Bangladesh Archives - Bangladesh Circle

Honorary Citizens of Bangladesh

August 24, 2024September 18, 2016 by bidici

Correction: Father Marino Rigon – a missionary priest from Italy, was given honorary citizenship in Bangladesh in 2009. That makes the total number of citizens four, not three.

There are only three honorary citizens of Bangladesh: one from the USA, one from India, and one from New Zealand. One is a world-famous sports icon of the century, one is a world-renowned economist, and one is a doctor of the poor – almost unknown. Bangladesh has given these three people honorary citizenship out of admiration. A country bestows honorary citizenship to a foreign individual it considers incredibly admirable or worthy of the distinction. Honorary citizenship is such an extraordinary accolade that any country gives it rarely. The USA has granted such honor only to eight foreign nationals. Canada has six honorary citizens.

Honorary citizens of Bangladesh are also rare. So far, only three foreigners – Heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, Nobel laureate economist Dr. Amartya Sen, and Dr. Edric Baker, a doctor for poor people in Bangladesh – were honored.

Muhammad Ali

It is unclear who took the initiative to invite Muhammad Ali to Bangladesh. However, UK-based filmmaker Reginald Massey, a Bangladeshi businessman named Ghiasuddin Chowdhury, thought it would be a great idea to make a film on Bangladesh, a new country then. He needed some introduction on the world stage. They decided that the best person to project Bangladesh would be the Black Muslim boxer Muhammad Ali (‘The Greatest’), who was universally loved and respected.

Muhammad Ali was scheduled to travel to Bangladesh after Ali’s fight with Leon Spinks. Unfortunately, Ali lost his heavyweight boxing title to Leon Spinks. It’s not a happy time for the champ. Ali was unsure how his fans in Bangladesh would receive him after his defeat, but he was quickly assured that does not matter. The people of Bangladesh love him no matter what! So, the world’s most famous boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, went to Bangladesh in February of 1978.

Ali’s visit lasted for five days. Ali traveled to the Sundarbans, Sylhet Tea Gardens, Rangamati, and Cox’s Bazaar. In Dhaka, Ali participated in a pre-arranged boxing match at Dhaka Stadium, where he lost a twelve-year-old Bangladeshi rival through an incredible knockout!

While in Dhaka, Ali was given a Bangladesh passport and made Honorary Citizens of Bangladesh by the then president of the country, Ziaur Rahman. “If I get kicked out of America, I have another home,” Ali quipped after receiving the passport.

Amartya Sen

Amartya Sen was born in the Manikganj area of Bangladesh (then in British India) in 1933. His family moved to India in 1945. Dr. Amartya Sen received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998. On the way back to India after winning the Nobel Prize, he stopped over in Bangladesh to visit his birthplace and childhood school.

During his three-day stay in Bangladesh, Dr. Sen visited St. Gregory’s High School, where he spent a few years, where the old boys gathered to see the most famous alumni. Sen was accorded a civic reception at the Balda Garden in downtown Dhaka, where Rabindranath Tagore was similarly honored after he won the Nobel. Dr. Sen delivered a keynote speech at an international conference, a public lecture open to guests, and visited Muktijoddah Jadughar (Liberation War Museum), and his childhood home in Wari.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed the certificate of honorary citizenship to the world-renowned economist at a simple ceremony at Ganabhaban. She also gave a Bangladesh passport to the visiting Bengali scholar, Amartya Sen, saying: “You are ours.” While receiving the citizenship and passport, the Nobel Prize winner said: “I am overwhelmed by the honor. I am happy to return to Bangladesh.”

The honor was a symbolic gesture, which could have a practical value by increasing his desire to visit Bangladesh more often.

Edric Baker

Dr. Edric Baker never visited Bangladesh just for a visit; he stayed there for 32 years and died there. A medical doctor from New Zealand heard the name of Bangladesh while working in Vietnam in the 1970s. He came to Bangladesh in 1983 and loved the country. He worked tirelessly and served the poor of Bangladesh until he died in 2015. He started the Kailakuri Healthcare Project (KHP) – near Modhupur, about 130 km from the capital, Dhaka, to give medical help to the poor and disadvantaged people of the area. KHP has been treating around 30,000 to 40,000 patients annually, almost free of cost (taka 10/13 US cents for a new patient, 5 taka/6 US cents for an old patient).

Due to the lack of participation of Bangladeshi doctors, Dr. Baker (also affectionately known as ‘Daktar Bhai’ or Doctor Brother) trained local people as paramedics and gave them the responsibility of healing them. He walked and rode bicycles to patients’ families’ homes to check their health. To communicate with the patients, he learned to speak Bangla fluently. Dr. Edric Baker lived a thousand miles away from home, far from his family, remained unmarried, lived in a mud hut, and wore ordinary lungis that poor people usually do in the villages to treat the poor people of Bangladesh.

He went to New Zealand once every one or two years for his visa extension and collected money for the center. Through private donations, almost all the funds to run KHP were collected from his friends, supporters, and well-wishers in New Zealand, Europe, and the United States. ‘Doctor for the Poor’ once said in an interview that our program runs on private donations from individuals who have heard about the project, visited the project, and shared the news. Almost all our funding comes from outside Bangladesh. I would like to see these things change. If this project does not become almost entirely Bangladeshi in terms of funding and terms of medical supervision, then I would consider that my life has been wasted … we need to work out some way of finding Bangladeshi doctors, or they should see us.

Hanif Sanket, a popular TV presenter in Bangladesh, produced a TV segment in 2011 on Dr. Baker’s work, which raised his profile and led the Bangladeshi government to grant him honorary Bangladeshi citizenship. There is no other information available about his citizenship issue! Just one or two lines!

Out of the three honorary citizens of Bangladesh, two have already passed away. Muhammad Ali died in 2016 at the age of 74 in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Dr. Edric Baker died in 2015 at 75 in Bangladesh. He was laid at rest in Bangladesh, according to his final request. The last of Bangladesh’s honorary citizens, Dr. Sen, is 82 years old and lives in the USA. The honorary citizenship process in Bangladesh is not transparent and not well-documented. If documented, then it is not available to the public! Trying to find out information about how the process works is challenging. Giving citizenship is a political process that sometimes needs to bend the law. According to one source, the legislation was changed to make Dr. Baker a Bangladeshi citizen! It might be interesting to know the actual process of granting Bangladesh’s honorary citizenship to a foreign national is.

Marino Rigon

A fourth person, Father Marino Rigon of Italy, was also granted honorary citizenship in 2009 for his contribution to the Bangladesh Liberation War. Father Rigon came to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1953 as part of missionary work. He worked for over 40 years helping war refugees and freedom fighters in 1971 in Baniarchar Catholic Church’s parish, Gopalgonj. He provided food and shelter to refugees and offered treatment to injured freedom fighters even when his life was under threat. He also played a key role in poverty alleviation, spreading education medical service, and helping poor women. Father Marino Rigon was a fluent Bangla speaker and translated a few Bangla books into Italian. Father Marino Rigon died in 2017 in Italy.

Translating Terrorism in Bangladesh

August 24, 2024July 9, 2016 by bidici

Terrorism in Bangladesh is not a new fact. But how do you explain or translate terrorism in Bangladesh? Many interpretations are there. One I’ve noticed recently in a TV interview.

Born and bred in Bangladesh, young, educated, well-off ISIS supporters brutally killed 22 people in an upscale café in Dhaka. The question was asked: how come these affluent, privileged, all-smiling young could do such a barbarian terrorist act? One of the attackers was identified as the son of a business executive, Meer Hayet Kabir. Shocked at the news, Mr. Kabir wondered what happened wrong with his son. … His son’s mental growth was slow, and he was always interested in religion. Mr. Kabir advised him to use the right sources to learn about the subject when given an English version of the Quran.

In a CNN interview, the father mentioned his torment, his son’s loving disposition, and disappearance and showed the Qur’an he gave to his son to understand Islam ‘unfiltered and unwarped.’

