The New Nation - Internet Edition

Kitchen appliances make life easier

Farizaa Sabreen

With the advancement in technology, our lives have become more luxurious. We seek comfort and style with great efficacy. Our homes are the place where we seek comfort, and today, technology offers great gadgets and appliances, which can permit us to have comfortable and lavish lifestyles. Those days are gone when you needed to use that contemporary cooking gas to cook your food, switch to a microwave, which can help you, cook sumptuous meals within minutes, without any hassle.

Nowadays, you don't need to clean your utensils by hand, because a dishwasher can clean all those messed up dirty utensils, the latest refrigerator keep our food fresh and nutritious and a microwave oven offers fat free cooking. These smart gadgets have great efficiency and can complete those daily tiresome chores easily without leaving you exhausted.

Today, women want well equipped convenient cooking spaces and they don't mind to invest money on good things. These appliances come in varied shapes, sizes and styles to give a stylish look to the kitchen. They are cost-effective as well as give a well-organised look to the kitchen.

Kitchen appliances of the new generation offer great ease and comfort for all those people who love cooking great food. They add style and utility to our kitchen if we desire. Choose and avail these great appliances that will make your kitchen comfortable and give a life full of style and magnificence.

Microwave oven

One of the most popular gadgets in this category is the one touch microwave oven. A microwave oven is a device that is used to cook food by passing electromagnetic radiations through the food substance from all directions and thus cooking it. The microwave oven can also be used to reheat the food, which is already cooked. Philips Microwave oven is available at Tk. 7500-19500,

Washing machine

A washing machine is a machine that reduces the time, effort and energy spent in washing and designed to clean laundry. Today's washing machines offer services like hot wash, pre-programmed wash cycles, delay timers and warning sounds. Such features not only allow you to select different wash programs for different types (silks, wool) of clothes; but also help to minimize the monitoring required during washing.

The wash load of the washing machine is expressed in terms of the weight of clothes it can wash. Washing machines range in capacity from 4-8 kg. A 4 kg washing machine can meet the washing requirements of one or two persons. For a family of 4 or 5 you would need a machine that can handle a load of 6-8 kg. Singer 5 kg semi auto washing machine is at Tk.12,700, 6 kg is Tk.18,500. Philips is available at Tk.14,000-26,500. Besides, there are machines in Sanyo, Whirlpool, Daewoo, Siemens, etc.

Food processor

The food processor is another useful gadget that promises to be highly practical and useful. It will chop, slice, shred, grate, grind, and puree a variety of foods. Additional attachments will knead, juice, whisk, and cut custom-sized and -shaped pieces of food for various cooking styles. Philips is at Tk. 5,400-6500

Sandwich maker

A sandwich maker not only makes fast grilled cheese sandwiches, but can also cook pastries, pancakes, omelets and more. Older kids and teens love this fast snack maker.

Electric kettle

It makes the simple and common task of boiling water easier, faster and more energy efficient. The kettle quickly brings water to a boil for use in hot beverages like tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as a variety of other favorites like hot cereal and instant soup, pasta and rice. The one-touch on/off switch is simple to operate - just depress the switch until a click is heard to start the boiling process. An indicator light illuminates when the kettle is on.

Coffee maker

The various brewing techniques (boiling, gravity, steeping, or pressure) give the consumer many choices. Despite their differences, all coffee makers are essentially one of three types: percolators, filters and "pod" systems. The automatic drip coffee maker is probably the most popular of modern coffee makers. Espresso makers are also very popular today, and there is actually a stovetop brewer, or if you are a real espresso connoisseur, you can opt for one of the very expensive electric makers.

Kitchen hood

You shouldn't be able to smell dinner from every room in your house; that's where a residential range hood enters your life, freeing you from such concerns.

It reduces greasy build-up that can accumulate on cabinets and kitchen appliances, and strong enough to pull out contaminants that occur naturally while cooking. There are different options that can accommodate the style, function and size specifications of your kitchen. They are- under cabinet hoods, liner insert vent hoods, island or peninsula vent hoods, wall mount hoods and downdraft models.

Such handy gadgets surely prove to be a boon in the household. You not only save a lot of time and energy while performing the routine household tasks, but also make your life much more convenient.

