(I used to run a coaching center called P@ul’s Coaching Home, where students from class nine through honors level would study. During that time, I would prepare paragraph notes for SSC and HSC students. I’m sharing some of those paragraphs below. If these prove useful to you or anyone you know, it would make me happy.)
Junk Food
Junk food is a term describing food that is perceived to be unhealthy or having poor nutritional value, according to Food Standards Agency. The term is believed to have been coined by Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972. The term has since become common usage. Foods such as hamburgers, French fries, Foie Gras, roast potatoes, hot-dogs etc and soft drinks containing high levels of sugar, salt and fat and less nutritional content and are often regarded as junk foods. Junk food typically contains high levels of fat, salt or sugar and numerous food additives such as monosodium glutamate and tartrazine; at the same time, it is lacking in proteins, vitamins and fibre, among others. It is popular with suppliers because it is relatively cheap to manufacture, has a long shelf life and may not require refrigeration. It is popular with consumers because it is easy to purchase, requires little or no preparation, is convenient to consume and has lots of flavour. Consumption of junk food is associated with obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dental cavities. To regulate marketing this type of food there should be advertising regulator and competition authority to launch a consultation on advertising of foods for people.
A School Library
A school library is a library that serves the students, faculty, staff and parents of a public or private school and acts as the fountain head from which streams of knowledge flow. Our school also possesses a library which contains books, journals, magazines, newspapers, films, recorded sound, periodicals, and other media. These not only provide us with knowledge and entertainment but also enhance and expand our school’s curriculum. The librarian, assisted by some volunteers and teachers, is in charge of our school library. His tasks include: collaborating with classroom teachers in student instruction, purchasing books and material, maintaining the collection, circulating materials, cataloguing new materials, facilitating inter-library loans, and dealing with challenged books. We get assistance from our teachers and the librarian in choosing the proper books. It has open shelves for books of references which may be consulted whenever necessary. Despite having many practical difficulties in the way of students making proper use of the library, such as little spare time left after class-work to spend fruitfully in the library, the scene in our school library is inspiring. It shows that, among a section of our students, there is a real desire to read on their own account. At the table, eager young scholars are deeply absorbed in their studies or busy taking notes from the books. Where scholars are busy, the unscholarly are shamed into silence. The library habit is an index of culture, and the habit can be formed only in school. If books are available and teachers are ready to guide and advise, students will soon develop habits of study.
Global Warming
Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. Global average air temperature near Earth’s surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °Celsius (1.3 ± 0.32 °Fahrenheit) in the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations,” which leads to warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the greenhouse effect. The climate system varies through natural, internal processes and in response to variations in external forcing factors including solar activity, volcanic emissions, variations in the earth’s orbit (orbital forcing) and greenhouse gases. Models referenced by the IPCC predict that global temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100. About three-quarters of the anthropogenic [man-made] emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere during the past 20 years are due to fossil fuel burning and the rest of the anthropogenic emissions are predominantly due to land-use change, especially deforestation that reflects the long average atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide (CO2). An increase in global temperatures can, in turn, cause other changes, including a rising sea level, changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Other consequences include repercussions to agriculture glacier retreat, possible slowing of the thermohaline circulation, reductions in the ozone layer, increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes and extreme weather events, lowering of ocean pH, reduced summer streamflows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors. The broad agreement among climate scientists that global temperatures will discontinue increasing has led nations, states, corporations and individuals to implement actions to try to curtail global warming or adjust to it. A hotly contested political and public debate also has yet to be resolved, regarding whether anything should be done, and what could be cost-effectively done to reduce or reverse future warming, or to deal with the expected consequences. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at combating greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental Pollution
Environmental Pollution is the contamination of Earth’s environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems (living organisms and their physical surroundings). Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, most are caused by human activities. Air pollution is the release of chemicals such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles into the atmosphere. Water pollution occurs via surface runoff and leaching to groundwater. Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank leakage. Radioactive contamination added in the wake of 20th-century discoveries in atomic physics. Noise pollution encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar. Light pollution includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference. Thermal Pollution is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence. Air pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress and sleep disturbance.To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, The United States, Europe, The United Kingdom, China, Australia, India and many nations worldwide have enacted legislation to regulate various types of pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution. Regulations and legislation have led to considerable progress in cleaning up some air and water pollution in developed countries. To avoid ecological disaster and increased poverty, developing countries will require aid and technology from outside nations and corporations, community participation in development initiatives, and strong environmental regulations. ‘Greenpeace’ and ‘Friends of the Earth International’ are two activist organizations that focus international attention on industries and governments known to contaminate land, sea, or atmosphere with toxic or solid wastes. For a healthier survival, human concerns include the range from quality of life to health hazards due to environmental pollution.
