Two Days at Cox’s Bazar

By Nilufa Parvin

A few months ago I visited Cox’s Bazar with my friends and two teachers on purpose of study tour. Our bus entered at Cox’s Bazar in afternoon. There were rows of tamarisk tree on both sides of the road. Suddenly mass of water attracted our eyes from far and it seems to that the sea was greeting us with its vastness and solemnity. We also responded with shouting and joy. After a moment we went down from bus and reached at seashore through sandy-bank. Besides sea-breeze, ocean currents were touching us. After seeing the amazing view of sunset at sea-level we returned in our bus and following then we reached at hotel “Holiday In”

Picture: Sunset at sea-level.

After refreshing we had delicious dinner with rice and rupchada fish. Then we went Burmese market for shopping. We fussed noisily here and there of the market till night. We got up early in the morning and went to sea-beach for taking sea-bath. We overwhelmed to cast in the sea. We have also collected many sea-borne cockles there.

Picture: We are at sea

Later than we had our breakfast and went to “Radar Station” to collect information to serve the main purpose of study tour. After visiting Radar station we took our lunch and started our journey to Inani sea beach. What a fantastic path! There are hills on one side and sea on the other side of the road. After one hour we reached at Inani sea beach. Its elegance, astonishing sight fascinated us. Again we returned back to Holiday In.

Picture: Peak of Radar Station from far

Picture: We are at Radar Station

After refreshing and having dinner we went to seaside for camp fire. We passed our time with humor and fun, sing-song. Roar of sea waves and glitters of stars were remarkable companion for us.

Picture: Inani sea-beach

At last we said goodbye sea-girt but my secret thought was I would come back here again and again.

Some results of Nari Jibon’s activities

By Golam Rabbany Sujon

Nari Jibon provides computer, English, Bengali, and Tailoring skills with its developed curricula where students attended classes, practice their skills in a woman only cyber café, compile a portfolio of their work, and finish through an internship. Students develop their skills through using women cyber café and contributing posts to on-line blogs. Blogging improves students’ knowledge, internet use, writing and computer knowledge. Students keep their blogs in the Nari Jibon two blog sites and some their own blogs. Some students already have started working in the several sectors. After sometime in work or away from education, some students have re-started their computer and English studies as they have understood the necessity of education. Some students have engaged in income generating activities. Being skilled and developed, some students changed their thoughts and decided to pursue higher education even after getting job too.

I also posted some successful stories in the Nari Jibon blog site before like as “When Nari Jibon acts as an alternative skill provider, Mafia- A successful student of Nari Jibon Organization, Ruby Rahman- A Successful Business Woman, Two Students of Nari Jibon have Started a Business, A bit success of Nari Jibon- Asma Akter, My life –Nila Sultana, etc

Anjuman Ara Ali

Anjuman ara ali is about 31 years old. She joined in a famous multinational company named “Flora Limited” as Assistant Accountant Officer. She joined there in last September 2007. At the beginning time her salary was held 5500 taka per month excluding other facilities. She completed her masters in Economics from Bodrunnesa under national university. She took skill from Nari Jibon in English and Computer. She completed courses in English-2, Ms Office Program, Hardware Trouble shooting and Maintenance from Nari Jibon. Now she is passing her time happily and she is grateful to Nari Jibon.

Afsana Parveen

Afsana Parveen (aged 30) joined in an established private school named Genius School and College as Computer operator & documentation officer. She joined there in last January 2007. At the beginning time her salary was held 4000 taka. Afsana studied up to class-12 (H.S.C). After getting married she was working as a housewife. In the meantime she also gave birth to children. Once she came at Nari Jibon with her sister in law to learn English and Computer. She completed taking course at Nari Jibon English-1 and English-1.5 course and Computer Ms Office Program (Ms Word, Ms Excel, Access, Power point and Publisher). She was also learning Graphic design and Hardware Trouble shooting maintenance Program but she could not complete these programs due being busy with her job and household. Now she is happy with her job as she can contribute to her family financially.

Samsun Naher

Samsun Naher aged 28 joined in an international marketing company named “Ceragem-Bangladesh Ltd” as a Computer operator & Customer Care. She studied up to class-16 (M.A.). She was married and she was working as housewife before coming at Nari Jibon. Learning about Nari Jibon from one of her relative she took admission at Nari Jibon dated 14th August 2006. She learned Computer Ms Office Program Course and English-2.0 (Spoken English). At the end of her taking course she got this job. Then she used to come at Nari Jibon two days in a week. At the beginning time her salary was held 7700 taka per month excluding other facilities. She is happy with her job and she is grateful to Nari Jibon.