Photography exhibition on climate change ends

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

“Cyclones, floods and droughts are a reminder of our ever-present vulnerability to climate system. It is increasingly clear that our climate is changing. Whereas, in the past humans have learnt to cope with climate variability and change that’s natural in origin, we are now living in a climate of our own making,” said Tanvir Murad Topu, photographer and Coordinator of Drik Gallery, at a week-long photography exhibition on climate change at Drik Gallery in the city recently.

The FK Bangladesh Network launched the exhibition on World Environment Day (June 5) in collaboration with Drik Gallery and Ain O Salish Kendra in order to raise awareness on the causes and effects of climate change in Bangladesh. The show concluded on June 11.

Deforestation, cutting hills, unplanned brick fields, dumping toxic chemicals at the ship breaking yards, river erosion, cyclones and floods, excess rain, landslide, forest fire and sharp drop in water level in dry seasons were highlighted in the selected photographs.

A total of 604 photographs by 164 photographers from all over the country were initially submitted for the competition, which was announced with a submission deadline of May 25, 2008. The show featured 46 photographs by 32 photographers selected from a nationwide competition to observe 'World Environment Day.’

The organisers also awarded three artistes for their images on climate change.

Saiful Chowdhury won the first prize, while Khaled Hasan and Saiful Haq Omi won 2nd and 3rd award respectively.

A panel of judges comprising Shahidul Alam, Shafiqul Alam Kiron and Enam Ul Haque selected the winners.

Khaled Hasan’s 2nd prize-winning photograph highlighted a brickfield worker bemusedly standing in front of his place of work. Inconsistency of monsoon often leaves many brickfield workers jobless throughout every year.

Saiful Huq Omi’s 3rd prize-winning photograph featured the cruelty of river erosion, which rendered thousands of families homeless every year.

A photograph, taken by Abu Taher Khokon, showed two children walking far from their home to fetch water in the dry season - a tube well remains useless due to fall in water level.

The photographs were the reflections of climate change, its destructive faces and the dangers that we are facing. The crops and water resources that we use to sustain our communities are linked to our life, climate, economy and above all our existence. But, the persons responsible for the dangers as an outcome of climate change have ignored the realities. That is why the dangers are embracing human life. The photos at the show have presented all these facts and scenes, said the organisers.

Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Prof Muzaffer Ahmad inaugurated the show and handed over awards among the winners.

Apart from the gallery exhibition, several mobile shows will also be organised in June on five rickshaw vans in Netrakona, Pabna, Gaibandha and Sirajganj, said a gallery official.

Art competitions among school children will also be held in connection with the event, he said.

My Father

Hafizul Alam

Today 29th May 2008 marks the 10th death anniversary of the late Dr Shamsul Alam. This event can remind us of the contribution that many Bangladeshi's made abroad during our liberation war as well as the struggles they faced as students during the language movement days .His father in law was also a noted physician the late Dr Mohammad Mobarak Ali who qualified as a medical practioner in Kolkata in 1925 and was one of the first Muslim Doctors in British India.

Dr Abul Fazl Muhammad Shamsul Alam was born in 1929 at Peroli, Upazilla Kalia,the eldest son of seven brothers and five sisters. His late father Md. Abdul Goffar attended Presidency College and was himself a scholar who would ask challenging questions from Nessfield Grammar to his young relatives. His mother was Nur Jahan Begum a pious housewife who was the niece of Khan Bahadur Altaf Ahmed, retired District judge of Peroli Kahia.

Shamsul Alam had his education in Khulna Jela School where he stood 6th in the matriculation exams and got 3 letters. Then he went to Presidency college in Kolkata for his intermediate getting First Division and then to Dhaka Medical college. He stayed at Jinnah Hall Mizapur, Kolkata in 1945 during his Presidency college days. Originally he applied to get admission in honours in Physics however his father pressurized him to do the MBBS course .In the annual examinations of MBBS class of 1948 he stood 1ST and got 30 Rupees as scholarship in addition to 50 Rupees stipend from the Jessore District Board. His interests not only centered around medicine but also in political science and literature .So it was no surprise that he became a very close friend of (Justice ) Muhammad Habibur Rahman during his university days who had similar interests.

He was friend and political adversary of Dr Badruddoza Chaudrey who was one year junior to him in medical college He was active in the language movement as well as college politics. They argued a lot on political matters but their arguments were always based on reason. Dr Shamsul Alam edited the 1st Dhaka Medical College magazine in 1948 which was later banned by the government of East Pakistan. Dr Shamsul Alam was selected by some students of Dhaka Medical college for the canditure of vice president of the Dhaka Medical College students union.

