Culture of Adivasis in Bangladesh

Culture of Adivasis in Bangladesh

Sep 29, 2007 | Adivasis and Forests

The cultural movement of the Adivasis of Bangladesh, their languages, politics and their influence on the majority.
2008, English, 149 pages, Paperback | Tk.300 / US$10 | 2007, Bangla (Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti), 158 pages, Paperback | Tk.200 / US$10

“This book may be called a window of Adivasi culture through which we can see different faces of cultures of Adivasis and proudly say, cultural diversity is our pride.” The editors of the book Culture of ethnic communities of Bangladesh (Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti) say this in the prelude of the book. Bangladesh really can take pride in its diverse and colorful culture. Different ethnic communities who live in different parts of the country make Bangladesh’s culture more colorful and lively; this is what the book has to say to its readers.

This book compiles diverse thoughts, analyses and facts that have emerged from SEHD’s work on culture with the ethnic communities. It contains ten write-ups of different authors that deal with the cultural world of the Adivasis; languages of the Adivasis and how they contribute to nurture, enhance and enrich Bangla, the language of the majority; the political and cultural movement of Adivasis; and a glimpse into Adivasi cultural riches of select communities.

A good number of images used with different sections, not only enrich the book, each image portrays the cultural riches of a different ethnic community.

Culture of ethnic communities of Bangladesh (Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti) is the outcome of years of hard work. It is indeed, a gift to the readers.

Publication Details

Published: 2007
Language: Bangla
Paperback: 158 pages
Editor: Philip Gain and Partha Shankar Saha
Price: Tk.200 / US$10

Published: 2008
Language: English
Paperback: 149 pages
Editor: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.300 / US$10

Stolen Forests – Exhibition

Stolen Forests – Exhibition

May 24, 2007 | Environment

Details the devastation happening to the forests of Bangladesh. 2005, English 76 mins, Bangla (Biponno Bon) 45 mins
DVD Tk.200 / US$10, CD Tk.100 / US$5

The forest landscapes of Bangladesh have dramatically changed. Outside the Sundarbans, the single largest mangrove patch on earth, the public forests have been devastated. The hills in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are bare today. The traditional sal forest has become history in most parts. The monoculture plantations of exotic and invasive species in place of hundreds of species of the native forests are not forests at all.

The photography exhibition Stolen Forests by Phillip Gain and Ronald Halder is about the perilous condition of our forests and what Bangladesh has lost from its unique forest patches.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: 2007
Catalogue: English
Photographers: Philip Gain, Ronald Halder
Price: Tk.50 / US$2

Forests and Forest Culture – Exhibition 

Forests and Forest Culture – Exhibition 

Dec 21, 2006 | Adivasis and Forests

The images in the exhibition Forests and Forest Culture tell the story of the drastic depletion of forest and the effect on the forest people who live in them. 2006, Catalogue English | Tk.50 / US$2 

The images in the exhibition Forests and Forest Culture tell the story of the drastic depletion of forest resources mainly due to social forestry, the plantation of exotic species and clearing land for agriculture. Another focus of the exhibition is on the forest people, especially the indigenous communities who have traditionally sourced the forest for their livelihood, living in harmony with nature. Plantations and legal reforms have rendered the children of the forest illegal residents on their traditional homeland.

The images try to communicate the message that to protect the cultural life of these distinct ethnic communities, the language, knowledge, thoughts, beliefs and traditions need adequate space and protection.  If a community’s right to land, local resources, education and practice of traditions in their own language and use of local knowledge is not secure, efforts for the protection of culture becomes meaningless.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: 2006
Catalogue: English
Photographers: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.50 / US$2

Stolen Forests

Stolen Forests

Sep 21, 2006 | Environment

Images and a critique on the state of the forests in Bangladesh. 2006, English, 216 pages, Hardback Tk.1,500 | US$25

Deltaic Bangladesh does not have enough forest cover. The patches of forests that still survive are unique and are home to thousands of life forms. The forest villages are is also home to many unique ethnic communities that represent unique traditions, knowledge, history and cultures. The forests indeed are an integral part of our existence. Sadly enough we have neglected our natural history and allowed most of the forests to be plundered. Despite these sad realities we must make fresh pledges to protect the last stands from pillage, not to lose the grounds of our imagination.

STOLEN FORESTS is a book containing images, information and analyses explaining the underlying factors behind the sad state of our forests in Bangladesh. 

Publication Details

Published: 2006
Language: English
Hardback: 216 pages
Author: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.1,500 / US$25

Handbook on Election Reporting

Handbook on Election Reporting

Aug 24, 2006 | Journalism

Practical guidelines for Bangladeshi election reporting at different stages. 2006 (3rd edition), English, 380 pages, Paperback 
2008 (3rd edition with update), 346 pages, Paperback – Tk. 300 / US$15 | Update 2008, English, 90 pages, Paperback Tk.100 / US$5

This handbook on election reporting in Bangladesh includes practical guidelines for election reporting at different stages. It contains essential background information on elections in this country, which can be helpful in writing analytical reports; thumbnail sketches of the laws and opinion polls concerning elections; coverage of elections in the electronic media; annexes on the containment in the constitution about the non-party caretaker government, code of conduct for the political parties and candidates; list of the constituencies with the winners and runners-up in the 2001 elections; names and contacts of the major political parties, and a list of election maladies that generally occur in the Indian elections that may be comparable to our situation.

At the national level, with the ninth parliamentary elections ahead, Bangladesh has had eight such elections, three presidential elections and three referendums since its independence. Many of these elections were a sham, heavily rigged and invalid. Of course, the fifth, seventh and eighth parliamentary elections enhanced democratic credibility and generated hope among the voters about establishing democracy in Bangladesh. However, the lingering political unrest, mistrust and uncertainties stand to be serious limiting factors in establishing democracy in Bangladesh. It is in this context that Bangladesh awaited the ninth parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2007 and then rescheduled for December 2009 due to political unrest.

There are many conditions that shape the fledgling politics and democratic institutions of a country like Bangladesh. The free flow of information is one such condition that can be strengthened by research, documentation and investigative reporting on politics, candidates who contest in the elections, irregularities that take place during election times in violation of electoral laws, code of conduct, and so on. With this in mind the Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) updated and published the third edition of The Reporter’s Guide: Handbook on Election Reporting.

The handbook, which was first published in 1995, then 2001 and the most recent edition in 2006, has turned out to be a useful guide for reporters, election monitors and researchers. An update to the third edition of the handbook was published in December 2008 to provide information and facts that have developed since January 2007, including Laws Regulating Elections in Bangladesh. The Bangla version of the third edition was published in 2008 and includes the update.

The handbook also puts together relevant contacts and their telephone numbers that may be helpful for reporters and election observers to quickly locate different sources of information.

Publication Details

Published: 2006 (3rd edition)
Language: English
Paperback: 380 pages

Published: 2008 (3rd edition with update)
Language: Bangla
Paperback: 346 pages

Editor: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.300 / US$15

Update Published: 2008
Language: English
Paperback: 90 pages
Editor: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.100 / US$5