There was disappointment amongst many of the bloggers who felt that the day, over time, had perhaps lost its true meaning and was seen as just another holiday. According to Zukrufa, many employers were paying lip service to the memory of May Day by organizing seminars, sports and magazine articles on the issue and showing the workers a lush dream of what their life could be like. However, those same employers were not actually making any changes in the way workers were exploited by the system and thereby denied their well-deserved rights.

Syed Amiruzzaman sees this as a ploy to keep the working class deluded so that they can be exploited, not only by the employers, but also by political parties and trade union leaders. In Amader Kotha (Our stories), a Bangla blog which is part of Narijibon project in Bangladesh (a Rising Voices grantee), Aysha Khatun writes how even today the workers in Bangladesh's garment industry are very much exploited and have to put in minimum 12 hours labor to get paid 8 hours' worth. Also, these workers, she tells us, are made to work through holidays and probably were working even on May Day.

Kowshik Ahmed points out the plight of workers in various fields and raises a question about their rights and ‘job security'. Blogger Suman Chowdhury however sees hope and says that just as there is exploitation on the one hand, on the other hand there is the indomitable spirit of the labor class and the will to protest and get their rights. He calls for unity among the workers across the globe.

Abul Bahar brings to life that fateful the fateful night of 25 March, 1971 with the following words:

Suddenly Dhaka came to a standstill. There was complete silence all around. The country was shivering under the heavy tread of the evil forces. The earth was soaked red and the fragrant smell of the hasnahana flower was overpowered with the stench of blood.

Bloggers today are vociferous about the estimated 3million people that had been exterminated during 1971. The Bangladesh Genocide Archive has been painstakingly put together by some of the leading Bangla bloggers, to make netizens aware of the extent of atrocities committed on the Bengali population by the Pakistan Army with help from the Razakars. Another new website to be launched by bloggers is Bangladesh 1971, which aims at connecting today’s generation of Bangladeshis with the life and times of the people who fought for the country’s Independence, while simultaneously keeping up the pressure on the Nation’s conscience to bring the perpetrators to book.

Why is it necessary today to relive the freedom struggle? Perhaps to avoid the ‘Hollywoodization of the liberation war’ as Rasel puts it. Also, Shamim clarifies why after so many years, it still remains imperative to bring the war criminals to trial. He says it is not out of a feeling of retribution but rather as a future deterrent that this ‘bringing to book’ is necessary. It is also a necessary step towards ensuring justice and a closure for the victims and their surviving families.

Rabab writes that on this day of Independence, he feels no inspiration but only a sense of hurt and dejection when he sees all around him the corruption and victory of the separatist forces, the dreams of a united and economically strong Bangladesh fading into despair. Blogger Shobjanta seems to share in this hurt. However, the feeling evaporates once he listens closely to the National Anthem “Amar Shonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi” (my precious Bengal, I love you).

According to the updated statistics provided by the Disaster Management and Control Room (DMCR) in Dhaka, the total number of families affected by Sidr is around 1.054million. As of yesterday's update approximately 3,00,511 houses have been completely destroyed and 6,26,000 have been partially damaged.

About 792 educational institutions have been completely destroyed and 4,393 were partly damaged. Embankments of about 57 kilometres (km) of length have been damaged, and 58km of road has been destroyed completely while 87,948km of road has been partly damaged.
Given that harvest was around the corner, crops too have weathered the brunt of the cyclone. According to government sources, crops on 29,374 acres of land have been completely destroyed and on 8,55,525 acres have been damaged partially.

Officials say that the it will take a few more days until a complete assessment of the damage to life and property falls into place.

Meanwhile, relief operations are in full swing, trying to reach food, medicines, safe drinking water etc. to the cyclone victims. However, more needs to be done and soon. The Bangla blog world is typing fast and furious, trying to garner aid for this cause.

(Photo courtesy Sujan)

Blogger Aurangzeb called upon all Bangladeshi citizens to forget their political differences and work together to rehabilitate those affected by the cyclone. His words and emotions were echoed by korbojoy blog.

