Alal O Dulal

18/10/2020

Can't stand itCan't stand itCan't stand anythingAlways feel aloneCan't stand itCan't stand itWalk on straight pathBut life is twistedCan't stand itCan't stand itCan't stand anythingCan't stand itAll get me wrongThe weight getting moreRip out my hairCan't stand itSaturdayCan't stand itSundayCan't stand it… [ 82 more words ]

http://alalodulal.org/2020/10/18/bhallagena/

Can’t stand itCan’t stand itCan’t stand anythingAlways feel aloneCan’t stand itCan’t stand itWalk on straight pathBut life is twistedCan’t stand itCan’t st…

07/07/2020

The national anthem of Bangladesh, penned by Tagore, is not exclusively sung on one side of the fence, neither is its use stringently limited for the national occasions of Bangladesh. Unlike the national anthem of most nations, Bangladesh’s national anthem has an everyday appeal in its core that keeps it alive amid the unremarkable occasions, especially in West Bengal where it does not get limited by its officialdom.

By Pratik Deb for AlalODulal The national anthem of Bangladesh, penned by Tagore, is not exclusively sung on one side of the fence, neither is its use stringently limited for the national occasions…

07/07/2020

She wore the sari below her belly button, with an open neck blouse that exposed her bare back. Her cleavage was revealed whenever she bended to get the food. Yes, absolutely, which can control himself facing such tease?

How I wear my sari, what is it to you? By Shamima Mitu, Womens Page; translated for AlalODulal.org by Zahur Ahmed

07/07/2020

"Are we prepared to showcase the bruise marks of his companion’s body or her cracked skull beside the laurels of his achievements?"

Nupur on a Broken Leg By Nasrin Khandoker (Translated for Alal O Dulal by Tibra Ali) In between the adults’ mirth there was a song from my girlhood that used to cause me great bafflement. It went s…

07/07/2020

The coronavirus pandemic is still raging in New York, the former epicenter of the United States. But seeing the protest processions across the city, there is no way to say that even a few days ago,…

30/05/2020

Bangladesh is on the front page of the New York Times for the third time this year. All three stories have been on the garments industry. The previous two talked of opportunities and warned of dangers and exploitation in the industry. The latest one is, of course, after the fire. Reporting by Jim Yardley and Julfikar Ali Manik, photographs by Andrew Biraj and Khaled Hasan. [ 2,714 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2012/12/07/garments-6/

Bangladesh is on the front page of the New York Times for the third time this year. All three stories have been on the garments industry. The previous two talked of opportunities and warned of dang…

29/05/2020

Why the artificial conflict of life and livelihood? by Moshahida Sultana (translated from Bangla original in Prothom Alo) Corona test costs about 5 thousand rupees sitting at home privately. And the cost of one month as government financial assistance has been estimated at 2,500 rupees. In other words, the cost of corona test of a capable patient has been taken as the cost of one month for two families. [ 1,520 more word ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/05/29/social-distancing-2/

Why the artificial conflict of life and livelihood? by Moshahida Sultana (translated from Bangla original in Prothom Alo) Corona test costs about 5 thousand rupees sitting at home privately. And th…

27/05/2020

A Dawn (Pakistan) op-ed accuses economist Mushfiq Mobarak of valuing lives less than American lives becausetheir paper uses VSL. The Dawn op-ed states: "Value of Statistical Life model. What VSL does, quite literally, is tell us the dollar value of human life in different contexts... When they compute the VSL for countries like Pakistan and Nigeria, they find that the amount is so low that it makes little difference to have a suppression strategy. [ 448 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/05/27/social-distancing-debate/

A Dawn (Pakistan) op-ed accuses economist Mushfiq Mobarak of valuing lives less than American lives becausetheir paper uses VSL. The Dawn op-ed states: “Value of Statistical Life m…

23/05/2020

Murder not tragedy A project at Drik Gallery An exhibition of observations, both witnessed and imagined of the rana plaza collapse. [ 319 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2013/05/30/drik/

Murder not tragedy A project at Drik Gallery An exhibition of observations, both witnessed and imagined of the rana plaza collapse.

