Arts &Culture - Bangladesh Business News

Fashionology Summit to be held in Dhaka on Feb 12

BBN Desk — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 12:40:06 +0000

Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Global leading experts on apparel technology, innovation and automation are coming to speak at Bangladesh Fashionology Summit to be held in Dhaka on February 12, 2018.

A total of 17 renowned speakers from 10 countries of the world are participating in the first ever fashion and tech summit to discuss about latest apparel products, technology and innovation that will shape the future of the industry.

The Speakers will share their expert opinions on Factory of the Future, Virtual Reality & Digitalization of Supply Chain, Fashion Tech & Sustainable Innovation, and Mass Customization & on Demand Manufacturing at the summit.

The organizer of the summit Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) is also going to arrange the first ever Digital Tech Fashion Show during the event.

In the fashion show some of the most creative and innovative fashion design with digital and tech twists brought from around the world will be displayed.

The BAE is also going to exhibit the operation of Cobots during this fashion and tech Summit.

The Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) Mr. Mostafiz Uddin said: "By organizing the Bangladesh Fashionology Summit we endeavour to bridge the gap between the present and future of Bangladesh apparel and textile industry through technology, innovation and knowledge sharing."

He also said: "We are bringing together under one roof the most inspiring and innovative thinkers from across the globe to initiate the much-needed conversations around technology, digitalization and innovation in the apparel and fashion industry.”

BBN/SSR/AD

Five countries where people live the longest

BBN Desk — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 05:00:41 +0000

Living to 83 on average, the Japanese have long had one of the highest life expectancies in the world (Photo Credit: Wibowo Rusli/Getty Images)

Tokyo, Japan (BBN) - In these five countries, people live substantially longer than the worldwide average – and each place has its own secret source of vitality.

Explorers throughout history have searched for the legendary fountain of youth, reports BBC.

And while the elusive fountain has yet to be found, certain places across the world have emerged as centres where people live substantially longer than the worldwide average (around 71 years), and each has its own secret source of vitality, the report adds.

We talked to residents in some of the countries where people live the longest, as ranked by the 2017 World Happiness Report, to uncover the reasons why these places seem to nurture longevity.
You may also be interested in:

JAPAN

Living to 83 on average, the Japanese have long had one of the highest life expectancies.
Okinawa, often called ‘the land of immortals’, has been a global centre for longevity research, as these southern Japanese islands have more than 400 centenarians.

Much credit for this has been given to the local diet, which includes plentiful tofu and sweet potato, and a small amount of fish.
Active social circles among older residents and a strong community also contribute to lower levels of stress and a strong sense of belonging.

Okinawa, often called ‘the land of immortals’, has been a global centre for longevity research

To reap these benefits, learning the language as an expat is critical, said Daniele Gatti, CEO of Velvet Media and long-time Japan resident. “Japan has an amazing quality of life if you can get past the language hurdle to better understand the mentality” – which is more different from Western culture than most visitors think, she added.

“Expats willing to move here should think seriously about putting a major time allocation into learning the language. It’s key to integrating deeper in the local society and living a full and meaningful life.”

SPAIN

The Mediterranean diet, rich in heart-healthy olive oil, vegetables and wine, has long contributed to Spain’s long-lived population (averaging 82.8). But Spain has another longevity secret up its sleeve: the siesta.

SPAIN HAS ANOTHER LONGEVITY SECRET UP ITS SLEEVE: THE SIESTA

“People think all the Spaniards are doing la siesta when the shops are closed between 2:00 and 5:00, but it is simply how the working shift is organised,” said Miquel Àngel Diez i Besora from Barcelona and Gray Line tour guide. “If you have a continuous shift and just a half an hour break for lunch, then you eat a quick takeaway. On the contrary, if you are forced to stop for two or three hours, then you go home or go to a restaurant where you can sit down, eat two courses and dessert, and have time enough to digest well, it’s going to be healthier than a takeaway.”
The density of Spanish cities also gets people moving more, since shops and restaurants all tend to be within walking distance of most people’s residences.

“When I moved to Barcelona from Moscow, I noticed that people here favour walking or biking, even walking few blocks to take public transport instead of using their own vehicles,” said Marina Manasyan, co-founder of Barcelona Eat Local Food Tours. “You get your cells oxygenated and you reduce your carbon footprint.”

