creative

nice

2009-11-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

DINANETICS & SCIENTOLGY

2009-06-25T01:49:00.001-07:00

THIS BOOK WRITER L.RON HUBBARD.

Author of the# 1 New york times bestseller dianetics.

MIND , SPIRIT AND LIFE.

DINANETICS & SCIENTOLGY

2009-06-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

BEST SELLAR BOOK

2009-06-25T01:46:00.000-07:00

HIMO,

IN BANGLA DESH.
WRITER : HUMAYOUN AHMED.

Picture

2009-06-25T01:44:00.001-07:00

Nice and cool

2009-05-14T02:14:00.000-07:00

Picture

2009-05-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

vedeo fish

2009-05-14T01:57:00.000-07:00

Our famaly Image

2009-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Magic of spin "shanworn"

2009-05-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh move World Twenty20 warmup

2009-05-13T04:37:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have agreed to move their World Twenty20 warmup forward two days to make it part of a two-game fixture more attractive to fans.
The switch means the match will be played June 2 at Trent Bridge with England's warmup against Scotland scheduled immediately after.
Organizers announced the change Monday, with those fans who had already bought tickets to the original date now entitled to entrance to both games.
The tournament starts June 5 with England's match against the Netherlands at Lord's and concludes with the final at the same venue 16 days later.

Bangladesh slaughters 1,800 birds over avian flu

2009-05-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

DHAKA (AFP) — More than 1,800 chickens have been culled in southeastern Bangladesh this week after avian flu was detected on a farm, an official said Tuesday.
Veterinary surgeon Rupen Chakma, of the Cox's Bazar livestock office, told AFP that tests were conducted after a farmer reported sudden chicken deaths.
"We took samples and tests confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of flu and so the chickens were all culled," he said.
Bangladesh was hit by bird flu in February 2007 with more than one million birds slaughtered.
The last major outbreak was in November when 10,000 birds were culled in a two-month period, with smaller outbreaks detected earlier this year.
Bangladesh's poultry industry is one of the world's largest, producing 220 million chickens and 37 million ducks annually.
The country reported its first confirmed human case of bird flu in May last year, but the government said the 16-month-old baby who contracted the virus recovered.

Bangladesh acid victims fight for justice

2009-05-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

By Azad MajumderDHAKA, May 12 (Reuters) - Khodeza Begum still shivers in fear when she remembers the winter night eight years ago when an unidentified attacker sprayed acid on her and her baby girl as they slept in their Bangladesh shantytown home."The corrosive liquid badly burned my face and part of my child's head," said 30-year-old Khodeza, her face partly covered to hide the scars."But I received no justice from police or court as I could not identify the offender," she told a conference marking the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the Bangladesh Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) in Dhaka on Tuesday.ASF officials, police and victims said acid attacks mostly result from refusal of a sexual advance, demand for dowry or family disputes over land. Most of the victims were young women, they said.As well as horrific scarring and the inevitable psychological trauma, organisers of the conference said that many victims are denied justice like Khodeza. Others face social isolation and ostracism by families."Lucky I am that my husband did not abandon us, unlike the fate that befall on many acid victims," said Khodeza, from Bangladesh's southern Satkhira district.Police sometimes take the side of the offenders for a bribe and protect them from law, Nur Jahan, another acid victim, told the conference, which was attended by about 600 acid victims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, Uganda and Nepal.Samina Afzal Naz, an official of the Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan, said acid attacks over spurned sexual advances or land disputes were also a problem in her country."We started working in Pakistan only two years ago and have already identified 149 acid victims in the Punjab region," said Samina.ASF officials said the number of acid attacks in Bangladesh had decreased since the government enacted tough laws that set death as the maximum penalty for acid throwers."When we founded ASF in Bangladesh in 1999, the number of acid victims annually recorded was around 500 in the country. The number has now gone down well below 100," said John Morrison, the founder of the organisation.Access to good medical care for victims remains a problem, however, ASF officials said.Bangladesh, home to nearly 150 million people, has only one 50-bed burns unit in a public sector hospital, they said."It is only a drop in the ocean," said Monira Rahman, the Executive Director of ASF Bangladesh, adding that the foundation is running a 20-bed hospital to supplement government facilities. (Writing by Anis Ahmed; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Chronic Ankle Pain May Be More Than Just A Sprain

2009-05-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (May 11, 2009) — Ankle sprains are a common injury after a fall, sudden twist or blow to the ankle joint. Approximately 40 percent of those who suffer an ankle sprain will experience chronic ankle pain, even after being treated for their initial injury.

A review article published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) explains that tendon injuries to the ankle can be a possible cause for this chronic pain. In some cases, the condition is untreated or overlooked which prolongs the pain and the problem.
"When patients injure their ankles, the injury may not seem serious at first," explains Terrence Philbin, DO, lead author of the article and Fellowship Director of the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio. "People may not seek medical attention and they can think it will just get better on its own. I think that is why this condition often goes undiagnosed."
The authors of the article describe how in some cases chronic ankle pain may actually be the result of injuries to the peroneal tendons.
The peroneal tendons are located behind the outside portion of the anklebone (called the fibula). The tendons help to stabilize the foot and ankle.
Tendon injuries can include tendonitis or swelling around the tendons. In more severe cases, the peroneal tendons can actually tear or there can be a swelling of the tendons behind the fibula bone. This can cause the ligament that holds the tendons together to stretch out and tear, or even rupture.
Symptoms associated with peroneal tendon injuries can include:
Ankle pain that is not responding to treatment
Swelling and tenderness around the outside of the ankle
Pain behind the anklebone
Pain that transmits from the ankle down into the foot
The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound can be helpful when identifying and diagnosing peroneal tendon injuries and disorders. "These imaging techniques offer a more complete look at the peroneal tendons," noted Philbin. "One might consider getting an MRI or ultrasound especially if you have chronic ankle pain."
If the condition is caught early, non-operative treatment options can include:
Rest, ice and elevation
Anti-inflammatory medication
Immobilization in a cast or brace
Physical therapy
More serious injuries of the peroneal tendons, including tears or ruptures, will very likely require surgery.
Peroneal tendon injuries can happen suddenly or can develop over time. The injury is most common among athletes involved in sports that require repetitive ankle motion and in individuals who have high arches of the foot.
A proper diagnosis is essential in order to treat peroneal tendon injuries correctly and to help alleviate chronic pain. Philbin reminds patients, "If you have ankle pain and it is not getting better, do not ignore it. Get it evaluated by a physician who has experience treating foot and ankle injuries."
Terrence Philbin, DO, and the co-authors of this article received no compensation for this review article.

Back Pain Relief Neurosurgeon Devises MRI-Based Technique to Diagnose Sciatica

2009-05-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Up to 40 million American suffer from sciatica pains, but the condition is often not diagnosed correctly. A new imaging technique uses a specially tuned MRI scan to image nerves and highlight them deep inside tissues. Called Magnetic Resonance Neurography, the new technique promises to diagnose conditions such as sciatica -- in which a compressed nerve in the buttock causes persistent lower-back and leg pain -- in up to 95 percent of cases that were previously undiagnosed.

LOS ANGELES -- Millions of Americans live with back and sciatica pain each day. Medication, therapy, even surgery doesn't help. Now one man's invention may ease your pain.
A car accident threatened to cut Donna Sachs' career short. For two years she lived in pain. Sachs' problem wasn't something she could just wash away. She describes the pain as "intense" saying, "It was like a constant, throbbing, shooting pain that just never subsided."
Neurosurgeon Aaron Filler of the Cedars-Sinai Institute of Spinal Disorders in Los Angeles, is behind the cutting-edge technology that helped Sachs. He developed the Magnetic Resonance Neurography or MRN.
Dr. Filler says, "This is the ability to image nerves inside the human body." MRN is really just an MRI scan finely tuned to highlight nerves -- something that has never been done before. Before the MRN, doctors would not have been able to see this. Sachs says, "You could actually see in the MRN where my problem was. They could actually see the nerve trapping the muscle."
This new nerve imaging technology helped Dr. Filler diagnose Sachs' pain as Piriformis Syndrome. Dr. Filler explains the syndrome as a muscle in the pelvis, called the piriformis muscle, which crosses over the sciatic nerve and goes into chronic spasm and causes buttock and leg pain.
"I would walk around holding my buttocks saying, 'It feels like it's an unhappy nerve,' " says Sachs. But with Dr. Filler's help, Sachs' problem was solved and her life and job continued with no more pain.
Dr. Filler believes the new MRN can diagnose 90 percent to 95 percent of sciatica patients who couldn't be diagnosed by current methods. For more information on the MRN, check out Dr. Filler's new book, Do You Really Need Back Surgery?
show background -->
A new nerve imaging technology called magnetic resonance neurography does a better job than conventional MRI in diagnosing the cause of sciatica. Sciatica is usually diagnosed through a physical exam and an MRI scan. But of the 1.5 million MRI scans performed each year, only about 20 percent revealed a condition serious enough to be treated surgically.
HOW IT WORKS: Conventional MRI uses radio waves combined with strong magnetic fields to image the soft tissues and organs in the body. Although nerves can sometimes be seen in standard MRI images, the old method has been so unreliable that nerve images have never before played a significant role in diagnosis. MR neurography is capable of generating a detailed image of virtually any nerve in the body. The images are obtained in an MRI scanner, but require special software and hardware upgrades. These images are useful because in most cases, any compression or injury involving a nerve has a distinctive and readily observed appearance.
RESULTS: Following their diagnosis, all patients in the study received treatment to reduce pressure on the nerves and the inflammation: spinal surgery, nerve or muscle surgery, physical therapy and exercise, as well as open MR guided injections. The latter uses a specially designed MRI scanner to guide deep injections of pain medication in the spine, muscles, or near nerves.
WHAT IS SCIATICA: Sciatica is a condition where the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, running from the lower spine to down to the back of the knee, where it divides into several branches and continues to the foot. The most common cause of sciatica is a damaged disc in the lower back: the normal cushion between the vertebrae of the spin ruptures, pushing the disc into areas occupied by the nerves. The nerves are pinched or compressed, causing pain.
SCIATICA SYMPTOMS: Common signs of sciatica include:
A cramping sensation of the thigh
Shooting pains from the buttock, down the leg
Tingling, or pins and needles sensations in the legs and thighs
A burning sensation in the thigh Walking, running, climbing stairs or straightening the leg can make the pain worse, as does squatting or coughing. The pain can be temporarily relieved by bending the back or by sitting.
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

