The 3rd world view

#SafeCityPledge: Indians Take a Stand Online for Women's Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Thu, 30 May 2013 22:40:00 +0000

A Twitter campaign has Indians flooding social media with personal promises to combat sexual harassment and sexism.

On the heels of the brutal gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus in Delhi, volunteer-led community art project Blank Noise invited users during a 24-hour tweetathon on 19 January, 2013 to publish a pledge committing to new ideas that make cities safer spaces for women.

The #SafeCityPledge campaign was one of the top trending topics in India on that day, and the tweets, some featuring photos of users holding placards with their pledge, have poured in ever since.

"I pledge to stand up for my rights, however intimidating the circumstances," a placard held by a woman in Calcutta reads.

"I pledge to behave like a man and stop behaving like a beast," another reads, this time held by a man surrounded by his male friends.

P Bharat in Shakhti, a women's rights blog, compiled and summarized some of the ideas and pledges shared, which attacked the culture of patriarchy and the tendency to blame the victim, among other things:

"I pledge to not be a mute bystander. To intervene. To change the scene."

"Staring is not acceptable. Smile and look away. Make others comfortable please."

"I will support my friends whenever they feel persecuted by men, I will not let men intimidate women anywhere i am"

"never vote for parties that have rapists in their midst & justify them."

"I pledge to stop making sexist jokes and open conversations about equality of genders at home."

Submission from Miranda House, Delhi. Image courtesy Blank Noise Blog. CC BY-NC-SA 2.5

Sexual violence against women and girls in India has been under intense scrutiny since the December 2012 gang rape, after which the victim died of her injuries, and similar incidents this year. Faced with public outcry, the government passed a new bill containing harsher punishments, including the death penalty, for rapists.

Fueled by the rash of high-profile incidents, the movement against sexual harassment and sexism has gained steam online and offline. Another initiative called Safecity tracks street harassment in India using crowdsourced reports. The reports illustrate that street harassment of women is still a burning problem in India.

There have also been a number of street protests and rallies featuring pledges for a safe city for women in Goa, Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, and Kolkata organized using social media. Anu Elizabeth Roche, a volunteer for the non-profit Akanksha Foundation, which works with underprivileged children, wrote on Facebook about one such demonstration in Mumbai:

A number of men and women - young and old - came with their own placards and slogans pledging to promote heightened action against sexual harassment, sexist attitudes and generally spoke for reclaiming their spaces in public spheres especially.

#safecitypledge Delhi. Image courtesy Blank Noise blog. CC BY-NC-SA 2.5

And #SafeCityPledge recently held a workshop at Cambridge School Delhi, with 600 students between 14-17 years participating. Blogger Sahar Zainab recalls her personal experience reading the #SafeCityPledge tweets with a mixture of hope and hard realism:

I especially love the picture of the woman from Lucknow, dupatta wound tightly around her head, pledging 'humein baahar aane jaane par kisi ki rokk-tokk manzur nahi' (we will not accept anyone else's control on our coming and going outside)! But truth is that there remains a (humongous) faction of women, young girls, and even younger girls in villages, in small towns, in bigger towns, and in even bigger cities, who have yet to muster up such courage.

Check out the #SafeCityPledge campaign on their blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

The post was first published in Global Voices Online.

Facebook's ‘Social Reporting’ feature is being abused by organized gangs in Bangladesh

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:18:00 +0000

Recently we are getting reports from some Bangladeshi Facebook users about a new problem. Some of their pages or statuses have been disappearing mysteriously.

Actually these individuals are being targeted by a group of people using Facebook's "Social Reporting" feature. It was originally designed to let people report offensive material to Facebook at the same time alerting someone in the community.

One or more organized groups are resorting to ‘false organized reporting' to take down certain posts, pictures, pages or events of mainly pro #Shahbag activists of Bangladesh. During this operation, a user's Facebook status or page or photo is identified and shared between the group members. All the members then start reporting and when there are enough reports submitted, the reported content/pages are automatically removed by Facebook. @ARIFArifuk shares how they make it happen and are threatening freedom of speech.

The visual guide to Facebook reporting courtesy Edudemic

Asad Zaman at Amar Blog exposes one such group called Anti-Virus which has five admins. Its about page says:

"The main goal of the Anti-Virus group is to eradicate Awami-Virus from online. The responsibility of the members of this group is to post links about posts criticizing Islam and activists of Islami movement. Then all the members report that status together and take it down."

They are also attacking peoples' profile pic and Facebook IDs. In his post Asad exposes their long list of targets.

In these efforts we are seeing the dark side of social media. A good way to tackle it is to restrict your profile and statuses to Friends only and remove those you don't know personally from your friends list. And you know what these groups can receive the same treatment if the community becomes active.

But really the onus is on to Facebook to explore and put an end to such abuses. Innovations anyone?

Bangladesh Diaries

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:37:00 +0000

MAZ- the Swiss School of Journalism is the leading Swiss educational institution for journalism. Located in Luzern, Switzerland, it was founded in November 1983. In the past ten years this institute has sent professionals and young journalism students to Bangladesh for training. Most of these students interned with the Daily Star in Dhaka.

Here are their diaries on their experiences in Bangladesh in German language (You can use Google translate to read)

2013: Anja Burri
2012: Fabian von Allmen
2011: Andrée Stössel
2010: Andrew Jones
2009: Coralie Wenger
2008: Dieter Bachmann
2007: Thomas Müller
2006: Miriam Künzli
2005: Barnaby Skinner
2004: Christine Wanner

Facebook Cheat Sheet: Image Size and Dimensions

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:22:00 +0000

[ Source TechWyse Internet Marketing ]

Blackout in solidarity demanding release of the detained bloggers in Bangladesh

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000

More on #Shahbag protests here and on the arrest of bloggers here.

Bangladesh: Protesters Demand Capital Punishment for 1971 War Criminals

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:07:00 +0000

Forty-two years. That's how long Bangladeshis have awaited justice for the horrific crimes committed against them during their fight for liberation from Pakistan. And on February 5, 2013, Abdul Quader Mollah, the secretary general of Bangladesh's Islamist party Jamaat-e Islami was sentenced to life in prison for murder, rape, torture and other crimes committed during the 1971 liberation war.

But tens of thousands feel that justice has not been served. They want him hanged. And they are occupying capital city Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection to show their resolve. Protests are spreading like wild fire across the country.

Jamaat-e Islami rejected Mollah's verdict and enforced a dawn-to-dusk strike on Tuesday and Wednesday disrupting life in the country. (The full verdict by the International Crimes Tribunal can be found here.)

Screenshot of the Facebook event that generated much response

Bloggers played a vital role in building pressure to try Mollah and other accused war criminals, many of whom are politicians with the Islamist party, and expedite a process that has been on hold for 42 years. So its no surprise that bloggers are central to organizing the ongoing protests. The Bloggers and Online Activists Network (BOAN) created a Facebook event to invite people to occupy Shahbagh square, protest against the strike and demand the death penalty for Mollah. About 70,000 people have been invited to event and more than 7000 people have confirmed they are joining.

People from all walks of life are continuing their sit-in at Shahbagh intersection in the capital for the second consecutive day. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (6/2/2013).

Shahbagh, the Tahrir Sqaure of Bangladesh:

The last few days were full of protests and rallies at Shahbagh. Processions from all over the city joined the crowd of about 15,000-20,000 people, bringing the scenes of Tahrir square during 2011 Egyptian revolution to Dhaka. People are singing protest songs, reciting poems, and screening films and documentaries on Bangladesh's liberation war. Pavel Mohitul Alam updates his Facebook status from Shahbagh:

Shahbagh is full of processions, slogans and singing. Thousands of people from all walks of life are joining in protests using candle lights and are carrying torches. A band will start playing live soon. Please join us.

