Daily Star Campus
Sunday 10 May 2009
Lead Article:
Asrar Chowdhury's Piece on Mother's Day
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/05/02/camspotlight.htm
***
This story is the story of all Mothers. May the Heavens Bless all Mothers. Happy Mother's Day.
***
“Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you”
- John Lennon for his Mother, Julia Lennon, 1968
It was Saturday, the 17th day of February 2007. The Muezzin had just called the faithful for the Asr prayers. The sun shone mildly through the window of the ambulance. The road from the hospital to our house was free. It took less than five minutes to reach home. Within this time I saw my whole life flash before my eyes.
I am a caesarean baby. In those days the mother had to go through a general anaesthesia. Soon after my birth, Amma had a very high fever that almost took her life. She won the battle. I will live all my life with the guilt that I was responsible for that high fever and the ensuing physical pains Amma suffered for the rest of her life. In my teens I once tried to say sorry. Amma put her finger to my lips. “At least I have you and your sister”.
I am Amma's first born. And I was very much spoiled. Every time I did a mischief, I knew it was Amma who would be the oasis in the desert, my 'shelter from the storm' to protect me from Abba. The condition for amnesty was simple. Always have the courage to admit to what you are doing. This has remained with me all my life. I may be a good storyteller, but I am a terrible liar!
Soon after my sister was born, Amma gave up her career. My wife did the same many years later for our daughter, Annapurna. It is only now that I appreciate how powerful a mother can be. We men can acknowledge only, but cannot replicate the sacrifice a mother can make for her children and family. Amma was one notch ahead. For the entire time my father studied in Wales, UK, Amma was the breadwinner of our family. Throughout the week, my sister and I would wake up not seeing Amma. Abba would wake us up. Prepare breakfast and walk us to school. And bring us back home again. Abba would prepare food and we would eat and watch playschool and all those other children's programmes on good old BBC.
Pandemonium would break loose the moment the bell rang. My sister and I would run to open the door and see who could touch Amma first. I would run to grab a smell of Amma from her blue raincoat. And without failure, Amma would have sweets for us. Mars bar, Snickers, a box of Smarties, Quality Streets and what not would be the toast of the afternoon snacks. Many years later my sister and I found out Amma would sometimes forsake her tea and biscuits to buy our chocolates!
After we returned to Bangladesh, life went on like any other family. Amma was now at home most of the times. Abba was busy at the university with his career that took him from one echelon to the next. My sister and I slowly passed each grade at school, college and finally university. Our golden time as a single unit in Aberystwyth, UK, was 'gone with the wind' forever!
'Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans'. It was not until the next generation came along that I finally found time for Amma again. Ankoor, my sister's son, and Annapurna, my daughter, filled up our house marking the dawn of a new beginning. Ankoor and Annapurna became the centre of Amma's universe. The apples of her two eyes. Alas! 'To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from'!
The first day of January 2007 was Qurbani Eid. The following day was Annapurna's first birthday. We put off the birthday party till 26th January. Amma really wanted to see the first birthday of her Apun just as much as the first birthday party of her Bhaiyun a few years earlier. A few days before the birthday party, Annapurna was playing on Amma's bed. Amma looked at Annapurna and smiled saying “I don't have the good fortune to see this child grow up”. I laughed.
We always saw Amma fight one sickness after another with her energetic laughter that was the hallmark of our house.
On 30th January Amma went to a hospital for a routine check up. The day was 3rd February. The doctors advised her not to talk. She was having breathing problems. She was wearing an oxygen mask. Amma took off her mask when I entered and asked me what Annapurna doing. She then told me to take care of Abba and Annapurna and put her mask back on. We exchanged glances. Amma was smiling as if she was at peace. Amma called me. I went. She took my hand and kissed it with her oxygen mask on. And then she took her mask off and said with a smiling invitation. “I've kissed you. I have nothing more to ask. I got everything I could have ever asked for”. YES. I, Amma's first born, was the fortunate one to have received Amma's final blessings. I, who came to this world and was almost responsible for Amma's death!
The hospital never called us when they put Amma on a ventilator the next day. We never got to know what Amma's final wishes were. Fortunately, Aziza Chachi knew. My sister and Ankoor were lucky to find Amma still breathing when they came from Canada. By the morning of 17th February it was evident Amma's fight with septicaemia and acute respiratory distress syndrome was nearing its end. At 3:30pm, Abba and I went to the hospital. I sensed there was not much time left. I approached Amma's bed. Amma was in a coma. It was now or never to say what I always wanted to all my life.
“Amma, it's been more than a pleasure having you in our midst. In the last two weeks because of you we've realised how much people love us. Amma, I don't know if you'll hear all this. From this moment our fates are sealed. You've entered our hearts forever”. Less than five minutes later, Amma was no longer 'living in the material world'. Her Spirit and Soul went to a much better place.
***
An old lady once came to Lord Buddha. Her grandchild had died. She wanted Lord Buddha to bring the child back to life. The Buddha asked the lady to take some sand in her hand and bring back fire from a house that had not experienced death. The old lady never returned. Death is the only inevitability in life. But then. People do live on after their deaths. They live in the Spirit of their Souls. “Half of what [I’ve said was] meaningless, but I [said] it just to reach you [Benu]”. To reach for your pure Soul.
Happy Mother’s Day. May the Heavens Bless All Mothers!
***
Disclaimer:
1. The last paragraph and the initial quotes are not in the print edition.
2. Facebook has a limit of tagging 30 persons per note. Sorry if your name is not in this note.
Asrar Chowdhury
Saturday, April 30, 2011
DS Campus: 3 May 09: Me at the Star Literary Adda: Kite Runner
Daily Star Campus
Sunday 3 May 2009
Feature:
Asrar Chowdhury at the Star Literary Adda
By Tanzina Rahman
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/05/01/feature_adda.htm
“The ending of the book moved me,” Ilona expressed. “The author gave a chance to the leading character for redemption,” she added.
“For me, I kept on comparing the Middle Eastern culture with Bangladeshi culture. I could relate to the relationship between the father and son…,” Priyanka said.
“But I think the writer could have made the father and son relationship much stronger in the book,” Rassen interrupted.
The intense discussion raged on. This week, Star Campus invited students from various private and public universities to attend the 'Literary Adda' which was held at Coffee World in Dhanmondi. Asrar Chowdhury, Assistant Professor, Economics, Jahangirnagar and North South University talked about the 2005 best-seller and debut book of Khaled Husseni 'The Kite Runner'.
“Star Campus took an excellent approach to initiate reading habits among the youngsters and when I was asked to pick up a book for this week's adda, I thought The Kite Runner would be the best choice to talk about the Middle Eastern countries and their culture rather than talking about the west,” Chowdhury explained.
He familiarized the author to the students before unveiling the plot of the book. Khaled Hosseni, who is originally from Afghanistan, is an American novelist and physician. In his debut book, Hosseni has successfully depicted the life of true Afghanistan before the fall of the monarchy until the collapse of the Taliban regime.
“One cannot envisage the vivid picture of pomegranates and sky full of colourful kites without reading this book since we have only seen the picture of the current situation in Afghanistan,” Chowdhury said.
The Kite Runner depicts the tale of childhood betrayal, ethnic tension and sexual predation in Afghanistan.
"The story is broken into three parts. First the author introduces the readers to the cheerful childhood of Amir, the leading character who is a bourgeois Pashtun boy, and his friend Hassan, a Hazara and the son of Ali, the servant of Amir's father. Then the second part tells about Amir and his father taking political asylum to America while the third part reveals Amir's attempts at redemption back in Afghanistan," he said.
He also introduced the students with the differences of tribune culture and customs of the Afghani people.
“One of the interesting things that I found in the book was that there are many Farsi words that we take for granted. For instance, the word kaka which is referred to uncle and khala as aunty, are actually originated from Farsi that I always thought were Bengali words,” he chuckled.
Some of the students, who read the novel, brought new insights to the table.
“The Cultural Ministry of Afghanistan actually banned importing 'The Kite Runner' movie that came out in 2007 due to the portrayal of sexual predation in Afghanistan," said one of the students.
Star Campus Literary Adda ended with an eager interest among the students to look forward to the next adda session.
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
Sunday 3 May 2009
Feature:
Asrar Chowdhury at the Star Literary Adda
By Tanzina Rahman
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/05/01/feature_adda.htm
“The ending of the book moved me,” Ilona expressed. “The author gave a chance to the leading character for redemption,” she added.
“For me, I kept on comparing the Middle Eastern culture with Bangladeshi culture. I could relate to the relationship between the father and son…,” Priyanka said.
“But I think the writer could have made the father and son relationship much stronger in the book,” Rassen interrupted.
The intense discussion raged on. This week, Star Campus invited students from various private and public universities to attend the 'Literary Adda' which was held at Coffee World in Dhanmondi. Asrar Chowdhury, Assistant Professor, Economics, Jahangirnagar and North South University talked about the 2005 best-seller and debut book of Khaled Husseni 'The Kite Runner'.
“Star Campus took an excellent approach to initiate reading habits among the youngsters and when I was asked to pick up a book for this week's adda, I thought The Kite Runner would be the best choice to talk about the Middle Eastern countries and their culture rather than talking about the west,” Chowdhury explained.
He familiarized the author to the students before unveiling the plot of the book. Khaled Hosseni, who is originally from Afghanistan, is an American novelist and physician. In his debut book, Hosseni has successfully depicted the life of true Afghanistan before the fall of the monarchy until the collapse of the Taliban regime.
“One cannot envisage the vivid picture of pomegranates and sky full of colourful kites without reading this book since we have only seen the picture of the current situation in Afghanistan,” Chowdhury said.
The Kite Runner depicts the tale of childhood betrayal, ethnic tension and sexual predation in Afghanistan.
"The story is broken into three parts. First the author introduces the readers to the cheerful childhood of Amir, the leading character who is a bourgeois Pashtun boy, and his friend Hassan, a Hazara and the son of Ali, the servant of Amir's father. Then the second part tells about Amir and his father taking political asylum to America while the third part reveals Amir's attempts at redemption back in Afghanistan," he said.
He also introduced the students with the differences of tribune culture and customs of the Afghani people.
“One of the interesting things that I found in the book was that there are many Farsi words that we take for granted. For instance, the word kaka which is referred to uncle and khala as aunty, are actually originated from Farsi that I always thought were Bengali words,” he chuckled.
Some of the students, who read the novel, brought new insights to the table.
“The Cultural Ministry of Afghanistan actually banned importing 'The Kite Runner' movie that came out in 2007 due to the portrayal of sexual predation in Afghanistan," said one of the students.
Star Campus Literary Adda ended with an eager interest among the students to look forward to the next adda session.
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
DS Campus: 19 Apr 09: Rangpur University Launched
Daily Star Campus
Rangpur University Launched
Asrar Chowdhury
Sunday 19 April 2009
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/04/03/feature_RANGPUR.htm
RANGPUR is the cultural capital of North Bengal. It is the home of the Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya folk songs. Rangpur has produced Begum Rokeya, a pioneer and exemplary figure in the education of women of this country. In spite of all this, Rangpur never had a University to nurture and take forward the rich cultural heritage it has enjoyed over the Centuries. Only very recently did that dream come true.
In 2001, the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina laid the foundations of Rangpur University of Science and Technology. However, later on the establishment was cancelled. It was not until August 2007 when Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government, agreed in principle to establish a full fledged university in Rangpur. Professor M Lutfar Rahman was appointed the first Vice Chancellor on 20 October 2008. Two days later Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, the then Education and Commerce Advisor to the Caretaker Government formally inaugurated Rangpur University. Professor M Alauddin Mia was appointed Registrar later. The short term objective of Rangpur University is to create an academic institute that serves the needs of Northern Bangladesh. The long term objective is to establish the university as a centre of learning par excellence. The university seeks to attract students from all strata of the society. The Campus of Rangpur University is situated to the East of the Carmichael College on 75 acres of land. At the moment, the University is functioning in two buildings of the Rangpur Teachers' Training Institute at Dhap. The authority expects to move to the permanent Campus in two years.
The university started with two faculties and six departments. The Departments of Bangla, English, Economics, and Business Administration are under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Departments of Mathematics, and Computer Science and Engineering are under the Faculty of Science and Technology. 18,000+ students applied for 300 seats in the first admission test that was held in November 2008. Fifty seats were allotted for each of the six departments.
Rangpur University was formally inaugurated on Saturday 28 March 2009. The Education, Social Development and Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Professor Alauddin Ahmed inaugurated the programme as the Chief Guest. Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of University Grants Commission, was the Special Guest. Professor M Lutfar Rahman, Vice Chancellor of Rangpur University, chaired the programme.
Members of the civil society of Rangpur by now have raised approximately Tk 10 Lakh to establish a scholarship for female students after the name of Begum Rokeya. During the inaugural ceremony, Parliament Members who spoke also declared donations and scholarship and RDRS promised to support the education of a good number of students. Professor Alauddin Ahmed, Advisor to the Prime Minister also announced a yearly grant of Tk 25,000, while Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of the University Grants Commission contributed a month's salary to the fund. Professor Rezaul Huq, Convenor of Rangpur University Implementation Committee earlier declared that after his death, his personal library will be gifted to Rangpur University.
The inaugural ceremony was divided into three parts. Professor M Lutfar Rahman gave the inaugural speech of the Inaugural Session. Dr M Najmul Huq of Bangla Department, Rangpur University; Professor Amirul Islam Chowdhury, Syndicate Member; Professor KM Elahi, Syndicate Member; Chowdhury Khalequzzaman of Rangpur University Support Foundation; AKM Abdur Rouf Manik, Mayor of Rangpur Pourashabha; Anisul Islam Mondal, MP; Abul Kalam Azad, MP; and Abul Mansur Ahmed, Convenor Rangpur District, Awami League were among the speakers in the First Session. Professor Nazrul Islam and Professor Alauddin Ahmed gave their speeches as the Special and Chief Guests respectively. The Second Session included a series of speeches. Professor Amirul Islam Chowdhury talked about university education and society. The next speaker was Rangpur's favourite son, Anisul Huq, a leading litterateur, who talked on the influence of North Bengal in the culture and heritage of Bangladesh. Ms Anwara Haider of HASAB spoke on drugs and AIDS. The Third Session included a cultural programme. The cultural programme included dance and songs. Keeping true to the roots of Rangpur the cultural programme did not forget to include Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya songs. The newly admitted students also participated as well as a leading local musical group.
As a beginning it is very pleasing to know that the name of Rangpur University will soon officially become Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur. The choice could not have been more apt.
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
Rangpur University Launched
Asrar Chowdhury
Sunday 19 April 2009
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/04/03/feature_RANGPUR.htm
RANGPUR is the cultural capital of North Bengal. It is the home of the Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya folk songs. Rangpur has produced Begum Rokeya, a pioneer and exemplary figure in the education of women of this country. In spite of all this, Rangpur never had a University to nurture and take forward the rich cultural heritage it has enjoyed over the Centuries. Only very recently did that dream come true.
In 2001, the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina laid the foundations of Rangpur University of Science and Technology. However, later on the establishment was cancelled. It was not until August 2007 when Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government, agreed in principle to establish a full fledged university in Rangpur. Professor M Lutfar Rahman was appointed the first Vice Chancellor on 20 October 2008. Two days later Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, the then Education and Commerce Advisor to the Caretaker Government formally inaugurated Rangpur University. Professor M Alauddin Mia was appointed Registrar later. The short term objective of Rangpur University is to create an academic institute that serves the needs of Northern Bangladesh. The long term objective is to establish the university as a centre of learning par excellence. The university seeks to attract students from all strata of the society. The Campus of Rangpur University is situated to the East of the Carmichael College on 75 acres of land. At the moment, the University is functioning in two buildings of the Rangpur Teachers' Training Institute at Dhap. The authority expects to move to the permanent Campus in two years.
The university started with two faculties and six departments. The Departments of Bangla, English, Economics, and Business Administration are under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Departments of Mathematics, and Computer Science and Engineering are under the Faculty of Science and Technology. 18,000+ students applied for 300 seats in the first admission test that was held in November 2008. Fifty seats were allotted for each of the six departments.
Rangpur University was formally inaugurated on Saturday 28 March 2009. The Education, Social Development and Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Professor Alauddin Ahmed inaugurated the programme as the Chief Guest. Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of University Grants Commission, was the Special Guest. Professor M Lutfar Rahman, Vice Chancellor of Rangpur University, chaired the programme.
Members of the civil society of Rangpur by now have raised approximately Tk 10 Lakh to establish a scholarship for female students after the name of Begum Rokeya. During the inaugural ceremony, Parliament Members who spoke also declared donations and scholarship and RDRS promised to support the education of a good number of students. Professor Alauddin Ahmed, Advisor to the Prime Minister also announced a yearly grant of Tk 25,000, while Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of the University Grants Commission contributed a month's salary to the fund. Professor Rezaul Huq, Convenor of Rangpur University Implementation Committee earlier declared that after his death, his personal library will be gifted to Rangpur University.