Tahmina

Tahmina is 17 years old. She studied up to class-8. She joined in a tailoring shop named ‘Shapla Tailors’ at Mouchak market as an ‘Assistant Sewing and Cutting Master’. She joined there in March 2007. She could not study due to poverty. Her father is a small businessman (vegetable seller) and mother is a housewife. She learned Tailoring Cutting and Sewing Master from Nari Jibon successfully. She learned 34 tailoring items from Nari Jibon. After completing her course she started home based tailoring business. Later she took job. At present she can earn more than 1500 taka per month and she can also earn some money running her home based tailoring business during her weekly off day and early in the morning.

Hazera took some dresses at Nari Jibon which she made at her home based tailoring business centre in a week

Hazera Akter is about 18 years old. She studied up to class-10. Hazera could not study due to scarcity of money. Her father is living separately getting second married from long days. Being failure to appear S.S.C. examination Hazera was working as a home worker. She was informed about Nari Jibon by one of Nari Jibon staff. Then she took admission at Nari Jibon dated 21 August 2007 to learn Tailoring Sewing and Cutting course as she was thinking to earn money for helping her mother to maintain their family. Before completing her course duration she learned 34 tailoring items as a result she was able to have more practice on her learning items.

She has joined in a tailoring shop as Tailoring Sewing and Cutting Master that is situated same area of her residence. She gets commission of her income in this shop. Thus she can earn more than 1200 taka per month from this shop. She joined there in the month of January 2008. Besides she also runs home based tailoring business. She works here at night and early in the morning. She can also earn some money running her business. She can earn more than 500 taka per month running her home based tailoring business. Now she is happy with her income and she is also grateful to Nari Jibon.

Beauty Akter took some dresses at Nari Jibon from her home based tailoring business.

Beauty Akter is about 14/15 years old. She is working in a tailoring shop named ‘Lovely Tailors’ as Assistant Tailoring Sewing and Cutting Master. She gets commission working with this shop. Beside this she is running home based tailoring business at her house. Her elder sister named Sweety is also learning tailoring course at Nari Jibon who helps her to run her home based tailoring business. Last month June 2008 Beauty received more than 1200 taka from her job and she earned more than 800 taka from her home based tailoring business.

Beauty learned Tailoring Cutting and Sewing Master from course Nari Jibon in 2007. She learned 34 tailoring items from Nari Jibon. After completing her course successfully she started to run home based tailoring business.

She was born in a poor family. After passing class-5 she could not continue her study due to poverty. Her father is a daily labor and mother is garment worker. She has three sisters and she is second of them. Now she is happy as she can earn some money and she can help her parents to maintain their family

Rahima Akter Hira

Hira is about 23. She joined in a Buying house as a computer operator. She is a student of Eden Mohila College in class-14 and she was also taking skill on computer and English from Nari Jibon. When she joined to her job she was bonded that she would work 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and she would pass one day half and one day full time off in a week. She wanted to prosecute her job beside her academic study and taking skill from Nari Jibon. But she did not get that opportunity. After joining there she had to work up to 8.00 pm and she did not get weekly off day too. She was also told that she would work up to 10.00 pm that she was not possible to her. It also made a problem to prosecute her education. On the other hand, she changed her future plan. That’s why she resigned from her job last month. Now her future plan is after completing academic study up to masters and taking skills on computer and English she will take a good job in any reputed private organization where she can use her knowledge properly.

Hira is learning Ms Office Program, Graphic design and Hardware from Nari Jibon. She is also regular blogger of Nari Jibon. After getting training on blogging from Nari Jibon she is putting her blogs on her own blog site named http://ahona-hira.blogspot.com/

Rifat Akter

Rifat Akter joined in Grameen Phone Telecom Company as Customer Manager. At the beginning time her salary was held 6000 taka per month excluding some other facilities. But very few months she worked there because it was making obstacle to continue her study. And she also changed her future plan. Now she is thinking that she would comple her academic study up to masters and she would also complete her computer skill from Nari Jibon. Then she will try to get a job in Banking/Investment sector. She is reading Accounting honors at Govt. Titumir College. Now she is reading in second year.

Rifat Akter completed English-2 course from Nari Jibon. She has also completed Ms Office Program course from Nari Jibon. Now she is learning Computer Hardware Trouble Shooting and Maintenance Program and Graphic Design course from Nari Jibon. She is also a blogger of Nari Jibon and recently she has opened her own address named http://rifat.akter.blogspot.com where she is putting her blogs regularly.

