English | All Combined Chapter,

Pahela Boishakh' is the first day of Bangla new year. The day is a public holiday. This day has a special significance for us as it is a part of Bangalee culture and tradition. People from all walks of life irrespective of their ethnic identity or religious beliefs, celebrate the day with traditional festivities. On this day, the whole of Bangladesh is in a festive mood. The day inspires people to start life with renewed hopes and inspirations. Every year the day is celebrated traditionally. People wake up early in the morning, have a bath and wear traditional clothes Women wear white sarees with red borders and adorn themselves with colourful churis and flowers, while men dress themselves in pajamas and panjabis. It is a day when people love eating traditional food. One of the most colourful events of the day is held in Dhaka. Early in the morning, people in hundreds and thousands pour in from all directions to attend the cultural function at Ramana. Batamul organised by Chhayanaut. The cultural programme begins just at sunrise and the renowned artists of the country take part in the programme that starts with the famous Tagore-Song Esho-he- Boishakh, Esho Esho-Artists also sing traditional folk songs and perform classical dances to the rhythm of musical instruments. People also come to join the colourful processions, the biggest carnival of the country, organized by the Fine Arts students of Dhaka University. The procession usually displays the traditional practices of Bangalee culture. The masks and wreaths worn by the people are so fascinating! Often they symbolise contemporary worries of happiness in the national life. It attracts an increasing number of foreign tourists every year. The day is also observed all over the country. Different social and cultural organisations and educational institutions celebrate the day with their own cultural programmes. On this day, newspapers bring out special supplements. There are also special programmes on the radio and television. The celebration of Pahela Boishakh marks a day of cultural unity for the whole nation.

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21 February is a memorable day in our national history. We observe the day every year as International Mother Language Day. The day is a national holiday. On this day, we pay tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives to establish Bangla as a state language in undivided Pakistan in 1952. The struggle to achieve our language rights is known as the Language Movement. The seed of the Language Movement was sown on 21 March 1948 when Mohammad ALi Jinnah, the Governor General of Pakistan, declared in a public meeting in Dhaka that Urdu would be the only state language of Pakistan. The declaration raised a storm of protest all over the country. The protest continued non-stop, gathering momentum day by day. It turned into a movement and reached its climax in 1952. The government outlawed all sorts of public meetings and rallies to stop it. The students of Dhaka University defied the law and brought out a peaceful protest procession on 21 February 1952. When the procession reached near Dhaka Medical College, the police opened fire on the students, killing Salam, Rafiq, Barkat, Safiur and Jabbar. As a result, there were mass protests all over the country and the government had to declare Bangla as a state language. This kindled the sparks of independence movement of Bangladesh.

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My brothers,

I stand before you today with a heavy heart overflowing with grief. You are fully aware of the events that are going on and understand their import. We have been trying to do our best to cope with the situation. And yet, unfortunately, the streets of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Rangpur are awash with the blood of our brothers. The people of Bengal now want to be free, the people of Bengal now want to live, and the people of Bengal now want their rights. What have we done that was wrong? After the elections, the people of Bangladesh voted as one for me. for the Awami League. We were to sit in the National Assembly, draft a constitution for ourselves there, and build our country: the people of this land would thereby get economic, political and cultural freedom. But it is with regret that I have to report to you today that we have passed through twenty-three tragie years: Bengal's history of those years is full of stories of torture inflicted on our people, of blood shed by them repeatedly. Twenty-three years of a history of men and women in agony! The history of Bengal is the history of a people who have repeatedly made their highways crimson with their blood. We shed blood in 1952; even though we were the victors in the elections of 1954 we could not form a government then. In 1958 Ayub Khan declared Martial Law to enslave us for the next ten years. In 1966 when we launched the six-point movement, our boys were shot dead on 7 June. When after the movement of 1969 Ayub Khan fell from power and Yahya Khan assumed the reins of the government he declared that he would give us a constitution and restore democracy: we listened to him then. A lot has happened since and elections have taken place.

Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj district. He spent his childhood there. Kamal received his secondary education at Dhaka's BAF Shaheen school from where he passed his SSC examination. He was than admitted to Dhaka College, and after his HSC examination, he became a student at the department of sociology of Dhaka University. Kamal had a colorful life marked by liveliness and creativity. Besides his academic studies, he also pursued his passion for sports and cultural activities. He was a first division basketball and cricket player as well as a sports organizer. He was also interested in classical music, and became a student of Chhayanaut to learn Sitar under the tutelage of Ustad Ful Mohammad. Apart from Sitar, Kamal had a passion for Piano. He had a good collection of musical instruments on the second floor of their house at Dhanmondi, Road no. 32. it is well known to his friends that Sheikh Kamal used to begin his day practicing the Sitar and during the day played basketball or football or cricket. In the evening he was often seen on stage rehearsing a play. He took part in stage performance of Kabar written by prominent playwright shaheed Munir Chowdhury. Kamal was one of the founders of Dhaka theatre. He was also a founder of 'Spondon Shilpi Gosthi'-a cultural organization. And who doesn't know that Sheik Kamal was the founder of Abahoni Krira Chokro that introduced modern football in our country.
There are interesting traits in Kamal's Character. He was the eldest son of a Prime Minister and later of a President. Yet, his life was very simple. He didn't take any advantage of his father's name and office. As he loved to spend time with his frineds at Tungipara in his childhood, he loved to do the same during his college and university days. Watching good movies with then in Madhumita, Naz or Balaka cinema hall was also something that he really liked.

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Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid to a multi- racial democracy as an icon of peace and reconciliation who came to embody the struggle for justice around the world.

Imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against white minority rule, Mandela never lost his resolve to fight for his people's emancipation. He was determined to bring down apartheid while avoiding a civil war. His prestige and charisma helped him win the support of the world.

"I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I will fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days," Mandela said in his acceptance speech on becoming South Africa's first. black President in 1994 . . . . . . .  "The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come." "We have, at last, achieved political emancipation."

In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he shared with F.W. de Klerk, the white South African leader who had freed him, from prison three-years earlier and negotiated the end of apartheid.

Mandela went on to play a prominent role on the world stage as an advocate of human dignity in the face of challenges ranging from political repression to AIDS. He formally left public life in June 2004 before his 86th birth day, telling his adoring countrymen: "Don't call me. I'll call you." But he remained one of the world's most revered public figures, combining celebrity sparkle with an unwavering message of freedom, respect and human rights.

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Mainul Islam qualified farmer in Naogaon, Mr. Islam was very brilliant as a student. He took his higher education from Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh. After completing his higher education. Mainul came back home and started advanced farming. He has two other brothers who are graduates in different areas. The speciality of the Islam family is that they all are living in their village and all have fame in their own fields. His younger brother, who is a Rajshahi University graduate, is a science teacher in a local school. His youngest brother is a Social Science graduate and he too would like to start a local NGO to work for this area. When asked "What makes you decide to stay here in this village? Mr. Islam smiled. He said, "Look, It's true that we could leave this village for a city life. I could be an officer or my brother could be a bureaucrat. But it didn't attract us, We are sons of this soil. Yes, we have education but does education prepare a person only to be an officer? Don't we have an obligation to the soil that has made us what we are? He also added that every educated individual shouldn't be a job seeker. He continued that since his discipline was Agriculture, after his education he took the occupation of a farmer. In response to the question whether they have any frustrations to live in a village, he confirmed that they were very pleased with their life. He said, “I Work . All o farm, stay with my family members, pass time with my old friends, and sleep at my own home. All these count a lot.”

Mr. Islam is right. Many people go to cities and forget or loosen their roots knowingly or unknowingly Mr. Islam and his brothers are great roots, they have been torch bearers for others to be respectful of their own roots. 

As a child you must have been told to greet your elders and visitors to your home according to your culture and tradition. You must also have been taught to been polite in company and keep quiet while others, especially your elders, spoke. Possibly, you at times grudged such schooling Possibly, at times you even protested such disciplining. Now, certainly you know that you can't always behave the way you want specially in the presence of others. There are rules of behaviour you have to follow in accompany. We are social beings and have to consider the effect of our behaviour on others, even if we are at home and dealing with our family members. We have two terms to describe our social behaviour 'etiquette' and 'manners. 'Etiquette' is a French word and it means the rules of correct behaviour in society. The word 'manners' means the behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture. Manners can be good or bad. For example, it is a bad manner to speak with food in one's mouth. No one likes a bad mannered person. Remember that etiquette and manners vary from culture to culture and from society to society.

