Village Game of Bangladesh

Ha-Du-Du Game

                                               

All nations on earth have their own games and sports. They are as much a necessity of life as food and drink are. Bangladesh is a tropical country. So we should have games and sports suitable to our climate. Luckily, we have many such outdoor games and sports. Among them Ha-du-du, Dariabandha, Kanamachhi, Gollachhut, Danguli, Buddhimantra, six-guti, sixteen-guti, Lathi-play, boat racing etc. are worth mentioning.

                Ha-du-du is a very popular game in Bangladesh. For this game at first a field is selected with a line in the middle dividing the field into two halves. All the players are divided into two teams. One player of a team goes across the middle line into the area of the other team all the while uttering ‘ha-du-du’ or ‘du-du-du’ without taking any breath. His object is to touch a player of the other team while hw goes on uttering ‘du-du-du’ and to come back to his own area without being caught, held back or seized within the area of the other team by any of its members. The player so touched is called ‘dead’. The player who is caught or held back within the area of the other team is also’ dead’ or out. If all the player of one team are thus ‘dead’ and the other team has some of its player still ‘living’ the former party is said to be defeated and the latter party wins a point.

Village Game

                Dariabandha is another popular game of our villages. In this game a field is made under certain rules equally divided with lines equip-distant from each other. Players are equally divided into two teams. One team stands outside the field and each of the players of the other team stands on each line facing at least one opponent player. Players standing outside enter into the field one by one and try to pass across the field to the fishing to the finishing end. If any player of a team crosses the field from the starting point to the finishing point and vice-verse, the team concerned wins the game.                                            

                Kanamachhi is an interesting children’s game. A piece of cloth is tied over the eyes of a player. He cannot see through it. He is ‘blind’. Other players go round him and touch his head or his body and say ‘ Kanamachhi bho-bho’’ to him. He cannot see them but he catches somebody and says his name that players takes his place to play as ‘blind’

                Gollachhut is another popular game in our villages. It is played between two teams of equal number of players. A team takes stand at a fixed point on one side of the field. Players of the other team stand scattered on the field facing the team that has taken position with one ‘king’ at a fixed point. The players of the king’s team run as fast as they can to cross the field. If the team of the king can cross the field with the help of ‘ pucca’ players or if the king can cross the field untouched, his team wins the game.

                            

                   

Winter in Bangladesh

Trying to emerge the juice of date tree.

                                               

Winter is one of the six seasons in Bangladesh. It comes after the Late Autumn or Hemanta. Winter comprises the two Bengali months of ‘Paush’ and ‘Magh’. The days are short and the nights are long in this season. Bangladesh is a tropical country. So winter is generally mild in the plains and is far less severe than that in most European countries. The coldest period of the year in Bangladesh is the middle of January. Winter is the season of fogs and mists. So winter mornings are full of mists. Dew drops also fall at night. When the morning sun peeps through the mists, they look like glittering beads of pearl on grass and plants. The sky is cloudless and blue. Some of the trees become bare of leaves. The rays of the sun become very mild. Children and old men bask in the sun in the morning and in the afternoon. The cold of winter which is often attended with chilly northern wind makes the people shiver. Even the animals, worms and insects feel the pinch of cold. The poor suffer from cold greatly. The rich use their warm clothes and the poor burn dry leaves, hay and jute stalks to keep themselves warm.

        Winter is the season of abundance. So the price of essential commodities falls considerably. The people in general seem to heave a sigh of relief. A great variety of fish and vegetables are available in the market in plenty and they sell at a comparatively low price. The vegetables that are grown and supplied in plenty are radishes, brinjals, cabbages, caulk-flowers, tomatoes, potatoes and turnips. A special feature of the season is the collecting of juice from date trees and making molasses. ‘Gur and Patali’ prepared from date juice are delicacies with all. Fruits also become prolific and cheap in this season. The general health of the people remains in a satisfactory state in winter. The liver works well during this season. So people prepare different kinds of native cakes. The ‘Paush parban’ is a well-known Hindu festival for preparing and eating various kinds of cakes. The ‘payesh’ made of rice, date juce and milk constitutes a very delicious dish.

