How creatively did we spend our time during power outages in childhood?

I was born in Bangladesh in the late 1980s. However, when I was old enough to understand my surroundings, I became aware of several issues. Frequent power outages were one of them. They occurred so often and lasted so long that people would sometimes find themselves without electricity for half the day. When the power finally returned after an hour or two, people would sarcastically say that the electricity had not gone— it had just decided to take a little vacation.

Back in those days, we did not have IPS systems or rechargeable lights. Therefore, to cope with the darkness at night, we had to rely on kerosene lamps and candles of various shapes and sizes. I have heard numerous stories of people who studied by the flickering light of a lamp or candle and later went on to secure top government jobs.

However, we often spent our time during power outages in more creative ways. Family members, especially the younger ones, would split into two teams and hold singing competitions either on the balcony or up on the rooftop. When one group finished a song, the other would start with a new tune, beginning with the last letter of the previous song’s final word. Meanwhile, the male members would go outside to socialize with friends, chatting about everything from global politics to the prices of daily essentials.

I can still clearly recall how we would place our hands next to a candle or lamp to create different shapes—dogs, rabbits, turtles, birds, and many more—projecting their shadowy dances onto the wall whenever my mother lit a candle during load-shedding at night. This form of art is referred to as “hand shadow puppetry.”

You know, back in those days, most of us—especially the younger crowd—would pour melted candle wax on our hands and then attempt to put out the flame with our thumb and index finger. We genuinely believed we were doing the most courageous thing imaginable. Now, looking back on those moments, I cannot help but giggle at how wild we were.

When the power came back, my siblings and I would compete to see who could blow out the candle first. On moonlit nights, we would gather on the rooftop, share stories, reminisce about our carefree childhood, and burst into laughter over our silly past adventures.

Power outages at night in the village, especially during the winter season, gave us experiences that no amount of money could buy. The entire village would be submerged in darkness, and it felt as if we were wrapped in a cozy blanket of silence. We could only hear the chirping of crickets and the flickering of fireflies dancing in the jungle. Sitting on the steps of the paved wharf, soaking in the serene atmosphere, was the kind of experience that money simply cannot buy.

The women in the family would gather in the courtyard to gossip while the young men perched on the railing of a pole built across the canal, chatting away until the power was restored. Even though I will never get those days back, but I can cherish the memories for the the rest of my life.

Birthday celebration by middle-class people in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, most people are quite conservative. Their religious faith or beliefs often influence the celebration of various festivals or events. Birthday celebrations have not been spared from this influence. There might be a debate about whether celebrating birthdays is permissible in religion. However, in this article, I will not speak from a religious perspective but rather from a social point of view. Like in the rest of the world, birthdays are celebrated in our country too. The extravagance of a birthday party depends on a family’s socioeconomic status. Since I come from a middle-class family, I will focus on how people in this social class typically celebrate birthdays.

Since most people in this social class can hardly make ends meet with their limited income, throwing a birthday party seems like a far-off dream. Yet, they are sometimes compelled to do it just to fulfill their children’s requests. To do so, they buy a cake as cheaply as possible, prepare some food items at home, and invite a few neighbors. They try to keep the celebration as simple as possible. Those who are financially solvent tend to arrange it in a more grandiloquent manner.

In rural areas of Bangladesh, well-off families often celebrate their children’s birthdays in a more religious manner. They frequently invite orphans from local madrasahs and organize Quran recitations and prayers as part of the festivities. They also hire a professional chef to prepare delicacies—polao, chicken roast, beef curry, and salad—for hundreds of people. To accommodate this grand feast, they typically set up a tent in the courtyard. The tradition of celebrating birthdays by cutting a cake is not very common. In most cases, the birthday program ends before sunset.