The Qur’an he gave to his son was the “Interpretation of the meaning of the Noble Qur’an,” translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali. It is a Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, and the book is freely distributed by the Saudi Government all over the world. (Most of the Bangladeshis are Sunni Muslims, not Wahhabi, and there is a difference between them.) This Saudi translation was intended to replace the translation of Abdullah Yusuf Ali – the most popular English version among Muslims since its publication in 1938.

Saudi version of Quran was given to Bangladeshi terrorist — The Saudi version of the Qur’an was given to Bangladeshi terrorists.

There are many English translations of the Qur’an. The Khan and Hilali interpretation is the most controversial of all the translations. The translation was funded by the Saudi royal family, which follows, patronizes, and propagates the rigid Wahhabi branch of Islam, quashing alternate interpretations that do not fit their specific views. The translation gives a supremacist Muslim point of view and is infused with modern political beliefs. The most tendentious translation was done for the first and most important chapter of the Qur’an – Al-Fatiha (The Opening). Out of numerous translations of the Qur’an, only in the Khan and Hilali version Surah Al-Fatiha’s last sentence (1:7) was translated as:

“The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).”

Surah Al-Fatiah, 1-7, English translation — English translation of Surah Al-Fatiah by different translators (verse 1:7)

This is perhaps the only English translation of the Qur’an that explicitly mentions Jews and Christians as an example of Allah’s anger and astray! There is nothing to indicate to the uninformed reader that these interpolations, printed in parentheses, are absent from the Arabic. Any person encountering Islam for the first time, as well as a Muslim already indoctrinated in Wahhabism, is led to believe that the Qur’an denounces all Jews and Christians, which it does not.

Then, there are other areas of disputable interpretation. Another example from Surah Al-Baqarah (2:216), where other translators use the word fighting, the Wahhabi translation of the verse used the word Jihad with specific focus and direction:

“Jihad (holy fighting in Allah’s Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, but you do not know.”

In Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:21), where a geographical name was inserted in

“O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you, and turn not back (in flight), for then you will be returned as losers.

Now, what does the translation or interpretation issue have to do with terrorism in Bangladesh? Well, perhaps a lot. It is not only the translation; it is how the translations are translated repeatedly by international and local actors, very narrowly and highly targeted at a granular level until they achieve the desired action from their listeners. The interpretation of a word, a book, a theme, or an event can make or break a person.

Mr. Meer Hayet Kabir gave his son the Wahhabi rendition of the Qur’an to understand Islam, but his son’s comprehension of Islam ended up in translating Jihad as terrorism! Sure, the son was assisted by distorted explanation, selective view of the internet, added provocation, suicidal preparation, and being discreet. But it perhaps started with some misaligned translation of a great book. Therefore, merely passing a translation of a religious book did not help produce a “loving boy, human boy, caring boy, family boy.” ISIS’s interpretation of Islam via online activities made Mr. Kabir’s loving boy a dead boy.

Religion is important in the daily life of Bangladeshi people. However, when that practice is mindless, meaningless, manipulative, and a mere robotic routine, then it should raise questions. Religion could be practiced to expand the humane qualities of a person. Do the people of Bangladesh perceive religion, at their core, as a companion to establish a peaceful, progressive society? It seems like many people in Bangladesh have an ever-growing, unconsciously distorted view of religion. Remember the campaign in Bangladesh to stop public urination by using Arabic words instead of Bangla? Even though the campaign was somewhat effective, it was derogatory to Bangladeshi people. People do not understand the Bangla sign “এখানে প্রস্রাব করিবেন না/Do Not Urinate Here” socially (when it comes pee time), they know Arabic (is the language of Qur’an), then they do not understand (that not everything in Arabic is scared like “لا التبول هنا/Do Not Urinate Here”). Again, Bangladeshi people’s fearful/respectful sentiment towards the Arabic words was used to quasi-solve a civic problem.

Meer Hayet Kabir’s confusion is not personal; it is national. He is baffled by why his child turned into a terrorist. Why would they have become militants? The Prime Minister of Bangladesh does not understand what kind of Muslims they are and can not acknowledge the extent of religious fundamentalists who can translate a young Bangladeshi into a terrorist Made-in-Bangladesh remotely. The Home Minister of Bangladesh, Asaduzzaman Khan, thinks “it has become a fashion” to be a terrorist! Really?

The translators of a book, a reality, or a phenomenon can bend the vulnerable minds of the Bangladeshi youth if certain conditions are met – whether they are rich, poor, educated, illiterate, online, offline, smiley, or grumpy! Just wondering what is the future of terrorism in Bangladesh if translation goes in a predefined way rather than following its natural path!

Adopting a Bangladeshi child from Bangladesh

July 13, 2024May 14, 2016 by bidici

Is anyone adopting a Bangladeshi child from Bangladesh in the USA? I don’t know any family who has adopted a child from Bangladesh except Senator John McCain, who has an adopted daughter of Bangladeshi origin. But there must be some families out there. What are their stories? Are Bangladeshis living abroad interested in adoption? I watched a few excellent documentaries on international adoption issues – The Dark Matter of Love (2012), Somewhere Between (2011), Daughter from Danang (2002), and First Person Plural (2000) – adoption stories from Russia, China, Vietnam, and Korea, respectively. But I have found no stories from Bangladesh so far except an old newspaper article from 1973.

Well, adopting a Bangladeshi child from Bangladesh is not like adopting a child from China, Vietnam, Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Ethiopia, Congo, Guatemala, or other countries. Child adoption is not a common practice among Bangladeshis for three main reasons. In short, they are:

As a Muslim country, Islamic law does not accept ‘adoption’ as such but offers ‘guardianship’, a similar provision for the caring of an orphan.
Like many Asian countries, Bangladesh tends to value blood-related parenthood more highly. Parents’ blood lineage with children is considered more important in society.
Bangladesh law does not permit non-Bangladeshi citizens to be the legal guardian of children. Only a Bangladeshi citizen by birth or a Bangladeshi citizen who is also a naturalized citizen of a foreign country can obtain guardianship of a Bangladeshi child.

That does not mean adopting a Bangladeshi child is not possible. In the USA, adopting a Bangladeshi child from Bangladesh is only possible by Bangladeshi-American citizens. Bangladesh is not a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Bangladeshi law does not allow for full adoption of Bangladeshi children. Therefore, Bangladeshi Americans considering the adoption of Bangladeshi children must obtain guardianship from a Bangladeshi court and subsequently adopt the child in the United States.

In the past 16 years, more than 260,000 children have come to the United States to join their families through international adoption (also called intercountry adoption). However, child adoption from Bangladesh is relatively very low in the USA. From 1999-2015, only 173 children came to the USA. In 2015, only nine children were adopted from Bangladesh.

Children adoption of Bangladeshi origin in USA, 1999-2015 — Children adopted of Bangladeshi origin in the USA, 1999-2015

Rashid Md said…’I am Bangladeshi living in Italy. Me and my wife are interested in adopting a baby girl.’

***

Sarah said…’I am interested in adopting a baby girl around in December/early January. I am Bangladeshi living in Philadelphia. If you could give me your phone number and a way to contact you. I would appreciate it.’

Now, for various reasons, the scenario has changed. Although actual data is sparse, there are some Bangladeshi-American families who want to adopt children from Bangladesh. Organizations like Hope International even started a Bangladesh-specific adoption program to help willing parents. Anyone interested in adopting a Bangladeshi child may find the following information useful.

U.S. law requires that every international adoption follows certain procedures. Most adoptions have the following steps:

〉〉 Selecting your adoption service provider
〉〉 Gaining approval to adopt
〉〉 Being matched with a child
〉〉 Adopting or obtaining legal custody of the child in a foreign country
〉〉 Applying for a visa for the child to move to the United States and
〉〉 Traveling home with your child.

Qualifications for adopting a Bangladeshi child from Bangladesh

U.S. Requirements:

You must be a U.S. citizen. If you are married, your spouse must also be a U.S. citizen or have legal status in the United States.
If you are unmarried, you must be at least 25 years old.