The fog in winter season

                                                

           Winter is suitable season for various activities in Bangladesh. It is the late harvesting season. The peasants are then busy with the last phase of gathering paddy from the fields and with separating the corns from the stalks. The new season of schools begin in winter. The students can read for a longer period at night. Festivals and functions are also held in this season. This is the time for the ‘ Saraswati Puja’ of the Hindus. In this season men can move about freely and safety, because snake and other vermin, sensitive to cold, take refuge in holes and crevices. Winter is also season of outdoor games and sports. Though winter is cold season, it is enjoyable in Bangladesh. In this season the majority of the people are more or less immune from the anxiety for food. So their minds are full of joviality and they feel very happy. In this season communication in Bangladesh is easy, for almost all the places of the country are then dry. After all, winter is the season that heralds the advent of spring.    

A Post Man in Bangladesh

The image of Bangladeshi postal system

                                              

The postman is to us the most eagerly awaited persons who brings news from our dear ones living in distant places. He with his ‘ Khaki’ dress and a turban on his head is a very familiar figure. Everyday at a particular time he is seen passing through the streets. Sometimes he walks wearily with a bag weighing heavy under his arms. Sometimes he looks energetic and trips lightly the long distance with a light bag and a light heart.

     Our hearts are full of expectations as soon as we see the familiar figure of the postman approaching our house. He comes to our houses to deliver letters, money orders, telegrams, parcels, etc. He plays an important part in our daily life. Sometimes he brings letters containing good news and sometimes he causes us sorrow and grief by delivering bad news. But we thank him for all that and he is always welcome to us. When we live far away from home we are anxious for the news of our relatives. Sometimes we are much more anxious for money from our parents and guardians. The postman comes to us with the postal money order and thus relieves us of our anxiety. He also brings us important books or other articles which are sent to us by postal parcels. Sometimes he fills our heart with joy by carrying to us valuable presents or gifts from friends and relatives who live far away from us.

       The postman has a various duties to perform. He daily duty begins in the post office. He sorts letters, parcels and makes separate bundles out of them for different localities of his beat. Then he goes out on his beat. Whenever he delivers money orders, parcels, registered letters, he takes signatures of the persons concerned and of witnesses. Those who are illiterate give their thumb impression. He realises postal dues from the addressees of bearing letters. All these mean heavy labor for him. Moreover, his daily round of duty covers a wide area, and he has to walk a long distance laboriously to finish his duty without complaint.

Post office

                                      

      The postman is an ill-paid Government employee. Yet he is responsible, punctual and dutiful. His figure in duties may cause great loss or harm to people. He is, therefore, required to be very prompt and punctual in his duty. Very strict rules have been laid down to regulate his conduct, and he is severely dealt with for any breach of discipline. In spite of all these, he is friendly with all in the rural areas and shares the joys and sorrows of the villagers. In urban areas, he is no less friendly but he keeps something of an official air and mixes with people with some reservations..

The Street Hawker in Bangladesh

Hawker

                                             

                                       

A street hawker is a familiar figure in a town. He is the seller of a variety of things and he moves from street to street. He carries his wares sometimes on the head, sometimes in his hands and sometimes in a small hand cart. He sells toys, clothing's, sweets, fruits, utensils, newspapers and things of domestic use, by bringing them up to people’s doors. There are hawkers of various kinds and classes. All hawkers would not come to people’s doors. Some are like shopkeepers and sit with their wares on the footpath. Others will stand at important street corners and shout for customers. They will give a list of the articles they have in such a sing-song manner that one cannot but feel amused and interested. The hawkers in the street corners generally shout very loudly. Thus they try to attract attention to themselves.