However, in urban areas, we see a completely different scenario. Here, middle-class families who are doing well financially often host birthday parties at home. They start the preparations a few days before the birthday. When the day finally arrives, preparations begin very early in the morning, with the female members and the family’s servant spending a busy time in the kitchen preparing food for the guests. This includes grinding spices, slicing onions, washing and rinsing rice, and many other tasks. To avoid these hassles, some people hire a chef to cook the food items. The variety of dishes usually depends on their financial ability, with around 5 to 6 items being the norm. Older siblings often take responsibility for buying the birthday cake and home decoration items. The cake is adorned with flowers or fun designs featuring the popular words “Happy Birthday to You,” along with the name of the birthday child. One of the rooms is decorated with cartoon-themed decorations and colorful balloons. They even buy funnel-shaped paper caps for the birthday baby and the other kids attending the event.

Though the main event starts in the evening, guests begin arriving early. The main event begins with the cutting of the cake. At that time, everyone gathers in a circle around the birthday child and sings the traditional birthday song, “Happy Birthday to You,” in chorus. The birthday kid blows out the candle while their parents, holding their little one’s hand, cut the cake. Then, they feed the child a small portion of the cake as part of a celebration. The most interesting thing is that kids and youngsters pop balloons after the celebration. Someone might even pop a party popper to commemorate the special occasion as a modern addition to birthday parties. Then, the cake is cut into pieces and given to each guest. After that, the main dish is served.

People with a bit more wealth often host their birthday parties at a restaurant or a community center. It costs them more money but takes the stress out of preparing everything at home. The restaurant arranges the food items depending on how many guests are expected to attend the party. The meal usually starts with some starters, like soup, wontons, and other light food items. Then comes the main course, which typically features fried rice, chicken fry, Chinese vegetables, and either beef or chicken curry. There is a designated area where decorations are made with various decorative items to make the place feel festive.

From my point of view, any event feels like a social gathering for middle-class people. On the contrary, for upper-class people, it is more of a chance to show off or a business meeting among partners or tycoons. 

It is hard to preserve independence with dignity than achieving it

Independence is achieved in exchange for the relentless struggle of countless people and the shedding of immense blood. Great awareness, diligence, and perseverance are required to protect the independence achieved after such sacrifice and hardship.

To stay outside the authority or rule of others is called independence. It is a valuable asset of national life. Achieving independence is considered the result of hard work and unlimited sacrifice. This independence is achieved through many sacrifices and the loss of many lives. It is because powerful rulers never give independence to a subjugated nation. We cannot see the true form of this hard-earned independence if we confine it to achievements only. We must uphold the honor of our independence, and keeping that honor is the most difficult and important task. The days that follow the arrival of independence, after a long struggle and immense self-sacrifice, are considered to be even more terrifying and critical. Therefore, we need more strength to protect the independence because there is no absence of enemies inside and outside an independent country. The struggle to protect a country’s independence from internal and external opposition is indeed a difficult one. The former enemies of an independent nation harm the country secretly. Defeating them is a very difficult task.

If this continues, frustration will arise in public life, enthusiasm for work will decrease, and the path to national progress will become full of obstacles. Then, the question of upholding the importance, significance, and true spirit of independence becomes a major concern. Therefore, to protect independence, all the people of the country have to work tirelessly in the fields, factories, and everywhere with endless efforts and responsibilities. We have to bring about financial prosperity to the country by developing the country in industry and commerce. We have to make our country self-sufficient in food production by developing agriculture. If the country’s economic backbone is strong and if the country is self-contained in food, then we can observe motivation and awareness among ordinary people. Then, there is no fear of the country’s independence being endangered. However, doing that work with people is not that easy.

In 1971, freedom fighters of our country achieved independence at the cost of three million lives. Can we defend this independence with proper respect? After achieving independence, immorality, the tendency of excess spending, anti-social activities, and terrorism in educational institutions are increasing in different sectors of Bangladesh. If this situation continues for a long time, will it really be possible to protect our independence? If we are not aware enough and strong from the economic and political perspectives, it will be very difficult to protect independence.

No one in this world wants to live without independence. As a result, every person has the desire to achieve independence, but we must not forget the importance of protecting it as well. We cannot truly protect the independence without the collective effort of all.