E-Bangladesh

Every football fan loves Brazil for the way they play football, the fact that their fans all seem to be samba-dancing ladies in bikini tops and for all the incredibly talented superstars who have come from that country over the years. However, while the national team lives up to all of those positive stereotypes more often than not, the fact is that the state of domestic football in Brazil is very rarely so romantic or pleasant.

Kidnapping, corrupt referees, mass brawls, rampaging fans and clubs who sack their managers on a weekly basis; all of these are more commonly found in Brazilian domestic football than samba superstars delighting hordes of attractive beach babes with their silky skills. It may not be pretty, but it’s certainly always interesting, and Sunday’s Paulista championship semi-final second leg clash between Sao Paulo and Palmeiras was another memorable match for all the wrong reasons.

It was played at Parque Antartica, the home ground of Palmeiras, who were trailing 2-1 from the first leg, and they took the lead in the 23rd minute through Leo Lima. The trouble started at half-time, when the visitors returned to their changing-room and quicked exited it, complaining that it had been filled by an unknown gas that was making their players come close to vomiting. They had to hold their team-talk on the pitch instead. “It was impossible to breath, it was extremly irritating for the nostrils and eyes,” team doctor Jose Sanchez told reporters.

Nevertheless, they were able to continue and the match went on, with Jorge Valdivia tapping in Palmeiras’ second goal with six minutes to go after a swift breakaway attack. However, his flamboyant and rather cocky celebrations rubbed the opposition players up the wrong way, and they started to aggressively remonstrate with him. And then the lights went out. There was a scuffle on the pitch during the 15 minute blackout, with the home side’s Martinez sent off after the restart. Andres Dias had already been dismissed in the 80th minute for the visitors.

Photo: Getty Images

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed reports linking him with a summer transfer window move for David Villa. The Valencia striker recently revealed that he admires the way Arsenal play, but Wenger says there is no truth to talk that he has already decided to swoop for the player.

“It is a nice compliment,” he said. “But, for the moment, there is nothing. Who are we going to sign? It has not been decided yet. I have a list where there is a number one, a number two, a number three and a number four for each position we want to strengthen. We have money, just not as much as the papers say because that is not true.”

Photo: Getty Images

Dead Dolphins are found on the sea beach of Cox’s Bazaar. Dogs are eating those dead Dolphins. More than fifty dead dolphins found from last week at the same place. No Government official has been commented yet why this is happening. Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh. April 24 2008.

Photo- Mohammad Islam, Cox Bazar/*Drik*NEWS.

No wonder another news was muffled in the Bangladeshi media which took the British Bangladeshis by storm. They were disgusted and annoyed to hear that Barrister Rizwan Hussain was detained by the Zia International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh on the charges of trespassing while he claims he was merely helping an elderly. And things took to a dramatic turn when he was handed over to plain cloth joint forces staffs and he was beaten mercilessly and forced to sign false statements that he was sorry for trespassing and he was treated well by the captors. BBC has details.

Here is Rizwan Hussain’s full statement to the incident. Meanwhile one Bangladeshi newspaper did finally publish an ISPR press release saying:

The London lawyer became incensed and started using abusive words in English at the top of his voice, and even made threats, the ISPR statement said. Finding no alternative, the on-duty security officer handed Rizwan over to the joint forces, who interrogated him.

The lawyer, however, continued to avoid the issue of violating airport rules, instead trying to extract privileged treatment by mentioning his foreign citizenship and the status of his profession, the press release said. It was at this point, the ISPR statement says, that the members of the joint forces “harassed” barrister Rizwan.

But from the pictures of Mr. Hussain with broken arms/legs and bruised torso you can see its more than harrassment.

I fail to imagine why there is such a need to tarnish Bangladesh’s image by acting like a goon by a responsible authority where Mr Hussain (assuming he trespassed) could easily be arrested and handed over to court for the law to take action.

If somebody still can’t get it, this is extra-judicial abuse of human rights.