DELL S1709W 17" Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor

2009-05-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

At a Glance
17" 1440 X 900 Display – Enjoy more widescreen real estate and reliable resolution.
600:1 Contrast Ratio – The 1709W offers great color detail, sharp image quality and crisp, easy to read text.
8 Millisecond Response Time (Typical) - Quick response delivers quality video viewing and fluid multimedia entertainment.
Panel PerformanceExpand desktop productivity and multimedia performance with this roomy 17” widescreen display. The S1709W delivers brilliant 600:1 contrast ratio, vivid 1440 x 900 resolution (at 60Hz) and high brightness at 250cd/m2. That means wider, life-like images, excellent color detail and glowing presentation.
Exceptional Multimedia ExperienceAt work or play, turn your Dell desktop into a big, multimedia performer. With 8ms response time, the S1709W delivers dynamic photo and video viewing and great Internet graphics. Add the optional multimedia soundbar AX510PA for enhanced audio performance. See – and hear – the Dell difference.

Comfort and ConvenienceThe S1709W is uniquely designed for maximum comfort, convenience and visual appeal. With easy tilt adjustability and cable management features, the flat panel display offers versatile viewing and a clutter-free workspace. The high glossy black bezel looks great with any Dell consumer desktop or notebook.
Dell GreenDell is dedicated to the development of environmentally conscious products and programs. The S1709W demonstrates our commitment by consuming less electricity and producing less heat than CRT monitors. The slim, flat panel design requires fewer raw materials and less packaging – further reducing environmental impact. Through responsible manufacturing and easy-to-use consumer recycling programs, Dell is helping us all go green.

:: 3G Overview

2009-05-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

:: 3G Defined3G (Third Generation) is a generic name for a set of mobile technologies set to be launched by the end of 2001 which use a host of high-tech infrastructure networks, handsets, base stations, switches and other equipment to allow mobiles to offer high-speed Internet access, data, video and CD-quality music services.
Data speeds in 3G networks should be show speeds of to up to 2 Megabits per second, an increase on current technology.
:: 2G/2.5G Defined GSM for example is a 2G technology. It uses TDMA technology, proving data speeds of 9.6kbps/14.4kbps. The packet radio upgrade to GSM, called GPRS, can have speeds of up to 114kbps. GPRS an interim technology towards 3G, and hence is known as 2.5G. GSM might go the same way as the older first generation (1G) NMT and AMPS networks in 8-15 years because of the use of newer and better UMTS technology (More on GSM) ; (More on GPRS)

Sony X-series OLED Walkman on sale in the UK now!

2009-05-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

We posted a hands on video about the latest Sony X-series OLED Walkman a few days ago. Although there is no official press release, Pocket-lint and other UK sites are claiming that Sony’s OLED Walkman will arrive UK high streets today. The Sony OLED Walkman will be priced at £209 for the 16GB model and £279 for the 32GB model.

Need money " for business" I will return all money

2009-03-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Dear
all reach frend, i would like to small business but my hand not money. Ples you are help me.I will return all money after business. any one can help.ples call +8801718580209

or standard bank ltd.
Ac.34003125

Thanks and regards
Mahmudul hasan

Free job

2009-02-25T01:52:00.000-08:00

ASHIA PHARMA EXPO 2009 BANGLADESH

2009-01-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

"GLUCOS CARE" Sugar Blocker Herbal Tea

2009-01-08T01:52:00.000-08:00

Coming soon in Bangladesh...............

Men always have better friends

2009-01-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

Men always have better friends... They will stand by you, no matter what...!!!
Here is an example:

Friends of women: A wife was not at home for a whole night. So she tells her husband the very next morning, that she stayed at her (girl) friend's apartment overnight. So the husband calls 10 of her best (girl) friends and none of them confirmed that she was with them.

Friends of men:
A husband was not at home for a whole night. So he tells his wife the very next morning, that he stayed at his (boy) friend's apartment overnight. So the wife calls 10 of her best friends and 5 of them confirmed that he stayed at their apartments that night and another 5 claimed that he is still with them!!!

How you will sleep on of hour

2009-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable picture

2009-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Your Wish... Geography Of A Woman

2009-01-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa , half discovered, half wild, naturally beautiful with fertile soil.
Between 23 and 30, a woman is like America , well developed and open to trade, especially for someone with cash.
Between 31 and 35, a woman is like India , very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.
Between 36 and 40, a woman is like France , gently aging; but still warm and a desirable place to visit.
Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.
Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Yugoslavia, lost some wars, won some great battles but haunted by past mistakes, still very strong and proud.
Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Russia, very wide and borders are now largely un-patrolled.

21 Reasons Why I Love You!

2009-01-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

1. I can be myself when I am with you.
2. Your idea of romance is dim lights, soft music, and just the two of us.
3. Because you make me feel like, like, like I have never felt before.
4. I can tell you anything, and you won't be shocked.
5. Your undieng faith is what keeps the flame out of love alive.
6. You and me together, we can make magic.
7. We're a perfect match.
8. Thinking of you, fills me with a wonderful feeling.
9. Your love gives me the feeling, that the best is still ahead.
10. you never give up on me, and that's what keeps me going.
11. you are simply irresistible.
12. I love you because you bring the best out of me.
13. Your terrific sense of humor.
14. Every time I look at you, my heart misses a beat.
15. You're the one who holds the key to my heart..
16. You always say what I need to hear (You are perfect).
17. You have taught me the true meaning of love.
18. Love is, what you mean to me - and you mean everything.
19. You are my theme for a dream.
20. I have had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.
21. Of-course, your intelligence, 'cause you were smart enough to fall in love with me :-)

They do not love who do not show their love" -William Shakespeare.

2009-01-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

Are you in love? Perhaps you have a sweetheart, are engaged or married. If so, how do you express your love?

Do not hesitate to say "I love you." Not only it is common to exchange these words daily, but sometimes they are said several times a day. Yet, the divorce rate remains high. Why? Perhaps it is because words are hollow.

True, love needs to be communicated, but words are the weakest form of communication. After all, they are merely symbols, lacking substance. It is actions that count. William Shakespeare (1564 ~ 1616) did not say "They do not love who do not SAY they love." Rather, he said "They do not love who do not SHOW their love."

Yes, we communicate our love by showing or proving it. That is, we allow our actions to speak for us. Of what value is a husband's "I love you," if most of the time he is complaining and treating his wife with disrespect? But a gentle, kindhearted, generous, sympathetic husband bathes his wife with love without uttering a single word.

If you must express your love with words, don't just say "I love you," but explain what you mean by 'love.' For example, compare these two sentences:

1. "I love you."
2. "I respect, admire, and believe in you. I delight in your company and am proud and happy to be married to you."

Which would you rather hear from your partner? Which are you currently using?
But as powerful as the words in sentence two are, they will become tarnished, weakened, and crumble unless they are backed up with actions that prove you mean what you say.

Also, even if you are saying the right words to your spouse, if they are not said in the right way, they will be useless. For when your spouse interprets what you say, he or she will give just 7% weight in importance to the words you use. Far more important will be the tone of your voice (38% weight) and your body language (55% weight). These percentages come from the well- known research of Dr. Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, UCLA.

So, what Professor Mehrabian is saying is that when there is a mismatch with our verbal message and the tone of our voice and body language, the verbal message is discounted, ignored, or not believed. How do we make sure our words, tone of voice, and body language match perfectly? That's easy, be sincere! As long as you mean what you say, your message will get through loud and clear.

Did you ever stop to think why you love your spouse? One reason is the way he or she makes you feel about yourself when you are together. Armed with this knowledge, you can apply it to your relationship. That is, by encouraging, recognizing, appreciating, and praising your spouse, you will make him or her feel good in your presence, and this will stoke the flames of love, sustaining and developing your relationship. Someone else explained this principle by saying, "I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you."
Another reason we love our spouse is because of what we are not.

Although I have considerably changed over the years, when I first met my wife I was introverted and shy while she was outgoing and confident. Because she represented the ideal of what I wished to become, I was attracted to her. And I greatly benefited from the strengths she brought to the relationship. How have you benefited from your relationship? When was the last time you thanked your partner for their contribution?

But don't think only about your differences; think about how you are alike. For example, how do you feel when you are ignored, belittled, insulted, or unappreciated? That's exactly how your mate feels. Remember the pain and be sure not to inflict it on the person you love (or on anyone else).
Remember, too, your spouse is your mirror. In other words, he or she merely reflects how they are treated. If he or she is upset or unhappy it is because they are reacting to your behavior. So, if you don't like what you see, change YOUR behavior. Ken Keyes, Jr. explains the 'mirror effect' this way, "A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is a mirror."

Since your spouse will reflect to you whatever you give, why not give love? That would be a wise decision, for as Elbert Hubbard (1856 ~ 1915) said, "The love we give away is the only love we keep." Since we give away our love by taking action, let's look at some examples of how others have expressed their love for their spouse.