Sound Pollution/Noise Pollution
Sound pollution is the harsh cacophony of human or mechanical creation, measured in decibel units, that grates upon the ear and fractures the tranquility of both human and animal existence. The most ubiquitous culprit is transportation—chiefly the relentless drone of motor vehicles. Yet the sources multiply: automobiles, trucks, aircraft; construction machinery that pounds and roars; entertainment systems that blast; power tools that shriek; farm equipment and the industrial din of factory floors—all capable of reaching dangerous volumes. Even domestic implements—lawnmowers, leaf blowers—join the chorus alongside the sharp crack of guns, firecrackers, and certain toys. This acoustic assault wounds both body and spirit, breeding irritation, aggression, hypertension, elevated stress, hearing damage, and myriad other afflictions. To stem this tide, authorities must act decisively: curtail vehicular horns within prescribed frequencies, educate the masses—students, workers, drivers of every stripe—about sound pollution’s ravages, launch grand campaigns against this menace, install monitoring devices near offices, hospitals, schools and homes, and penalize violators through meaningful fines.
A Rainy Day
When rain claims dominion over the entire day, we call it a rainy day. The sky wraps itself in clouds, banishing the sun from sight. Everything assumes a dull, melancholy aspect. At times the rain falls in torrents, at others it whispers in gentle drizzles. Lightning tears across the heavens while thunder rolls its ancient proclamation. Birds huddle motionless on branches, cattle cluster in their shelters. Humanity retreats indoors. Streets turn to muddy rivers, empty of their usual bustle. Movement becomes treacherous; few venture forth without dire necessity. The poor suffer most acutely, unable to pursue their daily bread. Yet for students, such days bring unexpected joy—classes suspended, freedom granted. Some embrace the gloom with conversation, cards, songs heard or sung. Thus a rainy day offers its dual gift of sorrow and delight, touching each soul according to their station.
Load-shedding
In Bangladesh, load-shedding has become so commonplace that the term itself has seeped into everyday conversation. Power generation has plummeted to pitiful levels, its distribution so erratic that none can predict which neighborhood will be swallowed by darkness or when light might miraculously return. This chaos stems from the incompetence and bureaucratic blundering of power authorities, compounded by their internal feuds. The disruption reaches everywhere: housewives fumble through kitchen darkness; offices, mills and factories grind to helpless halts as workers sit idle; laboratory research suffers severe interruption; students cannot properly prepare for crucial examinations. Even hospitals and clinics fall victim. Under cover of darkness, thieves and miscreants prowl the streets, sowing mayhem. Cold storage goods spoil and rot. Indeed, load-shedding has grievously disrupted the nation’s socio-economic foundation and endangered domestic security. To alleviate this anguish, the government must pursue new power projects, overcome poor maintenance of plants and distribution networks, and restore idle units to service. Meanwhile, power must flow equitably—no area should enjoy uninterrupted supply at another’s expense.
A Moonlit Night
A moonlit night stands among nature’s most sublime gifts. The night glows beneath a star-jeweled canopy of blue. “The Queen-Moon is on her throne clustered around by all her starry fays.” Whether crescent or full, the moon graces us for a fortnight each season, with darkness between. But in autumn, the moon pours forth its mellow radiance most gloriously, gleaming like polished glass or a silver orb suspended in the pristine sky. White cloud-patches drift lazily across the heavens, playing hide-and-seek with the luminous moon. What pleasure to gaze upward from a rooftop, drinking in this ethereal beauty while night birds weave their sweet melodies—truly romantic beyond words. Earth bathes in moonlight; the ground beneath groves resembles a vast chessboard. Light and shadow create artistry with ghostly tree silhouettes hazily outlined in the lunar glow. Ponds and tanks shimmer with sapphire wavelets that gleam like precious stones. Sight, sound and fragrance weave together in moonbeams’ “strange delicate tracery,” wrapping us momentarily in “Elysian reverie.” A moonlit night is nature’s sweetest offering to humanity, leaving an indelible imprint on our souls. Nothing surpasses such an enchanted evening when the full moon—that silver disc—suddenly illuminates the somber hues of dark forests, casting a supernatural beauty over the world. Wishes rise like rainbows, and the moonbeam-filled night offers sanctuary—light for the spirit. Here lies all the heart could desire: beauty, serenity, and profound sacredness.
The moving moon went up the sky,
And nowhere did abide:
Softly she was going up,
And a star or two beside.
___ SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772-1834) (The Rime of The Ancient Mariner)
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day, observed each March 8th, has become a global rallying point for women’s organizations worldwide. The United Nations commemorates this date, and many nations have designated it a national holiday. The inaugural International Women’s Day occurred on February 28, 1909, in the United States, proclaimed by the Socialist Party of America. The concept emerged at the dawn of the twentieth century amid rapid industrialization and economic expansion that sparked protests over working conditions—demands for shorter hours, better wages, and voting rights. In 1910, the Second International convened the first international women’s conference in Copenhagen, where prominent German Socialist Clara Zetkin proposed establishing an ‘International Women’s Day,’ though no specific date was set. The following year, over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland marked International Women’s Day. Since those pioneering years, the observance has assumed profound global significance for women in both developed and developing nations. The international women’s movement, strengthened by four major United Nations conferences, has transformed this commemoration into a focal point for coordinated efforts demanding women’s rights and political-economic participation. Increasingly, International Women’s Day serves as a moment to assess progress, advocate for change, and celebrate the courage and determination of ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in advancing women’s rights. When women across all continents—often separated by national borders and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political divisions—unite to celebrate their Day, they honor a tradition representing at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.