Many have shared pictures from Shahbagh via Facebook, like ICSF and Kazi Sudipto. Journalist and writer Imtiar Shamim writes at Muktangon blog [bn]:

...This Shahbagh will soon be extended to other cities- It will beat the fear of civil war by fringe elements who envisage colonial intervention, who will clinch victory by confirming justice for the war criminals.

Besides Dhaka, there has been news of similar protests in cities like Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna, Comilla, Mymensingh and Rangpur. People are gathering in large numbers raising their voices for the highest punishment for the war criminals. Rayhan Rashid writes on Facebook about spreading the protests across the country:

The fire has spread from city to city. I just want to be one of those hundreds of thousands of people....

Protesters on a candlelight protest organized by'Bloggers and Online Activist Network' demanding death penalty of war criminal Abdul Quader Mollah. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (6/2/2013)

Delayed Justice:

During the 1971 liberation war an estimated 3 million people were killed by the Pakistani army and approximately 250,000 women were raped. Local political and religious militia groups like Razakar, Al Badr and Al-Shams, many of whom were also members of Jamaat-e-Islami, aided Pakistani soldiers in killing, particularly targeting Hindus. Abdul Quader Mollah, also known as 'Butcher' to the Bengalis in Mirpur area, was a senior leader of the Razakar force. He lead many mass murders in Mirpur area.

The International Crimes Tribunal was formed after 42 years of the independence to try the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity during the liberation war of Bangladesh. The first verdict of the ICT was against Abul Kalam Azad alias 'Bachchu Razakar'', who was sentenced to death for his involvement in crimes against humanity during 1971.

Outrage at the Verdict:

When Quader Mollah was sentenced to life imprisonment (peoples' anticipation was death penalty), many expressed their outrage on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Elora Leelith demands a "Razakar and war criminal free" Bangladesh:

My first child will be born on 7 of February. I wish its generation will see a Razakar and war criminal free Bangladesh. I want capital punishment for Quader Mollah and gang.

Hazrat Binoy Bhodroe asks the Tribunal on Twitter:

@hazratb9bhodroe Honorable Tribunal, how many deaths have to be proven to get a death sentence?

Allegations against Abdul Quader Mollah:

There were six indictments against Abdul Quader Mollah. The trial has proven his association in three of these and direct involvement in two killings. He was acquitted on one charge. The indictments are related to the following incidents:

April 5, 1971, on Mollah's instructions, one of his aides named Akhter killed Pallab, a student of Bangla College.
March 27, 1971, Mollah and his aides murdered pro-liberation poet Meherun Nesa, her mother and two brothers at their home at Mirpur of Dhaka.
March 29, 1971, Mollah, accompanied by Al-Badr, Razakars and non-Bangla speaking Bihari men, apprehended journalist Khondoker Abu Taleb and brought him to a place known as Mirpur Jallad Khana Pump House and slit his throat.
November 25, 1971, an organised attack and indiscriminate shooting by Mollah and his cohorts killed hundreds of unarmed people of Khanbari and Ghatar Char villages in Keraniganj.
April 24, 1971, Mollah led Pakistan army men and around 50 non-Bangla speaking Biharis into an attack on unarmed people of Alubdi village in Mirpur that left 344 people killed.
March 26, 1971 he and his associates went the home of Hazrat Ali Laskar and killed his wife, two daughters and two year old son. One of his minor daughters was raped before she died.

Appeal against this verdict:

It is not clear whether there can be an appeal against the verdict. But blogger Omi Rahman Pial pleads:

The appeal against the acquittal of Quader Mollah against the Keraniganj killing is the key. This protests should pressurize the government prosecution team to appeal against that acquittal. 344 people were killed and he was known as the 'butcher'. Such cruelty should beget more than just life imprisonment.

According to the latest updates, the prosecution team of the ICT has taken a policy decision to appeal against the verdict to enhance Mollah's sentence. Bangladesh is one of 58 countries that still actively practices capital punishment.

First Published in Global Voices

Chobi Mela VII: Photographs Connecting People of The World

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:24:00 +0000

The 7th Chobi Mela (Photo Fair), an international festival of photography, is taking place in Bangladesh capital Dhaka. Organized by Drik Picture Library Ltd. and Pathshala (The South Asian Institute of Photography) it is the largest festival of photography held in Asia.

The event was founded in 1999 and is held every two years in Bangladesh. According to DRIK blog:

The festival examines the dramatic shifts of image production, ownership and distribution brought on by new developments in the media landscape.

James Estrin at the Lens Blog says:

What sets apart the Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is that it is not only truly international, but is also perhaps the world’s most demographically inclusive festival.

Theme of Chobi Mela VII - Fragility

This year's theme of the festival is Fragility, exploring the quieter, more subdued and delicate moments in life, which the shutter of the camera usually misses or ignores. 34 artists from 23 countries featuring Eugene Richards, Graciela Iturbide, Walter Astrada et al. are exhibiting their work at different venues in Dhaka city during 25 January -7 February 2013. Here is a list of events and venues of the festival.

Chobi Mela blog introduced the big names in World Photography Max Pam, Pablo Bartholomew, Ruth Eichhorn, Jody Haines, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Ilaria Di Biagio, B. S. Shivaraju (Cop Shiva), Hossein Fatemi, Maika Elan, Nii Obodai, Chris Rainier and Chris Riley et al. who are attending the festival.

Renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, director of Chobi Mela, shares an amazing story how British photographer Rupert Grey brought his 1936 Rolls Royce to Dhaka to attend the rally of the festival.

The antique Rolls had travelled through the Rajasthan deserts and gone along the foothills of the Himalayas and followed the Brahmaputra to Bangladesh, but was stopped at the Tamabil border, when bureaucracy kicked in.

Rupert could eventually bring in the vehicle with a little help from friends. Shahidul Alam also posts a preview of this years event in his blog (also watch an intro here):
Here is an interview of Shahidul Alam taken by Munem Wasif.

Award winning Indian Photojournalist Pablo Bartholomew says about Chobi Mela:

So what makes me come back to Chobi Mela, this pioneering festival for photography in Asia? It is the question that I ask myself, now that I am here in Dhaka setting up both my father’s and my exhibitions. Obviously it is the opportunity to show the works and be part of discussions that may provide and lead up to good dialogues and debates. [..]

On January 25, 2013, the opening day, a rally started at 3:30PM in front of the Bangladesh National Museum and ended in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the venue of the opening ceremony. Photoblogger Monirul Alam joined the rally and posted picture in his blog. The roundup of the first week in pictures can be found here.

Chobi Mela VII Inauguration in Dhaka. Instagram Image by author

American Photographer Chris Riley shares the learning from Chobi Mela:

We live in an age within which visual literacy may very well transcend literacy of the word. There is no need to translate a photograph. Photographs contain both an inherent narrative and the ability to interpret. This makes the medium a medium of dialog, unlike film and television with their tightly controlled narrative forms. I watch a documentary and there is no room for me. I study a series of photographs and my head spins with questions and thinking. We have seen images from African, Chinese, Nepalese and Bangladeshi photographers, each telling a story that opens the photographic dialog.

You can follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter (@chobimela).

Chobi Mela VII Theme Photo by Sandra Vitaljić. Thumbnail Image courtesy of Chobi Mela. Also published in Global Voices

Coup Predictions In 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:28:00 +0000

Jay Ulfelder is an American political scientist who theorizes and forecasts political development and instability in various forms, including democratization, coups d’etat, mass atrocities, and civil unrest. Among his 2012 predictions the coup attempts in Mali (March) and Guinea-Bissau (April) came true. He drew the chart for 2013 with estimated coup risk for the 30 countries at greatest risk using essentially the same models he used for 2012. Bangladesh is now shifted to high risk zone with lower values indicating more accurate predictions. A section of politicians are taking about the 1/11 and are really hoping on the military to unsettle the government and usher in a possible regime change. The PM mentioned:

"The aim of the opposition's movement is to foil the hard-earned democracy, bring back the 1/11 and save the 1971 culprits. For this reason, they are burning people to death and vandalising and torching public property."

