Bangladesh as a rising IT Destination

Bangladesh is rising as an IT destination in Asia. It's IT sector is rapidly growing as 23 countries have already partnered with the IT companies in Bangladesh. Watch this video as Bangladesh is showing the potential to become the silicon valley of South Asia.

Families Living in Cars

The US news network CBS produced 60 minutes recently aired the other side of the American dreams where the homeless children of Florida have been forced to live in cars.  They're part of more than 16 millions of children who are living in abject poverty.  This heartbreaking story reflects the break down of our safety net that should have protected the most vulnerable population of our society. Why should our children pay the price when Washington, DC has been pretty busy with partisan bickering?

Please watch the full episode of the 60 Minutes:

Eat fish to protect your brain

Eat fish to protect your brain and body. The latest scientific study shows that baked or broiled fish at least once a week could help your brain and protect you from Alzheimer's disease.  If you're really thrilled, you may try some fish and seafood recipes from casa vernacion.

Are you ready for warmer weather?

As it appears, the globe is heading towards warmer weather. The latest report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reaffirms the reality of a warmer world that’s leading us to frequent extreme weather conditions.

Are you running for Presidential Election?

Have you ever thought of running for Presidential election?  If you’re serious enough, you may apply for the Presidential job, as the application  process for candidacy appears to be quite simple.  As of today, 278 individuals have registered their candidacies  with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Surprisingly, registering for Presidential job with the Federal Election Commission is much easier than applying for job at a fast food restaurant in Washington, DC for $8.25 minimum hourly wage. 

Kids and TV

As Television has become an inherent part of our life, parents should monitor kids habit of watching TV. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in its recent policy statement says 'children under 2 should avoid watching television'. TV viewing may lead to sleep problems and a delayed use of speech in young kids, recent research suggests.

Pankouri is back!

Great Falls, Virginia

Pankori is back again!  We apologize to our readers as we've not updated pankouri for the last few months. We're going to publish new postings soon. Thanks!

Cherry Blossom 2011

National Book Festival 2011

National Book Festival 2010

Mark your calendar for the National Book Festival 2011 at the national mall on September 24.  The good news came from the Library of Congress, the event organizer, that the event would be extended for 2 days.  Last year, around 150,000 people attended the one day event at the mall. The expansion was made possible by a gift from financier and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, who donated $5 million over five years for the festival.

US much behind the parental leave

The new report from the Human Rights Watch about the parental leave in the United States shows it's much behind than any other western counter part. The report, "Failing its Families," says at least 178 countries have national laws guaranteeing paid leave for new mothers, while the handful of exceptions include the U.S., Swaziland and Papua New Guinea. More than 50 nations, including most Western countries, also guarantee paid leave for new fathers.

পানকৌড়ির গল্প: ০০১

Meddah (The Story Teller)

পানকৌড়ির গল্প কিছু কাল্পনিক চরিত্র ও ঘটনার সন্নিবেশ। অবসরে কী বোর্ডের উপর আলতো হাতে ফুটিয়ে তোলার চেস্টা কিছু শব্দচিত্রের নির্মাণ যা খুব অজান্তে হৃদয়কে স্পর্শ করে। জীবন নদীর মতো প্রবাহমান। সময়ের সকল ব্যবধানকে অতিক্রম করে তার মাঝে বেঁচে থাকে খন্ড খন্ড গল্পগুচ্ছ। কিছু গল্প চলে আমাদের আলাপনে। কিছু গল্প আমরা বয়ে বেড়াই অদ্ভুত এক বোঝার মতো। আমাদের গল্পগুলো তার চরিত্রে আর প্রকাশে এক অনন্য আনন্দ বেদনার কাব্য। পানকৌড়ির গল্প শুরু হলো তুরস্কের মেদ্দার (গল্প বলিয়ে'র) অবলম্বনে। মেদ্দারা ভ্রাম্যমান গল্পকার যারা কফি হাউজের সামনে লোকজন জড়ো করে গল্প শুনাতেন যার মধ্যে থাকত অনেক নীতিকথা। তাহলে শুরু হোক পানকৌড়ির গল্প। এতে নীতিকথা তেমন না থাকলেও জীবনের বিচিত্র কথামালা নীরবে ঠাঁই নেবে।

What happened on February 14th in Bangladesh?

