HERITAGE TOURISM

Accounts of Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and many literary and epigraphic records regarding Bengal between the 5th and 7th centuries paint an incredible picture in the mind.  According to Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed's book, 'Discover the Monuments of Bangladesh', they talk of temples, palaces, monasteries and stupas as "high as mountain peaks", obstructing "the very course of the sun with its lofty and imposing towers…" Even Vedic literature mentions the peoples or clans living in Bengal: the Pundras, Vangas, Suhmas, etc.    

ARCHAEOLOGICAL sites such as Mahasthangarh -- which date back to at least the 3rd century BC -- are vestiges of a glorious past.    
 

Bengal has seen the rise and fall of numerous powerful empires and eras: the Guptas, Palas, Senas, Sultans, Mughals, etc. Along with land seekers, there were fortune seekers and missionaries who came to Bengal from far-off lands and made it their own: the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Armenians, Greeks and so on.

Therefore, Bangladesh has a rich and diversified legacy, a heritage to be proud of. 

And all over the world, tourists are interested in seeing and experiencing the heritage a land holds. "Globally, tourism is one of the growing industries, and heritage tourism is a promising subset," said Syed G Qadir, the Managing Director of a tour agency, Wonder Ways Ltd. Qadir, drawing from his long years of experience in this sector, said, "In Bangladesh, the growth is much lower than what it should have been."

Why is it that? With the rich history our country offers, heritage tourism should have been booming. There are some challenges to be faced if we want to unlock the 'potential of our past'. 

But first, what is heritage tourism? Borrowing a definition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the USA, heritage tourism is "travelling to experience the places, artefacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past." The scope includes "cultural, historic and natural resources."

The importance of heritage tourism lies in the mindset of today's travellers. People do not just want to go to a place (historic or otherwise) and simply do some sightseeing. Today's curious tourists are driven by knowledge and experience. They want to understand the significance of a place and the story behind it, and seek to participate in the activities and festivals of the locals. 

Hence, culture is heavily linked to heritage tourism. After all, a region or community does not only inherit monuments and artefacts, it also receives belief systems, practices and ceremonies from the forefathers.

UNESCO has enshrined Bangladesh's 'Baul songs' and 'traditional art of weaving Jamdani' in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. With such assets, heritage tourism could be a very prosperous angle to tourism in Bangladesh. 

A major setback is the political instability. Consider the chaos and violence our nation is currently going through. More or less, every person, organisation and sector is being affected in some way or another, directly or indirectly. The tourism industry is no exception.
Foreigners will of course not want to come to a country and visit heritage sites while risking their lives. "The image of our country among potential tourists faces a blow every time a political turmoil breaks out," Qadir rightly pointed out. 

A simple example can be the domestic tourism scene at Cox's Bazaar during last winter. Being the peak season, the longest beach is usually crowded with people coming from different parts of the country -- in addition to foreign travellers. This year, however, the beach city did not see a sizeable inflow of tourists, owing to the ongoing political tension that has claimed many lives and made travelling less desirable.

When local people have to think twice in travelling to a different city, how can we expect foreign tourists?   

In order to have a good inflow of tourists - domestic or foreign and for heritage or any other sort of tourism - people must first feel secure. A peaceful, stable and safe country is therefore very important if we want to lure in travellers. 

Proper promotion and branding is also very important. "When leaving our country after a visit, the tourists often say that they did not even know that there were so many things to see and experience here. They leave rather surprised," Qadir shared one of the common feedbacks he receives. 

"Many tourists have the perception that the experience and activities in Bangladesh will be similar to those in India, and hence visiting only India should suffice. However, this is incorrect. Bangladesh -- and Bengal at large -- has an entirely unique flavour."

We need to promote the sites of heritage, our history, culture and cuisine properly. 

Other than the promotions, the product should obviously be ready. "The government needs to undertake proper policies, build infrastructure and create detailed area plans for cities and regions that are visited by tourists," Qadir opined.