In May 1960 Dr Alam got married and worked in various medical posts becoming Professor (Medicine) in Sylet medical college 1961 and then working in Rajshai Medical College as a medical register.

Badruddoza Chaudrey and Shamsul Alam worked together later in Dhaka medical college as lecturers in pathology after they both became Doctors. As B Chaudrey left for higher studies for 2 years and came back to Dhaka in 1963 his friend Dr. Shamsul Alam left for U.K in 1964 and settled there.

He went to the U.K on a commonwealth scholarship in 1964 to get his M.R.C.P which he obtained from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland ( RCPI ).Although living in the U.K during the liberation war like many Bangladeshis in London(where most of the Bangaldeshi community lived ) he followed the events unfolding in Bangladesh closely .He was involved like many others in the collection of funds which was sent to support the liberation war.

Bangladeshi Doctors in the U.K were very pro-active during our war of independence .He was one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Medical Association of U.K and had served a term as its President. At this period the Council for the People's Republic of Bangaldesh in the U.K was formed on 24th April 1971 in Coventry,UK by expatriate Bangladeshi's. One of the key members of the central steering committee for this organization was his close friend and associate Sheikh Abdul Mannan. Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury provided an advisory role to the steering committee. He always looked for and gave support and advice from his two closest friends in the U.K the Late Dr Q M S Ala (ex Director of Green Delta Insurance and General Medical Practitioner) and Dr. M.A Hakim (ex Treasurer Gono Forum).

After a losing touch since their days as lecturers in Dhaka Medical College. Dr Badruddoza. Chaudrey meet Dr. Shamsul Alam again in 1978 during his visit to London .After this whenever .Dr Badruddoza. Chaudrey went to the U.K he would often visited his residence in South London There they enjoyed each others company and talked about their past student days.

Dr. Shamsul Alam passed away due to myocardial infarction and coronary atheroma at a medical teaching hospital St Georges Hospital, Tooting was where Dr Alam worked as a senior registrar in the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation department in 29th May 1998. Dr Alam took up the position as senior registrar in 1978 and finished his contract in 1985. There he had developed research interests in the fields of rheumatoid arthritis and was regular contributor to the Annals of rheumatology .He worked under two renowned consultants Dr Brian Bourke and Dr Felix Bruckner. He served as medical consultant in Bhada Abdul Aziz Hospital in Riad, Saudi Arabia between 1986 and 1987.In 1990 he tried in vain to retire and settle in Dhaka but was unfortunate to have some bad experiences which made him disillusioned about Bangladeshi society and he returned to London.

Dr Badruddoza Chaudrey still keeps in contact with Dr Shamsul Alam's eldest son Hafizul Alam who now works as an accountant for a multi-national telecommunications company in Dhaka. Family ties remain as Hafizul is a good friend of Dr. Badruddoza son of Mahi.

Dr Alam was married to Mr's Jalale Fatema who survives him to date. His two sons, a daughter in law and two granddaughters. Special prayers and destitute feeding programme will be held in his hometown of Narail as well as in Dhaka. An orphanage will receive food donation.

Adieu: To all Bengalee Fathers on Father’s Day

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

I am afraid of the single word "death". Why? Please never ask me. I always adore, care for my flesh and blood. When I would die, my daughter Warda will definitely miss me; I too. It is unbearable to leave this little angel. When I become a father, I am thinking, I have achieved something, something that cannot be written because I cannot. Holding that tiny being in my hands, a life is magical thing to be apart of. I put my parental eyes at that calm angel, I never want to depart her, I want to watch her mature, but it dawns on me, the truth comes out, I would not.

Last year I died. Do you want to know how I died? I died because of a little dog, a rickshaw accident over the City Corporation's conventional ditch. A dog's safety welcomed my death. I wished to see my baby, Warda, grow into the beautiful woman. Her husband will visit me once a week. He will buy fruits and lobster for watering my mouth. She was not even a year old, when I died. I never got to see the proudest moments of a father's life, the first steps, her first word not even her first tooth. I was not able to see how she rang me frequently at office to bring her fond foods on my way back home.