May Day/ International Workers’ Day
International Workers’ Day is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labour movement. International Workers’ Day is the commemoration of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago in 1886. On May 1st, 1886, workers in Canada and the United States, held peaceful strikes and rallies to demand an eight hour work day. Two days later, Chicago police killed several demonstrators in a clash between workers and scabs in that city. A rally was held in Haymarket Square to protest the killings, and when police tried to forcibly disperse the crowd a bomb was thrown. Seven police were killed; dozens in the crowd were injured. In memory of this struggle and the struggle of all workers for better conditions, May 1st was declared a holiday in 1889, by the International Workers’ Congress in Paris for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace. Due to its status as a celebration of the efforts of workers, May Day is an important official holiday in most of the countries. In most of the world today, May Day is marked by massive street rallies led by workers, their trade unions, anarchists and various communist and socialist parties. As workers, we must recognize and commemorate May Day not only for its historical significance but also as a time to organize around issues of vital importance to working-class people today as songwriter Joe Hill wrote in one of his most powerful songs:
Workers of the world, awaken! Rise in all your splendid might Take the wealth that you are making, It belongs to you by right.
Traffic Congestion/ Jam
Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Traffic jam is a road condition characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased queueing. It occurs when roadway demand is greater than its capacity. There are several main causes of traffic congestion such as high traffic volume, construction, accidents, unexpected emergencies, events, visual obstructions etc. Traffic congestion has several negative effects. It is responsible for reduction of regional economic health, consequently reducing revenues, late arrival for employment, business meetings, education, or other settings for which prompt arrival is necessary, loss of fuel, air pollution, wear-and-tear of motor vehicles, interference with the passage of emergency vehicles, disturbing quiet residential communities and so on. Present attempts to alleviate traffic congestion include improvements of junctions, including broadcasting road conditions, building new roads and widening of existing ones, restriction of on-road parking spaces, resetting of school opening times, dedicating bus rapid transit roads, quotas on the number of vehicles on the road, traffic management and prevention of accidents, promotion of more considerate driving behaviour, reduction of speed limits, city planning practices that avoid concentration of traffic. Two methods that can be proposed to reduce traffic jam are an introduction of automated highway systems that could reduce the safe interval between cars increasing travel speeds and parking guidance systems to persuade drivers directly to vacant parking spots, eliminating the traffic caused by serendipitous parking space hunters in present-day city centres.
Grameen Bank
The Grameen Bank is a microfinance organization and community development bank started in Bangladesh that makes small loans (known as microcredit) to the impoverished without requiring collateral. The system is based on the idea that the poor have skills that are under-utilized. The bank also accepts deposits, provides other services, conducts social improvement programmes, struggling members programme, rural telephone programme, and runs several development-oriented businesses including fabric, telephone and energy companies. The organization and its founder, Muhammad Yunus, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.The Grameen Bank is the outgrowth of Muhammad Yunus’ ideas. In 1976, the village of Jobra and other villages surrounding the University of Chittagong became the first areas eligible for service from Grameen Bank. The Bank today continues to expand across the nation and still provides small loans to the rural poor. As of mid-2006, Grameen Bank branches number over 2,100. Its success has inspired similar projects around the world.The system is the basis for the microcredit and the self-help group system now at work in over 43 countries. This creates economic incentives for the group to act responsibly (such as other members then being able to receive additional loans), increasing Grameen’s economic viability. Besides extending microcredit loans to the poor people, Grameen Bank has taken several innovative programmes for poverty eradication. Despite all these glorious achievements, Grameen Bank is not above criticism. Sudhirendar Sharma, a development analyst, Abdul Barkat of the University of Dhaka, The Mises Institute’s Jeffrey Tucker claim that it has “landed poor communities in a perpetual debt-trap, and that its ultimate benefit goes to the corporations that sell capital goods and infrastructure to the borrowers”.
