UN and Bangladesh 2

Bangladesh now world's top peacekeeper...

Bangladesh is now the largest troop contributing country to the UN peacekeeping operations.(The Daily Star)

Bangladesh has earned the distinction of being the top troop-contributor in UN peacekeeping operations as of October 31, said Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on Thursday.

Currently, 9,457 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been deployed in various countries. Pakistan ranked second with 9,068 peacekeepers while India ranked third with 6,878 personnel.

"This is indeed a matter of great pride and satisfaction for my country," Ambassador Chowdhury told the media after the UN has made the announcement, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday.

"It reflects Bangladesh's deep and abiding commitment to global stability and our interest in actively associating ourselves with the goals and purposes of the UN and the international community."

At present, 107 countries are taking part in the UN peacekeeping missions. The number of Bangladeshis in the missions will further increase with the completion of deployment in Congo and Sudan in near future, said Dr Iftekhar.

Bangladesh earns Tk 1805 Crore from UN Peacekeeping missions...

Bangladesh so far earned Taka 1805.70 crore from the United Nation’s peacekeeping missions in the last 17 years, a defence analyst said in Dhaka on Monday, reports BSS.

UN and Bangladesh

UN adopts Bangladesh's resolution on 'Culture of Peace' unanimously

A resolution on 'Culture of Peace' tabled by Bangladesh mustered overwhelming support of the UN members and was adopted by the General Assembly without a vote, reports UNB.

It is "a great victory" for Bangladesh in its peace-building mission, said Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury following Thursday's passage of the resolution. "This was a global acknowledgement of Bangladesh's current positive role in the international diplomatic arena," Ambassador Chowdhury said, according to a message received here Saturday.

The draft resolution had 107 co-sponsors, one of the highest in the annals of UN's recent legislative history, it said. "Bangladesh has been at the forefront of the initiatives that promote greater understanding and tolerance among peoples. This, in our belief, is achievable through dialogue and cooperation," Iftekhar stated while introducing the resolution in the UN General Assembly.

"My country was born of a bloody conflict. We, therefore, see great value in the principles of tolerance, respect for diversity, democracy, and understanding," he told the UNGA session. The resolution, among other things, asks the Secretary General to explore enhancing implementation mechanisms for this purpose within the UN system.

The Bangladesh Permanent Representative further said Dhaka believes that humanity, irrespective of the individual's culture and civilization of faith, shares a lot of common values. "We should focus on those to build the connecting bridges, to close the gaps and to fasten the links."

He observed that it would be in collective interest of all to devote resources and capacities, intellectual and material, in favour of this campaign. And he concluded his statement with a strong plea that the resolution should get through the assembly without any vote-which later became the case. President of the General Assembly Jan Eliasson also remarked on the importance of a culture of peace to forge a climate of understanding in a strife-torn world.

DVD For Bangladesh

DVD For Bangladesh

Apple Corps is proud to announce the autumn 2005 release of "The Concert For Bangladesh - George Harrison & Friends" on DVD and CD.

The Concert for Bangladesh was the first benefit concert of its kind in that it brought together an extraordinary assemblage of major artists. The two shows, a Grammy award-winning triple album boxset, and the feature film, generated millions of dollars for a charitable cause and as importantly raised global awareness of a hitherto unpublicized humanitarian disaster. It is therefore acknowledged as the inspiration and forerunner of the major global fundraising events of recent years. To quote the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "George and his friends were pioneers".

Besides George himself the concert featured some of his friends, including: Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Ravi Shankar and Ringo Starr. Performances include 'Here Comes The Sun', 'Something', 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'My Sweet Lord', 'Just Like A Woman', 'Blowin' In The Wind' and 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall'.

During the struggle for independence from Pakistan millions of refugees fled to neighboring India to escape hunger, disease and bloodshed. The crisis was deepened when massive floods hit the region. Alerted to the scale of the suffering by his friend Ravi Shankar, George Harrison organized the Concert For Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden on August 1st, 1971 with the proceeds going to UNICEF.