The husband of an acquaintance died many years ago. Yet, to this day she recalls, with tears in her eyes, how he told her every day, "I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow." This simple act only took seconds to say, but each day it fanned the flames of love and left a mark that can never be removed.

In another example, the wife of a Toronto man who died in an accident fondly reported how after her marriage, her husband had a dozen roses delivered every Friday. In two decades of married life, he never missed a Friday delivery. Can you imagine how special and happy she felt? What is something you can do to make your mate feel special and appreciated?

An easy way to make your mate feel appreciated is to accept them unconditionally. Sam Keen explains it this way, "We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."

Here is a clever idea that comes from Michael Webb: Buy your partner eleven real red roses and one artificial red rose. Place the artificial rose in the center of the bouquet and attach a card that says, "I will love you until the last rose fades."

Why all this attention on love? Because as Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) says, "He who comes to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open." Yes, open the gate and open your heart to life's only true adventure.

Here are two more authors offering compelling reasons for us to work on our relationships:
"Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense, because you share them. It makes you stronger, so that you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone." (Arthur Gordon)

"Without love one lacks the warmth and emotions which create life, youth, and beauty. He is like a stagnant pond compared with a flowing, babbling, laughing brook. He depresses the life force in those around him instead of radiating sunshine to all who come near him." Leon DeSeblo.

NOKIA N-96

2009-01-04T04:28:00.000-08:00

NICE MOBILE NOKIA

HILSHA FISH KARI

2009-01-04T00:41:00.000-08:00

Bangladeshi people like sharsha hilsha kari. You can try in your house.

LUX CHANNEL I SUPERSTAR PICTUR

2009-01-04T00:35:00.000-08:00

Hilsha our National fish

2008-12-23T04:18:00.000-08:00

Need to donation for Poor people in bangladesh

2008-12-01T02:09:00.000-08:00

HI,
Dear frend and brother and sister,we are healping the poverty people,Do you want to help the poor people? Can you donate some for the poor people.

can u send : mir mahmudul hasan
Standard bank ltd.
AC.No. 34003125
Gulshan-1,Dhaka.
Bangladesh.

Thanks and regards
Mir mahmudul hasan.

good mornign

2008-10-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

Picture

2008-09-14T02:40:00.001-07:00

pic

2008-09-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

HC declares illegal cancellation of Aug 15 as nat’l mourning day

2008-07-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

The High Court on Sunday ruled that August 15 should be restored as National Mourning Day and a public holiday.

The High Court bench of Justice MA Rashid and Justice M Ashfaqul Islam declared illegal the cancellation of National Mourning Day, which was also a public holiday, on August 15 by the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.

The court also declared illegal the changes made by the alliance government to the Flag Rules of 1972, cancelling the hoisting of the national flag at half-mast to pay respect to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the day.

The High Court delivered the judgement on a public interest litigation writ petition filed on August 5, 2007 by Supreme Court lawyer Mozammel Haque, Mollah Abu Kaiser and MA Malek.

Assistant attorney general Syed Zafar Iman told reporters the government would prefer an appeal against the High Court judgement with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

Sheikh Mujib, the first president of Bangladesh, was assassinated by a group of army personnel on August 15, 1975. All but two of his family members were killed in the incident.

After coming to power 21 years after, the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina on August 8, 1996 declared August 15 as National Mourning Day and public holiday to pay respect to Sheikh Mujib.

August 15 had since then been observed at the state level and the national flag had been hoisted at half-mast both at home and at Bangladesh missions abroad.

The BNP-Jamaat alliance government on August 3, 2002 cancelled the decision of the Awami League government.

The three Supreme Court lawyers, also members of Bangabandhu Ainjibi Parishad, a platform of pro-Awami League lawyers, filed the writ petition in 2007 challenging the legality of the cancellation of National Mourning Day and pubic holiday on August 15.

After a preliminary hearing in the petition, the High Court on August 6, 2007 issued a rule on the government to explain why the cancellation of National Mourning Day and pubic holiday on August 15 would not be declared illegal.

The government was also asked to explain why August 15 would not be observed as National Mourning Day and a public holiday.

In the judgement, the High Court observed the BNP-led alliance government’s decision cancelling mourning day was a denial of a state decision.

The bench also observed the grounds on which the BNP-led government had cancelled National Mourning Day and public holiday on August 15 was not factually correct.

Cancelling the August 15 as National Mourning Day,

the BNP-led government claimed the day had earlier been neither fixed nor observed as national mourning day. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s vice-chairman MK Anwar, who was also in the alliance government’s cabinet which cancelled the day, welcomed the High Court judgement.

The acting Awami League president, Zillur Rahman, taking with media in his house at Gulshan, hailed the judgement and urged its implementation.

Malnutrition and Seniors

2008-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

When a relative doesn't eat enough

Dr Tareq Salahuddin

Good nutrition is critical to senior health, but many older adults do not eat right. Older people are more likely to have inadequate nutrition than younger adults are — and are more susceptible to numerous health problems related to an inadequate diet. Many older adults in long term care facilities have poor nutrition. While seniors cared for at home or living independently generally fare better, patterns leading to inadequate nutrition — also called malnutrition — often begin at home. Knowing the causes and danger signs of nutrition problems, as well as taking steps to ensure a diet rich in protein and other necessary nutrients, is critical in maintaining senior health and strength.

Partnering palm and soybean oils

2008-07-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

AHA recommendations and USFDA legislated health claims achieved by partnering

palm and soybean oils

Kalyana Sundram and Yusof BasironNature has been generous in endowing palm oil with a composition that is uniquely balanced between the saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Even when programming this higher level of saturates in the oil, nature’s consideration for optimisation was already apparent – the biology of the oil palm dictates that this saturate be in the form of palmitic acid (C16:0), the same saturated fatty acid that is most abundant in our body and throughout most of nature’s creations.

Legendary Egyptian film-maker Chahine dies

2008-07-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Egyptian film-maker Youssef Chahine, Arab cinema's most celebrated director, died on Sunday aged 82 after several weeks in a coma, his friend and fellow director Khaled Yussef said.

Red yeast rice, fish oil fight high cholesterol

2008-07-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A regimen of supplements and lifestyle coaching is just as effective as statin medication for reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, and more effective in helping people lose weight, new research shows.

People with high cholesterol who took red yeast rice and fish oil daily and received counseling on diet, exercise and relaxation techniques showed the same 40 percent drop in LDL cholesterol seen among people taking 40 milligrams of simvastatin daily, Dr. David J. Becker of the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Chestnut Hill Hospital and colleagues found. And they pared off an average of 10 pounds over 12 weeks, compared to less than a pound for patients taking the statin.

Becker has run a lifestyle program for people at risk of heart disease for 13 years. "People had a uniform desire to get off statins, and when they did their cholesterol was only going down maybe 5 percent at most," he told Reuters Health. The cardiologist decided to launch the current study after seeing many patients have success in lowering their cholesterol with red yeast rice and fish oil.

With a grant from the state of Pennsylvania, Becker and his team randomly assigned 74 patients to receive 40 milligrams of simvastatin (Zocor) daily along with printed information on lifestyle changes, or to three capsules of fish oil twice daily and 600 milligrams of red yeast rice daily along with the 12-week lifestyle program.

LDL cholesterol levels fell by 42.4 percent in the red yeast rice group and by 39.6 percent in the simvastatin group, not a statistically significant difference. Triglyceride levels didn't change in the statin group, but fell 29 percent in the red yeast rice group, probably because they were taking fish oil, according to Becker and his team.

People in the red yeast rice group lost an average of 4.7 kilograms (just over 10 pounds), compared to 0.3 kilograms (less than a pound) in the statin group.

Red yeast rice comes from fermenting red yeast with rice. Known as hong ku, the substance has been used as a medicine and food garnish in parts of Asia for centuries, Becker said. It contains a substance called monacolin-K that is nearly identical to the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin (Mevacor), as well as several other monacolins that may also have cholesterol-lowering properties.

People in the red yeast rice arm of the study were taking the equivalent of 10 to 15 mg of lovastatin, Becker said. "This lovastatin dosage is quite small, yet the effects we saw with the red yeast rice were akin to those one would generally see with a much higher dose of lovastatin."

"However, it is not risk-free, and it must be used carefully and in conjunction with your physician."
If more studies bear out the current findings, he added, the supplement/lifestyle intervention he and his colleagues tested could offer an alternative to people with high cholesterol who don't want to take statins, or who can't tolerate the drugs. However, he added, people who actually have heart disease should stick with statins, because they have been shown to reduce mortality.

Becker noted that a recent analysis by ConsumerLab found red yeast rice products varied sharply in their potency, and some were contaminated with a toxic byproduct called citrinin. "This paper is a call for better regulation of this supplement as well so that we know consistently what's in it," he said.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 2008

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2008-07-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

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2008-07-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

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The Most Sugar-Packed Foods in America

2008-07-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Think your sweet tooth is harmless? Well, it just might bite you back. The average American is wolfing down 460 calories from added sugars every day. That’s more than 100 pounds of raw sugar per person per year. (That's enough to make 3,628 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!)
What’s at risk with all this sugar intake isn’t just another cavity; refined carbohydrates cause spikes in your blood sugar levels, tell your body to store fat, and put people at increased risk for diabetes. And that's another way of saying that it puts people at increased risk of blindness, sexual malfunction, heart attack, and premature death. All that from a simple candy bar or soda? Not exactly, but consider this: A dollar will buy you about 75 calories' worth of fresh broccoli, but food manufacturers can use that same dollar to purchase 1,815 calories of sugar. And thanks to government subsidies, high fructose corn syrup - the synthetic sweetener found in so many of the foods in our grocery stores - is even cheaper. It should come as no surprise, then, that added sugars are sabotaging nearly ever packaged and prepared food we put in our bodies — pasta sauces, smoothies, even whole grain breads. To help you avoid the impact of stealth sugars that run rampant through our food supply, we’ve sifted through all the nutritional data to name the eight biggest sugar bombs in America. Try to keep them from blowing up in your neighborhood.