The inaugural ceremony was divided into three parts. Professor M Lutfar Rahman gave the inaugural speech of the Inaugural Session. Dr M Najmul Huq of Bangla Department, Rangpur University; Professor Amirul Islam Chowdhury, Syndicate Member; Professor KM Elahi, Syndicate Member; Chowdhury Khalequzzaman of Rangpur University Support Foundation; AKM Abdur Rouf Manik, Mayor of Rangpur Pourashabha; Anisul Islam Mondal, MP; Abul Kalam Azad, MP; and Abul Mansur Ahmed, Convenor Rangpur District, Awami League were among the speakers in the First Session. Professor Nazrul Islam and Professor Alauddin Ahmed gave their speeches as the Special and Chief Guests respectively. The Second Session included a series of speeches. Professor Amirul Islam Chowdhury talked about university education and society. The next speaker was Rangpur's favourite son, Anisul Huq, a leading litterateur, who talked on the influence of North Bengal in the culture and heritage of Bangladesh. Ms Anwara Haider of HASAB spoke on drugs and AIDS. The Third Session included a cultural programme. The cultural programme included dance and songs. Keeping true to the roots of Rangpur the cultural programme did not forget to include Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya songs. The newly admitted students also participated as well as a leading local musical group.
As a beginning it is very pleasing to know that the name of Rangpur University will soon officially become Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur. The choice could not have been more apt.
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
DS Pahela Baishakh 1416: 14 Apr 09: From Agra to London! (Original Version)
From Agra to London!
Asrar Chowdhury
Daily Star
Pahela Baishakh 1416 Special Issue
14 April 2009
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2009/baishakh/agra.htm
DISCLAIMER: Daily Star cut some crucial parts of the article. This leads to a chandapatan in the reading of the text. The original version of the edited parts is presented in capitals in this version.
The version here is my original version. Not the printed version.
***
Pahela Baishakh originated in the Sixteenth Century under Akbar the Great. The objective was to remove uncertainties and inconveniences related to tax payments. The astronomer, Fatehullah Shirazi developed the Bangla calendar that was based on the existing Hijri (lunar) and Hindu (solar) calendars. Pahela Baishakh is celebrated as New Year's Day of the Bangla calendar in Bengali communities throughout the world.
Since the birth of the Bangla calendar was related to tax payments, a tendency started to clear all debts on New Year's Eve. This is the last day of the Month of Chaitra. This day soon came to be known as the Chaitra Sangkranti. After paying all debts people would clean their slates and start afresh with Halkhatas. Distribution of sweets was one of the first cultural expressions of Pahela Baishakh.
Whatever the reason behind the creation of a calendar, the celebration of a New Year in all cultures soon becomes festivity and makes its way into the culture. Very soon Pahela Baishakh gained popularity through annual fairs in rural Bengal. Fairs from the middle ages in all cultures have served a dual purpose. First, fairs would have an element of commercialisation for traders to trade their goods. Artisans of Bengal for centuries have banked on these fairs to sell their products. Second, fairs would be a source of entertainment. One part of entertainment included games and funfair. Kite flying in Old Dhaka, bull racing in Munshiganj, wrestling in Chittagong still attract attention just as much as cockfights, pigeon racing, boat racing and many other forms of games and entertainment that have stood the test of time. Another part included songs. Originally, these songs started out as various forms of folk music that were localised. The final feature of entertainment includes the oral tradition of story telling of epics that still survives today. The kichchhas of Laili-Majnor, Yusuf-Zulekha, and Randha-Krishna are now a part of our literature just as much as the puthis. By the twentieth century, Pahela Baishakh started to develop an identity truly of its own.
Rural celebrations of Pahela Baishakh slowly entered the urban setting. The Partition of British India witnessed Dhaka becoming the principal city of this country. This positively influenced Baishakhi celebrations. Several fairs would be celebrated in and around today's Puran Dhaka. The largest one was the Baishakhi Fair at Azimpur. However, for a long time the Dhaka Baishakhi Fairs remained an extension of their rural counterparts. It was evident sooner or later Pahela Baishakh would represent the heart of a Nation. Two institutes played pivotal roles towards this end. They are the Chhayanat and the Fine Arts Institute.
In 1965 the Chhayanat held the first of their many Baishakhi celebrations at the Ramna Batamul of Ramna Park. The location kept true to the rural heritage of fairs. It was beside a source of water and at the roots of a large tree. The mid sixties were turbulent times. Tagore's music was banned. When rulers lack wisdom they tend to treat music as their enemy. But then. Music and stories that remain in the hearts of men cannot be easily erased. Sooner or later the men of hearts wake up and with them awake an entire Nation.
THE RAMNA BATAMUL BAISHAKHI CELEBRATION WAS A DEFINING MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF BANGLADESH. TAORE’S ESHO HE BAISHAKH AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE BANGLA NEW YEAR BECAME SYNONYMOUS TO EACH OTHER. THE RESPONSE FROM THE PEOPLE PROVED AS LONG AS SONGS AND STORIES OF FREEDOM ARE ALIVE A NATION WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE. WITH TAGORE, THE SONGS OF THE PANCHAPANDAVA OF BANGLA MUSIC WERE ALSO FREED. TODAY THE RAMNA BATAMUL BAISHAKHI CELEBRATION REPRESENTS A TRULY NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF ALL BANGLADESHIS. IN THE 1980S, STUDENTS OF THE FINE ARTS INSTITUTE ADDED COLOURS TO THE NOTES OF THE CHHAYANOT. THE BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS OF DHAKA HAVE NOW BECOME A CARNIVAL. CHHAYANOT AND THE FINE ARTS INSTITUTE HAVE DONE A LOT IN PRESERVING THE BANGLA CULTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
IN THE 1990S, DHAKA BECAME A MEGA-CITY. IN SPITE OF ITS PROBLEMS, URBANISATION DOES BRING WITH IT A MARKET READY TO CONSUME GOODS. IT IS EVEN THE BETTER IF COMPETITION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GROWTH OF MARKETS. RAPID URBANISATION OF DHAKA IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN BENEFICIAL TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS. TODAY EVERYBODY WHO IS ANYBODY WANTS TO HOP ON TO THE BANDWAGON OF BAISHAKH. THE FASHION INDUSTRY, THE FOOD INDUSTRY, THE HANDICRAFTS AND HANDMADE TOYS INDUSTRY ALL EAGERLY WAIT FOR BAISHAKH. COMPETITION TO PROMOTE ONE’S PRODUCTS WITH OR WITHOUT BRANDED LABELS HAS HAD TWO BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. INNOVATION HAS LEAD TO BANGLA CULTURE RECEIVE NEW CREATIVE DIMENSIONS IN ITS PRESENTATION. THE TRADITIONAL PANTA-BHAT AND ILISH BHAJA STILL TOPS THE LIST OF DISHES ON PAHELA BAISHAKH. BUT STOP FOR A MOMENT AND DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF A SET OF HANDMADE DUG-DUGIS AND A TAMBOURA ACCOMPANY THE PLATTER THAT BRINGS THAT TRADITIONAL DISH, AND A MATIR BANK TO SEE YOU THROUGH IN LEAN PERIODS. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ARTISTIC IMPROVEMENT IN OUR CULTURE.
THE SECOND BENEFIT OF THE RECENT COMMERCIALISATION OF BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS IS NOT UNIQUE. BAISHAKHI FAIRS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE FOR PRODUCERS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS. IT CARRIES ON BEING SO. THE DIFFERENCE NOW LIES IN THE SCALE. WHAT GOES UN-NOTICED IS THE EMPLOYMENT THE URBAN SPENDERS OF DHAKA GENERATE TO THE SUSTENANCE AND GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATED WITH BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS.
Now comes the time for Baishakhi to impress. Wherever the people of Bangladesh have gone, they have taken with them two thingstheir food and their cultural expressions. It is just a matter of time that the hard labour and the creative genius of our people surfaces. We all know that Indian food in the UK is a Bangladeshi version of the food from the sub-continent that has now replaced the Fish and Chips of the Brits. What many of us do not know is that the Baishakhi Festival at Brick Lane in London is the largest open-air Asian festival of Europe. After the Notting Hill Carnival, “our” Baishakhi Festival is the second largest street festival in the UK that attracts 80K plus people from UK and Europe. Small wonder the celebration started only in 1997! What more can one say about the positive image we have the potential to show the world?
Akbar the Great would probably be smiling if he were reading all this. The Great man's decision to create a Bangla calendar to ensure funds to run the empire has certainly yielded more revenue than his wildest imagination. Shabash Bangladesh! And Shubho Nababarsha.
Source and Acknowledgement: www.wikipedia.org and discussions with Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman, University Grants Commission and Mr Anowar Hossain of Jahangirnagar University School and College.
Photo: Amirul Rajiv
............................................................
Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic in Bangladesh.
© thedailystar.net, 2009. All Rights Reserved
Asrar Chowdhury
Daily Star
Pahela Baishakh 1416 Special Issue
14 April 2009
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2009/baishakh/agra.htm
DISCLAIMER: Daily Star cut some crucial parts of the article. This leads to a chandapatan in the reading of the text. The original version of the edited parts is presented in capitals in this version.
The version here is my original version. Not the printed version.
***
Pahela Baishakh originated in the Sixteenth Century under Akbar the Great. The objective was to remove uncertainties and inconveniences related to tax payments. The astronomer, Fatehullah Shirazi developed the Bangla calendar that was based on the existing Hijri (lunar) and Hindu (solar) calendars. Pahela Baishakh is celebrated as New Year's Day of the Bangla calendar in Bengali communities throughout the world.
Since the birth of the Bangla calendar was related to tax payments, a tendency started to clear all debts on New Year's Eve. This is the last day of the Month of Chaitra. This day soon came to be known as the Chaitra Sangkranti. After paying all debts people would clean their slates and start afresh with Halkhatas. Distribution of sweets was one of the first cultural expressions of Pahela Baishakh.
Whatever the reason behind the creation of a calendar, the celebration of a New Year in all cultures soon becomes festivity and makes its way into the culture. Very soon Pahela Baishakh gained popularity through annual fairs in rural Bengal. Fairs from the middle ages in all cultures have served a dual purpose. First, fairs would have an element of commercialisation for traders to trade their goods. Artisans of Bengal for centuries have banked on these fairs to sell their products. Second, fairs would be a source of entertainment. One part of entertainment included games and funfair. Kite flying in Old Dhaka, bull racing in Munshiganj, wrestling in Chittagong still attract attention just as much as cockfights, pigeon racing, boat racing and many other forms of games and entertainment that have stood the test of time. Another part included songs. Originally, these songs started out as various forms of folk music that were localised. The final feature of entertainment includes the oral tradition of story telling of epics that still survives today. The kichchhas of Laili-Majnor, Yusuf-Zulekha, and Randha-Krishna are now a part of our literature just as much as the puthis. By the twentieth century, Pahela Baishakh started to develop an identity truly of its own.
Rural celebrations of Pahela Baishakh slowly entered the urban setting. The Partition of British India witnessed Dhaka becoming the principal city of this country. This positively influenced Baishakhi celebrations. Several fairs would be celebrated in and around today's Puran Dhaka. The largest one was the Baishakhi Fair at Azimpur. However, for a long time the Dhaka Baishakhi Fairs remained an extension of their rural counterparts. It was evident sooner or later Pahela Baishakh would represent the heart of a Nation. Two institutes played pivotal roles towards this end. They are the Chhayanat and the Fine Arts Institute.
In 1965 the Chhayanat held the first of their many Baishakhi celebrations at the Ramna Batamul of Ramna Park. The location kept true to the rural heritage of fairs. It was beside a source of water and at the roots of a large tree. The mid sixties were turbulent times. Tagore's music was banned. When rulers lack wisdom they tend to treat music as their enemy. But then. Music and stories that remain in the hearts of men cannot be easily erased. Sooner or later the men of hearts wake up and with them awake an entire Nation.
THE RAMNA BATAMUL BAISHAKHI CELEBRATION WAS A DEFINING MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF BANGLADESH. TAORE’S ESHO HE BAISHAKH AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE BANGLA NEW YEAR BECAME SYNONYMOUS TO EACH OTHER. THE RESPONSE FROM THE PEOPLE PROVED AS LONG AS SONGS AND STORIES OF FREEDOM ARE ALIVE A NATION WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE. WITH TAGORE, THE SONGS OF THE PANCHAPANDAVA OF BANGLA MUSIC WERE ALSO FREED. TODAY THE RAMNA BATAMUL BAISHAKHI CELEBRATION REPRESENTS A TRULY NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF ALL BANGLADESHIS. IN THE 1980S, STUDENTS OF THE FINE ARTS INSTITUTE ADDED COLOURS TO THE NOTES OF THE CHHAYANOT. THE BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS OF DHAKA HAVE NOW BECOME A CARNIVAL. CHHAYANOT AND THE FINE ARTS INSTITUTE HAVE DONE A LOT IN PRESERVING THE BANGLA CULTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
IN THE 1990S, DHAKA BECAME A MEGA-CITY. IN SPITE OF ITS PROBLEMS, URBANISATION DOES BRING WITH IT A MARKET READY TO CONSUME GOODS. IT IS EVEN THE BETTER IF COMPETITION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GROWTH OF MARKETS. RAPID URBANISATION OF DHAKA IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN BENEFICIAL TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS. TODAY EVERYBODY WHO IS ANYBODY WANTS TO HOP ON TO THE BANDWAGON OF BAISHAKH. THE FASHION INDUSTRY, THE FOOD INDUSTRY, THE HANDICRAFTS AND HANDMADE TOYS INDUSTRY ALL EAGERLY WAIT FOR BAISHAKH. COMPETITION TO PROMOTE ONE’S PRODUCTS WITH OR WITHOUT BRANDED LABELS HAS HAD TWO BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. INNOVATION HAS LEAD TO BANGLA CULTURE RECEIVE NEW CREATIVE DIMENSIONS IN ITS PRESENTATION. THE TRADITIONAL PANTA-BHAT AND ILISH BHAJA STILL TOPS THE LIST OF DISHES ON PAHELA BAISHAKH. BUT STOP FOR A MOMENT AND DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF A SET OF HANDMADE DUG-DUGIS AND A TAMBOURA ACCOMPANY THE PLATTER THAT BRINGS THAT TRADITIONAL DISH, AND A MATIR BANK TO SEE YOU THROUGH IN LEAN PERIODS. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ARTISTIC IMPROVEMENT IN OUR CULTURE.
THE SECOND BENEFIT OF THE RECENT COMMERCIALISATION OF BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS IS NOT UNIQUE. BAISHAKHI FAIRS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE FOR PRODUCERS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS. IT CARRIES ON BEING SO. THE DIFFERENCE NOW LIES IN THE SCALE. WHAT GOES UN-NOTICED IS THE EMPLOYMENT THE URBAN SPENDERS OF DHAKA GENERATE TO THE SUSTENANCE AND GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATED WITH BAISHAKHI CELEBRATIONS.
Now comes the time for Baishakhi to impress. Wherever the people of Bangladesh have gone, they have taken with them two thingstheir food and their cultural expressions. It is just a matter of time that the hard labour and the creative genius of our people surfaces. We all know that Indian food in the UK is a Bangladeshi version of the food from the sub-continent that has now replaced the Fish and Chips of the Brits. What many of us do not know is that the Baishakhi Festival at Brick Lane in London is the largest open-air Asian festival of Europe. After the Notting Hill Carnival, “our” Baishakhi Festival is the second largest street festival in the UK that attracts 80K plus people from UK and Europe. Small wonder the celebration started only in 1997! What more can one say about the positive image we have the potential to show the world?
Akbar the Great would probably be smiling if he were reading all this. The Great man's decision to create a Bangla calendar to ensure funds to run the empire has certainly yielded more revenue than his wildest imagination. Shabash Bangladesh! And Shubho Nababarsha.
Source and Acknowledgement: www.wikipedia.org and discussions with Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman, University Grants Commission and Mr Anowar Hossain of Jahangirnagar University School and College.
Photo: Amirul Rajiv
............................................................
Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic in Bangladesh.
© thedailystar.net, 2009. All Rights Reserved
DS Campus 22 Mar 09: Still my guitar gently weeps
Still My Guitar Gently Weeps: When will we say thanks?
Asrar Chowdhury
Spotlight
Daily Star Campus
Sun 22 March 2009
Independence Day Issue
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/03/04/camspotlight_guitar.htm
With every mistake, we must surely be learning
(Still) My guitar gently weeps
George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh, 1st August 1971
1971. Three million lives. 266 days. 7.83 lives per minute. This is just the human price Bangladesh paid for her freedom. During those dark days as the genocide and atrocities were mounting we did have friends in the outside world who made an effort to create awareness of what was really going on in Bangladesh.
The sixties was a decade where popular music reached the status of classic art. This is true for the western world and also our sub-continent. Music is one of the few existing media that has the power to transcend time and space among people. For centuries music has been the catalyst that bounded people from diverse backgrounds in our sub-continent.