We have seen that a coup attempt by a section of military was foiled in end 2011, which was to introduce sharia law by Islamist military officers with ties to Hizbut Tahrir. Jay's prediction only tells that the conspiracy is still on. Beware Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: Missed Call - A Tool For Protest?

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:02:00 +0000

An intentional missed call is an widely used method in developing countries, particularly South Asia, the Philippines and large parts of Africa, primarily to save money or minutes. It is essentially the poor man's text message, a free way to nudge another person or company. There is even an app available to complete a miss call with one touch.

A report suggests that missed call can constitute upto 70% of total network traffic of Grameenphone, Bangladesh's largest telephone network in any hour. The cellphone operators in Bangladesh have reduced call rates upto 90% in the past decade to get more customers talking and earn profits by economy of scale. But the price of mobile internet has not come down.

Image by Kahil. CC BY-NC-ND.

Now it seems that there might be other uses of missed call possible. In India some found business in it and in Bangladesh it is proposed as a tool for protest. A Facebook event [bn] titled "Missed call: The tool for our protests" has been created by two Bangladeshi Facebook users, Sedative Hypnotics & Duurzodhon. They have provided the background of the protests in a long post:

২০০৬ সালে যখন বাংলাদেশ যুক্ত হলো এর SEA-ME-WE-4 কেবলে ব্যান্ডউইডথের দামও তখন ছিলো অবিশ্বাস্য রকমের বেশী – প্রতি মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইডথের দাম ছিলো ৮০০০০ হাজার টাকা,ইন্টারনেট তখনো তরুনদের হাতে সহজলভ্য হয় নি, গনমানুষের কাছেও না। ২০০৮ সালে তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকার প্রতি মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইডথের দাম কমিয়ে দেন ২৭০০০ টাকায় । এর পরপরই ‘ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশের’ প্রতিশ্রুতি দিয়ে ক্ষমতায় আসে বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ সরকার। ইন্টারনেট সার্ভিস তৃনমূল পর্যায়ে ছড়িয়ে দেবার প্রত্যাশায় তারা এক এক ধাপে ব্যান্ডউইডথের দাম কমানো শুরু করে। ২৭০০০ টাকা থেকে তারা ২০০৯ সালে প্রতি মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইডথের দাম কমিয়ে আনে ১৮০০০ টাকায়, পরবর্তীতে ২০১২ সালে আবারো কমিয়ে আনে ৮০০০ টাকায়। একইসাথে পরবর্তীতে প্রতি মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইডথের দাম ৮০০০ থেকে ৫০০০ টাকায় নামিয়ে আনার পরিকল্পনার কথা জানিয়েছে BTRC

In 2006 when Bangladesh was connected to the SEA-ME-WE-4 cable the price of Bandwidth was exorbitant - per Mbit/s bandwidth was BDT 80,000 (approximately USD 1,125). Internet was not available to masses then, especially to the youth. In 2008 the government reduced the price to BDT 27000. After that the Awami League government came to power with its "Digital Bangladesh" slogan. They started reducing the cost of bandwidth in several steps to make it available to the grassroots population. In 2009 per Mbit/s was reduced to BDT 18,000 (approximately USD 250) and in 2012 it was further cut down to BDT 8000 (USD 100). The regulatory body BTRC has plans to bring down the price of 1 Mbit/s to BDT 5000 (USD 60) soon.

They ask whether the consumers are getting the benefit of these price cuts:

আপনাদের মনে থাকার কথা, ২০০৬ সালে EDGE সার্ভিস চালু করা গ্রামীনফোনের ইন্টারনেট খরচ এখনো সেই আগেরমতই আছে । ২০০৯ সালের ১ জিবি ইন্টারনেটের প্যাকেজের দাম এখনো ৩৫০ টাকাই আছে ।এর মাঝে সরকার ঠিকই দুই দফায় দাম কমালেও তারা কমায় নি । একই কথা খাটে বাংলালিংক,এয়ারটেল,রবি সহ অন্যান্য অপারেটরদের ক্ষেত্রেও । [..] আপনারা খেয়াল করুন, প্রতি ১০ মেগাবাইট ইন্টারনেটের প্যাকেজ এয়ারটেলের ক্ষেত্রে বাংলাদেশ ১০ টাকা (ভ্যাট ছাড়া)পড়বে , অথচ একই কোম্পানী ভারতে (টুজি নেটওয়ার্কে) ১০ রুপীতে (বাংলাদেশী ১৪.৮০ পয়সা) ১২৫ মেগাবাইট ইন্টারনেট দিচ্ছে ! [..]এভাবেই সরকার দাম কমিয়ে গেলেও আমজনতা কোনো রেহাই তো পাচ্ছেই না, বরঙ অন্য দেশের তুলনায় আমাদের কাছ থেকে দামও বেশী রাখা হচ্ছে

If you can remember, GrameenPhone introduced their EDGE package in 2006 and the price remained constant Their 1GB volume shared internet package is still BDT 350. The government has reduced price twice in the meantime but their price has not changed a bit. The same complain applies for Banglalink, Rabi, Airtel and other operators. [..] Airtel's per 10MB internet volume package is BDT 10 in Bangladesh. But the same company offers 125 MB in India at INR 10 (BDT 15). [..] In this way the price cuts by the government had no effect on the consumers who are getting overcharged comparing to neighboring countries.

A student of Dhaka University before a huge wall painting of Communism talks over mobile phone. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (15/5/2012)

And on why the method of protest is by missed call?

নির্দিষ্ট একটি তারিখে নির্দিষ্ট সময়ে আমরা সবাই মোবাইল অপারেটরদের নেটওয়ার্ক ব্যস্ত রাখবো , কিন্তু এক পয়সাও খরচ করবো না । আর সেই উপায় হলো মিসড কল । একটি নির্দিষ্ট তারিখে পিক আওয়ারে আমরা সবাই যদি গনহারে পরিচিতজনদের মিসড কল দেয়া শুরু করি , তবে মোবাইল অপারেটরদের বি টি এস ব্যস্ত থাকবে ঠিকই, কিন্তু যেহেতু আমাদের কারও কোনো খরচ করতে হচ্ছে না, তাই আমাদের কোনো ক্ষতি হবে না । যা ক্ষতি হবার হবে কোম্পানীর,কারন সেই সময় আমরা তাদের নেটয়ার্ক ব্যবহার করেছি ঠিকই কিন্তু কোন টাকা দিচ্ছিনা! আমরা অনেক মানুষ যদি একত্রিত হতে পারি,তবে কোম্পানীর ক্ষতিটা নেহায়েত কম না ।

We will keep every mobile network busy at a specific time and date, without spending a penny. And the easiest way is to use "miss call". If we start to send miss call to our contacts in a specific time, then the BTS of the mobile operators will be busy. As we are not paying anything, we have nothing to lose. The company will lose as we are using their network without any revenue. If a lot of people can do it at once then the impact will be felt by the company.

The Facebook event has gone viral and more than 140,000 people have already been invited and approximately 15000 people said yes. According to an update by Duurjodhon:

শুধু ইন্টারনেটের দাম কমানোই নয় , আমরা বিভিন্ন অপারেটর কর্তৃক সকালে বা গভীর রাতে ইচ্ছেমত পাঠানো স্প্যাম মেসেজের বিরোধিতাও করি ।

Not only reducing the price of mobile internet, we are protesting also the sending of spam sms by operators, even after midnight.

Blogger Robin supports the cause and has more innovation:

আমার সাথে অনেক বন্ধু বান্ধব আছে যাদের মোবাইল ফোন দুই বা ততোধিক... আমার অবশ্য দুইটা ফোনসেট [..]

