international-mother-tongue

How cool is your mother tongue?

by

What is the status of the language you call your mother tongue (first/native/arterial language)? How cool is it?

One of the unfortunate realities of some international languages is that success or failure is often determined by language status. Yes, languages have so-called “status”. Some languages are high status, some are low status, some are in the middle. English, French, German, Japanese etc. are viewed as high status language. Low status languages are Bangla, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, Greek, Portuguese, Polish etc. There are some languages that are not even considered for any status. Many tribal languages may be the examples of that.

Here in USA, the high status language is obviously English but it is hard to ‘feel’ as it is an immigrant country. Perhaps in many European countries, the language status-anxiety can be felt more than here. It may even felt more in developing countries (considering the middle class). There are many reasons why and how people feel, permit and practice this language status phenomenon. The circumstance is certainly much less scientific and more of an art. You may agree or disagree.

Bangla Alphabets
Bangla Alphabets

Anyway, so, how do you feel about your mother tongue? Are you proud of your native language? Do you feel good?

  • Do you ‘think’ in your native language?
  • Is there anything that you can only express in your mother tongue if you are a fluent bi/multi language user?
  • Do you consider your mother tongue is a good vehicle for your economic future?
  • Do you find your mother tongue can give you an edge to your technological exploration?
  • Is your mother tongue considered as a valuable/necessary/important language in your own community?
  • Do you think your mother tongue determines who you are? Should it be considered as a basis for your sociolinguistic identity?
  • Do you think your mother tongue is better for more for emotional expressions or more for rational thinking or both equally?
  • How connected are you with ‘your’ mother longue? Do you speak it just to get along with your family and kin or it is also ‘your’ own language?
suno-norge - Baul Songs of Bangladesh

suno-norge – Baul Songs of Bangladesh

by
suno-norge - Baul Songs of Bangladesh
suno-norge – Baul Songs of Bangladesh

In the districts of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, in north west Bangladesh, girls and boys learn to sing and play the songs and music of their ancestors. This area is a river landscape, where singing is the most powerful artistic expression. The songs concern love and separation, in both a religious and a secular sense.

This folk music project is run by a local organisation – Arshi Nagar. Suno-Norge supports the project financially, and distributes information about the project in Norway. Suno-Norge supports fifteen song and music schools for between 18 and 40 children, as well as a sound studio and the management of a boarding school for 6 children in Lalmonirhat. Each song and music school has two teachers, often one Hindu and one Muslim. The teachers are modestly remunerated.

Arshi Nagar organises music festivals, provides musicians with instruments, and repairs old ones. The project contributes to the education of girls. Through its efforts it is able to plant fruit trees, grow vegetables, and distribute food in times of flooding.

In 1998, the author and photographer Wera Sæther visited Bangladesh for the first time. On a sand island in the river Brahmaputra she was captured by the songs (like murshidi, marfati, dehototto, bhaoaya, bhatiali and baul). Together with local musicians she got involved in an effort to preserve and develop the vocal traditions of the very poorest in this part of the country. Suno-Norge operates as an association of friends who support the work of Arshi Nagar financially and help to share the rich cultural heritage of these singers and musicians.

Here is one cool song:

In 2010, Arshi Nagar started the production of CDs. More information about this project can be found at suno-norge. (This is a Norwegian website)

If you want to be a member, friend and want to support the work, you may contact via e-mail: medlemskap@suno-norge.org

The Bangladesh Story - a documentary on Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Story

by

Bangladesh storyThe Bangladesh Story is an interview based documentary directed by Faris Kermani which tells the story of how Bangladesh was created. It was broadcasted on Channel 4 of UK in January, 1989.  The doc is divided in 3 episodes. The total runtime is just over an hour. Here is the short description of the documentary – The Bangladesh Story:

Episode 1 – Under Three Flags: Bengal was the heartland of British India, and in 1947 it became the east wing of Pakistan, after much violence. East Pakistanis felt they still suffered from domination by their west wing, and Pakistan’s first general election in 1970 confirmed this. A second Bengali bid for independence resulted in nationhood.

Episode 2 – The Mujib Years: The East Bengali majority in the 1970 election caused a civil war which shocked the world. The superpowers stayed on the sidelines, but the intervention of the Indian army ensured the existence of Bangladesh. Mujibur Rahman took power, but lost popular support within three years, and a new period of government by the armed forces began.