Like every other year, February 14th is being celebrated as Valentine's Day in Bangladesh. As the celebration continues, have we once remembered the day February 14th? Today in 1983, all the student fronts in Bangladesh came out from their campuses to protest the military dictator Ershad's autocratic rule and infamous Majid Khan's education policy. Let's read some excerpts from a few bloggers who have reminded us how shamelessly we've forgotten February 14th? One of the saddest days of our recent history has been silently replaced by Valentine's Day's "World Love Day". Long live our memory resembling a gold fish!

It's not Spring yet, It's Bosonto

Spring in Washington DC has not come yet, it won't until March 20th, at least officially. But Bangladeshis all over the globe have started joyously celebrating the arrival of spring as the the first day of the Bangla month Falgun arrives on February 13th. They're singing: "Whether birds are singing or not, flowers are bloomed or not, today is spring". Let's welcome Spring "the queen of seasons" when nature graciously blesses our lives with blooms and festivities.

Why do you use Turmeric?

Turmeric (in Bangla হলুদ), a must ingredient for South Asian culinary, is proving its power as medication. So, next time when you use it, don't think for its color, think about its secret power that may treat patients after stroke. You're not convinced yet!

BBC reports, "A drug derived from the curry spice turmeric may be able to help the body repair some of the damage caused in the immediate aftermath of a stroke".

NIH says: Turmeric May hold answers to Bone-Protective Effects (September 2010), Alzheimer's Disease (July 2009)and Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms.

Don't forget about turmeric if you're seriously considering liver cleansing and weight loss!

It's just a beginning for Egypt



Photo Credit: The Washington Post

After 18 days of protest, victory finally came for the Egyptian protestors. Hosni Mubarak's autocratic regime has been over as he fled Cairo after 30 years' iron rule. Egyptians are celebrating freedom as they're hoping to begin a new chapter of democracy. They've won the path for "a clean start" (BBC News) towards democracy, but their destination is still far away.  The Washington Post suggests, "...the best way forward is to institutionalize the dialogue taking place today and convert it into a national conference or round- table negotiation between state institutions, youths, the political forces and independent national figures."

Where will be the next revolution?

After Egypt, likelihood of another mass revolution is increasing in the Middle East.  Time publishes a research study on the likelihood of the next revolution under the grip of dictators based on factors such "as press freedom, free elections and civil liberties on the one hand, and the countries' history of repression and democracy on the other". The study will be soon published at Journal of Conflict Resolution. What are the factors that you need to consider that will ignite the next revolution around you?

Does privacy really exist?

How private is your information over the internet? CBS News features the story of a high school teacher who lost her job when her privacy was compormised in the social network. The internet is managing a dossier based on our phone numbers, shopping or chatting. So, be careful before your next surprise brings any embarrasement for you. Watch the story of Ashley Payne whose picture cost her school teacher job.

Watch Birds of Paradise

PBS Produced the video documentary on the "Birds of the Paradise" that features,  birds " on the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific lives the most striking and diverse group of birds on the planet. Birds of paradise defy imagination. Covered in spectacular plumage, each species within the Paradisaeidae family is distinct.

Amnesty International Met Bangladeshi Leader

Abbas Faiz, the South Asia researcher for Amnesty International, met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 30th in London during her visit. He highlights his discussion with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister about war crimes trials and extrajudicial executions in Banlgadesh. He expresses concern about the extrajudicial executions that undermine the human rights condition in Bangladesh.