Bangladesh Requirement:

Citizenship: Prospective guardians must provide proof of Bangladeshi citizenship.
Age: Prospective Adoptive Parents must be at least 18 years old; Bangladeshi law does not specify a maximum age for adopting parents.
Gender: Both married and single persons may adopt. Bangladesh does not recognize same-sex marriage.
Income: Bangladesh law does not establish a minimum income requirement for guardians. However, a prospective guardian must prove to the Family Court judge that he/she can feed, shelter, and educate the child.
Guardianship: Bangladeshi law does not allow for final adoptions of Bangladeshi children in Bangladesh. Prospective adoptive parents considering adopting a Bangladeshi child must obtain guardianship from a Bangladeshi court and subsequently adopt the child in the United States.

In-Country Provider: You need a licensed attorney in Bangladesh who has experience and can deal with legal and bureaucratic steps. Also, reputable orphanages where the children live.

Time Frame: Depending on many factors, including the number of eligible children at the time of your availability to travel to Bangladesh, the time frame to prepare your initial paperwork and be matched with a child can take 5-12 months.

The Children: The children available for adoption in Bangladesh are usually orphaned due to poverty or the stigma of being an unwed mother. Bangladesh’s youngest children, who are available for international adoption, are 1-2 months old. Older children, sibling groups, and children with special needs live in government orphanages.

Process of adopting from Bangladesh

You first select your adoption service provider/agency in the USA and have a general information meeting with them. It can be done in person or via telephone if your service provider is out of state. After the meeting, you sign the contracts and pay the initial agency fees. Your service agency will then help you with a home study or biographical history of the adoptive family, USCIS processing, adoption dossier or collection of documents, notarization, verification, certification, and translations of documents required by Bangladesh.

Step 1: Complete Home StudyStep 2: Apply to USCISStep 3: Complete DossierStep 4: Child ReferralStep 5: Referral Acceptance and TravelStep 6: Preparing to Travel Step 7: Post-Placement Supervision

The home study is a biographical history of the adoptive couple. Your adoption agency will send a social worker to work with you. If you are out of state, your agency can help you find a Hague-approved agency to complete your home study program. Your final USCIS approval is contingent upon the recommendation for approval given by your home study agent. This process takes 4 to 8 weeks, depending on your availability and timeliness in submitting your paperwork to the agency. Your completed home study is valid for 12 months; an update will be necessary annually until a child is placed in your home and is also required if your living circumstances change before your adoption, such as a change in employment or residence. You are also required to obtain at least ten hours of pre-adoptive training.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must pre-approve you as potential adoptive parents regarding an international adoption in Bangladesh. Your adoption agency will assist you by submitting an I-600A application to USCIS on your behalf once your home study is completed. USCIS must approve your ability to provide proper parental care for a child. Your USCIS approval will be valid for 18 months, and your fingerprints will be valid for 15 months.

A Dossier is a list of documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc). Many of the documents are the same as those you collect for your home study.

Once you have completed the home study and submitted your petition to USCIS, you are ready to work on the remainder of your dossier documents. Your dossier consists of all the documents necessary for processing your adoption in Bangladesh. Your adoption agency should assist you as you gather all the necessary documents. They should go over the preparation of your dossier in detail and will send all your documents for authentication (notarization) as needed. Once you receive USCIS approval, your dossier will go to Bangladesh for translation.

Once your dossier is complete and you have received notification of your USCIS approval, you are ready for a child referral. The referral consists of a picture of the child, bio-data, and medical information provided by the orphanage director in Bangladesh. Information regarding birth parents may be minimal, if available at all!

During the home study process, you will have clarified the type of child you feel most equipped to parent. It is essential to be honest with identifying the child you would like to adopt. It is helpful to take an inventory of your child’s preferences and to prioritize the most essential characteristics (i.e., sex, age, health status, etc.) Please be advised that if your list of criteria is too restrictive, you may significantly narrow your referral options.

Your adoption agency may require you to have the information evaluated by a doctor in the USA skilled in evaluating international adoption referrals. You will also be given the untranslated documents to obtain your translation. If you are comfortable with your doctor’s evaluation, you will notify your agency to proceed with adopting that particular child. You will have at least two weeks to consider the referral information.

Trip One: Both parents must travel if married. Once you have met and accepted a child referral, your paperwork will be submitted for that child.

Trip Two: Only one parent is required to make this second trip – the non-traveling parent must authorize him/her with notarized Power of Attorney to represent both of them in all procedures during the contact, signing documents, and immigration procedures for the visa. Once the decision from the Bangladeshi court goes into force, travel arrangements will be made for you to return to Bangladesh for your visa interview at the US Embassy in Dhaka. The time between trip one and trip two will vary depending on various circumstances – you can tentatively expect 2-3 months between the two trips.

Before you request a visa appointment, the child’s new birth certificate and passport must be obtained, as well as a No Objection Certificate. Then, you complete the DS-260 Visa form and submit it to the US Embassy in Dhaka for an interview. Once you have a scheduled appointment, but before the visa appointment, the child must obtain a visa medical exam at an approved clinic in Bangladesh. The Embassy must receive the full package with medical information from the clinic before the visa interview at the US Embassy.

You must have a valid US Passport and perhaps a visa to travel to Bangladesh. Some immunizations are recommended by the CDC to travel to Bangladesh. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a guide appointed by your adoption agency and led through each step of the adoption process.

When you return to the USA, your home study agency will provide post-placement supervision as required by your state of residence so that your adoption can be finalized. A post-placement supervision is when the social worker visits the home to discuss how you and your child are adjusting as a new family and write a report of the visit. After the six-month post-placement period, you will be ready to adopt. Your adoption agency will help facilitate this process. You can also contact a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA) regarding the completion of a registration or re-adoption in your state. A legally adopted child in the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen.

Costs of Adopting from Bangladesh:

The cost of international adoption varies depending on agency fees, application fees, home study fees, court fees, travel expenses, and other expenses. However, it is advised to have between $20,000 to $40,000. Adoption from Bangladesh could be on the lower end. Some families might be qualified for adoption tax credit or assistance provided by states in the USA. Here is a general estimate of the costs of international adoption provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Final Thoughts:

Bangladesh should make adoption law easier to adopt children from Bangladesh by the international community – not only by Bangladeshi citizens abroad. As the nature of adoption is becoming more diverse in the United States and other countries, it may be high time for Bangladesh to implement a uniform adoption law that enables abandoned and homeless children to find new parents, security, love, happiness, and a bright future. Many bureaucratic hassles are involved in getting clearance to take the adopted child abroad. There is also a growing demand for changing adoption laws in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshis living abroad donate money to orphanages, mosques, schools, and other social causes. Adoption can be a new way to go if possible and affordable. Millions of children in Bangladesh need a better life, not just a place in an orphanage.
Besides Kinship/Relative adoption, Bangladeshis can also venture out to adopt children from other countries!
It would be great to know about the Bangladeshi community’s adoption experience. Any storytellers? Bloggers? Writers? Documentarians?

Hope International – a Texas-based international adoption agency, has provided some information about adopting Bangladeshi children from Bangladesh. Contact Dawn Ford or Kathy Trobee at (214) 672-9399 for further information.

Tiger, Tiger: A film on Bengal Tigers of Bangladesh

September 23, 2016August 21, 2015 by bidici

Bengal Tigers of Bangladesh are one of the most beautiful animal in its territory. They are exquisite, magnificent, royal, dangerous and in danger. It is sad that the Royal Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) of Bangladesh are in decline. In a recent report, it has been suggested that Bangladesh may have 100+ tigers left instead of 440. Over the last 100 years, hunting, habitat loss, prey depletion, forest destruction and climate change have reduced tiger populations drastically. Today, it is estimated that there are fewer than 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan. Indeed, all species of tigers are considered endangered.

Apart from being the national animal of Bangladesh and happily exist in the Bangladesh Cricket Team logo, the survival of Bengal Tigers of Bangladesh indeed a constant struggle. One recent danger was due to an oil spill in the Sundarbans area. Then poachers are still a big threat, tigers are killed in retribution as a result of general human-tiger conflict, negative attitudes towards tigers among local people etc. are making the situation even worse.