Episode 3 – Military Rules: 80% of the population has dropped below the poverty line, while rulers come and go, usually through violent coups. The last programme in the series looks at some different people’s attempts to find solutions to their country’s problems.

A theme song that connected all three parts is great! I really enjoyed the doc. It is a simple version but felt kind of nostalgic about the story. Someone uploaded a low-res version of this wonderful doc in YouTube.

If you want to buy the original DVD from the director, please contact Mr. Faris Kermani directly. He is the head of Crescent Films.

Bangladesh Tomorrow: Rethinking Left Politics

Bangladesh Tomorrow: Rethinking Left Politics

by

Professor Anu Muhammad, Nazrul Islam, Naeem Mohaiemen, Ahmed Shamim, Dina Siddiqi, and Nayma Qayum talked on various sides of the issue at a seminar on  ‘Bangladesh Tomorrow: Rethinking Left Politics’ at the Graduate Center, CUNY on Tuesday, January 28th.  It was moderated by Humayun Kabir. Most of the attendees were, naturally, of Bangladeshi origin. The event was free. It was sponsored by South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), AlalODulal.org and Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN).

The speakers at ‘Bangladesh Tomorrow: Rethinking Left Politic’s mentioned what has been going on in Bangladesh politics and why hope for a democratic Bangladesh is still a far cry.  They explained the situation from leftist point of view. It was well presented. I agreed with many points but some issues were not clear to me and it seemed like clarification was avoided, not because they wanted to make it vague but they could not have a clear answer yet. The speakers mentioned about Bangladeshi People’s struggle for a free and fair democratic system but how they have been squeezed between ‘dui mohila’ (two women) system – what Prof. Anu Muhammad calls “two jamindar parties.” Professor Anu mentioned how ordinary people worked, in some situations, to overcome unjust oppressive situations and were able to win over some demands! They wanted more of these kind action and awareness from Bangladeshi people.

The speakers hoped more conversation among the Bangladeshis living home and abroad about political condition in Bangladesh. For me, the brightest side of the event was to see many young people who attended. I enjoyed listening to the speakers. However, I wanted to know what the left are doing in Bangladesh to change the current situation? Are the left capable of bringing people together as a whole? Who are the PEOPLE  in the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh? Who represent the people? Do Bangladeshis think themselves as a ‘we the people’ first and or more of a class of people? Is there any innovative solution suggested by any parties?  What is the left’s approach to socialist ideas now as the world has been changing so fast?

In a writing, Prof.  Anu Muhammad stated that the Bangladeshi left’s own historic weaknesses and internal divisions have also contributed to this crisis of perception. And yet, as Anu Muhammad points out, “if the left is so insignificant, why do the mainstream parties spend so much energy trying to verbally attack us?” Well, because most of the time the strong fight with the weak and insignificant parties, not with the strong. There are many examples of that in history. Mainstream parties spend energy to attack left – not because left is significant but – that is a strategy for the strong. In the case Bangladesh, two mainstream ‘jamindar parties’ spend so much energy trying to verbally attack the left to divert people’s attention from the real issue.

I think there are many analytical problems in left politics in Bangladesh. It may be deeply rich in critical intellectual analysis but it could be much more reality-based to overcome its shortcomings.

From my part, I should think deeper about the issue. Congratulation to the organizer for the event and hope they will do more.

Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic

Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic

by

By JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN

Above a Korean fried chicken restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, Showkat Khan worked the room of mostly Bangladeshi men, speaking Bengali with a few English phrases mixed in, his enthusiastic message of opportunity broadcast through a crackling amp. At one point, he held aloft a copy of New York City’s Civil Service newspaper, The Chief.

“You are here to make money in this country, and to get a better life,” Mr. Khan said.

There was more than one way toward that American dream, he acknowledged, outlining a few options. But one path seemed to stand above the others, if only because Mr. Khan had already paved the way: He is a traffic enforcement agent.

Mr. Khan is part of an influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who earn a living by writing parking summonses for the city, a curious and growing presence navigating the choking traffic and bumper-to-bumper sea of parked cars.

