Smart Bangladesh

Smart Bangladesh is an initiative led by the Government of Bangladesh aiming to transform Bangladesh into a technologically advanced and sustainable society. Building on the foundation of the Digital Bangladesh initiative, Smart Bangladesh envisions the development of smart cities, smart agriculture, smart healthcare, smart education, smart energy, smart governance and smart institutions with the ultimate goal of creating a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future for the people of Bangladesh.

Traffic jam in Dhaka city
"Traffic jam in Dhaka city is a big problem. Every day, cars, buses and rickshaws get stuck in long lines on the roads. It makes people late for work, school and other important things. The roads are crowded and sometimes it takes hours to reach a destination that should only take a few minutes. This causes frustration and wastes time and fuel. To solve this problem, we need better planning, more public transportation, and everyone's cooperation in following traffic rules."

Padma Bridge

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge is the longest bridge in Bangladesh. On June 25, 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the largest infrastructure in the country. The bridge is mainly constructed with steel and concrete. This great Padma Bridge was actually a dream to the people of Bangladesh. Ultimately, Bangladesh successfully implemented this biggest project without any foreign investment. Bangladesh spent over 30,000 crores to build this longest construction. The length of the main bridge is 6.15 km and the width is 18.10 m. Total span 41 and each span is 150 meter long. The bridge connects Mawa in Munshiganj district to Jajira in Shariatpur district. It has two layers a four-lane road at the top and a railway at the bottom. The bridge will also be used for gas, power lines and fiber optic cable expansion in the future. The Padma Bridge will surely have a significant contribution to the social, economic and industrial development of the southern part of Bangladesh. The bridge will play an important role not only in the country but also in the regional connectivity of Asia and Southeast Asia. In the coming days, the Padma multipurpose bridge will continue to promote industrial development and economic growth in Bangladesh.

Demographic dividend

Demographic dividend is the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population's age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age share of the population. Demographic dividend occurs when the proportion of working people in the total population is high because this indicates that more people have the potential to be productive and contribute to growth of the economy. Due to the dividend between young and old, many argue that there is great potential for economic gains, which has been termed the demographic gift. In order for economic growth to occur the younger population must have access to quality education, adequate nutrition and health. Demographic dividend takes place when a country undergoes a demographic transition from a rural agrarian economy with high fertility rates to an urban industrialized economy with low fertility and mortality rates.

Padma bridge is one of the dream projects of Bangladesh. It connects Mawa of Munshiganj with Janjira of Shariatpur. The Padma bridge is a multipurpose road-rail bridge across the Padma river in Bangladesh. It will be the world’s six-largest multipurpose bridge. Padma bridge will connect the south-west region of the country with the capital and eastern part. The project is now being funded from the own resources of the government of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of Padma bridge on 12th December 2015. The total length of the Padma bridge is 6.15 km and width is 18.10m. It is a four lane highway and single lane Railway Bridge. The total number of spans of the bridge is 41. Each of them is 150 meters long and weighs 3,140 tons. “Bangladesh Bridge Authority ” is maintaining the Padma Bridge. The contractor of the bridge is “China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation”. It is a truss bridge and the material of the bridge is steel. The bridge will open a new horizon in the communication system of the country. It will bring a revolutionary change in the life of south-west residents. For this, regional corporations will be increased. In addition, it will play an important role in the economic sector of Bangladesh. Industrial development and employment opportunities will be increased. Not only will the economy and transportation facilities will increase but also medical and educational facilities will be easy to access.

“Health for all” implies the removal of the obstacles to health that is to say, the elimination of malnutrition, ignorance, contaminated drinking-water, and unhygienic housing quite as much as it does the solution of purely medical problems such as a lack of doctors, hospital beds, drugs and vaccines. Health for All in Bangladesh contains the most comprehensive information available about primary health care services in Bangladesh, including activities in maternal and child health care, Family planning, reproductive health care, nutrition, quality of care, and health care financing.

Press freedom takes influential place in a country. It represent citizen’s freedom of speech. Media can expose news without obstructer or any controls by government and organizations. There should not be control over the press. As press freedom is necessary for the preventability of corruption, development of economy and maintenance of democracy. One of the advantages of press freedom is it can help to control on the level of corruption. A country which has higher press freedom tends to lower corruption in government or some private’s agents (Brunetti & Weder, 2003). Sometimes countries might think press free threats the stable of political and it might easy be controlled by different organizations. However, again the most persuasive idea come.

