Bangladesh Victory Day

Today, 16 December, Bangladesh celebrates national Victory Day.

It is the 39th anniversary of the victory of Bengalis over Pakistan aggression and massacre which lasted from March to December, 1971. On 16 December the allied forces of the Indian army and Bengalis’ Mukti Bahini (freedom fitters) crushed the West Pakistani forces deployed in the East.

That victory gave people of former East Pakistan (after 1947, when British India was partitioned into the states of India and Pakistan, modern-day Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan and was called East Pakistan) not only freedom but a new state Bangladesh. Declaration of Independence was announces by Bengal political leaders (declaration was signed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation) in March, 1971. Officially 26 March is considered the Independence Day of Bangladesh, when the name Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. Though, unofficially there is controversy on who and when did the first announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio (which is a question of political manipulations actually).

Commenting on the achievements of the country after winning the Liberation war, President Zillur Rahman in his statement said, "We could not yet attain that objective after four decades of independence. The anti-liberation force as well as the vested quarters created obstacle in the way of democracy and development by killing Father of the Nation. Or democratic advancement has been jeopardized afterwards in absence of a people's government. As a result, we lag far behind in anticipated development", bdnews24.com reports. This speech was supported by the words of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Thirty nine years have passed since independence but the desired dreams and aspirations of independence are yet to be achieved," she said in her statement, according to news agency.

In one voice with ruling party sounds the opposition this day. As bdnews24.com quoted the opposition leader Khaleda Zia speech, "Even though our motherland was freed from enemies in 1971, their sharp eyes are still on us. An imperialist force is working to turn us into a subjugated race. We will have to unite nationally to fight it."

As for harp imperialists’ eyes, needless to say that in 1971 USSR helped Indian army as main ally of Bengalis’ Mukhti Bahini. The Soviet Union was interested in strong India. So independence of Bangladesh which could make India’s rival Pakistan weaker, played into USSR hands. Soviet authorities gave assurances to India that if a confrontation with the United States or China (which supported Pakistan) developed, it would take counter-measures. Officially this  was enshrined in the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty signed in August 1971.
USSR recognized Bangladesh as new state in January, 1972, and after 2 month, in March, 1972, father of nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made his first diplomatic visit to Moscow.
Almost forty years later, this fact of assistance during the war is the only fact which Bangladeshis can recall about Russia or former Soviet Union. Still it’s amazing how strong the memory is.
Today many families in Bangladesh and abroad think of other memories, though. Dead brothers and fathers, raped women, killed babies, the millions of refugees, millions of destroyed lives. This song, the greatest Bangla songs of all times, is for them.

Ek shagor rokter binimoye Banglar shadhinota anle jara amra tomader bhulbo na amra tomader bhulbo na...
(We will not forget the ones who liberated Bangladesh by spilling a sea of blood, we will not forget you... – I’m sorry for the incorrect translation, if it is so)

And some personal memories of last year V-day (2009) in Dhaka (full set is here)

CNN presented riots in Moscow as "protests over time zones"

CNN FAKE REPORT

On 12 December CNN showed video of the riots in Moscow with following comments: “Russian protests targeting time zones”. According to CNN, 3 000 people protested against changing time zones in some eastern city of Russia...

In reality the riots caused by the death of football fan happened in Moscow on December, 11. The video shown by CNN had been taken at well recognized central square of Moscow city.

A piece of newscaster’s text accompanied the video of clashes in Moscow:
<….> Chanting "give us our time back," thousands of people in eastern Russia Saturday protested proposed changes to the country's time zones, state media reported.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed time zone reforms that would further cut the time difference between the region and Moscow, the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
Already, similar reforms implemented earlier this year have led to dark winter skies in the middle of the day in the region, the news agency said.
More than 3,000 protesters flocked to the central square in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, RIA-Novosti said.
<….>
Is that just a human’s foolishness or black PR of very bad quality, I wonder?

Riots in Moscow: Football fans and nationalists against Caucasian diaspora (Part II)

(continued )

Russia for Russians

Moscow, Manezh Square, Dec, 11, Ilya Varlamov

Young people, faces covered with scarves, one hand is lifted to the sky (the famous Roman salute, a gesture in which the arm is held out forward straight, it was made compulsory within the Nazi party since 1926,  and was also adopted by other fascist movements), shouting nationalistic slogans “Russia for Russians”.
Discussing the clashes in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, government authorities, football clubs’ leaders and different Caucasus diaspora representatives altogether named current events a provocation of ultra radical, nationalistic movements forces.