We learn etiquette and manners from our parents, families and various institutions such as schools, colleges or professional bodies. There are rules of behaviour for all kinds of social occasions and it is important to learn them and practice them in everyday life. The manners that are correct in a wedding reception will not do in a debating club. Therefore, we have to be careful about etiquette and manners. We know how important it is to say 'please' and 'thank you' in everyday life. A few more polite expressions such as 'pardon me', 'excuse me, 'may I', are bound to make your day smooth and pleasant.

C. Here are some words/phrases from the text the meaning of which are given below with alternatives. Choose the best answer as per the context. 

Mainul Islam is a qualified farmer in Naogaon. Mr. Islam was very brilliant as a student. He took his higher education from Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh. He then came back home and started advanced farming. He has two other brothers who are graduates in different disciplines. The specialty of the Islam family is that they all are living in their village and all are renowned in their own fields. Mr. Islam's younger brother who is a Rajshahi University graduate, is a science teacher in a local school. His youngest brother is a Social Science graduate who likes to start a local NGO to work for this area. When asked, "What makes you decide to stay here in this village?" Mr. Islam smiled and said, "Look, it's true that we could leave this village for city life. I could be a banker or my brothers could be bureaucrats. But it did not attract us. We are sons of this soil. Yes, we have education but does education prepare a person only to be an officer? Don't we have any obligation to the soil that has made us what we are?" He also added that not every educated individual should be a job seeker. He added that since his discipline was agriculture, after his education he took the occupation of a farmer. In response to the question whether they had any frustration living in a village, he confirmed that they were indeed very pleased with their life. He said, "I work in my own farm, stay with my family members, pass time with my old friends, and sleep at my own home. All these count a lot."" Mr. Islam is right. Many people go to cities and forget or loosen their roots knowingly or unknowingly. Mr. Islam and his brothers are great-they haven't forgotten their roots. They not only stuck to their own roots, they have been torch bearers for others to be respectful of their roots.

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Adolescents constitute a nation's core resource for national renewal and growth. Adolescence is a period in life when transition from childhood to adulthood takes place and behaviours and lifestyles are shaped. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) adolescence is the period which shapes the future of girls and boys' lives. There are 28 million adolescents in Bangladesh; 13-7 million of them are girls and 14-3 million boys.

The situation of adolescent girls in Bangladesh is characterised by inequality and subordination within the family and society. This inequality leads to widespread practice of child marriage, marginalisation or exclusion from health, education and economic opportunities, and vulnerability to violence and sexual abuse.

In Bangladesh the legal age of marriage is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. However, 33 percent of adolescent girls are married before the age of 15 and 60 percent become mothers by the age of 19. Research finds that adolescents with higher level of education and from more affluent families tend to marry at a later age. Boys, however, become ready for marriage only after several years of adolescence and young adulthood.

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The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle said, 'Man is by nature a social animal.' What he meant was that man, by instinct, seeks company of others and establishes relationships, much like most animals of the wild, for companionship and for physical and emotional support Unlike the animals, however, man's relationships give meaning to his existence and inspire him to do well in education in workplace or in a profession that he pursues. Relationships are of different kindsSome are familial and intimate, formed by blood and by marriage; some are social like the ones we have with friends and some are made in school where we form close bonds with classmates and teachers. Relationships can also be fostered in workplace, which may quickly change from professional to social. There are' relationships also between human beings and animals, between children and their toys that they cannot part with.

All these relationships keep us close to each other and provide us all kinds of support, love and affection. A person who has no family feels the pain of loneliness and isolation. There is no one to laugh or cry with him/her. When "we share our joy with someone, it simply redoubles, and when we suffer a loss and someone shares our sorrow, it lessens. Relationships are thus needed for our emotional health.

To build relationships, we need to have trust and respect for each other, and love where this is needed. We cannot be selfish and possessive if we want to establish an effective relationship. But quite often we see people quarrelling and fighting with each other which only brings misery and loss to all.

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I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of 'interposition' and 'nullification', that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flash shall see it together". With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.

With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. So, let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania .........

