Bangladesh from our View

Premer Taj-Mahal

2009-07-14T01:12:00.004+07:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

A replica of Taj Mahal has been built by Ahsanullah Moni in Bangladesh's Narayanganj district. Ahsanullah Moni is a Bangladeshi filmmaker. This is the second Taj-Mahal in the world. Some pictures of Premer Taj-Mahal.

Dump student is also not safe in the street!!!

2009-06-23T21:20:00.002+07:00

By Rabbany Sujan

Eve-teasing is the one of the problem to the young Bangladeshi girls. We can see in the daily newspaper often that young girl are facing these problems in the roads, markets, schools and workplaces. As a result many guardians give company when their young girls go to the schools, colleges, markets and other places. Many young girls are to wear veils when they are outside of their houses. Sometimes eve-teasing is the cause of suicide of some young girls like Simi, Purnima, Mahima, Trisha and many others. Ok, now why I am thinking about this problem… is that..

Rozina Akter is in tailoring class

A very young girl aged 13 and named Rozina, is learning Tailoring items at Nari Jibon skill training centre. She is dump and she was born in a very needy family. She comes to the office on foot and it takes at least half an hour.

Last week she was crying without sound after reaching in the class, she looked very afraid. As she could not speak her teacher did not understand what happened but she understood that she faced serious something. Her teacher informed me about her situation. One of my neighboring was dump and I knew some sign language. She tried to understand me that a young boy was following her when she was coming at Nari Jibon to her class. That boy several times passed her touching her body and offered her something bad. But seeing her silence the young boy caught her dress to stop her walking where people were very few. The young boy looked very ugly and dangerous and then she became afraid and buffeted him on his face. Seeing this, some travelers came to her and then the young boy fled away. She was asked many questions but she could not reply but cried soundless.

Now she is thinking that the young boy may make problem when she would return to her house. And that's why she was very afraid. We tried to assure her that he could not make her any problem and we said to stay long time with us and then we would give her guide to send to her house. At the end of her longtime class we sent her to her house with our office assistant (khala). She was absent two days and next day she came to Nari Jibon with her mother. Then we decided that she would come to the Nari Jibon with our office Assistant (Khala) staff who lives in same area.

Her mother informed us that she was not dump when she was born. When she was only one year old her mother went to the village and then she fell in sick. She suffered from serious fever long days. She did not receive proper treatment. At the beginning time she was treatment by the village doctor and kobiraj. After returning Dhaka her parents took to the several govt. hospitals and when doctors said that she needed surgical operation and that’s why they needed sufficient money, they stopped her treatment. Her father is daily labor and mother is housewife. They have not sufficient money to treatment her and her parents are very worried with her sickness as they would also face to give her in marriage. But she is very jolly and talent. She learned most of the tailoring items within two months. Now she changed her way to come to Nari Jibon office.

Other two dump students visited to Nari Jibon office to learn Computer and Tailoring items. One of them is educated (class-12 passed) and another one is less literate. But they wanted to learn without any fee but just now Nari Jibon has no donor and passing very difficult time.

Successful History of Nari Jibon Students

2009-06-16T21:01:00.005+06:00

Shireen Sultana

I am Shireen Sultana, aged 24. At the end of my study I started to search job but I was not succeed. Everywhere needs job skill. I was informed about Nari Jibon from one of my friends where women & girls get effective job training. I started to learn English and Computer from Nari Jibon. At the end of my course I started to search job using Nari Jibon cyber café. I submitted my portfolio to the bdjobs com and some other places and in last March 2009 I was offered to join in a foreign multinational Company as Customer Service. I received Tk. 8000 with some other facilities like lunch and conveyance. I was a regular blogger at Nari Jibon and received several training on blog maintenance. I became more skilled on English and computer exercising bloging e Nari Jibon cyber café. Really I praise the programs that Nari Jibon provides only for women. I want to say that there are some cyber café in Dhaka city but women don’t want to use these due to their unsafe environment for young women. Sometimes I used to come to use Nari Jibon Cyfer Café but I am very shocked to see that Nari Jibon stopped their cyber café services due to donation problem. I pray to Allah that Nari Jibon will be able to continue their best services soon to the women like me and other underprivileged women in Bangladesh. I am very thankful to Nari Jibon and who supported Nari Jibon.

Afia Akter

My name is Afia Akter and aged about 23. I have studied up to class-14 (Degree). I was searching a job beside I was working as a private tutor. I have completed English and Computer course from Nari Jibon. Last week in this month I have joined in private organization as a “Data Entry Operator”. This is contract basis job. I am grateful to Nari Jibon as I learned English and Computer from Nari Jibon and I got sufficient time for practicing. I thing Nari Jibon provides effective skill training especially I learned how to write standard Resume, Cover letter/application e portfolio in English classes and online application. Blogging is another option that makes women & girls more skilled in English and Computer and aware about the modern world. Special thanks to Dr. Kathryn B Ward who is the main founder and have enough sympathy for the Bangladeshi women and also thanks to all the teachers and staff.

Nari Jibon Students' Success Stories

2009-05-28T17:31:00.002+06:00

By Sujon

There is a proverb in our country “Va-te Ma-re, Buddhi-a Bachay-” it means ‘providing some food for death, providing knowledge for survives’. There are many NGOs that spending huge amount of money for women empowerment, strengthening, increasing awareness, rights and proving loan. Many donor/orgs are spending money for reducing harassment/violence, making them aware about type of harassments and supporting legal support. Everything is welfare for women luck. But none of them think, if a woman files a case for judgment, where those women take shelter for ever? To her parent’s family? Does she would be honored there? Obviously she will go to another purush/man as wife and he will be worse than first one.

It is proved in our society (and our research output) that women who can earn money and able to support family financially get honor in the family and society. They can also be decision maker in the family. Other members of their family respect them and as a result they face less harassment in the family.

Nari Jibon Development Foundation is providing effective skill training program to the women besides its awareness program through discussion and writing articles. Due to scarcity of outreach activities we can not know how much students get but sometime some students informed us about their job and sweetened their teachers.

Sakura Noor

I am Sakura Noor, aged about 34. I have completed Masters in History from Dhaka University. I am married and I have a child. I was working as a housewife. One day I heard about Nari Jibon from one of friend and I took admission to learn English and Computer Office Program.

After completing my course I was offered to work as an Executive Officer in an established developer company named ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT LTD. I joined there April 2009 and my starting salary is held 5000 taka per month.

I am very happy getting this job and this was possible to learn Computer and English from Nari Jibon as they (Company) wanted Computer and English expert woman.

Sufia Khatun

My name is Sufia Khatun and I am about 20 years old. I passed H.S.C. (class-12) and then I took admission in class-13 (Degree) but I could not continue my study due to sickness and poverty. My father leaved us (my mother with two elder sisters and one elder brother) getting married another woman. After passing class-12, I came to Dhaka to one of my maternal aunt for study and treatment. My elder brother was working in a garment factory and he was supporting our family financially. It was difficult to continue my study and then I thought that I need to involve in income generating activities. I heard about Nari Jibon to one of my neighboring as it was very cheap I took admission to learn English and Computer Ms Office program. During the course duration I received blog maintaining training from Nari Jibon and then I started blogging. I was rewarded some money from Nari Jibon. I also received scholarship (free class & cyber pass). Really these made me eager to take more skilled in English and Computer. Due to my accommodation problem I had to leave Dhaka to Narayangonja soon. But I am able to use my skills that I learned from Nari Jibon getting a job as office Executive to a Garments Buying House at Narayangonja. I am very happy that I can provide some financial support to family. I am very thankful to Dr. Kathryn B Ward and Nari Jibon staff who encouraged me to take skill.

Asma Akter Choity

I am Asma Akter Choity. I am about 20 years old. I am reading in honors (2^nd year) at Begum Bodrunnesa Girls’ college, Dhaka. I live in Lalbagh in Dhaka with my parents.

I have learned Computer Ms. Office Program, Photography and English Course from Nari Jibon.

In last December 2008 I joined in a private company named Asian Sky Shop (Green Road, Dhaka) as Office Executive. It is happy news to me and my family.

Sharmin Akter

My name is Sharmin Akter and I am approximately 14 years old. I went to the primary school about 4 years. I could not continue study due to extreme poverty. After giving up study I was helping my mother doing some household works. One day I heard about Nari Jibon from one of my neighboring woman. I informed my mother about Nari Jibon and willing to learn tailoring course. Then I visit and took admission dated 11^th March 2008. Within 3 months I learned 34 tailoring items and one month I got chance for more practicing. Later I received very few money from this tailoring shop. At the end of my course I worked in a tailoring shop but I did not receive money but many customers used to like my works. But September 2008 I got an offer from an established Tailoring Shop, situated at Rampura Banasree named Parveen Tailors as Sewing and Cutting master. They give me 2000 taka per month where I work 10 hours everyday. Really I am very thankful to Nari Jibon and my teacher Salma madam.

We are thankful to Lee Goldman & AISD

2009-05-28T17:27:00.001+06:00

By Sujon
Nari Jibon Development Foundation depends on private donation as it is providing skill trainings (Computer, English, Tailoring and Non formal Adult Education) to the underprivileged women & girls from the March 2005. Students pay very nominal fee for these courses. Due to world economic crisis and health problem of main donor (Dr. Kathryn B Ward, Professor, Department of Sociology, SIU at Carbondale) and some other reasons Nari Jibon is facing serious financial crisis. While it was near to close the volunteer English Teacher of Nari Jibon Lee Goldman and some of her colleagues/students donated to continue Nari Jibon activities as they think that the skill training programs of Nari Jibon are more effective to the Bangladeshi women.
On March 27 the American International School of Dhaka (AISD) hosted a running event called the Step-Up Relays in which teams of four people ran a series of laps around Baridhara. Teams consisted of students, parents, school staff, and other community members. Each team paid a registration fee, and all proceeds from the event were donated to Nari Jibon.

Lee Goldman & some AISD students with Nari Jibon staff

At an earlier event on Dec.13, 2008, AISD held another athletic event called the Splash-n-Dash, a duathalon in which participants swam 400m and ran 4km. In some cases a swimmer and runner joined together to form a team to complete the duathalon. Again, the participants paid a registration fee and all proceeds went to Nari Jibon.

Lee Goldman and some AISD students teach English Spoken to Nari Jibon students in every Friday.

YouTube and Some File Sharing Sites Blocked In Bangladesh

2009-03-09T16:16:00.003+06:00

Cross posted from The 3rd world view

Internet users in Bangladesh are not able to access YouTube since Friday (March 6, 2009) evening. Soon people discovered that other Social Media and file hosting/sharing sites like Esnips, mediafire etc. were also not accessible. Apparently these are blocked by the firewalls at IIG (International Internet Gateway) as these can be accessed by proxy.

Torpon appeals to the Bangladesh government not to takeaway the freedom of internet after providing some proofs of the filtering:

ঢাকায় ইউটিউবে ঢুকতে গিয়ে টাইম আউট হয়ে যাচ্ছিল দেখে অনেকে ভাবছিলেন যে ইউটিউবের সার্ভারের সমস্যা । এরপর দেখা যাচ্ছিল যে ইস্নিপস্ এও ঢোকা যাচ্ছে না । তখন সন্দেহ করা হলো যে সমস্যাটি অন্য কোন খানে । কোথাও ডেটা ব্লক হয়ে যাচ্ছে । প্রমাণ ছাড়া সরকার কে দোষ দেয়াটা অযৌক্তিক । কিন্তু অল্প কিছু সময়ের মধ্যে অভিজ্ঞ বাংলাদেশী নেটওয়ার্ক ইঞ্জিনিয়াররা বিভিন্ন জায়গা থেকে জানালেন সরকারী কোন সার্ভারের ফায়ারওয়ালে ইউটিউব সহ অনেক গুলো সাইট ব্লক করা হয়েছে।

While accessing YouTube from Dhaka a 'time out error' was being returned and people thought there was something wrong with YouTube Server. Soon people found out that they could not access E-snips (a file sharing site). So people feared that somewhere the data is being blocked. It is not logical to blame the government without proof and logic. But soon IT experts and network engineers from all over Bangladesh notified that YouTube and a few other sites are being blocked by a firewall in some government server.

বাংলাদেশ লিনাক্স ইউজার গ্রুপের সার্ভার থেকে গুগল, ইউটিউব এবং ইস্নিপসের সাইটে ট্রেসরাউট কমান্ড দিয়ে দেখা গেছে, গুগল ঠিকই পৌছে যাচ্ছে গুগলের সার্ভারে কিন্তু বাকি দুটো আটকে গেছে বিটিটিবির ফায়ার ওয়ালে।

When traceroute command was executed from the Bangladesh Linux user group server targeting Google, YouTube and E-snips sites the result showed that Google server could be reached but the other two were being stuck at BTTB Firewall.

Mango and BTCL (formerly BTTB) are the official IIGs (International Internet Gateway) in Bangladesh. Starting last April, by regulation, all Bangladeshis ISPs have to route their international traffic to either Mango, or BTCL, who send the traffic over either the submarine cable or the vsats.

The YouTube ban was confirmed [bn] by a Bangla Newspaper Prothom Alo. Twitter user Mahay Alam Khan reports on the ban on more sites.

mahayalamkhan: youtube, eSnips, midiafire, filefreak, upload-mp3 are banned or blocked in Bangladesh. Please, re-twitt.

Russell John speculates why the ban was executed:

Why did the Government do this? It's because of an audio recording that could "damage" the reputation of our great Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. For now they blocked YouTube and eSnips, but in the future there might be more sites. Maybe Facebook too? People shares a lot of stuff there.

After the recent BDR mutiny and massacre of army officers in Dhaka the Prime Minister met the aggrieved army officers in a confidential closed door meeting at Shenakunja where no press or outsiders were allowed. The conversions in the meeting and cellphone video recordings were leaked out, uploaded and shared using many file sharing sites including E-snips and YouTube. Unheard Voice blog discusses the issue of the leaked audio files which are being used by some quarters to create some political bickering and malign the army and the Prime Minister.

Dark ocean needs a lighthouse says:

If Bangladesh Govt thinks Internet is like Cellphone service then they are living in fools' paradise. There are many ways people can bypass the blockage. [..] In this particular case anyone can use Anonymous proxy and bypass firewall!

Youtube, eSnips etc are very common and useful services. If Bangladesh Govt think any particular Audio and Video harmful for our society they could directly request Youtube to remove them. Such wild blockage is not only stupidity but also raises question about Govt's intention.

Some bloggers like Kayes Mahmud are providing proxy links so that others can access the blocked contents. Razon Sun points out that the contents of the meeting at Shenakunjo have already been published in a local newspaper [bn]. So there is actually no logic to block the internet. It may be mentioned here that Bangladeshis outside Bangladesh can easily access to these contents, which can be downloaded and shared by email.

Sushanta says:

প্রচারনা বন্ধ করার আগে দেখেন কিভাবে এটা রেকর্ড হলো? প্রথমে কোন সাইটে এটা আপ্লোড হয়েছে। সেনাকুঞ্জের সভার ভিডিও টা দেখেন ভালো করে কোন সেনা কর্মকর্তা মোবাইল হাতে চুপেচাপে রেকর্ডিং করছে। এটা ধরা তেমন কঠিন কাজ না।

Before trying to block the audio/videos please see how it was recorded and where it was first uploaded. Please check the video of the Shenakunja meeting to pin point who recorded it. It is not hard to find out.

Russell vents his frustration:

What's ironical is that it's the same Government that talks about "Digital Bangladesh" all the time. We now know what Digital Bangladesh is like.