To say the truth, it is quite difficult to determine any exact political force in Russia, especially speaking about the political minorities. Whatever you call them, democrats, liberals, communists, radicals or other, the faces will be the same. It’s very easy in Russia. One can be with the majority, ruling party “Edinaya Rossia” (United Russia) or with the “rest”. More over, even those who attach themselves with majority can often be seen participating in the actions of the “rest”. As it probably happened this time (LJ user palmoliveprotiv http://palmoliveprotiv.livejournal.com/130086.html noticed a known provocateur, attached with ruling powers, being arrested be police at Manezh Square).

Media mess
Holding a speech at Ceremony formalizing promotion of officers to higher command positions, on December, 13, President Dmitry Medvedev commented on the recent events: “The recent riots and assaults in Moscow should be qualified as crimes, and the people who committed them must pay the penalty. I say this not just to the Interior Minister, but also to the Prosecutor General and Chairman of the Investigative Committee”.
 “Acts that seek to incite hatred and enmity on ethnic or religious grounds are especially dangerous and threaten the country’s stability. The police can and must use all lawful and necessary means and powers at its disposal – and I stress this point – to counter such acts. We cannot allow anarchy on our streets and public places”, - President added.

As opposed to official statements and reports of Russian TV channels, which can only reflect the official views of Kremlin, the bloggers community looks like anthill of conflicting opinions. People ask whether what is going on is the sign of democracy? Whether for these Nazi slogans, advanced by youth at Manezh Square our grandfathers fought with fascists during the World War II? Whether the powers and police are able to protect the citizens? Whether justice and law procedures become pointless in the face of corruption?
The internet community is filled with calls for new riots, from both sides – Russian nationalists forces and the Caucasian diaspora.

http://niova.livejournal.com/62919.html
“Salam, brothers and sisters.
I want to appeal to all who consider themselves Caucasians, dzhigits, abreks, and so on, or has some kind of positive attitude towards our great nation. Perhaps it is not a secret to you that in Moscow there was a case of riot with our brother, a native of Kabardino-Balkaria - Aslan Cherkesov, namely a fight with the Russian on one of the stations in the city where a Russian boy Egor Sviridov was killed. Perhaps someone feels sorry, personally I feel sorry for this Russian guy. But as always, we are exposed in the wrong way. I personally, on the site of Aslan, may have done exactly the same. And what else to do when the jackals attack from the back, and you have a gun for self-defense - of course you will defend our honour and dignity and our lives and health. When you are being attacked by a group of drunken, frostbitten <…> fans,  there is nothing left but to defend from them. <…..>
It is also not a secret for you that fans (nationalists and fascists) are gathering in huge crowds to have a large "peace" campaign in Moscow. Of course, we will be <…> the object of these action.
I call upon all our fraternal peoples of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Ossetia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to resist this actions <…> I call to you to arm yourselves AS POSSIBLE  * ... without collapsing and being afraid and sitting snug at home. I just want to say to our girls - our dear beauties, in the time interval from 10.12.2010 to 30.12.2010 please do not go out to the streets of Moscow without need, it is not difficult to understand the reason I think.
On this occasion, I suggest to gather on 15th  (15/12/2010) near Mall "European" at 18:00. WE will decide on further actions at place..
<…>
This post was named as “one more provocation”, though, as we mentioned above, the police kept a closer watch over the center of Moscow.

The next post appeared a bit earlier in one of the nationalists (or pretending to be such) blogs.
 “Ruling party today let the Caucasians go to the Manezh Square where they tried to dance a “lezghinka” while the funeral ceremony was holding by football fans in memory of E.Sviridov. FUNERAL. RF ruling authorities showed their attitude towards the problem….Its obvious that it’s a cheap provocation. Try to bring a pig’s head into the mosque – the reaction will be unequivocal  <…>  More over, ruling regime finally decided on priorities, took the side of Caucasian mobs. This is the official declare of war on Russian nation <….>”.

These two entries can only give the brief idea of the public mood here in Russia. There are more than 30, 000 posts of thousands of users. Every one has his own beliefs and his own truth.
That goes without saying, what happened at Manezh Square was not the single example of ethnic confrontation. The killing of a football fan was not at all the first killing. The major violence over Caucasians and Central Asians in Underground is just an echo of savage reprisal continued for many years.
An ethic conflict is one of the weakest points of the world’s largest country, which, by the way, won a rally for hosting the next FIFA World Cup just a week back. Seems like football is still the first to be in the news here in Russia. No matter, what colors the news, the blood, the petrodollars or both.

