Comments for Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com Musings of Duncan Chowdhury Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:51:48 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Food Security in Bangladesh by Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/food-security-in-bangladesh/#comment-108 Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:51:48 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-108 [...] View original post here: Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog [...] [...] View original post here: Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog [...]

]]> Comment on Food Security in Bangladesh by Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/food-security-in-bangladesh/#comment-107 Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:52:46 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-107 [...] Colonial Period in 1947 , Bangladesh never faced severe food crisis, except in 1974 More here:  Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog Posted in Bangladesh | Tags: Bangladesh, british, british-colonial, never-exported, period, [...] [...] Colonial Period in 1947 , Bangladesh never faced severe food crisis, except in 1974 More here:  Food Security in Bangladesh « Duncan Chowdhury's Weblog Posted in Bangladesh | Tags: Bangladesh, british, british-colonial, never-exported, period, [...]

]]> Comment on Food Security in Bangladesh by Global Voices Online » Bangladesh: On Food Security http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/food-security-in-bangladesh/#comment-105 Global Voices Online » Bangladesh: On Food Security Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:13:04 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-105 [...] Chowdhury informs that the food supply situation of Bangladesh is more or less quite secure as the country never had [...] [...] Chowdhury informs that the food supply situation of Bangladesh is more or less quite secure as the country never had [...]

]]> Comment on Mystics of Bangladesh by Dr. abdur Rabb http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/mystics-of-bangladesh/#comment-92 Dr. abdur Rabb Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:03:00 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-92 Well done, Mr, Chowdhury. I devoted 45 years of my life studuyng, teaching and writing on mystical theology. I have also tried to put the teaching of mysticism into practice in my own life. I am therfore very much interested in reading the book of your master. I plan to collect a copy of the book when I come to visit Bangladesh next time. Thanking you, Dr. Abdur Rabb Well done, Mr, Chowdhury. I devoted 45 years of my life studuyng, teaching and writing on mystical theology. I have also tried to put the teaching of mysticism into practice in my own life. I am therfore very much interested in reading the book of your master. I plan to collect a copy of the book when I come to visit Bangladesh next time.

