Climate issues of Bangladesh

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. According to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the effects of climate change have already been observed, and scientific findings indicate that precautionary and prompt action has become imperative.

Preferring economic development rather than for sustainability, industrialized countries invested heavily in carbon intensive technologies, such as coal-fired power plants, massive road systems, and electrical grids. Some greenhouse gases remaining in the atmosphere for centuries, human induced emissions have guaranteed the inevitability of climate change regardless of policy responses. Most greenhouse gases have been and are emitted to meet the needs of modern industrial societies. The burden of impacts is likely to be most serious in developing countries even though they have contributed very little to historical emissions.

Developed countries account for high percentages of annual greenhouse gas emissions. In 2000 total emission of all greenhouse gases was 24,790 million tones CO2 equivalents of which share of the G8 countries, least developed countries and other countries were 48%, 0.4% and 51.60%, respectively. Annual CO2 emission per person from the burning of oil, natural gas and coal in 2003 for USA, Russia, UK, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Senegal and Bangladesh were 20 tones, 11.2 tones, 9.5 tones, 9.4 tones, 2.7 tones, 2.0 tones 1.0 ton, 0.5 ton and 0.2 ton, respectively.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased exponentially from about 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1800 to over 380 ppm in 2006. The concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are now at the highest levels over 650,000 years. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very closely linked to global temperature. IPCC has projected that by 2100 atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide could have reached between 540 ppm and 970 ppm and that, as a result, global surface temperature could rise by between 1.4 degree C and 5.8 degree C.

Climate change threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world -- access to water, food, health, and use of land and the environment. On current trends, average global temperatures could rise by 2 - 3�C within the next fifty years or so, leading to many severe impacts, often mediated by water, including more frequent droughts and floods.

Rising sea levels will result in tens to hundreds of millions more people flooded each year. There will be serious risks and increasing pressures for coastal protection in South East Asia (Bangladesh and Vietnam), small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and large coastal cities, such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Calcutta, Karachi, Buenos Aires, St Petersburg, New York, Miami and London. By the middle of the century, 200 million more people may become permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods, and more intense droughts, according to one estimate. Melting or collapse of ice sheets would raise sea levels and eventually threaten at least 4 million Km2 of land, which today is home to 5% of the world's population. .

Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to climate change because of geographic exposure, low incomes, and greater reliance on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture. It is noticed that climate related disasters such as floods, droughts, and tropical storms are gradually increasing in Bangladesh along with frequent depression in Bay of Bengal.

In particular, sea level rise is of grave concern to a developing country like Bangladesh with a vast, low-lying, densely populated deltaic coast. Tens of millions of people are at risk of becoming climate refugees. One meter sea level rise will inundate about one fifth area of Bangladesh which will displace 25-30 million people. This is many times higher than the entire population of all pacific islands combined, and twice the total population of Australia or the Netherlands. Bangladesh is the victim of climate change without inducing any climate change acitivites.

Bangladesh is fully committed to addressing the challenges of climate change and has signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in June 1992 at Rio and ratified it on 15 April 1994 and the Kyoto Protocol on 22 October, 2001.

Bangladesh attaches highest priority to the Climate change negotiation and is playing a vital role on behalf of LDCs from the first Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCCC, held in Berlin, Germany in 1995. The ensuing 15th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen is of prime importance for LDCs and SIDs in general and Bangladesh in particular. The following issues are needed to be considered by this COP for combating future climate change regime:

* The adaptation fund must be fast tracked and the least developed countries should get top priority under it. Efforts are should made to substantially increase the level of support to the LDCs, particularly through operationalizing and developing new mechanism/instruments with adequate resources, in adaptation needs of various sections such as agriculture, forestry, protection of coastal belt, biological diversity, eco-system, infrastructure, health etc, so that they can manage climate risk and adapt better to the speed and the scale of climate change and its impacts.

* Adaptation fund and LDCs fund under GEF should be simplified with reduced transaction costs. Greater focus of the funds should be accorded to the project and programme implementation, not on reports and consultation exercises. The RAF should be revised to take into consideration the special situation of the most disadvantaged countries, the LDC Parties. The GEF criteria of co-financing of adaptation projects are a serious constraint for the LDCs. GEF should look for options to overcome this conditionality. Global environmental benefits should not be used as criteria for access to funds under the RAF.

* Agreement for development of vulnerability index and categorization of countries according to their vulnerability in order to identify scale of specific needs and actions for adaptation to climate change under future climate change regime is urgently required.

* Efforts should be made for process simplification and uniform geographical distribution of CDM projects along with capacity building of LDCs.

* There should be consensus for establishment of an International Adaptation Centre to address relevant needs, finding of priorities and devices of adaptation regime. This institution will spearhead the sharing of know-how and practice to build necessary capacity among the vulnerable nations, pooling, sharing and building on each other's capacity.