And the moment I died, the ever-lasting memory I have was my daughter Warda. I was calling her. How stupid am I? I should have known, my baby was not able to respond to anyone. I am so sure, my baby will hardly remember me.

I will miss her pointed look at me. What she tries to discover in me? God knows! I will miss her zigzag sound what she means, she talks. Her soothing breathing as she sleeps, her cries and her bubbling noise she does will make me envisage love and pleasure.

My mother had been also a daughter once of my grand parents. When she grew older, she also became my daughter. So, do I have two daughters? I was nervous. I died before my two daughters. One is not even one year old another one is about 65. Who is my beloved? I am nervous break down!

My dreams were honest. Really? I remember when I said the last words to my baby, "I may die, but my love will never die for you. What is love? It is the conservation of generation. My father conserved me, I too. I will never be a disappearing father, I will let you keep smiling…I promise and my promise"

10 Essential Health Tips

"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb

1. Move More

Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat

Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking

The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress

Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution

If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt

Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth

Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking

While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well

The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

What do you do after work?

What do you do when you get home from work? More than an entire week! You have to work that week. You have no room, no time, and especially no energy for a house guest.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that one of the best ways for us to cope with our work related stress is to balance our work life with our personal life.

Most people use their after work time to eat, catch up on household chores, and "decompress," which almost always is a nice way of saying "watch TV or surf the Internet". Think about this: When you spend 40 hours a week at work, and 40 hours of your work week sleeping then you're left with an unaccounted for 40 hours that is all yours! 40 hours! When we spend 40 hours sleeping, what's the use in spending another 40 hours sleepwalking?

The things experts suggest to keep our stress level down are basically just general guidelines on how to love your life, no matter what day it is:

Keep your sense of humor: Try to keep things in perspective. So the copy machine is broken: is your life really over? Or will you just be scrambling for the rest of the day?

Develop interests outside of work: Probably making paper snowflakes will only take me so far, but do anything you enjoy and that will make your evenings go by slower - in a good way.

Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise: These two go hand in hand anyway. The more active you are during the day, the better you're going to sleep at night. Even if your day was demanding and the last thing you want to do is see the inside of a gym to pump iron, you can always take a long walk in the park - something pretty and low intensity. Yoga is also a great stress-reliever.

Be spontaneous: Just go do something totally different and unexpected without any prior planning. Don't fall into the old "Tuesday is chicken day, Wednesday is Friends re-runs and pizza day" trap. If you have nothing to look forward to, nothing to spice things up a bit, your weekdays can stretch out to be long and monotonous.

Read, learn to cook fancy dishes, or re-arrange your furniture. Changing things up a bit outside of work really makes the dreaded hour of 6:00 a.m. a bit more bearable.

Westin’s Food & Beverage for June

In the month of June treat your family and friends to our innovative food and beverage promotion in our different food and beverages outlets. .

Taste:

The most contemporary restaurant in the city, serves Pan Asian Interactive breakfast, lunch and dinner spread and a la carte meals, from a selection of international beef, poultry and seafood with quality beverage to complement.

In this month during dinner Taste will be offering seafood dishes that will certainly whet you appetite. Pamper yourself with Sea Food Promotion, check-out selections from Lobster, Prawn, Salmon, and Calamari. Also enjoy the chefs' performance in live cooking show. In lunch Explore exquisite taste of Beef with Lobster in Surf & Turf Lunch promotion at Taste.

Treats

Treats offers a range of freshly baked items, refreshing tea & coffee, signature chocolates, homemade cookies, scrumptious pastries, inspired mocktails and beverages. The 24 hour open restaurant also offers take away services. OurTreat's master pastry chef offers her innovative creations in June - Passion Fruit Raspberry Bavaroise Cake created. As well as savor the delicacy of American style Hot Dog.

The Living Room

Living Room offers a wide selection of revitalizing tea, coffee beverages and innovative snacks with light entertainment. Every evening unwind yourself with the chef's live cooking performance while you are enjoying a wide selection of Vietnamese Seafood Spring Roll. Also experience live performance by Music Mates daily except Friday from 8.30 pm to 10.00 pm

Splash

Come and enjoy the true Californian style Inside Out Californian Sushi with salmon during the promotion "Sushi Me@ Splash". Feed the body and nourish the soul with munchies in the tranquility of the blue water of our swimming pool. You are welcome to grab a table inside the restaurant or outside by the pool

Prego

Experience the warmth and charm of Italy; the rich colors, flavors, and true taste to feel your senses in a contemporary yet authentic restaurant in a relaxed ambience - over looking the city from level 23. Celebrate the Lobster Mania @ Prego for the whole month of June and witness the live performance of Music Mates everyday except Friday from 10.45 p.m. to 12.30 a.m.