With a flowering sixties almost ready to blossom, it was evident music would soon become a weapon in the hands of the wise to protest unjust causes. It was in this background that a child from the East (Jessore, Bangladesh), Ravi Shankar, approached a child from the West (Liverpool, Britain), George Harrison, to create international awareness about the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The collaboration became one of the most influential experiences ever in western popular music.
The stage was set. The friendly people of the United States of America gave a welcoming hand. And the Concert for Bangladesh was staged at Madison Square Garden, New York, on Sunday the First Day of August, 1971. Ravi Shankar rightfully summed up to the 40,000 odd audience that evening, 'Friends, we are artists, not politicians'. Indeed, artists from two different cultures congregated towards a common cause. And through their music they let the world become politically aware of genocides that were being committed on innocent civilians in Bangladesh by vested groups seeking to achieve their narrow goals.
Much has been said and much will be said about the Concert for Bangladesh. Displeasingly though, after all these decades, as a Nation, we never had the 'courage' to honour Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Friends. There have, however, been initiatives at individual or group levels. The most recent includes the Muktijuddha Jadughar's initiative to celebrate Harrison's Birthday on 25 February this year. The Muktijuddha Jadughar also recently accepted a bronze plaque of Harrison that was presented by Dennis Theophillus of Britain. In spite of all these efforts, the end seems to be a light year ahead if the State remains indifferent or silent for that matter.
For a Nation, it is never too late to amend hiccups of the road. The stage is once again set. 2009 brings new hope that we finally start to set 1971 straight and move on forward as a Nation to our rightful place on the world stage. It is high time we acknowledge Concert for Bangladesh at the State level. I, personally, pray this is the last time I write on this issue. If not, I will carry on doing so. As long as our songs of freedom are alive, as a Nation we will be alive. The least we can do is pass those songs on to the generation that will take Bangladesh forward when none of us will be around.
And till that day arrives, “with every mistake, we must surely be learning”. And Till that day arrives, let Harrison's “guitar gently weep”!
(The author thanks the Muktijuddha Jadughar and Akku Chowdhury for their co-operation in collecting information for this feature.)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
Asrar Chowdhury
Spotlight
Daily Star Campus
Sun 22 March 2009
Independence Day Issue
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/03/04/camspotlight_guitar.htm
With every mistake, we must surely be learning
(Still) My guitar gently weeps
George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh, 1st August 1971
1971. Three million lives. 266 days. 7.83 lives per minute. This is just the human price Bangladesh paid for her freedom. During those dark days as the genocide and atrocities were mounting we did have friends in the outside world who made an effort to create awareness of what was really going on in Bangladesh.
The sixties was a decade where popular music reached the status of classic art. This is true for the western world and also our sub-continent. Music is one of the few existing media that has the power to transcend time and space among people. For centuries music has been the catalyst that bounded people from diverse backgrounds in our sub-continent.
With a flowering sixties almost ready to blossom, it was evident music would soon become a weapon in the hands of the wise to protest unjust causes. It was in this background that a child from the East (Jessore, Bangladesh), Ravi Shankar, approached a child from the West (Liverpool, Britain), George Harrison, to create international awareness about the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The collaboration became one of the most influential experiences ever in western popular music.
The stage was set. The friendly people of the United States of America gave a welcoming hand. And the Concert for Bangladesh was staged at Madison Square Garden, New York, on Sunday the First Day of August, 1971. Ravi Shankar rightfully summed up to the 40,000 odd audience that evening, 'Friends, we are artists, not politicians'. Indeed, artists from two different cultures congregated towards a common cause. And through their music they let the world become politically aware of genocides that were being committed on innocent civilians in Bangladesh by vested groups seeking to achieve their narrow goals.
Much has been said and much will be said about the Concert for Bangladesh. Displeasingly though, after all these decades, as a Nation, we never had the 'courage' to honour Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Friends. There have, however, been initiatives at individual or group levels. The most recent includes the Muktijuddha Jadughar's initiative to celebrate Harrison's Birthday on 25 February this year. The Muktijuddha Jadughar also recently accepted a bronze plaque of Harrison that was presented by Dennis Theophillus of Britain. In spite of all these efforts, the end seems to be a light year ahead if the State remains indifferent or silent for that matter.
For a Nation, it is never too late to amend hiccups of the road. The stage is once again set. 2009 brings new hope that we finally start to set 1971 straight and move on forward as a Nation to our rightful place on the world stage. It is high time we acknowledge Concert for Bangladesh at the State level. I, personally, pray this is the last time I write on this issue. If not, I will carry on doing so. As long as our songs of freedom are alive, as a Nation we will be alive. The least we can do is pass those songs on to the generation that will take Bangladesh forward when none of us will be around.
And till that day arrives, “with every mistake, we must surely be learning”. And Till that day arrives, let Harrison's “guitar gently weep”!
(The author thanks the Muktijuddha Jadughar and Akku Chowdhury for their co-operation in collecting information for this feature.)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
DS Campus 15 Mar 09: The Story of 1952 Continues
EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING MY HEAVENLY MOTHER, BENU (MAY THE HEAVENS BLESS HER SOUL) USED TO FEED ME ON THE STORIES ABOUT MY MAMAS AND THE WONDERFUL THINGS THEY DID IN THEIR YOUNG DAYS AND THE ILLUSTRIOUS PEOPLE THEY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH. THIS LITTLE INTERVIEW IS MY LITTLE WAY OF THANKING AMMA FIRST AND MY MAMAS LATER FOR MAKING US FEEL PROUD.
Daily Star Campus
Sunday 15 March 2009
The Story of 1952 Continues: In Conversation with Dr Jamal Uddin
by Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/03/03/feature_1952.htm
Feature
The Story of 1952 continues
In conversation with Dr Jamal Uddin
Asrar Chowdhury
DR. Jamal Uddin, now a well established physician in Canada, was involved in the 1952 language movement as a young man. The roots of 1952 were ingrained in the Two-Nations Theory that was a dominant factor in the partition of India in 1947. Dr Jamal Uddin recalls “many (but not all) of our West Pakistani friends at school had an air of arrogance since they came from well-to-do backgrounds and their fathers held coveted jobs in the Government. On balance they seldom made an effort to integrate with us although there was never a lack of co-operation from our end. We felt like strangers in our own homeland. The seeds of discontent were sown long before 1952".
The Muslim migrants from West Bengal were at another extreme. They simply took the cultural scene one step ahead with activities that were not in vogue at the time. Tagore was soon to become an integral and defining part of our cultural identity.
In 1952, Dr Jamal Uddin was a student of Dhaka Medical College.When he came to Dhaka, his childhood friend, Quayyum Chowdhury and he knew almost nobody. They soon came into contact and later became good friends with people like Zainul Abedin, Munir Chowdhury, Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir, Murtaza Basir, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Alauddin Al Azad and Poet Shamsur Rahman. Through his elder brother, who became a distinguished banker, he came to know Kalim Sharafi, Sardar Fazlul Karim, Khan Sarwar Murshid and others. All of them learned a lot from their endless addas. At the time, none of them were aware of the impact their friends would make on 1952 and later 1971. But one thing was evident. East Pakistan was developing a unique cultural identity.
A storm was brewing and finally on 21st February it erupted. He said, “I watched people from our hostel compound. They were mostly students in small groups carrying banners and shouting slogans. They gathered around the Assembly building close to our hostel. We decided to join the protesters.
But the dreaded gun shots took us back to the hospital”.
“The brutality of the death stunned even our trained medical eyes. We were used to confronting death by illness or by accident, but not by such ruthless and hostile acts. The asphalt of the Ramna that day was soaked with the blood of heroes and the tears of many that were to lay the foundation of bigger sacrifices that were to come in the future”. There were many factions with different and opposing political ideologies. All of these diverse factions came together to a common platform through the Language Movement. The denial of the right to our language by a distant minority was a form of subjugation that was intolerable. So the generation responded in the best way they knew.
The Two-Nation Theory did not take too long to prove its emptiness. He said, “Our generation split open the politically convenient and illogical concept of an accommodation that was blind to cultural differences. We strongly felt we were the colony of the 'elites' of West Pakistan. Our only common link was the 'convenience' of religion”.
1952 was the beginning of a new beginning. Dr Jamal Uddin's generation addressed the cultural inequalities they confronted. The next generation took the struggle one notch higher to create a place we could finally call home, Bangladesh.As he said, “I left my country in 1959 and came to North America. Even after all these years, it seems to me that the job is far from being over. What has been achieved with blood, sweat and tears must not and cannot slip away. As I slowly see our generation fading into oblivion, I can only ask the new generation of Bangladesh with hope. I was born in British India and grew up in Pakistan. When I first returned, it was Bangladesh. Ours is a generation that experienced the sweetness and bitterness of change. We often paid very high prices to resist unjust situations we found ourselves in. As the generation that will take Bangladesh forward in the beginning of the next millennium, all we ask is you address the economic and social inequalities that still plague this wonderful land of ours that always has and still seems to hold potential. What we started is only a beginning. The end lies in your hands. The story of 1952 still continues.”
(Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic in Bangladesh. Email: asrarul@gmail.com)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
Daily Star Campus
Sunday 15 March 2009
The Story of 1952 Continues: In Conversation with Dr Jamal Uddin
by Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/03/03/feature_1952.htm
Feature
The Story of 1952 continues
In conversation with Dr Jamal Uddin
Asrar Chowdhury
DR. Jamal Uddin, now a well established physician in Canada, was involved in the 1952 language movement as a young man. The roots of 1952 were ingrained in the Two-Nations Theory that was a dominant factor in the partition of India in 1947. Dr Jamal Uddin recalls “many (but not all) of our West Pakistani friends at school had an air of arrogance since they came from well-to-do backgrounds and their fathers held coveted jobs in the Government. On balance they seldom made an effort to integrate with us although there was never a lack of co-operation from our end. We felt like strangers in our own homeland. The seeds of discontent were sown long before 1952".
The Muslim migrants from West Bengal were at another extreme. They simply took the cultural scene one step ahead with activities that were not in vogue at the time. Tagore was soon to become an integral and defining part of our cultural identity.
In 1952, Dr Jamal Uddin was a student of Dhaka Medical College.When he came to Dhaka, his childhood friend, Quayyum Chowdhury and he knew almost nobody. They soon came into contact and later became good friends with people like Zainul Abedin, Munir Chowdhury, Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir, Murtaza Basir, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Alauddin Al Azad and Poet Shamsur Rahman. Through his elder brother, who became a distinguished banker, he came to know Kalim Sharafi, Sardar Fazlul Karim, Khan Sarwar Murshid and others. All of them learned a lot from their endless addas. At the time, none of them were aware of the impact their friends would make on 1952 and later 1971. But one thing was evident. East Pakistan was developing a unique cultural identity.
A storm was brewing and finally on 21st February it erupted. He said, “I watched people from our hostel compound. They were mostly students in small groups carrying banners and shouting slogans. They gathered around the Assembly building close to our hostel. We decided to join the protesters.
But the dreaded gun shots took us back to the hospital”.
“The brutality of the death stunned even our trained medical eyes. We were used to confronting death by illness or by accident, but not by such ruthless and hostile acts. The asphalt of the Ramna that day was soaked with the blood of heroes and the tears of many that were to lay the foundation of bigger sacrifices that were to come in the future”. There were many factions with different and opposing political ideologies. All of these diverse factions came together to a common platform through the Language Movement. The denial of the right to our language by a distant minority was a form of subjugation that was intolerable. So the generation responded in the best way they knew.
The Two-Nation Theory did not take too long to prove its emptiness. He said, “Our generation split open the politically convenient and illogical concept of an accommodation that was blind to cultural differences. We strongly felt we were the colony of the 'elites' of West Pakistan. Our only common link was the 'convenience' of religion”.
1952 was the beginning of a new beginning. Dr Jamal Uddin's generation addressed the cultural inequalities they confronted. The next generation took the struggle one notch higher to create a place we could finally call home, Bangladesh.As he said, “I left my country in 1959 and came to North America. Even after all these years, it seems to me that the job is far from being over. What has been achieved with blood, sweat and tears must not and cannot slip away. As I slowly see our generation fading into oblivion, I can only ask the new generation of Bangladesh with hope. I was born in British India and grew up in Pakistan. When I first returned, it was Bangladesh. Ours is a generation that experienced the sweetness and bitterness of change. We often paid very high prices to resist unjust situations we found ourselves in. As the generation that will take Bangladesh forward in the beginning of the next millennium, all we ask is you address the economic and social inequalities that still plague this wonderful land of ours that always has and still seems to hold potential. What we started is only a beginning. The end lies in your hands. The story of 1952 still continues.”
(Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic in Bangladesh. Email: asrarul@gmail.com)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
13/14 Feb 2009: Dhaka is Dead; Long Live Dhaka! Unpublished
Dhaka is Dead; Long Live Dhaka! The first revelations of this year’s spring
By Asrar Chowdhury
Unpublished
Feb 2009
***
Today was a special day for the people of Dhaka. It was the first day of spring- Pahela Phalgun as we all know the day as. Within and throughout Dhaka the girls painted the colours of spring with their yellow and red saris. The whole of Dhaka woke up to festivities. A re-birth, a re-incarnation of a city, of a culture, of history.
Unfortunately, I spent the whole day working. My only consolation was to look at one of the rare patches of green trees in Dhaka in the Science Laboratory Campus that’s visible from my bedroom. By late afternoon I finished writing what I set out to in the morning. I was happy with myself. I had a wedding programme to attend in the evening. I was well ahead of schedule.
Our driver went on leave. This gave me an excuse to get from my house to Dhanmondi Road 7 on foot. I was looking forward to the evening stroll—an excuse to see Dhaka City from the other side of the coin. The moment I stepped out of my house, I saw a familiar scene—cars waiting in the jam of New Elephant Road. This didn’t distract me because I was walking. I knew I’d find some loophole that the cars won’t or can’t find.
In stead of crossing the road, I decided to walk on the side of New Elephant Road opposite to Science Laboratory. I normally don’t do this because that’s the side of New Elephant Road that has one of the most densely populated and dynamically moving pedestrians in the world. This observation neglects the ‘unidentified flying objects’ of the Dhaka streets. Since today was a day to enjoy the Dhaka walkers, I got out of my house and took a left turn. It was the normal scene of New Elephant Road on any day. You bump into every second person in the road; the rickshaws are coming from the opposite side on an otherwise one way road; the vendors have occupied the entire pedestrian’s footpath. The only way one can ‘really’ walk to the Science Laboratory Crossing is relying on one’s instincts and being careful at every moment that something isn’t going to hit you from the front, from behind and finally from the left and the right. YES! It’s a 3D animated experience first hand.
When I finally got to the cross roads, I was happy to see I was on the side of the flowing traffic. My instincts told me not to take the over-bridge, but to walk with the cars. As I was doing so, a man in his motorcycle zipped passed me from behind. I have to give the gentleman full credit for finding the space between myself and him and not touching me. That was one escape. While crossing the cross roads with the Police Box in my sight, a little van almost collided with me. No bonus points for guessing correct. The van was coming from a side it wasn’t supposed to. The traffic police didn’t even notice!
Finally I got to Road 1, Dhanmondi. The next target was to cross the road and touch Road 2, Dhanmondi. In other words the next target was to cross City College. I’ve walked this place many times in the past, but today I just couldn’t find one little space to walk. The absence of street lights made it impossible to fathom what was in front of me. When I finally reached the end of Road 1, I was happy to see the beauty of chaos—a total traffic failure. There was no way you could tell which car to blame. All the cars were jammed. To my left, the part of the road that leads to Rifles’ Square, the entire road was empty. I didn’t have the time to enjoy the technicalities. I took this as my chance to cross the road. Each vehicle was still. I had a dream crossing.
YES, I finally made it to Road 2. I crossed the City College Gate and was proceeding towards Alliance Francaise, Road 3, Dhanmondi. The owners of Happy Arcade have followed the municipal rules by leaving adequate space from their boundary and also constructing an underground car park. They followed the rules of land. But then. What about the happy shoppers of Happy Arcade? Five cars parked in front of the shopping complex. Two of them trying to get into the traffic to get on to Mirpur Road. Each one is blowing their horns to divert people in front of them, who don’t have the slightest idea on what to do.
As I was crossing the road to get to Road 3, the green lights went on. I should have realised green in Dhaka doesn’t mean the cars start to move. But the change from red to green via yellow means the every car will press their horns to try to waken up the traffic police. It was only then that I understood why we need traffic lights and a traffic police at the same time. Otherwise it would have been pandemonium like the crossing from Road 1 to Road 2. So, now I was crossing Road 3 and Alliance Francaise. The Chobi Mela V was going on. The French Building was decorated with lighting. I crossed the block of Road 3 and now was about to cross the road again to hop on to Road 4, Dhanmondi.