SINGAPORE

With broad access to the country’s state-of-the-art medical facilities and what’s been called a ‘miracle’ healthcare system, Singaporeans are living longer than ever at an average of 83.1 years old. The country has one of the lowest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, and makes preventative care a focus of its healthcare.
With broad access to a ‘miracle’ healthcare system, Singaporeans are living longer than ever

The culture and accessible urban environment also contributes to a longer life. “You will see a lot of people going to gyms or exercising in the public parks, which are plentiful,” said Bino Chua, a current resident and travel blogger at I Wander. The country even recently opened its first therapeutic park, designed to reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing among aging adults.

Health-averse habits are also harder to maintain in Singapore. “Expats should know that ‘vices’ are a lot more expensive here,” said Chau. “Cigarettes and alcohol are heavily taxed and cost a lot more than in other countries.”

SWITZERLAND

Men fare better in Switzerland than anywhere else in the world, living to be 81 on average. As one of Europe’s wealthiest countries, access to high-quality healthcare, strong personal safety and sense of wellbeing contributes to the high rank – with some studies even pointing to the country’s high intake of cheese and dairy as a leading factor.

Men fare better in Switzerland than anywhere else in the world

Though the country can be very career focused with many expats moving for work at one of the country’s many international headquarters, its central location makes it easy to balance frequent relaxing escapes. “It’s a career pinnacle, location-wise,” said Gatti, who has also lived in Switzerland. “Living here allows for wonderful weekend trips all over the continent and to spend time outdoors in the enchanting Alps.” The private schools are also some of the “best on the planet,” she added, which makes it appealing to young families.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is set to be the first country to hit a life expectancy of 90 years according to recent research, which credits a strong and growing economy, broad access to healthcare and lower blood pressure than Western countries for its upward trajectory.

The country also has a diet rich in fermented foods, which are said to lower cholesterol, boost immunity and inhibit cancer. “As a whole, Korean food is high in fibre and nutrient-dense,” Hoheb said.

SOUTH KOREA IS SET TO BE THE FIRST COUNTRY TO HIT A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 90 YEARS
Residents say a cultural focus on community and the associated traditions contributes to the everyday quality of life here. “The Jimjilbang (public bathhouse) brings together people to recreate, to socialise and to help reduce stress,” said Camille Hoheb, founder of Wellness Tourism Worldwide. “In South Korea, there’s also an overall sense of mindfulness that comes with the Buddhist mindset and an overall attitude toward a culture of cooperation versus individualism.”

BBN/SA/AD

Islam world’s fastest-growing religion: Study

BBN Desk — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 08:18:55 +0000

Dubai, UAE (BBN) - Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion, according to a recent Pew Research Center study widely reported in last week.
The study estimates that from 2010 to 2050, Muslims will increase across the world by 73 per cent while Christians are set to increase by 35 per cent, reports Arab News.
According to the projections, Islam is set to surpass Christianity as the world’s biggest religion by 2070.
This is because the Muslim population is growing faster than any other religious group, the report says.
Muslim women tend to have more children than members of other religious groups, the report said.
Globally, each Muslim woman has an average of 3.1 children, compared with 2.3 for other religions combined, according to the research.
Islam also has the youngest set of adherents – in 2010, the median age was 23.
This means that a larger proportion of Muslims are nearing child-bearing age which is likely to fuel Muslim population growth.
BBN/SK/AD

Islamic prayer practice cut lower back pain

BBN Desk — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:56:07 +0000

Washington, US (BBN) - The complex physical movements of the Muslim prayer ritual can reduce lower back pain if performed regularly and properly, claims a recent research.
The paper was published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, reports hindustantimes quoting IANS.
Five times a day, roughly 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, bow, kneel, and place their foreheads to the ground in the direction of the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Islamic prayer ritual, the Salat.
The ritual is one of the five obligatory elements of the faith set forth by the holy book, the Qur’an.
“One way to think about the movements is that they are similar to those of yoga or physical therapy intervention exercises used to treat low back pain,” said Professor and Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Department Chair Mohammad Khasawneh, who is one of the authors of “An ergonomic study of body motions during Muslim prayer using digital human modelling.”

While the research focused specifically on Islamic prayer practices, similar movements are also found in Christian and Jewish prayer rituals along with yoga and physical therapy.
Working with Khasawneh, an interfaith team of Assistant Professor Faisal Aqlan from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Penn State Behrend, Assistant Professor Abdulaziz Ahmed from the Business Department at the University of Minnesota Crookston, and Performance Improvement Consultant Wen Cao from the Department of Operational Performance Improvement at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center were all co-authors of the paper.
All three are alumni of the Industrial and Systems Engineering doctoral program at Binghamton University.
“Physical health is influenced by socio-economic, lifestyle and religious factors. Moreover, studies indicate that there is a strong association between prayer and vigilance about maintaining a physically healthy lifestyle,” said Khasawneh. “Prayer can eliminate physical stress and anxiety, while there is also research that indicates prayer rituals can be considered an effective clinical treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction.”

