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Sunday, April 25, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Fallouts of shrinking manpower export



Fallouts of shrinking manpower export

Bangladesh has been losing its manpower market in the Middle East at a fast pace during the last 15 months, raising serious concern among the recruiting agencies and the government policymakers.

What is more worrying is that there has been a negative flow of manpower to the largest Bangladeshi manpower market, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), since the beginning of the year 2009. Of the estimated 7.0 million expatriate Bangladeshis 2.0 million are employed in the KSA, followed by 1.4 million in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 1.4 million each in Oman and Kuwait.

According to a newspaper report, only 17000 Bangladesh got employment in the KSA in last 15 months while more than 31000 returned home from that country during the period on expiry of their contractual employments. In contrast to the latest development, on and average 150,000 to 200,000 Bangladeshi workers used to get employment in that country in earlier years.

Similarly, Kuwait, where the annual flow of Bangladeshi workers averaged between 30,000 and 40,000 since 2001, recruited only 21 Bangladeshis in last 15 months. The situation is also discouraging as far as recruitment by the UAE is concerned. The recruitment of Bangladeshis by that country dropped by nearly 50 per cent in 2009 compared to that of the previous year.

The global recession that had also hit the oil-rich Arab countries, to some extent, led to the decline in the recruitment of foreign workers. With a marked improvement in recession situation and rise in oil prices, these countries, after a brief pause, have started recruitment of foreign workers, mostly from Nepal, India and the Philippines. They are found to be not interested to employ Bangladeshi workers in large numbers.

The people involved in manpower business attribute the substantial decline in the export of Bangladeshi workers to the Middle Eastern countries to the involvement of the Bangladeshi passport-holding Rohingyas in various criminal activities, particularly in the KSA, and a negative campaign unleashed, allegedly, by certain quarters in the Arab countries against the incumbent government. The local manpower recruiters have a feeling that the Bangladesh missions in the countries concerned and the foreign ministry have failed to counter such campaign effectively.

The situation is not anything better either in manpower exports to the Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. Malaysia that had frozen recruitment of Bangladeshi workers started recruiting Bangladeshis since the year 2006 following persuasion by the Bangladesh authorities and agreed to employ nearly 100,000 Bangladeshi workers. But due to irregularities indulged in by a section of dishonest local manpower recruiting agents and unauthorized entry of Bangladeshi workers, Malaysia has virtually stopped recruitment from Bangladesh.

If the current trend in manpower export persists, it is unlikely to take a long time for the country to feel its pinch, particularly in terms of annual remittance flow that has hit the historic high of nearly $10 billion. In addition to helping the country in maintaining a healthy balance of payments (BoP) situation, the manpower export has been providing a solution to the problem of unemployment, at least, partially. Moreover, the healthy remittance earning has had a great contribution to the ongoing economic transformation of rural Bangladesh.

The manpower ministry, apparently, is confident that the flow of Bangladeshi manpower to the Middle East would soon start improving. But the signals coming from these countries, even after persuasion through high-level visits to convince the authorities there, have not been that encouraging.

The economic and social fallout of the negative manpower flow to the major markets would be immense. It is not amply clear whether the government has any clear understanding of the far-reaching impact of the current developments or whether it is doing enough to reverse the trend.

The people, in most cases, are found to be sceptical about the government's seriousness in addressing major problems facing the country. However, the development of such sceptcism among the citizens has not been without any reason. They have witnessed how the men holding the rein of the country's administration fail to tackle urgent problems because of their built-in apathy. This is nothing particular about the incumbent government. The past governments did also perform poorly in tackling many problems of serious nature.

It is expected that the government would take up the manpower export issue with due seriousness and try to convince the countries concerned to recruit greater number of Bangladeshis. The government may try to convince some powerful countries to use their influence over the oil-rich Arab countries in matters of dispelling misgivings, if there is any, about the current Bangladesh administration.

The government should have no reason to take the manpower issue lightly since the country can hardly afford any decline its remittance earning. Rather, it has to go all-out to increase the same through the export of more of its workers side by side with efforts to create a large pool of exportable skilled manpower. This is all the more necessary because of the decline in demand for unskilled workers abroad. The manpower ministry should collect all necessary information on the requirements of the recruiting countries and make arrangements for creating exportable manpower fulfilling such requirements.


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[ALOCHONA] Chatra League anarchy



Chatra League anarchy
 
 
 
 


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[ALOCHONA] Bananas, Raisins and Bran: Let Your Diet Lower Your Blood Pressure



Bananas, Raisins and Bran: Let Your Diet Lower Your Blood Pressure
Sunday, April 25, 2010 by: Melanie Grimes
(NaturalNews) High blood pressure afflicts over 74 million Americans. The cause of high blood pressure, or HBP, is not known in many cases, but diet and exercise have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and improve quality of life. Raw fruits and vegetables can help alleviate many of the symptoms of high blood pressure, and specific foods have been shown to have a more dramatic action on reducing blood pressure. Daily exercise is also an important tool in maintaining a healthy heart.

Bananas Lower Blood Pressure
Research has shown that two bananas a day can lower blood pressure. A study conducted in 1997 concluded that 5 bananas a day had the same effect as blood pressure lowering drugs. Research conducted in India in 1999 showed that two bananas a day lowered blood pressure by 10%. Study subjects at the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal ate two bananas a day for one week to achieve this level blood pressure lowering action from the bananas.

Salt Raises Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association suggests a diet with less than 1,500 mg of salt a day. Raw fruits and vegetables contain very low amounts of salt compared to processed or canned foods. When eating canned foods, rinsing the foods can help eliminate some of the salt added in food processing.