Bangladeshi immigrants, who represent less than 1 percent of the city’s population, now make up between 10 percent and 15 percent of the 3,000 traffic agents, Robert Cassar, the president of the union representing the agents, said.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, which many New Yorkers mistakenly believe offers a holiday reprieve from usual parking restrictions, is in fact one of the busiest days of the year for traffic agents. Mohammed Chowdhury, who is from Bangladesh and supervises traffic operations for much of Queens, said his officers might write three times as many tickets on that day.

“The next morning, everyone is feeling lazy; and who is going to get up and move the car?” he said. “If there is street cleaning on Friday where you live, almost 80 percent of the cars won’t be moved. They’ll all get ticketed.”

…Read the rest of the article here

Anushay Hossain

Anushay Hossain – A Bangladeshi Blogger

by

Anushay Hossain is a Bangladeshi blogger & journalist based in Washington, DC.  She launched Anushay’s Point in 2009, and her work is regularly featured in Forbes Woman, Huffington Post, & the Shriver Report. She is also the online editor for Click Ittefaq, the English version of Bangladesh’s oldest national newspaper, the iconic Daily Ittefaq.

Anushay spent a decade as a feminist policy analyst on Capitol Hill before going full-time with her writing in 2013. She has appeared on BBC Radio, National Public Radio (NPR), Canada’s CBC, Sirius XM radio, Russia Today (RT), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and guest-hosted “The Stream” on Al-Jazeera English (AJE) from 2012-2013.

Anushay’s career in women’s rights began as an intern at the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC) where she worked on micro-finance for women in her native country, Bangladesh. A University of Virginia graduate, she joined the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Campaign for Afghan Women before completing her MA in Gender and Development at the University of Sussex. After a year at the United Nations Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM UK) London office, Anushay returned to Washington, DC, where she spent the past decade analyzing the impact of US foreign policy on the health and rights of women and girls worldwide.

Anushay frequently travels to leading colleges and universities nationwide, giving talks on global women’s rights movements. She has spoken at Georgetown University, American University, George Washington University, New York University (NYU), Duke, Yale Law School, & the University of Michigan.

A genuine lover of cultures, Anushay spent a year in Italy studying Italian and is fluent in six languages. She lives in Washington, DC, with her Iranian-American husband and their daughter.

Anushay Hossain frequently travels to top universities across the United States, giving lectures and speaking on panels about global women’s rights movements. She has spoken at the National Press Club, Georgetown University, American University (AU), George Washington University (GWU), New York University (NYU), Duke, Yale Law School, & the University of Michigan, amongst many other renowned institutions.

To have Anushay speak at your event, CALL (202) 834-7840 or EMAIL Hossain.Anushay@gmail.com

You can learn more about her work at the website.

Bangladesh at War 1971

The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide

by

This year, Gary J. Bass, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, wrote a book on Bangladesh’s liberation war  and role if US diplomats with the US administration during that time – “The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide”.  This book is about how two of the world’s great democracies – the United States and India – faced up to one of the most terrible humanitarian crises of the twentieth century. The slaughter in what is now Bangladesh stands as one of the cardinal moral challenges of recent history, although it is far more familiar to South Asians than to Americans today. It had a monumental impact on India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – almost a sixth of humanity in 1971. In the dark annals of modern cruelty, it ranks as bloodier than Bosnia and plausibly in the same rough league as Rwanda. It was a defining moment for both the United States and India, where their humane principles were put to the test.

The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide
The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide

You can buy the book from here.

WNYC’s Brian Lehrer talked with the author about this book on Sept 27, 2013. Hear the conversation here.

Below is the writing by Gary J. Bass about the issue, published in New York Time on September 27, 2013.

The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide
by Gary J. Bass

A riveting history—the first full account—of the involvement of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the 1971 atrocities in Bangladesh that led to war between India and Pakistan, shaped the fate of Asia, and left in their wake a host of major strategic consequences for the world today.

Giving an astonishing inside view of how the White House really works in a crisis, The Blood Telegram is an unprecedented chronicle of a pivotal but little-known chapter of the Cold War. Gary J. Bass shows how Nixon and Kissinger supported Pakistan’s military dictatorship as it brutally quashed the results of a historic free election. The Pakistani army launched a crackdown on what was then East Pakistan (today an independent Bangladesh), killing hundreds of thousands of people and sending ten million refugees fleeing to India—one of the worst humanitarian crises of the twentieth century.

