Her name is Bangladesh

url : (http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/08/17/her-name-is-bangladesh/)

Wow what a nice perspective of Bangladesh. I encourage you to read this. This is a great conclusion to what I have learned so much from Bangladesh and of course for this last entry of blogging! I enjoyed blogging! :)

Bangladesh: Government says flood conditions stabilising

url: (http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LRON-765HSS?OpenDocument)

Last day of entry :-(

It appears that Bangaldesh's flooding situations have slowly alleviated . . .

Strong earthquake strikes Peru

url (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/peru_quake)

Seriously what the hell is going on with natural disasters?

Montenegro donates guns, ammo to Afghanistan

url (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/14/europe/EU-GEN-Montenegro-Afghanistan.php)

I have the utmost desire to visit Montenegro because of its beautifully re-constructed country and of course the small little island that connects to the land, especially Serbia (Croatia, the beautiful) and it appears to me as an ideal perfect vacation resort. In 1990, it has received his independence and there was recent battles lately between Montenegro and the Yugoslovia and Serbia. So I heard, from now, Montenegro is taking the time and patience to have the economy developing after recent battles and receiving its independence for the first time. It is now developing an industrial economy, a stronger one--by providing durable transportation, reconstructing the lands, re-building the people, and having the whole rest of the country to be settled and developing in a stabilized nation. I've always suspected that Montenegro has some terrorist organizations behind, or the mob-types, but the militant in Montenegro soon died out. I am surprised that Montenegro is donating a lot of surplus weapons and ammunitions to the Afghan army with the U.S. army, who are both battling the Taliban insurgency, that was generous, but honestly I do not have the time to hear about "wars" or "more needs of weapons, ammunitions, etc.", seriously the military insurgencies have to be stopped or else! Damn the Talibans who can't stop at all.

China bridge collapse toll rises to 36
url: (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_re_as/china_bridge_collapse_33;_ylt=AkayuzBAyjoUJrKeTksGWgNg.3QA)

I am amazed how this story is similiar to the Minnesota incident, however that bridge in China is a lot durable made of steel and cement. The Chinese officials are disappointed how the bridge would have collasped so quickly. Could this be a conspiracy or a threat?

Bangladesh floods destroy 133,000 tonnes of rice

url (http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-28973520070814)

Bangladesh's important and major agricultural economy is doomed! 133,000 tonnes of rice is a lot of staples being ruined and all of them are nearly waterlogged for many weeks! What a tradegy! I can't you cannot change Nature at all even though Bangladesh, which I envision, will probably have a difficult and long, long, long way to go to further its development in agricultural economy.

"bangladesh's central bank has asked local and foreign commercial banks to offer nearly 77 billion taka ($1.12 billion) worth of agricultural credit to farmers who lost their crops in floods."

I have been noticing how Bangladesh is now asking for money all the time in every news updates....

Bangladesh health facilities overburdened after floods

url: (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200708131040.htm)

With more patients getting sick from the water-borne diseases in the flooding season, the more pressure healthcare will be receiving. It appears that most patients have suffered from intestinal diseases, and over 3,000 new cases of diarrhoea occurred, with 34,989 people contracted water-borne disease. It is amazing how the number of people have contracted diseases really quickly, but the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases treated 900 patients with diarrhoea, which is pretty shocking. The military has assisted in the emergency help by providing more hospital beds, intravenous fluids, ambulance facilities,a nd additional manpower, especially the UN WFP and UNICEF who will be assisting 123,000 flood victims in four central districts of two northern districts. Australia has also assisted. I am really impressed with the assistance Bangladesh has been receiving from different countries. It's like a teamwork.

