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Group Work Group work, an effective way of learning and cooperation with others, involves students working collaboratively on set tasks, in or out of the classroom. Its aim is to learn through group cooperation and encourage all students to participate in the learning process. This approach is defined in the classroom as a group. The members obtain useful information from each other to extend their knowledge and abilities through the cooperation. To do group work, the class has to be divided into groups. Each group is to do some tasks given by the teacher or in the textbook. The group members will discuss and share ideas and points, and finally one member will write the answer. All this is knowledge about group work. Then one starts working in groups. In each group one takes turns discussing points, answering questions, etc. In this way one actually does the task. Teacher may monitor and help to do the work. Lastly, through regular group work it is expected that there will be noticeable changes in one’s behaviour. Possible changes are– one will develop the attitude of freely mixing and talking with one’s classmates and teacher. One’s shyness will gradually disappear. One will develop the attitude of helping and cooperating with each other. One will learn to behave in a democratic way. Most importantly, these behavioural changes taking place in one inside the classroom will be carried over outside the classroom, in real-life situations. In order to maximise these benefits, one will need to manage one’s group work effectively.

Problems of Higher Education in Bangladesh Higher education refers to education beyond the secondary level especially education provided by a college or university. Accessibility to higher education implies that students get the opportunity to get university education and sufficient support from educational institutions. Increasing enrolment at the secondary and higher secondary level puts pressure on higher educational institutions. There are only handful universities in our country. Due to limited capacity, only a small number of students may be enrolled in universities. Thus, each year a large number of students are denied access to higher education. Also, due to poverty and increase in educational expenses, students of the lower middle class do not get easy access to higher education. Only about 12 percent of graduates enter higher educational institutions. More than 80 percent of these students are admitted to NU affiliated colleges. Others are absorbed by the public and private universities. Most universities cannot offer a wide range of subjects. Library, laboratory, Internet and research facilities are not satisfactory. Seminars, symposiums, lectures, workshops, debates, and exhibitions are hardly held in these institutions and there is not much scope for national and international exposure for promising young knowledge seekers.  This problem may be impossible to solve overnight but it can be lessened gradually. The number of universities must be increased in this regard. The poor students should have the accessibility like others. Moreover, the facilities of educational sectors should be increased and upgraded. The govt. should take the responsibility steps to solve the problems. Besides, we all should be aware of this.

Drug Addiction Drug addiction refers to such state of not being able to stop taking illegal harmful substances like heroin, opium, marijuana, morphine, cocaine, phensidyl etc that people take through smoking, inhaling or injection. It being a brain disease leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. It can lead to a range of both short-term and long-term mental and physical health problems. Unemployment problem, environmental factors, political unrest, family feud, lack of love and affection lead a man to frustration which is the main cause of drug addiction. It destroys us morally, physically and financially. Dependence on drugs can create a number of dangerous and damaging complications. People who are addicted to a drug are more likely to get an infectious disease, such as HIV, either through unsafe sex or by sharing needles.  Young people involved in crimes to get money for taking drugs. Behavioral changes may cause marital or family conflict and custody issues. It can also cause declining performance at work, absenteeism and eventual loss of employment. The best way to prevent an addiction to a drug is not to take the drug at all. Drug-addicts must be treated with love and kindness. A strong, stable bond between you and your child will reduce your child’s risk of using or misusing drugs. The society should take strong measures to control the dishonest businessmen and drug-traffickers. The highest punishment of dealing in or smuggling drugs is death in Bangladesh. There are laws of drug-control all over the world, yet drug-addiction is increasing gradually. What is needed an anti-drugs consciousness among the youth of the different countries.

Water Pollution Water, an important element of human environment, is essential for human and plant life. It is next to air. Water can be polluted in many ways. Farmers use chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields to grow more food. The rain and floods wash away some of the chemicals. They get mixed with river water, canal water and pond water. Mills and factories pollute water by throwing the waste and even sail boats can pollute water by throwing oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside standing on the banks of the rivers and canals also pollute water. The unsafe drains running into the rivers and canals cause water pollution. Water pollution from industrial discharge, the industrial disposal of toxic chemicals and the dumping of human waste into rivers and canals causes poisoning and water-borne disease such as cholera and diarrhea. Clean water is safe for use and polluted water is harmful for man. Water pollution can be prevented in many ways. First of all, we should make the people aware of the fact that water is next to air. It is called life. Mills and factories should not throw the waste materials and unsold products into rivers and canals. Steamer, motor launches and even sail boats should not throw oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside should not be built on the banks of the rivers and canals. In fine, awareness should be created in the public.

Sound pollution or Noise pollution When the exposure of people or animals to levels of sound that are annoying, stressful, or damaging to the ears, it creates noise pollution. Today it is one of the talked topics of the day. It has reached an unbearable level. The unnecessary use of powerful vehicular horns is the main source of sound pollution in the City. The other sources are aircraft noise and rail noise. Besides transportation noise, other sources are office equipment, factory machinery, appliances, power tools, lighting and audio entertainment systems. Construction equipment also produces noise pollution. Besides, faulty vehicles, construction sites, loud speaker and thousands of workshops let out loud noises round the clock. This sound pollution damages millions of children’s power of hearing. Sound pollution is so much harmful that it can cause a wide range of malfunctions in the human body including heart attack, high-blood pressure, chronic depression, respiratory disorders etc. Noise leads to emotional disturbances, however, are difficult to measure. Irritating noise at work place reduces concentration efficiency and working capacity. We should take necessary measures to control sound pollution. By developing public awareness and careful awareness and careful town planning sound pollution can be controlled. Strict law should be enforced regarding sound pollution. Use of hydraulic horns should be banned strictly.

Air Pollution Air pollution is actually the addition of any harmful substances to the atmosphere, which causes the damaging of the environment, human health and the quality of life. Air is the most important element of human environment. Man cannot live a single moment without it but we do not think it is we who pollute this most vital element. Clean air is essential for life. Air is polluted in many ways. With the development in industry, came along the increase in air pollution, which occurs inside homes, schools, offices even in the countryside. Man makes fires to cook his food, to make bricks burns effuse, melts pitch for road construction and burns wood. All these things produce heavy smoke and this smoke pollutes air. Railway engines, power houses, mills and factories use coal and oil. Buses, trucks and cars use petrol and diesel oil. Again all these things create smoke and cause air pollution. The most serious air pollution occurs in big industrial areas where there are many mills and cars plying the street every day. Sometimes men in industrial area become so sick by inhaling polluted air that they cannot be cured. So proper measures and steps should be taken to prevent air pollution. Consequently there has been an increase in the death rates resulting from various diseases caused by air pollution varying from breathing problem to lung cancer. Air pollution does not only affect people but it also damages the whole ecological system in which plants and animals are harmed as well.

My Favourite Personality My best personality of the world, Hazrat Muhammad (S.M), is the last prophet of Allah and the leader of all prophets. He is the greatest of man and teachers ever born of earths. He is the embodiment of all that is noble, pure and good. The prophet Hazrat Muhammad (s.m) was born in the famous Quraish tribe of Mecca in 570 A.D. Before his birth, his father Abdullah died and his mother Amina died when he was only six. So in his infancy he became an orphan who was brought up by a nurse named Halima. He was handsome, of medium height, very active, walked rapidly which forced his companions to race to keep up with him. People reported seeing light around his body and in his face, which they compared to the sun or the full moon. His skin was white and turned rosy from exposure to the sun. He had black eyes and a thick beard. Everybody believed him and called Al-Amen or the trusty one. The prophet taught the people the virtue of forgiveness. He advised them to do well to others and worship Allah. The Qur’an was revealed to him by Allah and the Hadith which contains his sayings taught the Muslims many noble virtues. He always thought about the evils of Arab life which was dirty and barbering killing, robbery, injustice and barbarism prevailed everywhere in Arab. This great and noble soul passed away in 632 A.D. at the age of 63. But his work and teachings remain and will be followed as long as the world lasts. He made Muslims brothers of one another, built a great nation and powerful state. At present one fifth of the people of the world are the followers of this great and noble prophet. Or My Favourite Person A person or thing regarded with peculiar favor; one treated with partiality; one preferred above others; especially, one unduly loved, trusted, and enriched with favors by a person of high rank or authority.  I have a fourite person who is Mr. X, is highly qualified and has done double M.A. He who is a teacher is adjudged as good or bad according to the temperament of the students. He has some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. He knows the art of teaching. He is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. He treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistake, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his student realise his mistake. He is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He does not allow us to be lazy. He makes a simple living but his thinking is great. He influences our young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school. His picture is so deeply entranced in my heart that I think no matter where ever I go I will never forget him and neither will ever get another teacher like him. That’s why he is so much favourite to me.

Use and Abuse of Facebook Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. It was created by Mark Zuckerberg in February of 2004. This exclusive site, which is available in 37 different languages, includes public features. Facebook makes it possible to connect people sharing interests and activities across the borders and thus have made a lot for the users to feel that they really live in a global village. It is expanding so fast as one can make use of them paying very little. One can make personal profile public before the entire online community. It is like presenting oneself before the entire world. One can also look into other people’s profile simply and easily if one is interested. It allows users to upload pictures, multimedia contents and to update their profiles. User profiles have a section dedicated to comments from friends and other users. Finally, there are privacy protection measures too. A user himself or herself decides over the number of viewers, and what information should be shared with others. He can block specific connections or keep all his communications private. But this great blessing of modern science has some demerits too. Many young boys and girls become addicted to it and give more time on it than studies. Few senseless people post nude pictures which influence the tender mind of youngsters. A long term bad effects can be seen in those adolescents. Besides, many girls and ladies committed suicide because their enemy posted their privet photos or videos. Despite these few bad sites of Facebook book, it has great importance for the communication of modern people.

Food Adulteration Food adulteration is the act of deliberately adding something to the food, intentionally debasing the quality of the food offered for sale either by the admixture or substitution of inferior substances or by the removal of some valuable ingredient. Unsafe levels of pesticides are present in around half of the vegetables and more than a quarter of fruits sold in the markets. Food poisoning, in the form of metals, toxins, or bacteria, stomach disorders, liver problems, vision problems, skin diseases are the diseases caused by adulteration of food. Carbide, formalin, heavy metal, chemical, textile colours, artificial sweeteners, DDT, urea etc. are used rampantly for this purpose. Milk is mixed with water. Vanaspati is used as an adulterant for ghee. Ergot is used as an adulterant for cereals. Chalk-powder is used as an adulterant for flour. Chicory is used as an adulterant for coffee. Papaya seeds is used as an adulterant for pepper. Brick-powder is used as an adulterant for chilly-powder. Tamarind seed powder is used as adulterant for coffee. Wood powder is adulterated for turmeric and dhaniya powder. Adulterated food is impure, unsafe, or unwholesome food. Instead of focusing only on the end products, the issue should be addressed at the root level. Better monitoring and supervision were mandatory for stopping food adulteration. The Ministry of Food had enacted a Food Safety Act, but was yet to prepare the necessary rules. As the issue of food safety was also linked to 14 other ministries, a coordinated agency should take responsibility of ensuring safety in food products. Or Food Adulteration Food adulteration is basically changing the true quality of pure foods by adding chemical additives. It spans from adding mild chemical preservatives to extremely harmful substances. There is hardly any food that is not adulterated in one way or another. Be it poultry, fruits, spices, and even daily bakery items; everything is getting adulterated nowadays. The major cause behind food adulteration is the ultimate greed of dishonest and immoral businessmen. They prefer their business profit to human life. Surveys show that maximum foods are dangerously adulterated. For example, the owners of food and beverage industries apply deadly chemicals that contain poisonous substances. These contaminated foods contain destructive substances such as Aldrin, DDT, Chlordane, Formalin, etc. which are very damaging to our health as well as our life. Even they can lead us to death. Many life-taking diseases like kidney failure, liver damage, cancer, heart diseases, etc can attack us for taking adulterated foods. Another report shows that taking adulterated foods also causes dysentery and diarrhea. It is time to stop this serious issue. To monitor the food producing and manufacturing, retail, and wholesale sale sections a special monitoring cell should be formed. The government, common people, mass media, and law enforcement agencies have to work together with a concerted effort to remove this issue. Food adulteration is a curse to our society. This increases the load of health. Its consequences are so pathetic that many common people are the poor victim of this crime. To save the people and to give a safe place to live to the next generation, food adulteration must be removed from society.

Diaspora The term diaspora is used to refer to the movement of people who have left their ancestral homelands and settled in other parts of the world, either because they were forced to do so or because they wanted to leave on their own. The word is increasingly used for such people as a collective group and/or a community. Its origin is traced in thousands years back. In the Bible there is reference of diaspora. In the history of human civilization, we find a number of events of it. The world has seen many diasporas but scholars have been studying the phenomenon with great interest only in recent decades. They have distinguished between different kinds of exoduses based on its causes such as imperialism, trade or labour migrations or by the kind of social coherence. Among the great diasporas of history is that of the Jewish people, who were forced to leave their lands in ancient times. Their ancestor Abraham was forced to leave Iraq and took shelter in Egypt. Then his offspring Jews were forced to leave Egypt and settled themselves in Palestine. In twentieth century history, the Palestinian diaspora has attracted a lot of attention and been a cause of concern for world leaders because of the plight of Palestinians. The movement of Aryans from Central Europe to the Indian sub-continent thousands of years ago is also a noteworthy diaspora, although the causes of this diaspora are unclear. There have been massive diasporas in Africa, too, over the centuries, either because of war or because of the ravages of nature. But the chief reason why the phenomenon of diaspora is attracting so much attention now is globalization.

My Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The people of our country are still not free rather sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. They live on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream deeply rooted in the Bengali dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal. One day the sons of former slaves and slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. The heat of injustice and oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. Our children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. Then we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And if Bangladesh is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the North to South and from East to West, from every hill, mountainside and molehill of Bangladesh.  And when this happens, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s creation, poor men and rich men, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the human spiritual.

Environmental Pollution Nature, air, water, land and all other things around us in which we live are called environment. Any unexpected and abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological characteristics in environment is called the environmental pollution. Now our environment is getting polluted every moment in many ways. In major cities and towns motor vehicles, mills and factories are creating fume and smoke. Man makes fires to cook food, to make bricks, to melt tar for road construction and to do many other things. Fires create smoke and pollute the air. Railway engines and powerhouses create smoke by burning coal and oil. Water, another vital element of the environment like air, is also polluted in many ways. Man pollutes water by throwing waste into it. Mills and factories also throw their poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers, canals and seas. Chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides get mixed with water in rivers, canals and ponds, and thus pollute water. Moreover, water vehicles, unsafe drains and unsanitary latrines are also responsible for water pollution. Forests and trees are being cut down on a large scale. So, the ecosystem of the environment is now in great danger. The noise of motor vehicles, mills and factories, aeroplanes, domestic appliances, radios, cassette players, CDs, televisions etc pollutes sound and it affects our hearing. Government and people of all classes should come forward to control this environmental pollution because it is necessary for our own existence.

Arsenic Pollution Arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis is a condition caused by the ingestion and inhalation of dangerous levels of arsenic. Arsenic, a grey-appearing chemical element, can be found as a contaminant in food and water sources. It typically occurs as a result of industrial exposure, from contaminated wine or illegally distilled spirits, or in cases of malicious intent.  When a man drinks arsenic contaminated water for a long term, his skin is coarsened and stained. One time he suffers from gangrene. It is such a poison that damages all the vital organs resulting in the subsequent death. Those who do not eat fish and vegetables are easily affected. The arsenic affected patients should be properly treated. They should drink arsenic free water and take vitamins A, C, E to come round. People should be made very conscious of the problems of arsenic and arsenic diseases. Our tube-wells are to be tested and those which are not free from arsenic should be identified. The water of pond and river can be drunk after purification. Rain water is safe and free from arsenic. If pure water is not found, it should be filtered through pitchers containing sand. The govt. as well as the common mass should take some effective steps to solve this kind of problem. Or Arsenic Pollution Arsenic is a kind of metallic as well as fatal poison. Arsenic pollution means arsenic contaminated water. It is found in the ground water level of the earth. When a man drinks arsenic contaminated water for a long term, his skin is coarsened, stained, granulated and one time he suffers from gangrene. Our ignorant people are drinking arsenic polluted water from tube wells and are human being affected by arsenicosis. Those who do not eat fish and vegetables are easily affected. Arsenic is such a poison that is damages all the vital organs ore after another resulting in the subsequent death o the sufferer. The specialists should be sent to different parts of the country which are affected by Arsenic. They should identify the Arsenic contaminated tube-wells. The tube-wells which are polluted by Arsenic should be marked as red sign and the tube-wells of pure water should also be marked as greed sign. They should suggest another alternative easy way to find out pure drinking water. The arsenic affected patients should be properly treated. People should be made very conscious of the problems of arsenic and arsenic diseases. Recently the World Bank authority has taken some effective steps to identify the arsenic affected countries of the world. An affected person should drink arsenic free water and take vitamins A, C, E to come round. The govt. should take some effective steps to solve this kind of problem.

Travelling Travelling means going from one place to another in different purposes. Travellers always travel the most beautiful places of the world which uphold the existence of nature. There are many means to see the unseen and know the unknown, but travelling is the best of all. For example, reading books gives us literary knowledge, listening story gives us indefinite ideas, but travelling gives us visual as well as concrete knowledge. Someone travels to gain knowledge and experience, someone travels for pleasure, someone travels for business purposes etc. There are different types of travelling like- travelling by air, bus, boat, train, bus etc. Every travelling has much educative value. It is a part of education. Our education and bookish knowledge remain imperfect without travelling. For this reason, we can learn many things by travelling. It teaches us trade and commerce, language, sociology, customs, culture, history, geography and so on. Therefore, the educative value of travelling beggars description. Besides, there are some special benefits of travelling. If a man stays at one place for a long time, he becomes monotonous and his life becomes boring and callous. Travelling removes our monotony and gives pleasure. Similarly, it also broadens our outlook and refreshes our mind. A good traveler can easily educate others. He can give us first-hand knowledge of men and matters of other country. I like travelling very much.

Importance of Games and Sports Games and sports are important for success not in studies but in every walks of our life. Boys and girls may practice races, jumps, discuss throw and javelin throw and thus pass their afternoon in useful activities. They may play various games like football, cricket, hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton etc. The importance of games and sports can never be minimized. First of all, they are good exercises and help to make mentally alert and physically strong. Secondly, by displaying their feats before many spectators, one can overcome nervousness. Thirdly, they are good diversions and give energy to learn their lessons well. Fourthly, it gives the necessary break from the everyday monotonous life. Fifthly, games and sports help building a sense of cooperation and team-spirit in an individual. When people of different nations get together on the occasion of an international sporting event, they come closer to each other, sharing views, opinions and friendship. Therefore, we learn to socialize and strengthen international brotherhood through games and sports. For these reasons, every civilized nation values the importance of games and sports and spends large sum of money on improving the standard of games and sports. However, games should be played for the sake of enjoyment, pleasure and recreation. If played in the right spirit, games become an important part of life – a better and healthy life.

Begum Rokeya Begum Rokeya was a famous writer, a social worker, feminist and a social worker in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She is most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues. She was born in 1880 in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a highly educated landlord. She had two sisters and three brothers. Rokeya’s eldest brother and elder sister had great influence on her life. She learnt Bangla and English from her eldest brother Ibrahim. She believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men have in the society. So she fought for their cause throughout her life. In 1896 she was married to Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain who was the Deputy Magistrate. He was very cooperative, and always encouraged Rokeya to go on with her activities. Rokeya had great love for her mother tongue. She launched her literary career in 1902 with a Bangla story entitled Pipasa (Thirst). Her famous novels are Sultana’s Dream (1905), Motichur (1908), Padmaraga (1924) and Oborodhbashini (1928). Rokeya established Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School. It started in Bhagalpur, a traditionally Urdu-speaking area, with only five students. She also founded Islamic Women’s Association. In her life, she remained busy with the school, the association, and her writings for the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932. The date of her death, 9 December, is now commemorated as ‘Rokeya Day’ in Bangladesh.

Early Rising Early rising is the habit of getting up from bed early in the morning. It is a very good habit which is very much essential for sound health. This habit is of special use to a man in various ways. Once one gets into the habit of rising early, one is able to set a routine and that obviously leads to better productivity both at work and home. The man who rises early in the morning can take some exercises or a walk in the morning fresh air by the river side or in the open field. The morning air refreshes both body and mind. Then the air is full of oxygen. There is a calm and serene atmosphere everywhere. One can enjoy the beauty of nature in the early morning. Nature smiles in the morning with colourful flowers and green leaves and the chirping of birds is also heard in the morning.  All these make them cheerful and healthy. The beautiful gifts and colourful nature in the morning remind everybody of the Creator. One feels like to pray to God. An early riser gets enough time to do his work either in study on in other work, which will bring him success. Finally, he must follow the instructions to rise early. An early riser has many advantages. He can start his daily works earlier. He had nothing to worry. He can earn more and become wealthy. So the habit of early rising is the source of health, wealth and wisdom. So, all of us should adopt a healthier way of living and reap those benefits.

Leisure/Leisure Pursuit/Pastime Leisure is an interest or activity that somebody pursues in his or her spare time. Human beings cannot be compared to machines. The monotonous working hours of a hectic and busy life load their brains with tiredness and stress. So, they need something else besides their work to be energized or recharged. It refreshes them, at the same time it gives them a new life. There may be thousands types of pastimes all over the world. Many pastimes around the world are common to people no matter what their nationality or race. But some are not. However, whatever the country, one activity that is common to all is watching television. Most of the people of Bangladesh pass their leisure either playing in the field or gossiping in the rural areas. But in the urban sites there are a number of pastimes. Reading story books, collecting stamps, gardening, playing some indoor and outdoor games, reading for exams, listening to music, visiting relatives on weekends, attending music lessons, going to movies occasionally, helping parents with housework, going on a picnic with family or friends, walking in the park on holidays are the types that teenagers usually do in their leisure. Now a days going to different clubs or hotels has become teenage craze. Some people have selected walking, sightseeing, fishing, cooking etc as their leisure activities. The types of pastimes may vary from person to person according to their taste and culture. But the reason behind leisure is the same. The only reason is to have relaxation and pleasure.

The Selfish Giant Once there was a selfish giant who had a very beautiful garden in front of his place with soft green grass, beautiful flowers, fruit trees etc. He went to his friend in a distant land and stayed with them for seven years. In the meantime, every afternoon children came back from school and used to go and play in the Giant’s garden. One day when the giant came back, he saw the children playing freely in his garden. This made him seriously angry and he drove them away. He built a huge wall round the garden to stop entrance into it. So the children could not play. Then the garden became lifeless without any flower or bird. Though it was the season of spring, winter prevailed in the garden. The giant found no trace of spring in his garden. Then one day he could hear the chirping of birds and looked out of the window. He saw that children were playing in the garden. It was full of flowers and birds. He come out of his castle into the garden and seeing him coming, the children ran away. At once the garden became lifeless again with cold. He could realize the matter and felt sad. Then he allowed them to enter into it and play freely. The garden immediately regained its life with flowers leave. From that time the giant and the children become close friends.

My First Day at School The day a student goes to school for the first time in life is called first day at school. Human life is the collection of some forgettable as well as memorable events. My first day school is an event which will remain ever fresh in my heart. When my parents declared the news of my schooling, I became very much excited and started leaping and dancing in great joy. I was always thinking about the school, the teachers, and the students of the school. I couldn’t even sleep at night. The next morning my mother woke me up early in the morning. I had a bath and put on my best clothes. Having breakfast, my father and I started walking towards the school. After reaching school, I saw many students on the school campus playing and talking to each other. My father took me to the headmaster’s room. My heart beat fast. But his smiling face and gentle words put me at ease.  As I could answer all of his questions, he became pleased. He called in a teacher and sent me to my class with her. My classmates received me very cordially and made friendship with me within a short time. The school broke up at 2 pm. My father again came and took me home. I left the school with a cheerful mind. That day was very remarkable in my life.

A Good Teacher/An Ideal Teacher A man or woman, who teaches the students to discover hidden treasures in any educational institutions, is called a teacher. He is a friend, philosopher and a guide to the students. Generally, a teacher is judged whether he is good or bad according to the temperament of the students. But an ideal teacher must have some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. He who knows the art of teaching, is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. An ideal teacher treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistakes, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his students realise his mistake. An ideal teacher is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He influences young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school.

The Importance of Using Dictionary A dictionary is a book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language alphabetically, gives their meaning, provides information about pronunciation, origin, and usage. Dictionaries are very important books in the life of a student as it can be both a teacher and a good friend. It lists the words in a language alphabetically so that the reader may find them easily. A dictionary entry gives us the accepted spelling of a word, its division into syllable, its pronunciation, its origins along with its meanings. It informs what part of speech does a certain word belong. Sometimes a dictionary also provides synonyms, or opposites of a word. In addition, if the word is a noun that describes a visible thing, the dictionary may provide a picture of it. In this connection, it guides us in writing words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes examples sentences are also provided. When one wants to use the word and does not know where to put the word, one can look example sentences. However, searching words by using a dictionary takes a lot of time. Using a talking dictionary, words can be searched immediately. We can find some words in a few minute. To sum up, a dictionary does a great help for everyone, especially students who are learning a language and who are interested in language learning to explore new words and enrich vocabulary.

My Best Friend A good friend might be someone who’s there to provide support when times are tough, or someone you can rely on to celebrate a special moment. I have a very good friend who really has loyalty and with whom I can share all feelings. My best friend, X is very punctual, obedient, tolerant, leadership in nature, tall, fair in complexion, smart, broadminded, co-operative and respectful. He lives with me as my neighbour in the same colony. We met each other in the nursery class on the very first day. We sit together in the classroom and share everything very happily without any problem. He is very good in studies and behaves well with everyone. He does his class work and homework very attentively. We share our Tiffin in the lunch time. Many things of us like hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc are similar. We love to listen music, watching cartoons and playing carom at home. We take care of each other in the school and playground. We share school copies and help each other whenever one of us remain absent in the school. We love drawing sceneries and arts in our spare time. We go at tour and picnic with our parents together in every winter and summer vacation. I am really proud of him.

E – Learning E-learning refers to the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. E-learning includes numerous types of media that deliver text, audio, images, animation, streaming video, audio or video tape, satellite TV, CD or DVD-ROM and computer-based, as well as web-based learning. In e-learning every step such as, registration, admission, classroom entry and exit, class work, attendance, discussion with course mates, feedback, exams and finally certification must take place electronically through computer and the Internet technology in a virtual campus. It is commonly thought that new technologies make a big difference in education. Many people involved in e-learning believe that everyone must be equipped with basic knowledge of technology, as well as use it as a vehicle for reaching educational goals. Various technologies are used to facilitate e-learning. Most of the e-learning uses combinations of many techniques, including blogs, collaborative software, eportfolios, educational websites and virtual classrooms. E-Learning has become an important technique that educational as well as business institutions invest a great deal of money, time and effort in order to make use of it. E-Learning has proven to be the cheapest way to transmit knowledge to the largest number of people regardless of their location and their devices. Most of the existing e-Learning environments present some similarities and most educators need several tools to efficiently make use of e-Learning. In short, e-learning has helped people to learn about anything they want, anytime they want by using modern technologies and thus spreading knowledge all around the world.

A Village Doctor The man who deals with village people and gives medicine to the rural people without any knowledge about medicine is called a village doctor. He takes slight training from an experienced doctor. Though he is a quack but he saves the poor villagers from immature death. The village people like him very much and he is a favorite person to the villagers. He may not a good or an efficient doctor but he goes if anybody calls him to their house. He renders great service to the villagers when they fall ill. He selects medicine depending on his general idea. He also has an own dispensary which offers a poor show two benches. The village doctor leads a very hard and busy life. Every day he gets up early in the morning and takes his bath and takes his meal and goes to his dispensary. He begins to attend the patients present at his dispensary just at 8.00 am and finishes at late hours of night. Though he sometimes worsens the disease of a patient; he is the most trusted person to the villagers. Sometimes he takes an assistant. When people fell in danger he helps them and gives them necessary medicine. He looks after his patients from his own heart. He is a beneficial person of the society and does great services to the rural people. He shares their weal and woe. He consoles them and hears those words of hope. He treats his patients with sympathy.

A Visit to the Historical Interest Man is not satisfied with what he has seen and known. He wants to see more and know more. He wants to get flavor of the historical places, so whenever I get an opportunity, I visit a place of historical interest. I got such an opportunity to visit Bagerhat, a great historical place in Bangladesh. The Mazar of Khan Jahan Ali is a fine one storied building. It has a beautiful dome. Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali was buried there. The tomb is made of cut of stones. It cannot be accurately said where from these were brought. It is said that Pir Khan Jahan Brought these fromchittagong by flotting on water, on the tomb there are inscription in Arabic. An inscription says that he died on 25th October 1459. There is a small mosque nearby. A close associate of Khan Jahan Ali was buried outside the tomb. On the night of the full moon of the Bangla Month Chaitra a big fair is held beside the Mazar. Many people attend the fair. There is a big tank in front of the Mazar, the local people call it the Dighi of Khan Jahan Ali. There are some crocodiles in the big tank. They come near fakirs call them and give them something to eat. I saw the Dighi with my own eyes and derived much pleasure. It is a big and beautiful building which is beautifully decorated. It is said that it was used both as a mosque and the court by Pir Khan Jahan. The mosque has great attraction for the tourists and visitors. Bageraht is really a place of historical interest. I shall never forget this visit. It is a wonderful experience that I have ever achieved. Or A visit to a palace of historical interest I am always curious by nature to know the places of historical interest. I have a fascination for visiting historical places. It has a great educative as well as cultural value. By visiting historical places; we can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. A visit to a place of historical interest is really interesting and attractive. During the last summer vacation, I, along with some of my friends, got such an opportunity to visit the Natiotal Memorial at Savar and decided to go to savar to see the National Memorial. Accordingly, we fixed a date and started our journey from Gabtali to savar at 10 p.m. by bus. We reached savar, near National Memorial just after 45 minute. Actually the National Memorial at savar is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It contains the history of our independence. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. It stands 150 feet tall, but every martyr it stands for stands so much taller. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. Reaching there we felt a great respect to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their valuable lives for us. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and saw many historical things and enjoyed myself. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters just close to the tower. However, we left the place paying our glowing tribute to the freedom fighters. Through this visit we experienced a lot. The monument richly deserves all the honour and distinction that it has been showered with. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.  Or A visit to a palace of historical interest A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to its cultural value. Visiting a historical place is really interesting, educative and attractive. We can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. During the last summer vacation, I along with my family got such an opportunity to visit the National Memorial at Savar. Actually it is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. The entire complex covers an area of 126 acres. The plan of this complex includes a mosque, a library and a museum. The relics of the liberation war will be kept in the museum to remind the supreme sacrifices of freedom loving people. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters. Standing in front of the graves we bow down our heads in respect, as the towers soar up symbolizing the loftiness of their spirit. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and enjoyed many historical things. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. Through this visit we experienced a lot. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.

A Railway Station A railway station is such a place where different kinds of rails come, stand and start from to facilitate the passengers to get in and to get down from them. It is one of the cheapest and most comfortable of all the transport systems. In every station there is at least a building that usually made of red bricks which is called station house. The building has several rooms which are used as a booking office, ticket counters, and waiting rooms for passengers. Besides, there are rooms for stationmaster rooms for officer on duty and so on. The stationmaster is all in all in a station. He is assisted by number of other staffs, railway police and guards. The passengers willing to travel by train collect their tickets from the ticket counter. The ticket counter generally opens half an hour before the arrival of the train. A railway station is a crowded and noisy place, both passengers and coolies remain busy to push one after another to get into it. There may be waiting room for the passengers. When a rail comes up, the passengers fall in a long line to get into it. After some time, the guard blows the whistle and waves the green flag, the train moves.  As soon as the train leaves, the station sinks into silence and turns into a deserted place. Hawkers are seen to sell betel leaf, cigarettes, newspapers, fancy items etc. Book stalls, fruit shops and tea-stall are also found here. Some evil doers often flock in the railway station and try to harm the passengers. A railway station however, plays an important role in communication sector of the country.

An Ideal Student The student life is a period of training for the practical duties of manhood. It is the seed time of one’s life. An ideal student makes the best use of student life. His aim is not confined to studies and passing of university examination only. He is courteous to one and all. He cultivates good manners and habits. He is industrious, honest and sympathetic. He possesses a keen sense of duty and responsibility. He is regular and punctual. He never cherishes an evil thought. He is obedient to his teachers and elders. He shuns bad company. He is diligent. Diligence is a great virtue. He is a great lover of truth. He has a thirst for knowledge and learning. He gathers knowledge from every possible source as a bee flits from flower to flower and gathers honey. He attains exactness of mind is consistent in action. Dignity, discipline, self-control, constructive organization and self-restraint are his watchwords. He is virtuous and mentally and bodily firm and strong. He acts like a brave and fearless soldier in a national cause. He is tolerant and free from prejudices narrow-mindedness and selfish motive. He rushes in where others fear to tread. He is optimistic. Nothing can disappoint him. Nothing can daunt him. He thinks, decides and dashes. He is self-assertive. He presses on and on to attain perfection, getting over all the difficulties in his way. ‘Excelsior’ is his motto in life.

A School Library A school library, a store house of knowledge, is usually housed in a suitable place according to the choice and scope within the school boundary. It satisfies eternal desire for knowledge of the unknown and the unseen. A school without a library is unthinkable these days. It has text books on various subjects, newspapers, journals, novels, travels, biographies, history, geography, short stories, essays, poetry and magazines etc. Students, especially who want to broaden their knowledge, go to the library in their vacant periods and study. On one side of the library hall there are long tables and benches. Students sit, read and take down notes there. The calm and quiet atmosphere of the library helps the students to work attentively. The school librarian, a trained and qualified person, gives advice to students on the choice of books. Students find no difficulty in the selection of the books. It is always open on all the days of the week. Nobody is allowed to keep a book after a certain period. A school library plays a vital role in the academic affairs of students. It is a good way to develop general knowledge. The students beget studious habits. It creates a taste for book among the weak boys even after school life. It gives opportunities to make best use of our leisure time. By studying in a library regularly, a student can do well in the examination which ultimately leads him to the pinnacle of success.

River Gypsies River gypsies, known as bedey to local people, are one of the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. The gypsies have their own lifestyle and culture. They are used to live a nomadic life travelling from one place to another in small country boats. These boats are their houses. They are an integral part of our waters. Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with both fishing and diving for natural pearls in waters. Sometimes, they camp for a couple of weeks. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics and other things. They also try to heal pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their body. When many water bodies dry up in winter season, they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. Their men can be seen relaxing in the tents. Women often pick off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row. Gypsy people are losing their customers due to the rapid urbanization process. Voting rights, permanent housing, mobile boat-schools and bank loan facilities should be offered to them to survive in the mainstream population.

Bangladeshi Culture Culture is made up of all of its ideas, ways of behaving, working and playing. We, the Bangali, have an age old and traditional culture of our own. We have our own Language, dress, food habit, games and sports, music, art, literature etc. Our culture is a close knit, family oriented. We have a rich history and collection of folk songs in Bangladesh. Of them Palligiti, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Jari, Sari, Gambhira, Lalongiti, Palagaan and songs of Hason Raja are very popular. The traditional musical instruments like dotara, sarinda, bamboo flute, tabla are usually played with these songs. Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangladesh, followed by football. Shalwar Kameez, Sharee, kurta, fatua, lungi are the main dresses. The ethnic people in Bangladesh hold a very important place in the culture of the country. They are mostly farmers. By religion they are Hindus, Christians or Buddhists. Nakshi kantha is a kind of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh. Our cuisine is rich and varied with the use of many spices. Panta ilish is a traditional platter of Panta bhat on the Pohela Boishakh. We have delicious and appetizing food, snacks, and sweets. The common ones are roshgulla, sandesh, rasamalai, gulap jamun, kal jamun and chom-chom. In a word, our culture is enriched in unique variety.

Nakshi Kantha Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ was derived from the Bengali word, ‘naksha’ which implies artistic pattern. It is a type of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The art has been practiced in pastoral areas of Bengal for centuries. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ gained popularity after the poet Jasimuddin’s poem ‘Nakshi kanthar Math’ which was published in 1929. Traditional kanthas are made especially by the women for family use. Old or new cloth and thread are used to make these quilts. Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Faridpur, Bogra and Jessore are most famous for this craft. Now it is produced commercially. It can be found in many expensive handicraft shops in cities. Because of the colourful patterns and designs embroidered on them, the quilts are now in great demand. Finally, it goes without saying that “Nakshai Kantha” signifies a token of Bengali culture.

The wheel A wheel is a circular object which can rotate around its axis and help easy movement of things across a surface. Although it is a very important invention, the history of its origin is unknown. Experts guess that the first wheel was developed from a circular object. The early man observed that a huge piece of stone could be rolled easily if it was circular in shape. Thus, early man took advantage of rolling objects and developed the first wheel. Apart from its mechanical advantage, a wheel’s mobility has contributed much to the civilisation. The wheels are, in fact, everywhere. They are on our cars, trains, planes, wagons and so on. Besides, they are on most factory and farm equipment. Fans, propellers, turbines are also other types of wheels. So the wheel is very important. They have brought great civilization to the world through this invention. Today we cannot imagine modern life without wheels.

Information Technology Information technology is that technology by which the information is processed, communicated, exhibited and retrieved in a fast, error-free and proper-way. It means the study or use of electronic equipment especially computers, telephone, television, fax, telex, internet, e-mail, photocopier, printer, scanner, cellular phones, pagers, videophone, digital camera, multimedia, etc. for storing and analyzing information. There is hardly any area which had not been affected by this. Television can not only send message but also telecast live moving events, cinemas, dramas, music, dance and many other entertaining programmes. Wireless or radio can transmit information in a second from one place to another. There is no information but is available in the internet. Various social networking services such as face book, twitter, LinkedIn etc are rendering their services only by means of the internet. The bond of brotherhood and friendship is being built up among the world people. In supermarkets it helps for faster processing of films. In the field of agriculture, a digital moisture meter records the moisture in the soil and tells when harvesting should start. For people, who are suffering from hearing loss, digits technology is of great help. It processes sounds that reduce noise, improves clarity of speech and controls unwanted loudness. The present concept of globalization is completely void and nothing without information technology. But it is not free from demerits. Social and anti-social movement, hijacking, fraudulence and many other crimes can take place for the misuse of it. So, all the world people irrespective of colour and creed should be aware of the demerits of information technology. The government of Bangladesh is very keen to achieve a great deal in the field of information technology. Now we can hope that we will become an information technology superpower in near future.

War Criminals War criminals are those persons who literally engaged in mass-murder and stood with wrong side.  In 1971, our freedom fight took place.  Some people who are Bangladeshi by birth supported Pakistan and butchered our innocent people. They were known as Rajakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams.  We got independence after 9 month’s long bloody war. In that battle, 30 lacks of our brother sacrificed their lives and 2 lacks of our sisters are raped. But, it is considered excessive if wecompare the time length and victim numbers. It was happened because someunethical countrymen of ours thought about their own benefits over our beloved country.  They helped Pakistani Army to brutalise our innocent people.  But, no punishment was given until 2013.  Some war criminals fled abroad.  Abdul Kalam Azad who was sentenced to death is thought to be in Pakistan. Another, however, Abdul Quader Mollah, the assistant secretary general of a Muslim party which collaborated with the genocidaires, the Jamaat e-Islami, was given life imprisonment. But, general public of Bangladesh is not happy about that. The want all of the Rajakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams to be executed. For this, they have arranged a protest at “Shabagh Chattor”. Later, it was named “Shadinota Prjonmo Chattor”. It’s new movement for our country. Young people have come forward to eradicate all injustice by taking inspiration from the freedom fighters of 1971. If they continue their  good  work,  Bangladesh  will  be  Rajakars,  Al-Badr,  Al-Shams-Free one day.