23/05/2020

Oh WalMart, NOW you developed a conscience? You ran to Bangladesh for the cheapest possible labor, to keep your profit margins intact in a recession. But now you want to wash your hands clean? Also, Labor activists find burnt clothes, it was a killer bargain and the WalMart factor won't go away. [ 415 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2012/11/27/garments-5/

Oh WalMart, NOW you developed a conscience? You ran to Bangladesh for the cheapest possible labor, to keep your profit margins intact in a recession. But now you want to wash your hands clean? Also…

23/05/2020

“Bangla Death”: How the world sees us after Savar & Tazreen
http://alalodulal.org/2013/04/26/bangla-death/

Visit the post for more.

23/05/2020

BY NINA PORZUCKI ⋅ NOVEMBER 2, 2012 ⋅ Barbershop in Queens, New York (Photo: Nina Porzucki) Once a month Zain Ahmed treks from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to a windowless basement shop in Jackson Heights, Queens, just to get his haircut. “I take 3 or 4 trains just to get here,” says Ahmed. “That’s dedication, right?” [ 597 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2012/11/06/language/

BY NINA PORZUCKI ⋅ NOVEMBER 2, 2012 ⋅ Barbershop in Queens, New York (Photo: Nina Porzucki) Once a month Zain Ahmed treks from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to a windowless basement shop in Jac…

23/05/2020

As Faruque, a Bangladeshi-origin network engineer, turned to return to his meal, one of the other men said: “Yeah, he’s a f--king Arab,” leading to a brutal pummeling that dislocated Faruque’s left shoulder and left him semiconscious. [ 460 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2013/04/19/boston/

As Faruque, a Bangladeshi-origin network engineer, turned to return to his meal, one of the other men said: “Yeah, he’s a f–king Arab,” leading to a brutal pummeling that dislocated Faruque’s…

23/05/2020

"Disney is the first celebrated brand to completely stop production in Bangladesh [ 250 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2013/05/04/disney/

“Disney is the first celebrated brand to completely stop production in Bangladesh

23/05/2020

Poems by Sayeed Jubary, translated by Khujeci Tomai for AlalODulal.org 1. Prayer What chases me is not death, but fear of death Hiding inside its own nature My assassin floats about I avoid su***de and make one last prayer Let me not die as a bystander... [ 344 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2013/05/25/post-revolution/

Poems by Sayeed Jubary, translated by Khujeci Tomai for AlalODulal.org 1. Prayer What chases me is not death, but fear of death Hiding inside its own nature My assassin floats about I avoid su***de…

23/05/2020

"Post Revolution" journal, edited by Sayeed Jubary. by Sayeed Jubary, translated by Khujeci Tomai for AlalODulal.org 1. In the Bengal of Do-As-You-Please In Mohammed's Bengal No space for Rajakars In Karl Marx's Bengal No space for Rajakars In Mao Tse Tung's Bengal No space for Rajakars In Gandhi's Bengal No space for Rajakars [ 216 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2013/07/15/post-revolution-2/

“Post Revolution” journal, edited by Sayeed Jubary. by Sayeed Jubary, translated by Khujeci Tomai for AlalODulal.org 1. In the Bengal of Do-As-You-Please In Mohammed’s Bengal No s…

23/05/2020

Or, something else altogether?...It is a gratuitous and simplistic binary, but we at AoD could not help notice that the same week that amateur terrorist Nafis' photo was plastered on a shrill and scaremongering media (with the words "Bangladeshi" attached to an escalating fear narrative), the other face of Bangladeshi youth in New York is The Cosmics' brand new video. [ 308 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2012/10/20/cosmics/

Or, something else altogether?…It is a gratuitous and simplistic binary, but we at AoD could not help notice that the same week that amateur terrorist Nafis’ photo was plastered on…

23/05/2020

From K-Prime bio: These days in hip-hop when you hear the word Bangladesh you expect to hear the ever-present "a milli" beat following. However, to hip-hop's newest recruit, K-Prime, Bangladesh is more than a producer's signature drop, it's his birth country. Moving from Dhaka to the Borough of Queens, New York at age three, Prime, who was born Anik Khan, was immediately introduced to music and politics by his father who was a poet and a political representative in his home country. [ 314 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2012/10/31/k-prime/

From K-Prime bio: These days in hip-hop when you hear the word Bangladesh you expect to hear the ever-present “a milli” beat following. However, to hip-hop’s newest recruit, K-Pri…

23/05/2020

Kafil Ahmed: No more Press Note
http://alalodulal.org/2012/11/27/kafil-ahmed/

Visit the post for more.