   The hawker is a clever fellow who knows his business. He means one kind of goods for children, another kind of women and yet another kind for men. He chooses things for children that will attract children and for women that will attract women. So he has to be careful about the things to sell. As he passes along the street he makes a peculiar cry. The children, here and there, gather around him and stop him. The hawker generally chooses an hour when men are away from home and women are free from household work. He knows that men are not friendly to him. They go out into the streets and know what is what. Women and children are easily taken in by the bright look of the things he shows them and they become his customers. His things are generally cheap, but they are of inferior quality and they do not last long. But when their children inherent defects are detected or when they are broken the hawker will be far away.

                                                                   Bangladeshi hawker

    A hawker usually brings toys and sweets. So he is a favorite of the children. A hawker’s toys are innocent things but the cheap food he sells is often dangerous. This is especially true of the hawker who sits on the footpath and sells uncovered food. Flies and dust settle on such food and various diseases are spread by it. The hawker is a small man but he earns his bread in his town way. As a trader he is not worse than others. If there are dishonest men among hawkers, we must know that there are dishonest men everywhere. His profit is generally very low. He does some service by bringing things of our daily use up to our doors.

Spring in Bangladesh

                                                        The baloon moves in spring

Spring is called the king of seasons. It is the best, the loveliest and the most charming of all seasons. Hence I like this season best. Indeed, it is favorite to all. In the cycle of seasons the spring occupies an exalted position. It is rich in color, beauty, music and fragrance. Though winter in Bangladesh is not so severe as that in western countries. It presents somewhat dull and dreary aspect. The scorching sun, hot days and sweating nights make life especially disagreeable in summer. The damp and humidity of the rainy season add greatly to our discomfort. Spring has none of the inconveniences of these seasons. Coming after winter it captivates the hearts of people all at once and when summer follows people bewail passing away.

Beautiful flower blooms in spring

    With the advent of spring, Nature puts on a gay and lively appearance. Every object of Nature becomes fresh. Trees put forth new leaves. Flowers bloom forth in thousands. They are of all colors. Some of them are sweet-smelling, some have no smell, but all are beautiful. The fine display of colors they present is especially fascinating. Flowers attract bees and butterflies present no less charming a sight. As soon as spring sets in, a gentle breeze from the south begins to blow. It spreads the sweet smell of flowers and makes the air balmy and fragrant. It passes through the fresh leaves and produces a sweet rustling sound in the air. To this music is added the sweet twitter of the birds. When a great variety of them! Very few claim to know the names of all of them, but we know them all by sight. The wandering notes’ of the cuckoo go direct of the heart. Who knows that they do not make the world appear as a ‘ fairy place’ to some among us?                             

       These charming sights and sounds exercise a great influence on the people of Bangladesh. Love of beauty is an inherent virtue; whether one is aware of it or not, beautiful things go on doing their work on human mind. The people of Bangladesh have a distinctive nature. Much of this distinction must have come from the tender natural beauties that surround them. It is surely the spring that offers the largest number of charming sights and sounds and makes people forgets the bleak winter days and prepare for the toilsome period of tilling, sowing and weeding. But this season is very elusive in the sense that it comes and goes almost imperceptibly. Its duration is so short that it disappears before we have just begun to realize its charm. It does not oppress our mind with any lingering monotony. This shortness of its duration is, perhaps, one of the reasons why people like it best.

Rural Development in Bangladesh

Developing the road in rural

                                          

Rural development means development of villages. The people of Bangladesh live in villages. Importance of villages in our body politic is great. So development of Bangladesh means the development of her villages. Rural development in our country has various aspects. The most important of them are agriculture, primary and secondary education, means of communication, sanitation and health, cottage industries, fishery, co-operative societies, community life etc. Our villages are poor. The tillers of the soil are not the owners of the land. Each tiller must have sufficient land to earn enough for themselves. Cultivators should be trained in scientific methods of cultivation. They should be provided with improved tools and better seeds. Prompt steps should be taken to destroy pests. Swampy and fallow land should be reclaimed. Construction of embankment should be undertaken to guard against floods. The land under cultivation should be brought under proper system of irrigation. The Government of Bangladesh have to late bent their efforts towards solving some of these problems.                  

