September 21, 2023

Central Journal

Central Journal of Bangladesh Open University, Vol. IV. No. 1, 2017-18

 ISSN : 2664-3464

Articles:

Editorial Board, Chief Editor’s Note & Contents
1.TitleLivestock production systems and their distribution pattern in Bangladesh: A review
AuthorM. A. HamidSchool of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bangladesh Open University
AbstractThe present study attempts to examine the scenario of production systems and distribution pattern of livestock in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the present milk, meat and egg production can meet only 50.23%, 87.23% and 63.65% of the national demand. The demand for milk, meat, egg and their products have been expanding dramatically with income growth, population growth, urbanization and dietary changes. Now it is emerging to increase the medium and high input production systems to meet the increasing demand. Presently, the number of crossbred cattle has been expanding to improve milk and meat production at both smallholder and commercial level. In case of poultry, the commercial farming system has got higher growth than native chicken which is still raised under low input system. This review has tried to unearth the present scenario of livestock production systems, the distribution pattern of production systems and also the strategies for development of livestock sector in Bangladesh.  
2.TitleGroupwork at undergraduate level English classes to improve speaking skill: A case study of Tongi Govt. College
AuthorFarzana AlamAssistant Professor of English and OSD Officer on DeputationDirectorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE)
AbstractThis study focuses on group work as a teaching technique practiced at undergraduate level English classes at Tongi Govt. College in Gazipur with the assumption – if the undergraduate level students practice English speaking inside the class and in a real-life situation it can improve their communication skills and add some confidence in them to go for external exposure. The study was conducted on 100 undergraduate students of English class following classroom observation technique and using the questionnaire as a research tool. Results show that during group work students feel that they are not alienated from other learners in the class. Group activity makes them feel positive that they are fairly treated, and they come forward to help other learners in the class. The present study will help advance our understanding of group work and its effectiveness in education as a technique for learning and teaching English as a second language in Bangladesh. 
3.TitleYield and Its Attributes of Near-isogenic Lines of Durum Wheat with Tall and Semi-dwarf Genetic Background
AuthorM. A. HaqueSchool of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentBangladesh Open University
AbstractSince the deployment of the Rht (Reduced height) genes, the major wheat cultivars became semi-dwarf rather standard. It was necessary to develop near-isogenic lines (NILs) of semi-dwarf cultivars and to re-assess the introduced genes. The effects of introduced genes were found of black glume, hiary glume, non- glacousness and long glume on yield and its associated characteristics in near-isogenic line of durum wheat in tall and semi-dwarf genetic background. It was evident that there no significant interaction between reduced height genes (Rht-B1a and Rht-B1b) and introduced genes. The hairy glume (Hg) gene increased grain yield, however, P1 and P2 genes for long glume, Iw1 and w1 genes for non-glaucousness and Bg for black glume (Bg) reduced number of spikes and grain yield.  Semi-dwarf NILs showed less number of spikes and less upper ground biomass than tall NILs. Although semi dwarf NILs produced less upper ground biomass than tall NILs, higher harvest index relatively compensated to yield. However, it assumed that the compensation was not enough to be equal to yield of tall NILs. Rht-B1b gene had adverse effects on upper ground biomass. Semi-dwarf genes in durum wheat might be important role to optimization of seed rates in wheat production. 
4.TitleGender Inequality in Employment in a Global Context: An Analysis with Special Reference to Bangladesh
AuthorMd. Mamin UllahAssistant Professor, Department of ManagementUniversity of Barishal
AbstractGender differences in access to employment opportunities are frequently debated around the world. Pressures are being created for integrating half of the world’s talent into development policies towards the roads of sustainable development and a society with gender equality. In addition to giving a focus on strategy building for calling actions to accelerate progress towards gender equality, this paper aims to evaluate the gender inequality in employment in a global context with special reference to Bangladesh. A critical review of working papers, research articles, books, monographs, strategic papers, facts and findings of national and international organizations has revealed that gender gap exists in almost all dimensions of employment in all over the world. However, the extent is more concerning for developing countries like Bangladesh. This paper is the analytical reflection with lessons for practices. Policy implications and research agenda are outlined.  
5.TitleInformation Communication Technology and Social Change: A Study on the Cybercafé` Users in Mymensingh Town
AuthorMd. Abdus SattarAssistant Professor (Sociology), Open School Bangladesh Open UniversityMd. Jahid HasanSub-registrar, Ministry of LawJustice and Parliamentary Affairs, Bangladesh
