tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284701042012-02-03T06:13:31.806+06:00Searching for the meaning of "non-political government" since 1610DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.comBlogger2241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-50179475393745929302008-08-27T18:22:00.004+06:002008-08-27T18:27:46.287+06:00

Yes. The Recent Comments widget's umpteenth breakdown was the final straw. Therefore, I humbly ask my 16 readers to redirect their appetite for my sarcasm and rage to the new site.URL: http://dhakashohor.wordpress.comBlogger... we'll always have Dhaka.

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com329tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-16001510574221506032008-08-19T07:36:00.001+06:002008-08-19T07:38:35.271+06:00

(This post is rated R for violence and strong language)If, like most Bangladeshis of all political hues, you are completely invested in the worldview of Indians and Pakistanis, you will not be able to follow the line I am about to draw. If you are too busy licking up the ideological crumbs from the tables at Delhi, Islamabad or Riyadh, then you will deplore my “tasteless comments”. On the other

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-30729968484020089452008-08-07T05:38:00.001+06:002008-08-07T05:40:27.468+06:00

Unfortunately, as many of you have figured out, my internet access is very limited at the moment and my time to blog is very limited indeed. So posts like this will unfortunately be the norm rather than the exception, about items that are of interest to me, but that I don’t have time to deal with at length.Whither Central Bank Independence?If a democratic polity hinges on an independent judiciary

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-25757225597774166582008-08-01T13:58:00.000+06:002008-08-01T14:05:41.652+06:00

[Unfortunately, as many of you have figured out, my internet access is very limited at the moment and my time to blog is very limited indeed. So posts like this will unfortunately be the norm rather than the exception, about items that are of interest to me, but that I don’t have time to deal with at length. ]A few months ago, you couldn’t visit a newspaper’s website or read a story without

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-41139374656782187152008-07-07T07:10:00.001+06:002008-07-07T07:11:58.668+06:00

The logical end to unbridled power invested unquestioningly in a single individual. The Ershad of the North one might call him.So the obvious question to ask is this: are movie-critics in North Korea charged with “ruining the image of the Glorious country” by the nomenklatura or with “being counter-revolutionary” by Communist party apparatchiki, or with “disrespecting our Dear Leader who knows

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-38835046851892234432008-06-30T11:42:00.001+06:002008-06-30T11:44:21.455+06:00

Yup. “Middle East” was always a colonial term, forever changing with the demands of the powerful. Nope, not about to use Arabic terms like al-Jazeera or Mashriq either.1.O PalestineI am not sure how many people saw this, but Vanity Fair recently had an interesting article where it said it had obtained documents showing American plans to supply Fatah with weapons so that they could “take out”

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-44351770828420939572008-05-26T13:50:00.001+06:002008-05-26T13:52:14.283+06:00

April was a bad month for the Daily Star as far as I was concerned. (Read about that here and here). I honestly thought that was the lowest point they had reached and would bounce back.Turns out I was wrong. They sunk even lower. The other day, as I scanned the Op-Ed page, I came across this gem of a piece on the state of press freedom in Bangladesh written by one Abdul Hannan, a freelance

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-72268997962506887032008-05-19T11:42:00.000+06:002008-05-19T11:43:50.890+06:00

I’m getting nostalgic this month because it has been slightly more than a year since I started blogging about Bangladeshi politics. A few days ago, I recalled my conversation about Ayub Khan last year with J@Shadakalo. We both agreed then that labeling Ayub a “Khan-ki Pola” – tempting as it was, and factual too, in both Bangla and Urdu – would be an insult to all children born into brothels

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-67951078005149675912008-05-14T06:05:00.000+06:002008-05-14T06:06:45.704+06:00

The week of April 20th-26th, 2008 will not be remembered as the Daily Star’s finest. Now, I know there are some of you who never thought much of this paper, and I am not just referring to fringe elements. But the truth is that the Daily Star once did its job, that of holding government accountable and creating a space where government actions could be debated. It gave up that job a few months

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-64127781645239774762008-05-08T09:38:00.002+06:002008-05-08T09:41:31.389+06:00

I appreciate those worries that we are becoming Pakistan and that “certain quarters” are trying to implement the Musharraf game-plan. Every time there is a rumble at the Baitul Mukarram, we hear ominous talks about the Lal Moshjid. I harbor these same fears to a certain extent. Comparative political analysis is something I enjoy a great deal, and my skeptical eye is certainly satisfied by the

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-78477423080251279692008-05-02T05:37:00.007+06:002008-05-02T05:53:13.787+06:00

This article is not about Kamal Hossain’s digbaajis. He has proven himself a non-entity in our democracy and I am not about to waste time on his potential as a politician. No, this is an appeal to thinkers in BNP.This is Shameran Abed in New Age writing about Dr. Kamal Hossain in an unflattering way. LinkThis is Mahmudur Rahman in Naya Diganta writing about Dr. Kamal Hossain in an unflattering

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-75199966026003332482008-04-29T08:27:00.002+06:002008-04-29T08:33:52.455+06:00

Lying there, half-immersed in curry sauce, ignored by those looking for meat, the aloo has been a much-neglected vegetable indeed. Until now that is. The Knight of the Order of the Aloo rode in on horseback, his armour - polished by the spittle of a thousand supporters - shining in the deltaic sun! All to save the aloo from the ignominy of being made bhorta. The aloo is indeed redeemed, for chefs