Cluster Villages

A majority of the Bangladesh population are farmers who are settled in villages. They toil to make both ends meet and produce crops for the entire nation. Bangladesh has about 68,000 villages, which are scattered throughout the country.  A village is called the rural part of the country. It is called rural because it does not have modern facilities like cities. The main occupation of the villagers is farming. They are the primary source of the nation's agricultural production.

Description of Villages

Villages have either tiny hamlets of thatched huts or large settlements of tiled roofs, stones, and brick homes. An impression has been created by artists and filmmakers that an Indian village is a simple cluster of mud-plastered walls, shaded by trees, overlooking the large expanses of green fields with a few people moving slowly and of course, bullock carts. They portray a village woman with a pot on her head and walking gracefully, her skirt swaying gently. The reality is that a village is the hub of nonstop activity, with their stronger work ethics. Agriculture is tough and requires hard work. The villagers work very hard and are always trying to find innovative methods of growing wheat, rice, and lentils. 

Importance of Village

The village is important because it is the primary sector of agricultural production for our country. The village is the backbone of Bangladesh economy. It also plays a major role in maintaining the ecological balance of the environment. Villages are mostly covered with trees and plants. They are covered with green grasslands. One can see acres of green fields as far as the eyes could see. They provide shelter to many animals. 

Life in Village

The village life is full of contentment and happiness, as people are not in a hurry like in city life. Village people live a very simple life. Villages are mostly situated far from the hustle and bustle of urban civilization. The beauty of nature can be experienced in a village as it is surrounded by trees, flowers, mountains, streams, and farmlands. There is no pollution in the village and one can feel the freshness in the breeze. The demands of the villagers are not too high but they are still deprived of basic facilities. Clean drinking water, electricity, health center, schools, proper sanitation are a few facilities that are lacking in the villages. Their poverty is always visible in the atmosphere. 

Conclusion

My village is a small abode for happy people.  Here they live in harmony and peace. The village people are very hardworking and thus they must have a good source of upliftment. Like the village’s schools and clinics should be maintained and increased in number. The farmers should be facilitated by helping them to leverage their sales, make them notified about the modern techniques used in farming, and give them compensation and knowledge of the true market price of their crops. Thus, I would request governmental authorities to come forward and uplift the medical, educational, and farming facilities in the village.

Necessity of Discipline
 

When a person leads his life without any rule or discipline, his life tends to become dull and directionless. His lack of understanding of the need for discipline makes him lazy. This eventually makes him pessimistic. People such as this are unable to handle crises and often tend to create an irreparable amount of mess in their life. However, if you are not among these groups of people and want to achieve something in your life, you must focus on being disciplined. If you do not have a plan or strategy then first make a plan that suits your lifestyle and accordingly, set your routine. 

Then next is implementing the plan in your day-to-day life. It is said that when an activity is done for 3 weeks straight then it automatically becomes a habit. Therefore, always try to incorporate positive changes into your routine and based on your plan, continue doing that for 21 days. It is expected that after 21 days the implemented activity will become a part of your life. A lot of people in the world are often bogged down by failures and do not tend to make any changes in their life towards positivity. 

Being a disciplined person does not only help you to achieve your dreams but also makes you feel positive in and out. Studies show that disciplined people are more likely to find ways in which they can be happier and change their course of life than the undisciplined ones. Moreover, being disciplined makes a person calm and composed. This quality helps a person to overcome hurdles and to achieve success. They also create a significant impact on others' lives.

Forms of Discipline

It is important to mention that there are two forms of discipline- the first being the induced discipline and second, the self-discipline. The former is the kind of discipline that others teach us or we adapt by seeing others. While on the other hand, the later form of discipline is the one that comes from within. It is the tougher form of discipline as it requires patience, focus, and motivation from others. 

Conclusion

The level of discipline a person achieves may vary depending on his willpower and living condition. Children and parents will have different views on discipline but they must incorporate it into their lives to have a positive influence on each other. Last but not the least, it is the discipline that helps an individual to evolve and become a better version of themselves.

Folklore of Bangladesh
Folklore consists of tales, songs, legends, proverbs, myths, riddles, superstitions and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation. Bangladeshi folklore can give great insight into the country's social and ethnic background as well as people's perceptions and beliefs. Bengali folklore also tells us much about inhabitants of the past such as their principles, customs and reasoning on matters.