A film was released this year that touches these issues. Tiger Tiger – a documentary by George Butler – follows Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, a world renowned big cat conservationist, as he travels through the tiger habitat he has never before seen. Like the tiger he faces his own diminishing timeline. Diagnosed with leukemia, Alan makes what may be the last expedition in his long career in search of the last wild tigers of the Sundarbans. Set in one of the least-known landscapes left on earth, the beautiful Sundarbans forest, Tiger Tiger is the story of a man with numbered days seeking to save an animal whose days may also be numbered.

Tiger Tiger Trailer

Tiger Tiger (2015), George Butler, 90 mins, USA

The documentary follows Alan as he explores the relationship between local people who live on the margins of the forest and the fearsome, but threatened predator. Alan visits the Indian side of the Sundarbans where tiger and human coexist relatively well and tiger habitat is carefully monitored. In contrast, Bengal tigers are less secure in Bangladesh side. Environment, economy, ignorance and stigma all are working against the tiger population of Bangladesh. Here is a snapshot of what is at stake:

But the documentary, Tiger Tiger, focuses more on the bigger picture – not only the peril, also the possibilities – how to save these rare, mystique, gorgeous, majestic animals in its natural habitat. Few remaining tigers are indeed fighting for their lives with the smartest predator on earth – human – the only predator who can also save them from total extinction.

In a sense, Tiger Tiger is more of a spiritual film than conservation or environmental related film. It has been shown many places and won some prestigious awards. Is there a way, the film could be shown in Bangladesh? There are other films available on Bengal tigers (Swamp Tigers, 2001; Man Eating Tigers of the Sundarbans, 2009). How hard is it to make an arrangement to translate/dub these films in Bangla and show on Bangladeshi TVs, schools and local communities to create a greater awareness and seek support!

After all, what is Bangladesh without Bengal Tigers! Who will love them, save them if it is not the people of the same land? Tiger Tiger is a compelling story – “a dying man is trying to save a dying species.” What about you Bangladesh?

Violence in Bangladesh: Who killed Rajon?

January 24, 2025July 24, 2015 by bidici

Violence in Bangladesh is not new. In fact, violence is one of the many reasons Bangladesh gets some media attention around the world. Recently, a 13-year-old boy, Rajon, was beaten to death by a group of men in Bangladesh who accused him of trying to steal a bicycle. The incident was video recorded and posted on Facebook. In Bangladesh and other countries, this savagely cruel act made people very angry, heartbroken, and upset. The accused were arrested – one from Saudi Arabia after he fled there. Many people in Bangladesh called for the death penalty for the accused.

Violence in Bangladesh against children is not new either. Bangladesh is one of the top-ranking countries in violence against children in peaceful times. What was new in this incident was that the torture was posted online. The people of Bangladesh are rightly outraged at this act of brutal torture and demanding justice. But here are some questions to consider – who really killed Rajon? Why are people angry? Angry against whom? It seems everyone knows the answer (after all, it was posted online! The accused confessed the crime!).

Therefore, the real questions are, if the beating of Rajon was not posted online if it did not go viral, and more importantly if Rajon was not dead, how significant is the event in the Bangladeshi context? Was Rajon protected when he was not beaten?

Most Bangladeshis understand violence in terms of physical, visual, and exposed shape. If the violence is structural violence, psychological and private violence, then that kind of cruelty is almost incomprehensible in Bangladesh. Violence is so cleverly hidden, silently active, subtly present, carefully nurtured, and culturally blended into the social fabric of Bangladesh that it feels like second nature.

So, who killed Rajon? Perhaps he was killed by society as a whole with the initiative taken by the killers!

Rajon was beaten to death by his killers because they thought they knew better than the authorities (the police, the political leader, the judge, etc.). They caught Rajon, accused him, tied him, interrogated him, beat him, broke him, and at last killed him. Did they do anything wrong? If it were bad, this kind of attitude would be the norm in Bangladesh. They took the initiative to correct an issue that they (in their sick mind) thought needed to be taken care of. In Bangladesh, these kinds of behaviors are expressed in many ways. Here are a few examples from this year:

Political parties in Bangladesh killed innocent people by throwing petrol bombs,
People died in police protection,
Bloggers were slaughtered in broad daylight,
Women were molested on Bangla New Year’s Day at Dhaka University area, etc.

These incidents are all wrong, but they are also part of the norm in Bangladesh. In every case, from the police to political parties, to interest groups, to private citizens, all took law and order into their hands. So, what did Rajon’s killers do differently? Rajon’s killers even made an agreement with the local police to set them free – again, wrong but a norm in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshis are victims of violence in a real sense as well as offenders of violence in a metaphysical sense. Therefore, any cause of violence is everybody’s responsibility. When the presence of violence becomes intensely internal, then it is hard to understand that we are also offenders! When animated and undetected violence takes forms of accepted ideas in general, that is a very dangerous situation. For example,

Political violence is the political dialog of Bangladeshi society!
Two-thirds of Bangladeshi children are beaten as the name of child discipline!
Husbands beat wives as part of conjugal discipline!
Police take bribes to expedite criminal investigations!
Organizations are broken into pieces to accommodate personality and practice democracy!
Fast, repeated, senseless, and too many words are used to express ideas in meetings! Etc.

No one likes to take responsibility for the crimes committed by others. Criminals must be punished for a safe, sound, and successful society. But to create that kind of society, the people of Bangladesh need to address the underlying causes of violence, identify connecting nods of violence and societal values associated with violence, and think outside the box to reduce violence. Until then, many Rajons will be beaten to death, and so-called ‘we’ will be angry and demand justice. To save Rajons, the people of Bangladesh have to act together soon!

Vulnerable-children-in-Bangladesh — Who *should* protect the children in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh Embassies and Consulates – Online Presence of a Nation

August 25, 2024October 16, 2014 by bidici

Bangladesh embassies, consulates, high commissions, permanent missions in different countries, and international organizations represent Bangladesh and its people. These missions are controlled by the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). According to MOFA’s website, 65 embassies, consulates, high commissions, deputy high commissions, and permanent missions are stationed in 51 countries. (List below. However, this list may not be updated!) All these foreign missions have physical locations (buildings, offices), and many have online presence (websites). Through their physical and virtual locations, these foreign offices provide various services to people.

This article, in general, will review the state and effectiveness of the websites of Bangladesh embassies and consulates. It will touch upon the language, social engagement, quality of information, and related issues. At the end, it will attempt to provide some suggestions.

There are 48 embassies, consulates, high commissions, deputy high commissions, and permanent missions of the Bangladesh government, which can be found online (Sources: MOFA website and internet search). A gallery of screenshots of Bangladesh Embassies and Consulates can be found here.

Due to a lack of information regarding the website policy of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), this article has to rely on the WYSIWYG method to write about the conditions of websites.

First, apart from James Bond 007, Mr. Daniel Craig’s visit to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, the online presence of Bangladesh foreign missions is not admirable. Many missions have no web presence. Those who have are plugged with difficulties – dead links, no links, outdated information, slow speed, hacked domain, expired domain, disorganized information structure, no public engagement, and security concern are a few to mention. Following are some more prominent problems:

Naming Principles of Bangladesh Embassies and Consulates

Nomenclature? Bangladesh embassies and consulates have adopted various names for different missions—for example, bdembassy, bangladeshembassy, bangladoot, bangladesh, bdembassyuae, cgbdubai etc.

Moreover, when a domain name was expired or hacked, another name was taken, and a website was launched. For example:

Bangladesh High Commission in India, New Delhi

www.bhcdelhi.org >> www.bdhcdelhi.org

Consulate General of Bangladesh in LA, USA

www.bdcgla.org >> www.bangladeshconsulatela.com

Embassy of Bangladesh in Japan

www.bdembjp.com >> www.bdembassy.jp

Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata, India

www.bdhckolkata.org >> www.bdhc-kolkata.org

Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva, Switzerland

www.bangladeshmissiongeneva.ch >> www.bangladeshembassy.ch

Domain Policy of Bangladesh Embassies and Consulates

Acquiring and implementing a systematic, well-organized, appropriate top-level domain (TLD) policy is vital to any website. At the government level, it is also a question of public trust, national security, and standardization. Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not secured and implemented any consistent domain name plan for its foreign mission websites.