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

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Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town Protection Embankment. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoil in her life.

Not long ago Meherjan had everything a family, arable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land property. It finally clamied her only shelter during the last monsoon. It took the river only a day to devour Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush. She had a happy family once. Over the years, she lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family. Now, she is the only one left to live on with the loss and pain. The greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness.

There are thousand others waiting to share the same fate like Meherjan. Bangladesh is a land of rivers, some of whose banks overflow or erode during monsoon. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks. During each monsoon many more villages are threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna. It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh. Infact, river erosion is one of the main dangers caused by climate change. If we can't take prompt actions to adapt to climate change, there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year.

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26 March, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. It is a national holiday. All offices, educational institutions, shops and factories remain closed on this day The day begins with a 31 gun salute.

Early in the morning the President and the Prime Minister on behalf of the nation place floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar. Then other leaders, political parties, diplomats, social and cultural organisations, educational institutions and freedom fighters pay homage to the martyrs. People from all walks of life also go there in rallies and processions. There are many cultural programmes throughout the day, highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971.

The country also witnesses a spectacular parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP (Village Defense Party) at the National Parade Ground near the National Parliament. In Bangabandhu Stadium, school children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Educational institutions also organise their individual programmes. Sports meets and tournaments are also organised on the day, including the exciting boat race in the river Buriganga.

In the evening, all major public buildings are illuminated with colourful lights. Bangla Academy. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and other socio-cultural organisations hold cultural functions. Similar functions are also arranged in other places in the country.

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The river Buriganga is an example of a dying river. A report published in the Daily Sun describes what has happened to the river Buriganga and why. Its water is polluted and a perpetual stench fills the air around it. But that is not what it was like before. The report says that the river had a glorious past. Once it was a tributary of the mighty Ganges and flowed into the Bay of Bengal through the river Dhaleshwari. Gradually it lost its link with the Ganges and got the name Buriganga. The Mughals marvelled at the tide level of the Buriganga and founded their capital Jahangirnagar on its bank in 1610. The river supplied drinking water and supported trade and commerce. Jahangirnagar was renamed Dhaka which grew into a heavily populated city with chronic shortage of space.

The city paid back the bounty of the river by sucking life out of it! According to newspaper report, the Buriganga is dying because of pollution. Huge quantities of toxic chemicals and wastes from mills and factories, hospitals and clinics and households and other establishments are dumped into the river everyday. The city of Dhaka discharges about 4500 tons of solid waste everyday and most of it is directly released into the Buriganga. According to the Department of the Environment (DOE) 20,000 of tannery waste, including some highly toxic materials, are released into the river everyday. Experts identified nine industrial areas in and around the capital city as the primary sources of river pollution: Tongi. Tejgaon, Hazaribagh, Tarabo, Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur, Dhaka Export Processing Zone and Ghorashal.

The river would need a monster's stomach to digest all the wastes mentioned above. There is a limit upto which it can put up with its cruel and thoughtless treatment. We the humans have successfully killed one of our rivers. There are other rivers in the country that are being subjected to similar thoughtless treatment. Unless we take care of our rivers, there may come a time when we will cry 'water, water and find it nowhere.

Today there are many jobs where you need English. This is because the world has become smaller. Vast distances are shortened by speedy transports. We can talk to a person thousands of kilometers away on the phone or the Internet. So, we can communicate with the whole world easily. English has made this communication easier.

There are many countries in the world with many languages, but to communicate with them, you! cannot use all the languages. So, you need a common language that you can use with more or less all the people in the world. English is that common language. You can talk to a Chinese toy maker, a French artist, an Arab ambassador or a Korean builder in one language English.

English, for us in Bangladesh, is all the more important. As we have seen earlier, we are too many people in a small country. So if you learn English, you have the best opportunity to find a good job, both within and outside the country. And that is good news for millions of our unemployed youths. "But Miss we learn English for 12 or 14 years, yet we do not find good jobs, says Rumi

. She then tells the class about what happened to her brother. "Could you please tell us why?" Rumi asks. "This is a very important question, Rumi. We should learn how to use English both orally and in writing for doing things as needed in our work, such as communicating with others at personal, social, national and International levels. But unfortunately, at the moment we are learning English mainly for our exams." continues Ms Choudhury. "Remember, English can greatly help you become skilled workers. "But where and how can we learn this kind of English, Miss?" asks Ratan. Ms Choudhury says. “We can learn English both in and outside the classroom. Besides your textbooks, the radio, television, newspapers, magazines, computers and other supplementary materials will greatly help you. During our classroom activities, we'll see how we can learn English.”