04/05/2020

Towheed Feroze's complaint is accuracy: "The police are seen driving Indian-made Hyundai cars; our police does not use this brand. The trucks and other vehicles do not represent Old Dhaka either. Parking a few CNGs here and there in a sequence is hardly convincing. The language used is not a Dhakaiya dialect, but Bangla from West Bengal." And, apparently: "In reality, when foreigners are in Old Dhaka, they have large groups of people… [ 189 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/05/04/extraction-hullaballoo-in-a-orientalist-orchard/

Towheed Feroze’s complaint is accuracy: “The police are seen driving Indian-made Hyundai cars; our police does not use this brand. The trucks and other vehicles do not represent Old Dha…

20/04/2020

Policies imposed in rich countries to fight the coronavirus could have adverse effects in low-income nations—potentially endangering more lives than they save.

https://alalodulal.org/2020/04/20/poor-countries-need-to-think-twice-about-social-distancing-reprint/

By AHMED MUSHFIQ MOBARAK and ZACHARY BARNETT-HOWELL Policies imposed in rich countries to fight the coronavirus could have adverse effects in low-income nations—potentially endangering more lives …

20/04/2020

Policies imposed in rich countries to fight the coronavirus could have adverse effects in low-income nations—potentially endangering more lives than they save.

By AHMED MUSHFIQ MOBARAK and ZACHARY BARNETT-HOWELL Policies imposed in rich countries to fight the coronavirus could have adverse effects in low-income nations—potentially endangering more lives …

18/04/2020

As migrant labourers from different parts of India trekked back hundreds of kilometres carrying their scanty belongings and dragging their hungry and thirsty children in the scorching heat of the plains of India to reach home in central or eastern parts of the country after the sudden announcement by the government of a complete lockdown of the country amid the spectre of Corona virus, questions were raised as to whether this ordeal could have been avoided through adequate arrangements of food and safe shelter for the workers at the places of their stay in the host cities and places of work. [ 468 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/04/17/borders-of-an-epidemic/

As migrant labourers from different parts of India trekked back hundreds of kilometres carrying their scanty belongings and dragging their hungry and thirsty children in the scorching heat of the p…

17/04/2020

Brands Must Behave Fairly Syed Nasim Manzoor The second leading sector of Bangladesh's exports is leather, footwear and leather goods. The largest markets for these products are Germany, Italy, France, Western Europe, USA and Japan. But under the influence of Covid-19, these countries are shaking . The shop is closed. Sales of big brands like Adidas, Nike and Clarks have closed. [ 1,117 more word ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/04/17/nasim-manzoor/

Brands Must Behave Fairly Syed Nasim Manzoor The second leading sector of Bangladesh’s exports is leather, footwear and leather goods. The largest markets for these products are Germany, Ital…

09/04/2020

Marina Tabassum on Bashirul Haq If I have been able to become an architect it is by standing on the shoulders of a few giants. Bashirul Haq is one of them. I saw Bashir bhai for the last time at a family dinner on 31st January 2020. It was the night before the Mayor election in Dhaka, a small gathering of family and friends at Dr. [ 410 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/04/09/bashirul-haq-2/

Marina Tabassum on Bashirul Haq If I have been able to become an architect it is by standing on the shoulders of a few giants. Bashirul Haq is one of them. I saw Bashir bhai for the last time at a …

05/04/2020

Wiki: After completing his master's degree, Haq started working for the firm Kallmann McKinnell. He was interested in returning to his homeland. However, another Bangladeshi-American engineer FR Khan discouraged him from returning to Bangladesh citing a newly independent war devastated nation. Khan, who was then the partner of SOM instead interviewed and advised Haq to join there. Khan suggested he visit Europe and return to the USA.
http://alalodulal.org/2020/04/05/bashirul-haq-1942-2020/