Road 4, Dhanmondi is the part of Mirpur Road that overlooks LabAid. Opposite to LabAid is a popular bus stand. I was amazed. Everybody was disciplined. They stood in their allotted places in the queues, but there was no room on the footpath for pedestrians. I took to the main road. Even then I couldn’t walk. Believe me, there couldn’t have been less than 1,000 people waiting for a bus. Could I blame them for occupying the road? Why and how can I? I crossed the queues and then crossed Lavender and finally Priyo and Almas. This time the situation was unbearable. Three rows of cars blocking 30 percent of Mirpur Road, and cars blocking each square inch of available space on the footpath in front of Priyo-Almas. When I did cross the road to hop onto Road 6, Dhanmondi, I sensed another hurdle- King’s Bakery, and Yousuf Confectionary.
As a teenager I remember walking from our house to visit friends and family near Dhanmondi Lake and Kalabagan. I even remember walking to Taj Mahal Road as a past time to visit a friend whom I haven’t seen now for more than two decades. But this is simply krazy. YES, this is the Dhaka that we all love. This is the Dhaka we all feel proud of. Even this morning I was grumbling about Pahela Phalgun. The spring winds may have arrived. That may be good news for those who want to go and visit the melas in Dhaka. We fail to realise that with the spring comes news that summer is knocking at the door. YES, the wonderful summer of Dhaka coupled with the jams and ‘lawlessness’ in the streets.
Finally, I entered Road 7, Dhanmondi. It seemed as if the journey was about to end. I found the community centre I headed out for. I didn’t recognise anybody and nobody recognised me. I cross-checked with one person to see if I had come to the right place. I did come to the right place. I reached the venue only to find out I had come to the programme three days too early! After sitting for 10/12 minutes, I thought of leaving. YES, all the way back home and on foot again.
***
Only this morning I was reading a note Maqsood Bhai (Mac Haque) wrote and tagged me on in Facebook. He mentioned that Facebook has become or is becoming an integral part of our lives. For once at least, I’m happy Facebook is here. I had something to look forward to. Get back home. Write about your experience and upload it on Facebook for planet Earth to see!
Some of us live a dream of Dhaka. Dhaka is Dhaka come what may. I think that’s a myth. The historical Dhaka is locked up in the pages of historians in wonderful narrations by Poet Shamsur Rahman in his Smritir Shohor or dug out by the historian Muntasir Mamun in one of his rare gems for people to ponder ‘what was’ and ‘what is’. What these narrations have never addressed is ‘what could be’?
After today’s experience, all I can say is I’ve seen the writing on the wall. And it’s no joke. If this is the way Dhaka is proceeding, I don’t think we’ll have to wait for global warming and the rising seas to get the better of us. The people of Dhaka will have the better of themselves. Rename this City. At once! Call it any name that comes to mind. But please, please don’t call it Dhaka. Dhaka is Dead; Long Live Dhaka!
Pahela Phalgun Shubhechchha!
Asrar Chowdhury (Ronnie)
13/14.Feb.09
Pahela Phalgun
Dhaka
By Asrar Chowdhury
Unpublished
Feb 2009
***
Today was a special day for the people of Dhaka. It was the first day of spring- Pahela Phalgun as we all know the day as. Within and throughout Dhaka the girls painted the colours of spring with their yellow and red saris. The whole of Dhaka woke up to festivities. A re-birth, a re-incarnation of a city, of a culture, of history.
Unfortunately, I spent the whole day working. My only consolation was to look at one of the rare patches of green trees in Dhaka in the Science Laboratory Campus that’s visible from my bedroom. By late afternoon I finished writing what I set out to in the morning. I was happy with myself. I had a wedding programme to attend in the evening. I was well ahead of schedule.
Our driver went on leave. This gave me an excuse to get from my house to Dhanmondi Road 7 on foot. I was looking forward to the evening stroll—an excuse to see Dhaka City from the other side of the coin. The moment I stepped out of my house, I saw a familiar scene—cars waiting in the jam of New Elephant Road. This didn’t distract me because I was walking. I knew I’d find some loophole that the cars won’t or can’t find.
In stead of crossing the road, I decided to walk on the side of New Elephant Road opposite to Science Laboratory. I normally don’t do this because that’s the side of New Elephant Road that has one of the most densely populated and dynamically moving pedestrians in the world. This observation neglects the ‘unidentified flying objects’ of the Dhaka streets. Since today was a day to enjoy the Dhaka walkers, I got out of my house and took a left turn. It was the normal scene of New Elephant Road on any day. You bump into every second person in the road; the rickshaws are coming from the opposite side on an otherwise one way road; the vendors have occupied the entire pedestrian’s footpath. The only way one can ‘really’ walk to the Science Laboratory Crossing is relying on one’s instincts and being careful at every moment that something isn’t going to hit you from the front, from behind and finally from the left and the right. YES! It’s a 3D animated experience first hand.
When I finally got to the cross roads, I was happy to see I was on the side of the flowing traffic. My instincts told me not to take the over-bridge, but to walk with the cars. As I was doing so, a man in his motorcycle zipped passed me from behind. I have to give the gentleman full credit for finding the space between myself and him and not touching me. That was one escape. While crossing the cross roads with the Police Box in my sight, a little van almost collided with me. No bonus points for guessing correct. The van was coming from a side it wasn’t supposed to. The traffic police didn’t even notice!
Finally I got to Road 1, Dhanmondi. The next target was to cross the road and touch Road 2, Dhanmondi. In other words the next target was to cross City College. I’ve walked this place many times in the past, but today I just couldn’t find one little space to walk. The absence of street lights made it impossible to fathom what was in front of me. When I finally reached the end of Road 1, I was happy to see the beauty of chaos—a total traffic failure. There was no way you could tell which car to blame. All the cars were jammed. To my left, the part of the road that leads to Rifles’ Square, the entire road was empty. I didn’t have the time to enjoy the technicalities. I took this as my chance to cross the road. Each vehicle was still. I had a dream crossing.
YES, I finally made it to Road 2. I crossed the City College Gate and was proceeding towards Alliance Francaise, Road 3, Dhanmondi. The owners of Happy Arcade have followed the municipal rules by leaving adequate space from their boundary and also constructing an underground car park. They followed the rules of land. But then. What about the happy shoppers of Happy Arcade? Five cars parked in front of the shopping complex. Two of them trying to get into the traffic to get on to Mirpur Road. Each one is blowing their horns to divert people in front of them, who don’t have the slightest idea on what to do.
As I was crossing the road to get to Road 3, the green lights went on. I should have realised green in Dhaka doesn’t mean the cars start to move. But the change from red to green via yellow means the every car will press their horns to try to waken up the traffic police. It was only then that I understood why we need traffic lights and a traffic police at the same time. Otherwise it would have been pandemonium like the crossing from Road 1 to Road 2. So, now I was crossing Road 3 and Alliance Francaise. The Chobi Mela V was going on. The French Building was decorated with lighting. I crossed the block of Road 3 and now was about to cross the road again to hop on to Road 4, Dhanmondi.
Road 4, Dhanmondi is the part of Mirpur Road that overlooks LabAid. Opposite to LabAid is a popular bus stand. I was amazed. Everybody was disciplined. They stood in their allotted places in the queues, but there was no room on the footpath for pedestrians. I took to the main road. Even then I couldn’t walk. Believe me, there couldn’t have been less than 1,000 people waiting for a bus. Could I blame them for occupying the road? Why and how can I? I crossed the queues and then crossed Lavender and finally Priyo and Almas. This time the situation was unbearable. Three rows of cars blocking 30 percent of Mirpur Road, and cars blocking each square inch of available space on the footpath in front of Priyo-Almas. When I did cross the road to hop onto Road 6, Dhanmondi, I sensed another hurdle- King’s Bakery, and Yousuf Confectionary.
As a teenager I remember walking from our house to visit friends and family near Dhanmondi Lake and Kalabagan. I even remember walking to Taj Mahal Road as a past time to visit a friend whom I haven’t seen now for more than two decades. But this is simply krazy. YES, this is the Dhaka that we all love. This is the Dhaka we all feel proud of. Even this morning I was grumbling about Pahela Phalgun. The spring winds may have arrived. That may be good news for those who want to go and visit the melas in Dhaka. We fail to realise that with the spring comes news that summer is knocking at the door. YES, the wonderful summer of Dhaka coupled with the jams and ‘lawlessness’ in the streets.
Finally, I entered Road 7, Dhanmondi. It seemed as if the journey was about to end. I found the community centre I headed out for. I didn’t recognise anybody and nobody recognised me. I cross-checked with one person to see if I had come to the right place. I did come to the right place. I reached the venue only to find out I had come to the programme three days too early! After sitting for 10/12 minutes, I thought of leaving. YES, all the way back home and on foot again.
***
Only this morning I was reading a note Maqsood Bhai (Mac Haque) wrote and tagged me on in Facebook. He mentioned that Facebook has become or is becoming an integral part of our lives. For once at least, I’m happy Facebook is here. I had something to look forward to. Get back home. Write about your experience and upload it on Facebook for planet Earth to see!
Some of us live a dream of Dhaka. Dhaka is Dhaka come what may. I think that’s a myth. The historical Dhaka is locked up in the pages of historians in wonderful narrations by Poet Shamsur Rahman in his Smritir Shohor or dug out by the historian Muntasir Mamun in one of his rare gems for people to ponder ‘what was’ and ‘what is’. What these narrations have never addressed is ‘what could be’?
After today’s experience, all I can say is I’ve seen the writing on the wall. And it’s no joke. If this is the way Dhaka is proceeding, I don’t think we’ll have to wait for global warming and the rising seas to get the better of us. The people of Dhaka will have the better of themselves. Rename this City. At once! Call it any name that comes to mind. But please, please don’t call it Dhaka. Dhaka is Dead; Long Live Dhaka!
Pahela Phalgun Shubhechchha!
Asrar Chowdhury (Ronnie)
13/14.Feb.09
Pahela Phalgun
Dhaka
DS Campus 25 Jan 09: We lost only to 'die another day'
Daily Star Campus
Sunday 25 January 2009
We lost only to 'die another day'
by Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/01/04/feature_die.htm
“THE day the music died” in Cricket for me was when the Prince of the Caribbean, Brian Charles Lara, said goodbye. And with him I said “Goodbye Miss [Cricket] Pie”! I have not watched a Bangladeshi cricket match for a long time. Watching two in a row was never on the cards. Watching Bangladesh make its way into the Finals of the Tri-Nation Cricket Series, evoked the romanticism of Cricket in my heart like it did in 1990 when one Brian Charles Lara said that he had arrived with 44 runs, before the spin wizard Abdul Qadir put an end to his debut Test innings!
After the Zimbabwe debacle, it was almost obvious that Bangladesh was entering into another phase of its so-familiar hibernation at the beginning of 2009. Surprisingly, that was not to be. The way Bangladesh performed in their group match against Sri Lanka made one believe that this team may have finally come of age. Then reading between the lines, one sees a familiar picture- the bowlers and the fielders were responsible for the victory more than the top-order batsmen.
There has never been question about the talent of our batsmen. The question has always been about their temperament. We are used to throwing wickets in the process of flashing our bats outside the off stump at crucial stages of an innings or just when a partnership is about to be set. Our bowlers and fielders are the ones who bail us out, but then they are only as good as the duration our batsman can keep their bails on their wickets.
In the final match Bangladesh once again found herself in familiar waters. The mirage of victory in the previous match against the same opponent quickly evaporated. The top-order failed to make an impression. Rokibul and Mahmudullah brought some respectability by dragging the innings close to the 50th over. In the end, 152 runs were all we could muster.
Such a paltry target would never be enough against a different Sri Lanka team in the final. Then sun shone on Bangladesh from the word go as Sakib sent Jayasuriya back to the pavilion with a brilliant run out on the very first ball of the innings. Bangladesh created a world record by sending the first five opponent batsmen back to the pavilion with only 6 runs on the board. It was difficult to predict if it was a mirage. Again it was the bowlers and the fielders who did the damage.
The test was not if we could win. Rather how well we could defend only 152 runs. And we did it very well. It was not until Sakib removed Sangakara and Kulasekara in his penultimate over that a victory was really on the cards. Many may blame Ashraful for what followed next. But then in hindsight Ashraful made the right move. He had to gamble. Rubel Hossain had cleared the same Lankan tail in his second spell in the previous match. This time however Lady Luck did not smile at Rubel. The best of the best bowlers have met the fate Rubel did on that day. It just was not our day.
For once we can celebrate a Bangladesh loss in cricket. It is not everyday that we see Bangladesh play like Tigers for two matches on the trot. And play consistently against the odds. The aspiration of each individual to do well showed in the body language of the Team. This is welcoming. Then again the consistently inconsistent performance of our top-order batsmen is one aspect the Team has to address. We cannot always depend on our lower order batsmen and our bowlers to bail us out.
Good performance is as contagious as bad performance. One can only hope the Team spirit we saw grows bolder and bolder as 2009 unfolds. If it does, the elusive victories will come. It will only be a matter of time. Our greatest asset is the exuberance of youth. Hopefully 2009 will be a big year for Bangladesh Cricket. For the time being let's celebrate a good overall performance of the Bangladesh Cricket Team. In the end we lost only to 'die another day'!
(Writer is a university academic)
Sunday 25 January 2009
We lost only to 'die another day'
by Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/01/04/feature_die.htm
“THE day the music died” in Cricket for me was when the Prince of the Caribbean, Brian Charles Lara, said goodbye. And with him I said “Goodbye Miss [Cricket] Pie”! I have not watched a Bangladeshi cricket match for a long time. Watching two in a row was never on the cards. Watching Bangladesh make its way into the Finals of the Tri-Nation Cricket Series, evoked the romanticism of Cricket in my heart like it did in 1990 when one Brian Charles Lara said that he had arrived with 44 runs, before the spin wizard Abdul Qadir put an end to his debut Test innings!
After the Zimbabwe debacle, it was almost obvious that Bangladesh was entering into another phase of its so-familiar hibernation at the beginning of 2009. Surprisingly, that was not to be. The way Bangladesh performed in their group match against Sri Lanka made one believe that this team may have finally come of age. Then reading between the lines, one sees a familiar picture- the bowlers and the fielders were responsible for the victory more than the top-order batsmen.
There has never been question about the talent of our batsmen. The question has always been about their temperament. We are used to throwing wickets in the process of flashing our bats outside the off stump at crucial stages of an innings or just when a partnership is about to be set. Our bowlers and fielders are the ones who bail us out, but then they are only as good as the duration our batsman can keep their bails on their wickets.
In the final match Bangladesh once again found herself in familiar waters. The mirage of victory in the previous match against the same opponent quickly evaporated. The top-order failed to make an impression. Rokibul and Mahmudullah brought some respectability by dragging the innings close to the 50th over. In the end, 152 runs were all we could muster.
Such a paltry target would never be enough against a different Sri Lanka team in the final. Then sun shone on Bangladesh from the word go as Sakib sent Jayasuriya back to the pavilion with a brilliant run out on the very first ball of the innings. Bangladesh created a world record by sending the first five opponent batsmen back to the pavilion with only 6 runs on the board. It was difficult to predict if it was a mirage. Again it was the bowlers and the fielders who did the damage.
The test was not if we could win. Rather how well we could defend only 152 runs. And we did it very well. It was not until Sakib removed Sangakara and Kulasekara in his penultimate over that a victory was really on the cards. Many may blame Ashraful for what followed next. But then in hindsight Ashraful made the right move. He had to gamble. Rubel Hossain had cleared the same Lankan tail in his second spell in the previous match. This time however Lady Luck did not smile at Rubel. The best of the best bowlers have met the fate Rubel did on that day. It just was not our day.
For once we can celebrate a Bangladesh loss in cricket. It is not everyday that we see Bangladesh play like Tigers for two matches on the trot. And play consistently against the odds. The aspiration of each individual to do well showed in the body language of the Team. This is welcoming. Then again the consistently inconsistent performance of our top-order batsmen is one aspect the Team has to address. We cannot always depend on our lower order batsmen and our bowlers to bail us out.
Good performance is as contagious as bad performance. One can only hope the Team spirit we saw grows bolder and bolder as 2009 unfolds. If it does, the elusive victories will come. It will only be a matter of time. Our greatest asset is the exuberance of youth. Hopefully 2009 will be a big year for Bangladesh Cricket. For the time being let's celebrate a good overall performance of the Bangladesh Cricket Team. In the end we lost only to 'die another day'!
(Writer is a university academic)
DS Campus 04 Jan 09 Power to the People! Power to Democracy!
Daily Star Campus
4 Jan 2009
Power to the People! Power to Democracy!
By Asrar Chowdhury
URL http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/01/01/feature_democracy.htm
The voice of the people is always heard. When the time is right, the people's voice is always the might. The voice of the people sends signals to the political market on how people's choice is to be allocated. Whether a status quo is to be maintained or whether there's a call for “winds of change”. Failure to listen to and honour these signals can result in violent revolutions that lead to the birth of a new political institution or a new political nation. Simply look at history to verify.