* Preferential access to environmentally sound technologies know-how, practices and process pertinent to climate change is crucial for LDCs. There should be specific modalities in the post Kyoto instrument for the development, application and diffusion of both mitigation and adaptation technologies to LDCs at an affordable cost.

* Any further delay in setting targets for deeper cuts in GHG emission will jeopardize the very existence of millions of people with little staying power. COP 15th should agree on firm reduction commitment without which effective adaptation measures cannot be designed along with funding and technology deployment. Bangladesh believes that to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change, the global average temperature increases must be kept as far below 2�C as possible. In this regard, deeper cut of GHG (40% within 2020 and 80% by 2050) is urgently needed.

* Displacement of millions of people from coastal areas is inevitable due to sea level rise as indicated by the IPCC. COP should consider the permanent migration issue of climate refugees.

Fifteen years have already been passed but negotiation processes of UNFCCC have yet to deliver a substantial outcome regarding mitigation, adaptation, financing and technology transfer in line with the related articles of the convention for supporting developing countries to combat climate change, rather than providing a complex and tedious negotiation process.

Attitudes of the World Leaders who are the top emmitter manifest that COP-15 may not yield any encouraging result regarding deep emmission cut for the second commitment period. It is noticed that there is lack of progress to comply with present commitment period too by the Annex-I countries. Bangladesh as a most vulnerable country to climate change cannot sit idle or cannot depend only on UNFCCC. Hopefully, the government of Bangladesh is pursuing intensive bilateral talks with the countries and development partners for getting support to combat climate change.

Campus News of Bangladesh- ICCIT 2008

ICCIT 2008- ICT Future in Bangladesh

The 11th International Conference on Computer and Information Technology (ICCIT 2008) has been successfully staged in the campus of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET) . With 101 acres of campus and with its nice green landscape blended with beautiful architectural maneuvers, KUET- one of the top technological universities in Bangladesh, took the challenge to host the 11th ICCIT 2008. This is the first time ICCIT is held outside capital city Dhaka.

The conference was scheduled for three days (25-27 December, 2008). That included the inauguration ceremony, presentations on 138 technical papers, 6 keynote sessions addressed by 6 prominent researchers around the world, a session on BdREN, a gala dinner and a cultural show. Workshops organized by two prominent universities of Australia also took place in conjunction with the conference.

Initially 538 papers were submitted from 24 different countries. However, 158 papers were finally selected for the event. The selection panel consisted of 83 reviewers from all around the world. The paper acceptance rate of 29.4% indicates the acceptability of the conference. Out of these 158 papers, 138 papers finally took their places in the conference proceedings. Out of these papers, 42.4% have originated from authors outside of Bangladesh. The conference was technically co-sponsored by IEEE Bangladesh Section and the papers in the proceedings would be included in the IEEEXplore digital library. For the first time, some of the selected papers would have the chance to be extended and to be included in six distinguished journals- Journal of Computers, Journal of Communications, Journal of Multimedia, Journal of Networks, and Journal of Software published by Academy Publisher and International Technology Management Review published from Australia.

On 25th December the session began at early morning with registration & kit distribution. The formal opening of IICIT 2008 kicked off with a great style at 4.30 pm as there was a delay in the flight schedule of the chief guest. Before that there were two keynote sessions on the following topics: �How may research crank-up economic engine� by Mohammad A. Karim, PhD, Vice President for research, Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA and �Utility Oriented Grid Computing and the Gridbus Middleware� by Rajkumar Buyya, PhD, Director of GRIDS Lab, University Of Melbourne& CEO, Manjrasoft pty Ltd, Australia. In his lecture Prof. Karim addressed the major re-engineering milestones and the transformational context that has evolved research universities into what are now primary drivers of regional economic engines.The chairman of the university grants commissions of Bangladesh Prof. Nazrul Islam was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. Other special guests at the occasion included Prof. Dr. Nawsher Ali, VC, KUET, Chair, advisory committee, Iccit2008, Prof. Dr. Basudev Chandra Ghos, Co-chair, advisory committee, Iccit2008, Mohammad A. Karim, Chair, international programming committee, Iccit2008, Prof. Dr. M.M.A Hasem, Chair, organizing committee Iccit2008, and Prof. Dr. MD. Rafiqul Islam, Secretary of organizing committee Iccit2008. Among other distinguished guests, Dr. Jafar Iqbal, Shahjalal University Of Science & technology, Prof. Dr. Saifuddin Ahmed, VC, Khulna University, faculty members from different universities, authors and researchers were also present. 'The recent rapid development in information and communication Technology has urged scholars, scientists, researchers, academicians, theorists, professionals, technologists and entrepreneurs to share the improvement they are inducing. Conference like ICCIT is one of the strong and prestigious platforms for them to sustain the newer technologies they are inventing ' the chief guest was quoted saying.