Bangladesh MOFA seems to use every top-level domain name available for missions abroad. Here are some samples of top-level domain names in use for MOFA foreign missions today:

Name (Entity)	Name (Entity)
.com (commercial) .org (organization) .bh (Bahrain) .be (Belgium) .bt (Bhutan) .bn (Brunei Darussalam) .ca (Canada) .cn (China) .de (Germany) .lk (Sri Lanka)	.np (Nepal) .nl (Netherlands) .ru (Russia) .sa (South Africa) .sg (Singapore) .se (Sweden) .ch (Switzerland) .tr (Turkey) .uk (United Kingdom) .uz (Uzbekistan) .vn (Vietnam)

Language Support

All websites of Bangladesh embassies and consulates are in English. None of them has Bangla language support except the Bangladesh Embassy in Nepal. Other missions sometimes post government circulars, notices, press releases, directives, etc., in Bangla. However, they are all in jpeg or pdf format.

Considering its international importance, English is the right choice. However, the Bangla language is a big issue in Bangladesh, and possibly most visitors are Bangladeshi (an unscientific assumption!). It is the national language of Bangladesh, so the Bangla language could have been used to support all websites. And if possible, all websites can provide local language support as well. For example, the Bangladesh Embassy in Japan can be in Japanese, English, or Bangla.

Ironically, the Bangladesh MOFA website is entirely in English, but they have attempted to provide Bangla language support!

Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Bangla Help — Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Bangla Help

Interestingly, the Bangladesh Embassy in Uzbekistan has Russian, the Bangladesh Embassy in Turkey has Turkish language, and the Bangladesh Embassy in China has Chinese language support.

Social Engagement

Social media, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, etc., are powerful tools to connect and stay in touch with clients or fans of any service organization. Almost no Bangladesh embassies and consulates have social media connections except Kenya (Facebook) and Nepal (Facebook, Twitter, Google+). Interestingly, the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait has no website but only a Facebook page!

Information and Website Structure

All MOFA websites have serious consistency problems regarding information and website structure.

Information

The information provided on various websites of Bangladeshi missions abroad is widely varied. Basic details on Bangladesh’s economy, culture, and tradition are not uniform. In some instances, they are missing.

Structure

Like information, website structures are widely different, confusing, and have no harmony. Let’s take one example – contact is one of the most critical links/menus in the navigational structure of any website. One can see a wild ride of the link; here are a few examples:

Bangladesh Embassy in Sweden and Turkey: ‘Contact Us‘ on top right horizontal level. Good.
Bangladesh Embassy in UAE: ‘Contact Us‘ is on the footer only!!
Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia: there is no ‘Contact Us.’ If they have, it is HARD to find.
Bangladesh Embassy in Sri Lanka: ‘Contact Us’ is not on the navigation menu, just pasted on the front page. Easy to lose.

Website structures can differ, but all must pass usability tests and be user-friendly. Navigation must not be the same or even similar, but it must be intuitive. The ‘Keep looking until you find’ policy is not a great idea.

Control and Management

Who controls the Bangladesh embassy and consulate websites? According to the MOFA website, Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand have no websites. However, they have websites and can be found online. Is Bangladesh MOFA in control of these websites? Or is this simply an issue of a lack of update?

There is no information about the Bangladesh Consulate in Milan, Italy, on the MOFA website. However, one website of the Consulate Milan was found online! The website works and seems legitimate, but the question remains: why is there no information about this consulate on the MOFA website?

Management of the websites can be delegated to other entities, but who controls and owns these domain names and websites is unclear. Many websites are created, credited, sponsored, and donated by other entities. No copyright, disclaimer, terms, and conditions, or privacy policy are posted on many websites, including the MOFA’s website.

If these websites are owned and controlled by Bangladesh MOFA, that information should be mentioned as a rule of thumb. Allowing a person’s or organization’s name to appear on a government website is not professional.

When writing this article, at least 19 MOFA foreign mission websites have the name of a person or organization printed at the footer – including some foreign web developers. Even the footer of MOFA’s website has the personal seal of a creator! Nothing is wrong in mentioning who is the designer or developer of the website, however, it is very unconventional for a government website.

Proper control and maintenance of Bangladesh’s foreign mission websites are a national security issue.

Other Observations:

Many issues can be mentioned that are affecting good web experience for visitors, such as

Websites have many dead links, lousy request links,
Websites are almost static,
There are no interactive options on any websites,
There are many kinds of platforms in use,
No cookie policy compliance regarding EU countries,
Sites are not secured (https) to do any data transaction, if necessary.

Bangladesh Foreign Missions At A Glance:

Country/City	Name	Domain	Language	Social Link	Sponsored	Note
Australia, Canberra	bhcanberra	.com	English	No	Yes, priyoaustralia & rbitsolutions
Bahrain	bdembassy	.org	English	No
Belgium	bangladeshembassy	.be	--	--	--	Connection time out
Bhutan	bangladeshembassy	.bt	English	No		Account suspended
Brazil	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Brunei Darussalam	hcbangladesh	.org.bn	English	No
Canada	bdhcottawa	.ca	English	No
China, Beijing	bangladeshembassy	.com.cn	English, Chinese	No
China, Kunming	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
China, Hong Kong	bangladeshconsulate	.hk	English	No		No information, only random and bad links. 3rd person Facebook link!
Egypt	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
France	banglaemb-paris	.org	--	--	--	Broken
Germany	bangladeshembassy	.de	English	No	Yes, Deutsch Bangla Textile
Greece	bdembassyathens	.gr	English	No	Yes, D.F.
India, Delhi	bdhcdelhi	.org	English	Yes, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube	Yes, Mrnproductions	MOFA website link has different info.
India, Kolkata	bdhckolkata	.org	--	--	--	Broken
India, Agartala	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
India, Mumbai	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Indonesia	bangladeshembassyjakarta	.com	English	No		Google free site
Iran	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Iraq	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Italy, Milan	bcgmilan	.com	English	No	Yes, Kamrul Hassan	MOFA website has no info about this office!
Italy	bangladeshembassyinitaly	.com	--	--	--	Domain for sale
Japan	bdembassy	.jp	English	No	Yes, Arefin Tuhin	MOFA website link has different info. MOFA link is a fashion site!
Jordan	bdembassyamman	.com	English	No		Broken
Kenya	bdootnairobi	.com	English	Yes, Facebook
Korea, South	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Kuwait	kuwait.mofa	.gov.bd	English	Yes, Facebook		No website, only Facebook
Lebanon	bangladeshembassybeirut	.org	English	No	Yes, Drivs av Abstra	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
Libya	bdembassytripoli	.com	--	--		Website does not exist
Malaysia	bangladesh-highcomkl	.com	English	No	Yes, Raihan Mazumder
Maldives	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Morocco	bangladeshembassy-morocco	.org	--	--	--	Website disappeared
Myanmar, Yangon	bdembassyyangon	.org	English	No	Yes, BUZZ	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
Myanmar, Sittwe	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Mauritius	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Mexico	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Nepal	bangladoot	org.np	English, Bangla	Yes, Facebook, Twitter, Google+	Yes, Augustais	This website is not listed on MOFA website. Has a Hindi language link
Netherlands	bangladeshembassy	.nl	English	No		Link and scans
Oman	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Pakistan, Islamabad	bdhcpk	.org	English	No
Pakistan, Karachi	bddhc-karachi	.org	English	No	Yes, Boundless Technologies
Philippines	bangladeshembassymanila	.org	English	No	Yes, I-Map Websolutions	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
Portugal	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Qatar	bdembassydoha	.com	English	No	Yes, Prism Technology	This website is not listed on MOFA website. Half broken
Russia	bangladeshembassy	.ru	English	No
Saudi Arabia	bangladeshembassy	.org.sa	English	No
Singapore	bangladesh	.org.sg	English	No	Yes, Sunmediaonline
South Africa	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Spain	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
Sri Lanka	bhccolombo	.lk	English	No	Yes, Zeeron Solutions	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
Sweden	bangladoot	.se	English	No	Yes, Abstra
Switzerland	bangladeshmissiongeneva	.ch	--	--		Permanent Mission to UN offices. Forever in maintenance!
Thailand	bdembassybangkok	.org	English	No	Yes, G7website	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
Turkey	bangladootankara	.org.tr	English, Turkish	No	Yes, Orden
United Arab Emirate, Abu Dhabi	bdembassyuae	.org	English	No
United Arab Emirate, Dubai	cgbdubai	.org	English	No	Yes, Alwafaagroup	This website is not listed on MOFA website.
UK, London	bhclondon	.org.uk	English	No
UK, Mancheshter	bahcmanchester	.org.uk	English	No	Yes, G5 Telecom
UK, Birmingham	x	x	x	x	x	No Website
USA, Washington DC	bdembassyusa	.org	English	Yes, YouTube
USA, New York	bdcgny	.org	English	No
USA, Los Angeles	bangladeshconsulatela	.com	English	No
Uzbekistan	bangladeshembtashkent	.uz	English, Russian	No
Vietnam	bangladeshembassy	.vn	--	--	--	Hacked!
UN Permanent Mission	N/A	--	English	No		The website belongs to UN