Bangla becoming Universal Network Language

Bangla, the fourth most spoken language in the world, is becoming the integral part of the Universal Network Language (UNL). UNL is an automated program that translates world language virtually into any target language. More than 150 languages including English, French, Arabic, Hindi have already become part of the UNL. Transforming Bangla into an international language through UNL will revolutionize our access to the world of global languages as it will let machine translate any target language(s). The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is running this project as they are coding morphological grammar and dictionary for the UNL which will be finished within one year. Read the rest in Bangla:

Asians growing in Virginia

The newly released census report shows Hispanics and Asians contributed to increasing Virginia's population over 8 million in the past decade. This surge transformed Virginia into a far more diverse place, according to the recent census figure. The Washington Post reports, Asian's grew 68% as their number rose from 90,000 to 233,000 in the past decade. A third of the growth was in Northern Virginia, and most of the rest was in the Hampton Roads area and Central Virginia.

Enjoy food but eat less: New FDA Guideline

FDA issued 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans on January 31st. Are we serious about our food intake? Please read the full 112 page long dietary guideline here. The federal government's evidence-based nutritional guidance encourages promoting health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity.

• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods and regulate
•  Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Compensation for the Bangladeshi fire victims

Finally, the actvism and lobbying efforts for the Bangladeshi garments workers have been paid off as the multinational companies agreed to work with the garment industries in Bangladesh to ensure compensation for the workers who were victims of the recent fire.

Yes, money can buy happiness!

It's an age old question whether money can buy happiness in life or not.  Finally, the researchers from The Wharton School concluded that "the more money you have, the more satisfied you are with life – and that relationship holds true whether you are a citizen of the United States or of Burundi. As it turns out, the happiness effect isn’t relative; it’s based on a person’s absolute income".

Documentary on Climate Change in Bangladesh

Credit: National Geographic

Rosa Rogers directed documentary the "Climate Change in Bangladesh: Who Will Pay"? has won the 2nd prize under the Film Category of Indigenous People. The contest was organized by the World Bank. The documentary shows how climate change is causing havoc in the southern Bangladesh as fertile land becomes encrusted with salt, killing crops and fouling drinking water.

Target Refusing to Pay Victims in Bangladesh

The popular departmental store Target is refusing to compensate the recent fire victims of the garments industry in Bangladesh. Change.org is arduously continuing its advocacy for the rights of the laborers in the developing world as "65,000 people from more than 70 countries call on American corporations with annual profits in the tens of billions to give a minuscule percentage of that to compensate workers killed or injured while making their clothing".

Target's profit is soaring, in the 3rd quarter of 2010, its profit rose 22.6% as the chain store earned 535 million dollars (CBS News). Its annual profit rose to 20 billion dollars. Change.org has already initiated a petition for the victims at the Bangladeshi garment industry that has been signed by almost 68,000 people all over the world.

Is reversing diabetes possible?

The CNN Health news drew a whole lot of negative reaction from the readers as the diabetes has no cure once diagnosed. The headline "Reversing diabetes is possible" seems to be misleading and confusing. Almost 26 million (8.3%) of the US Population have been affected by diabetes. Even patients can not reverse diabetes; they can successfully control its deadly impact by regulating food intake, weight management and physical exercise.

Egypt is burning

Source: Al Jazeerah

• Key things to watch now in Egypt: NPR
• Revolution of the People: MSNBC
• Protesters back on Egypt Streets: Al Jazeerah 
• Cairo falls into near anarchy: The Washington Post
• Mixed reaction in region: CNN

Tribute to 7 Stars of the Challenger

We proudly salute those seven heroes of the Challenger who boarded the shuttle on January 28, 1986. Millions of people were watching on live TV, just to find that after 73 seconds, they would be fallen heroes. Salute to them. Watch a video tribute from NASA:

Privacy Issues for Facebook Users

Almost six months ago in July 2010, Mark Zuckerberg celebrated Facebook's envious success as it reached to 500 million users. Facebook now plays an indispensable social network bridge that is connecting people across the social and geographical boundaries into the virtual world. But, how private and secured is Facebook?

