Lifestyle
Messages of Durga Puja Festival: What can we learn from Goddess Durga?
The Hindu Goddess Durga is powerful and invincible. And, the celebration called Durga Puja refers to the worship of mighty Goddess Durga. Throughout the ages, in different crises, she has appeared in different forms, under different names. Hence her names are Durga, Mahishmardini, Shulini, Parvati, Kalika, Bharati, Ambika, Girija, Vaishnavism, Kaumari, Bahari, Chandi, Lakshni, Uma, Haimbati, Kamala, Shivani, Yoginidra, etc. Goddess Durga is the one who protects from demons, obstacles, diseases, sins, and fears. Above all Goddess Durga is a powerful female icon, who teaches us many lessons through her different forms. Let’s get to know what we can learn from Goddess Durga.
Read:Durga Puja symbolises national unity in Bangladesh: State Minister for Religious Affairs
What to learn from Goddess Durga?
Multitasking
As the universal mother, Goddess Durga teaches the ability of multitasking. Her ten arms are ready for different weapons and instruments. Further, her three eyes symbolize the sun, the moon, and the fire. On top of that, Goddess Durga takes care of her children’s interests while she rules the world with an iron hand. All these resemble her multitasking ability and we can learn multitasking from goddess Durga.
Ultimate peacemaker
When the Gods trembled and feared the oppression of the demons, Mother Durga appeared from the rays of all the Gods. Goddess Durga became ten-armed and destroyed the demons. During this catastrophe, Brahma himself sided with Rama in the battle of Rama and Ravana. On the auspicious day of the month of Ashwin, Rama worshiped Durga at the realization of Brahma. This is called the premature awakening of Durga in the traditional religion.
Shuklapaksha of Chaitra is worshiped as Basanti. Standing on her own time, she decorated the country with ten arms. We live again and again in the shadow of that Durga. Ultimately, we can learn peace-making power against all the odds.
Read: Durga Puja begins
Good over the evil
Every human being has animal power. When a person attains true humanity through rewards and sadhana-bhajan, his animal nature is cut off and godliness is awakened. And only then the person qualifies to be a real mortal, to have a successful life. The lion at the feet of the goddess is a symbol of that.
The demon under the feet of Goddess Durga, known as Mahisasura, meaning a traitor to God. However, Mahishasura will also find a place under the feet of Goddess Durga wherever she is worshiped. So this demon, trampled under the feet of the goddess, symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil in the eternal conflict between ‘good’ and ‘bad’. So, we can learn that good will always win over bad.
The symbol of Mahishasura's slaying has been signaled to destroy the unjust in the power of justice. Mahishasura thought that no man could kill him, and he did not count women at all. So, women should not be neglected regarding power. The story of Goddess Durga also reflects the respect for women.
Read Yummy sweets for Durga Puja: Traditional Bengali desserts to try in the great religious festival
The lesson of uniting
Worshiping Goddess Durga is not just a formality. Through this, we get the lesson of unity. Learning to achieve great ends in combined strength. Pie is a lesson in respect for women. The grain that has kept us alive teaches us to respect trees and preserve them, which is consistent with the current environmental movement. The fact that Coronavirus has caused global panic must also be eradicated by taking necessary action. This is also a war. Hence, all these teach us not to divide but reunite. Also, not indulging in injustice but protesting together.
Cosmos Foundation Award at Dhaka DocLab
The 5th edition of Dhaka DocLab, an international documentary production project in Bangladesh, concluded with an online award-distribution ceremony on September 27, crowning ‘Devi’, produced by Subina Shrestha of Nepal, with the Best South Asian Project Award.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, sponsored the Best South Asian Project Award.
“We’re very happy to support Dhaka DocLab since its inception. This is going to be a powerful platform to initiate positive changes in our community and in our country,” said Enayetullah Khan, Chairman of the Cosmos Foundation.
Read: ‘An Insignia of a Forced Winter’ wins Best Project at Dhaka DocLab-2020
Advice shifting on aspirin use for preventing heart attacks
Older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released Tuesday.
Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance.
For the first time, the panel said there may be a small benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those in their 50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear.
The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke. Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it's the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center.
"Aspirin use can cause serious harms, and risk increases with age,'' he said.
Read: Eating chili peppers may prevent fatal heart attacks and stroke
If finalized, the advice for older adults would backtrack on recommendations the panel issued in 2016 for helping prevent a first heart attack and stroke, but it would be in line with more recent guidelines from other medical groups.