Ways to Improve Websites of Bangladesh Embassies and Consulates

There are many ways to improve the websites of Bangladesh embassies and consulates. Consult with some industry experts can be one way to go. Below are some obvious suggestions:

The naming principle can be made uniform and consistent. For example, using mofa.gov.bd as a top-level domain, all foreign missions can be named with the city they are stationed in. Here are a few examples:

Abu Dhabi	https://www.abudhabi.mofa.gov.bd
Karachi	https://www.karachi.mofa.gov.bd
London	https://www.london.mofa.gov.bd
Los Angeles	https://www.losangeles.mofa.gov.bd
New York	https://www.newyork.mofa.gov.bd
Nairobi	https://www.nairobi.mofa.gov.bd
Washington D. C.	https://www.washingtondc.mofa.gov.bd

General information about Bangladesh’s history, politics, geography, culture, tradition, literature, government structure, investment policy, etc., can be furnished by Bangladesh MOFA. This information can be data-rich, synchronized, and well-researched. Rest can be given to each mission to add information according to their need. Website structure can be professional, user-friendly, modern, and, if possible, aesthetically appealing!

Websites can be made in English with Bangla and local language support. Bangla language will help Bangladeshis in need, and the local language may assist foreign investors, tourists, and information seekers. For example:

Embassy	Language 1	Language 2	Language 3
USA	English	Bangla
UAE	English	Bangla	Arabic
Sweden	English	Bangla	Swedish
Tajikistan	English	Bangla	Russian
Malaysia	English	Bangla	Malay/Chinese

A rating system, FAQ, QA, and social media sections can be added to better serve the clients.

All websites should be responsive and mobile-friendly as more people access the web via cell phones and tablets.

According to industry experts, appropriate measurements can be implemented to make websites fast, secure, and hacker-proof. (like https, CDN etc.)

Copyright, terms and conditions, disclaimer, etc., should be clearly stated on all Bangladesh MOFA foreign mission websites.

All foreign missions can have a web presence. At present, 17 embassies and consulates have no websites.

The online presence of a nation like Bangladesh is significant as more people seek information online. For many investors, tourists, researchers, expatriates, and businessmen, a website is the first and prime source of information. Therefore, it will be wise for Bangladesh MOFA to create fast, secure, accurate, comprehensive, and working websites for all of its embassies and consulates as soon as possible, including its own.

Climate Change and Bangladesh Community Abroad

March 2, 2015September 10, 2014 by bidici

This article is about climate change and role of Bangladesh community living abroad. Ok, let’s get started.

People’s Climate March Poster by Crystal Bruno — People’s Climate March | Crystal Bruno

On Sunday, September 21, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of New York, and cities worldwide to pressure world leaders to take action on global warming, in what organizers claim will be the biggest climate march in history.

The UN Climate Summit happening right after the march, on September 23. World leaders will join at this summit on climate change, the first time world leaders have come together on the issue since the landmark Copenhagen summit in 2009, which was seen as a failure.

The People’s Climate March on 21 September is intended to send a strong signal to those world leaders and could be the ‘last chance’ for an international deal. If world leaders aren’t forced to step up, ‘then many believe that political progress is impossible.’ The People’s Climate March is a crucial factor in insuring the world gets on the right path.

Climate Change and Bangladesh

By the end of this century, best estimates predict between a 1.8⁰ C and 4⁰ C rise in average global temperature, although it could possibly be as high as 6.4⁰ C. This will affect many parts of the whole world in unprecedented ways.

For Bangladesh, the impact of climate change extremely severe. Already average weather temperatures rising; rainfall being less when it is most needed; more extreme hot and cold spells every year; rivers altering the hydrological cycle; more powerful tornados and cyclones are becoming common; sea level rising displacing communities, freshwater becoming saline; etc. The impact will be intensified by the fact that Bangladesh is both one of the most populated and one of the poorest. A conservative estimate predicts that by 2050, population of Bangladesh will reach 220 million. However, by then nearly 17%-20% of Bangladesh will be claimed by the sea, displacing about 20 million people.

Scientific data, solid predictions, real-life experiences and negative effects of the climate change on Bangladesh are everywhere. The worst senario is not unreal if the people are not united and demand action NOW.

What is happening in New York?

On Sunday, September 21, in New York City, people from all walks of life and organizations of all types will march together to put pressure on world leaders to address the issue of climate change. There is a very wide range and diversity of people, including immigrant rights groups, social justice groups, faith communities, students, professionals, unions, women, youths, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, you name it, are coming to join the event. Whoever you are and wherever you are, climate change threatens us all, so it brings us together.

The march will be happening all major cities around the world but New York City march is the most important and center of attention because world leaders are gathering in the United Nations in New York.

Why is this march important for Bangladesh community abroad?

As the negative impacts of climate change on Bangladesh are very high, it can be safely assumed that the Bangladeshi community living around the world can raise their voices to demand urgent, practical and political measurements to address the issue. Almost every Non-Resident Bangladeshi has some kind of ties to Bangladesh – familial, economic, social, cultural, emotional or ethnic. Therefore, Bangladeshis abroad should be at the forefront of the march.

The march and summit are happening in New York City. Fortunately, New York is one of the largest hub of Bangladeshi community living outside of Bangladesh. Therefore, it should be easy to attend for them.

Plus, the event is on Sunday. Sundays in summer season are generally a picnic day for Bangladeshi community in New York. Let’s do a ‘picnic-walk’ that the future generations will remember. Pack some food, take some water and come with your family, friends, festoons and flyers.

What Bangladesh community abroad can do?

First thing they can do is to show that they care for their country, Bangladesh. Geographically it is a distant land but memory of the land is closer than the heartbeat, specially for first generation immigrants!

Everyone can do something according to their capacity,

Everyone can come and join the march.
Bangladeshi community newspapers in New York can write about the event and place conspicuous ads to draw attention of the community.
Hundreds of Bangladeshi community organizations (district, cultural, student) can notify and arrange their members to come to the march or maybe even march altogether.
‘Mainstream’ Bangladeshi community organizers can show their magical tweaks by motivating people to participate.
Businesses and business organizations can provide space for flyer, fund the event, print posters, banners, etc.

Why Bangladesh community abroad should participate?

Show you care for your country, you are concerned and you demand action.
Show your anger, dissatisfaction, awareness about the inaction of political leaders of the world regarding climate change.
In 1971, expatriate Bangladeshis around the world created awareness about the Bangladesh Liberation War. Now it is your turn – only it is another issue and mother of all issues.
Your family, friends and ordinary citizens of Bangladesh expect this global civic duty from you. They cannot join the march in New York – you can. You represent them. You do it for them.
As Bangladesh will be severely affected by climate change, Bangladesh community’s presence should be noticeable, bold and forefront.
Be part of a global community that care and concern about global issues affecting all of us.
It is a moral duty.