Nixon and Kissinger, unswayed by detailed warnings of genocide from American diplomats witnessing the bloodshed, stood behind Pakistan’s military rulers. Driven not just by Cold War realpolitik but by a bitter personal dislike of India and its leader Indira Gandhi, Nixon and Kissinger actively helped the Pakistani government even as it careened toward a devastating war against India. They silenced American officials who dared to speak up, secretly encouraged China to mass troops on the Indian border, and illegally supplied weapons to the Pakistani military—an overlooked scandal that presages Watergate.

Drawing on previously unheard White House tapes, recently declassified documents, and extensive interviews with White House staffers and Indian military leaders, The Blood Telegram tells this thrilling, shadowy story in full. Bringing us into the drama of a crisis exploding into war, Bass follows reporters, consuls, and guerrilla warriors on the ground—from the desperate refugee camps to the most secretive conversations in the Oval Office.

Bass makes clear how the United States’ embrace of the military dictatorship in Islamabad would mold Asia’s destiny for decades, and confronts for the first time Nixon and Kissinger’s hidden role in a tragedy that was far bloodier than Bosnia. This is a revelatory, compulsively readable work of politics, personalities, military confrontation, and Cold War brinksmanship.

bangla-pesa voucher

Bangla-Pesa in Bangladesh, Kenya

by

Bangla-Pesa is a social community-backed currency/voucher. They are only accepted in an impoverished settlement called Bangladesh near Mombasa, Kenya. The Banga-Pesa voucher is only allowed to circulate among the registered members who use it as a credit system plan and are expected to repay it after getting Kenyan money (shilling) later. The currency, introduced by Koru, a Mombasa-based non-profit organization, is not designed to be an alternative to the Kenyan shilling but to complement it by boosting economic activity in Bangladesh, where shillings are scarce. Some 200 businesses have agreed to accept the currency, and in return, each has been awarded a credit of 400 Bangla-Pesa.

That credit works like a zero-interest loan. Every new business that joins the Bangladesh Business Network/Bangla-Pesa network must be supported by four guarantors who are already members. If the new business spends its 400 Bangla-Pesa and fails to earn as much back, its guarantors must make up the difference, or all five businesses will be ejected from the network and forced to pay back the debt directly in goods and services.

The organization, Koru, is a registered community-based group. The initiative aims to support the locals in trading and saving more money for development.

“Bangla-Pesa is a program to strengthen and stabilize the economy of the informal settlement of Bangladesh by organizing its more than 200 small-scale businesses into a Bangla Business Network, through which its members can utilize a complimentary currency to mediate trades,” reads part of the introduction statement on Koru’s website. Ruddick, the co-founder of the project, says their objective is to help the members trade their excess capacity among themselves.

When the concept first hit the Coastal town of Mombasa, State agencies, including the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), panicked. They feared the complimentary currency voucher circulating in Bangladesh, Mombasa County, might replace the shilling, Kenya’s legal currency. The initiative’s founders and members found themselves in court for allegedly using illegal currency to transact business. They, however, were released later.

Anyway, it is thrilling to know that there is a small Bangladesh in Kenya where people work hard to improve their lives.

Is a currency like Bangla-Pesa unheard of? Not really. Indeed, many other examples of social or complementary currencies like Bangla-Pesa exist. Here’s a list. So why is Bangla-Pesa special? Well, just because it is BANGLA-PESA!  🙂

Tanzeem Choudhury

Secret Life of Scientists – Tanzeem Choudhury

by

Scientists are just like everyone else; they have secrets. So, who knows what happens when the lab coats come off? PBS’s Secret Life of Scientists is a series of short, web-exclusive videos in which fascinating scientists and engineers discuss their extraordinary lives outside the lab. In one of these episodes, Tanzeem Choudhury, an Associate Professor of Information Science at Cornell University, talked about her first experience with a computer in a computer programming class when she was 18 years old!

Tanzeem Choudhury: I Took It As A Challenge!

Tanzeem Choudhury: The Sad Clown Fish

More info about Tanzeem Choudhury can be found here or google her name.