Doctors have long recommended daily low-dose aspirin for many patients who already have had a heart attack or stroke. The task force guidance does not change that advice.
The task force previously said a daily aspirin might also protect against colorectal cancer for some adults in their 50s and 60s, but the updated guidance says more evidence of any benefit is needed.
The guidance was posted online to allow for public comments until Nov. 8. The group will evaluate that input and then make a final decision.
The independent panel of disease-prevention experts analyzes medical research and literature and issues periodic advice on measures to help keep Americans healthy. Newer studies and a re-analysis of older research prompted the updated advice, Wong said.
Aspirin is best known as a pain reliever but it is also a blood thinner that can reduce chances for blood clots. But aspirin also has risks, even at low doses — mainly bleeding in the digestive tract or ulcers, both of which can be life-threatening.
Dr. Lauren Block, an internist-researcher at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, said the guidance is important because so many adults take aspirin even though they have never had a heart attack or stroke.
Read: Millions should stop taking aspirin for heart health
Block, who is not on the task force, recently switched one of her patients from aspirin to a cholesterol-lowering statin drug because of the potential harms.
The patient, 70-year-old Richard Schrafel, has high blood pressure and knows about his heart attack risks. Schrafel, president of a paperboard-distribution business, said he never had any ill effects from aspirin, but he is taking the new guidance seriously.
Rita Seefeldt, 63, also has high blood pressure and took a daily aspirin for about a decade until her doctor told her two years ago to stop.
"He said they changed their minds on that,'' recalled the retired elementary school teacher from Milwaukee. She said she understands that science evolves.
Wong acknowledged that the backtracking might leave some patients frustrated and wondering why scientists can't make up their minds.
"It's a fair question,'' he said. ''What's really important to know is that evidence changes over time.''
Choose the Right Curtains for Your Home: The Ultimate Guide
Choosing curtains can be a daunting aspect of home décor. The right curtains can create harmony among the furniture and decorative pieces fashioning a home that is welcoming and tranquil. On the other hand, selecting the wrong ones can completely break the entire look of the house. With the multifarious options available, this seemingly simple task can get quite overwhelming. So let’s take a look at these 4 basic steps of picking out the appropriate drapes for your home.
How to find the perfect curtains for your adorable home
Setting an intention
The first and most important step of figuring out the perfect curtains is to determine the intention behind it. People use curtains for privacy, for décor or to simply to control the amount of sunlight they want to let inside the house.
For instance, a bedroom requires all three. So while choosing curtains for the bedroom it is necessary to pick something that serves all three purposes of maintaining seclusion, exuding a sense of calm and blocking out sunlight when needed. Contrarily, for the living room, one might want a sense of vibrancy. In that case, selecting sheer fabric with bright colors might also be a desirable option.
Read Best Interior Designer Companies in Bangladesh
Some people opt for the same curtains all over the house. This calls in the need for handpicking a type of curtain that does not clash with the intention of each room and also resonates with the décor of the entire home.
Choosing a style of décor
The next facet to consider is to determine one’s personal taste of style. Styles can vary from traditional, bohemian, industrial and modern to minimalistic. Depending on the décor chosen for the furniture and decorative ornaments, the apt curtains can be figured out by assessing the following factors.
a. Color
The color of the curtains reveals the purpose and taste of the owner. Traditional style of décor demands darker and regal colors like wine red, royal blue or deep purple. Whereas minimalistic décor calls for lighter shades like pastel blue, pink, yellow and white.
Read Sheraspace redefining interior design in Dhaka
Each color has a definitive purpose to serve. To pick the right color for the curtains, it is imperative to think about the intention and style of the room. For bedrooms, choosing colors like turquoise, light blue, light green or light shades of purple can be suited as they can emanate a sense of tranquility. For living rooms, colors like red, orange or yellow can complement or match the energy of the room.
Colors can also be figured out based on the desired amount of sunlight in a room. To block out sunlight, darker colors are preferred and to allow the maximum amount of sunlight, lighter shades are preferable.
Another factor to consider while selecting a color is the size of the rooms. For smaller rooms, lighter colors would be appropriate as they would create the illusion of a bigger room. Using darker colors in smaller spaces can make the room look congested.
