The global project ‘80+1 : Journey Around the World‘ Ξ was formulated with the spirit of Jules Verne’s famous classic, “80 Days Around the World “. The activities of the project were formulated with the unique combustion of new media and old media. This project is the first use of LiveBits video streaming, together with FreshBits and ConnectBits multimedia documentations in Bangladesh.
Beyond the physical travel, the virtual journey was accomplished with the satellite hook-up, fibre optic cable and the stops along the way 20 locations of the world covering 20 contemporary issues from June 17 to September 5, 2009, for 81 days. From Dhaka focus to Dhakai market, we present Dhaka life
E-Book
The scheduled
The timeline (June 17 2009 – September 2009 ) was arranged systematically based on markets position, cultural entities and traditions. In the tour along with traditional market, we bits from the non recognized market like, rickshaw market, love market and street markets. We live-cast the non-traditional markets of new Dhaka by riding on a rickshaw, and in old Dhaka we covered by riding on Tom Tom. The regular live bits activities were everyday one hour LiveBits. After returned from spot, we did blogging with a photo story, web documentary as FreshBits production in official blog at www.80plus1.org. However in the end of journey, we published a complete documentary with 81 minutes duration as ConnectBits production and a e-book.
The technology
With wireless networking, live video streaming, online distribution, blogging, video production, photography and e-book publishing multimedia features make the project a good example with the unity of new-media and old media. It was big challenge to do live streaming in slow GPRS wireless internet connection with portable devices from the market spots. Anyway the 80plus1 experiences have created confidence for South Asian about innovative use of new media and multimedia journalism.
Beyond the mainstream media hegemony, with the power of new media, the 80+1 travellers now know Dhaka very well. They know from the history to market view, street tea stalls to modern shopping mall, street man to reach man. The misunderstanding has been disappeared for this media presentation. The prejudices about Bangladesh and its culture have been changed into positive views.
In such way, if new media presentation could be created understanding bridge easily between North and South, East and West, however, can contribute for making One Word. Now proven truth, first growing powerful new media can unite the people easily beyond the time, space and cultural barriers by inspiring, connecting and involving the people. Nowadays Bangladesh is moving ahead with the vision 2021 to establish ‘Digital Bangladesh’ with new leadership and political commitment. At this moment, we have achieved the experience of “80+1.
Hope, such way more innovative initiative will be organized which will profoundly contribute for freedom, peace, unity and happiness.
This channel is the result of a virtual journey around Dhaka with LiveBits, FreshBits and ConnectBits from 80 marketplaces of Dhaka to webcast the real city life and culture in online by inheriting the spirit of Jules Verne, the author of ’80 Days Around the World’
Why Dhaka and what we did ?
The Dhaka city itself is a market. It exhibits Bangladeshi culture and spirit as a capital city. From small street tea stalls to modern coffee shops, from bazaars to parks, from slums to megamalls, everywhere has touch of products and marketing. The metropolitan city is known as city of rickshaws and mosques. The most densely populated city Dhaka is the biggest city of the country. It can be called live exhibition of Bangladeshi culture. Here every day millions people come from the districts of the country.
To visualize the true life and culture, we did at first extensive research and divided Dhaka market into three types, spiritual market; civic and commercial market. During the “80+1 day Journey every day we did LiveBits from one market through the wireless Internet connectivity directly from the spots. During the LiveBits, the audience in ‘Linz’ (cultural capital of European Union), got live tour experience in Dhaka over live video stream by overcoming time and space limitations. However, the participants were united and felt oneness with the life and culture of Dhaka. By the new-media intervention, it has been proved again that all humans are part of the ‘Global Family.