ভাবতেছি, দুইটাই সাইলেন্ট কইরে একটা থেকে আরেকটায় অটোমেটিক রি-ডায়াল দিয়া থুইয়া দেব... [..]

I have many friends who has two or more mobile phones.. I have two sets by the way.. [..]

I am thinking I will keep the sets silent and place both calling each other using auto-redial... [..]

Rasel Parvez writes in Facebook:

অহিংস ক্ষতিসাধনের আইডিয়াটা চমৎকার নিঃসন্দেহে, যদিও একই সাথে এইসব অদ্ভুত আন্দোলন ধারণা কৌতুককর অনুভুতি তৈরি করে

বিনোদন বিলাসিতা না কি প্রয়োজনীয় কর্মকান্ড এটা নিয়ে অনেক মাত্রার বিতর্ক হতে পারে, যদি আন্দোলনকারীরা মিস্কল মিসকল না খেলে বরং সরাসরি মোবাইলে ইন্টারনেট বন্ধ করার হুমকি দিতো এবং সেটা ব্যপক পরিসরে ছড়িয়ে দিতো আন্দোলন আরও সফল হওয়ার সম্ভবনা থাকতো।

আমাদের ভোক্তা অধিকারসংরক্ষণের একটি সংগঠন আছে, তারা যদি মোবাইল কোম্পানীর পরিচলন ব্যয় এবং ভোক্তার প্রদত্ত মূল্যের তুলনামূলক আলোচনা করে ভোক্তা অধিকার আইনে একটা রীট দায়ের করতো কিংবা যদি সরকারকে এ ডাকাতি সম্পর্কে অবহিত করতো সেটা আরও ফলদায়ক হতে পারতো

The idea of doing harm without violence is novel, even if these kinds of weird ideas stimulate a laughing sensation.

Using internet in cellphone is a luxury or a necessity that is much debatable. If the protesters could avoid this miss call game and instead threatened to stop the use of mobile internet and made it a bigger campaign then they could be more successful.

We have a consumer rights organization, they could compare the operating costs of the mobile internet and the price for the end consumers and take legal measures against the operators if necessary. They could even produce evidences of malpractices to the government.

According to the event page:

আপনারা রবিবার সকাল ১০ টা থেকে দুপুর ১ টা পর্যন্ত কোন কল রিসিভ করবেন না। আপনাদের এতটুকু আত্মত্যাগ আমাদের সবার স্বপ্ন পূরন আর দাবি আদায়ের হাতিয়ার হবে। তাই সবাই ৩ ঘন্টা সময় দিন।

এত দিনের অনাচারের বিরুদ্ধে তিন ঘন্টার প্রতিবাদ কি খুব বেশী ?

Please do not receive any call in your mobile between 10AM-1PM next Sunday. Your sacrifice will help us achieve our goal and make our dreams come true. Please give us 3 hours.

Is 3 hours too long to protest against the injustice that is happening for years?

Also published in Global Voices Online.

Urban Launchpad Working On The First Bus Map of Dhaka

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:03:00 +0000

Image by Masuk Ahmed, courtesy Urban Launchpad

Dhaka is one of the world’s most densely populated, poorly designed, noisy, poorly administered and difficult to live in cities in the world. But on the brighter side it is also one of the cheapest cities to live. Only a small portion of the population of Dhaka has private transport. The public transport is available for the masses but not that efficient with virtually no workable map of the transport lines. But Dhaka may have a savior.

A bunch of entrepreneurs including architects, geeks and adventurers have launched a platform called The Urban Launchpad. Founded in 2011, it is a social-venture dedicated to building open urban info-structures in places around the world that need it the most.

Their latest project is the Bus Map of Dhaka and here is why:

In Dhaka, car ownership is at a low 1%, which means now is the critical time to shore up the alternatives and the 5 million plus ridership bus system (one of the largest in the world) is perhaps the best place to start. [..] Riding a bus in Dhaka, however, requires a bit of bravery (as we found out). First, since the informal network is a hodgepodge of services from private operators who manage their fleets independently, it is difficult for both a visitor and a lifelong local to figure out which bus goes where. There are few official bus stops and no signage that matches the buses or the stops.

What is interesting that Urban Launchpad is using crowdsourcing to gather information. They have coined the term Flocksourcing (Flocks + Mobiles) which will help rapid generation of urban data. The initial design brief can be found here:

The Urban Launchpad: Initial Design Brief from Albert Ching

If you believe this project can make a difference please consider donating at their Kickstarter page. Also please keep an eye on its blog for updates.

Hacking as a communication tool

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:08:00 +0000

Umm I didn't get it. Bangladeshi hacker defaces Punjab Assembly website to protest a Pakistani hacker's attack on some Bangladeshi sites. The site was restored and was hacked again by the Pakistani hacker to send a message to Bangladeshi hackers to not to mess with Pakistani websites. Since when hacking became a communication tool?

Bangladesh: A remarkable improvement

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 18:20:00 +0000

Here is a great documentary report on the Economist on the surprising progress on social issues by Bangladesh despite poverty. The video was shot by GMB Akash, one of the best photographers of Bangladesh.

'Industrial Scale’ Hunting of Migratory Amur Falcons in Nagaland, India

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 18:06:00 +0000

Every year thousands of migratory Amur falcons (Falco amurensis) are hunted by locals in the Indian State of Nagaland during their passage through that region. The massacre was first documented on November 1, 2012, by Shashank Dalvi and Ramki Sreenivasan on the Indian online campaign site 'Conservation India' where they wrote that "a mind-boggling 120,000 to 140,000 birds are being slaughtered in Nagaland every year during their passage through the state."

Every October, a large numbers of Amur falcons arrive in northeast India and Bangladesh from Siberia en route to their final destination — Somalia, Kenya and South Africa. Amur falcons travel up to 22,000 km in a year, in one of the longest migration routes of all birds.

Amur Falcon (Falco Amurensis). Image by Alastair Rae, from Wikipedia. CC BY-SA

Last month a group of activists (Ramki Sreenivasan from Conservation India, Shashank Dalvi, Bano Haralu, Rokohebi Kuotsu) travelled to Nagaland to check out information that thousands of falcons were being hunted annually on the banks of the Doyang reservoir during their passage through that region. They accompanied a hunting group and documented the massacre:

The Amurs spend the day on the transmission wires (almost entirely inaccessible to hunters) and descend to forested patches along the banks of the reservoir to roost (see map). The hunters ruthlessly exploit this particular behavior and set-up huge fishing nets (30-40m long, 10-12m tall) all over the roosting sites. Birds get caught in the nets in large numbers. These birds get tangled in the nets while they come to roost during late evenings or when they leave the roost early in the morning. The nets were permanent and the hunters come every morning to remove the trapped birds. The nets were observed over the entire roosting area giving virtually no safe area for the birds. Branches and paths were cleared to set up the nets.

Here is a video of the terrible proceedings (warning: graphic images):
The Amur Falcon Massacre, Doyang, Nagaland from Conservation India on Vimeo.

Now the shocking figures:

Each hunting group had set-up at least 10 nets. On an average, 18 birds (18.30, n=23) were caught per net; hence each group catches about 180 birds per day. This was confirmed with interviews with hunters. We were also informed that about 60-70 hunting groups operate every day. This means during the peak migration about 12,000 to 14,000 birds are caught everyday.

Each bird is sold door-to-door in nearby villages as a fresh food for a price of about Rs. 25 ($0.5). Reports say local villagers can earn a few thousand rupees by selling the smoked Amur falcons. It may be noted that Amur killing is illegal and banned by the local authorities since 2010. This story went viral and news quickly spread around the world shocking many people. There were a number of petitions online. Soon other popular sites like National Geographic highlighted the issue and called for a global solution. National Geographic commented:

The local people filmed by Conservation India catching Amur falcons, breaking their wings, sorting them, smoking them, and trading in them, cannot possibly enjoy this annual activity and do this purely for money and trade goods.