Potluck Research

Potluck Research

Dhaka, Bangladesh: Birani or Biryarni
Rice and daal (lentils) are the most major staples found in Bangladesh while fish is considered the source of protein because the country is mostly covered with water. In the Southern Bangladesh, there are many fish eaters because they live near to the sea. In the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, fried rice and meat are the most common dishes, called biriani, or biryani. This type of cuisine dish plays a major part in ceremonial meal or public feast, especially weddings in Dhaka. In most Bangladeshi Birani dishes, they are often added with meat to the rice, or perhaps textured vegetarian protein. Birani dish is made from basmati rice, a variety of spices such as cardamom, bay leaves, ghee, ginger, garlic, and yogurt, meats and vegetables (especially potatoes), and accompanies with sorts of meats such as beef, chicken, goat, lamb, or shrimp.

T’aichung, Taiwan: Red Taiwanese Fried Rice
Fried rice has become the most popular dish served in Taiwan, that usually accompanies with a soup and vegetable dish. It is usually cooked with scrambled eggs and sausage, but as a vegan for the past 3 years and vegetarian since the age of 12, I soon turned to vegetarian protein (seitan) and fake sausage bits. When I was little, my T’aichung grandmother used to make this unique Taiwanese fried rice dish with sugared scrambled egg, corn, green beans, snow peas, and lots of American ketchup. She would add white sugar to the egg mix and pour it to the cooked rice mixture in the end. It always smelled like an uncanny version of “Italian” rice dish.

Ingredients (Suitable for Vegan)

3-4 cups cooked white rice

1 stalk spring onion (scallions)

¼ bulk of organic cilantro

Pinch sea salt

Pinch organic sugar

Pinch white pepper

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-2 cloves garlic lightly crushed

1-2 cups of vegetable medley (bean, corn, carrot)

4 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup or 3/4 cup of organic red ketchup or tomato paste

Bangladesh says Islamist militants on the run

Url: (http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKDHA11144920070812)


I had no idea that Bangladesh's Islamist militants is linked to a series of nationwide bombings, but now the article stated that the militants are a lot weaker than they were two years ago due to lack of popular support and security needs. Besides Bangladesh being a largely densely populated country, it's not the time to build a terrorist camp because many people are at sake during flood reasons. Actually, these activists of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh attempted many attacks killing nearly 30 people who are also judges, lawyers, and police officials. However, since I do not know the political status or military control of Bangladesh well, it appears that they are just outlawed Islamist groups converting a Muslim, democratic Bangladesh into a "sharia-based Islamic republic". But the six top leaders were captured and executed in March this year which made the campaign's support fairly low. It is to be concluded that many of the active followers of the Islamist leaders are still trying to build their groups.

Lend a helping hand in the third world

url (http://www.elburnherald.com/elburn2007/el1112.asp)

This article focuses on a life experience of a a Sugar Grove resident named Earlita Markham during her mission trip in El Salvador and she was invited by the Illinois District Council Assemblies of God to go on this trip in 2004, right after seeing the TV shows on hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes that striked El Salvador for many years. Only more than 20 people are chosen to go on this missionary trip to El salvador, and she was the chosen one from the Church in Elburn. The minimum wages in El Salvador are very low. She is determined to help out people in El Salvador before she went to visit. She first ended up in King's Castle in El Salvador, a campus for missionaries and ministers, where they can help out the children and the society in El Salvador, but usually the children will go to King's Castle if they need additional assistance. Many things have been donated to the King's Castle from the delegation ship. Markham worked in the sewing room while other people played a role in landscaping, medical, optical, painting, and haircut group, especially ministries. Markham concluded about her feelings when she first came to El Salvador --it was a depression to see them go through like this, but after she came back from the trip, she learned not to take so much for granted, but she admitted she was fortunate to have many things in America she was from and we had take it for granted as being born Americans. I think her conclusion is simply a way to brag about how she is fortunate to be living and working in America, but I am glad she went to El Salvador to experience it all. But should she be a little bit criticizing of America for not doing much to save El Salvador?