Behind the screen

Translated by Kazi Rafiqul Islam
Written in Bengali: Afiya Akter

Why are the men born
Why do they die,
Why these games and funs
Why destruction?

Why do men hope and aspire
Why do they destroy?
O, the sky weeps
In the name of rains.

Why does the mountain pour water falls?
In heartless pains,
Why is a man alone
In a crowd of kins?

The Lalbagh Fort

By Zannat Ara Amzad

Though a small country, Bangladesh has many world Heritage sites: The historic Lalbagh Fort of Dhaka, The Shatgombuj Mosque of Bagerhat, the ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, Ahsan Manzil and The Sundarbans etc.

The Lalbagh Fort is an important Moghul monument of 16th century. It is a fine architectural achievement. It is an enormous Moghal architectural site by covering a very large area. Recently I visited this Moghal monument of the Lalbagh Fort with my mom and my cousin.

The Lalbagh fort is a Moghal monument. The Fort didn’t build directly by Moghal. It was built by provincial governor. In 1678 Moghal Emperor Aowrangojeb’s son Shahjada Ajam drew architecture of The Fort. In 1680 came to provincial governor Shaeysta Khan and he instantly started to construct The Fort. Suddenly in 1684 addition stopped The Fort construction. People thought that accidentally Shaeysta Khan’s elder daughter Pary bibi died, so they thought it is an inauspicious sign to build the Fort. Then The Lalbagh Fort remained uncompleted. Beside this, some people thought that, the construction of the Fort was stopped for the war in southern country. The Fort’s area was surrounded by a wall of 18 acre. The Fort has many monuments. Such as: there are three dome conspicuousness, mosque, pari biby’s shrine, audience-hall, soldier-barrack, main gate, gutter extraction to drainage and have an underground system etc.

Tiffani with her husband

When I went there then I saw many foreigners came to visit The Lalbagh Fort. Then I talked with them. At first I talked with Tiffani and her husband. Her husband is Bangladeshi, but he lives in UK. Tiffani felt very proud to visit The Fort. She is very funny and very nice.

After that I talked to Susana. She is so sweet-honey. She is very frank. She came with her friend. And her friend is Bangladeshi. She visited The Lalbagh Fort and she also enjoyed this place. Then I saw they were very happy to visit our country’s historical places. So, I feel glory for my country.

Really this Fort is wonderful. The Moghal Emperor’s architectural achievement was so good. I was so amazed to visit this place. The Moghal architecture is mind blowing. Really the scenery of Lalbagh Fort is very charming.

Such as:

Audience-Hall: The Lalbagh Fort’s audience-hall is two-storied superior. The Moghal administration-works were done in this audience-hall. Sometimes people used to live there for short time.

Now this audience-hall is used as a museum. This museum’s first’s floor has materials of war, made of iron net’s war-dresses, have a soldier dress, Humbam Khana (Royal bath), bath-tab, have a furnace and a toilet or a dress changes room etc. There is a royal bath. There was a system of steam bath. It is amazing.

And this museum’s second floor has some items on their many useful things. Such as: metal vessels, wall-hanging, many poetical-books ( these books’ languages are -- Urdu, Farsi, Arabian etc), many Holly Quran, many coins of silver, gold , copper coin, carving a character letter etc.

This museum is very nice and charming. When I saw this museum’s every side then I sometime I felt afraid that I went back in the Moghal period.

Pool: There is a charming pool in front of the audience-hall. The pool makes a reflection to glow the audience-hall.

Mosque: The three dome superior mosques are very wonderful artistry embedded.

Pari Bibi’s Shrine: Pari bibi’s shrine is made in a faint appearance to Agra’s Tajmahal. This shrine has 9 rooms. The Pari biby’s grave is in the middle of the shrine. Pari biby’s nick name is Irandut.

Soldier-barrack: The soldier-barrack is situated in front of the Pari biby’s shrine. At thes back side there is an underground visiting room.

Drainage: The drainage used to clean The Fort’s gutter.

Garden: The Lalbagh Fort’s has a very nice and big garden. This garden was built by following-up the style of Pakistan Shalimar garden. This Moghal garden is amazing. This garden’s every place is very wide. The garden has graceful and seasonal flowers. We can see the ixora in the rainy season. Muslea, petunia, Alamunda and many varieties flowers are here in this garden. The garden’s green grasses get a grown-up stage by the touch of rain. Really I feel charming to see the beauty of this garden.

At last I want to say that The Lalbagh Fort will be praised to era to era.