He also added that the newer technologies should be used for the mankind and the political leaders of our country should also be aware of this ICT revolution. Prof. A. Karim said that this type of conferences energizes a large number of unusual young and talented people by providing them a world-class platform. 'The true measure of success of this major international conference will be judged by the newer ideas and techniques disseminated by it. It would help nurture a technological climate in Bangladesh,' Prof. A. Karim also addressed.

Over the next two days the research papers in the field of algorithms, information system and software engineering, bio-informatics, wireless communication, artificial intelligence and various other topics related to the respective field were presented. Some of these papers are very lucrative if implemented in Bangladesh. The four other keynote speakers of the conference were Abdul Sattar, PhD, Professor and Director, Institute for integrated intelligent systems, Griffith University, Australia and Research leader, National ICT Australia University, Ramamoharano Kotagiri, PhD, Professor, Department of Computer Science and software Engineering, The University Of Melbourne, Australia, Mohammad Atiquzzaman, PhD Professor, School Of Computer Science, University Of Okalhoma, USA, Alamgir Hossain, PhD, MOSAIC Research centre, Department Of Computing, school of informatics, University Of Bradford, UK.

When asked for his feedback Prof. Dr. Jafar Iqbal said, 'Unless we generate knowledge the education is not complete. So we need to have conferences where our researches will be able to contribute. because of this conference- I feel encouraged.' Mr. Abdul Sattar, PhD also shared his optimism. He said, ' In my view this conference was very well organized. I am particularly impressed by the enthusiasm shown by young academic staff and students; and the energy they employed in this event. For me it was the first visit to Bangladesh and I found people very warm, welcoming, respectful, polite and sincere in their jobs. I would like to thank the organizers and wish them all the best in future.' In the last day an invited session called 'A New era in Bangladesh higher education: joining the global alliance of emerging high performance research and education network' was conducted by Jabed. I. Khan, Ph.D, Professor, Department of Computer science, Kent University, USA. Professor Dr. Ehsanul Haque, member of UGC Bangladesh was also present with him as a supplementary speaker. Also for the first time in the history of ICCIT two international workshops on 'Internet and distributed computer system (IDCS2008)' organized by The University Of Melbourne, Australia and 'Data mining and artificial intelligence' were also held on 24th December in conjunction with ICCIT2008. The bandwagon came to an end by gala dinner and exclusive cultural show.

Art and festival

Climate change has captured public attention much like the cold war, we all know there is a common enemy and there is a real threat of disaster, but at the back of our minds we think, if all else fails at least we have a bomb shelter. The only difference is that while a bomb shelter may protect one from a Soviet onslaught, it won't be of much use underwater, because that's what climate change can, will and is doing to millions of homes across the world. For those who think it's a myth, all they need to do is travel to the south of Bangladesh so see the first hand effects of climate change and how it destroys more than just homes, but dreams and aspirations.

Jamie Hewlett the British artist and co-creator of the comic strip Tank Girl and the band Gorillaz recently travelled to Bangladesh with Oxfam to see what climate change meant to those on the front lines. From his travels and experiences in Bangladesh he pieced together a small exhibition titled Under Water Colours, which was recently exhibited at the Dray Walk Gallery in London. The collection of watercolours are as distinct as his other graphic work. Yet the series from Bangladesh is interesting as he uses his comic book/ guerrilla graphic style to deal with life in the spectre of disaster. Known for his offbeat style in the hugely popular comic Tank Girl, he later explored his artistic boundaries with Blur's Damon Albarn to create the characters for immensely successful "virtual band" Gorillaz. His futuristic take on a virtual band included an extensive back-story, with intricate details as he fleshed out his characters with an urban grunge flair.

The basic elements of his artistic temperament remain unchanged in his exhibition on Bangladesh, the only major departure being the light in which he treats his subjects. In his piece "Chums" he painted two young girls he was following around the village. The view of their backs as they walk with an arm around each other is playful and feels almost as if it's out of a children's book. When talking about the painting Hewlett says, "We followed these two girls in the village looking happy and smiling. The children always looked so innocent. I wanted to portray the next generation and their future in an optimistic but realistic way - and show what a beautiful place Char Atra is. I think many people have sadly become numb (or immune) to footage of dying children. If people can relate to a picture, then it can sometimes have more of an impact. Showing two children being playful, walking down a path with their arms around each other is a connection that people here might understand from their own or their children's experiences."

While none of the paintings really jump up and hit you, there are a few which are quite surprising when one pays enough attention to them. In "Tree Kids" Hewlett portrays two children up a tree, but what could be a playful scene is actually about as frightening as one can get. On closer inspection the children are not up in the trees playing, they are up there to get away from the floods. One is griping the tree as hard as he can while the other is in a more comfortable position looking down on what surely is a flood, clutching a container of water. Interestingly Hewlett did not paint the flood, nor anything other the trees and the kids. One would assume that was to highlight the danger of what we cant see, in the larger sense of the exhibition and for that matter Bangladesh that would be climate change.

