Wednesday 19 October 2011

The accidental traveller - Din Islam - becomes celebrity of Singapore!

 The case of  Din Islam. This accidental traveller who fired the imagination of the public, with many tabloids and newspapers about his journey, represented a unique and ironic case in the history of journalism. Never  has there been a story quite like this. The irony, and one of many, is that in the world context today, should it be all that surprising, with the current issues of climate change, financial crisis, globalisation, and mass migration that such an improbable and simple story has not arisen before!

On April 1st 2011, Din Islam,  a young, innocent man, after finishing his chores at a port enters a cargo container with his friend to take a nap.  On awaking they find themselves locked inside the darkness and on a journey that would leave his friend dead and himself released into the light of  an almost celebrity like status in Singapore and around the world.

After 7 months away from his beloved friends and family, Din Islam is finally returning to his homeland on the 20th of October.  Having been warmly embraced by his fellow Bangladeshi's and ready to leave, Din Islam appears the wiser for the ordeal and grateful for the experience. His last unfulfilled wish is to visit his friend Alamin's graveyard to say his final farewell.

For more on the Din Islam story, please read the links below (from the 13th April - 12th November 2011)   


Source: Prothom Alo

http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-11-12/news/200128
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-10-22/news/195730
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-10-20/news/195237

October 21st 2011




October 10th 2011
Source: Straits Times

Bangladeshi container survivor gets send-off
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_721704.html



September 27th 2011

May- August 2011

Source: Daily Star
Trapped in Ship Container  
Alamin buried in distant land without tears 
  
Source: bdnews24.com






 April 17th 2011

Source: Straits Times
Found: Kin of dead man in container
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_657769.html


April 16th 2011



Source: Daily Star
Pot smoking was a factor
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181772
Source: bdnews24.com
http://www.bdnews24.com/bangla/details.php?id=155762&cid=2

April 15th 2011

Source: Yahoo Singapore news
Smoke break led to horrific nine-day ordeal

Source: bdnews24.com
Smoking away fatigue has its hazards, too!
http://bdnews24.com/pdetails.php?id=19306
'গাঁজায় বুঁদ হয়ে' কনটেইনারে আটকা পড়ে দুই বন্দর শ্রমিক
 
 http://bdnews24.com/bangla/details.php?cid=2&id=155672&hb=4

Source: Straits Times
Men found in containers "had smoked marijuana"
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_657044.html




April 14th 2011


Source: Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Fatal rest in a container
see: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181629#

Source: News.xin.com
Trapped for 3 weeks in container
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4773030

Source: Straits Times (Singapore)
Trapped for 3 weeks in container
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_656211.html

Sunday 16 October 2011

Dibashram First Event 21st August 2011


Iftar Mahfil & Interaction session held between South East Asian Service Leadership Network (SEALNET) and Banglar Kantha Writer’s Forum

An interactive session between SEALnet, an international group of mostly university students, and Banglar Kantha Writers' Forum took place on the 21st August 2011, followed by Iftar Mahfil at Dibashram. The forum members and 26 of the SEALnet group compared the lives of migrant workers and Singaporeans, their roles in their respective home countries.

Qianying, the leader of SEALnet in Singapore said that the interaction is part of their mission to bring together migrant workers and local citizens, and to increase the awareness of Singaporeans about foreigners. She and the other SEALnet members were surprised that the Writers Forum are able to spend their leisure time creatively, creating poetry or literary pieces. The SEALnet used their time in Singapore to take photographs of migrant workers to exhibit on Orchard Road.

Source: Published news in Banglar Kantha, September – October 2011, Page 05





Dibashram - A Space for Migrant Workers

"the birth of a dream"








40 Years of Independence & National Day

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh on the 26th March 2011, Saturday at 7p.m., speeches and cultural performances took place at Little India. It was organised by Banglar Kantha's Reader's Forum. Photos of the events can be seen below.






The event was also celebrated by the Bangla and Cultural Foundation on the same day.


সিঙ্গাপুরে মহান স্বাধীনতা জাতীয় দিবস উদযাপিত


Saturday 15 October 2011

BANGLADESH - Links to the Great Bengali Land, Language & Legends

WEST BENGAL

FEMALE BENGALIS

Sufia Kamal
Roquia Sakhawat Hussain
Aparna Sen
Geeta Dutt
Shreyas Ghoshal
Rezwana Chowdhury Banya

SPIRITUAL GREATS

Atisha
Fakir Lalon

Paramahamsa Ramakrishna
Swami Vivekananda
Lahiri Mahasaya
Paramahansa Yogananda
Kazi Nazruk Islam

Sri Aurobindo
Ananda Mayi Ma

Prabhupad (Hare Krishna Movement)
Sri Ananda Murti (Ananda Marga Movement)

BENGALI RENAISSANCE
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Rabindranath Tagore
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

FREEEDOM FIGHTERS

Subha Chandra Bhose
SCIENTISTS
Megh Nad Saha
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
Amal Kumar Raychaudhury
Jagadish Chandra Bose
Satyendra Nath Bhose
Prafulla Chandra Roy

ECONOMISTS
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar 
Amartya Sen
Muhammad Yunus

ENGINEERS
Fazlur Khan
Amar Bose

ENTREPRENEURS

Sake Dean Mahomed
Amar Bose
Jawed Karim
Subrata Roy

FILM MAKERS
Satyajit Ray
Mimal Roy
Mrinal Sen
Ritwik Ghatak
Zahir Raihan
Tareque Masud

MUSICIANS
Ravi Shankar
Sachin Dev Burman
RD Burman
Norah Jones

SINGERS
Koshore Kumar
Abbas Uddin
Runa Laila
Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
Manna Dey
Shyamal Mitra
Nachiketa
Shaan
Bappi Lahiri
Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Suman

WRITERS

Muhammed Zafar Iqbal
Humayun Ahmed
Jagadananda Roy

Thursday 13 October 2011

International Mother Language Day Celebrations (2008-2011)

The "Language Martys Day" was first inaugurated in Bangladesh in 1952. From the 21st February 1999, UNESCO declared this date as the "International Mother Language Day", which has "brought fresh glory and prestige to Bangladesh".

From 2008, Banglar Kantha has been arranging a venue and function for Bengali workers in Singapore to celebrate this tradition which proudly originated from their home land. Below are some of the images of the celebrations in 2008 and lately, 2011.

2011 Banglar Kantha celebrates IMLD at Serangoon Road (Little India)







সিঙ্গাপুরে অস্থায়ী শহীদ মিনারে বাংলাদেশীদের শ্রদ্ধা

2008 Banglar Kantha celebrates 1st International Mother Language Day for migrant workers in Singapore


Banglar Kantha 5th Year Anniversary (3rd February, 2011)

Over the past five years, Banglar Kantha has struggled to produce a publication that brings news, entertainment, personal stories, poems, Singapore’s laws and regulations to the wider Bangladeshi community, and to the Bangladeshi workers in particular.

On the 3rd February 2011, we arranged an enjoyable day in the serenity of one of Singapore’s most exquisite and interesting parks to celebrate the 5th year anniversary of the Banglar Kantha Newspaper. Fellow Bangladeshi's were invited to share in the performances, songs, entertainment, lunch and refreshments at the Labrador Park Nature Reserve. Below are some photos revealing the events of the day.











সিঙ্গাপুরে বাংলার কণ্ঠের বছর পূর্তি উদ্যাপন

সিঙ্গাপুর থেকে প্রকাশিত বাংলার কণ্ঠ বছর পূর্তি উদযাপন