Lifestyle
Bangladeshi passport’s ranking improves in 2023, still behind Iran and Sri Lanka as per Henley Index
The 2023 edition of the Henley Passport Index – the most widely-accepted rating of global travel documents – places Bangladesh’s passport at 101st position, up three places from last year.
The latest edition of the Passport Index features a total of 109 spots with some countries’ passports sharing the same ranking. Bangladesh shares the 101st position with Kosovo. In 2022, Bangladesh ranked 104th.
Interestingly enough, passports of heavily sanctioned Iran, economically devastated Lebanon and Sri Lanka, and conflict-ridden Sudan have fared better compared to that of Bangladesh – at 99th and 100th (shared) positions respectively.
Read more: Bangladesh Passport Renewal Process: How to renew MRP, Handwritten Passport
According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, a Bangladeshi passport entitles visa-free travel to 41 destinations.
In South Asia, Bangladeshi passport is in a better position compared to those of Nepal (at 103), Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (109). At 61, Maldives’ passport is in the best position in the region. Indian passport ranks at 85 and Bhutan’s at 90.
The top 5 ranking passports according to the Henley Index are: Japan at 1, allowing citizens visa-free access to 193 destinations; Singapore and South Korea at 2; Germany and Spain sharing the 3rd spot; Finland, Italy, Luxembourg at 4; and Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden at 5.
Read more: Travelling 100 countries with the 9th weakest passport in the world
The bottom 5 ranking passports as per the index are: Afghanistan at 109, Iraq at 108, Syria at 107, Pakistan at 106 and Yemen at 105.
The Henley Passport Index, the only one of its kind based on unique data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has historical data going back 18 years. The database lists 227 travel destinations and 199 passports.
The index is updated every quarter, and is regarded as the go-to resource for global citizens and sovereign states for determining where a passport ranks on the scale of global mobility.
Read More: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents
Karim Waheed is the Digital Editor at UNB.
With ‘Nasek Nasek’, 10th Dhaka Lit Fest comes to a close
The 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest, which took place over four days featuring a wide range of the world's top authors, filmmakers, singers, and artists, has been concluded at the Bangla Academy with a reaffirmation of its dedication to promoting Bangladeshi literature, culture, and arts.
The festival concluded on Sunday with an enthralling closing ceremony, featuring performances by Coke Studio Bangla artistes Animes Roy, Ritu Raj, Pantha Kanai, Boga Taleb, Momotaz, Rubayat Rehman and its other artistes. With ‘Nasek Nasek’, the debut track of Coke Studio in Bangladesh, the 10th edition of the literary festival bids its adieu.
Read more: Episodes of her Gaze: Maksuda Iqbal Nipa's resplendent art collective launched at DLF
The formal closing act was conducted at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad (AKSB) auditorium before that, and it started with a dynamic dance and recital performance by Jatrik named "Women Rise" about women's emancipation.
The adversity and persistence against women in the Indian subcontinent were portrayed through the performance of classical and modern dance forms, choreographed by Naila Azad Nupur with recitals by DLF director-producer Sadaf Saaz and Nupur herself.
Booker Prize-winning Indian author Gitanjalee Shree, eminent Somalian novelist Nuruddin Farah, Dhaka Tribune editor Zafar Sobhan, City Bank managing director and CEO Mashrur Arefin, and Dhaka Lit Fest director and producer Sadaf Saaz spoke at the closing ceremony, sharing their remarks bidding adieus and expressing their gratitude to everyone.
5 Drumstick Recipes for Snacks Lovers
Drumstick is one of the yummiest snacks loved by children, teenagers and adults. Drumstick is a healthy and nutritious snack. The savoury of chicken or duck drumsticks not only cherishes souls but also fulfils appetite. Besides ordering from restaurants, drumsticks can be prepared at home too. Let’s find out 5 delicious drumstick recipes for home kitchens.
Food value of the Drumsticks
Drumsticks are enriched with various nutrients including vitamins A, B, C and K and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. You will also get dietary fibre and protein from drumsticks. From 3-ounce duck drumsticks, you will get 0g carbs, 4.8g fat, 20.6g protein, and 132 calories and 100 g chicken drumsticks contain 155 calories, 24.2 g of protein, and 5.7 g of fat.
5 Mouth-watering Drumstick Recipes
Spicy Chicken Drumstick Recipe
Ingredients
8 medium chicken drumsticks, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons chilli powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional garnishes:
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, Pinch red pepper flakes.
Read More: Shahi Tukda Recipes for People Who Love Desserts
Instructions
First, prepare the to 400 degrees F. Meanwhile, dry the drumsticks with paper towels. Then arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Now take a bowl to prepare the rub and mix well the olive oil, salt, chilli powder and cayenne pepper. Make a paste. Then coat the drumsticks nicely with this paste.