More information

Where and When is People’s Climate March

What to Expect at People’s Climate March

People’s Climate March – Find Your City

People’s Climate March arround the World — People’s Climate March around the World

Documentary Films on Bangladesh – Part 3

July 28, 2015July 31, 2014 by bidici

Documentary Films on Bangladesh by non-Bangladeshi Film Makers

This is the third part on documentary films on Bangladesh. First part of documentary films on Bangladesh listed nine documentaries. Second part of documentary films on Bangladesh listed nine more docs. Nine more documentaries added to this list. The lists are in random order.

Development in Bad Waters

development-in-bad-waters-cover

Director: Crelis Rammelt
2013 • 61 Min • Netherlands

In Bangladesh, millions of rural poor are currently drinking water that is contaminated with high levels of arsenic. Although the problem was described as the worst mass poisoning in history, little has been achieved to resolve it. Among the few projects that are being implemented, even fewer have managed to reach the poor and to implement water supplies and health support provisions that last. The Arsenic Mitigation and Research Foundation has implemented an integrated and participatory program that links research with project activities in a manner that reflects the priorities of local communities. More info about Development in Bad Waters here.

Le telephone portable de Halima

Le telephone portable de Halima cover

Director: Olga Prud’homme
2007 • 52 Min • France

This story takes place in Bangladesh. We are in May 2000. I have come to follow the arrival of a cell phone in Halima’s life, a village woman. Halima got this cell phone thanks to a loan from the Grameen Bank, the “bank of the poor”. It is the first phone ever found in this village. It should benefit to Halima as well as to all the village people.

January 2007: back to Halima. Has the wager of professor Yunus, who in between has been rewarded with the Peace Nobel Prize, succeeded? Can a cell phone change a destiny? Can micro credit help the poor to jump above “poverty line”? What happened to Halima and to her cell phone?

Le telephone portable de Halima or Halima’s Cellphone is in Bangla with French Subtitle.

The Dust of His Feet

The Dust of His Feet cover

Director: Janet Best
2010 • 62 Min • Canada

The film brings us into the world of two Bangladeshi folk musicians. Matal Rajjak Dewan, the ‘drunk poet’, is honored with a shrine after his death. His student, Abdul Hai Dewan, calls his teacher ‘my Allah’ and continues to sing his songs of tolerance, mysticism and love at all-night celebrations and debates.

Matal Rajjak Dewan was an eccentric poet and singer who intrigued me the first and only time I saw him perform. When I returned to Bangladesh a year and a half later he was dead and his grave was a kind of shrine. Surprised, I set out to find out more and talked to his family, fans and, most of all, to his ardent student, the charismatic singer, Abdul Hai Dewan. For Abdul Hai, Matal Rajjak is more than just a teacher. “Nobody likes my songs,” he says unless Matal mixes in my soul and sings.” But Matal Rajjak is a puzzling figure who is described in many ways, a man who gave away all his money to beggars but who also beat people.

Way Back Home

Way Back Home cover

Director: Supriyo Sen
2003 • 120 Mins • India

In this road-movie, the filmmaker follows his parents on their way ‘back home’ to Bangladesh. After the Partition of India in 1947, East Pakistan, (today’s Bangladesh) witnessed enormous atrocities. Rape, brutal killings and the separation of families, friends and neighbors literally happened overnight. After 50 years of living as ‘refugees’ in India, the filmmaker’s parents return to their home villages to see what remains of childhood memories. The journey is dangerous and challenging for those behind the camera as those in front of it. Filming takes place without the official permission of Bangladesh, which can provoke nasty reprisals. The urge to film his parents visiting home for what might be the last time in their lives though, was a great motivator. Emotional but not melodramatic, the film embodies the story of one family representing the faith of thousands of others in India, Bangladesh or Pakistan. Poetic in approach, with beautiful songs and a measured pace, this journey is one of the rare documentaries that played for weeks in cinemas in Kolkata, India.

The Bangladesh Story

The Bangladesh Story cover

Director: Faris Kermani
1989 • 78 Min • UK

The Bangladesh Story, a three-part series, broadcast on Channel 4, tells the story of Bangladesh from its creation to military rule of 1990s.

Part 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.

Part 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.

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

Between the Tides

Between the Tides cover

Directors: Tyler Quintano & Nick Manning
2009 • 50 Min • USA

The sea level is rising at an alarming 3.14 mm per year in the Bay of Bengal due to climate change. An estimated 125 million people may be rendered homeless in India and Bangladesh by the end of this century. What are their options? How long do people have? Between the Tides is a feature-length documentary film that explores the human cost of climate change and those living on the front lines of sea level rise in the Ganges Delta.

The Micro Debt

the micro debt cover

Director: Tom Heinemann
2011 • 57 Min • Denmark

Microcredit has been hailed as the #1 solution to eradicate poverty. In December 2007, the Danish independent journalist and film maker, Tom Heinemann met with a woman by the name of Jahanara – living in a slum-like house two hours drive outside the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. Shortly before she had sold her house to pay her weekly installment\’s. For months, she had been intimidated, harassed and abused by the members of her loan group and by the loan officers from the various Micro Finance Institutions, who had given her the loans. The meeting with Jahanara was only the first in a long string of interviews with poor people in Bangladesh, India and in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. The Microcredit loan-takers told the same story over and over again: Most of them had numerous loans in various NGO’s and Micro Finance Institutions – and many must take new loans to cover the old ones. They paid annual interest rates ranging from 30-200%, and they are under extreme social pressure from the other members of their groups.

Strong Bodies Fight

strong bodies fight-cover

Director: William Donaruma
2011 • 65 Min • USA

“Strong bodies fight, that weak bodies may be nourished.” This is the motto of the Notre Dame Boxing Team, which annually hosts an intramural charity tournament called “The Bengal Bouts” to support the Holy Cross development efforts in the poverty-stricken country of Bangladesh. Founded by legendary football coach Knute Rockne in 1931 and perpetuated by 80 years of blood, sweat, and tears, the Bengal Bouts represent a sacred tradition of dedicated students lacing up their gloves in a fight much larger than the ring in which they box.

In May 2008, a group of 5 student boxers embarked on a journey across the world to witness the Bangladesh missions. What they encountered was not what they had anticipated. Where they had expected to find weakness, they found strength; where they thought they would find despair, they found great resolve. They learned that the Bangladeshi people were not helpless victims to be aided but change-agents to be empowered. From the claustrophobic slums of Dhaka city to the remote tribal villages of Bangladesh, these students witnessed a world of poverty seldom seen in films or media – a world of hope.

Now 80 years in the making, Strong Bodies Fight is the unique and inspirational story of three groups of people – the Notre Dame boxers, the Holy Cross Missionaries, and the people of Bangladesh – reaching out across the globe to join forces as one Team in the FIGHT against poverty.

The Akram Tree

The Akram Tree cover

Directors: Francesco Cabras & Alberto Molinari
2011 • 81 Min • Italy

The Akram Tree is a journey through the personal and professional world of the British-Bangladeshi choreographer and dancer Akram Khan. My intelligence is in my body says Akram himself, a body built by acute observations of the reality, legends, and unceasing work here well represented by Gnosis, a pièce realized in collaboration with seven artists expressly discovered in different parts of the world. These traditions and experimentations from India, Japan, Pakistan, England, Egypt, Iraq and Bangladesh collaborate together to create a work between classic Indian Kathak and contemporary dance. The film portrays the story of this peculiar human and artistic adventure often transcending the narration for the sake of a more visionary look influenced by the location where the documentary has been shot: the futuristic and conflictive city of Abu Dhabi with its desertic and metaphysical surroundings.

Documentary Films on Bangladesh II_cover

Documentary Films on Bangladesh – Part 2

October 3, 2016July 30, 2014 by bidici

Documentary Films on Bangladesh by non-Bangladeshi Film Makers

So here are another list of few more documentary films on Bangladesh. First part of documentary films on Bangladesh listed nine docs. In this part, nine more are included. The subject matter of these docs are microcredit, safe work environment, water contamination, social life, natural world, etc.