Riots in Moscow: Football fans and nationalists against Caucasian diaspora (Part I)

Moscow, Manezh Square, Dec, 11. Photo be Ilya Varlamov

Last Saturday, 11 December 2010, a riot broke out in Russia’s capital. More than 5 000 people gathered at central Moscow’s Manezh Square, not far from the Kremlin and nearby Okhotny Ryad metro station. There were football fans and activists of nationalistic organizations who gathered to commemorate the death of Spartak (Moscow football club) football fan Egor Sviridov, who was killed a week ago.
Sviridov died in the drunken brawl, crushed out on December, 6, between Spartak football fans and some men born in Russia’s North Caucasus. Later on, five detained Caucasians were released with recognizance not to leave. The fact gave rise to the mass riot in the city this weekend.

Funeral fires
Another action was held in the second capital of Russia, St-Petersburg, on Saturday morning. Around 2 000 people, football fans and other youth pour out into the central streets in sympathy with football fans in Moscow. The action was unauthorized, however the police could hold back the crowd.
The scenario in Moscow was different. Police seemed not to be ready for such clashes, though the actions in memory of killed Egor Sviridov were announced before by Spartak fans.  In the morning several thousand of football fans came to the place where Sviridov was killed, then moved to Manezh Square. Soon the movement went out of control and came to clashes with OMON (Special Purpose Police Unit in Russia).

Some eyewitnesses blamed police to be rude and brutal while neutralizing the riot, from another point of view, one can clearly see in photo and video reports how OMON soldiers protected several Caucasians from infuriated crowd. After getting the reinforcements special units started attacking the crowd.

Moscow, Manezh Square, Dec, 11. Photo be Ilya Varlamov

According to official statistic, 32 people were injured in the riots. Later several people of  different nationalities (Russian, Caucasians, Central Asians) were injured and several killed in Moscow’s Underground. One more football fan, Sergey Kazakov, 19, was killed on December, 10, near Volzhskaya Underground station. Though, his death was overshadowed by the latest developments.
On Monday afternoon, December, 13 police closed Manezhnaya Square and a nearest shopping mall. The measures were prompted by reports received by police about new possible gathering of football fans and members of the North Caucasian diaspora, Interfax news agency reports. However, nothing abnormal happened in the center of Moscow that night.


Photo reports here
http://novayagazeta.livejournal.com/282234.html#cutid1           Vadim Sidorov, “Novaya Gazeta”
http://www.facebook.com/novgaz#!/album.php?aid=30256&id=132740460101983  Vadim Sidorov, “Novaya Gazeta”
http://zyalt.livejournal.com/330396.html                                        Ilya Varlamov (user zyalt)
http://yellow-reporter.livejournal.com/                                           Sergey Kazakov (user yellow_reporter)
http://aleshru.livejournal.com/                                                         Mitya Aleshkovsky (user alershru)
http://taek.livejournal.com/16390.html#cutid1                                LJ user TaEk
http://community.livejournal.com/live_report/795557.html#cutid1   LJ user martin_sqare

From russia with love. And from heart, my dear friends

Football is the main news-maker in Russia nowadays, since our motherland won the race to host  FIFA World Cup in 2018.

International media just fired with discussions about racism (russian racists will attack "black" football players), corruption and "football" mafia, and of course spending millions of petrodollars for construction of whole infrastructure to host the world's main football event.

Meanwhile russian media and bloggers community discuss mostly the shame of out great mother country. I'm talking about official speech of Vitaly Mutko, Russian Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy in Zurich, FIFA headquarters...

Wanted to hear the pure Russian English? Get a chance! 
Vitaly Mutko from his heart:

Plaistow magic sounds

What a sweet evening! I’m holding a well-designed CD titled “the Crow” by great jazz band from Switzerland, the Plaistow.

These 3 guys inspired me tonight:
Cyril Bondi, drums
Raphaël Ortis, bass
Johann Bourquenez, piano

from official Plaistow web page

Plaistow is a station of London Underground  (west Ham, east London). If I knew that before I met the musicians, I would obviously ask them what is so nice in London Underground. Our St-Petersburg underground is considered as one of the most beautiful in the world, by the way. I wonder if guys will make a new composition devoted to Russian metro.
Oh, holly… What do I see in the content of new CD “The Crow”, presented by the musicians one hour ago? Track#2 “Mayakovskaya”. That’s the name of underground station in St-Petersburg. As well as in Moscow metro. Which one they mean, I wonder?