Amur Falcons being extracted from the net by hunters. Screenshot from the video by Conservation India.

Birdlife International wrote:

The recent trapping and slaughter appears to have been taking place on an ‘industrial scale’ and unless stopped will clearly have a devastating affect on the birds’ global population at these unsustainable levels.

The site also confirms that with the help of their advocacy the following happened:

The Honourable Minister (for environment and forests), Miss Jayanthi Natarajan personally intervened and The Indian Forest Department and District Administration also acted fast to destroy nets and release several still-captive falcons. The sale of falcons has now been stopped and at least one person has already been jailed.

However, hunters in Nagaland has defied the ban for many years and it may happen again in future if the behaviors of the local hunters are not changed. The Chief Wildlife Warden, Nagaland, Dimapur stated in a press note:

Seizing and releasing of the birds from the possession of the offenders did not discourage them but rather, they resented and rebelled against the action taken and continued their offence.

The press note also talks about education and awareness campaign for the local villagers and stakeholders as a future course of action. According to latest news the State department of forest, ecology, environment and wildlife has directed district forest officers (DFOs) of Mokokchung, Zunheboto and Wokha districts to immediately ban the act of capturing and killing of Amur Falcon. Bogdan Draganescu comments at the Conservation India post:

Just because these birds are numerous and are not on the verge of extinction, does not mean they are food for humans. animals should be respected not only as individuals but also as groups and societies. just as a flock of birds is. a living entity and a result of evolution of life. this is what we have to respect and conserve.

First Published in Global Voices Online.

Factory Fire In Bangladesh Questions Exploitation Of Workers

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Bangladesh has more 4,000 ready-made clothes factories of different sizes, which are earning more than three-quarters of the countries export revenue. The world’s third-largest garments export industry employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women.

Over two decades these garments factories contributed to changing the role of poor Bangladeshi women who mostly used to work as housemaids. Although the cost of labor is low Vikas Bajaj wrote in the New York Times what positive impact this industry had on the families and off-springs of the female workers and how it empowered them.

As a developing country Bangladesh is under close scrutiny by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and Corporate Social Responsibility Stakeholders regarding compliance. In the past five years both CSR experts and buyers report improved labor and social compliance standards. But there are still some areas of compliance that needs further improvement. The government has been stringent on eradicating child labor and increased fire safety measures but some entrepreneurs are more keen on profit rather than improving working conditions.

The factory destroyed by fire killing more than 100 workers. Image by Ibrahim. Copyright Demotix (25/11/2012)

The recent tragic fire at Tazreen Fashions Ltd's nine story factory building in Nischintapur, Ashulia (near the Capital Dhaka) that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Although the factory had a total of 335 fire extinguishing equipment and 300 trained employees to fight fire in emergency situations, there was no visible efforts to douse the flames. The fire alarm went off at right time but witnesses claimed that a number of doors were locked by the management preventing the workers from escaping.

As the images of burnt bodies emerged in the social media and in TV broadcasts many people were shocked and outraged. Thousands of angry garments workers protested today (Monday) demanding justice and better working conditions. Many netizens vented their rage in Facebook, blog and other social media asking many questions.
more>>>>>;

Rahnuma Ahmed writes:

Fifty-nine of the 111, which means more than half, were burnt beyond recognition. I heard a firefighter say on television, the bodies had been reduced to a skeleton.

She quotes Abir Abdullah, a photographer:

It was difficult for me to take the photograph, disfigured still beautiful, with a small ornament visible on her destroyed nose. I felt sad to take the photo [but] at the same time I felt grief and anger inside me [I still took it wanting] to show [everyone] the gruesome portrait to [make them] understand and make the world realize, how much importance they get when dead but nothing when alive.

Fire victim cries after seeing her relative who died in the garment factory fire. Image by Rehman Asad. Copyright Demotix (25/11/2012)

Seeker writes:

Dr Kamal Hossain, a prominent lawyer and politician commented that the lives lost in Ashulia Fire Tragedy is life lost to greed, profit. He termed these deaths as evidence of life’s worthlessness on the face of commodity and business aspirations. Shocking – yes, truly shocking that this is the case in 21 Century Bangladesh. But it’s a sad reality.

Also theories emerged as to whether this incident was a deliberate act of arson. A female worker was nabbed today in a nearby garments factory trying to arson it. She confessed to police [bn] that she was paid Taka 20,000 ($250) for this crime. The Prime Minister said at the parliament that the fire was pre-planned and interlinked with several violent incidents taking place in the country lately.

But Rahnuma Ahmed lashes at all these theories and explanations:

The problem, say BGMEA leaders, is the rush, the panic. The problem, they say, is mid-level management. The problem, they say, is the short circuit. [..]

“Mid-level management” is an easy cop-out, it seeks to prevent questions being raised as to precisely why people who are callous and indifferent, who treat workers like cattle, who cuss and swear at them, who lock exits, who tell the workers to get back to work when a fire breaks out, are hired in the first place. The answer is ugly. To rake in more and ever-more profits.

The stairs to the exit and the one to the storehouse were side by side, a flagrant violation of rules. As I watched BGMEA leaders blame the fire brigade for having issued safety licences, blame the factory inspector, I wondered how could they not just break down and cry? Is it because they are scared of being implicated? The “brave entrepreneur” story is a capitalist myth.

The government has declared compensations for the victims and the nation will observe the day of mourning. It also vowed to shut the factories which do not have sufficient fire escape installations. However Kuloda Roy [bn] blames the government and political parties of the country for ignoring the issue of improving the working conditions of the workers for long. He also blames the civil societies:

মানবাধিকার সংস্থাগুলো, তোমরা কয়টা ঘটনার মনিটরিং বজায় রেখেছ? কয়টার জন্য দায়ী ব্যক্তিদের শাস্তি বিধানে মামলা করেছ? বা করার ব্যবস্থা নিয়েছ? এনজিওগণ শুধু সুদ-আসলের কিস্তি আদায় করা ছাড়া নাগরিকের জন্য কী করছ?

Human Rights Organizations, how many monitoring have you done? How many law suits have you filed against the accused? Or at least have tried? What have you NGOs done for the citizens except micro-loans business?

The civil society and activists have called a protest tomorrow at 3PM in the capital Dhaka.
Shahidul Alam translates the poster above:

Protest called: Outside National Museum on 27th November 2012 at 3:00 pm

They locked me
They burnt me alive
I don’t want any more press statements
Why is the factory a prison
I do not accept having to work under lockup conditions
I DO NOT!

We demand a real investigation, justice and punishment of those responsible We want the guarantee of natural deaths

Join the Protest Rally at 3 pm, Tuesday, 27 November 2012 outside the National Museum, Shahbagh, Dhaka

Writers-artists-teachers-cultural-political activists-citizens

Also published in Global Voices Online.

Protests In Phulbari Against Open Pit Coal Mining Project

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:12:00 +0000

In Phulbari, 350 kilometers northwest of the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, local communities have come together to raise their voices against the proposed Phulbari open pit coal mining project. On November 23, 2012 the authorities had imposed Section 144 banning gatherings of more than four people indefinitely in effort to stop the demonstrations. Thousands of people took to the streets defying the ban and today is the second day[bn] of general strike in Phulbari.

Bangladesh is sitting on a considerable amount of coal and gas reserve and in 1997, when the Phulbari coal reserve (572 mill tonne) [bn] was discovered, it caught everybody's attention. The licensee of the mining project Asia Energy PLC from UK chose the open pit method, a polluting method of surface mining, which promises 80% extraction. The project, if implement fully, will acquire more than 100 villages within a 59 sq. km radius and relocate hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.

Protests in Phulbari, the police is keeping watch. Image by Shahriar Sunny.

