The National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports called a half-day strike on 14th September 2009 in capital Dhaka to protest the government’s recently announced gas exploration deals with international companies. It was first hartal since 2006, and also the first one after the current government came to power early this year.
I was at Paltan the entire morning, and here’s the coverage of the hartal processions, protests, more.
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh
The story of Bangladesh
Is an ancient one again made fresh
By blind men who carry out commands
Which flow out of the laws upon which nation stands
Which is to sacrifice a people for a land
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh
Once again we stand aside
And watch the families crucified
See a teenage mother’s vacant eyes
As she watches her feeble baby try
To fight the monsoon rains and the cholera flies
And the students at the university
Asleep at night quite peacefully
The soldiers came and shot them in their beds
And terror took the dorm awakening shrieks of dread
And silent frozen forms and pillows drenched in red
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh
Did you read about the army officer’s plea
For donor’s blood? It was given willingly
By boys who took the needles in their veins
And from their bodies every drop of blood was drained
No time to comprehend and there was little pain
And so the story of Bangladesh
Is an ancient one again made fresh
By all who carry out commands
Which flow out of the laws upon which nations stand
Which say to sacrifice a people for a land
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Bangladesh
When the sun sinks in the west
Die a million people of the Bangladesh
Written, tuned, and sung by American folk singer Joan Baez. She performed it at “Concert for Bangladesh” in Madison Square Garden in 1971. The song was originally named “The Story of Bangladesh”, but renamed later on.
Bangladeshis experienced 23-hour long day yesterday. At 11 o’clock at night country’s clocks were turned to 12, introducing daylight saving time (DST) for the first time. I congratulate the government for taking this initiative, something they should have done long ago just the way they should move the weekend to Sunday from Friday, but that’s another issue. ;)
Microsoft has released a DST patch that I heard works, but if you’re a Linux users then use your package manager or update manager to update your tzdata version so that your computer is DST “compliant” too. Bloggers and social networking site fanatics should change their timezone to GMT/UTC +7 from the respective settings page/control panel, so that the correct time is displayed.
I’m really happy that I’ll now get an extra hour to shoot pictures outside. Earlier I had to packup by 5:30, but not anymore! Yay. 
In case if you wanted to know more about Bangladesh…