Rizwan Hussain’s press Conference: Part 1

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স্ক্রিপ্টঃ

সুপ্রিয় শ্রোতা

ই বাংলাদেশ ব্লগ ভিউজ থেকে আপনাদের প্রতি রইল প্রাণঢালা শুভেচ্ছা। প্রতিবারের মতো আজকেও দীর্ঘ এক সপ্তাহ পর ই বাংলাদেশ ব্লগ ভিউজ নিয়ে এলো আন্তর্জালের বাংলা ব্লগিংয়ের কিছু টুকরো খবর।

পুরোদমে এগিয়ে চলছে আন্তর্জালে বাংলা ব্লগিংয়ের নতুন সংযোজন আমার ব্লগ.কম। সাইটের নির্মাতারা পরিশ্রম করে চলেছেন ইউজারদের সম্পূর্ণ নতুন এবং অত্যাধুনিক ফিচার সমৃদ্ধ ব্লগিং সাইট উপহার দেয়ার জন্য। আমারব্লগ-এর প্রত্যেক ব্লগাররা তাদের নিজস্ব ব্লগপেজকে সাজাতে পারবেন তাদের নিজস্ব পছন্দে। বিভিন্ন ফিচার যুক্ত করতে পারবেন নিজেরাই। আপনার প্রিয় গান, ক্যালেন্ডার, ঘড়ি, চ্যাটরুম অর্থাৎ সৃজনশীল মনে যা যা চায়, ঠিক সেরকম ভাবেই ব্লগাররা সাজিয়ে নিতে পারবেন তাদের নিজস্ব পেজগুলো। চাইলে ব্লগাররা একের অধিক পেজও তৈরি করতে পারবেন। ধরুন আপনি লেখালেখির পাশাপাশি ফটোগ্রাফি পছন্দ করেন। আপনি সহজেই আপনার ব্লগপেজে শুধুমাত্র ফটোগ্রাফির জন্য আরেকটি পেজ অপেন করতে পারেন। সবচেয়ে বড় সুবিধা হলো ব্লগাররা তাদের ব্লগপেজে গুগলের বিজ্ঞাপনও এ্যাড করতে পারবেন। এবং এক্ষেত্রে কিছু অর্থযোগেরও সুযোগ রয়েছে। অর্থাৎ সবমিলিয়ে আমারব্লগ.কম কর্তৃপ ব্লগারদের তৈরি করে দিচ্ছে একটি মনোরম ডায়েরি, যে ডায়েরি আপনার প্রতিদিনই পড়তে মন চাইবে, শুধু আপনিই নন, আপনার বন্ধু অথবা অন্য ব্লগাররাও আপনার ডায়েরির শুধু লেখাই পড়বে না, তারা উপভোগ করবে আপনার সৃজনশীল মন, আপনার নান্দনিকতাকে। আমারব্লগে নিক রেজিস্ট্রেশন করতে এখন লগ ইন করুন www.amarblog.com এই ঠিকানায়।

পৃথিবী কথা বলছে, আপনি কি শুনছেন? গ্লোবাল ভয়েস বাংলা ভার্সনের শ্লোগান এটি। বাকস্বাধীনতায় বিশ্বাসী গ্লোবাল ভয়েসের উদ্দেশ্য হলো বিভিন্ন দেশের মানুষের মধ্যকার ব্যবধান ঘুচিয়ে মুক্ত-ন্যায়পরায়ণ-উন্নয়নশীল-স্থিতিশীল সমাজ গঠনে ব্যক্তিগত, রাজনৈতিক ও শক্তিশালী বন্ধন গড়ে তোলা। গ্লোবাল ভয়েস বিশ্বাস করে একে অপরকে সম্মান করতে, সহায়তা করতে, শিখতে-শেখাতে, এবং অপরের কথা শুনতে। আর তাই গ্লোবালভয়েস সেইসব ব্যক্তি, অঞ্চল কিংবা মতামত ধারণ করে যেগুলো সাধারণ অন্য মাধ্যমগুলোতে এড়িয়ে চলা হয়।

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The international media are at it again. A light of a world wide famine beaconing, which is a favorite topic for any media professional. You will see picture galleries full of hungry people fighting for food, skinny children waiting for help makes any journalistic work easy. ABC News terms the recent food riots around the world as an apocalyptic warning predicting hundreds of thousands of starving people in Asia and Africa. The World Bank announces “the world is moving towards a food crisis that may lead to wars and riots”.