Bangladesh Police Battle Mill Workers

Another police battle in Bangladesh-how astonishing!
url: (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070810/bangladesh_worker_riot.html?.v=1)

Diarrhoea spreads after Asia floods

more information regarding Bangladesh's serious health crisises:
url (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C57061EB-D566-4D66-A409-C8D276A5C72A.htm)

Disease stalks Bangladesh flood victims

url: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6939150.stm)


There are many dire consequences that Bangladesh must face after days of horrific flooding that have taken their homes and drowned hundreds of them underwater. Disease is one major concern that I always suspect it would occur anytime since Bangladesh has lack of natural resources, and of course, they do not have as much as water intake as we have in America. I believe these problematic situations should be presented as the major developmental issues of my focus country of Bangladesh. In regards to low supply of water, the floods are the ones causing Bangladeshi people agony, and now UN's World Food Programme has distributed aid to the North of the country, including the central districts. But the water is stagant, being the water-borne disease, and there is absolutely no clean water. One mother has to cook a meal by boiling vegetables in the dirty water and she has really no choice because her children need to eat no matter what, but if they got sick, she will try her best to contact a doctor.

However, I've read the Human Development Report last night regarding Bangladesh's water supply and number of doctors they have available per 100,000 people. It is very, very unfortunate to acknowledge that there are only 26 physicians per 100,000 people/area compared to hundreds of physicians available here in America. This is absolutely depressing to know how impoverished the country has already become due to its overpopulated size and lack of natural resources. In addition, the International Centre of Diarrhoeal Disease Research (Which I think it is a funny name) in Dhaka only checks on 150 patients a day, I mean, imagine how hundreds and hundreds of people are injured and seriously ill from the flooding would come in the hospital to be treated, don't you think there's lack of healthcare and less physicians available there? Now children and adults are being exposed to drinking contaminated water on a daily basis and got seriously ill afterwards, even repeatedly if they returned home healthy, they would get sick again for drinking water. This year in Bangladesh, more than 40% of the lands were affected, but it is much less worse than the "mega-flood" in 1998.

Third World is Changing

url (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2007/August/opinion_August24.xml§ion=opinion&col=)

This article on Third Word fully reminded me of a film from yesterday's classroom regarding the children who are at risk in the developing nations--the ones who are becoming prostitutes on the street begging for money and are being abused by the society. They are the most vulnerable to the society in the third world today. The article was painting the future of the third world: the mid-century China is assumed to become the world's largest economy, India the third largest, and lastly Brazil the sixth with the richest per head and with the best distribution of income throughout the society. But some bad things might happen to the third world for a reason such as war, revolution, economic mismanagement, and climate disasters. In Brazil, the policies of the re-elected Luis "Lula" da Silva and his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, are designed to improve the poor and create a better income distribution. "Lula" wanted to go for quality growth, also quality in education as well so Brazil can further itself faster. Brazil has a Bolsa Familia programme, a cash transfer programme in the world, which improves the distribution of income by making payments to those families that send their children to school. As a result, they have improve Brazil's educational systems and earning prospects of families, as well as to enhance economic growth. Brazil has been focusing mainly on the quality of education, especially introducing university education, and it has to work its way to decrease income inequalities. It is amazing to acknowledge how Brazil is working its path to development and to improve its macro economic policies. Now Brazil can consider if it is necessary to offer both India and China a run for their money. The article sort of sees Brazil as the successful Third World in the future.

It is unfortunate for India and China, that are currently dealing with inequality crisis as well as a sharp decrease in the impoverished population.

Economists believed that rising inequality is the necessary price that has to be paid for fast growth, but it is considered false. Even my own country Taiwan and South Korea, including other East Asian economies would mix the policies of high growth, low poverty, and improved income distribution would go together.