Wiki: After completing his master’s degree, Haq started working for the firm Kallmann McKinnell. He was interested in returning to his homeland. However, another Bangladeshi-American engineer…

03/04/2020

From: Bina D'Costa Some useful reports and camp management documents, case management questionnaires that may be of interest to you. Camp Management in COVID_IOM CARE Gendered Implications of COVID-19 - Executive Summary CARE Gendered Implications of COVID-19 - Full Paper Case-management-and GBV in covid COVID-19_CommunityEngagement_130320 Oxfam Ideas for a Pro-Poor and Pro-Women Approach to COVID-19 REGA Asia Pacific Advocacy Brief re COVID-19_GiHA WG with REGA vawg-helpdesk-284-covid-19-and-vawg WHO_SexGenderInfectDis
http://alalodulal.org/2020/04/02/covid-gender/

From: Bina D’Costa Some useful reports and camp management documents, case management questionnaires that may be of interest to you. Camp Management in COVID_IOM CARE Gendered Implications of…

26/03/2020

Abu Ahasan ...The immigration police recently began stamping returnees on their hands for home quarantine. Police marked the houses of the Italy-returnees with red flags. Journalists and social media ran sensational stories of ignorant, selfish, and unruly returnees, refusing to practice the ideal model of conduct: social distancing and self-quarantine. The misconduct of probashi, rather than the lack of preparedness of the state, increasingly came to dominate the images and imaginations of the coronavirus outbreak. [ 247 more words ]
http://alalodulal.org/2020/03/26/bio-politics-of-covid-19/

Abu Ahasan …The immigration police recently began stamping returnees on their hands for home quarantine. Police marked the houses of the Italy-returnees with red flags. Journalists and social…

21/03/2020

We translated Keto Bhai's corona song into English.

Bangla original by Keto Bhai English Translation by Alal O Dulal এ গেদু, সমেস্যা কি? এতদিন দিহি ছুটি চাইয়ে ছর্দ হইয়া গেছ। এখন ছুটি, পাইয়া গেছ। হেরপর রাস্তায়...

21/09/2017

India’s WIRE magazine has published a timeline compiled by Alal O Dulal collective.

https://thewire.in/179759/rohingya-myanmar-timeline/

As Rohingya people continue to flee Rakhine State and allege widespread persecution, a look at their struggle through the years.

09/09/2017

The play, based on an English poem about Kashmir, is experimental, raucous, jubilant, and always challenging the material limits of a stage. The audiences have responded with hunger, Shilpakala has been running sold out shows.

Syed Jamil Ahmed’s first play in two decades RIZWAN opened on September 01 at Shilpakala Academy (closes Sep 10). The play, based on an English poem about Kashmir, is experimental, raucous, j…

05/09/2017

...And other there, Arakan is Burning.

by Faruk Wasif One passes making monotonous, coughing sound with his bicycle. The refined noise of insects…after a while, a dog muffles; A while later, a family is heard chattering on their way bac…

11/07/2016

The telltale effects of misinformation linger. Over a week has elapsed, but debates still rage over response time, wasting of night cover, failure to stake out adjacent properties, apparent absence of snipers and overall role of counter-terrorism units. Misinformation feeding the rumor mill has been coming from authorities and armchair experts alike.
https://alalodulal.org/2016/07/11/rumor/

During an unprecedented attack like the one at Holey Artisan Bakery, crisis management is of utmost priority. Looking back, security forces did well to set up cordons to keep at bay meddlesome repo…

07/07/2016

"My best hope for this Eid is that we can agree, if not mourn, that we have lost our children, our foreign guests, our people – no matter which side they were on." — Nadine S. Murshid

By Nadine S. Murshid As we mourn, we must realize that the fight ahead of us is a difficult one, but one that must be won. Without mass-surveillance. Without impinging on freedoms. Without help fro…

07/07/2016

Firoz Ahmed looks at multiple factors – economical, socio-religious and geopolitical – that were and are in play both before and after the attacks.

by Firoz Ahmed, translated by Alal O Dulal Bangladesh has not seen this type of ferocious attack and killing of innocent people before. We express our deepest sympathy to the families of the victim…