Regulators lift tomato Salmonella warning

2008-07-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday lifted a warning on tomatoes and repeated a warning on peppers as the possible cause of an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in which more than 1,200 people have reported getting sick.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration repeated its warning that young children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems should avoid fresh jalapeno and Serrano peppers.
Regulators have struggled to pinpoint the source of the outbreak, which has raised questions about U.S. food safety and prompted lawmakers to demand new systems to trace fresh produce from farm to table.
FDA said it removed the tomato warning because there are no longer any tomatoes coming into the market from producers that were being looked at as possible sources of contamination.
"Tomatoes that are currently on the market in the U.S. are safe to consume," David Acheson, assistant commissioner for food protection at the FDA, said in a conference call.
The warning had been in place since June 7 and regulators subsequently traced the outbreak back to April.
"This is not saying that anybody was absolved," Acheson said.
Regulators never found Salmonella Saintpaul at any tomato farms or packing plants, even though early indicators pointed to tomatoes as the source of illness.
In addition to the hot peppers, food safety officials are investigating whether cilantro played a role in the outbreak.
"We still do not know where the original contamination point was," Acheson said.

Eat Fish For a Healthy Brain

2008-07-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined the relationship between what women ate while they were pregnant and the cognitive test scores of their children three years after birth.
The study results revealed that women who ate fish while pregnant gave birth to babies who by age 3 had significantly better cognitive and fine-motor skills than those whose mothers didn't eat fish during pregnancy.
The 3-year-olds from the women who reported eating more than 2 servings of fish per week performed better than average on tests that assessed receptive vocabulary and visual-spatial, visual-motor, and fine-motor skills.
This result is significant because the most important time of development for our brains is before we are born. Almost all of our neurons have been created by the time of our mothers' second trimesters, when the critical process of establishing the correct interconnections is taking place.
Our thinking, behavior, and cognitive abilities, of course, ultimately result from the functioning of our brains. Therefore, abnormalities in our brains that arise early in its development can result in abnormal thinking and behavior later on.
Why fish? Because fish is a rich source of particular health-promoting OMEGA 3 fatty acids that are known to be important components of the brain's structure.
There is a downside to eating fish while pregnant, however. Fish also can be a source of mercury, which has a devastating effect on brain development. In fact, the 3-year-olds from those women who had higher-than-average mercury levels when pregnant tended to score lower on the above tests.
Large, long-living fish such as tuna and swordfish, which feed on other fish and thus keep accumulating mercury, are the most likely to have elevated levels of the poison. Types of seafood that generally have low mercury levels include shrimp, sardines, and salmon.
Another study, published in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics, demonstrated the benefits of similar fatty acids on brain development. Researchers gave premature infants milk supplemented with essential fatty acids. At the age of 6 months, the infants given the supplements scored better on development assessments than did similar premature infants given no supplements.
While fatty acids play an important role early on in the developing brain, they may also be important for brain and mental health throughout our lives. Scientists continue to explore their health-promoting effects, including whether they may prevent certain psychiatric disorders.

Warrant to arrest ex-Jamaat MP Khaleque, four others

2008-07-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

A court in Satkhira yesterday issued an arrest warrant against all the five charge-sheeted accused including former Jamaat lawmaker Maulana Abdul Khaleque Mondal as they remained absent before the court yesterday fixed for hearing in the sensational China Khatun murder case.

How the Butcher of Bosnia feigned a new life for himself

2008-07-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

Radovan Karadzic, the genocide suspect who avoided arrest for more than 10 years, created a personal website as part of his alter ego as an alternative health guru.

Obama all praise for "miracle" of Israel

2008-07-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

White House hopeful Barack Obama vowed yesterday to tighten US bonds with Israel as he began an intense day of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, a key moment in his international campaign swing.

MY NOKIA

2008-07-23T10:48:00.001-07:00

NOKIA

2008-07-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

NOKI

2008-07-23T05:34:00.002-07:00

NOKI

2008-07-23T05:34:00.001-07:00

NOKI

2008-07-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

A-Data Sport Series USB flash drives

2008-07-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

Even though you are stuck in traffic, you still cannot stop your desire for speed. By integrating an avant-garde design and special material, A-DATA Sport Series S701 Flash Drive is able to fully demonstrate the kinetic energy and explosive force of a sports car. The motive power continuously generated by the flash drive is an evidence of its endless energy.

HP unvails Mini Note PC in Bangladesh

2008-07-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

Targets education market

HP Mini-Note PC 2133 might be small in size but it is big on usability, durability and attractiveness. Packed with an impressive combination of features, the HP 2133 offers a full-function PC with the extreme mobility.

Gadget lovers flip for iPhone 3G but glitches mar release

2008-07-23T05:21:00.000-07:00

Gadget lovers around the world on last Friday crammed into stores to buy the latest super-fast iPhone G3 only to find activating the coveted devices was hit-or-miss due to Apple computer troubles.

British PM pledges more support for Palestinians

2008-07-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

Afp, Bethlehem

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday pledged further economic aid to the Palestinians aimed at bolstering the US-backed Middle East peace process.

Former Nepali king leads lonely life as commoner

2008-07-21T04:59:00.001-07:00

Afp, Kathmandu

With few friends coming to visit and his son and one-time heir now living in Singapore, the new life of Nepal's ousted king as a commoner is by all accounts a lonely, meditative one.

Infertility: The pain and the hope

2008-07-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

Dr Fatima Momtaz

At least 15 percent of couples usually experience some degree of infertility with all of its feelings and frustrations at some point in their life. This issue is not less important than our problem regarding over crowded population.

Have A Nice Day

2008-07-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

All health information to keep you up to date

Back pain and your position

Dr Rubaiul Murshed

The complaint of low back pain is a common medical problem. Pain is an important indicator of sickness. Although it can be a frustrating problem, but most episodes of back pain resolve.

A richly ornate temple at risk of ruination

2008-07-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

400 Years of Dhaka

Walking by the narrow lanes of Tantibazar one will see a small wooden door almost hidden in the midst of congested buildings.

On entering the premises the visitor will be greeted by an exquisitely ornate temple standing at the centre of a small plot.

This Radha Ballabh Mandir is another richly ornate temple at Tantibazar that faces the risk of losing its surface decoration, said experts.

The decorative staircase of the temple leads to its veranda and then to a simple chamber for worship on the first floor. It has a store at the ground floor level now used for residential purposes.

The unique features of the 300-year old temple have turned it into an exquisite gem ensconced in the traditional architectural fabric of Tantibazar.

"We are celebrating 400 years of Dhaka with much enthusiasm and colour when our heritage sites are getting tattered just in front of our eyes," remarked an elderly local.

According to conservation architects, the temple bears the architectural characteristics of the 19th century period of aestheticism movement.

"In the decorations we can see a blend of ceramics and chini-tikri. Regular geometrical patterns and lightweight ceramics were used in the designs," said Taimur Islam, a conservation architect of Urban Study Group.
Surface relief, raised platform, projected floral motifs, ornamental grills, cluster columns, concentric arches, decorative pediment, and cartouches are some of the important features of the temple, he said.
"But the most distinctive feature is the decorative iron works in the risers between the stairs," he added.
Taimur said the temple has no structural problem but all its deterioration is in the surface level. The delicate works of the temple are at risk of ruination because of lack of proper care.

"Restoration works will be possible if we have the detailed documentation of the temple and technological know-how of the chini-tikri and the ceramic works and if we can collect enough funds for the job," said Taimur.
The family, known as the traditional caretaker and owner of the temple, now lives in two rooms inside the compound without any basic urban facilities. The family is looking after the temple for seven generations.
According to the caretakers, their forefathers Bala Hari Roy and Madan Mohan Roy built the temple around 300 years ago.

Today they are living without any electricity connection, any supply of gas and water and without any sewage system inside the temple compound.

“Our electricity line was cut because we did not have the money to pay the bills and we have to use the water of this well,” said Bina Roy, a member of the family, showing a small old well half-filled with unclean water.
"Our two tenants left without paying the rent. Now our only source of income is one tenant and a shop inside our compound from which we get only Tk 1,000," said Bina's daughter Basanti Roy.

"A group of local influential people are creating pressure on us to leave the temple because it is a nice place for commercial purposes," she alleged.

Buddha's Caves

2008-07-07T05:52:00.001-07:00

Sand is implacable in far western China. It blows and shifts and eats away at everything, erasing boundaries, scouring graves, leaving farmers in despair.

Another 21 killed in fresh Lanka fighting

2008-07-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan troops have killed another 19 Tamil Tiger rebels and lost two of their own soldiers in fresh fighting in the island's north, the defence ministry said yesterday.

Fossil of most primitive 4-legged creature found

2008-07-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - Scientists unearthed a skull of the most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history, which should help them better understand the evolution of fish to advanced animals that walk on land.