What I fail to understand is why it took so long to raise the alarm? Many are trying to find out the cause of the recent crisis.

I recently wrote on the recent price rise of rice in Bangladesh and its impacts. Shortage in production and increasing demands have been sighted as the problems. There are also a list of problems and solutions that looks so complex and harder to achieve in a short time.

And some are terming it as subprime food crisis as surging oil prices made US dollar got weak leading to the subprime loan crisis making worldwide imports (in US Dollars) costlier.

According to a recent report of the World Bank names Western investment in biofuels as the cause of the drastic rise in prices for corn, rice, and other staples.

Concerns over oil prices, energy security and climate change have prompted governments to take a more proactive stance towards encouraging production and use of bio-fuels. This has led to increased demand for bio-fuel raw materials, such as wheat, soy, maize and palm oil, and increased competition for cropland.

Outside The Beltway comments:

It has long struck me as wrongheaded, if not immoral, to take cheap, efficient sources of nutrition to turn them into expensive, inefficient fuels. A gallon of ethanol produces roughly two-thirds the energy of a gallon of gasoline and is far more expensive. And, while farmers and, especially, processors make more money by the increased demand for biofuels, it means that food is now out of reach for millions.

Ronald Bailey tells about this stupid energy policy:

Politicians in both the United States and the European Union are mandating that vast quantities of food be turned into fuel as they chase the chimera of “energy independence.”…The result of these mandates is that about 100 million tons of grain will be transformed this year into fuel, drawing down global grain stocks to their lowest levels in decades. Keep in mind that 100 million tons of grain is enough to feed nearly 450 million people for a year.

Dennis Avery from the Hudson Institute says “Biofuels are purely and simply the biggest Green mistake we’ve ever made and we’re still making it.” So Bio fuel mandates must go.

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বাংলা স্ক্রিপ্টঃ

সুপ্রিয় শ্রোতা

ই-বাংলাদেশ ব্লগ ভিউজে আপনাদের স্বাগতম। গতবারের মতো এবারও ব্লগ ভিউজ আপনাদের সামনে নিয়ে এসেছে আন্তর্জালের বাংলা ব্লগের বিভিন্ন খবরাখবর। প্রথমেই শুরু করছি একটি সুখবর দিয়ে।

আন্তর্জালে অন্তরবাদ্যি বাজাতে আমারব্লগ.কম নামে চালু হতে যাচ্ছে আরেকটি বাংলা ব্লগ। যেখানে রক্তচক্ষু নেই, ভ্রুকুটি নেই, নেই কণ্ঠরোধের হুইসেল বাজানো দারোয়ান। আমারব্লগে কথা হবে ইচ্ছেমতো। কোনো কাজেই কর্তৃপ এখানে ইগো নিয়ে বাধা সৃষ্টি করবে না। এই ব্লগ নির্মাণের পেছনে যারা জ্বালানি সরবরাহ করছেন, তারা জানিয়েছেন সম্পূর্ণ মডারেশনমুক্ত একটি বাংলা ব্লগ হতে যাচ্ছে আমারব্লগ। যে কোনো ইস্যুতে প্রথমেই তারা ব্লগারদের অভিমত জানতে চাইবে। অর্থাৎ ব্লগারদের চাহিদা অনুযায়ী আমারব্লগ চলবে। বর্তমানে সাইটটির নির্মাণ কাজ চলছে। ইতিমধ্যে আন্তর্জালের অন্যান্য ব্লগারদের অধিকাংশই আমারব্লগে তাদের নিক রেজিস্ট্রেশন করেছেন। সবার পরামর্শ ও সহযোগিতায় অচিরেই আমারব্লগ.কম তাদের অফিশিয়ালি উদ্বোধনের ঘোষণা দেবে বলে জানা গেছে।