Bake the drumsticks as long as the internal temperature should reach 165ºF and the juices run clear. Cover them with foil if required seems them to be darkening too fast on top. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes and serve.
Read More: 5 Delightful Tartare Recipes to Add to Your Repertoire
Spicy Baked Yoghurt Chicken Drumstick Recipe
Ingredients
5 tbsp yoghurt, 1½ tbsp grated fresh ginger, 2 tsp chilli powder, 1 heaped tsp paprika, ½ tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1½ tsp ground coriander, juice of ½ lemon, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp rice bran or vegetable oil, 10 chicken drumsticks, 2 tbsp oil lemon juice, yoghurt (to serve)
BSA extends 19th Asian Art Biennale for one week
Responding to the demand of avid art lovers, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) has extended the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 for one week.
The biennale will now welcome its visitors till January 13.
The closing ceremony of the exhibition was held at BSA's National Theatre Hall Saturday.
Presided over by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, the event was joined by Speaker of the Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as chief guest. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur, and eminent artists Shahabuddin Ahmed and Monirul Islam were also present.
Many enthusiastic art admirers and visitors were seen on the BSA premises yesterday on the Asian Art Biennale's last day.
Both Khalid and Liaquat said they received multiple requests for an extension of the exhibition, but had to announce its conclusion.
However, the next editions of this flagship event of the BSA will be held for two months, they added.
"Despite the fact that the 19th Asian Art Biennale officially drew to a close, we decided to extend it for another week due to the demand of our art enthusiasts. The galleries will be accessible to the public until January 13. However, it will not be extended further, as we have other exciting projects in our schedule," BSA Public Relations Officer Hasan Mahmud told UNB Sunday.
On December 8, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the month-long art extravaganza online. The exhibition is showcasing 649 pieces of art created by 493 artists from 114 nations, including 149 Bangladeshi artists.
Thailand reinstates foreign arrival vaccination requirement
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand will reinstate the requirement that all international passengers show proof of full (two doses) vaccination before boarding flights to Thailand.
Saksayam Chidchob, Transport Minister of Thailand, stated yesterday that the Civil Aviation Authority had now formally notified concerned parties about the change in arrival rules for international travelers over the age of 18 that will take effect tomorrow, reports Bangkok Post.
“They will last at least until the end of the month,” he said.
Also Read: Bangladesh-Vietnam direct flights may begin this year-end
Everyone entering the nation needs to provide documentation of a complete immunization record or a letter of proof that they have recovered from Covid-19 infection in the last six months. Travelers who are unvaccinated must provide documentation explaining why they cannot receive a vaccination.
Airlines are required to check these documents before boarding passengers and are responsible for returning those who do not have the proper documentation to their point of origin.
The guidelines go into effect at the same time that China's border reopens following nearly three years of closures and restrictions.
Research-based art exhibition 'River Delta' begins at AFD
Research-based art exhibition "River Delta" has begun at La Galerie of the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD).
River and Delta Research Center Chairman Mohammad Azaz attended the opening ceremony as the special guest Friday.
River Delta is the first phase of an ongoing five-year study on Bangladesh's rivers. The exhibition is curated by Juel A Rob.
Artists Apu Raj Bongshi, Mohosin Kabir, Shimul Datta, Najmun Nahar Keya, Promotesh Das Pulak and Mohammad Hasanur Rahman are participating in the exhibition.
Since Bangladesh is a riverine country, a large part of its food chain, trade, communication, and livelihood are river centric. Many communities are directly connected to rivers. The ebb and flow of the rivers weave the stories of many communities, including fishermen, river gipsies, washermen, salt cultivators, sailors, and shrimpers.
However, after the passage of 51 years, Bangladesh has started to take precautions regarding the proper maintenance of water resources, said the AFD.
So, it is very important to create awareness at all levels of society, to have constructive discussions, discharge civic and state responsibilities, and to prepare for the next step by studying different types of case studies, it added.
"In that case, it is very important to understand the internal or international political context. Many issues, including complexities within the country, river encroachment; protection of river environment, aquatic life and fauna diversity, international power politics, protection of potable water bodies, ocean and river governance, are involved here," the AFD said.
Episodes of her Gaze: Maksuda Iqbal Nipa's resplendent art collective launched at DLF
Unveiling the kaleidoscopic world of vibrantly crafted abstract paintings by renowned painter Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, Cosmos Books on Friday launched 'Episodes of her Gaze' at the 10th Dhaka Literature Festival (DLF).
The maiden publication of Nipa's majestic artworks published from Cosmos Books, the book was unveiled by Nabila Rahman, Digital Transformation Strategist of UNB, at the Cosmos Books stall at DLF, at Bangla Academy in the capital
Expressing her gratitude to Cosmos Books for publishing her maiden art collective, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa said that she is honoured about her book being a part of this year's DLF, as it returned from a three-years hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The concept of the book reflects my contemporary artworks, which I began during my days back in Japan where I studied my Master's. This book features 200 artworks from several of my exhibitions, and it was jointly created with artist and art writer Javed Jalil," Nipa told UNB.