Now the question is how to unblock YouTube and other file sharing sites in Bangladesh. We have seen in previous cases that the authorities do not recognize that such bans were carried out in the first place shifting the blame to technical glitches. In the absence of 'Right To Information Act' it is hard for a common citizen to ask why it was done. We hope that the authorities will unblock all these sites to prevent more controversies and bad publicity for the government.

Nari Jibon Development Foundation has set up Volunteer Peer Educators group to promote awareness on HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Early Marriage etc

2009-03-03T17:36:00.003+06:00

By Golam Rabbany Sujon

Nari Jibon Development Foundation is providing skill training programs and awareness activities from March 2005. Nari Jibon offers Bengali, English, Tailoring and Computer Micro Soft Office program, Photography and Graphic design classes to the young underprivileged women & girls in Bangladesh. Students pay very nominal registration fee for these courses. Nari Jibon also generated two blog sites (English and Bangla) by the students and staff and in this medium students can also increase their knowledge, English and computer skills. At Nari Jibon cyber café (women only) students can receive cyber services in a safe environment. Students from different communities come to Nari Jibon classes for receiving these courses such as different educational institutes, house holds, dropout garment workers, residence based sex workers spots, different beauty parlors and NGOs etc. Nari Jibon development Foundation used to provide awareness activities through workshop/seminars, discussion meeting, counseling and writing competition/blogging articles and outreach on the necessity of job skill training, HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and End violence against women, Early Marriage and Dowry Demand etc. Some staff of NJDF motivated students trained and established a group of students who are supposed to work as Volunteer Peer Educators to their respective communities on the above issues especially HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence as Nari Jibon students and staffs think that younger women are more vulnerable to these issues and adolescents can act a great role to prevent these issues. On the other hand these are the major and vital problem in Bangladesh. The following students received training and working as Peer Educators (with their voice):

Farzana Akter Tuli

My name is Farzana Akter Tuli and I am 24 years old. I am studying in Master’s first year in Begum Badrunnesa College. Besides I am also taking courses on English and Computer Ms Office Program from Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
I want to establish myself as a self reliant woman in our society. Being motivated from NJDF I am working as volunteer peer educator as we know HIV/AIDS is global problem and it has no treatment. I think we (young people) can reduce the problem if we are aware. Almost same way we can stop domestic violence, early marriage, dowry system from our society as we create this problem and this is possible only increasing awareness amongst us. I think we everyone should work to remove this from our socie

Jannatul Ferdouse Nargish

I am Jannatul Ferdose Nargish and I am 18 years old. Now I am reading honors 1st year in Govt. Titumir College in management. I completed Ms. Office Program course and English Course from Nari Jibon and now I am learning on Graphic Design Course.
In future I want to work in a Bank. AIDS is a dangerous and fatal disease in the world. Though Bangladesh is low prevalence but we are in great risk. I think we everyone should be aware about this dangerous disease and thus we can prevent it. I have already started to work as a volunteer peer educator and I think all the young people should start to work against spreading HIV/AIDS. We also should work together to stop violence against women, Child Marriage and Dowry system. I think younger people can keep great role to solve

Feroza Begum Poly

I am Feroza Akter Poly and I am 24 years old. Now I am reading in class HSC under Open University.
I have completed English, Computer Ms Office Program, Hardware and Business Management from Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
Now I am founder of Mukto Behango Cooperative Society and I am working there as joint Secretary. Many women are engaged with this co-operative Society and we are running business of spicy, candle and some other handmade goods.
Still now I come to NJDF office to use cyber café as I am a blogger too. Being motivated by NJDF staff I have started to work as volunteer Peer Educator as think if young people can organized we can solve many difficulties. Due to scarcity of prevention awareness many people affecting HIV/AIDS. We should to care everyone just now and stop spreading out. I also agreed that if we can organize we can stop domestic violence, early child marriage and dowry system from Bangladesh.

Rahima Akter Hira

I am Rahima Akter Hira and I am 23 years old. I am studying at Eden Mohila College in second year in Bachelor of Arts.
I am learning English and Computer Ms Office Program, Graphic Design and Photography. In future I want to be a Photographer.
I have started to increase awareness in Domestic Violence, prevention information on HIV/AIDS as we can prevent this only increasing awareness. I think younger people can contribute more to prevent these from our country and every people should work for promoting awareness on these serious harmful issues.

Jannat ara Amzad

My name is Jannat ara Amzad. I am 19 years old. I am reading at Begum Badrunnesa Sarkari Mohila College honors first year in Bengali.
I have learned English and Computer Ms Office Program and now I am learning photography at Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
I have started to increase awareness on HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence to my classmate friends and young relatives as a volunteer peer educator. I think every awareness young people should work to promote awareness on these issues and thus we can prevent dangerous issues.

Nawshin Tarannum Tushil

My name is Nawshin Tarannum Tushil and I am 21 years old. I am reading at Shiddeshary Degree College second year in Bachelor of Arts.
I have completed learning English and Computer Ms Office Program in Nari Jibon Development Foundation. Now I am learning Graphic Design Course at NJDF. My future plan is to be a teacher.
I would like to work as volunteer peer educator to promote awareness on HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence to the younger students of my college and friend circles. I think we all (young people) should work to stop HIV/AIDS epidemic, Domestic Violence, Early Marriage and Dowry system. And thus we can stop these harmful issues from our society.

Surma Akter

My name is Surma Akter and I am 22 years old. Now I am studying second year in Bachelor of Arts at Shiddeshary Degree College.
I have completed learning English and Ms Office Program Course from Nari Jibon Development Foundation. Now I am taking Graphic Design course from there.
My future plan is to be a lawyer.
Being motivated I have started to work as a volunteer Peer Educator to promote awareness knowledge on HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and to stop Early marriage. I think only awareness activities can reduce this epidemic from our society and we (young people) have responsibilities to prevent these. Hadiya Akter
My name is Hadiya Akter and I am about 20 years old. At present I am studying in honors second year in Bengali at Shahid Shohrawardi College. My aim in life is to work as a teacher.
Besides I am also learning English and Computer Ms Office Program at Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
Being motivated I am working as a volunteer peer educator to increase awareness to my classmate friend circles on HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and Child marriage. I think if we can make aware young people in our society we’ll be able to reduce these harmful issues from our society.

Tamanna Dilshad

I am Tamanna Dilshad and I am 18 years 7 months year old. Now I am studying in honors first year in Management at Govt. Eden Mohila College. I want to take a job in the Bank.
I am learning English and Computer Ms Office Program course from Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
I have started to work as a volunteer peer educator to promote awareness on HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and stopping Child marriage from our society. I think if we can create awareness to the young people in our society we’ll be able to reduce these dangerous issues from our country. We also need to work together to promote awareness to the every community in our country.

Sharban Tahura

My name is Sharban Tahura and I am 20 years old. I am reading in honors first year in Accounting at Shahid Shohrawardi College. In future I want to work in any Bank.
I am also learning English and Computer Ms Office Program at Nari Jibon Development Foundation.
I am very appreciated to work as volunteer educator to increase awareness on some vulnerable issues in our society. As HIV/AIDS is global problem and it is incurable, we should work together to prevent this to promote awareness amongst younger people. I think we can also reduce Early Marriage and Dowry system from society to create awareness on these issues from our society.

Ferdouse ara Uzma

My name is Ferdouse ara Uzma and I am 18 years old. Now I am reading at intermediate first year at Sheddeshary Girls College. My future plan is to be Computer Engineer.
Now I am learning English and Computer Ms Office Program at Nari Jibon Development Foundation. Being motivated I have started to work as volunteer peer educator at my college campus. I want to promote awareness on HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and Early Marriage as I think we can prevent these issues to increase awareness. I also think young people can contribute more to reduce these harmful issues from our society.

Narijibon students/bloggers celebrated Pahela Falgun-3

2009-02-20T23:19:00.002+06:00

After previous >>

In the Pahela Falgun celebration program, Jannatul Fardoush danced with one of the popular Bengali songs Bristi pore tapor tapor (pattering noise as of rain falling).

Narijibon students/bloggers celebrated Pahela Falgun-2

2009-02-20T22:58:00.004+06:00

After previous >>

Israt Jahan and Sonia Akter danced with one of the romantic Bengali songs chupi-chupi bolo.

Narijibon students/bloggers celebrated Pahela Falgun

2009-02-18T21:55:00.005+06:00

13th February was the first day of spring. Spring, this season brings color and festivities in the minds of people, lighting up the hearts of all age and life and living. Narijibon bloggers arranged a programme of several events with traditional songs, dance and recite poems to celebrated Pahela Falgun. They started their programme with one of most popular Rabindra Sangeet “Aha aje a basanta”(aha in this spring) watch more from video…

On the 1st Falgun

2009-02-18T17:30:00.002+06:00

By Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]

On the first Falgun, 1415 [Bengali month, year] Bengali people celebrate this day with a great joy. Many cultural programs are arranged on this day. Bengali girls & women wear Saree. People prefer yellow color based dresses on this day. From 1^st Falgun the Winter season gets to end and the king of the seasons Spring starts. The nature starts changing in new beauty. In the winter season the nature becomes rough & lifeless. After the winter the nature decorates her with new leaves & many colorful flowers. That’s why Bengali people cheer on this day and pass the day with festive & gay mood.

I also celebrate this day with my friends & family. On this 1^st Falgun I celebrate with my newly married brother & sister-in-law. We had a trip to Munshigonj by ship. We started our journey from Buriganga River and end our journey at Shitalaksha River. We went to my brother’s friend’s home. It was like a picnic. My brother’s friend arranged everything. The journey was for two hours. When we reached at Munshigonj we found many types of hand made cakes, paste of different fruits & drinks were arranged for us. At noon we had Kacchi Biriany as lunch. In the afternoon curd & tea were arranged. We passed some times at the side of Shitalaksha River. In the evening we started our journey for Dhaka. We had a great fun there. We are really grateful to my brother’s friend Mr. Jubaidur Rahman Khan for giving us a wonderful trip on 1^st Falgun.

At the Riverbank

Jubaidur Vaia with his Daughter & My Borther Bipul

I am with my sister-in-law Tithi

With my Brother

First time I went to a Far Place & Enjoyed Freely

2009-02-04T16:55:00.002+06:00

Cross posted from Kajol

Some days ago we went to Rarikhal at Bikrompur. There are Jogodish Chondro Basu’s home, school & college. There we went total nine people. First time I went to any far place without my mother. So I really enjoyed that situation. At first every person came to our office (Nari Jibon). We went there by bus. We reached at Bikrampur within two hours. The place was very beautiful. So we took some beautiful scenery’s pictures. There we had more fun. First time I enjoyed freely. We took a Nari Jibon’s student’s mother as our guardian. Her home district is Bikrampur. We took her with us because she knows the place very well. After taking some pictures we went to Srinogor and visit the river of Padma. There we also made Fun. After that we started our journey for Dhaka. We had a great fun there. That’s why we will again make a plan to go there. I wish we will go there soon.

Pictures from Harti Culture Center

2009-01-26T18:40:00.003+06:00

Gulshan Lake Park
Mohtarimun Nahar Bipa

Flower Garden

Dalia Flower

Salvia Flower

Calandula Flower

Flox Flower

Nastashiam Flower

The Lake

The Sun Set

Reflection of the Sun Set in the Lake

Trees at Gulshan Lake Park

A Small Bridge

Kanta & Bipa

Bipa

Bloggers profile (Students)

2009-01-19T17:14:00.004+06:00

Aklima Akter Nipa

"I am Aklima Akter Nipa. I was born in 1988, 27 March. My home district is Brahmanbaria. Now I live in Dhaka with my full Family. My father’s name is Md. Kashem Khan. My father is a Businessman. My mother’s name is Sufia Begum. She is a housewife. My mother is my good friend. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. I love my all family members very much.

I study in BBS honors 2nd year of Accounting under national university. I like my study very much. I have lot of friends in my university. I hope I will finish my pass course with a great result. I am also a student of Nari Jibon. Here, I finished courses on English and Computer.

My favorite color is black. My favorite foods are Pollow, Chicken, Borhani, Hilsha fish. In flower I like Rose. My favorite fruit is Mango and place is my home. I am very sincere, honest but a lazy girl. I don’t like any types of noise. I like silent very much.

I like to wear Shari and salower kamise like Bangladeshi style. My favorite hobbies are stamp collecting, coin collecting, parlors work like makeup others. In my free time I like to gossip with my mother and sisters and also watch TV.

As a profession, I want to be a Banker in a government bank. So, I hope I will reach my goal as soon as possible."

Zabunnasha Lima

"My name is Zabunnasha Lima. I am a student of honors 1st year in marketing at Dhaka City College. My favorite subject is accounting. My mother’s name is Rawson Ara Begum. She is a house wife. She is my favorite person. My father’s name is late Golam Zikria. I have five sisters and I have no brother. My favorite foods are juice, Ice- cream, coke, snacks, cake etc. I like music and reading story books. In my free time I watch TV. My future plan is doing good result in my study. Then I want to be a marketing executive sector. Now I am taking courses on English and computer at Nari Jibon Development Foundation."

Narijibon bloggers: New Year resolution

2009-01-19T14:59:00.003+06:00

Narijibon bloggers are wishing that the New Year might bring progress, prosperity, happiness, peace and success in everybody's life and some of Narijibon bloggers are sharing their New Year resolution.

Rahima Akter Hira says,

"In this year I will complete my courses on computer office program, graphic design, photography & English courses. I have another plan to do job. When I will get my certificates in all categories and then I will search job. I will also continue my study. It seems to me that learning has no age. Any one can do this in his/her life. And my New Year’s resolution is I will complete my study and pass my life peacefully."

Watch more from video...

I have many Dreams

2009-01-17T16:41:00.000+06:00

By Shakura

Old moments have gone. Time and tide wait for none. So, we should be more conscious about this. To waste time is a great foolish. I have many dreams; which are my New Year resolution.

Firstly; I want to go to abroad and my first choice is Australia. My future plan is to be established and get settled to a developed country.

Secondly; I wish if I became a social worker or a rich person; I would help the poor people of my country.

Thirdly; Bangladesh is a small country; but a large number of people are suffering from poverty. Bangladesh has had some notable successes in reducing its poverty from maintaining a steady growth rate of 5.0 percent. In the last two years, this growth rate, according to official figures, even surpassed 6.0 percent. The optimists give suggestions our government to increase the growth rate. I am very hopeful also.

Fourthly; the job vacancy is a one of the greatest problem in our country. A lot of people have not enough property or land. So, they have to struggle for this reason. Vacancy is centralized in the town. The livelihood in a city is very expensive; which the poor people cannot able to pay. And the other side, the well-learned people are increasing day by day. But the job vacancies are not increasing much. To get an honorable job is very difficult. So, I want to go abroad. In a developed country, there are enough job vacancies, much money and other facilities. I think- life is easier than our country. For this reason, I want to go to Australia and after two years I will transfer a lot of money to develop my country. It will try to pay my money to poor people for being self-reliant. I will try my best to be self-reliant. I will try my best for this purpose in my whole life. These are my New Year resolution.

New Year Brings New Hopes

2009-01-17T16:26:00.000+06:00

By Shahzadi

New Year brings new hopes and views. Every one thinks in different ways. Good plans and its implement make things beautiful. Every one expects for the better days.Like everyone I have some plans for better future. I have two plans- first one is I will find a suitable job and I prefer teaching career. Second one is- I want to go abroad. If I get chance to go to abroad then I will go there. Cause my brother lives in America. So I will try to find there a great future and better environment and better opportunity.