Another painting of the riverbank showcases the raw power of climate change. In it people stand on a riverbank inspecting the latest land erosion which threatens both their lives and their livelihoods. In a dairy he wrote of his time in Bangladesh he said, "we got to see the river erosion, where the river just gets slowly eaten away by the tides. We saw a concrete bridge with no land either side of it because the land's dropped back so far." While such a sight may be new to him, in Bangladesh river erosion is treated as a simple part of life, the only problem is that climate change exacerbates the damage.

Possibly the best painting to come out of the exhibition is "A boy called Zahid". In the painting he puts a little boy named Zahid who he met on his trip on a chair and tries to encapsulate his innocence and emotions as he looks up to the sky that brings his family and village so much hurt. The expression of pain on the boy's face is as beautifully nuanced as the delicate shading on his body and the creasing of his shorts. It is the piece which really brings the exhibition together and in a way serves as both the starting and ending point of journey.

In his diary on the trip to Bangladesh Hewlett wrote, "My first impression of Char Atra was that it's quite idyllic. It's very beautiful and green and there's a community living together, with the children just running around, having fun and swimming in the river. There's a sense of community, which you don't really have in England at all. It's hard to imagine this place being completely washed away, that the river rises so high that it can actually destroy all this." Nothing could be truer than this. His words just like his paintings have a way of cutting right to the point in a minimalist yet fulfilling manner. Hewlett's trip to Bangladesh may have been an eye opener to him on the reality of climate change, one only hopes those who saw his exhibition understood the human toll of the global phenomenon called climate change.

Labbaek Allah Humma labbaek- Al Hajj. Go and come back with good health

Health and safety is always a big concern of about 3 million Muslims who have already started and will travel to Saudi Arabia within a few days to perform the holy Hajj. One must be in good health, not only to perform Hajj and Umrah but also to make maximum use of the opportunity to make as much prayer as possible. The more physically fit one is, the easier it would become to perform the many rituals that a complete Hajj include. The following is a guideline to follow during performing Hajj which must be accompanied by your own doctor's advice pertaining to your health needs.

Physical fitness

Prepare yourself for the Hajj rituals prior to your departure by gradually walking greater distances starting 4-6 weeks before you leave. A brisk walk of 1 hour three times a week should be sufficient. One should practice one's walking in slippers that will be worn during the Hajj.

You should seek advice from your doctor if you have heart disease, lung disease, cancer or have previous or a family history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), hormone treatment, recent surgery, recent trauma involving lower limbs and any abnormalities of blood clotting factors.

Food and water safety

Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere. Drinking water has to be bought in the form of bottled water. However, Zam Zam is available freely in Makkah and in Medinah. Using this opportunity, you can fill containers with Zam Zam water and bring it to your room. Avoid ice cubes from vendors that is sold for cooling water.

Due to a change in the diet, indigestion and constipation may arise. Maintaining a high fibre diet, like a bran or wheat cereal, wholemeal bread, dried fruit, not eating an abundance of fried or fatty foods, drinking adequate amounts of water can avoid constipation and indigestion. Do not over eat. Eat small meals, have adequate liquids and keep out of the sun until you are required to stand outside. People should avoid eating exposed food, unpasteurised milk, milk-products and buying food from street vendors.

Prevent Swine flu

This year's Hajj will take place during flu season. Many individuals and governments are concerned about the possibility of an outbreak. The Saudi health ministry, aided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is setting up emergency operation centers to get real-time reports from area hospitals and clinics to track how many are sick and will need the free anti-viral medication stockpiled for the dense gathering. The density of the pilgrims, with shoulder-to-shoulder contact as they pray, provides 'a perfect transmission atmosphere' for the new flu that scientists call the 2009 H1N1 strain, officials warned.

Saudi health officials during the summer urged that children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic diseases postpone this year's trek, but they will not be banned. Flu virus is transmitted via the respiratory route and you should exercise sensible precautions:

� Where possible, avoid close contact with persons who are ill with an flu-like illness.

� Wash hands with soap and water; use waterless alcohol-based hand gels when soap and water is not available.

� Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes to prevent the spread of germs.

� Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue promptly. If you fall ill (especially with flu like symptoms) you should seek medical assistance.

Diabetes

Please make sure that diabetes control is at its optimum. Together with a Doctor's help, optimal diabetic control should start at least two months before departure to make sure that control is good and the correct medication is taken.

A proper diabetic diet is very important. Most people would have their food included in their accommodation package. The hotels provide food for many people who do not have special dietary requirements. Diabetics should make their own arrangements where possible, e.g., use brown bread which can be bought easily instead of the tempting white flour rolls or bread that may be on offer, or the abundant white rice that may be prepared.

Fruit juices that are made in take-away places have large amount of sugar added to them to make the juice taste nice. Diabetics must make sure that no sugar is added. Fruit juices are plentiful and extremely tempting.