                                                      The scene of rural area

        More than 80% of our rural population are illiterate. Their illiteracy must be removed. We have not enough primary schools in the rural areas. The secondary schools are not large enough in number. Most of the villagers are poor and cannot bear the requisite charges for the education of their children. So primary education should be made free and compulsory throughout the country. The illiterate villagers should be taught reading and writing. They must also be given basic knowledge of some arts and crafts. There should be a special system of adult education in the country. The campaign against illiteracy at present going on in the country must be made a success. Sustainable work has been done in the field of communication in recent years. Many old roads, bridges, culverts and railway bridges have been repaired. Many new roads have been constructed. Miles of new canals have been drug and new roads made under the canal digging programme. Launch services have been organized and many launch ghats have been repaired and improved. Still the question of communication is a problem in rural s areas. Country boats do not serve the urgent needs of modern life. In areas where land communication is possible, cheap motor routes should be opened. In other areas, cheap steam boat services should be developed.                   

         The crucial problem of our rural life is that of health and sanitation. The government have set up health complexes at the upzilla level. They have developed a number of dispensaries and health centers. Many tube-wells have been sunk. But all these are still mere drops in the ocean. To bring back the economic prosperity of the villagers, the village industries should be revived. Our peasants remain idle for the greater part of the year. Cottage industries can give them employment to pass their spare time usefully. So cottage industries should be revived under the patronage of the government. Attempts should be made to improve fishery in rural areas. Emphasis on the development of co-operative societies should also be given. Measures should be taken to develop the village hats and bazars. Thus there is much to be done for the villages of Bangladesh.       

Food Problem in Bangladesh

Beggar

                                                 

Bangladesh is mainly an agriculture country. But with the food she produces she cannot feed all her people. There is a big shortage of food every year. So there is the problem of food and question of growing more food has arisen. In our country the causes of food shortage are mainly three. First, our land has lost its capacity to grow more food for want of proper care. Secondly, our population is increasing year after year, but production of our food is not increasing. Thirdly, floods, cyclones, pests and insects are causing harm to our crops.

     To solve the problem we have to increase the production of food grains. To do this we have to take up scientific method of cultivation. We should use manure and expand irrigation facilities. Co-operative farming should be introduced. All kinds of land should be brought under cultivation. We should try to grow two or more crops in the same land. We should also take measures to protect food crops from drought, floods, pests and other harms of nature. Last of all, it is necessary to give land to the actual tillers ot the soil.

                                                      Unfed children lying in bus stand

       Various measures have been taken to fulfill this objective. Irrigation facilities are being extended. Hundreds of canals have been dug up. The cultivators are being supplied with manures and good seeds. Peasants are being persuaded to adopt modern method of cultivation and training is being imparted to them. An easy system of agricultural credit is being introduced and co-operative farming is being encouraged. Above all, measures to remove illiteracy are being taken up on a country wide scale. Because of all these measures the food situation of the country is getting improved gradually.

      There is food problem all over the world. So we should not lose heart. We should all work together to make the Grow More Food Campaign a success. There is still much scope to increase the production of food in our country. The goal before us of attaining self-sufficiency in food is certainly attainable. For this we have to pool all our resources. The problem cannot be met by any single agency or organization, nor by a few in the administration. It can be met only by the concerted efforts of the whole nation  

The Village Life in Bangladesh

                       Mother cooks rice                        

Life in a Bangladesh village is, as a rule, dull and monotonous. The village people are simple, religious and conservative. They do not like to change with the changing condition of the world. This attitude presents a striking contrast to life in the town. The villagers may be classified under three main heads-the rich, the middle-class and the poor laboring class. The rich people generally leave the village and flock to the town to enjoy its manifold advantages. The middle-class people are considerable in number and from the backbone of village life. But the vast majority of the village people belong to the poor working class. The bulk of this class of people are the poor peasants and landless agricultural laborers. The tailors, the blacksmiths, the weavers and the fishermen also belong to this class of working people.

