adhunika blog

Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy new year. Our friend Artist Mahera Khaleque resonates our feelings for the coming years, Let’s embrace life in the new year with peace and tolerance.

‘In this piece, I wished to represent hope and offer my solution for a better day. I strongly feel we need to increase our levels of tolerance (religious, cultural and other areas) in order to have peace in today’s world. Here, tree symbolizes life and growth. The roots and the trunk, which are the much needed parts of the tree, are made out of tolerance!.’

~ Artist Mahera Khaleque

As we commemorate Victory Day of Bangladesh following are books and movies we would like to
recommend to our readers by our heroes:
Books:
Ekatturer Dinguli by Jahanara Imam
Ekatturer Dhaka, and Japitu Jibon by Selina Hossain
Ekatturer Diary by Sufia Kamal
Ekattorer Smriti by Basanti Guha Thakurata
Movies:
Swadhinota by Yasmine Kabir
Shilalipi, and Daughter of History by Shamim Akhtar
To learn more about Liberation War of Bangladesh visit Wikipedia

Today marks the birth and death anniversary of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein. On this special occasion we are re-posting a poem by Shaheen Westcombe MBE on Rokeya S. Hossain. We hope our present and the future torch bearers of Rokeya will be inspired by the poem as much as we did.

ROKEYA
I looked at Rokeya
The inspiration she brought
Over a century later
For everything she fought

Don’t learn your language
To evil it will lead
Stay behind seclusion
Unable to read

Purdah and veil
The order of the day
Imposed by religion
That is what men say

Freedom! Oh Freedom!
We suffocate in the dark
Oppressed by men
But we did make our mark

Women magistrates and judges
If only we could be
But we have done better
Just look round and see

Don’t you oppress us
We demand our right
In Rokeya’s Ladyland
Men couldn’t rule with might

You dreamt of cohesion
Among women of all creed
Together we will work
To create the world we need
~

The poem was written on the eve of International Women’s Day, 2007
Related post: Thoughts on Begum Rokeya

History behind World AIDS Day. Source: Wikipedia

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 3.1 million (between 2.8 and 3.6 million) lives in 2005, of which more than half a million (570,000) were children.

The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world. (more…)