When the lady ?not for turning?, turned

An insight into the realities of politics and the difference between what politicians say and what they do. By a journalist who knows more about politicians than most. Ed.

By Alan Hart?April 9, 2013

The news of the death of Britain?s Iron Lady, Baroness Thatcher, prompted me to recall my favourite story about her. In 1980, in the first of her three terms as prime minister, she said in a speech to her Conservative Party?s Conference: ?You turn if you want to. The lady?s not for turning.? Because I was personally engaged with her at the time, I know that she performed her first U turn in her first 48 hours of being prime minister. Continue reading

Barbarian Rhapsody: Ten Years Deeper Into Hell: Iraq

BY CHRIS FLOYD SATURDAY, 16 MARCH 2013 16:40 Empire Burlesque

All forms of political media — in print, on line, on the air — have been awash in recent weeks with retrospectives on the tenth anniversary of the American-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Amidst the mountainous heap of drivel and falsehood such an occasion inevitably produces among the vast and vapid army of analysts who happily spend their days chewing the cud of whatever happens to be the conventional wisdom of the day, there have been a few outstanding pieces that put this continuing war crime in stark perspective. Continue reading “Barbarian Rhapsody: Ten Years Deeper Into Hell: Iraq”

Tony Blair is a psychopath who should be in a padded cell says Arundhati Roy

Perhaps someone could post this video on vimeo allowing us in Bangladesh to view it more easily. Sadly a far easier task than getting our governments to act sensibly.

A log of the transcription:

0:07?fifteen million people across the world who marched against the wall hanging out

0:12?into his perhaps the biggest display of family planning team the words Continue reading

Shahidul Alam presenting at Tate Modern

Violence and Representation – Part 6 18 September 2010 by Shahidul Alam

To coincide with the exhibition Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera, this symposium explores violence as a subject in relation to representations in the broadest range of historical and geographical?contexts.
It includes international artists, photojournalists and theorists who from their distinctive perspectives will attempt to unveil notions of spectatorship and consumption of violent images in contemporary culture. Key questions will encompass the notion of the political, apolitical or depoliticised spectator of representations of violence; the consequences of these kinds of practice and the difference between photo reportage and art photography. Speakers include Shahidul Alam, Steve Edwards, Susan Meiselas, Simon Norfolk, John Roberts, Julian Stallabrass and Alberto Toscano. Lawyer Rupert Grey was a discussant. Supported by Oxford Art Journal, Oxford University Press, the Open University and the British?Council.

Amritsar Massacre. Cameron in India

Better redress is to never forget

If Cameron feels real contrition he should make teaching of the British empire a compulsory part of the GCSE history syllabus

William Dalrymple The Guardian

Britain's PM Cameron visits the holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar

David Cameron at the Golden temple in Amritsar this week. He declined to apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, but said we must ‘learn lessons’. Photograph: Munish Sharma/Reuters

On 13 April 1919 a large group of Punjabis protesting against British rule gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. They were incensed at the arrest of two of their leaders, and for 24 hours the city had been consumed by riots. At five in the afternoon, General Reginald Dyer marched into Jallianwala Bagh with 140 troops, most of them Gurkhas, but with a few Sikhs and Baluchis as well. Having blocked the exits, they fired into the peaceful and unresisting crowds until they had exhausted all their ammunition. Official estimates put the casualties at 379 killed and 1,200 injured. Popular estimates put the casualties as much as 10 times higher. Continue reading

4 Weeks -?4 Wochen -?4 Semaines -?4 Semanas -?4 Settimane -?4 Weken
Just a quick line to remind you that the closing date for the 2013 Bristol International Salon of Photography is only 4 weeks away (23 March) and that you can enter by clicking the following link where you can download a copy of the conditions & rules of entry and enter the Salon on line – please click here??Early Bird? Entry. If we receive your entry before 2 March 2013, your entry fee will be reduced by 10% (approximately).
If you require any further details or have any queries, please email me, Pete Howell, at salon@bristolphoto.org.uk
We look forward to seeing your entry soon
Best regards
Pete Howell
Salon Chairman

The agonies of Bangladesh come to London

Three men stand in Bangladeshi national colours in Shahbag square. Photograph: Kazi Sudipto/ Demotix/Corbis

The Shahbag junction in Dhaka has become Bangladesh‘s Tahrir Square. Hundreds of thousands of young protesters are occupying it and raging against radical Islamists. Even sympathetic politicians cannot control the movement. The protesters damn them as appeasers, who have compromised with unconscionable men. Continue reading

Bangladesh: Past Present Future

Akram Khan

Shahidul Alam

Continue reading “Bangladesh: Past Present Future”

Oitijjo: Exploring Bangla Creativity

An amazing event taking place on London’s South Bank celebrating and exploring Bangla creativity! go to www.oitijjo.org for more info

London’s South Bank offers the exciting opportunity to explore and discover amazing Bangladeshi creativity?and culture, from the UK and beyond!

Click here to check out our promo video

Shahidul Alam, Enamul Hoque, Akram Khan, Zoe Rahman, Rezia Wahid, Shapla Salique and Kishon Khan with Lokkhi Terra join other artists, designers, makers, musicians, speakers and ?writers for the UK?s biggest ever celebration of creativity and culture from Bangladesh and by UK Bangladeshis.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??

London?s South Bank will play host to the UK?s biggest and most vibrant showcase of Bangladeshi creativity next month when a three-day celebration of art, craft, design, fabrics, fashion, literature and music takes place at the Bargehouse from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 February. ?

Book your tickets now. Don’t miss out. Don’t be disappointed. Go to:?www.oitijjo.org

Find out the latest by liking the facebook page:?Oitijjo?London ?and via Twitter?@oitijjo?

Help us #spreadoitijjoy by passing this on to friends, family and to your wider network. ?Watch this space for more amazing updates and be part of something amazing!

For more information, please contact:
Ruhul @ ruhul.abdin@hotmail.co.uk / 07794968658
Maher @?bbflondon@btinterent.com?/ 07932944506