Critics: India unprepared for monsoons

url: (http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/base/international-23/118659925332130.xml&storylist=international)

You cannot change the Nature or even reform the disasters that have caused agony across the Southern Asia, especially India. It is impossible to change that, and all we have to do is simply wait to improve and build a new developing country with patience. Many people have been killed and forced from their homes, and now the government is being blamed for not building the best dams or perhaps the evacuation plans, which is relatively disappointing to know. Since 1998, the floods have killed nearly 2,379 people and left 3-quarters of Bangladesh underwater, but this year, I was surprised with the improved number of mortality, which is only roughly 192 people in Bangladesh! However, I think in the future, the government especially the science experts should think further and wisely to create a better system to protect the people of Bangladesh including the South Asia because for now, there are millions of malnourished children that are most vulnerable to diseases and are at risk after being isolated by flooding! The pilot system that allow to present forecast floods may be beneficial for people so they can have alloted time to evacuate, but I think the government should do something better than that, since not many people have capability to see what's going on with the flood forecasts, especially young children. The government needs to wake up and realize what certain weaknesses they have to defeat within a short period of time.

`We have nothing to eat'

url: (http://www.thestar.com/News/article/243784)

It's 2:30 am in the morning. What am I doing?!

It's a tragedy that northern India and Bangladesh are under crisis when they where hit by a monsoon drowning numerous villages and making 2 million people living outdoors, and so many flood victims are starved, the death toll climbed up to 360, and even villagers wanted more supplies such as emergency packets, sheets and matches, etc. I am surprised that the flood victims have been consuming snails in order to survive, but there was a force going on when hundred of angry villagers in the Darbhanga district kidnapped a senior official and police chief in demand for aid and shelter since these victims feel that they haven't received much help at all. It's awful that villagers who have lost their homes, their loved ones, and even their lands, and they suddenly became this revolutionary people who wanted and needed help from the authority immediately and threatened to kidnap an authority if they don't help out. Now Bihar, which is located in the northern India, the chief minister of Bihar admitted that Nepal is responsible for all the flooding because of its little dams they have to control the flows of waters south, but the Nepal's foreign minister argued that the country Nepal also was flooded from the Indian dams. There are a lot of arguments arising between Nepal and Northern India, stating whose fault was that, who started the flood to go further to the country, and so on. As a result, 14 million people in India and 5 million in Bangladesh were forced to move out of their homes, and Canada has pledged a million dollars in emergency aid for flood victims in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal yesterday according to Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay. It is generous of Canada to offer a large amount of money of aid to the flood victims, unfortunately I am pondering why, why is the U.S.A not doing anything about it? Is our country worrying about the military situation in Iraq and Afghanistan? What things have the U.S. done lately?

South Asian flood death toll tops 360

url (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2007-08-06-south-asia-floods_N.htm?csp=34)

It's unfortunate to see how the death toll keeps climbing every day, it was 150, then it was up to 360. This was the worst flooding situation I have ever heard throughout my life and I believe it will be very, very, very difficult for the UN to handle the MDG goals for this country, Bangladesh and other undeveloped countries as well. It is hard to envision that happening because who knows the monsoon season will strike again and the UN can't just keep setting the deadline like this. In the article, the authorities were being criticized for being such as slowpokes to respond to the crisis with insufficient aid, and I totally have to agree with that. It appears that the most developed nations around the world are not even doing enough at all, or are they just worried that they will spend their own money on such one crisis? Isn't the UN supposed to see Bangladesh and other SE Asian countries to be successful by achieving one of the MDG goals? What on earth is UN and other developed world doing? And what am I even doing here at all?

Spanish Farmers Modernize Water Control

url (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/02/ap3981640.html)

By 2010, the Spain's "Fenacore", a federation of irrigators, wanted to modernize its irrigation system by connecting 500,000 farmers to an irrigation network outside of Madrid. It has been numerous years of drought and water use, and that's what the Spain wanted to modernize at that time. I am amazed by the number of farmers that are needed to be linked to a certain irrigation network and how they had to change their farming methods since the 13th century by using highly efficient techonology to control irrigation. So the computerized irrigations would be monitored and controlled by the computer, by measuring how much enters each channel. As a result, the article concluded that the Fenacore will save up to 20% water savings using the computerized irrigation. I am wondering how will the farmers feel--will they feel easygoing working in the computerized irrigation systems or will they feel that they will have a difficult time working with modernized water control? Do you suppose the farmers' labors aren't worth doing even if they utilize the modernized technology? Will that have an effect in determining the value of water? This issue reminded me of the lecture based on labor as commodity and how skilled labor is worth three times as much as unskilled labor and how the value of commodity is determined b amount of socially necessary labor used in production and how long it takes to produce a commodity.