Thanking you,
Dr. Abdur Rabb

]]> Comment on Dr. Atiur Rahman overpowered the Pang of Poverty by Gopal Sengupta http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/dr-atiur-rahman-overpowered-the-pang-of-poverty/#comment-90 Gopal Sengupta Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:46:33 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=38#comment-90 YOUNG BANGLADESHIS OF MONTREAL ON THE MOVE A YOUNG BANGLADESHI BUILDS A 42-STOREY SKYSCRAPER THAT WILL CHANGE THE MONTREAL SKYLINE The plan to build a 42-storey skyscraper with 800 units of hotel rooms and condominiums at the heart of downtown Montreal has made big news in the greater Montreal area. In the second week of June, 2009 the Canadian National Television CBC broadcast the owner-developer’s interview along with pictures of the planned tower. The elite French daily newspaper Lapresse published a report on the project on May 12, 2009. This paper said that the owner is going to make Montreal a Dubai which has many tall skyscrapers. Montreal has only a few of those tall buildings; the new project will make the number of those tall buildings larger. On June 19 the only English daily paper of Montreal the Gazette featured a large article on the project with an impressive photograph of the design of the building. The municipality of Montreal distributed leaflets on the project in the Montreal homes and invited the citizens of the city to express their views in two hearings held in the month of June. There are many reasons for which this project attracted public attention. We are going through a period of recession. This grand project costing between 80 and 1000 million dollars will create employment for a large number of people, generate a huge amount of tax for the city, result in the construction of a number of residential units for the low-income people elsewhere in the city (one of the conditions of getting the city permit) at a cost of $700,000-, promote tourism, and change the face of the city of Montreal. The owner-developer of this magnificent project is Mr. Ali Khan from Barguna, Bangladesh. He came to Montreal in 1982. His father Mr. Abdul Wahed Khan, a prosperous businessman of Barguna, wanted him to get an education in Canada. Mr. Ali Khan enrolled himself in the Sciences program at Concordia University and worked part-time in restaurants. With his business background Mr. Ali Khan, while working in restaurants, kept a sharp eye on how restaurant businesses are run. Once he accumulated some capital and acquired sufficient knowledge of the business, he bought a tiny restaurant in a posh shopping center of Montreal in 1990. That business struck gold. Soon he acquired enough capital and experience to start working for his dream: own and operate the largest and best Indian buffet restaurant of North America. As a first step to the realization of his dream, he rented and renovated a place in the heart of the city and made it into a 150-seat buffet restaurant. His idea was to serve a large variety of best Indian foods at a reasonable price. This business prospered tremendously. Then in 1994 he bought three beautiful stone-façade Victorian buildings in a row in downtown Montreal, carried out magnificent renovations, and fully realized his dream by establishing a restaurant called the Buffet Maharaja. The physical features of the Buffet are extraordinary. Sometimes people come just to see its architectural design, beautiful renovations and superb decoration. At present 500 people can sit comfortably to eat at the same time; yet sometimes dozens of people have to wait in lineups on the sidewalk in front of the building to enter the restaurant for dinner. Sometimes people drive more than 100 miles to eat dinner at this restaurant. The Buffet Maharaja is not only a very successful business; it has now become an important institution of Montreal. I have not met many people of the greater Montreal area who did not know about Buffet Maharaja. Since Mr. Ali Khan’s new concept of large buffet of Indian foods worked very well, many people of the Indian subcontinent followed his example and established Indian buffet restaurants in Canada. Buffet Maharaja has also made Indian foods popular among the mainstream Canadian population in Montreal and its surrounding cities. Mr. Ali Khan now owns the entire block of stone-façade Victorian buildings. In the same block he also built a residential hotel and named it Hotel A2K after his children’s initials: one A stands for his eldest son, second A for his daughter, and K for his second son. Many visitors from Bangladesh stay in this hotel during their visit to Montreal. The restaurant and the hotel have created jobs for many people. Most of the people who work at these jobs are from Bangladesh. Special mention should be made of the chief chef Mr. Nurul Haque from Comilla who has been behind the success of Mr. Ali Khan’s restaurant businesses for the last 19 years. Mr. Ali Khan has recently bought a large parking lot behind the restaurant-hotel block. The skyscraper will be built on this parking lot. The other skyscrapers of Montreal are owned by large companies representing many people; but the one we are discussing now will be built by only one individual—Mr. Ali Khan from Bangladesh. Mr. Ali Khan also developed a condominium project at a short distance from the restaurant. He recently acquired a mountain in the Laurentian Mountain Range 30 miles north of Montreal where he will build a summer home and a small lake for fish culture and boating. Mr. Ali Khan’s wife Shirin Rabb, whose parents originally came from Barisal, has been actively assisting him in all his business ventures. Mr. Ali Khan’s extraordinary achievements in Montreal have made Bangladesh and Bangladeshis proud. Asked about the secret of his achievements, he said, “A vision, determination, and hard work.” I should add another ingredient of his success: adoption of the important values of the mainstream Canadian society; he speaks both English and French fluently, knows Canadian laws, and has learned Canadian manners, customs and etiquettes. He knows how to communicate with the people of all walks of life, especially Government officials and business people of Canada, with whom he has to deal. Many young Bangladeshis of Canada are being inspired by his extraordinary achievements; they are now establishing their own businesses, and some of them have prospered tremendously. Mr. Ali Khan also does charitable work to help the poor people of the area of Bangladesh where he came from. YOUNG BANGLADESHIS OF
MONTREAL ON THE MOVE

A YOUNG BANGLADESHI BUILDS A 42-STOREY SKYSCRAPER THAT WILL CHANGE

THE MONTREAL SKYLINE

The plan to build a 42-storey skyscraper with 800 units of hotel rooms and condominiums at the heart of downtown Montreal has made big news in the greater Montreal area. In the second week of June, 2009 the Canadian National Television CBC broadcast the owner-developer’s interview along with pictures of the planned tower. The elite French daily newspaper Lapresse published a report on the project on May 12, 2009. This paper said that the owner is going to make Montreal a Dubai which has many tall skyscrapers. Montreal has only a few of those tall buildings; the new project will make the number of those tall buildings larger. On June 19 the only English daily paper of Montreal the Gazette featured a large article on the project with an impressive photograph of the design of the building. The municipality of Montreal distributed leaflets on the project in the Montreal homes and invited the citizens of the city to express their views in two hearings held in the month of June.

There are many reasons for which this project attracted public attention. We are going through a period of recession. This grand project costing between 80 and 1000 million dollars will create employment for a large number of people, generate a huge amount of tax for the city, result in the construction of a number of residential units for the low-income people elsewhere in the city (one of the conditions of getting the city permit) at a cost of $700,000-, promote tourism, and change the face of the city of Montreal.

