OUR NATIONAL FLAG

A national flag is not merely a piece of cloth. It is the symbol of a country. Every independent country has a national flag. Similarly, we also have a beautiful and meaningful national flag. We achieved it through a bloody war. Kamrul Hasan, a renowned artist, is the designer of our national flag. Our national flag is rectangular in shape. The ratio of its length and width is 10:6. Our national flag is green. There is a red sun in the middle. The green symbolizes youth and peace. The red symbolizes the sun of independence. It also symbolizes the blood of our national heroes who laid down their lives for our country. The national flag is hoisted in every school, college and university on working days. It is also hoisted at the president’s and minister’s cars. It is kept half-mast on mournful days.  It is hoisted on the top of all offices, institutions and houses on our Victory Day. Standing before the national flag, we bow down our heads in respect and salute it. We also take oath to uphold its dignity at the cost of our lives. We have got this flag at the cost of a sea of blood. So, we love and respect our national very much. We are proud of it. 

TRAFFIC JAM

Traffic jam has now become a buzzword all over the world. Traffic jam means crowd of vehicles that makes movement difficult or impossible. It is a very big problem in our city and town. The causes of traffic jam are many. Firstly, our roads are very narrow. But too many vehicles ply on them. Secondly, our drivers do not follow traffic rules. They drive and park where they like. Thirdly, bazaars sit on roads and people arrange meeting on streets. Fourthly, many roads are broken and damaged. So, traffic cannot move easily. Fifthly, people make shops on the road and keep things beside streets. All these make movement difficult. Traffic jam causes untold sufferings to people. It kills our valuable time. Students cannot attend classes in time. People become late to office. Patients suffer in ambulance and die on road. It may cause much harm to life and property if a fire brigade gets stuck in it. However, this problem can be solved by taking some pragmatic steps. At first, the existing roads should be broadened and new roads should be built. Then, one-way movement of vehicle should be introduced. Traffic rules should be imposed strictly. Unlicensed vehicle must be removed. Finally, flyover and underground railway can be constructed. If we can do all these things, we can surely get rid of traffic jam.

A WINTER MORNING

Bangladesh is a land of beauty, variety and plenty. Here the six seasons of the year come by turns and enchant people with their special attractions. Winter is one of the most important seasons in Bangladesh. This season has its own attraction and fascination. Even a morning of winter has its own beauty and peculiarity. So, winter morning is different from any other morning. It is cold and misty. Dense fog covers everywhere. So, things at a distance cannot be seen. The sun rises late. A winter morning comes to different people in different ways. Rich people rise late and enjoy date juice and many other good foods. Poor people rise early and go to work shivering in cold. Children do not want to get up from bed. Sometimes, cold waves hit our country and affect the lives of our poor people. Then the sufferings of the affected people who do not have enough warm cloths know no bounds. Asthma, bronchitis and many other cold related diseases make life worse for children and aged people. Many people suffer from pinching cold and die. Village people gather straw and make fire to warm themselves. All people like to bask in the sun. Winter morning is beautiful also. Dew drops fall on the leaves of grass and dazzle like pearls.  In short, a winter morning is a special morning in our life.

OUR SCHOOL LIBRARY

A library is a good collection of books on various topics. A school library is a library which is meant for the students and the teachers of a school. It is a part and parcel of a school. It is a store house of knowledge. So, every school has a school library. Our school library is very rich. It is housed in the ground floor of a two-stored building. It has two rooms. One room is used as a reading room. Books are kept in the other room. It has about 10,000 books. They include poetry, fiction and reference books. The books of all the famous writers are found here. They are arranged in ten almirahs.  Our school has a librarian. He manages the library. Only regular students can borrow books from the library. For this, they need a library card. Our school keeps some Bangla and some English newspapers every day. Some weeklies and monthlies are also kept here regularly for reading. We can read them in our spare time. Our school library plays a great role in our education. We can read books sitting in the library and prepare notes for the examination. We can also have the facility to borrow books from the library and keep them for a long time. We can learn a lot by reading different kinds of books. Besides, we can know the condition of the whole world through the newspapers. On the other hand, our teachers can enrich their knowledge by using the library. Thus, our school library helps to spread knowledge among the students and the teachers. We are really proud of our school library.