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-16583766663615942732008-04-11T12:43:00.002+06:002008-04-11T12:44:00.804+06:00

হয়ত সেই রাতেও পূর্ণিমা ছিলহয়ত রাস্তায় এক ফকির তার বাবাকে থামিয়ে বলেছিল যে তার কপালে এমন এক সন্তান আছে যার মতো লেখক বাংলা ভাষায় এর আগে দেখা যায়নি।হয়ত সেই কথা শুনে তার বাবা অবাক হয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকার সময় ঘাট থেকে নৌকাটি ছেড়ে দিয়েছিল।হয়ত তার পরের নৌকায় উঠার সময় তার সাথে দেখা হয়েছিল তার ভবিষ্যত স্ত্রীর, তার ছেলের ভবিষ্যত মা।হয়ত সেই ছেলে ভুতের গলিতে সত্যিই ভুত দেখতে পেয়েছিল।হয়ত সে সত্যিই শুনেছিল গ্রামের

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-78429357164063106782008-04-08T07:59:00.000+06:002008-04-08T08:00:00.916+06:00

Call me old-fashioned. But there are some things about our tradition I cherish unquestioningly. To take a random example, as those who are even remotely familiar with worker revolts in tea-estates know, women, children and the elderly are never targets. The men, ie. the head of households, are. It’s considered bad form to attack those who cannot defend themselves. This might be a patriarchal

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-63860917953986278832008-04-01T11:52:00.003+06:002008-04-01T11:59:34.039+06:00

Do you pick a fight with a helpless beggar on the street for swearing at you because you didn’t give him/her any money?No? Then why pick one with Henry Kissinger?I was annoyed when some Bangladeshi journalist thought it worth his while to ask Kissinger about the “bottomless basket”/ “international basketcase” remark. But when I saw this article in March’s Forum, my annoyance turned to utter

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com249tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-80355848212751398432008-03-25T08:46:00.002+06:002008-03-25T08:49:44.396+06:00

Background hereMr. Moudud is a snake no one likes but every politician wants on their team.Mr. Moudud is also incarcerated on ridiculously trivial charges.The “controversy” over at UV is starting to border on the Gulliverian debate of which side to break an egg on. It pretty much boils down to this: when advocating for due process in Bangladesh, should we or should we not note that some of the

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-11955940538021456802008-03-21T05:00:00.003+06:002008-03-21T05:14:05.409+06:00

Drishtipat and E-Bangladesh are reporting that cartoonist Arif has been released from his six month incarceration. This blog promised to highlight his plight until justice was done. We now thank all those who helped Arif in his struggle: other bloggers, letter writers, petitioners, and most of all, Barrister Sara Hossain and her team. When the issue moved off the headlines, Sara and her team

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-7044155501573140452008-03-20T10:29:00.000+06:002008-03-20T10:30:45.662+06:00

As Jyoti bhai pointed out, Naya Diganta was one of the few papers to carry the news about the torture report issued by HRW. I have already discussed certain aspects of the interrogations transcripts. Yet another that obviously caught my attention was the almost exclusive focus on India throughout. I don’t know if this was a solely a scare-tactic or whether the intelligence agencies really believe

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-40049942473436631942008-03-08T12:58:00.001+06:002008-03-08T13:03:48.896+06:00

Professor Muzaffer Ahmed was awarded the Ekushey Padak this year. This blog congratulates him on that.His work with TIB has managed to publicise more allegations, appearances and perceptions of corruption more effectively than opposition political parties sitting in the highest political body of the land or media dinosaurs sitting in their offices.Indeed, so damning are these allegations that

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-84438860161359244522008-03-07T03:45:00.001+06:002008-03-07T03:47:21.595+06:00

“কাদতে আসিনি, ফাসির দাবী নিয়ে এসেছি” – মাহবুব-উল-আলমApologies firstly for being MIA and secondly for playing a pop psychologist hack like Dr. Phil. But the recent HRW report really is too distressing to let pass by without some observations. First and foremost though, I lend my voice to those who find torture abhorrent on principle and absolutely useless on practical grounds. My deepest

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-25734837448632398942008-03-05T04:26:00.001+06:002008-03-05T04:28:24.464+06:00

Yeats should have sailed to Bangladesh.For in Bangladesh, the old in one another’s arms dance on the bloodied corpses of the young.I speak not only of “cowardly liberals” such as our twin editors, who seem to have sacrificed a man each to save their own political hides. Whereas they should have been leaders, voices of experience and bulwarks of strength who sheltered the more adventurous of their

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-87752579711475540192008-01-11T12:34:00.000+06:002008-01-11T12:41:09.600+06:00

An entire generation has been lost thanks to the meaningless arguments they have had to witness in that most sacred of our political places, Jatiyo Shongshod Bhobon.Those arguments were petty, but dangerous.Petty because, when your country's highest decision-makers debate most passionately over "Who's the father of the nation/declarer of independence", you know there is something rotten in the

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-60955111033894771052007-12-31T07:56:00.000+06:002007-12-31T07:58:27.845+06:00

A video that everyone with an opinion on VoIP should watch.

