URBAN WILD LIFE.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN HUMANS LIVED SIDE WITH WILD CREATURES. NOW, THANKS TO THE GROWING POPULATION AND CITIES SPRAWLING INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE, THE NATURAL WILD LIFE HABITAT HAS SHRUNK. THE HABITAT THAT REMAINS, SCARCELY BEARS ANY RESEMBLANCE TO THE AREAS THAT EXISTED IN THE PAST. HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH, YOU WILL FIND A FEW OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES SPRINGING UP NOW AND THEN, BLENDING INTO THE URBAN EXISTENCE- EXOTIC PARAKEETS, STRANGE VARIETIES OF FROGS, BRIGHT- COLORED PARROTS HIDDEN AMONGST THE KRISHNNCHURA LEAVES AND DESHI CHORUI.

ANSWERS, ANYONE?

WE DHAKAITES ARE EXPERIENCING THE WORTS POSSIBLE POWER AND WATER CRISIS. FREQUENT AND HAPHAZARD LOAD SHEDDING, ALONG WITH FOUL SMELLING WATER HAS MADE OUR LIVES UNBEARABLE. BUT THIS IS NO REAL SUPRISE. THE REAL BAD NEWS IS THAT IT IS OUR OWN FAULT IN MANY WAYS. TOGETHER WITH OUR SHEER CALLOUSNESS AND THE SHAMELESS EXCUSE MONGERING OF THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED, WE HAVE MADE OUR OWN LIVES A LIVING HELL. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WASA AND HIS CRONIES, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED, ENJOYED ALL KINDS OF LUXURIES WHILE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO PEOPLE'S MISERIES. THE POWER MINISTRY IS NOT TO BE OUTDONE. A FILE CONCERNING A FOREIGN- FUNDED POWER PLANT PROJECT, SCHEDULED TO BE SENT BACK WITHIN 40 DAYS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHEREFROM IT CAME, WAS NOT SENT BACK EVEN AFTER 140 DAYS OUT OF SHEER NEGLIGENCE. BUT WE, THE LONG- SUFFERING PEOPLE, ARE SO NAIVE THAT WE PROMPTLY BELIEVE WHAT EVER CONCOCTION THOSE IN AUTHORITY FEED US WITH. THEY TELL US THE CRISIS IS EVERYBODY'S FAULT BUT THEIR OWN. WE ARE GULLIBLE ENOUGH TIN BELIEVE THEM.

Stranger danger.

Dhaka can be a complex city navigate -and I don't mean just when you experience it as a hapless pedestrian, passenger preparing to spend the rest of your natural life amidst the snarled-up traffic or its snarling victims. There are far more subtle and equally hazardous undidatspents shifting restlessly below the surface of via city’s social hundrabuions. I tried to explain this to a friend a few years ago. My pal many is a really nice guy. Gregarious and helpful, he is from south india but it was at that time working in bangladesh as a physiotherapist. One day, when we were having coffe. He said "you know, Farah,I'm so glad I met you and got to know you as a friend. If I had just seen you out and about somewhere, I don't think I would have ever tried to talk to you. You look very unfriendly when you are most smiling" when I asked him to explain this outrageous statement, he mentioned that he had seen of walking along the pavement outside his workplaca one day.

COSTLY FREE SAMPLES.