Nighat tithi pointed out that time and again Bangladesh has had to fight natural calamities - be it frequent floods, the deadly cyclone of 1991 or the current Sidr. While the fight will continue in the days to come, the blogger called upon one and all to do their bit for the present victims of Sidr. Ishtiaq Rouf informed us how Bangladeshi students from Virginia Tech were collecting funds through Paypal and how others too could send in their contribution to the same fund. Other bloggers like Irteza, Addabaj and Biborno Akash too provided additional links to organizations/ websites where one could donate money for disaster relief. Farukh Wasif talked about the need for publicizing and thereby enhancing awareness regarding the various disaster relief/aid related proposals

In addition, Biborno Akash linked to a video blogpost (En) by Sheril Kirshenbaum where the young marine biologist from Duke University, USA requests viewers to join the rehabilitation drive.

On the other hand, blogger Tirondaz rued that fact that Bangladesh was still dependent largely on International aid every time disaster struck while her neighbor India was gradually gaining the strength to fight her own disasters - like she did when the tsunami struck in 2004. He hoped that the day would soon come when Bangladesh too would be self-sufficient like India in these matters.

Bangla blogging platform Somewherein, in association with Save the Children, has launched an innovative SMS based campaign “Jagoron” (which literally means ‘the awakening') to enable those living in Bangladesh to do their bit in aid of Sidr victims. The campaign works as follows:

A mobile phone user types SAVE and sends SMS to a given number. Each SMS costs Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)2. Then Somewherein and other sponsors add a certain monetary figure, currently standing at 15BDT (this is a dynamic figure which will go up as more corporate sponsors join the campaign) for every BDT2 generated through the SMS and the total amount is deposited in the Save the Children Cyclone Relief fund.

For those living outside Bangladesh, Somewherein requests them to send their donations directly to the Save the Children Cyclone Relief fund as this SMS facility is available for local residents only.

Blogger Ershad Baadshah and many many others are thrilled that the home team has created history by beating the Carribeans. Pagla Babu congratulates the Bangladesh team for moving into the ‘Super Eight'.

Mostafa Monir is all praises for the Aftab-Ashraful pairing. He feels that finally these two cricketers are displaying their true potential. Lutfur Rahman reminds us of an earlier comment made by Brian Lara. In 2004, Lara had said that if the West Indies team lost to Bangladesh, then he would quit cricket. Rahman wonders if Lara had read the writing on the wall and imagined that one day his team would indeed bow to the little tigers.

Blogger Ninduk points out another reason for Bangladesh to celebrate. The record for the quickest 50 (in 20 balls) in an International Twenty20 match is now held by Ashraful of the Bangladesh team.

Bangla author Taslima Nasrin being protected from hecklers at the Press Club in Hyderabad. Photograph:Noah Seelam/ AFP

On the other hand, the attack has been strongly denounced by the media and public and the government has been criticised for its soft approach towards the attackers. The incident is quickly taking on a political dimension. With local elections round the corner, experts say that the MIM is likely to use it as a tool to mobilise Muslim votes.

The attack has created ripples in the Bangla blog world as well. The Hidden God strongly denounces the attack on the author. He says:

“তসলিমা লেখালেখির মাধ্যমে নিজের মত প্রকাশ করেছেন তাই কেউ যদি তার প্রতিবাদ করতে চায় তবে তাও লেখালেখির মাধ্যমেই করা উচিত । এভাবে অসামাজিক কাজকর্ম করে নয় “

Taslima has expressed her views in writing so anyone wanting to protest against her views should also do so through writing and not through anti-social acts such as this attack on her.

Kazi Alim Zamal too has strong words for the attackers. Also, he feels that the Indian government should grant Taslima her request for citizenship.

Other bloggers like Arif feel that the ban on Taslima should be lifted in Bangladesh and she should be allowed to return to her country of birth. In the comments section of the same post, various bloggers like Bhaskar, Balai etc., have agreed with Arif's point of view and also added that adequate security should be provided to Taslima, who has a fatwa on her life issued by Islamic fundamentalists.

