Category: HSC – Composition

Vision 2021 a framework of a future Bangladesh that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the citizens of the country for an economically inclusive and politically accountable society. The vision proposed a set of concrete measures to achieve eight indentified goals by 2021.

It ensures a democratic system where people choose their government freely and get services from it without hassle, enjoy freedom from fear and intolerance, live with dignity, where every citizen is assured of social justice, environmental protection, human rights and equal opportunities; and where the rule of law and good governance flourish.

We envision a liberal, progressive and democratic welfare state. Simultaneously we envision a Bangladesh which by 2020/2021, will be a middle income country where poverty will be drastically reduced, where our citizens will be able to meet every basic need and where development will be on fast track.

The goals of Vision 2021 are: to become a participatory democracy; to have an efficient, accountable, transparent and decentralised system of governance; to become a poverty-free middle-income country; to have a nation of healthy citizens; to develop a skilled and creative human resource; to become a globally integrated regional economic and commercial hub; to be environmentally sustainable; and to be a more inclusive and equitable society.

These goals emerged from a one-year long activism of Bangladesh civil society throughout 2006, when 15 local level dialogues were held across the country, under the title of National Election 2007: The Bangladesh Vision 2021 document was handed over to the leaders of major political parties at the Nagorik Forum organised in Dhaka on 9 December 2006.

This enshrines citizen’s aspirations as well as optimism as regards the future of Bangladesh as a country that will be built on principles of democracy, inclusiveness, justice and fairness, accountability and good governance. (Words : 303)

Bangladesh-New Zealand series was held in 2013. The people all over the Bangladesh eagerly waited to see the series. They all expected some victory but winning victory like this, where the opponent team was so strong was really unexpected by the cricket loving people of Bangladesh.

Few could imagine Bangladesh whitewashing the Kiwis 3-0, especially after New Zealand posted 300-plus in the third ODI. No matter how big the total is, how tough the opposition is, the Tigers just don’t go down without a fight. That’s how they have been able to hand two ‘Banglawashes’ in a row to New Zealand.

Just before the start of the ODI series, Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan couldn’t participate due to dengue fever. Could Bangladesh do it without Shakib was a big question. In fact, in the past, if any of Bangladesh’s main players got injured, it became quite tough to fill that gap.

But things seem to be improving on the Bangladesh bench. Naeem Al Islam filled in Shakib’s place with clinical displays, while Tamim Iqbal’s absence in the final ODI didn’t affect the team.

It was encouraging to see Bangladesh not panicking, which has been a sea change in the side’s approach in close finishes. In the past, Bangladesh have lost matches from winning positions. But this bunch of Bangladeshis seems to know how to hold their nerves, though their real test remains away from home.

Credit must be given to skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, who has proved to be the agent of this welcome change. He doesn’t fear throwing youngsters into the line of fire, and so far they have come out stronger and as match-winners.

It was a great victory by the young tigers. There is no denying the fact that this victory will encourage the young player further to play good matches. (Words : 307)

Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.

Democracy are of two types— direct democracy and indirect democracy. In a direct democracy the citizen of a country have the right to elect and form the government choosing their favourite candidate by voting. But in an indirect democracy citizens cannot elect their candidate directly. In this system the citizens elect a good number of representatives and then these people select their leader from amongst themselves to form the government. Bangladesh follow the direct democracy and USA follow the indirect democracy.

According to Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the USA and one of the illustrious statesmen of the world, “Democracy is a form of government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Every citizen in a democratic state should have the opportunity to develop his personality. He must have access to knowledge, must be able to earn an adequate wage. The state must guarantee him the right to work as well as leisure. All these raise the important question of education of the citizens of a democratic state. Education must teach them to think and act freely and express their views boldly.

Without proper organization, the people cannot express themselves effectively. The leader of the party must be responsible, honest and courageous.

Given favorable conditions, democracy is the best form of government known so far. It reconciles liberty and authority; it imbues the citizens with a sense of patriotism; it aims at giving the greatest happiness to the greatest number of citizens in a state. Under the democratic form of government, human character develops and the individual realizes his best self. (Words : 309)

Modern age is the contribution of science, needless to say. We cannot imagine our modern age without science.

Information technology has added a new speed in our communication. Internet, e-mail, telex, fax etc. have made our communication easier.

Computer is the latest invention of science. All kinds of official activities cannot be imagined without it.

Mobile phone is another very important invention of modern science. Besides communicating with others, it can be used in watching movies, enjoying audio songs, making calculation, knowing time and date, seeing ways in the dark etc. By fax one can send any writing, picture, or document over great distance very easily.