     Those who are comparatively rich, lead an indolent and easy-going life. They rise late in the morning and after breakfast take their seat in the bungalow where they discuss with others the current affairs of the village and settle disputes of the villagers. They go out and inspect the work of the laborers engaged by them for various purposes. Then they go back home, and have their bath. After lunch they enjoy regular nap and nobody disturbs them during that time. The life of the middle class people is more active; though the unemployed among them are easy-going. Some of these middle class people are land-holders having big farms and necessary agricultural equipments. They engage laborers who do all the hard work for them. They supply in seed, the cattle and other necessary things, and personally supervise the work of these laborers. The unemployed among them live as mere parasites. They take part in the village politics and are full of petty jealousies. The mid-day meal of the middle class people consists of rice, dal and one or two dishes of fish or vegetables. They take a short nap in the afternoon and pass the evening in playing at cards or in merry-making.

                                                  

     The poor laborers are the busiest people in the village. They toil from morning to night, and supply the rice townsmen with their daily needs. They are not paid well for their hard labor and so they have to go ill-fed and ill-clad. They often fall victim to malaria and other diseases and suffer a great deal as they cannot afford to pay the fees of a doctor. The peasants rise very early and after taking a quantity of stale rice go the field where they work in the sun and rain till-dusk. Some return home at about 1 p.m. while others do not. Their mid-day meal is sent to the fields. In the evening they gather in the courtyard of a well-to-do villagers and spend the time in gossiping or merry-making.                          

Paddy refreshing

      The women of the village rise with the sun and perform their household duties. They are illiterate and their world id confined within the limits of the village. But they are affectionate and dutiful. Sometimes the women of the peasant class work side by side with their husbands at home or in the field. The villagers lead a life of contentment though they lack many good things of life. They are united by strong bonds of affection, love and fellow-feelings and in time of danger they stand by one another. They generally live in joint families, the members of which are held together by the strongest bonds of affection.     

The Miserable Condition of Child Labour in Bangladesh

How miserable their life!

                                                 

  Most of the child labor have similar ill-treatment in the hotels, shops and factories. They are compelled to work for a longer period than a matured laborer. They work for a longer period with less wages. Their masters very often treat them mercilessly. Minor boys working as rickshaw pullers and factory workers often face accidents, lose their limbs and pass their days as disabled persons. Then they have to live as beggars. Sometimes they suffer from various diseases and have to live a short life. Normal working period is 8 hours per day as per I.L.O. convention. Those who work in the office 8 hours a day do not hesitate to make the minor boy-servant or maid-servant work 15 to 18 hours in their houses. They do not care at all for those helpless victims of circumstances. Rather they take advantage of their helpless condition.

                                                              Playing in dust

          But as a nation we cannot remain simply silent observers. We should realize that the future of our country depends upon the children of to-day. A country of children having poor and ill-health will expedite the degeneration of the nation.

         A country of people with poor health cannot make rapid progress. So all sections of people of our country as well as the government should give serious thought to this problem. The government should think about the grim situation of child labor. Child labor should be stopped by law. Education should be made compulsory for the children. Poor parents should be paid allowances to supplement the income and be asked to send their children to schools. Children coming from poor families should be given free books and kits. On the other hand, a law should be promulgated against ill-treatment towards them and it should also fix the hour and wages for the labor. People in general should be more humane and sympathetic in their treatment towards the working children  

Communication in Bangladesh

                                                The muddy road in village area.

Communication in Bangladesh consists of water-ways, roads, highways and airways. There are also various means of transport in the country. Of the various means of transport in Bangladesh water transport is the most important Steamers, Launches, and country boats are the common water transport. These carry people and good from one place to another.