Jewelry Trends: Accessories wins not sins

The choice of accessories is a very personal affair, it's very important that you feel comfortable and in harmony with what you wear. But jewelry is a very special thing that require thorough consideration and good taste. Here are our expert advise on how to make the most of the jewelry:

Woman jewelry rules:

1. Remember "one-statement-at-a-time" rule. It means that you should balance your jewelry items. For example, a dramatic necklace requires modest earrings and vice versa. Similarly, if you don't want to look like a Christmas tree, avoid wearing more than one massive and bold ring at a time. The combination of 2 or 3 discreet rings is ok within the good-taste limits. The same is for the bracelets. But then do not wear a necklace.

Jewelry sets are traditional gifts. They usually include matching necklace, ear-rings, a bracelet and a ring. Do not wear them all at once.

A necklace is good together with a ring, and ear-rings are a fabulous match for a bracelet. You can compliment them with a wedding ring.

2. Face shape and hair style have an influence on what to wear.

For instance, massive ear-rings look out of place if you have a small face with fine features or short-cut hair. Hair worn piled up is a fabulous opportunity to wear long drop or dangly earrings.

3. Consider your age when choosing the stones and metals that can work best for you.

The good options for a young girl are some strings of pearls, corals, turquoise a-la russe (i.e. set in silver or gold).

More mature ladies are free to wear all possible precious stones.

As to the metals, it's up to you what to choose taking your taste, hair and eye-color into account. But on the whole, silver jewelry is considered to be an every-day thing, not appropriate for formal and special occasions.

You can combine silver and gold jewelry. But think thoroughly over the combination. For example, silver and gold chains can liven a dark dress up. Never combine a silver necklace with a gold bracelet.

Man jewelry rules:

All man jewelry should be simple in design and of excellent quality. Never reject things because they are not the latest fashion. For men, an ancient signet or a pin with a big diamond are status symbols. The excellent jeweler's art raise all possible objections.

A signet produces a better effect on a long-fingered man's hand than on a plump and short-fingered one. In case it's an ancient gold signet with an official seal or a monogram you can wear it on a little finger of either hand. Choosing the left one you "soothe the pain" of a too strong hand-shake. A signet on a forefinger or a middle finger looks melodramatic and stagy.

The watches and cigar-cases can only be gold or silver, steel or platinum, enamel is also ok.

The cigar-case should not be decorated with precious or semi-precious stones.

The wrist-watches match an evening suit unless they have a leather wristlet. In such situations men are supposed to wear flat gold or platinum watch on a thin gold or platinum chain.

An Ascot-tie (a wide square-ended tie worn in a knot) is decorated with a moonstone or amethyst pin or other light stone. A pin isn't worn with usual ties. The Ascot-tie can compliment only cut-away suits (appropriate for important or very festive day-time events).

The pearly collar-studs are a must for a shirt in a cut-away suit. The cuffs are linked with gold cuff-links-chains which can be decorated with precious stones.

Event: Example of the cultural co-operation between France and Bangladesh Alliance Française opens third branch

Shakhawat Hossain

Alliance Française (AF) de Dacca, which is one of the link of a vast network of 1071 AFs across the world and not only welcomes 450.000 students every year for learning the French language, but also invites 6 million people for participating in various cultural activities round the year, opened another branch at Uttara on Thursday.

This will be the third branch of AF in Dhaka after the opening of the second branch at Baridhara in 2006. Opening of the two branches of AF within the period of two-year clearly demonstrates another example of the existing deep-rooted cultural co-operation between France and Bangladesh.

Ambassador of France Mr. Charley Causeret formally inaugurated the Uttara Branch of AF. It is noted that AF has been functioning in Bangladesh since 1959, and is going to celebrate its golden jubilee next year.

Inaugurating the new branch of AF French Ambassador Charley Causeret said:

the opening of the second annex shows that there exists a close co-operation in the field of culture between Bangladesh and France and the very positive sign on the eve of the golden jubilee of the Alliance Française of Dhaka, which we shall celebrate next year.