Satellite channel has added a new dimension to our entertainment. It has introduced us with different countries, the culture of different nations, international affairs and sports.

The advancement of science in medical sector is really admirable. Due to the blessing of science the rate of death has decreased and man can lead a sound life.

The invention of bus, truck and all other vehicles has developed communication sectors and also spread our trade and commerce.

We can notice the advancement of science in food processing, house-building, constructing roads, bridges etc. We can solve a complicated sum with the help of a calculator. Sewing clothes, printing of million of pages is now a matter of short time.

Like everything it has also some demerits. The invention of deadly weapons and their use in battle and war causes innumerable destruction of life and property. The misuse of internet and mobile/phone causes many unlawful and immoral activities.

In spite of having some demerits, we cannot contradict the helpful contribution of science in this modern age. Its immoral and evil side should be restricted and it should be used only for the moral and useful purpose of human being. (Words : 304)

About fifty percent of our people are women. In the past, the employment scope for our women was very limited, but day by day it is increasing.

Earlier, women could not go out of the four walls of their homes and get themselves employed in the society. Their position in the family and in the society was much ignoble (bxP). Their jobs were only to work as mothers, wives and house keepers. They would give birth to and bring up their children.

But at present they are playing important roles in all spheres of our country. They are no longer confined within their parents’ or husbands’ houses.

Women are also contributing a lot to their families with their income. They do both their household works and work outside of their houses. They are contributing a lot to our economy and the nation. After receiving higher education and trainings, they are employed as   teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, administrators, pilots, engineers, and so on. Many of our women are employed in our family planning and health sector. They work in rural and urban areas. Not only that a good number of women works in non-traditional jobs like mills, factories, construction works, pharmaceutics and also involves in small scale trade and business.

The lion’s share of the foreign currency in Bangladesh comes from ready-made garments industries. But these industries are mainly dependent on women. 90 percent of the garment workers are women.

However, there are still some barriers to their employment as well as self-employment sectors. There are negligence towards them, low pay for many of them and, insecurity etc.

As time goes by, the scopes for women employment and their contribution are increasing. Our government and other concerned bodies should see to all of their employment related problems and solve them. (Words : 302)

Empowerment is needed where there is unequal distribution of power among people in any society or country. It results in people’s experiences of power or powerlessness. Women in Bangladesh have been in many ways inferior to and dependent on men from early childhood.  Although our constitution has given equal rights to our women, they still suffer from discrimination and violence. These discrimination and violence occur at homes, at workplaces and everywhere.

The women in our rural Bangladesh are hard working.  They perform heavy household works throughout the day.  But women’s contribution to the family income is not well-evaluated. Illiteracy is the prime barrier against women empowerment.

There are many barriers against women empowerment. Our society consists of male-based family. Many male members of the family do not like their women’s employment outside the home. Again women are compelled to work at low wages in agriculture as well as job sector. Though there are lot of plans to empowerment women, the result of materialisation is not satisfactory.But the government of Bangladesh is keen to empower our women. To improve the literacy and education level among girls and women, fees and charges have been waived up to higher secondary level. In almost all government jobs in Bangladesh there are quotas for women. Various NGOs are providing micro-credit loan to poor women. It has a tremendous positive impact on women empowerment in our rural and urban areas. There are strict laws in places to protect women’s right. We have reserved seats for women in our Parliament and they can also compete in other seats as well. We have found women as our Prime Ministers for three consecutive terms. Even then we have to go a long way towards establishing equal rights for men and women that is women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. (Words : 303

Water hyacinth is a floating plant with thick, glossy, round leaves, inflated leaf stems, and very showy lavender flowers. It is sometimes stuck in mud, appearing rooted, and it is rarely found as a single plant. It is found globally in the tropics and subtropics but its spread is limited by severe cold.

Water hyacinth makes waterways clog, making boating, fishing and almost all other water activities impossible. Water flow through water hyacinth mats is greatly diminished. Water hyacinth degrades water quality by blocking photosynthesis, which greatly reduces oxygen levels in the water. This creates a cascading effect by reducing other underwater life such as fish and other plants. Water hyacinth also reduces biological diversity. In Florida, millions of dollars a year is used to spend on water hyacinth control.

Despite these serious drawbacks, water hyacinth invasions can be harnessed for environmental benefit and renewable energy production. Water hyacinths have high cellulose content, making them a potential renewable energy source. We can also utilize the plants as craft materials such as bags, mats, accessories, table cloth and so on. As a result, waste that was very harmful can be finally profitable. Water hyacinth can cure throat-feels-hot, urticaria and ulcers. Nowadays, it can be brought to use as organic fertilizer. Water hyacinth can absorb metals like copper and lead from industrial sewage and living place sewage. It also can absorb mercury and lead melt in the liquid.