Globalization
Globalization refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that globalization is the “process by which the experience of everyday life … is becoming standardized around the world.” Globalization is an umbrella term and is perhaps best understood as a unitary process inclusive of many subprocesses; such as enhanced economic interdependence, increased cultural influence, rapid advances in communication, transportation and information technology, and novel governance and geopolitical challenges; that are increasingly binding people and the biosphere more tightly into one global system with one destiny. It describes the growing economic, political, ecological, technological, and cultural linkages that connect individuals, communities, businesses, and governments around the world. Some of the trends that globalization has become identified with include: greater international cultural exchange, greater international movement of commodities, money, information, and people; and the development of technology, organizations, legal systems, and infrastructures, technical/legal, promotion of free trade and intellectual property restrictions that lead to lower prices, more employment and higher output. Distant events often have an immediate and significant impact, blurring the boundaries of our personal worlds, as people around the globe are culturally, materially, and psychologically interlinked. But globalization has both positive and negative aspects. Among globalization’s benefits are a sharing of basic knowledge, technology, investments, resources, and ethical values. Among the negative aspects are the rapid spread of diseases, illicit drugs, crime, terrorism, and uncontrolled migration. The debate over globalization also focuses in particular on how it can be regulated to address growing income and wealth inequalities, labour rights, health and environmental problems, and issues regarding cultural diversity and national sovereignty. But if the IMF, WTO, and UN play proper role through constraining the autonomy of the richer countries in the economic, political, and environmental decisions to reduce global repercussions for balancing social and cultural values with the need for economic efficiency, globalization could have a far-reaching positive impact especially on the developing and poorer countries like ours.
A Street Accident
Chittagong streets—especially the busier ones are often a veritable nightmare. Hair-breadth escapes from debacle— it may be with a vehicle or may be with a rickshaw or auto rickshaw smashed by a truck or a public bus– anything may happen to make one the victim of a tragedy. I had the experience of a gruesome street accident at about 5 p.m. on the 18th of January last. While sauntering along the Jamal Khan Road, Chittagong, towards Chittagong Press Club a mishap chanced before me, which still rushes through all the trials and tribulations of my life. A schoolboy hardly 12 or 13, who was a few steps ahead of me, was going on the same way. No sooner had he intervened of the road than all on a sudden; a motor car came on and hit him. I sprint to the hapless boy in the twinkling of an eye. He was wretchedly made out of breath by that menacingly happened accident. He lay deceased with the concussion and lethal laceration he experienced. Among many transient rues, that melancholic bereavement will ever resound in my heart with its ecumenical doleful complaints! ______
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed,
And the great star early dropped in the western sky in the night,
I mourned, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
-Walt Whitman (1819-1892), When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed
A Rainy Day
Particularly in Chittagong, a rainy day unfolds when surplus waters spill into the streets, the city’s inefficient underground sewerage system transforming our urban landscape into a miniature Venice after hours of torrential downpour. A street scene following heavy rain—especially in Chittagong—possesses its own incomparable charm, whether in daylight when children’s laughter enchants passersby, or at night when street lamps shimmer on flowing waters, conjuring an illusory fairyland. A city dweller, finding no alternative but to lean quietly by his window listening to the rhythm of pattering rain, might philosophically adopt the words of Shakespeare’s shepherd Corin in As You Like It: “the property of rain is to wet and fire to burn”; while someone busier, or a slum dweller, might be troubled by the deplorable conditions a rainy day brings. The abundant filth and refuse swept about by floodwaters often creates a thoroughly repulsive sight. Those caught on the roads find themselves in circumstances both comic and unfortunate. Some wade along with shoes in hand, clothes tucked high. Many remain stranded midway in trams and buses, growing more irritated and impatient by the moment. People are delayed; work comes to a standstill; appointments are disrupted. A spell of heavy rain in Chittagong means discomfort, loss, and the complete disruption of normal routine. Yet it cools the temperature, and this is a blessing not to be scorned in sweltering, stifling Chittagong. All things considered, we might echo the poet Longfellow—
How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
And in the narrow lane—
How beautiful is the rain!
(-H. W. Longfellow, ‘Rain in summer’)
A Railway Station
A railway station stands among the constants of modern civilization. It is a place that facilitates both the boarding and alighting of commuters. Every railway station displays a timetable for train arrivals and departures, employing personnel ranging from the stationmaster who oversees the station’s operations to humble porters who assist passengers with their belongings. Railway stations vary in size and significance—some like Dhaka or Chittagong, or other major cities, boast multiple platforms, while others like Chandpur or Laksam make do with a single platform. The larger stations house waiting rooms, stationmaster’s offices, various booking counters, bookstalls, and stationery shops catering to the needs of every type of traveler. The smaller stations perhaps serve passengers better by offering a scrupulously quiet, peaceful, somewhat deserted, even drowsy picturesque atmosphere. But with a train’s arrival, the station suddenly springs to life—passengers in varied dress rush about seeking comfortable compartments; porters hurry bearing loads of luggage; hawkers call out their wares in diverse tones and manners—and through it all, railway officials—the stationmaster, ticket collectors, guards, signalmen—move about performing their duties in this truly cosmopolitan gathering. Then the train steams away, and the station once more lapses into slumber. Beyond practical services, a railway station casts a strange spell over us all, particularly on children who gaze wide-eyed in wonder as a locomotive puffs into the station, belching smoke and steam like some primordial monster from legendary times; and on adults—especially in the countryside—who gather on the platform to greet arriving or bid farewell to departing passengers. Indeed, despite being a bustling center of activity, it remains the symbol and embodiment of contemporary modern life.