The history of the Twentieth Century shows that, nations that have had stable political institutions are also nations that have moved forward. Barring few exceptions, democracy has proved to be the most stable political institution. Whether that's a Presidential form of democracy; a Parliamentarian form of democracy; or even a cross between the two. This, however, doesn't mean that a democracy can't and won't produce governments or political machines that can and do become leviathans.
It's a well-quoted phrase, incumbent governments don't win elections; they loose them. Failure of the previous democratic administration to live up to the overwhelming mandate the people of Bangladesh gave to them then, in more ways than not, has been the main reason for their shocking defeat and the unprecedented victory of their opponents in December 2008.
The Ninth Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh will go down in history as a victory of the people and a victory of democracy. Since December 1970, and December 1990, the people of Bangladesh have never sent such decisive signals to the political market for change as they did in December 2008. Awami League and the Grand Alliance received an unprecedented mandate to govern Bangladesh in the next five years. The real challenge, however, starts now. How can Bangladesh as a nation make an effort to move forward in the Twenty First Century? Today's piece is a brief introduction to the challenges that lie ahead not only for those who will form the next government, but also for those who won't.
There has never been doubt about the potential of Bangladesh as a nation. The Indian Statesman Gopal Krishna Gokhale didn't make his observation that “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow” from emptiness. In spite of so many hiccups, Bangladesh has shown impressive performance in many economic and social indicators since independence in 1971. The question mark, however, remains. The most vulnerable area for Bangladesh lies in her non-stable political institutions. Now is the time for action. The 2008 Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh sent one very important signal to the political market. The electorate of Bangladesh think carefully and express their views intelligently in a free and fair election. This is a signal for a lesson to be learned not only for the victors, but also for those who have been defeated.
Awami League and the Grand Alliance has an almost absolute mandate of the electorate to make an effort to fulfil its pre-election promises. The fate of the nation now rests in the hands of the victors probably more than any other time in the 37 plus years of the existence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. If the Grand Alliance reads and responds to the political signals well they will be rehabilitated in the history of Bangladesh in golden letters. If history repeats itself to show the rivalry Bangladesh has been so familiar with, then the next five years will go down in history in rotten letters.
In democracy collective choices are allocated through a political market mechanism. The society also has its own mechanism in allocating collective choices in the absence of democratic institutions. Both the victors and the defeated of the 2008 Parliamentary Elections have records of history in front of them. If you fail to live up to the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh, you have to pay a very high price. History now shows that the Bangladesh electorate is far, far more intelligent than those of many countries, developed and developing. And also many established democracies. This is probably our greatest political asset. It remains to be seen how the next five years unfold. For the time being, let us hope our political leadership reads and responds to the collective choices of the Bangladesh electorate. Power to the People! Power to Democracy! Power to Bangladesh and 1971!
Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
4 Jan 2009
Power to the People! Power to Democracy!
By Asrar Chowdhury
URL http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2009/01/01/feature_democracy.htm
The voice of the people is always heard. When the time is right, the people's voice is always the might. The voice of the people sends signals to the political market on how people's choice is to be allocated. Whether a status quo is to be maintained or whether there's a call for “winds of change”. Failure to listen to and honour these signals can result in violent revolutions that lead to the birth of a new political institution or a new political nation. Simply look at history to verify.
The history of the Twentieth Century shows that, nations that have had stable political institutions are also nations that have moved forward. Barring few exceptions, democracy has proved to be the most stable political institution. Whether that's a Presidential form of democracy; a Parliamentarian form of democracy; or even a cross between the two. This, however, doesn't mean that a democracy can't and won't produce governments or political machines that can and do become leviathans.
It's a well-quoted phrase, incumbent governments don't win elections; they loose them. Failure of the previous democratic administration to live up to the overwhelming mandate the people of Bangladesh gave to them then, in more ways than not, has been the main reason for their shocking defeat and the unprecedented victory of their opponents in December 2008.
The Ninth Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh will go down in history as a victory of the people and a victory of democracy. Since December 1970, and December 1990, the people of Bangladesh have never sent such decisive signals to the political market for change as they did in December 2008. Awami League and the Grand Alliance received an unprecedented mandate to govern Bangladesh in the next five years. The real challenge, however, starts now. How can Bangladesh as a nation make an effort to move forward in the Twenty First Century? Today's piece is a brief introduction to the challenges that lie ahead not only for those who will form the next government, but also for those who won't.
There has never been doubt about the potential of Bangladesh as a nation. The Indian Statesman Gopal Krishna Gokhale didn't make his observation that “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow” from emptiness. In spite of so many hiccups, Bangladesh has shown impressive performance in many economic and social indicators since independence in 1971. The question mark, however, remains. The most vulnerable area for Bangladesh lies in her non-stable political institutions. Now is the time for action. The 2008 Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh sent one very important signal to the political market. The electorate of Bangladesh think carefully and express their views intelligently in a free and fair election. This is a signal for a lesson to be learned not only for the victors, but also for those who have been defeated.
Awami League and the Grand Alliance has an almost absolute mandate of the electorate to make an effort to fulfil its pre-election promises. The fate of the nation now rests in the hands of the victors probably more than any other time in the 37 plus years of the existence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. If the Grand Alliance reads and responds to the political signals well they will be rehabilitated in the history of Bangladesh in golden letters. If history repeats itself to show the rivalry Bangladesh has been so familiar with, then the next five years will go down in history in rotten letters.
In democracy collective choices are allocated through a political market mechanism. The society also has its own mechanism in allocating collective choices in the absence of democratic institutions. Both the victors and the defeated of the 2008 Parliamentary Elections have records of history in front of them. If you fail to live up to the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh, you have to pay a very high price. History now shows that the Bangladesh electorate is far, far more intelligent than those of many countries, developed and developing. And also many established democracies. This is probably our greatest political asset. It remains to be seen how the next five years unfold. For the time being, let us hope our political leadership reads and responds to the collective choices of the Bangladesh electorate. Power to the People! Power to Democracy! Power to Bangladesh and 1971!
Asrar Chowdhury is a university academic. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
DS: 16 Dec 2008 Supplement: Interview on Fateh Ali Chowdhury
Daily Star
16 December 2008 Special Issue
Interview on Fateh Ali Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2008/16th_dec/mundane.htm
“Free the mundane present from the glorious past”
Asrar Chowdhury
1971. Three million lives. 266 days. 7.83 lives per minute. This is just the human price Bangladesh paid for her freedom. Fate had it I missed the 1971 'Train to Bangladesh'. History wasn't on my side. I belong to the post-1971 generation. As a Nation we're lucky though. The 'living' of 1971 have preserved the stories of the 'dead' of 1971. Through these stories, the fire and the spirit of 1971 have been preserved for us. If another train does blow her whistle in my lifetime, I surely won't miss it.
Any student of the Muktijuddha has heard the name of Fateh Ali Chowdhury. A Freedom Fighter of Sector 2, he was a part of a few critical operations of our Muktibahini. The irony is, not too many have heard him speak about his experiences and thoughts on the Muktijuddha. He likes to stay away from the limelight. But then. The post-1971 generation can't always accept silence as a virtue. I couldn't resist myself when I heard he agreed to talk about his experiences and thoughts on 1971. I certainly didn't want to miss this 'Train.'
When the Muktijuddha started, Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a student of the final year in English at Dhaka University. Bright careers chased University students in those days. But that wasn't to be. Life seldom goes as planned. His was a generation that was at the crossroads of history. Many like him soon found themselves pursuing a much brighter career. Defending the honour of the Motherland to establish the foundations of a Free Bangladesh.
“We didn't decide to go to war. It just happened. After the crackdown on 26 March, when we saw our own people being slaughtered like game, we found ourselves in a position where joining the war was the only option. And like many others, we went out to defend the honour of the Motherland”. Fateh Bhai puffed his cigarette and carried on. “This is probably the same story of all of us who fought in 1971.”
Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a member of the Crack Platoon of Sector 2. The Dhaka Operation of Crack Platoon 2 in late August 1971 is a turning point in our Muktijuddha. There may be romanticism in fighting a war, but the scars can stay for as long as one lives. On 29 August, nine Freedom Fighters of Crack Platoon 2 were caught. Rumi, Altaf Mahmud, Chullu, Badi, Jewel and Bakr were among them. Fateh Bhai became emotional. “It was then we realised there was no turning back.”
Two names, Fateh Ali Chowdhury and Habibul Alam will go down in history in the first two days of the existence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. The waiting was worth its weight in gold that day. To be able to hear the story from Fateh Bhai himself!
“Crack Platoon entered Dhaka on 16 December 1971” started Fateh Bhai. “Bangladesh was now a free country. I went inside Dhaka Cantonment with the Four Guards Regiment of the Indian Army in search of any Freedom Fighters who could have been held as prisoners. But I could not trace anybody in the total chaotic situation. I learned from a source that some of our Freedom Fighters from the Crack Platoon Operation of 29 August could be alive and were held in Dhaka Central Jail.”
“In the mean time, Habibul Alam and I decided it would be appropriate to open the Radio and BTV. The next morning, 17 December, we went to the Radio Office. Earlier, we contacted Shamsul Huda Chowdhury, Former Regional Director of Radio. He advised us on how to open the Radio. This would be the first broadcast in the air media of Independent Bangladesh. I clearly remember what I said”, Fateh Bhai said with emotional eyes.
“I am Fateh Ali Chowdhury, a Freedom Fighter of Sector 2. On behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment, Major Haider of Sector 2, Officer Commanding of Dhaka Operation will now speak”. There was a pause. Fateh Bhai took a deep breath. “Sir (Major Haider) spoke.”
“We then rushed off to Dhaka Central Jail. There wasn't a moment to lose.”
“Habibul Alam and I reached Dhaka Central Jail before noon. We asked the Jail Officer if there were any Freedom Fighters among the prisoners. And then we asked how many of the prisoners could be freed according to Law.”
“We learned that four Freedom Fighters were in the Jail. They were Masud Sadeque Chullu, Abdus Samad, Kazi Iqbal and Ahsanullah. The Jail Officer made a list of the Freedom Fighters, Political Prisoners, and those charged with Petty Crimes who could be freed according to Law. He handed the list to Habibul Alam. Habib signed on behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment. I countersigned. Dhaka Jail was opened. We then went to open BTV.”
“Shamsul Huda Chowdhury advised us to contact Ejaz Ahmed to open BTV. We did so. This time I was more tensed than the entire nine months of our freedom struggle. Shimul Billah sang the National Anthem. We made the same statement as we did on Radio. And that was it. Our Radio, Dhaka Jail and BTV were opened.”
"I was just the rubber-stamp of history. If I weren't there that day, somebody else would have done what I did. In the words of my friend, the noted singer Azam Khan, I want to say 'Today Bangladesh is free. And this is my achievement.'"
“Very few Nations have the privilege of fighting a War of Independence. It's true that I was one of the Freedom Fighters who fought with arms. But then, a true victory would never have been possible if the Nation didn't participate. Those who didn't fight with arms are also Freedom Fighters. The death toll itself speaks. We fought the Muktijuddha as One Nation. I'm honoured to have been a part of this history. That's all.”
I had to ask Fateh Bhai the question many would like to ask. “Why don't you normally talk about 1971”? Fateh Bhai looked at me. His eyes gave the indication I was about to witness history in the making.
“History cannot be contemporaneous. What I am saying now and you are writing is documentation only. History can only be written by posterity.”
I now understood Fateh Bhai's 'sounds of silence'. But then. The post-1971 generation expects more than just mere documentation. Fateh Bhai looked at me again. This time his eyes had a childlike look. He wanted to say something to us.
“The spirit and the fire of 1971 now rest in the hands of the young of today's Bangladesh. It's your responsibility to play your part in taking Bangladesh forward. It's your responsibility to do something positive for your posterity. This is all our generation expects. Nothing more. Nothing less!”
Fateh Ali Chowdhury's famous last words were “Free the mundane present from the glorious past!”
Acknowledgement: Thanks to Mirza M Eyahia and Rezaul Amin, Freedom Fighters of Sector 2 for arranging the interview.
Asrar Chowdhury is a Faculty in Economics at Jahangirnagar University.
16 December 2008 Special Issue
Interview on Fateh Ali Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2008/16th_dec/mundane.htm
“Free the mundane present from the glorious past”
Asrar Chowdhury
1971. Three million lives. 266 days. 7.83 lives per minute. This is just the human price Bangladesh paid for her freedom. Fate had it I missed the 1971 'Train to Bangladesh'. History wasn't on my side. I belong to the post-1971 generation. As a Nation we're lucky though. The 'living' of 1971 have preserved the stories of the 'dead' of 1971. Through these stories, the fire and the spirit of 1971 have been preserved for us. If another train does blow her whistle in my lifetime, I surely won't miss it.
Any student of the Muktijuddha has heard the name of Fateh Ali Chowdhury. A Freedom Fighter of Sector 2, he was a part of a few critical operations of our Muktibahini. The irony is, not too many have heard him speak about his experiences and thoughts on the Muktijuddha. He likes to stay away from the limelight. But then. The post-1971 generation can't always accept silence as a virtue. I couldn't resist myself when I heard he agreed to talk about his experiences and thoughts on 1971. I certainly didn't want to miss this 'Train.'
When the Muktijuddha started, Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a student of the final year in English at Dhaka University. Bright careers chased University students in those days. But that wasn't to be. Life seldom goes as planned. His was a generation that was at the crossroads of history. Many like him soon found themselves pursuing a much brighter career. Defending the honour of the Motherland to establish the foundations of a Free Bangladesh.
“We didn't decide to go to war. It just happened. After the crackdown on 26 March, when we saw our own people being slaughtered like game, we found ourselves in a position where joining the war was the only option. And like many others, we went out to defend the honour of the Motherland”. Fateh Bhai puffed his cigarette and carried on. “This is probably the same story of all of us who fought in 1971.”
Fateh Ali Chowdhury was a member of the Crack Platoon of Sector 2. The Dhaka Operation of Crack Platoon 2 in late August 1971 is a turning point in our Muktijuddha. There may be romanticism in fighting a war, but the scars can stay for as long as one lives. On 29 August, nine Freedom Fighters of Crack Platoon 2 were caught. Rumi, Altaf Mahmud, Chullu, Badi, Jewel and Bakr were among them. Fateh Bhai became emotional. “It was then we realised there was no turning back.”
Two names, Fateh Ali Chowdhury and Habibul Alam will go down in history in the first two days of the existence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. The waiting was worth its weight in gold that day. To be able to hear the story from Fateh Bhai himself!
“Crack Platoon entered Dhaka on 16 December 1971” started Fateh Bhai. “Bangladesh was now a free country. I went inside Dhaka Cantonment with the Four Guards Regiment of the Indian Army in search of any Freedom Fighters who could have been held as prisoners. But I could not trace anybody in the total chaotic situation. I learned from a source that some of our Freedom Fighters from the Crack Platoon Operation of 29 August could be alive and were held in Dhaka Central Jail.”
“In the mean time, Habibul Alam and I decided it would be appropriate to open the Radio and BTV. The next morning, 17 December, we went to the Radio Office. Earlier, we contacted Shamsul Huda Chowdhury, Former Regional Director of Radio. He advised us on how to open the Radio. This would be the first broadcast in the air media of Independent Bangladesh. I clearly remember what I said”, Fateh Bhai said with emotional eyes.
“I am Fateh Ali Chowdhury, a Freedom Fighter of Sector 2. On behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment, Major Haider of Sector 2, Officer Commanding of Dhaka Operation will now speak”. There was a pause. Fateh Bhai took a deep breath. “Sir (Major Haider) spoke.”
“We then rushed off to Dhaka Central Jail. There wasn't a moment to lose.”
“Habibul Alam and I reached Dhaka Central Jail before noon. We asked the Jail Officer if there were any Freedom Fighters among the prisoners. And then we asked how many of the prisoners could be freed according to Law.”
“We learned that four Freedom Fighters were in the Jail. They were Masud Sadeque Chullu, Abdus Samad, Kazi Iqbal and Ahsanullah. The Jail Officer made a list of the Freedom Fighters, Political Prisoners, and those charged with Petty Crimes who could be freed according to Law. He handed the list to Habibul Alam. Habib signed on behalf of the Fourth Bengal Regiment. I countersigned. Dhaka Jail was opened. We then went to open BTV.”
“Shamsul Huda Chowdhury advised us to contact Ejaz Ahmed to open BTV. We did so. This time I was more tensed than the entire nine months of our freedom struggle. Shimul Billah sang the National Anthem. We made the same statement as we did on Radio. And that was it. Our Radio, Dhaka Jail and BTV were opened.”
"I was just the rubber-stamp of history. If I weren't there that day, somebody else would have done what I did. In the words of my friend, the noted singer Azam Khan, I want to say 'Today Bangladesh is free. And this is my achievement.'"
“Very few Nations have the privilege of fighting a War of Independence. It's true that I was one of the Freedom Fighters who fought with arms. But then, a true victory would never have been possible if the Nation didn't participate. Those who didn't fight with arms are also Freedom Fighters. The death toll itself speaks. We fought the Muktijuddha as One Nation. I'm honoured to have been a part of this history. That's all.”