A Road Accident Among daily’s unfortunate occurrences, street accident is very common. Despite all efforts to prevent accident, it happens every day. Busy and narrow road, careless driving, it takes place very frequently. Day before yesterday a terrible accident took place just before my eyes. It occurred in front of Bangla College while I was going to the New Market. When I reached the college gate, suddenly I heard a scream of a boy who was trying to cross the Mirpur Road. He was run over by a speedy truck. When the truck was a few feet away from him, he got puzzled and ran backwards and forwards. The driver tried desperately to hold the break but failed. He was crushed under the wheels of the truck and his body was changed into a lump of flesh. The truck was stopped. The passers-by crowded there. The boy was taken up from the pool of blood. A gentleman offered his car to carry the boy to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. In the evening I came to know that the boy had passed away on way to the hospital. I was greatly shocked at this incident. The truck along with the driver had been taken to police custody. But that horrible scene still haunts my mind. However, we all should always bear in mind that life is more valuable than time. Moreover, some proper steps should be taken and some strict rules should be introduced to stop street accidents.

The Life of a Fisherman A fisherman is a person who catches and sells fishes from various sources to maintain his life. Generally, he lives in a village near a river or a sea. He is hard working and painstaking. He uses nets and boats in fishing. Some have nets but no boats. Some who have boats and nets, employ the boat less ones and work in a group. A fisherman is always at work. While at home, he repairs his boats or nets and paints his boats or dyes his nets. He catches fish in the seas, rivers, haors, beels and ponds. His women-folk make new nets; his children dry fishes in the sun and sell them in the market. The life of a fisherman is very risky and challenging because there may have storms and cyclones at any time. Some fishermen go to fish at night; some go to fish in the deep water or in the sea from home for many days. If he cannot earn a day, his family is to starve. He feels happy when he earns the needful amount. After all a fisherman does much good to us by supplying fishes. In spite of being hard working, he can hardly make both ends meet. Government should take some pragmatic steps for the development of minimum standard of their livelihood.

A Tea Stall A tea stall is a small shop where tea and other things are sold for the passers-by. It is a common place to all classes of people. It is usually found at the turn of the road, bus stands, railway stations, Bazar or even beside an office where the common people are available. It opens early in the morning and closes at late night. Biscuits, bread, banas, betal leaf and different kinds of handmade snacks are available there. A tea stall is furnished with some benches and tables. An ordinary tea stall is dirty. A boy is employed in a tea stall to serve the people. Sometimes, the owner himself serves as the boy and the cashier. People who come to a tea stall usually do not leave it immediately after taking a cup of tea. People refresh themselves with a cup of tea in a tea stall. It is also a place where social disputes are settled. They mainly talk about politics, local events and current affairs. This is why it is called a Mini Sangsad. Intact, tea stall is now –a-days an important place of social gathering and at the same time a place of charm for the common people. So a tea stall occupies an important place in our day-to-day life.

Eve-Teasing Bangladesh, a developing country, though holding quite a small area is flooded with uncountable problems. Among these, eve-teasing, recently has become the burning issue for the country because of its adverse effects on women, especially to the teenage girls. Eve teasing has remained a concern since many years. The practice of eve-teasing is a form of sexual assault that ranges in brutality from catcalls, sexually evocative remarks, brushing in public places and very recently teasing by mobile phone and mobile tracking. These teasers wait in front of girls’ schools and colleges and as soon as they cite the girls walk past them they start passing bad comments, dirty jokes, sly whistles, uncivilised laughter, and sometimes reaching the extreme of rude publicity. Due to the rise of eve-teasing in our country, parents and guardians are passing days in great anxiety for the safety of their children. The normal life of girls is being hampered due to its rapid increase. Strict enforcement of laws and motivational campaign can go a long way in reducing the incidence of the social menace. The government of Bangladesh has pursued a number of legal measures, both direct and indirect, to minimise the violence against women and uphold their rights. If we want to get rid of this practice we need to change our attitudes and engrave a self-generated respect for women coming from our hearts. Or Eve-Teasing Eve teasing means molestation or exciting young girls sexually by making indecent remarks or vulgar comments on them. It usually starts with winking eyes and making obscene gestures and may go to the extent of physical assault and harassment. Generally, school and college-going girls become victims of eve teasing. It is a matter where boys use bad language to the girls who silently hate them without taking any kind of revenge. In naturally his violations reach the girls to suicide. For removing it forever from the society everybody should careful about it. Everybody should behave each other like brother and sister. Here religion rules can contribute a lot. If anybody makes this again they should be punished for their deeds. And we should take immediate action to them if anybody makes this violation. Boys who see their fathers treating their mothers with respect will automatically grow into men who think likewise. Boys and girls should be allowed to mingle freely so that they learn to respect each other’s individuality. Men need to realize that every woman is some man’s wife, or daughter, or sister, or mother; and must be treated with the same respect, they would accord their own. Eve teasing is a social crime and it should be prevented at any cost. The law-enforcing authorities should deal severely with the eve teasers. People’s conscience and consciousness must also be aroused to stop this nuisance. Or Eve-Teasing Eve-teasing is normally meant as teasing a girl or woman illegally. “Eve-teasing” refers to public sexual harassment or street harassment to a girl by a boy, when it turns into a serious issue. Eve-teasing is a very common term in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. Almost every young girl is a victim of teasing, especially by the local young teaser. The most of the people may avoid it as a common matter with young generation. But when it crosses the line, it will raise as a problem to us.  These days, many girls have committed suicide only to safe themselves from eve-teasing. There happened many occurrences like this, which are not being published in the newspaper. In most of the cases, the victims shy to exposes these incidents. That means, eve-teasing in Bangladesh has reached its maximum range. This is against the women rights without any doubt. Those who are involved with this kind of embarrass stuff can be named as a terrorist. The teasers wait in schools, colleges or outside the house gate and as soon as girls walk passed by them they start teasing with bad comments, naughty jokes, sly whistles and even indecent exposure. To control the diffusin of Eve Teasing, Education Ministry in Bangladesh has designated 13 June, 2010 as Eve Teasing Protection Day. This declaration reflects its result by decreasing both the number of women-suicide and also the extension of eve teasing all over the country. This great problem of our country cannot be removed only by Government movements. Both the Government and the public of the country should come forward to eradicate this problem from our country. In this fact, public awareness and application of strict law is crying need against eve-teasers, so no eve-teasers get the chance to raise their head.

Cultural Assault Cultural assault means bad influence of foreign cultures on any native culture. Some cultures have profound impact on other cultures that might be harmful and then it will be a cultural assault.  In the present global world, it is quite tough to impede this cultural aggression. With the development of hi-tech media, it has been very easy for a society to be infiltrated by alien cultures. Many of the cultural elements may be influenced in this way. Our Bangladeshi culture is mostly affected because of cultural assault of other countries. Our dress pattern especially for teenagers and young generation has altered a lot. Now people like pop song and band music sung in the western style and with western musical instruments. Besides, our eating habits are also being changed. Today many of us like to take fast food outside home using chopstick, fork etc. Now our young generations prefer celebration of 31 December to that of Pahela Baishakh. They never mind celebrating the Valentine’s Day. However, to get rid of the invasion of alien culture, we should be very much strict to exercise our own culture and flourish our cultural elements. We can rightly boast of an affluent cultural heritage. We have our own cultural traits and its identity. In addition to that, we have to accept miscellaneous alien cultures selectively, which will make our traditional culture more affluent.

Child Trafficking Child trafficking is a crime against humanity. Trafficking in persons is nothing short of modern-day slavery. It is, therefore, not only a problem for Bangladesh but rather it is a global problem. The most common forms of human trafficking in Bangladesh are, among others: trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, domestic servitude, forced labour and other forms of exploitation. Child trafficking is now considered one of the major concerns for Bangladesh. However, various studies reveal that over 1 million women and children have been trafficked out of the country in the last 30 years. A UNICEF report says that approximately 400 women and children in Bangladesh are victims of trafficking each month.  Both internal and cross-border trafficking exist in Bangladesh. In the case of internal trafficking, women and children are often taken away from their homes on false promises of a better life with good employment or by using various other criminal acts and means by the traffickers who sell them to brothels. It is mainly people from rural areas with minimal survival options and those who suffer the worst from discriminatory sociocultural practices who are lured or deceived with promises of a better life and more lucrative job opportunities in cities. At the cross-border level, victims are transported and transferred to destinations further away such as India, Pakistan and Middle Eastern countries, by using illegal acts and processes which culminate in the most corrosive forms of human rights violations and a life of unspeakable agony and torture.

Campus Violence Education in our country is passing through a stage of crisis. Along with political unrest in the country, campus violence has become almost a daily affair. It appears that the students are there in our colleges and universities only to be engaged in violence throwing their main duty of learning something to dust. The impact of such violence is too many to be described. It may simply be said that Bangladesh is already educationally backward. The teachers are growing unconcerned about the welfare of the students. The students are growing to be more concerned about politics endless about their studies. They are gradually forming the habit of intolerance. The basic principles of democracy for which they are shouting are going to be slaughtered at their hands. The innocent students and guardians are becoming the worst sufferers. Campus violence not only ruins the academic environment but also spoils the life of the students and takes away many valuable lives. They have become puppets in the hands of the so called narrow minded politicians. The self-centered narrow minded politicians exploit the innocent students and encourage them terrorism by supplying them with weapons. As campus violence is a demon and no one like to see it again, the government is also keen to make campuses violence free and making student activism a process of leadership building for future, people concerned want to see immediate steps from the government and elder politicians in this regards.

Child-Labour in Bangladesh Child labour defines an extremely complex set of phenomena. It is undoubtedly one of the curses of new era. Poverty poses to be a great threat in Bangladesh. Their working in the hotels or in the garments, as a tempo helper or a tokai is really pathetic. Sometimes they are engaged in full time job from tender age like domestic servant, day-laborer. It may involve too much physical pressure such as brick clinker, railway porter. In many places, children are mentally and physically oppressed during their work. But a child has right to live and survive well. Being deprived of basic rights, a child cannot become a perfect man. We should ensure their good leaving. A child should be protected from all kinds of threats and oppressions. He has the right to get educated. We should encourage them to learn. We should also ensure a child’s health and hygiene. We should try to improve their physical and mental development. A child should not be forced into labor. We must not expect income from the children. The world community has to be more conscious about this. Child labor should be banned from the society as soon as possible for a better future of the country because one who is child today will be a perfect man tomorrow. All children should be given equal privileges to grow up in the interest of mankind itself.

Mobile/ Cell Phone Mobile phone is such a cordless phone by which people can communicate with others immediately. It is a telephone system that works without any wire. Today, mobile phone has become popular to everybody since it is very convenient. For instance, one can contact easily to anyone by calling or sending messages everywhere. Specially, businessman and the service holders are much benefited through the use of mobile phone. But it is also useful for the people who are shopping and supplying valuable information sitting in their houses. Moreover, one can relax with mobile phone’s applications, for example, play games, listen to music, or chat with your friends. A mobile phone in one’s hand can solve many issues and hold most of information around the world. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. Using a lot mobile phone can harm your brain. If you use mobile phones too much, you will get bad effects like dizzy, blood-brain barrier, or ears problems. Terrorists are using it to spread out terrorism all around the world. In addition, when you use mobile phones while you are driving, you will get an accident. Moreover, radiations emitted from the phone are dead harmful for the eardrum has proved by many scientists. But in spite of all these disadvantages, it can be finalized here that the necessity of a mobile phone in exchanging messages, cannot be denied in the true sense of the term in our practical life.

Adopting Unfair Means in the Examination The adoption of unfair means in the examination means copying in the examination. It does not simply mean copying from books etc. Inside the hall, it includes any sort of malpractice in or outside the hall to succeed in the examination. It is one of the signs of other degenerating conditions existing in our society. Many students without preparing lessons waste their valuable time in gossiping, roaming, playing, travelling etc. As a result, they are compelled to adopt unfair means in the hall. By adopting unfair means a student frustrates the very purpose of the examination. Merely committing to memory and vomiting it in the examination halls cannot determine the merit of a student. In order to solve copying in the examination the govt. has taken some preventive measures. First of all, the govt. is trying to raise public awareness through mass media. Recently the government has enforced a law that if any student is found copying in the examination hall, she/he will be expelled from the examination hall. If any invigilator is found helping any examiner, legal action will be taken against her/him. Even if outsiders are found involved in helping any examiner in copying, they will also be punished. The government has interchanged the examination centers and formed invigilation teams to monitor the overall condition of the examination center. The very system of education should be changed. Above all the government, the teachers, the guardians, the students, the intellectuals, the politicians and all the conscious sections of the country should come forward to tackle the problem.

Victory Day of Bangladesh Victory means the rebuilt of self-immolation of 30 lacs people. The 16th December is the victory Day of Bangladesh. This day reminds us of the supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters who will ever shine in our hearts like the luminous stars in the sky. It is a red letter day in our national calendar of Bangladesh. In 1971, Bangladesh discloses herself as a new country and gets a place in the world map. The occupation forces surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces, and with their surrender we got our victory. It is a government holiday. The national flag is hosted in all important offices, buildings, institutions and shops. All-important places are tastefully decorated. Meetings and seminars are held to explain the importance of the day. On this day we pay rich tributes to the memory of the day. People from all walks of life irrespective of ages, castes and creeds celebrate Victory Day with huge enthusiasm and inspiration. Different cultural organizations hold various programmes and bring out colourful rallies to mark the day. Radio and television broadcast special programmes, and newspapers publish special supplementary on this day. The parks, museums etc. remain crowded from dawn to dusk with lots of people enjoying their time. We pray to almighty Allah for the martyrs of our liberation war. The victory day symbolizes the triumph of justice over tyranny, of truth over falsehood. So the 16th December is a very important day in the history of Bangladesh.

Zahir Raihan Zahir Raihan, one of the most talented film makers, was born on 19 August 1935 in Feni district of Bangladesh. He was an active worker of the Language Movement, took part in the mass movement in 1969, joined the Liberation War in 1971. All through his life, Zahir dreamt for a democratic society that will ensure freedom of speech and will. He had many dreams about our film industry too. He made a legendary film Jibon Theke Neya based on the Language Movement of 1952. It was a revolt against the then autocratic government. During the liberation war this film was shown outside Bangladesh and earned appreciation. Zahir gave all his money to the Freedom Fighters’ trust that he got from his film shows. Besides, his great documentary on Pakistani atrocities, Stop Genocide, helped create world sentiment in favour of our liberation war. His brother Shahidulla was captured and killed by the Pakistani army and the local collaborators during the last days of the war. On 30 December 1971, someone informed Zahir about an address somewhere at Mirpur, where he might find his brother. Accordingly, Zahir left home to get his brother back and he never returned. Zahir’s dream was fulfilled. He could see the inception of a free independent Bangladesh though he did not get back his brother. And it’s a pity that this dreamer was missing at such a time when his dream came true.

Floral Culture Floral culture has widely been flourished in our country because of a rosy environment full of colour and fragrance. It is not only an interesting pastime but also a moneymaker if it can be handled professionally. A florist specializes in the selection and arrangement of flowers for a variety of events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, marriage days, Valentine ’s Day, official receptions and even funerals. Although formal education or a diploma is not always essential, florists must have a good taste, good eye for colours, shapes and proportion. They have to have good sense for selecting flowers, ribbons and other accessories to make beautiful arrangements. Professional florists are knowledgeable about not only flowers but also designs and techniques. Most florists learn the trade mainly through apprenticeship in a previous flower farming job and also by attending formal floral schools and courses. Every flower is with its distinct colour, design, significance and meaning which flower designers have to know well. We know that conventionally roses are meant for romance and anniversaries and tulips for birthdays. However, a true passion for flowers and a bit of aesthetic sense are all that can make a florist’s career successful. Flower designers earn fairly handsome money. But the bonus is that they belong to a fresh fun job. They work in flowers all day long in a nice atmosphere with fresh air, pleasant smells and vivid colours around. But there is a disadvantage too, if you are inclined to see so. Florists deal with flowers, but miss their honey!

Zainul Abedin Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, the founding father of Bangladeshi art, is widely reputed for his Bengal ‘Famine Sketches’. Through a series of sketches, he depicted extremely shocking pictures with human compassion. He developed a knack for drawing and painting when he was a high school student. He graduated with the first position in first class in 1938. He was appointed teacher of the Art School while he was still a student there and later attended the Slade School of Arts, London. His 65-foot long scroll portraying heightened the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistan regime. He organized nabanna exhibition which is a milestone in demanding cultural and political freedom. His dynamic style of work is evident in a 30-foot-long scroll painting of devastating cyclone of 1970 called Manpura. He designed the pages of Constitution of Bangladesh. He founded the Folk Art Museum at Sonargoan, and also Zainul Abedin Shangrahasala in Mymensingh in 1975. The river Brahmaputra has a significant role in his paintings and a source of inspiration all through his career. He was awarded by the Governor’s Gold Medal in an all-India exhibition in 1938. During his life time, he produced a series of brush and ink drawings, which later became iconic images of human sufferings.

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa, the mother as well as the servant of humanity, was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and joined the Sisters of Loretto with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata from 1929 to 1948. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. This made it possible for her to start ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ for the dying destitute. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’. She will always be remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick. Or Mother Teresa Mother Teresa is remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick. Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and came to India at the age of nineteen to join the Sisters of Loretto, an Irish community of nuns with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1929 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. In 1948, Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa. In the same yea, she became an Indian citizen. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. She had no money so she started an open-air school for homeless children. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. Help flowed in from various authorities. This made it possible for her to start her own order ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ to love and take care for those persons whom nobody was prepared to look after. Now the Missionaries of Charity are working in 125 countries with more than 750 centers. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Sishu Bhava, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’.

The Shat Gambuj Masjid The Shat Gambuj Masjid is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural beauties of Bangladesh. Saint and warrior Ulugh Khan Jahan, the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the South, founded this multidomed mosque in Bagerhat district. The stately fabric of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of a low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape. The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 chauchala or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and the south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stones columns. The arches are six feet in thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque is’ beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage. Besides being used as a prayer hall, the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali.

The Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty, originally called Liberty Enlightening the World, is a statue on Liberty Island in the harbour of New York. It symbolises liberty in the form of a woman wearing flowing robes and a spiked crown. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand and carries in her left hand a book inscribed “July 4, 1776”. Broken chains, symbolizing the overthrow of tyranny, lie at her feet. The statue was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and was given by France to the USA to commemorate the centennial of US independence in 1876. France raised funds, by popular subscription to pay for the statue; US donors financed the pedestal and installation of the monument. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the work on October 28, 1886. The statue, the island, and nearby Ellis Island were declared a national monument in 1924. The statue formed of copper sheets riveted to an iron framework, is one of the largest in the world. It measures 93.5 m from the bottom of the pedestal to the tip of the torch.  Its head is reachable by staircase or emergency lift. The statue weighs 250 tons. Originally conceived as a gesture of international friendship, the statue has become a global symbol of freedom, marking the arrival of millions of immigrants to the United States.

Steven Paul Jobs Steven Paul Jobs, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc, was the pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He is the foster son of a car mechanic Paul Jobs and Clara jobs. His mother taught him how to read and write before he went to the elementary school. He became famous through the marketing of Apple computers. In 1985, Jobs left Apple after losing a power battle. He then founded NeXT, a computer platform development company. After returning to Apple as an adviser, he brought back Apple to profitability from the verge of bankruptcy. He supervised the development of iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The success of these products and services helped Apple to become the world’s most valuable company. Jobs has changed people’s perspective computer, and how they use it and communicate with each other. Hence i-Books, i-Phones, i-Pods and i-Pads have become extremely popular. It is he who made Wi-Fi a standard feature of every laptop. So Jobs’ dream to be anywhere anytime became a reality. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. In fact, he has been highly acclaimed as a visionary leader in the electronic field of computers and consumers

My Most Favourite Song There are many songs that appeal to my mind. In fact, the list of my favourite songs is rather long. But if I am asked to choose my most favourite song, I have to mention just one that comes to my mind instantly. The song is known as ‘Dhana dhanyo pushpo bhora’. This song is written and composed by the great poet and lyricist Dwijendralal Roy, popularly known as D.L. Roy. This is a song of patriotism which reflects the glory of our motherland. This is one of the most beautiful patriotic songs I have ever heard. It is said in the song that our motherland is the queen of all the lands on this earth and it is made of dreams and enfolded with memories. The song is a tribute to the matchless natural richness of our motherland. Throughout the song we have vivid descriptions of the wonderful natural blessings, love and affection that we enjoy in this land. The song ends with the yarning that this land that nurtured us from our birth will be the place of our final breath on earth. A sense of pride fills me when I listen to this composition. I salute my motherland as I listen to this song. It depicts our love and respect for our own country and nation. There is one more reason why this song is so close to my heart. I grew up listening to this song. Every time I listen to this song, I go back to my mother’s lap and hear her melodious voice singing ‘Sokol desher rani she je amar jonmobhmi’.

Self-employment Self-employment means to create job opportunity for oneself by one’s own effort rather than for another person or company. It is earning one’s livelihood directly from one’s own trade or business rather than as an employee of another. To be self- employed, an individual is normally highly skilled in a trade or has a niche product or service for his or her local community. With the creation of the Internet, the ability for an individual to become self- employed has increased dramatically. Self-employed people can also be referred to as a person who works for himself/herself instead of an employer, but drawing income from a trade or business that they operate personally. A business owner is not required to be hands-on with the day-to-day operations of his or her company, while a self- employed person has to utilize a very hands-on approach in order to survive. Policymakers increasingly view self-employment in the form of youth entrepreneurship as a possible solution to the youth unemployment crisis. In some countries, governments are cracking down on disguised employment, often described as the pretense of a contractual intra- business relationship to hide what is otherwise a simple employer-employee relationship. In Bangladesh, various government organizations are trying to create a congenial atmosphere for self-employment. Different NGO’s have also rendered their help. Livestock rearing, agricultural farming, poultry raising are some of the sectors. There are many opportunities for self-employment in Bangladesh. One can easily engage oneself in these jobs and bring about revolutionary change in one’s life.

Deforestation Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. Deforestation means cutting down trees at random. According to the ecologists, for live able environment there should be forest on the 25% land of the total land area. In Bangladesh there is 16% forest of the total land. Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They are also a great source of food, vitamins and furniture and they help to prevent drought and floods. To draw quick profit from trees, men cut them down in large numbers. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Trees produce oxygen and receive carbon dioxide. In absence of trees carbon dioxide is increasing worldwide. As a result, there is global warming. The sea level is rising. Any time in future the earth may be engulfed by seas. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on, our country will be changed into a desert. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, I think every man and woman should plant at least a tree every year.

Physical Exercise Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. There are various forms of physical exercise such as – walking, swimming, and riding, running, as well as playing cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis and various forms of gymnastics. But all forms of exercise are not equally suitable to all of us for the young all kinds’ games such as cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis are quite good. For the women badminton, table tennis, are quite nice. On the other hand, walking is good for the weak and the old. Without physical exercise not any can take pleasure in good health. Physical exercise confers some other profit too. It keeps us free from diseases and makes us physically strong and healthy. We need a sound body and a sound mind in order to live to fine. It is physical exercise which permits us to have a sound mind in a sound mind body. “Build up your body if you want to build up your mind”, was the dialogue of the ancient Greeks. It takes our mind away from the drudgery of work and fills it with joy. It gives us fresh energy, refresher our mind and helps us to return to work with renewed vigor. It increases our longevity too. It ensures us healthy and happy life. It prolongs our life and keeps our body and mind fit for work. It also teaches us the code of discipline and reliability. We should take some sort of physical exercise regularly. We should also remember that morning and evening are the best time for talking physical exercise. And no exercise should be taken in empty stomach or immediately after talking meal.

Bangla New Year/ Pohela Boishakh In Bengali, Pohela stands for ‘first’ and Boishakh is first month of Bengali calendar. The festival is celebrated according to the Bengali Calendar. Bangla New Year’s festivities are closely linked with rural life in Bengal. Usually on Pohela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in traditional clothes. They spend much time of the day visiting relatives, friends and neighbours. Boishakhi fairs are arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers and dancers staging jatra, pala gan, kobigan, jarigan etc. They present folk songs as well as baul, marfati, murshidi and bhatiali songs. Among other attractions of these fairs are puppet shows and merry-go-rounds. Panta Ilish – a traditional platter of leftover rice soaked in water with fried Hilsa a popular dish for the Pohela Boishakh festival in Bangladesh. The most colourful New Year’s Day festival takes place in Dhaka. Large numbers of people gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at Ramna Park where Chhayanat artists open the day with Rabindranath Tagore‘s famous song. A similar ceremony welcoming the new year is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Students and teachers of the institute take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus. Social and cultural organisations celebrate the day with cultural programmes. Newspapers bring out special supplements. There are also special programmes on radio and television. Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can participate in the festivities together without the burden of having to reveal one’s class, religion, or financial capacity.

A Birthday Party A birthday party is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the person who is being honored. In our country rich people are seen to celebrate this day festively. In this day, the drawing room is beautifully decorated. Friends, relatives, well-wishers are invited on this occasion. A special cake is ordered for celebrating this day. My birthday cake was in the shape of a chess board and looked very tempting. Besides, different kinds of delicious dishes are prepared. At the appointed time the invited guests begin to come and are welcomed by the person for which the day is being celebrated. At the appointed time the time the person concerned merrily cuts the cake. A round of applause follows. Plates full of delicious food items are then handed round. Everybody falls to with a good deal of zest. The eating is accompanied by a lot of taking and giggling. Camera is clicked on. After the meal, jokes may be made. Then the presents given by the invited guests may be unpacked one by one. And the person concerned expresses his or her gratitude to the guests. And the party may be rounded off with a chorus “Happy birthday to you”.

A trade fair A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities.  International trade fair is such a fair where goods of many countries of the world are displayed and sold within a fixed time. The event is expected to provide an immense opportunity both for buyers and sellers to establish new business contacts. A wide range of products including textile & garments, leather & leather goods including footwear, machinery equipment pharmaceuticals,carpets,chemical& allied products, cosmetics & beauty aids, dairy products, electrical and electronic items, food stuff, gift & novelty items,handicrafts, household appliances, furniture, building materials, sports goods, sanitary ware, toys and stationery and watches, clocks & jewellery will be displayed at the fair. International trade fair of Bangladesh is held at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar just north side of Sngsad Bhaban. Many foreign countries come to participate in this trade fair. Specially China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Korea and many other countries join in this fair with their varied commodities. I went there to observe and purchase some national and international commodities. Of course, I had also latent desire to come close contact with culture and things of foreign countries. I enjoyed myself well in Iternational Trade Fair. It will remain ever fresh in my mind.

Television Television is one of the greatest achievements of modern science. Now it is regarded as the medium of information, entertainment, telecast, education and many others. It can telecast any live programme from the remotest part of the world. Television can display many programmes at a time. Satellite TV has added a new dimension in our oriented life providing many programmes through different channels. It’s not only a good medium of recreation but also a source educational knowledge. Different channels telecast various educative dramas, movies, sports, cultural functions, news and articles. So we can easily collect educative information of agriculture, science and technology, politics, education, business, invention etc. Television helps us widespread the sight and outlook of the society. Coming to contact with the western societies, we are getting the opportunities to enrich our society and ourselves. But on the other hand, many people especially young generations are getting hampered and we all are now forgetting our own customs, traditions, music and culture. Very often obscene pictures and vulgar movies and programmes are shown in various satellite channels. Young generations are becoming more and more addicted to them. Moreover, most of us want to follow the dress-pattern, hairstyle, behaviour, music and nudity of the westerns. This mentality is leading our young generations to moral degradation. So, we all should be conscious of that.

Load Shedding Load-shedding is the suspension of electricity supply on certain lines when demand is greater than the generation. It occurs when the generation of power is less than the demand. It has become a very common affair in our daily life these days. In the modern world electricity plays a very important role in regulating our life. Any interruption in the supply of this vital item of energy can put the whole system out of order. In our country there is hardly any area which is not affected by load shedding. It creates many problems of far-reaching consequences in the economic and social development of the country. Most of the mills and factories become idle and for this reason industrial production declines and workers are retrenched. Social works and activities cannot go in order. Students cannot study properly because of the failure of electricity. During load shedding they are to study in dim candlelight. The housewife gropes in the darkness in the kitchen. The shops are to close down before the closing time. Spectators in the cinema hall spend hours in stuffy suffocation for load shedding. All types of productions stop and the entire life comes to a standstill during the period of load shedding. So, proper steps should be taken to stop load shedding. By establishing more power plants, power houses and by stopping unplanned distribution of electricity, illegal connection and reducing system loss, we can solve this problem.

A Street Beggar One who begs for alms from street to street is called a beggar. The beggar is a common sight in Bangladesh. Beggars are of different kinds and description. Some are old, some are young. Some can walk, some limp, a few move on push carts. There are singing beggars as well as whining beggars. Begging is regarded as a serious social problem because it encourages idleness and aversion to work. There are some beggars who are professionals. These are idlers. They find it easier to beg than work. But majority of the beggars are homeless and hungry. Nobody employs them. They suffer and ultimately become unfit for work. The first thing that begging creates in a beggar is the loss of his sense of honor. There is no certainty in a beggar’s life. The only certain thing in his life is that each day will be full of misery. He does not have any definite place to live in. His home is wherever he sleeps. There are no fixed hours for his work. If the weather is inclement he suffers most. The fortune of a beggar lies in his capacity to approach people. In fact, he is a man without fortune. He looks forward to the days of religious festivals when people are more charitable than other days. Reasons for begging are many. The unemployment problem and poverty are the two main reasons. Moreover, labour is not always viewed as dignified. Arrangement should be made to turn them into a working force.

A Rickshaw Puller One who pulls rickshaw for one’s livelihood is commonly called a rickshaw-puller. Rickshaw is a common vehicle in Bangladesh. It is paddled by human being. A rickshaw-puller generally lives in the slum area of the city. He supports his family through great hardship. He lives from hand to mouth.  His family lives in great poverty. What he earns is spent to maintain his family somehow. He passes his days in great troubles. There is severe poverty in his family for which his family members suffer a lot. He is to undergo hard labour. His sorrows know no bounds. There is no time table of his work. He works long hours on a day. He usually pulls his rickshaw from morning to midnight. He earns very scanty to meet up the demands of his family. Usually he lives a poor life, which is under poverty level. Sometime he along with his family is to starve due to his illness or rough weather. In the rainy season his miseries go beyond limit as water enters into his slum. We can do better his condition if we evaluate his hard labour. It is our holly duty to sympathetic towards him. Our kind behavior and attitude towards them may lead him to a happy and prosperous direction.

A Village Fair Village fair is an annual affair in Bangladesh and is a great event in the life of the villagers. It is generally held on the occasion of some religious festivals or some local important events. It is an occasion for show, sale of various goods and entertainments. It is held in some open place, either on the bank of river or in the yard of a temple. Some fair also sits in an open field under a big ancient tree or in the market place, or by the side of a big road. A village fair is an occasion of great joy and excitement among the villagers. Village fair is a kind of exhibition in miniature of hand made things. The rural artisans and craftsmen make various useful articles which are brought to the fair and offered for sale. It thus acts like a market for cottage industries. Small traders come from far and near to sell their goods. They bring clothes of various kind, ready-made garments, cheap fancy goods, dolls, utensils, sweets and other things. There are many forms of amusement in a village fair. Travelling jatra parties, Circus parties, magic shows, merry go rounds mockfights, jarigan (song) are additional attraction of a fair. Cinema parties also show picture to the people. But the largest crowd gathers around the place where jugglers show their feats. There are the dancing of dolls and feats of skill done on ropes and bamboos. Some of these are really wonderful. A village fair is a much looked-for occasion for all. Everybody waits for this fair with hope and attends it with profound pleasure.

A Nuclear Family The nuclear family or elementary family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children. I live in a nuclear family. Our family consists of four members such as my father and mother, my sister and myself. Nuclear family is getting popular nowadays because in such a family one can live according to one’s own will. The expenditure here is less than that of an extended family. In a nuclear family one may have much facility. He can enjoy his own life. He has no binding to anyone. The advantages of a nuclear family are stability, legacy, moral coding, skill building, shared responsibility, mutual support. The disadvantages of a nuclear family are that here he has to live alone. He has no companion to share his joys and sorrows. He feels lonely. I do not like it because here one has no friend or companion to share one’s feelings. In recent decades, this traditional form of the family has undergone major changes, with increasing rates of divorce leading to single-parent families, remarriages, resulting in extended families. These trends and the resulting problems that they cause, especially for the children, has brought the advantages of traditional nuclear families back into focus. There is none here to console one in distress or depression. But above all nowadays nuclear family is getting more popular. Or Nuclear Family The nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of and their children. I live in a nuclear family. Our family consists of four members such as my father and mother, my sister and myself. Nuclear family is getting popular nowadays because in such a family one can live according to one’s own will. The expenditure here is less than that of an extended family. In a nuclear family one may have much facility. He can enjoy his own life. He has no binding to anyone. The disadvantages of a nuclear family are that here he has to live alone. He has no companion to share his joys and sorrows. He feels lonely. I do not like it because here one has no friend or companion to share one’s feelings. In recent decades, this traditional form of the family has undergone major changes, with increasing rates of divorce leading to single-parent families, remarriages, resulting in extended families. These trends and the resulting problems that they cause, especially for the children, has brought the advantages of traditional nuclear families back into focus. There is none here to console one in distress or depression. But above all nowadays nuclear family is getting more popular.

The Necessity of Learning English We need to learn English because we live in a global village. There is no alternative to learning English to lead a decent life and to prepare ourselves for global challenges. Statistics show that 350 million people speak English as a first language and another 300 million use it as a second language. It is the official or semi-official language in more than 60 countries and of many international organizations. Today more than 80% of all information in the world’s computer is in English. For many reasons, English has achieved the prestige of being global language. English has become the only medium for international communication. Now- a- days not only for international purposes but also for national reasons English is a must. When we look for any good job, advertisements often ask for proficiency in English. The electronic transfer of information regarding banking, financial activities and transaction of business-all are done through English language. We can easily see how English is necessary in every sphere of our lives. Bangladesh is a nation with a bright future, but lack of proficiency in English often appears to be a key hurdle. So, a nation- wide awareness needs to be established by the government to emphasize the necessity of learning English. If proper awareness is created, Bangladesh will reach the optimum levels of their potentials and thus can overcome language barriers.

Annual Sports Day of Our College Annual Sports Day is an important event in the life of every school or college. Sports in themselves are an indispensable part of study. The Annual Sports Day of our college was held last week. It was held in our spacious college grounds. We decorated the playground and the college building very gorgeously. The Deputy Commissioner was the chief guest. A huge “shaman” was pitched on one side of the ground to accommodate guests. The whole play-ground had been decorated with flags, buntings and balloons a day earlier. The chief guest arrived in time. He took the salute. The sportsmen and women and O.K. cadets and U.S.A volunteers participated in the march past. The first event was a hundred-meter race and then started long and high jumps. Simultaneously there were other actions like the Javelin and the Discus throw. The events which evoked the greatest interest were the 400-meter race, bicycle race, ‘chat’ race and hurdle race by girls. The tug-of-war between the science and arts faculty members was very interest­ing. The last item the musical chairs race in which the guests participated was vied amusing. The dope read out the achievements of the school in sports during the year. The chief guest gave away prizes to the winners. He highlighted the importance of sports in life and hinted at India’s dismal performance at the Olympics. He promised all help to the school in the matter of sports. The Principal then thanked him and other guests. The chief guest declared the sports meet closed and it was over.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of chlorofluorocarbons in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents such as washing powder and washing-up liquid and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century, temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

A Postman Postman is a person who delivers letters, money orders, post cards, parcels and other postal articles to the proper addressees. He is a familiar figure both in the towns and in the village. He usually wears a khaki dress and carries on his soldiers a bag. Though a postman is a low-great employee of the postal department, he performs a responsible job. His daily work begins with the sorting out of letters, parcels, money orders etc. in the post office. After having finished this job in the post office, he goes out on his beat to deliver them to their addressees. A town postman often drops letters into letterboxes or pushes them through some opening of the door. A village postman generally goes on his beat twice or thrice a week. A postman is really good man and a good friend to us. The postman is a very important person in our society, though he does not enjoy a good social status. When he brings letters of good news, we become happy. He renders and great service to the society. He is such a great friend to us that everybody we expect his nock on the door. He behaves amiably with all. The economic condition of a postman is very miserable. Though he works very hard he gets a very small salary. With it, he cannot maintain his family decently. So he leads a miserable life. No doubt he serves the society as well as the country greatly in the field of postal communication. He should be given good salary so that he can lead a better life and serve us well.

A World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a place of either cultural or physical significance. A place becomes a World Heritage Site when the international community recognizes it as possessing universal value. Then the responsibility for its preservation comes under an international collective body. The country possessing the site nominates it to the World Heritage Convention. And a 21-member international committee decides whether it has universal value. Some World Heritage Sites of the Bangladesh are the Mosque City of Bagerhat, the Sundarbans and Sompura Bihar at Paharpur. The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India. It is inscribed as World Heritage site in 1987. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. Forest areas are dominated by a few species mostly Sundri and Gewu and patches of Nypa palm and several other of the 27 species of mangrove that are found in the Sundarbans. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. Each World Heritage Site is the property of the state on whose territory the site is located. But it is considered in the interest of international community to preserve each site.

Good Health Good health means the soundness of body and mind. The body which is free from all sorts of diseases is considered to be healthy. It is the result of living in accordance with the natural laws, pertaining to the body, mind and environment. These laws relate to fresh air, sunlight, balanced diet, regular exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep, cleanliness internal and external, right attitudes of mind, good habits and good patterns of living. One can keep good health by way of observing the rules of health, eating a balanced diet and living a disciplined life. But unfortunately, many people of our country do not get the food they need for good health. While the rich and educated people of our country are conscious of the rules of health, the bulk majority of the common people are ignorant of them. They seem to have no sense of hygiene and sanitation. As a result, they suffer terribly because of their ill-health. Moreover, life has become complicated in this age of technology. And the complexities of life have an adverse impact on our health. Frozen and artificial rather than fresh and natural food make us fall prey to various serious ailments causing great damage to our health and happiness.  So, to keep in good health we need an environment which is free from air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and menus pollution. I thoroughly believe in the fact that simple and carefree life is conducive to good health. Preservation of health should be the primary duty of mankind.

The Necessity of Education Education is the process by which we can develop our mind through formal learning at an institution like school, college or university. It is one of the basic needs of human being. It is also essential for any kind of development. The purpose of education is to enlighten the individual and develop one’s capacity to the limit. It helps one to distinguish between right and wrong. It enables us to make the right choices in life and to perform our duties properly. It ennobles our mind and refines our sensibility. In this way education can certainly remove the darkness of ignorance. Besides, education broadens our outlook. It promotes humanity and universal brotherhood. Thus education promotes understanding among people of all climes. Education can be used as catalyst for a change for the better. Education provides us with the knowledge of health, sanitation and population control. It also enhances our ability to raise crops, increase industrial production, store food, protect the environment and carry out our social responsibilities. Thus education contributes enough towards a change for the better and its necessity can more be felt than described. It goes without saying that No Education, No Life! Just like food, water and air, education has become a basic necessity for everyone to survive in today’s world.

Women’s Contribution to Society From the beginning of the world women have been contributing a lot to build the nation stronger and fruitful beside the male. Male‐dominated Bangladesh society undervalues women’s work by paying them less honour than men. It is not possible for any nation to get to goal without allowing women to play an active role. They were mere instruments to serve the family affairs. By working in the factory, a number of women in our country earn their livelihood and maintain not only their family but also contribute to the whole development of our country. There are also many women who are working in government and non-government offices with their professionals nowadays. In the field of education, medical science, culture, the government takes special care of women. At present in Bangladesh the Prime Minister and the main opposition party leader are women. They are now more conscious, serious and professional. They are getting educated as well as preparing themselves for competing with the male. The women are now enjoying their fundamental rights. But it is a matter of great regret that a number of women in both villages and towns in our country have to face a lot of social and religious bindings. But according to Islam both men and women should be given equal rights. Thinking women’s contribution to society, our national and rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam uttered, “What are great in this world, half has been done by woman half by man.”  So, we should change our notion and the government, the educated circle and NGO should come forward to establish the rights of the women so that they can actively take part in nation building.