"Although this publication was previously launched at the National Musuem during my solo exhibition and later at the Dhaka Art Summit, this is the first time my art collective is being exhibited in DLF through this publication," she added.
Read: ‘Nobo Opens a Door’: Engaging storytelling enthrals children at DLF
The book is edited by Catherine Grace Gardener and Mubin Shadman Khan, while the layout and design was made by ARK Reepon. Photographs of her artworks for the book was contributed by Nipa's husband, and renowned artist in his own right, Mohammad Iqbal, as well as ARK Reepon, Hossain Shahid Echo, Mizanur Rahman Khoka, Rezaul Haque, Rasel Chowdhury, and Sourav Chowdhury.
The book also contains a foreword by the late Australian cinematographer Dr Jim Frazier, a pioneer behind the camera who worked with Sir David Attenborough in his heyday. The multiple award-winning naturalist fell in love with Nipa's works during the time he spent in Bangladesh in 2015-16.
A masterful painter with a vivid knowledge of abstract paintings and known for her vibrant abstractions that are frequently illustrated on enormous canvases, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa earned her BFA (Drawing and Painting) in 1996 from the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and in 2002 she enrolled in a Post-Graduate Research Course (Oil Painting) at the Aichi University of Education, Japan. Nipa graduated from the Aichi University of Education in 2004 with a Master of Education in Fine Arts (Painting). Nipa's artistic style drastically shifted during her time in Japan from representational to her own brand of abstraction.
A proponent of the French maxim "Art for art's sake," Nipa’s journey with her creations has always been independent, and adamant to not serve any didactic, moral, utilitarian or political purposes. The artworks of Nipa are abstract, emotive, visual diaries of the hardships she endures on a daily basis as a woman and a person.
She was inspired to craft her artworks by her longing for harmony and her wish to flee the oppression she encounters; she experimented and created oil paintings on big canvases while discovering what it meant to be liberated from oppression. She subsequently continued to develop her pieces over time until they had no structure or shape.
Read: “More than meets the eye”: Dr Kenneth Robbins on Habshi rule in Bengal and Africa-India connection in the Middle Ages
Nipa's journey as a woman and artist is about toiling with spaces of birth, prolonged states of contemplation and obscured flights of silent fancies. Her pictorial parameters are gardens of the seen, unseen and the absorption of moments as the eyes take in the trillions of information. But her link is more to the sensory unconscious mating of environments where she dwells in an escape, seeking bliss.
The zone of her imaginative contemplation is the words hidden behind veils of curiosity and doubt.
In her visual plates, the anxiety of merging the ethereal and objective and the contest between directions, takes her into a perusal of pictorial repetition and planes of separation. There is an inclination of losing the self into a private monologue of layers, as a conversation between thoughts, memory and time. She rectifies her subjectivity into circles penetrating various formations of expression.
Her certain obsessions and journeys are silenced and trapped within the visuals as layers pressing the other, keeping an essence of the previous times. Her use of scratchy strokes of anxiety creating tactile sensitivity, subdued dense lines of obscurity relating unfathomable space of vision. The pigments from underneath and within are parallel and vertical cross-hatchings of gestural activity between visual elements. They are chromatic gradation of light sensations.
As an artist, Nipa's inner mood and reminiscence of the hidden self is a quest which she meditates through silent overtones of restless urges and modes which slowly live with the existing self- glancing diary of canvases.
In her illustrious career, Nipa has held numerous solo and group shows at home and abroad, including the National Museum of Bangladesh, the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, the Toyota Municipal Art Museum in Toyota, Japan, the Las Vegas Art Museum, USA, the Youngone Corporation in Seoul, Korea, etc. She has been honoured by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (Bangladesh Women’s Association) for outstanding contributions to her respective field. Nipa has received numerous awards and grants from Japan, China, and Bangladesh.
Shahi Tukda Recipes for People Who Love Desserts
If you are a dessert lover, the rich and creamy dish shahi tukda will steal your heart. It is a type of bread pudding, that originated in South Asia in the 1600s during the Mughal era. You will enjoy the royal feeling from every bite of shahi tukda. The meaning (literal translation) of Shahi Tukra is a royal piece or bite. We are here with two easy recipes of shahi tukda to help you try it at home.
Food value of the Shahi Tukda
The main ingredients of shahi tukda are ghee, sugar, milk, nuts, and bread. Each of these ingredients has great food value.
From 1 gram of ghee, you will find 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 4 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat.