When the discussion is about blogging, can blogging tools be far behind? Kherokhata reviews the popular Bangla input software, Avro keyboard. It is being said that the latest version (4.5.1) of Avro is heavily loaded with features but some of these could be made optional (for easier download) as not too many people use them anyway. Also, the software, in its process of evolution, could focus more on skins, converter etc.

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, the conversation was about the age-old conflict between religion and the theory of evolution which propounded that human life evolved through natural processes, without any supernatural intervention. Diganta feels that people should be more open to science and scientific theories and not bury one's head in the sands of religious dogma. On the other hand, while commenting on the post, blogger Eskimo mentions that since the evolution theory is not substantiated by proof, it would be wrong to call it a 'scientific' theory in the first place. Balai, with good humor, states that religion is a ‘made easy' set of life principles provided by God to humans so that whenever they were faced with conflicts, they could fall back upon the ‘made easy' guidelines.

Two women get elected to the post of President and fuel the popular topic of gender issues in Bangla blogs. This time however, the discussion spans women from across the globe. First, Ahmed Fahrukh writes in about Michelle Bachelet becoming the first woman president of Chile and then Pagla Babu talks about the Congress loyalist Pratibha Patil becoming India's first woman President telling us through an image what he thinks of the newly elected Ms. Patil. Rekchowni writes about the Chinese actress Xu Jinglei whose blog had the highest incoming links in mid 2006, according to Technorati. Fahrukh also tells us that while the world continues to hold the impression that Saudi women were an oppressed lot, statistics show that Saudi women have significant financial power and are successfully joining the workforce as doctors, educationists etc., and also running powerful business ventures. Atleast 56% of Saudi women are reported to have completed college education with graduate degrees. Stories of women power however did not stop some others from aborting female foetuses or killing newly born girl babies as this post by Ashraf Rehman goes to show.

Taj Mahal photographed by Flickmor.

And talking of seven, the date 07.07.07 was touted as a lucky date. Shafik Rehman writes about how down the ages, humans have always been fascinated by the number 7. Apparently Saturday 07.07.07 was a ‘lucky day' and people across the globe tried to drum up various things to do on that day, including getting married by the droves. Blogger Bhranto Pothik is upset that he could not find the suitable bride and hence had to give up his plans of getting married on such an unique date. He is now going to wait for 08.08.08 to do the needful :)

The lucky date notwithstanding, troubles at Islamabad's Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) continue and bloggers have picked up the conflict for discussion. Royesoye tells us how the Red Mosque rose into prominence with the patronage of erstwhile Presidents and Prime Ministers of Pakistan and how since 9/11 there has been a conscious effort to distance the mosque from links with Islamic fundamentalists. He then goes on to detail the events that led to the current day stand-off.

From mosque to Marxism. Conflict and dichotomy are the buzz words in Marxism writes Bhaskar, and that there is more to a conflict than simple opposites and taking sides like black-white, yes-no or for-against. However, he wonders if it is practically feasible to go beyond these opposites.

Well someone else is suffering from conflict and it has nothing to do with either politics or religion. Blogger Tasman has bought a new piano, hoping to churn out lilting musical pieces. He even attended some classes to learn piano playing but has come across a fundamental barrier. He was taught the notes in English (ABCD…) in his music class and is now struggling to connect this piece of learning to Bangla notes Sa-re-ga-ma (similar to do-re-mi- fa ). Frustrated with his efforts, he is now left staring balefully at the piano keys, while his friends keep their ears stuffed with cotton, to tide over his musical experiments.

While Paris was busy penning her diaries, two famous literary personalities were creating a buzz in the Bangla blogosphere, creating a debate around the right of freedom of expression.