Tripura govt asks BSF to keep vigil along Bangladesh border

url (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Tripura_govt_asks_BSF_to_keep_vigil_along_Bangladesh_border/articleshow/2255363.cms)

It appears that I have been chasing the news directly from the Times of India since it has already been updating Bangladesh's status on a daily basis. But it is beneficial for me and my research in my focus country and it is very convenient to have a news directly from an Indian news source because I believe that news source knows more about the country better than any other American or European news sources.


The monsoon season has nearly destroyed the lives of the people in Bangladesh, especially taking away their homes, and now this issue of bird flu is mentioned in the article. The Tripura Government wanted the Border Security Force to eliminate the chicken/eggs of Bangladesh from coming in the state due to the issue of bird flu. They also requested to spray medicine, which I believe it is an antibiotic or anti-viral spray, on the vehicles coming from Bangladesh. It appears that the Tripura government feared the country of Bangladesh due to its toxicity and unsafe environment. What confused me is that there aren't any cases related to bird flu reported or an avian influenza resulted. I guess the Tripura government was trying to make everything safe for others in the state. But the evidence was presented in the article, saying that 500 chicken died in the last 5 days at Divyodaya Krishi Farm (Khowai sub-division of West Tipura district), and they probably thought the chicken are from Bangladesh. I wonder what happened in Bangladesh and how does the issue of bird flu arise from that country. How did they know i was Bangladesh since they are currently sending blood samples to Central Government-run lab in Bhopal within a week? Now they are accusing Bangladesh of bringing bird flu in the state, but for goodness sake, Bangladesh is under crisis of flooding and poverty, and now it is blamed for bird flu influenzas.

South Korean Government Focusing on the Modernization of the Healthcare System

url (http://www.medadnews.com/News/Index.cfm?articleid=464810)

I was so tempted to grab a news pertaining to healthcare and science due to my immense interest in scientific findings as well as toxiocology and the healthcare use of drugs/medicine. But then, I was reading a news article based on a country's lead to modernization from pharmalive news updates. The government in South Korea wants to modernize its health system in order to promote health activities and services to the poor rural population as well as to attract foreign investors with the policies/tax incentives, and to allow access to health services easily. The government will also supply the country the innovative drugs for new drug development projects and decrease 20 percent of the reimbursement of branded drugs. For the hospital, they want to supply better services for the senile community as well as affordable medicines and modern medical equipments. All of the goals that the South Korean government wanted to make, are realistically challenging and I do hope they will not over-do it. I wonder why the government is doing it now, how come they cannot do it in the past--what makes them want to modernize their healthcare system--are they modernizing any other systems like education and industrial?

Floods Leave Millions Homeless in India, Bangladesh

url (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12481422)

More than 19 million people lost their homes in northern India and Bangladesh due to the flood season as well as at least 186 people are reported dead. Usually the monsoon season starts from the month of June to September, which is beneficial for agriculture, but on a downside, they resulted flooding, and put people in danger by losing their homes including numerous deaths. Since I've been reading most articles on Bangladesh's situation with the floods, I keep pondering if this country can meet one of the MDG goals. Since the article stated that the monsoon season occurred annually in the summertime, I just realized the government or the UN cannot change the nature of that if they have a desire seeing Bangladesh to improve the economy as well as becoming developed. They can't do anything about that when the worst flooding seasons arrive in the southern Asian countries. I just think it's impossible to see that they have to meet these goals by 2015, that's ridiculous.