I had to ask Fateh Bhai the question many would like to ask. “Why don't you normally talk about 1971”? Fateh Bhai looked at me. His eyes gave the indication I was about to witness history in the making.
“History cannot be contemporaneous. What I am saying now and you are writing is documentation only. History can only be written by posterity.”
I now understood Fateh Bhai's 'sounds of silence'. But then. The post-1971 generation expects more than just mere documentation. Fateh Bhai looked at me again. This time his eyes had a childlike look. He wanted to say something to us.
“The spirit and the fire of 1971 now rest in the hands of the young of today's Bangladesh. It's your responsibility to play your part in taking Bangladesh forward. It's your responsibility to do something positive for your posterity. This is all our generation expects. Nothing more. Nothing less!”
Fateh Ali Chowdhury's famous last words were “Free the mundane present from the glorious past!”
Acknowledgement: Thanks to Mirza M Eyahia and Rezaul Amin, Freedom Fighters of Sector 2 for arranging the interview.
Asrar Chowdhury is a Faculty in Economics at Jahangirnagar University.
DS Campus 12/Oct/08 Annapurna's First Visit to the "Campus"
Annapurna's Father was born in a campus and has spent his entire life travelling from one campus to another.
Annapurna's Grand Father has been associated with a campus from the age of 18.
Fate has it, Annapurna never visited her Father's or Grand Father's campuses properly.
She visited a campus of her generation, a campus of virtual reality, The Daily Star Campus.
Thanks to Daily Star Campus
We pray for your prayers and blessings so Annapurna remains in good health and finds spiritual reward in whatever she does in her life. This, however, is the same prayer we make for all children everywhere.
Annapurna's Family
12 October 2008
***
http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/index.htm
http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/eid_celebrations.htm
Annapurna's Grand Father has been associated with a campus from the age of 18.
Fate has it, Annapurna never visited her Father's or Grand Father's campuses properly.
She visited a campus of her generation, a campus of virtual reality, The Daily Star Campus.
Thanks to Daily Star Campus
We pray for your prayers and blessings so Annapurna remains in good health and finds spiritual reward in whatever she does in her life. This, however, is the same prayer we make for all children everywhere.
Annapurna's Family
12 October 2008
***
http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/index.htm
http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/eid_celebrations.htm
DS Campus 12/Oct/08 Let's teach our children well
Campus
Daily Star
Sunday 12 Oct 2008
***
Feature
Let's teach our children well
Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/feature_teach.htm
BEFORE my first lecture at Jahangirnagar, like Santiago, I went on a pilgrimage to meet our Alchemist, Jewel Aich. Jewel Da' was a teacher in his 'first life'. Being the Alchemist he is, he cast some everlasting spells. The adda that day transformed my outlook towards teaching. Time and space may have broadened my horizons. I may have moved on in life. True. But, that day I realised what a demanding profession teaching is!
No dark sarcasms in the classroom; Teacher, leave those kids alone! - Pink Floyd
Time and space started our discussion. What's the objective of teaching? To help the student get a degree to make them employable on the job market, or to make them inquisitive like that Nazrul poem we all read in our childhood, thakbo nako boddho ghore? The answer is both!
A good teacher is also a good actor and a good storyteller. They master the art of keeping hold of the attention of the student as they tell their story. So the student doesn't get bored. At the same time the student becomes inquisitive. True, a teacher has to repeat topics but then the teacher can't be repetitive. What a dilemma! What to do then? Just break the time into little fragments so the class doesn't feel boring.
Listening to somebody for more than 5 to 7 minutes at a stretch can be boring. So, you pause and then press play again every few minutes. A good book isn't a single chapter, but a continuation of several 'separate' chapters that weave into one continuous entity. A good lecture is also an integration of many small fragments that weave into a beautiful tapestry or a nakshi kantha. Each 'separate' fragment has its own story to tell.
What about space? Time is simply a preparation to reach and then leave space. To prepare for those few minutes of a lecture, a good teacher needs to prepare to 'visualise' the entire space. Where will the pauses come and go? How much content do I cover? Will the students be able to absorb the content? How do I link today's content with yesterday's and tomorrow's? Yes. You do need to plan a lecture. You can 'probably' get away with one or two extempore performances here and there, but not everywhere! Students are always the best judges of a teacher. It's the students who listen to and read our storybook in the little time we have in the classroom.
The classroom by nature is claustrophobic. Four walls and a roof bound all classrooms. The days of the Guru- Shishya learning underneath a tree are gone. But the power of knowledge and the grace of wisdom can transform that very claustrophobic classroom to become as vast as human imagination. That's the “final frontier”, “to go where no man has ever gone before”!
A good teacher has to be 'very careful' in selecting time and space. Who am I teaching? Who's my audience? What are my limits? Are there any limits at all? If the calculations go wrong the Guru Mashai can easily end up talking to the board and not the class!
[We are] lead by an invisible hand to promote an end, which was no part of [our] intention
- Adam Smith
Competition in labour markets makes universities concentrate on the aptitude of 'average' students. This is the general pattern everywhere. Bangladesh is no exception. If the 'average' quality of the students of an educational institute is good, it sends good signals back to the existing students when they enter the job market. If this 'average' proves to be reliable over time then there won't be adversity in selecting and distinguishing between students of different institutes. The name of the institute itself carries weight in the job market. Employers 'employ' many 'screening' methods to avoid this adverse selection. This 'average' and reliability of this 'average' is what we teachers first target.
The answer my friend, is Blowin' in the wind - Bob Dylan
What about that step Neil Armstrong made- “One step for man, but a great leap for mankind”? As teachers, will we be obsessed by the 'average'? Will market forces dictate our every action and policy? Will the classroom “manufacture” only, and not “create”? If that's the scenario, I'm sorry to say, I'd like to leave this classroom!
Do I have any interest in today's story? Of course I do. As an individual and as a community 'we' are also political animals. But then. Wait. Don't, all political animals need a 'natural habitat' to survive and flourish? Today's 'our' day. So, 'we' better beat 'our' own drums. Like it or not. 'We' are different. In Bangladesh and everywhere!
The pen is mightier than the sword. Wisdom is more powerful than knowledge. A good teacher can make mountains move; the winds change their course; and transform a desert into an oasis. Yes. A good teacher is also a good Alchemist. It's these Alchemists who “create” gifted students in the claustrophobic classroom. These gifted students first move their own society and then mankind forward. This is the society that takes Nazrul's poem from the claustrophobic book into the “final frontier”. That's civilisationnot to be limited by claustrophobia, either spatial or mental. However. For that you need good teachers.
Good teachers are the harvest of social investment and the reflection of the society itself. It's the responsibility of the society to ensure that safe environment and safe 'natural habitat' for its teachers. Once that's done, the rest is just a matter of time. On International Teacher's Day, let's reflect on ensuring a safe environment for our teachers to “teach our children well”. We did it in the past. Why not again?
Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches in the departments of economics at Jahangirnagar and North South Universities. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
Daily Star
Sunday 12 Oct 2008
***
Feature
Let's teach our children well
Asrar Chowdhury
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/01/feature_teach.htm
BEFORE my first lecture at Jahangirnagar, like Santiago, I went on a pilgrimage to meet our Alchemist, Jewel Aich. Jewel Da' was a teacher in his 'first life'. Being the Alchemist he is, he cast some everlasting spells. The adda that day transformed my outlook towards teaching. Time and space may have broadened my horizons. I may have moved on in life. True. But, that day I realised what a demanding profession teaching is!
No dark sarcasms in the classroom; Teacher, leave those kids alone! - Pink Floyd
Time and space started our discussion. What's the objective of teaching? To help the student get a degree to make them employable on the job market, or to make them inquisitive like that Nazrul poem we all read in our childhood, thakbo nako boddho ghore? The answer is both!
A good teacher is also a good actor and a good storyteller. They master the art of keeping hold of the attention of the student as they tell their story. So the student doesn't get bored. At the same time the student becomes inquisitive. True, a teacher has to repeat topics but then the teacher can't be repetitive. What a dilemma! What to do then? Just break the time into little fragments so the class doesn't feel boring.
Listening to somebody for more than 5 to 7 minutes at a stretch can be boring. So, you pause and then press play again every few minutes. A good book isn't a single chapter, but a continuation of several 'separate' chapters that weave into one continuous entity. A good lecture is also an integration of many small fragments that weave into a beautiful tapestry or a nakshi kantha. Each 'separate' fragment has its own story to tell.
What about space? Time is simply a preparation to reach and then leave space. To prepare for those few minutes of a lecture, a good teacher needs to prepare to 'visualise' the entire space. Where will the pauses come and go? How much content do I cover? Will the students be able to absorb the content? How do I link today's content with yesterday's and tomorrow's? Yes. You do need to plan a lecture. You can 'probably' get away with one or two extempore performances here and there, but not everywhere! Students are always the best judges of a teacher. It's the students who listen to and read our storybook in the little time we have in the classroom.
The classroom by nature is claustrophobic. Four walls and a roof bound all classrooms. The days of the Guru- Shishya learning underneath a tree are gone. But the power of knowledge and the grace of wisdom can transform that very claustrophobic classroom to become as vast as human imagination. That's the “final frontier”, “to go where no man has ever gone before”!
A good teacher has to be 'very careful' in selecting time and space. Who am I teaching? Who's my audience? What are my limits? Are there any limits at all? If the calculations go wrong the Guru Mashai can easily end up talking to the board and not the class!
[We are] lead by an invisible hand to promote an end, which was no part of [our] intention
- Adam Smith
Competition in labour markets makes universities concentrate on the aptitude of 'average' students. This is the general pattern everywhere. Bangladesh is no exception. If the 'average' quality of the students of an educational institute is good, it sends good signals back to the existing students when they enter the job market. If this 'average' proves to be reliable over time then there won't be adversity in selecting and distinguishing between students of different institutes. The name of the institute itself carries weight in the job market. Employers 'employ' many 'screening' methods to avoid this adverse selection. This 'average' and reliability of this 'average' is what we teachers first target.
The answer my friend, is Blowin' in the wind - Bob Dylan
What about that step Neil Armstrong made- “One step for man, but a great leap for mankind”? As teachers, will we be obsessed by the 'average'? Will market forces dictate our every action and policy? Will the classroom “manufacture” only, and not “create”? If that's the scenario, I'm sorry to say, I'd like to leave this classroom!
Do I have any interest in today's story? Of course I do. As an individual and as a community 'we' are also political animals. But then. Wait. Don't, all political animals need a 'natural habitat' to survive and flourish? Today's 'our' day. So, 'we' better beat 'our' own drums. Like it or not. 'We' are different. In Bangladesh and everywhere!
The pen is mightier than the sword. Wisdom is more powerful than knowledge. A good teacher can make mountains move; the winds change their course; and transform a desert into an oasis. Yes. A good teacher is also a good Alchemist. It's these Alchemists who “create” gifted students in the claustrophobic classroom. These gifted students first move their own society and then mankind forward. This is the society that takes Nazrul's poem from the claustrophobic book into the “final frontier”. That's civilisationnot to be limited by claustrophobia, either spatial or mental. However. For that you need good teachers.
Good teachers are the harvest of social investment and the reflection of the society itself. It's the responsibility of the society to ensure that safe environment and safe 'natural habitat' for its teachers. Once that's done, the rest is just a matter of time. On International Teacher's Day, let's reflect on ensuring a safe environment for our teachers to “teach our children well”. We did it in the past. Why not again?
Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches in the departments of economics at Jahangirnagar and North South Universities. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
Seven Couplets of Asrar Chowdhury: Unpublished
Seven Couplets of Asrar Chowdhury
UNPUBLISHED
These are seven of the many couplets I once wrote in a period of my life. These are the seven I could re-collect. The others met the fate of time. They got lost. They achieved nirvanaa!
The period during which I wrote these couplets is a period I would love to re-visit again, but would never want to re-live again!
Hope you all enjoy.
NB: If anybody wants to publish them, appreciate if you kindly let me know. Thanks.
I
This town has nothing more to offer but pain
Asrar, get up--it's time to leave and search for another oasis with rain
II
The language of the flowers is never easy to see
Asrar, sit up all night and think about the bee!
III
What do you get when you add fire and water?
Asrar, nobody knows till the taste gets bitter!
IV
That little boy in the street is crying, he seems to be blue
Asrar, Nay---It's You who's crying--he's just shedding the tears for you!
V
This world is nothing but a Deja vu
Asrar, whatever you've seen here, nothing's new!
VI
The Alchemist told you today the cause of your pain
Asrar, now hit the morning railroad, even if you die on that train!
VII
The Parwana has seen the Light; now it's too late
Asrar, there's nothing you can do-- simply Accept Your Fate!
DS Campus 28/Sep/08 My Times at Business Administration, JU
Daily Star Campus
Sunday 28 September 2008
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/04/feature_busadmin.htm
My Times at Business Administration, Jahangirnagar
- Asrar Chowdhury
All things must pass
None of life’s strings can last
I must be on my way
And face another day
- George Harrison
Many interesting events in my life have started over a cup of tea or coffee. I was talking with Shuddha Rafiq, a faculty of Business Administration at Jahangirnagar University. The department was facing problem finding a teacher to replace a guest faculty who wasn’t able to take international business. The exams of that batch weren’t too far away. While listening to Shuddha’s saga, I offered to volunteer otherwise the final exams would be delayed. The department agreed to take me on board. Much as I was happy, Shuddha told me the tenth batch I’d be meeting was one of the best in their department. Also I had only 10 weeks to finish the course.
This would be the first time I would be teaching business administration students. Also this would be the first time I would face a non-economics audience. I faced the foundation of all economic analysis- scarcity, the scarcity of time. The first two weeks went on reviewing basic microeconomic concepts. The next eight weeks turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I had with any batch of students. I was surprised at the absorption capacity of the tenth batch. Their willingness to challenge themselves surprised me the most. Shuddha was right. In the last eight weeks we had something like thirty long classes. And guess what? We finished the course on time and also managed to cover the syllabus! It takes two to tango. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the co-operation I received from the tenth batch. And also the co-operation I received from my colleagues who accommodated their schedules for my longer classes.
A few weeks after I finished international business with the tenth batch I again found myself talking with Shuddha over a cup of tea. This time he asked me if I would be willing to take foundational microeconomics and macroeconomics courses in their department. Now. If international business was to help out my colleagues upstairs in the social science faculty building, this offer was one I didn’t want to say no to. Until then I was teaching public finance and microeconomics related courses in Economics, Jahangirnagar to an economics audience, but never to first year students.
The mastery of teaching in any discipline comes when you can properly teach a foundational course in the first year. Once students master the foundational logic of a subject the rest is usually automatic. Until very recently, I never had the opportunity to teach in the first year undergraduate of my own department. Again, I didn’t dishearten Shuddha. Fate had it my luck with foundational microeconomics and macroeconomics would start with the thirteenth batch of the Business Administration Department of Jahangirnagar University.
This time I had time on my side. The semesters in the public universities are usually of six months duration. This allows freedom to concentrate on foundational logic used to explain economic phenomena. I did that. And yes, Samuelson, the second recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and his historically successful textbook was the guide. Again, I found myself with another wonderful set of students who were willing to challenge themselves. I let go of myself and wonder like wanderlust.
While teaching the thirteenth batch, I was actually teaching myself. Revisiting foundational concepts made me appreciate what my own all time greatest guru in economics, The Late Mirza Mozammel Huq, taught us many years ago. It was then I started to appreciate economics and how scarcity forms its foundation. In more ways than one, I have to first thank Shuddha for meeting me at the right place at the right moment, but above all I have to thank my students in Business Administration of Jahangirnagar University for making my own foundations in economics stronger than what I thought they were! Mainstream economics is obsessed with the notion of efficiency, a situation where further change isn’t necessary. I always tell my students, in life it’s good to be inefficient. There should always be scope for further change. It’s good to be confused. Confusion is the first step to moving forward towards wisdom.
After the thirteenth batch came the fifteenth and the sixteenth batches. I just concluded my teaching with the sixteenth batch. Unavoidable circumstances restrict further long time involvement with Business Administration at Jahangirnagar University. I would though love to be associated in shorter capacities in future. One of the beauties of the teaching profession lies in the privilege of being able to be associated with young and fresh minds; minds that will one day rule and take Bangladesh forward. As a community we are uniquely placed to prepare the grounds for that dream to become a reality.
I’m writing this piece today to remind all my students the cruelty of scarcity- the cruelty of time. Every good song has to come to an end. Nothing lasts forever. “All things must pass”. And as “I must be on my way and face another day” I look back and see that the wind has blown away my footsteps in the sand. I can’t return back. But then, no scarcity, no time is powerful enough to wipe away the experiences one gains. It’s these experiences that have made me realise, as a student of economics there is some good in being inefficient. It’s this lesson I learned from you all. Thanks!
**********
Disclaimer:
The George Harrison stanza couldn't be accomodated in the printed version because it's almost impossible to squeeze 900+ words in one page!
