh are within 10 meters (33 ft) above the sea level, and it is believed that about 10% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by 1 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.<br /></div><div>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); it is the longest unbroken natural sea beach in the world.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Economy of Bangladesh Fishermen near the town of Cox's Bazaar in southern Bangladesh. Many industries in Bangladesh are still primitive by modern standards. Worker in a paddy, a common scene all over Bangladesh.Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains an underdeveloped and overpopulated nation. The per capita income in 2004 was a low US$440, and many other economic indicators were less than impressive. Yet, as the World Bank notes in its July 2005 Country Brief, the country has made impressive progress in human development by focusing on increasing literacy, achieving gender parity in schooling, and reducing population growth.<br /></div><div>Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Its share of the world export market peaked in the Second World War and the late 1940s at 80% and even in the early 1970s accounted for 70% of its export earnings. However, polypropylene products began to substitute jute products worldwide and the jute industry started to slow down. Bangladesh grows significant quantities of rice, tea and mustard. Although two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from the garment industry, which began attracting foreign investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2002, the industry exported US$5 billion worth of products. 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.<br /></div><div>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's July 2005 Country Brief: "Among Bangladesh’s most significant obstacles to growth are poor governance and weak public institutions."</div><div><br /></div><div>Since 1990, the country has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5% according to the World Bank, despite the hurdles. The middle class and the consumer industry have seen some growth. 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, Pakistan and several other countries. Bangladesh has seen a sharp increase in foreign direct investment. A number of multinational corporations, including Unocal Corporation and Tata, have made major investments, the natural gas sector being a priority. In December 2005, the Central Bank of Bangladesh projected GDP growth around 6.5%.<br /></div><div>One significant contributor to the development of the economy has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded 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 organizations.<br /></div><div>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.<br /></div><div>Demographics of Bangladesh Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.Recent estimates of Bangladesh's population range from 142 to 147 million, making it one of the ten most populous countries in the world. With a population similar to Russia's confined to an area of 144,000 square kilometers (55,600 sq mi), it is very densely populated. Bangladesh's population growth was among the highest in the world in the 1960s and 1970s, when the count grew from 50 to 90 million, but with the promotion of birth control in the 1980s, the growth rate slowed. The total fertility rate is now 3.1 children per woman, compared with 6.2 three decades ago. The population is relatively young, with the 0–25 age group comprising 60%, while 3% are 65 or older. Life expectancy is 63 years for both males and females.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bangladesh is ethnically homogeneous, with Bengalis comprising 98% of the population. The remainder are mostly Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups. There are 13 tribal groups located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the most populous of the tribes are the Chakmas. The region has been a source for ethnic tension since the inception of Bangladesh. The largest tribal groups outside the Hill Tracts are the Santhals and the Garos (Achiks). Human trafficking has been a lingering problem in Bangladesh and illegal immigration has remained a cause of friction with Myanmar and India.<br /></div><div>The main language, as in West Bengal, is Bangla (Bengali), an Indo-Aryan language of Sanskrit origin and has its own script. Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh. English is used as second language among the middle and upper classes and in higher education. Since a President Order in 1987, Bangla is used for all official correspondence except foreign ones.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Two major religions practised in Bangladesh are Islam (88% US State Department est. 2005) and Hinduism (11% US State Dept. 2005). Ethnic Biharis are predominantly Shia Muslims. Other religious groups include Buddhists, Christians, and Animists.<br /></div><div>Health and education levels have recently improved as poverty levels have decreased. Nevertheless, Bangladesh remains among the poorest nations in the world. Most Bangladeshis are rural, living on subsistence farming. Nearly half of the population lives on less than 1 USD per day.[38] Health problems abound, ranging from surface water contamination, to arsenic in the groundwater, and diseases including malaria, leptospirosis and dengue. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is approximately 41%. There is gender disparity, though, as literacy rates are 50% among men and 31% among women, according to a 2004 UNICEF estimate. Literacy has gone up due to many programs introduced in the country. Among the most successful ones are the Food for education (FFE) program introduced in 1993, and a stipend program for women at the primary and secondary levels. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Culture of Bangladesh Intricate design in a Nakshikatha, a traditional stitched quilt Bagerhat Shat Gambuj Masjid (60 dome mosque), built by Khan Jahan Ali Ruins of the ancient Buddhist monastery in Mahasthangarh, BograA new state for an old nation, Bangladesh has a culture that encompasses elements both old and new. The Bangla language boasts a rich literary heritage, which Bangladesh shares with the Indian state of West Bengal. The earliest literary text in Bangla is the eighth century Charyapada. Bangla literature in the medieval age was often either religious (e.g. Chandidas), or adaptations from other languages (e.g. Alaol). Bangla literature matured in the nineteenth century. Its greatest icons are the poets Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Bangladesh also has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by Maimansingha Gitika, Thakurmar Jhuli or stories related to Gopal Bhar.<br /></div><div>The musical tradition of Bangladesh is lyrics-based (Baniprodhan), with minimal instrumental accompaniment. The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music, and there are numerous other musical traditions in Bangladesh, which vary from one region to the other. Gombhira, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya are a few of the better-known musical forms. Folk music of Bengal is often accompanied by the ektara, an instrument with only one string. Other instruments include the dotara, dhol, flute, and tabla. Bangladesh also has an active heritage in North Indian classical music. Similarly, Bangladeshi dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader Indian dance tradition. Bangladesh produces about 80 films a year. Mainstream Hindi films are also quite popular, as are films from Kolkata, which has its own thriving Bengali-language movie industry. Around 200 dailies are published in Bangladesh, along with more than 1800 periodicals. However, regular readership is low, nearly about 15% of the population. Bangladeshis listen to a variety of local and national radio programmes from Bangladesh Betar, as well as Bangla services from the BBC and Voice of America. There is a state-controlled television channel, but in the last few years, privately owned channels have grown considerably.<br /></div><div>The culinary tradition of Bangladesh has close relations to Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine as well as having many unique traits. Rice and fish are traditional favourites; leading to a common saying that "fish and rice make a Bengali" (machhe bhate bangali). Meat consumption has increased with higher production in recent years. Bangladeshis make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products; some common ones are Rôshogolla, Chômchôm and Kalojam.<br />The sari (shaŗi) is by far the most widely worn dress by Bangladeshi women. However, the salwar kameez (shaloar kamiz) is also quite popular, and in urban areas some women wear Western attire. Among men, European dressing has greater acceptance. Men also use the kurta-paejama combination, often on religious occasions. The lungi, a kind of long skirt, is widely worn by Bangladesh men. </div><div><br /> </div><div>The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are the largest festivals in the Islamic calendar. The day before Eid ul-Fitr is called Chãd Rat (the night of the Moon), and is often marked by firecrackers. Other Muslim holidays are also observed. Major Hindu festivals are Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most important Buddhist festivals while Christmas, called Bôŗodin (Great day) in Bangla is celebrated by the minority Christian population. The most important secular festival is Pohela Baishakh or Bengali New Year, the beginning of the Bengali calendar. Other festivities include Nobanno, Poush parbon (festival of Poush) and observance of national days like Shohid Dibosh.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Cricket is one of the most popular sports in Bangladesh. In 2000, the Bangladesh cricket team was granted Test cricket status and joined the elite league of national teams permitted by the International Cricket Council to play test matches. Other popular sports include football (soccer), field hockey, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, chess, carom, and kabadi, a 7-a-side team-sport played without a ball or any other equipment, which is the national sport of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Sports Control Board regulates 29 different sporting federations.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>(Courtesy wiki)</span></div></div>nonprofithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11729652211781513655noreply@blogger.com0