OUR SCHOOL MAGAZINE

A school magazine is an annual publication of a school containing the literary works of the students and the teachers. Almost every good school publishes a magazine regularly. Similarly, our school also brings out a magazine every year. Its name is ‘Shato Dhara’. The magazine comes out in the following way. First, a meeting is held among the teachers. The meeting forms a magazine committee. The members of the committee are the chief patron, the advisor, the editor, the sub-editors, the proof-readers, etc. The headmaster becomes the chief patron. A teacher becomes the editor and a senior teacher becomes the advisor. Two students become its assistant editors. Then writings are invited from the students and the teachers. The editors edit them. The good ones are selected for printing. There is a magazine fund in our school. It is enough for the printing. The school magazine contains poems, short stories, jokes and many more. It also contains the photographs, results and activities of the school. The school magazine plays a great role in our life. When the students see their writings in the magazine, they feel happy and excited. Thus, they are encouraged to write more and more. This helps to develop the hidden talent in them. The students get an opportunity to develop their creative power. It also helps to produce new poets and writers in the country. Besides, our school magazine is a store-house of knowledge, information and fun. The general students can gain knowledge and get pleasure from it. In this way, a school magazine can make a good writer. So, every school should try to bring out a magazine. 

TREE PLANTATION

Tree plantation has now become a buzz-word all over the world. In fact it is one of the best things we can do. Tree plantation means not only to plant trees but also to look after them. And we have to do it for many reasons. Firstly, we know that we cannot live even a moment without oxygen. We get it from trees. Secondly, we cannot live without food. We get it from trees also. Thirdly, we need medicine when we are sick. And we get it from trees too. Fourthly, we all need cloths. We get it from trees. Fifthly, we need house and furniture to live. We get them from trees. These are not all. We get flowers, fruits, fuel, timber, etc. from trees. Trees keep the air fresh. They make the nature beautiful. They save us from natural calamities. They also save us from pollution. But men are cutting down trees at random. They cut trees for firewood, timber, etc. They also burn and clear off forest for building house, for getting agricultural land and also for making infrastructures. But reckless cutting down of trees has a very negative impact on the all living beings on earth. If there are no trees, there will be no rain and no crops. As a result, the whole world will turn into a great desert. Consequently, all living beings will face destruction. So, we have to take measures to save trees and plant trees in a large scale.  June and July are the best time for tree plantation. But we can plant trees in the other seasons also. And for planting trees, we have many suitable places. We can plant trees in our garden, on the side of the roads and railway lines. We can also plant trees on hill-side and on our fallow land. We have to make tree plantation programme successful and raise awareness among people about the importance. Besides we have to observe ‘Tree Plantation Week’ and every people should plant at least one tree every year. As our existence depends on trees, we must plant trees and save them at any rate. 

LOAD SHEDDING

Often electricity goes suddenly and does not come for hours. We call it load shedding. So, load shedding means cut in the supply of electricity. It has now become a buzz-word in our country. The causes of load shedding are many. Firstly, we are becoming more and more modern day by day. We are using more and more fans, lights, televisions, air coolers, rice cookers, irons, computers and what not. All these need electricity. But production of electricity is not increasing. So, load shedding is happening. Secondly, many people are corrupted in our country. They take illegal connection and use heaters. Some employees help them by taking bribe. This also causes load shedding. Thirdly, our ignorance is also responsible for load shedding. Load shedding affects our life greatly. Students cannot study properly. They sit idly closing their books. Doctors cannot see their patients. Operation of dying patients stops. Mills and factories stop production. Load shedding is a curse in our life. So, we must get rid of it. First of all, new power plants must be built and old ones must be repaired. Secondly, illegal connection must be cut off and people must avoid the wastage of electricity. Thirdly, Govt. should set up nuclear power plant to produce more electricity. Finally, emphasis should be given on alternative energy sources like solar energy and so on. As electricity plays the most vital role in the development of a country, the Government should solve the problem of load shedding at all costs. 