AbstractInformation communication and technology is growing very fast all over the world. The people of Bangladesh especially the younger generation is very familiar with information communication and technology based activities. Most of the young people who live in satellite or peripheral city are connected with internet-based social media and their ideas, beliefs, values sometimes affected by such type of communication. Thus, this study aimed to know the socio-cultural changes among the people who go to cybercafé. It also focused on the activities of the cybercafé users of Mymensingh town. 
6.TitleExploring the Impact of Cultural Globalization on the Changing Social Values of Young Generation: A Study on Noagoan Village, Gazipur District
AuthorMd. Kabirul HasanLecturer (Political Science)School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages (SSHL)Bangladesh Open University
AbstractCultural globalization refers to the expansion and intensification of cultural flows around the world. The cultural side has been greatly affected by the globalization including all its cultural elements and components, be they language, religion, customs and traditions, arts, literature and individual and societal attitudes. This paper is made mainly on cultural changes focusing the impact on moral values and lifestyle of young people. The study finds the domination of global (western) cultural on young people that erode cultural heritage and moral values of their own. The specific objective of the study is to analyze how cultural globalization rapidly transforms the social values and living pattern in the life of young people in Bangladesh. This paper is followed by methodological triangulation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used for developing this paper. Interview tool is used for collecting primary data; most of the data is mainly collected from secondary sources (books, reports, published research studies, newspaper, articles, seminar papers, documents available in the internet). The study findings would be helpful for the young people to be aware about the cultural homogenization in the age of globalization. At the same time the developing countries will able to aware about the impact of cultural globalization and will able to preserve their cultural heritages or self-identities more important for one’s national development. 
7.TitleHuman Resource Management (HRM) Practices in National NGOs of Bangladesh: Problems and Suggestions
AuthorDr. Md. Mayenul IslamProfessor, School of BusinessBangladesh Open University
AbstractHuman Resource Management (HRM) is very important in an organization especially in NGO sector. Many issues arise in the organizations which need to be resolved and HR managers are the persons who resolve these problems. The study analyzes the HRM functions practiced by selected national NGOs of Bangladesh towards improving their better services in future that can contribute to the economic development of Bangladesh and finds out the major problems faced by the national NGOs in Bangladesh regarding HRM practices. The sample of the study, selected using a random number table, consisted of 40 respondents from two national NGO’s. The study reveals that national-level NGOs made average practices of HR functions resulted in employees’ good performance. The study identifies nonscientific and vague policy’, among others, as the main problem of HRM practices in national NGOs. The study also suggests the ways to overcome the identified problems. 
8.TitleInclusive Education Through Open and Distance Learning: Strategy For Empowering Soldiers In Bangladesh Army
AuthorProfessor Sabina YeasminDean, Open SchoolBangladesh Open University
AbstractIn the light of ever-changing social and economic demands, education is now perceived as a critical force in contributing towards human capital development. This article explores the potentialities of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programs for the soldiers of Bangladesh Army under Bangladesh Open University. The findings of this article suggest that coordination, institutional capacity, technological improvement, training and utilization of resources are the main forces that can drive both the organizations to contribute for mass people especially men in uniform in the education, employment and other events. The study concludes that this scope will provide the soldier-learners a chance to increase enrolment, study and subsequently catch up academically with their counterparts. As a whole, it will significantly affect their access to basic education. This paper basically based on secondary sources. A desk review of related documents is conducted to collect data. The results of this study will help the policymakers to take necessary initiatives regarding to this issue. 
9.Titleকৃষিতে নারীর সম্পৃক্ততা: পরিবর্তনশীল গ্রামীণ অর্থনীতি
Authorমো: আবদুর রহমানসহকারী অধ্যাপক, নৃবিজ্ঞান বিভাগ, কুমিল্লা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়মো: সাইমন সরকারনৃবিজ্ঞানী ও গবেষক
Abstractবর্তমানে গ্রামাঞ্চলের পুরুষরা অধিক উপার্জনের আশায় শহর কেন্দ্রিক বিভিন্ন পেশায় যুক্ত হচ্ছেফলে তাদের পারিবারিক খাদ্য ও চাহিদা পূরনের জন্য নারীদের বিভিন্ন ধরনের কৃষি কাজে যুক্ত হতে হচ্ছে। আমাদের গবেষণা এলাকা কুমিল্লা জেলার দেবিদ্বার উপজেলার রসুলপুরগ্রাম। এখানকার নারীরা গবাদি পশুপালন, মৎস্য  চাষ,শাক-  সবজিচাষ, পারিবারিক খামার প্রতিষ্ঠা, পানচাষ ও ফসল উত্তোলনসহ আরো অনেক সেক্টরেই পরোক্ষভাবে অংশগ্রহণ করছে। কৃষি কাজে যুক্ত হওয়ার ফলে নারীরা যে আর্থিক ভাবে লাভবান হচ্ছে তা লক্ষ্যনীয়।পূর্বে নারীরা পুরোপুরি পুরুষের উপর নির্ভর করলেও বর্তমানে তা পরিবর্তন হচ্ছে। পর্যবেক্ষণ, অনানুষ্ঠানিক সাক্ষাৎকার ও কেইস স্টাডি পদ্ধতির মাধ্যেমে এই গবেষণাটি করা হয়েছে।আমরা দেখেছি যে সব নারীরা অর্থনৈতিক ভাবে স্বাবলম্বিতা অর্জন করেছে তারা শিক্ষা, বিয়ে, সন্তানের ভবিষ্যৎ ও সামাজিক কর্মকান্ডে মতামত দিতে পারছে।পুরুষতান্ত্রিক সমাজ ব্যবস্থা নারীর এই কাজকে স্বীকৃতি দিতে চায়না কিন্তু গবেষণায় দেখেছি যে, নারীরা সুযোগ সুবিধা পেলে পরিবার, সমাজ ও দেশের অর্থনীতিতে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা রাখতে পারে।