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-42075203380787807162007-12-21T10:46:00.000+06:002007-12-21T10:54:42.104+06:00

An old TIME magazine article that I came across the other day has this to say:“The power of markets, it turns out, has something to say about practically everything. We see it at work on Wall Street, which absorbs the collected wisdom of millions of investors and expresses it as stock prices. Prediction markets now let people bet on everything from sports scores to election results to the

Nogor Banglahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02106625210794208892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-40796956035727710612007-12-16T11:23:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:52.460+06:00

On the 37th anniversary of the birth of our Republic from the ashes of a badly-run Tyranny that had just committed Fratricide from which there is no return, we find it in pretty bad shape and as ever hope for the best.From the blogs:If you want to know the state of Bangladesh right now, read this.If you want to know the history of Bangladesh's bloody birth, read this.If you want to know our

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-1478513588252251092007-12-13T03:22:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:53.019+06:00

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-36699973113883387772007-12-12T23:57:00.000+06:002007-12-13T00:08:33.745+06:00

At times like these when you don't have enough time to blog, it's really good to have other people do the job for you. Tacit has written a(nother) fierce little piece on the state of the Daily Star today. Best quote for my money:We don’t know what Mr. Manik is getting out of prostituting his journalistic ethos to our army generals, but we hope, for his sake, that he set his price high... he

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-6932485098027905552007-12-11T15:17:00.000+06:002007-12-12T03:23:47.821+06:00

প্রিয় গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের তত্বাবধায়ক সরকার এবং তাদের দেশপ্রেমীক সাহায্যকারী,আমরা - বাংলাদেশের অসহায়, বুদ্ধিসম্পন্ন, দেশপ্রেমী জনগণ - আপনাদের মাফ করে দিলাম বছরের শুরুতে এতো ফালতু কথা বলে ও মিথ্যা অঙ্গীকার করে আমাদেরকে বৃথা আশা-আকাঙ্খা দেবার জন্যে। শধু মাফই নয়, যেন আপনাদের চাকুরি না চলে যায় এর জন্যেও বিশেষ করে ব্যবস্থা নিলাম। একজন অতিউত্তেজিত, বাগ্বহুল উপদেষ্টা যদি ক্ষমা চায় আমাদের কাছে,

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-22950016639188695472007-12-09T04:39:00.000+06:002007-12-11T04:16:51.668+06:00

র‌্যাংগস্‌ ভবন নিয়ে অনেক কিছুই বলা হয়েছে। দুর্নীতির প্রতীক, ক্ষমতার অপব্যবহারের কালো স্তম্ভ, ইত্যাদি। ব্লগর ব্লগরও অনেক হয়েছে। আজকের খবরে দেখলাম যে সেই অখ্যাত ভবন ভাঙতে গিয়ে ২৫ জন আহত এবং একজন নিহত। র‌্যাংগস ভবনকে নিয়ে সরকারের এই সিদ্ধান্ত অনেকে সমলচনা করেছিল, অনেকে নীতিগত ভাবে সমর্থন করেছিল, তবে বেশীর ভাগ মানুষই বিধ্বংসী উল্লাসে মেতে উঠেছিল। আজ একজন সাধারণ শ্রমিক মারা গেছেন সেই কাজ করতে গিয়ে।

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-47853445503906150372007-12-08T00:04:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:53.170+06:00

As we approach the end of the third month (on December 17th) of cartoonist Arifur's incarceration, we note that the media is still awfully silent about his predicament. What we put down to mere infighting within the coalition of diverse interests that is the CTG has resulted in an innocent man denied justice. All because of the rumblings of disenfranchised or alienated beings for whom practising

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-55191016706721676662007-12-06T17:57:00.000+06:002007-12-06T17:59:36.203+06:00

A certain barrister-cum-magician-cum-conspiracy theorist has claimed that no private citizen can file a sedition case against another in the wake of sedition cases being filed against WAR CRIMINALS. Apparently this "belittles Bangladesh". Source: BDNEWS24, too sleepy to link right now.In the annals of our history, only one other barrister has been as slimy, evasive, partisan and so firmly in the

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-58981652037133473752007-12-04T14:04:00.000+06:002007-12-04T15:56:29.283+06:00

On my Unheard Voices post on the fertilizer issue, I focussed only on the fallacy of abandoning a "card system" in favour of a "slip system" and expecting this to have any real effect on the ease with which farmers can access fertilizer. In other words, the transaction costs associated with getting fertilizer have increased, even if the monetary price has remained the same (tk. 4800/MT).There are

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-32708498551002852952007-12-02T01:42:00.000+06:002007-12-03T14:57:16.454+06:00

Correction: The first segment translated from the Amader Shomoy report had a vital error in it. It read that farmers were not used to buying fertiliser on credit. It should have read that they are not used to buying fertiliser with cash. The correction has been made, and the segment makes more sense now. We regret this error and blame it entirely on lack of sleep and the pressures of infrequent

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-27359952399731841402007-12-01T01:54:00.000+06:002007-12-01T02:00:45.506+06:00

Shahidul Alam on the Guimet Exhibition farce: Ten crates containing rare archaeological treasures of Bangladesh have been bundled out of the national museum and are said to be bound for Guimet Museum in Paris, via flight AF 6731 (dep: 1205 Saturday 1st Dec 2007). Preparations had been made to secretly remove the items through a shipment order by the French Embassy made to Homebound Packers and

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-2955019831870170352007-11-30T23:59:00.000+06:002007-12-01T15:17:38.207+06:00

Dear reader,It is now December, so the newer posts will show up as part of the December archive. Click here for newer posts.