Women are very conscious now

2009-01-16T15:10:00.002+06:00

Shahzadi

The women are abused in many ways. They are profaned by the men. When women go out some men tease them. It is shameful for us. Another shameful thing is- some young boys throw acid to girls’ faces and bodies. For this reason they are deception for the society. Some parents arrange early marriage of their daughters. Women are neglected in our society. Many men torture their wives for dowry. Some people try to kill their wives for dowry. Some husbands give divorce for money. Some men are use to drinking and coming back home at mid night. Some men have habit of gambling and when they loss money then they torture their wife. Actually women are tortured physically and mentally by husbands or in-laws. They use bad words. Their approach is very bad. It seems to me that the torturing from educated and illiterate people is different. Educated people torture mentally and illiterate people torture physically in our society. We have to improve our mentality, social awareness and financial condition. We need to do jobs. At present some women are very conscious. They are working at many places. Now they are not sitting on back bench. They are going forward.

A Hesitating Starting

2009-01-16T14:23:00.001+06:00

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery

It was the first day of 2009. I hope all my reader and the people all over the world celebrate it pompously. But I could not. It was a shocking day for me. before starting new year, I always have some expectation to fulfill. This time I also have. Such as at 12 am, my first duty is to wish Allah and Hajrat Muhammad (Sm). Exactly I did. Then I tried to sleep but could not. What I slept was in opened eyes. In morning I thought to wake up at 6:15 am as I have to wish my new born sister and parents, wash myself, say my prayer and be ready for the college. But in morning, my mother suddenly said to me, “Get up, it is 7:30 am, do not you go to college?” when I was in deep sleep. I jumped and said, “What?”. In any way I wore my uniform and began running for rickshaw without eating nothing. Luckily I got a rickshaw and my rickshaw mate also. In the rickshaw I thought to wish my friend first after reaching college. But when I reached, I heard that my friend did not come. I really felt very sad. Then I faced problem in climbing stairs. I proceeded one stair and receded two stairs only because of fast. However I could climb. Then I attended the classes properly. The sixth class was going off. So I wished to eat something. I went to our college canteen to have a vegetable roll. To buy that I gave a 100 note to the seller. He checked the note and said me that the note was fake. I became astonished. Actually on 31 December, I gave a 500 note to a shopkeeper for change. He gave me five 100 note (4 was real and 1 was fake). While going to college, I took 1 note and that was the fake note. On that day I returned the note to that shopkeeper and saw that he did not check the note whether it was real or not. After reaching home I became fresh and sit to eat. I took rice, meat and pulse. When I mixed the food, my one finger slipped and some pulse spattered over my white uniform. I rubbed the place to remove the spot. But the yellow spot became purple. I feel like crying. These things was happened with me and kept me frightening. I hope these will not happen with anyone else.

The Emphasis of Torturing Women

2009-01-09T13:02:00.000+06:00

By Shakura

The pressing of women is one of the greatest problems in our country. The people who are illiterate and cruel, they oppress the women by many ways. They scorch the women physically and mentally. Someone treats his wife like an instrument of pleasures and luxury. Someone misconducts with his wife. Someone does not take care of his wife’s health. For this reason, women suffer from any kind of diseases. Some people like to annoyed women by teasing or touching.

In the low society, some husbands are addicted of wine. A drunk can make any harmful situation in the society. Women are unable to protect from oppressing and hooliganism. Again, our society cannot save them properly. Day by day, women are becoming weak by physically and mentally.

In the villages, a large number of people are retrograde. Many family members are not concern of the women because of their poverty, ignorance and illiteracy. They feed their boys properly; but not the girls. As the result, this inequality affects the women from childhood.

There are many superstitions in our country; like- dowry, pre-matured marriage etc. Therefore, acid violence, kidnapping, rape case are increasing in our society.

In the lower class of this country, a vast number of women are victimized in pregnancy also. The barbarism of that kind of men has no bindings. Recently, our government became more conscious to remove this problem. The non-government organizations also are working for women problems seriously.

Necessity of Education For All

2009-01-03T15:16:00.001+06:00

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery

Education is one of the human basic rights that is important for all. In this case another sentence can be said – “Education is the backbone of a nation”. From my view after under consideration this two sentences, it is proved that education is necessary for every men and women. But some people did not or do not realize it. In Bangladesh, during the pre-liberation war, only men had the right to receive education. Afterwards, women gained the right for education after many struggle. Now the situation has changed. Education has become compulsory for all. Because government knows that for developing a country, the first step is to educate the public. So most of the people send their children to school so that the children can develop themselves and their country as well. Yet I have seen many parents who do not want to let their children to be educated and many girls and boys who have the opportunity to be educated but they do not use it properly. It is extremely a sorrowful thing that they are sinking into the darkness of ignorance. I had tried to make some people understand. But my efforts had gone in vain. So not only I but also we all should think over it. At last I want to say that everyone need education because it is important and helps us to understand ourselves in spheres of life.

On the last Eid-Ul-Fitre

2008-11-29T17:49:00.003+06:00

By Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]

On the last vacation of Eid-Ul-Fitre I went to visit my brother’s home with my friend Kanta at Rayer Bazaar in Dhaka. There we found a beautiful place. I never knew that in Dhaka we have place like this. We felt that we are in the village. That place is so peaceful. We spent the afternoon there and took some pictures. I wanna share these pictures with the bloggers.

Catkin [White flower of the tall species of grass]

Catkin & Green Paddy Land

A Scaffold or Trellis made of bamboo & twigs along which a bottle-gourd plants creeps up

Edible herbs of Bottle-gourd

A Scaffold on a Green Paddy land

The Evening Twilight

The Sun Set

The Sun Set in the City

Stop Awful Social Systems

2008-11-29T16:44:00.000+06:00

By Fatema Tuj Zohura Shimu

We know all women face violence. Women can’t go out side alone. Cause they face many problems. In this modern society still we can see child marriage system.

Some days ago, my uncle had arranged marriage to his daughter by creating pressure. But she was a good student in class twelve. I think it is a kind of violence against women and this should not be done. For that the girl couldn’t continue her study.

So we want to say together please stop those awful social systems and stop violence against women.

All Women should say together “Stop Violence against Women”

2008-11-29T16:42:00.002+06:00

By Pretty Ahamed

We are girls. When we go out from home then many boys tease us. Then we can’t say anything to them, because we are girls. We feel afraid, if they throw acid or kidnap us suddenly etc. We also go to school, market, bazaar, office etc. Then most of the time we are teased by the boys and they pass bad comments. At that time we can’t say anything. In this way often women are victim violence. We are girls so we are to tolerate. But I can’t understand that if any sister is teased by any boy, then a brother gets angry. But if he teases to other girls then he doesn’t think that his sister can be teased like this way. So, we, all women can say together that “Stop violence against Women”.

We Should Stop Violence against Women

2008-11-28T14:43:00.001+06:00

By Reshmi Akter Jui

In our country boys and girls should be equal. But boys get more facilities than girls. The girls are deprived from their rights in every steps of their entire life. Mainly I guess the girls are deprived from food in our villages. Food is the main produce of energy. But some parents think that– The boys need to eat more than girls. Because they income money by hard working. But why don’t they think that-- the girls also manage the house-hold affairs and others, like-- cooking, cleaning, washing cloths-dish-plates, take caring of children, husband, in-laws etc. Beside that they can manage official jobs. But they do not get their energy label by food from their families in childhood. Thus our country’s girls are deprived from their necessary needed. So, we should stop violence against women.

We should change our Mentality

2008-11-28T14:42:00.000+06:00

By Selina Akter Zeba

Everyday all kinds of women face many incident. Some are good and some are bad. Bad incidents are called violence. Yet millions of women and girls all around the world are facing violence. Violence has many types, such as - domestic abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, encounter rape, mutilation violence etc. Violence is common but must be stopped it very seriously. Many women and girls are victim of violence by her husband, boyfriend or in-laws. Violence against women by anyone is always wrong. It is a big problem and curse for every country. All countries government should take a step for stop violence against women. And we should also change our mentality.

Violence against Women

2008-11-28T14:38:00.000+06:00

By Afroza Akter Athoy

Everyday many women are harassed by men. Violence has many types, like- domestic violence, sexual harassment, violence of abortion at clinics etc. Recently I saw a girl was walking on the road. Some boys were following that girl and passed bad comments. I felt bad but couldn’t do anything. Some women occur suicide for violence. Violence is a curse for our country. Now we should take some steps for violence against women. All women are participating in different sectors in the world. They can control home and office both. We will have to prove that women are not a doll for men. All countries’ governments should take some steps to stop violence against women.

Towards Digital Bangladesh – BCS Computer Fair 2008

2008-11-28T14:33:00.004+06:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

On November 17th was the inaugural ceremony and 21st November (Friday) was the last exhibited day of BCS Computer Fair 2008. This year, theme of this fair was “Towards Digital Bangladesh”. This year exhibition was bigger and better. From 1993 BCS organized this fair in every year to make the people of Bangladesh to aware about its importance and latest technological developments.

This year the venue of the fair was The Bangladesh China Friendship Centre at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. More than 65 companies had joined this fair with their different products in 76 stalls and 23 pavilions. Computer, Desktops and Accessories, Laptops, Printers, Scanners, Digital Cameras & Handy cams, Softwares, Sound Systems, Pen Drive and Packages of web hosting and Development etc. were displayed in this fair. Almost all the stalls had displayed notebooks from user’s favorites. Game zone and free internet browsing was an interesting part of this fair.

Some pictures of this fair.

When I visited this fair on 19th November I met together with some deaf people who can’t speck too but talk with their hands signals. They also came to visit the fair. They enjoyed very much the interesting game corner of this fair.

We must stop Violence Against Women

2008-11-26T22:31:00.001+06:00

By Aklima Akter Nipa

In our society women are oppressed in various ways. These happen in two ways: one is physically, another is mentally. In our life women face many problems. After our birth we are neglected by our society and family. Firstly women are oppressed by their husband, secondly oppressed by their children, thirdly from in-law’s house. Women’s oppressions are never being end. I wanna share a materialistic story which occurred before my cousin’s eyes. One morning at 7.30 am when my cousin went to her garments, suddenly she saw a crazy boy was running fast and cut a girl’s throat and ran away from there. This boy proposed to her and she didn’t accept his proposal. Because she loved another boy and recently she got married with him. That boy couldn’t accept this and he did this crime. And he didn’t get his proper punishment.

Our women are also oppressed by acid. One kind of women’s oppression is, a boy friend doesn’t allow his girl friend to talk with any other boy. Some don’t allow women to do any job. A husband interfere his wife’s life. Like: dress up, habits, talking style etc. If she doesn’t accept his choice their relation gets to be broken. So, we must stop violence against women.

No Violence Against women

2008-11-26T22:01:00.002+06:00

By Tondra

Now a day’s boys and girls both are literate. So we can say, girls’ & boys’ rights are equal. But we say this only for saying. We also see that boys and girls both are studying in school, college and university. But it was impossible at past. Women development is like a challenge for men. Still women can’t get their rights. Recently one Bangladeshi channel published an advertisement on violence against women. The ad is, “A boy and a girl studied in the same class, at a time they loved each other and got married. One day her husband came home after office and then she was cooking. Her husband knocked at the door and she opened the door late. When she opened the door her husband slapped her. She started crying and then her husband came to her and said…. So What!”

Our society’s educated men think, they are better then women. They think it’s their manly habit. But they don’t know when they show their manly creature they lose their humanity. They are like illiterate men though they are literate. They are literate just for their certificate. So I think they are completely fool.

I think women are in first position than men on “HUMANITY”.

So I request every man, please make yourself an educated person then you will be truly literate.

Stop Women Violence

2008-11-26T21:57:00.002+06:00

By Zannat

Violence against women is a hateful crime. Our whole world’s many women are oppressed everyday and every moment in many ways. Our countries’ many girls and women are harassed of violence everyday. Sometime we can see that many home service women workers are tortured by their husbands. Violence against women is a technical tern used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women.

We see much violence. Such as: acid violence, teasing at school girls, violence of women for dowry etc. So it seems to me that we should stop violence against women. Women should not tolerate all the torture on them. They should speak up and gain their rights. Please come and say no violence against women.

International Day Against Violence Against Women

2008-11-26T11:23:00.003+06:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

25 November is the International Day Against Violence Against Women. Let’s join the UNIFEM call to “SAY NO to violence against women“. Narijibon bloggers also have signed the UNIFEM petition “SAY NO to violence against women. Narijibon bloggers joining the campaign with Take Back the Tech.

Today narijibon blogger have participated this day action with other women all over the world. I discussed with them on this International Day Against Violence Against Women. Narijibon bloggers will share their stories and thoughts which will be posted in narijibon blogsite.

Photo: Jesmin Ara Amzad

I Enjoyed Two Festivals

2008-11-23T23:49:00.001+06:00

By Pretty Ahamed

I am a Nari Jibon student. I want to share my Eid vacation with the bloggers.

At the previous night of Eid -ul-fitre I went to go for shopping. We called this night as 'chand rat' (moon night). I bought ear rings, bangles, mehendi (hena). I got up on the eid day at 8.30 am and finished my shower. My aunt cooked shemai, pollaw, and meat. I wore my new dress and made my nephew wake up. We got ready then I went to my younger aunt’s home and I did salaam to her and my uncle. After that we came back our home and again I went to my uncle's home and there I watched T.V. and played with my cousins. My uncle, aunt, cousins and I went to Bashundhara place.

On the next day of eid-ul-fitre I woke up at 9.00 am. I cooked for my family. I watched TV for the whole day. In this way I passed my eid vacation.

When our eid vacation finished I went to visit Durga Puja. I have one friend, she is Hindus. There I had sweets. Its Bengali name is Proshad. After that we sit there and watched dancing. This dance’s name is Aroty. In this way I enjoyed my country’s two special festivals.

My Eid Vacation

2008-11-23T23:11:00.001+06:00

By Asma Akter Choity

Eid is a festival of the Muslims. It occurs twice in a year. One occurs after the month of Ramadan and the other on the 10^th day of Jil-Hajj [Arabic Month]. These are Eid-ul-Fitre and Eid-ul-Azha.

“O mor, Romjaner oy rojer seshe elo khushir Eid

Tui aponake aj biliye de shon asmaner tagid.”

(Hurrah, the joyous Eid has come after Ramadan’s fasting,

You spread out yourself as a sky)

When Ramadan gets to end, everybody enjoys Eid-ul-Fitre. Every Muslim, young and old, rich and poor all enjoy the joy of Eid. Here I want to say how I passed my Eid-ul-Fitre vacation.

At first I woke up early in the morning. My mother cooked various items of delicious food. I also helped her. In the whole day of Eid the guests were coming I received them and treated them well. On the second day of Eid I stayed at my home. On the third day all of our friends met at TSC. All were gossiping, had ice-creams, fuska, tea. On the forth day I went to my dearest friend’s (Mukta) home. There I enjoyed myself a lot. Then I went to my uncle’s home. There my mother had reached before me. My aunt cooked various items of food and became very glad. Then I played with my three younger cousin brothers. On the fifth day I and my mother went to my aunt’s home. That’s why I felt alone. In these ways I passed my Eid vacation where I found some interesting moment and enjoyed myself.

Expectation of brighter days we want to start bengali blogging

2008-11-19T09:33:00.007+06:00

Nari Jibon arranged workshop on Bengali blogging on 18th October 2008. Trainer Ms. Taslima Akter conducts this session successfully. More than 26 bloggers/students was present in this workshop. There was some new blogger who also get trained on basic things of blogging. / New bloggers also attend in this session to take training on basic of blogging.

In this workshop Ms. Taslima Akter discussed how to start Bangla blog, unicode font, different Bengali blogging platform such as Sachalayatan, somewhereinblog.net etc. She trained-up students how to write Bengali blog, entry and posting. Also she encouraged the students to start and continuing blogging from their own language.

Students are opening their own blog.

Some students opened their own blog after the session.