Gender Disparity/ Discrimination Gender disparity means gender discrimination or difference between male and female in the field of observing rights as a human being. It pervades severely both rural and urban communities in our country. Only boys are allowed to go to school, college and university to complete higher education and to do any job anywhere outside the home. Many girl students are deprived of getting educated both in towns and villages. Many parents love their sons more and always give them more facilities than their daughters. They usually think that educating a daughter is nothing but waste of time and money. After class seven or eight they think that they should marry their daughters off. Even many of the modern and educated families of our country do not think higher education for their daughters or sisters. They do not allow their daughters, sisters and wives to do a job outside the home. They are kept busy with maintaining different household chores and bringing up children. However, both males and females should be considered equal, should be given equal rights and facilities and should be exploited equally so that women can play a vital role in the development of the country like men. For this, we have to educate all females and have to change the mentality. We have to make them aware that women can do the same thing of men. Like men, women can change their lives by working with men and earning a lot of money. After all, government should take effective measures to diminish gender disparity for the development of the country. So, if we want our own betterment, we, both males and females, have to work together.

Microcredit Finance Microcredit, also called micro banking or microfinance, a means of extending credit, usually in the form of small loans with no collateral, to nontraditional borrowers such as the poor in rural areas. This approach was institutionalized in 1976 by Muhammad Yunus, an American-educated Bangladeshi economist who had observed that a significant percentage of the world’s population has been barred from acquiring the capital necessary to rise out of poverty. There are about 800 micro finance institutions in Bangladesh with a total membership of 7 million. The cumulative disbursement by these institutions since there is estimated at Tk. 44 billion. It is estimated that they have made employment of 54000 people. It has many positive effects on socio economic variables. Apart from providing loan to the rural woman it creates employment opportunities, eradicates poverty, and raises consciousness. It also emphasizes children’s schooling, nutrition and family planning. Borrowing by women particularly improved the nutritional status both male and female children. Consumption by 5 percent of the programme participants increased to the point that their households rose above the poverty line. These findings about the importance of micro credit in poverty reduction have been substantiated by other studies both in Bangladesh and in other countries.

Globalization Globalization is, basically, a process of expanding trade and commerce all over the world by creating a borderless market. The idea of Globalization came into practice only in the last decade thought the idea was age old. It has also a far-reaching effect on many aspects of life. The world has come closer with the development of hi-tech communication media and rapid transport facilities. We can learn instantly what is happening in the remotest corner of the world. We are also able to go to any country in the shortest possible time. This is how countries of the world are like families in a village. We can share our joys and sorrows like next door neighbors. Globalization also brings all types of different customs and behavior into our homes through satellite television channels and the Internet. Now, we can enrich our local culture through constant interaction of different cultures. But, along with this, the cultural assault can also be resisted by the strength of our own traditional social values, beliefs and attitudes. However, as a result of Globalization, capitalist countries are enjoying more opportunities by exploiting the poor countries. Globalization integrates global economy in a way which exerts influence on both economic and social relations among the countries of the world. If Globalization is imposed upon a properly educated and properly trained labour force in an appropriate system it will lead to development and progress. If the developed and developing nations work together on terms of solidarity, equity and justice the process of Globalization will make our world a better place to live in.

Social Value Social value refers to norms or forms of behavior that are widely acceptable and admirable in the society. It refers also to the life style that people think that they should adopt. In the past, honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, piety, fellow-feeling etc. were considered to be social values. Adopting unfair means in any walk of life for any reason whatsoever was regarded as evil. People tried to keep themselves away from all sorts of malpractices and misdeeds. Honesty is the best policy – This was the motto of people in general. The miscreants were in great disrepute in the society. They were hated by all and sundry. But it is a pity those social values are interpreted now the other way round. Now, the criminals are honored as heroes of the society. People feel frightened to speak against their evil deeds. The causes of the present social values are materialistic attitude of people in general. With a few exceptions, people now run after name, fame and fortune without giving any thought to right or wrong, good or evil, moral or immoral. The effects of social values in the present age are deplorable. The noble qualities are now in exile. Honest people are now pushed to the wall. The wrong doers are now held in high esteem because of their post, power and position. Social values which were honored and harbored by people in the past should be preserved by way of raising awareness in people by inculcating the habit of doing good deeds, maintaining moral scruples, detesting vices and corrupt practices.

A Hartal Day Hartal mainly refers the act of total shutdown of workplaces, offices, shops, courts of law as a form of civil disobedience particularly in political protest. In modern strife torn state hartal has become a common affair. It is observed at the call of a political party to press their demand to the ruling political party. The opposition political parties observe hartal to protest against the corruption, misuse of power and the evil deeds of the ruling party. Sometimes students and people of a locality call hartal to express their demands. On a hartal day normal course of life is stopped. All means of transport and vehicles do not move on the roads. People are to take a lot of troubles to attend their offices. They go on foot as vehicles are not available. As a result, the attendance is very negligible in the offices, factories, industries and shops. The economy of the country suffers a heavy loss. Mills, factories and industries stop their work. All the business centers, markets and shops remain closed. The supporters in favour of hartal bring out procession. Often clashes occur between the police and the picketers. Sometime clashes take place between the supporters of the opposition and the ruling political parties which result in some deaths. On a hartal day, the suffering of the people knows no bounds. Actually, it is a mode of appealing to the sympathies of a government to change an unpopular or unacceptable decision.

International Mother’s Day Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor all mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support. Mother’s Day came into being due to the efforts made by Ms Julia Ward Howe and Ms Anna Jarvis. In our country Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May with joy and devotion. In observance of the day discussion programs are organized by government and non-governmental organizations. Reception programs and cultural programs are organized to mark the day in the capital city. Television channels air special programs, and newspapers publish special features and columns to mark the day. Greeting cards, flowers and gifts featuring mothers are in high demand at the shops and markets. Young children get especially excited about Mother’s Day and put a lot of effort into making cards and presents for their Mums. For mothers, it is like having a second birthday. It is common for children to cook for their mother so she can have breakfast in bed. She also receives presents, flowers and cards. Mother is a creative and caring woman. She takes time to teach us things like how to read and how to write.  My mother cooked special dishes for us. Actually the celebration of Mother’s Day is the external expression of gratitude of a child to its loving mother.

Book Fair A fair is the display of different items of necessary things for the consumers and buyers. Therefore, it does the same purpose as it looks for the reader’s interest. It spreads the message vie books are our best friend and it makes our life glorious. The largest book fair in our country is the book fair held in February to observe the Language Movement Day in the Bangla Academy premises. More than hundreds of pavilions were set up. The stalls were decorated beautifully to draw the attention of the readers. All sorts of books, text books, fictions, children books, religious books, story books, novels, books on various dramas, books on poems, autobiographical books, books on science and technology, books on raising social awareness, etc. are usually available in a book fair. A book fair becomes crowded specially in the evening. The renowned artists, poets and intellectuals gather there and take part in the seminars and cultural programmes. A book fair promotes the publication of books to spread education and widen the sphere of our knowledge.  It also inspires the young readers for reading books. Some writers are also seen sitting in the stalls and their fans gather there for autographs. Even some stalls are found in a book fair to sell snacks, cigarettes and trifling items of daily necessities. Sometimes in a book fair some unpleasant incidents take place for the evil motive of the miscreants. In fact, a book fair is considered to be an occasion of great festivity to the book-lovers.

How to Become a Good Citizen A good citizen is one who properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen, firstly one has to prepare oneself to do good work in society. To become so, in addition to food shelter, company, etc, one needs knowledge, skills and to change attitudes. Being knowledge based society, we should have knowledge about our country, government, history, tradition, culture and religion. Besides, one must be able to apply one’s knowledge to do good things practically. Finally, knowing and doing things will bring about a change in one’s outlook towards others. Through regular group work it can be highly expected that there will be noticeable changes like freely mixing, disappearance of shyness, behaving in a democratic way.  It develops the attitude of helping and cooperating with others. Most importantly, these behavioural changes taking place in one inside the classroom will be carried over outside the classroom, in real-life situations. Values and ethics should be inculcated to people as they mature, as that kind of information will built them for being good citizens.

May Day/ International Worker’s Day May 1st, International Workers’ Day, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in most countries. It is the day of establishing the legal right to the workers of the world. This day is memorable to the owners of the world for their defeat against the working class people. All the privileges workers enjoy today came about due to the sacrifice of the workers in 1886. The history behind it is very sorrowful. On May 3, 1886, some workers gathered in demand of a minimum wage, safety laws and eight hours work day. Police fired in the crowd of strikers at the Mc Comick Harvest Machine, Chicago. Here at least one person was killed and some others were seriously wounded. At the beginning of Industrial revolution people had to work long hours both by day and at night. It was simply inhuman. It stopped when all labourers stood up. The event of May Day 1886 is a reminder that workers will continue to be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working conditions, better pay and better lives. In fact, May Day is a milestone of snatching away the rights from the blood-sucking owners by the exploited workers of the cosmos. The sacrifices of so many people cannot be forgotten or we’ll end up fighting for those same gains all over again. This is why we should celebrate May Day with profound respect.

A School Magazine A school magazine is an annual publication containing the literary works and other information of a school mostly written and contributed by the students. It is published once a year. In order to conduct the work of publication of the school magazine, at first a magazine committee is formed with the Head master as the Chairman and chief patron. The editor, business editors and the assistant proofreaders are selected from the students. A magazine fund is also made up of the school ‘Magazine Fee’. The editor invites writings both in Bangla and English. The students of the school submit their articles to the notified persons at the notified time. Then, after proper scrutiny, the best ones are selected for publishing. Generally, the magazine has two sections-Bangla and English. There are messages from the Head teacher and the secretary of the school, annual reports, essays, short stories, short plays etc in it. It also contains jokes, quizzes and puzzles. The young writers get immense pleasure and confidence when they can see their writings in print. So, they feel encouraged to build themselves as poets, play-wrights, essayists and artists. It plays an important role in one’s school life. It is a forum through which our Juvenile learners can express the green ideas and imagination of their mind. Besides, it promotes team-spirit, fosters to express the dormant power of thinking as well as writing of the young learners. The sight of a magazine reminds the old boys of their sweet bygone school days. The school magazine of the school In fact, the school magazine is the first stepping stone to flourish themselves as future writers and poets.

Pahela Baishakh In our Bengali year we celebrate Pahela Baishakh on the first Baishakh every year. As it is one of our festival days, it is celebrated with traditional festivities across the country. On this day different types of people of different social classes come out from their respective residence and enjoy the carnival enthusiastically and publicly because it is a public holiday. Traders and shopkeepers open halkhata and offer sweets to their customers and clients with a view to satisfying them keeping the age-old tradition. At the very dawn they go outside to celebrate Pahela Baishakh eating panta vath and hilsha fish. Most of the girls adorn themselves wearing fresh dress and flowers in their locks. Young and adult boys like to sing with the traditional musical instruments like ektara, dotara, bamboo-flute, sarinda etc. and somebody likes to wear mask of different things. Different socio-cultural organisations draw up elaborate programmes to celebrate Pahela Baishakh. The day’s first programme begins at dawn at Ramna Batamul where Chhayanat, a leading cultural organisation, organises it. Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy, Bulbul Lalitakala Academy, Jatiya Press Club, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh National Museum, Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University and many other organisations bring out colourful processions with festoons, placards, posters, banners, masks etc. Bangladesh Betar, BTV, ETV telecast different lively programmes describing and showing the festival activities of Pahela Baishakh. We can’t but memorise this day with great pleasure.

Landing on the Moon In the history of human civilization, landing on the moon is an epoch making achievement. Before landing on the moon, most of the people of the world thought that nobody could go to the moon. On July 16, 1969 Armstrong along with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins departed for the moon in Apollo 11, the space craft which was used to reach the moon. On July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module, Eagle, landed on the moon, in a place called the Sea of Tranquility. Commander Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. As he stepped off the ladder and put his foot on the moon’s surface, he said, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Armstrong was joined on the moon by Buzz Aldrin, and together they spent two and a half hours on the moon’s surface. They performed a number of experiments and collected rocks and soil to bring back to Earth. They left an American flag on the moon. This historic visit was broadcast live on TV to the world, watched by approximately 600 million people. The top part of the Lunar Module Eagle took them back to the Command Module Columbia, which had remained in orbit around the moon, piloted by Michael Collins, while they explored. These three astronauts have become world famous heroes because of their great achievements. It proves that man can conquer anything if he wishes and the impossible task of today would become possible by tomorrow. History will always remember them. Their names are written with golden letters in the history of space technology.

Traffic Jam When the road is blocked with so many vehicles and we cannot move forward, we call it traffic jam. Generally, in capital city and other divisional cities traffic jam is a common phenomenon. There are various causes of traffic jam. In proportion to our population roads have not increased. The drivers are not willing to obey the traffic rules. Overtaking tendency also causes traffic ham. The people of our country often park their vehicles on improper places. Many persons set shops both sides of the road. So vehicles cannot move freely and cause traffic jam. When we fall in a traffic jam, we feel bored. We lose many working hours of our life. As a result, we are lagging behind. We feel much helpless and frustrated when we get stuck in a traffic jam. Many people fail to attend their office duty in time. The worst victims are the patients carried in the ambulances to hospitals and clinics. The transportation of the daily commodities gets delayed. To stop traffic jam, we must make more wide roads and flyovers. Widening the streets, making flyovers at the main crossings, reducing the number of rickshaws are mentionable. Well planned spacious roads should be constructed. One-way movement of vehicles should be introduced. Traffic rules should be followed properly. Above all growing public awareness is necessary for removing traffic jam. Unlicensed vehicles should be removed. After doing all these things we can hope to have a good traffic system for our easy and comfortable movement.

The 21st February/ International Mother Language Day 21st February, a red letter day, is observed throughout the world as the international Mother Language Day. It is also observed as a Language Martyred Day or Shaheed Day. It is of special significance to the people of Bangladesh. On this day of 1952, our great Language Movement took place. This day reminds us the struggle and sacrifice of the heroic sons Salam, Rafique, Jabber and many unanimous sacrificed their lives with a view to establishing our mother tongue as a state language. They protected our mother tongue in exchange of their blood. This day has given us the freedom to speak in our mother tongue. Since then we, the Bangladeshi observe this day with great admiration and solemnity. On this day, people wake up early in the morning. They put on a black badge to mark the day as a national mourning day. The day is declared as the Govt. holiday and on this day the National Flag remains half-mast. They walk to the Shahed Minar on the barefooted with flowers and wreaths in the hands. The offer flowers and wreaths on the foot of the Shahed Minar to show love and respect to the martyred heroes. They remain standing silently for some time. Many meetings and seminars are held. People also pray for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs throughout the country in the different religious institutions. Considering the sacrifice made by the martyrs, the UNESCO declared the day as an International Mother Language Day. It started in 1999 with the purpose of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Since then this day is observed throughout the world as recognition of every one’s language sovereignty. This day has a great impact on our national history as well. It paved the way of our national sovereignty.

A Village Market A village market is a temporary center for buying and selling goods to fulfill the need of the locality. It which may be either daily or weekly, is generally situated on the bank of a river or by the side of a highway or under a big tree. It begins in the afternoon and ends almost after the sunset. Most of the shops here are temporary but a few permanent shops also may be found here. Temporary sheds are made with straw and bamboo to protect the sellers from heat and rain. It is a place where they go to buy or sell the goods which are needed for their everyday life. Food grains such as rice, dal, wheat, etc. are sold in one row. Vegetables are sold in another row. Fish, meat and dried fish are sold in a different row. Domestic materials, utensils, bangles, cloths and stationeries are sold in different stalls which stand in a special row. There are a few tea stalls. There are tailors who temporarily set up the tailoring machines to make new bags and to repair old bags. The villagers come not only to buy and to sell goods but also to meet with others. So, it can also be regarded as the biggest gathering place for the villagers. A village market with its economic value also bears social value. A village market has some disadvantages too. It is a noisy and unhealthy place. The pickpockets gather there. Besides due to lack of cleanliness, it often turns into an unhygienic place. In fact, it is the backbone of the rural economy. Through this village market, people can certainly save their time and money and get their desired goods in this village market.

Our National Flag The flag which denotes the freedom and sovereignty of a nation is known as a national flag. The national flag of Bangladesh is bottle green in color and rectangular in size with the length to width ratio of 10:6. It bears a red circle on the background of green. The color in the background represents the vitality, youthfulness and greenery of Bangladesh while the red circle symbolizes the rising sun and the sacrifice of lives in our freedom fight in the Liberation War of 1971. The national flag was designed by painter Kamrul Hasan. Its size is confined to10:6. It was first hoisted on the March 3, 1971 by ASM Abdur Rab at the historic ‘Bat tala’ in Dhaka University  campus. It is hoisted at govt. offices, semi-government, self-autonomous buildings, educational institutes etc every day. But it is kept at half-mast on any national or international mourning days. Our glorious national flag was purchased at too great a price at the cost of a sea of blood. The national flag of Bangladesh is our pride. Our feeling about the flag is very sensational and respectful. When we see our national flag, our heart is fulfilled with joy and respect. We bow down our heads towards it. Our duty towards it should be responsible and sacrificial. We should take an oath that we must save the honor and dignity of this flag even instead of our lives. The flag is the source of spirit, hope and inspiration.

Female Education Female education is very essential for the overall development of a nation. More or less half of the population of a country is female. Leaving the female uneducated and unemployed, no nation can prosper. That’s why female education has been a crying need of the day. Once women were confined within the four walls of the house and were used to doing only household chores. At that time, they were deprived of the light of education because of the prejudice, unconsciousness, superstition, social backwardness, prejudiced outlook, social barrier, obstacle by the fundamentalists and so on. But now it has changed a lot and women are getting educated gradually. But most of the women are lagging far behind in education. The rate of female literacy is alarming because without their education, our satisfactory development is impossible. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Give me an educated mother and I will give you an educated nation”. From this line we can easily realize the importance of female education. Women need to be educated for different reasons. To be a conscious citizen of the country, to be an active member of the family and society, to be a good mother or wife and to lead a self-reliant better life, a woman should be educated properly. Besides, educated women have higher income potential than those who have had no schooling. Many people consider women inferior to men. But it is their wrong concept. Except the biological difference, a girl has every capacity to work and to achieve high position in life as a man can. An educated woman is conscious of her duties, rights and responsibilities. So, we should take every necessary step to ensure an environment to educate our female force. Parents ought to be encouraged to send their daughters to school. The govt. and NGO’s should patronize the education for girls in order that they can be educated and can play a vital role in the development of our country.

A Street Child/ Tokai A street child is he who moves along the roads and has no definite place or house to live in. Sometimes he may not have mother or father or both. He lives beside the street or in a temporary hut either in a slum or in any deserted place of a town or city. Actually there is none to look after him. There is none to think of his education and future. Even if he has parents, they cannot afford to send him to schools and ensure his food and clothes. So, he is left on the mercy of others. This is a cruel joke of the society. The children of affluent families or some well-to-do families go to schools. They play in the school field and watch television for recreation or for learning. But a child living in the street does not have any definite future. He is deprived of all the basic needs of human life. He grows and matures with a sense of anger and revenge towards the society. This mentality leads him to take the path of crime and creates insecurity in the society. If the affluent people don’t take care of him, the ultimate results of the negligence they cannot avoid. So, it is the responsibility of all to give a serious importance to the fact. The social and welfare ministry of the state tries to arrange some education for the street children. But it is a gigantic task which calls for united efforts. When people belonging to all strata of society come forward, a street child will have a secure future.

Independence Day of Bangladesh March 26, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the West Pakistan rulers started to exploit, cheat, and oppress Bangladeshi people. After the massive attack beginning from the early hours of 26 March, 1971, the undisputed leader of East Pakistan declared independence and told the countrymen to fight against the barbarian Pak Army. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. As it is a national holiday, all offices, educational institutions, shops and factories remain closed on this day. People get up early morning by hearing the bombing sounds of gun. Coming with rallies and processions, people of all walks of life place floral wreaths at the National Musolium at Savar to pay rich tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of our independence. The country also witnesses a smartly dressed parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP at the National Parade Ground. School children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Besides, various cultural programmes throughout the day highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971, tournaments including the exciting boat race are organised throughout the country on the day. Milad Mahfil was organized by the different mosque especially in the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram. At night the main public buildings are tastefully illuminated to give the capital city a dazzling look. This day certainly makes bridges between the spirit of Independence Day and the future generations. May Independence Day always be the spirit of prosperity of our nation.

Climate Change Climate change refers to an increase in average global temperatures due to the consequence of unchecked pollution. Most climatologists opine that boh natural events and human activities are contributing to the increase in average temperatures surrounding the earth. This is caused primarily by the increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2). However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. The destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, traffic that clogs up city streets, the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs, detergents, maritime disaster, human and industrial waste products etc are highly responsible for this change. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Pragmatic as well as drastic steps should be taken to create awareness to stop the causes and sources of emitting carbon dioxide. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. These are the measures the whole world needs to be concerned with a view to preventing global warming.

Basic Human Rights In the present civilized world everybody has some fundamental rights that are to get food, shelter, education, medical treatment etc. The basic human rights are divided into different categories like social rights, civil rights, political rights, economic rights, religious rights and cultural rights. Social rights mean the rights to move freely, to arrange and attend any social function. Civil rights refer to the rights to be free from the interference, attack and disturbance of others. Political rights mean the rights to join trade union, to take part in the administration, to give vote and to have the freedom of speech including freedom of expression of opinions. An inhabitant will also exercise the cultural rights, religious rights and economic rights. Moreover, people of different religions can independently say their respective prayers going to mosque, church, temple or pagoda, and perform other religious activities. Every person can possess properties, establish organizations, support others financially etc. all these are some examples of economic rights. All citizens are equal in the eye of law and justice. But in many countries of the world including Bangladesh basic human rights are being violated brutally. And this type of crime is usually committed by the law-enforcing agencies, miscreants and politicians. Definitely they should be punished for violating fundamental human rights. So, some pragmatic measures should be adopted by the govt. as well as by all leading NGO’s to raise consciousness among all people through different mass media like radio, television, cinema, newspaper, poster, internet etc. for the overall betterment of all.

Email Electronic mail or simply E-mail is very much popular now-a-days for its speedy transmission of information’s and cost effectiveness. Hence information provided by a sender is delivered asynchronously to a point where it can be retrieved and processed later on by one or more recipients of the sender’s choice. In an E-Mail system, there is a number and the sender keeps on dialing the desired number till he/she is successful. Once it is connected, the PC terminal of the sender sends the message to the PC terminal of the recipient at a very high speed. There is no need of any physical presence of both the sender and the receiver. The sender can enter the message and the receiver can retrieve it whenever he/she is free. The message will remain in PC’s memory. The transmission of messages is usually done through landlines or satellite communications or through marine cables. E-mail has lot of advantages to its credit. It is cost effective. Very less money is required In comparison to other transmission device. It is time saver. Within very short time messages can be sent. There is no need of presence of either the sender or the receiver. Once the message is entered into PC’s it will remain in the receiver PC’s memory.  E-mail transmission is very speedy. It is four times faster than FAX and ten tmes faster than telex. There is the system of using password which each subscriber can choose to use. Hence E-mail gives security of message. Or E-mail Electronic mail, popularly known as ‘e-mail’, is the communication of textual messages via electronic means. E-mail is delivered to individual electronic mail boxes based in computers. In order to operate an e-mail system, we need a personal computer, a modem and a telephone connection. An important advantage of e-mail is its ability to reduce the consumption of paper in the office. Internal memos and reports can be exchanged electronically without using paper. Being a computer-based messaging system, files prepared on computers can be instantly copied and easily exchanged as e-mail. E-mail turns out to be a cheaper alternative to telephone conversation and eliminates the time spent in establishing phone calls. E-mail permits communication between two parties without the parties actually being present simultaneously. Privacy is ensured as the mail is delivered to an individual’s mail box which can be accessed or opened only by the intended recipient. E-mail has brought about a revolution in modem communication. Messages can be transmitted from one country to another within seconds. E-mail transmission is very speedy. It is four times faster than FAX and ten times faster than telex. Trade and commerce has become greatly dependent on this speedy mode of communication. It has, however, not reached everyone, especially in developing countries like ours, as most people cannot afford to have a personal computer. But even here people have started using commercially operated e-mail facilities for important purposes.

Fax Facsimile, popularly known as fax, is a device that can send or receive a document, pictures and text over a telephone line. It is really a very wonderful machine which can transmit any document to another day machine located with in home or abroad in a very short time.  It looks like a calculator-cum telephone set. Almost all modems manufactured today are capable of sending and receiving fax data. Fax/modem software generates fax signals directly from disk files or the screen. Even if a document is text only, it is treated by the computer as a scanned image and is transmitted to the receiver as a bitmap. Faxing a message online works well if the recipient wants only to read the message. However, if the document requires editing, it must be converted into text by an OCR program, or it must be retyped manually into the computer. A more efficient method of sending documents that require modification is through the e-mail system. E-mail files are already ASCII text so they can be edited immediately in any text editor or word processing program. The Internet now provides a new and cheaper way to send faxes in some cases. A number of free and commercial companies provide arrangements for using the Internet rather than the public telephone system for most or part of the path to the fax point. Some services also provide the ability to broadcast a fax to multiple addresses. Nowadays being practically a time saving device, it has taken the place of teleprinter and is playing a vital role in international communication system.

A Winter Morning Of the six seasons, winter is undoubtedly the coldest season of the year in Bangladesh. A morning in winter is misty and cold because of dense fog everywhere. Sometimes it is so dense that the sun rays can’t be seen.Things even at a little distance can hardly be seen. Everything looks hazy. This causes disruption to the communication system. Few drops fall on leaves and blades of grass at night. They look like glittering pearls when the rays of the morning run falls on it. Sometimes shivering cold causes serious sufferings to people and animals. The poor have hardly warm clothes. They gather straw and dry leaves to make fire to warm them. The old and the children bask in the sun. Usually people get up late. In a winter morning people in Bangladesh enjoy different kinds of ‘pithas’. Delicious sweetmeats are also prepared with date juice. But a winter morning is a curse for the poor. They suffer much for want of warm clothes. The scene of a winter morning disappears as the day advances. The best time to visit Bangladesh is in winter when the weather is dry and fresh. It’s possible to observe and photograph a large number of migratory bird species. The Bengali month of Kartik, that is early winter, is celebrated by Jibanananda Das as a period that reveals the inner beauty and soul of Bengal. A winter morning has both advantage and disadvantage. My personal feeling about a winter morning is that it is a bane for the poor but a boon for the rich.

Dowry System Dowry means property or money brought by a bride to her husband when they get married. Nowadays the system of giving and taking dowry in marriage is more prevalent in Bangladesh. To eradicate this social evil, we should remain satisfied with mere laws and by-laws or enactment of some rules. Total change in the outlook of the society is the crying need at this moment. Young men and women must come forward to put an end to this disgraceful system. The political parties and government must match word with action. General inequality is a major cause of dowry. Improving women’s position in society would be an effective measure against dowry. The girl’s guardians must also be conscious about the issue. A girl should be brought up to be self-dependent. There is a tendency for the girl and the girl’s family to simply tolerate the oppression because of risk the marriage’s breaking up. The families must resort to legal action rather than encourage the girl to bear the oppression due to social shame and honour. Educated girls are also asked for dowry, but the poor illiterate girls have no alternative if abandoned by their husbands for dowry. Unfortunately, in the rural areas, the daughters of poor farmers often study and work in order to earn enough money to pay dowry. The activists of all spheres against dowry must keep these factors in mind to eradicate dowry effectively.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

Earthquake Earthquake is the tremor caused either by volcanic eruptions or by sudden dislocation in the rock structure underneath. That Bangladesh lies in the active earthquake zone is not unknown to Bangladeshis. There are two schools of experts regarding earthquakes. One school comprising of engineers and geologists is of the view that the recurrence of quakes in recent years should be taken as a signal for a major earthquake. Another school comprising of similar categories of experts, however, believes that the concern should not be amplified, because although there arc a number of fault lines in the geographical area comprising Bangladesh, none of them is active enough to pose a major threat. Yet none of the schools rules out the possibility of a major quake and the dangers that might be associated with it. An earthquake causes unaccountable damage, and sometimes heavy destruction of life and property. During an earthquake, it is unsafe to remain inside a multi-storied house. It is better for the inmates of houses to come out in the open at the time of an earthquake. In Japan, an earthquake is a common phenomenon. It takes place frequently than in other coun­tries in the world. In Bangladesh, earthquake is, however, felt from time to time in mild form in different parts of the country. Alarmed by the recurrence of quakes during recent years, experts have called for the development of an earthquake resistant building code that all buildings should follow as mandatory to reduce the losses.

Significance of the Shaheed Minar Hamidur Rahman was the man who gave shape to the concept and design of the Shaheed Minar, by combining all the aspirations of Bengali identity and nationalism. When he was assigned to make the design, he was full of enthusiasm focussing on the language movement as the central concept. He experimented with basic horizontal and vertical forms to bring out the concept of Bengali solidarity and unity for their national identity. The vertical lines of his design provided the manifestations of inner strength. The four columns on both sides of the central structure reflect the balance and harmony of a united stand. The original design had included stained glass, with hundreds of eyes, through which the sunlight could pass. The marble floor was to reflect the moving shadows of the column in an unending process of revolt from dawn to dusk. In the basement of the Minar he had designed a grand fresco work of 1500 square feet, depicting the language movement. This was to be his masterpiece, again reflecting the theme of geometric horizontal and vertical motifs of unity and strength. Rahman was fully conscious of the tropical damp climate of Bangladesh and therefore worked out such materials for the Minar that would withstand the climate. He ensured that the columns be made of such mixture of iron rods and cement as to stand for centuries. Today the Shaheed Minar is a symbol of freedom, strength and unity. He is no more with us but we remember him with great admiration and pride for his remarkable design of the Central Shaheed Minar.

Duties of a Student Or, Students and Social Service Students are the greatest force as well as the future leaders of a Country. They can build or destroy a nation. The primary duty of students is to acquire knowledge and to make themselves worthy citizens. It is needless to say that they get much time for merry making, playing, amusements, touring etc. apart from their routine life of study. Then they should pay attention to the welfare of the society. Students have no worries about earning their livelihood. They have strength and capacity. Students should go to the villages and serve the villagers during vacation. They can make the illiterate masses aware of their rights and duties. Hence the students can guide the people of digging canals or constructing educational institutions. Sympathy and fellow feeling should be imparted the students to do some noble works for the people. Students can co-operate with people on matters of public interest such as education, sanitation, trade and commerce. Students can participate in cleaning drains, ponds during the leisure hours. They can help people during natural calamities such as earth quake, flood, drought, cyclone by collecting funds from different sources. Students have a spirit to work but the guardians and, teacher should guide them in the right way. Student must be the servants of humanity. The aim of all true education is to teach a man how to live and lot others live. A student can learn this though social service. He gains experience, courage and confidence. Thus social service makes him fit for the greater world.

Importance of Games and Sports The ideal of a good and perfect life is to have a sound mind in a sound body. This is recognized by all as the best means of performing our duties. Body and mind should work at their best, and they cannot do so unless both are in good order. The best way to keep the limbs fit is to exercise them in sports and games of physical skill and strength. This indeed is the importance of games, there is no society, which has not its own special kinds of games. Sports and games supposed to be looked upon as a means of building up the body beautiful. Sports and games have now come to stay in our civilization as an essential feature of human activity, and their object is not merely fun, they also instill the spirit of discipline and team-work. Game like cricket, hockey and football are popular because of the spirit of team work which they inspire. The discipline that gained in playing up games is invaluable in later life. It makes for a life of co-operation and team work which could be used for building up a great society and a nation. Our young man and woman should take active part in sports and games. It is good that our educational institution encourages sports and games by organizing matches and awarding prizes and trophies. The habit of taking part in games and sports is good in several ways. Apart from making us strong, healthy and fit, it teaches us how to use our energy in the right way. But all good things sometimes become bad. This is a strange but the true fact about human activities. Sports and games should be so organized that they will not interfere with studies of our youth. Life is not all sports. They are only a part, though a very important part.

The Ways of Keeping Good Health Health is the condition of our body and mind. Good health means healthy body free from diseases. It is essential for everyone to lead a happy life. If we are not in good health, we cannot concentrate on any activity in our life. A proverb goes, ‘Health is Wealth’ It means health is equally valuable as gold or any other personal possessions. We may have vast wealth and property, but if we are not healthy we cannot enjoy them. To keep ourselves healthy, we have to do certain things. We have to eat a balanced diet. We must exercise regularly to keep our body fit for work. We should go to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. Peace of mind is another condition for good health. So we must not worry over small things of life. Hygiene is important for our good health because we cannot achieve anything physically, mentally or spiritually if we are unclean in our body, mind and soul. We must keep our body clean. We should have a bath every day and wash our hair regularly. This will keep the body and hair free from dirt and bacteria. Secondly, we should wash our clothes regularly. Dirty clothes give off bad smell and invite germs. We should wear socks and shoes when we go out to protect our feet from dust and germs. It is also important to wash our hands before meals and after using the toilet. We should brush our teeth twice a day, after breakfast and supper. We must also cut our nails regularly. Our drinking water must be pure. We can get pure water by boiling and filtering. Finally, we should keep our surroundings and environment clean. If we do and follow all the above things properly, we will be able to lead a happy, healthy, wealthy, comfortable and diseases free life.

Satellite Television Channels Television channels broadcast by the use of satellite is called satellite TV channels. Television is one of the greatest achievements of modern science. Now it is regarded as the medium of information, entertainment, telecast, education and many others. It can telecast any live programme from the remotest part of the world. Television can display many programmes at a time. Satellite TV has added a new dimension in our oriented life providing many programmes through different channels. It’s not only a good medium of recreation but also a source educational knowledge. Different channels telecast various educative dramas, movies, sports, cultural functions, news and articles. So we can easily collect educative information of agriculture, science and technology, politics, education, business, invention etc. Television helps us widespread the sight and outlook of the society. Coming to contact with the western societies, we are getting the opportunities to enrich our society and ourselves. But on the other hand, many people especially young generations are getting hampered and we all are now forgetting our own customs, traditions, music and culture. Very often obscene pictures and vulgar movies and programmes are shown in various satellite channels. Young generations are becoming more and more addicted to them. Moreover, most of us want to follow the dress-pattern, hairstyle, behaviour, music and nudity of the westerns. This mentality is leading our young generations to moral degradation. So, we all should be conscious of that.

Role of Media In general, “media” refers to various means of communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data, or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax, and internet. In the world of today, media has become as necessary as food and clothing. It has played significant as well as influential role in strengthening the society and making the world a global village. Media is considered as “mirror” of the modern society. The purpose of the media is to inform people about current, new affairs and to tell about the latest gossip and fashion. It also helps to form opinions and make judgements regarding various issues. It has become one way of trading and marketing of products and prejudices. It keeps people updated and informed about what is happening around them and the world. Media can be considered as “watch dog” of political democracy. It serves to reduce the communication gap between the audience, viewers and the media world. For the sake of publicity and selling, important figures, their lifestyles are usually targeted. But unfortunately, media these days has become a commercialized sector. Media has had a bad effect on a generation, mainly because, teenagers and children are strongly influenced by media. The media affects people’s perspective. I believe, if the media identifies its responsibility and work sincerely and honestly, and then it can serve as a great force in building the nation.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a popular Bengali poet and dramatist in the 19th-century, was born in Sagordari on the bank of the Kopotaksho River under Jessore district. From an early age, Dutt aspired to be an Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated Hindu family, he took Christianity as a young man and adopted the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised by his teachers as a precious child with a gift of literary talent. Since his adolescence he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the planet, and that his society was unable to appreciate his intellect. He also believed that the West would be more receptive to his creative genius. Michael was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poetry and drama almost entirely in English. They proved his higher level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right appreciation. With his utter frustrations he saw that he was not regarded as a native writer of English literature. Out of his frustration he composed a sonnet in Bangla “Kopotaksha Nad”, which earned him huge reputation in Bangla. Gradually he could realise that his true identity lies here in this Bengal and he was a sojourner in Europe. Afterwards he regretted his attraction for England and the Occident. He came to Bengal and devoted himself to Bangla literature from this period. He is the poet to write the first Bangla epic Meghand Badh Kabya. His lavish lifestyle, which included drinking, added to his financial difficulties and his health also began to fail. Sadly he died in 1873, and was given a Christian burial service.

My Roots Human beings have roots but unlike the roots of the trees. They are invisible and lie in our minds. Our families, land of birth, relatives, our culture, traditions, or surroundings are our roots. It’s these roots that make a bond between us and family members, inlaws, friends, neighbours or even between us and the land where we were born and grew up. It’s our roots that develop our identity making us what we are. And whereever we stay, we have a continuous pull of our roots. Eveyone wants to share happiness on different festivals with their near and dear ones. So most of the people, who are living outside their home for different reasons have a strong desire to get back home during the vacations. As a result, there is a mad rush in the buses, trains, or launches for the home-bound people. This often causes transport accidents that take away many lives. However, it cannot stop people’s desire to meet their family, in-laws, or friends. Due to this pull of the roots, people rush for their homes in spite of serious hazards. When we lose that bond, we become rootless. Human beings, who do not have any root or contexts, do not have their own identity. Such persons are devoid of values, humanity, and social responsibilities. They don’t know where they are from, and/or where they are heading towards. This often makes them feel empty and lost. So in spite of forgetting our roots, we should cherish it in our core of heart for our own existence.

Social Network Services A social networking service is an online service provided to the public for social interaction between families, friends, and also for gaining new friends over the internet. The advantages of the Internet technology have made it possible to emerge a good number of web sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. These services make it possible to connect people sharing interests and activities across the borders. They have made a lot for the users to feel that they really live in a global village. Social networks are expanding so fast because one can make use of them free, paying a very little to one’s Internet service provider. Secondly, one can make one’s personal profile public before the entire online community. It is like presenting oneself before the entire world. One can also look into other people’s profile if one is interested. It is simple and easy. Thirdly, social networks allow users to upload pictures, multimedia contents and modify the profile. Some like Facebook allow users to update their profiles. Fourthly, networks allow users to post blog entries. User profiles have a section dedicated to comments from friends and other users. Finally, there are privacy protection measures too. A user himself or herself decides over the number of visitors/ viewers, and what information should be shared with others. In short, the social network connects people with each other over the internet, along with businesses, educational institutions, health, and religious organizations all over the world.

Digital Bangladesh Digital Bangladesh means digitalizing Bangladesh by ensuring an ICT based society where information will be available on line. Here all the possible tasks of government or semi-government will be performed using digital technology. The motto of digital Bangladesh is to establish technology based digital governance, e-commerce, e-agriculture, e-production, e-education etc. The benefits of digital Bangladesh are many. If we can establish a digital Bangladesh, corruption will be reduced radically.  It will make people think globally and connect them with the whole world economically, socially, politically, academically and even culturally.  It will improve our banking and financial activities. Agriculture, health, education, commerce – all these sections will be highly benefited by making Bangladesh a digital one. To make our country digital first of all, uninterrupted power supply has to be ensured and we have to develop computer network skill and ensure equitable access. Finally, our education should be computer based and in primary and secondary schools’ students should get easy access to the computer.   Some products like software and TV programmes are also amenable to digital transmission. We will be able to buy and sell goods through the electronic screen if we can make a Digital Bangladesh. Undoubtedly, encouraging development towards digitalization of Bangladesh by 2021 can be possible. The ambitious dream for a Digital Bangladesh will remain a dream if the government cannot equip the people with the technology needed for establishing the digital era.

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Juvenile Delinquency

Crime committed by children and adolescents under the age of 18 years, is called delinquency. A delinquent child is one who violates any law, disobeys his parents, guardian, custodian or legal representative, plays truant from school or home, injuries or endangers the moral or health of himself or others. Crime and delinquency are increasing day by day with the increase in population and complexity of culture. It is believed that due to the fault actions, omissions and commissions of his parents during his childhood. Delinquents lack ethical standards and emotional ties. They are very impulsive and indulge in acts at the spur of the moment. They are socially insensitive and lack guilt feeling. Main causes of it are brain damage, psychopathic personality, drug abuse, emotional problems, faulty discipline, parental absenteeism, mother dominance, father rejection, undesirable peer relationship, gang experience, alienation and rebellion, the social rejects, delinquent gang subculture, poverty, stress etc. His maladjustment with the society has to be changed. The teachers of such schools gradually try to counsel parents and help the children in generating a sense of security, self-confidence, right attitude towards society. They should be given various craft and other vocational training to earn their livelihood. They should give up the idea that their life is meaningless and their birth is useless. Finally, it can be said that the emphasis should be more on rehabilitation than punishment.