French Ambassador said that Alliance Française of Dhaka de Dacca was opened in 1959 in Dhanmondi at the time when the capital city Dhaka was not yet a megalopolis. With the passing years, Dhaka didn't stop and becoming more and more busy. Many people who were interested in the activities offered by the Alliance by the Mirpur Road were discouraged by traffic jams from attending the courses. So, the members of the Executive Board came to the wise conclusion that if students couldn't go anymore to the Alliance Française should go to them.

And that's why, in 2006, a first annex of AF was opened in Baridhara at the request of the people living nearby. For the same reason s, this year, it was decided to open another new annex in Uttara which is far from both Dhanmondi and Baridhara, further added the French Ambassador.

He also hoped that with the opening of this new annex, the opportunity will be given to many more persons to have access to the French language and French Culture as those were the objectives of the Alliance Française founded in 1983 in Paris by renowned humanists such as Louis Pasteur This new branch includes 6 classrooms of which two are already in service.

25 students started the course at the beginning of April and the number of learners is expected to double from the next session which will start in July. This branch will also propose cultural activities.

Workshops of Guitar and Art of Interior Design are also being offered right now.

A Cafeteria where to chatter within a pleasant atmosphere, or to study, as well as a small library dedicated to the French culture will be in action in the future.

The main purpose of setting up a new branch of AF in this area is to help all the young people to get access to a new culture, to build their future, to cultivate their mind and also to spend a pleasant moment with friends within boundaries of Alliance which is conveniently located at the plot no-15, Isha Kha Avenue, Sector-6, Uttara.

It is further noted that Alliances are French only in France because, here like everywhere in the world, they are the local associations directed by a local board of directors. It is thus at first a 100% Bangladeshi establishment for serving Bangladeshis.

Organisational Behaviour-a new popular field of interest

Anika Nashat Matin

Organisational Behaviour a very popular, known and important subject to learn, to deal for a profitable organisation. In a single subject, all topics and issues that are related for the benefit of good running of an organisation are included. It deals with each behavioural pattern of different levels of people that work in an organisation. It must be noted that human resources are one of the main pillars of an organisation, so considering their satisfaction eventually becomes an important element. From manager to higher level authority can be benefited from understanding organisations behaviour. It is undoubtable that, in an organisation each individual or each employee brings a unique set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and other personal characteristics and these characteristics must interact with each other in order to create a good organisational setting. Setting employees, assigned the appropriate work, understanding their needs, having a perfect structure of hierarchy are also countable for forming a good organisational setting and to understand all these understanding organisational behaviour is a must. Recently organisation a behaviour has drawn the attention of different researchers. As one noted behavioural expert, aptly commented “God gave all the easy problems to physicists, human behaviour is complex, because they are not a like, our ability to make simple, accurate and sweeping generalisations is limited”. Two people often act differently in the same situation and the same person’s behaviour changes in

different situations. The existing theories of organisational behaviour are helping the employees, the top levels, and other individuals to run an organisation effectively as it deals with the individual behaviour, the organisational and the interaction between these two. Moreover, day by day this subject is composing a large number of theories that are research-based. Meanwhile, I am personally very grateful to my university, Southeast University (SEU) for making Organisations Behaviour an individual subject by which myself and other students of Business Schools are benefited by gathering the related knowledge about this important subject which will lead our individual careers. The new ideas, the new theories that are developing the O.B’s image toward study which are useful as well as for the existing organisation and for the future leaders of the organisations.

What is a Blog?

So what is a Blog anyway? A weblog is a hierarchy of text, images, media objects and data, arranged chronologically, that can be viewed in an HTML browser. A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.

Blogs are usually (but not always) written by one person and are updated pretty regularly. Blogs are often (but not always) written on a particular topic - there are blogs on virtually any topic you can think of. From photography, to spirituality, to recipes, to personal diaries to hobbies - blogging has as many applications and varieties as you can imagine. Whole blog communities have sprung up around some of these topics putting people into contact with each other in relationships where they can learn, share ideas, make friends with and even do business with people with similar interests from around the world.

Blogs usually have a few features that are useful to know about if you want to get the most out of them as a reader. Literally millions of people blog from around the world. Its not just something for young people, or geeks, or cool folk, or Westerners, or even for people with their own computers - instead its something virtually anyone with access to a computer and the internet once or twice a week can start up.