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-76835085996502539642007-11-28T12:09:00.000+06:002007-11-30T02:41:41.680+06:00

Please read Part 1 before this.Ms. Nasrin and the "Secular Human"istsSo continuing on with my evening: after pondering the sheer hypocrisy of Islamists when it comes to turning a blind eye to the un-Islamic behaviour of their ideological allies, and re-affirming once again their inability to better the conditions of the world's Muslims, I decided to cool off by distracting myself.A visit to The

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-62497572737934652402007-11-28T10:48:00.000+06:002007-11-29T11:51:07.895+06:00

Part 1 - Mr. X and the IslamistsLet me guide you through my evening today.I come home, coughing once every three seconds, pissed at my lungs, pissed at the world. I go online and see that Zafar Sobhan's newest piece posted on UV is causing quite a storm (admittedly in a tea-cup). At the very top is a commenter - lets call him/her/it Mr. X - who has a habit of giving us rare gems and does not

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-10901750958999635682007-11-28T06:55:00.000+06:002007-11-28T10:48:45.923+06:00

Really haven't had time to blog recently. But I always have time to read blogs like In the Middle of Nowhere and Rumi bhai does not disappoint. I've brought up the idiocy of political appointments from outside the BCS foreign cadres before.But for sheer passion and energy, it is always hard to match Rumi bhai. Here are his two posts on recent ambassadorships awarded by the CTG:Yasmeen Morshed's

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-42953235532748301532007-11-24T06:39:00.000+06:002007-11-25T06:00:20.947+06:00

Two months ago, in the backdrop of the Prothom Alo cat cartoon controversy, I speculated about the different coalitions that were holding up the current CTG, trying to address them each in historical perspective. I predicted that following the pattern of other revolutions, the coalition members might turn upon each other. Of particular interest to me was coalition numbers 5 and 6: the shushils

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-89250499149197515862007-11-24T02:32:00.000+06:002007-11-24T11:39:08.343+06:00

Link to original story.First and foremost of my concerns are directed towards the Federation of NGOs of Bangladesh: STOP YOUR MEMBERS FROM COLLECTING OR ADDING INTEREST NOW!At the end of the story, the director of FNB is quoted denying these charges and saying that interest would not accumulate until after rehabilitation. So obviously there is a contradiction between his words and the (reports of

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-72523689669383278232007-11-18T06:06:00.000+06:002007-11-19T04:12:54.994+06:00

ঢাকা থেকে খারাপ খবর এসেই যাচ্ছে। সাইক্লোনের মতো মানবিক বিপর্যয় না এবার, এটা একান্তই ব্যাক্তিগত। দলছুটের সঞ্জীব চৌধুরী মৃত্যুর দুয়ারে।এই ক্লিপটা দিলাম ভক্তদের জন্যে। এই রকম ভাবেই তাকে মনে রাখতে চাই। বায়োস্কোপের নেশা যেন কখনই আমায় ছাড়ে না।

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-61038390932228843552007-11-17T06:09:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:53.355+06:00

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-81088522257743660702007-11-15T14:12:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:53.496+06:00

Photo Credit: Pavel RahmanDonate to help cyclone survivorsEmergency relief organizations: (click on the links below to go to their websites and donate)The International Federation of the Red Cross (You can select Cyclone SIDR)UNICEFCAREIslamic ReliefBangladesh Cyclone Appeal - World Vision UK (You can select Cyclone SIDR) Tel: 0800 088 088Save the ChildrenChristian AidBritish Red Cross [ tax

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-23883590737419314882007-11-15T14:04:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:53.957+06:00

To continue with the nostalgia theme, I present an article from the NYT (November 14, 1981) covering the presedential elections. I suggest you read till the end, presented below. It has a lot to say to the discerning reader.For those, like myself, who grew into political maturity a long time after these events: Justice Sattar won that election and became president. His "presidency" lasted from

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-42938123804801825012007-11-14T17:24:00.000+06:002007-11-14T17:28:27.862+06:00

....or at least bdnews24.com is reporting that as breaking news. Are you a non-regular blog reader? Are you surprised at this piece of news? No need to be. We knew this was coming for some time thanks to shadakalo and docstrangelove.Deshi media - 0. Deshi blogs - 2.

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-40312848653161692232007-11-14T17:15:00.000+06:002007-11-16T06:21:22.286+06:00

Video update showing Imran's arrest: Imran Khan arrested. Way to go Jamaat-e-Islami! I'm deciding if they're officially with Musharraf or if they decided that punishing Imran for marrying (and divorcing) a white woman took precedence over the fight against dictatorship? Best online reaction to this news (in bangla).Though as a Bangladeshi I cannot approve of Khan's appropriation of our national

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-2536648231399621272007-11-14T08:59:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:54.097+06:00

... সেই যে আমার নানা রঙের দিনগুলি......এতো বেদন হয় কি ফাঁকি?ওরা কি সব ছায়ার পাখি?আকাশ পারে কিছুই কি গো রইলো না? না... মানে... ইয়ে... মাঝে মাঝে সেই রাজনৈতিক সরকারগুলোর হাস্যকর কথাবার্তা মিস করি, এই যা!

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-13404727259703657682007-11-13T05:27:00.000+06:002007-11-13T08:26:31.883+06:00

Reaction to the demand to arrest cartoonist Arif "shut down Prothom Alo and arrest its editor and the editor of the Daily Star":Reacting to the incident, Law Adviser Mainul Hosein yesterday called a meeting of select Islamic experts led by Baitul Mukarram Khatib Maulana Obaidul Haque.Mainul informed the experts that the cartoonist has already been arrested and Prothom Alo authorities have also

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-38195505962176378472007-11-11T03:20:00.000+06:002007-11-11T03:22:42.011+06:00

Tajuddin: An Unsung HeroPart 2Part 3 I'm still watching them intermittently, so I can't vouch for their quality.