Diabetics must take extra care of their feet. Treat scratches and even tiny cuts promptly until they heal. Apply extra moisturiser to keep the skin supple and elastic. Care of nails and feet are also important. Remember that open sandals will be worn for the duration of Hajj. Nails should be well trimmed and not catch on clothes. When walking, allow enough space in front so that feet are not trampled.

Asthma

Asthma sufferers must ensure that their asthma is well controlled with preventative medications. They must ensure that they take adequate supply of their medications with them including preventative medication, broncho-dilator inhalers and tablets. If well controlled, asthma does not pose a problem during Hajj and Umrah.

In situations where there are crowds of people, infections are more likely to spread. Remember that germs spread by droplets from our mouth as we speak or when we cough, especially if phlegm is present or by direct contact as in sharing a cup, spoon, fork, etc. The unhygienic act of spitting phlegm onto the pavement that is very commonly seen must be prevented to avoid spreading germs.

Conclusion

If you intend to perform Hajj or Umrah, you need to make sure that your general health is good. If you suffer from any illness, please visit your doctor early so that your condition can improve before you leave. Adequate preparations will make the performance of Hajj a fruitful and memorable experience. It may bring the intention of performing the perfect Hajj that much closer. May Almighty Allah bless each and every Hujjaj with a safe and healthy Hajj.

Ten!! Years of Artcell

Friday the 23rd celebrated mega-band Artcell's 10-year anniversary in Dhaka Sheraton's Winter Garden. Along with Artcell performing there was Powersurge, Mechanix and Reborn with special guest appearances from Cryptic Fate, Rockstrata, X-Factor, Aurthohin, Warfaze, Miles and Feedback. Artcell began the show with a few of their own tracks starting with 'Shaheed Sharani' a tribute to the martyrs, 'Onno Shomoy' and 'Dukho Bilash'. The audience was cheering and singing them selves hoarse making it difficult to hear anything that anyone was saying. It was worth the wait because the music was unbelievable! During 'Dukho Bilash',

Artcell frontman, Lincoln, didn't even have to sing 'cos the audience was doing it for him. It was one of the best moments of the show. After the first three songs by Artcell, the first video message of the night was shown on the screen (again, couldn't hear ANYTHING because of the cheering) and members of Cryptic Fate joined them on stage. They started with a Cryptic Fate track 'Cholo Bangladesh' and then did a rendition of 'Bhul Jonmo' and the frontman, Shakib, lead the crowd in a �Happy Birthday� song to Artcell. Next up with the band were members of Rockstrata followed by Jewel from X-Factor who performed a song called 'Rupok' dedicated to the memory of the late Artcell lyricist, Torikul Islam Rupok. Shumon 'Bassbaba', from Aurthohin, joined the band next and did a couple of songs ending with Poth Chola, an Artcell classic. Mechanix replaced them on stage and performed 'Dhrubo Shor'. They also paid a VERY lenghty tribute to Bangladesh's rock music scene with a medley of songs from Azam Khan, Miles, Bacchu, James, Warfaze, Artcell, Powersurge, Aurthohin and one of their own.

Artcell came back on stage with Romel on keyboards and they did Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' (again in memory of Rupok), Metallica's 'The Unforgiven' and 'Tomake'. Reborn followed, after setting up for what seemed like a bajillion years, with an Artcell tribute of 'Odekha Shorgo' and a Warfaze tribute of 'Ekti Chele'.

Powersurge got up next and stole the show with their incredible performances of Artcell's 'Rahur Grash', Jame's 'Sultana Bibiani' and their own 'Mitther Aggroshon'. This was the last Dhaka show for Powersurge guitarist Samir Hafiz, one of the best in the business. The band dedicated their performance to Artcell as well and Samir and thanked him for the wonderful year and the journey they shared together. Samir also had a very emotional moment up on stage while thanking his devoted fans. 'Bangladesh is losing one of its best guitarists.' says a sad Powersurge fan. Samir, we all love you and will miss you very very much. Come home soon! The legendary Warfaze came next and following them was Feedback who performed one of their own songs 'Shunina Purono Diner Oi Gaan' and the Artcell version of Nazrul Sangeet 'Kandari Hushiyar'. Miles, singing 'Sriti Sharok' and 'Shopnobhongo', was the last band to join Artcell on stage.

Artcell ended the show with 'Aniket Prantor' and thanked the fans for a great 10 years. A video of 'Pathor Bagan' an Artcell track was screened along with mini video messages to and from the bands performing with them throughout the concert. Overall, performance-wise, the show was immensely successful with every band giving us all an unforgettable show. However, the same could not be said for the organizing: there seemed to be a lot of technical difficulties (during Mechanix's tribute, the sound kept failing) and then there was the whole Bengali tradition style wait at the start. The concert was supposed to start at 3:30 but ended up hitting it off at 5:52. During this whole wait, the audience actually had to stand waiting for Artcell to finally get on stage. The '10 years of Artcell Insanity' show credits go to ConcitoPR, Spotlight Events Management and Game Theory, with Media Partner Radio Foorti and, of course, the band.
Congratulations Artcell on ten years of progressive rocking out. May you continue to record and perform your extensive songs for another 10 more successful years!!