A BUS STAND

A bus stand is a place where buses wait for passengers and from where buses start for different destination. It may locate inside or outside the town. In a large bus stand, there are sheds for the passengers. Passengers sit and take rest sitting under the shed. In some bus stands, there are counters for tickets and the passengers have to buy tickets from there. It is a very busy and crowded place. Many people wait for and many get down from buses. They push one another to get into the bus. The drivers, the conductors and the helpers also remain busy to collect as many passengers as they can. It becomes more crowded during office time and also when the offices break up. It is a very noisy place also. Hawkers shout for customers and beggars shout for alms. There are some small tea stalls where tea, banana, bread etc. are sold. Seasonal fruits are also sold here. A bus stand is a dirty and unhealthy place also. Buses emit black smoke and passengers spit here and there. Sometimes people vomit on open place. A bus stand is not a safe place for the passengers. Some pickpockets, snatchers and touts are seen here. They take away or snatch money or valuable things from the passengers and create problems to them. A bus stand plays an important role in our communication. So, its standard should be improved.

A TEA STALL

A tea stall is a small shop. It sells ready tea. It also sells cake, biscuit, bread, banana and betel leaf. A tea stall is a very common sight in our country. It is found here and there in the town. It is also found near bus stand, railway station school, college and university. There are tea stalls in our villages also. It is mainly a small shed. Its furniture is very poor. It has few chairs, tables and benches. There is a burning stove in the stall. Water is always boiling on it. A grown-up man runs a tea stall and he is the owner of the stall. He prepares tea, takes bill from the customers and look after the over-all management of the stall. Now-a-days women also run tea stalls. A tea stall opens early in the morning and closes late at night. It is the most common meeting place of people. People sit in the tea stall and drink hot tea. They read newspaper and enjoy gossiping. Sometimes they raise storm over a cup of tea. So, it is called a mini parliament. Now almost every tea stall in the villages keeps a colour television. People come in the tea stall after their work and enjoy films and news on television. Some village people have no work to do. They pass idle time in the tea stall. Sometimes social disputes are settled in a tea stall. In this way, a tea stall plays an important role in our society. It makes some people self-employed and helps others pass time in ease.

A BOOK FAIR

A book fair is an exhibition of books. Here books are displayed for sale. It has recently become very popular in our country. Book fairs are held in different places in our country every year. A great number of books are displayed in this fair. All sorts of books such as fiction, novels, dramas, poems, stories etc. are found in a book fair. There are also books on philosophy, science, medicine, politics, history, and so on. In a book fair, books are sold on discount. So, people can buy books at a cheaper rate. Besides the book stalls, there are many stalls for tea, fast food, sweet, cold drinks etc. People can refresh themselves taking these items. So, it creates great interest among people. In a book fair, stalls sit in temporary sheds. Different stalls sell different kinds of books in a fair. Some publishers come with their books. Poets and writers come there and give autograph. This creates great interest among young readers. They rush to see their favourite poets and writers and collect new books. On the other hand, the readers can get a chance to collect books according to their own choice. Moreover, the young generation of the country can enrich their knowledge by collecting and reading a variety of books. They can also gather practical knowledge and meet their dear and near ones with whom they passed their school, college or university lives.  A book fair brings us close to books and makes us cultured. So, we should arrange more and more book fairs.

A BOOK FAIR I VISITED

Visiting a book fair is very interesting. But no book fair is arranged in our town. So, I can rarely visit it. But last year I got a great chance to visit the Ekushe Boi Mela in Dhaka. It was arranged by Bangla Academy in its premises. It was held on the occasion of ‘International Mother Language Day’. The fair started from 1st February but I visited the fair on the 10th instant. Then I was staying at my friend’s house in Gulshan. My friend took me in the fair at 11 a.m. On entering the fair, I was surprised to see a large number of stalls full of books. I went from one shop to another and saw that all sorts of books were displayed in the fair. The books of poems, dramas, fictions, novels etc. were displayed to sell. There were also books on politics, history, philosophy, religion etc. I visited the stalls and bought two novels of Humayun Ahmed and a science fiction by Jafar Iqbal. But I was disappointed to see few visitors there. So, we decided to come back home. But a man said that Zafar Iqbal, Imdadul Haque Milon and Runa Laila would come in the fair in the afternoon. Zafar Iqbal is my favourite writer and Runa Laila is my favourite singer. So, I wanted to stay and see them. At last, the golden moment came. I saw them from very close. I also took photograph with them. It was the best event in my life. In the evening the fair was over crowded. Some were buying books and some were chatting. All were busy at seeing and gossiping. I bought some books and collected some names. There was an e-book stall also. They were giving free e-books. I collected some books from there. I stayed at the fair till 10 p.m. While I was coming out of the fair, I saw some stalls for food in one place. There were stalls for tea, fast food, sweet, cold drinks etc. I had some light refreshment from a fast-food shop. It was a hectic day for me. I enjoyed it very much.