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-53518372975872787132007-11-10T11:33:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:54.274+06:00

সারাদিন ধরে ভাবলাম : শহীদ নুর হোসেনের স্মৃতির স্বরণে কি বলতে পারি আমি? বড় বড় বাক্য দিয়ে কাব্য রচনা করার ক্ষমতা বা ইচ্ছা, দুটোর একটিও নেই। ইচ্ছে নেই কারণ সন্দেহ হয় যে ২০ বছরের ইতিহাসের কলঙ্কধ্বণির মাঝে "গণতন্ত্র", "স্বৈরাচার" এই প্রকারের শব্দগুলো অনেকটা ফাটা কলশের মতো শোনাবে। স্মৃতিচরণ করারও ক্ষমতা নেই। বয়স তখন এতই কম ছিল যে সত্যি বলতে সেই দিনগুলোর ঘটনার বেশী কিছু মনে নেই। শুধু একটি অত্যন্ত প্রিয়

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-32154388525894738002007-11-10T10:29:00.000+06:002007-11-12T18:10:43.355+06:00

This is basically a continuation of the last post, but I decided that this needed a headline of its own. Googling up "BSF"+"kills"+"Bangladeshis" gives one some interesting results, including this particular news item filed by IANS, which anyone can confirm by going to the IANS website which needs a subscription to see the entire news item.So having got all that out of the way, let me get to the

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-28234094463460916362007-11-09T13:31:00.000+06:002007-11-10T10:31:35.346+06:00

To any Indians reading this (yeah right!)..... what the hell? Why do we have to read something like this every week? And why don't West Bengali newspapers report on this? I tried running a search for "BSF" and "Border Security Force" in the Statesmen which yielded almost no coverage whatsoever! I did get a lot of hits for fake currency worries though. Stop killing our people! Jackasses.

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-20150650056017424142007-11-08T18:07:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:54.887+06:00

Courtesy of Omi Rahman Piyal @somewherein, two images that speak for themselves but boggle the mind. Readers are advised to draw their own conclusions and share reactions. Jokes welcome sorely needed.Update: Bdnews24 photo caption reads that it was at "a ceremony of the Islamic clerics joining the party". Is this the same Belali who was JP General Secretary? The plot thickens and gets baffling

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-91672234173400084872007-11-08T14:44:00.000+06:002007-11-08T14:55:36.340+06:00

Via Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers:On a tax-funded pleasure highly important trip to London, the election Commissioners speak. Of much interest is Commissioner Shakhawat's segment. Apparently he had said at some point that "there are dark clouds on the horizon". Asked what "those coulds were", he says: "A lot of things. There are still 12 months - 14 months to election. A lot of things can happen

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-7699347465498142192007-11-08T04:41:00.000+06:002007-11-08T13:42:19.736+06:00

Yesterday on Tacit's blog, I commented: "how we are to distinguish between uncritical support and government coercion, I leave you to figure out. Yes, they (Daily Star) can be slightly more critical as NA (New Age) is, but even then, one does not quite know what kind of pressures are on them."Today, I think we see a clear difference between those who are coerced into silence and those who are in

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-85208971723083443362007-11-08T01:29:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:55.056+06:00

Celebrate a real Bangladeshi hero for a change. Nur Hossain as an ordinary man who gave his life to restore democracy 20 years ago. One blog post for Nur Hossain. One blog post for Democracy.Gonotontro Mukti Paak!An appeal to the Bangladeshi bloggers (received via Email):In March 1982, the army overthrew a democratically elected government in Bangladesh. The military junta cited rampant

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-75183855783248911772007-11-07T01:22:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:55.294+06:00

For the first time ever, DhakaShohor's award for speaking out of your ass has seen a contest between two worthy contenders. Unprecedented, but this is what happens when you give bureaucrats unchecked power. On this side of the ring: Regulatory Reforms Commission Chief Akbar Ali Khan.Mr. Khan notes that NGOs have little transparency or accountability. Fair enough. DhakaShohor agrees. Unfortunately

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-83335390592182245872007-11-06T13:01:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:40:44.535+06:00

(Small updates and links included since first published)Muhammad Jafar Iqbal writing in Prothom Alo a few days back. I usually read his columns on the day they come out, but this weekend has been too busy for that. Besides, it looked like another impassioned plea against war criminals by a man who lost family members in 1971, so I thought that could wait. It looked like that until section 3, para

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-58664865728128840102007-11-06T09:50:00.001+06:002007-11-07T14:40:44.536+06:00

No sooner had I posted the story below than this story was brought to my attention via the commenter "abarzigay" on In the Middle of Nowhere:Chittagong University (CU) authority is likely to take action against the students who are gainfully employed. According to the recent direction of education ministry, the CU authority is going to adopt measures against those students who are engaged in jobs

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-74713571178705492682007-11-06T09:27:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:40:44.537+06:00

Update: The Daily Star carried a small news item on this the very next day. Watch this space for updates.Via Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers: Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA Apparently a "government intelligence agency" (oh my!) has distributed forms to journalists in the area, asking for some specific pieces of information. And what could these