The 365 million-year-old fossil skull, shoulders and part of the pelvis of the water-dweller, Ventastega curonica, were found in Latvia, researchers report in a study published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Even though Ventastega is likely an evolutionary dead-end, the finding sheds new details on the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapods. Tetrapods are animals with four limbs and include such descendants as amphibians, birds and mammals.
While an earlier discovery found a slightly older animal that was more fish than tetrapod, Ventastega is more tetrapod than fish. The fierce-looking creature probably swam through shallow brackish waters, measured about three or four feet long and ate other fish. It likely had stubby limbs with an unknown number of digits, scientists said.
"If you saw it from a distance, it would look like a small alligator, but if you look closer you would find a fin in the back," said lead author Per Ahlberg, a professor of evolutionary biology at Uppsala University in Sweden. "I imagine this is an animal that could haul itself over sand banks without any difficulty. Maybe it's poking around in semi-tidal creeks picking up fish that got stranded."
This all happened more than 100 million years before the first dinosaurs roamed Earth.
Scientists don't think four-legged creatures are directly evolved from Ventastega. It's more likely that in the family tree of tetrapods, Ventastega is an offshoot branch that eventually died off, not leading to the animals we now know, Ahlberg said.
"At the time there were a lot of creatures around of varying degrees of advancement," Ahlberg said. They all seem to have similar characteristics, so Ventastega's find is helpful for evolutionary biologists.
Ventastega is the most primitive of these transition animals, but there are older ones that are oddly more advanced, said Neil Shubin, professor of biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago, who was not part of the discovery team but helped find Tiktaalik, the fish that was one step earlier in evolution.
"It's sort of out of sequence in timing," Shubin said of Ventastega.
Ahlberg didn't find the legs or toes of Ventastega, but was able to deduce that it was four-limbed because key parts of its pelvis and its shoulders were found. From the shape of those structures, scientists were able to conclude that limbs, not fins were attached to Ventastega.
One question that scientists are trying to figure out is why fish started to develop what would later become legs.
Edward Daeschler, associate curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, theorizes that the water was so shallow that critters like Ventastega had an evolutionary advantage by walking instead of swimming.

By BETSY BLANEY, Associated Press Writer

2008-07-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

LUBBOCK, Texas - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra — but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks going all night long.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.
Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.
"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. "Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."
Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.
"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment," Wehner said.
The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More citrulline — about 60 percent — is found in watermelon rind than in the flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.
Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.
She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level.
"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said.
Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread.
Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream — a jolt that could cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.
Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon.
The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects — among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does — are beginning to be revealed in research.
Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.
"But they're bitter and most people don't want to eat them," she said.

comics

2008-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Malaysia offers huge potential for Bangladeshi workers : Iftekhar

2008-07-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

United News of Bangladesh . Kuala Lumpur
Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Saturday said there is a huge potential for Bangladeshi workers’ jobs in Malaysia which the government would take every step to tap. ‘Malaysia is planning at least four major development projects in the future. If we can plan carefully and our workers are able to satisfy employers, there is no reason why we should not be able to send hundreds of thousands in the coming years,’ he told members of the Bangladesh community in Kuala Lumpur. The adviser is currently in the Malaysian capital to attend a summit meeting of the Developing-8 (D-8) countries of the Islamic world. The ministerial component of the conference commences today in preparation for the July 8 summit. Iftekhar, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Overseas Employment and Expatriate Welfare, said contrary to some earlier reports, the Bangladeshi labour market in Malaysia is continuing to expand. ‘Already there are over 445,000 Bangladeshis employed here from the reports I have received. If the current trend continues, by year-end the number should exceed half a million,’ he said. Later in the evening, he visited the Bangladeshi workers’ shelter house ‘Semenyin Hostel’ at Kajang, 60 kilometers away from the city, where about 200 Bangladeshi job-seekers are currently being looked after by the high commission, providing them food and accommodation. ‘I have listened to some of the issues of the workers that require to be addressed as we intend to accord top priority to welfare. I intend to discuss some of these problems with Malaysian home minister Syed Hamid Albar, whom I shall be meeting day after tomorrow,’ Iftekhar said.

Obama, McCain wax patriotic as US marks Independence Day

2008-07-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Agence France-Presse . Washington
White House hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain marked the US Independence Day holiday Friday with parades, picnics and odes to patriotism. ‘Patriotism is deeper than its symbolic expressions, than sentiments about place and kinship that move us to hold our hands over our hearts during the national anthem,’ Republican presumptive White House nominee McCain wrote in Parade magazine. ‘It is putting the country first, before party or personal ambition, before anything,’ he said. Democrat Obama, who watched a traditional parade with his wife and daughters in the western state of Montana, wrote in the same magazine that for him, patriotism was a ‘gut instinct.’ ‘It’s not just the recitations of the pledge of allegiance, the Thanksgiving pageants at school, or the fireworks on the Fourth of July, but how the American ideal wove its way throughout the lessons my family taught me,’ he said. That ideal includes a ‘country where we have the unparalleled right to pursue our dreams.’ ‘With a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, I know that stories like mine can only happen in the United States of America,’ he said. Obama, who would be the first African-American US president, recalled childhood memories of Indonesia and the expatriate American life. ‘I lived overseas for a time as a child, and I remember listening to my mother reading me the first lines of the Declaration of Independence and explaining how its ideas applied to every American, black and white and brown alike,’ he said. McCain, who just returned from a Latin American tour designed to woo critical swing Hispanic voters, appealed to newer Americans, saying that ‘to love one’s country is to love one’s countrymen.’ ‘It is the willing acceptance of Americans, both those whose roots here extend back over generations and those who arrived only yesterday, to try to make a nation in which all people share in the promise and responsibilities of freedom,’ he said. On Thursday, visited the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, home to Mexico’s most revered icon, a stop likely aimed at Roman Catholics and Mexican-Americans voters in the United States. The basilica houses a 16th-century icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a picture depicting an apparition of a brown-skinned Virgin Mary. The icon, Mexico’s most beloved religious and cultural image, and the basilica is the second most-visited Catholic shrine in the world.

Rice 'proud' of Iraq invasion

2008-07-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Afp, Washington
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that she was "proud" of the US decision to invade Iraq and said the Middle East had improved since President George W Bush took office.

Hidden camera footage exposes Mugabe 'vote-rigging'

2008-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Afp, London
Secret footage filmed by a Zimbabwean prison guard shows how a supporter of President Robert Mugabe rigged votes in his favour, British newspaper The Guardian said.

Baghdad saved from 'terrorist siege'

2008-07-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Says Iraqi PM
Afp, Ap, Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Saturday that the country's security forces have managed to save Baghdad from a "siege by terrorists" backed by foreign nations.

Oil soars past $146

2008-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Afp, Singapore
Oil surged past $146 per barrel for the first time yesterday as the weak US dollar and Middle East tension stoked black gold's record-breaking run, analysts said.

China pointing new missiles at Taiwan

2008-07-04T07:55:00.001-07:00

Agence France-Presse . Taipei
A Taiwanese newspaper on Wednesday said China was pointing new ballistic missiles at the island despite improving ties that will see direct charter flights begin this week. The People’s Liberation Army have built a new ballistic missile base on China’s southeastern coast opposite Taiwan and replaced missiles already deployed with improved versions, the China Times said. Taiwan’s defence ministry declined to comment on the report. Defence authorities had previously said that China had targeted the island with more than 1,000 short-range ballistic and cruise missiles. China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, despite their split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, and has threatened to use force if the island ever moves to declare formal independence. The paper said the PLA had once ‘pulled out’ their Russia-made S-300 air-defence missiles from several bases along its southeast coast. However, it said, the PLA lately has rearmed the bases with the improved version of missiles, which place Taiwanese fighter jets within striking range. Ties between Taiwan and China have begun warming since China-friendly president Ma Ying-jeou took office in May, pledging to improve relations with the island’s giant and booming neighbour.

China pointing new missiles at Taiwan

2008-07-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong chicken industry faces cull in bird flu clampdown

2008-07-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Avian Flu
Afp, Hong Kong
The familiar clucking of chickens returned to Hong Kong's markets on Wednesday after a three-week ban, but bird flu fears may soon consign the local preference for freshly-killed meat to history.

Bangladesh to keep enjoying GSP facilities in US

2008-07-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

Foreign adviser says
Unb,Dhaka
Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday said Bangladesh would "continue to enjoy the GSP facilities as before” in the United States.

Lloyd replaces Sunny in ICC

2008-07-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

CricInfo, undated
Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, will take over from Sunil Gavaskar as the chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee, after Pakistan withdrew the nomination of Majid Khan.

Photo exhibition on tourism sponsored by Banglalink

2008-07-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) in association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Acdemy (BSA) is holding a two-day long photographic exhibition on tourism at Jatiya Chitrashala, BSA starting from today. Titled "1st Tourism Photography Exhibition 2008," the exhibition is sponsored by Banglalink. This is the first photographic exhibition on tourism by BPC.

The bright singing sensation

2008-07-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Shreya Ghoshal

The 24-year-old Indian playback singer Shreya Ghoshal goes from strength to strength. Lately she bagged the prestigious Star Screen Award for Best Female Singer for Barso Re (from the film Guru). The same song won her the Filmfare Award, the Apsara Award, the Zee Cine Award and the IIFA award. She also took the German Public Bollywood Award for Best Singer (Female) for Yeh Ishq Haaye (Jab We Met)..

Nepal to ask UN to extend peace mission

2008-07-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Afp, Kathmandu
Nepal will ask the United Nations to continue to monitor thousands of former Maoist guerrillas confined to camps as part of a peace deal, a minister said yesterday.

Bush to send more troops to Afghanistan

2008-07-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ap, Washington
Grappling with a record death toll in an overshadowed war, President Bush promised yesterday to send more US troops into Afghanistan by year's end.

Diabetes and skin care

2008-07-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Diabetes can affect every part of the body, including the skin. As many as, one third of people living with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives.

DOCTOR JONES SONG

2008-07-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

Death and Dream

2008-07-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

On the eve of my death I dreamt
Oh the dream
That I sought for longtime
But it escaped from me
Living in the waste land
My dry soul, my wretched soul
But my soul dreamt for its own sake
Oh the evolution, I failed
Love is not for me but for all those around me.