Sunday 28 September 2008
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/04/feature_busadmin.htm
My Times at Business Administration, Jahangirnagar
- Asrar Chowdhury
All things must pass
None of life’s strings can last
I must be on my way
And face another day
- George Harrison
Many interesting events in my life have started over a cup of tea or coffee. I was talking with Shuddha Rafiq, a faculty of Business Administration at Jahangirnagar University. The department was facing problem finding a teacher to replace a guest faculty who wasn’t able to take international business. The exams of that batch weren’t too far away. While listening to Shuddha’s saga, I offered to volunteer otherwise the final exams would be delayed. The department agreed to take me on board. Much as I was happy, Shuddha told me the tenth batch I’d be meeting was one of the best in their department. Also I had only 10 weeks to finish the course.
This would be the first time I would be teaching business administration students. Also this would be the first time I would face a non-economics audience. I faced the foundation of all economic analysis- scarcity, the scarcity of time. The first two weeks went on reviewing basic microeconomic concepts. The next eight weeks turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I had with any batch of students. I was surprised at the absorption capacity of the tenth batch. Their willingness to challenge themselves surprised me the most. Shuddha was right. In the last eight weeks we had something like thirty long classes. And guess what? We finished the course on time and also managed to cover the syllabus! It takes two to tango. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the co-operation I received from the tenth batch. And also the co-operation I received from my colleagues who accommodated their schedules for my longer classes.
A few weeks after I finished international business with the tenth batch I again found myself talking with Shuddha over a cup of tea. This time he asked me if I would be willing to take foundational microeconomics and macroeconomics courses in their department. Now. If international business was to help out my colleagues upstairs in the social science faculty building, this offer was one I didn’t want to say no to. Until then I was teaching public finance and microeconomics related courses in Economics, Jahangirnagar to an economics audience, but never to first year students.
The mastery of teaching in any discipline comes when you can properly teach a foundational course in the first year. Once students master the foundational logic of a subject the rest is usually automatic. Until very recently, I never had the opportunity to teach in the first year undergraduate of my own department. Again, I didn’t dishearten Shuddha. Fate had it my luck with foundational microeconomics and macroeconomics would start with the thirteenth batch of the Business Administration Department of Jahangirnagar University.
This time I had time on my side. The semesters in the public universities are usually of six months duration. This allows freedom to concentrate on foundational logic used to explain economic phenomena. I did that. And yes, Samuelson, the second recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and his historically successful textbook was the guide. Again, I found myself with another wonderful set of students who were willing to challenge themselves. I let go of myself and wonder like wanderlust.
While teaching the thirteenth batch, I was actually teaching myself. Revisiting foundational concepts made me appreciate what my own all time greatest guru in economics, The Late Mirza Mozammel Huq, taught us many years ago. It was then I started to appreciate economics and how scarcity forms its foundation. In more ways than one, I have to first thank Shuddha for meeting me at the right place at the right moment, but above all I have to thank my students in Business Administration of Jahangirnagar University for making my own foundations in economics stronger than what I thought they were! Mainstream economics is obsessed with the notion of efficiency, a situation where further change isn’t necessary. I always tell my students, in life it’s good to be inefficient. There should always be scope for further change. It’s good to be confused. Confusion is the first step to moving forward towards wisdom.
After the thirteenth batch came the fifteenth and the sixteenth batches. I just concluded my teaching with the sixteenth batch. Unavoidable circumstances restrict further long time involvement with Business Administration at Jahangirnagar University. I would though love to be associated in shorter capacities in future. One of the beauties of the teaching profession lies in the privilege of being able to be associated with young and fresh minds; minds that will one day rule and take Bangladesh forward. As a community we are uniquely placed to prepare the grounds for that dream to become a reality.
I’m writing this piece today to remind all my students the cruelty of scarcity- the cruelty of time. Every good song has to come to an end. Nothing lasts forever. “All things must pass”. And as “I must be on my way and face another day” I look back and see that the wind has blown away my footsteps in the sand. I can’t return back. But then, no scarcity, no time is powerful enough to wipe away the experiences one gains. It’s these experiences that have made me realise, as a student of economics there is some good in being inefficient. It’s this lesson I learned from you all. Thanks!
**********
Disclaimer:
The George Harrison stanza couldn't be accomodated in the printed version because it's almost impossible to squeeze 900+ words in one page!
DS Campus 03/Aug/08 The Times They Are-A Changin
The times they are a-changin: Revelation in Chittagong
By Asrar Chowdhury
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/08/01/feature.htm
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
- Bob Dylan
By Asrar Chowdhury
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/08/01/feature.htm
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
- Bob Dylan
MY first encounter with debating at the Theatre Institute in Chittagong is one I won't forget for a long time. I again had the privilege of witnessing debating of Chittagong school students, again at the Theatre Institute organised again by Drishty. This time it was a Bangla debate competition.
It was the closing debate of Drishty's 16th anniversary. The debate followed the British Parliament. Chittagong Collegiate School represented the Government. Chittagong Government High School represented the Opposition. The topic: “Economic backwardness, not political backwardness, is the main reason for Bangladesh not being able to develop forwards”. The Teams based their arguments on theory and empirical evidence to establish what is the cause of our backwardnesseconomics or politics?
Both Parties based their analysis on economists. The Government Party relied on Karl Marx's analysis of capitalism that economic foundations determine the basis of other institutions of a society. The Opposition Party relied on Amartya Sen and his entitlement approach that the right to the access towards a resource determines the right of its use. Indirectly, Sen's analysis of property rights hints towards political dimensions determining economic actions.
It's not a question of which team won. One team has to win. I was once again amazed at the extent of reading the students did. The references they were making gave me a 'false' impression this was a debate of the British Parliament between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The young debaters rightly pointed out the economic and political problems Bangladesh faces. Such maturity at such an early age left me bamboozled. One debater caught my attention, Muttakin Chowdhury, the Leader of the Opposition. I was impressed at him being as cool as a cucumber in tackling 'attacks' from the Government Party. If only we also could learn from this little 'kid'.
I have one observation. Although economic dimensions are a necessity towards development, they aren't a sufficient condition. 'Usually', it's the stability of political institutions that guides a country forward. When we make a statement like A implies B, and if such implication has sufficient empirical evidence, it gives one party an added advantage over the other in a debate. Drishty and other debating clubs may want to consider subject matters that are open-ended.
Real education is 'seldom' learned in the classroom because a classroom is bounded by four walls and a roof. To convert knowledge into wisdom one needs to break the boundaries of the classroom and its roof to look at the Cosmos with no fear of the unknown. This is where I'd like to thank Star Campus in making an 'effort' to identify organisations like Drishty that try to encourage students to go beyond the boundaries of the classroom. It's indeed a pleasure to be associated with Star Campus and meet the talent of tomorrow's Bangladesh.
After my second encounter in Chittagong, I'm optimistic two times round. If something happens once, it doesn't happen twice. If something happens twice, it definitely happens a third time. This is Paulo Coelho's hypothesis in The Alchemist. Following Coelho, something tells me these 'kids' will make a reality out of the dreams of our generation and those before us. “If we can't lend our hand”, we should simply get out of their way, for “the times they are a-changin”!
The writer is a teacher of economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
It was the closing debate of Drishty's 16th anniversary. The debate followed the British Parliament. Chittagong Collegiate School represented the Government. Chittagong Government High School represented the Opposition. The topic: “Economic backwardness, not political backwardness, is the main reason for Bangladesh not being able to develop forwards”. The Teams based their arguments on theory and empirical evidence to establish what is the cause of our backwardnesseconomics or politics?
Both Parties based their analysis on economists. The Government Party relied on Karl Marx's analysis of capitalism that economic foundations determine the basis of other institutions of a society. The Opposition Party relied on Amartya Sen and his entitlement approach that the right to the access towards a resource determines the right of its use. Indirectly, Sen's analysis of property rights hints towards political dimensions determining economic actions.
It's not a question of which team won. One team has to win. I was once again amazed at the extent of reading the students did. The references they were making gave me a 'false' impression this was a debate of the British Parliament between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The young debaters rightly pointed out the economic and political problems Bangladesh faces. Such maturity at such an early age left me bamboozled. One debater caught my attention, Muttakin Chowdhury, the Leader of the Opposition. I was impressed at him being as cool as a cucumber in tackling 'attacks' from the Government Party. If only we also could learn from this little 'kid'.
I have one observation. Although economic dimensions are a necessity towards development, they aren't a sufficient condition. 'Usually', it's the stability of political institutions that guides a country forward. When we make a statement like A implies B, and if such implication has sufficient empirical evidence, it gives one party an added advantage over the other in a debate. Drishty and other debating clubs may want to consider subject matters that are open-ended.
Real education is 'seldom' learned in the classroom because a classroom is bounded by four walls and a roof. To convert knowledge into wisdom one needs to break the boundaries of the classroom and its roof to look at the Cosmos with no fear of the unknown. This is where I'd like to thank Star Campus in making an 'effort' to identify organisations like Drishty that try to encourage students to go beyond the boundaries of the classroom. It's indeed a pleasure to be associated with Star Campus and meet the talent of tomorrow's Bangladesh.
After my second encounter in Chittagong, I'm optimistic two times round. If something happens once, it doesn't happen twice. If something happens twice, it definitely happens a third time. This is Paulo Coelho's hypothesis in The Alchemist. Following Coelho, something tells me these 'kids' will make a reality out of the dreams of our generation and those before us. “If we can't lend our hand”, we should simply get out of their way, for “the times they are a-changin”!
The writer is a teacher of economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University. Email: asrarul@gmail.com
Star Campus 08/Jun/08 Rays of hope clouds of scepticism
Daily Star
Star Campus
Sun 8 June 2008
Feature
Rays of hope, clouds of scepticism Experience at a debate in Chittagong
Asrar Chowdhury
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/06/02/feature_hope.htm
I happened to be at the right place at the right timein Chittagong, attending the final session of a debate competition organised by Drishti and AKTEL. Star Campus was the media partner. The venue was the Theatre Institute. I was happy to see a good institute patronising art and culture outside Dhaka.
There were two groupsschools and universities. When I entered the auditorium, the school students were debating on the relevance and irrelevance of the United Nations. Each contestant represented a particular country. I listened carefully. I soon lost my sense of time and space.
Good things don't last too long. The debate finished! Then came the university students. That debate finished, but to my relief, the school boys and girls returned for the final debatethe girls of Bay View School versus the boys of Cider International School. The format of the debate followed the British Parliament. The subject: "Bangladesh has progressed backward since independence" seemed biased against the girls, but that's beside the point.
That entire debate still seems like a picture card flashing in front of my eyes. It was evident both teams had done their homework. I was blown to smithereens. The way the youngsters were presenting their arguments, finding gaps in the opponent's arguments and counter attacking each other left me speechless. The next generation was setting examples not only for themselves, but also for us to reflect back on ourselves. The team-leaders, Maliha Ahmed and Shafkat Fahmid amazed me the most. If Maliha and Shafkat are a sample of debating boys and girls of today's Chittagong, we should all hold our breath.
And, if these young debaters represent the next generation of Bangladesh, I see nothing but rays of hope. These youngsters will fill in and grow out of our shoes to take Bangladesh to her rightful place on the world stage. This is all I can pray and hope for. But then…
As I was leaving the Theatre Institute, I was telling myself, if historical evidence is anything to go by, would "we" be able to leave a stage for the next generation to perform on? I'm sceptic, but then I have been proved wrong many times before and would love to be proved wrong once more!
(Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University. asrarul@gmail.com)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
Star Campus
Sun 8 June 2008
Feature
Rays of hope, clouds of scepticism Experience at a debate in Chittagong
Asrar Chowdhury
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/06/02/feature_hope.htm
I happened to be at the right place at the right timein Chittagong, attending the final session of a debate competition organised by Drishti and AKTEL. Star Campus was the media partner. The venue was the Theatre Institute. I was happy to see a good institute patronising art and culture outside Dhaka.
There were two groupsschools and universities. When I entered the auditorium, the school students were debating on the relevance and irrelevance of the United Nations. Each contestant represented a particular country. I listened carefully. I soon lost my sense of time and space.
Good things don't last too long. The debate finished! Then came the university students. That debate finished, but to my relief, the school boys and girls returned for the final debatethe girls of Bay View School versus the boys of Cider International School. The format of the debate followed the British Parliament. The subject: "Bangladesh has progressed backward since independence" seemed biased against the girls, but that's beside the point.
That entire debate still seems like a picture card flashing in front of my eyes. It was evident both teams had done their homework. I was blown to smithereens. The way the youngsters were presenting their arguments, finding gaps in the opponent's arguments and counter attacking each other left me speechless. The next generation was setting examples not only for themselves, but also for us to reflect back on ourselves. The team-leaders, Maliha Ahmed and Shafkat Fahmid amazed me the most. If Maliha and Shafkat are a sample of debating boys and girls of today's Chittagong, we should all hold our breath.
And, if these young debaters represent the next generation of Bangladesh, I see nothing but rays of hope. These youngsters will fill in and grow out of our shoes to take Bangladesh to her rightful place on the world stage. This is all I can pray and hope for. But then…
As I was leaving the Theatre Institute, I was telling myself, if historical evidence is anything to go by, would "we" be able to leave a stage for the next generation to perform on? I'm sceptic, but then I have been proved wrong many times before and would love to be proved wrong once more!
(Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University. asrarul@gmail.com)
Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008
Star Forum 02/Jun/08 Can you tell me how to get to Sisimpur?
Star Forum
Volume 3 Issue 6 | June 2008 (Mon 2 June)
Daily Star
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/2008/june/sisimpur.htm
Can you tell me how to get to Sisimpur?
By Asrar Chowdhury
Somewhere, sometime in Bangladesh there's a fairy tale land. If you're lucky enough to reach this magical place, you'll find the classrooms have no walls. The sky is the limit and the earth is the floor. Halum, Tuktuki, Shiku, Ikri Mikri and friends wait on their chariot to take you on a "magical mystery tour" to places beyond your wildest imagination.
Yes, imagination is indeed the key word to enter and travel in this magical land -- a land where all entrants are treated equally. The way it should be.
In just three years, Sisimpur, the Bangladeshi adaptation of the US's Sesame Street, has itself become a phenomenon. Sisimpur has opened a whole new world of imagination to children who will soon be going to school. And also, to those who may never be fortunate enough to ever go to school!
It's almost universally accepted that benefits from investment in education usually outweigh their costs. Empirical evidence suggests education has direct impacts on poverty reduction. Since independence, with generous help from friends in the outside world, government and non-government institutions have made impressive strides in enrolment of children in primary education. The performance has been more impressive because special emphasis has been placed on girls, the future mothers of our future generation.
But then the question remains -- do the numbers really add up? Statistical figures on absolute progress can be misleading. In spite of all of our efforts in primary education, the crisis remains. One out of five children fail to go to school. Further dropouts emerge among the "fortunate" who do go to school. Not too many see themselves beyond primary school!
How do we reach out to this left-out group? It's not that this question hasn't been addressed. The economic condition of the masses in Bangladesh restricts many development initiatives in fulfilling their potential outcome. Social and political factors create more restrictions. Alas! For logical reasons, theoretical possibilities may and can fail to meet their evidential counterparts.
In spite of all our efforts we haven't succeeded in truly reaching the masses of children. However, there is one medium that can take educational projects to every neck of the woods -- Bangladesh Television, BTV. A nation where the public sector raises suspicion at first impression, BTV has proved it is possible to fight against the odds and make a difference. One potential and virgin area of childhood education lies in pre-school education. This is where Sisimpur fits in so well. And of course "with a little help from (our) friends."
The US phenomenon Sesame Street burst out in the 1960s. Since then, Sesame Street has been instrumental in educating pre-school children. Through their caricatures, the Muppets have educated generations of children worldwide. Sesame Street is one of the few children's programs that shows playing and learning can co-exist. And when they do, the sky is the limit. Imagination simply takes over. Unfortunately, even a program like Sesame Street has its limitations!
Rabindranath Tagore once said: "Languages and cultures have strictly guarded boundaries. A passport is seldom granted to a traveller." Although Sesame Street has a universal appeal, it's pre-dominantly for the US or western society. Language holds the passport to hop on to "Star Ship Enterprise" to enter a culture and "go where no man has ever been before." To reach wider
audiences, Sesame Street had to blend with the local culture. Bangladesh is one of the many countries where Sesame Street has been indigenised. In Bangladesh, Sesame Street is known under its Banglicised name, Sisimpur. It's located somewhere, sometime in Bangladesh.
Sesame Workshop in the US teamed up with Nayan Tara Communications in Bangladesh to produce Sisimpur, financed by USAID. Sisimpur is sponsored by Unilever's health brand Pepsodent, and first aired on BTV in April 2005. All Sisimpur content is researched and vetted by the Nayantara Education and Research team.