          Railways and highways connect all the districts of the country. Goods trains and trucks are used for carrying goods from one place to another. There are private and public bus services throughout the country. Besides these, rickshaws, baby-taxis, cycles and carts ply through the streets in the towns and cities. 

          Bangladesh airways are run by Bangladesh Biman. It offers international as well as domestic service through regular flights. All the important places of the country are connected with the capital city by air. Biman now travels to many countries of Asia, Europe and Africa.

                                                               Bus and Truck station

        Transport system is not fairly developed in our country. In the cities people have to spend a huge amount of money as rickshaw and baby-taxi fare. Town service buses and B.R.T.C. buses ply through the streets of the city. But their number is also small that one has to wait for hours to avail them. One cannot depend on a bus to go to one’s place of work in time.   A man has to spend a big portion of his salary for rickshaw and other fares. A journey by train or bus is often troublesome. Along waterways the number of launches and steamers is not enough to carry the increasing population of the country. Country boats take a long time to carry people and goods to a long distance.

            Our Government has laid special emphasis on the improvement of communication system in the country. Rail cars have been introduced. A good number of buses have been imported. Some are being manufactured in the Progati Industries in Bangladesh. Cargo Launches and passenger launches are being manufactured and assembled in the dock-yards at Narayanganj and Dhaka. We hope that at least the basic problems in the field of transport in Bangladesh will be solved in near future.

River Scenes in Bangladesh

                        Scene of river sides                      

The river in its continual flow has ever been a charm to all men in all ages Day and night it rolls on and never knows any rest. It flows murmuring by to join the vast expanse of the sea. Few sights on earth can compare in variety and beauty with the sight of a river in Bangladesh. At different times of the day it presents different scenes. Sometimes the broad expanse of water lies like vast sheet of paper, Sometimes the ripples roll on with soft murmurs. Now a boat moves on with the aid of oars. When there is a strong wind, the boat moves fast under the sail. Off and on steamers and launches ply along the rivers. Boats laden with rice, fruits, vegetables, earthen wares and other goods pass in quick succession. Fishing boats move along with their nets spread to catch fish.

      The banks of the river present an unbroken view of a variety of sights which entertain the eyes. Here men, women and children bathe, there women get down to water’s edge with pitchers in their hands and, again, there washer men wash clothes and cowboys graze their cattle. Somewhere smoke is found rising up in the sky from the funeral ‘pyre’ of a death Hindu. Temples, mosques, houses, gardens and fishermen hunts on both the banks present a varied spectacle. At intervals are found important centers of trade with strings of boats loading and uploading.

                                                              Bathing place in river sides

         A river offers a grand spectacle on a moonlit night. All around there is a deep silence which is now and then broken by the splashing dip of oars and the songs of the boatmen. The broad bosom of the river flashes like silver in the flood of moonlight. A river in Bangladesh changes its aspects with the change of seasons. In the rainy season it takes up a fearful aspects with its eddies and overflowing currents . In autumn its calm surface offers a pleasant sight. In winter it is shore of the majesty of the rainy season and its lean and shrunken view then almost excites pity. In spring, again. it is full of new life and vigor.

        The scenes of a river in Bangladesh has, so to say, a moral aspect, all its own. Its variety, beauty and grandeur fill us with a sense of our smallness, humble our pride and, at least for the time being, carry us away to a better and nobler world  

Child Labour in Bangladesh

 Child labor                         

                                                 

Bangladesh is a very poor country with 55,598 square miles of land and 110 million population. Here density of population is 1700 per square mile and per capita annual income is Tk.2225/-only. It is one of the LDCs of the world. Our country is rich neither in minerals nor in industrious. It is mainly dependent upon agriculture. With the increase of population cultivable lands are being increasingly divided into fragments. So the cultivators are becoming poorer day by day. A large number of people have become landless. They live as day laborers. They find it difficult to maintain their families. So these families have to engage their children in physical labor from a very early age.