Again, the documentary films on Bangladesh here are not a review, just descriptions and are in random order.

Clothes To Die For

Clothes-to-Die-for-Cover

Director: Zara Hayes
2014 • 59 Min • UK

In April 2013, 18-year-old Shirin became one of thousands of people trapped inside the Rana Plaza building when it collapsed in the worst industrial disaster in the 21st century. In this moving documentary for BBC Two’s This World, Shirin and some of the other survivors tell their remarkable story of survival and escape. Many were rescued by ordinary local people who risked their own lives crawling into the rubble to save them. But Clothes To Die For also reveals the incredible growth of the Bangladeshi garment industry and the greed and high level corruption that led to the Rana Plaza tragedy. This tiny country has become the second largest producer of clothes in the world after China, transforming the country and providing employment for millions of people, most of them young women. As the personal stories of survivors reveal, in Bangladesh even a wage as low as £1.50 a day can be completely life-changing and many don’t want that opportunity taken away. Producing goods for several British and European high street stores, the tragedy at the Rana Plaza sent shock waves around the world about the safety of the Bangladesh garment industry. As one local factory owner said ‘At the end of the day if the retailers want more compliant factories they have to pay us more. Get the retailers together and make sure they pay us five cents more. Not even ten, we don’t even want ten cents, we want five, we’re happy with five cents on each garment’.

Bonsai People

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Director: Holly Mosher
2011 • 56 Min • USA | aka. বনসাই মানুষ

Bonsai People: The Vision of Muhammad Yunus is aptly titled. Muhammad Yunus likens poor people to the artificially stunted bonsai tree, “where nothing is wrong with their seed; society never allowed them to grow as tall as everybody else.” His vision to remedy poverty and help poor people overcome their situations led to his creation of the Grameen Bank. This innovative financial institution, which furnishes microcredit loans to poor women and demands creative requirements for eligibility (such as learning about hygiene), has changed aid in the developing world in the last few decades.

From Yunus’ initial personal loan of twenty-seven dollars given to forty-two people, microcredit has become global, and has affected over a hundred million families. Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, received the Nobel Peace Prize for this work, and has since partnered with businesses in his attempts to do “social good.”

The video focuses on the life of poor people in rural Bangladesh, traces the steps that are taken to acquire a micro-loan, and interviews several recipients of loans in the past, assessing the benefits these specific village women have derived from the loans. The footage of the Bangladesh countryside is beautifully shot; the facts about poverty, health, malnutrition, and the fragility of life in much of the world are well placed throughout the video; and the interviews with the participants are moving.

Signature of Change, the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh

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Director: Mark Aardenburg
1996 • 46 Min • Netherlands

Bangladesh with its 120 million people is one of the most densely populated countries. It is found in one of the world’s biggest river deltas. Most of the inhabitants, who are mainly Islamic, live in the beautiful countryside. Although very fertile, overpopulation and frequent natural disasters make life a continuing struggle; 85% live below the poverty line. The Bengali professor Muhammad Yunus cares about their fate. In 1983 he founded the Grameen Bank, which lends money to the poor and landless only. Today the Bank works in 35.000 villages and has more than 2 million borrowers, 94% of them are women. During the documentary Professor Yunus tells about the founding, development and future of the Bank. He seems like an impossible mix of socialist and capitalist ideals; a harmony of contradiction. His ambition is to create a poverty free world, for which he indeed set the first steps.

Bridging Two Worlds

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Director: Mark Verkerk
2005 • 56 Min • Netherlands

In a world in which the rift between rich and poor has never been greater, comes a timely story offering hope. This inspirational film charts the life of Motalib Weijters, a remarkable man at home in two contrasting worlds: Bangladesh and the Netherlands. At just seven years of age, he was plucked from a Dhaka street and taken to the Netherlands. Seventeen years later, Motalib goes back in search of his roots and family. There he begins a process that over ten years has ended up transforming a whole community. From street child to village “father”, Motalib shows that even in the face of massive global problems, individuals can make a difference.

Spoken languages and subtitling of Bridging Two Worlds are in Dutch and English.

When The World Sinks

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Director: Yorgos Avgeropoulos
2009-2010 • 52 Min • Greece

On 25th May 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated southern Bangladesh, leaving an estimated 8,000 dead and over 1 million homeless. The IPCC claims that by 2050 1 in 7 Bangladeshis will be a climate migrant, forced from their homes due to ever-advancing sea levels, and the saline contamination and unemployment that inevitably ensue. With their land under water and their crops destroyed, many southern Bangladeshis have been forced to abandon farming for fishing, an industry that can only employ a fraction of the people who once worked on the now-vanished rice fields. As one former farmer explains, ‘My conscience tells me to leave, but where else can I go? It’s like a prison here.’

More infomation about Bangladesh – When The World Sinks.

Man-eating Tigers of the Sundarbans

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Director: Ingrid Kvale
2009 • 48 Min • UK

Tiger experts in Bangladesh have a problem: how can they encourage local people to protect the beautiful and endangered Bengal tiger when these animals have developed a taste for human flesh?

The Sundarbans forest is one of the biggest tracts of mangrove forest left in the world. It is rich in wildlife and provides important forest resources for communities living around its edge. But up to 50 forest workers are killed by tigers each year and now the boldest animals are sneaking into villages at night.

This gripping film reveals the tension and heartache of living so close to a killer cat and follows the bold attempt by one village to teach street dogs to scare away the rogue tiger on their doorstep.

The Concert for Bangladesh

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Director: Saul Swimmer
1972 • 103 Min • USA

The first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise humanitarian relief funds for the refugees of Bangladesh of 1971 war.

Ex-Beatle George Harrison organized this spectacular concert on August 1, 1971 at New York’s Madison Square Garden to help and aid the people from Bangladesh with all the money raised destined to that cause. Along with Harrison the concert features Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Rusell, Klaus Voormann and an Indian music section by Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and a set by the legendary Bob Dylan. The concerts raised close to US$250,000 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. The event was the first-ever benefit concert of such a magnitude.

La boda de Mawla

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Director: Zoltan Enevold
2009 • 52 Min • Spain | aka The Wedding of Mawla

Mawla is from Bangladesh and lives in Madrid. He has a job and a lot of friends but his dream is to have a family. After seven years he decides to go back to his country for the first time in order to find a bride and get married. La boda de Mawla was awarded the best medium length documentary at the Alcances Film Festival in Spain and was got honored mention at IV ACE Awards in Spain in 2010.

The Devil’s Water

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Director: Amirul Arham Sheikh
2006 • 52 Min • France | aka L’eau du diable

Every day 75 million people in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India consume water contaminated with toxic levels of arsenic. The problem has been ongoing since the late 1970s, when millions of tube wells were installed, throughout the region – unintentionally tapping arsenic tainted groundwater.

In what has been called the worst mass poisoning in human history, the World Health Organization estimates the extent of the human toll now exceeds that of both the Bhopal and Chernobyl disasters. Yet few are aware of the tragedy. Arsenic kills slowly, and its victims are poor, uneducated, and easily dismissed. The tube wells provide what appears to be clean, clear water; yet it is tainted with a tasteless and odorless poison. Millions continue to suffer in silence, slowly dying from cancer and other complications.

The Devil’s Water tells the story of three young women whose lives have been adversely affected by arsenic poisoning. Asma and Nazma are two sisters who have lost their mother to arsenic poisoning, and both suffer serious complications from arsenic themselves. Rekha is a young mother who has been rejected by her husband because of her illness, and is struggling to raise her son. The film captures the personal accounts of their tragedy and loss, set against the backdrop of scientists who examine the cause and effect of the arsenic contamination and attempt to discover a solution.

The Devil’s Water, is a film about what happens when water- the most precious of natural resources – turns deadly. The film is intended to draw world-wide attention to the humanitarian and environmental crisis that arsenic water poisoning poses to both Bangladesh and other afflicted countries around the world.