Celebrate International Mother Language Day

February 21st is International Mother Language Day.

"International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue." -- un.org

The day in the news today, also see the wiki.

Birth of better days?

Finally, there is something good in the air! I was getting so sick and tired of writing how bad things are in Bangladesh. For once, we can be positive about where we are politically, with a reliable and unbiased caretaker government in place which is carefully backed by the military. Nobody denies that a state of emergency is not the most democratic solution but Bangladeshis are happy and feeling safe. The only people complaining are the corrupt politicians.

In the last weeks, two very important news have made the headlines, which may very well be the beginning of a different Bangladesh:

The first is the list of fifty corrupt politicians and businessmen, including former Ministers and Parliament Members and all with ties to one political party or the other. Many of whom have already been taken into custody and all of them have been asked to provide explanation of their wealth within the next 72 hours, otherwise the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will temporarily confiscate or freeze their assets and properties. The ACC took the action as part of its action to root out corruption under the amended Emergency Power Ordinance, 2007. Delowar Hossain, the secretary of the ACC said more names would be published within the next few days.

At the same time, Dr Yunus announced his interest in coming into politics and forming a new political party. Of course it'll be hard, even for a Nobel peace prize winner to have a one man show in a parliamentary democracy but I believe he'll apply his straights as an economist and philanthropist and rationally form a plan for introducing his new party. Don't be too surprised if he comes in with a team of respected countrymen with views to go beyond the corruption today and make true improvements.

Pessimists obviously are not holding their breath but I'd say the worst that can happen is the corrupted politicians will realize that their day of reckoning IS possible, even if they get away this time and we may just have a third political presence, that has been born from peace, logical thinking and politics of unity, to run our state.

May the slogans created by the two leading parties finally come true! Something that they have ignored for a long time now....of course, why lead the country to be a winner when you can exploit it for personal wealth?

So I say "Bangladesh Jindabad" and I say "Joy Bangla"...things are looking better!

Cypress Rays...

paul kozal @ susan spiritus gallery

Tahmima Anam with A Golden Age

Tahmima Anam, daughter of Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam is introducing her literary debut - “A Golden Age”, which is coming out in March. Although some are referring her as the next Monica Ali, but this is not a story of life as an immigrant, but rather about our war of independence. I'm also hoping she'll deliver better because of her writing background and growing up around renowned journalists and politicians. Already many critics, who had a preview of the book have good things to say about her. Few snapshots about her work are as below...

"Great writing may be in the blood, but having a window seat on remarkable historical events can help to shape an author. A major new talent, Tahmima Anam, has the advantage of coming from a line of gifted Bangladeshi writers and thinkers, yet it is the damaging experience her family shared with thousands of others living around them that is to see her launched in Britain." -- The Observer

"Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone – from student protesters to the country`s leaders, from rickshaw-wallahs to the army`s soldiers – must make choices." -- HooderHeadline