The owner-developer of this magnificent project is Mr. Ali Khan from Barguna, Bangladesh. He came to Montreal in 1982. His father Mr. Abdul Wahed Khan, a prosperous businessman of Barguna, wanted him to get an education in Canada. Mr. Ali Khan enrolled himself in the Sciences program at Concordia University and worked part-time in restaurants. With his business background Mr. Ali Khan, while working in restaurants, kept a sharp eye on how restaurant businesses are run. Once he accumulated some capital and acquired sufficient knowledge of the business, he bought a tiny restaurant in a posh shopping center of Montreal in 1990. That business struck gold. Soon he acquired enough capital and experience to start working for his dream: own and operate the largest and best Indian buffet restaurant of North America. As a first step to the realization of his dream, he rented and renovated a place in the heart of the city and made it into a 150-seat buffet restaurant. His idea was to serve a large variety of best Indian foods at a reasonable price. This business prospered tremendously. Then in 1994 he bought three beautiful stone-façade Victorian buildings in a row in downtown Montreal, carried out magnificent renovations, and fully realized his dream by establishing a restaurant called the Buffet Maharaja. The physical features of the Buffet are extraordinary. Sometimes people come just to see its architectural design, beautiful renovations and superb decoration. At present 500 people can sit comfortably to eat at the same time; yet sometimes dozens of people have to wait in lineups on the sidewalk in front of the building to enter the restaurant for dinner. Sometimes people drive more than 100 miles to eat dinner at this restaurant. The Buffet Maharaja is not only a very successful business; it has now become an important institution of Montreal. I have not met many people of the greater Montreal area who did not know about Buffet Maharaja.

Since Mr. Ali Khan’s new concept of large buffet of Indian foods worked very well, many people of the Indian subcontinent followed his example and established Indian buffet restaurants in Canada. Buffet Maharaja has also made Indian foods popular among the mainstream Canadian population in Montreal and its surrounding cities.

Mr. Ali Khan now owns the entire block of stone-façade Victorian buildings. In the same block he also built a residential hotel and named it Hotel A2K after his children’s initials: one A stands for his eldest son, second A for his daughter, and K for his second son. Many visitors from Bangladesh stay in this hotel during their visit to Montreal.

The restaurant and the hotel have created jobs for many people. Most of the people who work at these jobs are from Bangladesh. Special mention should be made of the chief chef Mr. Nurul Haque from Comilla who has been behind the success of Mr. Ali Khan’s restaurant businesses for the last 19 years.

Mr. Ali Khan has recently bought a large parking lot behind the restaurant-hotel block. The skyscraper will be built on this parking lot. The other skyscrapers of Montreal are owned by large companies representing many people; but the one we are discussing now will be built by only one individual—Mr. Ali Khan from Bangladesh.

Mr. Ali Khan also developed a condominium project at a short distance from the restaurant. He recently acquired a mountain in the Laurentian Mountain Range 30 miles north of Montreal where he will build a summer home and a small lake for fish culture and boating.

Mr. Ali Khan’s wife Shirin Rabb, whose parents originally came from Barisal, has been actively assisting him in all his business ventures.

Mr. Ali Khan’s extraordinary achievements in Montreal have made Bangladesh and Bangladeshis proud. Asked about the secret of his achievements, he said, “A vision, determination, and hard work.” I should add another ingredient of his success: adoption of the important values of the mainstream Canadian society; he speaks both English and French fluently, knows Canadian laws, and has learned Canadian manners, customs and etiquettes. He knows how to communicate with the people of all walks of life, especially Government officials and business people of Canada, with whom he has to deal. Many young Bangladeshis of Canada are being inspired by his extraordinary achievements; they are now establishing their own businesses, and some of them have prospered tremendously. Mr. Ali Khan also does charitable work to help the poor people of the area of Bangladesh where he came from.

]]> Comment on Dr. Atiur Rahman overpowered the Pang of Poverty by Dr. abdur Rabb http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/dr-atiur-rahman-overpowered-the-pang-of-poverty/#comment-89 Dr. abdur Rabb Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:39:38 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=38#comment-89 Mr. Chowdhury: May I have your email address? Thanks. Abdur Rabb Mr. Chowdhury:

May I have your email address?

Thanks.