The DVD will be released by WMG (Warner Music Group) on October 25th, 2005, as a 2-disc package, including the original 99 minute film restored and remixed in 5.1, as well as 72 minutes of extras. The extras feature a documentary about the background to the two shows with exclusive interviews and contributions from Secretary General Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof. There is also previous unseen footage: "If Not For You", featuring George and Bob Dylan from rehearsals and "Come On In My Kitchen" featuring George, Eric Clapton and Leon Russell at the sound check and a Bob Dylan performance from the afternoon show of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" not included in the original film.

Apple Corps / WMG, will also simultaneously release a special deluxe version (limited to 50,000 copies worldwide) that will feature a hardbound book, a reproduction of the Harrison's handwritten lyrics for the song "Concert For Bangladesh," and a reprint of the original theatrical poster.

The CD is being repackaged and released by Capitol Records on Oct 25th, 2005 to which an additional track will be added - the Bob Dylan performance of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit".

All artists royalties from the sales of the DVD and the CD will continue to go to UNICEF.

DVD Contents:

Disc 1

The Concert For Bangladesh (1971)

Bangla Dhun

Wah-Wah

My Sweet Lord

Awaiting On You All

That's The Way God Planned It

It Don't Come Easy

Beware Of Darkness

Band Introduction

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Jumpin' Jack FlashYoungblood

Here Comes The Sun

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry

Blowin' In The Wind

Just Like A Woman

Something

Bangla Desh

Disc 2

The Concert For Bangladesh Revised (2005)

Special Features Documentary: The Concert For Bangladesh Revisted with George Harrison and friends

If Not For You*

Come On In My Kitchen*

Love Minus Zero/No Limit*

Mini Features: The Making of The Film, The Making of The Album

The Original Artwork

Recollections-August 1st 1971

Photo GalleryTake A Bow
*Previously unseen performances

Made in Bangladesh

‘Made in Bangladesh’ tags flood London shops

‘Made in Bangladesh’ tags draw increasing number of customers in British retail shops and super stores looking for quality jeans, T-shirts and sweaters that are having a steady growth in sales. Apart from apparels, Bangladeshi fresh foods, vegetables and fish are making their ways into UK shops, especially those in Brick Lane, and other parts of East London.

Not only the Bangladeshi expatriates, the products with Bangladesh tags have admirers among the Britons also. Quality is the first thing that attracts British customers, but prices also matter. As Christmas shoppers started to throng mega shops of London, shop managers are finding it difficult to cope with the increasing demand of customers for products of Bangladesh origin. Retailers said they are looking to enhance their apparel sourcing from Bangladesh.

Recent row over textile imports from China, the traditional major source for UK clothing, has further widened the scopes for increasing supplies from Bangladesh, said Farhat Alam, a shift manager of the TESCO, a major chain retail shop in London. Prices of Bangladeshi apparels range between five and fifty pound-sterling, according to the market sources. Most of the clothes are carrying the sticker - ‘Made in Bangladesh’ - in Peacock, a chain mega shop in the city’s Upton Park.

A sales executive of the British store said ‘For the last four years, we are buying clothes from Bangladesh, and sometimes, we can not cope with the demand of customers, as some of them exclusively come for Bangladeshi jeans.’ When asked about the reason for choosing Bangladesh as their major sourcing country, he said, ‘Bangladeshi products are cheap and of good quality.’

According to the industry sources, EU’s major retailers—H&M and GAP are placing more orders for Bangladeshi apparels to meet surging demand from Christmas shoppers. Paul Chris, a British solicitor, who was found shopping in GAP store in London’s Oxford Circus said, ‘Since GAP is well-known for selling quality product, we expect the Bangladeshi products they sell would be of high quality.’

Bangladeshi vegetables and Benson & Hedges cigarette have also a booming demand among Bangladeshis living in the UK. ‘A packet of Bangladesh-made B&H cigarette sells for 2.80 pound sterling. Expatriates, especially students, are crazy for local B&H,’ said a salesman of East London Cash and Carry.

In Brick Lane and other parts of East London, Alauddin Sweets and Dhaka Biriyani House are some of the common meeting places for Bangladeshis and their guests.

>>Source: New Age

Friendship: Simple vs Real

Friendship: Simple vs Real

Anyone can stand by you when you are right,
But a real friend will stand by you even when you are wrong......


A simple friend has never seen you cry,
A real friend has shoulders wet from your tears……


A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names,
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book……


A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call……


A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems……


A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself…...


A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight…


A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you………!