Gender Discrimination
The word “discrimination” derives from the Latin “discriminare,” meaning to “distinguish between.” Gender discrimination in the region is deeply rooted in women’s and girls’ limited access to education and health services, economic opportunities, and political participation. The Asia-Pacific region has made considerable progress in reducing gender discrimination in recent years, yet appalling disparities persist across four critical dimensions: economic participation, education, health, and empowerment. The prevalence of poverty and economic dependence among women, their experience of violence, negative attitudes toward women and girls, racial and other forms of discrimination, many women’s limited control over their sexual and reproductive lives, and lack of influence in decision-making are social realities that adversely impact their health. Inadequate food access and inequitable food distribution for girls and women within households, insufficient access to safe water, sanitation facilities, and fuel supplies—particularly in rural and impoverished urban areas—and deficient housing conditions all burden women and their families, negatively affecting their health. In Bangladesh, stark discrimination against women manifests through various social factors, including disproportionate literacy and employment rates. One fundamental reason women face discrimination is their lack of voice in decision-making at home or in society, even regarding matters directly concerning them. To realize gender equality as a core commitment, positive policies must be pursued in the following areas: a. ensuring access to basic education; b. developing skill development programs, business counseling, networking, and professional development; c. ensuring access to finance—both microcredit and collateral-free loans of substantial amounts; d. developing marketing and sales infrastructure to facilitate and promote women-produced goods; e. creating mechanisms to encourage women-led businesses; f. building institutional capacity and encouraging women entrepreneurs’ associations; g. addressing transportation and accommodation challenges for female workers; h. ensuring worker security in their workplace; i. encouraging freedom of association; j. internationally, resisting moves to link trade with labor standards.
A Tea Stall
In Bangladesh, highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as tea stalls. These establishments house small-time vendors who primarily sell tea, coffee, and milk alongside small roadside shops. Tea stalls generally serve local cuisine and function as truck stops. They open at dawn’s first light and remain open late into the night. A tea stall often serves as a meeting place for friends and typically becomes a repository of local knowledge, functioning as a human Yellow Pages and discussion forum for their respective localities. Some enterprising tea stalls also sell soft drinks, cigarettes, betel leaves and nuts, gutka, and newspapers. The daily paper or papers on the table provide excellent topics for casual discussion about current affairs, strikes, wars, and other matters. Villagers discuss village politics in village tea stalls. Since people from all walks of life—even thieves, pickpockets, robbers, and murderers—come to rest and refresh themselves at tea stalls, police must maintain close surveillance of these establishments. A well-maintained tea stall may serve valuable purposes, but one that is poorly kept may cause illness and help spread disease due to unsanitary and unhygienic conditions.
My favourite game/sport: Tennis
“Variety
is the spice of life,” says Cowper. Different forms of recreations or
diversions appeal to different temperaments. The best form of recreation is, in
my view, a game of Tennis in the evening. There are certain obvious defects in
Cricket, Football or Hockey as recreation, for example, there is a segregation
of the sexes; they all are mainly recreations for the males. Tennis as a recreation
has some special features to present. In the first place, it is an
international game; it is as international and representative in character as
is the United Nations’ Organization. As Sir Samuel Hoare points out,
“Never was there such an international game and never was there such a
sociable game.” Whether Tennis is played on “the Centre Court at
Wimbledon” or on the mud-plastered court in the club on school grounds it
draws men and women, boys and girls and is played with both enjoyment and enthusiasm.
The point about Tennis as a form of recreation which makes a special appeal to
us is that it calls into play every inch of muscle and every ounce of strength
and teaches the sense of time. Physical energy is not self-sufficient; it is
always controlled by the inner powers of the mind. For example, top-spin drive
in Tennis is a drive made with the object of hitting the ball fairly hard and
yet not sending it out of court behind the opponent’s baseline. Then there are
the backhand and forehand styles of the drive. The whole game of Lawn Tennis
consists of attack and defence, stroke and counterstroke. As Mr Burrow puts it,
“the opening stroke of every rally is the service, and this ought to be
the opening of the attack.” I always play Tennis as recreation and gather
a kind of creative energy which I can well apply to the more serious studying
job with the greatest of ease and elegance.
Leisure
Leisure,
often referred to as free time, is “time spent out of work and essential
domestic activity”. It is the period of discretionary time before or after
compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a
business, attending school and doing homework, household chores, and day-to-day
stress. For an experience to qualify as leisure, it must meet three criteria:
the experience is a state of mind; it must be entered into voluntarily; it must
be intrinsically motivating of its own merit. Active leisure or recreational
activities involve the exertion of physical or mental energy, such as walking
and yoga, kickboxing and soccer, playing chess or painting a picture. Active
leisure and overlap significantly. Passive leisure activities are those in
which a person does not exert any significant physical or mental energy, such
as going to the cinema, watching television, or gambling on slot machines.
