Who cares about tigers: Environment minister

Star Online Report

Meet Bangladesh’s Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju – who is least bothered about his office and the country’s national animal, the Bengal Tiger.
On the occasion of World Environment Day today, we bring to you the minister who requests all not to bother about cutting down trees or saving tigers.
“Corruption is rampant in the country of 160 million people and you are telling me to be concerned over only 15 trees?” Manju said while talking to an environmental organisation in Sylhet, according to a local media Sylhet Today24.com.
“The people of southern Bangladesh don’t have gas; if they don’t cut trees what will they cook with?”
Regarding the safety of tigers in the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, the minister said: “We got $1,300 million to protect tigers there. I have said in my speech that we cannot save 160 million people, how can we save 400 tigers?”
He also went on to say: “There may be some 400 tigers in the Sundarbans. But who cares?

They gave money so I wrote down 440 tigers. Do you know people and tigers both sleep in the vicinity of the Sundarbans?”
Regarding environmental organisations and NGOs, the minister said, “This is a business and one of the most lucrative businesses around. We are talking about environment now, because international organisations give us money…they don’t give it to you, they give it to me” he added.

Sexual Harassment

Ready to Fight Back!

Sexual harassment (staged photo). Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Naziba Basher

We all say and know that sexual harassment has, unfortunately, become a part of our daily lives. Everyday, women out on the streets of Dhaka face harassment in some form or the other. What is shocking is that many women don't know when they are being harassed, and end up keeping mute. The definition of sexual harassment is now believed to be being inappropriately touched only. To be able to fight against sexual harassment, we really need to know what to address.
According to Stop Street Harassment (SSH), an American nonprofit organisation dedicated to documenting and ending gender-based street harassment, gender-based street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent and is directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Street harassment includes unwanted whistling, leering, sexist, homophobic or transphobic slurs, persistent requests for someone's name, number or destination after they've said no, sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, public masturbation, groping, sexual assault, and rape. A lot of these actions are also often belittled by being termed as 'eve-teasing'.
Other instances of sexual harassment can include sending email, messages or leaving repeated phone messages for someone who has clearly indicated no interest. Making regular sexually evocative comments to a person who has not displayed interest and requested that you stop the activities is considered sexual harassment. Finally, sending unwelcome pornographic material or obscene messages to someone is considered sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment (staged photo). Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

According to a 1992 study conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), “Sexual harassment is inextricably linked with power and takes place in societies which often treat women as sex objects and second-class citizens.” As much as many men and women think that sexual harassment occurs because of the deprivation of sexual contact, it has been proven time and again that, that is in fact not the case.
In the Bangladeshi context, where women are treated as a minority, a lot of the times that sexual harassment takes place is because the men think that is what is needed to shame them enough to 'put them in their place', which goes to show that sexual harassment is more of a power-play than anything.
The notion that harassment can only be done by men to a woman is also incorrect. When a woman blames another woman's attire for being harassed, or when a woman catcalls another woman for her clothes, it is considered a part of rape culture.

Taking such information into account is very important for young women all across the country to be prepared when they are being faced with sexual harassment on the streets or elsewhere. The moment any of these actions are recognised, we can address it as sexual harassment and take appropriate actions against it. We can now be ready for whatever comes for us. We can now be ready to fight back!

Modi’s meeting with Khaleda Sunday

The meeting with Khaleda, former Bangladesh Prime Minister, will take place after Modi's meeting with the leader of the opposition Raushan Ershad. Photo: STAR

Star Online Report

Besides holding talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a meeting with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Sunday.
The meeting with Khaleda, former prime minister of Bangladesh, will take place after Modi's meeting with the leader of the opposition Raushan Ershad, Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made the announcement while talking to reporters in New Delhi.
This sets at rest speculation whether Modi will have a meeting with the BNP chief during his Dhaka visit.
The Indian PM will also meet some left leaders.
The meeting between Modi and Khaleda assumes important as it was the BNP chief who had declined to meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee when the latter had visited Dhaka in March 2013.
Jaishankar said an announcement would be made during Modi's visit about the availability of Bangladeshi TV channels in India officially, a long-pending demand of people in West Bengal.