Read More: 5 Exciting Chicken Meatball Recipes
Sugar is an excellent source of carbohydrates and energy that provides 4 calories per gram or 16 calories in a level teaspoon.
From 1 cup of whole milk, you will find calories 149 grams of, protein 8 grams of, and fat 8 grams of.
Nuts are enriched with many nutrients. You can get 173 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 16 grams of fat, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat.
You will get high calories and carbs from bread. However, bread is low in protein, fat, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals.
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Mango Shahi Tukda Recipe
Ingredients
5 bread slices, 1/2 ml water, ½ cup mango puree, 2 crushed black cardamom, 3 cup milk, 1 handful cashews, one handful pistachios, 1/2 cup ghee, 1/2 cup sugar, 6 strand saffron, 2 pinches of powdered green cardamom, 1 handful almonds
Preparations:
Step 1: Prepare the Rabdi
First, take a deep pan and pour the milk into the pan. Boil the milk on medium heat. Keep continuing stirring with intervals to avoid the milk sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you want to prepare the rabdi within a short time, you can add 3 tablespoons of milk powder with the liquid milk. Adding milk power reduces the cooking time of rabri. Now add 1 tablespoon of homemade masala milk powder. You can skip this item and can add a pinch of crushed saffron and ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder and the mango puree.
Continue cooking on medium-low heat until the milk reaches to one-third of its original volume and you can get the right consistency. Generally, it will 1 hour. However, the time will vary depending on the quality of the pan, the intensity of the flame, and the quality of the milk. Finally, add 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of sugar remove from the heat, and add 12 to 15 crushed saffron strands.
Read More: 5 Exciting Peri Peri Chicken Recipes
Step 2: Fry bread slices
Take 6 regular-sized pieces of bread. Cut them into square, or triangle shapes. Now put 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Fry the bread slices and toast them. Fry well on both sides. Fry as long as the pieces reach to golden brown color. Remove from the heat and put on paper towels to remove excess ghee.
Step 3: Prepare sugar syrup
Take ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a deep pan and let the mixture boil. When one thread consistency is seen, switch off the stove. Then, add cardamom powder or rose water. Stir continuously and mix well.
First 'Total Fitness Day' observed in Bangladesh
Quantum Foundation observed the first "Total Fitness Day" in Bangladesh Friday to sensitise people about "total – physical, mental, social and spiritual – fitness" to help them lead a happy and healthy life.
The foundation organised a special awareness session at the capital's Jatiya Press Club, where it arranged body balance tests, meditations, yogas, exercises, and discussions.
Also, the foundation organised such sessions in open spaces in different parts of the country. Some volunteering organisations promoting fitness and wellness also observed the day.
Also Read: Quantum Foundation to observe first 'Total Fitness Day' Friday
Hundreds of people from different professions, including artists, journalists and students, celebrated the day joining programmes at more than 120 parks in Dhaka and other district towns in the morning.
From now on, Quantum will mark the first Friday of January every year as Total Fitness Day. This year's theme of the day was "healthy body, peaceful mind, busy happy life."
“More than meets the eye”: Dr Kenneth Robbins on Habshi rule in Bengal and Africa-India connection in the Middle Ages
Addressing the fascinating history of the Habshi dynasty in Bengal (from 1487 AD to 1493 AD), prolific international researcher, archivist and curator Dr Kenneth X Robbins on Thursday said that proper archiving of the particular period in South Asia is necessary.
“There are remarkable and important chapters in the Afro-South Asian diaspora including the activities of the African rulers in Bengal and elsewhere in South Asia. There are fascinating stories regarding religion, racism, music and so on. All this history has to be put together by historians,” Dr Robbins said as the honorary speaker at the National Professor Atwar Husain Memorial Lecture 2023, delivered at the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh on Thursday.
He said, “There are stories regarding Habshi rulers and their activities, such as Malik Andil (Sultan Saifuddin Firuz Shah) who was very generous to the people but we don’t actually know what he did. His son succeeded him who was a federal ruler, and the final ruler (Shamsuddin Muzaffar Shah) was also known as a charitable person. We know other stories regarding Africans building mosques in Bengal, bringing their culture here. This is all very interesting…these are important to the history of Bengal.”
He mentioned a book project on the documentation of Bengalis and Africans from the Indian Ocean world — co-edited by Nahar Khan, Executive Director of Cosmos Foundation; Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones MBE, a well-known British scholar with expertise on Lucknow and its culture; and himself. The book would contain several chapters on African elites in Bengal, important characters in Bengal, Bengalis abroad, and music featuring names such as American musician Bardu Ali with a Bengali Muslim origin.
Chairperson of National Professor Atwar Husain Trust Fund and Liberation War Museum founder-trustee Mofidul Hoque chaired the seminar.
Read more: ‘Historical and unexplored ties between Afro-South Asian communities need cultural attention’