People who work indoors and spend most of their time sitting and doing
sedentary office work can add physical activity to their lives by doing sports
during their leisure time, such as playing a ball game, going camping, hiking
or fishing. On the other hand, people whose jobs involve a lot of physical
activity may prefer to spend their free time doing quiet, relaxing activities,
such as reading books or magazines or watching TV. Some people find that collecting
stamps, postcards, badges, model cars or ships, bottles, or antiques is a
relaxing hobby. Leisure can cost nothing, yet be priceless and helps balance
work, family and devotional life as well as gives us a chance to relax and
recharge our guts to enable us to be productive in accomplishing the main
mission.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh,
officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It
is surrounded by India on all sides except for a small border with Myanmar to
the far south-east and the Bay of Bengal to the south. The population of
Bangladesh ranks seventh in the world, but its area of approximately 144,000
square kilometres (55,600 sq mi) is ranked ninety-fourth, making it one of the
most densely populated countries in the world, or the most densely populated
country if small island nations and city-states are not included. It is the
third-largest Muslim-majority nation but has a slightly smaller Muslim
population than the Muslim minority in India. Geographically dominated by the
fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, the country has annual monsoon floods, and
cyclones are frequent. Bangladesh is one of the founding members of South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), BIMSTEC, and a member of the OIC
and the D-8. Bangladesh achieved a decisive independence from Pakistan on 16
December 1971 after a bloody war of long nine months. Bangladesh is a
parliamentary democracy. The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and
has undergone fourteen amendments. Bangladesh is divided into six
administrative divisions, each named after their respective divisional
headquarters: Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet.
Divisions are subdivided into administrative units known as Zila (districts).
There are sixty-four districts in Bangladesh, each further subdivided into
thana (“police stations”, formerly called Upazila or sub-districts).
Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. Other major cities include
Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet. Bangladesh is located in the
low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta. Straddling the Tropic
of Cancer, Bangladeshi climate is tropical with a mild winter from October to
March, a hot, humid summer from March to June. Natural calamities, such as
floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores occur almost every year,
combined with the effects of deforestation, soil degradation and erosion.
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and
demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains an underdeveloped and overpopulated
nation. Jute was once the economic engine of the country. Bangladesh grows
significant quantities of rice, tea and mustard. Although two-thirds of
Bangladeshis are farmers, more than three-quarters of Bangladesh’s export
earnings come from the garment industry, which began attracting foreign
investors in the 1980s due to cheap labour and low conversion cost. Obstacles
to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises,
mismanaged port facilities, a growth in the labour force that has outpaced
jobs, inefficient use of energy resources (such as natural gas), insufficient
power supplies, slow implementation of economic reforms, political infighting
and corruption. One significant contributor to the development of the economy
has been the widespread propagation of microcredit by Muhammad Yunus (awarded
the Nobel peace prize in 2006) through the Grameen Bank. Recent estimates of
Bangladesh’s population range from 142 to 147 million, making it one of the ten
most populous countries in the world. Bangladesh is ethnically homogeneous,
with Bengalis comprising 98% of the population. The remainders are mostly
Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups. Bangla is the official and the
main language of Bangladesh. Two major religions practised in Bangladesh are
Islam (83%) and Hinduism (16%). Other religious groups include Buddhists,
Christians, and Animists. Health and education levels have recently improved as
poverty levels have decreased. Most Bangladeshis are rural, living on
subsistence farming. Health problems abound, ranging from surface water
contamination to arsenic in the groundwater, and diseases including malaria,
leptospirosis and dengue. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is approximately 41%.
Literacy has gone up due to many programs introduced in the country. A new
state for an old nation, Bangladesh has a culture that encompasses elements
both old and new. The Bangla language boasts a rich literary heritage. Its greatest
icons are the poets Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Bangladesh also
has a long tradition in folk literature. The musical tradition of Bangladesh is
lyrics-based, with minimal instrumental accompaniment. Around 200 dailies are
published in Bangladesh, along with more than 1800 periodicals. The culinary
tradition of Bangladesh has close relations to Indian and Middle Eastern
cuisine as well as having many unique traits. Rice and fish are traditional
favourites; leading to a common saying that “fish and rice make a
Bengali”. The sari (shaŗi) is by far the most widely worn dress by
Bangladeshi women. The lungi, a kind of long skirt, is usually worn by
Bangladesh men. The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are the largest
festivals in the Islamic calendar. Major Hindu festivals are Durga Puja and
Saraswati Puja. Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one
of the most important Buddhist festivals while Christmas, in Bangla, is
celebrated by the minority Christian population. The most important secular
festival is Pohela Baishakh or Bengali New Year, the beginning of the Bengali
calendar. Other festivities include Nobanno, Poush Parbon (festival of Poush)
and observance of national days like Shohid Dibosh. Cricket is one of the most
popular sports in Bangladesh. Other popular sports include football (soccer),
field hockey, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, chess, carom, and
kabadi, which is the national sport of Bangladesh.