Sher-e-Bangla A.K Fazlul haque- The Tiger of Bengal

BANGLADESH remembers today a great hero, a giant among men, who was born on this red-letter day in 1873. The whole nation honours and respects and admires this brave son of Bengal because he loved peace and did everything in his power to avert dire calamities; because he merited the high and exalted positions to which the suffrage of a grateful nation elevated him; because he was regardless of personal gains and cheerfully endured all toil and hardship so that he might elevate the masses of mankind; because he had a high sense of honour, respected the rights of conscience, and nobly advocated equality of privileges and the universal brotherhood of man; because he had an unshakable faith in Islam but never spoke ill of any other religion; because he was a man of the people. And Bangladeshis believe that he was one of us and that he was for us. Yes, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq, whose birth anniversary we celebrate today, really gave enormously of himself to the people, and he really loved the people.

He came right from the heart of Bengal, not from its geographical heart but from its spiritual heart. He exemplified what millions of parents hope their sons would be: strong and courageous, intelligent and erudite, honest and compassionate. He personified integrity, he personified honour, he personified modesty, he personified dignity, he personified dedication, he personified loyalty, he personified patriotism. And with his qualities of head and heart, he personified the best in Bengal.

His was indeed an eventful life, his personality multi-faced and his achievements many. Many were the roles he had filled with distinction. At one time or another, he was one of the greatest legal luminaries the Indian subcontinent had produced, an unparalleled ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, a great constitutionalist, a distinguished parliamentarian, a top-notch politician, an indefatigable freedom fighter, a fiery orator of the first water, a political strategist of the highest order, an educationist of rare caliber, a social reformer with foresight and acumen, and, above all, an indomitable champion of truth and justice.

No wonder the people loved him with all the warmth and sincerity under the sun, and every trust that the people of this country had in their power to bestow, he was given. And yet, he always retained a saving humility. His was the humility not of feat but of confidence. He brushed shoulders with the "greats" of both the subcontinent and Great Britain, and he knew that the "greats" were human. Yes, his was the humility of man before Allah and before the truth. His was the humility of a man too proud to be arrogant.

When Sher-e-Bangla was born in 1873, Bengal lay prostrate at the feet of the British, groaning from the wounds inflicted upon it. The Great Mutiny of 1857 had been ruthlessly quelled and the ancient ruling classes had either been wiped out or lay cringing in the dust. The poor and helpless people of Bengal were so hungry, ragged and unhappy that they thought with their stomach, saw with their nakedness and felt with their misery.

The Tiger of Bengal genuinely believed that he was one of them and that he was for them. He was driven by a mission to serve, to improve and uplift the toiling masses. He inspired them to go forward, to take their lives in their hands, fully and joyfully as he himself did. And the hundreds and thousands of hapless and downtrodden have-nots, who stood in awe of the mighty, very easily gave their heart to this person who renounced personal advantages and dedicated himself of the general welfare. It is true some differed with him, but all respected his sincerity, his wisdom, his solicitude for the toiling masses and his passion for truth and justice.

No one who knew Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq would attempt to describe him in a nutshell. He was many-sided, complex, full of conflicting enthusiasms and burdened by many sorrows. Yet, there has seldom been a public hero who was more open with his problems and his thoughts, in private letters and public prints, in speeches and conversations with friends and colleagues. He always seemed to talk fully and freely, to say just what he thought and felt, to make every effort to see that his listeners understood his viewpoint, regardless of what they might think of its merits.

Some remember the mastery of language, the gift of oratory that placed him in a class with Edmund Burke and Winston Churchill. Some remember that he was human and humane, a fully developed man who responded so keenly to the joy of life as he did to the cry of human distress. Some remember that he was a lover of people, a lover whose loyalty was pledged to all mankind. Some remember that all his life he pleaded and strove for social justice, for the right of the lowly to dignity, of the poor to material well-being, of the citizen of self-government, of the ignorant to knowledge, of the child to unfettered development, of the chained Bengalees to consciousness and freedom.

Some remember how he truly loved problems, and with an exuberant confidence that few politicians could match he thought that he could solve some of them, though not single-handedly. He delighted in leading and managing and inspiring people, all kinds of people, people in every walk of life, in every domain of thought. As he could persuade, he could also be persuaded. He had respect for others' points if he was persuaded that he had been wrong. Tolerance and sympathy were elements of his character, and that character gained him the affection and esteem of millions of his countrymen. But let none forget even for a moment the single quality that made him unique, the quality that made him powerful, the quality that endeared him to the common masses: the qualities of head and heart, the quality of character. His greatness derived not from his office, but from his character, from a unique moral force that transcended national boundaries, even as his deep concern for humanity transcended international boundaries.