 

7 March 1971 Historic Speech

The 7March Speech was given by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh on the 7^th March at the Race Course ground, in front of a nearly million strong audience. He was not simply speaking, he was writing the prologue of the history of the Bengalees’ revolution that reflected their greatest characteristics — bravery and resolve, self-esteem and conviction, honesty and courtesy, fire and spirit. No legendary speech like that of him has been able to stir the world to that extent. He had been such a poet who was able to hypnotize his people with a dream of having an independent country breaking shackles of subjugation of thousands of years. His political acumen, charismatic leadership, undisputed command, sagacious thinking, profound wisdom, tower personality, invincible courage, indomitable spirit, sky high confidence — everything was in climax. He announced a civil disobedience movement in the province, calling for every house to turn into a fortress. The Bangladesh Liberation War began 18 days later, when the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight against Bengali civilians, intelligentsia, students, politicians, and armed personnel. On 30 October 2017, UNESCO added the speech in its the Memory of the World Register as a “documentary heritage”. This day highlighted on the necessity of permanent solution for the long-repressed people. It won’t be exaggeration to say that the very directives motivations and final determination of that day made it possible to see the golden sun of independence. Thus, as a memorable day, it takes permanent place in the history of Bangladesh. This speech will continue to rekindle the Bangali nation with a spark of fire, show the path of realizing the mundane truths and provide political direction to emancipation of us.

 

 

Different Forms of Entertainment

Entertainment is an action‚ event or activity that aims to amuse and interest an audience of one or more people. It is the audience that turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment.  Human beings cannot be compared to machines. The monotonous working hours of a hectic and busy life load their brains with tiredness and stress. So, they need something else besides their work to be energized or recharged. It refreshes them, at the same time it gives them a new life. There may be thousands types of pastimes all over the world. Many pastimes around the world are common to people no matter what their nationality or race. But some are not. However, whatever the country, one activity that is common to all is watching television. Most of the people of Bangladesh pass their leisure either playing in the field or gossiping in the rural areas. But in the urban sites there are a number of pastimes. Reading story books, collecting stamps, gardening, playing some indoor and outdoor games, reading for exams, listening to music, visiting relatives on weekends, attending music lessons, going to movies occasionally, helping parents with housework, going on a picnic with family or friends, walking in the park on holidays are the types that teenagers usually do in their leisure. Now a days going to different clubs or hotels has become teenage craze. Some people have selected walking, sightseeing, fishing, cooking etc as their leisure activities. The types of pastimes may vary from person to person according to their taste and culture. But the reason behind leisure is the same. The only reason is to have relaxation and pleasure.

 

 

The Most Important Pursuit of Life–Money or Happiness?

We live our life running after money, thinking it would give us a good life. This is the illusion most people believe. Whoever, believes that money buys happiness is wrong. We should not be narrow while thinking what is a good life, and at the same time, we should not dream too much. To have a good life does not mean you have to be the richest person on the planet. One of the keys for a good life is happiness. Happiness, that feeling that makes you forget everything and enjoy the moment. Being happy helps you live the moment to its fullest, forget about the past and its problems and the future with all its challenges. We all want to be happy, to be delighted and enjoy our time. Happiness is not related to material things; you can be the poorest person in this world and still be happy and think you have a good life. People think that drugs, sex, alcohol and money will make their life better. These stupid thoughts made people waste their life and regret what they have done. Ask anyone who is fresh out of college, or has recently taken up a job. Their primary focus will be money, and how to earn more of it. Fast forward to a time when the person is married, has a stable job, with a decent pay, though money is still very important in this person’s life, this person now has a want of something more important than money. Time to spend with family, time to see their children grow up, time to enjoy the luxuries their money can afford. Finally, when this person nears retirement, there is only one thing that is perhaps most important – peace of mind.

 

Celebration of Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali Suborno joyonti. The nation celebrates 50 years of its Independence and National Day today coinciding with the grand celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu. The day’s programs began by heralding a 50-gun salute early in the morning as a mark of profound respect to the heroic struggle of this nation. The government held a 10-day golden jubilee celebration in the Dhaka region with the attendance of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the guest of honour. People from all walks of life laid wreaths at the national memorial in the morning of the day. The national flag was hoisted atop all government, semi-government, autonomous and private buildings with the rises of sun while all streets and important city intersections were decorated with national and multi-coloured miniature flags and festoons. Important buildings and establishments as well as city streets and islands were illuminated with colourful lights. National dailies brought out special supplements while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private radio stations and television channels aired month-long special programs on Liberation War and highlighting the significance of the day. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and other social and cultural organisations arranged discussions, cultural programmes and sports competition while painting competition for children, essay and debate competitions were organized virtually. Smaller ceremonies took place in provincial capitals and district headquarters throughout the country during the period. Special prayers were offered in all mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship across the country seeking divine blessings for the eternal peace of the departed souls of Father of the Nation, four national leaders, martyrs of the War of Liberation and all other patriotic sons of the soil. Improved meals was served to the inmates of hospitals, jails, old homes and orphanage centres to mark the day. The country’s all children’s parks and museums will remain open for all.

 

Uses and Abuses of Satellite Channels

Satellite TV Channels are television channels that broadcast programmes by means of satellite. The broadcast programmes are received in STVR or Satellite Television Receiver which we call dish antenna. Bangladesh introduced satellite channels for the first time in 1992. Nowadays, Bangladeshi people can enjoy more than 100 satellite TV channels. Satellite TV Channels are satisfying people’s interest and demand for entertainment, knowledge and information very efficiently. They provide people with round-the-clock news service and keep them informed of the latest affairs happening around the globe. Various Channels like Discovery, National Geographic, Animal Planet etc. telecast reports on new discoveries, animal world, weather, agriculture, world heritage etc. Some channels show reports and analysis on financial activities around the world while some other telecast cultural programmes, movies, dramas, live sports etc. So, we see that satellite TV channels play a significant role in upgrading the standard of life. Satellite TV Channels leave some bad effects on the viewers, especially on the youngsters. Many satellite TV channels telecast obscene and vulgar films, dramas, music videos etc. which degrade the moral standard of our youngsters. Sensational murder and violence in films often make young people more aggressive. Many people consider satellite TV channels to be a cultural assault of the western countries on the developing countries. Satellite TV channels are the need of the time. Considering the possible bad influence Govt. should not close the access of satellite TV channels. In fact, the satellite TV itself is not responsible for its harmful effect. We have to be careful in using the satellite TV channels so that we can avoid harmful effects. In spite of having some demerits, we cannot but admit that satellite TV channels are the boons of modern science and technology. Therefore, we should take great care in handling this blessing of science. We should appreciate anything positive and constructive of these channels and carefully avoid anything harmful.

 

Uses and Abuses of Internet

The process of connecting two or more computers with cable or modem is known as internet. Internet is the only means of exchanging data through computer networking. It can be very easily accessible. To get necessary information, one just search it on Goggle if one has an internet connection. The Internet is replete with countless advantages. It has made possible man’s access to countless websites, information programs, scientific discoveries, global political, social, economic and cultural developments and happenings, libraries, entertainment and much more.  Internet plays an important role in the field of trade and commerce. Currently, e-commerce has become very popular all over the world. Because, anyone can buy anything online without visiting markets or shopping malls. It also plays an essential role education field as students can easily get necessary information through internet. However, the Internet has some setbacks too, which is a threat to the entire mankind. People, especially youngsters are getting addicted to the Internet and thus causing problems to their health. It is making this generation lazy. Internet hackers are on the rise, creating nuisance in the world of business and communication. There are a lot of thefts, frauds and unscrupulous businesses cropping up that are taking undue advantage of innocent people. Anti-social elements of society and cybercrime are also using the Internet against humanity. Although there are several advantages associated with the internet, we are also able to witness the horrendous disadvantages of the internet and its usage in all walks of life. It’s high time that we realize that technological advancements are like a double-edged sword and should be used wisely to live a quality life.

 

Mujib Borsho

Mujib Year is the year (March 17, 2020 to December 16, 2021) declared to celebrate on the occasion of the centennial birth anniversary of the founding leader of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the year-long programme on 17th March, the birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The UNESCO also announced to celebrate Mujib Borsho jointly with Bangladesh. He is called Bangabandhu and considered the founding father of Bangladesh. Bangladesh became an independent country under his strong leadership. In fact, Mujib’s ideals and his fiery Voice against oppression can be a role model for the world. Therefore, the main objective of celebrating Mujib Borsho is to highlight the eventful life and ideals of this great leader before the young generation home and abroad. As a part of the celebration, many development projects have been taken by the Bangladesh Government like electrification of all the villages, poverty alleviation, providing ICT facilities, to establish Bangabandhu sculpture at Madam Tuso Museum and the UN Headquarters in London, discussions, cultural programs, audio-visual content, and other presentations. etc. Many programmes and initiatives are taken by various organizations to celebrate Mujib Barsho focusing on Bangabandhu’s life and works. National leaders around the world have sent their message by praising the heroism of this great leader. Also, some of the popular leaders around the world will visit Bangladesh to join the program of Mujib Year. A quiz had been arranged about Bangabandhu for encouraging future generations to know and learn about this undisputed leader of the Bengali nation. Mujib Year will end on December 16, 2021. Obviously, the celebration of Mujib Borsho brings many positive changes for Bangladesh. His life and struggle will always teach us to work for the betterment of the people of our country.

 

Modern Technology

Modern technology is all about efficiency and speed; it is about ensuring face-to-face communication, connecting you to your healthcare provider, and empowering you by giving you more access and control to the kind of care you get as well as service you receive. It is the latest scientific knowledge used in practical ways. Today it finds itself on the threshold of new discoveries, invention and explorations of unparalleled excitements. We are now rapidly moving into a world where there will be mills, factories, and industries without workers, agro-based productions without farms of farmers. In agriculture, farm mechanization has drastically reduced the farm labor force. Computerized robots are being used in farms for more production. Medicine, cosmetic products, clothes are nothing but the products of modern technology. Radio, television, computer, refrigerator, dish antenna etc are the gifts of modern technology. These things have made our life enjoyable, comfortable and entertaining. Technology has made the world a global village. With the blessings of mobile phone, internet, television, computer we can know in an instant what is happening in the farthest corner of the world. We can communicate with anyone living at any place in the world within seconds. Technology can be used for the greater welfare of mankind. Technology is used in diagnosing and curing very complex diseases. We can travel very quickly from one country to another by using fastest aircrafts. Technology can also be used in space, sea, mountain, desert etc for the greater welfare of mankind. With the use of technology now we can find out the lost ships or planes in the deep sea or ocean. Staying at home we can do business with foreign countries through the use of modern technology. Modern technology has made our life more improved and developed. In fact, we cannot do without modern technology.

 

Price hike / Price Spiral

Price hike refers to an unusual increase in the price of the essential commodities in the market. When the price of daily necessary things goes up and out of general customer’s affordability in that time we address that situation as Price Hike. There are many reasons for the price hike which is considered one of the major problems in our country. Rapid growth of population, hoarding, black market, market syndicate, natural disasters, limited cultivable lands, shortage of commodities supply, money inflation, political turmoil etc. are the most common in them. Price hike has dreadful effect in our life and national economy. It causes untold sufferings to the poor and the middle class people. Many people cannot buy daily necessaries and remain half fed. As a result, they suffer from malnutrition. Alleviating price hike is a bit difficult. First of all, we have no control over natural calamities. What we can do is to save more than enough foods in the reserve, so that we don’t run into trouble if something unexpected is happened.  However, the government, the rich, and the business class people should come forward to ensure the proper distribution of commodities. Now we should research to overcome price hikes in the future. Govt. should take some effective steps such as creating monitoring cell, keeping strong to import product in crisis condition, motivating farmers to grow hi-breed crops etc. Money inflation, activities of black market, political unrest should be controlled. We need to increase production and stop importing things from other countries. If we focus on production, we will be able to create millions of job opportunities for jobless people. Mass media can also play a vital role to reduce this issue. Using the law properly can change the situation; otherwise, this problem can destroy the economy of a country.

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FOR ALL CLASSES

For all Classes

November 12, 2017skylarkedu

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A Good Citizen A good citizen is a person who observes the constitution and laws to maintain discipline, to perform public duties and to protect public properties. Citizen having good character lives a life of virtue. He or she may belong to any social class, upper or lower. His thoughts and behaviour show high moral values. He should have a strong sense of right and wrong. What he does is good for himself as well as for others in the family and in the society. In fact, he cannot even think of any doing wrong to others. One of the most positive qualities of a good citizen is tolerance towards others. Tolerance and respect together can make life harmonious and peaceful in society. He needs knowledge, skills and attitudes in addition to food, shelter, company, etc. to become a good citizen. He has to prepare to do good work in society.  First, he needs knowledge. Without knowing modern sciences, technologies including ICT and other necessary subjects, he will have difficulty living a good life. He should have knowledge about country, history, cultures, traditions, literature, moral values and religions etc. Second, he needs skills to apply knowledge to do things practically. Finally, knowing and doing things will bring about a change in behavior towards others. This behavioural change will show his attitudes towards others, that is, it will show how he thinks and feels about a person or thing. Most importantly, active participation in different activities both at home and in the localities can make our living atmosphere comfortable, happy and healthy. And this is how we can become good citizens. Or How to Become a Good Citizen A good citizen is one who properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen, firstly one has to prepare oneself to do good work in society. To become so, in addition to food shelter, company, etc, one needs knowledge, skills and to change attitudes. Being knowledge based society, we should have knowledge about our country, government, history, tradition, culture and religion. Besides, one must be able to apply one’s knowledge to do good things practically. Finally, knowing and doing things will bring about a change in one’s outlook towards others. Through regular group work it can be highly expected that there will be noticeable changes like freely mixing, disappearance of shyness, behaving in a democratic way.  It develops the attitude of helping and cooperating with others. Most importantly, these behavioural changes taking place in one inside the classroom will be carried over outside the classroom, in real-life situations. Values and ethics should be inculcated to people as they mature, as that kind of information will built them for being good citizens.

A Street Hawker A Street hawker, typically a petty businessman, hawks many things informally in public places advertising them by shouting. Being a familiar figure, hawkers are frequent and common everywhere particularly near schools, at fairs, corners of roads or railway stations. There is other type of hawkers who sell nothing but buy things like empty bottles, old newspapers, magazines, books, plastic and tin containers, broken household items, etc. He puts on poor looking shirt, a pair of pajamas and a big turban on his head. He carries his materials on head and sometimes in hand and sometimes in a small handcart. He often carries a bell in his right hand and a cane stand in the left. As a cunning person he knows well how to attract a school boy, or a villager or a passer-by. He generally buys his goods at a cheaper rate and sells them at a good profit. They make the life and buying convenient. Their goods are cheaper than those sold in the market. But sometimes they supply spurious and sub-standard things. Therefore, one has to be cautious while purchasing articles from street hawkers. The hawker is an important member of society. He serves us in many ways. He comes to our street in the burning sun and in the severe cold weather. When we cannot go out to buy anything, they are there in our street to serve us. He saves our time and also inconvenience. A street hawker’s life is not easy and comfortable but it is rather difficult and full of hardship. We should be sensitive and sympathetic towards him. His dignity of labor commands our respect.

Yoga Yoga is a kind of posture and breathing exercises. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peace of body and mind, helping one relax and manage stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga puts emphasis on behavior, diet and meditation. But if one is just looking for better stress management— and not an entire lifestyle change, yoga can still help. Yoga trainers gradually choose easier to complex activities for practitioners. However, all practitioners do not necessarily need the same kinds of practice. The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include stress reduction, increased fitness, management of chronic health conditions, weight loss etc. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws one’s focus away from busy, chaotic day and towards calm. As one learns and refines new poses, one may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. Yoga can also help reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, fatigue and mood. If one is overweight or have eating disorder, yoga may help one make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of eating and drop those extra pounds. While one shouldn’t expect yoga to cure or offer relief 100 percent, it can help some health conditions when combined with standard treatment. And if one already enjoys good health, yoga can be an enjoyable supplement to regular fitness routine.

A Village Market A village market is an important temporary center for buying and seeing goods to fulfill the need of the villagers. It generally sits at the junction of roads, under a big banyan tree or the bank of a canal or a river in almost every village of Bangladesh. Villagers sell and buy their daily necessaries. There are two kinds of markets – daily markets and ‘hats’. Daily markets open in the morning and break up at 2 p.m. generally ‘hats’ sit twice in a week. It has mainly two parts – permanent shops and temporary shops. In the permanent shop’s people buy clothes, medicine, paper, rice etc. From the temporary shops, people buy vegetables, milk, and fish. The fish market is the most crowded of all. The betel-leaf seller sits in a corner under the shed. A village market is a part and parcel of our rural economy and it does a great service to the rural people. They meet their friends and relatives there and discuss village politics and settle disputes. The village postman finds it a unique place to deliver letters, money orders etc. A village market is not also free from defects. Markets are dusty, nasty and unsanitary. It is a noisy and an unhealthy place. There is no fixed price in the market. A customer may be cheated at any time. Pick-pickets and gamblers come up and do their evils. Sometimes, the shopkeepers are also oppressed by the local criminals. Besides sometimes haggling leads to quarrel. We should keep it neat and clean. As it is the backbone of the rural economy, our government should take proper steps against price-hiking, pick-pockets, gamblers and other criminals.

Water Pollution Water, an important element of human environment, is essential for human and plant life. It is next to air. Water can be polluted in many ways. Farmers use chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields to grow more food. The rain and floods wash away some of the chemicals. They get mixed with river water, canal water and pond water. Mills and factories pollute water by throwing the waste and even sail boats can pollute water by throwing oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside standing on the banks of the rivers and canals also pollute water. The unsafe drains running into the rivers and canals cause water pollution. Water pollution from industrial discharge, the industrial disposal of toxic chemicals and the dumping of human waste into rivers and canals causes poisoning and water-borne disease such as cholera and diarrhea. Clean water is safe for use and polluted water is harmful for man. Water pollution can be prevented in many ways. First of all, we should make the people aware of the fact that water is next to air. It is called life. Mills and factories should not throw the waste materials and unsold products into rivers and canals. Steamer, motor launches and even sail boats should not throw oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside should not be built on the banks of the rivers and canals. In fine, awareness should be created in the public.

Tree Plantation  Tree plantation is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purpose. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They are also a great source of food, vitamins and furniture and they help to prevent drought and floods. Trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Trees produce oxygen and receive carbon dioxide. In absence of trees carbon dioxide is increasing worldwide. As a result, there is global warming. The sea level is rising. Any time in future the earth may be engulfed by seas. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on, our country will be changed into a desert. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, every man and woman should plant at least a tree every year.

My Favourite Personality My best personality of the world, Hazrat Muhammad (S.M), is the last prophet of Allah and the leader of all prophets. He is the greatest of man and teachers ever born of earths. He is the embodiment of all that is noble, pure and good. The prophet Hazrat Muhammad (s.m) was born in the famous Quraish tribe of Mecca in 570 A.D. Before his birth, his father Abdullah died and his mother Amina died when he was only six. So in his infancy he became an orphan who was brought up by a nurse named Halima. He was handsome, of medium height, very active, walked rapidly which forced his companions to race to keep up with him. People reported seeing light around his body and in his face, which they compared to the sun or the full moon. His skin was white and turned rosy from exposure to the sun. He had black eyes and a thick beard. Everybody believed him and called Al-Amen or the trusty one. The prophet taught the people the virtue of forgiveness. He advised them to do well to others and worship Allah. The Qur’an was revealed to him by Allah and the Hadith which contains his sayings taught the Muslims many noble virtues. He always thought about the evils of Arab life which was dirty and barbering killing, robbery, injustice and barbarism prevailed everywhere in Arab. This great and noble soul passed away in 632 A.D. at the age of 63. But his work and teachings remain and will be followed as long as the world lasts. He made Muslims brothers of one another, built a great nation and powerful state. At present one fifth of the people of the world are the followers of this great and noble prophet.

Environmental Pollution Nature, air, water, land and all other things around us in which we live are called environment. Any unexpected and abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological characteristics in environment is called the environmental pollution. Now our environment is getting polluted every moment in many ways. In major cities and towns motor vehicles, mills and factories are creating fume and smoke. Man makes fires to cook food, to make bricks, to melt tar for road construction and to do many other things. Fires create smoke and pollute the air. Railway engines and powerhouses create smoke by burning coal and oil. Water, another vital element of the environment like air, is also polluted in many ways. Man pollutes water by throwing waste into it. Mills and factories also throw their poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers, canals and seas. Chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides get mixed with water in rivers, canals and ponds, and thus pollute water. Moreover, water vehicles, unsafe drains and unsanitary latrines are also responsible for water pollution. Forests and trees are being cut down on a large scale. So, the ecosystem of the environment is now in great danger. The noise of motor vehicles, mills and factories, aeroplanes, domestic appliances, radios, cassette players, CDs, televisions etc pollutes sound and it affects our hearing. Government and people of all classes should come forward to control this environmental pollution because it is necessary for our own existence. Or Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution refers to any unexpected and abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological characteristics in the environment. Now our environment is getting polluted every moment in many ways. Man makes fires to cook food, to make bricks, to melt tar for road construction and to do many other things. In major cities and towns motor vehicles, mills and factories are creating fume and smoke and they pollute air. Railway engines and powerhouses create smoke by burning coal and oil. Man pollutes water another vital element of the environment by throwing waste into it. Chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides get mixed with water in rivers, canals and ponds, and thus pollute water. Mills and factories also throw their poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers, canals and seas and water is polluted. Moreover, water vehicles, unsafe drains and unsanitary latrines are also responsible for water pollution. The noise of motor vehicles, mills and factories, aeroplanes, domestic appliances, radios, cassette players, CDs, televisions etc pollutes sound and this polluted sound affects our hearing. Forests and trees are being cut down on a large scale. So, the ecosystem of the environment is now in great danger. It gives rise to ecological imbalance and brings about natural disasters in this world. This could horribly reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy wildlife, raise sea level and thereby may cause floods. We should plant more trees and work for forestation. Cutting down trees and hill should be restricted. To prevent pollution, government as well as all the conscious people should come forward to develop civic sense to reduce all kinds of pollution.

Travelling Travelling means going from one place to another in different purposes. Travellers always travel the most beautiful places of the world which uphold the existence of nature. There are many means to see the unseen and know the unknown, but travelling is the best of all. For example, reading books gives us literary knowledge, listening story gives us indefinite ideas, but travelling gives us visual as well as concrete knowledge. Someone travels to gain knowledge and experience, someone travels for pleasure, someone travels for business purposes etc. There are different types of travelling like- travelling by air, bus, boat, train, bus etc. Every travelling has much educative value. It is a part of education. Our education and bookish knowledge remain imperfect without travelling. For this reason, we can learn many things by travelling. It teaches us trade and commerce, language, sociology, customs, culture, history, geography and so on. Therefore, the educative value of travelling beggars description. Besides, there are some special benefits of travelling. If a man stays at one place for a long time, he becomes monotonous and his life becomes boring and callous. Travelling removes our monotony and gives pleasure. Similarly, it also broadens our outlook and refreshes our mind. A good traveler can easily educate others. He can give us first-hand knowledge of men and matters of other country. I like travelling very much.

The Life of a Farmer A farmer is a person who farms land, plants seeds, puts manures and pesticides upon them, weeds out the grasses, waters them and grows crops in this way. Though he is a very important person in our society, he leads a very miserable life. Generally, he lives in a village house which is made of corrugated, iron sheets or straws. An ideal farmer lives a very simple life and earns his livelihood the sweat of his brow. Getting up very early in the morning, he takes a little breakfast and goes to his field with simple hand-made tools and a pair of bullocks. Sometimes he remains so busy that he cannot make time to go home for the noonday meal. He has both pleasures and pains in his life. He gets pleasures when he has a good harvest. But he gets pains when his crops are destroyed by droughts, floods or cyclones. Though a farmer works hard, he cannot meet the basic needs of his family. He lives from hand to mouth. He also suffers from many diseases. However, a farmer can improve his condition by availing of the easy loans and by planned use of it. He should take advantage of scientific mechanized tools and the latest method of cultivation. In our society, a farmer is meant to belong to the lower class but in reality an asset to the country. He contributes a lot to the economy of the country. We can better their overall condition taking concerted steps like giving subsidy in the agricultural sector. Otherwise, hopes and aspirations of the nation will be shattered by the rocks of reality.

Importance of Games and Sports Games and sports are important for success not in studies but in every walks of our life. Boys and girls may practice races, jumps, discuss throw and javelin throw and thus pass their afternoon in useful activities. They may play various games like football, cricket, hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton etc. The importance of games and sports can never be minimized. First of all, they are good exercises and help to make mentally alert and physically strong. Secondly, by displaying their feats before many spectators, one can overcome nervousness. Thirdly, they are good diversions and give energy to learn their lessons well. Fourthly, it gives the necessary break from the everyday monotonous life. Fifthly, games and sports help building a sense of cooperation and team-spirit in an individual. When people of different nations get together on the occasion of an international sporting event, they come closer to each other, sharing views, opinions and friendship. Therefore, we learn to socialize and strengthen international brotherhood through games and sports. For these reasons, every civilized nation values the importance of games and sports and spends large sum of money on improving the standard of games and sports. However, games should be played for the sake of enjoyment, pleasure and recreation. If played in the right spirit, games become an important part of life – a better and healthy life. Or Importance of Games and Sports The ideal of a good and perfect life is to have a sound mind in a sound body. This is recognized by all as the best means of performing our duties. Body and mind should work at their best, and they cannot do so unless both are in good order. The best way to keep the limbs fit is to exercise them in sports and games of physical skill and strength. This indeed is the importance of games, there is no society, which has not its own special kinds of games. Sports and games supposed to be looked upon as a means of building up the body beautiful. Sports and games have now come to stay in our civilization as an essential feature of human activity, and their object is not merely fun, they also instill the spirit of discipline and team-work. Game like cricket, hockey and football are popular because of the spirit of team work which they inspire. The discipline that gained in playing up games is invaluable in later life. It makes for a life of co-operation and team work which could be used for building up a great society and a nation. Our young man and woman should take active part in sports and games. It is good that our educational institutions encourage sports and games by organizing matches and awarding prizes and trophies. The habit of taking part in games and sports is good in several ways. Apart from making us strong, healthy and fit, it teaches us how to use our energy in the right way. But all good things sometimes become bad. This is a strange but the true fact about human activities. Sports and games should be so organized that they will not interfere with studies of our youth. Life is not all sports. They are only a part, though a very important part.

Begum Rokeya Begum Rokeya was a famous writer, a social worker, feminist and a social worker in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She is most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues. She was born in 1880 in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a highly educated landlord. She had two sisters and three brothers. Rokeya’s eldest brother and elder sister had great influence on her life. She learnt Bangla and English from her eldest brother Ibrahim. She believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men have in the society. So she fought for their cause throughout her life. In 1896 she was married to Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain who was the Deputy Magistrate. He was very cooperative, and always encouraged Rokeya to go on with her activities. Rokeya had great love for her mother tongue. She launched her literary career in 1902 with a Bangla story entitled Pipasa (Thirst). Her famous novels are Sultana’s Dream (1905), Motichur (1908), Padmaraga (1924) and Oborodhbashini (1928). Rokeya established Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School. It started in Bhagalpur, a traditionally Urdu-speaking area, with only five students. She also founded Islamic Women’s Association. In her life, she remained busy with the school, the association, and her writings for the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932. The date of her death, 9 December, is now commemorated as ‘Rokeya Day’ in Bangladesh.

Early Rising Early rising is the habit of getting up from bed early in the morning. It is a very good habit which is very much essential for sound health. This habit is of special use to a man in various ways. Once one gets into the habit of rising early, one is able to set a routine and that obviously leads to better productivity both at work and home. The man who rises early in the morning can take some exercises or a walk in the morning fresh air by the river side or in the open field. The morning air refreshes both body and mind. Then the air is full of oxygen. There is a calm and serene atmosphere everywhere. One can enjoy the beauty of nature in the early morning. Nature smiles in the morning with colourful flowers and green leaves and the chirping of birds is also heard in the morning.  All these make them cheerful and healthy. The beautiful gifts and colourful nature in the morning remind everybody of the Creator. One feels like to pray to God. An early riser gets enough time to do his work either in study on in other work, which will bring him success. Finally, he must follow the instructions to rise early. An early riser has many advantages. He can start his daily works earlier. He had nothing to worry. He can earn more and become wealthy. So the habit of early rising is the source of health, wealth and wisdom. So, all of us should adopt a healthier way of living and reap those benefits.

Leisure/Leisure Pursuit/Pastime Leisure is an interest or activity that somebody pursues in his or her spare time. Human beings cannot be compared to machines. The monotonous working hours of a hectic and busy life load their brains with tiredness and stress. So, they need something else besides their work to be energized or recharged. It refreshes them, at the same time it gives them a new life. There may be thousands types of pastimes all over the world. Many pastimes around the world are common to people no matter what their nationality or race. But some are not. However, whatever the country, one activity that is common to all is watching television. Most of the people of Bangladesh pass their leisure either playing in the field or gossiping in the rural areas. But in the urban sites there are a number of pastimes. Reading story books, collecting stamps, gardening, playing some indoor and outdoor games, reading for exams, listening to music, visiting relatives on weekends, attending music lessons, going to movies occasionally, helping parents with housework, going on a picnic with family or friends, walking in the park on holidays are the types that teenagers usually do in their leisure. Now a days going to different clubs or hotels has become teenage craze. Some people have selected walking, sightseeing, fishing, cooking etc as their leisure activities. The types of pastimes may vary from person to person according to their taste and culture. But the reason behind leisure is the same. The only reason is to have relaxation and pleasure.

The Selfish Giant Once there was a selfish giant who had a very beautiful garden in front of his place with soft green grass, beautiful flowers, fruit trees etc. He went to his friend in a distant land and stayed with them for seven years. In the meantime, every afternoon children came back from school and used to go and play in the Giant’s garden. One day when the giant came back, he saw the children playing freely in his garden. This made him seriously angry and he drove them away. He built a huge wall round the garden to stop entrance into it. So the children could not play. Then the garden became lifeless without any flower or bird. Though it was the season of spring, winter prevailed in the garden. The giant found no trace of spring in his garden. Then one day he could hear the chirping of birds and looked out of the window. He saw that children were playing in the garden. It was full of flowers and birds. He come out of his castle into the garden and seeing him coming, the children ran away. At once the garden became lifeless again with cold. He could realize the matter and felt sad. Then he allowed them to enter into it and play freely. The garden immediately regained its life with flowers leave. From that time the giant and the children become close friends.

My First Day at School The day a student goes to school for the first time in life is called first day at school. Human life is the collection of some forgettable as well as memorable events. My first day school is an event which will remain ever fresh in my heart. When my parents declared the news of my schooling, I became very much excited and started leaping and dancing in great joy. I was always thinking about the school, the teachers, and the students of the school. I couldn’t even sleep at night. The next morning my mother woke me up early in the morning. I had a bath and put on my best clothes. Having breakfast, my father and I started walking towards the school. After reaching school, I saw many students on the school campus playing and talking to each other. My father took me to the headmaster’s room. My heart beat fast. But his smiling face and gentle words put me at ease.  As I could answer all of his questions, he became pleased. He called in a teacher and sent me to my class with her. My classmates received me very cordially and made friendship with me within a short time. The school broke up at 2 pm. My father again came and took me home. I left the school with a cheerful mind. That day was very remarkable in my life.

A Good Teacher/An Ideal Teacher A man or woman, who teaches the students to discover hidden treasures in any educational institutions, is called a teacher. He is a friend, philosopher and a guide to the students. Generally, a teacher is judged whether he is good or bad according to the temperament of the students. But an ideal teacher must have some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. He who knows the art of teaching, is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. An ideal teacher treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistakes, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his students realise his mistake. An ideal teacher is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He influences young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school.

The Importance of Using Dictionary A dictionary is a book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language alphabetically, gives their meaning, provides information about pronunciation, origin, and usage. Dictionaries are very important books in the life of a student as it can be both a teacher and a good friend. It lists the words in a language alphabetically so that the reader may find them easily. A dictionary entry gives us the accepted spelling of a word, its division into syllable, its pronunciation, its origins along with its meanings. It informs what part of speech does a certain word belong. Sometimes a dictionary also provides synonyms, or opposites of a word. In addition, if the word is a noun that describes a visible thing, the dictionary may provide a picture of it. In this connection, it guides us in writing words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes examples sentences are also provided. When one wants to use the word and does not know where to put the word, one can look example sentences. However, searching words by using a dictionary takes a lot of time. Using a talking dictionary, words can be searched immediately. We can find some words in a few minute. To sum up, a dictionary does a great help for everyone, especially students who are learning a language and who are interested in language learning to explore new words and enrich vocabulary.

My Best Friend A good friend might be someone who’s there to provide support when times are tough, or someone you can rely on to celebrate a special moment. I have a very good friend who really has loyalty and with whom I can share all feelings. My best friend, X is very punctual, obedient, tolerant, leadership in nature, tall, fair in complexion, smart, broadminded, co-operative and respectful. He lives with me as my neighbour in the same colony. We met each other in the nursery class on the very first day. We sit together in the classroom and share everything very happily without any problem. He is very good in studies and behaves well with everyone. He does his class work and homework very attentively. We share our Tiffin in the lunch time. Many things of us like hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc are similar. We love to listen music, watching cartoons and playing carom at home. We take care of each other in the school and playground. We share school copies and help each other whenever one of us remain absent in the school. We love drawing sceneries and arts in our spare time. We go at tour and picnic with our parents together in every winter and summer vacation. I am really proud of him.

A Village Doctor The man who deals with village people and gives medicine to the rural people without any knowledge about medicine is called a village doctor. He takes slight training from an experienced doctor. Though he is a quack but he saves the poor villagers from immature death. The village people like him very much and he is a favorite person to the villagers. He may not a good or an efficient doctor but he goes if anybody calls him to their house. He renders great service to the villagers when they fall ill. He selects medicine depending on his general idea. He also has an own dispensary which offers a poor show two benches. The village doctor leads a very hard and busy life. Every day he gets up early in the morning and takes his bath and takes his meal and goes to his dispensary. He begins to attend the patients present at his dispensary just at 8.00 am and finishes at late hours of night. Though he sometimes worsens the disease of a patient; he is the most trusted person to the villagers. Sometimes he takes an assistant. When people fell in danger he helps them and gives them necessary medicine. He looks after his patients from his own heart. He is a beneficial person of the society and does great services to the rural people. He shares their weal and woe. He consoles them and hears those words of hope. He treats his patients with sympathy.

A Visit to the Historical Interest Man is not satisfied with what he has seen and known. He wants to see more and know more. He wants to get flavor of the historical places, so whenever I get an opportunity, I visit a place of historical interest. I got such an opportunity to visit Bagerhat, a great historical place in Bangladesh. The Mazar of Khan Jahan Ali is a fine one storied building. It has a beautiful dome. Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali was buried there. The tomb is made of cut of stones. It cannot be accurately said where from these were brought. It is said that Pir Khan Jahan Brought these fromchittagong by flotting on water, on the tomb there are inscription in Arabic. An inscription says that he died on 25th October 1459. There is a small mosque nearby. A close associate of Khan Jahan Ali was buried outside the tomb. On the night of the full moon of the Bangla Month Chaitra a big fair is held beside the Mazar. Many people attend the fair. There is a big tank in front of the Mazar, the local people call it the Dighi of Khan Jahan Ali. There are some crocodiles in the big tank. They come near fakirs call them and give them something to eat. I saw the Dighi with my own eyes and derived much pleasure. It is a big and beautiful building which is beautifully decorated. It is said that it was used both as a mosque and the court by Pir Khan Jahan. The mosque has great attraction for the tourists and visitors. Bageraht is really a place of historical interest. I shall never forget this visit. It is a wonderful experience that I have ever achieved. Or A Visit to a Palace of Historical Interest I am always curious by nature to know the places of historical interest. I have a fascination for visiting historical places. It has a great educative as well as cultural value. By visiting historical places; we can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. A visit to a place of historical interest is really interesting and attractive. During the last summer vacation, I along with some of my friends, got such an opportunity to visit the Natiotal Memorial at Savar and decided to go to savar to see the National Memorial. Accordingly, we fixed a date and started our journey from Gabtali to savar at 10 p.m. by bus. We reached savar, near National Memorial just after 45 minute. Actually the National Memorial at savar is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It contains the history of our independence. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. It stands 150 feet tall, but every martyr it stands for stands so much taller. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. Reaching there we felt a great respect to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their valuable lives for us. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and saw many historical things and enjoyed myself. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters just close to the tower. However, we left the place paying our glowing tribute to the freedom fighters. Through this visit we experienced a lot. The monument richly deserves all the honour and distinction that it has been showered with. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.  Or A Visit to a Palace of Historical Interest A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to its cultural value. Visiting a historical place is really interesting, educative and attractive. We can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. During the last summer vacation, I along with my family got such an opportunity to visit the National Memorial at Savar. Actually it is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. The entire complex covers an area of 126 acres. The plan of this complex includes a mosque, a library and a museum. The relics of the liberation war will be kept in the museum to remind the supreme sacrifices of freedom loving people. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters. Standing in front of the graves we bow down our heads in respect, as the towers soar up symbolizing the loftiness of their spirit. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and enjoyed many historical things. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. Through this visit we experienced a lot. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.

A Railway Station/ Bus Station A railway station is such a place where different kinds of rails come, stand and start from to facilitate the passengers to get in and to get down from them. It is one of the cheapest and most comfortable of all the transport systems. In every station there is at least a building that usually made of red bricks which is called station house. The building has several rooms which are used as a booking office, ticket counters, and waiting rooms for passengers. Besides, there are rooms for stationmaster rooms for officer on duty and so on. The stationmaster is all in all in a station. He is assisted by number of other staffs, railway police and guards. The passengers willing to travel by train collect their tickets from the ticket counter. The ticket counter generally opens half an hour before the arrival of the train. A railway station is a crowded and noisy place, both passengers and coolies remain busy to push one after another to get into it. There may be waiting room for the passengers. When a rail comes up, the passengers fall in a long line to get into it. After some time, the guard blows the whistle and waves the green flag, the train moves.  As soon as the train leaves, the station sinks into silence and turns into a deserted place. Hawkers are seen to sell betel leaf, cigarettes, newspapers, fancy items etc. Book stalls, fruit shops and tea-stall are also found here. Some evil doers often flock in the railway station and try to harm the passengers. A railway station however, plays an important role in communication sector of the country.

An Ideal Student The student life is a period of training for the practical duties of manhood. It is the seed time of one’s life. An ideal student makes the best use of student life. His aim is not confined to studies and passing of university examination only. He is courteous to one and all. He cultivates good manners and habits. He is industrious, honest and sympathetic. He possesses a keen sense of duty and responsibility. He is regular and punctual. He never cherishes an evil thought. He is obedient to his teachers and elders. He shuns bad company. He is diligent. Diligence is a great virtue. He is a great lover of truth. He has a thirst for knowledge and learning. He gathers knowledge from every possible source as a bee flits from flower to flower and gathers honey. He attains exactness of mind is consistent in action. Dignity, discipline, self-control, constructive organization and self-restraint are his watchwords. He is virtuous and mentally and bodily firm and strong. He acts like a brave and fearless soldier in a national cause. He is tolerant and free from prejudices narrow-mindedness and selfish motive. He rushes in where others fear to tread. He is optimistic. Nothing can disappoint him. Nothing can daunt him. He thinks, decides and dashes. He is self – assertive. He presses on and on to attain perfection, getting over all the difficulties in his way. ‘Excelsior’ is his motto in life. Or An Ideal Student The student life is a period of training for the practical duties of manhood. It is the seed time of one’s life. An ideal student makes the best use of student life. His aim is not confined to studies and passing of university examination only. He is courteous to one and all. He cultivates good manners and habits. He is industrious, honest and sympathetic. He possesses a keen sense of duty and responsibility. He is regular and punctual. He never cherishes an evil thought. He is obedient to his teachers and elders. He shuns bad company. He is diligent. Diligence is a great virtue. He is a great lover of truth. He has a thirst for knowledge and learning. He gathers knowledge from every possible source as a bee flits from flower to flower and gathers honey. He attains exactness of mind is consistent in action. Dignity, discipline, self-control, constructive organization and self-restraint are his watchwords. He is virtuous and mentally and bodily firm and strong. He acts like a brave and fearless soldier in a national cause. He is tolerant and free from prejudices, narrow-mindedness and selfish motive. He rushes in where others fear to tread. He is optimistic. Nothing can disappoint or daunt him. He thinks, decides and dashes. He is self assertive. He presses on and on to attain perfection, getting over all the difficulties in his way. So, all of us have to try to be an ideal student to reach the highest peak of the desired success.