এবার আসা যাক বাংলা ব্লগিংয়ের পথিকৃৎ সামহোয়ারইনব্লগে। গত সপ্তাহে সবচেয়ে বেশি পোস্ট হয়েছে বৈশাখ সংক্রান্ত। ব্লগাররা পরষ্পরকে নববর্ষের শুভেচ্ছা জানিয়েছেন। এছাড়া বাড়তি পাওনা হিসেবে ব্লগের জনপ্রিয় সংগঠন এটিম পূর্ব ঘোষণা অনুযায়ী তাদের প্রথম ইবুক মুক্তলেখা প্রকাশ করে বৈশাখের প্রথম দিনে। মোট ৯৩ জন ব্লগারের লেখা এই ইবুকে সংকলিত হয়েছে। এটিমের পে ইবুকটির সম্পাদনায় ছিলেন হাসিব মাহমুদ। ইবুকটি ব্লগে বেশ জনপ্রিয় হয়েছে। অন্যান্য পোস্টগুলোর মধ্যে জনপ্রিয় ব্লগার এবং উইকিপিডিয়ার প্রশাসক রাগিবের পত্রিকার ইন্টারভিউ সংক্রান্ত একটি পোস্ট দিয়েছেন ব্লগার একরামুল হক শামীম। পত্রিকায় দেয়া রাগিবের ইন্টারভিউ মিস করে থাকলে শামীমের পোস্ট গিয়ে পড়ে আসতে পারেন। সেখানে উইকিপিডিয়া নিয়ে তার নিজের কথাগুলো তুলে ধরেছেন রাগিব। ব্লগার ইশিতা ’শয়তান এবং জামাত-শিবিরের মধ্যে কোনো পার্থক্য আছে কিনা? শিরোনামে একটি পোস্ট দেন। ইরান ও ইসরাইল সংক্রান্ত দুইটি পোস্ট দেন ব্লগার জাগারণ। চলচ্চিত্র রোমান হলিডের চমৎকার চিত্রসমালোচনা লেখেন ব্লগার নতুন পৃথিবী। এতে ছবিটি সম্পর্কে নানা অজানা তথ্য উঠে এসেছে। পোস্টে বিখ্যাত এই ছবিটির চারটি পোস্টার রয়েছে। চলচ্চিত্র আগ্রহীরা দেখে আসতে পারেন।

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Rice shop at Kawran Bazar. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo-Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Alma earns Taka 2000 to 2500 per day by begging. However, she has to pay 700 taka per month as house rent. Since her husband’s death seven years ago she says she is helpless with her nine years-old physically handicapped boy Almas. These recent days have been very difficult for her since she can neither manage food, house rent nor buy medicine for her ill child. She says she has heard that the government has special allowance for disabled children and she has been trying to enlist her son’s name with the local chairman who has continuously refused her request. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Mafizur Rahman, who was once a carpenter, cannot work since his accident caused by a truck. His eldest son is the sole breadwinner of a family of seven. As his son is a day laborer even there are days he cannot earn a single penny. His monthly income varies from 2000 to 3500 taka per month and with a house rent of 700 taka per month it has now become impossible to survive when rice costs taka 35 to 50 per kilogram. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

After a long time Shakil has come to visit his grandmother’s house where his mother Salma used to rear goats. But over the last few months the price of goat food has doubled reduces scope for profit. The income from this source is also gradually dwindling.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Dal at a grocer’s shop at Kawran Bazar. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik/NEWS.  