Sher-e-Bangla, the beloved Tiger of Bengal, is a part of history now -- he had shaded himself, in the words of Omar Khayyam, "with yesterday's seven thousand years." Once again we celebrate today the birth anniversary of the doyen of Bengal, once again the whole nation salutes the great personality, a fond salute to a man whose extraordinary life was dedicated to service, a profound respectful salute to a man larger than life who, by any standard, was one of the giants of all times. The beautiful eulogy of John Maidston aptly applies to him: "A larger soul hath seldom dwelt in a house of clay."

Blazing a trail for Bengali Muslim artistes: Abbau Uddin

Today marks the 107th birth anniversary of legendary folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed (October 27, 1901-December 30, 1959). He was born at Balarampur in Tufanganj subdivision in the district of Cooch Behar, now in West Bengal. His father, Zafar Ali Ahmed, was a lawyer at the Tufanganj Subdivisional Court. Abbasuddin's interest in music grew through attendance at cultural functions at school and college. He was self-taught, except for a brief period when he trained under Ustad Jamiruddin Khan in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Ustad Kader Buksh in Murshidabad. He sang different types of songs such as folk, adhunik, patriotic and Islamic. But Abbasuddin became renowned mainly as a singer of folk songs.Initially, he became famous for his renditions of bhawaiya and chatka songs. He became increasingly popular with his jaari, shari, bhatiyali, murshidi, bichchhedi, marsiya and pala gaan, especially when these were made into gramophone records. No other singer could surpass his emotional, full-throated rendition of folk songs.

The fact that the virtuoso artiste played a key role in popularising Islamic songs in Bangla is often overlooked. "Ramzan-er oi rozar sheshey elo khushir Eid," a song that has become the unofficial harbinger of Eid-ul-Fitr, was originally recorded by Abbasuddin. This song, composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, brought about a cultural renaissance among Bengali Muslims. According to Ferdousi Rahman, daughter of Abbasuddin and a renowned artiste: �In those days Abba was singing in Kolkata with HMV; he had also done various songs of Nazrul by that time. He wished to sing Islamic songs and told Nazrul about his desire to record Islamic songs like qawwali, which were very popular at the time. In those days conservative Muslims considered singing and even listening to music sacrilege. Bhagabati Babu, the rehearsal manager of Gramophone Company, was approached, but he angrily rejected the idea. At a suitable moment, Bhagabati was requested again and this time he gave his consent.�

Nazrul composed the song within a matter of half an hour and taught Abbasuddin the song the very next day. The song became an instant hit and this marked the beginning of the era of Islamic songs in Bangla. Abbasuddin stayed in Calcutta from 1931 to 1947. In 1947, after Partition, he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting as an additional song organiser. He participated at the South East Asia Conference in Manila in 1955 and at the International Folk Music Conference in Germany in 1956. Abbasuddin wrote an account of his life as a singer in "Amar Shilpi Jiban-er Katha" (1960). For his invaluable contribution to music he was posthumously honoured with the "Pride of Performance Award" in 1960, "Shilpakala Academy Award" in 1979 (posthumously) and "Swadhinata Dibas Puraskar" in 1981 (posthumously). Apart from Ferdousi, Abbasuddin's son Mustafa Zaman Abbasi and his granddaughter Nashid Kamal are also renowned singers.

Banks Of Bangladesh with SWIFT code and other information

Here I have gathered most popular local banks of

Bangladesh

with the location, contact information and SWIFT code. I only have used the SWIFT code of head office of each bank as there are numerous branches of each bank and the SWIFT code differs from each branch from other.

Name	Head office	SWIFT	Telephone	E-mail
Al-Arafah	Rahman Manssion,161 Motijheel C/A Dhaka-1000,	`	(880-2)-9568007, 9560198, 9567885,9567819, 9569353	alarafah@bangla.net
AB Bank	Corporate Head Office BCIC Bhaban, 30-31 Dilkusha C/A Dhaka 1000,	ABBLBDDH	+880-2-9560312	info@abbank.com.bd
Agrani Bank	9/D, Dilkusha C/A, Motijheel, Dhaka	AGBKBDDH	9566153-54, 9566160-69, 9566074-75	enquiry@agranibank.org

Bangladesh Commerce	Principal Branch, Taranga Complex 19, Rajuk Avenue, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka		9553832, 9668171 PABX: 9559831, 9571581 Ext-123	bcbl@bdmail.net
Bangladesh Shilpa Bank	8, Rajuk Avenue Dhaka-1000		+880-2-9556786 PABX: +880-2-9555151-59 Ext- 412 +880-2-9560014-15 Ext- 412	misd@shilpabank.gov.bd

