Bangladesh Goes Gaga Over Arabic ..... .....
http://www.thedailystar.net/dailystarnews/200304/12/n3041201.htm#BODY8
Daily Star, Dhaka
Saturday, April 12, 2003
ZIA neon sign flashes in Arabic
A huge neon sign in Arabic has been put up in the newly built
extension of Zia International Air****t (ZIA).
A neon sign appears in Arabic at the extension of Zia International
Air****t. The sign, installed a month ago, came as a puzzle to many.
Presumably announcing the name of the two decades old air****t, the
neon sign was installed a month ago in addition to the existing Bangla
and English ones at the air****t terminal.
This is the first time that a public installation announces its name
in Arabic.
A top official of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB)
said they introduced Arabic neon sign out of a necessity. He however
would not explain what was the necessity. "If necessary, we may
introduce signage in other languages like French."
"You should be happy to see the signage in Arabic, shouldn't you?" the
top CAAB official quipped.
Another senior CAAB official told The Daily Star that the neon sign
was installed there at the instruction of some top policymakers. "We
don't know what is the need to have this Arabic neon sign."
Air passengers and visitors were surprised and even confused to see it
out there.
"I came from abroad last week and when I looked out from the window of
the aircraft, I was puzzled," said Shahdat Hossain of Kalabagan. "At
first I thought I landed in some Middle Eastern city by mistake! Later
I realised it's Dhaka and they are just trying to change its look."
"I have never seen any public installations with Arabic signage unless
they have anything to do with religion. What is the point of having it
at ZIA?" wondered Shahed Khan of Uttara.
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http://www.thedailystar.net/dailystarnews/200304/14/n3041411.htm#BODY2
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Monday, April 14, 2003
Letters To The Editor
"ZIA neon sign flashes in Arabic"
====================
(1) By T Ali, Dhaka
I must commend The Daily Star on bringing up the issue of the Arabic
sign at ZIA air****t ("ZIA neon sign flashes in Arabic", April 12). I
was shocked to see that we have started putting Arabic signs on public
buildings. This does not augur well for our secular institutions.
I also saw in the re****t that this is the first time such a sign has
been put on a public installation and that this took place a month
ago.
Wait a minute! The CAAB put up a neon sign in Arabic on top of ZIA
Air****t and The Daily Star took one month to re****t it?
====================
(2) By Yossarian, Dhaka
Why on earth does ZIA s****t a sign in Arabic? It would have been one
thing if this sign had been there from the beginning but quite another
to put it up now.
At a time when we should be promoting our secular institutions and
trying to bring the fundamentalists in order, fla****ng Arabic signs
might not be the best idea.
English is the lingua franca, Bengali is our language. What on earth
does Arabic have to do with us?
====================
(3) By ****bly Azad, New York City, USA
I really am "shocked and awed" by the Aviation Ministry's decision to
install an Arabic sign at the Zia International Air****t.
I believe that the decision is a nonsense act that for obvious
reasons, indicates lack of common sense:
First, does the policy makers really believe that installing an Arabic
sign at the Zia International Air****t would provide Bangladesh an
Islamic identity or express an additional dosage of solidarity with
the Muslim Ummah?
Our policy makers might lack common sense, but I am afraid to say, the
rest of the world goes by common sense. Since in order to claim its
Islamic/Muslim heritage, neither Bangladesh does need an Arabic sign,
nor the sign would serve any practical purpose, as other than
diplomatic communities of Arab origin and members of international
organisations, hardly any Arabic speaking people do use Zia
International air****t for any purpose, whatsoever.
Second, what the Khaleda Zia government must realize, is the fact that
unless they cannot deliver their electoral promise, despite Islamic/
Muslim usage of symbolism would not save them from public wrath.
Third, its a shame that a nation, which stands unique for her pride as
the only nation state in South Asia, where the language of the
majority, is declared as the official language of the Republic, would
display sign in another language. For, all international air****ts use
signs in their official language.
Fourth, to communicate, not only airlines from non-Arab countries, but
also each and every national airlines of the Arabic speaking countries
use English. If that is the case, what is the point of using Arabic?
Lastly, for the in***bent government, it is of great im****tance to
realise that as the Iraq War has come to an end, they have to steer
the economy through an uphill battle, and unless they can satisfy the
people by their action, despite such hilarious behaviour, they would
face identical fate of the current opposition.