Novelist Salman Rushdie was honored with a knighthood, sparking protests in parts of the Muslim world. The sparks touched the Bangla world as well. Blogger Apbak found these protests by religious fanatics shameful. He felt that by undertaking such protests and launching fatwas at the slightest pretext, the Muslim community was getting more and more alienated and the inherent goodness of Islam was being forced to take a backseat.

Bangladeshi Author in exile, the fiery Taslima Nasrin's article “Tumi bhalo theko priyo desh” (Keep well, my dear country) started a conversation among bloggers, debating whether or not the ban on her should be lifted. Tariq, for one, felt that she should be allowed to return to Bangladesh, her homeland.

And talking of freedom of expression, it seems that the Bangla blogosphere needs more space to express itself. Breaking away from Somewherein, a group of Bangladeshi bloggers have launched a new blogging platform Sachalayatan . According to Arup, the space would be more like an online magazine, with contributors being given their own blog spaces. Currently however, the platform does not allow comments by all readers and is being strictly moderated. Will wait and watch to see how conversations develop in this newly created space.

Change is in the air for the Bangla blogosphere. First, Somewherein blog moved server and then relaunched itself in an Unicode avatar much to our delight. The extremely popular Bangla blogging platform is suffering some initial technical glitches and bugs (one bug reportedly added the word ‘kangal', which means penniless in Bengali, to every contributor's profile!) but the administrators are working full steam to get these irritants ironed out. Second, the Bangla language got another boost when Ekushey.org launched a Bangla version of the Mozilla Firefox using the localization feature. Omiazad tells us how to get started.
Change seems to be the buzzword in Bangladesh's political arena as well. Opbak questions the manner in which the military backed interim government (formed to facilitate a free and fair election in the country after Khaleda Zia's term ended in October 2006) is trying to get rid of the two leading political begums. Instead of trying them for the corruption charges leveled against them, both are being turned out of the country. Khaleda Zia is allegedly being exiled to Saudi Arabia and latest reports say that the interim government has banned Sheikh Hasina from returning to the country from the US where she had gone on a personal visit. In an interesting observation, voice of Bangladeshi bloggers lays some blame for this political upheaval at the door of the country's mainstream media, saying that they lacked ideology and changed tune way too often for comfort.

And finally, a strong breeze of rumor has been blowing across the entire land generating a loud buzz and taking up blogging space in the Bangla world. It seems that cell phones are spouting certain sms, calls, ringtones, (and God knows what else) which are causing phone owners to drop down dead! Darkangleblog says that this hoax has spread across the sub-continent and has resulted in atleast some people switching off their phones in fear. Kinkortobyobimur asks people to think rationally and Hasin warns people not to be taken in by such hoax

However, what was interesting was that while the rest of the world talked about empowerment, opposing violence and gendercide, the Bangla world was still grappling with women stepping out of home and their mode of dressing.

Are women doing the right thing by stepping out of the sheltered confines of their homes? Blogger Rongheen gets nostalgic about stay-at-home women. He feels that the world is deluding women with false promises of rights and freedom and as women step out to find their place under the sun, familial love is the sufferer.

Do women enjoy seeing themselves as objects of desire? If not, why do they appear (skimpily clad, more often than not) in various advertisements for consumer goods? Trivuj feels that women are easily deluded in this aspect and are perhaps missing the woods for the trees as far as fighting for their rights is concerned. According to him, Bengali women should seek freedom of thought more than freedom of attire. Blogger Shayon feels that women are offering themselves as bait for molestation by not dressing and/or behaving modestly enough when in the company of men. According to him it is not possible for a woman dressed in a burqa to get molested! Furthermore he shares the blame for the sad plight of women on both the liberals (who encourage women to flaunt their sexuality) and the conservatives (who bar women even the basic rights, ex: the Taliban regime in Afganistan).

This is not to say that bloggers did not comment on the day's celebrations. They did, and many of them were skeptical about the events. According to Amar Jato Katha, on this day, leaders pay lip service to the cause of women and this has become just another day for speeches, marches and conferences, instead of trying to make a real difference. Dhushor Chhaya agrees with him. Sadia feels that it is not enough to talk about women's empowerment but that we should all work towards its fruition. On the other hand, Raag Imon feels that such a day is necessary to prod our conscience and remind us of the import of issues that we ignore in the course of our daily lives even as we talk about them.

