Ganesh Chandra earns a living by selling flutes on the streets of Rajshahi city. Although selling flutes is his livelihood, his life is intertwined with the sound of the flute. He has been doing this work for about 45 years. Once upon a time, passersby would stop to listen to the tune of his flute, but various forms of modern music have taken over that place. Still, Ganesh Chandra believes that the sound of the flute will never get old. That is why he still walks around with that flute.

When asked about his profession, Ganesh Chandra said, "At first, my business was doing well. All the students and teachers of the college used to buy flutes. But now, due to mobile phones, TV and digital media, people's interest in music has decreased.

Ganesh Chandra, a resident of Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi, has three sons. All of them are busy with their own families. He runs his family with his wife Sagari Rani and his family with what he earns.

Ganesh Chandra started selling flutes around Rajshahi College 45 years ago. At that time, the flute was very popular with college students, teachers and local people. ‘When I started, people were very interested in music. Flute was played at various college functions and in student gatherings,’ he recalled.

He has also been selling flutes at Rajshahi University for a long time. Apart from the college and university, he has sold flutes in various places in Bagha, Natore, Bogura Sadar and Santahar.

Ganesh Chandra once said that his flute selling business was very profitable. Students used to buy flutes for their hobby. A kind of musical atmosphere was created. Now that interest has decreased a lot.

He is concerned that people’s interest in traditional arts like flute has decreased due to the advancement of modern technology. He feels that the tradition of music is being lost due to the dominance of smart phones, TV and digital media.

Now he goes out with more than 100 flutes every day, but most days none are sold. Running a business has become a challenge for him as demand has decreased with age.

Ganesh Chandra makes his own flutes. He collects the bamboo needed to make flutes from different places in Dhaka. His flutes cost between Tk. 100 and Tk. 500. His love for flutes was born when he saw his father singing in the atmosphere of his childhood. That love still inspires him to play the flute.

Ganesh Chandra's life is not just a story of his personal struggle; it is a reflection of the crisis of traditional arts due to modernity. The enthusiasm for music that was once present in institutions like Rajshahi College has completely diminished today.

Yet Ganesh Chandra still believes that music will find a place in people's hearts and that his profession will one day find life again. Today, no one may buy flutes, but he believes that one day people will return to tradition.

The cold-stricken district in the north of the country is Thakurgaon. Winter came first and then set in. The sun has not been seen for the past week. The temperature of 10 degrees Celsius was recorded at 9 am on Friday. The cold has set in in mid-December, disrupting public life. The struggle to cope with the cold has taken the form of a struggle for the helpless and uprooted people of the society. The livelihood of people who have been brought to a standstill by the onset of winter.

To alleviate the suffering of the cold-stricken people, Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner Ishrat Farzana has delivered blankets to the homes of the working-class people at night.

On Friday night, winter clothes were delivered to the students studying in madrasas and working-class people in Madarganj, Hariharpur, Shimultala and Road areas of Rahimanpur union of Sadar upazila of the district.

Madrasa student Abdul Kader said that it has been very cold for the past few days. I had a blanket before, now DC gave me another one. Now I won't feel too cold. She wrapped me in the blanket with love like a mother. It felt like my mother was wrapping me in the blanket. We were very happy.

Sixty-year-old Bilkis Banu had fallen asleep. The Deputy Commissioner came to my home and suddenly wrapped me in the blanket. After receiving the blanket, she said, "I am sleeping." DC suddenly came and gave me the blanket. It has been very cold for days. I can't sleep because of the cold. Today I got a new blanket, I will sleep well. May Allah protect the DC.

Madarganj Madrasa's Muhtamim Maulana Faizur Rahman said that students always have to stay in a sacred state. That's why they have to stir water most of the time for ablution. Today, DC sir gave all the students winter clothes. In this, they can wrap themselves in it and recite the Quran. They can also sleep wrapped up at night.