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Valentina Tereshkova was born in a village, in central Russia on 6 March 1937. Her father was a tractor driver and her mother worked in a textile plant. At the age of eight, she began her schooling but did not enjoy it much. She left the school within a few years. Afterwards she completed her education through distance learning. She became interested in parachuting from a young age, and trained in skydiving at the local Aeroclub, making her first jump at age 22 on 21 May 1959. It was her expertise in skydiving that led to her selection as a cosmonaut. After the flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first human being to travel to outer space in April 1961, the Soviet Union decided to send a woman in space. On 16 February 1962, "Proletaria" Valentina Tereshkova was selected for this project from among more than four hundred applicants. Tereshkova had to undergo a series of training that included weightless flights, isolation tests, centrifuge tests, rocket theory, spacecraft engineering, 120 parachute jumps and pilot training in MiG-15UTI jet fighters.

Since the successful launch of the spacecraft Vostok-5 on 14 June 1963, Tereshkova began preparing for her own flight. On the morning of 16 June 1963, Tereshkova and her back-up cosmonaut Solovyova were dressed in space-suits and taken to the space shuttle launch pad by a bus. After completing her communication and life support checks, she was seated inside Vostok-6. Finishing a two-hour countdown, Vostok-6 launched faultlessly.

Although Tereshkova experienced nausea and physical discomfort for much of the flight, she orbited the earth 48 times and spent almost three days in space. With a single flight, she logged more flight time than the combined times of all American astronauts who had flown before that date. Tereshkova also maintained a flight log and took photographs of the horizon, which were later used to identify aerosol layers within the atmosphere.

Vostok-6 was the final Vostok flight and was launched two days after Vostok-5, which carried valary Bykovsky into a similar orbit for five days, landing three hours after Tereshkova. The two vessels approached each other with 5 kilometers at one point, and from space Tereshkova communicated with Bykovsky and the Soviet leader Khrushchev by radio.

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 Countries of the world rely heavily on petroleum, coal and natural gas for their energy sources. There are two major types of energy sources: renewable and non-renewable. Hydro-carbon or fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy. Reliance on them poses real big problems. First, fossil fuels such as oil, coal, gas, etc, are finite energy resources and the world eventually will run out of them. Secondly, they will become too expensive in the coming decades and too damaging for the environment. Thirdly fossil fuels have direct polluting impacts on earth's environment causing global warming, In contrast renewable energy sources such as, wind and solar energy are constantly and naturally replenished and never run out. Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight or solar energy can be used for heating and lighting homes, for generating electricity and for other commercial and industrial uses. The sun's heat drives the wind and this wind energy can be captured with wind turbines to produce electricity. Then the wind and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapour turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams. Its energy can be captured as hydroelectric energy.

Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to grow. Plants produce biomass which again can be turned into fuels such as firewood, alcohol, etc. identified as bioenergy.

Scientists have identified Hydrogen as another form of renewable energy source. It is the most abundant element in nature. But it does not exist separately as a gas. It is always combined with other elements, such as with oxygen to make water. Hydrogen, separated from another element, can be burned as a fuel to produce electricity.

Our Earth's interior contains molten lava which gives off extreme heat. This heat inside the Earth produces steam and hot water which can be tapped as geothermal energy to produce electricity for heating homes, etc. Ocean energy comes from several sources. Ocean's force of tide and wave can be used to produce energy. The surface of the ocean gets more heat from the sun than the ocean depths. This temperature difference can be used as energy source too.

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26 March, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. It is a national holiday. All offices, educational institutions. shops and factories remain closed on this day. The day begins with a 31 gun salute.

Early in the morning the President and the Prime Minister on behalf of the nation place floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar. Then other leaders, political parties, diplomats, social and cultural organisations, educational institutions and freedom fighters pay homage to the martyrs. People from all walks of life also go there in rallies and processions. There are many cultural programmes throughout the day, highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971.