Read Walton Home Appliance & Electronics products can make your life convenient
Finally, while choosing colors, looking at the colors of the furniture or the trinkets around is a good idea. Colors that complement or contrast with existing colors of the room can be a go to for picking out curtains.
Cosmos Foundation Award at Dhaka DocLab
The 5th edition of Dhaka DocLab, an international documentary production project in Bangladesh, concluded with an online award-distribution ceremony on September 27, crowning ‘Devi’, produced by Subina Shrestha of Nepal, with the Best South Asian Project Award.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, sponsored the Best South Asian Project Award.
“We’re very happy to support Dhaka DocLab since its inception. This is going to be a powerful platform to initiate positive changes in our community and in our country,” said Enayetullah Khan, Chairman of the Cosmos Foundation.
Read: ‘An Insignia of a Forced Winter’ wins Best Project at Dhaka DocLab-2020
Mosquirix: WHO Recommends World's First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S
Mosquito-borne disease malaria is responsible for around 435,000 deaths per year, and 80-90% of those deaths occur in rural sub-Saharan Africa. However, there was no vaccine until a few years back to prevent this disease. Finally, after 100 years of effort, a vaccine has become a beacon of hope. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed a vaccine to fight malaria on October 6, 2021. After conducting pilot vaccination programs in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the WHO said it could now be used in children's bodies to prevent moderate to high levels of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions.
Six years ago, Mosquirix based 'RTS, S' proved to be effective and getting endorsed from WHO is considered a historic event.
What is Mosquirix Vaccine?
Mosquirix is a malaria vaccine for children aged 6 weeks to 17 months. Additionally, it can also protect against liver infection due to the hepatitis B virus. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) suggests not using the vaccine solely for liver infection purposes.
Read Covid-19 threatens global progress against malaria: WHO
GlaxoSmithKline or GSK invented the vaccine back in 1987. But, they went through many development processes, and today's outcome took more than three decades. However, since the invention Mosquirix has faced some challenges as the protection faded after a few months and required up to four doses.
The European Medicine Agency approved this in 2015. In one experiment, Mosquirix was found 30% effective when applied 4 times to children.
The World Health Organization has set a target of vaccinating 360,000 children each year in three countries. GSK and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have funded about $750 million for the vaccine. Currently, the company is providing 1 crore vaccines free of cost in the ongoing project. Later, they are planning to recoup the money invested through large-scale projects.
Read: UN endorses world's 1st malaria vaccine as 'historic moment'
Since 2019, around 2.3 million doses have been applied to infants in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi on a large scale, which was coordinated by the WHO.
Usage of Mosquirix
A 0.5 ml Mosquirix injection is given into the muscle around the shoulder or in the muscle of the thigh. The child will need to take three injections in three months with one month gap between each dose. Further, a fourth dose is also necessary after 18 months of the third dose. However, a prescription is required to get the vaccine.
How does Mosquirix RTS, S work?
According to the European Medicines Agency's researchers, the active substance in Mosquirix is basically made up of proteins found on the Plasmodium falciparum parasites' surface. When it enters into the body, the immune system takes it as a foreign protein and eventually builds antibodies against them.
What does RTS,S stand for?
RTS,S is mainly the scientific name of the malaria vaccine candidate. The 'R' means the "central repeat region of Plasmodium (P.) falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP)." The 'T' stands for the T-cell epitopes of the CSP, and the 'S' stands for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
Read Trump's use of malaria drug likely to be welcomed in India
Najmun Nahar Shohagi: Bangladeshi globe trotter aims to travel 200 countries
While many girls and women of Bangladesh are facing challenges in diverse sectors like education, employment, basic rights, security, etc, a proud daughter of the country shocked the world with her amazing bravery. Najmun Nahar finally enlisted 150 countries to her profile by setting foot on Saotome and Principe, the riverine countries in Central Africa on October 6, 2021. It took her 21 years to set this world record. In a word, Najmun Nahar, a woman of determination and intelligence, is a real-life model to women in Bangladesh. This article is based on the story of her travels.
Najmun Nahar belongs to Bangladesh
Najmun Nahar was born on 12 December 1979 in the village of Gangapur in the Laxmipur district of Chittagong. Father Mohammad Amin, who died in 2010, was a businessman. Mother Tahera Amin was the traveling companion of Najmun in 14 countries. Najmun is the youngest of eight siblings. She is known as Shohagi to the family.