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-70542774551171734512007-11-06T04:29:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:55.519+06:00

She might be a drug-peddler. But she is still a lady. What should I then call the men who made a spectacle of her spectacular fall? I have no sympathy for drug-peddlers, but if this continues, I will have no sympathy for law-enforcers. And what should I call the media who helped in creating this spectacle? Justice should not be downgraded to drama. I can mention a certain popular facebook group

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-60053093165842004562007-11-05T06:14:00.000+06:002007-11-06T03:20:35.488+06:00

"I think I must talk to you on some important matters. You are encircled by some people in your office in a way that I would not have opportunity to talk to you there, and the environment there is also not congenial. That is why I am using this red telephone for the purpose. You are going to establish a one-party rule, but I told you many times about my reservation. Today I am registering my

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-64618262521092817682007-11-05T03:17:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:55.769+06:00

Salima Hashmi and Asma JahangirMister Pervez Musharraf, you always had an Orwellian streak about you, but this time you have completely crossed the line to absolutely hypocritical. Free Asma Jahangir and Salima Hashimi immediately!

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-79205895391172838362007-11-04T04:11:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:55.889+06:00

I might just make this a regular segment. Musharraf declares a state of emergency supposedly to fight "terrorists". Among the first places surrounded by troops was the Pakistani Supreme Court.I present to you Pakistan's new den of terrorists:I hear from good imaginary sources that the judges who reside herein have been responsible for links with the Taliban in the 80s, not the ISI or the

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-52149121489029350122007-11-03T01:29:00.000+06:002007-11-03T01:43:25.966+06:00

While the blogosphere puzzles over Jamaat's sudden and vocal shift from "national reconciliation" into complete denial of any crimes committed in 1971, Mahmud Farooque bhai made some interesting comments on the same thread, which I'm reproducing below. So far we Kremlin-watchers bloggers have speculated that Jamaat's increased boldness was thanks to regime support, either because the regime is

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-223004482887931252007-11-01T23:40:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:41:20.045+06:00

Update: In the spirit under which this blog operates, I link Mr. Nazim Farhan's Chowdhury's response to Mash's post yesterday here. While I don't agree completely with him as to why the media has remained silent on this case, I'll let it pass for now and simply say this: if reputations are what keeps journalists away, then we have come to a sad state for the media. Please refer to Rumi bhai's

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-3439758063181309192007-11-01T01:08:00.000+06:002007-11-20T05:04:07.697+06:00

Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary on the motives of our MuktiJoddhas:"Some joined the liberation war for the allure of beautiful women, some to loot Hindu property while some to serve the interests of India," Molla, assistant secretary general of the Jamaat, told a meeting at National Press Club."No one took part in the Liberation War out of patriotism or sincerity. Many attempted to involve

DhakaShohornoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-1715500875811276032007-10-31T14:31:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:56.134+06:00

Do you approve of this?No? Then you shouldn't approve of this either. Raise your voices.Footnote: For muscular Western liberals (that's you Hitchens!), just contemplate it in reverse order.If you think both instances justified torture, think seriously of committing yourself to an institution.

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-61205658606722479602007-10-31T02:59:00.001+06:002007-11-20T05:04:51.267+06:00

I hear that Delwar Hossain's son has been arrested on the grounds of drug possession. Are yaba khors the new kombol-chors? Stay tuned....Up next: the War against Viagra and other Egregious Sexual Paraphernalia (ref: the Purbani director story), the War against Fundamentalists (no necessarily war criminals, just anyone with a beard), followed a few Wars later by the War against Bloggers (not

anoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-70861891141373241022007-10-30T13:08:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:56.303+06:00

Having spent most of the day away from any internet access, I came home to find that my chances of one day becoming a General Secretary of any major political party had increased tremendously. All I had to do was attend a general meeting organised by anyone connected or unconnected with the party, and there proclaim myself as GS, citing the flouting of constitutions and rules we witnessed today

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-46782702185378835732007-10-27T13:58:00.001+06:002007-10-27T14:06:07.998+06:00

Mujahid doesn't deserve a response. He deserves to be taken to Benapole or the Bay and tossed aside like garbage. Ditto for his supporters. Dhaka Shohor has a few candid words for him - in Bangla of course: when you're outraged swearing in Bangla brings the blood pressure down, but only if you're a non-Rajakar Bangali which Mujahid is not - but frankly they are not for civilised ears.So excuse

anoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-58222069078772393552007-10-25T22:30:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:56.440+06:00

In what might not be an altogether unpleasant twist for the regime, the "Bankgate" story has been picked up by the Daily Statesman of Kolkata. The picture below was sent to me by an Indian Bangali friend residing in the U.S. whose father has a subscription to the print edition, and confirms it. "Open American support goes a long way toward discrediting any Arab" - thus spake the Middle East

anoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-37975475094268085332007-10-24T14:28:00.001+06:002007-10-25T05:03:04.522+06:00

I think we can for the moment lay to rest all speculations about an AL-CTG deal. The Daily Star and bdnews24 is reporting that an arrest warrant went out for Mrs. Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana, who lives in England and visits Bangladesh very infrequently. Why this would be a priority case for ACC is beyond me given that he accused doesn't even live here. Good night and good luck.Update: Via Third

anoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-31310033480710587552007-10-24T12:36:00.000+06:002007-10-24T12:39:58.754+06:00

