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Child Journalist Convention

The Second Child Journalist Convention 2011’. Shishu Prokash (Children Express) was held on 24-25 May 2011 at BIAM Auditorium, 63 New Eskaton, Dhaka.

Abul Kalam Azad, MP, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Information, and Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was Chief Guest of the inaugural ceremony.

Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique, the Vice Chancellor, University of Dhaka, Golam Sarwar, Editor, the Daily Samakal and Carel de Rooy, the Country Representative, UNICEF, Bangladesh participated as Special Guests of the inaugural ceremony.

 Child Journalists of Children Express from 64 districts, Juvenile Literary and Cultural Personalities and Organizations, Media Activists, Academics and other officials also participated in the two- daylong convention.

Machizo has given video and web documentation support to the convention

Child Journalist Convention2018-11-29T05:34:14+00:00

Amar odhikar

Amar Odhikar is a forum of civil society. It has been working in Bangladesh to ensure fundamental rights for the poor, marginal and under privilege as well as for all the people in the society .At present; Amar Odhikar Campaign has a strong platform with a network of 41 organizations and individuals.

Amar Odhikar campaign is operating its’ campaign on five most effective regulations of the government for ensuring quality primary education for all the Children of Bangladesh.
Amar Odhikar campaign demands: —

  1. To establish at least one primary school in each village.
  2. To maintain teacher student ratio at 1:30 of national education policy of 2010 ensure sufficient teacher.
  3. To provide mid-day school meal for the students.
  4. To ensure quality teaching provide training for primary school teachers
  5. To incorporate primary education as a fundamental right into the Constitution of Bangladesh.

Many students in the rural areas could not go to school for communication problem. In rainy season many areas remain under water for half of the year. All those are barriers to achieve our goal.

Majority of the population here live below the poverty line. Poor parents couldn’t manage their everyday meal so how could they send their child at school. If we want to ensure fundamental education for each child, government and other organization have to fight against poverty.

On the other hand, regular student attend to school have faced many trouble. Here is a big gap between teacher and student ratio is not same. Educational materials and requirement are not sufficient for them. Even teacher are not well trained. Students often tortured mentally and physically by their teacher. Amar Odhikar believes that the government should arrange quality training for the teachers.

Amar Odhikar believes that its constitutional responsibility of the state to ensure quality primary education for all children. As education is defined one of the basic policies of our government. However, it is not declared as the fundamental right. Amar Odhikar demands education it has to be declared as the fundamental right constitutionally.

Besides, government must ensure primary education for all children who do not go to school at all. Otherwise, the dream to achieve primary education for all children within 2015 will remain a dream.

Amar odhikar2018-11-29T05:34:30+00:00

Saint Lalon

Documentary on Life, Philosophy and Song of Fakir Lalon Shah
লালন শাহের অসাধারণ আধ‍্যাত্নিক জীবন, গান ও দর্শন

Lalon Shah was a mystical poet and saint. He was devoted to love, freedom and peace that is expressed in his songs. He had taught the way of eternal liberation. He strongly emphasized to resolve the internal conflict and dominancy of false desires. He was the greatest mystic-singer in the subcontinent. Lalon believed, the ‘body’ is the universe and the universe is the body. He was revolutionary, challenged to contemporary lifestyle, religions, and practices with a simple word of songs.

SCRIPT:

Fakir Lalon Shah ফকির লালন শাহLalon was a mystical poet and a saint. He was devoted to love, freedom and peace which he expressed in his songs. He taught the way of eternal liberation. He strongly emphasized to resolve internal conflicts and the dominance of false desires.

Stricken by smallpox around the age of sixteen Lalon was found abandoned and floating on a banana raft by the bank of Kaliganga River. He was taken to the home of Malam Shah and his wife Matijan. They took care of him like their own son. Matijan became the first devotee of Lalon.

Lalon did not have any formal education. He led a simple spiritual life. To this date, we’re not certain about his real birthplace or birth date, religion or the names his birth parents. But research shows that Lalon Fakir was born around 1774. Also, Lalon died at the age of one hundred and sixteen.

Both Hindu and Muslim communities felt the connection with Lalon. Hindus believed he was a Kayastha and adopted by a Muslim Moulovi. On the other hand, the Muslims believed he was one of them by birth. Philosophically, Lalon was neither as he always strove to go beyond all boundaries of political or religious identities.