   Children from 8 to 12 years of age has to do manual labor. Many of them work as domestic servants and maid-servants. Sometimes they are engaged to work in the fields. They are engaged to take out weeds from corn-fields. Sometimes they are found to graze the cattle. They work in shops, hotels and restaurants. They are seen to break brick and stones. They are also found to carry brick and other building materials from one place to another. Some are found to work as street-hawkers, rickshaw-pullers and car cleaners. They work in small factories. They polish boots, sell ‘chanachur’ ‘badam’ and vegetables. They work as porters. They catch fishes and sell them in the market . In the platforms of big stations, they are found to work as coolies and often they are found to beg. Some of them move as pick-pockets.  

                                                                       Tokai

        Though labor is sacred, child labor is a crime. The people who engage them take full advantage of their minor age and their helplessness. Children engaged as house servants or maid-servant have to work from early morning to late hours at night. They have to work, so to say, fifteen to eighteen hours a day. They are not allowed any reces and recreation. They are always dealt with abuse and reproof. Very often they are punished mercilessly. Some housewives rebuke them, beat them and pull them by the air. The masters and the housewives are very harsh to them. They are not given the same food that the members of the family take. They are often compelled to take rotten and inferior food. In fact, they are not treated as human beings. At the growing age they suffer from malnutrition as they cannot take balanced diet. So their natural growth of health and brain suffer. They grow up simply to become sick and to drag a miserable existence. 

Historical Place Satgambuz Mosque in Bangladesh

Famous Satgambuz Mosque

The mazar of Pir Khan Jahan Ali and the Satgambuz are well-known historical sites in Bangladesh. Last March I had an occasion to visit the mazar and the Satgambuz with three of my friends. The mazar of Khan Jahan Ali stands on a raised ground. The tomb is made of cut out stones. It cannot be accurately said where from these stones were brought. People say that the Pir brought these stones from Chittagong by floating on water. But such stones are not available there. On the tomb there are inscriptions in Arabic. On the night of the full moon of the month of Chaitra a big fair is held beside the mazar. Faqirs and other Sufi- like people gather here and pass the whole night singing mystic songs.

       There is a big lake-like tank in front of the mazar. It has several crocodiles in it. People believe that if they appease the hunger of these crocodiles with hens, cocks or goats, they would have the desire of their heart fulfilled. Whenever anybody makes such offering the care-taker of the mazar calls out the crocodiles shouting ‘Kalapar’, ‘Dalapar’, come!’ Within a few minutes the crocodiles make their appearance and swallow the offering. We stayed here about two hours and then left for Satgambuz. This is about two miles away from the mazar.

                                                  Another side of Satgambuz Mosque

           The Satgambuz is a large building. It stands on sixty stones pillars with its seventy-seven gambuz or dome and not ‘sat’ or sixty gambuz, as the name indicates. Some say that it was used as a mosque by Pir Khan Jahan Ali. Others say that it was used as a Darbar by the Mughal Governor of the place. But it is associated more with Pir Khan Jahan Ali’s name than with the name of the Governor. It attracts a large number of tourists and visitors every year.

              There is also a lake-like tank by the side of the Satgambuz. Its length is more than double its breadth. It is said that before digging it a horse was made to run a race. It ran straight and covering a certain distance, stood still. That distance was accepted as the length of the ‘dIghi’. That is why the dighi was named Ghorha Dighi. This dighi also has its own crocodiles.     

Fishes and Fishermen of Bangladesh

Fisherman catches fish with Mesh

                                   

Fish forms a principal item of our food next only to rice. So it is in great demand. It is why the gathering of the buyers is the thickest in the fish-markets. Fishes are found in tanks, rivers, marshes, lake and seas. The rivers, marshes and canals of Bangladesh abound in fish. It breeds and grows naturally in these place. Many people rear fish in tanks for personal consumption and for sale.