So what kind of woman is the ideal? Well, no prizes for guessing! She is the superwoman who balances home and work, is the perfect mother, wife, employee and is rooted deeply in her community and family, which she puts first, even as she strives to establish her own identity. Something in the lines of Astomeye's mom. A truly daunting task indeed!

While commenting on the video, Ali pointed out the anger that was spilling onto the streets of Iraq. In his post he also commented on Bush's failed policy in Iraq and the innumerable deaths that have mounted as a result if it.

Anrinya and Abu Saleh felt that Saddam’s hanging was less of an execution resulting from fair trial and more of a murder. Saleh also felt that the date of the hanging was dictated by the US as a warning and to Muslims in general. In his post he denounced the US aggression in Iraq and called for the Muslims to unite against such oppression and insult.

Fajle Ilahi also voiced his suspicions of a conspiracy with regards to the date chosen for Saddam’s hanging. He then used the occasion to ruminate on the current turmoil in post-Saddam Iraq. He blamed the allied forces of US and Britain, who, according to him, are working to appease the Jewish (and anti-Muslim) lobby in bringing ruin to an Islamic country. If Saddam deserved death for killing 148 people, he asked, what punishment ought to be meted to Bush and Blair for the far larger number of deaths and the chaos that they have brought to Iraq? Like Saleh above, Ilahi also called for Muslim unity to fight the aggression of the West.

Some other bloggers, while admitting Saddam’s atrocities, felt a surge of pity at his execution, especially after seeing the video footage of him getting heckled. In a way, the video and the inopportune date worked in tandem to create the image of Saddam as being more sinned against than sinner. As the discussions grew, some even went to the extent of calling him a martyr. At this point, Alvi called for introspection, saying that in the process of vilifying Bush, people ought not to beatify Saddam, a cruel dictator.

Interestingly, the death video also sparked a debate on the larger issue of death penalty itself. Citing some other cases where death penalty was awarded in India, Trivial Bytes wondered if capital punishment was an effective deterrent or whether it should be reviewed.

Chief Election Commissioner Mr. M. A. Aziz has taken 3 months leave of absence, succumbing to the mounting pressure of many political parties demanding his resignation. He was alleged to be a tool of election engineering devised by the 4 party alliances, which just finished the tenure. This issue has prompted many political parties led by the 14 party alliances to resort to continuous blockades across the country and ensuing violence which has gripped the nation in the past few weeks. Anisuzzaman tells us that both the leading political parties Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League (AL) have claimed moral victory over the affair. He quotes from a famous Bangladeshi author Humayun Ahmed, who had once written that politics is the only game where both opponents could win at the same time.

Bloggers are demanding an end to this nightmarish political game, which has brought the country to a grinding halt. The reactions continue to pour in fast and furious.

Konfusius is praying that the violence stops and that the people concerned come to their senses before some irrevocable damage is done to the country’s reputation. Tirondaj is frustrated with the state of his country’s democracy. He feels that irrespective of who wins the election, there will be little betterment in the life of the common man. Rejecting all current political parties as not being reflective of true public opinion, he expresses hope that soon a day will arrive when the citizens, shaken out of their ennui, will hold their politicians accountable and bring in a new era of true democracy.

However, Rezwan feels that the time to act is now and that it is the responsibility of every citizen to work towards a free and fair election in the country. As the first step he urges the people to voice their protests against the current events by wearing black bands, black badges and/or putting up black flags in their homes.

Congratulatory posts have been pouring in, indicating that the people of Bangladesh are happy about this recognition. There is a palpable feeling of pride, not only for being awarded the prestigious prize but also because the indigenous concept of microcredit has caught the attention of other countries where it is being implemented.

Yet this event has also brought to the forefront a heated debate as the bloggers introspect on the pros and cons of the concept of microcredit as propagated by Dr. Yunus and its execution amongst the rural masses.