TECHNEWS Meet the new Eee PC

2008-07-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

Amid overwhelming response to the previous model of the Eee PC, Asus is once again making waves with the announcement of the new generation of Eee PCs - the Eee PC 901series -- which will provide users with brand new user experiences, says a press release.

Amphetamine abuse tied to heart attack at young age

2008-07-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Amphetamine is a component of yaba —the recent craze among drug users
Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be raising their risk of suffering a heart attack, a new study shows.

Our farmer Picture

2008-07-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

OUR BANGLADESH

2008-07-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

DR.MUHAMMAD YUNUS

2008-07-01T06:01:00.001-07:00

The triumph

2008-07-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

If Dr Muhammad Yunus had ever thought to charge Bangladesh’s rich and powerful —bureaucrats, ministers, bankers and economists — one taka for each time they had dismissed, off hand, his ventures as ‘impossible’ or ‘naïve’, by now he would have them applying for Grameen Bank micro-loans to get by. It was on a fateful afternoon in 1976, that Muhammad Yunus, a young professor of economics at Chittagong University at the time, drove his Volkswagen Beetle to the local branch of the government-owned Janata Bank, consumed with an idea whose time, he believed, had come. He was going to try and convince the bank manager to make small entrepreneurial loans to the poor inhabitants of the nearby village of Jobra. The loans were to be the start-up capital for the residents of Jobra ‘to buy raw materials and supplies with which to make bamboo stools, weave mats and other produce which they would sell in the open market and make a decent profit that would allow them to live’. Yunus had been deeply scarred by the misery and the desperation he witnessed during the famine of 1974, and had since made Jobra his second home, spending day after day in the field, trying to understand the structural problems that kept its inhabitants in the clutches of poverty. He had experimented with three-share farming, loaning money to farmers to buy the inputs and irrigation for a dry-season crop, and even though he had been cheated of Tk 13,000 in the process, he was overjoyed that the experiment had worked. Jobra farmers now organised themselves to plant a winter crop. Although Yunus would go on to get a Rashtrapati Purashkar for his three-share farm project two years later, he realised in the first year that its dividends were failing to reach the most destitute of Jobra’s residents. It was this realisation that planted the seeds of the micro-loans idea in his head. At the bank, the manager’s jaw dropped open at what Yunus was suggesting he should do. ‘For one, the little money you say they need to borrow does not even cover the cost of the loan documents...they don’t have any collateral...they cant fill out our forms,’ the manager had sputtered, as Yunus recounted in his wonderfully written 1998 autobiography, Banker to the poor. ‘From what I know about banking, I can tell you for sure that this plan will never take off. You are an idealist, professor. You live with books and theories,’ the manager had told Yunus before he sent him on his way. It was only the status that his teaching job afforded him that prevented them from chasing him out. Whereas this experience might have bred despondence in lesser men, in Yunus it unleashed what has gone on to become his most abiding characteristic: a self-professed obstinacy to see things through to the end. It took him six months, endless heated arguments and letter writing to get his loan sanctioned, in his name, but destined for the poor of Jobra. In the decades that have followed, when he told policymakers that lending to the poorest of the poor could be a commercially viable business as opposed to charity, Dr Yunus was mocked for being naive. When he proposed that it was poor women and not their husbands who should be the targets of his micro-loans, everyone from the Bangladesh Bank to local imams disapproved. When he asked the government to help expand his Jobra operations to other districts, ministry officials whispered ‘impossible’ behind his back. And when he claimed that the poor would pay back their loans more meticulously and conscientiously than the rich, and that they should have a bank of their own, the banking establishment had finally had enough. It is a testimony to the power of the imagination that Dr Muhammad Yunus is today at the helm of a banking behemoth that has lent out over $6 billion to more than 7 million poor people, 97 per cent of whom are women, scattered across 73,000 villages in Bangladesh. That he was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is only a small vindication of his ‘radical’ vision. Others include Grameen Bank’s oft-cited and remarkable 99 per cent loan recovery rate, the fact that 58 per cent of Grameen loanees have crossed the poverty line, and that Grameen’s model is now being replicated in over sixty countries of the world, targeting poverty even in the United States. The real achievement though, lies beyond the numbers. Dr Yunus and those who followed him in his micro-credit mission have gone a long way in turning the twin tyrannies of patriarchy and conventional banking on their heads. The proof of this bold claim lies in two facts. At the end of 2006, Grameen Bank loans have financed over 640,000 houses for poor Bangladeshi village families, despite the bank’s precondition that the land the house would occupy must be in the name of the woman who applies for the loan rather than her father or her husband. That, and the decision by Citigroup, one of the largest banking mega-corps in the world, to launch a micro-credit-for-profit business that essentially looks to bank with the poor, with ATMs in forgotten corners of India’s Andhra Pradesh state. A paradigm shift from the days of consumer banking when the untouchable poor were left to the predations of the village mahajan. ***
Muhammad Yunus was born in 1940, into the home of a family of prosperous jewellers on Boxirhat Road in Chittagong. Among the eldest of nine children born to Dula Mia and Sofia Khatun, Yunus acquired the remarkable affability he is known for, his empathy and faith in his fellow man from his family interactions. ‘Growing up in such a large family taught me early on the central importance of babies (sometimes I took care of two at a time), the importance of family loyalty, peer pressure and peer support, but also the value of compromise when living in a large group,’ he later wrote. Some three decades later, his way with children would become an invaluable asset in earning the trust of his first women borrowers, who strictly observed purdah and initially refused to answer his queries or accept his offers of a loan to buy their raw materials. ‘I never dared knock on their doors. Instead I would stand in a clearing between several houses, so that everyone could see me and observe my behaviour. Above all I wanted to be seen respecting their privacy. I would stand outside their door and chat as informally as I could, explaining what we were trying to do. I also told my co-workers to show genuine affection for the children for, not only does it come naturally to me, it is an immediate way into the mother’s heart,’ he wrote in Banker to the poor. Although Yunus did exceptionally well at school, it was detective thrillers that were his real passion. When money ran short to feed his and his brother-and-co-conspirator Salam’s insatiable appetite for thrillers and magazines, they resorted to subscription scams. ‘To meet our [reading] needs, we had to improvise, buy, borrow and steal,’ he remembers. The two brothers would write to Shuktara, the children’s magazine published out of Calcutta, claiming to be winners of a contest run by the magazine. Writing in the name of one of the contest winners announced in an earlier issue, the two brothers would inform them that the family was moving house, citing their neighbour’s address as the new one the magazines should be mailed to. ‘And it worked like a dream,’ recalls Yunus. By the time Yunus turned nine, however, a tragedy had started unfolding in the house that would eventually dominate family life, deeply affecting the children. Mother Sofia Khatun, who was probably the greatest influence on Yunus’s early years, became afflicted with mental illness, spending long periods in a trance-like state suffering erratic bouts of violence. ‘Usually father bore the brunt of it [but] at night when we slept, we were never sure whether it would be an undisturbed and peaceful night or whether she would erupt in shouts and physical attacks. When she became violent, I had to help father restrain her, and I also had to protect my younger siblings from the blows and missiles she would throw,’ remembers Yunus. ‘We eventually came to accept [the] difficulties with a certain humour that made the pain easier to bear,’ Yunus later wrote. ‘After watching a renowned psychologist apply post-hypnotic suggestions to Mother, we performed our own hypnotic experiments on one another. “What is the weather forecast?” we asked one another, meaning what did we expect Mother’s mood to be in the next few hours. Whenever she grew quiet we knew a storm was coming, sometimes a tidal wave.’ Nonetheless, it was from his mother Sofia Khatun that Yunus inherited her marked characteristics of being empathetic, decisive, and refusing to cede her ground once she had bitten her lower lip and decided on something. ‘I loved her deeply. I was certainly the one who most often pulled at her sari and demanded the most attention,’ he recalls. In the years that followed, Yunus first won the Competitive Scholarship Examination of all the high schools in the Chittagong district, and went on to study at the reputed Chittagong Collegiate School, experimenting with everything from photography, painting and boy-scouting, discovering his leadership abilities, and displaying his first flashes of brilliance. Having spent what he describes as four ‘uneventful and dull’ years earning his degree from Dhaka University, Yunus launched himself into a teaching career at Chittagong College, also setting up what became an enormously lucrative packaging factory, on the side. Then, on the summer of 1965 Yunus was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for post-doctoral studies in the US, and he headed to the University of Colorado and later Vanderbilt College for an eventful seven-year stint that left a deep impression on him. For one, it was during his years at Vanderbilt that Yunus met and later married Vera Forostenko, the daughter of Russian immigrants to New Jersey, studying Russian literature at the university. ‘When I left [Bangladesh], I had no intention of finding an American wife. I assumed I would marry the way everybody else around me had married. I never questioned the propriety of arranged marriages,’ he wrote in his autobiography. The marriage was to eventually end in divorce with Vera’s return to the US in 1977, within months of the birth of their baby girl, with Yunus struggling to help the Grameen Bank project find its feet. ‘From the moment of Monica’s birth, Vera insisted on having every American amenity for the baby…determined to leave the country…saying Bangladesh was not a good place to bring up a child. [But] ever since her departure, I miss my child, Monica, terribly,’ Yunus later wrote. When the war of independence broke out in Bangladesh, Yunus, along with other academics and Bangladeshi diplomats campaigned actively at Washington DC to press the US into cutting off military aid to Pakistan. When Bangladesh was born nine months later, ‘I felt I had to go back and participate in nation-building. I thought I owed it to myself,’ Yunus remembers thinking. For the next eight years, after his return, Yunus first experimented with his three-share farming and later with the now-famous $27 micro-loan to the rattan weavers of Jobra village, enlisting the help of his students to constantly reassess and monitor what they were doing wrong, as he scaled up his operations. In 1980 Muhammad Yunus was married to his present wife Afrozi, a young academic at the time. These were years of incredible hardship. Replicating his micro-loans project in Tangail to convince Bangladesh Bank officials that Jobra was not a unique experience, Yunus and his colleagues encountered everything from violent radical leftists to the conservative clergy who told women that they would be denied a Muslim burial if they borrowed money from the Grameen Bank. ‘I had no toilet in my office. When I wanted to relieve myself I had to go and disturb the neighbours or hold it in,’ he wrote of those times. But by November 1982 the Grameen Bank’s membership soared to 28,000 with more and more women risking disapproval at home, and sometimes even beatings, to borrow small amounts and finance livestock, cattle, and a range of other income-generating activities. A year later, defying his cynics and having literally moved mountains to see his dream fulfilled, what had hitherto been the Grameen Bank project, finally became a bank. ***
‘We accept the fact that we will always have poor people around us, and that poverty is part of human destiny. This is precisely why we continue to have poor people around us,’ Muhammad Yunus told the world in his Nobel acceptance speech at the Oslo City Hall three weeks ago. ‘If we firmly believe that poverty is unacceptable to us, and that it should not belong to a civilised society, we would have built appropriate institutions and policies to create a poverty-free world. We wanted to go to the moon, so we went there. We achieve what we want to achieve. If we are not achieving something, it is because we have not put our minds to it,’ he said. The day before, in an interview to the BBC, he was asked to justify his decision to give 85,000 beggars interest-free loans with which they were to buy wares to sell house to house. This new venture smacked of impracticability, he was told. How did he think it could work? ‘I was asked these very same questions when I proposed to lend money to poor women,’ Yunus replied. ‘And look where we are today