Rootless Faizul, who was lying at Thakurgaon Road railway station, said, "I was not sleeping due to the extreme cold, when the Deputy Commissioner DC gave me a blanket. Now I will sleep well." Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner Israt Farzana said, "The severity of winter is gradually increasing in the district. To ease the suffering of those suffering from the cold, the district administration has been distributing winter clothes for several days. Along with the administration, I am appealing to the wealthy people of the society to come forward."

On the Martyred Intellectuals Day, Chief Adviser to the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has called on everyone to unite and resist any conspiracy of the anti-liberation forces and fulfill their responsibilities from their respective positions.

He made this call in a message given today (December 13) on the occasion of the 'Martyred Intellectuals Day' tomorrow, Saturday (December 14).

Expressing deep respect for the martyred intellectuals and the heroic martyrs of the Liberation War and praying for peace and forgiveness for their departed souls, Professor Muhammad Yunus said, 'Martyred Intellectuals Day is a shameful day in the history of Bangladesh. In the last days of the great liberation war, the Pakistani occupying forces and their allies, knowing that their defeat was certain, brutally killed Bengali intellectuals to demoralize Bangladesh. He said that on the eve of the victory of the Bengali nation, the anti-liberationists brutally killed and disappeared the country's talented children, including educationists, journalists, writers, doctors, scientists, lawyers, artists, engineers, philosophers and political thinkers. Among them were Dhaka University teachers Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, Munir Chowdhury, Anwar Pasha, Shahidullah Kaiser, Giasuddin, Dr. Fazle Rabbi, Abdul Alim Chowdhury, Sirajuddin Hossain, Selina Parveen, Dr. Jyotirmoy Guha Thakurta and many others. Advertisement

The Chief Adviser said that their main objective was to demoralize the Bengali nation, and that the anti-liberationists took the most heinous revenge for the defeat in the great liberation war through this planned brutal massacre.

The Chief Adviser also said that the interim government formed through the mass uprising of students, workers and the public is committed to building a developed, prosperous and well-governed Bangladesh. 

President Md. Sahabuddin has said that their sacrifice will be worthwhile only if they can build a non-communal and happy, prosperous and non-discriminatory new Bangladesh based on the spirit of the Liberation War by following the ideals and path of the martyred intellectuals.

He said these things in a message given today (December 13) on the occasion of 'Martyred Intellectuals' Day' tomorrow, Saturday (December 14).

The President said, 'December 14 is Martyred Intellectuals Day. On this day in 1971, on the eve of the final victory in the great Liberation War, the invading forces, in collaboration with anti-liberation forces, brutally killed many distinguished people, including the best sons of the nation, renowned educators, doctors, scientists, writers, journalists, artists. The President remembered the martyred intellectuals, the sun children of the nation, with deep respect and prayed for the forgiveness and peace of their departed souls and said, "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved members of the martyred families."

He said that the Bengali nation gradually prepared for the liberation struggle through a long movement and struggle against long-standing exploitation, deprivation and discrimination. With the declaration of independence on March 26, 1971, the entire nation jumped into the liberation struggle. The final victory was snatched through a long nine-month armed liberation war.

Md. Sahabuddin said, "Our intellectuals, through the application of their intellect and wisdom, the practice of art and literature, and their sharp writing, made an outstanding contribution to creating public opinion in favor of the Liberation War and to advancing the great Liberation War on the path of success by providing intellectual and strategic advice to the Mujibnagar government during the war."

The anti-independence assassins, knowing that their defeat was certain, carried out a hellish massacre across the country, including Dhaka, on December 14, 1971, with the nefarious intention of demoralizing the nation. In fact, intellectuals were killed throughout the Liberation War starting from the night of March 25. However, on the eve of victory, this massacre took a horrific turn on December 14. The brutal murder of the country's renowned intellectuals was an irreparable loss to the nation.

The President, inspired by the spirit of non-discrimination, called on everyone to play an effective role from their respective positions to build a new Bangladesh.