Mr. Sajeeb Wazed's interview with BBC in which he talks about General Moeen's speech and the questions he asked the General. Courtesy of Addabaj at Sachalayatan. Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-45072670876014672842007-10-24T11:28:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:40:44.537+06:00

Say it with me: Deshi blogs have arrived. And with a tremendous bang.Whether they will stay or not is another question altogether, and I'll touch on this question a bit more below. But I assure you that if you are a regular reader of Deshi blogs, you are not likely to forget these last five days. These last five days have seen the blogs break the news, discuss the news and perhaps even create the

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-81376843645679038112007-10-23T23:59:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:41:20.046+06:00

Updated below First and foremost, a pointer to Shadakalo's excellent, excellent post from yesterday on General Moeen's visit to Harvard. For the umpteenth time this year, let me say that blogs are doing the media's job. And in Shadakalo's case, doing it well! My humble thanks to the people behind that blog.On that note: after my less-than-elegant-or-polite jab at the Daily Star editors and the

anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-56428229837665187782007-10-23T01:36:00.000+06:002007-10-23T01:45:06.942+06:00

If you are going to establish "taskforces" whose composition, mandate and rules we are not aware of, at least have the decency not to change names every few months. So far we have had:"national task force against corruption""the anti-corruption taskforce" (personal favourite: plain, precise and to the point)"joint task forces" when arresting the journalist Tasneem Khaliland the latest and most

anoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-25348237850961018642007-10-23T00:16:00.000+06:002007-10-23T02:56:34.662+06:00

I am happy to report that unlike a few weeks back, the blogs are now reporting that Arifur Rahman is not in some "undisclosed location", but rather at Dhaka Central Jail. Unheard Voices has begun a letter writing campaign for the jailed cartoonist. Please write to him to show your support and solidarity at this trying time in his young life. The letters can be addressed to:Mohammad Arifur Rahman,

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-86409074516349185682007-10-22T02:00:00.000+06:002007-10-22T04:59:24.928+06:00

Things I expect to happen in the next week in Dhaka with regards to "Bankgate" (thank you SA bhai!). All "might"s and "may"s, no guarantess and no money back:1) This particular chartered accounting firm might lose a few employees. Some of the senior partners might even have corruption charges made against them. 2) A new aura of mystery will come to surround the banker's profession even as it has

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-85857802215941337792007-10-21T09:11:00.000+06:002007-11-07T14:41:20.047+06:00

From point-counterpoint section, we have our former President of the Republic sharing with us his knowledge of truth commissions, of the Republic of South Africa, of the constitution no less and sharing with us his grievances over the gold smuggling case. God bless his soul for making us laugh! Excerpt: "South Africa is a country of Christian majority. In their daily life and even in state

anoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-6283882261373269202007-10-19T11:32:00.000+06:002007-10-22T01:56:00.867+06:00

Update 2: General Moeen's interview with BBC can be heard here courtesy of E-Bangladesh. He's talking about some bank loan controversy and I saw something similar in all the newspapers today, such as in The Daily Star, The New Nation and Amader Shomoy. Unfortunately, since I read the newspapers closely everyday, I have NO idea at all what he is referring to. Surely a question as big as this would

anoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-72078295820599525172007-10-19T01:35:00.000+06:002007-10-19T01:43:46.013+06:00

Robert Neuwirth a journalist who has lived in squatter communities in parts of Africa, Brazil, India and Turkey, talks below about how squatter communities develop (or could develop in some cases) into livable towns and then hopefully into cities of the future. First policy rule he outlines: do not evict! Anybody listening in Dhaka shohor?I dealt with legal rights as a way of dealing with rapid

anoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-31098950347770119622007-10-18T00:48:00.000+06:002007-10-18T01:13:47.660+06:00

This last week saw the publication of two very important pieces without much precedent on the internet:Mash's well-researched article rebutting Sarmila Bose's "scholarship"Sid's tremendous piece on the artist SM Sultan.Truly a privilege to belong to the Bangladeshi blogosphere!

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-60315692508255714532007-10-18T00:29:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:56.740+06:00

Shubho Bijoya!Image courtesy of Ishtiaque Zico used under Creative Commons Licence.

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-84302714146028011972007-10-18T00:27:00.000+06:002007-10-18T01:58:55.314+06:00

It is exactly one month since Arifur Rahman's arrest. 30 days. Arif has spent the better part of Ramadan in prison and has spent Eid away from his family. Even his exact whereabouts are open to question.Let me take a moment here to note the absolute silence about him in the mainstream media. A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E.Ask yourself: is this what the Prophet (SW) would have prescribed? Given the stories of

anoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-60412678656966757722007-10-12T12:00:00.000+06:002007-10-12T12:08:06.901+06:00

.....and for expatriates missing the Eid atmosphere - and perhaps family and friends back home - here's some small consolation or maybe further aggravation of your nostalgia:I tried to get the one with the little kids signing and swaying that we're used to watching on BTV to make it perfect. But you can't complain too much about Ferdousi Rahman and Shakila Zafar singing this classic.I wish you

anoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-25277974166303290232007-10-12T05:20:00.000+06:002007-10-12T05:44:03.918+06:00

On the 26th of September, a NSU lecturer was murdered by suspected muggers. "Tragic" might be your response. Perhaps you will recall: there but for the grace of God go I. I humbly request you to reconsider. Tragedy occurs when fate conspires to deal a blow to human beings. But when human beings cause each other to suffer, it's called something else: stupidity, carelessness, even criminal

anoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-17816545671749466792007-10-10T06:32:00.000+06:002007-10-10T17:42:44.183+06:00

