A Brief History of Bangladesh

Bangladesh often appears in the western media in the context of news stories about flood-stricken people. Such stories often neglect the courage of its people against the fury of nature and the spirit of its cultural diversity.

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• Bengali Language Movement


• Bangladesh War Crimes


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Image by: G.M.B. Akash

Bangladesh Elections 2008 - The Dilemma

Seen on: YouTube

Political parties in Bangladesh say they will boycott December's general elections if corruption charges against their leaders are not dropped. Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have also condemned the Electoral Commission's decision to ban religion-based parties.

Related Post: When Things Fall Apart

My Desh: General Moeen U Ahmed

Shubro writes: My say on an issue like this would not make much difference, however, in the collective-sense it might have some meaning in the end. Here's my opinion of Bangladesh's incumbent ruler General Moeen.

I remember the morning I woke up to find a complete blackout surrounding me. I had unwillingly become the slave of the much-hyped communication media, or this is what I realized. Nobody knew what was happening.

Then in the evening when the president Iajuddin Ahmed (Piyajuddin; Onionuddin - according to Sheikh Hasina) read out a predetermined script from his unknown masters. He was sweating in his expensive suit.

He approached the nation with caution, advising them of the dire circumstances that had led to the emergency-rule in Bangladesh. As a matter of thought the military came into the scene as a group who could guide the nation to prosperity after years of naked-corruption by the ruling elites.

It is noteworthy that an army-enterprise called 'Sena Kalyan Sangstha' had set a precedent by running profitable businesses in so many sectors like cement, oil etc.; A citizen like me had hoped this profitable venture might also send of its good managers to the rescue, so we could at least drop the charge of being a lame nation. Since then, advisers have come and gone.

On to the real matter: Do I really believe that General Moeen is a saint?

Sometimes, maybe I think he is better than all those greedy-pigs we have had in the past. I remember one taxi-driver telling me how the prevalence of drugs were the cause of few greedy-ministers. I believe General Moeen will not drop to those levels. My final conclusion about General Moeen is, he will fail to make a lasting impact, because corruption is so-much rooted in our thoughts, it is hard for the most organized to shape this nation to a perfect mold. The influence of his foreign well-wishers is not going to help his cause.

His most dangerous issues however, lie within the country. An example of this is the constant patronization of some politicians. The worst example is the scarcity of basic necessities in the market. While people starve, this sorry nation is joining the world economy with pride.

Mama says:

I found these interesting comments on Rumi's blog, just thought they were amusing & interesting. They actually provide some real insight. >>>

Initially some may have had an utopian belief that it was Fakhruddin Ahmed. Then someone kept thinking of Masud U Chowdhury. And lately the name of Zahangir Alam, a Lt general and the Quarter Master General of Bangladesh Army is coming up as a major power broker. Despite all these speculations, General Moeen U Ahmed has successfully managed to look in control.

In fact this powerful quarter is the facilitator of 1/11. General Moeen is the embodiment of a combination of figures like Kamal Hossain, Rehman Sobhan, Mahfuz Anam and Debapriya Bhattacharya.

Drafted from Bangladesh Social Network: My Voice

Banker to the Poor on Wall St.

If Wall Street's investment banks need help easing their financial woes, they would do well to look to the world's humblest lenders, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has said.

Nicknamed "banker to the poor," won the Nobel in 2006 for inspiring a global microfinance movement that has lifted millions out of poverty by granting tiny loans. Started 30 years ago with a $27 loan to women in Bangladesh, his Grameen Bank has mushroomed by providing credit to the poor.

Unlike Wall Street, which is reeling from a flood of loans that may never be paid back, Grameen bank has a recovery rate of more than 98 percent.

"Today, if we are prepared, we could buy some of those falling banks in the United States, no problem, it's possible," Yunus said semi-seriously at former U.S. President Bill Clinton's philanthropic summit, the Clinton Global Initiative.

"Don't ignore them (the poor) ... we lend over a billion dollars a year," he said. "We have to get out of the mindset that the rich will do the business and the poor will have the charity."

Via Reuters

Hilton-Prize Of $1.5 Million Goes To BRAC

Bangladesh's BRAC, the largest aid and development organisation in the developing world, has won the 2008 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

"BRAC's approach to creating sustainable programmes on a massive scale has blazed a trail for development organisations," Steven M. Hilton, president and chief executive officer of the Hilton Foundation, said in a statement.

Launched in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC has disbursed $5 billion in micro-loans and helped nearly 4 million students complete primary school.