Read more>>>
In 2006, protests started against the project and three people died and scores injured as the security forces opened fire on an uncontrollable agitation [bn] by the inhabitants of Phulbari. The government mediated and diffused the situation with some promises that include compensations for the victims, and revoking the license. The project was stalled when the regime changed and emergency rule was imposed in Bangladesh in early 2007.

In 2011 it emerged that Global Coal Management (GCM) Resources, formerly Asia Energy, started talks with the Bangladesh government to reconsider the open pit coal mining project. Meanwhilethey are back in business with a two-year survey in and around the proposed Phulbari coal mining area.

Demonstrators hold placards and banners outside Global Coal Resources AGM in London, UK, against the open-cast coal mine project proposal in Phulbari. Image by James Melik. Copyright Demotix (6 Dec 2010).

Journalist and blogger Prabir Kumar Sarker writes [bn] why the project is detrimental to the local population:

ফেব্রুয়ারির ২৮ তারিখে জাতিসঙ্ঘের মানবাধিকার বিশেষজ্ঞরা ফুলবাড়িতে উন্মুক্ত কয়লা খনির পরিকল্পনায় আশংকা প্রকাশ করেন। এই প্রকল্প শুরু না করতে তারা সরকারকে অনুরোধ জানায়।

On February 28, 2012 United Nations independent human rights experts warned about the perils of construction of an open-pit coal mine in Phulbhari. They had requested the Bangladesh government not to start the operations.

According to the expert's statement:

The proposed mine would immediately displace an estimated 50,000 to 130,000 people, with up to 220,000 potentially being affected over time as irrigation channels and wells dry up.

In addition, the project would reportedly extract 572 million tons of coal over the next 36 years from a site covering nearly 6,000 hectares, and destroy some 12,000 hectares of productive agricultural land.

Housewives protesting on the street, its about their existence, livelihood. Image by Shahriar Sunny.

On 22nd of February, 2012 the London Mining Network and International Accountability Project mentioned in a report that:

Efforts to formulate and approve a new national coal policy in Bangladesh have repeatedly been impeded by controversy over whether it will include a ban on open-pit coal mining. Proponents of a ban point out that the nation’s coal reserves are located in an extremely densely populated region, which means that open-pit mining would have an enormous human cost.

The report also explains how developing countries are losing by slashing taxes and royalty rates to attract capital investment and they benefit from tax holidays and exemptions.

The International Accountability project has a timeline of events which shows the latest developments in Phulbari:

May 7, 2012: Police attack and beat demonstrators calling on the government of Bangladesh to halt the Phulbari Coal Mine and pursue renewable energy, injuring 15 people…more>>>

August 26, 2012: Thousands of people join Phulbari Day rally more>>>

November 9, 2012: National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports calls on government to ban open-pit mining & implement agreement to expel GCM from Bangladesh. more>>>

November 13, 2012: Thousands of people march in Phulbari demanding withdrawal of an order from the Home Ministry instructing local administrations & law enforcement agencies to assist Asia Energy, GCM's subsidiary, to conduct surveys of coal deposits in Phulbari…more>>>

Thousands of local people gathered in Phulbari for protest. Image by Shahriar Sunny.

November 23, 2012: Thousands of people brave police barricades to demonstrate in Phulbari, defying government ban on public gatherings, and the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports announces a daylong general strike in Phulbari for Saturday, 24 November more>>>

November 24, 2012: Several thousand people break through police barricades and take to the streets in Phulbari to defy government ban on public gatherings.more>>>

November 24, 2012: Protesters rally in Phulbari, and trains are halted, roads blockaded, and schools and businesses are closed. The general strike will continue tomorrow more>>>

Activists are also protesting poor coverage of the news in mainstream media. Professor Anu Muhammad complained [bn] in an interview at Unmochon.com that despite the press conference by National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, the mainstream media is almost ignoring this issue.

They are also irked by the recommendations by a government expert's committee who opined that“open pit mine” is a reality. BBC Bangla [bn] reports that the government is ready for talks with the protesters as the strikes continued for the second day today.

For more information please read this fact sheet (pdf). Also published in Global Voices Online.

Making a Difference

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:07:00 +0000

On September 15 I was in Cox's Bazar to attend the International Coastal Cleanup Day event arranged by Kewkaradong Bangladesh. I have written in details about it which has been published in the 9th edition of TRINO, Bangladesh's top adventure magazine. You can read it here (Page 15-21):

Open publication - Free publishing - More roger payne

Please click here if the above doesn't work. I have taken a number of pictures during that trip. You can find them here and here.

Live Blogging US Elctions

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 02:39:00 +0000

As per CNN exit polls the contest seems to be neck-a neck. People are getting frustrated in the slow pace of election results. Please click on this link or this link for the latest standings.

CNN: 21 moments that defined the campaign and America
BREAKING: Tweets around #Election2012 just surpassed 11 million for the day.
— Twitter Government (@gov) November 7, 2012
Twitter hit 20 million tweets on US election today, making it the most tweeted election

The latest standings as on 10:47 pm Washington Time:

At 11:06 pm Washington Time:

11:29 pm Washington Time:

Obama wins the presidential race. elections.huffingtonpost.com/2012/results via @huffpostpol
— Rezwan (@rezwan) November 7, 2012

Links: Sajib is live blogging from Bangladesh For a Bengali version of Sajib's blog, see here. You can also follow the Facebook page of U.S. Embassy in Dhaka for live updates. More updates coming..

At the gateway to the angkor city

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:27:00 +0000

So, here I am, in Siem Reap, another popular city of South Asia which is very tourist friendly. Do you know that although Cambodia has its own currency (1$=4000Crl) USD is widely used, even in price tags.

Siem Reap means the 'Flat Defeat of Siam (present day Thailand)' — and refers to the victory of King Ang Chan over Thai King Maha Chakkraphat in the Sixteenth century. It is also called the gateway to the Angkor region. Angkor (Holy City) served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. Angkor had been the largest preindustrial city in the world, with an elaborate system of infrastructure for urban inhabitants spanning at least 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi). The well-known Angkor temple complexes were at its core.

A Siem Reap Street

In the fifteenth century Thai King Ayutthaya sacked the Khmer capital Angkor and its population migrated. Angkor became an abandoned city with its temple and other structures were in ruins. Only Angkor Wat survived as a Buddhist shrine.

The great city and temples remained largely hidden by the forests grown over them until the late 19th century, when French archaeologists began a long restoration process. The work lasted from 1907 to 1970 under the direction of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, which cleared away the forest and repaired/renovated the complexes. Now almost a million tourists come to visit the Angkor temples.

Not only for the temples, I have come here for the Blogfest Asia 2012, a conference for bloggers interested in Asia. I will also give a presentation. It gave me an opportunity to connect to some known faces of Southeast Asian bloggers namely Sopheap Chak and Tharum Bun from Cambodia. Around 100 Cambodian bloggers and fifty bloggers from many Southeast Asian countries have started to arrive for the event.

I am quoting from Filipino blogger Tonyo:

The program covers diverse topics from the basic to advanced, and also aims to discuss issues and concerns that affect bloggers and technologists in the continent. Topics include: mobile blogging, photo blogging, digital comics, Wikimedia Commons, Internet Security, online advocacy, long form writing, the Philippines’ cybercrime law and Southeast Asia media situation.

Coming here was a challenge because Cambodia does not have an embassy in Dhaka. I had to get the visa in Thailand instead of an on arrival visa at the border. This was due to the fact that my travel agent informed that I had to pay $600 for the Bangkok-Siem Reap route (500 km). Whereas the Dhaka-Bangkok route was only $450. As I am paying for my own travel I was looking for alternatives. So there it was - going from Bangkok to Siem Reap by Bus and Taxi (Takes 7-9 hours) at one tenth of the plane fare. But the land borders are usually filled with scams and non-cooperative officials just to put you in an awkward situation (read in a forum that someone from India was sent back to Bangkok from the Border to get the visa). So I obtained the visa in advance and the ride was not that bad as expected.