Read Bangladeshi globetrotter Najmun Nahar makes history with 150th country-visit
She completed her secondary and higher secondary education at Laxmipur town. Then she did her graduation and post-graduation in political science from Rajshahi University. Later, she came to Dhaka and worked as a journalist in an entertainment newspaper for a while. She moved to Sweden in 2006 after receiving a scholarship for higher education. There she earned a master's degree in Asian Studies from Lund University. She also studied human rights and Asia at Seoul National University in South Korea.
During her career, she has worked as a researcher on research projects at various international organizations. Besides, she was a volunteer in the Bangladesh Girls Guide Association from 1997 to 2011.
Being unmarried, this strong and dignified woman dares to move forward to fulfill her dream of visiting the world. Not to mention, the continuous success stories of this 41-year-old traveler brings limitless praises for her motherland and elevated the status of the country to a new altitude.
Read: Dream-chasing Najmun Nahar recognised by Fobana
The Backdrop of Najmun Nahar becoming a world traveler
Najmun’s Grandfather Alhaj Maulvi Ahmed Ullah, an Islamic Scholar, was also a traveler. Najmun used to amaze by listening to the stories of her father’s Middle East journey. From school life the dream of traveling the world began to take root in her mind by travel books of local and foreign writers including Syed Mujtaba Ali.
Along with this, the inspiration came from her late father and siblings. As a result, she has got ample opportunity to develop her talent from adolescence. And this talent allowed her to travel to different parts of the country.
The first chance to set foot outside the country came while studying at Rajshahi University. A team led by her from Bangladesh Girls Guide Association was sent to an international adventure program in India. The conference of 80 Girl Guide Associations and Scouts of the world was held in Panchmari, Madhya Pradesh.
Read: Visit Niladri Lake, Sunamganj: A Piece of Kashmir in Bangladesh
Najmun used to travel to a new country with whatever savings she could make from the part-time jobs. She had to work very hard to save the extra money to fulfill her traveling enthusiasm. On some days, she used to work from 17 to 18 hours straight. Najmun always kept a close eye on foreign travel and accommodation at a low cost.
During her higher education in Sweden, Najmun sailed to Finland with a few months' savings. And from then on her regular country tour started.
Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents
A child’s mental health determines how they feel, behave, think and act. Their cognitive and emotional developments depend on how they process emotions and thoughts from a young age. Unfortunately, the social stigma dictates that ensuring a child’s physical well-being is more significant than protecting their mental well-being. Now, it is high time to reassess this stance and break out of this misconception; because the mental health of children is as important as their physical health. Let’s find out some basic ways of protecting a kid's mental health.
How to Support Your Child’s Mental Health?
Forming the right kind of habits and thought patterns that can protect your child’s mental health is not an easy chore. To help parents succeed in their journey to protect their child’s mental health, this article has brought forth 10 well-researched tips and techniques.
Expressing and showing love
A sense of belonging is created in children when they feel loved, welcomed, and accepted. Often, parents disregard the importance of making it a point to show or express their love as it is in a parent’s nature to love their offspring.
Read How to Overcome Depression Without Medication?
But to a child, a simple gesture of love may go unnoticed until they are reassured of the love and acceptance they are surrounded by.
Embracing them or telling them how much they are loved are, thus, as significant as expressing your love through other gestures of love. When children observe these expressions of love, they grow up to channel their emotions better and form stronger and healthier relationships in the future.
Read UNICEF: Battered by pandemic, kids need mental health help
Validating their feelings
Children often go through bouts of sadness and anger which is considered normal child behavior. As their caregiver, it is imperative to validate all of their feelings. Invalidating or ignoring their emotions hampers their mental health to the extent that they can grow up to be shameful of certain emotions.
Contrarily, if they are encouraged to talk about their feelings, and their emotions are recognized, they feel seen and heard. They become prone to validate their own feelings and begin to develop a sense of self-esteem where they can depend on themselves for mental support. These children are also good communicators of their emotions and hence, can deal with problems better.
Read Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem
Showing how to deal with problems
A child learns how to deal with adversities from the people they are surrounded by. If the caregivers give up easily in the face of an obstacle or simply choose not to take risks in fear of failure, the child imitates this behavior. Children who develop these behavioral patterns show signs of anxiety and even grow up to be anxious adults with other mental health issues like depression and panic attacks.
On the other hand, if a child is taught that it is okay to fail while solving a problem, that there are several ways to solve a problem or to think of a solution without panicking, that child learns to take care of their own mental health.