They are:
Shazi's Idea : http://shazisidea.blogspot.com/
My Spirit: http://shakuratushti.blogspot.com/
Anananda Dhara: http://naoshin.blogspot.com/
Amar Showpano: http://zannatullisha.blogspot.com/
Indrowdhanu: http://fabliha.blogspot.com/
Ahonar Rhythm: http://ahonabangla.blogspot.com/
Pretty's Archive: http://prettysarchive.blogspot.com/
Poroshmony: http://poroshmony.blogspot.com/

Bloggers are practicing Bengali typing

Narijibon bloggers participated in Blog Action Day

2008-11-19T09:24:00.002+06:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

On 15th October 2008, Nari Jibon Bloggers participated on Blog Action Day Poverty like other bloggers in the world. As Blog Action Day Poverty 2008, Nari Jibon bloggers attend Malibagh slum area and distribute foods & Salines with their own small donations consisting of eleven families. Also they want to take a part on Removal of poverty from Bangladesh. Some newspapers published Nari Jibon news on blog action day: The bdnews24, The Daily Sangbad, The Daily JaiJaiDin and The Daily Amar Desh. Some bloggers also have written about their thoughts on poverty in narijibon blog.

Slum peoples of Dhaka city

2008-11-19T09:18:00.002+06:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

When the crop is over, lot of farmers & landless agricultural laborers faces unemployment and hunger in rural area of Bangladesh. Many of them migrate to big cities seeking of work & take shelter in slums with over-crowding, non-sanitary conditions, and various diseases. This video have taken from Malibaugh railgate slum area.

Acid Throwing Menace

2008-11-14T13:45:00.001+06:00

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery

The wrong acts that usually happens in any corner of our country because of social deposition. Acid throwing is one of those wrong acts. It is a terror and a menace for all of us that breaks one’s beautiful dream, makes one lame and terror-stricken for the rest of life. Acid throwing is a stain, curse and uncultured revenge for a social life. It is a type of oppression. Everyday we hear the news of acid throwing. Many families were broken and many people did suicides because of it. By statistics, we found that in 2001, 153 incidents of throwing acid were happened in Bangladesh. Among all of acids, ‘Sulfuric Acid’ is more poisonous. Wrong doers use those acids for their bad intentions that science invented to do good works. Mainly the victims of this terror are women. The reasons of acid throwing are rejection in love, dissent for marriage, greed for dowry and property and former enmity. For these reasons, when anyone throws acid over a girl, her affected parts get burned and useless. Sometimes the affected part can be her face and it can be spoiled. Many affected people lost their eyes, power of hearing for acid throwing. The affected people are not responsible for their state. Our government has taken a proper step to prevent this oppression. This is capital punishment. I think the bad doers deserve it. Besides, by television and other advertisements, government is trying to increase awareness of people and reduce the quantity of throwing acid. And there are more than 220 women organizations. If people follow the rules of law and become alert, then every people can make their life heaven.

Effects of Poverty and Ways to remove it

2008-11-14T13:42:00.001+06:00

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery

Human born in this earth to live. To live, they need many things like food, shelter, cloth, treatment, education etc. these things are called basic needs. Basic needs are every people’s obtainable, their rights. But for the unfortunate, every people can not get their basic needs because they are suffering from a major problem named poverty. I saw many poor people begging, day laboring, and passing days by hand to mouth and so on. But the people are not poor hereditary. For their bad luck, they are poor. They are trying to get better their condition but could not because in any country, if a few people are conscious and the others are unconscious, then the country cannot eradicate poverty. So the poor people who are trying can not improve the condition. So the main work to remove poverty is to make people conscious about the effects of it. Our government has taken many issues to recover people’s conditions and to remove poverty such as showing the modern methods on television, help them by giving the latest ways of improving etc. besides the government, we should also think about the poor people. I think by farming (both dairy and crops) most of the people can improve their conditions. Now many scientific methods are using on our farming lands. The uses of those methods on the lands are profitable for the users. So we should show the way to them who do not know how to use those methods on their lands. There is also some other ways to get rid of poverty and they are animal husbandry, fisheries, poultry, horticulture etc. besides this, we should also control the high birth rate, create more employment opportunities and cultivate our lands. I hope by doing these we can confiscate poverty from our country.

A Clever and Honest Boy

2008-11-07T21:26:00.003+06:00

By Shanta Islam

One day I watched a Bengali play on television. I liked the play’s story very much. I wanna share the story with all the readers.

Nisi loves Visal so much. But Visal does not love her because he has a girl friend and he love’s her. But Nisi does not want to listen to him. She tells all-time to Visal that she loves her. Though Visal does not love Nisi but he can feel Nisi’s mental situation.

One day Visal went to a restaurant with Nisi and he told her, ‘I don’t love you. I have a girl friend and our family arranged our marriage party. So we will get married soon.’ After hearing it Nisi started crying and said, ‘Sorry, I can’t live without you’. Then Visal did not say anything and went out.

Visal’s girl friend’s name is Jerin. She loves Visal too much. One day Jerin saw some photos of Visal and Nisi. Then Jarin could not accept it at that moment. She canceled their marriage and got married her another friend.

Then Visal was very upset for some days. After some days he went Nisi and proposed her.

Actually Nisi didn’t love Visal. She is a business woman and partner of her aunt’s business. Those photos were part of their business. Their business subject is: at first fall in love and then get married. After some days giving divorce and taking much money.

After proposing Nisi she agreed and got married with Visal. Somehow Visal’s brother-in-law got to know about Nisi’s plan and informed to Visal. But Visal didn’t believe him and insulted him.

After the marriage ceremony Visal said to Nisi, ‘Nisi actually I know everything about you, your profession, your aim everything and I know my brother-in-law was right, though I insulted him. I got married with you only for watching your mentality. I wanna see how a woman can be so wicked. Can a lady do this like you for money? I know now you will give me divorce and take at taka four lac. It’s your profession. But now I will give you two options-

One: Take this 20 lac taka and go from here. Maybe it’s too much than your demand.

Two: You can stay with me forever and live a respectable life. I will not hate you.

Now tell me which option will you take?’

At that night Nisi could not sleep. She thought for the whole night. In the morning she said to Visal, ‘Visal I want to live with you forever.’

The Blog Action day, 08

2008-10-21T00:15:00.002+06:00

By Nari Jibon Students

The students of Nari Jibon shared their thoughts on Poverty of Bangladesh. Those are given below:

My thoughts on poverty
By Afroza Akter Othoi

Poverty is a curse for our country. It is increasing day by day. Over population is one of the main causes for poverty. Poor parents can not send their children to school. For this reason people can not be educated. If we want to remove poverty we have to work together and help people to get education properly. Sometimes we can help the poor by giving money, cloths, foods etc.

Poverty is a Great Problem
By Pretty Ahamed

Our Bangladesh is passing under poverty. Most of the people live in village. We should do something for them. We can help to the poor people by giving money, cloths, foods etc. We can also help the poor people to get education. Our Bangladesh has many reasons of poverty, like as - illiteracy, over population, unemployment etc. If we can solve these problems then we can remove the poverty.

We should remove Poverty
By Ishrat Jahan

Poverty is the curse of a country. We have many poor people like many other countries. All of our people need to help together to remove poverty. In our country the main reason of the poverty is superstition. In our village many people believe in superstition. So, to remove this poverty firstly we will have to change our mentality. Another reason of poverty is our poor educational system. The reason of illiteracy our country can’t go forward. So we have to give importance on education. Then we can remove poverty.

Poverty is a big Problem
By Selina Akter Zeba

Bangladesh is a poor country. Poverty is a big problem for Bangladesh. To me the major problems of increasing poverty are – 1. Over population, 2. Illiteracy, 3. Unemployment etc. If we want to remove the poverty in Bangladesh then firstly we will have to stop increasing population. And people should be educated. Our mentality should be changed. Then I think the poverty can be removed.

Poverty is a main Problem
By Fabliha Tasnim Hridi

Bangladesh is an under developing country. For the poverty our country can’t develop in many sectors. Over population is the main cause for it. To maintain the people’s main want our country faces many problems. Illiteracy and superstition are also problem for poverty. In our country there are many families who can’t send their children to school for poverty. Our government takes many necessary steps to remove poverty. Such as: Aware people for what are the disadvantages of increasing population, Start free education, Arrange free treatment etc. We should try to help the poor besides government help.

Bloggers profile (Students)

2008-10-18T15:02:00.002+06:00

Zannat-Ul Ferdous

I am Zannat-Ul-Ferdous. My father’s name is MD. Nuruzzaman Khan. My mother’s name is Mrs. Gulshan Ara Khanam. I have one elder sister.
Recently I completed my graduation in Bengali. But I will continue my study after this. I want to develop my skills on other side. I am interested in learning computer.
My future plan is getting a better job in a good private company or a government school and college. When I get a free time, I spend my time by reading many kinds of Bengali Novels. I love passing time with my family and friends. I love my family very much. Sometimes I draw picture, design and make handy crafts. My hobbies are singing and dancing.

Ayesha Sanjida Synthia

I am Ayesha Sanjida Synthia. I was born in 1993, 11th January. I am 15 years old now. I live in Dhaka.

I have a big family with five members. I have my parents & two of my sisters. My father is a businessman & my mother is a house-wife & she has a small business. I love my parents very much.

I read in Rajarbagh Police Line High School till classes 5-10. Recently, I passed my S.S.C. exam from Rajarbagh Police Line High School. I am a student of humanities group. Now, I am admitted in Motijheel Ideal College & I am a student of H.S.C. 1st year. I am also a student of Nari Jibon Project. Here, I am taking courses on English & Computer.

I am very lazy, naughty & honest girl. Not a single moment I can stay at any where. I like noise very much. My favorite colors are blue & black. My favorite fruit & flower are mango & rose. My favorite place is Cox’s Bazar.

I like traveling, singing, dancing, drawing, etc. In food I like to eat pilau, beef and fowl. I like to wear sari & ordinance-pant. In free time I like to gossip with friends. My hobbies are -- stamp collecting, gardening, watching TV, playing indoor games, etc.

As a profession, I want to be a Fashion Designer. Because, I like glamour & I also want to be famous.

Fisher woman

2008-10-15T19:18:00.002+06:00

Cross posted in Rafiq's Eye

I went to my village to see my mother and observe Eid-ul-fitr. I went to Barisal by Launch. From Barisal launch terminal we came to Taltoli ghat by rickshaw and got in a boat to go to my village. (Crossing a small river by boat we can easily get rickshaw to go to my village but we always prefer boat journey). On the way I saw a fisher woman family and surprised to see their life in boat.

I bought fish from them talked to them. This boat is their house. They do all the household works in this boat. I was very much surprised to see that five people live in this boat and face storm, rain and tidal bore etc. Anjali, her husband ( Shipon), two children ( Nitu, Setu) and mother-in-law (Shefali) are living in this boat. Anjali’s husband Shipon told me that he got this boat from his father. His father is dead. He was also a fisherman. His mother is also a fisher woman.

I wanted to know how they are living in boat facing rain, storm, cyclone etc. They told me that they are habituated in living in this way. Fishing is their inherited profession and they love it. They catch fish in the river or canal and sell in the market. Sometimes they sell fish to the villager going door to door.

Anjali told me that they have been facing problem to live in this small boat. If they can save money they will buy or build a big boat and this is their only dream.

My future plan

2008-10-15T17:44:00.003+06:00

By Zannat-Ul-Ferdous

Success in life depends on the perfect choice of a profession. Every person has a future plan in life. Some wants to be a doctor, some wants to be a pilot and join some other professions. Different person has different aims. But my aim in life is to be a professor of any government or private college. Because I feel it is a noble profession.

In our country, most of the people are not educated. They want to study but only for a better job. They are not interested in the main motive of education. It is known to all that a self-educated person is a real educated person. That is why; I want to be a teacher. If I become a teacher then I will try to make students understand about the real motive of education. I strongly believe that success in life depends on willpower and hard work. I hope I will be able to reach to my destination.

Pictures after Rain

2008-10-11T22:33:00.003+06:00

By Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]

My friend Tanbirujjaman Tanbir is very fond of natural beauties. Whenever he gets time he takes pictures of nature from his mobile camera. Recently he celebrated his Eid-Ul-Fitre at his village in Rangpur. He took some excellent pictures after rain from there. Now I will share those pictures with all the bloggers.

My Best Friend

2008-10-10T16:29:00.002+06:00

By Ayesha Sanjida Synthia

Way in life we get many friends. Some of them are true friends. One of them can be a best friend. It means a special person who helps us where we need, stay with us when we are very sorrowful or happiness.

I have a best friend in my life. Her, name is Sadia Alam. Her nick name is Chadni. She is 15 years old. She was my classmate. Recently, we passed our S.S.C exam & she got GP- 4.00. Now, she admitted herself in Motijheel Model College in Dhaka. Chadni has a small family with four members. She, her younger sister & her parents are the members of her family. Her father is an A.S.I of Police department & her mother is a house-wife.

She is a very good girl & very helpful. She takes care of me very much. We have good understanding. She is very naughty. Nobody, can get angry on her. Chadni’s favorite color is white. Her favorite food is burger; fruit is litchi & flower is tuberose. Her favorite place is her bedroom. Her hobbies are watching TV, playing cricket, gossiping with friends, reading books, etc.

In future she wants to be a journalist. So, she wants to make strong educational back ground. Now, she works more hard to reach her dreams.

She likes to make fun with everyone. She helps me or other friends to give us good advices. So, I like her very much. My best wishes are for her. I feel very proud that she is my best friend.

The English Sections of Nari Jibon Project

2008-10-09T23:20:00.005+06:00

Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]
[The Supervisor of English Section & Editing]

Nari Jibon Project provides alternative skills for girls & women. Actually it is a training program. The Executive Director of this Project is Kathryn B Ward. She is a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies of Illinois University, Carbondale. She started this project in March 2005 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Funding comes from her and her mother Pat Ward and nominally from the students’ admission fees and other donations.

Here different aged of girls and women can take courses on English, Bengali, Tailoring, Computer Office Program, Graphics and Photography etc. Most of the students are of school, college and university levels. Also sex workers can get admitted in English, computers or any other sections in Nari Jibon.

Here we have Nari [Women] Cyber Café only for girls and women. Students are to submit their assignments to the related teachers and practice on English and Computer in this cyber café.

We have also a Blog Project in English [titled “Bangladesh from Our View” [http://narijibon.blogspot.com] and Bengali [“Amader Galpa (Our Stories)” [http://banglablog-narijibon.blogspot.com ] to enhance students’ & staffs’ creativity on different areas.
To know more about Nari Jibon Project you can visit-- www.narijiobon.com.

In Nari Jibon Project we have two English sections: English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking] and English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]. Beside those two Practice Classes[Special English Spoken Practice Class] are held on Friday and Saturday morning.

I am the teacher of these sections. Some times many visiting teachers come to take English classes to encourage the students. The students are to attend in the English Sections before taking the computer course. Before admitting here students are to attend an admission test and their sections are decided on their results.

After every three/four month’s guardian meetings and prize giving ceremony are arranged. We also arrange blog workshop by experienced people. Now I will give some descriptions about Nari Jibon English classes.

English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking]:
Teacher: Mohtarimun Nahar (Bipa)

Course objectives:

• Students will learn Basic English vocabulary.
• Students will learn Basic English grammar rules.
• Materials mostly given in English (immersion).
• Practice on speaking, writing, reading, and understanding will be assigned in each class.
• Students will be able to: read, write and speak.
• Remove students’ hesitation on speaking.
• Students will contribute to the English blog.
• At the end of the course, students will be prepared to move to English 2.
Course requirements:
• Students must know the English alphabet before attending this class.
• Students will do their homework as requested.
• Students will develop their portfolio and plan.

Students will diligently attend classes, and provide adequate reasons for absence. They will be required to make up missed work.