Juthika maintains that the overwhelming praise for the concept belies the fact that some extremely poor people, living in rural areas that lack basic infrastructural facilities, are getting caught in the web of taking loans which, they are unable to either leverage or to repay. This, to her, does not indicate a concept that is wholly successful. Baki Billah asks whether the concept of microcredit willl actually help eradicate poverty in the long run or will it merely stop at bringing the poverty ridden marginalised section of the society under the grasp of capitalism and consumerism where they may be exploited further. Shiblinoman points out how in some regions, people are taking such loans from multiple NGOs, (often taking one to pay off the other) and how they are being harassed by the ‘collectors' for repayment when they are unable to do so.

Apbak expresses his ambivalence to the news; while he is proud that Dr. Yunus, a Bangladeshi has got the prestigious award, he questions the rationale behind giving him a Peace award rather than the award in Economics.He debates whether this sends out the message that the concept of microcredit,, while being a welcome project is not really a viable as an economic theory. Apbak also expresses dissatisfaction about the repayment/collection methods used by some of the field teams of the loan providers which often border on harassment of the person or persons taking the loan.

Finally however, after participating wholeheartedly in this debate, Bhaskar points out that in the midst of such introspection and debate, it would be unfair to forget that with this recognition has come a new pride in being a Bangladeshi, both amongst the people at home and those living abroad.

An integral part of Ramzan is the ‘Sawm', which the Bengalis refer to as the ‘Roja'. Fazle Ilahi traces the roots of the word ‘Roja' and explains the religious significance of the practice of fasting. Sayeed Abdullah talks about the season being a time for self evaluation, scrutiny and purification. However, Ramzan is also a month of getting together in the evenings with friends and family for the Iftaar meal. In the current times, unfortunately Iftaar has been commercialised to some extent and Addabaj wonders if overzealous feasting is overcoming the quiet introspective nature of Ramzan.

For the average Bengali, the cultural festivities of the Durga Puja tend to outweigh the religious significance, though the religious rituals are performed diligently. In Kolkata, the ‘baroari' (public) pujas today are more about expressing artistic creativity and tend to follow ‘themes'. There are also awards instituted by corporate houses and hence there is an element of competitiveness induced. The outcome is that the visitors to the various ‘pandals'(venues) is awestruck by the innovative lighting, hall decor and the images of the goddess. Bongonari talks of the inimitable joy that the Bengali experiences with the coming of the Pujas and Tushon reminiscences about the spirit of nostalgia that is evoked. Of course, as Bongopondit points out, this spirit is perhaps at its strongest among the Bengalis, spending the season far away from Bengal. For them, despite there being pujas being celebrated in their countries of residence, it is perhaps just not the same as being able to celebrate it with friends and family back home.

Suman feels that Israel is clearly the aggressor and holds the US responsible for not exerting pressure on Israel to back out of Lebanon.

On the other hand, there are bloggers who see Israel as a nation whose existence is constantly threatened by its Arab neighbors. Apbak revisits the pages of history and talks about how the dream of Israel, the ‘promised land’ was born. According to his views, when a nation is threatened from various sides by its neighbors it cannot be entirely blamed for its violent response to any provocation or threat.

Amar Toronto feels that the responsibility for the current escalation lies with the Hezbollah and partially with the Lebanese government who failed to comply with an UN resolution of disarming the group. As the debate continues, Tirondaj takes the conversation to a broader canvas. He talks about the link between violence across the globe and International politics and prays for solutions that can lead to peace.

Violence in any form ultimately preys on the innocent. Rezwan's beautiful translation of a poem by Leila Farjami talks of the atrocities of war and its claim on innocent lives.

Kill the innocent: They maybe terrorists.

don't be vulnerable,
don't be generous,
don't be sympathetic,
don't be compassionate,
don't give a damn!,
You may upset your narcissism

And believe in

“WAR IS PEACE,
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”

~by Leila Farjami