Baggage rule Government of Bangladesh for Bangladeshi citizens

Bangladesh citizens are not allowed to import Alcohol/Alcoholic beverages: 

List of Taxable Baggage Items
(a) Imported goods, other than personal and household items are taxable.
(b) Each person is allowed two suitcases not exceeding 65 kg total as personal and household luggage. However, if the 3rd suitcase is of Magazines which are used for education purpose are not taxable.
(c) Imported items which are used for commercial purposes are taxable
(d) Bangladesh citizens are not allowed to import Alcohol/Alcoholic beverages.
The following items, which may be imported as personal/Household items, are taxable as per the tax mentioned in brackets.
1. Television:
(a) Up to 21" Tk. 5000/-
(b) Up to 25" Tk. 7500/-
(c) Up to 29" Tk. 10,000/-
2. VCR/VCP/ Satellite receivers Tk. 3000/-
3. VCD/DVD/LD/MD Player Tk. 4000/-
4. Music center:
(a) with general CD and detached Speaker Tk. 2000/-
(b) Component system (CD/VCD/DVD/LD/MD set) Tk.8000/-
(c) Detachable ` (CD/VCD/DVD/LD/MD Set) Tk.15, 000/0-
5. Refrigerator /Deep Freezer Tk. 5000/-
6. Dish Washer/Washing /Knitting Machine Tk.3000/-
7. Electric Sewing Machine/Knitting Machine Tk.1000/-
8. General Photocopier/ Photo Enlarger Tk. 10,000/-
9. Aircooler/AirConditioner:
(a) Window type Tk. 10,000/-
(b) Split type Tk. 25,000/-
10. Fax Machine Tk. 5000/-
11. Oven:
(a) Microwave oven Tk. 2000/-
(b) Gas oven with burner Tk. 5000/-
12. Dish Antena Tk. 7000/-
13. Gold bars or bullion (Maximum 5 kg) Tk. 300 (per 11.664 gm)
14. Silver bar or bullion (Maximum 20 kg) Tk. 6/ (per 11.664gm)
15. Mobile/Cellular Telephone tk. 5000/-
16. Air gun/Air rifle Tk. 2000/-
17. Candelabrum Tk. 300/- per point
18. Carpet up to 15 square meters Tk. 500sq. meter.
Schedule-2
Duty & Tax free goods
1. Cassette Player/Two-in-one
2. Disk man/Walkman (Audio)
3. Portable Audio CD player
4. Desktop / Laptop Computer (with Printer & UPS)
5. Video Camera
6. Still Camera
7. General/Push button/Cordless telephone Set
8. General/Electric Oven
9. Rice Cooker /Pressure Cooker
10. Blender/Juicer/Coffee Maker
11. General and Electric Type writer
12. Sewing Machine (manual)
13. Table/Pedestal Fan
14. Sports materials (for personal use)
15. 200gms gold/silver ornaments (Not more than 12 pcs of each item)
16. One Cartoon Cigarette (200 stick)

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Stijin Pieters: Durga Puja

Stijn Pieters is a self taught freelance photographer based in Gent, Belgium whose work focuses on under-reported social, political and environmental issues. He completed projects in Nepal, Kashmir, Palestine, Northern Ireland, Swaziland, Yemen, Morocco, Iran, Vietnam, The Philippines, India and Bangladesh; most of which tackle diverse issues, from HIV/aids in Swaziland to the pervasive gun culture in Yemen, from Agent Orange victims in Vietnam to stateless people in Bangladesh.

For his projects in Yemen in 2006 and Morocco in 2007, Stijn received respectively grants from the Pascal Decroos Foundation and the King Baudouin Foundation. His work has been published in Belgian magazines like MO*, Vrede, Menzo, Tertio, Vacature, Varen and Isel Magazine.

The above slideshow is on the Durga Puja in Bangladesh, and is very nice work by Stijn. It's an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. You can click on it for a full screen experience.

The most celebrated Durga Puja is in Calcutta where more than 2000 pandals (temporary structures...like thrones) are set up for the populace to venerate. Durga Puja in Calcutta is often referred to as the Rio Carnival of the Eastern Hemisphere.

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Munem Wasif: Old Dhaka

Photo © Munem Wasif -All Rights Reserved
Here's a response in many more ways than one to Howard W. French's Old Shanghai galleries which I posted about yesterday.

It's by well-known Bangladeshi photographer Munem Wasif, whose trademark gritty high-contrast black & white photographs seem to be the common denominator amongst many of his equally talented compatriot photographers.

Old Dhaka -as we've seen of the old neighborhoods of Shanghai- offers endless scenes of unadulterated humanity to photographers. The Western affinity for privacy doesn't exist here. Mothers bathe their children in the open, while the elderly help one another to perform basic needs and people live virtually in the open without shame or embarrassment.

It's quite evident from this photo essay that Munem Wasif (and others like him) are photographers who have the ability to achieve a no-holds barred intimacy with their subjects. Achieving this closeness undoubtedly enhances the humanness of the subjects we see in their pictures.

Old Dhaka is featured on the incomparable ZoneZero, the site dedicated to photography founded 16 years ago by Pedro Meyer.

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