Via Reuters

Abusing Bangladesh

Under the ongoing state of emergency instituted by the military, people in Bangladesh have endured widespread arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and other human rights abuses, says Asian Human Rights Commission. Furthermore, the military-controlled government has been promulgating arbitrary laws that have lead directly to further abuses of human rights and further obstruction of all avenues available to victims seeking remedies.

Also see: A man is killed by the Rapid Action Battalion in Barisal

From Bangladesh to Spalding

The story of Monuhor Ali who escaped unrest to open an Indian restaurant.

Creating a Poverty-Free World

Seen on: YouTube

Dr. Yunus, awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, offers his insights into what is required to eradicate global poverty. Yunus envisions a new kind of capitalism, and demonstrates how his organizations, the Grameen-Bank and the Grameen Family of Companies, offer viable solutions to the challenge of pervasive poverty.

Read a Chapter and Pass It On!

Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
“I don’t know … there must be a simple way. The borrower comes back with his or her deposit receipt, presents it to the cashier, and the cashier gives back the money. Whatever accounting the bank does is the bank’s business.”

The manager shook his head but did not answer. “It seems to me your banking system is designed to be anti-illiterate,” I countered.

About the Author
Muhammad Yunus was born in 1940 in Chittagong, a seaport in Bangladesh. The third of fourteen children, five of whom died in infancy, he was educated at Dhaka University and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study economics at Vanderbilt University. In 1972 he became the head of the economics department at Chittagong University. He is the founder of the Grameen Bank.

A View from the Top

Seen on: YouTube

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed talks candidly about the political reforms in Bangladesh.

U.S. - Bangladesh Relations

At a press conference inaugurating his tenure as the thirteenth U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, Mr. James Moriarty noted that "promoting democracy, ensuring development, and denying space to terrorism are the key challenges.

The United States, he said, "will remain a close partner to the people of Bangladesh in each of these areas." Mr. Moriarty expressed admiration for "the achievements of the Bangladeshi people who fought for decades to win the right to govern themselves and control their own destiny."

U.S. - Bangladesh Relations: Download mp3

Via VOA-News

Bangladesh: A Nuclear-Dream

Bangladesh is heading towards the path of becoming the third nuclear nation in South Asia. The topic came in discussion during meetings between the Chinese minister Yang Jiechi and Bangladesh's foreign advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.
The Chinese minister was on a two-day tour to Bangladesh recently.

The foreign advisor of Bangladesh said, China is a partner and the visit of Chinese minister would further strengthen this relationship.

´Our friendship is rooted in history, but like all relationships, ties between nations also have to be renewed and reinvigorated from time to time, and this visit was an occasion to do just that,´ the foreign adviser stated.

The Chinese foreign minister said, military cooperation is an important part of the overall bilateral relation between Bangladesh and China. Jiechi, who also met the army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, made the remarks to journalists.

Via American Chronicle

Bangladesh: A Change of Policy

Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said, the country needs to re-adjust its foreign-policy as a new era begins in Asia.

He said Asia is progressing fast in an unprecedented speed. So, the policies of Bangladesh need to be realigned with the global changes. Otherwise, the country would lag behind, a foreign office press release quoted him as saying.

Iftekhar said: "Perhaps, we do not realize that there is more reverse transfer of resources to those developed countries, who buy from us. We pay many times more in duties to them, than we receive in aid."

On the other hand, it is the booming economies of Asia that might help shape the future of Bangladesh. Power players of contemporary times are China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India and Gulf states, he added.

Via Xinhua

Bangladesh, the next Afghanistan?

Bangladesh has a number of organized & lavishly funded fundamentalist militias and a government that yields to their pressure on all matters.

Understandably, there has been growing concern over the possibility of Bangladesh becoming a country like Afghanistan under Taleban rule.

Addressing a press-conference in Dhaka on 5th September 2004, Joseph Cofer Black, the US State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism, who was visiting the country in wake of the attack on Awami League's rally on 21 August, affirmed that USA was looking at Bangladesh's role as a terrorist platform.

Many would, however, scoff at the suggestion that a shift might be under-way from Afghanistan to Bangladesh, arguing that the situation in Bangladesh today is very different from Afghanistan in 1994 when the Taleban emerged.

Bangladesh is a far more developed country than Afghanistan. It has a vocal and assertive civil society supported by an active and secular intelligentsia. More important, it is a Muslim country with a significant degree of religious tolerance, where women play important roles in the country's social and economic lives.