“Tell the government to kill us. Rice costs 50 taka and news reports yesterday stated that it is soon going to be 70!” mourns Fulbanu, who has to support her family of seven members with taka 4500 per month. Dholpur , Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Mohammad Amirul Islam a forty five years old rickshaw puller earns about 6000 taka per month. He could have earned more if he didnÂ’t have to pay more money to the rickshaw owner on the pretext of recent price hike. Once he had planned to own his own rickshaw but now that is only wishful thinking as he faces trouble in maintaining his family with only his limited income. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Minara begum (40) works in a day care centre in a slum. Her husband pulls rickshaw and together they earn seven thousand taka per month. But what with the house rent and other expenses it has become impossible for them to stay in this city with such a high price of daily necessities. Price of daily necessities is increasing but not their income. Dholpur, Dhaka , Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Oil shop at Kawran Bazar.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Asma (35) pays 3800 taka for her one room. Her husband Sultan Molla (now admitted in a hospital) used to work as a driver of a private car. Her elder son earns the same as his father (7000 taka per month). Asma says she has not been able to pay tuition fees of her children for the last two months. She has already borrowed some money from her neighbors. Sukrabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Rashida Begum (45) sells tea and other groceries in a temporary roadside shop. “The money I earn from this shop is not enough. If I buy rice then I find I have no money to buy vegetables. In the past even during our worst days we did not face such problems. At least we could buy rice and some vegetables then.” Rashida earns 6000 to 7000 taka per month. She has to pay 2800 taka for house rent which has increased in the last two months on the pretext of increase in prices. With the rest of the income she can not manage either food for the family or medicine for her husband. Sukrabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

“Yesterday I went to BDR market to buy rice. I had to wait for five hours only to return empty handed. To save 10 taka per kilo I just lost my five hours which I could have used to earn more,” says Munni, a thirteen years old girl who works in a brush factory to support her family of nine members. Both she and her younger brother Dulal together earn nearly 2000 taka per month. With food as the main item on their budget she cannot even imagine to save money for her paralyzed fathers’ treatment. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger admitted that the title race is over for the Gunner, but he promises they’re attacking style of football will bring them silverware in the future. Arsenal FC are set to be without any trophies for 3 consecutive seasons and Wenger’s comments remain crystal clear.

“We will continue to play the way we do but better, the trophies will come,” he said. “The main target is to keep the team together. They are absolutely amazing.”

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor is behind his Manager as he says that the Gunners will come out fighting next season. Adebayor, who has now scored 20 goals for Arsenal, said “Arsene is a great man and a great manager. He has achieved a lot of things with this club. For sure he is going to be here. He has a vision to bring a lot of good players to this club like Alex Hleb, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas. They are his players. So, for sure, we will win something, no doubt about that.”

Arsenal are now nine points behind leaders Manchester United and three points behind Chelsea, having played a game more than Chelsea, and with just four fixtures remaining. A disappointed Wenger hinted that certain decisions which went against Arsenal at Old Trafford highlighted a recent trend, but was keen to stress the pride he felt in a team which were controversially knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in midweek.

Overall, I am very proud of my team’s performance,” he said. “We had to be exceptionally strong after the Liverpool game - and we were. I feel the difference between success and failure is very little. We do not feel there is much between ourselves, United and Chelsea when it comes to technical ability and quality. So it is difficult to accept we will not win the title. I want to win trophies and it is sad we cannot win a trophy this season. On the other hand, I feel we have done a lot for the Premier League this season by the way we have promoted it.”

Arsenal needed to win at Old Trafford to start clawing back the Premier League leader’s six-point advantage but a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty cancelled out Adebayor’s opener before Owen Hargreaves grabbed the winner to effectively end Arsenal’s hopes. Hargreaves’ free-kick came after Gilberto had been punished for a challenge on Patrice Evra while Ronaldo’s penalty was awarded following a handball by William Gallas.

“Those two decisions made it difficult for us but overall we have to take it,” Wenger said. “With the penalty you can give it or not give it. As for the free-kick I do not think Gilberto touched Evra.”

Photo: Getty Images

Tussle between police and left democratic front activists (trying to form the humain chain) in front Muktaangan. Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 15 2008.

Photo- Stringer,*Drik*NEWS.