Last year, December 2009, they played in Ufa and Ivanovo, two very different from geographical and cultural point of view cities. This December, 2010, they started from Dubna, Archangelsk, then Moscow, and, at last, St-Petersburg.
As Raphael told me, he fell in love with Archangelsk, this most northern town of Russia, well known by its developed sense for experimental and alternative culture.
These Swiss guys (oops, Johann is from Toulouse, France) play very strange jazz. Professional critics will call it post-jazz with elements of fusion. Anyway, it’s the music full of improvisation, as well as academic school marks, pretentious minimalism and aggressive presentation.

Just  listen and enjoy!





Official download from Plaistow website:
http://www.edogm.net/plaistow/downloads.html

Умерла Белла Ахмадулина

Предутренний час драгоценный
спасите, свеча и тетрадь!
В предсмертных потемках за сценой
мне выпадет нынче стоять.

Взмыть голой циркачкой под купол!
Но я лишь однажды не лгу:
бумаге молясь неподкупной
и пристальному потолку.

Насильно я петь не умею,
но буду же наверняка,
мучительно выпростав шею
из узкого воротника.

Какой бы мне жребий ни выпал,
никто мне не сможет помочь.
Я знаю, как Грозен мой выбор,
когда восхожу на помост.

Погибну без вашей любови,
погибну больней и скорей,
коль вслушаюсь в ваши ладони,
сочту их заслугой своей.

О, только б хвалы не восстраждать,
вернуться в родной неуют,
не ведая - дивным иль страшным -
удел мой потом назовут.

Russians made their own "Prison Break"

OMGO!!!!
yesterday evening I was about to choke on my dinner when I saw it...



The official or non-official fan page http://pobegru.ucoz.ru/

The embarrasing fact is the great actor Uriy Chursin in the key role.
I really came to love him after "Playing the victim" by Kirill Serebryannikov....

Disappointed.

Bangladesh PM will make an official visit to Russia in early 2011

Short visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Russia in the network of "Tigers summit" was a dress rehearsal of her official visit next year. Two countries are expected to discuss the upcoming nuclear power plant project.

The transcript of a short meeting between russian PM Vladimir Putin and Sheikh Hasina, PM of Bangladesh in St Petersburg, Russia.

Vladimir Putin: Distinguished Ms Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to warmly welcome you again.
Ms Prime Minister, you are worthy of continuing what your father began, as he not only fought for the independence of Bangladesh but also took the first steps to establishing friendly cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia. Just such relations have emerged between our countries over recent years but there is still much more to do to bring our trade and economic ties on a firm basis and raise them to the proper level. There are many opportunities to do so. We have already granted tariff preferences for many of your traditional exports but more can be done in the specific areas of practical activities – energy, agriculture, mineral fertiliser trade, and military-technical cooperation. Our two countries are already cooperating in some of these areas.
I am very glad to have the opportunity to discuss our bilateral relations with you today, and I think that we should really take practical steps, especially with your upcoming visit in mind – I mean your official visit to Russia early next year.

Sheikh Hasina (as translated): Mr Prime Minister, first of all, I would like to thank you for the warm reception given to me and my delegation, and for the invitation to participate in the Tiger Forum.
It gave me a fine opportunity to see this historic city. We have heard so much about the magnificent city of St Petersburg, which has played an important part in Russian history, so we treasure this experience.
Traditionally, we have had a great respect for the Russian people since long ago – since the struggle for independence. When my father was rebuilding our country after the war, he always received support from Russia and could count on cooperation with it. In particular, the Russian military helped to clear mines on our land. Many Russian soldiers gave their lives for our country, and we will always be grateful to Russia for that.
Unfortunately, I was not able to visit Russia over the last ten years, but I think that these ten years have made our relations friendlier and stronger.

source: official web-site of Prime Minister of Russian Federation, http://premier.gov.ru

I wanna be a tiger!

If I was a tiger, i would receive (among other 3200 tigers, left on the planet) a piece of $1 million USD donation, promised by sweet Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Mr DiCaprio was one the world known celebrities, along with Naomi Campbell, to attend Tigers summit in St-Petersburg, Russia, last week.