Related Link > Radicalism in Bangladesh

Via Bangladesh-Blogger

Nokia subscribes to Bangladesh

Nokia, a major mobile phone giant, has apparently signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), to promote the game in the country.

"We are happy to have Nokia with us. But we won't give you the financial details," said BFF president SA Sultan at a press conference.

"The world loves football and the Bangladeshis are no exception. And we at Nokia take pride in having our logo being carried by the team," said Prem Chand, managing director of Nokia Emerging Asia.

Via Bangladesh-Blogger

The Torture of Tasneem Khalil

The torture of journalist Tasneem Khalil by Bangladesh's notorious military intelligence agency highlights abuses under the country's state of emergency and the government's failure, Human Rights Watch has said in a new report.

The 39-page report, "The Torture of Tasneem Khalil", graphically details Khalil's 22-hour ordeal in May 2007 in Bangladesh's clandestine detention and torture system -- a setup well known to the government & ordinary Bangladeshis.

"Rampant illegal detention and torture are clear evidence of Bangladesh's security forces running amok," said Brad Adams, of Human Rights Watch.

"Bangladesh's international friends need to make the eradication of torture a top priority in their relations with Bangladesh," said Adams.

Excerpts from Tasneem Khalil's statement:
"[A member of the arresting party] jumped up from the chair, pulled out a revolver, pushed it against my lips, and started shouting, 'You are under arrest.' I started shouting back, telling them that what they were doing was illegal."

"Then they asked me about my connections with Human Rights Watch. I told them I work as their consultant. When they inquired further, I told them I had worked with Human Rights Watch since 2006. I worked with Human Rights Watch on a report about extrajudicial killings by RAB. That suddenly infuriated them so much that all of them started hitting the table with hands and sticks and started shouting at me. 'How dare you write against our brothers in RAB?"

"They started beating me again mercilessly, from all possible directions with hands and batons and kicks. I said I would not do those things again. But one person said I had already 'made the blunder'."

Miliband's Bangladesh

David Miliband urged Bangladesh on Saturday to return to the democratic process "as soon as feasible".

"We hope the state of emergency will be lifted in due course and parliamentary elections will be held by the end of the current year as pledged by the caretaker government," Miliband told a news conference at the end of his two-day visit.

Miliband voiced Britain's support for ongoing reforms in Bangladesh, and steps taken to hold dialogue between the government and political parties.

"We encourage a positive and constructive dialogue between political parties and the caretaker government," Miliband said adding "we want to support strong, independent, effective democratic institutions."

sked to comment on the two detained prime ministers, Miliband only said: "Judicial process should be fair, and free from any interference." Miliband met head of the government Fakhruddin Ahmed, army chief Moeen U. Ahmed and A.T.M. Shamsul Huda, Chief Election Commissioner.

Via Bangladesh-Blogger

The 'Trial of Sheikh-Hasina'

The extortion-trial of the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has formally begun. But the businessman who filed the case told the court that it was not Sheikh Hasina who had demanded the payment, but one of her cousins.

Sheikh Hasina and family-members deny receiving payments of about $435,000 from the businessman from 1996 to 2001.

'Politically motivated'
The special court set up on the grounds of Bangladesh's defunct parliament to try this case - after numerous adjournments - heard from Azam J. Chowdhury, the owner of a power company.

He said, Sheikh Selim, the cousin of the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, demanded this money, saying that some of it would go to Hasina herself. Mr Chowdhury said he did not have any direct contact with Hasina.

Via BBC

Mobile-Communication boosts Bangladesh

Bangladesh has ended 2007 with 34.37 million mobile phone subscribers, up from 33.10 million in November last year, according to the latest update BTRC.

Grameenphone had 16.48 million customers, up from 16.01, while bangalink ended the year with 7.08 million customers, up from 6.51 million in Dec-2007.

Aktel has been losing customers during the year and ended December with 6.40 million subscribers while CityCell increased its subscriber base to 1.41 million.

Teletalk-Bangladesh had 850,000 subscribers, up from 720,000 a month earlier, and Warid Telecom ended 2007 with 2.15 million customers.

Via Telecom-Paper

Student-protest continues in Bangladesh

Students have continued their protests in Dhaka against the leakage of question-papers for exams under the National-University.

Students of Dhaka-College on Tuesday took to the streets and blocked traffic on Mirpur-Road. "The students should not pay for this kind of errors, which is a fault of the authorities." they demanded.

Via Bangladesh-Blogger