English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]:
Teacher: Mohtarimun Nahar (Bipa)

English 2 is the final course in English at Nari Jibon. Students who have completed English 1 and have passed a competency exam (oral and written) are eligible to join this class. English 2 is taught completely in English, and each class includes elements of speaking, reading, writing and comprehension. Students are expected to submit homework assignments as required by their teacher, to attend class regularly, and to sit for exams as scheduled.

Course objectives:

• Students will improve their English vocabulary.
• Students will improve their English grammar rules.
• Students will be able to: read, write and speak.
• Students will increase their confidence when conversing in English.
• Students will contribute to the English blog.
• Students will develop their portfolios.
• Students will complete internships.
• At the end of the course, students will be able to hold a conversation with a native English speaker, read and understand English writing, and write grammatically correct memos, essays and prose.

Rules of English- 1 & 2:

• The course will be finished within two months [English-1 within 24 classes and English- 2 within 16 classes].
• Students are required to purchase a cyber café pass card and complete their homework in the cyber café, at least one hour per week.
• Class Days & Time:
English-2: Wednesday & Friday [03.00 am – 05:00 pm].
Special English Spoken Practice Class: Saturday [11:00 am – 01:00 pm].
English-1: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday [03.00am – 05:00pm].
Special English Spoken Practice Class: Friday [11:00 am – 01:00 pm].
• Keep the mobile on vibrate in the class.
• Students will submit their assignments by sheet or through email.
• In every class, speaking will be practiced on different topics.
• After graduation, students will have to finish the internship program [for two weeks].
• If students miss more than one week of English class, they will be dropped from the class.
• If students refuse to turn in homework for more than two weeks, they will be dropped from the class.

The practices are done by:

Speaking	To be able to speak in different places on different topics and practice from diagram.
Writing	To be able to write paragraph, applications, cover letters, bio-data etc. and make portfolio.
Reading	To be able to read any passes or paragraphs fluently and the pronunciation will be corrected
Listening	To be able to understand English by listening and answer from given questions on that.
Question Answering	To be able to make questions and answer to those. Students will practice by answering some questions to one another and ask about class room objects.
Submitting assignments	Students submit their assignments on class related topics and BLOG. They will type in cybercafé and submit those through email to: mn.bipa@gmail.com ; bipa19@yahoo.com
Browsing internet	Students will browse some website and blogspot site and submit assignments as required by the teacher.

Some Pictures of English Class & Students of Nari Jibon:

I am [yellow dress] with the English students in Blog Workshop

Lee Goldman is in the English Class

A student is taking her prize from Mr. Rafiqul Islam [Project Director of Nari Jibon]

Sufia [NJ student] with the visiting Teachers [Aruna, Muniyat, Stella and Lee]

Lee with the English Class Students

Stella is in the English Class

Lee Goldman, Stella and Aruna are in the English Class

Stella, Muniyat and Aruna are in the English Class

The Visiting Teachers of Nari Jibon Project

2008-10-09T22:54:00.004+06:00

By Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]
Supervisor of English Section & Editing
Nari Jibon Project

Nari Jibon project is a training program. In Nari Jibon Project we have two English sections: English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking] and English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]. Beside these classes two Practice Classes [Special English Spoken Practice Class] are held on Friday and Saturday morning. I am the teacher of these sections. Some times many visiting teachers come to take English classes to encourage the students.They do a great job. Students enjoy a lot to attend the class with them. That’s why I would like to introduce our visiting teachers with all the bloggers.

Shaina Hyder

She is Sociology major at Florida State University. She is most interested in gender and work.

Stella

She is from Canada. She is BA in Asian Studies, Masters in Education and PHD in Multicultural Studies [Specialization in Theatre]. She worked as a University Professor at Lesley University in Boston, University of Phoenix and Skogit Ualley College. She taught Philosophy, Theatre, Education, Ethics and Communication etc.

Aruna Dahal

She is the students of the American International School at Dhaka. She has a sister and a brother. She is sixteen years old. She decided to come to help out the women centre as part of her service hours. She has lived in many countries, such as- Nepal, Cambodia and Laos etc. She thinks Dhaka has been an amazing experience for her especially when she gets to come to help such wonderful women.

Muniyat Haque

She has lived in Canada. She studies in AIS/D. She wants to study in Economics and be an Economist.

Lee Goldman

She teaches math at the American International School at Dhaka. She has a husband and two children. She came from the United States in Virginia. She came to know about Nari Jibon from her friend Rick Davis. In the States she was a teacher in a girls school

Memorable Day

2008-10-08T12:06:00.000+06:00

By Ayesha Sanjida Synthia

In the last winter of 2007 I went to National Zoo with my family. The zoo is situated in Mirpur. We started our journey at 6 o’clock. We reached at the zoo at 7 o’clock. It was a great pleasure to visit the zoo. At first we took tickets. There was a huge rush in front of the zoo. When we got into the zoo I saw, it was staying very hard security in every where. When we entered in the zoo, our joys know no bounds.

At first we went to the den of the monkeys. The monkeys were coming close to us and we were giving them chips, nuts and banana. The monkeys were enjoying the foods. Then we visited to the den of the tigers and the lions. In the mean time we got tried and sit down to take some snacks. After that we saw the giraffe, zebra, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, crocodile, tortoise, different kinds of snake and python. The zebra looks nice. As it was winter, the zoo lake was full of different birds. I saw the peacock, crane, kingfisher, vulture, cuckoo, parrot, mynah, nightingale, owl, eagle, kite, woodpecker, goose, duck, cockatoo and our national robin. The jiraf looks awesome.

In the zoo we also visit to a museum. It was animal’s museum. From the museum I knew about many animals. At last we arrived at the den of the elephants. We also rode on elephant for a short time. It was very enjoyable.

When we finished moving around the zoo, it was about 1 o’clock. We came out from the zoo. We were very tired and thirsty. It was the memorable day in my life.

Eid Mubarak

2008-10-02T20:27:00.002+06:00

cross posted from Techna Tara

Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!!!

Today is Eid-ul-Fitr. The holy Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the greatest religious festivals of the Muslims. The people elsewhere in the country celebrating this day with due solemnity and religious enthusiasm

In the morning hundreds of thousands of devotees irrespective of rich and poor attended Eid congregations in different Eid gahs, mosques and open spaces. The devotees irrespective of their social status embraced each other representing the alliance among the Muslims, after saying the Eid prayer. Men, women and children wear new dresses in their best greeting to each other and saying, “Eid Mubarak.” Friends, relatives and neighbors visited each other’s houses, exchanging Eid greetings.

May the blessings of Allah fill your life with peace, joy and prosperity in this Eid day. I wish all of the blog readers a very very Happy Eid day.

Nari Jibon is an appropriate place for your Jakat or any other contribution/donation

2008-09-19T12:03:00.007+06:00

By Golam Rabbany Sujan (Sujan's Chinta)

There are many organizations that are committed to develop women or vulnerable women in the world. Some of these organizations provide money to women in the hopes of making them self-reliant. These organizations also report that those women are running business or being self reliant using their money. But we can see that often, their money is used by their husband or other male persons. But Nari Jibon does not give them current money. Nari Jibon gives skill training and makes them able to be self reliant or sometimes helps them for being self reliant. As an example Nari Jibon provides tailoring skills including business knowledge. Nari Jibon provides cloth and students make most of the items during class and internship. Students also visit some tailoring business centers. Then sometimes Nari Jibon provides some money for sewing machine and some business set up cost. Nari Jibon authority also follows up on their progress. Similarly, the other section provides computer knowledge. Students in this section will also learn how to write a standard cover letter and resume, as well as create a portfolio. She will use cyber café for practicing and visiting various web pages and blogs from where she will increase her computer and English knowledge. Every student will open an e-mail account and also students will write blogs. By the reading and writing blogs, students can increase their knowledge and skill more in English and computer programs. Thus students become fit for job.

About Nari Jibon:

Nari Jibon is a non-profit charitable service organization. It is working in South-Dhaka, Bangladesh since 2005. Nari Jibon provides services and support to the women students and workers of low and mid-level families. Nari Jibon provides basic educational and technical skills for employment, income-generation, empower and business development. Nari Jibon provides Bangla primary education to the illiterate women, tailoring cutting and sewing master course, English-1 and English-2 (spoken) and computers (MS Office Programs, graphics and webpage design, photography, and hardware trouble shooting and program maintenance).

Nari Jibon computer lab

Nari Jibon cyber café

David Sasaki, Director of Rising Voice teaching students about blogging

Nari Jibon English class

English volunteer teachers (Stella and Lee Goldman) are taking English-2 (Spoken English)

Difference of Nari Jibon skill training programs…

1. Nari Jibon is safe place for the women

2. Nari Jibon takes only nominal registration fee for all the courses.

3. Computer students have to have English knowledge or have to learn English at Nari Jibon as it is most essential for related job.

4. Students must use Nari Jibon’s cyber café to have more practice, visiting more web sites, reading and writing blogs and learning other online activities.

5. Nari Jibon motivates students to read and write posts for blogs as it improves students’ knowledge in English and computer. If students want to continue blogging they can open individual blog sites.

6. Often students are trained by some foreigner experts besides Nari Jibon internal expert instructors.

7. All the students will write their own portfolios by themselves.

8. Scholarship students will communicate with individual donors writing thank you letters and monthly progress reports.

Why you should donate for women only.

After being married women are excluded from their parents’ wealth. If any woman becomes a widow at her young age, she is bereft from her husband’s wealth. There are many divorced women who are neglected by her parents’ family. Some male persons take more wives and so that those women are neglected by these husbands. We can see some husbands leaving their wives and hiding them. Some husbands demand dowry after marriage and torture their wives. Some husbands try to pressure their wives into the informal sector. Some low and mid-level families are not interested in spending money for their female members/daughters. And there are fewer job opportunities for the women in our country. So women need more skill training/ education scope to protect themselves and compete against male students as we know that sons get more scope for education than the daughters.So Nari Jibon can be your appropriate place for donation or Jakat. If you donate to Nari Jibon, you will be informed how your donation is spent. As an example if you donate above $10 dollars, you will get thank you letter, picture of students and progress report and successful history.

How and how much money you donate-

You can donate students’ registration course fees, Microsoft Office Program- $17 including 4 cyber passes, Graphics and Web design course $24 including 6 cyber pass cards, photography course $13, Bangla course fee-$1.50, tailoring, cutting and sewing Master Course fee-$5. (These amounts cover only the admission fees that we charge. It costs us much more to actually provide the services, so any extra amount that you can give is much appreciated.)You can provide some money as conveyance with registration fee or you can donate a sewing machine to a poor or vulnerable woman. Nari Jibon has a special scholarship program named LPC (work-study-women) program. Some women need to earn money to survive and they also need to learn skill to change their career or profession. As an example one housemaid or sex worker or poor (dropped out) student who is strong determined to change her profession but she needs to earn money to survive. If she gets LPC scholarship, she will be free to learn skills. She will learn skills and she will also take practical work experience at office. Thus LPC students will make her more fit for jobs and she will also communicate with the employers during course duration. LPC students get $ 50 dollars per month so totally she will get (50 X 4 = $200) Or you can also donate some money to continue Nari Jibon activities such as you can donate a computer or UPS (uninterrupted power supply) or one month electricity bill or rent.
Unrestricted-open ended donations of any amount also towards general costs also welcomed!
Tax deductible donation- make check out to Give2Asia, donation form (must use credit card via website and/or mail in)
For more info on gift list, please visit Nari Jibon USA web site and check the link “possible gift list Nari Jibon” or communicate with Dr. Kathryn B Ward
Donors should also email Dr. Kathy Ward pagol.nari@gmail.com for gift specifics-purchase and also so that we have donor’s contact-email info.

Nari Jibon: Using Blogs to Give Bangladeshi Women New Skills

2008-09-06T15:51:00.002+06:00

Cross posted from Rising Voices

The words “Nari Jibon” should be familiar to regular Rising Voices readers. The Dhaka-based project which has integrated blogging and citizen media into its English and computer classes has been covered frequently on Rising Voices in the past. In this video, we hear directly from the students and staff to get to know the individuals behind the blogs.

Nari Jibon 4th blog workshop - August, 2008

2008-08-30T19:39:00.009+06:00

Yesterday, 29th august 08 was the 4th blog workshop of Nari Jibon project. David Sasaki, Director of Rising Voices was conducted this workshop. There are 15 bloggers and 4 staffs were present in this workshop. The motto of this workshop to increase student’s knowledge as well as to make them more advanced in blogging.

In this workshop, David Sasaki discussed and gives different tips & examples that how to use web link and technorati.com. He also showed the bloggers/students how to use it. He discussed about different search engines and shown them how to make link using html code. Through his discussions and showing examples on weblink & technorati.com to the students/bloggers, they are now well known & more effective about the web link. Now they can use it in their own blog.

Some pictures of this workshop:

David Sasaki discussing on web link and Technorati.com.

David Sasaki showing the bloggers how to make link in their post.

Video of this workshop:

Really, it was a great workshop for Nari Jibon. We are very pleased to meet with him in a person and earnestly thankful to him.

Sonargaon

2008-08-30T18:47:00.001+06:00

Cross posted from Techna Tara

Sonargaon is one of the most historical place and oldest capitals of Bangladesh. “The city of Panam” is another name of Sonargaon. Among the ancient monuments still intact, are the tomb of Sultan Ghiasuddin (1399 - 1409 A.D.), the shrines of Panjpirs and Shah Abdul Alla and a beautiful mosque in Goaldi village. A Folk Art and Crafts Museum has also been established in Sonargaon. It situated in Narayongoan district on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway about 29km away from Dhaka.

I have visited Songargaon two times in my life. First I visited some places of sonargaon and sonargaon museum when I was a school going student. Just I can only remember that I saw some statues in sonargaon museum and that time I can’t clearly understand what that was. In my university life I again visited this place in second time with some of my friends. Than I could understand the worth of Sonargaon museum. This time I not only see the statues in this museum, but again & again I tried to find-out more of our cultural wealth’s of Bangladesh on those statues and other archeological things. Really I enjoyed this time very much.

Picture has taken from outside of the sonargaon museum.

This is one of statues picture inside of sonargaon museum
where Chakma people with their dress and some materials.

This is another Statue of Chakma people, where they are working on paddy field.

In this picture one statues woman working with her
rice making machine and this is vas system to get rice from paddy.

I love to read books and I passed sometimes in the library of sonargaon museum area. In the area of sonargaon museum, there are some small stalls with handicraft where found various ornaments & shari for women and other household materials for commercial sells.

Lucrative showcase items for sell in Sonargaon museum area stall.

Soil made ornaments are displaying here for sell.

Dolls & others ornaments made by soil are display here for showcase use in home.

An art on the outside of museum building of Sonargaon from our village cultures of industry.

Front side of Sonargaon museum.

A great Statues of Zainul Abedin, the great artist of Bangladesh
selected Sonargaon to establish Folk Arts and Crafts Museum.

Many visitors from home and abroad come to visit this historical place for enjoy & to knowing about cultures of Bangladesh.

Dr. Kathy's mehendi colored hands

2008-08-30T18:20:00.002+06:00

Bangladeshi girls are designed their hands with mehndi in special occasion such as Eid day, wedding ceremony, 1st day of Bengali new year, first day of spring etc.