Dragon logo

2008-06-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

CIA Job Interview

2008-06-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

These three men are going through CIA training, trying to become secret agents. They finally get through all their written and physical tests when they are pulled aside by one of the instructors who takes them to a small room with a one way mirror in it looking into another room.

They bring the first guy's wife into that room and leave her there. The instructor then loads two rounds into a pistol, hands it to the first man and says "Go kill your wife of five years." The trainee takes the weapon, goes into the next room but comes back out 1 minute later and says "I can't do it." The instructor replies, "Then you fail out - get out."

They then bring the second guy's wife into the room and leave her there. The instructor then loads two rounds into a pistol, hands it to the second man and says "Go kill your wife of ten years." The trainee takes the weapon , goes into the next room but comes back out 3 minutes later and says "I can't do it." The instructor replies, "Then you fail out - get out."

Finally, they bring the third guy's wife into the room and leave her there. The instructor then loads two rounds into a pistol, hands it to the third man and says "Go kill your wife of fifteen years." The trainee takes the weapon, goes into the next room where there is silence for 1 minute. Suddenly, there are two gunshot sounds followed by a huge commotion in the room. The third man came out finally, sweating profusely, and says, "Good job, asshole! You gave me blanks - I had to choke the bitch!"

THE OLD FELLA,S SAMPLE

2008-06-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

An 85-year-old man went to his doctor's office to get a sperm count. The doctor gave the man a jar and said,
"Take this jar home and bring back a semen sample tomorrow."

The next day the 85 year old man reappeared at the doctor's office and gave him the jar, which was as clean and empty as on the previous day. The doctor asked what happened and the man explained:

"Well, doc, it's like this - First I tried with my right hand, but nothing. Then I tried with my left hand, but still nothing.
"Then I asked my wife for help. She tried with her right hand, then her left, still nothing. She tried with her mouth,first with the teeth in, then with her teeth out, and still nothing.

"We even called up Mavis, the lady next door and she tried too, first with both hands, then an armpit and she even tried squeezing it between her knees, but still nothing."

The doctor was shocked! "You asked your neighbour?"
"Yep." the old man replied, "And no matter what we tried we still couldn't get the jar open!"

A Lesson in medicine NICE JOCK

2008-06-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

First-year students at Medical School were receiving their first anatomy class with a real dead human body. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The professor started the class by telling them, “In medicine, it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: the first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the human body”

For an example, the professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the corpse, withdrew it and stuck it in his mouth. Go ahead and do the same thing, he told his students.

The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the butt of the dead body and sucking on it. When everyone finished, the professor looked at them and told them,

“The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention”

Funny jocks

2008-06-30T05:13:00.001-07:00

A cat dies and goes to Heaven. God meets him at the gate and says, 'You've been a good cat all of these years. Anything you desire is yours, all you have to do is ask.'

The cats says, 'Well, I lived all my life with a poor family on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors.' God says, 'Say no more.' And instantly, a fluffy pillow appears. A few days later, 6 mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to Heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer that He made the cat.

The mice said, 'All our lives we've had to run. We've been chased by cats, dogs and even women with brooms. If we could only have a pair of roller skates, we wouldn't have to run anymore.' God says, 'Say no more.' And instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.
About a week later, God decides to check and see how the cat is doing. The cat is sound asleep on his new pillow. God gently wakes him and asks,

'How are you doing? Are you happy here?'
The cat yawns and stretches and says, 'Oh, I've never been happier in my life. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending over are the best

Magic man

2008-06-29T22:40:00.001-07:00

1IT WAS jadu ¬– magic – he made, that magic man of my childhood, as he spangled the air carelessly with fish scales, transparent and turquoise. I watched the snake-charmer with the wondering eyes of childhood, this glimpse into a never-land of devilry and mysticism, brief and luminous. His naked black arms were held high up in the air, his face raised, eyes closed to the harsh summer skies, as he murmured enchantments. The fish scales were fresh as he had demanded (they came from the enormous rui fish I had watched Firoza, our maid, chop up that morning), and still retained the pungent odour of faraway riverbeds. The shapure-man was casting a spell: Firoza wanted to get married again or at least have her old husband come back to her. She had saved from her pay for months (as well as sneaking some money from the shopping she was supposed to do), and finally she had the twenty five taka, three candles and three heads of garlic that the snake charmer had demanded. The fish scales were to be wrapped in a piece of cloth that had been rubbed on the face of a kumari-kanya – a young virgin. His tongue flicked out in a quick motion as he enunciated the words again – the face of a kumari-kanya. The bundle would then be tied to her hair where it was to remain for seven days and seven nights. ‘That should do the trick,’ he told her, ‘Bring some unfortunate right to your doorstep. But your face won’t do, will it, now?’ Firoza giggled as he winked at her. He had caught the fish scales in his palms as they descended, winking in the late morning sun. They lay there like coinage of some virgin kingdom, awaiting the breathlessness of first discovery. As the snake charmer asked for the cloth to bind his magic, Firoza pulled me to her, ‘You won’t tell your mother, will you?’ She tore off a corner of the anchal of her cotton sari and wiped my face with it, moulding it to my lips before handing it over to the shapure. He smiled his wolf-smile at me as he moved closer to enlace the tight little bundle of fish scales in Firoza’s waist length hair. He turned to me and asked, ‘And what can I do for the little apa?’ Firoza giggled again, ‘She’s too young for your tricks, snake man. Leave her be.’ ‘Ah,’ He exhaled. “The little apa is not so little any more, is she?’ He laughed as if in mockery and I felt his breath warm my cheeks. His eyes were as brilliant and opalescent as the moni-gem that was hidden in the head of a king cobra, the pupils mere pinpoints of lucid light. Older kids snickered that he was a neshakhor, forever high on ganja, hashish, bhang – those forbidden fruits, that nocturnal nectar. They whispered that he sipped snake venom, and his blood ran cool under his avid skin. The shapure had arrived that morning – as he always did – with his box of treasures, satin ribbons, vivid coloured glass bangles, cheap earrings and nose-pins. He fanned them out for us, ‘Dekhen-dekhen, look here, all that your hearts desire.’ The magic baksho would open, the serrated wooden sides falling away like the opening petals of some iridescent night-blossom, revealing his offering of a vast cornucopia of jingly-jangly, spingly-spangly gewgaws. His eyes glowed with imaginary wisdom as he foretold weddings and woes. The sheen of his pearly black skin was mirrored in the rapacious eyes of the women who sat with spread palms. Once he told Asma, who was maid at my best friend Pamela’s house, that the dark cloud over her would not go away for one whole year unless she took heed to his words. At the time Asma’s father had been bedridden. Asma assumed a blue stone, a Neela as blue as spring skies set in silver, on the third finger of her right hand. Her father died within a month. As the snake-charmer explained on his next visit, there was no saying how fate would finally decide to end the game: but the cloud had gone away for certain. I cannot remember how I could tell that he had arrived. It seemed as if on certain mornings the winds whispered the arrival of the miracle-monger. I would turn a corner on my way to school, or glance into a field on my way back, and suddenly my eyes would see a three-deep closed circle of women and children and I would know that when I elbowed my way to the middle, he would be there – the shapure man who had snake-charmed his way into my childhood. I would always ask ma for some money for the shapure, and she would give me a five taka note. She never knew that I sneaked another five taka note in before handing over my offering to him. I would save the money from the salaami money I received each eid from the elders. Sometimes, when I had greedily spent the money beforehand, I would steal – a fifty paisa from her purse, another from dad’s wallet. If she was busy when a beggar came, I would turn the beggar away with a whispered pleading of forgiveness ‘Maf koren’ and pocket the coins she had given me; alms for my curious and fearful greed. Firoza knew about the money, of course. Firoza who was supposed to be buying our groceries at the store but was standing here wasting time with this flim-flam. I had been playing outside, and had tagged along when I saw her with the shopping bag in hand. If there was any money left over from the groceries, she would let me have an ice-lolly or a candy bar. Firoza had been at our house ever since I could remember. Some years older than me, she had been taken away by her parents once about three years ago and married to a man years older than her: her father had owed him money. The man had beaten her every other night, finally kicking her out after three months, and Firoza came back to us. Yet Firoza yearned for him – a need as mysterious and constant to me as the river waters rising with a full moon. She had told me two nights ago that the shapure was going to give her a charm to get her husband back. She had shown me the three heads of garlic she had sneaked that evening from our kitchen as she lay on her pallet on the floor by my bed. The candles and the money were in the pantry, tucked away in the pink-flowered tin trunk that held her worldly belongings. Now as we stood together, Firoza raised both her hands and wound her hair in a loose bun in languid motions. But the shapure was looking at me, ‘Nothing today, little apa?’ The unfamiliar laughter in his gaze made me uncomfortable. ‘The snakes,’ I managed to say, ‘Didn’t you bring the gokhra?’ ‘Oh, it is only the snakes that you want? Those king serpents?’ He tucked his matted hair behind his ears and moved closer to me. I took a step back only then noticing that his baskets were behind me, by the side of the road. ‘For you, anything. Everyone has time for the snake-games.’ Firoza hissed, ‘Stop your nakhra, will you? And do what you must.’ His voice grated in our ears in its litany of vicarious greed as he opened the telescopic wicker baskets containing his snakes, ‘Eat, eat, eat the skinflint –bakkhila, eat his miserly head, gobble it all up.’ The scrawny flat heads of his gokhra-snakes with the horse-shoe sigil painted behind weaved and waved in the shimmery summer air in time with his been-flute, fat and purple like an eggplant. His right hand curled in on itself, he let it spasm in the air in time to his invocation and exhortations to his scaly companions to punish the ones who kept their purses closed to him. The beady eyes of the gokhra kept darting towards me as the dance continued. The shapure bowed his head in salaam as always as he took the money from my hands, his rowdy black hair hung in matted clumps hiding his thin face. His fingers touched mine for an instant. Then he was carefully folding the notes and putting them in his fatua-pocket: it felt strange, for what had been mine was now his. I shivered as he turned his eyes on me again, ‘Your little breast holds a big heart, little apa.’