Here's a small hate list:I hate self-hating Indians who decide to take it out on us.I hate self-hating women who feel the need to undermine the pain of their sisters.I hate people who decide to undermine the pain of others.I REALLY hate people who decide to overlook the pain their fellow-Bangladeshis suffered.I hate, simply hate having to go through this drivel over and over again.So thankfully,

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-37577879458513790732007-10-09T00:47:00.000+06:002007-10-11T00:52:43.269+06:00

(Update below)Stunning, absolutely stunning:"President of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury yesterday called for a “government of national consensus” for next ten years comprising all democratic and patriotic political parties that believe in common development programmes. "In order to bring peace and prosperity in our country and to prevent hartal, demonstrations,

anoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-81724033072962423282007-10-06T05:21:00.000+06:002007-10-08T00:31:25.880+06:00

Update belowI apologise to my readers for not updating this blog enough, but I confess that I do have real world commitments and passions that extend beyond this blog. And I confess readily that I'm having personal trouble in dealing with the Tragedy that has been Bangladesh2007. Tragedy in the sense that Macbeth is a tragedy.In the latest twist, it seems that the all-wise CTG has decided to

anoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-13516846058688424092007-10-04T22:43:00.001+06:002008-12-10T10:56:57.041+06:00

I've dealt with the current crisis last week and I'll leave further thoughts on this for another day. For today, two simple words: FREE BURMA!

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-75062179019712606082007-10-02T02:15:00.000+06:002007-10-04T22:46:32.624+06:00

"Mozart, Pascal, Boolean algebra, Shakespeare, parliamentary government, baroque churches, Newton, the emancipation of women, Kant, Balanchine ballets, et al. don't redeem what this particular civilization has wrought upon the world. The white race is the cancer of human history." - Susan Sontag.The video argues (slightly) otherwise:

anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-30756596720656058702007-10-01T00:53:00.000+06:002007-10-04T22:47:00.662+06:00

Ahhh that sweet feeling of vindication.

anoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-67542861150487777162007-09-28T04:38:00.000+06:002007-10-24T12:40:21.340+06:00

First off, "Burma" or "Myanmar"? As we know, this goes beyond mere semantics, into ethical dilemmas.Agree with a criminally stupid American President - I mean, part of me suspects that all this is simply because he can't pronounce "Myanmar" or doesn't know whether it's "Myamarian" or "Myanmarese"? Laugh at the Orwellian situation of the current British Prime Minister declaring "the age of

anoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-49644295502281569242007-09-22T06:03:00.001+06:002007-10-17T15:52:36.085+06:00

Part 1Part 2If those 5-points (see part 2) sounds too much like Mr. Motiur Rahman of Prothom Alo, then that is of course no coincidence. He is the poster-child (La Moudud a la Moudud if you will) of this faction, having come full circle since his early Leninist days. And it was his latest digbaaji that inspired this piece. While I liked his paper from the outset, I did not like Mr. Rahman's

anoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-29693282272434884172007-09-22T01:18:00.000+06:002008-12-10T10:56:57.081+06:00

The Front Page will highlight cartoonist Arifur Rahman's incarceration until justice is doneClick here for the latest posts.WRITE A LETTER TO ARIF. FOR DETAILS, SEE BELOW.(This is the front page of the blog and will remain so as long as the cartoonist is denied justice and media coverage. For the latest content, please click on the link at the very top. Watch this post for updates.)Early February

anoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-30053847040034529432007-09-21T23:19:00.000+06:002007-10-17T15:53:16.372+06:00

Part 1Part 36) Right-wing intellectuals - The mirror-image of the Shushils, I refer of course to the Naya Diganta types, specifically Farhad Mazhar and Mahbubur Rahman (of ex-BOI and CPD-suing fame). Now a lot of people might point out that this is by no means new. Well, yes nothing is completely new under the sun true. But my rationale is that they represent a new strand in right-wing support

anoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-65261935578609942832007-09-21T05:00:00.000+06:002007-09-23T06:43:38.986+06:00

(Things are too fluid for meaningful analysis at the moment. A combination of a rant and impressions, this piece is too long for one quick read so I'm breaking it into two. Part 1 is a basic introduction that won't come as a surprise to anyone except REALLY partisan readers, all of whom have quit my blog anyway. Part 2 will follow shortly and consider the direction this so-called revolution is

anoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-43323018568428133722007-09-19T01:23:00.001+06:002008-12-10T10:56:57.315+06:00

Do these hypocrites know that it's Ramzan?Down with censorship.Down with stupidity.Down with using "Islam" to justify their own pitiful existence.Down with using "Islam" to silence anyone who points out their ignorance.The "offending" cartoon criticises the SUPERSTITION that goes on in the name of Islam, not the Prophet nor Islam (as we "uneducated Bangalis" understand it anyhow). If these

anoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28470104.post-73399498649931176222007-09-15T13:36:00.000+06:002007-09-15T13:48:18.243+06:00

Blogger Shadakalo brings to our attention idealist teachers who have made a difference in their students' lives. Please read here. Truer words have rarely been said.I was taught a story in primary scool in the Bangla text book Amar Boi. It goes like this: the Prophet once showed a beggar how to become a woodcutter and thus ensured that the man could sustain his life. Sustainibility is everything.

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