Arsenic Pollution Arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis is a condition caused by the ingestion and inhalation of dangerous levels of arsenic. Arsenic, a grey-appearing chemical element, can be found as a contaminant in food and water sources. It typically occurs as a result of industrial exposure, from contaminated wine or illegally distilled spirits, or in cases of malicious intent.  When a man drinks arsenic contaminated water for a long term, his skin is coarsened and stained. One time he suffers from gangrene. It is such a poison that damages all the vital organs resulting in the subsequent death. Those who do not eat fish and vegetables are easily affected. The arsenic affected patients should be properly treated. They should drink arsenic free water and take vitamins A, C, E to come round. People should be made very conscious of the problems of arsenic and arsenic diseases. Our tube-wells are to be tested and those which are not free from arsenic should be identified. The water of pond and river can be drunk after purification. Rain water is safe and free from arsenic. If pure water is not found, it should be filtered through pitchers containing sand. The govt. as well as the common mass should take some effective steps to solve this kind of problem.

A School Library A school library, a store house of knowledge, is usually housed in a suitable place according to the choice and scope within the school boundary. It satisfies eternal desire for knowledge of the unknown and the unseen. A school without a library is unthinkable these days. It has text books on various subjects, newspapers, journals, novels, travels, biographies, history, geography, short stories, essays, poetry and magazines etc. Students, especially who want to broaden their knowledge, go to the library in their vacant periods and study. On one side of the library hall there are long tables and benches. Students sit, read and take down notes there. The calm and quiet atmosphere of the library helps the students to work attentively. The school librarian, a trained and qualified person, gives advice to students on the choice of books. Students find no difficulty in the selection of the books. It is always open on all the days of the week. Nobody is allowed to keep a book after a certain period. A school library plays a vital role in the academic affairs of students. It is a good way to develop general knowledge. The students beget studious habits. It creates a taste for book among the weak boys even after school life. It gives opportunities to make best use of our leisure time. By studying in a library regularly, a student can do well in the examination which ultimately leads him to the pinnacle of success.

River Gypsies River gypsies, known as bedey to local people, are one of the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. The gypsies have their own lifestyle and culture. They are used to live a nomadic life travelling from one place to another in small country boats. These boats are their houses. They are an integral part of our waters. Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with both fishing and diving for natural pearls in waters. Sometimes, they camp for a couple of weeks. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics and other things. They also try to heal pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their body. When many water bodies dry up in winter season, they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. Their men can be seen relaxing in the tents. Women often pick off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row. Gypsy people are losing their customers due to the rapid urbanization process. Voting rights, permanent housing, mobile boat-schools and bank loan facilities should be offered to them to survive in the mainstream population.

Nakshi Kantha Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ was derived from the Bengali word, ‘naksha’ which implies artistic pattern. It is a type of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The art has been practiced in pastoral areas of Bengal for centuries. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ gained popularity after the poet Jasimuddin’s poem ‘Nakshi kanthar Math’ which was published in 1929. Traditional kanthas are made especially by the women for family use. Old or new cloth and thread are used to make these quilts. Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Faridpur, Bogra and Jessore are most famous for this craft. Now it is produced commercially. It can be found in many expensive handicraft shops in cities. Because of the colourful patterns and designs embroidered on them, the quilts are now in great demand. Finally, it goes without saying that “Nakshai Kantha” signifies a token of Bengali culture.

The Wheel A wheel is a circular object which can rotate around its axis and help easy movement of things across a surface. Although it is a very important invention, the history of its origin is unknown. Experts guess that the first wheel was developed from a circular object. The early man observed that a huge piece of stone could be rolled easily if it was circular in shape. Thus, early man took advantage of rolling objects and developed the first wheel. Apart from its mechanical advantage, a wheel’s mobility has contributed much to the civilisation. The wheels are, in fact, everywhere. They are on our cars, trains, planes, wagons and so on. Besides, they are on most factory and farm equipment. Fans, propellers, turbines are also other types of wheels. So the wheel is very important. They have brought great civilization to the world through this invention. Today we cannot imagine modern life without wheels.

A Village Doctor The man who deals with village people and gives medicine to the rural people without any knowledge about medicine is called a village doctor. He takes slight training from an experienced doctor. Though he is a quack but he saves the poor villagers from immature death. The village people like him very much and he is a favorite person to the villagers. He may not a good or an efficient doctor but he goes if anybody calls him to their house. He renders great service to the villagers when they fall ill. He selects medicine depending on his general idea. He also has an own dispensary which offers a poor show two benches. The village doctor leads a very hard and busy life. Every day he gets up early in the morning and takes his bath and takes his meal and goes to his dispensary. He begins to attend the patients present at his dispensary just at 8.00 am and finishes at late hours of night. Though he sometimes worsens the disease of a patient; he is the most trusted person to the villagers. Sometimes he takes an assistant. When people fell in danger he helps them and gives them necessary medicine. He looks after his patients from his own heart. He is a beneficial person of the society and does great services to the rural people. He shares their weal and woe. He consoles them and hears those words of hope. He treats his patients with sympathy.

A Rainy Day On a rainy day it may rain heavily or slowly but continuously all day long. Torrential rains with coolness and rhythmic sounds, damp streets, fields, and houses, lively leaves and buds of trees are some of the enchanting characteristics of a rainy day. The sky is overcast with thick of black clouds and the sun remains hidden behind them. To save the flora and fauna of nature from the scorching heat of summer, rains come down on earth with a refreshing touch. Cars, buses, scooters and taxies are seen plying in knee deep water due to water logging. People with umbrellas or waterproofs are seen trudging along the muddy streets. If it rains heavily before school time, students get a holiday. People pass the day in listening to music, watching TV, reading novels. Those who have imaginary bent of mind enjoy the beauty of nature being drenched in rains. The peasantry welcomes the rainy day; for it helps them to resume the labors that the delay of the rain had interrupted. After the rain, the trees look fresh and green. Water Lily, Aparajita, Kadam, Krishnachura are seen blooming in this time. Birds are chirping happily in the trees. Every pit and pond is full to the brim. Frogs croak on a far off village basin. The cattle keep standing in their sheds and bellow. Reaching home after the rain people feel refreshed both in mind and body. Despite all its disadvantages, I enjoy myself on this day. It brings some variety to our monotonous life.

A Road Accident Among daily’s unfortunate occurrences, street accident is very common. Despite all efforts to prevent accident, it happens every day. Busy and narrow road, careless driving, it takes place very frequently. Day before yesterday a terrible accident took place just before my eyes. It occurred in front of Bangla College while I was going to the New Market. When I reached the college gate, suddenly I heard a scream of a boy who was trying to cross the Mirpur Road. He was run over by a speedy truck. When the truck was a few feet away from him, he got puzzled and ran backwards and forwards. The driver tried desperately to hold the break but failed. He was crushed under the wheels of the truck and his body was changed into a lump of flesh. The truck was stopped. The passers-by crowded there. The boy was taken up from the pool of blood. A gentleman offered his car to carry the boy to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. In the evening I came to know that the boy had passed away on way to the hospital. I was greatly shocked at this incident. The truck along with the driver had been taken to police custody. But that horrible scene still haunts my mind. However, we all should always bear in mind that life is more valuable than time. Moreover, some proper steps should be taken and some strict rules should be introduced to stop street accidents.  Or The Street Accident Street accident refers to a collision of vehicle with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. It often results in injury, disability, death, and property damage as well as financial costs. Despite all efforts to prevent accident, it happens every day. Reckless driving, violation of traffic rules, the insufficient number of traffic police, overtaking tendency, damaged and narrow roads, lack of public awareness, using mobile phone while driving, lack of experience and licensing of untrained drivers etc. are the main causes of street accidents. The effects of road accidents are enormous and pathetic. A little mistake can cause a lot of tears to anybody. Somebody loses his/her dear and near ones forever. Pedestrians are often run over by the wheel while crossing the road. More than 4,000 people die on roads every year in Bangladesh. Many people become the victim of temporary and permanent injuries. Besides these physical damages, the losses include direct and indirect expenses, such as medical costs, insurance loss, property damage, family income losses, traffic congestion, etc. So, it is high time we had to do something to prevent unwanted road accidents. To solve the problem of reckless driving, over speeding, drunken driving, distractions to driver, overloading and overtaking tendency must be controlled. Roads and streets need to be constructed on a proper plan. Modern system of traffic control should be introduced and reckless driving should be dealt with exemplary punishment. Defective vehicles should be removed. The driving license should be issued honestly and duly. Above all, public awareness should be raised. Only then, we can hope for a better future regarding roads and transportation.

The Life of a Fisherman A fisherman is a person who catches and sells fishes from various sources to maintain his life. Generally, he lives in a village near a river or a sea. He is hard working and painstaking. He uses nets and boats in fishing. Some have nets but no boats. Some who have boats and nets, employ the boat less ones and work in a group. A fisherman is always at work. While at home, he repairs his boats or nets and paints his boats or dyes his nets. He catches fish in the seas, rivers, haors, beels and ponds. His women-folk make new nets; his children dry fishes in the sun and sell them in the market. The life of a fisherman is very risky and challenging because there may have storms and cyclones at any time. Some fishermen go to fish at night; some go to fish in the deep water or in the sea from home for many days. If he cannot earn a day, his family is to starve. He feels happy when he earns the needful amount. After all a fisherman does much good to us by supplying fishes. In spite of being hard working, he can hardly make both ends meet. Government should take some pragmatic steps for the development of minimum standard of their livelihood.

A Tea Stall A tea stall is a small shop where tea and other things are sold for the passers-by. It is a common place to all classes of people. It is usually found at the turn of the road, bus stands, railway stations, Bazar or even beside an office where the common people are available. It opens early in the morning and closes at late night. Biscuits, bread, banas, betal leaf and different kinds of handmade snacks are available there. A tea stall is furnished with some benches and tables. An ordinary tea stall is dirty. A boy is employed in a tea stall to serve the people. Sometimes, the owner himself serves as the boy and the cashier. People who come to a tea stall usually do not leave it immediately after taking a cup of tea. People refresh themselves with a cup of tea in a tea stall. It is also a place where social disputes are settled. They mainly talk about politics, local events and current affairs. This is why it is called a Mini Sangsad. Intact, tea stall is now –a-days an important place of social gathering and at the same time a place of charm for the common people. So a tea stall occupies an important place in our day-to-day life.

Adopting Unfair Means in the Examination The adoption of unfair means in the examination means copying in the examination. It does not simply mean copying from books etc. Inside the hall, it includes any sort of malpractice in or outside the hall to succeed in the examination. It is one of the signs of other degenerating conditions existing in our society. Many students without preparing lessons waste their valuable time in gossiping, roaming, playing, travelling etc. As a result, they are compelled to adopt unfair means in the hall. By adopting unfair means a student frustrates the very purpose of the examination. Merely committing to memory and vomiting it in the examination halls cannot determine the merit of a student. In order to solve copying in the examination the govt. has taken some preventive measures. First of all, the govt. is trying to raise public awareness through mass media. Recently the government has enforced a law that if any student is found copying in the examination hall, she/he will be expelled from the examination hall. If any invigilator is found helping any examiner, legal action will be taken against her/him. Even if outsiders are found involved in helping any examiner in copying, they will also be punished. The government has interchanged the examination centers and formed invigilation teams to monitor the overall condition of the examination center. The very system of education should be changed. Above all the government, the teachers, the guardians, the students, the intellectuals, the politicians and all the conscious sections of the country should come forward to tackle the problem.

Eve-teasing Eve teasing means molestation or exciting young girls sexually by making indecent remarks or vulgar comments on them. It usually starts with winking eyes and making obscene gestures and may go to the extent of physical assault and harassment. Generally, school and college-going girls become victims of eve teasing. It is a matter where boys use bad language to the girls who silently hate them without taking any kind of revenge. In naturally his violations reach the girls to suicide. For removing it forever from the society everybody should careful about it. Everybody should behave each other like brother and sister. Here religion rules can contribute a lot. If anybody makes this again they should be punished for their deeds. And we should take immediate action to them if anybody makes this violation. Boys who see their fathers treating their mothers with respect will automatically grow into men who think likewise. Boys and girls should be allowed to mingle freely so that they learn to respect each other’s individuality. Men need to realize that every woman is some man’s wife, or daughter, or sister, or mother; and must be treated with the same respect, they would accord their own. Eve teasing is a social crime and it should be prevented at any cost. The law-enforcing authorities should deal severely with the eve teasers. People’s conscience and consciousness must also be aroused to stop this nuisance.

Victory Day of Bangladesh Victory means the rebuilt of self-immolation of 30 lacs people. The 16th December is the victory Day of Bangladesh. This day reminds us of the supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters who will ever shine in our hearts like the luminous stars in the sky. It is a red letter day in our national calendar of Bangladesh. In 1971, Bangladesh discloses herself as a new country and gets a place in the world map. The occupation forces surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces, and with their surrender we got our victory. It is a government holiday. The national flag is hosted in all important offices, buildings, institutions and shops. All important places are tastefully decorated. Meetings and seminars are held to explain the importance of the day. On this day we pay rich tributes to the memory of the day. People from all walks of life irrespective of ages, castes and creeds celebrate Victory Day with huge enthusiasm and inspiration. Different cultural organizations hold various programmes and bring out colourful rallies to mark the day. Radio and television broadcast special programmes, and newspapers publish special supplementary on this day. The parks, museums etc. remain crowded from dawn to dusk with lots of people enjoying their time. We pray to almighty Allah for the martyrs of our liberation war. The victory day symbolizes the triumph of justice over tyranny, of truth over falsehood. So the 16th December is a very important day in the history of Bangladesh.

Zahir Raihan Zahir Raihan, one of the most talented film makers, was born on 19 August 1935 in Feni district of Bangladesh. He was an active worker of the Language Movement, took part in the mass movement in 1969, joined the Liberation War in 1971. All through his life, Zahir dreamt for a democratic society that will ensure freedom of speech and will. He had many dreams about our film industry too. He made a legendary film Jibon Theke Neya based on the Language Movement of 1952. It was a revolt against the then autocratic government. During the liberation war this film was shown outside Bangladesh and earned appreciation. Zahir gave all his money to the Freedom Fighters’ trust that he got from his film shows. Besides, his great documentary on Pakistani atrocities, Stop Genocide, helped create world sentiment in favour of our liberation war. His brother Shahidulla was captured and killed by the Pakistani army and the local collaborators during the last days of the war. On 30 December 1971, someone informed Zahir about an address somewhere at Mirpur, where he might find his brother. Accordingly, Zahir left home to get his brother back and he never returned. Zahir’s dream was fulfilled. He could see the inception of a free independent Bangladesh though he did not get back his brother. And it’s a pity that this dreamer was missing at such a time when his dream came true.

Floral Culture Floral culture has widely been flourished in our country because of a rosy environment full of colour and fragrance. It is not only an interesting pastime but also a moneymaker if it can be handled professionally. A florist specializes in the selection and arrangement of flowers for a variety of events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, marriage days, Valentine ’s Day, official receptions and even funerals. Although formal education or a diploma is not always essential, florists must have a good taste, good eye for colours, shapes and proportion. They have to have good sense for selecting flowers, ribbons and other accessories to make beautiful arrangements. Professional florists are knowledgeable about not only flowers but also designs and techniques. Most florists learn the trade mainly through apprenticeship in a previous flower farming job and also by attending formal floral schools and courses. Every flower is with its distinct colour, design, significance and meaning which flower designers have to know well. We know that conventionally roses are meant for romance and anniversaries and tulips for birthdays. However, a true passion for flowers and a bit of aesthetic sense are all that can make a florist’s career successful. Flower designers earn fairly handsome money. But the bonus is that they belong to a fresh fun job. They work in flowers all day long in a nice atmosphere with fresh air, pleasant smells and vivid colours around. But there is a disadvantage too, if you are inclined to see so. Florists deal with flowers, but miss their honey!

Zainul Abedin Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, the founding father of Bangladeshi art, is widely reputed for his Bengal ‘Famine Sketches’. Through a series of sketches, he depicted extremely shocking pictures with human compassion. He developed a knack for drawing and painting when he was a high school student. He graduated with the first position in first class in 1938. He was appointed teacher of the Art School while he was still a student there and later attended the Slade School of Arts, London. His 65-foot long scroll portraying heightened the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistan regime. He organized nabanna exhibition which is a milestone in demanding cultural and political freedom. His dynamic style of work is evident in a 30-foot-long scroll painting of devastating cyclone of 1970 called Manpura. He designed the pages of Constitution of Bangladesh. He founded the Folk Art Museum at Sonargoan, and also Zainul Abedin Shangrahasala in Mymensingh in 1975. The river Brahmaputra has a significant role in his paintings and a source of inspiration all through his career. He was awarded by the Governor’s Gold Medal in an all-India exhibition in 1938. During his life time, he produced a series of brush and ink drawings, which later became iconic images of human sufferings.

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa, the mother as well as the servant of humanity, was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and joined the Sisters of Loretto with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata from 1929 to 1948. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. This made it possible for her to start ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ for the dying destitute. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’. She will always be remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick.

The Shat Gambuj Masjid The Shat Gambuj Masjid is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural beauties of Bangladesh. Saint and warrior Ulugh Khan Jahan, the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the South, founded this multidomed mosque in Bagerhat district. The stately fabric of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of a low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape. The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 chauchala or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and the south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stones columns. The arches are six feet in thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque is’ beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage. Besides being used as a prayer hall, the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali.

The Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty, originally called Liberty Enlightening the World, is a statue on Liberty Island in the harbour of New York. It symbolises liberty in the form of a woman wearing flowing robes and a spiked crown. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand and carries in her left hand a book inscribed “July 4, 1776”. Broken chains, symbolizing the overthrow of tyranny, lie at her feet. The statue was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and was given by France to the USA to commemorate the centennial of US independence in 1876. France raised funds, by popular subscription to pay for the statue; US donors financed the pedestal and installation of the monument. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the work on October 28, 1886. The statue, the island, and nearby Ellis Island were declared a national monument in 1924. The statue formed of copper sheets riveted to an iron framework, is one of the largest in the world. It measures 93.5 m from the bottom of the pedestal to the tip of the torch.  Its head is reachable by staircase or emergency lift. The statue weighs 250 tons. Originally conceived as a gesture of international friendship, the statue has become a global symbol of freedom, marking the arrival of millions of immigrants to the United States.

Steven Paul Jobs Steven Paul Jobs, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc, was the pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He is the foster son of a car mechanic Paul Jobs and Clara jobs. His mother taught him how to read and write before he went to the elementary school. He became famous through the marketing of Apple computers. In 1985, Jobs left Apple after losing a power battle. He then founded NeXT, a computer platform development company. After returning to Apple as an adviser, he brought back Apple to profitability from the verge of bankruptcy. He supervised the development of iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The success of these products and services helped Apple to become the world’s most valuable company. Jobs has changed people’s perspective computer, and how they use it and communicate with each other. Hence i-Books, i-Phones, i-Pods and i-Pads have become extremely popular. It is he who made Wi-Fi a standard feature of every laptop. So Jobs’ dream to be anywhere anytime became a reality. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. In fact, he has been highly acclaimed as a visionary leader in the electronic field of computers and consumers.

My Most Favourite Song There are many songs that appeal to my mind. In fact, the list of my favourite songs is rather long. But if I am asked to choose my most favourite song, I have to mention just one that comes to my mind instantly. The song is known as ‘Dhana dhanyo pushpo bhora’. This song is written and composed by the great poet and lyricist Dwijendralal Roy, popularly known as D.L. Roy. This is a song of patriotism which reflects the glory of our motherland. This is one of the most beautiful patriotic songs I have ever heard. It is said in the song that our motherland is the queen of all the lands on this earth and it is made of dreams and enfolded with memories. The song is a tribute to the matchless natural richness of our motherland. Throughout the song we have vivid descriptions of the wonderful natural blessings, love and affection that we enjoy in this land. The song ends with the yarning that this land that nurtured us from our birth will be the place of our final breath on earth. A sense of pride fills me when I listen to this composition. I salute my motherland as I listen to this song. It depicts our love and respect for our own country and nation. There is one more reason why this song is so close to my heart. I grew up listening to this song. Every time I listen to this song, I go back to my mother’s lap and hear her melodious voice singing ‘Sokol desher rani she je amar jonmobhmi’.

Deforestation Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. Deforestation means cutting down trees at random. According to the ecologists, for live able environment there should be forest on the 25% land of the total land area. In Bangladesh there is 16% forest of the total land. Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They are also a great source of food, vitamins and furniture and they help to prevent drought and floods. To draw quick profit from trees, men cut them down in large numbers. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Trees produce oxygen and receive carbon dioxide. In absence of trees carbon dioxide is increasing worldwide. As a result, there is global warming. The sea level is rising. Any time in future the earth may be engulfed by seas. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on, our country will be changed into a desert. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, I think every man and woman should plant at least a tree every year.

Physical Exercise Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. There are various forms of physical exercise such as – walking, swimming, and riding, running, as well as playing cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis and various forms of gymnastics. But all forms of exercise are not equally suitable to all of us for the young all kinds’ games such as cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis are quite good. For the women badminton, table tennis, are quite nice. On the other hand, walking is good for the weak and the old. Without physical exercise not any can take pleasure in good health. Physical exercise confers some other profit too. It keeps us free from diseases and makes us physically strong and healthy. We need a sound body and a sound mind in order to live to fine. It is physical exercise which permits us to have a sound mind in a sound mind body. “Build up your body if you want to build up your mind”, was the dialogue of the ancient Greeks. It takes our mind away from the drudgery of work and fills it with joy. It gives us fresh energy, refresher our mind and helps us to return to work with renewed vigor. It increases our longevity too. It ensures us healthy and happy life. It prolongs our life and keeps our body and mind fit for work. It also teaches us the code of discipline and reliability. We should take some sort of physical exercise regularly. We should also remember that morning and evening are the best time for talking physical exercise. And no exercise should be taken in empty stomach or immediately after talking meal.

Pahela Baishakh In our Bengali year we celebrate Pahela Baishakh on the first Baishakh every year. As it is one of our festival days, it is celebrated with traditional festivities across the country. On this day different types of people of different social classes come out from their respective residence and enjoy the carnival enthusiastically and publicly because it is a public holiday. Traders and shopkeepers open halkhata and offer sweets to their customers and clients with a view to satisfying them keeping the age-old tradition. At the very dawn they go outside to celebrate Pahela Baishakh eating panta vath and hilsha fish. Most of the girls adorn themselves wearing fresh dress and flowers in their locks. Young and adult boys like to sing with the traditional musical instruments like ektara, dotara, bamboo-flute, sarinda etc. and somebody likes to wear mask of different things. Different socio-cultural organisations draw up elaborate programmes to celebrate Pahela Baishakh. The day’s first programme begins at dawn at Ramna Batamul where Chhayanat, a leading cultural organisation, organises it. Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy, Bulbul Lalitakala Academy, Jatiya Press Club, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh National Museum, Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University and many other organisations bring out colourful processions with festoons, placards, posters, banners, masks etc. Bangladesh Betar, BTV, ETV telecast different lively programmes describing and showing the festival activities of Pahela Baishakh. Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can participate in the festivities together without the burden of having to reveal one’s class, religion, or financial capacity. We can’t but memorise this day with great pleasure.

A Birthday Party A birthday party is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the person who is being honored. In our country rich people are seen to celebrate this day festively. In this day, the drawing room is beautifully decorated. Friends, relatives, well-wishers are invited on this occasion. A special cake is ordered for celebrating this day. My birthday cake was in the shape of a chess board and looked very tempting. Besides, different kinds of delicious dishes are prepared. At the appointed time the invited guests begin to come and are welcomed by the person for which the day is being celebrated. At the appointed time the time the person concerned merrily cuts the cake. A round of applause follows. Plates full of delicious food items are then handed round. Everybody falls to with a good deal of zest. The eating is accompanied by a lot of taking and giggling. Camera is clicked on. After the meal, jokes may be made. Then the presents given by the invited guests may be unpacked one by one. And the person concerned expresses his or her gratitude to the guests. And the party may be rounded off with a chorus “Happy birthday to you”.

A Trade Fair A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities.  International trade fair is such a fair where goods of many countries of the world are displayed and sold within a fixed time. The event is expected to provide an immense opportunity both for buyers and sellers to establish new business contacts. A wide range of products including textile & garments, leather & leather goods including footwear, machinery equipment pharmaceuticals, carpets, chemical& allied products, cosmetics & beauty aids, dairy products, electrical and electronic items, food stuff, gift & novelty items, handicrafts, household appliances, furniture, building materials, sports goods, sanitary ware, toys and stationery and watches, clocks & jewellery will be displayed at the fair. International trade fair of Bangladesh is held at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar just north side of Sngsad Bhaban. Many foreign countries come to participate in this trade fair. Specially China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Korea and many other countries join in this fair with their varied commodities. I went there to observe and purchase some national and international commodities. Of course, I had also latent desire to come close contact with culture and things of foreign countries. I enjoyed myself well in International Trade Fair. It will remain ever fresh in my mind.

Television Television is one of the greatest achievements of modern science. Now it is regarded as the medium of information, entertainment, telecast, education and many others. It can telecast any live programme from the remotest part of the world. Television can display many programmes at a time. Satellite TV has added a new dimension in our oriented life providing many programmes through different channels. It’s not only a good medium of recreation but also a source educational knowledge. Different channels telecast various educative dramas, movies, sports, cultural functions, news and articles. So we can easily collect educative information of agriculture, science and technology, politics, education, business, invention etc. Television helps us widespread the sight and outlook of the society. Coming to contact with the western societies, we are getting the opportunities to enrich our society and ourselves. But on the other hand, many people especially young generations are getting hampered and we all are now forgetting our own customs, traditions, music and culture. Very often obscene pictures and vulgar movies and programmes are shown in various satellite channels. Young generations are becoming more and more addicted to them. Moreover, most of us want to follow the dress-pattern, hairstyle, behaviour, music and nudity of the westerns. This mentality is leading our young generations to moral degradation. So, we all should be conscious of that.

Load Shedding Load shedding is the act or practice of temporarily reducing the supply of electricity to an area to avoid overloading the generators. It happens when there is not enough electricity available to meet the demand of all customers, and an electricity utility will interrupt the energy supply to certain areas. In our country there is hardly any area which is not affected by load shedding. Lack of maintenance of the generating and distribution systems, increased population, improved living standards, lack of planning, illegal connection, wastage of it are the main causes of load shedding. It creates many problems of far-reaching consequences in the economic and social development of the country. Most of the mills and factories become idle and for this reason industrial production declines and workers are retrenched. Social works and activities cannot go in order. Students cannot study properly because of the failure of electricity. During load shedding they are to study in dim candlelight. The housewife gropes in the darkness in the kitchen. The shops are to close down before the closing time. Spectators in the cinema hall spend hours in stuffy suffocation for load shedding. All types of productions stop and the entire life comes to a standstill during the period of load shedding. So, proper steps should be taken to stop load shedding in order to ensues smooth development of the country. By establishing more power plants, power houses and by stopping unplanned distribution of electricity, illegal connection and reducing system loss, we can solve this problem.

A Street Beggar One who begs for alms from street to street is called a beggar. The beggar is a common sight in Bangladesh. Beggars are of different kinds and description. Some are old, some are young. Some can walk, some limp, a few move on push carts. There are singing beggars as well as whining beggars. Begging is regarded as a serious social problem because it encourages idleness and aversion to work. There are some beggars who are professionals. These are idlers. They find it easier to beg than work. But majority of the beggars are homeless and hungry. Nobody employs them. They suffer and ultimately become unfit for work. The first thing that begging creates in a beggar is the loss of his sense of honor. There is no certainty in a beggar’s life. The only certain thing in his life is that each day will be full of misery. He does not have any definite place to live in. His home is wherever he sleeps. There are no fixed hours for his work. If the weather is inclement he suffers most. The fortune of a beggar lies in his capacity to approach people. In fact, he is a man without fortune. He looks forward to the days of religious festivals when people are more charitable than other days. Reasons for begging are many. The unemployment problem and poverty are the two main reasons. Moreover, labour is not always viewed as dignified. Arrangement should be made to turn them into a working force.

A Rickshaw Puller One who pulls rickshaw for one’s livelihood is commonly called a rickshaw-puller. Rickshaw is a common vehicle in Bangladesh. It is paddled by human being. A rickshaw-puller generally lives in the slum area of the city. He supports his family through great hardship. He lives from hand to mouth.  His family lives in great poverty. What he earns is spent to maintain his family somehow. He passes his days in great troubles. There is severe poverty in his family for which his family members suffer a lot. He is to undergo hard labour. His sorrows know no bounds. There is no time table of his work. He works long hours on a day. He usually pulls his rickshaw from morning to midnight. He earns very scanty to meet up the demands of his family. Usually he lives a poor life, which is under poverty level. Sometime he along with his family is to starve due to his illness or rough weather. In the rainy season his miseries go beyond limit as water enters into his slum. We can do better his condition if we evaluate his hard labour. It is our holly duty to sympathetic towards him. Our kind behavior and attitude towards them may lead him to a happy and prosperous direction.

Sound Pollution or Noise Pollution When the exposure of people or animals to levels of sound that are annoying, stressful, or damaging to the ears, it creates noise pollution. Today it is one of the talked topics of the day. It has reached an unbearable level. The unnecessary use of powerful vehicular horns is the main source of sound pollution in the City. The other sources are aircraft noise and rail noise. Besides transportation noise, other sources are office equipment, factory machinery, appliances, power tools, lighting and audio entertainment systems. Construction equipment also produces noise pollution. Besides, faulty vehicles, construction sites, loud speaker and thousands of workshops let out loud noises round the clock. This sound pollution damages millions of children’s power of hearing. Sound pollution is so much harmful that it can cause a wide range of malfunctions in the human body including heart attack, high-blood pressure, chronic depression, respiratory disorders etc. Noise leads to emotional disturbances, however, are difficult to measure. Irritating noise at work place reduces concentration efficiency and working capacity. We should take necessary measures to control sound pollution. By developing public awareness and careful awareness and careful town planning sound pollution can be controlled. Strict law should be enforced regarding sound pollution. Use of hydraulic horns should be banned strictly.

Air Pollution Air pollution is actually the addition of any harmful substances to the atmosphere, which causes the damaging of the environment, human health and the quality of life. Air is the most important element of human environment. Man cannot live a single moment without it but we do not think it is we who pollute this most vital element. Clean air is essential for life. Air is polluted in many ways. With the development in industry, came along the increase in air pollution, which occurs inside homes, schools, offices even in the countryside. Man makes fires to cook his food, to make bricks burns effuse, melts pitch for road construction and burns wood. All these things produce heavy smoke and this smoke pollutes air. Railway engines, power houses, mills and factories use coal and oil. Buses, trucks and cars use petrol and diesel oil. Again all these things create smoke and cause air pollution. The most serious air pollution occurs in big industrial areas where there are many mills and cars plying the street every day. Sometimes men in industrial area become so sick by inhaling polluted air that they cannot be cured. So proper measures and steps should be taken to prevent air pollution. Consequently, there has been an increase in the death rates resulting from various diseases caused by air pollution varying from breathing problem to lung cancer. Air pollution does not only affect people but it also damages the whole ecological system in which plants and animals are harmed as well.

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa is remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick. Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and came to India at the age of nineteen to join the Sisters of Loretto, an Irish community of nuns with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1929 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. In 1948, Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa. In the same yea, she became an Indian citizen. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. She had no money so she started an open-air school for homeless children. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. Help flowed in from various authorities. This made it possible for her to start her own order ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ to love and take care for those persons whom nobody was prepared to look after. Now the Missionaries of Charity are working in 125 countries with more than 750 centers. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Sishu Bhava, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’.

A Village Fair Village fair is an annual affair in Bangladesh and is a great event in the life of the villagers. It is generally held on the occasion of some religious festivals or some local important events. It is an occasion for show, sale of various goods and entertainments. It is held in some open place, either on the bank of river or in the yard of a temple. Some fair also sits in an open field under a big ancient tree or in the market place, or by the side of a big road. A village fair is an occasion of great joy and excitement among the villagers. Village fair is a kind of exhibition in miniature of hand made things. The rural artisans and craftsmen make various useful articles which are brought to the fair and offered for sale. It thus acts like a market for cottage industries. Small traders come from far and near to sell their goods. They bring clothes of various kind, ready-made garments, cheap fancy goods, dolls, utensils, sweets and other things. There are many forms of amusement in a village fair. Travelling jatra parties, Circus parties, magic shows, merry go rounds mockfights, jarigan (song) are additional attraction of a fair. Cinema parties also show picture to the people. But the largest crowd gathers around the place where jugglers show their feats. There are the dancing of dolls and feats of skill done on ropes and bamboos. Some of these are really wonderful. A village fair is a much looked-for occasion for all. Everybody waits for this fair with hope and attends it with profound pleasure.

The Necessity of Learning English We need to learn English because we live in a global village. There is no alternative to learning English to lead a decent life and to prepare ourselves for global challenges. Statistics show that 350 million people speak English as a first language and another 300 million use it as a second language. It is the official or semi-official language in more than 60 countries and of many international organizations. Today more than 80% of all information in the world’s computer is in English. For many reasons, English has achieved the prestige of being global language. English has become the only medium for international communication. Now- a- days not only for international purposes but also for national reasons English is a must. When we look for any good job, advertisements often ask for proficiency in English. The electronic transfer of information regarding banking, financial activities and transaction of business-all are done through English language. We can easily see how English is necessary in every sphere of our lives. Bangladesh is a nation with a bright future, but lack of proficiency in English often appears to be a key hurdle. So, a nation- wide awareness needs to be established by the government to emphasize the necessity of learning English. If proper awareness is created, Bangladesh will reach the optimum levels of their potentials and thus can overcome language barriers.

Annual Sports Day of Our College Annual Sports Day is an important event in the life of every school or college. Sports in themselves are an indispensable part of study. The Annual Sports Day of our college was held last week. It was held in our spacious college grounds. We decorated the playground and the college building very gorgeously. The Deputy Commissioner was the chief guest. A huge “shaman” was pitched on one side of the ground to accommodate guests. The whole play-ground had been decorated with flags, buntings and balloons a day earlier. The chief guest arrived in time. He took the salute. The sportsmen and women and O.K. cadets and U.S.A volunteers participated in the march past. The first event was a hundred meter race and then started long and high jumps. Simultaneously there were other actions like the Javelin and the Discus throw. The events which evoked the greatest interest were the 400 meter race, bicycle race, ‘chat’ race and hurdle race by girls. The tug-of-war between the science and arts faculty members was very interest­ing. The last item the musical chairs race in which the guests participated was vied amusing. The dope read out the achievements of the school in sports during the year. The chief guest gave away prizes to the winners. He highlighted the importance of sports in life and hinted at India’s dismal performance at the Olympics. He promised all help to the school in the matter of sports. The Principal then thanked him and other guests. The chief guest declared the sports meet closed and it was over.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of chlorofluorocarbons in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents such as washing powder and washing-up liquid and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century, temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

A Postman Postman is a person who delivers letters, money orders, post cards, parcels and other postal articles to the proper addressees. He is a familiar figure both in the towns and in the village. He usually wears a khaki dress and carries on his soldiers a bag. Though a postman is a low-great employee of the postal department, he performs a responsible job. His daily work begins with the sorting out of letters, parcels, money orders etc. in the post office. After having finished this job in the post office, he goes out on his beat to deliver them to their addressees. A town postman often drops letters into letterboxes or pushes them through some opening of the door. A village postman generally goes on his beat twice or thrice a week. A postman is really good man and a good friend to us. The postman is a very important person in our society, though he does not enjoy a good social status. When he brings letters of good news, we become happy. He renders and great service to the society. He is such a great friend to us that everybody we expect his nock on the door. He behaves amiably with all. The economic condition of a postman is very miserable. Though he works very hard he gets a very small salary. With it, he cannot maintain his family decently. So he leads a miserable life. No doubt he serves the society as well as the country greatly in the field of postal communication. He should be given good salary so that he can lead a better life and serve us well.

International Mother Language Day The 21st of February, a red letter day, is observed throughout the world as the International Mother Language Day or Language Martyrs Day or Shaheed Day. On this day of 1952, our great Language Movement took place. This day reminds us the struggle and sacrifice of the heroic sons Salam, Rafique, Jabber and many unanimous with a view to establishing our mother tongue as a state language. They protected our mother tongue in exchange of their blood. Since then we, the Bangladeshi observe this day with great admiration and solemnity. On this day, people wake up early in the morning and put on a black badge to mark the day as a national mourning day. The day is declared as the Govt. holiday and on this day the National Flag remains half-mast. They walk to the Shahed Minar on the barefooted with flowers and wreaths in the hands. They offer flowers and wreaths on the foot of the Shahed Minar to show love and respect to the martyred heroes. They remain standing silently for some time. Many meetings and seminars are held. People also pray for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs throughout the country in the different religious institutions. Considering the sacrifice made by the martyrs, the UNESCO declared the day as an International Mother Language Day. This day has a great impact on our national history as well. It paves the way of our national sovereignty.

Good Health Good health means the soundness of body and mind. The body which is free from all sorts of diseases is considered to be healthy. It is the result of living in accordance with the natural laws, pertaining to the body, mind and environment. These laws relate to fresh air, sunlight, balanced diet, regular exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep, cleanliness internal and external, right attitudes of mind, good habits and good patterns of living. One can keep good health by way of observing the rules of health, eating a balanced diet and living a disciplined life. But unfortunately, many people of our country do not get the food they need for good health. While the rich and educated people of our country are conscious of the rules of health, the bulk majority of the common people are ignorant of them. They seem to have no sense of hygiene and sanitation. As a result, they suffer terribly because of their ill-health. Moreover, life has become complicated in this age of technology. And the complexities of life have an adverse impact on our health. Frozen and artificial rather than fresh and natural food make us fall prey to various serious ailments causing great damage to our health and happiness.  So, to keep in good health we need an environment which is free from air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and menus pollution. I thoroughly believe in the fact that simple and carefree life is conducive to good health. Preservation of health should be the primary duty of mankind.

Mother’s Day Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor all mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support. Mother’s Day came into being due to the efforts made by Ms Julia Ward Howe and Ms Anna Jarvis. In our country Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May with joy and devotion. In observance of the day discussion programs are organized by government and non-governmental organizations. Reception programs and cultural programs are organized to mark the day in the capital city. Television channels air special programs, and newspapers publish special features and columns to mark the day. Greeting cards, flowers and gifts featuring mothers are in high demand at the shops and markets. Young children get especially excited about Mother’s Day and put a lot of effort into making cards and presents for their Mums. For mothers, it is like having a second birthday. It is common for children to cook for their mother so she can have breakfast in bed. She also receives presents, flowers and cards. Mother is a creative and caring woman. She takes time to teach us things like how to read and how to write.  My mother cooked special dishes for us. Actually the celebration of Mother’s Day is the external expression of gratitude of a child to its loving mother.

