Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Last days in Sweden

Where most summers have been spent


Vaxsjön Sunday evening


Favourite running trek



Tuesday lunch in front of the university

My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 10.55 am. This time it has been very hard to say goodbye to friends and family. Hope to hear from you all soon. Come visit any time!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Independence Day

Independence day is celebrated today in Bangladesh. After Indian independence from British colonial rule the Indian subcontinent was split into two nations. During partition of India 1947 into East and West Pakistan millions of Hindus and Muslims fled across the borders, resulting in violent and bloody clashes between the two groups. Until 1971 Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, was under Pakistani rule with the government and main institutions placed in West Pakistan. When the West Pakistani government proclaimed that the national language would be Urdu, a language hardly spoken in East Bangladesh, riots and struggle between students and the Pakistani army took place on the streets of Dhaka. After a cyclone killed about 500.000 people in 1970, resistance towards the distant government grew stronger. In the beginning of March 1971 at a rally in Dhaka a political leader talked about Bangladesh as an independent state. Soon thereafter the Mukti Bahini, Bangladesh Freedom Fighters, took charge of a radio station in the Chittagong region. Troops were sent from West Pakistan and a slaughter of supporters of the freedom movement followed. In June, the freedom fight had turned into a full scale guerilla war. Many civilians joined the violent fighting. Napalm was used by the Pakistani government against villages and systematic rape was widespread. During the fighting, in Bangladesh called "the Liberation War", about 10 million fled to across the border to India. In the beginning of December, India had had enough of refugees and fighting around its borders and decided to put an end to the turmoil. The Indian army stepped in and shortly thereafter West Pakistan surrendered. Bangladesh soon thereafter was declared an independent state.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Map of Bangladesh


Ten days left before leaving for Bangladesh. Just recently I (again) was asked if Bangladesh really is not an African country..

Sunday, March 4, 2007



View of Nanda Devi Range in Himalaya, Garwhal District in Northern India (Oct. 2006)

This blog is an attempt to keep friends, family and people with a general interest in Northern South Asia updated on developments in the region. I look forward to your comments and suggestions for links and information to be added to the blog.