Night life at the banks of Siem Reap river

Siem reap is a vibrant city full of Western and Asian tourists with modern hotels, international food choices and tourism infrastructure. getting around is fairly cheap comparing to megacities in South Asia, making the town more attractive to tourists. The SIM card is cheap - I bought it for $1 with $1 credit and purchased $2 internet package (600MB 1 week). The local calls via mobile is like 7 cents per minute. I went to a restaurant which had happy hour for all foods and drinks for $1 (I am not kidding). My $16 guest house provides a single room with TV, AC, clean attached toilet with hot water, Wifi and complimentary breakfast.

Lok Lak - A Cambodian dish

I spent the first day in exploring the city and going to the Kompong Phluke - a floating village at the Tonle Sap lake. Pictures will be uploaded soon. Follow my twitter account for updates. Ending here with solidarity to other bloggers according to Tonyo:

National boundaries (and controversies over them) may separate us, but our passion for free expression whether thru text, video, photo or the technology bind us together.

Eid Mubarak: The Tale Of A Cow

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:36:00 +0000

On this Eid I promise you an interesting real life story as seen on Facebook. Eid Mubarak!

Deadpool Stc: Cow absconding from Hatirpul. A cow that witnessed the slaughter of inmates at a building in Hatirpul managed to untangle its rope and ran like a bat from hell. The buyer of the cow gave chase on a car.Cow was last spotted at Shahbagh, after taking a detour from Moghbazar. The car is still chasing the cow. But, cow seems faster. Saad Hammadi is getting updates for us. And no, this is NOT a joke. We are rooting for the cow here (10 hours ago via mobile)

Deadpool Stc Update: A bike and a group of ppl, who seems to have nothing better to do, is also chasing the cow now. This has to be the Tom Cruise of cows!

Shahnaz Parveen: Cow jindabaad

Deadpool Stc Update: Cow has entered Dhaka University area. When some DU students, who were basically waiting for their perpetually late girlfriends, tried to be thorns in the cow's side, the valiant cow snapped. It injured a few ppl thr. Finally the buyers have decided to sacrifice it at DU premises. Noble try, cow: You'll be remembered as the one that had gotten away...almost. (10 hours ago via mobile)

Saad Hammadi Prison break: The Cow was finally stopped at Dhaka University area. The owners/my neighbours have made a tough run after the cow for almost an hour, some on feet and one on a bike. (10 hours ago)

Naeem Mohaiemen: Run Cow Run

Konka Karim: i'm a bit confused, who should i be proud more of, the cow or the owner???

Saad Hammadi: After its capture, the biker made a triumphant return home to be the first to give the news. He was also wounded in the chest. I wonder if the cow kicked him or what but from his words, the became ferocious and wasn't in a state to be brought back.

Mac Haque: Long live the Cow :) "মনের পশুরে করো জবাই পশুরাও বাঁচে বাঁচে সবাই..."-কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম।

Gangnam Invades Dhaka

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:43:00 +0000

We live in a connected world and are somewhat influenced by world culture. If you do not agree to this may I dare to give an example of this?

"Gangnam Style" is a K-pop single by Korean musician PSY which was released on July 15, 2012. "Gangnam Style" is a Korean term that refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district of Seoul, where people are trendy, hip and are of a higher "class".

"Gangnam Style" has managed to catch the attention of media outlets around the world and many celebrities have endorsed it. The music video has also become popular worldwide, with over 295 million views on YouTube as of September 27, 2012. This video was recognized by Guinness World Records as the "Most 'Liked' Video in YouTube History".

And now comes the fun part. Gangnam style flash mobs started become appearing in places around the world. The first such event was held in August 2012 in Pasadena, California, sponsored by the South Korean broadcasting and entertainment company Mnet Media. It soon spread in Sydney, New York, Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Bangkok, Asuncion, Berlin and other cities.

A Gangnam style flash mob also invaded Dhaka recently. It was filmed in front of Wasa building in Karwan Bazar and the video was quickly spread to thousands via Facebook. The video was released by The Project and was edited by Fahad Zaman.

It was really interesting to see how Bangladeshis, in a connected world welcome new cultural elements and can join the fun. What do you think of this video?

Baby Taxi (Autorickshaw)

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Cartoon by Rakibul Hasan

Auto rickshaws (locally called "baby taxis" or "CNGs") are one of the most popular modes of transport in Bangladesh. They are best suited to narrow, crowded streets, and are thus the principal means of covering longer distances within urban areas. In Dhaka they should run on a meter system but due to price hike in their rent from the owners, the Baby taxi drivers are charging extra from the passengers. They ask exorbitant prices and you have to negotiate the price. Usually when you are in a hurry you end up paying extra with a bitter experience. Sadly the authorities are least bothered. I try to avid them now and look for other options of transport.

How To Activate DISQUS Commenting System in Blogger instead of Haloscan Echo

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:50:00 +0000

When I first started my blog in blogger in 2003 its comment system was not great. Haloscan (est. in 2002) was one of the third-party blog comment hosting services available in those days and I guess in 2005 I started using Haloscan. Haloscan was acquired by JS-Kit in 2008 and was renamed Echo in 2009. The users of Haloscan were forced to switch to JS-Kit Echo paying a fee. I could go back to blogger's own commenting system which became mature by then. But one problem was how to retain the hundreds of comments I had received back then. So I decided to switch to Echo.

In April 2012 Echo announced that Echo would discontinue JS-Kit, Haloscan and Echo comment modules from October 1, 2012 in favor of social media applications.

As many of you know, in late 2010, Echo decided to shift our product strategy and start offering a real-time platform as opposed to strictly a commenting application. Since then, Echo has evolved our original commenting solution into a new business model that provides a real-time platform for social tv, social news, social music and social commerce. As such, we unfortunately can no longer commit to the level of support that you have come to expect on our original commenting product.

Now the challenge for me was to find a new commenting service or go back to the blogger's own commenting system. And the previous concern was there too that whether I can retain all previous comments on my blog. A great savior was DISQUS which I first saw embedded in Global Voices site. It has a lot to offer.

Disqus (est. in 2007) is an online discussion and commenting service for websites and online communities that uses a networked platform. The company’s platform includes various features, such as social integration, social networking, user profiles, spam and moderation tools, analytics, email notifications, and mobile commenting. (Wikipedia)

Disqus is written in JavaScript and is powered by a back end primarily written in Django. It is supported by all major webbrowsers. So how to switch to Disqus, if you are a Haloscan user in Blogger? First read this quick start guide and create an account in Disqus, register your site and create a short name for your site. Then install Disqus in your site according to platform specific instructions.

Now the best part - here is a step by step guide for importing previous comments from JS-Kit (first you have to export them from JS-Kit and yes within September 30, 2012). After uploading Disqus will take upto 24 hours to process all your previous comments. I am yet to see the result of the import. But here is to hoping that I don't lose much.

p.s. If you want to do it manually in Blogger then this may help.

Pictures Lie Sometimes

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 22:30:00 +0000

I was browsing through the Google Maps and noticed this at the Naval Air Station Alameda, in the City of Alameda, California:

A Boeing airliner was used as the mock-up of a crashed plane (2009)

I was curious about this plane crash. So I googled and found this:

Google Maps aerial view has got some great shots of a simulated plane crash that was created for the television series Trauma. The mock airliner crash was filmed on the runway of the former Navy base at Alameda Point.

Waiting waiting....

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:22:00 +0000

There is a growing trend of anarchy in Bangladesh regarding doctors appointment. In most of the cases the appointments are not timely kept. Its a regular phenomenon that the patient has to wait for hours to see a doctor. The doctors tend to disregard the patient's comfort and availability of time.