A Book Fair A book fair is a display or exhibition of books typically by a group of publishers or book dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest among the readers. It spreads the message vie books that are our best friends and it makes our life glorious. The largest book fair in our country is the Ekushy book fair held in February to observe the Language Movement Day in the Bangla Academy premises. More than hundreds of pavilions were set up. The stalls were decorated beautifully to draw the attention of the readers. All sorts of books, text books, fictions, children books, religious books, story books, novels, books on various dramas, books on poems, autobiographical books, books on science and technology, books on raising social awareness, etc. are usually available in a book fair. A book fair becomes crowded specially in the evening. The renowned artists, poets and intellectuals gather there and take part in the seminars and cultural programmes. A book fair promotes the publication of books to spread education and widen the sphere of our knowledge.  It also inspires the young readers for reading books. Some writers are also seen sitting in the stalls and their fans gather there for autographs. Even some stalls are found in a book fair to sell snacks, cigarettes and trifling items of daily necessities. Sometimes in a book fair some unpleasant incidents take place for the evil motive of the miscreants. In fact, a book fair is considered to be an occasion of great festivity to the book-lovers. My Visit to a Book Fair A book fair is a display or exhibition of books typically by a group of publishers or book dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest among the readers. It spreads the message vie books that are our best friends and it makes our life glorious. The largest book fair in our country is the Ekushy book fair held in February to observe the Language Movement Day in the Bangla Academy premises. Last month I paid a visit to this book fair. I am a book lover. I have a habit of collecting books. “Amar Ekushe Grantha Mela” helps to collect precious books. With a view to collecting some books on literature, I went there with my parents. More than hundreds of pavilions were set up. The stalls were decorated beautifully to draw the attention of the readers. All sorts of books, text books, fictions, children books, religious books, story books, novels, books on various dramas, books on poems, autobiographical books, books on science and technology, books on raising social awareness, etc. are usually available in a book fair. I bought three novels. In the afternoon, a discussion meeting on Bangla literature was held as usual. It highlighted the Supreme sacrifice of the martyrs of our Language Movement. This was followed by a cultural function to entertain the music lovers with Sweet Bangla songs. The function was attended by many leading artists of the country. It acted as a soothing balm for many Sorrow-stricken hearts. I became Spell-bound to hear the melodious Songs. I also became a bit nostalgic forgetting the hard realities of life. In fact, a book fair is considered to be an occasion of great festivity to the book-lovers.

An Ideal Teacher/A Good Teacher Generally, a teacher is judged whether he is good or bad according to the temperament of the students. But an ideal teacher must have some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. A good teacher is one who knows the art of teaching. He is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. An ideal teacher treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistakes, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his student realise his mistake. An ideal teacher is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He does not allow us to be lazy. He makes a simple living but his thinking is great. He influences our young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school.

May Day/ International Worker’s Day May 1st, International Workers’ Day, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in most countries. It is the day of establishing the legal right to the workers of the world. This day is memorable to the owners of the world for their defeat against the working class people. All the privileges workers enjoy today came about due to the sacrifice of the workers in 1886. The history behind it is very sorrowful. On May 3, 1886, some workers gathered in demand of a minimum wage, safety laws and eight hours work day. Police fired in the crowd of strikers at the Mc Comick Harvest Machine, Chicago. Here at least one person was killed and some others were seriously wounded. At the beginning of Industrial revolution people had to work long hours both by day and at night. It was simply inhuman. It stopped when all labourers stood up. The event of May Day 1886 is a reminder that workers will continue to be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working conditions, better pay and  better  lives.  In fact, May Day is a milestone of snatching away the rights from the blood-sucking owners by the exploited workers of the cosmos. The sacrifices of so many people cannot be forgotten or we’ll end up fighting for those same gains all over again. This is why we should celebrate May Day with profound respect.

A School Magazine A school magazine is an annual publication containing the literary works and other information of a school mostly written and contributed by the students. It is published once a year. In order to conduct the work of publication of the school magazine, at first a magazine committee is formed with the Head master as the Chairman and chief patron. The editor, business editors and the assistant proofreaders are selected from the students. A magazine fund is also made up of the school ‘Magazine Fee’. The editor invites writings both in Bangla and English. The students of the school submit their articles to the notified persons at the notified time. Then, after proper scrutiny, the best ones are selected for publishing. Generally, the magazine has two sections-Bangla and English. There are messages from the Head teacher and the secretary of the school, annual reports, essays, short stories, short plays etc in it. It also contains jokes, quizzes and puzzles. The young writers get immense pleasure and confidence when they can see their writings in print. So, they feel encouraged to build themselves as poets, play-wrights, essayists and artists. It plays an important role in one’s school life. It is a forum through which our Juvenile learners can express the green ideas and imagination of their mind. Besides, it promotes team-spirit, fosters to express the dormant power of thinking as well as writing of the young learners. The sight of a magazine reminds the old boys of their sweet bygone school days. The school magazine of the school. In fact, the school magazine is the first stepping stone to flourish themselves as future writers and poets. Or A School Magazine A school magazine is an annual or periodical publication of the school mostly written and contributed by the students and teachers. Almost every well established school publishes a magazine every year. It plays an important role in one’s school life as it highlights the various aspects of the school development programme. It is a forum through which our Juvenile learners can express the green ideas and imagination of their mind. In order to conduct the work of publication of the school magazine, at first a magazine committee is formed with the Headmaster as the Chairman and chief patron. The Headmaster selects the editor from among the teachers. Both teachers and students write in it. There are messages from the Headmaster and the secretary of the school, annual reports, essays, short stories, short plays, jokes, quizzes and puzzles and other writings relating to school affairs are published in the magazine. The editor at first invites writings from the teachers and the students for the magazine. After proper scrutiny and correction the best ones are selected and sent to the press for printing. The school magazine helps the young learners and writers to develop their latent faculties. It helps them develop their power of thinking and writing. One cannot write something without a clear judgment, imagination and good knowledge of the thing. School magazine provides a scope for writing independently. The young writers get immense pleasure and confidence when they can see their writings in print that can inspire one a lot to become a writer and a poet in later life. In fact, the school magazine is the first stepping stone for the future writers.

Landing on the Moon In the history of human civilization, landing on the moon is an epoch making achievement. Before landing on the moon, most of the people of the world thought that nobody could go to the moon. On July 16, 1969 Armstrong along with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins departed for the moon in Apollo 11, the space craft which was used to reach the moon. On July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module, Eagle, landed on the moon, in a place called the Sea of Tranquillity. Commander Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. As he stepped off the ladder and put his foot on the moon’s surface, he said, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Armstrong was joined on the moon by Buzz Aldrin, and together they spent two and a half hours on the moon’s surface. They performed a number of experiments and collected rocks and soil to bring back to Earth. They left an American flag on the moon. This historic visit was broadcast live on TV to the world, watched by approximately 600 million people.The top part of the Lunar Module Eagle took them back to the Command Module Columbia, which had remained in orbit around the moon, piloted by Michael Collins, while they explored. These three astronauts have become world famous heroes because of their great achievements. It proves that man can conquer anything if he wishes and the impossible task of today would become possible by tomorrow. History will always remember them.Their names are written with golden letters in the history of space technology.

The 21st February/ International Mother Language Day 21st February, a red letter day, is observed throughout the world as the international Mother Language Day. It is also observed as a Language Martyred Day or Shaheed Day. It is of special significance to the people of Bangladesh. On this day of 1952, our great Language Movement took place. This day reminds us the struggle and sacrifice of the heroic sons Salam, Rafique, Jabber and many unanimous sacrificed their lives with a view to establishing our mother tongue as a state language. They protected our mother tongue in exchange of their blood. This day has given us the freedom to speak in our mother tongue. Since then we, the Bangladeshi observe this day with great admiration and solemnity. On this day, people wake up early in the morning. They put on a black badge to mark the day as a national mourning day. The day is declared as the Govt. holiday and on this day the National Flag remains half-mast. They walk to the Shahed Minar on the barefooted with flowers and wreaths in the hands. The offer flowers and wreaths on the foot of the Shahed Minar to show love and respect to the martyred heroes. They remain standing silently for some time. Many meetings and seminars are held. People also pray for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs throughout the country in the different religious institutions. Considering the sacrifice made by the martyrs, the UNESCO declared the day as an International Mother Language Day. It started in 1999 with the purpose of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Since then this day is observed throughout the world as recognition of every one’s language sovereignty. This day has a great impact on our national history as well. It paved the way of our national sovereignty.

Our National Flag The flag which denotes the freedom and sovereignty of a nation is known as a national flag. The national flag of Bangladesh is bottle green in color and rectangular in size with the length to width ratio of 10:6. It bears a red circle on the background of green. The color in the background represents the vitality, youthfulness and greenery of Bangladesh while the red circle symbolizes the rising sun and the sacrifice of lives in our freedom fight in the Liberation War of 1971. The national flag was designed by painter Kamrul Hasan. Its size is confined to10:6. It was first hoisted on the March 3, 1971 by ASM Abdur Rab at the historic ‘Bat tala’ in Dhaka University  campus. It is hoisted at govt. offices, semi-government, self-autonomous buildings, educational institutes etc every day. But it is kept at half-mast on any national or international mourning days. Our glorious national flag was purchased at too great a price at the cost of a sea of blood. The national flag of Bangladesh is our pride. Our feeling about the flag is very sensational and respectful. When we see our national flag, our heart is fulfilled with joy and respect. We bow down our heads towards it. Our duty towards it should be responsible and sacrificial. We should take an oath that we must save the honor and dignity of this flag even instead of our lives. The flag is the source of spirit, hope and inspiration.

Traffic Jam When the road is blocked with so many vehicles and we cannot move forward, we call it traffic jam. Generally, in capital city and other divisional cities traffic jam is a common phenomenon. Most often it occurs at office time and also at the time when the officer break. Sometimes it is so heavy that it blocks half a kilometre.  It kills our valuable time and our works are hampered. It causes great sufferings to the ambulance carrying dying patients and the fire brigade vehicles. There are various causes of traffic jam. The number of vehicles is greater than roads. The roads are also narrow and traffic control system is so poor. The drivers are not willing to obey the traffic rules. They often park their vehicles on improper places. Overtaking tendency also causes traffic ham. Many persons set shops both sides of the road. In big cities there are processions, agitations and demonstrations also. So vehicles cannot move freely and cause traffic jam. When we fall in a traffic jam, we feel bored. We lose money, petrol, diesel and many working hours of our life. As a result, we are lagging behind. However, this problem can be solved by adopting some measures. To stop traffic jam, well planned spacious roads should be constructed. One way movement of vehicles should be introduced. Traffic rules should be impost strictly so that the drivers are bound to obey them. Sufficient traffic police should be posted on important points. Unlicensed vehicles should be removed. Traffic rules should be followed properly. Above all our people should be made more conscious.

Independence Day of Bangladesh March 26, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the West Pakistan rulers started to exploit, cheat, and oppress Bangladeshi people. After the massive attack beginning from the early hours of 26 March, 1971, the undisputed leader of East Pakistan declared independence and told the countrymen to fight against the barbarian Pak Army. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. As it is a national holiday, all offices, educational institutions, shops and factories remain closed on this day. People get up early morning by hearing the bombing sounds of gun. Coming with rallies and processions, people of all walks of life place floral wreaths at the National Musolium at Savar to pay rich tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of our independence. The country also witnesses a smartly dressed parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP at the National Parade Ground. School children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Besides, various cultural programmes throughout the day highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971, tournaments including the exciting boat race are organised throughout the country on the day. Milad Mahfil was organized by the different mosque especially in the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram. At night the main public buildings are tastefully illuminated to give the capital city a dazzling look. This day certainly makes bridges between the spirit of Independence Day and the future generations. May Independence Day always be the spirit of prosperity of our nation.

Climate Change Climate change refers to an increase in average global temperatures due to the consequence of unchecked pollution. Most climatologists opine that both natural events and human activities are contributing to the increase in average temperatures surrounding the earth. This is caused primarily by the increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2). However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. The destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, traffic that clogs up city streets, the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs, detergents, maritime disaster, human and industrial waste products etc are highly responsible for this change. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Pragmatic as well as drastic steps should be taken to create awareness to stop the causes and sources of emitting carbon dioxide. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. These are the measures the whole world needs to be concerned with a view to preventing global warming.

A Winter Morning Of the six seasons, winter is undoubtedly the coldest season of the year in Bangladesh. A morning in winter is misty and cold because of dense fog everywhere. Sometimes it is so dense that the sun rays can’t be seen.Things even at a little distance can hardly be seen. It causes disruption to the communication system. Few drops fall on leaves and blades of grass at night. They look like glittering pearls when the rays of the morning run falls on it. Sometimes shivering cold causes serious sufferings to people and animals. The poor have hardly warm clothes. They gather straw and dry leaves to make fire to warm them. The old and the children bask in the sun. Usually people get up late. In a winter morning people in Bangladesh enjoy different kinds of ‘pithas’. Delicious sweetmeats are also prepared with date juice. But a winter morning is a curse for the poor. They suffer much for want of warm clothes. The scene of a winter morning disappears as the day advances. The best time to visit Bangladesh is in winter when the weather is dry and fresh. It’s possible to observe and photograph a large number of migratory bird species. The Bengali month of Kartik, that is early winter, is celebrated by Jibanananda Das as a period that reveals the inner beauty and soul of Bengal. A winter morning has both advantage and disadvantage. My personal feeling about a winter morning is that it is a bane for the poor but a boon for the rich.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

The Ways of Keeping Good Health Health is the condition of our body and mind. Good health means healthy body free from diseases. It is essential for everyone to lead a happy life. If we are not in good health, we cannot concentrate on any activity in our life. A proverb goes, ‘Health is Wealth’ It means health is equally valuable as gold or any other personal possessions. We may have vast wealth and property, but if we are not healthy we cannot enjoy them. To keep ourselves healthy, we have to do certain things. We have to eat a balanced diet. We must exercise regularly to keep our body fit for work. We should go to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. Peace of mind is another condition for good health. So we must not worry over small things of life. Hygiene is important for our good health because we cannot achieve anything physically, mentally or spiritually if we are unclean in our body, mind and soul. We must keep our body clean. We should have a bath every day and wash our hair regularly. This will keep the body and hair free from dirt and bacteria. Secondly, we should wash our clothes regularly. Dirty clothes give off bad smell and invite germs. We should wear socks and shoes when we go out to protect our feet from dust and germs. It is also important to wash our hands before meals and after using the toilet. We should brush our teeth twice a day, after breakfast and supper. We must also cut our nails regularly. Our drinking water must be pure. We can get pure water by boiling and filtering. Finally, we should keep our surroundings and environment clean. If we do and follow all the above things properly, we will be able to lead a happy, healthy, wealthy, comfortable and diseases free life.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a popular Bengali poet and dramatist in the 19th-century, was born in Sagordari on the bank of the Kopotaksho River under Jessore district. From an early age, Dutt aspired to be an Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated Hindu family, he took Christianity as a young man and adopted the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised by his teachers as a precious child with a gift of literary talent. Since his adolescence he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the planet, and that his society was unable to appreciate his intellect. He also believed that the West would be more receptive to his creative genius. Michael was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poetry and drama almost entirely in English. They proved his higher level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right appreciation. With his utter frustrations he saw that he was not regarded as a native writer of English literature. Out of his frustration he composed a sonnet in Bangla “Kopotaksha Nad”, which earned him huge reputation in Bangla. Gradually he could realise that his true identity lies here in this Bengal and he was a sojourner in Europe. Afterwards he regretted his attraction for England and the Occident. He came to Bengal and devoted himself to Bangla literature from this period. He is the poet to write the first Bangla epic Meghand Badh Kabya. His lavish lifestyle, which included drinking, added to his financial difficulties and his health also began to fail. Sadly he died in 1873, and was given a Christian burial service.

My Roots Human beings have roots but unlike the roots of the trees. They are invisible and lie in our minds. Our families, land of birth, relatives, our culture, traditions, or surroundings are our roots. It’s these roots that make a bond between us and family members, in laws, friends, neighbours or even between us and the land where we were born and grew up. It’s our roots that develop our identity making us what we are. And wherever we stay, we have a continuous pull of our roots. Everyone wants to share happiness on different festivals with their near and dear ones. So most of the people, who are living outside their home for different reasons have a strong desire to get back home during the vacations. As a result, there is a mad rush in the buses, trains, or launches for the home-bound people. This often causes transport accidents that take away many lives. However, it cannot stop people’s desire to meet their family, in-laws, or friends. Due to this pull of the roots, people rush for their homes in spite of serious hazards. When we lose that bond, we become rootless. Human beings, who do not have any root or contexts, do not have their own identity. Such persons are devoid of values, humanity, and social responsibilities. They don’t know where they are from, and/or where they are heading towards. This often makes them feel empty and lost. So in spite of forgetting our roots, we should cherish it in our core of heart for our own existence.

Computer A computer is an electronic device that takes data in one form and gives it out in another form. It is one of the greatest invention of modern science. It is a device that works like a human brain. That is why, it is called the ‘electric brain’. It stores information, analyses it and produces information as required from the data. There are five major components in a computer. They are the input unit, the output unit, the memory unit, the control unit and the arithmetic unit. The main parts of a PC are a centre processor with its disk drives, keyboards monitor, printer and a scanner. A computer can be opened, operated and shut down with the help of a mouse. All complicated tasks can be done easily in a very short time with the help of a computer. It is used in measuring daily routine work, trade and commerce, diagnosing diseases, entertainment, games and sports, transport, educational sector, researching space and what not. It has done great wonders in inventing e-mail, internet and robot. Nowadays computer helps to diagnose a disease. Computer is of great use to us also in the field of agriculture and business. It has lessened our work loads and made our life easy and comfortable. At present lives cannot be led without computer. Truly speaking, modern civilization is dependent on computer to a great extent.  Computer is immensely beneficial though it has some demerits too. It becomes an addiction to some users. Many prefer spending more time with a computer to doing outdoor activities. But in the age of globalization we cannot do without a computer.

My Neighbour A neighbour is a person who lives nearby, normally in a house or apartment that is next door or, in the case of houses, across the street. Some people form friendships with their neighbours, and help them by sharing their tools and helping with various tasks. I live in an apartment and I too have a lovely and nice neighbor. They came to this apartment after we had been here for more than a year. Gradually, we started mingling and talking and I had a company in that house, a boy of my age. So we became friends quickly and that led to the fast growth of our families’ relationship too. We invite them on special occasions and they also invite us when they have something special at their home. Now most of the evenings, either we go there to play or my friend comes over to play and our moms discuss and talk so many matters while we play. For any emergency, we could rely on each other and we have no problems over it. I am glad that we happened to have such a good neighbor, who is very helpful and caring. They take good care of us and we also return the same. This is what makes both our family united and happy and almost be like one family. I love them very much and I wish we do not have to separate for any reason. Good neighbors are hard to find and we are lucky to have one.

The Game I Like Most/My Favourite Game There are various kinds of sports in our country. I enjoy many games such as cricket, basketball, hockey and football. Of all these games, I like football most. It was first played in England. At present football is played across the world.  Football is an outdoor game. It is played in a field of 120 yards long and 80 yards wide. There are two goal posts on each end. They are eight yards apart and have a bar on them. The bar is put eight feet above the ground. The game is played between two teams of eleven players on each side. The game needs 100 minutes to end with an interval of 10 minutes in the middle. A referee conducts the game. At the beginning, the ball is placed at the centre of the field. The play begins when the referee whistles. Then each team tries to pass the ball through the opposite goal post. There is a hard competition between two teams. It is an exciting and thrilling time when a player becomes crazy to make a score. Only the goalkeepers can touch and catch the ball with hands. The team which scores more goals wins the game.  There is a good discipline in the game. Every player must abide by the rules. Not only the players but also the spectators come to know how to struggle to become successful. Football is a nice game. It has instructive and cultural value. It also gives us much pleasure. After our school, in the afternoon we usually go to field and play football. In all respects, I like this game most.

A Moonlit Night The night in which the moon shines brightly in the cloudless clear sky is generally known as moonlit night. In Autumn, the sky remains quite clear and the silvery light over floods everything. The full moon looks like a silvery plate. It looks beautiful in the blue autumnal sky. Here and there a few patches of white clouds float swiftly. The moon plays hide-and-seek with these bulging pieces of clouds. It is very pleasant to look at the sky at the time and to hear the night-birds play their sweet notes in the moonlit sky. The moon reflects on the ponds and tanks. The lilies bloom in them. In a moonlit night, city dwellers go to the roof of their building. They enjoy the night gossiping. It is also very pleasant to the village people. They come out of their houses and go to open places. Sitting on mats, they enjoy the night by singing song, listening radio and seeing the natural scenery. Little children sit round their grandma to hear the fairy tales or the tales about the wizards. Sometimes they play hide and seek together and have fun themselves. A moon light night is very romantic to the newly married couple and who are in love. The poets of all language praise highly. A moonlit night is nature’s sweetest offer to mankind. It has a lasting effect the human minds. Even the grand old ladies remember their green youth when they sit alone in the moonlit night. A moonlit night is really recreational and enjoyable.

Mobile/ Cell Phone A cell phone popularly known as mobile phone is a typically small type of hand held electronic device which can be carried around to communicate with others immediately. It is a telephone system that works without any wire. Today, it has become popular to everybody since it is very convenient. For instance, one can contact easily to anyone by calling or sending messages everywhere. Specially, businessman and the service holders are much benefited through the use of mobile phone. But it is also useful for the people who are shopping and supplying valuable information sitting in their houses. Moreover, one can relax with mobile phone’s applications, for example, play games, listen to music, or chat with your friends. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. Using a lot mobile phone can harm your brain. If you use mobile phones too much, you will get bad effects like dizzy, blood-brain barrier, or ears problems. Terrorists are using it to spread out terrorism all around the world. In addition, when you use mobile phones while you are driving, you will get an accident. Moreover, radiations emitted from the phone are dead harmful for the eardrum has proved by many scientists. The government should have an official restriction on using mobile phone by children and pregnant women. But in spite of all these disadvantages, it can be finalized here that the necessity of a mobile phone in exchanging messages, cannot be denied in the true sense of the term in our practical life.

 

My Favourite Pastime

Pastime means spending one’s free or leisure time by doing any enjoyable work. Pastime is related with one’s hobbies. Pastime depends and varies from person to person. It is entirely one`s own choice and decision on how to spend his/her pastime. When it comes to me, I have got some favourite pastimes. Among them I often spend my pastime by doing two activities. The first one is reading books and another is listening music. Fiction is more preferable to me. In fiction, my favorite authors are Md. Jafar Ikbal, Humayun Ahmed and so on. Of course, Sherlock Holmes is always favourite to me. It is not only favorite of mine but also many readers. I always try to continue reading as the best way of spending my pastime. This is one of the best constructive ways and hobbies. I have been benefitted a lot from this pastime. My English vocabulary, grammar, writing style and writing efficiency have been improved unimaginably. Evergreen songs are all time favorite to me. Singers like Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle. I also like music of A.R.Rahman. Music is believed to have and work as healing therapy. It works miraculously when one is going through some kind of stress, tension, in short of any kind of mental disturbances. Music refreshes mind. These are the two favorite activities which are my ideal way of pastime. These are constructive and informative ways of spending time.  I enjoy these two pastimes. I also like to watch television and visit many historical and tourist places.

 

Life of a Day Labourer

A day labourer, an unskilled worker, is hired and paid on a daily basis for doing any kind of work possible manual labour in various fields every day. In order to earn his livelihood, he moves about from one place to another in search of work. He may work as an earth digger, a construction worker, a blacksmith, a carpenter, a goldsmith, a peasant, a sweeper, and many more on the footpath, in the field or any one’s house. He is very industrious, strong, stout, dutiful and honest. He lives with his family in a slum. He gets up early in the morning and goes out in search of work. He works hard from dawn to dusk for his employer and gets his wages at evening. Then he goes to market, buys his daily necessaries and returns to his slum. When he gets more work, he earns more and then he and the members of his family eat to their heart’s content. Sometimes he and his family go without food if he cannot manage work. In the rainy season, it is hard to find work for him but he has a great demand in the harvesting season. As his earning is very poor, his family members do not get proper education and medical facilities. Sorrows and sufferings are his daily companions. Besides, many people maltreat them. A day labourer is necessary for the development of a country, especially in agricultural and constructional development. A society is not only developed by the official and technical works but also by the hard labours of the day labourers. As he has great importance in society, he should not be looked down upon by anyone. The Government should also take proper steps to ensure the basic human rights for them and give them fixed works so that he can lead a humane and decent life.

 

 For all Classes

November 12, 2017skylarkedu

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A Good Citizen A good citizen is a person who observes the constitution and laws to maintain discipline, to perform public duties and to protect public properties. Citizen having good character lives a life of virtue. He or she may belong to any social class, upper or lower. His thoughts and behaviour show high moral values. He should have a strong sense of right and wrong. What he does is good for himself as well as for others in the family and in the society. In fact, he cannot even think of any doing wrong to others. One of the most positive qualities of a good citizen is tolerance towards others. Tolerance and respect together can make life harmonious and peaceful in society. He needs knowledge, skills and attitudes in addition to food, shelter, company, etc. to become a good citizen. He has to prepare to do good work in society.  First, he needs knowledge. Without knowing modern sciences, technologies including ICT and other necessary subjects, he will have difficulty living a good life. He should have knowledge about country, history, cultures, traditions, literature, moral values and religions etc. Second, he needs skills to apply knowledge to do things practically. Finally, knowing and doing things will bring about a change in behavior towards others. This behavioural change will show his attitudes towards others, that is, it will show how he thinks and feels about a person or thing. Most importantly, active participation in different activities both at home and in the localities can make our living atmosphere comfortable, happy and healthy. And this is how we can become good citizens. Or How to Become a Good Citizen A good citizen is one who properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen, firstly one has to prepare oneself to do good work in society. To become so, in addition to food shelter, company, etc, one needs knowledge, skills and to change attitudes. Being knowledge based society, we should have knowledge about our country, government, history, tradition, culture and religion. Besides, one must be able to apply one’s knowledge to do good things practically. Finally, knowing and doing things will bring about a change in one’s outlook towards others. Through regular group work it can be highly expected that there will be noticeable changes like freely mixing, disappearance of shyness, behaving in a democratic way.  It develops the attitude of helping and cooperating with others. Most importantly, these behavioural changes taking place in one inside the classroom will be carried over outside the classroom, in real-life situations. Values and ethics should be inculcated to people as they mature, as that kind of information will built them for being good citizens.

A Street Hawker A Street hawker, typically a petty businessman, hawks many things informally in public places advertising them by shouting. Being a familiar figure, hawkers are frequent and common everywhere particularly near schools, at fairs, corners of roads or railway stations. There is other type of hawkers who sell nothing but buy things like empty bottles, old newspapers, magazines, books, plastic and tin containers, broken household items, etc. He puts on poor looking shirt, a pair of pajamas and a big turban on his head. He carries his materials on head and sometimes in hand and sometimes in a small handcart. He often carries a bell in his right hand and a cane stand in the left. As a cunning person he knows well how to attract a school boy, or a villager or a passer-by. He generally buys his goods at a cheaper rate and sells them at a good profit. They make the life and buying convenient. Their goods are cheaper than those sold in the market. But sometimes they supply spurious and sub-standard things. Therefore, one has to be cautious while purchasing articles from street hawkers. The hawker is an important member of society. He serves us in many ways. He comes to our street in the burning sun and in the severe cold weather. When we cannot go out to buy anything, they are there in our street to serve us. He saves our time and also inconvenience. A street hawker’s life is not easy and comfortable but it is rather difficult and full of hardship. We should be sensitive and sympathetic towards him. His dignity of labor commands our respect.

Yoga Yoga is a kind of posture and breathing exercises. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peace of body and mind, helping one relax and manage stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga puts emphasis on behavior, diet and meditation. But if one is just looking for better stress management— and not an entire lifestyle change, yoga can still help. Yoga trainers gradually choose easier to complex activities for practitioners. However, all practitioners do not necessarily need the same kinds of practice. The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include stress reduction, increased fitness, management of chronic health conditions, weight loss etc. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws one’s focus away from busy, chaotic day and towards calm. As one learns and refines new poses, one may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. Yoga can also help reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, fatigue and mood. If one is overweight or have eating disorder, yoga may help one make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of eating and drop those extra pounds. While one shouldn’t expect yoga to cure or offer relief 100 percent, it can help some health conditions when combined with standard treatment. And if one already enjoys good health, yoga can be an enjoyable supplement to regular fitness routine.

A Village Market A village market is an important temporary center for buying and seeing goods to fulfill the need of the villagers. It generally sits at the junction of roads, under a big banyan tree or the bank of a canal or a river in almost every village of Bangladesh. Villagers sell and buy their daily necessaries. There are two kinds of markets – daily markets and ‘hats’. Daily markets open in the morning and break up at 2 p.m. generally ‘hats’ sit twice in a week. It has mainly two parts – permanent shops and temporary shops. In the permanent shop’s people buy clothes, medicine, paper, rice etc. From the temporary shops, people buy vegetables, milk, and fish. The fish market is the most crowded of all. The betel-leaf seller sits in a corner under the shed. A village market is a part and parcel of our rural economy and it does a great service to the rural people. They meet their friends and relatives there and discuss village politics and settle disputes. The village postman finds it a unique place to deliver letters, money orders etc. A village market is not also free from defects. Markets are dusty, nasty and unsanitary. It is a noisy and an unhealthy place. There is no fixed price in the market. A customer may be cheated at any time. Pick-pickets and gamblers come up and do their evils. Sometimes, the shopkeepers are also oppressed by the local criminals. Besides sometimes haggling leads to quarrel. We should keep it neat and clean. As it is the backbone of the rural economy, our government should take proper steps against price-hiking, pick-pockets, gamblers and other criminals.

Water Pollution Water, an important element of human environment, is essential for human and plant life. It is next to air. Water can be polluted in many ways. Farmers use chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields to grow more food. The rain and floods wash away some of the chemicals. They get mixed with river water, canal water and pond water. Mills and factories pollute water by throwing the waste and even sail boats can pollute water by throwing oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside standing on the banks of the rivers and canals also pollute water. The unsafe drains running into the rivers and canals cause water pollution. Water pollution from industrial discharge, the industrial disposal of toxic chemicals and the dumping of human waste into rivers and canals causes poisoning and water-borne disease such as cholera and diarrhea. Clean water is safe for use and polluted water is harmful for man. Water pollution can be prevented in many ways. First of all, we should make the people aware of the fact that water is next to air. It is called life. Mills and factories should not throw the waste materials and unsold products into rivers and canals. Steamer, motor launches and even sail boats should not throw oil, food waste and human waste into the rivers and canals. Unsanitary latrines in the countryside should not be built on the banks of the rivers and canals. In fine, awareness should be created in the public.

Tree Plantation  Tree plantation is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purpose. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They are also a great source of food, vitamins and furniture and they help to prevent drought and floods. Trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Trees produce oxygen and receive carbon dioxide. In absence of trees carbon dioxide is increasing worldwide. As a result, there is global warming. The sea level is rising. Any time in future the earth may be engulfed by seas. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on, our country will be changed into a desert. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, every man and woman should plant at least a tree every year.

My Favourite Personality My best personality of the world, Hazrat Muhammad (S.M), is the last prophet of Allah and the leader of all prophets. He is the greatest of man and teachers ever born of earths. He is the embodiment of all that is noble, pure and good. The prophet Hazrat Muhammad (s.m) was born in the famous Quraish tribe of Mecca in 570 A.D. Before his birth, his father Abdullah died and his mother Amina died when he was only six. So in his infancy he became an orphan who was brought up by a nurse named Halima. He was handsome, of medium height, very active, walked rapidly which forced his companions to race to keep up with him. People reported seeing light around his body and in his face, which they compared to the sun or the full moon. His skin was white and turned rosy from exposure to the sun. He had black eyes and a thick beard. Everybody believed him and called Al-Amen or the trusty one. The prophet taught the people the virtue of forgiveness. He advised them to do well to others and worship Allah. The Qur’an was revealed to him by Allah and the Hadith which contains his sayings taught the Muslims many noble virtues. He always thought about the evils of Arab life which was dirty and barbering killing, robbery, injustice and barbarism prevailed everywhere in Arab. This great and noble soul passed away in 632 A.D. at the age of 63. But his work and teachings remain and will be followed as long as the world lasts. He made Muslims brothers of one another, built a great nation and powerful state. At present one fifth of the people of the world are the followers of this great and noble prophet.

Environmental Pollution Nature, air, water, land and all other things around us in which we live are called environment. Any unexpected and abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological characteristics in environment is called the environmental pollution. Now our environment is getting polluted every moment in many ways. In major cities and towns motor vehicles, mills and factories are creating fume and smoke. Man makes fires to cook food, to make bricks, to melt tar for road construction and to do many other things. Fires create smoke and pollute the air. Railway engines and powerhouses create smoke by burning coal and oil. Water, another vital element of the environment like air, is also polluted in many ways. Man pollutes water by throwing waste into it. Mills and factories also throw their poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers, canals and seas. Chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides get mixed with water in rivers, canals and ponds, and thus pollute water. Moreover, water vehicles, unsafe drains and unsanitary latrines are also responsible for water pollution. Forests and trees are being cut down on a large scale. So, the ecosystem of the environment is now in great danger. The noise of motor vehicles, mills and factories, aeroplanes, domestic appliances, radios, cassette players, CDs, televisions etc pollutes sound and it affects our hearing. Government and people of all classes should come forward to control this environmental pollution because it is necessary for our own existence. Or Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution refers to any unexpected and abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological characteristics in the environment. Now our environment is getting polluted every moment in many ways. Man makes fires to cook food, to make bricks, to melt tar for road construction and to do many other things. In major cities and towns motor vehicles, mills and factories are creating fume and smoke and they pollute air. Railway engines and powerhouses create smoke by burning coal and oil. Man pollutes water another vital element of the environment by throwing waste into it. Chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides get mixed with water in rivers, canals and ponds, and thus pollute water. Mills and factories also throw their poisonous chemicals and waste products into rivers, canals and seas and water is polluted. Moreover, water vehicles, unsafe drains and unsanitary latrines are also responsible for water pollution. The noise of motor vehicles, mills and factories, aeroplanes, domestic appliances, radios, cassette players, CDs, televisions etc pollutes sound and this polluted sound affects our hearing. Forests and trees are being cut down on a large scale. So, the ecosystem of the environment is now in great danger. It gives rise to ecological imbalance and brings about natural disasters in this world. This could horribly reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy wildlife, raise sea level and thereby may cause floods. We should plant more trees and work for forestation. Cutting down trees and hill should be restricted. To prevent pollution, government as well as all the conscious people should come forward to develop civic sense to reduce all kinds of pollution.

Travelling Travelling means going from one place to another in different purposes. Travellers always travel the most beautiful places of the world which uphold the existence of nature. There are many means to see the unseen and know the unknown, but travelling is the best of all. For example, reading books gives us literary knowledge, listening story gives us indefinite ideas, but travelling gives us visual as well as concrete knowledge. Someone travels to gain knowledge and experience, someone travels for pleasure, someone travels for business purposes etc. There are different types of travelling like- travelling by air, bus, boat, train, bus etc. Every travelling has much educative value. It is a part of education. Our education and bookish knowledge remain imperfect without travelling. For this reason, we can learn many things by travelling. It teaches us trade and commerce, language, sociology, customs, culture, history, geography and so on. Therefore, the educative value of travelling beggars description. Besides, there are some special benefits of travelling. If a man stays at one place for a long time, he becomes monotonous and his life becomes boring and callous. Travelling removes our monotony and gives pleasure. Similarly, it also broadens our outlook and refreshes our mind. A good traveler can easily educate others. He can give us first-hand knowledge of men and matters of other country. I like travelling very much.

The Life of a Farmer A farmer is a person who farms land, plants seeds, puts manures and pesticides upon them, weeds out the grasses, waters them and grows crops in this way. Though he is a very important person in our society, he leads a very miserable life. Generally, he lives in a village house which is made of corrugated, iron sheets or straws. An ideal farmer lives a very simple life and earns his livelihood the sweat of his brow. Getting up very early in the morning, he takes a little breakfast and goes to his field with simple hand-made tools and a pair of bullocks. Sometimes he remains so busy that he cannot make time to go home for the noonday meal. He has both pleasures and pains in his life. He gets pleasures when he has a good harvest. But he gets pains when his crops are destroyed by droughts, floods or cyclones. Though a farmer works hard, he cannot meet the basic needs of his family. He lives from hand to mouth. He also suffers from many diseases. However, a farmer can improve his condition by availing of the easy loans and by planned use of it. He should take advantage of scientific mechanized tools and the latest method of cultivation. In our society, a farmer is meant to belong to the lower class but in reality an asset to the country. He contributes a lot to the economy of the country. We can better their overall condition taking concerted steps like giving subsidy in the agricultural sector. Otherwise, hopes and aspirations of the nation will be shattered by the rocks of reality.

Importance of Games and Sports Games and sports are important for success not in studies but in every walks of our life. Boys and girls may practice races, jumps, discuss throw and javelin throw and thus pass their afternoon in useful activities. They may play various games like football, cricket, hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton etc. The importance of games and sports can never be minimized. First of all, they are good exercises and help to make mentally alert and physically strong. Secondly, by displaying their feats before many spectators, one can overcome nervousness. Thirdly, they are good diversions and give energy to learn their lessons well. Fourthly, it gives the necessary break from the everyday monotonous life. Fifthly, games and sports help building a sense of cooperation and team-spirit in an individual. When people of different nations get together on the occasion of an international sporting event, they come closer to each other, sharing views, opinions and friendship. Therefore, we learn to socialize and strengthen international brotherhood through games and sports. For these reasons, every civilized nation values the importance of games and sports and spends large sum of money on improving the standard of games and sports. However, games should be played for the sake of enjoyment, pleasure and recreation. If played in the right spirit, games become an important part of life – a better and healthy life. Or Importance of Games and Sports The ideal of a good and perfect life is to have a sound mind in a sound body. This is recognized by all as the best means of performing our duties. Body and mind should work at their best, and they cannot do so unless both are in good order. The best way to keep the limbs fit is to exercise them in sports and games of physical skill and strength. This indeed is the importance of games, there is no society, which has not its own special kinds of games. Sports and games supposed to be looked upon as a means of building up the body beautiful. Sports and games have now come to stay in our civilization as an essential feature of human activity, and their object is not merely fun, they also instill the spirit of discipline and team-work. Game like cricket, hockey and football are popular because of the spirit of team work which they inspire. The discipline that gained in playing up games is invaluable in later life. It makes for a life of co-operation and team work which could be used for building up a great society and a nation. Our young man and woman should take active part in sports and games. It is good that our educational institutions encourage sports and games by organizing matches and awarding prizes and trophies. The habit of taking part in games and sports is good in several ways. Apart from making us strong, healthy and fit, it teaches us how to use our energy in the right way. But all good things sometimes become bad. This is a strange but the true fact about human activities. Sports and games should be so organized that they will not interfere with studies of our youth. Life is not all sports. They are only a part, though a very important part.

Begum Rokeya Begum Rokeya was a famous writer, a social worker, feminist and a social worker in undivided Bengal in the early 20th century. She is most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues. She was born in 1880 in the village of Pairabondh, Rangpur. Her father, Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber, was a highly educated landlord. She had two sisters and three brothers. Rokeya’s eldest brother and elder sister had great influence on her life. She learnt Bangla and English from her eldest brother Ibrahim. She believed that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men have in the society. So she fought for their cause throughout her life. In 1896 she was married to Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain who was the Deputy Magistrate. He was very cooperative, and always encouraged Rokeya to go on with her activities. Rokeya had great love for her mother tongue. She launched her literary career in 1902 with a Bangla story entitled Pipasa (Thirst). Her famous novels are Sultana’s Dream (1905), Motichur (1908), Padmaraga (1924) and Oborodhbashini (1928). Rokeya established Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School. It started in Bhagalpur, a traditionally Urdu-speaking area, with only five students. She also founded Islamic Women’s Association. In her life, she remained busy with the school, the association, and her writings for the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932. The date of her death, 9 December, is now commemorated as ‘Rokeya Day’ in Bangladesh.

Early Rising Early rising is the habit of getting up from bed early in the morning. It is a very good habit which is very much essential for sound health. This habit is of special use to a man in various ways. Once one gets into the habit of rising early, one is able to set a routine and that obviously leads to better productivity both at work and home. The man who rises early in the morning can take some exercises or a walk in the morning fresh air by the river side or in the open field. The morning air refreshes both body and mind. Then the air is full of oxygen. There is a calm and serene atmosphere everywhere. One can enjoy the beauty of nature in the early morning. Nature smiles in the morning with colourful flowers and green leaves and the chirping of birds is also heard in the morning.  All these make them cheerful and healthy. The beautiful gifts and colourful nature in the morning remind everybody of the Creator. One feels like to pray to God. An early riser gets enough time to do his work either in study on in other work, which will bring him success. Finally, he must follow the instructions to rise early. An early riser has many advantages. He can start his daily works earlier. He had nothing to worry. He can earn more and become wealthy. So the habit of early rising is the source of health, wealth and wisdom. So, all of us should adopt a healthier way of living and reap those benefits.