Lalon composed about two thousands songs which still provide spiritual inspirations and awareness to many. By songs he guided people to be a “moner manush” or a spirited (perfect) man*, as well as to be a “shohoj manush” or a simple man. He was against all forms of oppression, hierarchy, racism and above all, caste. He celebrated freedom of mind, body and spirit. Lalon represents the “baul”. The bauls are the spited revolutionaries from the secular communities. Formally, they are illiterate and wondering singers but informally they possess impressive and immeasurable wisdom. Bauls deny all worldly affairs in desperate search for mystical ecstasy of the souls with songs synchronized with the strumming of a one-string musical instrument called “ektarak” or perhaps with a basic hand-drum known as a “dugdugi”.

Lalon was not famous in his time. But his baul philosophy was introduced to the masses by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his contemporary scholars. He was the greatest mystical singer of the subcontinent. Lalon believed that the body was the manifestation of the universe and reciprocally the universe was the body. He was the revolutionary who challenged the contemporary lifestyle, religions and worldly affairs which he expressed in his songs of simplicity.

Nowadays in Bangladesh, there’s a resurrection of Lalon’s songs among the modern signers following his approach with greater enthusiasm. Today among Bangladeshi, there’s a rebirth of appreciation of Lalon’s songs, particularly for their deep spiritual and inspirational contents. Also, to commemorate Lalon and his life, the Lalon Festival is held in Khustia every year at his shrine. It’s the biggest gathering of bauls and their performances.

Script and video: Shahjahan Siraj
Editor: Arham Chowdhury
Precaution Associates: Rakib and J. Alam
Produciton: Machizo Multiemdia
Dhaka, 16 July 2007

Saint Lalon2020-12-12T07:03:54+00:00

Grameen Song

গ্রামীন বয়াতির গান

The mainstream media widely focus to the city based song and signer, however with expensive more and presentation. As an experiment, we have produced the video with zero investment to give space of rural signer in global media. The shooting was don in local natural environment however used local instrument ‘ektara’.

The singer ‘Abdur Rakman; is famous boiati (singer) in the ‘Hatil’ village of Muktagacha upazila. He expresses eternal story of romantic love and human desires in the song. The lyrics is having the words of deep affection with appeal to overcome difficulties in loving with symbolic character of Radha.

The video has been produced by the J. Alam and Likon of Machizo. However the song is composed by the singer himself with local motif and language of Mymensing region.

Film and edit: J. Alam.
Direction: Jahangir Alam & Likon
Production: Machizo Multimedia

Grameen Song2018-11-29T05:54:10+00:00

Child Sponsorship

Machizo produced this TV spot for the Optimist USA for fundraising to help Bangladesh rural poor children’s education. The Optimists” is a U.S. based charitable organization that began its journey with a unique Child Sponsorship Program supported by individual donors.

Child Sponsorship2018-11-29T05:54:27+00:00

Riding on a rickshaw

রিক্সা চড়ার অভিজ্ঞতা

Rickshaw, the traditional eco-friendly, non-motorized vehicle in Bangladesh . Japanese word rickshaw refers to Jin-rickshaw. It is a popular transportation in West Bengal and around Bangladesh since 1938. First time it was a vehicle of the high society but now has becomes common transportation of middle class.

Bangladeshi rickshaw is artistic decorated by plastic flower, ornaments and rickshaw art. These arts are done by enamel colors, usually bold and vivid. At the back of rickshaw there are beautiful paintings of grameen scenarios and Bangladeshi movie stars. After independence, we witnessed the paintings portraying the Liberation War. The forms of art changes with time. By emerging of the digital technology, the rickshaw art now facing the struggle of existence The rickshaw artists are illiterate and have no formal art education. However this high motif art is not well recognized by the schools of art.

EARNINGS:

By doing a whole days of hard work a rickshaw puller still can not earn proper money for quality existence. The average income to a rickshaw puller is 200 taka but it is higher than the garments. But rickshaw pullers can not lead a good life due to illiteracy and superstitions. They generally take unhygienic food in the roadside restaurants. However the rickshaw pullers are not socially well recognized. They live in slums, generally don’t have family planning and can not send children to school, thus thing then into street children. Bachelor rickshaw pullers live like homeless people whereas they are actually NOT homeless.

Rickshaw pullers comes from the villages, mostly are economically marginalized but a huge chunk of the money is being redistributed back to the villages.

PROBLEMS AND SETBACKS:

The crude reality, Bangladesh government is now evicting the rickshaw from Dhaka with the help of World Bank. Already the rickshaw has been banned in the major roads to reduce traffic congestion. This policy is hampering the income of the rickshaw pullers without ensuring alternatives jobs. If complete eviction takes place, not only we will lose a heritage, but it will increase the crime by marginalized community as they will loose their income. Furthermore the rickshaw pullers live in a high risk of HIV/AIDS as they live far away from their families and sometimes get involved with unprotected prostitution.