Where water hyacinth is found in abundance, it is not itself the problem, which is to be eradicated at all costs. Rather, it is a clear sign that something else is out of balance. Often it is a sure sign that the water contains too many nutrients, which may come from soil erosion, from agricultural chemicals or from domestic or industrial pollution. (Words : 302)

Before we know it, technology is going to pass us by. With the invention of the computer and the internet, the possibilities are endless.

Society is changing by leaps and bounds, with no chance of a stopping point in the near future. The Internet affects us in every way, most importantly with our social lives, our jobs and our entertainment.

Our social lives are not just communicating with telephones and mail anymore. Going “on-line” is the new way we like to communicate with people.

Email is also another popular way to correspond with others. Users can electronically send mail to another person with an on-line mailbox, simply by typing in their message and sending it by the click of a button.

Computers can calculate and figure out things much quicker than the average person. This process can not only save time, but money too. Stock trading is now on the Internet, along with banking and any other type of business you could imagine.

In the future, hundreds or millions of jobs will be taken away from honest hard-working employees and will be given to computers. No matter what choices we make or what plans we change, these outcomes are going to become real.

Computers and the internet are definitely affecting the way we entertain ourselves. The most basic example is card games, chess, watching movies etc. People can do all of these activities in the comfort of their own houses. No cash money is wasted or time spent driving around to find entertainment and so people are happy.

The inevitable outcome of this magnificent invention is going to change the world. With the choice of having a computer and being on-line, there is almost nothing you cannot do. This remarkable idea of the internet is going to revolutionize the way we live in the future. (Words : 305)

Facebook is a very popular social networking site with over eight hundred million users. It has become so much a part of people’s lives that we can learn the life story just by checking their page. There are positive and negative effects that Facebook has on people and they can be quite significant.

Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends who live far away. With the status updates, messaging, video chat, photos, and profile information, it can keep us up to date with the happenings of all of our close ones.

Facebook makes meeting new people extremely easy due to the fact that it allows you to add up to thousands of friends and act as a social melting pot of the internet.

Facebook makes expressing oneself very simple with status updates. It is a lot harder to feel embarrassment over the internet than in person. So, people find it easier to ‘vent’ their feelings on Facebook.

On the contrary, on Facebook it is very easy for cyber bullies to thrive. They can harass and/or gang up on one person. There aren’t moderators that go around monitoring what people say to each other. Anything can be said.

Furthermore, it is clear that school grades will suffer when spending too much time on Facebook as valuable study time is lost. Besides, some studies suggest that so-called teenage “hyper-social networkers” are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, drug use, fighting and promiscuity.

Active, but overt, monitoring and open communication about appropriate usage is the key to all the problems. This active role could prevent serious consequences such as depression, anxiety or even suicide. It is also important for parents to stay abreast with online trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications. (Words : 303)

Bangladesh is a country which is blessed with six colourful seasons with colourful scenic beauty. Winter is one of them. In comparison to western countries, winter days are not wintry in Bangladesh. In Bangla year, Poush-Magh (December-January-February) are the two months of winter.

Winter follows the late autumn. Winter looks gloomy. Trees become bare of leaves. Days are very short and the nights are very long. People shiver in cold. They wrap themselves with quilt and blanket when they go to bed at night. Poor people in the villages make fire with leaves and straw in the morning to warm themselves.

All through the season, the weather is very foggy and cold. Most of the days, we cannot find the sunlight in early morning. For the well-off people this season is very pleasant, eagerly awaited and planned for. But for poor people, it brings curse through suffering. Death because of bitter cold is the news of everyday. People in villages are in predicament for lack of warm colthes. Sometimes government distributes warm clothes among the slum dwellers.

The nature takes an outstanding look in winter. In the morning, when the sun starts to peep, the grasses with dew drops look like glittering gold. Children and other people are seen to bask in the sun. The gift of winter is also felt through food items. The foggy morning is flavoured by the  steaming hot pitha. New fresh vegetables and supply of fishes, date palm juice, molasses from sugarcane are found available in the market. ‘Pitha Utsab’ is usually celebrated by the people of capital in Dhaka. Some location is full of migratory birds coming from countries of extreme cold.

For the poverty stricken people the balmy and comfortably cool days of winter bring no cheer. As a whole, Bangladeshi winter has both exciting and depressing phenomena. We should welcome the season cordially. (Words : 313)