Read Memory loss: Types, symptoms, and when to seek help
Asking questions and listening
As a parent, asking your child questions shows that you are interested in their lives. Asking about their day or their interests in life can make them feel more connected to the caregivers. Children long for this bonding and doing so helps to protect their mental health to a great extent. Listening to them without any distraction while they answer is also significant as it shows them the importance they have in their parent’s life.
The Most Popular Motorbike Models in Bangladesh
In a small but terribly populous country like Bangladesh, riding a motorcycle makes mobility fast, easier, and cost-effective for most people. There is a huge market for motorcycles in the country. It may come as a surprise to know that more than fifteen motorcycle brands are running their business in a great way in Bangladesh. But which are the most selling motorbikes? Let's find them out.
Read:The most popular car models in Bangladesh
The Top Sold Motorbikes in Bangladesh
Bajaj Discover 125
Bajaj is one of the most popular Indian motorcycle brands available in Bangladesh, and they hold their record in terms of motorcycle sales. Bajaj has recently launched new bikes in their 125cc segment, which is Bajaj Discover 125cc. The new Bajaj Discover 125 uses the same 125cc engine as before. However, the engine has been refined much more than before. The engine displacement is 124.6cc, and the engine is a four-stroke, single-cylinder, DTS-I, air-cooled engine.
The engine can produce about 14.72 bhp @ 7500 pm and 11 Nm of torque @ 5500 rpm. The features of Bajaj Discover 125cc have changed a lot. However, the most elegant feature is its LED DRL system. This is the first time the system has been paired with the bike's headlights. The design of the tail light has also been changed. The current market price for Bajaj Discover is Tk. 136,000.
Read:A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Bikes: Everything you Need to Know
Honda X Blade
If anyone has a bit of knowledge about motorbikes, the person should have heard about the brand Honda. At present, Honda is slowly and invisibly achieving popularity in almost every segment of the motorcycle market, and Honda X Blade 160cc has become one of the most selling bikes for this brand. X-Blade is one of Honda's forerunners after Hornet's monopoly, which has been able to attract almost all types of bikers with its astonishing design, performance, and brand value. Honda X Blade starts from Tk. 172, 000.
Bajaj Pulsar NS160
The Bajaj Pulsar NS160 is a very muscular-looking and naked sports segment bike. The bike is powered by a 160cc DTS-I oil-cooled engine. The engine is capable of delivering 15.3 bhp and 14.6 Nm of torque. It has telescope suspension on the front and nitro monocoque suspension on the rear. Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 tires come with alloy wheels and 240 mm front disc brakes, and rear 130 mm drum brakes.
Read Upcoming 150cc Motorbikes in Bangladesh in 2021
How to Overcome Depression Without Medication?
Prescribed medicines can be life-changing for many individuals suffering from depression. Many patients use different antidepressants to control symptoms emerging from depression. They sometimes have adverse effects and are costly, depending on their health insurance coverage. There are other non-prescription ways to treat some of the symptoms of depression. People should use those for treating depression without medication or a supplement to the antidepressants.
Non-medicated Ways to Overcome Depression
People should always treat depression symptoms seriously since depression does not mitigate on its own. While there are fairly many things one can do to support their mental health, people shouldn't try those things whimsically. They must speak with their doctor about some of the self-help methods that may assist their therapy.
Read Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem
Yet still, some practices or habits can keep depression at bay to some extent. Here are some:
Getting More Sleep
Sleep and emotion are inextricably linked. If anyone gets less sleep, his emotions will inevitably wave. So, it's important to get excellent sound sleep every day.
This refers to having regular bedtimes and routine wake-up hours. Setting the bedroom properly will help have a soothing sleep at night. To welcome sleep, avoiding computers, smartphones, or other devices that demand attention will also help.
There are measures one may take to attempt to enhance the quality of his sleep. People should
- Allow themselves some time before going to bed to decompress; do something soothing, and avoid stressful activities or thoughts.
- Set a timely alarm to get up at the same time every morning and go to bed at the same time every night.
- Maintain a regular nighttime regimen.
- Turn off their gadgets and spend some time reading a book.
Read Memory loss: Types, symptoms, and when to seek help
Also, they should try to spend some time outdoors every day, even on days when they do not feel like it. Because light regulates sleep cycles and circadian rhythms, a lack of sunlight may make it more difficult to sleep at night.