Just blaming it on the government is not enough. The tourist agencies are yet to stand up collectively and lobby this issue in a united and consistent fashion.

Awareness about heritage among the locals is very vital. It is a way of boosting domestic tourism in the long run. "Knowing history and being proud of your legacy is important, not just for tourism. Awareness should start from school level," Qadir suggested.
Conservation of heritage is crucial, and it is something the government should be aware of and work towards. 

Urban Study Group (USG) is an organisation that campaigns for the conservation of architectural and urban heritage of Old Dhaka. With handling legal issues regarding land ownership and demolition of old buildings, creating visualisations of such buildings and premises had they undergone conservation and raising awareness through conducting heritage walks, holding exhibitions, etc, Taimur Islam, the CEO of the institution and his team, has a lot on their plate.

Taimur believes that Shankhari Bazaar has an immense opportunity for heritage tourism. "Many residences of Shankhari Bazaar are centuries-old. The 'mahalla' (locality) itself is one of the oldest in Old Dhaka. Proper planning can protect the legacy and bring in more number of tourists," Taimur said. 

"The numerous shops selling traditional products such as those made of conch shells can remain at the ground-floor, with some relevant renovation to reinforce the experience," he continued explaining, pointing at 3D visualisations of a plan of Shankhari Bazaar on his computer screen. 

Take Bara Katra and Choto Katra as another example. The former was built to serve as the residence of Shah Shuja, a Mughal viceroy of Bengal. Meanwhile, Choto Katra was made by Shaista Khan, another Mughal viceroy. 

The two grand Mughal monuments are now in ruins, with their magnificent past now gradually becoming inscrutable. Development of new buildings around it, with apparently little regard to the heritage these premises hold, contributes to the encroachment of Choto Katra. 

Preserving such monuments will make us realise the true potential of heritage tourism in our country. “These two monuments, if properly freed and restored, could take the ambience and sights similar to that of traditional Turkish bazaars. You can have shops selling Bangladeshi crafts, art galleries, cafes and eateries.  You can make this locality a centre for tourists, with the appropriate services and facilities," Taimur envisions. 

 

And that is exactly what we need -- a proper, bold vision. Tourists, as it is, are fascinated by our culture, festivities and monuments. But there lie abundant opportunities that are currently untapped, or, to say the least, underrated.  There is a huge potential of heritage tourism in Bangladesh. Realising this potential -- which we can, if we understand its importance and have the proper mindset and planning -- will work wonders for the overall tourism industry of our country.

Bangladesh vs India: Cricket Stats and Records

See the various stats and records between Bangladesh and India from the first time these countries faced each other on the cricket field.

 

http://www.espncricinfo.com/bangladesh-v-india-2015/engine/match/870733.html

Bin Laden's son 'asked for father's death certificate' 

 http://www.espncricinfo.com

A son of Osama Bin Laden reportedly asked the US for a death certificate for his father, according to the whistle-blowing website, Wikileaks.

 A letter said to be from the US embassy in Saudi Arabiais among of a release of 60,000 Saudi government documents by Wikileaks.

Consul General Glen Keiser wrote to Abdullah Bin Laden in 2011 saying he could not provide a death certificate.

Wikileaks is releasing what it says are 500,000 Saudi foreign ministry papers.

The leak echoes the release of US State Department cables in 2010 that first gave Wikileaks prominence.

The embassy's reply is dated 9 September 2011, about four months after the Al-Qaeda leader was killed in a US raid in Pakistan.

In the letter, Keiser explains that no death certificate was ever issued.

"This is consistent with regular practice for individuals killed in the course of military operations," he wrote.

However, instead of a death certificate he provides US court records which prove that Bin Laden died.

The US also provides an Arabic translation as a "courtesy."

"I hope that these US government documents are of assistance to you and your family," Keiser concludes.

There is no explanation as to why Abdullah Bin Laden was seeking a death certificate for his father.

‘SAUDI CABLES'

Wikileaks says it will publish over half a million more documents over the next month in what it is calling the "Saudi Cables". Most of the around 60,000 published so far are in Arabic.

