Farmers of Bangladesh (Bangladeshi Farmers)

A plurality of Bangladeshis earns their living from agriculture. Although rice and jute are the primary crops, wheat is assuming greater importance. Tea is grown in the northeast. Because of Bangladesh's fertile soil and normally ample water supply, rice can be grown and harvested three times a year in many areas.

Due to a number of factors, Bangladesh's labor-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood control and irrigation, a generally more efficient use of fertilizers, and the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks.

Although rice and jute are the primary crops, maize and vegetables are assuming greater importance. Due to the expansion of irrigation networks, some wheat producers have switched to cultivation of maize which is used mostly as poultry feed.

People of Brothel

In Bangladesh, there are 60,000 -100,000 people in prostitution. Approximately 1 million men buy prostituted women and children in Bangladesh. 65 percent of 135 surveyed women and girls in brothels in Bangladesh were between age 11 and 13; 33 percent were between age 13 and 15. There are 15,000 to 20,000 children in street prostitution in Dhaka, most of whom are in prostitution before reaching 12 years of age. Bangladeshi women, who have been in prostitution, fear and risk being killed by their own families through honor-killings. The Tanbazar brothel in Narayanganj is a market for the sale of minor girls. At least 50 minors were kept hidden in the brothel, and when discovered, police did not attempt to help the girls imprisoned there or arrest the owners. 

Source - 

(Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, "Open sale of little girls at Tanbaza brothel," Daily Star, 2 July 1998)

 (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)

(BNWLA survey, police estimates, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation") 

[The Story are covered in a brothel which is near to Dhaka, Bangladesh. ]

More than 300+ sex-workers live in this brothel who are locally called “Nori”. They are not permitted to cross the compound. 

 

Locally she is known as aunt . She was also a “Nori” before.  She owns three rooms with 12 “Nori” & earns BDT 9600 per day. 

Girls from different places come here; 

sometimes willingly (rare), sometimes cheated by their husband, beloved, step mother or others. 

Probably “Destiny” make them come here. 

 

Shimu (20) was sold here within 4 months of her marriage. On the way to  Cox’sbazar with her husband, she felt sleep and found her destination here. 

Lili (15), her step mother sold her one year ago. The  shock made her  mentally disordered  and  speechless. 

Romij (34) and three more security guards get BDT 2.00 from each “Nori” per day. 

Average per day expenses for each “Nori” is BDT 700 for Food & shelter & BDT 100 for drugs & others. Minimum sex-trade fee is BDT 110  (10 taka for condom)

Everything is to survive …

Every thing is for money…

Negotiation can take place any time, any moment.

If any “Nori” fall in love with any man he is called BABU. They are paid by “Nori” to be with them.  Rajesh (37) locally known as “BABU”.

 

Most of the child know what their mothers' profession. 

 

Some of them are make fun within them – through which they can forget their pain.

 

KOLI (20) already planed to sell her child. That is not for money, for betterment of her child. 

Munmun (5) doesn't know the world outside.
Depali (25), her mother was sold by her husband when she was just 17. She wants Munmun to be a Doctor. But  now the only need is a “Shelter Home”. 

From their point of view they are not problem for the society, they are “Social Workers”.
May be they are right or wrong. But now there is no alternative way for them.
But what about the children born here ?
Will they be able to come out from Darkness ...??? 

Story By

Atik Ullah Sayeed

Special Thanks to 

AFM GAZI (My Co-photographer)

Mustafiz Bhai (Shuktara Kallan Shamity) 
Ahmed Sharif (TTL)

Local MP and others.

Deep Reddish Dancing Moon (Lunar eclipse 2011)

December 10, Lunar eclipse 2011 is visible in a large part of the world today. People are eager to see the lunar eclipse when the eclipse is full with many suggesting that this time, during the lunar eclipse, the moon would look unusually big.

The excitement is at an all time high among people all over the world. They are eager to know as to when it will be the best time to watch it and are there any precaution in watching it.

Generally eclipses are around an hour. The longest lunar eclipse goes up to an hour and 40 minutes, so it is on a bit of a short side for an eclipse…Generally there are two or three eclipses each year, so somewhere on the planet you can see it, but we’ve got a bit of a wait before we see our next total lunar eclipse”.

 

Lunar eclipses can occur only when the full moon, Earth, and the sun are aligned so that the moon crosses through Earth's shadow.

Due to the moon's tilted orbit around Earth, lunar eclipses happen only a few times a year.

Rather than going completely dark, the moon takes on a deep reddish hue during a total lunar eclipse.