Leisure/Leisure Pursuit/Pastime Leisure is an interest or activity that somebody pursues in his or her spare time. Human beings cannot be compared to machines. The monotonous working hours of a hectic and busy life load their brains with tiredness and stress. So, they need something else besides their work to be energized or recharged. It refreshes them, at the same time it gives them a new life. There may be thousands types of pastimes all over the world. Many pastimes around the world are common to people no matter what their nationality or race. But some are not. However, whatever the country, one activity that is common to all is watching television. Most of the people of Bangladesh pass their leisure either playing in the field or gossiping in the rural areas. But in the urban sites there are a number of pastimes. Reading story books, collecting stamps, gardening, playing some indoor and outdoor games, reading for exams, listening to music, visiting relatives on weekends, attending music lessons, going to movies occasionally, helping parents with housework, going on a picnic with family or friends, walking in the park on holidays are the types that teenagers usually do in their leisure. Now a days going to different clubs or hotels has become teenage craze. Some people have selected walking, sightseeing, fishing, cooking etc as their leisure activities. The types of pastimes may vary from person to person according to their taste and culture. But the reason behind leisure is the same. The only reason is to have relaxation and pleasure.

The Selfish Giant Once there was a selfish giant who had a very beautiful garden in front of his place with soft green grass, beautiful flowers, fruit trees etc. He went to his friend in a distant land and stayed with them for seven years. In the meantime, every afternoon children came back from school and used to go and play in the Giant’s garden. One day when the giant came back, he saw the children playing freely in his garden. This made him seriously angry and he drove them away. He built a huge wall round the garden to stop entrance into it. So the children could not play. Then the garden became lifeless without any flower or bird. Though it was the season of spring, winter prevailed in the garden. The giant found no trace of spring in his garden. Then one day he could hear the chirping of birds and looked out of the window. He saw that children were playing in the garden. It was full of flowers and birds. He come out of his castle into the garden and seeing him coming, the children ran away. At once the garden became lifeless again with cold. He could realize the matter and felt sad. Then he allowed them to enter into it and play freely. The garden immediately regained its life with flowers leave. From that time the giant and the children become close friends.

My First Day at School The day a student goes to school for the first time in life is called first day at school. Human life is the collection of some forgettable as well as memorable events. My first day school is an event which will remain ever fresh in my heart. When my parents declared the news of my schooling, I became very much excited and started leaping and dancing in great joy. I was always thinking about the school, the teachers, and the students of the school. I couldn’t even sleep at night. The next morning my mother woke me up early in the morning. I had a bath and put on my best clothes. Having breakfast, my father and I started walking towards the school. After reaching school, I saw many students on the school campus playing and talking to each other. My father took me to the headmaster’s room. My heart beat fast. But his smiling face and gentle words put me at ease.  As I could answer all of his questions, he became pleased. He called in a teacher and sent me to my class with her. My classmates received me very cordially and made friendship with me within a short time. The school broke up at 2 pm. My father again came and took me home. I left the school with a cheerful mind. That day was very remarkable in my life.

A Good Teacher/An Ideal Teacher A man or woman, who teaches the students to discover hidden treasures in any educational institutions, is called a teacher. He is a friend, philosopher and a guide to the students. Generally, a teacher is judged whether he is good or bad according to the temperament of the students. But an ideal teacher must have some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. He who knows the art of teaching, is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. An ideal teacher treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistakes, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his students realise his mistake. An ideal teacher is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He influences young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school.

The Importance of Using Dictionary A dictionary is a book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language alphabetically, gives their meaning, provides information about pronunciation, origin, and usage. Dictionaries are very important books in the life of a student as it can be both a teacher and a good friend. It lists the words in a language alphabetically so that the reader may find them easily. A dictionary entry gives us the accepted spelling of a word, its division into syllable, its pronunciation, its origins along with its meanings. It informs what part of speech does a certain word belong. Sometimes a dictionary also provides synonyms, or opposites of a word. In addition, if the word is a noun that describes a visible thing, the dictionary may provide a picture of it. In this connection, it guides us in writing words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes examples sentences are also provided. When one wants to use the word and does not know where to put the word, one can look example sentences. However, searching words by using a dictionary takes a lot of time. Using a talking dictionary, words can be searched immediately. We can find some words in a few minute. To sum up, a dictionary does a great help for everyone, especially students who are learning a language and who are interested in language learning to explore new words and enrich vocabulary.

My Best Friend A good friend might be someone who’s there to provide support when times are tough, or someone you can rely on to celebrate a special moment. I have a very good friend who really has loyalty and with whom I can share all feelings. My best friend, X is very punctual, obedient, tolerant, leadership in nature, tall, fair in complexion, smart, broadminded, co-operative and respectful. He lives with me as my neighbour in the same colony. We met each other in the nursery class on the very first day. We sit together in the classroom and share everything very happily without any problem. He is very good in studies and behaves well with everyone. He does his class work and homework very attentively. We share our Tiffin in the lunch time. Many things of us like hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc are similar. We love to listen music, watching cartoons and playing carom at home. We take care of each other in the school and playground. We share school copies and help each other whenever one of us remain absent in the school. We love drawing sceneries and arts in our spare time. We go at tour and picnic with our parents together in every winter and summer vacation. I am really proud of him.

A Village Doctor The man who deals with village people and gives medicine to the rural people without any knowledge about medicine is called a village doctor. He takes slight training from an experienced doctor. Though he is a quack but he saves the poor villagers from immature death. The village people like him very much and he is a favorite person to the villagers. He may not a good or an efficient doctor but he goes if anybody calls him to their house. He renders great service to the villagers when they fall ill. He selects medicine depending on his general idea. He also has an own dispensary which offers a poor show two benches. The village doctor leads a very hard and busy life. Every day he gets up early in the morning and takes his bath and takes his meal and goes to his dispensary. He begins to attend the patients present at his dispensary just at 8.00 am and finishes at late hours of night. Though he sometimes worsens the disease of a patient; he is the most trusted person to the villagers. Sometimes he takes an assistant. When people fell in danger he helps them and gives them necessary medicine. He looks after his patients from his own heart. He is a beneficial person of the society and does great services to the rural people. He shares their weal and woe. He consoles them and hears those words of hope. He treats his patients with sympathy.

A Visit to the Historical Interest Man is not satisfied with what he has seen and known. He wants to see more and know more. He wants to get flavor of the historical places, so whenever I get an opportunity, I visit a place of historical interest. I got such an opportunity to visit Bagerhat, a great historical place in Bangladesh. The Mazar of Khan Jahan Ali is a fine one storied building. It has a beautiful dome. Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali was buried there. The tomb is made of cut of stones. It cannot be accurately said where from these were brought. It is said that Pir Khan Jahan Brought these fromchittagong by flotting on water, on the tomb there are inscription in Arabic. An inscription says that he died on 25th October 1459. There is a small mosque nearby. A close associate of Khan Jahan Ali was buried outside the tomb. On the night of the full moon of the Bangla Month Chaitra a big fair is held beside the Mazar. Many people attend the fair. There is a big tank in front of the Mazar, the local people call it the Dighi of Khan Jahan Ali. There are some crocodiles in the big tank. They come near fakirs call them and give them something to eat. I saw the Dighi with my own eyes and derived much pleasure. It is a big and beautiful building which is beautifully decorated. It is said that it was used both as a mosque and the court by Pir Khan Jahan. The mosque has great attraction for the tourists and visitors. Bageraht is really a place of historical interest. I shall never forget this visit. It is a wonderful experience that I have ever achieved. Or A Visit to a Palace of Historical Interest I am always curious by nature to know the places of historical interest. I have a fascination for visiting historical places. It has a great educative as well as cultural value. By visiting historical places; we can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. A visit to a place of historical interest is really interesting and attractive. During the last summer vacation, I along with some of my friends, got such an opportunity to visit the Natiotal Memorial at Savar and decided to go to savar to see the National Memorial. Accordingly, we fixed a date and started our journey from Gabtali to savar at 10 p.m. by bus. We reached savar, near National Memorial just after 45 minute. Actually the National Memorial at savar is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It contains the history of our independence. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. It stands 150 feet tall, but every martyr it stands for stands so much taller. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. Reaching there we felt a great respect to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their valuable lives for us. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and saw many historical things and enjoyed myself. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters just close to the tower. However, we left the place paying our glowing tribute to the freedom fighters. Through this visit we experienced a lot. The monument richly deserves all the honour and distinction that it has been showered with. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.  Or A Visit to a Palace of Historical Interest A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to its cultural value. Visiting a historical place is really interesting, educative and attractive. We can learn much about the past, past culture, tradition etc. During the last summer vacation, I along with my family got such an opportunity to visit the National Memorial at Savar. Actually it is the symbol of the nation’s respect for the martyrs of the war of liberation. It is built with concrete, but made of blood. There is actually a series of 7 towers that rise by stages to a height of 150 feet. The foundation was laid on the first anniversary of the victory day. The entire complex covers an area of 126 acres. The plan of this complex includes a mosque, a library and a museum. The relics of the liberation war will be kept in the museum to remind the supreme sacrifices of freedom loving people. The most moving sight of the complex is the several graves of the martyred freedom fighters. Standing in front of the graves we bow down our heads in respect, as the towers soar up symbolizing the loftiness of their spirit. However, we visited the place and the surrounding area for about an hour and enjoyed many historical things. We took some snaps taking the view of the memorial. Through this visit we experienced a lot. I left it but the memory is still vivid in my memory.

A Railway Station/ Bus Station A railway station is such a place where different kinds of rails come, stand and start from to facilitate the passengers to get in and to get down from them. It is one of the cheapest and most comfortable of all the transport systems. In every station there is at least a building that usually made of red bricks which is called station house. The building has several rooms which are used as a booking office, ticket counters, and waiting rooms for passengers. Besides, there are rooms for stationmaster rooms for officer on duty and so on. The stationmaster is all in all in a station. He is assisted by number of other staffs, railway police and guards. The passengers willing to travel by train collect their tickets from the ticket counter. The ticket counter generally opens half an hour before the arrival of the train. A railway station is a crowded and noisy place, both passengers and coolies remain busy to push one after another to get into it. There may be waiting room for the passengers. When a rail comes up, the passengers fall in a long line to get into it. After some time, the guard blows the whistle and waves the green flag, the train moves.  As soon as the train leaves, the station sinks into silence and turns into a deserted place. Hawkers are seen to sell betel leaf, cigarettes, newspapers, fancy items etc. Book stalls, fruit shops and tea-stall are also found here. Some evil doers often flock in the railway station and try to harm the passengers. A railway station however, plays an important role in communication sector of the country.

An Ideal Student The student life is a period of training for the practical duties of manhood. It is the seed time of one’s life. An ideal student makes the best use of student life. His aim is not confined to studies and passing of university examination only. He is courteous to one and all. He cultivates good manners and habits. He is industrious, honest and sympathetic. He possesses a keen sense of duty and responsibility. He is regular and punctual. He never cherishes an evil thought. He is obedient to his teachers and elders. He shuns bad company. He is diligent. Diligence is a great virtue. He is a great lover of truth. He has a thirst for knowledge and learning. He gathers knowledge from every possible source as a bee flits from flower to flower and gathers honey. He attains exactness of mind is consistent in action. Dignity, discipline, self-control, constructive organization and self-restraint are his watchwords. He is virtuous and mentally and bodily firm and strong. He acts like a brave and fearless soldier in a national cause. He is tolerant and free from prejudices narrow-mindedness and selfish motive. He rushes in where others fear to tread. He is optimistic. Nothing can disappoint him. Nothing can daunt him. He thinks, decides and dashes. He is self – assertive. He presses on and on to attain perfection, getting over all the difficulties in his way. ‘Excelsior’ is his motto in life. Or An Ideal Student The student life is a period of training for the practical duties of manhood. It is the seed time of one’s life. An ideal student makes the best use of student life. His aim is not confined to studies and passing of university examination only. He is courteous to one and all. He cultivates good manners and habits. He is industrious, honest and sympathetic. He possesses a keen sense of duty and responsibility. He is regular and punctual. He never cherishes an evil thought. He is obedient to his teachers and elders. He shuns bad company. He is diligent. Diligence is a great virtue. He is a great lover of truth. He has a thirst for knowledge and learning. He gathers knowledge from every possible source as a bee flits from flower to flower and gathers honey. He attains exactness of mind is consistent in action. Dignity, discipline, self-control, constructive organization and self-restraint are his watchwords. He is virtuous and mentally and bodily firm and strong. He acts like a brave and fearless soldier in a national cause. He is tolerant and free from prejudices, narrow-mindedness and selfish motive. He rushes in where others fear to tread. He is optimistic. Nothing can disappoint or daunt him. He thinks, decides and dashes. He is self assertive. He presses on and on to attain perfection, getting over all the difficulties in his way. So, all of us have to try to be an ideal student to reach the highest peak of the desired success.

Arsenic Pollution Arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis is a condition caused by the ingestion and inhalation of dangerous levels of arsenic. Arsenic, a grey-appearing chemical element, can be found as a contaminant in food and water sources. It typically occurs as a result of industrial exposure, from contaminated wine or illegally distilled spirits, or in cases of malicious intent.  When a man drinks arsenic contaminated water for a long term, his skin is coarsened and stained. One time he suffers from gangrene. It is such a poison that damages all the vital organs resulting in the subsequent death. Those who do not eat fish and vegetables are easily affected. The arsenic affected patients should be properly treated. They should drink arsenic free water and take vitamins A, C, E to come round. People should be made very conscious of the problems of arsenic and arsenic diseases. Our tube-wells are to be tested and those which are not free from arsenic should be identified. The water of pond and river can be drunk after purification. Rain water is safe and free from arsenic. If pure water is not found, it should be filtered through pitchers containing sand. The govt. as well as the common mass should take some effective steps to solve this kind of problem.

A School Library A school library, a store house of knowledge, is usually housed in a suitable place according to the choice and scope within the school boundary. It satisfies eternal desire for knowledge of the unknown and the unseen. A school without a library is unthinkable these days. It has text books on various subjects, newspapers, journals, novels, travels, biographies, history, geography, short stories, essays, poetry and magazines etc. Students, especially who want to broaden their knowledge, go to the library in their vacant periods and study. On one side of the library hall there are long tables and benches. Students sit, read and take down notes there. The calm and quiet atmosphere of the library helps the students to work attentively. The school librarian, a trained and qualified person, gives advice to students on the choice of books. Students find no difficulty in the selection of the books. It is always open on all the days of the week. Nobody is allowed to keep a book after a certain period. A school library plays a vital role in the academic affairs of students. It is a good way to develop general knowledge. The students beget studious habits. It creates a taste for book among the weak boys even after school life. It gives opportunities to make best use of our leisure time. By studying in a library regularly, a student can do well in the examination which ultimately leads him to the pinnacle of success.

River Gypsies River gypsies, known as bedey to local people, are one of the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. The gypsies have their own lifestyle and culture. They are used to live a nomadic life travelling from one place to another in small country boats. These boats are their houses. They are an integral part of our waters. Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with both fishing and diving for natural pearls in waters. Sometimes, they camp for a couple of weeks. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics and other things. They also try to heal pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their body. When many water bodies dry up in winter season, they return to the mainland and live in make-shift tarpaulin tents on open river banks. Their men can be seen relaxing in the tents. Women often pick off lice in twos or threes sitting in a row. Gypsy people are losing their customers due to the rapid urbanization process. Voting rights, permanent housing, mobile boat-schools and bank loan facilities should be offered to them to survive in the mainstream population.

Nakshi Kantha Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ was derived from the Bengali word, ‘naksha’ which implies artistic pattern. It is a type of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The art has been practiced in pastoral areas of Bengal for centuries. The name ‘Nakshi kantha’ gained popularity after the poet Jasimuddin’s poem ‘Nakshi kanthar Math’ which was published in 1929. Traditional kanthas are made especially by the women for family use. Old or new cloth and thread are used to make these quilts. Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Faridpur, Bogra and Jessore are most famous for this craft. Now it is produced commercially. It can be found in many expensive handicraft shops in cities. Because of the colourful patterns and designs embroidered on them, the quilts are now in great demand. Finally, it goes without saying that “Nakshai Kantha” signifies a token of Bengali culture.

The Wheel A wheel is a circular object which can rotate around its axis and help easy movement of things across a surface. Although it is a very important invention, the history of its origin is unknown. Experts guess that the first wheel was developed from a circular object. The early man observed that a huge piece of stone could be rolled easily if it was circular in shape. Thus, early man took advantage of rolling objects and developed the first wheel. Apart from its mechanical advantage, a wheel’s mobility has contributed much to the civilisation. The wheels are, in fact, everywhere. They are on our cars, trains, planes, wagons and so on. Besides, they are on most factory and farm equipment. Fans, propellers, turbines are also other types of wheels. So the wheel is very important. They have brought great civilization to the world through this invention. Today we cannot imagine modern life without wheels.

A Village Doctor The man who deals with village people and gives medicine to the rural people without any knowledge about medicine is called a village doctor. He takes slight training from an experienced doctor. Though he is a quack but he saves the poor villagers from immature death. The village people like him very much and he is a favorite person to the villagers. He may not a good or an efficient doctor but he goes if anybody calls him to their house. He renders great service to the villagers when they fall ill. He selects medicine depending on his general idea. He also has an own dispensary which offers a poor show two benches. The village doctor leads a very hard and busy life. Every day he gets up early in the morning and takes his bath and takes his meal and goes to his dispensary. He begins to attend the patients present at his dispensary just at 8.00 am and finishes at late hours of night. Though he sometimes worsens the disease of a patient; he is the most trusted person to the villagers. Sometimes he takes an assistant. When people fell in danger he helps them and gives them necessary medicine. He looks after his patients from his own heart. He is a beneficial person of the society and does great services to the rural people. He shares their weal and woe. He consoles them and hears those words of hope. He treats his patients with sympathy.

A Rainy Day On a rainy day it may rain heavily or slowly but continuously all day long. Torrential rains with coolness and rhythmic sounds, damp streets, fields, and houses, lively leaves and buds of trees are some of the enchanting characteristics of a rainy day. The sky is overcast with thick of black clouds and the sun remains hidden behind them. To save the flora and fauna of nature from the scorching heat of summer, rains come down on earth with a refreshing touch. Cars, buses, scooters and taxies are seen plying in knee deep water due to water logging. People with umbrellas or waterproofs are seen trudging along the muddy streets. If it rains heavily before school time, students get a holiday. People pass the day in listening to music, watching TV, reading novels. Those who have imaginary bent of mind enjoy the beauty of nature being drenched in rains. The peasantry welcomes the rainy day; for it helps them to resume the labors that the delay of the rain had interrupted. After the rain, the trees look fresh and green. Water Lily, Aparajita, Kadam, Krishnachura are seen blooming in this time. Birds are chirping happily in the trees. Every pit and pond is full to the brim. Frogs croak on a far off village basin. The cattle keep standing in their sheds and bellow. Reaching home after the rain people feel refreshed both in mind and body. Despite all its disadvantages, I enjoy myself on this day. It brings some variety to our monotonous life.

A Road Accident Among daily’s unfortunate occurrences, street accident is very common. Despite all efforts to prevent accident, it happens every day. Busy and narrow road, careless driving, it takes place very frequently. Day before yesterday a terrible accident took place just before my eyes. It occurred in front of Bangla College while I was going to the New Market. When I reached the college gate, suddenly I heard a scream of a boy who was trying to cross the Mirpur Road. He was run over by a speedy truck. When the truck was a few feet away from him, he got puzzled and ran backwards and forwards. The driver tried desperately to hold the break but failed. He was crushed under the wheels of the truck and his body was changed into a lump of flesh. The truck was stopped. The passers-by crowded there. The boy was taken up from the pool of blood. A gentleman offered his car to carry the boy to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. In the evening I came to know that the boy had passed away on way to the hospital. I was greatly shocked at this incident. The truck along with the driver had been taken to police custody. But that horrible scene still haunts my mind. However, we all should always bear in mind that life is more valuable than time. Moreover, some proper steps should be taken and some strict rules should be introduced to stop street accidents.  Or The Street Accident Street accident refers to a collision of vehicle with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. It often results in injury, disability, death, and property damage as well as financial costs. Despite all efforts to prevent accident, it happens every day. Reckless driving, violation of traffic rules, the insufficient number of traffic police, overtaking tendency, damaged and narrow roads, lack of public awareness, using mobile phone while driving, lack of experience and licensing of untrained drivers etc. are the main causes of street accidents. The effects of road accidents are enormous and pathetic. A little mistake can cause a lot of tears to anybody. Somebody loses his/her dear and near ones forever. Pedestrians are often run over by the wheel while crossing the road. More than 4,000 people die on roads every year in Bangladesh. Many people become the victim of temporary and permanent injuries. Besides these physical damages, the losses include direct and indirect expenses, such as medical costs, insurance loss, property damage, family income losses, traffic congestion, etc. So, it is high time we had to do something to prevent unwanted road accidents. To solve the problem of reckless driving, over speeding, drunken driving, distractions to driver, overloading and overtaking tendency must be controlled. Roads and streets need to be constructed on a proper plan. Modern system of traffic control should be introduced and reckless driving should be dealt with exemplary punishment. Defective vehicles should be removed. The driving license should be issued honestly and duly. Above all, public awareness should be raised. Only then, we can hope for a better future regarding roads and transportation.

The Life of a Fisherman A fisherman is a person who catches and sells fishes from various sources to maintain his life. Generally, he lives in a village near a river or a sea. He is hard working and painstaking. He uses nets and boats in fishing. Some have nets but no boats. Some who have boats and nets, employ the boat less ones and work in a group. A fisherman is always at work. While at home, he repairs his boats or nets and paints his boats or dyes his nets. He catches fish in the seas, rivers, haors, beels and ponds. His women-folk make new nets; his children dry fishes in the sun and sell them in the market. The life of a fisherman is very risky and challenging because there may have storms and cyclones at any time. Some fishermen go to fish at night; some go to fish in the deep water or in the sea from home for many days. If he cannot earn a day, his family is to starve. He feels happy when he earns the needful amount. After all a fisherman does much good to us by supplying fishes. In spite of being hard working, he can hardly make both ends meet. Government should take some pragmatic steps for the development of minimum standard of their livelihood.

A Tea Stall A tea stall is a small shop where tea and other things are sold for the passers-by. It is a common place to all classes of people. It is usually found at the turn of the road, bus stands, railway stations, Bazar or even beside an office where the common people are available. It opens early in the morning and closes at late night. Biscuits, bread, banas, betal leaf and different kinds of handmade snacks are available there. A tea stall is furnished with some benches and tables. An ordinary tea stall is dirty. A boy is employed in a tea stall to serve the people. Sometimes, the owner himself serves as the boy and the cashier. People who come to a tea stall usually do not leave it immediately after taking a cup of tea. People refresh themselves with a cup of tea in a tea stall. It is also a place where social disputes are settled. They mainly talk about politics, local events and current affairs. This is why it is called a Mini Sangsad. Intact, tea stall is now –a-days an important place of social gathering and at the same time a place of charm for the common people. So a tea stall occupies an important place in our day-to-day life.

Adopting Unfair Means in the Examination The adoption of unfair means in the examination means copying in the examination. It does not simply mean copying from books etc. Inside the hall, it includes any sort of malpractice in or outside the hall to succeed in the examination. It is one of the signs of other degenerating conditions existing in our society. Many students without preparing lessons waste their valuable time in gossiping, roaming, playing, travelling etc. As a result, they are compelled to adopt unfair means in the hall. By adopting unfair means a student frustrates the very purpose of the examination. Merely committing to memory and vomiting it in the examination halls cannot determine the merit of a student. In order to solve copying in the examination the govt. has taken some preventive measures. First of all, the govt. is trying to raise public awareness through mass media. Recently the government has enforced a law that if any student is found copying in the examination hall, she/he will be expelled from the examination hall. If any invigilator is found helping any examiner, legal action will be taken against her/him. Even if outsiders are found involved in helping any examiner in copying, they will also be punished. The government has interchanged the examination centers and formed invigilation teams to monitor the overall condition of the examination center. The very system of education should be changed. Above all the government, the teachers, the guardians, the students, the intellectuals, the politicians and all the conscious sections of the country should come forward to tackle the problem.

Eve-teasing Eve teasing means molestation or exciting young girls sexually by making indecent remarks or vulgar comments on them. It usually starts with winking eyes and making obscene gestures and may go to the extent of physical assault and harassment. Generally, school and college-going girls become victims of eve teasing. It is a matter where boys use bad language to the girls who silently hate them without taking any kind of revenge. In naturally his violations reach the girls to suicide. For removing it forever from the society everybody should careful about it. Everybody should behave each other like brother and sister. Here religion rules can contribute a lot. If anybody makes this again they should be punished for their deeds. And we should take immediate action to them if anybody makes this violation. Boys who see their fathers treating their mothers with respect will automatically grow into men who think likewise. Boys and girls should be allowed to mingle freely so that they learn to respect each other’s individuality. Men need to realize that every woman is some man’s wife, or daughter, or sister, or mother; and must be treated with the same respect, they would accord their own. Eve teasing is a social crime and it should be prevented at any cost. The law-enforcing authorities should deal severely with the eve teasers. People’s conscience and consciousness must also be aroused to stop this nuisance.

Victory Day of Bangladesh Victory means the rebuilt of self-immolation of 30 lacs people. The 16th December is the victory Day of Bangladesh. This day reminds us of the supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters who will ever shine in our hearts like the luminous stars in the sky. It is a red letter day in our national calendar of Bangladesh. In 1971, Bangladesh discloses herself as a new country and gets a place in the world map. The occupation forces surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces, and with their surrender we got our victory. It is a government holiday. The national flag is hosted in all important offices, buildings, institutions and shops. All important places are tastefully decorated. Meetings and seminars are held to explain the importance of the day. On this day we pay rich tributes to the memory of the day. People from all walks of life irrespective of ages, castes and creeds celebrate Victory Day with huge enthusiasm and inspiration. Different cultural organizations hold various programmes and bring out colourful rallies to mark the day. Radio and television broadcast special programmes, and newspapers publish special supplementary on this day. The parks, museums etc. remain crowded from dawn to dusk with lots of people enjoying their time. We pray to almighty Allah for the martyrs of our liberation war. The victory day symbolizes the triumph of justice over tyranny, of truth over falsehood. So the 16th December is a very important day in the history of Bangladesh.

Zahir Raihan Zahir Raihan, one of the most talented film makers, was born on 19 August 1935 in Feni district of Bangladesh. He was an active worker of the Language Movement, took part in the mass movement in 1969, joined the Liberation War in 1971. All through his life, Zahir dreamt for a democratic society that will ensure freedom of speech and will. He had many dreams about our film industry too. He made a legendary film Jibon Theke Neya based on the Language Movement of 1952. It was a revolt against the then autocratic government. During the liberation war this film was shown outside Bangladesh and earned appreciation. Zahir gave all his money to the Freedom Fighters’ trust that he got from his film shows. Besides, his great documentary on Pakistani atrocities, Stop Genocide, helped create world sentiment in favour of our liberation war. His brother Shahidulla was captured and killed by the Pakistani army and the local collaborators during the last days of the war. On 30 December 1971, someone informed Zahir about an address somewhere at Mirpur, where he might find his brother. Accordingly, Zahir left home to get his brother back and he never returned. Zahir’s dream was fulfilled. He could see the inception of a free independent Bangladesh though he did not get back his brother. And it’s a pity that this dreamer was missing at such a time when his dream came true.

Floral Culture Floral culture has widely been flourished in our country because of a rosy environment full of colour and fragrance. It is not only an interesting pastime but also a moneymaker if it can be handled professionally. A florist specializes in the selection and arrangement of flowers for a variety of events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, marriage days, Valentine ’s Day, official receptions and even funerals. Although formal education or a diploma is not always essential, florists must have a good taste, good eye for colours, shapes and proportion. They have to have good sense for selecting flowers, ribbons and other accessories to make beautiful arrangements. Professional florists are knowledgeable about not only flowers but also designs and techniques. Most florists learn the trade mainly through apprenticeship in a previous flower farming job and also by attending formal floral schools and courses. Every flower is with its distinct colour, design, significance and meaning which flower designers have to know well. We know that conventionally roses are meant for romance and anniversaries and tulips for birthdays. However, a true passion for flowers and a bit of aesthetic sense are all that can make a florist’s career successful. Flower designers earn fairly handsome money. But the bonus is that they belong to a fresh fun job. They work in flowers all day long in a nice atmosphere with fresh air, pleasant smells and vivid colours around. But there is a disadvantage too, if you are inclined to see so. Florists deal with flowers, but miss their honey!

Zainul Abedin Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, the founding father of Bangladeshi art, is widely reputed for his Bengal ‘Famine Sketches’. Through a series of sketches, he depicted extremely shocking pictures with human compassion. He developed a knack for drawing and painting when he was a high school student. He graduated with the first position in first class in 1938. He was appointed teacher of the Art School while he was still a student there and later attended the Slade School of Arts, London. His 65-foot long scroll portraying heightened the non-cooperation movement against the Pakistan regime. He organized nabanna exhibition which is a milestone in demanding cultural and political freedom. His dynamic style of work is evident in a 30-foot-long scroll painting of devastating cyclone of 1970 called Manpura. He designed the pages of Constitution of Bangladesh. He founded the Folk Art Museum at Sonargoan, and also Zainul Abedin Shangrahasala in Mymensingh in 1975. The river Brahmaputra has a significant role in his paintings and a source of inspiration all through his career. He was awarded by the Governor’s Gold Medal in an all-India exhibition in 1938. During his life time, he produced a series of brush and ink drawings, which later became iconic images of human sufferings.

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa, the mother as well as the servant of humanity, was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and joined the Sisters of Loretto with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata from 1929 to 1948. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. This made it possible for her to start ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ for the dying destitute. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’. She will always be remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick.

The Shat Gambuj Masjid The Shat Gambuj Masjid is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural beauties of Bangladesh. Saint and warrior Ulugh Khan Jahan, the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the South, founded this multidomed mosque in Bagerhat district. The stately fabric of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of a low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape. The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 chauchala or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and the south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stones columns. The arches are six feet in thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque is’ beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage. Besides being used as a prayer hall, the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali.

The Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty, originally called Liberty Enlightening the World, is a statue on Liberty Island in the harbour of New York. It symbolises liberty in the form of a woman wearing flowing robes and a spiked crown. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand and carries in her left hand a book inscribed “July 4, 1776”. Broken chains, symbolizing the overthrow of tyranny, lie at her feet. The statue was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and was given by France to the USA to commemorate the centennial of US independence in 1876. France raised funds, by popular subscription to pay for the statue; US donors financed the pedestal and installation of the monument. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the work on October 28, 1886. The statue, the island, and nearby Ellis Island were declared a national monument in 1924. The statue formed of copper sheets riveted to an iron framework, is one of the largest in the world. It measures 93.5 m from the bottom of the pedestal to the tip of the torch.  Its head is reachable by staircase or emergency lift. The statue weighs 250 tons. Originally conceived as a gesture of international friendship, the statue has become a global symbol of freedom, marking the arrival of millions of immigrants to the United States.

Steven Paul Jobs Steven Paul Jobs, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc, was the pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He is the foster son of a car mechanic Paul Jobs and Clara jobs. His mother taught him how to read and write before he went to the elementary school. He became famous through the marketing of Apple computers. In 1985, Jobs left Apple after losing a power battle. He then founded NeXT, a computer platform development company. After returning to Apple as an adviser, he brought back Apple to profitability from the verge of bankruptcy. He supervised the development of iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The success of these products and services helped Apple to become the world’s most valuable company. Jobs has changed people’s perspective computer, and how they use it and communicate with each other. Hence i-Books, i-Phones, i-Pods and i-Pads have become extremely popular. It is he who made Wi-Fi a standard feature of every laptop. So Jobs’ dream to be anywhere anytime became a reality. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. In fact, he has been highly acclaimed as a visionary leader in the electronic field of computers and consumers.

My Most Favourite Song There are many songs that appeal to my mind. In fact, the list of my favourite songs is rather long. But if I am asked to choose my most favourite song, I have to mention just one that comes to my mind instantly. The song is known as ‘Dhana dhanyo pushpo bhora’. This song is written and composed by the great poet and lyricist Dwijendralal Roy, popularly known as D.L. Roy. This is a song of patriotism which reflects the glory of our motherland. This is one of the most beautiful patriotic songs I have ever heard. It is said in the song that our motherland is the queen of all the lands on this earth and it is made of dreams and enfolded with memories. The song is a tribute to the matchless natural richness of our motherland. Throughout the song we have vivid descriptions of the wonderful natural blessings, love and affection that we enjoy in this land. The song ends with the yarning that this land that nurtured us from our birth will be the place of our final breath on earth. A sense of pride fills me when I listen to this composition. I salute my motherland as I listen to this song. It depicts our love and respect for our own country and nation. There is one more reason why this song is so close to my heart. I grew up listening to this song. Every time I listen to this song, I go back to my mother’s lap and hear her melodious voice singing ‘Sokol desher rani she je amar jonmobhmi’.

Deforestation Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. Deforestation means cutting down trees at random. According to the ecologists, for live able environment there should be forest on the 25% land of the total land area. In Bangladesh there is 16% forest of the total land. Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They are also a great source of food, vitamins and furniture and they help to prevent drought and floods. To draw quick profit from trees, men cut them down in large numbers. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. Trees play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. Trees produce oxygen and receive carbon dioxide. In absence of trees carbon dioxide is increasing worldwide. As a result, there is global warming. The sea level is rising. Any time in future the earth may be engulfed by seas. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on, our country will be changed into a desert. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, I think every man and woman should plant at least a tree every year.

Physical Exercise Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. There are various forms of physical exercise such as – walking, swimming, and riding, running, as well as playing cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis and various forms of gymnastics. But all forms of exercise are not equally suitable to all of us for the young all kinds’ games such as cricket, football, hockey, badminton, tennis are quite good. For the women badminton, table tennis, are quite nice. On the other hand, walking is good for the weak and the old. Without physical exercise not any can take pleasure in good health. Physical exercise confers some other profit too. It keeps us free from diseases and makes us physically strong and healthy. We need a sound body and a sound mind in order to live to fine. It is physical exercise which permits us to have a sound mind in a sound mind body. “Build up your body if you want to build up your mind”, was the dialogue of the ancient Greeks. It takes our mind away from the drudgery of work and fills it with joy. It gives us fresh energy, refresher our mind and helps us to return to work with renewed vigor. It increases our longevity too. It ensures us healthy and happy life. It prolongs our life and keeps our body and mind fit for work. It also teaches us the code of discipline and reliability. We should take some sort of physical exercise regularly. We should also remember that morning and evening are the best time for talking physical exercise. And no exercise should be taken in empty stomach or immediately after talking meal.

Pahela Baishakh In our Bengali year we celebrate Pahela Baishakh on the first Baishakh every year. As it is one of our festival days, it is celebrated with traditional festivities across the country. On this day different types of people of different social classes come out from their respective residence and enjoy the carnival enthusiastically and publicly because it is a public holiday. Traders and shopkeepers open halkhata and offer sweets to their customers and clients with a view to satisfying them keeping the age-old tradition. At the very dawn they go outside to celebrate Pahela Baishakh eating panta vath and hilsha fish. Most of the girls adorn themselves wearing fresh dress and flowers in their locks. Young and adult boys like to sing with the traditional musical instruments like ektara, dotara, bamboo-flute, sarinda etc. and somebody likes to wear mask of different things. Different socio-cultural organisations draw up elaborate programmes to celebrate Pahela Baishakh. The day’s first programme begins at dawn at Ramna Batamul where Chhayanat, a leading cultural organisation, organises it. Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy, Bulbul Lalitakala Academy, Jatiya Press Club, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh National Museum, Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University and many other organisations bring out colourful processions with festoons, placards, posters, banners, masks etc. Bangladesh Betar, BTV, ETV telecast different lively programmes describing and showing the festival activities of Pahela Baishakh. Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can participate in the festivities together without the burden of having to reveal one’s class, religion, or financial capacity. We can’t but memorise this day with great pleasure.

A Birthday Party A birthday party is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the person who is being honored. In our country rich people are seen to celebrate this day festively. In this day, the drawing room is beautifully decorated. Friends, relatives, well-wishers are invited on this occasion. A special cake is ordered for celebrating this day. My birthday cake was in the shape of a chess board and looked very tempting. Besides, different kinds of delicious dishes are prepared. At the appointed time the invited guests begin to come and are welcomed by the person for which the day is being celebrated. At the appointed time the time the person concerned merrily cuts the cake. A round of applause follows. Plates full of delicious food items are then handed round. Everybody falls to with a good deal of zest. The eating is accompanied by a lot of taking and giggling. Camera is clicked on. After the meal, jokes may be made. Then the presents given by the invited guests may be unpacked one by one. And the person concerned expresses his or her gratitude to the guests. And the party may be rounded off with a chorus “Happy birthday to you”.

A Trade Fair A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities.  International trade fair is such a fair where goods of many countries of the world are displayed and sold within a fixed time. The event is expected to provide an immense opportunity both for buyers and sellers to establish new business contacts. A wide range of products including textile & garments, leather & leather goods including footwear, machinery equipment pharmaceuticals, carpets, chemical& allied products, cosmetics & beauty aids, dairy products, electrical and electronic items, food stuff, gift & novelty items, handicrafts, household appliances, furniture, building materials, sports goods, sanitary ware, toys and stationery and watches, clocks & jewellery will be displayed at the fair. International trade fair of Bangladesh is held at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar just north side of Sngsad Bhaban. Many foreign countries come to participate in this trade fair. Specially China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Korea and many other countries join in this fair with their varied commodities. I went there to observe and purchase some national and international commodities. Of course, I had also latent desire to come close contact with culture and things of foreign countries. I enjoyed myself well in International Trade Fair. It will remain ever fresh in my mind.

Television Television is one of the greatest achievements of modern science. Now it is regarded as the medium of information, entertainment, telecast, education and many others. It can telecast any live programme from the remotest part of the world. Television can display many programmes at a time. Satellite TV has added a new dimension in our oriented life providing many programmes through different channels. It’s not only a good medium of recreation but also a source educational knowledge. Different channels telecast various educative dramas, movies, sports, cultural functions, news and articles. So we can easily collect educative information of agriculture, science and technology, politics, education, business, invention etc. Television helps us widespread the sight and outlook of the society. Coming to contact with the western societies, we are getting the opportunities to enrich our society and ourselves. But on the other hand, many people especially young generations are getting hampered and we all are now forgetting our own customs, traditions, music and culture. Very often obscene pictures and vulgar movies and programmes are shown in various satellite channels. Young generations are becoming more and more addicted to them. Moreover, most of us want to follow the dress-pattern, hairstyle, behaviour, music and nudity of the westerns. This mentality is leading our young generations to moral degradation. So, we all should be conscious of that.

Load Shedding Load shedding is the act or practice of temporarily reducing the supply of electricity to an area to avoid overloading the generators. It happens when there is not enough electricity available to meet the demand of all customers, and an electricity utility will interrupt the energy supply to certain areas. In our country there is hardly any area which is not affected by load shedding. Lack of maintenance of the generating and distribution systems, increased population, improved living standards, lack of planning, illegal connection, wastage of it are the main causes of load shedding. It creates many problems of far-reaching consequences in the economic and social development of the country. Most of the mills and factories become idle and for this reason industrial production declines and workers are retrenched. Social works and activities cannot go in order. Students cannot study properly because of the failure of electricity. During load shedding they are to study in dim candlelight. The housewife gropes in the darkness in the kitchen. The shops are to close down before the closing time. Spectators in the cinema hall spend hours in stuffy suffocation for load shedding. All types of productions stop and the entire life comes to a standstill during the period of load shedding. So, proper steps should be taken to stop load shedding in order to ensues smooth development of the country. By establishing more power plants, power houses and by stopping unplanned distribution of electricity, illegal connection and reducing system loss, we can solve this problem.