Potassium
Foods containing potassium can offset salt intake, as sodium and potassium work together in the body to help lower blood pressure. The daily recommended intake of potassium is 4,700 mg a day. This averages out to about 5 servings of vegetables or fruits each day.

Raisins Lower Blood Pressure
Raisins are a good source of potassium, as well as iron, and provide a nutritious way to lower blood pressure. Raisins contain a quarter of the daily requirement of potassium and low amounts of salt. A serving of raisins has 1,400 mg of potassium and only 50 mg of sodium.

Wheat Bran Contains Fiber and Lowers Blood Pressure
Wheat bran is another excellent source of potassium and a good food to help lower blood pressure. Wheat bran has over 1,100 mg of potassium per serving. Bran also contains fiber and research has shown that fiber lowers blood pressure. Adding fiber to the diet also helps improve digestion, aids elimination, and reduces high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Alcohol Raises Blood Pressure
Research has shown that drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. A study published in the "Journal of Human Hypertension" showed that alcohol consumption raises blood pressure and damages the blood vessel walls as well.
 


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[ALOCHONA] "War crimes Trial"  is a  bogus diversion of AL's  failure  in governance

Dear Alochoks,

I am not sure why one would think that this is bogus diversion by AL but to serve justice for those innocent people who needlessly died at the hands of Rajakars and Pakistani army. It is true that the situation with water and electricity in the country has got worse since AL came into power but it is also true that the criminals in the BDR mutinity must be punished and justice must be served.

The reason the electricity and water demand in BD is increasing is because of rapid industrialisation of BD. As the GDP of the country increases so is the demand for these commodities increases proportionally. Recently I have read a report which stated the amount of water used to make a single T-Shirt in a developing country like BD - it is about 40/50 litres - this is an staggering amount for a country like BD! The primary revenue earner for Bangladesh is the garments industry - so you can see what impact this is having on the country.

Instead of blaming the government - lets educate ourselves and try to understand what the real problem is. The current situation cannot only be blamed on the current government but the past government is also to blame. What BNP has done during their term to increase water and electricity supply? Load shedding has been a common occurrance since the birth of Bangladesh - this is nothing new.

Electricity and water generation industry requires years to build (a minimum of 3 to 5 years) from planning, designing and building. It can not be done overnight. However, there is serious corruption in these industries. That needs to be tackled first - and the government needs to take a bold step in this direction to root out the corruption.

Many thanks.

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[ALOCHONA] Remembering Shakespeare



William Shakespeare was born on 23 April, 1564. When we celebrate and remember him we in fact remember our hearts and celebrate its frailties. This is the place where Shakespeare, the creator of some of the epic tragedies of all time, stands unique. The tragic hero with Shakespeare need not necessarily be good, though generally he is good and therefore at once wins sympathy in his errors. But it's necessary that the hero should have so much of greatness that despite all his frailties and failures he makes us aware of the possibilities of the inherent human nature. This is the reason why we are so close to these characters because we see us in all these crevasse of life. The reader never closes the book with feeling that they went through a scene they never wanted to be there. Shakespeare's tragedies are never depressing nor did they put the reader in desperation nor does the reader close the book with the feeling that the character is a poor mean creature. He may be wretched and awful but he is not insignificant. Poet Wordsworth planted his wisdom in nature and Shakespeare played with human emotion.

The famous Shakespearean critic A.C. Bradley defined this greatness in many ways; it is strength of will, power of life, glory, magnificence, magnitude. The hero is grand, beautiful, heroic, colossal and supreme. All these qualities command respect and compel our attention and appreciation.

The sphere of human heart is so vast that Shakespeare beaded the depth in one word, I die Horatio, and rest is silence. In Hamlet Shakespeare put our pain in an acid test. In, to be or not to be, he depicted the hidden chorus in our hearts. In Macbeth he churned our sleeping evil lust and challenged its veracity. In the characters desperation he questioned why our life should be a tale told by an idiot. I feel like that Shakespeare never surfaced from the depth of his searches. But whenever he rested he created those sonnets which still glitters like the distant stars in the solitary silence of a night.

 

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought,
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye (unused to flow)
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe,
And moan th' expense of many a vanished sight.
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee (dear friend)
All losses are restored, and sorrows end.

 

Akbar Hussain




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[mukto-mona] Please help prominent journalist Nirmal Sen



Nirmal Sen, the renowned left politician, freedom fighter, columnist  and veteran journalist of Bangladesh is suffering from old age complications.  Readers may remember that Mr. Sen suffered a massive brain stroke in 2003. He was taken to Singapore for treatment at that time, but he was brought back home three months later due to financial constraints. His health condition gradually deteriorated after the eventful incident. Ailing Nirmal Sen now wants to spend last days of his life in Dhaka where he grew up as an eminent Journalist, columnist and left-leaning politician, and we from Mukto-Mona want to ensure that proper medical care and treatment to Mr. Nirmal Sen is given. We are appealing to our friends and well-wishers and asking you to reach into your hearts and give whatever amount you can. Here is our appeal:

 

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/Nirmal_sen/donate/

 

And here is Nirmal Sen's friend, Prof. Ajoy Roy's Bangla article:

 

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=6435

 

The expatriate members of Bangladesh can donate using any of the link given above. Your voluntary donations will help to take his medical care and fulfill his wish to spend last days of his life in Dhaka comfortably.

 

Please forward our appeal to your friends as well who wishes to contribute in our fundraising drive for Mr. Sen.

 

 

Regards

Avijit

 




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               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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