Dr. Kathryn B. ward likes mehendi, mehendi color and its smell. She likes to design her hand with mehendi. Watch more from video.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-30T13:33:00.000+06:00

Nargis Sultana
ID: 886
English Section

Pahela Baishakh, Eid festivals, international mother language day, victory day etc are the biggest celebration of our community each year. But Eid festivals are the biggest religious festival of the Muslim across the world. Eid means pleasure. Eid festivals bring happiness to the Muslims. There are two Eid festivals. They are Eid-ul-fitr and Eid-ul-azha. Eid-ul-fitr comes out after the holy month of Ramadan. After the month of Ramadan the first day of Shawal is the Eid-ul-fitr festival. In the morning of the Eid day I found my mother and sisters preparing different kinds delicious items of food and sweets. In the morning I wake up and said my Fazr prayer. I went to the pond and took my bath with sweet smelling soap. Then I came to our house. I ate some sweets. Then I and my brother put on new dresses. My brother took his prayer at the Eidgah Masque. He found people coming to the maidan [field]. He saw the Imam was speaking about the significance of month long fasting and the Eid-ul-fitr. Some delicious foods were cooked at our house. Eid-ul-Azha is quite different from Eid-ul-fitr. After two months and nine days Eid-ul-Azha comes. It is particularly an occasion of sacrifice. Animals are sacrificed by the name of God and the poor get a share of the meat. I got much pleasure. Thus I spent the afternoon. I think Bangladeshi people celebrate theses two days like me. So Eids are the biggest celebration of our community.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-30T13:32:00.000+06:00

Taslima Akhter
ID: 885
English Section

The biggest celebration of our community is given below:

Eid festival is the biggest celebration of our community each year. There are two Eids. Eid-ul-fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Last year I celebrated the Eid-ul-fitr with due religious solemnity and purity. In the morning of Eid day I found my mother and sisters preparing different kinds of delicious items of food and sweets. In the morning I woke up and said my said Fazar prayer. After getting bath, I decorated my house. Then I ate some sweets. Then I put on my new dress and helped my mother. Birani was cooked at our house on the occasion. In the afternoon I went to the house of near and dear ones and exchanged greetings with them. I got much pleasure. Thus I spent the afternoon. At night I watched different programs on TV on different channels. Eid-ul-Azha, another religious festival we observed with great solemnity in the world. Last year, my father bought a cow and a goat. I fed them. So, I felt sorry when they were sacrificed. As we are Muslim, we have to follow the rules of Islam. After sacrificing, I went to my friends’ houses to see their sacrificed animals. After one and a half hour, I came back home and helped mother to prepare different dishes. At noon along with my family members I enjoyed the lunch with different delicious dishes. I enjoyed the rest of the day as Eid-ul-fitr. Bangladesh is a Muslim country. We all pass these two Eids with a great joy. So I think Eid festival is the biggest celebration of our country.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-30T13:22:00.000+06:00

Aklima Akter Akhy
ID: 866
English Section

The biggest celebrations of our community are: Pohela Baishakh, Ei-dulfetor, Ei-dul Azha, Victory day, Independence Day etc. I like Pohela Baishakh. Pohela Baishakh is the first day of Boishakh month [1st month Bengali year]. It is a part and parcel of our culture and we observe this day with great festivity. Baishakhi Fairs are held in the different parts of the country. People of all classes go to the fair. The most comprehensive fair is held at the Ramna Batomul in every year. People wear colorful dresses representing Bengali trends and exchange gifts. Businessmen open new books of account on this day which is known as Halkhata. I go to Baishakhi Fair in every year at Ramna Batomul. I feel very much pleasure on this day. So Pohela Baisakh is the biggest celebration of our community to me.

The Biggest Celebration In Our Country

2008-08-26T18:03:00.004+06:00

Cross posted from Sristi Kotha

Bangladesh is a non-communal country, where Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists live together with common indicative Bangladeshi (Bangali). In turn of six seasons in this highly beautiful country, Bangladeshis overwhelm with various kinds of festive occasions such as Pahela Baishakh (1st day of new Bengali year), Borshaboron (reception of rainy season), Nobanno Utsab (celebration with new crops at Hemonta), Pahela Falgun (1st day of spring), Chaitra Songkranti (last day of Bengali year), National mother tongue day, Independence day besides different community’s religious festivals. But I think Pahela Baishakh is the biggest celebration where gay and festive Bangladeshis of various communities hold a festive of one spirit for the devotional reception of new Bengali year.

The first day of new year begins by wishing one another saying shuvo nababarsha (happy new year). Every one wears same type of dresses which are combination of red and white.Men use to wear Panjabi or Fotua and women wear Shari, some girls use Slack and Kameez. Girls are ornamented with Bengali adorn. They use henna paste, bangles, various types of ornaments made by mud, flowers etc. Some people use abeer (kind of red powder), some draw alpona on their face or hand. Every one have special food in this day which is panta (boiled rice soaked with water) with fried hilsa fish, uncooked onion, green chili and various kinds of bhorta (one kind of cooked food) of dried fish (preserved by seasoning and drying in the sun), potato, pulse or prawn.

Picture: A Bangladeshi girl ornamented with Baishakhi adorn

Many organizations and institutions arrange rally. People gather in rally with colorful poster, mask etc. Baishakhi fairs and cultural shows are arranged here and there. Various types of toys, pottery, handicrafts, cosmetics, fan (of a palmyra-leaf), sweetmeats etc are available in fair. Jatra pala (Opera) and puppet show are attractive parts of village fair. All cultural functions in this day begins with a song by world famous poet Rabindra Nath tagore which is aso… hey baishakh, aso… aso (come… oh Bishakh, come… come). Cultural functions are resounded by song, dance and poetry recitation. Most colorful and quite attractive fair and cultural functions are arranged at Romona Botomul in Dhaka. Sometimes storm called Baishakhi jhar occur suddenly. Then owners of stores in fair fall in hazard little bit.

Some indigenous people such as Chakma, Marma, Tonchonga and Tripura celebrate this day as their main festival which is called Bijhu. They are overwhelmed with indigenous festival.

Picture: floor decoration

As a Bangladeshi I also enjoy this day with others of one spirit. In my childhood I and my friends bought vandar (one kind of pot made by mud) from Baishakhi fair and saved money in it all around the year and in next new year we bought new dress by this money. It was a great pleasure to me. In this day we were walking about in the village fair. Riding in Nagor- dola and designing hands with color were the main attraction for me. When I was a student of college, then I and my friends gathered at college campus at the starting of day and then traveled by boat in the river called Bhairab. We passed our time with singsong, gossip, laugh etc. At afternoon we went at fair. The years after that I was a resident of Rokeya hall at University (KUET) and here pleasant drowsiness of festival for reception of new year begins at previous night of this day. Some girls were busy with rehearsal of sing song, poetry recitation, some were busy with making poster, some were drawing alpona (floor decoration of sprinkled rice flour) at hall courtyard, some were busy with designing their hands by henna paste, some were making cake for stall, some were going for festooning campus with posters. The night was passed in this way. At morning festival was started with cultural function. Some girls put mark of sandal paste on the forehead of others during the function. At the end of function we took special food for Pahela Baishakh. Then we went to the stalls held by some students of the university and after that we walked about various place. We also enjoyed film show at university auditorium.

Picture: Designed hands with henna paste

Picture: Hands are ornamented with bangles

Like me all Bangladeshis enjoy this day. At one time this day takes farewell from us but it offers new dreams for new days and says, “happy every day of new year”.

The biggest celebrating day

2008-08-26T17:58:00.004+06:00

By Syeda Mahmuda Akhter

Our life is the sum total of hours, days and years. But all days are not equally memorable to us. Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest religious festival of the Muslims across the world. The Muslims celebrate the day after day long fasting throughout the month of Ramadan. This day bears great significance to the Muslims. They eagerly wait for this day after keeping away from all sorts of vices during the Ramadan. On this day the Muslims come closer to one another forgetting all enmity & hatred among themselves. This day brings immense joy & happiness to them. On this day, children’s joy knows no bounds. Wearing new dresses, they move from house to house & eat delicious foods. On this day, the Muslims get up early in the morning. After saying their morning prayer, the take bath & then put on new dresses & go to Eidgah to say Eid prayers. They pray not only their personal well-being but also for the salvation of humanity in the Eid prayer. After the prayer, they embrace each other & exchange greetings saying Eid Mubarak. On Eid occasion, I cooked many delicious foods. My friends and relatives visit my house to exchange Eid greetings. On this day before, I exchange many interesting messages to my near & dear ones.

I enjoyed this day very much. My husband along with my only son “Areed” I visit my close friends & relatives house and share Eid greetings.

Although Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of festivity, it teaches us to love all men irrespective of high & low. It reminds us of the saying “Malice towards none but love for all under the sun.”

The biggest celebration in my community

2008-08-25T17:55:00.001+06:00

By Jainub Khanam

We are Bangladeshi and Muslims. Bengali celebration days are 21st February –martyrs and international mother language day , 26th march independence day, Pohela Baishak-Bangla new year.26 march is very important for me as Bangladeshi. Because, we have got our Bangladesh by giving blood of million martyrs and honor of many mothers and sisters. I am thankful and regarded to them. Since, I am Muslim. So, very important for me like birth and death day of Mohammad(sm) in 12th Rabiul awal , Shob-e-barat, Shob-e-meraz, Eid-ul-fitr, Eid-ul-azha, etc.

Eid –ul-azha teaches us how to sacrifice for others. But I like very much Eid-ul-fitr. Because the Eid day is the greatest of all festivals of the Muslims in the world. After the month long Ramadan the Eid-ul-fitr knocks at the door. In this way, all muslim does pure and innocent their heart and soul.

When the moon of eid arises in the evening, everybody feels very happy . In Eid day all forget that who poor and who rich man. All share the pleasures to one another. All men wear new dress. Everybody go to meet with their dearest in their house and give good wishes and gift etc. we, the housewives cook shemai, biriani, khir and other delicious foods. At the end, I want to say that Eid-ul-fitr is very enjoyable day for me. That’s why I think Eid day is biggest celebration of our community each year.

How Nari Jibon students/new bloggers are trying to go ahead

2008-08-23T18:29:00.003+06:00

Cross posted from Sujan's Chinta

To develop Nari Jibon new bloggers, Nari Jibon arranged a photo session in last Friday (22 August 08). Four student bloggers (Jesmin ara Amzad, Jannat ara Amzad, Hira and Sufia), Nari Jibon staff blogger & Trainer Taslima Akter and Golam Rabbany Sujan went to visit Ahsan Manzil. They also visited and took pictures some of adjacent areas of Ahsan Manzil like Jagannath University and banks of Buriganga River, Victoria Park etc. Some of Nari Jibon students who receive skill training on English and Computers open blog addresses. Nari Jibon students also receive training on writing feature on different things in their classes, blog training, and digital camera operating etc. Some of them also open flickr accounts. As all the students bloggers have no own digital camera Nari Jibon authority arrange outside photo session for the students & regular bloggers. We think it will improve students’ knowledge and they will be motivated to keep more blogs.

Ahsan Manzil and (second) its display centre.

Ahsan Manzil was named by Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani after his son Nawab Khwaja Alimullah during the time of Mughals. It was built up during the time of Mugahls and it was used by Dhaka Nawab family. It is situated on the bank of the Buriganga River. Now it is using as a museum.

Nari Jibon bloggers are taking photos of Ahsan Manzil

Nari Jibon bloggers are introducing themselves with other visitors (foreigners) and inviting them to visit Nari Jibon. Jesmin and Jannath are talking in English with two Japanese and other people are listening to their conversation. Jesmin and Jannath are learning English at Nari Jibon.

We became sad when we saw the water of our Buriganga River is being polluted by the people and businessmen of this area and nobody care of this.

My mother

2008-08-20T18:30:00.002+06:00

Cross posted from Rafiq's Eye

My mother

Last winter I went to Barisal along with my children and wife to see my mother and also to observe Eid-ul.Azha. My mother was very much happy to see us that time. Seeing us she got some strength to walk a bit. My mother is now Eighty five years old. Due to old age she can not walk well without help of others or stick. She lost her parents and four of her brothers long long ago. She also has lost her husband and two sons that made her weaker.

Mother with my two sisters

In our village everybody loves her for her hospitality. My mother lives in village along with her youngest daughter and grand daughter. But my sister has to cook five to six peoples food everyday. Neighboring people ( specially women come to see her, chat with her and helps my sister a bit in her household works but nobody can not go without having food from our house. I saw her keeping without food many times but she told us that she had no appetite but checking the rice dish I saw empty. Actually she gave food to some of her poor neighboring children that was for her. Even now no one can go from our house without having food.

Her heart is great that is hardly seen. I do not know how to explain about her big heart. She is so affectionate to all.

My mother is living in village where my father and two elder brothers were buried. We tried to take her Dhaka but she does not want to leave that place. She says in this respect that she can see her two son’s everyday but if she is taken to Dhaka how she would see them.

As she is living far away from Dhaka and very expensive to go over there; I can not go to see my mother whenever I want. I usually go to village once or twice a year specially in Eid vacation. But I try to talk to her almost every day over cell phone. Whenever I talk to her my heart fill with joy and happiness. I love my mother very much.

World of Today

2008-08-20T18:28:00.000+06:00

By Sufia Khatun

World of today .As like today,
Life stays long? Or not stay?
If this world does not stay,
All human nations will go to be change,
World of today is very nice,
It makes our mind anxious,
Mind does not want to listen any thing and the hart is same ,
I don’t wish to leave this world,
We all want more and more,
World of today may not change.

My brother

2008-08-20T18:27:00.001+06:00

By Sufia Khatun

I am Sufia. We are three sisters and one brother. I have father, but he doesn’t live with us. I have mother. She is a housewife. My brother is only on earning person in our family. Our family depends on him. I did not any cares from my father. But I don’t know about affection and love of my father. My brother loves me so much. He believes me. He passed S.S.C in 1994. From that he is working hard for our family. I am very proud of my brother. Because, he is my brother, he is my father, he is my friend and he is my all. I pray all time for my brother. May he stay good and God bless him. My brother is a best brother for me. I best happy for my brother.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-20T16:51:00.002+06:00

Nasrin Akter Urmi [ID: 879]
English Section

Our country has many occations, as like: Eid-ul-Fitre, Eid-ul-Azha, Pahela Baisakh, Pahela Falgun, 21^st February etc. I think eid day is the biggest celebration of our community each year. Eid day is special day in our Muslim life. Eid-ul-fitre takes place on the first day of shawal after having one month of Ramadan. On this day all rise from sleep very early. All men and young boys go to the Eidgah Mosque to say their prayer. On this day every body wears new dress and visits to one another's house. Various items are cooked on this occation. The rich people distributen cloths, foods and money among the poor.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-20T12:07:00.001+06:00

Rabaya Akter [ID: 893]
English Section

In our community we have several special days. We celebrate these days each year. There are many special days to celebrate, but one of the biggest celebrations in our community is Pahela Baisakh and all the people of Bangladesh celebrate this day. I also enjoy on this day. On that day generally we wake up early, get fresh and go to Romona Batomul. We wear some special dress for this day that is mixed-up of red and white color. Then we make a group with our family and friends. Everybody prepare special foods on that day. Those are Panta [rice with water] and Hilsa fish fry. We all eat those. These are the main menu for this day. Some cultural programs and fairs are arranged on this day. Those stay for the whole month. Whole day we enjoy Pahela Baisakh. So we can say that this is the biggest celebration of our community each year.

What is the biggest celebration of your community each year?

2008-08-20T12:02:00.005+06:00

Sonia Yeasmin [ID: 888]
English Section

our country celebrate many days like Pahela Baishakh, Eid-ul-Fiture, Eid-ul-Azha ,Victory day and 21^st February etc. but I think victory day and 21^st February is the biggest celebration of our community each year. Because our country was controlled by others but we have gotten our independence on 16^th December in 1971 through the blood of 30 lac martyred. The Independence Day is ovserved all over the country with various programs. On that day parade of different armed forces is held in the race cours maidan apart that various play and cultural programs are held in other parts of the country. Boys and girls of the school and college make anaado [joy] rally. The 21^st February is an international mother language day. Mother tongue is a divine gift. Some of the heroic sons came forward and sacrificed their glorious life for the cause of our mother tongue on the 21^st February 1952. Rafique, Jabber, Salam , Barkat were shot. Since then this day is called the Shaheed Dibash. Now it is a great pleasure for us that this day has got international recognition in 1999. The victory day and 21^st February create pleasures in the mind of people of every profession and religion. So we celebrate victory day and 21^st February very gorjiously.