Electronic mail (abbreviated “e-mail” or, often, “email”) is a store and forward method of composing, sending, storing, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. The term “e-mail” applies both to the Internet e-mail system and to intranet systems allowing users within one organization to e-mail each other. Email is the electronic transmission of messages, letters, and documents. In its broadest sense electronic mail includes point-to-point services such as telegraph and facsimile (fax) systems. In getting started with E-mail one needs to have a basic E-mail system which requires a terminal or personal computer from which a user can access the sophisticated E-mail software running on a host computer. When using this application system, each person connected to the system is allocated a mailbox and set of programs for creating, transmitting, and reading mail. It is commonly thought of, however, in terms of computer-based message systems where the electronic text file that is received can be edited, replied to, excerpted, or even pasted into another electronic document that can be used or manipulated by a word processor, desktop publishing system, or other computer programs. Users of such systems, called store-and-forward or mailbox systems, can broadcast messages to multiple recipients, read and discard messages, file and retrieve messages, or forward messages to other users. Extensions to e-mail allow the user to add graphics and sound to messages. Today, more than ever before, society has a greater need to have communication capabilities that are fast and reliable. Businesses rely on these capabilities so they can maintain efficient and productive companies. They also have a desire to keep the amount of paper involved in communication transactions to a minimum. So, today e-mail has proven to be one of the most popular office automation application systems that facilitates human communications.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area, or wasteland. Generally, the removal or permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands results in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. In many countries, massive deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography adversely. Deforestation results in declines in habitat and biodiversity, wood for fuel and industrial use, and quality of life. There are many causes, ranging from slow forest degradation to sudden and catastrophic clear-cutting, slash-and-burn, urban development, acid rain, and wildfires. Deforestation can be the result of the deliberate removal of forest cover for agriculture, commercial logging or urban development without sufficient reforestation, or it can be a consequence of grazing animals, primarily for agriculture. Currently, 12 million hectares of forests are cleared annually which is of great concern. Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. Alteration of local and global climates affects through disruption of the carbon cycle and the water cycle, soil erosion, silting of water courses, lakes and dams, extinction of species which depend on the forest for survival and above all desertification. The integrity of our national forests is gravely threatened by the impact of deforestation. Hence, government should adopt concrete measures to bring an immediate end to illegal logging and adopt policies that will reduce the consumption of wood and paper products and increase the use of recycled materials.
Global Warming
Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. The climate system varies through natural, internal processes and in response to variations in external forcing factors including solar activity, volcanic emissions and greenhouse gases. Several eco-models predict that global temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100. About three-quarters of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon-dioxide to the atmosphere during the past 20 years are due to fossil fuel burning and the rest is predominantly due to land-use change, especially deforestation. An increase in global temperatures can, in turn, cause other changes, including a rising sea level, changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Other consequences include glacier retreat, reductions in the ozone layer, increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes and extreme weather events, species extinctions etc. The broad agreement among climate scientists that global temperatures will discontinue increasing has led nations, states, corporations and individuals to implement actions to try to curtail global warming or adjust to it. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at combating greenhouse gas emissions.
Water Pollution
Water pollution is a state resulting when substances are released into a body of water, where they become dissolved or suspended in the water or deposited on the bottom, accumulating to the extent that they overwhelm its capacity to absorb, break down, or recycle them, and thus interfering with the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Contributions to water pollution include substances drawn from the air resulting in acid rain, silt from soil erosion, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, runoff from septic tanks, outflow from livestock feedlots, chemical toxic wastes from industries, and sewage and other urban wastes from cities and towns. Virtually all water pollutants are hazardous to humans as well as lesser species; contaminants cause liver and nerve damage, skin eruptions, vomiting, fever, diarrhoea, and fetal abnormalities. Clearly, the problems associated with water pollution have the capabilities to disrupt life on our planet to a great extent. But the government alone cannot combat water pollution and solve the entire problem. It is ultimately up to us, to be informed, responsible and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. As we have already headed into the 21st century, awareness and education will most assuredly continue to be the two most important ways to prevent water pollution. If these measures are not taken and water pollution continues, life on earth will suffer severely.
Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is the contamination of Earth’s environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems. Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, most is caused by human activities. Air pollution is the release of chemicals such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) etc produced by industry and motor vehicles into the atmosphere. Water pollution occurs via surface runoff and leaching to groundwater. Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank leakage. Noise pollution encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar. Air pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress and sleep disturbance.To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, The United States, Europe, The United Kingdom, China, Australia, India and many nations worldwide have enacted legislation to regulate various types of pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution. To avoid ecological disaster and increased poverty, developing countries will require aid and technology from outside nations and corporations, community participation in development initiatives, and strong environmental regulations. ‘Greenpeace’ and ‘Friends of the Earth International’ are two activist organizations that focus international attention on industries and governments known to contaminate land, sea, or atmosphere with toxic or solid wastes. For a healthier survival, human concerns include the range from quality of life to health hazards due to environmental pollution.