====================
(4) By Wasim, Sydney, Australia
Please make an extensive coverage of this Arabic signage. People has a
right to know why suddenly an Arabic sign should appear at the
International Air****t!
It seems that The Daily Star was satisfied with the explanation given
to justify that never-before-seen event. Please let the people know
who has authorised such change in Govt policy and why.
And how much was spent to put up that signage? Why should the taxpayer
bear the expenses for such non-sense act?
Please ask the concerned Minister to give a full explanation.
====================
(5) By S. Abedin, New York, USA
I was amused to read that the civil aviation authorities in Bangladesh
had decided to put up a neon sign in Arabic at ZIA. Given that, Arabic
is neither the official language nor a widely spoken language in
Bangladesh this decision is certainly amusing. The excuse given to
your esteemed daily by a member of CAAB that, they are trying to use
different languages from around the world at ZIA sounds downright
silly. If they truly wanted to do so then they would have chosen a
more widely spoken language than Arabic. Perhaps French or Spanish.
Our policy makers no doubt wanted to reassert to the public their
Islamic identity. This craven move would have carried a little more
weight had the Government been a little more bold in their
condemnation of a recent invasion of an Islamic country!
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http://www.thedailystar.net/dailystarnews/200304/16/n3041611.htm#BODY3
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Wedday, April 16, 2003
Letters To The Editor
"ZIA neon sign flashes in Arabic"
====================
(3) By Scherezad Latif, On e-mail
This is in reference to the news item about a new sign in Zia
International Air****t that reads in Arabic. I cannot imagine why we
would need a signboard in Arabic to herald in the few tourists who
come to Bangladesh (most of whom let us face it, are not Arabs!)
While very few Arabs come to Bangladesh, the hundreds and thousands of
Banglade****s who work in the Middle East and other parts of the Arab
speaking world can barely read and write Bangla, let alone Arabic so
really there seems to be no logic behind putting up signs in a
foreign
language that has no relevance to Bangladesh. Since when is Arabic one
of our official languages? What's next? Arabic as a third language in
schools? Shouldn't the government spend more time in teaching more
than half of our illiterate citizenry how to read and write the mother
tongue instead of putting up signboards in languages no one
understands?
If we do not protest such unilateral and inexplicable but insidious
moves by a coalition government that let's face it, has been the
biggest disappointment since the last government, we will have to face
events much more serious than a sign board in Arabic.
====================
(4) By Monwar Hossain, On e-mail
The story well do***ented with a photo of ZIA extension came as a
puzzle. I fail to understand the necessity of this unique publicity
stunt. Are we trying to attract tourists from Arab world or what?
We want an explanation of this otherwise senseless action. Is it in
accordance with a government policy or an act of an individual?
Government should clarify its policy on use of foreign language on
public buildings.
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Bangladesh Government Exempts Madrassahs From Honoring Ekushey
(Language Day) .....
http://www.newagebd.com/2007/feb/21/front.html#e
New Age, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Madrassahs not asked to observe Amar Ekushey
Education secretary terms ministry circular sabotage
By Siddiqur Rahman Khan
The education ministry asked all the educational institutions, except
for madrassahs, across the country to hoist the national flag at half-
mast today to mark Ekushey February, national martyrs' day.
The day is also observed as International Mother Language Day after
UNESCO on November 17, 1999 declared it an international event in
recognition of the 1952 movement.
The ministry in its February 5 circular in this regard kept
madrassahs out of the purview of the official order. 'All schools,
colleges and universities have been asked to hoist the national flag
at half-mast on February 21.'
The ministry failed to give any reasons for excluding the
madrassahs. The madrassahs usually do not observe the day, said Jainul
Abedin, principal of Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrassah, funded by the
Jamaat-e-Islami charity trust.
The education secretary, M Momtajul Islam, on Tuesday denied
issuing such a circular signed by a senior assistant secretary, who,
however, termed it 'absolutely an inadvertent mistake.'
'This may be an act of sabotage,' said the secretary, who has been
posted to the ministry since January 2006.
The chiefs of a number of schools, colleges and universities in
different parts of Bangladesh confirmed over telephone that they had
received the circular, which had also been sent to the University
Grants Commission, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and
the Directorate of Technical Education.
The primary schools, which are governed by the primary and mass
education ministry, are not served any such circular.
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