Sisimpur was one of the first initiatives in Bangladesh in pre-school education. Why pre-school education and not primary education? Why not? It's a well-documented fact that as much as 80 percent of the total development of the human brain happens in the first 5-6 years of a child's life, starting from the mother's womb. Contrary to popular belief, with proper guidance and a safe environment, children can absorb much, much more than adults think they can. Small wonder, Aamir Khan declared that "every child is special" in Taare Zameen Par. Yes, every child is special. It's amazing that after infancy we don't improve too much for the rest of our lives! This is why the importance of pre-school education is paramount.
Sesame Street has shown how the power of television can introduce young children to the power of imagination to broaden their horizons, preparing them for school. Indigenisation of Sesame Street to Sisimpur meant indigenous Muppets and indigenous stories. The inner philosophy remains unchanged -- Sisimpur seeks to catch the attention and imagination of "every" child in Bangladesh because "every child is special."Sisimpur aims to make learning a joyful experience in early childhood and has been designed to meet the needs of three- to six-year-old across various social classes and regions of Bangladesh. From its outset, Sisimpur assumes Bangladesh is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. At the same time, we don't live in a secluded island. We are members of a global village. Sisimpur seeks to create an environment where a child experiences total childhood by growing up within Bangladesh and outside Bangladesh.
Each episode of Sisimpur is designed to engage children in basic language and mathematics through stories, songs and rhymes.
This prepares for children to appreciate education is an important part of growing up. Children are encouraged to learn a new concept in each episode. This includes vocabulary, adult professions, caring for the environment and self-expression. The tools of learning are as old as the mountains -- observation, listening, imitating, but above all asking questions. Each episode of Sisimpur aspires to make children inquisitive about the environment within their boundaries and about environments beyond their boundaries. The classrooms in Sisimpur have no boundaries. Imagination can't have boundaries.
Sisimpur provides children with basic education on health, hygiene, nutrition, and safety. Children appreciate the importance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands. They discover how physical exercise is important, but so is also getting enough rest. Children find out the importance of vitamins, proteins and other food components and their sources in common and affordable fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. Diversity points towards tolerance and respect to others. Children are exposed to urban and rural communities across different occupations. Children come to know we live in a society where racial, religious and ethnic traditions and values of families are different. Accepting and appreciating these differences is one area where Sisimpur places special emphasis. Art, culture and heritage of Bangladesh and the outside world are the "final frontiers" of Sisimpur's educational goals. Children are exposed to both Bangladeshi and non-Bangladeshi forms of art and culture. They are also exposed to music, song, dances. The imaginary world of Sisimpur is the platform for children. The whole world is their stage.
To achieve the educational objectives, Sesame Workshop in New York crafted the Muppets with input from our very own world famous puppeteer Mustafa Manwar. With the power of the ruby glass slippers, the Muppets transform a world of imagination into a world of reality.
The Muppets may be imaginary characters, but Sisimpur does have its own human characters that interact with the Muppets. The human characters educate the Muppets and open new worlds to them. With each episode and each season, the Muppets and the human characters of Sisimpur gradually and slowly have become a part of the lives in the imagination of children across Bangladesh.
There are three aspects of Sisimpur that merit attention. The first is Live Action. These are little documentary films. Un-tapped talent in children across Bangladesh is the ingredient of these documentaries. Under the guidance of M Ali Haider, 18 novice adolescent children from three districts of Bangladesh have contributed to recent Live Action documentaries that focus on children's activities and life styles across Bangladesh. These trainees have also contributed in some recent music videos. This component of Sisimpur is unique among all Sesame Street versions across the globe. Small wonder, our children have shown the potential un-tapped talent can hold.
The second aspect is Outreach and Walk Around. True, the power of BTV can take Sisimpur to every neck of the woods, but then the problem of numbers adding up arises again! Many children and their families don't have access to any kind of telecommunication in Bangladesh. Even if some do, their families may not be aware of the benefits of a pre-school program like Sisimpur. USAID teamed up with Save the Children to take Sisimpur "where no man has ever been before."To remote villages where children don't have ready access to a TV set or even electricity. Under Outreach, a traditional rickshaw transforms into a mobile theatre. The children eagerly wait for Halum, Tuktuki, Shiku, and Ikri Mikri to take them to places no other educational program has ever had the power to in Bangladesh. Small wonder, just a few months from its inception in a small town in Savar, Outreach regularly attracts more than 100 children in each of its shows. Under Walk Around, live Muppets visit various areas of Bangladesh. Because every child is special, yes, every little child! Even if this means some of the children in the audience may never have the good fortune of setting foot in a proper classroom.
The final aspect is the potential of pre-school education. Sisimpur has been on the road for only three years now. It may be too early to call the cards. Nevertheless, the evidence of one experiment "begs" to speak. Two groups of children were chosen. A group of 240 children watched ten episodes of Sisimpur over 20 days. Another group of 240 children watched an animated series, Tom and Jerry, over 20 days. Children in both groups were then tested on skills related to the educational goals of Sisimpur. No doubt, more research is needed to establish theoretical evidence with empirical experience, but it was found that the group of children who watched Sisimpur showed better vocabulary skills, counting ability, cognitive skills, and cultural knowledge and life skills. Small wonder once again. Sisimpur's recent crowning glory came with winning the Cine Golden Eagle Film and Video Competition for Children's Programs.
The concept of pre-school education is new in Bangladesh. Sisimpur is only three years old. Even then. "With a little help from (our) friends" in the outside world (USAID), our local experts (Nayan Tara), and BTV, Sisimpur has shown it is possible to make a difference. Sisimpur has come a long way in just three years to show the potential pre-school programs in Bangladesh have in addressing "equity" a challenge for any educational program. Sisimpur has the potential to really show that every child is special. If we don't invest in our children first, does it really make sense to talk about other development goals? Which reminds me. Halum has just blown the whistle. Can you tell me how to get to Sisimpur
******
The Muppets
Halum is an ageless friendly tiger. Although Halum loves fish, he's learning the benefits of vegetables.
Tuktuki is a five-year old girl. She wants to learn everything. When she learns something new, she likes to share with friends.
Shiku is a five-year-old jackal. He's also inquisitive. Shiku wants to become a scientist and a detective.
Ikri Mikri is the youngest, three years old. She's always asking questions. Ikri Mikri knows she can count on Halum to make her
feel better
******
THE HUMAN CHARACTERS
(From top to bottom)
Lal Mia was the postman of Sisimpur. Unfortunately, he died (in reality and in Sisimpur). The Sisimpurians have dedicated an
auditorium in his memory.
Mukul is a university graduate who has come back to Sisimpur to start a business.
Sumona is the local school teacher. She loves reading and has a knack for D-I-Y activities.
Guni Moira is the owner of the sweet shop. He distributes free sweets whenever he hears good news.
Asha is Guni Moira's wife and the local librarian. She is a role model for the children, especially her son, Polash
******
Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University.
© thedailystar.net, 2008. All Rights Reserved
Volume 3 Issue 6 | June 2008 (Mon 2 June)
Daily Star
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/2008/june/sisimpur.htm
Can you tell me how to get to Sisimpur?
By Asrar Chowdhury
Somewhere, sometime in Bangladesh there's a fairy tale land. If you're lucky enough to reach this magical place, you'll find the classrooms have no walls. The sky is the limit and the earth is the floor. Halum, Tuktuki, Shiku, Ikri Mikri and friends wait on their chariot to take you on a "magical mystery tour" to places beyond your wildest imagination.
Yes, imagination is indeed the key word to enter and travel in this magical land -- a land where all entrants are treated equally. The way it should be.
In just three years, Sisimpur, the Bangladeshi adaptation of the US's Sesame Street, has itself become a phenomenon. Sisimpur has opened a whole new world of imagination to children who will soon be going to school. And also, to those who may never be fortunate enough to ever go to school!
It's almost universally accepted that benefits from investment in education usually outweigh their costs. Empirical evidence suggests education has direct impacts on poverty reduction. Since independence, with generous help from friends in the outside world, government and non-government institutions have made impressive strides in enrolment of children in primary education. The performance has been more impressive because special emphasis has been placed on girls, the future mothers of our future generation.
But then the question remains -- do the numbers really add up? Statistical figures on absolute progress can be misleading. In spite of all of our efforts in primary education, the crisis remains. One out of five children fail to go to school. Further dropouts emerge among the "fortunate" who do go to school. Not too many see themselves beyond primary school!
How do we reach out to this left-out group? It's not that this question hasn't been addressed. The economic condition of the masses in Bangladesh restricts many development initiatives in fulfilling their potential outcome. Social and political factors create more restrictions. Alas! For logical reasons, theoretical possibilities may and can fail to meet their evidential counterparts.
In spite of all our efforts we haven't succeeded in truly reaching the masses of children. However, there is one medium that can take educational projects to every neck of the woods -- Bangladesh Television, BTV. A nation where the public sector raises suspicion at first impression, BTV has proved it is possible to fight against the odds and make a difference. One potential and virgin area of childhood education lies in pre-school education. This is where Sisimpur fits in so well. And of course "with a little help from (our) friends."
The US phenomenon Sesame Street burst out in the 1960s. Since then, Sesame Street has been instrumental in educating pre-school children. Through their caricatures, the Muppets have educated generations of children worldwide. Sesame Street is one of the few children's programs that shows playing and learning can co-exist. And when they do, the sky is the limit. Imagination simply takes over. Unfortunately, even a program like Sesame Street has its limitations!
Rabindranath Tagore once said: "Languages and cultures have strictly guarded boundaries. A passport is seldom granted to a traveller." Although Sesame Street has a universal appeal, it's pre-dominantly for the US or western society. Language holds the passport to hop on to "Star Ship Enterprise" to enter a culture and "go where no man has ever been before." To reach wider
audiences, Sesame Street had to blend with the local culture. Bangladesh is one of the many countries where Sesame Street has been indigenised. In Bangladesh, Sesame Street is known under its Banglicised name, Sisimpur. It's located somewhere, sometime in Bangladesh.
Sesame Workshop in the US teamed up with Nayan Tara Communications in Bangladesh to produce Sisimpur, financed by USAID. Sisimpur is sponsored by Unilever's health brand Pepsodent, and first aired on BTV in April 2005. All Sisimpur content is researched and vetted by the Nayantara Education and Research team.
Sisimpur was one of the first initiatives in Bangladesh in pre-school education. Why pre-school education and not primary education? Why not? It's a well-documented fact that as much as 80 percent of the total development of the human brain happens in the first 5-6 years of a child's life, starting from the mother's womb. Contrary to popular belief, with proper guidance and a safe environment, children can absorb much, much more than adults think they can. Small wonder, Aamir Khan declared that "every child is special" in Taare Zameen Par. Yes, every child is special. It's amazing that after infancy we don't improve too much for the rest of our lives! This is why the importance of pre-school education is paramount.
Sesame Street has shown how the power of television can introduce young children to the power of imagination to broaden their horizons, preparing them for school. Indigenisation of Sesame Street to Sisimpur meant indigenous Muppets and indigenous stories. The inner philosophy remains unchanged -- Sisimpur seeks to catch the attention and imagination of "every" child in Bangladesh because "every child is special."Sisimpur aims to make learning a joyful experience in early childhood and has been designed to meet the needs of three- to six-year-old across various social classes and regions of Bangladesh. From its outset, Sisimpur assumes Bangladesh is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. At the same time, we don't live in a secluded island. We are members of a global village. Sisimpur seeks to create an environment where a child experiences total childhood by growing up within Bangladesh and outside Bangladesh.
Each episode of Sisimpur is designed to engage children in basic language and mathematics through stories, songs and rhymes.
This prepares for children to appreciate education is an important part of growing up. Children are encouraged to learn a new concept in each episode. This includes vocabulary, adult professions, caring for the environment and self-expression. The tools of learning are as old as the mountains -- observation, listening, imitating, but above all asking questions. Each episode of Sisimpur aspires to make children inquisitive about the environment within their boundaries and about environments beyond their boundaries. The classrooms in Sisimpur have no boundaries. Imagination can't have boundaries.
Sisimpur provides children with basic education on health, hygiene, nutrition, and safety. Children appreciate the importance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands. They discover how physical exercise is important, but so is also getting enough rest. Children find out the importance of vitamins, proteins and other food components and their sources in common and affordable fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. Diversity points towards tolerance and respect to others. Children are exposed to urban and rural communities across different occupations. Children come to know we live in a society where racial, religious and ethnic traditions and values of families are different. Accepting and appreciating these differences is one area where Sisimpur places special emphasis. Art, culture and heritage of Bangladesh and the outside world are the "final frontiers" of Sisimpur's educational goals. Children are exposed to both Bangladeshi and non-Bangladeshi forms of art and culture. They are also exposed to music, song, dances. The imaginary world of Sisimpur is the platform for children. The whole world is their stage.
To achieve the educational objectives, Sesame Workshop in New York crafted the Muppets with input from our very own world famous puppeteer Mustafa Manwar. With the power of the ruby glass slippers, the Muppets transform a world of imagination into a world of reality.
The Muppets may be imaginary characters, but Sisimpur does have its own human characters that interact with the Muppets. The human characters educate the Muppets and open new worlds to them. With each episode and each season, the Muppets and the human characters of Sisimpur gradually and slowly have become a part of the lives in the imagination of children across Bangladesh.
There are three aspects of Sisimpur that merit attention. The first is Live Action. These are little documentary films. Un-tapped talent in children across Bangladesh is the ingredient of these documentaries. Under the guidance of M Ali Haider, 18 novice adolescent children from three districts of Bangladesh have contributed to recent Live Action documentaries that focus on children's activities and life styles across Bangladesh. These trainees have also contributed in some recent music videos. This component of Sisimpur is unique among all Sesame Street versions across the globe. Small wonder, our children have shown the potential un-tapped talent can hold.
The second aspect is Outreach and Walk Around. True, the power of BTV can take Sisimpur to every neck of the woods, but then the problem of numbers adding up arises again! Many children and their families don't have access to any kind of telecommunication in Bangladesh. Even if some do, their families may not be aware of the benefits of a pre-school program like Sisimpur. USAID teamed up with Save the Children to take Sisimpur "where no man has ever been before."To remote villages where children don't have ready access to a TV set or even electricity. Under Outreach, a traditional rickshaw transforms into a mobile theatre. The children eagerly wait for Halum, Tuktuki, Shiku, and Ikri Mikri to take them to places no other educational program has ever had the power to in Bangladesh. Small wonder, just a few months from its inception in a small town in Savar, Outreach regularly attracts more than 100 children in each of its shows. Under Walk Around, live Muppets visit various areas of Bangladesh. Because every child is special, yes, every little child! Even if this means some of the children in the audience may never have the good fortune of setting foot in a proper classroom.
The final aspect is the potential of pre-school education. Sisimpur has been on the road for only three years now. It may be too early to call the cards. Nevertheless, the evidence of one experiment "begs" to speak. Two groups of children were chosen. A group of 240 children watched ten episodes of Sisimpur over 20 days. Another group of 240 children watched an animated series, Tom and Jerry, over 20 days. Children in both groups were then tested on skills related to the educational goals of Sisimpur. No doubt, more research is needed to establish theoretical evidence with empirical experience, but it was found that the group of children who watched Sisimpur showed better vocabulary skills, counting ability, cognitive skills, and cultural knowledge and life skills. Small wonder once again. Sisimpur's recent crowning glory came with winning the Cine Golden Eagle Film and Video Competition for Children's Programs.
The concept of pre-school education is new in Bangladesh. Sisimpur is only three years old. Even then. "With a little help from (our) friends" in the outside world (USAID), our local experts (Nayan Tara), and BTV, Sisimpur has shown it is possible to make a difference. Sisimpur has come a long way in just three years to show the potential pre-school programs in Bangladesh have in addressing "equity" a challenge for any educational program. Sisimpur has the potential to really show that every child is special. If we don't invest in our children first, does it really make sense to talk about other development goals? Which reminds me. Halum has just blown the whistle. Can you tell me how to get to Sisimpur
******
The Muppets
Halum is an ageless friendly tiger. Although Halum loves fish, he's learning the benefits of vegetables.
Tuktuki is a five-year old girl. She wants to learn everything. When she learns something new, she likes to share with friends.
Shiku is a five-year-old jackal. He's also inquisitive. Shiku wants to become a scientist and a detective.
Ikri Mikri is the youngest, three years old. She's always asking questions. Ikri Mikri knows she can count on Halum to make her
feel better
******
THE HUMAN CHARACTERS
(From top to bottom)
Lal Mia was the postman of Sisimpur. Unfortunately, he died (in reality and in Sisimpur). The Sisimpurians have dedicated an
auditorium in his memory.
Mukul is a university graduate who has come back to Sisimpur to start a business.
Sumona is the local school teacher. She loves reading and has a knack for D-I-Y activities.
Guni Moira is the owner of the sweet shop. He distributes free sweets whenever he hears good news.
Asha is Guni Moira's wife and the local librarian. She is a role model for the children, especially her son, Polash
******
Asrarul Islam Chowdhury teaches economics at Jahangirnagar University and North South University.
© thedailystar.net, 2008. All Rights Reserved
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