It is not known how the documents were obtained, but in a press release announcing the leak the group refers to a hack of Saudi foreign ministry by the Yemeni Cyber Army in May 2015.

Other documents released reportedly discuss Iranian nuclear talks and the Egyptian revolution.

Ramadan begins Friday

 

Holy Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence for Muslims, will begin in the country on Friday as the moon was sighted nowhere in the Bangladesh sky on Wednesday.

Lailatul Qadr, the night of divine blessings and benediction, will be observed on the night of July 14.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee on Wednesday evening after reviewing reports on the sighting of Ramadan moon of 1436 Hijri.
Religious affairs minister and chairman of the committee Motiur Rahman presided over the meeting held at the Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram office.

Religious affairs secretary Chowdhury M Babul Hasan, director general of the Islamic Foundation Shamim Mohammad Afzal and Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Prof Maulana M Salauddin, among others, attended the meeting.

US kills top Al-Qaeda leader

Al-Qaeda has confirmed that its second-in-command, the chief of its powerful Yemeni branch, was killed in a US drone strike, in the heaviest blow to the jihadist network since the death of Osama bin Laden.

Already struggling with the rise of rival jihadists from the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda has suffered a series of setbacks in recent months with several commanders reported killed.

In a video statement, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confirmed that Nasir al-Wuhayshi was dead.

Wuhayshi "was killed in a US drone attack that targeted him along with two other mujahedeen," who were also killed, said the statement read by prominent al-Qaeda militant Khaled Omar Batarfi and dated June 15.

If Nasir al-Wuhayshi is killed—a claim that US officials are so far not disputing—his death would be a significant blow to the already fragile al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. And it would be the second major hit in a matter of days on key al-Qaeda leaders, following a series of US airstrikes over the weekend in Libya that killed another notorious jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, reported The Daily Beast.

AQAP -- which was behind several plots against Western targets including the deadly attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier this year -- said it had named its military chief Qassem al-Rimi as its new leader.

US officials were earlier reported to have been reviewing intelligence to confirm that Wuhayshi was killed in a CIA drone strike on June 9.

A local Yemeni official had told AFP that Wuhayshi was believed to have been killed in the raid in al-Qaeda-held Mukalla, in southeastern Yemen.

Another Yemeni official told AFP last week that a drone had fired four missiles at three al-Qaeda militants, including an unnamed "leading figure", near Mukalla port, killing them on the spot.

The US government had offered a $10 million reward for any information leading to Wuhayshi's capture or killing.

A former aide to bin Laden, Wuhayshi attended the group's Al-Farouk training camp in Afghanistan in the late 1990s.

He is said to have fled Afghanistan in 2002 to Iran, where he was arrested and handed over to Yemen.

He was held there without charge until he escaped by tunnelling his way out of prison with 22 others in February 2006.

In 2007, Wuhayshi was named head of AQAP, which Washington considers al-Qaeda's deadliest branch.

When Bin Laden was killed by US commandos in Pakistan in May 2011, Wuhayshi warned Washington not to fool itself that it spelt al-Qaeda's demise.

"What is coming is greater and worse, and what is awaiting you is more intense and harmful," he said.

As well as the Charlie Hebdo attacks that left 12 people dead, AQAP was also behind an attempt to blow up a US commercial airliner on Christmas Day 2009.

Washington has repeatedly targeted AQAP militants in drone strikes in Yemen and killed several commanders in recent months, including Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, who appeared in the video claiming responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack.

While still a powerful and ruthless force, al-Qaeda has seen its role as the preeminent jihadist group challenged by the rise of ISIS, the extremist organisation that has seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq.

Extremist groups from Egypt, Libya and elsewhere have sworn allegiance to ISIS and the two groups have clashed in various countries, most notably in Syria.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior al-Qaeda-linked jihadist, was also reported killed in a US air strike in Libya this week but yesterday extremist group Ansar al-Sharia denied he had died.