Bangladesh has a strong folkloric and cultural heritage. Bangladesh’s folklore has been largely influenced by various ethnic groups that have resided in the land throughout the years. A diversity of elements can therefore be clearly seen in the folklore of Bangladesh. Puthis, a type of ancient manuscript, are in fact books of folk tales and religious stories created in rural Bangladesh. These books were read to the community by educated individuals, both as a form of entertainment and as education. The Puthis were written by Munshis in Bangla and Songskrito. This demonstrates the great importance of folklore in Bangladesh.

A well known Bangla epic is entitled Manasamangal. This tale was written to give glory and honor to Manasa, a Hindu goddess. However, it has become renowned for the love story between Behula (the heroine) and Lakhindar (her husband). The epic tells how the father of Lakhindar upsets the goddess Manasa. She then makes a snake bite Lakhindar on his wedding night. Behula takes her husband’s lifeless body on a boat and sails off. After appeasing the goddess, Lakhindar is brought back to life. Behula is often said to represent the essence of Bengali women, who demonstrate extreme courage and love.

My school days
School is said to be a temple of knowledge, the very first place that introduced you to the world and more so your own self. My school life is all about the memories I deeply cherish. The memories of not only the fun, friendship and all the sport and extracurricular but also the way it helped me find my interests. I owe it all to my school life. It has made me who I am today.

My school life has been full of different experiences over the years. It gave various opportunities to develop not only my scholastic abilities but also the art and sport side. It supported me in my sports as well as exposed me to numerous types of people. All of this accounted to make me understand how to behave socially and in building a personality which I have today.

There are numerous things that make school life the best phase in one’s life. All of this eventually is because we are young to do mistakes again and again till we realize, dumb enough to not think about people and do what we feel like doing, curious to know everything we can and most importantly still not exposed and contaminated with the evil feelings of this world. And all of this makes us build a personality of our own.

Problems of urban living in Bangladesh
Cities in Bangladesh are faced with the challenges of rapid population increase characterized by crises such as lack of economic dynamism, governance failure, severe infrastructure and service deficiencies, inadequate land administration, massive slums and social breakdown. However, urban centers continue to grow, despite the severity of these obstacles. As a result, urban areas in Bangladesh have exceptionally high population density, but relatively low economic density. High population density, combined with rapid urbanization, implies a large and fast-growing urban population to manage. Dhaka city, the largest urban conurbation in Bangladesh, is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world. However, the economic density of Bangladesh’s urban areas (GDP or value-added per square km) is relatively low from an international perspective. Economic activity is concentrated in Dhaka and Chittagong. About 9% of the Bangladesh population lives in the Dhaka metropolitan area, which contributes to 36% of the country’s GDP. An additional 11% of the Bangladesh GDP is generated by Chittagong, the second-largest city and home to 3% of the population. The economic gap between Dhaka and Chittagong compared to other medium  and small-size cities is large and widening.

Bangladesh needs to build an urban space that is capable of innovating, is better connected and more livable in order to make cities competitive. Bangladesh’s urban space is falling behind in all three of these drivers of competitiveness. The Dhaka metro area needs to evolve into a diversified economy with skilled human resources and an innovation capacity fueled by the cross-fertilization of ideas typical of large metropolitan areas. Dhaka metro area also needs to be better connected internally and with its peri-urban areas, and both Dhaka and Chittagong have to strengthen their connection to the global economy. Improved connectivity within Bangladesh’s system of cities is also important for productivity and export competitiveness. The development of an economically dynamic urban space, in particular in the Dhaka metro region, has occurred at the expense of livability. The livability of the urban space will become an even more binding constraint to sustained growth as Bangladesh transitions to a new business model based on higher-value industries and services, which need a highly skilled and internationally mobile workforce. This  is a tall order for Bangladesh, but planning needs to start today for Bangladesh’s cities to become more competitive in future.

Urbanization have crucial role to play in the economic development of Bangladesh. The circumstances under which population in Dhaka and Chittagong are growing without proportionate infrastructural development will begin to wipe out most of the gains associated with urbanization. That is, relative high levels of urbanization may not be sufficient to ensure higher levels of economic welfare in Bangladesh. This has happened in Latin America with levels of urbanization, above 80%, yet with real per capita incomes about a third that of developed nations. It could happen in Bangladesh as well unless the urban managers rise from their prolonged slumber.

Powdered, endurable

Appear, materialize

antonym- Significant