The country also witnesses a spectacular parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP (Village Defence Party] at the National Parade Ground near the National Parliament. In Bangabandhu National Stadium, school children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Educational institutions also organise their individual Programmes. Sports meets and tournaments are also organised on the day, including the exciting boat race in the river Buriganga.

In the evening, all major public buildings are illuminated with colourful lights. Bangla Academy. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and other socio-cultural organisations hold cultural functions. Similar functions are also arranged in other places in the country.

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Michael Madhusudan Dutt, popularly known as Madhusudan, was a celebrated 19th century Bangalee poet and dramatist. He was born in Sagordari on the bank of the Kopotaksho River, a village in Keshabpur Upazila under Jashore district.

From an early age. Dutt aspired to be an Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated Hindu family, he converted to Christianity as a young man, much to the ire of his family and adopted the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised by his teachers as a precious child with a gift of literary talent. His early exposure to English education and European literature at home and his college inspired him to imitate the English in taste, manners and intellect.

Since his adolescence he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the planet and that his society was unable to appreciate his talent. He also believed that the west would be more receptive to his creative genius.

Madhusudan was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poems and plays in English. They showed his higher level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right appreciation. To his utter frustration he found that he was not esteemed as a native writer of English literature. Out of his frustration he composed a sonnet in Bangla "Kopotaksha Nad" which earned him huge reputation in Bangla. Gradually he could realise that his true identity lay in Bengal and he was a sojourner in Europe. Afterwards he regretted his fascination for England and the West. He came back to Bengal and devoted himself to Bangla literature from this period. He has written the first Bangla epic "Meghnad Badh Kabya".

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Kuakata, locally known as Sagar Kannya (Daughter of the sea) is a rare scenic spot located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh. Kuakata in Latachapli Union under Kalapara Police Station of Patuakhall district is about 30 km in length and 6 km in breadth. It is 70 km from Patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from Dhaka. An excellent combination of the picturesque natural beauty, sandy beaches. collecting drinking water. The Rakhaines had landed on Kuakata coast after being expelled from for Arakan by the Mughals. Following the first well, it became a tradition to dig wells in the neighborhood of Rakhaine homesteads for fresh water supply. Kuakata is one of the unique spots which allow a visitor to watch both the sunrise and the sunset from the beach. That perhaps makes Kuakata one of the world's most attractive beaches. The long and wide beach at Kuakata has a typical natural setting. This sandy beach slopes gently into the Bay and bathing there is as per birds. Fishing boarding Kuakata is truly a virgin beach and sanctuary for migratory winter birds. Fishing boats plying in the Bay of Bengal with colourful sails, surfing waves and the lines of coconut trees add to the vibrant colours Kuakata. The indigenous culture of the Rakhaine community and hundred year old Buddhist temples Indicate the age old tradition and cultural heritage of this area. Kuakata is also a holy land for the Hindus and Buddhists. Each year thousands of devotees come here to attend the festivals Rash Purnima and Maghi Purnima. On these two days, Pilgrims take holy bath and enjoy going to the traditional fairs.

26 March, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. It is a national holiday. All offices, educational institutions. shops and factories remain closed on this day. The day begins with a 31 gun salute.

Early in the morning the President and the Prime Minister on behalf of the nation place floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar. Then other leaders, political parties, diplomats, social and cultural organisations, educational institutions and freedom fighters pay homage to the martyrs. People from all walks of life also go there in rallies and processions. There are many cultural programmes throughout the day, highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971.

The country also witnesses a spectacular parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP (Village Defence Party) at the National Parade Ground near the National Parliament, In Bangabandhu National Stadium, school children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Educational institutions also organise their individual programmes. Sports meets and tournaments are also organised on the day, including the exciting boat race in the river Buriganga. In the evening, all major public buildings are illuminated with colourful lights. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and other socio-cultural organisations hold cultural functions.Similar functions are also arranged in other places in the country. 