The group named seven people it said were killed in the US strike in eastern Libya but said Belmokhtar, the mastermind of a 2013 siege of an Algerian gas plant in which 38 hostages were killed, was not among them.

Delhi votes in test for Modi

Narendra Modi has personally campaigned on behalf of Bedi

Polling stations have opened in Delhi for state elections billed as the first real test of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former policewoman Kiran Bedi as its pick for chief minister.
But polls suggest she is likely to lose to Arvind Kejriwal, an anti-corruption activist who heads his own party.
Modi won convincingly in last summer's general election, and has ridden a wave of popularity ever since.
Over 13 million people are eligible to vote at 12,000 polling centres in the state assembly elections.
Security is tight and more than 55,000 police and paramilitary have been deployed.
Official results for the 70-member state assembly are due on Tuesday.

Chief minister contenders: Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi
•    Both Kejriwal and Bedi are former civil servants - he worked in the revenue department while she was India's first woman police officer
•    Both won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award - Kejriwal for fighting corruption and Ms Bedi for prison reform
•    Both campaigned with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare during his 2011 protest
In recent months, the BJP won a string of state assembly elections.
But correspondents say a tough fight awaits them in Delhi, where several surveys have put Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the others.
The Congress party, which ran the Indian capital for 15 years until 2013, is predicted to come a distant third.
Delhi has been without a government since Kejriwal, the former chief minister, resigned last February, angered that his anti-corruption bill was blocked.
Since then the state has been governed directly by the federal authorities.
Bedi and Kejriwal worked together during the anti-corruption campaign, led by social activist Anna Hazare, but the two have since developed an intense rivalry.
During weeks of hectic campaigning in Delhi, both candidates promised to bring in good governance, end corruption and make Delhi safe for women.
In the previous Delhi election held in December 2013, the BJP won the most seats but fell short of a majority, leaving the AAP - which came second - to form a coalition with the Congress party.
Kejriwal resigned on 14 February after 49 days in office, however, after opposition politicians blocked a bill that would have created an independent body with the power to investigate politicians and civil servants suspected of corruption. Delhi election in numbers
•    13.3 million voters; 12,083 polling stations
•    70 seats; 673 candidates, 63 of whom are women
•    65,791 election workers on duty

Job and Wage Gains as Americans Rejoin the Work Force

Job and Wage Gains as Americans Rejoin the Work Force

A worker on the roof of a construction project in Montclair

The economy barreled through the last three months with strong momentum, the Labor Department said Friday, as American employers added 257,000 jobs in January, wage growth rebounded and more people went looking for work in an improving labor market.

With new figures on the last two months of the year, 2014 turned out to be the strongest year for job gains since 1999. The government revised upward the already healthy figures for payroll gains in November and December, increasing their estimate by 147,000. All told, the economy added, on average, 260,000 jobs a month over the course of the year.

“This is the best employment report we’ve had in a long time,” said Guy Berger, United States economist at RBS. “The labor market looks like it’s in really good shape as we head into 2015.”

The Labor Department said on Friday that the unemployment rate inched up to 5.7 percent, from 5.6 percent. But even that apparent setback was mostly good news, as it was primarily because more Americans said they were encouraged enough by their job prospects to actively look for work.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.5 percent in January, the biggest monthly gain in more than six years, though it followed a disappointing drop in December. Over the last 12 months, wages advanced at a 2.2 percent pace, significantly ahead of the inflation rate.

The overall picture was so strong, Mr. Berger said, that the Federal Reserve might begin its long-awaited move to raise short-term interest rates in June, a step many economists had been expecting to be delayed until September.

“I still think it will be September, but the odds of a June increase have gone up somewhat,” Mr. Berger added. “The fact that the economy didn’t lose a step in January bolsters the case that inflation could hit the Fed’s target.”

Other experts echoed Mr. Berger’s take. “Employment growth is astonishingly strong,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, in a note to clients immediately after the 8:30 a.m. release. “With every indicator we follow screaming that payrolls will be very strong for the foreseeable future, wage pressures will intensify.”