Dhaka jottings: notes from the fashion scene

2008-06-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

The 1980's saw a fashion revolution in Bangladesh. Plastics were taking over terracotta and silver; nylons displaced the ages-old heritage of cotton and silk. It was not only a battle between tradition and modernity; it was also a confrontation of lifestyles and values. Now the tide is changing again, and the time has come to strike a balance.
While fusion highlights pop high fashion, a subtler genre must evolve that will appeal to the mass, the fashionably sensitive and a world market starved for the spicy colours and hues of the subcontinent. And it has! Recently, designers, western and eastern alike, have cross-pollinated the East with the West, blurring their influences in a kaleidoscope of colour, accessories and trends. The result? A dazzling mix of must-haves like sari-style gowns, opulent silk, rows of glinting bangles, and a juicy palette of lime green, orange, butter yellow and bright pink.
This season's ready-to-wear collections will feature Eastern accents like draped dhoti pants, silky tunic-trouser sets, metallic tunics and light as air saris- simple, luxurious and oozing understated sexuality. With an array of distinguishable features by fabric, draping style and motifs, the sari shall stand out as a bright beacon of style in a sea of basic black.
In an attempt to merge experience with the skills of the craftsmen, designers, and quite wisely so, have became aware that contemporary designers must revitalise their own roots and identity. This is essential to take Bangladeshi creativity out from the local industry and out into the world in a way that benefits both craftsmen and the modern consumer.
Dhaka Fashion Show 2008, arranged as part of four hundred years celebration of Dhaka, promises to break virgin ground. Fifteen designers presenting their work in a myriad of variations of themes- the ensemble certainly assure a fashion fiesta. With over a dozen shows, each unique in its distinctive style and form, the challenge is to present them in a manner coherent to the theme of the show "The Fusion City" yet unique in essence. The crafted designers of Bangladesh have been exposed to the colours of a country rich in culture and diverse in its people. As an inspiration, the country has it all! With a focus on the capital, the creators of 'wearable' art are confronted with the creative challenge of transforming inspirations derived from the lifestyle, culture and nature.
From villages where local craftsmen weave dreams with magic fingers, to factories, workshops and outlets where retailers jostle for survival, to the opulent grandeur of boutiques and malls, Dhaka Fashion Week 2008 will certainly lead the style sensitive to new doors of discovery. The ensemble quite certainly, holds the key.

The dating dilemma

2008-06-29T22:26:00.001-07:00

or couples in Dhaka, finding a non-eating dating spot is like finding a needle in a haystack. The comparison may sound very clichéd but the truth cannot be denied. Restaurants and cafés have, over the past ten years, become the most popular dating places for couples in this metropolis.
Today, the city food outlets target the younger generation- the décor and the menus of these restaurants clearly reflect the choice of young people. Soft music, exclusive interiors, modern furnishings and good food have converted countless restaurants into great meeting places. The restaurants now regularly refurbish their exteriors as well as interiors to attract more crowds. They now experiment with their menu and come up with new meal deals. The reason? To attract younger crowds.
The idea of buffet lunch and dinner wasn't there even five years ago. People would go to a restaurant and order from the à la carte. Today, a couple would rather go for a set or buffet meal than order from the bill of fare. It not only lessens the chance of a bicker between the couple (as most couples can't decide on the right dish to order), but also gives them an opportunity to enjoy a wide assortment of food. Nevertheless, it's difficult to chitchat when such a wide array of food awaits you. However, with no one to bug and beg you to buy a packet of peanuts, your time in a restaurant is indeed more pleasurable than in a public park. Students prefer fast food outlets to public parks for reasons such as, security and unwanted trouble. Yes, sauntering in a park doesn't cost money but one has to be watchful, for goons and drug abusers now frequent public parks more than anyone else. The time when a couple would sit together on a park bench and plan their future is long gone. Young people coming from well-bred families do not dare hang around Botanical Garden, Ramna Park or Suhrawardy Udyan for the fear of being mugged and teased by hoodlums.
The trend of dating in a restaurant has made couples more materialistic than they're past generation. Fast food is unhealthy. Deep-fried chicken, pizza and burgers have little food value. Trans-fats, which are commonly found in fast foods, have been shown in many tests to have a negative health effect on the body.
A junior friend of mine was complaining the other day that she gained almost 8 kilos since she started dating a year ago. Why? They go to fast food restaurants to meet each other. She was lamenting over the fact that Dhaka doesn't have a safe and clean public park. Many like Sayma are worried about the extra weight that they are gaining from eating outside. But they do not have a better option.
We not only have good non-eating places to go on dates, but also to spend time with our friends and family. Try remembering the last time you met your best friend alone outside your home. Where did you meet him/her? We assume, in a restaurant. Eating-out has become almost a ritual among young people. Consumption of food with little nutrition value is having a detrimental effect on our young people. Farah, who works for a private organisation, became over-dependent on fast food after she started a full-time career more than a year ago. She had neither the drive nor the time to prepare her lunch before rushing to office. As a result, she used to go to one of the numerous restaurants adjacent to her office for a quick lunch. After a year of regular intake of fast food, she not only became an overweight young woman, but also a victim of malnutrition and low appetite. A thorough check-up revealed that Farah had an alarmingly low level of haemoglobin in her blood.
Although the fast food outlets, cafés and restaurants selling oriental food are mushrooming in the capital, there is nobody to ratify the standard of the food served. The drive of the Mobile Court against restaurants using harmful ingredients in food was effective to a great extent. However, news on this drive is no more seen in newspapers and on TV. Has this noteworthy campaign come to a standstill? When it comes to non-eating dating spots, Dhaka is a barren place to live. Although many young people want to be free from the grip of burgeoning city fast food outlets, they cannot see the alternative. Fairs, such as the DITF and Ekushey Boi Mela give some respite to the young couples. But then too many visitors sometimes ruin the appeal of these fairs. Another flaw of these mega fairs is that they are normally held only in winter.
The absence of a safe public park or a recreation centre is not only drawing the young people to restaurants and cafés often selling unhealthy food, but is also at the same time making them more materialistic than before. The rise of retail food business is certainly creating new employment opportunities, but this increase in the number of food outlets is also having a damaging effect on the health, lifestyle and eating habit of young people. It's time we checked the scale and see which one is more beneficial for the society at large. Safe and healthy public recreation spots or fast food outlets?

eating out H=Healthy

2008-06-29T22:22:00.001-07:00

Staying healthy isn't the easiest thing to do in Dhaka these days. Wherever you go, you run into a fast food outlet, tempting you with scrumptious junk food, so that you go home and hate yourself for that extra pound on your weight scale, or that brand new pimple on your face. Then there's the whole stress angle. With crazy deadlines to meet, and a constant need to appear your very best, you're always on the run. The gym is located at one place; the beauty parlour somewhere else. Looking good literally involves running a race.
Wouldn't it be great to have all your options available under one roof? With their newest venture, Herbal Solutions aims to do just that. The Spa and Beauty Salon opened its Gulshan branch earlier this year, offering massages, facials, and spa treatments that relied solely on herbal products, ensuring rejuvenation of hair and skin without side effects. Since then, they have also added yoga classes to their menu, so that you have the option of getting that healthy glow from within as well as without.
The latest feather in their cap, however, happens to be the garden café named Café H, which offers a fresh fruit juice bar, as well as a comprehensive menu of salads, sandwiches, and tasty, healthy tidbits that will refresh without fattening you. Located on the grounds of the Herbal Solutions premises, the little bamboo hut housing the bar, and the al fresco seating arrangements ensures a nice, tranquil time spent over a fresh drink. Being healthy in and out was never this convenient.