A FRIEND OF MIND, WHO DESPITE BELONGING TO AN ELITE FAMILY, LOVES TO EAT LOCAL, JUNC FOOD LIKE ROADSIDE MUFFINS, SWEETS, PICKLES AND FRENCH FRIES. ALTHOUGH HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY KEEP WARNING HIY NOT TO DEVOUR IN THOSE UNHEALTHY THINGS, HE NEVER LISTENS. THE OTHER DAY WHILE HE WAS RETURNING HOME FORM HIS UNIVERSITY, A SALESPERSON AND TO HIM AND OFFERED HIM SOME FREE PEOPLES OF MANGO PICKLES, WITHOUT THINKING, HE ATE THOSE AND SAT IT HIS CAR. AFTER AROUND HALF AN HOUR WHEN HE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO HIS CHAUFFEUR, HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR, CHECKED ON HIM, UNCONSCIOUS. HIS CHAUFFEUR CALLED THE PARENTS AND TOOK08:14AM, FRI 27-05-2011 HIM TO THE HOSPITAL AND ADMITTED TO EMERGENCY. AT FIRST THEE DOCTOR COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT BUT TAVER IT WAS FOUND THAT, IT WAS THE PICKLE! IT HAD SOME SHORT OF ADDICTIVE DRUGS IN IT AND THIS HIGHLY DOSED SEDATIVE DRUG HAD MADE MY FRIEND FAINT. NOTHING FATAL HAD HAPPENED TO HIM BUT IT COULD HAVE GONE MUCH WORSE. ALTHOUGH THE PICKLES WAS FREE OF COST BUT HIS HOSPITAL CHARGES AND OUT TO BE FIFTY THOUSAND TAKA. IT IS APTLY SAID THAT NOTHING'S FREE IN THIS WORLD, OVEN THE FREE SAMPLES.

Changing my thoughts

One day I was walking though our local market, I was passing a fruits shop. There I saw poor woman bargaining with a fruits seller. The Fruit seller uttered some insulting words and behave this way with the woman. This displeased me a lot. Why should he behave this way with an elderly woman? With great effort, I went my way and tried to ignore what I witnessed . The next morning, I read the news paper about a certain shopkeeper misplaced around 50 thousand taka’s absentmindedly, the previous night, while closing his shop. After reaching home he realized his mistake and run back to the shop only to find the money gone. At that time someone handed him the lost money. It seems the man had kept the away the money, waiting for the shopkeeper to return and take it. The shopkeeper was very pleased with the man. I was surprised to see the photograph of the honest man beside the news-the fruit seller from the previous day! I cold not help wondering but actions actually to define a better than words.

A River In Distress

It was once a river where strong currents flowed giving it life and vibrancy . Over the last few years, however, the shitalalkya river is now on the verge of untimely dead. Environmental degradation in the river water from untreated domestic and industrial effluent has reached such an alarming level that it poses a significant threat to public health, ecosystem and economic growth of surrounding areas. The water is so polluted that no aquatic life can service during the six month dry season, which has drastically changed the socio-economic structure of the localities adjacent to the river. Residents nearby have no choice but to do their washing in the pitch back malodorous water. Moreover a huge number of Dhaka city dwllers are directly affected by water pollution of shitalalkya river, since water supply and sewerage Authority (wasa) supplies water for the Dhaka residents treating such contaminated water at the saidabad water treatment plant. Everyday wasa supplies 22.5 core liters of water to Dhaka households and plans to supply altogether 90 core liters In the future. All this water come from the shitalalkya and is treated at the saidabad water treatment plant.

For Days on the Nile.

BEING STUDENTS OF HISTORY, MY HUSBAND AND I HAD ALWAYS CHERISHED A DESIRE TO VISIT HISTORICAL PLACES. EGYPT HAD CAUGHT OUR FASCINATION. WE HAD READ MUCH ABOUT THE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION, ABOUT THE GREAT PHARAOHS THE EGYPTION CULTURE AND HERITAGE. OUR KNOWLEDGE WAS LIMITED ONLY. THE OPPORTUNITY CAME WHEN MY FRIEND, NASIMA HAIDER BECOME OUR AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT IN LATE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. I IMMEDIATELY EMAILED HER SAYING THAT WE WOULD BE FIRST HOUSE GUESTS IN NEWLY ASSIGNED COUNTRY. EGYPT BECOMES VERY HOT IN APRIL, AND TO AVOID THE DESERT HEART, WE PLANED THE TRIP AROUND THE FOURTH WEEK OF MARCH WHEN IT IS STILL COOL. SAJJAD AND I FLEW TO CAIRO ON 21 MARCH. ON NASIMA'S SUGGESTION, WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE NILE CRUISE, A CRUISE FOR WHICH WE SHALL ALWAYS REMAIN THANKFUL TO HER. HER SOCIAL SECRETARY, NANCY HAD ALREADY MADE THE ARRANGEMENTS AND BOOKED US ON MS STEPHANIE FOR A THREE NIGHT CRUISE .