I wonder how this trend is going to change if the consumers of medical service do not protest.
[Mo blog]

5000 Miles Bicycle Ride For Climate Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (Rezwan) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 20:55:00 +0000

For many people the idea of climate change is of growing concern as they are not directly threatened. The people of Bangladesh however are becoming increasingly alarmed at the potentially devastating consequences of the sea level rise and climate change. The USA has the highest consumption of plastic based product and the largest consumer market for bottled water. Each year, Americans throw away some 28 million tons of plastic waste.

Muntasir Mamun and Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Ujjal, two activists from Bangladesh are riding this summer on a tandem bike to collect and measure the amount of plastic and other waste they come across during their 5000 mile journey from Seattle to New York.

Ashrafuzzaman Ujjal and Muntasir Mamun with their tandem bike in USA. Image courtesy Trashmaniac.com

Rayhan Rashid introduces them [bn] and their efforts in Nirmaan Blog:

জলবায়ুর পরিবর্তনজনিত সংকটের দেশ বাংলাদেশের দুই তরুণ মুনতাসির মামুন এবং আশরাফুজ্জামান উজ্জ্বল। ওরা সুদূর আমেরিকার এ প্রান্ত থেকে ও প্রান্ত পর্যন্ত সাইকেলে ছুটে চলেছে। পথের মধ্যে যেখানেই পাচ্ছে ওরা খুঁজে নিচ্ছে এবং মোবাইল ফোনে রেকর্ডভুক্ত করছে ফেলে দেয়া বোতল থেকে শুরু করে পানীয়ের ছুঁড়ে দেয়া ক্যান আর এ জাতীয় যাবতীয় আবর্জনা। প্রখর রোদে মরুভূমির বুক চিরে পথ অতিক্রমণের কষ্ট, যাত্রাপথের অর্থকষ্ট, আহারের কষ্ট, পানীয়ের কষ্ট, আশ্রয়ের কষ্ট – এই সব কিছুকে বৃদ্ধাঙ্গুলী দেখিয়ে ওদের এই পথ চলার উদ্দেশ্য হল বঙ্গোপসাগরের তীরবর্তী এককালের এক সবুজ ব-দ্বীপের মানুষদের পক্ষ থেকে সহজ কিন্তু দৃঢ় একটি বার্তা বয়ে নিয়ে যাওয়া।

Bangladesh is a country riddled with the perils of climate change. Two young men from this Asian country are riding on a tandem bike from one corner of USA to the other. They are collecting trashes like empty bottles and cans on the way and are recording them on their mobile phones. They are enduring the pain of riding through the deserts, with shortage of cash, constantly worrying about food and lodging. They are forging ahead overcoming all these obstacles to carry a simple but strong message on behalf of the people from a green delta near the Bay of Bengal.

http://www.trashmaniac.com/

জলবায়ু অবনতির জন্য উন্নত বিশ্বের যে দেশগুলোর কনজিউমারিজম এবং অপচয় দায়ী তার মধ্যে মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্র অন্যতম, তাই সেই দেশের সাধারণ মানুষদেরই ওরা বেছে নিয়েছে এই গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বার্তাটির প্রাপক হিসেবে। যাতে তারা আরও সচেতন হতে পারেন নিজেদের জীবনযাপনে অপচয়গুলোর ব্যাপারে, এবং সেইসাথে অনুধাবন করতে পারেন পৃথিবীর এক প্রান্তের মানুষের চিন্তাহীন অপচয়ী জীবনধারার মূল্য পৃথিবীর অন্য প্রান্তের মানুষদেরও কখনো কখনো দিতে হয় জলবায়ুর অমোঘ এবং অন্ধ বিচারে। অথচ পৃথিবীটা ছিল আমাদের সবারই, এর ওপর অধিকার কারো থেকে কারও কম ছিল না কোনো অংশে!

The consumerism and waste of the developed countries are among the reasons for climate change and USA is one of those responsible countries. They have chosen the citizens of USA as the target audience of their message so that they can be more aware how their lifestyles are causing wastes. Also these citizens will be able to realize how these wasteful lifestyle can be fatal for the people on the other side of the world as they are subjected to the effects of climate change. This planet was ours, everybody had the same right in it, this we forgot.

Muntasir has developed a an Android App to count the number of plastic based debris within eye sight. The data is being continuously uploaded to an website named www.trashmaniac.com where people can see their progress.

Ashrafuzzaman Uzzal.on Bike. Image courtesy Trashmaniac.com

Muntasir & Ujjal are also updating their own travel blogs (in Bengali). Here are a few quotes fromMuntasir Mamun's blog:

ট্র্যাশম্যানিয়াক রাইড চলছে ভালোই, দ্রুততম ৮৭ মাইল ছিলো এটা এবং দুপুর ১২.০০ টার পর বেশ গরম পরেছিলো। কিছুক্ষন অপেক্ষা করে আবারো এগিয়ে চলেছি যদিও আরো অনেকটা পথ পাড়ি দিতে হবে। ইন্ডিয়ানা আমার কলেজের ফাদার পিক্সিটো এর কথা মনে করিয়ে দিচ্ছে, তিনি এখানকারই ছিলেন। রাস্তা বেশ সমতল, অপেক্ষায় আছি গরম কমার, যেনো একদিনে আরো বেশী পথ পাড়ি দিতে পারি ——- ক্রফোর্ডসভ্যালি, ইন্ডিয়ানা। (৬ই আগষ্ট, ২০১২)

The Trashmaniac ride is going great. It was the quickest 87 miles and after 12:00PM it was a bit warm. We rested a bit but had to go ahead as still there is a long way to go. Indiana is reminding me of Pixito, the father of my college, he was from here. The roads are plain, waiting for the temperature to fall so that we can go ahead one more day…. Crawfords Valley, Indiana. (6th of August, 2012)

ইলিনইস এর রাস্তাগুলো আমাকে প্রতিনিয়ত বাংলাদেশের কথা মনে করিয়ে দিচ্ছে, রাস্তার ধারে দাড়িয়ে থাকা গরুগুলো, গাছের ছায়া এবং মানুষের বন্ধুত্বপূর্ণ আচরন সবই দেশকে মনে করানোর প্রচেষ্টায় রত। যত তাড়াতাড়ি সম্ভব দেশে যেতে চাই।—– নর্মাল, ইলিনইস (১লা আগষ্ট, ২০১২)

The roads of Illinois are reminding me of Bangladesh every time. The cows on the streetside, the shadows of the trees and the friendly people, all are reminding me of home. I want to go home as soon as possible. …. Normal, Illinois. (1 August, 2012)

Caring hosts for strangers from another country. Image courtesy Muntasir Mamun

যখন একজন গোড়া খ্রিষ্টান মহিলা মাতৃসম স্নেহে আপনার নিরাপত্তার জন্য ইশ্বরের কাছে প্রার্থনা করেন তখন আমি আসলে জানিনা ইশ্বর আর কি চাইতে পারেন আমাদের যাত্রা শুভ করার জন্য। এছাড়াও আমাদের জন্য তিনি স্যান্ডউইচ এবং বড় প্যানকেক দিয়ে করা ব্রেকফাস্ট মনে থাকবে অনেকদিন। .. ক্লিনটন ইলিনইস (২৯ জুলাই, ২০১২)

When a christian conservative lady prays for you to God with motherly love then I don't know whether God needs anything more to make our travel safe. Also we will never forget her sandwiches and pancakes for breakfast. … Clinton, Illinois (29 July, 2012)

He is also posting photos in his blog, Facebook and in Flickr.

Patrick Runkel at the Minitab blog is inspired by what the Trashmaniac team is doing. He acknowledges that simple acts like avoiding the use of plastic grocery bags and choosing products with minimal packaging can make a lot of difference. Patrick writes:

We just all need to get on a bike together—one built for about 9 billion people.

Follow the Trashmaniac team on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Images courtesy Muntasir Mamun and Trashmaniac.com

. Also published in Global Voices Online.