A RAINY DAY

A rainy day is a wet day. It rains all day long on a rainy day. It generally occurs in the rainy season. A rainy day is dull and gloomy. Black clouds cover the sky. The sun rays can hardly be seen. Sometimes, the sun remains unseen for hours. Sometimes it drizzles. Sometimes it rains cats and dogs. Fields go under water. Roads become muddy and slippery. Most people love to stay inside their homes and pass idle time. Only those people who have office work or other urgent piece of business come out of their houses. They have umbrella over their head, shoes in hand and clothes folded up to knee. The trees are bent down for the weight of rain. Drops of rain fall from the leaves of trees continuously. Ponds, canal, and rivers overflow with water. Cows and goats cannot go out. They remain in the shed. Birds cannot look for food. They remain in their nest. Students cannot go to school. They stay at home. Rather they can spend time playing games. So, it is a good day to them. Rich people stay at home and enjoy special foods. Poor people suffer much on this day. They cannot go to work and earn money. So, they cannot buy food. They have to starve. Yet, a rainy day is a good day in our country. It brings new hope to our farmers. The rhythmic sound of rain stirs poetic faculty in people. So, a rainy day is a special day in our life.

Pahela Baishakh

Pahela Baishakh is the first day of Bangla year. It is a special day of our culture. It depicts our culture and tradition. So, it is a very important day to us. On this day people get up early in the morning. They put on special dress. They eat panta with hilsa fish.  They attend rallies and seminars. The day is a public holiday. Many meetings and seminars are arranged all over the country. The national dailies bring out special supplements marking the day. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television air special programmes on this day. Special foods are served in hospitals and jails. The country assumes a festive look on this day. Fairs and cultural programmes are arranged here and there. In short, the whole country becomes ceremonial on Pahela Baishakh.

The International Mother Language Day

The 21st February is the International Mother Language Day. It is a special day in our history. On this day in 1952, Rafiq, Safiq, Salam, Barkat and many others laid down their lives for our mother tongue. We remember those martyrs on this day. So, it is a very important day to us. On this day people get up early in the morning. They put on special dress and walk bare foot. They go to the Shahid Miner and offer flowers to the martyrs. They attend rallies and seminars. The day is a public holiday. Many meetings and seminars are arranged all over the country. The national dailies bring out special supplements marking the day. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television air special programmes on this day. Special foods are served in hospitals and jails. The country assumes a festive look on this day. Fairs and cultural programmes are arranged here and there. In short, the whole country becomes ceremonial on the 21st February.

Global Warming

Global warming has now become a buzzword all over the world. It means the increasing of world temperature. Mainly two things are responsible for this problem. They are – increasing greenhouse gas and cutting down trees. The number of mills, factories and powerhouses is increasing very rapidly. They are burning coal and oil and producing carbon-di-oxide. People are burning wood and forest. This is also increasing carbon-di-oxide. AC, freezer, aerosol, etc. are increasing CFC in the atmosphere. All these are increasing world temperature and causing global warming. The result of global warming is very fatal. Polar ice is melting very rapidly. This is causing the sea level to rise. If this continues, the lower countries of the world will go under water one day. So, we must stop this global warming. For this we should control the emission of greenhouse gas and plant more and more trees.

Independence Day

26th March is our Independence Day. It is a special day in our history. It is a very important day to us. On this day people get up early in the morning. They put on special dress and walk bare foot. They go to the National Memorial and offer flowers to the martyrs. They attend rallies and seminars. The day is a public holiday. Many meetings and seminars are arranged all over the country. The national dailies bring out special supplements marking the day. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television air special programmes on this day. Special foods are served in hospitals and jails. The country assumes a festive look on this day. Fairs and cultural programmes are arranged here and there. In short, the whole country becomes ceremonial on the Independence Day.