The Largest Celebrations of my communities

2008-08-20T11:43:00.000+06:00

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery

Mainly there are four communities in our country, Bangladesh. Among them, one is Muslim. Even I am a Muslim and so I belong to Muslim community. Most of the people of our country are Muslims. In my community, we the Muslims celebrate the celebrations of this community such as Eid-Ul-Fitre, Eid-Ul-Azha, Shab-e-Meraz, Shab-e-Borat, Shab-e-Kodor, Eid-e-Miladunnabi, Ashura, Akheri Chahar Shomba and Fateha-e-Iazdahom. We celebrate them honestly by absorbing all day in praying of Almighty. In my opinion, I think the largest celebration of this community is Eid-Ul-Fitre. The reason is that we get it after fast adoration of one month in Ramzan. It is the first day of Zilkod. We celebrate it cheerfully in each year. On that day, the whole country wears a festive look. We wear new dresses, say our prayers to Almighty and give money or cloths to the poor. Lastly, we spend the whole day by walking about many places or relatives house and greet them calling ‘Eid Mubarak’ and enjoy all day long. The day is an auspicious day for everybody that we wait for eagerly. In another side, I am a Bengali too because my mother tongue is Bangla. In Bengali tradition, we observe the first day of Bengali New Year excitedly because from this day, a new year starts. The first day is in the month of Baishakh that belongs to summer season. So we call the first day ‘Pahela Baishakh’ and greet all calling ‘Shuvo Hok Noboborsho’ in Bengali. We choose it very gloriously with our traditional festivities of Bengali. We eat watered rice with Hilsha fish, chilies and onion. Many women wear white saris of different designs and men wear pajama-Punjabis. Some women put garlands of jasmine on hair. The other Bengali festivals are the first days of every season. However, from my own view, the largest celebration of Muslim community is ‘Eid-Ul-Fitre’ and ‘Pahela Baishakh’ is in Bengali community.

Nari Jibon Project and Its Bloggers: What Other Bloggers are Saying

2008-08-16T14:59:00.008+06:00

Cross posted from bideshi blue

Students in the computer lab.....

Recently I returned from 45 hot (beshi garum) days in Bangladesh where I visited the Nari Jibon Project, among other activities. Loadshedding continued to take its toil on me, Nari Jibon computers, students as well as garment factories. Nonetheless students have come to their computer and english classes as well as practiced in the women only cyber cafe. During this visit, many students opened their own blogs!

During this time, Nari Jibon hosted a visiting lecturer, Kira, who gave a lecture and worked with smaller groups on blogs, photography, photo websites.

In response, many students posted in the Nari Jibon english blog for the first time. Other students have continued to contributed to Nari Jibon bangla blog. Many of the bangla poems have been translated into english and posted in the english blog. Some students opened their own blogs (in English and Bangla) and some staff started blogging again...

some bloggers' photography session with Ms. Kira:
Zannat, Jannat, Choti, Kira, Jainub's daughter, Jesmin

For overviews of these blogging activities, check out what others have been saying about Nari Jibon and its bloggers. Please follow the links within and read the bloggers' creative activities as they find and develop their own voices and computer-photo skills and continue to post. Your comments (kind, thoughtful, constructive) will provide much needed encouragement. Below, I list some students' and staff members' individual blogs.

new from David Sasaki's visit to Dhaka and Nari Jibon Project:

http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/blog/2008/09/02/nari-jibon-using-blogs-to-give-bangladeshi-women-new-skills/

new ! http://el-oso.net/blog/archives/2008/09/02/bangladesh/en/

http://el-oso.net/blog/archives/2008/08/15/an-update-from-nari-jibon/en/

http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/blog/2008/08/14/nari-jibon-making-a-difference/

http://uncultured.com/2008/07/25/what-would-kathy-do/

http://www.k-minos.com/?p=577

http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/blog/2008/07/10/nari-jibon-the-joy-of-having-their-own-blog/

Some Students’ blog addresses:

Afrin's Gallery http://asiaafrin.blogspot.com/

Jesmin’s garden http://jesmingarden.blogspot.com/

Zannat's world http://zannatworld.blogspot.com/

Rainbow http://jannat-fardoush.blogspot.com/

Bangladeshi Women http://jainub-khanam.blogspot.com/

Ahona http://ahona-hira.blogspot.com/

Window of Mind, http://sufia-eti.blogspot.com/

My Dream, http://poly-dream.blogspot.com/

Choti’s blog http://choitrerdinguly.blogspot.com/

Staff blog addresses:

new ! Kajol's destiny http://kajols-destiny.blogspot.com/

Bipa’s Prokrito Bangladesh http://www.bipa-prokritobangladesh.blogspot.com/

Sujan’s Chinta, http://hi-bangladesh.blogspot.com/

Creative talk by Nilufa http://annekuet.blogspot.com/

Kazi’s eye, http://kazi-rafiq.blogspot.com/

Techna Tara: http://taslima-toma.blogspot.com/

computer teachers taslima & nilufa watch kira teach about photography

Two more success history of Nari Jibon students

2008-08-16T14:52:00.004+06:00

By Golam Rabbany (Sujan)

Sweety started home based tailoring business at the end of her course duration of Nari Jibon. Last July’08 she earned 800 taka from her home based tailoring business. Sweety completed ‘Tailoring Cutting and Sewing Master Course’ from Nari Jibon recently. She learned there 34 tailoring items successfully. Now she can make various kinds of Children and women’ dresses, pillow covers, curtains, fotuya, panjabi, maxi, shorts and shirts, veil etc.Sweety is about 18 years old and unmarried. She studied up to class-8. After passing class-8, her parents were unable to prosecute her study as then they faced serious financial crisis. Then she quitted her study and started to work in the garment factory. But her parents and relative did not like her working in the garment factory. After working one year in the garment factory, she gave up continue her job. After that she was passing her time at their house. Being informed about Nari Jibon from her younger sister she took admission at Nari Jibon to learn tailoring items.She took admission at Nari Jibon dated 1st March 2008. She used to take class regularly and she was attentive to learn tailoring items. She got tailoring scholarship from Nari Jibon. That’s why she used to get chance practice more time and as a result she became very expert to make dresses. She started to work in the home based tailoring business from last June.

Sweety is making dress at her house

Sweety is thinking that she will set up a tailoring shop in a village market near her village with her younger sister who is working in a tailoring shop and she is also a graduate student of Nari Jibon. She already talked with her parents and they are also agreed with her plan. Her parents will also leave Dhaka.

Papia akter is about 23 years old. She could not read or write though she went to the school about one year at her childhood. She worked in the garment factories more than ten years. Due to being pregnant she gave up working in the garment factory at the beginning of 2005. Papia and her husband were not agreed to start working in the garment factory again due to their small baby. Papia heard about Nari Jibon from one of her neighboring girl who was also a student of Nari Jibon. Then she took admission to learn Bangla as she was interested to learn tailoring items. She took admission dated 15th February 2008 in Bangla section and Tailoring section.Now Papia can read and write Bangla and also she has learned English alphabets and some small words. She also can read and write numbers (English, Bangla), addition, subtraction and multiplication etc. Still now she is coming to Nari Jibon for more study. Papia also completed Tailoring Cutting and Sewing Master Course from Nari Jibon successfully. She learned 32 tailoring items. She practices long time at Nari Jibon and she also completed her internship. After being admitted at Nari Jibon Papia applied for scholarship. Then she was facing financial problem as she had to spend a good number of money during her delivery period. As she was regular, attentive and poor student Nari Jibon provide her scholarship to learn tailoring items well. She used to get long time to learn and practice at Nari Jibon that helped her being expert tailoring master.

Papia is making dress at her house

Now, she can make all kinds of child dresses, Pillow cover, curtain, Salower, kamiz, various designs of three pieces, Panjabi, Fotua and other women’ dresses. Last August’08 she bought a sewing machine as she wanted to run home based tailoring business. Last July’08 Papia earned more than 700 taka making dresses of her neighboring people. Now Papia does not want to take job to any garment factory or any tailoring shop as she is to look after her small daughter. But she wants to run her home based tailoring business. In future she will try to expand her business like as she will keep some assistant tailoring workers and she will circulate her business and collect more dress making order etc.

Biggest celebration in my community

2008-08-16T13:45:00.003+06:00

Cross posted from Sujan's Chinta

We have many religious and cultural festivals in our society that are celebrated from the ancient period. We have two EID festivals, Sob-e-borat, Sob-e-kodor, Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengal New Year), First day of spring, Akushe February (Language Day), 16th December (Independence day), Nobanno utsab (festival of eating newly grown autumnal rice in the month of Agrahayan), etc

I think EID festival (EID UL FITRE and EID UL AJHA) and Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year) and Akushe February are our biggest celebrations in our community.
How we celebrate these festivals-

EID festivals:We (Family members and nearest relatives) get together during EID festivals as all the service holders have EID vacation. Our family members may live different places in the country but most of them come to our birth family. All the family members try to buy gift (new dress) for his/her and for other family members. Every family cooks rich food of different items. Married daughters are invited with their husband and children. Young children receive salami (tips). Many people fix their marriage date or other parties during these vacations.All the people of the society pray their EID namaj in an open place and greet (each other) warmly. Every people in our society become happy and stay in pleasure during EID days. There are some religious values that make our society happier like as we provide some money as Fitra, Jakat to the poor people in our society. We (who have ability) also try to provide new dresses or some money to the poor people in our society. People in our society also try to get the good wishes of Allah by the helping of others.

(Villagers are working together and sharing the korbani with everyone)

Some people provide immolation of a beast (Korbani) in the EID-ul Ajha and all the families in a community share these (meat) among themselves. Only poor people also get the skin or price of the skins of these beasts. All of these activities make all the people happy, unity and peace to live together in our society.

Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year) People in our society also celebrate Pohela Boishak (First day of Bengali New Year). It is also an enjoyable day in our society. Women and girls wear red and white colored sharee with soil-ornaments. Almost every child and other people wear cotton, colored, new or clean dress. They visit boishaki fair. There is an ancient landlord’s house in our locality including several large open fields where boishaki fair take place every year. We heard that landlord used to arrange boishaki fair after taking tax and to declare new tax rule. Now we have no landlord to take tax but we have the culture. People sing local and ancient folks, also enjoy horse race, different games like ha-du-du, kapadi, football etc. Young people get salami (tip) from the seniors. There are many games for young people and they can also buy various toys, various items of first food etc.

Akushe February (21st February)

Ekushe February (21st February) is our mother language day. Now it is International mother language day. Pakistani ruler wanted to set up Urdi as national language in east Bengal (Present Bangladesh). Students, factory workers, businessmen, farmers and people of every sector started to protest against this declaration and on 21 February 1952 students and political activities were killed by the Pakistani police who were protesting and demanding Bengali as their mother language. This agitation encouraged Bengali to be independent. So we celebrate this day from our heart every year. This day we awake up from the sleep very early in the morning. We go to the Shahid Minar (martyrs monument) on foot and we give flowers to the Shaheed Minar before sunrise. This day we don’t wear shoes. Young people make Shaheed Minar in lane to lane and area to area though every school, college and university has one Shaheed Minar. Highest amount of flowers are sold in this day. Every cultural and other organization arranges various programs in this day like Moncho natok (stage play), song ceremony etc. Schools and Colleges arrange their Yearly Play and Price ceremony in this day.Thus we enjoy whole day with our friends and family members.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

Some Pictures of Bangladeshi Nature

2008-08-08T15:07:00.001+06:00

These pictures were taken from Sundarban:

English Class Assignment

2008-08-07T13:18:00.002+06:00

Q: How do you spend your free time?

Ayesha Sanjida Synthia
ID#840

I am Synthia. Recently, I passed my S.S.C exam. After finishing my S.S.C exam I had a lot of free time. For spending my free time, I got admitted in Nari Jibon Project. Here, I am taking courses on English & Computer because, both of these are important for our life. I also spend my free time by reading books and watching TV.

Asia Afrin Anni
ID: 862

I spend my free time by doing those works that I like to do. Such as reading novels, watching Cricket and Long Tennis on television, writing something on papers, hearing songs on radio, taking some rest, talking with somebody on current topics of Bangladesh, thinking about my future, my family and relatives etc.

English Class Assignment

2008-08-07T13:04:00.002+06:00

Q: Why do you want to learn English? How will this course help you in your life?

Naoshin Tarannum
ID: 837

English is the most important language today. It is the only language for international aviation and international navigation. So the world cannot do anything without it. English literature is very rich and resourceful. Most of the scientific researches all over the world have been carried out in English. Books of science are also written in English. It is therefore, obvious that English has become essential in the field of science. We shall have to face the worst consequences if we fail to learn English. It will simply stop our entrance to the world. Only learning English can promote our trade, commerce, communication, job facilities, etc, all over the world. We must not ignore it. So I think English learning is so important for me. All work I can do easily by learning it. And it will help me in my life.

Asia Afrin Anni
ID: 862

I want to learn English because it is an international language and at present it is as necessary as Bangla in every step. It helps me in my educational life and also to communicate with the people who do not know Bangla. Therefore, I want to learn it.

This course will help me in my life by making myself at home in English which will help me to develop myself and career in future because in this century English needs everywhere.

My family

2008-08-06T16:37:00.004+06:00

Cross posted from Rafiq's Eye

In my student life (specially when I was studying in college and university) I saw many unhappy families, bad relationship of husbands and wives in their conjugal lives that lead me to make decision of not getting married. I really decided not to get married but when I saw Tora (My wife later) I forgot about my decision. It seemed to me that time that this is the girl whom I was looking for throughout my life. I was sure that she would be my best friend and life partner. We both fell in love and were passing time happily. We got married later and Tora became my real best friend. We got a new life and my vagabond life ended in this way.

Our first child ‘Moin’ was born after five years of our marriage. Getting him our lives became more beautiful. We were passing our happy days with him. When Moin was seven years old we got our second child (that time a female child) Radia. Our lives became full to the brim. Radia is now three years running. Moin, Radia and Tora are my world now.

I am a happy man. Most of the people of the world have problem. I also have problem like; financial problem and some physical problems. But whenever I stay with them I forget about all the problems.

I am the tutor of my children. Tora is also my student. She learns English from me. She is very much eager to learn English. She would like to talk fluently in English.I have to answers hundreds of questions of my children and wife almost everyday. Sometimes I become tired of answering questions but most of the time I love to answer. My children move around me when they get me at residence. Radia says, “Baba (father) feed me, take me to the bathroom, clean me, tell me story etc”. Moin used to do so when he was at Radia’s age. Moin sometimes asks me some strange questions like, why are the men born, why do they die? And also many computer related questions. I can not answer his entire questions at times. Moin is now ten years old and is studying in Monipur high school in class four. He would like to be a computer scientist. He loves to play with computers whenever he gets times. Somewhere he is more advanced than me in computer My children and wife likes hearing song and also to sing (I too).

Tora is partner of my all the well and woe. We share our happiness, sorrows, tensions and anxieties to each other. There is nothing secret in between us. I think this is essential to be happy in conjugal life. I have seen many girl/women in my life but Tora is exceptional. I never had seen a good girl like her. I am really fortunate to have her as my friend/wife/life partner.