       There are innumerable kinds of fish in Bangladesh. Of them the hilsa, rohit, katla, mrigel, kalbose, kai, magur, shingi, chital, boal, vetki, tangra, pabda and punti are the most common. Some of these live in rivers, some in tanks or ponds, some in swamps and some, again, in seas. The hilsa is found in rivers only. Fishes are of many sizes and colors; some are beautiful to look at, while others are ugly. They have two round eyes without lids and four pair of gills and five pair of fins. They feed upon grass, weeds and insects, but the larger kinds of fish feed upon the smaller ones.

                                                          Famous Hilsha Fish

           Fish makes delicious curry. Various delicious preparations are made from fish. Fish contains a good amount of phosphorus. Fish-oil can be put to many uses. Fresh fish and dry fish are exported from Bangladesh to foreign countries in huge quantities. They bring in a good amount of money. Shrimps are now being exported to a number of European and America countries from our country and we are earning a good amount of foreign exchange thereby. Nets of different kinds are made for catching different kinds of fish. Angling is a popular way of catching fish. Even the rich people have the hobby of catching fish by angling.

             The people who earn their livelihood by catching fish are the fishermen. They are a class by themselves. They are also called ‘ Jeleys’ in Bengali because they catch fish by using the ‘Jal’ or the net. They are hard-working and painstaking people. They catch fish with nets in the big rivers like the Padma and the Meghna. As fishermen are not necessarily traders in fish, the middlemen who are known as ‘nikaris’ take advantage of buying fish at a cheap rate from them. The middlemen then take fish to the market and sell it at an exorbitant price to the actual buyers. Thus they make a good profit at the cost of the fishermen. As a result, the sad plight of the fishermen has become all the more miserable. Nevertheless, fishing and fish-trade have got immense possibolities. Extensive bils and haors of Sylhet, Mymensingh, Bogra and of other districts are potential sources of fish supply. Our government, through the Department of Fisheries, has taken definite steps for increasing the production of fish and developing the fish trade. Deep sea fishing has also been started in the Bay of Bengal. Fish is a great wealth of our country.

Floods In Bangladesh

Flood Scene in Village Area

  

Flood is a natural calamity. It is almost an annual affair in Bangladesh. Bangladesh suffers from flood almost every year. Causes of flood are many. It is mainly caused by heavy showers of rain. Rivers and canals cannot carry the rain water to the sea rapidly. So there is a sudden increase of water in the rivers and canals which overflow their banks and cause flood. Floods may also be caused by cyclones, tidal bores or the melting of snow on mountains.

         Flood makes life miserable. It causes a big loss of life, property and crops. It sweeps over village and towns. Streets, roads and even people’s house go under water. People cannot go from one place to another. It washes away crops, vegetables and fruit trees and makes people homeless.

         Flood visits our country almost every year. The floods that occur ed in the years 1954, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1987 and 1988 were terrible. The flood of 1954 affected the whole of Bangladesh. It visited our country two times in 1968 and three times in 1984 and caused a huge loss to life and property. The flood of 1988 has broken all the records of losses. Ninety percent villages and towns were under water for several days.

                             

Damage the Embankment in Flood

After flood, epidemic and famine break out. The areas affected by flood become muddy and unhealthy. So various kinds of diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid break out. There is scarcity of drinking water. The price of all daily necessities go up very high. Crops are washed away. So there is scarcity of food. But if the flood lasts for a very short time, it brings some good too. It makes the land fertile.

         In Bangladesh flood causes a huge loss every year. So it is urgently necessary to take proper steps for the prevention of flood. Both long and short-term plans can be taken for this. An efficient relief measure should be taken immediately. A well-planned irrigation system will go a long way to reduce the extent and fury of flood. We can also build our houses on a high level. The silted-up beds of our rivers should be excavated for carrying more water than at present.