Victory Day

16th December is our Victory Day. It is a special day in our history. It is a very important day to us. On this day people get up early in the morning. They put on special dress and walk bare foot. They go to the National Memorial and offer flowers to the martyrs. They attend rallies and seminars. The day is a public holiday. Many meetings and seminars are arranged all over the country. The national dailies bring out special supplements marking the day. Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television air special programmes on this day. Special foods are served in hospitals and jails. The country assumes a festive look on this day. Fairs and cultural programmes are arranged here and there. In short, the whole country becomes ceremonial on the Victory Day.

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is a beautiful building. It is at Agra in India. It was built by Emperor Shahjahan. He built it in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is made of fine white marbles with inlays of colourful marbles. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden. There is a long pool in front of the building. So it looks very beautiful all the time. The Taj Mahal assumes a different look at different times of the day. So, people from all over the world come to see it. Most people like it on moon-lit nights.

Folk Songs

Folk means people. So folk song means people’s song. It is a traditional song of a country. We have a great variety of folk songs. Some of them are Baul, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Gombhira, Jaari, Sari, Kovigan and Lalon Giti. Baul is a devotional song. It describes the joy and sorrow in the way to the Creator. Bhatiali is boatmen’s song. It describes the joy and sorrow of people onrivers. Bhawaiya is the song of bullock-cart drivers of the Rangpur. Gombhira is the song of Chapai Nawabganj. It is sung by two performers. One acts as a man and another as his grandfather. Jaari is a musical battle between two groups of singers. It is performed on stage. It creates social awareness. Kavigan is also a musical battle between two poets. It is also performed on stage. It is mainly related to Hindu religion and culture. Kirtan is a devotional song of Krishno and Radha. Lalon Giti is the song of Lalon Fakir. Folk song has been a popular form of entertainment in our country. This is because it is easy and simple. Its message is direct and melody is touching. The lyric is easy going. So people can easily understand it. Folk song is sung with traditional musical instruments like ektara, dotara and dhol. The singers are simple villagers. So, it is not expensive. Folk song is an invaluable treasure of our culture. We are proud of it.

A Floating Market

The Tha Kha floating market is a strange market. It sits on boats in a river. People come here with their boats to buy and sell their goods. So there are boats everywhere. Sellers keep their goods on boats. People row their boats slowly. They can have a little chit-chat.  The sellers are mainly elderly Thai women. Their small boats are laden with bundles of lotus flowers, farm-fresh coconuts, fruits, vegetables, local foods, and delicious sweets. Originally, the Tha Kha floating market used to sit only six or seven days a month depending on the phase of the moon. Now-a-days, the trade takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays too. The main buyers here are the Tha Kha natives. People seem to know each other very well. Everyone is seen smiling and calling each other by name. The scenery of the market is charming. The canals are surrounded with coconut palm trees. So, it is interesting to shop in the Tha Kha floating market.

River Gypsies of Bangladesh

River gypsies are an ethnic group in Bangladesh. They are popularly known as bedey. They have their own life style and culture. They live in groups. Each group has a leader. He is called their sardar. Bedeys do not own any land. So, they have no permanent home. They are nomads and live in boats. These boats are their homes. They do not live in a fixed place. They always travel from one place to another. So, they cannot educate their children. In the dry season our rivers dry up. Then the gypsies live in tents near the river. Both men and women are the wage earners of bedeys. Women go from door to door to sell bangles, cosmetics and other things. They also try to heal people’s pains by sucking out their blood. Men catch snakes and charm them. Some people think that bedeys have magical powers and they can drive away evil spirits from people or their homes. Sometimes bedeys have no work. Then women sit rows and pick off lice from head. The life of bedeys is interesting but difficult. So, we should help them.

Nakshi Khantha

Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. It is a beautiful hand craft which increases the beauty of a house. So, people love to make and use it. They make it for family use. Cloth and colour thread are used to make a nakshi kantha. In the past people used old sari or old dhuti to make nakshi kantha. But now they use new cotton cloth also. Pattern and design are the main attractions of a nakshi kantha. Some village women are expert makers of it. In their hand, nakshi kantha becomes an art work. This kantha has great demand both home and abroad. It depicts our history and culture. It also depicts the joy and sorrow of our life. We can know much of our way of life from it.  Making nakshi kantha is not a full-time job. Women make it in their spare time. Women have less work in the rainy season. So, most nakshi kanthas are made in the rainy season. It takes months or years to make a nakshi kantha. It is a symbol of our rich folk art. We are proud of it.