My childhood with my mother by Nari Jibon students

2008-08-05T19:21:00.001+06:00

Student’s blog writings in their computer class:

Syeda Mahmuda Akhter, Id#884

"I am Syeda Mahmuda Akhter. I was born at Sonargoan which is a very nice place of Bangladesh. My mother was a beloved mother. When I was child, my mother looked after me very carefully and sincerely. My mother loved me very much because I was a very good student and I always stood first in my class. My mother is an ideal mother. She is honest, sincere and also very beautiful to look at. My school was in morning shift and everyday my mother made my breakfast early in the morning. She is a house-wife and she passed her time routinely. I always try to follow her. I am very friendly with my mother. At my childhood she was a friend, teacher and first of all my beloved mother. It was dreamed to her that I will be a doctor and now-a- day I succeed. When I was sick, she gave a good nursing to me restlessly and until I was alright she always beside me. My mother is also a very good cook. When she cooked delicious foods most of my friends were come to our house and ate vigorously. My mother is ideal to me. I was very happy and felt proud of her. I found peace to look her face. She is the best mother in my eyes in the world. I love my mother very much."

Surma Akter, ID# 691

"My name is Surma Akter. My father’s name is Mahafuzul Hoque and My mother name is Nilufa Akther. I read in B.A 2nd year. My mother is a housewife. I passed my childhood nicely with my mother. She always tried to cheer me but I was crying all time. I started my school life when I was six. I went to school regularly due to my mother angriness. Along with all of these things my childhood time was very beautiful. I was independent and gladly in my childhood with my mother. I played football, cricket, badminton with my friends. I love my mother. I can not forget my childhood."

Shahida Akter Moina, Id# 799

"My name is Shahida Akter Moina. I am a student. I come from Moghbazar warless colony. My father is a Government service holder. I was born in Dhaka. I passed my childhood with my mother and my family. My mother is a house wife. Her name is Amena Begum. My mother is the best mother. I respect my mother and she loves me. My mother is my best friend. She helps me in my all works, all decisions."

My childhood with my mother by Nari Jibon students

2008-08-05T19:18:00.001+06:00

Student’s blog writings in their computer class:

Sharmi Das, Id#868

"My childhood memory is so beautiful. I love my mother very much. My mother is a great mother in the world. She helps me in my whole work. Every moment of my childhood I passed with my mother. My mother gave me many dolls and toys on my 5th years birthday ceremony. Everyday I slept with my mother. At that time she told me many interesting story. First time I went to school with my mother. Always she inspires me in every work. Every time I feel my mother. She loves me very much."

Urmi Das, Id#867

"My mother is the best mother in the world. She loves me very much. She always looks after me. I love my mother very much. Every time she helps me. My mother is the best teacher in my life also she is a good friend for me. My mother always prays for me. In my childhood she played with me. She is very calm and quite. She loves me very much. She is my favorite person."

Busrat Binte Qaiyum, Id# 741

"My mother name is a Lily Qaiyum. She is a housewife. I spent much time of my childhood in my grandfather’s house because on that time my father stayed to foreign country. So on that time my mother was to take care of me. My childhood was very memorable to me. In my childhood my mother took care very nicely of my all sides. When I slept, my mother awoke to me. My study started from my mother. In my childhood I was very naughty but my mother handle it very lovely without any angry speech. On that time my mother never got me feel to miss my father’s love."

Firoza Begum Poly, Id# 130

"I am poly. My mother name is Razia Islam. I love my mother and my mother also loves me. She helped me in my all work. When I sang a song, my mother jointed with me. I liked to play but my mother did not like to play. I liked to cook and I helped my mother when she cooked. "

My childhood with my mother by Nari Jibon students

2008-08-05T19:12:00.002+06:00

Student’s blog writings in their computer class:

Jannatul Fardous Shathy, Id# 829

"My name is Jannatul Fardous Shathy. I read in class eight. My school name is T&T high school. My father’s name is Md. Haider Ali. He is a service holder. My mother’s name is Mrs. Nargis Akter. She is a housewife. My childhood is very memorable. When I was child, I was very naughty. I always played with my friends. My mother told me to read book. However, I did not care. When I became sick my mother felt upset. Moreover, she told my father to take me clinic. My mother always help me in every work. She told me to respect elder, and love younger. But I always beat my younger brother. And my mother beat me. When she beat me, my little brother was laughing. My father, he does not love me. He always loves his son. I don’t know why? But sometimes, he loves me. I always try to help him in his every work. However I love both of my mother and my father and always pray for them."

Rasmy Akter Jui Id# 891

"My childhood is so memorable that I had not forgotten it or in my childhood there were many reminiscence with my mother. My mother name is Mrs. Razi Halim. She loves me very much from her core mind. I love her very much. She is a first woman who taught me. She always affectionate to me and I couldn’t fill my nice dream without my mother. When I was six years old she took me school. Now I am a student of a college. She gets up early in the morning and makes breakfast for me. When I became sick, my mother takes care of me. I feel very proud with my mother. She is very precious for me. I can’t think my world without her love."

Aklima Akter Akhy, Id#866

"I am Aklima Akter Akhy. I was born in Dhaka. My childhood is passed in Dhaka. My mother is the dearest person to me in the world. She comes of a poor family but she completed her MA degree in great hardships. Now she is a school teacher. I heard from her students that she is one of the popular teachers of her school. She is very punctual in her daily routine both for family and her occupation. I was very lazy in childhood. My mother didn’t like it. My mother always called me Akhy moni. I am one daughter of my mother. My mother looks very beautiful. She loves all of my family member. I love my mother."

Hridi, Id#855

"My childhood with my mother was the sweetest days of my life. She helped me in my all works. She gossiped with me and played with me as a friend. In my childhood when I took food she must had to tell stories. If she didn’t so I did not eat. She took me with her wherever she went. Even still she is doing this. She is very much caring about me. She always tries to give me all these things which I want to her. We discuss our problems together and solve them. My mother love me very much and I also love her very much."

Youth Human Rights and Journalism Camp 2008

2008-08-05T07:02:00.005+06:00

Relief International is an International NGO (Non Government Organization) working in Bangladesh to promote, use and integrate the Information and Communication Technologies in education and development. Recently, they have implemented a project titled “Media Access and Education for Human Rights: Bangladesh”. To get more information visit: www.media-humanrights.org. The project targets the Rural and Semi-urban Youths, Local Journalists, Media Professionals and the Public at large, and implements enabling Technologies appropriate to the existing infrastructure. They arranged a residential Youth Human Rights and Journalism Camp 2008 with secondary school students from 14 July to 16 July, 2008 at BRAC TARC in Savar.

They had invited several journalists from different sectors to conduct the session on role of Journalism, Rights to Information, Freedom of Speech, Interviewing Technique, Writing for Newspaper, Blogging, etc. So that students be encouraged to choose the Journalism as a noble profession to build up their career. They invited me to attend this camp as a resource person. There I discussed “Use of ICT in journalism online media and role of Blogging in raising awareness”.

In 3 days long camp my session was held on 15th July, 2008 at 2pm to 3pm. Participants came from four different districts:- Khulna, Comilla, Chittagong and Dhaka of Bangladesh and there were more than 22 students with teachers joined in my session. I presented how to start Blog, different blogging software, facilities of Blogging, photo Blogging, video Blogging, etc. So that students can start Blog and express their self as a Blogger. All the Students were very much enthusiastic to know about Blog as a new thing.

After my presentation I had taken a short test on my discussion. Most of the students answered very quickly and their answers were praiseworthy.

There was another resource person Mr. Kawsar Uddin, ICT reporter, “The Daily Sangbad”. His topic was “Citizen Journalism in Bangladesh”. I got lots of unknown information about citizen journalism from his discussion.

Lonely alone mother

2008-08-04T19:35:00.003+06:00

Translated by Nilufa Parvin
Written in Bengali: Shahida Islam Mony

It seems to me very lonely, alone
I can’t realize why I feel so.
Life is very multifarious,
At times it is colored, again colorless
Why I feel so?
How sweet the people of the earth are!
How sacred they are!
But somewhere unholiness, vulgarity are concealed.
Mother cannot keep her child in the vicinity of her
Child cannot drop tears, keeping head on their mother’s chest
What a dalliance of god is!
Who knows?
Can you tell when, how this impertinence, misery will be removed?
Cause of this failure is that I am a mother?
Have I no power to keep my child in my neighborhood?
Law! It is also in opposite with mother in this country.
It seems to that after a definite age,
There is no right to live child with their mother.
How insufferable, ridiculous the incident of earth is!
The mother who doesn’t know law,
The mother who can’t become rebel,
She also misses her child.
So it should occurs that child of all mothers being mislaid
And to fill mother’s heart with loud lamentation.
What’s the benefit if I struggle?
What’s the gain if I glowing my chest with tears?
Who needs to go away he will depart,
Who likes to come back he will return,
But mother’s are groaning, weeping with her rending heart…
It’s only for mother
This silently abandoned alone shed tears only for mother
This is not for others.

Shahida Islam Mony has recited her own writing poem in the Narijibon blog workshop on flickr. Watch more from video…

My childhood with my mother by Nari Jibon students

2008-08-04T18:53:00.001+06:00

Student’s blog writings in their computer class:

Asia Afrin Anni, Id #862

"Mother is the first word of my mouth. Nothing is comparable to my mother in the world. She gave me birth, brought me up with lots of care and tried to show me the right direction of life too. Now I am going to be young but she do not stop caring and thinking about me. She always put ready her helping hand for me. In every type of works, she helps me to do it. When I become sick, she takes care of me throughout the whole day. When I want to eat something delicious, she cooks that for me. I can go to college alone but she goes there along with me so that nothing can harm me. In every phases of my life, she proves herself my friend but I can not prove myself like her. I am a person of an uncommon nature who has feelings for everybody but can not show them. Thus I have loving feelings for my lovely mother but I can not express it. However, my mother is lovely and affectionate for me and I like her forever. "

Zannatul Ferdous Lisha, Id #861

"Everyman is want to stay in his childhood. My name is Zannatul Ferdous Lisha. In childhood we cannot do any thing without help by mother. My first teacher is my mother. My mother name is Rawson Ara begum. She has born in Pabna. She comes from religious family. She is house wife. She is very hard working woman. In my childhood I was very naughty girl. I always disturbed my mother. But she never angry with me. My mother takes care very well. When I was child I don’t wanted to eat. When my mother went to outsides I always started crying to go with my mother and all time she brought many things for me. She knows my choices very well. I got admitted to school when I was 5 years old. My first school name is Metropolitan School. My mother everyday took me in my school and waited 3 hours for me. I love my mother very much. I think she is the most beautiful and talented women. My mother is my favorite person. I pray for her long life."

Ayesha Sanjida Synthia, Id# 840

"I am Synthia. My mother’s name is Mrs. Niger Sultana. She is a house wife. She is also owner of a small business. She is the best mother in the world. I love her very much. My mother is very religious woman. My mother cooks very well. She cooks food for us. When my mother teaches us, she looks like a teacher. Sometimes she looks like a friend. My mother is dearest to me. She loves us very much. My mother joy knows no bounds when she finds me happy."

Shermin Chowdury Shikha, Id # 736

"My name is Shermin Chowdhury Shikha. My father’s name is Md. Delower Hossain Chowdhury and my mother’s name is Nurun Nahar. My childhood is very memorable. I have lots of memory with my mother in childhood. She is a house wife. She is the sweet mother in the world. My mother is very kind to others. She always loves and helps me in my every work. When I was sick, then my mother was taking care of me all time. I love my mother very much. Every mother is great in the world. But my mother is very great for me. I feel proud of my mother. "

My Charming Childhood

2008-07-31T15:19:00.000+06:00

By Asia Afrin Anni

My childhood is the best pastime of my life. This was the time when I could do anything at my sweet will. Nobody scolds me then. I got everything whatever I wanted. I like this time very much in my whole life.

In my childhood, I had done some surprising deeds that made people happy. When I was four months, I began to walk. Once my mother was cooking big Hilsha fishes in the kitchen, I went there and ate a fish among them without informing her. She searched the fish but could not find. After sometime she realized that I ate the fish. At the age of fourteen months, I started talking. Then I called the people ‘Gariwala’ who hawk goods in the streets and called ‘Bariwala’ who drive cars.

One day my mother put clothes in the strings on the roof of our house. I was along with my mother. Suddenly I heard the music of a song in a building. Then the commissioner of the area was going along the road. Therefore, the people of the area arranged the music on the roof of that building to make him happy. I went there alone without informing my mother and started dancing. Every people were seeing my dancing and became amazed. The condition of that place became quite. Seeing this, I stopped and started looking around. All on a sudden, all people gave clapped on my dancing and everybody was happy there. After a while, my mother took me from there.

On the other day, my mother put money of the rooms where we lived on the table for the housekeeper. The notes consist of 500. I took one note from there and ate it. When my mother started searching for the note, I told her everything and she began laughing.

Another day, I concealed under the bed and was eating dried rice because I was fond of eating dried rice. My mother tried hard to find me. Suddenly she heard some sounds coming from under the bed. She looked under the bed. When I saw her, I threw all rice of my mouth on her face.

I did these things in my childhood. I keep them stored in my memory. When I get some time, I remember them and share with everybody. These memories are very valuable for me.

Bird of the baby girl

2008-07-31T15:15:00.002+06:00

Translated by Kazi Rafiqul Islam
Written in Bengali: Bithi Rahman

The baby girl says – O cowboy, playing flute
Under the banyan tree
Have you seen my bird
That flew away?

The cowboy says – Playing flute at a lonely place
I have not seen your bird
Where it fled from the cage.

Baby says – All the noon I looked for it
Roaming around the wood
Has my bird fled for ever?
Will it never come back?

Cowboy says – The bird comes from the wood
Does it look good in the cage?
Bird of the wood has flown to the wood
Let her fly away.

Baby says – This cannot happen
If she is not with me
How shall I spend my time?
I loved her, fed her
Keeping in the cage
Wanted to teach her my words.
Leaving everything, where has she fled
All alone I am looking for her.

Cowboy says- Men will live with men
The bird has its wings
Will fly far away
Go back home, baby
Leave her in the woods.

Two Days at Cox’s Bazar

2008-07-26T17:22:00.002+06:00

By Nilufa Parvin

A few months ago I visited Cox’s Bazar with my friends and two teachers on purpose of study tour. Our bus entered at Cox’s Bazar in afternoon. There were rows of tamarisk tree on both sides of the road. Suddenly mass of water attracted our eyes from far and it seems to that the sea was greeting us with its vastness and solemnity. We also responded with shouting and joy. After a moment we went down from bus and reached at seashore through sandy-bank. Besides sea-breeze, ocean currents were touching us. After seeing the amazing view of sunset at sea-level we returned in our bus and following then we reached at hotel “Holiday In”

Picture: Sunset at sea-level.

After refreshing we had delicious dinner with rice and rupchada fish. Then we went Burmese market for shopping. We fussed noisily here and there of the market till night. We got up early in the morning and went to sea-beach for taking sea-bath. We overwhelmed to cast in the sea. We have also collected many sea-borne cockles there.

Picture: We are at sea

Later than we had our breakfast and went to “Radar Station” to collect information to serve the main purpose of study tour. After visiting Radar station we took our lunch and started our journey to Inani sea beach. What a fantastic path! There are hills on one side and sea on the other side of the road. After one hour we reached at Inani sea beach. Its elegance, astonishing sight fascinated us. Again we returned back to Holiday In.

Picture: Peak of Radar Station from far

Picture: We are at Radar Station

After refreshing and having dinner we went to seaside for camp fire. We passed our time with humor and fun, sing-song. Roar of sea waves and glitters of stars were remarkable companion for us.

Picture: Inani sea-beach

At last we said goodbye sea-girt but my secret thought was I would come back here again and again.