Researchers analysed statistics based on the movements of computer-generated digital human models of healthy Indian, Asian, and American men and women, and models with lower back pain.
The group found that the bowing portion is the most stressful on the lower back, but for individuals with low back pain, using proper knee and back angles during the ritual can reduce pain.
The angles are based on individual body shapes.
“The maximum compression forces created during prayer postures is much lower than National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) safety limits, and the movements can be safely considered a clinical treatment for low back pain, as it requires different movements of the human body on a regular basis,” Khasawneh said.
“Based on the pain level, a combination of back and knee angles can be identified.”
For those with back pain, maintaining exact prayer postures may not be possible.
According to Islamic traditions and practices, if individuals cannot stand, they are allowed to pray seated or laying.
If they are able to stand, they should maintain correct postures as much as they can.
“The kneeling posture (sujud) increases the elasticity of joints. It is recommended for these individuals to spend more time in the kneeling posture,” Khasawneh said.
According to the research team, using incorrect angles and movements can increase pain.
The team also suggested that further study is needed for physically handicapped individuals, those with more extreme body types and women — especially pregnant women — to find the best movements for these groups.
The group plans to further validate the findings with physical experiments using sensors and cameras to track the stresses on the individual body parts during the prayer ritual.
BBN/SK/AD

‘Ichchhe Ghuri’, the Eid Dhamaka, for kids in Boishakhi tv

BBN Desk — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:48:35 +0000

Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Boishakhi television, a well-known private satellite television channel in Bangladesh, comes up with some special enthralling items specially for children so that they are glued to the screen during their Eid holidays.
Boishakhi television will air “Ichchhe Ghuri”, a five-day long programme for children, from Eid day.
The five episode of “Ichchhe Ghuri” will be aired at 9:15am, said a press statement of the Boishakhi tv.

Considering the kids requirement and taste, Shah Alam, the producer of the programme, includes dance, songs, magic show and fashion show to make the kids Eid holidays a memorable one.
To enhance the beauty and add some extra charm, one episode of the programme was shoot at Fantasy Island in Diabari of Uttara while another at Panam City in Sonargaon, the glorious capital of ancient Bengal, the statement added.
Group Dance performances are choreographed by eminent choreographers Likhon Roy, M R Wasek and Irin Parveen while the students from “Gity Maya Music School” exhibit their spectacular musical talents.

The thrilling magic show and artistic fashion show enhanced the appeal of the “Ichche Ghuri”.
Critics say that the inclusion of the two items exalted the programme.

Renowned attire outlets – Deshal, Anjans, Kay Kraft and Andrei – sponsored the dresses for fashion show.
BBN/AI/ANS

Titanic music composer James Horner dies in plane crash

BBN Desk — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 07:21:46 +0000

California, US (BBN)-James Horner, the Hollywood composer who wrote the score for the Oscar-winning film hit Titanic, has died in a California plane crash aged 61.

He is reported to have been alone aboard a two-seater single-engine plane which crashed north of Santa Barbara on Monday morning, reports BBC.

The two-time Oscar winner worked on three James Cameron films, as well as A Beautiful Mind, Troy and Apollo 13.

He won one Oscar for the Titanic film score and one for its theme song.

Actor and director Ron Howard tweeted: "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones."

BBN/SK/AD

Taj Mahal ranked 3rd among world's top landmarks

BBN Desk — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 09:57:52 +0000

London, UK (BBN)-Travellers from across the globe have ranked Taj Mahal among the top three landmarks in the world, a leading travel website said on Tuesday.
According to TripAdvisor's 2015 Travellers Choice Attractions Awards, Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of top landmarks.
The top two places were taken by Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia respectively.
"The Travellers' Choice Landmarks highlight some of the world's most iconic, must-see attractions that have won over the TripAdvisor community," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.
Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, the white marble mausoleum in Agra is also a symbol of enduring love.
In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Taj Mahal attracts 2-4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas.
The Tower of London was named as the best rated landmark in the UK with Edinburgh Castle in Scotland in second place.
"The UK is blessed with a lot of fantastic landmarks, but especially in the summer they can prove very popular, so it often pays to plan ahead and book a tour in advance," said a TripAdvisor spokesperson.
Gordon Innes, CEO London & Partners, the Mayor of London's official promotional company for London attributed the Tower's popularity last year to the "spectacular poppy installation" in memory of the war heroes of World War One, with more than five million attending the stunning display.
"It's no surprise that this world-famous landmark, along with six other iconic London attractions, have been deservedly championed by the TripAdvisor community," he said.
However, none of the UK landmarks made it to the global top 10.