Good Day. 

World War Cemetery, Chittagong Bangladesh

Bangladesh has two Cemetery for World War II. One is at Chittagong, and another is at Comilla. 

The cemetery was created by the army, and there were originally about 400 burials. Graves have since been transferred to this cemetery from the Lushai Hills (Assam) and other isolated sites, and from Chittagong Civil Cemetery; Chandragona Baptist Mission Cemetery; Chiringa Military Cemetery; Cox's Bazar New Military and Civil (Muhammadan) Cemeteries; Chittagong (Panchalaish) Burial Ground; Dacca Military Cemetery; Demagiri Cemetery; Dhuapolong Muslim Burial Ground; Dhuapolong Christian Military Cemetery; Dohazari Military and R.A.F. Cemeteries; Jessore Protestant Cemetery; Khulna Cemetery; Khurushkul Island Christian and Muhammadan Cemeteries; Lungleh Cemetery (Assam); Nawapara Cemetery (Assam); Patiya Military Cemetery, Rangamati Cemetery; Tezgaon Roman Catholic Cemetery; Tumru Ghat Military Cemetery and Tumru M.D.S. Hospital Cemetery. There are now 731 Commonwealth burials of the 1939-45 war here, 17 of which are unidentified. There are a further 20 Foreign National burials, 1 being a seaman of the Dutch Navy and 19 Japanese soldiers, 1 of which is unidentified. There are also 4 non war U.K. military burials.

 

This Cemetery has 755 graves inside. Few of them are unidentified. Also there is a book where you'll find name of 6000 sailors who gave their life at Bay of Bengal, and they had no grave but sea.

Chittagong War Cemetery is in Dampara locality, No 19 Badsha Mia Chowdhury Road, 22 kilometres north of the airport and 8 kilometres from the port on a site which was formerly paddy fields, but which has now been developed. It is near the arts college and close by Finlay's Guest Houses near Chatteshanry Road; a well known road leading to the Hindu Kali Bari Temple. There is no C.W.G.C. road direction sign. The Burial area is situated at the bottom of a slope directly behind Finlay's Guest Houses and is surrounded by a large area planted with a mixture of jungle trees,fruit trees and flowering trees. It is not easily seen from the road. A narrow tarmacked lane leads from the entrance gate to the burial area which is entered through a metal gate flanked by two small brick chapels. The cemetery gates are open from 07.00 to 12 noon and 14.00 to 17.00. Within the cemetery will also be found the Chittagong Memorial which, together with the Bombay 1939-1945 War Memorial, to be found in the Indian Seamen's Hostel Bombay, commemorates over 400 sailors of the former Indian Navy and nearly 6,000 sailors of the former Indian Merchant Navy who were lost at sea during the war years. Each memorial takes the form of a finely bound volume containing the names of the dead. 
 
The Cemetery is open from morning 7 to noon 12, and from afternoon 2 to 5. Without this timing, you cannot enter the cemetery, no matter who you are. So careful about the timing. Otherwise you may get dishearten. If you are outside from Chittagong, then you can reach Chittagong by Bus, Train or Air.

Religious Deem [Ashura Event 2011 in Dhaka Bangladesh]

'Ashura is a religious observance marked every year by Muslims. The word 'ashuraliterally means "10th," as it is on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. 'Ashura is an ancient observance that is now recognized for different reasons and in different ways among Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.

In the year 680 A.D., an event happened that was a turning point for what was to become the Shi'a Muslim community. Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was brutally murdered during a battle against the ruling Caliph -- on the 10th day of Muharram ('Ashura). This took place in Karbala (modern-day Iraq), which is now an important pilgrimage site for Shi'a Muslims.

Shi'a Muslims observe the day in mourning for Hussein and in remembrance of his martyrdom. Reenactments and plays are performed, attempting to relive the tragedy and keep the lessons of this event alive. Some Shi'a Muslims beat and flog themselves in parades on this day, to express their grief and to reenact the pain that Hussein suffered. 

The event (procession) states from near Dhaka University (DU) Hossani Dalan, Islambug Dhaka, Bangladesh. That huge procession comes to a satisfactory end at Zigatola, Mohammedpur, Dhaka. The entire participant should walk through out the end without shoes. It’s a tradition.  

Some of them do matam to show regards

Some Shi'a Muslims beat and flog themselves in parades on this day, to express their grief and to reenact the pain that Hussein suffered. 

 

 

   

 

 

 

After a huge procession they get back home with a satisfactory mood!!