Quick Snow Paralyzed Washington, DC

Fort Hunt Park after the snow storm

It was a quick snow storm on January 27th in the afternoon that stranded thousands of commuters back home.  The snow storm suddenly paralyzed the roads and highways and the drivers simply became either stranded for hours or abandoned their cars in the highways. Indeed, DC felt powerless (Washington Times) with outages and gridlock. Watch the video from MyFoxDc.com:

Dhaka is preparing for the World Cup Cricket

The World Cup Cricket 2011 is coming to Dhaka next month. As the country is getting ready for this exciting international sports, it's trying to get rid of beggars and hawkers from the city streets for next few weeks. This initiative will frustratingly displace thousands of the poor from the capital.  CNN reports:

"Hundreds of hawkers and beggars, quite often seen on Dhaka's major roads and at traffic stops, will be driven out next month ahead of the Cricket World Cup scheduled to begin in mid February... The Bangladesh government imposed a ban on begging amid criticism two years ago, saying they would stop the practice within five years. According to the law, anyone caught begging in public places faces a maximum three months in jail. But begging is still seen in almost everywhere in Dhaka ­­-- a city of ten million people, one third of whom are extremely poor and live in shanties..."

New Book: Bangladesh and Burma

Nova Science Pub Inc. has published a new book this month on the two South Asian neighboring countries, Bangladesh and Burma.  The book called, "Bangladesh and Burma: Background issues", has been edited by Brandon E. Stromberg. Hopefully, this new book will facilitate increased attention to the South Asian affairs as both Bangladesh and Burma are facing rampant poverty and corruption. You may preorder this 158 page long book from Amazon.

Are We Safer?

FRONTLINE presents this three episode investigative report called: Are we safer?

FRONTLINE's series launches with the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Dana Priest, who investigates the sprawling terrorism-industrial complex that has grown up in the wake of 9/11. Her report, Are We Safer? -- produced and directed by FRONTLINE veteran Michael Kirk (The Warning, Obama's Deal) -- explores the growing reach of homeland security into the lives of ordinary Americans.

World Report 2011 Released

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released its World Report 2011, a 649-page investigative report. The report highlights the major human rights challenges in more than 90 countries of the world. The press release issued by the HRW criticizes the developed world for taking a softer approach to the rouged regimes.

Cheapest Buffets in Washington, DC

The local TV Channel TBD has come up with a list of the cheapest buffets in Washington, DC. The price ranges from $6.49 to $12. Interestingly, most of them are of the South Asian origin. The list is as follow:

No access to Scholarly Journals in Bangladesh



The British Medical Journal

Another round of sad news for researchers in Bangladesh came in as they would be denied free access to 2500 scholarly journals! The British Medical Journal (BMJ) in its January 11^th issue said: Five publishers have withdrawn free access to more than 2500 health and biomedical online journals from institutions in Bangladesh. One research leader has described the situation as “very discouraging.”

Code of Ethics for the Economists?

The American Economic Association is seriously considering code of ethics for the economists in its national convention. A documentary last year called "Inside Job" raised critical issues about conflicts of interests for the professionals. Marketplace has recently broadcast an interview on this topic: Should there be a code of ethics for economists?

An old Bangla Song - Pankouri

An old Bangla song presented by Sandhya Mukherjee and Manabendra Mukherjee on Pankouri. Listen it here:

Mental Health Laws in the USA

Michael Fitzpatrick talked about mental health in the U.S. including diagnosis, treatment, funding, and legislation. He responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. The program was hosted by C-SPAN's Peter Slen.

ওয়াশিংটন ডিসি’র ন্যাশনাল জু’তে আলোকসজ্জা

বছরের শেষ দিন। ওয়াশিংটন ডিসি’র ন্যাশনাল পার্ক জু’তে গেলাম রাতের বেলার আলোকসজ্জা দেখতে। গত ক’বছর ধরেই এই “জু-লাইট” বা আলোকসজ্জার ব্যবস্থা করা হয়। কিন্তু দেখতে যাওয়া হয়ে উঠে না।