“If we don’t take action now, one of the most iconic animals on our planet could be gone in just a few decades. By saving tigers, we can also protect some of our last remaining ancient forests and improve the lives of indigenous communities.", - calls DiCaprio through his website. His Leonardo Dicaprio Fund At California committed $1 million USD to WWF to save tigers.

Actually, only two facts remained in peoples' minds after the summit: the visit of DiCaprio and cruel jams. For 3 days the city was blocked because of diplomatic escorts. First, Mr Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, arrived, then political leaders and experts’ delegations from 13 countries, where tigers still alive: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Russia itself.

(Sourse: WWF)

Geographic puzzle

 

Why the city of Peter the Great was decided to be the best place for discussing the problem of saving tigers? Nobody knows for sure. St-Petersburg is the most European part of Russia, and no tigers were seen in this area ever.

That's Russian East, mainly Primorye and Khabarovskiy kray (the south of Far East of Russia, which is near China, North Korea and Japan), where tigers can still be found.

The way from St Petersburg to Vladivostok (the capital of Primorye) takes 7 days by train...Anyway, that was decided by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to hold the Tigers’ Summit in St-Petersburg, his home place.  «And let nobody accuse us that we are talking nonsense, that we gathered all political executives to discuss cats», - said Mr Putin opening the forum, so that nobody dare to ask such questions. 

Cats mathematics 

The numbers of tigers worldwide have dwindled to 3,200 from about 100,000 a century ago, according to WWF research. Tigers' problem wounded World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, who organized the Global Tiger Initiative in 2008, targeting the summit in 2010 as the time when tiger countries must figure out a plan for solving the problem. 

 

That was actually the idea of todays' summit in Russia - to endorse the 12-year Global Tiger Recovery Program. According to the plan, 13 participating countries are going to double the number of tigers by 2022 by developing conservation programs and cooperating across national boundaries to stop poaching and illegal trade.

To handle the program, each country allocates fund from national budgets, but also more $350 million USD is needed over the next five years to pay for the program of saving tigers. WWF undertook to contribute $50 million USD and decided to increase this figure up to 85 million. The same amount, $50 million USD, was promised by WCS. International organization based in India, Global tigers forum, will send $250 000 USD for saving tigers in Nepal.

USA also plans to grant $9,2 million USD for fighting with illegal trade of tigers' parts. Germany plans to allocate $17,2 million USD for saving tigers in Russia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam

World Bank is ready to credit of around $100 million USD for nature conservation programs to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. And Global Environment Facility(GEF) will allocate $12 million for tiger conservation programs as well as programs decreasing greenhouse effect. 

Russia itself will spend around $45 million USD for conservation of Amur tiger (or Siberian tiger) in Russia, according to Yuri Trutnev, Russia's Natural Resources Minister. He also said that Russia and China will create a protected area for tigers alongside their border and pool resources to combat poaching. 

«The main thing is to integrate our plans in the plans of economic development of Russia, - Mr Putin said. - The great Humanist Mahatma Gandhi once said that where tiger feels good, a man feels good. If a human can take care of the nature, he can take care of humans also. The country should be developed on the base of such principle as stable and responsible attitude towards nature and its resources».

WWF’s 12 Priority Landscapes for Saving Tigers

Attention! Rabbits!

Studying all these figures above, one can get confused. And Mr Putin's statement about the importance of the occasion doesn't work actually. To host such summit, with celebrities, business and political elite, diplomats, it costs a pretty penny. Air transfers, best hotels, evening treats in Strelna (President's residence), concerts in Mikhailovkiy theater...

As a journalist of Fontaka.ru counted, the annual expenses for only one tiger in the whole city of St Petersburg, which is leaving in a zoo, do not exceed $15 000 USD (food and medical treatment). That doesn’t cover the expenses even for one foreign delegation at Tigers summit, I suppose.

There are only 450 tigers left in Russia, considering 50 000$ which you will get for one killed tiger in black market, it comes $22,5 million USD. Russian country leaders are ready to spend almost 2 times more for saving the cats. If I was a tiger…

But I’m a human and I’m a citizen of this country. And my people are dying  from cold, diseases, poverty and drugs. It seems that's not a "pussy" topic to discuss, isn't it?

We, people, better prepare for upcoming Rabbit year (according to Chinese calendar). Rabbits are tigers' meal as far as I know, so maybe out political leaders would like to gather again and discuss how to spend little more money to increase the rabbits population?

Photo source: WWF, Official web-site of the Prime minister of RF