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Bangladesh is blessed with huge inland water resources. It has numeris rivers, canals, beein lakes and vast areas of floodplains. Hakaluki Haor to one of the major wetlands of Bangladesh, with a land area of 18,386 hectares, it supports a rich Modiversity and provides direct and indirect livelihood benefits to nearly 1.30,000 people. This haor was declared in Redlogeally Critical Area in April 1999 by the government of Bangladesh. Hakaluks to a complex cosystem, containing more than 238 interconnected beels and jalmahals. The portant beds are Chatia, Pindarkona, Dulla, Sakua, Barajalla, Balijhuri, Lambe, Tents, Harichal. Tural, our and Chinaura. Hakaluki Haor is bounded by the Kushtara river as well as a stretch of the Sonas-Berdal river to the north, by the Fenchuganj-Kulaura rallway to the west and to the south and by the Koleura Beanibazar road to the east. The haur falls under two administrative districts, Manithazar and Sylhet. Some 1,90,000 people live in the area surrounding the har Hakaluki Haor is an important source of fisheries resources for Bangladesh, Kalbans, Boat, Put. Ghagot, Pabda and Chapila are the main fish species found here. From the Kashara, there are frequent upstream movements of fish towards the bees and tributaries of Hazalud. The beels in Hakaluki Haor provide winter shelter for the mother fisheries in the early monsoon, these mother fisheries produce millions of fries for the entire downstream fishing com tes, Foodglans are also an important source of fisheries resources within the area. However, many of the beds have lost their capacity to provide shelter for mother fisheries because of sand deprints from upstream rivers and canals, use of complete dewatering technique for fishing and lack of aquatic plants to provide feed and shelter for parent fish.

Zahir Raihan was one of the most talented film makers in Bangladesh. He was born on 19 August 1935 in the village Majupur in Feni district. He was an active worker of the Language Movement. He was one of the ten students to go out in a procession on 21 February 1952 despite a ban on such activities imposed by the authorities. As a result, he and many others were arrested and taken to prison. Raihan was also present at the historical meeting of Amtala on 21 February 1952. He also took part in the mass movement in 1969. In 1971, he joined the Liberation War. All through his life, Zahir Raihan dreamt of a democratic society, a society that would ensure freedom of speech. He had many rams about our film industry too. He made a legendary film Jibon Theke Neya based on the Language Movement of 1952

It was a protest against the autocratic government then ruling our country. The family portrayed in that film symbolically represented East Pakistan. The family was ruled by an autocrat who had to go to prison for her conspiracy. During the Liberation War in 1971, this film was shown outside Bangladesh. Celebrated film makers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak mposition with Model Questions appreciated this film. Raihan gave all the money the film made to the Freedom Fighters Trust. Besides, his great documentary on Pakistani atrocities, stop genocide helped create world sentiment in favour of our Liberation War. On 30 December 1971 someone Informed Raihan about an address somewhere at Mirpur, where he might find his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who had gone missing from 14 December 1971. Kaiser was captured and killed by the Pakistani army and the local collaborators during the last days of the war. Accordingly, Raihan left home to get his brother back but he never returned. Zahir Raihan's dream was fulfilled. He could see the emergence of an Independent Bangladesh though he did not get back his brother. And it's a pity that this dreamer could not live to see his dream come true.

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26 March, our Independence Day, is the biggest state festival. The day is celebrated every year in the country with great enthusiasm and fervour. It is a national holiday. All offices, educational institutions, shops and factories remain closed on this day. The day begins with a 31 gun salute.

Early in the morning the President and the Prime Minister on behalf of the nation place floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar. Then other leaders, political parties, diplomats, social and cultural organizations, educational institutions and freedom fighters pay homage to the martyrs. People from all walks of life also go there in rallies and processions. There are many cultural programmes throughout the day, highlighting the heroic struggle and sacrifice in 1971.

The country also witnesses a spectacular parade of defence forces, border guards, police, ansars and the VDP (Village Defense Party) at the National Parade Ground near the National Parliament. In Bangabandhu National Stadium, school children, scouts and girl guides take part in various displays to entertain thousands of spectators. Educational institutions also organize their individual programmes. Sports meets and tournaments are also organized on the day, including the exciting boat race in the river Buriganga.

In the evening all major public buildings are illuminated with colourful lights. Bangla Academy. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and other socio-cultural organizations hold cultural functions. Similar functions are also arranged in other places in the country.

Choose the correct answer from the following alternatives.