The Life of a Rickshaw Puller
Rickshaws, the traditional eco-friendly, non-motorized vehicles of Bangladesh, represent a mode of human-powered transport: a runner pulls a three-wheeled cart that typically seats two passengers. Rickshaw pullers emerge from the lower strata of Bangladeshi society, almost invariably from villages, and are predominantly economically marginalized. With dreams of a better life, these illiterate villagers migrate to Dhaka and, after battling poverty, finally embrace the arduous profession of rickshaw pulling. Despite a full day’s grueling labor, a rickshaw puller still cannot earn adequate income for a decent existence. The average daily earnings of a rickshaw puller amount to 200 taka. Yet rickshaw pullers remain unable to lead fulfilling lives due to illiteracy and superstitions. They typically consume unhygienic food from roadside eateries. Moreover, rickshaw pullers lack proper social recognition. They inhabit slums, generally practice no family planning, and cannot afford to send their children to school, consequently turning them into street children. Bachelor rickshaw pullers live like the homeless, though they are not truly without homes. After a day’s backbreaking work, they return with exhausted bodies and spirits. With meager incomes, they cannot adequately support their families. Consequently, wives also join the workforce, taking jobs as housemaids or garment workers. Such is the cycle of their existence. The harsh reality is that the Bangladesh government is now removing rickshaws from Dhaka with World Bank assistance, without rehabilitating these impoverished rickshaw pullers. As rickshaw pullers constitute essential components of Bangladesh’s societal machinery, they deserve better treatment. Therefore, our government should focus not merely on improving the educational standards and physical well-being of rickshaw pullers and their families and dependents, but also on socially and psychologically empowering these rickshaw pullers.
Unfair Means in Examinations
The adoption of unfair means in examinations has assumed alarming proportions recently. Numerous factors contribute to this national crisis. Today’s students are deeply entangled in destructive politics. Teachers, too, sometimes attend classes irregularly. Parents and guardians, in many instances, fail to properly supervise their children. Due to all these factors, students neglect their studies, appear for examinations unprepared, and resort to unfair means. Encouragingly, the authorities have resolved to eliminate the adoption of unfair means by strengthening administrative measures: such as rotating examination centers, establishing invigilation teams, canceling centers notorious for unfair practices, and implementing punitive measures against offenders. Additionally, it is heartening to observe that the deterrent actions recently undertaken by the concerned authorities have begun yielding positive results.
Our National Flag
The national flag of Bangladesh was officially adopted on January 17, 1972. It derives from a similar flag used during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The map was subsequently removed from the flag, most likely to streamline the design and eliminate the difficulty of rendering the map accurately on both sides of the flag. Bangladesh’s national flag is bottle green in color and rectangular in shape, with a length-to-width ratio of 10:6. A red disc sits atop the green field, positioned slightly toward the hoist so that it appears centered when the flag flies. The red circle has a radius equivalent to one-fifth of the flag’s length. The bottle green background represents Bangladesh’s lush greenery with its vitality and youthfulness, and secondarily, Islam’s traditional color. Meanwhile, the red disc symbolizes the rising sun and the sacrifices made by Bangladesh’s citizens to achieve independence. The civil ensign and naval ensign position the national flag in the canton of red or white fields, respectively. The original flag was designed by painter Quamrul Hassan. Prescribed flag dimensions for buildings are 305cm × 183cm, 152cm × 91cm, and 76cm × 46cm, while for vehicles they are 38cm × 23cm and 25cm × 15cm. On March 3, 1971, the initial version of the flag was first hoisted in Bangladesh at Dhaka University. Our national flag embodies our patriotism, sovereignty, independence, and national identity.
National Memorial
The National Martyrs’ Memorial, situated at Savar approximately 35 kilometers northwest of Dhaka, symbolizes the valor and sacrifice of the martyrs of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War who gave their lives for Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistani rule. The main monument comprises seven isosceles triangular planes, each varying in size, height, and base dimensions. The tallest plane has the smallest base, while the broadest base supports the lowest height. The planes are folded at their centers and positioned consecutively. The structure’s highest point reaches 150 feet. This distinctive arrangement of planes creates a structure that appears to transform its configuration when viewed from different angles. An artificial lake and several mass graves lie before the main monument. A national design competition was held for the project in June 1978. Among fifty-seven competitors, Architect Syed Moinul Hossain’s design proposal was selected. The architect employed concrete for the monument while constructing all other structures and pavements of the complex from red bricks. The entire complex spans 34 hectares (84 acres), surrounded by a green belt of 10 hectares (24.7 acres). Several mass graves and a reflecting pool are positioned before the monument. The project was completed in three phases. The radiant spirit of the Liberation War continues to inspire people to stand against all injustices and inequities, helping achieve the country’s overall progress. Standing before the national memorial, we bow our heads in reverence as the towers soar upward, symbolizing the loftiness of our martyrs’ spirit.
Outstanding Work.
very helpful…Thanks for sharing…
Very helpful …….. Thanks for sharing.