A Street Beggar One who begs for alms from street to street is called a beggar. The beggar is a common sight in Bangladesh. Beggars are of different kinds and description. Some are old, some are young. Some can walk, some limp, a few move on push carts. There are singing beggars as well as whining beggars. Begging is regarded as a serious social problem because it encourages idleness and aversion to work. There are some beggars who are professionals. These are idlers. They find it easier to beg than work. But majority of the beggars are homeless and hungry. Nobody employs them. They suffer and ultimately become unfit for work. The first thing that begging creates in a beggar is the loss of his sense of honor. There is no certainty in a beggar’s life. The only certain thing in his life is that each day will be full of misery. He does not have any definite place to live in. His home is wherever he sleeps. There are no fixed hours for his work. If the weather is inclement he suffers most. The fortune of a beggar lies in his capacity to approach people. In fact, he is a man without fortune. He looks forward to the days of religious festivals when people are more charitable than other days. Reasons for begging are many. The unemployment problem and poverty are the two main reasons. Moreover, labour is not always viewed as dignified. Arrangement should be made to turn them into a working force.

A Rickshaw Puller One who pulls rickshaw for one’s livelihood is commonly called a rickshaw-puller. Rickshaw is a common vehicle in Bangladesh. It is paddled by human being. A rickshaw-puller generally lives in the slum area of the city. He supports his family through great hardship. He lives from hand to mouth.  His family lives in great poverty. What he earns is spent to maintain his family somehow. He passes his days in great troubles. There is severe poverty in his family for which his family members suffer a lot. He is to undergo hard labour. His sorrows know no bounds. There is no time table of his work. He works long hours on a day. He usually pulls his rickshaw from morning to midnight. He earns very scanty to meet up the demands of his family. Usually he lives a poor life, which is under poverty level. Sometime he along with his family is to starve due to his illness or rough weather. In the rainy season his miseries go beyond limit as water enters into his slum. We can do better his condition if we evaluate his hard labour. It is our holly duty to sympathetic towards him. Our kind behavior and attitude towards them may lead him to a happy and prosperous direction.

Sound Pollution or Noise Pollution When the exposure of people or animals to levels of sound that are annoying, stressful, or damaging to the ears, it creates noise pollution. Today it is one of the talked topics of the day. It has reached an unbearable level. The unnecessary use of powerful vehicular horns is the main source of sound pollution in the City. The other sources are aircraft noise and rail noise. Besides transportation noise, other sources are office equipment, factory machinery, appliances, power tools, lighting and audio entertainment systems. Construction equipment also produces noise pollution. Besides, faulty vehicles, construction sites, loud speaker and thousands of workshops let out loud noises round the clock. This sound pollution damages millions of children’s power of hearing. Sound pollution is so much harmful that it can cause a wide range of malfunctions in the human body including heart attack, high-blood pressure, chronic depression, respiratory disorders etc. Noise leads to emotional disturbances, however, are difficult to measure. Irritating noise at work place reduces concentration efficiency and working capacity. We should take necessary measures to control sound pollution. By developing public awareness and careful awareness and careful town planning sound pollution can be controlled. Strict law should be enforced regarding sound pollution. Use of hydraulic horns should be banned strictly.

Air Pollution Air pollution is actually the addition of any harmful substances to the atmosphere, which causes the damaging of the environment, human health and the quality of life. Air is the most important element of human environment. Man cannot live a single moment without it but we do not think it is we who pollute this most vital element. Clean air is essential for life. Air is polluted in many ways. With the development in industry, came along the increase in air pollution, which occurs inside homes, schools, offices even in the countryside. Man makes fires to cook his food, to make bricks burns effuse, melts pitch for road construction and burns wood. All these things produce heavy smoke and this smoke pollutes air. Railway engines, power houses, mills and factories use coal and oil. Buses, trucks and cars use petrol and diesel oil. Again all these things create smoke and cause air pollution. The most serious air pollution occurs in big industrial areas where there are many mills and cars plying the street every day. Sometimes men in industrial area become so sick by inhaling polluted air that they cannot be cured. So proper measures and steps should be taken to prevent air pollution. Consequently, there has been an increase in the death rates resulting from various diseases caused by air pollution varying from breathing problem to lung cancer. Air pollution does not only affect people but it also damages the whole ecological system in which plants and animals are harmed as well.

Mother Teresa Mother Teresa is remembered by the world for her selfless service to the poor and the sick. Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia on August 27, 1910. Her original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. At the age of twelve, she realised that what she wanted to do most of all, was to help the poor. She decided to train for missionary work and came to India at the age of nineteen to join the Sisters of Loretto, an Irish community of nuns with a mission in Kolkata. In 1928 she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1929 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls disturbed her. In 1948, Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa. In the same yea, she became an Indian citizen. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poor in the slums of Kolkata. She had no money so she started an open-air school for homeless children. Soon she was joined by many voluntary helpers. Help flowed in from various authorities. This made it possible for her to start her own order ‘The Missionaries of Charity’ to love and take care for those persons whom nobody was prepared to look after. Now the Missionaries of Charity are working in 125 countries with more than 750 centers. She persuaded the people that leprosy is not contagious. She founded Nirmol Hridoy, Sishu Bhava, Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Ashram and many other organizations. Mother Teresa was awarded the Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in the year 1979. She passed away in 1997. Though she is no more, she has left a message behind: ‘faith and compassion can heal the world’.

A Village Fair Village fair is an annual affair in Bangladesh and is a great event in the life of the villagers. It is generally held on the occasion of some religious festivals or some local important events. It is an occasion for show, sale of various goods and entertainments. It is held in some open place, either on the bank of river or in the yard of a temple. Some fair also sits in an open field under a big ancient tree or in the market place, or by the side of a big road. A village fair is an occasion of great joy and excitement among the villagers. Village fair is a kind of exhibition in miniature of hand made things. The rural artisans and craftsmen make various useful articles which are brought to the fair and offered for sale. It thus acts like a market for cottage industries. Small traders come from far and near to sell their goods. They bring clothes of various kind, ready-made garments, cheap fancy goods, dolls, utensils, sweets and other things. There are many forms of amusement in a village fair. Travelling jatra parties, Circus parties, magic shows, merry go rounds mockfights, jarigan (song) are additional attraction of a fair. Cinema parties also show picture to the people. But the largest crowd gathers around the place where jugglers show their feats. There are the dancing of dolls and feats of skill done on ropes and bamboos. Some of these are really wonderful. A village fair is a much looked-for occasion for all. Everybody waits for this fair with hope and attends it with profound pleasure.

The Necessity of Learning English We need to learn English because we live in a global village. There is no alternative to learning English to lead a decent life and to prepare ourselves for global challenges. Statistics show that 350 million people speak English as a first language and another 300 million use it as a second language. It is the official or semi-official language in more than 60 countries and of many international organizations. Today more than 80% of all information in the world’s computer is in English. For many reasons, English has achieved the prestige of being global language. English has become the only medium for international communication. Now- a- days not only for international purposes but also for national reasons English is a must. When we look for any good job, advertisements often ask for proficiency in English. The electronic transfer of information regarding banking, financial activities and transaction of business-all are done through English language. We can easily see how English is necessary in every sphere of our lives. Bangladesh is a nation with a bright future, but lack of proficiency in English often appears to be a key hurdle. So, a nation- wide awareness needs to be established by the government to emphasize the necessity of learning English. If proper awareness is created, Bangladesh will reach the optimum levels of their potentials and thus can overcome language barriers.

Annual Sports Day of Our College Annual Sports Day is an important event in the life of every school or college. Sports in themselves are an indispensable part of study. The Annual Sports Day of our college was held last week. It was held in our spacious college grounds. We decorated the playground and the college building very gorgeously. The Deputy Commissioner was the chief guest. A huge “shaman” was pitched on one side of the ground to accommodate guests. The whole play-ground had been decorated with flags, buntings and balloons a day earlier. The chief guest arrived in time. He took the salute. The sportsmen and women and O.K. cadets and U.S.A volunteers participated in the march past. The first event was a hundred meter race and then started long and high jumps. Simultaneously there were other actions like the Javelin and the Discus throw. The events which evoked the greatest interest were the 400 meter race, bicycle race, ‘chat’ race and hurdle race by girls. The tug-of-war between the science and arts faculty members was very interest­ing. The last item the musical chairs race in which the guests participated was vied amusing. The dope read out the achievements of the school in sports during the year. The chief guest gave away prizes to the winners. He highlighted the importance of sports in life and hinted at India’s dismal performance at the Olympics. He promised all help to the school in the matter of sports. The Principal then thanked him and other guests. The chief guest declared the sports meet closed and it was over.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of chlorofluorocarbons in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents such as washing powder and washing-up liquid and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century, temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

A Postman Postman is a person who delivers letters, money orders, post cards, parcels and other postal articles to the proper addressees. He is a familiar figure both in the towns and in the village. He usually wears a khaki dress and carries on his soldiers a bag. Though a postman is a low-great employee of the postal department, he performs a responsible job. His daily work begins with the sorting out of letters, parcels, money orders etc. in the post office. After having finished this job in the post office, he goes out on his beat to deliver them to their addressees. A town postman often drops letters into letterboxes or pushes them through some opening of the door. A village postman generally goes on his beat twice or thrice a week. A postman is really good man and a good friend to us. The postman is a very important person in our society, though he does not enjoy a good social status. When he brings letters of good news, we become happy. He renders and great service to the society. He is such a great friend to us that everybody we expect his nock on the door. He behaves amiably with all. The economic condition of a postman is very miserable. Though he works very hard he gets a very small salary. With it, he cannot maintain his family decently. So he leads a miserable life. No doubt he serves the society as well as the country greatly in the field of postal communication. He should be given good salary so that he can lead a better life and serve us well.

International Mother Language Day The 21st of February, a red letter day, is observed throughout the world as the International Mother Language Day or Language Martyrs Day or Shaheed Day. On this day of 1952, our great Language Movement took place. This day reminds us the struggle and sacrifice of the heroic sons Salam, Rafique, Jabber and many unanimous with a view to establishing our mother tongue as a state language. They protected our mother tongue in exchange of their blood. Since then we, the Bangladeshi observe this day with great admiration and solemnity. On this day, people wake up early in the morning and put on a black badge to mark the day as a national mourning day. The day is declared as the Govt. holiday and on this day the National Flag remains half-mast. They walk to the Shahed Minar on the barefooted with flowers and wreaths in the hands. They offer flowers and wreaths on the foot of the Shahed Minar to show love and respect to the martyred heroes. They remain standing silently for some time. Many meetings and seminars are held. People also pray for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs throughout the country in the different religious institutions. Considering the sacrifice made by the martyrs, the UNESCO declared the day as an International Mother Language Day. This day has a great impact on our national history as well. It paves the way of our national sovereignty.

Good Health Good health means the soundness of body and mind. The body which is free from all sorts of diseases is considered to be healthy. It is the result of living in accordance with the natural laws, pertaining to the body, mind and environment. These laws relate to fresh air, sunlight, balanced diet, regular exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep, cleanliness internal and external, right attitudes of mind, good habits and good patterns of living. One can keep good health by way of observing the rules of health, eating a balanced diet and living a disciplined life. But unfortunately, many people of our country do not get the food they need for good health. While the rich and educated people of our country are conscious of the rules of health, the bulk majority of the common people are ignorant of them. They seem to have no sense of hygiene and sanitation. As a result, they suffer terribly because of their ill-health. Moreover, life has become complicated in this age of technology. And the complexities of life have an adverse impact on our health. Frozen and artificial rather than fresh and natural food make us fall prey to various serious ailments causing great damage to our health and happiness.  So, to keep in good health we need an environment which is free from air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and menus pollution. I thoroughly believe in the fact that simple and carefree life is conducive to good health. Preservation of health should be the primary duty of mankind.

Mother’s Day Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor all mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support. Mother’s Day came into being due to the efforts made by Ms Julia Ward Howe and Ms Anna Jarvis. In our country Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May with joy and devotion. In observance of the day discussion programs are organized by government and non-governmental organizations. Reception programs and cultural programs are organized to mark the day in the capital city. Television channels air special programs, and newspapers publish special features and columns to mark the day. Greeting cards, flowers and gifts featuring mothers are in high demand at the shops and markets. Young children get especially excited about Mother’s Day and put a lot of effort into making cards and presents for their Mums. For mothers, it is like having a second birthday. It is common for children to cook for their mother so she can have breakfast in bed. She also receives presents, flowers and cards. Mother is a creative and caring woman. She takes time to teach us things like how to read and how to write.  My mother cooked special dishes for us. Actually the celebration of Mother’s Day is the external expression of gratitude of a child to its loving mother.

A Book Fair A book fair is a display or exhibition of books typically by a group of publishers or book dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest among the readers. It spreads the message vie books that are our best friends and it makes our life glorious. The largest book fair in our country is the Ekushy book fair held in February to observe the Language Movement Day in the Bangla Academy premises. More than hundreds of pavilions were set up. The stalls were decorated beautifully to draw the attention of the readers. All sorts of books, text books, fictions, children books, religious books, story books, novels, books on various dramas, books on poems, autobiographical books, books on science and technology, books on raising social awareness, etc. are usually available in a book fair. A book fair becomes crowded specially in the evening. The renowned artists, poets and intellectuals gather there and take part in the seminars and cultural programmes. A book fair promotes the publication of books to spread education and widen the sphere of our knowledge.  It also inspires the young readers for reading books. Some writers are also seen sitting in the stalls and their fans gather there for autographs. Even some stalls are found in a book fair to sell snacks, cigarettes and trifling items of daily necessities. Sometimes in a book fair some unpleasant incidents take place for the evil motive of the miscreants. In fact, a book fair is considered to be an occasion of great festivity to the book-lovers. My Visit to a Book Fair A book fair is a display or exhibition of books typically by a group of publishers or book dealers for promoting sales and stimulating interest among the readers. It spreads the message vie books that are our best friends and it makes our life glorious. The largest book fair in our country is the Ekushy book fair held in February to observe the Language Movement Day in the Bangla Academy premises. Last month I paid a visit to this book fair. I am a book lover. I have a habit of collecting books. “Amar Ekushe Grantha Mela” helps to collect precious books. With a view to collecting some books on literature, I went there with my parents. More than hundreds of pavilions were set up. The stalls were decorated beautifully to draw the attention of the readers. All sorts of books, text books, fictions, children books, religious books, story books, novels, books on various dramas, books on poems, autobiographical books, books on science and technology, books on raising social awareness, etc. are usually available in a book fair. I bought three novels. In the afternoon, a discussion meeting on Bangla literature was held as usual. It highlighted the Supreme sacrifice of the martyrs of our Language Movement. This was followed by a cultural function to entertain the music lovers with Sweet Bangla songs. The function was attended by many leading artists of the country. It acted as a soothing balm for many Sorrow-stricken hearts. I became Spell-bound to hear the melodious Songs. I also became a bit nostalgic forgetting the hard realities of life. In fact, a book fair is considered to be an occasion of great festivity to the book-lovers.

An Ideal Teacher/A Good Teacher Generally, a teacher is judged whether he is good or bad according to the temperament of the students. But an ideal teacher must have some basic qualities that will inspire the pupils to pay their attention towards him. A good teacher is one who knows the art of teaching. He is the master of his subject. He makes his lessons interesting. His method of teaching is convincing and inspiring. An ideal teacher treats his students like his own children. He praises the good work done by them. If a student does some mistakes, he is not very harsh to him. He tactfully makes his student realise his mistake. An ideal teacher is never angry with his students. He believes in simple living and high thinking. He has a high moral character. He is sincere in teaching and is hard working. He does not allow us to be lazy. He makes a simple living but his thinking is great. He influences our young minds with his fatherly care. He does not encourage the students to flee the time carelessly in idle chat, in idle thought rather he encourages us to be perseverant. He is a true friend and a sincere guide to the students. The skill in teaching will make him a lovable teacher for us in the school.

May Day/ International Worker’s Day May 1st, International Workers’ Day, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in most countries. It is the day of establishing the legal right to the workers of the world. This day is memorable to the owners of the world for their defeat against the working class people. All the privileges workers enjoy today came about due to the sacrifice of the workers in 1886. The history behind it is very sorrowful. On May 3, 1886, some workers gathered in demand of a minimum wage, safety laws and eight hours work day. Police fired in the crowd of strikers at the Mc Comick Harvest Machine, Chicago. Here at least one person was killed and some others were seriously wounded. At the beginning of Industrial revolution people had to work long hours both by day and at night. It was simply inhuman. It stopped when all labourers stood up. The event of May Day 1886 is a reminder that workers will continue to be exploited until they stand up and speak out to gain better working conditions, better pay and  better  lives.  In fact, May Day is a milestone of snatching away the rights from the blood-sucking owners by the exploited workers of the cosmos. The sacrifices of so many people cannot be forgotten or we’ll end up fighting for those same gains all over again. This is why we should celebrate May Day with profound respect.

A School Magazine A school magazine is an annual publication containing the literary works and other information of a school mostly written and contributed by the students. It is published once a year. In order to conduct the work of publication of the school magazine, at first a magazine committee is formed with the Head master as the Chairman and chief patron. The editor, business editors and the assistant proofreaders are selected from the students. A magazine fund is also made up of the school ‘Magazine Fee’. The editor invites writings both in Bangla and English. The students of the school submit their articles to the notified persons at the notified time. Then, after proper scrutiny, the best ones are selected for publishing. Generally, the magazine has two sections-Bangla and English. There are messages from the Head teacher and the secretary of the school, annual reports, essays, short stories, short plays etc in it. It also contains jokes, quizzes and puzzles. The young writers get immense pleasure and confidence when they can see their writings in print. So, they feel encouraged to build themselves as poets, play-wrights, essayists and artists. It plays an important role in one’s school life. It is a forum through which our Juvenile learners can express the green ideas and imagination of their mind. Besides, it promotes team-spirit, fosters to express the dormant power of thinking as well as writing of the young learners. The sight of a magazine reminds the old boys of their sweet bygone school days. The school magazine of the school. In fact, the school magazine is the first stepping stone to flourish themselves as future writers and poets. Or A School Magazine A school magazine is an annual or periodical publication of the school mostly written and contributed by the students and teachers. Almost every well established school publishes a magazine every year. It plays an important role in one’s school life as it highlights the various aspects of the school development programme. It is a forum through which our Juvenile learners can express the green ideas and imagination of their mind. In order to conduct the work of publication of the school magazine, at first a magazine committee is formed with the Headmaster as the Chairman and chief patron. The Headmaster selects the editor from among the teachers. Both teachers and students write in it. There are messages from the Headmaster and the secretary of the school, annual reports, essays, short stories, short plays, jokes, quizzes and puzzles and other writings relating to school affairs are published in the magazine. The editor at first invites writings from the teachers and the students for the magazine. After proper scrutiny and correction the best ones are selected and sent to the press for printing. The school magazine helps the young learners and writers to develop their latent faculties. It helps them develop their power of thinking and writing. One cannot write something without a clear judgment, imagination and good knowledge of the thing. School magazine provides a scope for writing independently. The young writers get immense pleasure and confidence when they can see their writings in print that can inspire one a lot to become a writer and a poet in later life. In fact, the school magazine is the first stepping stone for the future writers.

Landing on the Moon In the history of human civilization, landing on the moon is an epoch making achievement. Before landing on the moon, most of the people of the world thought that nobody could go to the moon. On July 16, 1969 Armstrong along with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins departed for the moon in Apollo 11, the space craft which was used to reach the moon. On July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module, Eagle, landed on the moon, in a place called the Sea of Tranquillity. Commander Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. As he stepped off the ladder and put his foot on the moon’s surface, he said, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Armstrong was joined on the moon by Buzz Aldrin, and together they spent two and a half hours on the moon’s surface. They performed a number of experiments and collected rocks and soil to bring back to Earth. They left an American flag on the moon. This historic visit was broadcast live on TV to the world, watched by approximately 600 million people.The top part of the Lunar Module Eagle took them back to the Command Module Columbia, which had remained in orbit around the moon, piloted by Michael Collins, while they explored. These three astronauts have become world famous heroes because of their great achievements. It proves that man can conquer anything if he wishes and the impossible task of today would become possible by tomorrow. History will always remember them.Their names are written with golden letters in the history of space technology.

The 21st February/ International Mother Language Day 21st February, a red letter day, is observed throughout the world as the international Mother Language Day. It is also observed as a Language Martyred Day or Shaheed Day. It is of special significance to the people of Bangladesh. On this day of 1952, our great Language Movement took place. This day reminds us the struggle and sacrifice of the heroic sons Salam, Rafique, Jabber and many unanimous sacrificed their lives with a view to establishing our mother tongue as a state language. They protected our mother tongue in exchange of their blood. This day has given us the freedom to speak in our mother tongue. Since then we, the Bangladeshi observe this day with great admiration and solemnity. On this day, people wake up early in the morning. They put on a black badge to mark the day as a national mourning day. The day is declared as the Govt. holiday and on this day the National Flag remains half-mast. They walk to the Shahed Minar on the barefooted with flowers and wreaths in the hands. The offer flowers and wreaths on the foot of the Shahed Minar to show love and respect to the martyred heroes. They remain standing silently for some time. Many meetings and seminars are held. People also pray for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs throughout the country in the different religious institutions. Considering the sacrifice made by the martyrs, the UNESCO declared the day as an International Mother Language Day. It started in 1999 with the purpose of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Since then this day is observed throughout the world as recognition of every one’s language sovereignty. This day has a great impact on our national history as well. It paved the way of our national sovereignty.

Our National Flag The flag which denotes the freedom and sovereignty of a nation is known as a national flag. The national flag of Bangladesh is bottle green in color and rectangular in size with the length to width ratio of 10:6. It bears a red circle on the background of green. The color in the background represents the vitality, youthfulness and greenery of Bangladesh while the red circle symbolizes the rising sun and the sacrifice of lives in our freedom fight in the Liberation War of 1971. The national flag was designed by painter Kamrul Hasan. Its size is confined to10:6. It was first hoisted on the March 3, 1971 by ASM Abdur Rab at the historic ‘Bat tala’ in Dhaka University  campus. It is hoisted at govt. offices, semi-government, self-autonomous buildings, educational institutes etc every day. But it is kept at half-mast on any national or international mourning days. Our glorious national flag was purchased at too great a price at the cost of a sea of blood. The national flag of Bangladesh is our pride. Our feeling about the flag is very sensational and respectful. When we see our national flag, our heart is fulfilled with joy and respect. We bow down our heads towards it. Our duty towards it should be responsible and sacrificial. We should take an oath that we must save the honor and dignity of this flag even instead of our lives. The flag is the source of spirit, hope and inspiration.

Traffic Jam When the road is blocked with so many vehicles and we cannot move forward, we call it traffic jam. Generally, in capital city and other divisional cities traffic jam is a common phenomenon. Most often it occurs at office time and also at the time when the officer break. Sometimes it is so heavy that it blocks half a kilometre.  It kills our valuable time and our works are hampered. It causes great sufferings to the ambulance carrying dying patients and the fire brigade vehicles. There are various causes of traffic jam. The number of vehicles is greater than roads. The roads are also narrow and traffic control system is so poor. The drivers are not willing to obey the traffic rules. They often park their vehicles on improper places. Overtaking tendency also causes traffic ham. Many persons set shops both sides of the road. In big cities there are processions, agitations and demonstrations also. So vehicles cannot move freely and cause traffic jam. When we fall in a traffic jam, we feel bored. We lose money, petrol, diesel and many working hours of our life. As a result, we are lagging behind. However, this problem can be solved by adopting some measures. To stop traffic jam, well planned spacious roads should be constructed. One way movement of vehicles should be introduced. Traffic rules should be impost strictly so that the drivers are bound to obey them. Sufficient traffic police should be posted on important points. Unlicensed vehicles should be removed. Traffic rules should be followed properly. Above all our people should be made more conscious.

Independence Day of Bangladesh March 26, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the West Pakistan rulers started to exploit, cheat, and oppress Bangladeshi people. After the massive attack beginning from the early hours of 26 March, 1971, the undisputed leader of East Pakistan declared independence and told the countrymen to fight against the barbarian Pak Army. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. As it is a national holiday, all offices, educational institutions, shops and factories remain closed on this day. People get up early morning by hearing the bombing sounds of gun. Coming with rallies and processions, people of all walks of life place floral wreaths at the National Musolium at Savar to pay rich tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of our independence. The country also witnesses a smartly dressed parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP at the National Parade Ground. School children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Besides, various cultural programmes throughout the day highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971, tournaments including the exciting boat race are organised throughout the country on the day. Milad Mahfil was organized by the different mosque especially in the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram. At night the main public buildings are tastefully illuminated to give the capital city a dazzling look. This day certainly makes bridges between the spirit of Independence Day and the future generations. May Independence Day always be the spirit of prosperity of our nation.

Climate Change Climate change refers to an increase in average global temperatures due to the consequence of unchecked pollution. Most climatologists opine that both natural events and human activities are contributing to the increase in average temperatures surrounding the earth. This is caused primarily by the increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2). However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. The destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, traffic that clogs up city streets, the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs, detergents, maritime disaster, human and industrial waste products etc are highly responsible for this change. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Pragmatic as well as drastic steps should be taken to create awareness to stop the causes and sources of emitting carbon dioxide. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. These are the measures the whole world needs to be concerned with a view to preventing global warming.

A Winter Morning Of the six seasons, winter is undoubtedly the coldest season of the year in Bangladesh. A morning in winter is misty and cold because of dense fog everywhere. Sometimes it is so dense that the sun rays can’t be seen.Things even at a little distance can hardly be seen. It causes disruption to the communication system. Few drops fall on leaves and blades of grass at night. They look like glittering pearls when the rays of the morning run falls on it. Sometimes shivering cold causes serious sufferings to people and animals. The poor have hardly warm clothes. They gather straw and dry leaves to make fire to warm them. The old and the children bask in the sun. Usually people get up late. In a winter morning people in Bangladesh enjoy different kinds of ‘pithas’. Delicious sweetmeats are also prepared with date juice. But a winter morning is a curse for the poor. They suffer much for want of warm clothes. The scene of a winter morning disappears as the day advances. The best time to visit Bangladesh is in winter when the weather is dry and fresh. It’s possible to observe and photograph a large number of migratory bird species. The Bengali month of Kartik, that is early winter, is celebrated by Jibanananda Das as a period that reveals the inner beauty and soul of Bengal. A winter morning has both advantage and disadvantage. My personal feeling about a winter morning is that it is a bane for the poor but a boon for the rich.

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse effect is the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by environment pollution. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming. This is exemplified by the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, by traffic that clogs up city streets, by the rapid growth of industry, the use of CFCs in packing and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents and so on. The oceans are also said to be affected both because of human waste and because of pollution caused by industrial waste products, oil seeping from damaged supertankers and from other maritime disasters. However, the main culprits for global warming are carbon di-oxide gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels and forests, and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons. Now a days global warming has made the environmentalists think about the dreadful consequences. Climatologists predict that midway through the next century; temperatures may have risen by as much as 4 C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water. Tree plantation program should be adopted soon. Steps should be taken to put on end to the causes and sources emitting carbon dioxide. These are the measures we can take with a view to preventing global warming.

The Ways of Keeping Good Health Health is the condition of our body and mind. Good health means healthy body free from diseases. It is essential for everyone to lead a happy life. If we are not in good health, we cannot concentrate on any activity in our life. A proverb goes, ‘Health is Wealth’ It means health is equally valuable as gold or any other personal possessions. We may have vast wealth and property, but if we are not healthy we cannot enjoy them. To keep ourselves healthy, we have to do certain things. We have to eat a balanced diet. We must exercise regularly to keep our body fit for work. We should go to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. Peace of mind is another condition for good health. So we must not worry over small things of life. Hygiene is important for our good health because we cannot achieve anything physically, mentally or spiritually if we are unclean in our body, mind and soul. We must keep our body clean. We should have a bath every day and wash our hair regularly. This will keep the body and hair free from dirt and bacteria. Secondly, we should wash our clothes regularly. Dirty clothes give off bad smell and invite germs. We should wear socks and shoes when we go out to protect our feet from dust and germs. It is also important to wash our hands before meals and after using the toilet. We should brush our teeth twice a day, after breakfast and supper. We must also cut our nails regularly. Our drinking water must be pure. We can get pure water by boiling and filtering. Finally, we should keep our surroundings and environment clean. If we do and follow all the above things properly, we will be able to lead a happy, healthy, wealthy, comfortable and diseases free life.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a popular Bengali poet and dramatist in the 19th-century, was born in Sagordari on the bank of the Kopotaksho River under Jessore district. From an early age, Dutt aspired to be an Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated Hindu family, he took Christianity as a young man and adopted the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised by his teachers as a precious child with a gift of literary talent. Since his adolescence he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the planet, and that his society was unable to appreciate his intellect. He also believed that the West would be more receptive to his creative genius. Michael was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poetry and drama almost entirely in English. They proved his higher level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right appreciation. With his utter frustrations he saw that he was not regarded as a native writer of English literature. Out of his frustration he composed a sonnet in Bangla “Kopotaksha Nad”, which earned him huge reputation in Bangla. Gradually he could realise that his true identity lies here in this Bengal and he was a sojourner in Europe. Afterwards he regretted his attraction for England and the Occident. He came to Bengal and devoted himself to Bangla literature from this period. He is the poet to write the first Bangla epic Meghand Badh Kabya. His lavish lifestyle, which included drinking, added to his financial difficulties and his health also began to fail. Sadly he died in 1873, and was given a Christian burial service.

My Roots Human beings have roots but unlike the roots of the trees. They are invisible and lie in our minds. Our families, land of birth, relatives, our culture, traditions, or surroundings are our roots. It’s these roots that make a bond between us and family members, in laws, friends, neighbours or even between us and the land where we were born and grew up. It’s our roots that develop our identity making us what we are. And wherever we stay, we have a continuous pull of our roots. Everyone wants to share happiness on different festivals with their near and dear ones. So most of the people, who are living outside their home for different reasons have a strong desire to get back home during the vacations. As a result, there is a mad rush in the buses, trains, or launches for the home-bound people. This often causes transport accidents that take away many lives. However, it cannot stop people’s desire to meet their family, in-laws, or friends. Due to this pull of the roots, people rush for their homes in spite of serious hazards. When we lose that bond, we become rootless. Human beings, who do not have any root or contexts, do not have their own identity. Such persons are devoid of values, humanity, and social responsibilities. They don’t know where they are from, and/or where they are heading towards. This often makes them feel empty and lost. So in spite of forgetting our roots, we should cherish it in our core of heart for our own existence.

Computer A computer is an electronic device that takes data in one form and gives it out in another form. It is one of the greatest invention of modern science. It is a device that works like a human brain. That is why, it is called the ‘electric brain’. It stores information, analyses it and produces information as required from the data. There are five major components in a computer. They are the input unit, the output unit, the memory unit, the control unit and the arithmetic unit. The main parts of a PC are a centre processor with its disk drives, keyboards monitor, printer and a scanner. A computer can be opened, operated and shut down with the help of a mouse. All complicated tasks can be done easily in a very short time with the help of a computer. It is used in measuring daily routine work, trade and commerce, diagnosing diseases, entertainment, games and sports, transport, educational sector, researching space and what not. It has done great wonders in inventing e-mail, internet and robot. Nowadays computer helps to diagnose a disease. Computer is of great use to us also in the field of agriculture and business. It has lessened our work loads and made our life easy and comfortable. At present lives cannot be led without computer. Truly speaking, modern civilization is dependent on computer to a great extent.  Computer is immensely beneficial though it has some demerits too. It becomes an addiction to some users. Many prefer spending more time with a computer to doing outdoor activities. But in the age of globalization we cannot do without a computer.

My Neighbour A neighbour is a person who lives nearby, normally in a house or apartment that is next door or, in the case of houses, across the street. Some people form friendships with their neighbours, and help them by sharing their tools and helping with various tasks. I live in an apartment and I too have a lovely and nice neighbor. They came to this apartment after we had been here for more than a year. Gradually, we started mingling and talking and I had a company in that house, a boy of my age. So we became friends quickly and that led to the fast growth of our families’ relationship too. We invite them on special occasions and they also invite us when they have something special at their home. Now most of the evenings, either we go there to play or my friend comes over to play and our moms discuss and talk so many matters while we play. For any emergency, we could rely on each other and we have no problems over it. I am glad that we happened to have such a good neighbor, who is very helpful and caring. They take good care of us and we also return the same. This is what makes both our family united and happy and almost be like one family. I love them very much and I wish we do not have to separate for any reason. Good neighbors are hard to find and we are lucky to have one.

The Game I Like Most/My Favourite Game There are various kinds of sports in our country. I enjoy many games such as cricket, basketball, hockey and football. Of all these games, I like football most. It was first played in England. At present football is played across the world.  Football is an outdoor game. It is played in a field of 120 yards long and 80 yards wide. There are two goal posts on each end. They are eight yards apart and have a bar on them. The bar is put eight feet above the ground. The game is played between two teams of eleven players on each side. The game needs 100 minutes to end with an interval of 10 minutes in the middle. A referee conducts the game. At the beginning, the ball is placed at the centre of the field. The play begins when the referee whistles. Then each team tries to pass the ball through the opposite goal post. There is a hard competition between two teams. It is an exciting and thrilling time when a player becomes crazy to make a score. Only the goalkeepers can touch and catch the ball with hands. The team which scores more goals wins the game.  There is a good discipline in the game. Every player must abide by the rules. Not only the players but also the spectators come to know how to struggle to become successful. Football is a nice game. It has instructive and cultural value. It also gives us much pleasure. After our school, in the afternoon we usually go to field and play football. In all respects, I like this game most.

A Moonlit Night The night in which the moon shines brightly in the cloudless clear sky is generally known as moonlit night. In Autumn, the sky remains quite clear and the silvery light over floods everything. The full moon looks like a silvery plate. It looks beautiful in the blue autumnal sky. Here and there a few patches of white clouds float swiftly. The moon plays hide-and-seek with these bulging pieces of clouds. It is very pleasant to look at the sky at the time and to hear the night-birds play their sweet notes in the moonlit sky. The moon reflects on the ponds and tanks. The lilies bloom in them. In a moonlit night, city dwellers go to the roof of their building. They enjoy the night gossiping. It is also very pleasant to the village people. They come out of their houses and go to open places. Sitting on mats, they enjoy the night by singing song, listening radio and seeing the natural scenery. Little children sit round their grandma to hear the fairy tales or the tales about the wizards. Sometimes they play hide and seek together and have fun themselves. A moon light night is very romantic to the newly married couple and who are in love. The poets of all language praise highly. A moonlit night is nature’s sweetest offer to mankind. It has a lasting effect the human minds. Even the grand old ladies remember their green youth when they sit alone in the moonlit night. A moonlit night is really recreational and enjoyable.

Mobile/ Cell Phone A cell phone popularly known as mobile phone is a typically small type of hand held electronic device which can be carried around to communicate with others immediately. It is a telephone system that works without any wire. Today, it has become popular to everybody since it is very convenient. For instance, one can contact easily to anyone by calling or sending messages everywhere. Specially, businessman and the service holders are much benefited through the use of mobile phone. But it is also useful for the people who are shopping and supplying valuable information sitting in their houses. Moreover, one can relax with mobile phone’s applications, for example, play games, listen to music, or chat with your friends. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. Using a lot mobile phone can harm your brain. If you use mobile phones too much, you will get bad effects like dizzy, blood-brain barrier, or ears problems. Terrorists are using it to spread out terrorism all around the world. In addition, when you use mobile phones while you are driving, you will get an accident. Moreover, radiations emitted from the phone are dead harmful for the eardrum has proved by many scientists. The government should have an official restriction on using mobile phone by children and pregnant women. But in spite of all these disadvantages, it can be finalized here that the necessity of a mobile phone in exchanging messages, cannot be denied in the true sense of the term in our practical life.

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My Favourite Pastime

Pastime means spending one’s free or leisure time by doing any enjoyable work. Pastime is related with one’s hobbies. Pastime depends and varies from person to person. It is entirely one`s own choice and decision on how to spend his/her pastime. When it comes to me, I have got some favourite pastimes. Among them I often spend my pastime by doing two activities. The first one is reading books and another is listening music. Fiction is more preferable to me. In fiction, my favorite authors are Md. Jafar Ikbal, Humayun Ahmed and so on. Of course, Sherlock Holmes is always favourite to me. It is not only favorite of mine but also many readers. I always try to continue reading as the best way of spending my pastime. This is one of the best constructive ways and hobbies. I have been benefitted a lot from this pastime. My English vocabulary, grammar, writing style and writing efficiency have been improved unimaginably. Evergreen songs are all time favorite to me. Singers like Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle. I also like music of A.R.Rahman. Music is believed to have and work as healing therapy. It works miraculously when one is going through some kind of stress, tension, in short of any kind of mental disturbances. Music refreshes mind. These are the two favorite activities which are my ideal way of pastime. These are constructive and informative ways of spending time.  I enjoy these two pastimes. I also like to watch television and visit many historical and tourist places.

 

Life of a Day Labourer

A day labourer, an unskilled worker, is hired and paid on a daily basis for doing any kind of work possible manual labour in various fields every day. In order to earn his livelihood, he moves about from one place to another in search of work. He may work as an earth digger, a construction worker, a blacksmith, a carpenter, a goldsmith, a peasant, a sweeper, and many more on the footpath, in the field or any one’s house. He is very industrious, strong, stout, dutiful and honest. He lives with his family in a slum. He gets up early in the morning and goes out in search of work. He works hard from dawn to dusk for his employer and gets his wages at evening. Then he goes to market, buys his daily necessaries and returns to his slum. When he gets more work, he earns more and then he and the members of his family eat to their heart’s content. Sometimes he and his family go without food if he cannot manage work. In the rainy season, it is hard to find work for him but he has a great demand in the harvesting season. As his earning is very poor, his family members do not get proper education and medical facilities. Sorrows and sufferings are his daily companions. Besides, many people maltreat them. A day labourer is necessary for the development of a country, especially in agricultural and constructional development. A society is not only developed by the official and technical works but also by the hard labours of the day labourers. As he has great importance in society, he should not be looked down upon by anyone. The Government should also take proper steps to ensure the basic human rights for them and give them fixed works so that he can lead a humane and decent life.

 

 

65. College Canteen

(a) What is a canteen ?

(b) What is your idea about your college canteen ?

(c) What are available in your college canteen ?

(d) What is the benefït of a college canteen ?

(e) How much do you like your college canteen and why ?

 

A college canteen is a place where the students, teachers, employees and guests can

take light snackes. It is a favourite place for the students of our college. It is located in

one corner in the ground floor of our colllege building. There are many tables and

chairs in the canteen arranged in an orderly way. In one corner of the large room,

there is a counter. The manager sits behind the counter. The assistants stand in front

of the counter and serve snacks and drinks wanted by the students. Different kinds of

food are available in the canteen such as singara, chops, eggs,samucha, sweets etc.

All these things are tastey. Prices of these things are much cheaper than in the market

outside. During the breaks, the canteen becomes overcrowded. Most of the students

come to have their tiffin at this time. But some of the students come here to gossip

and pass their time discussing fashion, politics, personal affairs etc. Thus they remove

their tiredness and gain energy. So, it is very favourite for the students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) What is global warming?

(b) How does it affect our environment?

(c) What will happen for global warming?

(d) What are the reasons of global warming?

(e) How can we prevent it?

 

Some reports about environmental changes provide some strong evidence of world’s

temperature that the temperature is increasing day by day. This alarming increase of

world’s temperatures is known as global warming. The main cause of global warming

is the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide around the earth. Most climatologists

believe that the greenhouse effect is the most likely cause of this global warming and

they predict that by midway through the next century, temperatures may have risen by

as much as 40C. This change of atmosphere will have great effect on human life. It

can reduce human ability to grow food, damage wild life. It will raise sea-levels and

thereby flood coastal areas and farmlands. We have already got some sign of that. The

lower southern part of Bangladesh also may go under water because of the rise of the

sea level. Deforestation and pollutants such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons

result carbon dioxide gas which is the main culprit of global warming. If we raise

social awareness among people and can be careful, we can prevent global warming.

Government also should play a strong part regarding this problem.