Abdur Rabb

]]> Comment on Dr. Atiur Rahman overpowered the Pang of Poverty by Dr. Abdur Rabb http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/dr-atiur-rahman-overpowered-the-pang-of-poverty/#comment-88 Dr. Abdur Rabb Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:25:30 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=38#comment-88 I could not hold my tears when I read the story of Dr. Atiur Rahman’s early life. I forwarded the article to at least one hundred people. The response of many people to the story was similar to mine. Dr. Rahman’s story especially affected me because I also faced severe hardships in my early life. I was a gamsa-clad young person plowing the land with oxen, weeding rice paddy fields, collecting leaves for fuel, collecting grass for the cattle, and catching fish for supper. Most mornings before going to the field with a plow and a yoke on my shoulders, I ate a few morsels of panta bhat with an onion and a couple of hot peppers from a clay-made khora. A miracle happened: I got an education. Allah has showered me with immense blessings. Having studied and taught as a professor in the west for more than forty years, I am now retired and living in Montreal with my wife. Our son Dr. Hamid Rabb, a full professor and the Physician Director of the Kidney Transplant Dept., and Vice-Chairman of the entire medical faculty of Johns Hopkins University, Maryland is one of the best physicians and medical scientists of the world. Many people believe that he will receive a Nobel Prize for his discoveries in the future (for more on him please see my website: bangladeshisabroad.com/blog) Our daughter Shirin and her husband Ali Hossain Khan from Barguna are the most successful Bangladeshi business people in Canada. The Canadian TV, radios and newspapers recently published with fanfare a news report about their latest 90-100 million-dollar business venture in Montreal: a 42-floor skyscraper in downtown Montreal. The La Presse of Montreal said that Ali Khan is transforming Montreal into a Dubai (for more on this please see my website: bangladeshisabroad.com/blog). At 73 I am trying to devote my time, energies and resources to serve the people in need of help, especially those of my home district Barisal. I have a number of charitable projects in Bangladesh: building educational institutions, setting up scholarships and foundations at all levels of secular education, running an adult education program, building houses for the poor, promoting food production, and the like. I visit Bangladesh every year especially to look after these projects. This is my way of paying part of my enormous debt to my motherland that nourished and educated me for 27 years of my early life. I am also working on my book: FROM THE WOODEN PLOWS OF THE RICE FIELDS OF BANGLADESH TO THE PODIUM OF A PROFESSOR IN CANADA. I would like to know more about Dr. Atiur Rahman. Next time I come to Dhaka I would like to meet Dr. Rahman. Abdur Rabb, Montreal mrabb@videotron.ca I could not hold my tears when I read the story of Dr. Atiur Rahman’s early life. I forwarded the article to at least one hundred people. The response of many people to the story was similar to mine.
Dr. Rahman’s story especially affected me because I also faced severe hardships in my early life. I was a gamsa-clad young person plowing the land with oxen, weeding rice paddy fields, collecting leaves for fuel, collecting grass for the cattle, and catching fish for supper. Most mornings before going to the field with a plow and a yoke on my shoulders, I ate a few morsels of panta bhat with an onion and a couple of hot peppers from a clay-made khora. A miracle happened: I got an education. Allah has showered me with immense blessings. Having studied and taught as a professor in the west for more than forty years, I am now retired and living in Montreal with my wife. Our son Dr. Hamid Rabb, a full professor and the Physician Director of the Kidney Transplant Dept., and Vice-Chairman of the entire medical faculty of Johns Hopkins University, Maryland is one of the best physicians and medical scientists of the world. Many people believe that he will receive a Nobel Prize for his discoveries in the future (for more on him please see my website: bangladeshisabroad.com/blog) Our daughter Shirin and her husband Ali Hossain Khan from Barguna are the most successful Bangladeshi business people in Canada. The Canadian TV, radios and newspapers recently published with fanfare a news report about their latest 90-100 million-dollar business venture in Montreal: a 42-floor skyscraper in downtown Montreal. The La Presse of Montreal said that Ali Khan is transforming Montreal into a Dubai (for more on this please see my website: bangladeshisabroad.com/blog). At 73 I am trying to devote my time, energies and resources to serve the people in need of help, especially those of my home district Barisal. I have a number of charitable projects in Bangladesh: building educational institutions, setting up scholarships and foundations at all levels of secular education, running an adult education program, building houses for the poor, promoting food production, and the like. I visit Bangladesh every year especially to look after these projects. This is my way of paying part of my enormous debt to my motherland that nourished and educated me for 27 years of my early life. I am also working on my book: FROM THE WOODEN PLOWS OF THE RICE FIELDS OF BANGLADESH TO THE PODIUM OF A PROFESSOR IN CANADA.
I would like to know more about Dr. Atiur Rahman. Next time I come to Dhaka I would like to meet Dr. Rahman.

Abdur Rabb, Montreal
mrabb@videotron.ca

]]> Comment on Phu Quoc by Pattaya Hotels http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/phu-quoc/#comment-32 Pattaya Hotels Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:51:29 +0000 http://duncanchowdhury.wordpress.com/?p=17#comment-32 Nice Information, Why dont you write in english Nice Information, Why dont you write in english

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