The list is based on the millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers and the?winners are determined using an algorithm.

Adieu, Parisian love locks

BBN Desk — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 07:24:42 +0000

France, Paris (BBN)-Paris city officials have started to remove padlocks symbolically fastened to one of the French capital's main bridges by loved-up couples.
Tying a "love lock" on to the Pont des Arts before throwing the key into the River Seine beneath has become a tourist tradition in recent years, reports BBC.
But part of the bridge's railings collapsed under the weight last year.
Close to one million locks - weighing 45 tonnes - are due to be cut off over the next few days.
Workmen began removing grilles from the side of the Pont des Arts early on Monday morning.
The Pont de l'Archeveche, near the Notre Dame cathedral, is also having locks removed from its side.
City municipal employees remove iron grills covered with "lovelocks" on the Pont des Arts which crosses over the River Seine in Paris, France, June 1, 2015
Metal grilles on the side of the Pont des Arts, which dates from 1804, will be replaced by panels painted by street artists over the summer, before transparent panels are put in place later this year.
"It's the end of the padlocks," said Bruno Julliard, Paris deputy mayor.
"They spoil the aesthetics of the bridge, are structurally bad for it and can cause accidents."
This Wednesday April 16, 2014 file photo shows a newly wed couple resting on the Pont des Arts in Paris, France
Cathy Hominage, an American tourist, told the Reuters news agency: "We came with the idea of putting a lock but we found out it's closed and illegal now.
"We are just going to put it here at the very end of the bridge so no one can see."
A campaign by the city last year to get people to take selfies instead of attaching locks was not successful.
Venice has also struggled to deter tourists from attaching locks to the Rialto bridge, and in New York, amateur locksmiths launched a campaign to remove locks from the Brooklyn Bridge.

Modi to attend world’s largest yoga session June 21

BBN Desk — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:27:40 +0000

New Delhi, India (BBN)-India Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing for what is billed to be the world's largest mass yoga demonstration, to be held along a stretch of Rajpath- from Rafi Marg to India Gate.
It will be celebrated on World Yoga Day- that falls on June 21- with great fanfare, reports the Business Standard.
Reports suggest the Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani and Siddha (Ayush) has requested some government departments to join the prime minister for a 33-minute yoga session on that day.

Aamir Khan's 'PK' shatters records in China

BBN Desk — Tue, 26 May 2015 11:31:33 +0000

China (BBN)-Aamir Khan-starrer PK is already breaking box office records for a Bollywood film in China.
As of Monday, the film had raked in Rs 35 crore in just three days after its Friday launch, reports The Express Tribune.
This is record breaking for an Indian film in China,” Gu Wancheng, partner for NPRG, the Chinese firm which introduced the movie to distributors here, told India Today in an interview.
ThrowbackThursday: Celebrities’ blast from the past
Prior to PK, the highest-grossing Indian film was Dhoom 3, Gu said.
The Hrithik starrer had managed to earn 19 million RMB through its entire release in China. “PK had made that amount by its second day alone,” Gu said.
PK has now surpassed every film currently showing, including both Chinese films as well as non-Chinese ones, and is second only to Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, which
brought in 1.3 billion Yuan (Rs 1,300 crore) over the past two weeks.
Gu said that the two main reasons behind PK’s success were a high-profile launch involving Hirani, Aamir Khan and Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Beijing mid-May – rare for a Bollywood film in a market it has long ignored – and “very good reviews” in recent days that have driven audiences.
Bollywood films not for children in Aamir Khan’s opinion
Aamir Khan’s popularity in China has, no doubt, also helped the film: The actor’s 3 Idiots was a cult hit in China, even though it was released more than a year after it first went viral through Chinese online movie-sharing websites.
Chinese filmgoers have even taken to asking why Chinese directors have been unable to produce creative films. “I have to say Indian films are so much better than Chinese films,” wrote blogger Karem on Chinese micro-blogging website Sina Weibo.
PK is an Indian film that is so comprehensive. After the first half, I thought it was a comedy.
After the second, I thought it was a critical film, and then it ended as a love story.”
The film’s critical take on religious issues has also struck a chord in China, which is officially atheist but currently grappling with a resurgence in spiritual practice.
China has more than a hundred million Buddhists, according to official estimates, and tens of millions of Christians and Taoists.