Riding on the rickshaw is not mere commuting for the Bangladeshis, but is also a pleasure ride for the foreigners. As there are a lot of commotions about pollution worldwide, so this eco-friendly vehicle is certainly a sustainable mode of transportation.

Direction: Prof. Brian Shoesmith , Coordination: Shahjahan Siraj
Voiceover: G.S.Don; Script: Md. Nabil
Photography: Asafudollah Raju, Faiz-un-Nessa, Sharmin Aktar, Ahamed Rakib, Sjovon

A production of MSJ students in ULAB

Riding on a rickshaw2018-11-29T06:04:16+00:00

Community Mobilization

কমিউনিটি সংহতি: After long a movement on community radio establishment in Bangladesh, Bangladesh government has given permission to open it. The Government has formulated the community radio policy and procedure for setting up community radio around the country.

Under this circumstances, AMIC, BNNRC and UNB jointly organized the seminar “Peoples Voices, Peoples Participation and Community Radio” in Dhaka on 04 May 2008.

Dr. Shamim Reza of Dhaka University presented a presentation on the ” Community Mobilization for Community Radio in Bangladesh”.

The video has been recorded by J. Alam and edited by Shahjahan Siraj with assistance of Kamrul Hasan

Community Mobilization2018-11-29T06:04:40+00:00

Shankhari Bazar | শঁাখারী বাজার

This documentary portrays the story of Shankha Art and Artist in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Shankhari Bazaar, the name itself is inheriting glory of shankha art. Once the Shankhari Bazar was famous as the place of art. The traditional Shankha industry is now struggling for survival. Fighting with Indian products, excessive prices of raw materials; however low-income and less market demands are the main cause of the struggle.

Before shankha was made by hand with touch of heart. Nowadays machine are widely using in Shankha industry. Although much works has been done within short time; but creativity become limited within monotonous format.

Cutting, cleaning, carving, sketching, designing and polishing are the six steps for making an artistic shankha. After cutting and cleaning, pairing and rounding has been done by machine.

Mithun Nagh, a shankha entrepreneur says, ” This is our family business comes from forefathers. The price of raw materials is rapidly increasing. So this industry is harassing for existence. In India, the tax on the raw material only 5% , but here in Bangladesh 35% . So Indian products price is very low and people interested to buy cordially the price product. To save this industry, we need to make a competitive market. For this purposes needs government’s patronization. Before the price of a pair range was 70-100 taka, but now Tk. 400. This is not effort able price for 80% Bangladeshi who are poor. If majority client can not buy shankha, how thHowever in market, alternative plastic shankha is available with 10 taka.e industry could be run?”

Waring ‘Shankha’ in hand and marking ‘Sindur’ (vermilon) on forehead are the traditions for Bengali married women. Hindu believes, shankhas keep mind and body cool. However conch-shell elements (like carbon) protect women from diseases. A couple of years before also Shankha’s ear-rings, necklaces and other attractive ornaments were widely used and popular. But now the popularity of shankha and traditional rituals are getting down with the effect of modernization.

Most of Shankha artists are from lower middle class whose daily income 70 — 120 taka. But in 80 decades daily salary range was 200 — 250 taka. There were original 142 Shankha shops in Shankhari Bazar, but now only remains 15 shops. Since early 90’s, the numbers are decreasing. The new generation does not interested to continue the Shankha art and Shanka business!

Shankhari Bazar is situated in old Dhaka. Narrow roads, high-density population and old architecture with less citizen facilities are the aspect of Shankhari Bazar. Now the community is living in high risky and unhealthy environment. As they are fighting with daily poverty, the spirit of traditional life is dimming. Most of the houses are over 100 years old. In 2004 19 lives were died by collapsing old building .

Shankha entrepreneur, Omio Kumar Soor says, “This is the time to save the traditional Shakhari Art by the governmental patronization. If government reduces the tax compare to India , this industry could be encouraged and survived . However it is need to make popular to all Bangladeshi people. We want to popularize the use of Shankha beyond the Hindu believers to all Bengali. If all Bangladeshi people, particularly the cultural peoples use the shankha, it could be easily popular. As a result , Shankha’s popularity would be increased, artist will get more work and the industry will be saved.”

Shahjahan Siraj
Dhaka, 3 May 2007

Note: The documentary, “Shankahri Bazar” portrays the reality of shankhari art & artist in old Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is a team work of Humayun Kabir, Washiqur Rahman, Shamsul Arifin, Raihath Sohel with direction of Shahjahan Siraj. It is a course project of MSJ-303, Ulab, Spring 2007.

Shankhari Bazar | শঁাখারী বাজার2018-11-29T06:04:54+00:00
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