BRAC Bank	1 Gulshan Avenue , Gulshan -1, Dhaka 1212 .	BRAK BD DH	+880-2-8824051-4	enquiry@bracbank.com
Citibank N.A.	23, Motijheel C/A Dhaka-1000	CITIBDDX	+880 2 9550060
Dhaka Bank	Adamjee Court 115-120 Motijheel C/A,		9556583, PABX: 9556587,	shihab1@bdonline.com

Dutch-Bangla Bank	Sena Kalyan Bhaban (3rd & 4th floor) 195, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000	DBBL BJ	88-02-9568542-44	dbbl@bdmail.net
Eastern Bank	Jiban Bima Bhaban (2nd floor) 10, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000	EBLD BJ	9558390, 9558391, 9562348, PABX: 9556360-70,	info@ebl-bd.com
Exim Bank	Printers Building (5th, 6th & 10th & 13th Floor) 5, Rajuk Avenue, Dhaka-1000		9566418, 9561604	eximho@bdonline.com
First Security Bank	23, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000,		9564733, 9560229, 95626878	fsbldil@bdonline.com
Habib Bank:	PO Box 201, 53 Motijheel, Commercial Area, Dhaka		+880 2 9563043-5	hbldhaka@bdonline.com
IFIC Bank	Head Office BSB Building (8th, 10th & 16th � 19th Floor) 8, Rajuk Avenue G.P.O. Box � 2229 Dhaka-1000	IFIC BD DH	9563020, 9562060, 9562062, 9562068	info@ificbankbd.com
Islami Bank Bangladesh	75, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka	IBBLBDDH	9563040	sheikhul@islamibankbd.com
Jamuna Bank:	Printers Building (3rd & 8th) Floor 5, Rajuk Avenue, Dhaka,	JAMUBDDH	88-02-9570912-16, 9555141	jamunabk@bdcom.com
Janata Bank	48, Motijheel Corporate48, Motijheel Commercial Area, Dhaka-1000,	JANBBDDH	9566094,9565003,9566089	md@janatabank-bd.com
Mercantile Bank	61, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka	MBLBBDDH	880-2-9559333	mbl@bol-online.com
Mutual Trust Bank	68 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka.	MTBL BD DH	717 0138 � 40	mosharraf@mtb.com.bd
National Bank	International Division 18 Dilkusha C/A,Dhaka-1000	NBLBBDDH	(880) (2) 955 7045, 955 1200	nblid@bdonline.com
National Credit & Commerce Bank	7-8 Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000 G.P.O. Box No. 2920		88-02-9561902-4, 9566283, 7117314	nccbl@bdmail.net
One Bank	HRC Bhaban, 46 Kawaran Bazar C/A, Dhaka	ONEBBDDH	8122046	obl@onebankbd.com
Pubali Bank G.P.O. Box. Number : 853. CODE :	26, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka-1000	PUBABDDH	9551614	pubali@bdmail.net
Premier Bank	IQBAL CENTRE (4th Floor), 42 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka-1213		880-2-9887581-84, 8811417, 9890591-2, 8819916, 9890547, 9890012, 8825614	info@pemierbankltd.com
Rupali Bank	Rupali Bhaban, 34, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka	RUPBBDDH	9551624-25, 9554122, 9552163,	rblhocom@bdcom.com
Shahjalal Bank	Head Office, 35-44, Motijheel C/A Dhaka -1000,		88-02-9550655	sbhoitd@bttb.net.bd ; sbhoid@bdmail.net
SouthEast Bank Limited	1, Dilkusha Commercial Area 3rd Floor, Dhaka - 1000,	SEBD BD DH	(88-02)9550081-5, (88-02)9567271-2	seastbk@citechco.net
Uttara Bank	90, Motijheel Commercial Area, P.O. Box No. 217 & 818 Dhaka-1000,	UTBLBDDH	9551162-3, 9553085-6, 9558656, 9566067-9, 9565732, 9568941	uttara@citechco.net ; ublmis@citechco.net
Standard Bank Limited	Chamber Building 122-124, Motijheel C/A	SDBLBDDH	017111-425402	info@standardbankbd.com
The Trust Bank	Peoples Insurance Building, 17th,16th & 2nd floor, 36 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000,		9570261, 9570263, 9572012-3	tbl@global-bd.net ; info@trustbankbd.com
United Commercial Bank	58, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000	UCBLBDDHPRB	+88-02-9555799, 9561054,9559744 Pabx: +88-02-9550836, 9550833,9568547-48	prb@ucbl.com
Southeast Bank	Address: 1, Dilkusha Commercial Area 3rd Floor, Dhaka - 1000,	SEBD BD DH	(88-02)9550081-5, (88-02)9567271-2	seastbk@citechco.net
Standard Bank:	Chamber Building 122-124, Motijheel C/A	SDBLBDDH	9559044	info@standardbankbd.com