Central Journal of Bangladesh Open University, Vol. IV. No. 2, 2017-18

ISSN : 2664-3464

Articles:

 Editorial Board, Chief Editor’s Note & Contents
1.TitleParticipative Management in Organizational Decision-Making:A Study in a Developing Country
AuthorZahed MannanAssociate Professor (Management)Open School, Bangladesh Open University
AbstractWorkers’ participation in management, regardless of its dissension and conflicts, is being increasingly embraced in different countries, both in capitalist and socialist, predominantly in the European countries, and in the Third World, as an ultimate approach of industrial democracy. In Bangladesh, several attempts have been made through legislation to introduce joint consultation-type participation schemes but all are in vain. The failures are attributed, in the main, to the non-enforcement of laws, illiteracy of workers and apathy of management. No empirical research has been carried out to find out the real reasons. In the present study, an attempt has been made to elicit the attitudes of the actors in the industrial relations system, i.e., workers, management and government, towards workers’ participation in management as a whole and to make an objective analysis of the same. The study found that there is considerable scope for the introduction and development of appropriate workers’ participation program in the public sector industries if certain preconditions are met. It is, in fact, an attitudinal study in a large nationalized industrial enterprise in Bangladesh. 
 
2.TitleIdentifying the English Communication Needs of the Engineering Learners in Bangladesh Through Needs Analysis: An Esp Perspective
AuthorDr. AKM ZakariaProfessorDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur
AbstractThis needs analysis study aims at identifying the engineering students’ academic and professional communication needs. To attain the objective, the study makes extensive use of survey through students’ questionnaire, semi-structured interview with ESP teachers and classroom observation checklist for data collection of the study. The researcher has adopted mix-method of research for this explorative study. The qualitative data have been analyzed using thick description and pattern eliciting techniques and the quantitative data have been analyzed to measure the relative frequencies and rank order in terms of students’ priority of their learning needs using SPSS. The analysis and findings of the study seem to suggest that there is a huge gap between what the students perceive as important for their academic and professional purpose and what the teachers teach or what the university offers in the curriculum. Hence, the study attempts to offer some valuable suggestions based on the findings to bridge this gap by addressing the issues in the ESP instruction in the curriculum. 
3.TitleStatus and Potentials of ICT Integration into Higher Education: A Case Study at Bangladesh Open University
AuthorAsma Akter ShellyAssistant Professor (Finance), School of BusinessBangladesh Open University
AbstractInformation technology integrated into higher education of country enriches its acceptability. The aim of this study is to find the current status of ICT integration into higher education programs at Bangladesh Open University (BOU) which is the only university provides education in open and distance mode. Data was collected from two graduate programs running by School of Business of BOU.  A, total sample of 120 students was selected randomly. Structured questionnaire based on literature review was used for interviewing the sampled respondents. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the data. It was also taken an effort to find the comfortability level of the graduate students using ICT as well as to assess the potential of ICT used in higher education at Bangladesh Open University. In future, the findings of this report may contribute to find out the possibility and potentials of ICT integration in other programs of BOU. 
4.TitleQuality of Learning Resources of Commonwealth Executive Master of Business Administration Programme: A Case of Bangladesh Open University
AuthorMd. Mahfuzur RahmanAssistant Professor (Economics), School of Business, Bangladesh Open University Professor Mostafa Azad KamalDean, School of Business, Bangladesh Open University
AbstractCommonwealth Executive Master of Business Administration (CEMBA) programme is one of the prestigious programme in Bangladesh for making skilled professionals.  For ensuring better learning engagements quality of learning resources plays a crucial role. This paper focuses on the quality of learning resources used in CEMBA Programme as per the learners’ perceptions as well as the tutors’ opinions. The paper also verifies the effectiveness of the learning resources in engaging the learners meaningfully. The paper finally sheds light on the scope of SDG integration into CEMBA courses. 
5.TitleSyed Martuza’s Idea of Language as Exposed in His Poem ‘‘সাঁই, এক বিনে মাওলা এক বিনে”
AuthorDr. Ali Azgor TalukderAssociate Professor & HeadDepartment of EnglishBGMEA University of Fashion & Technology
AbstractThis paper reads one of Syed Martuza’s poems from the perspective of Ferdinand de Saussure’s idea of language. Like the other verses of Bangla literature in the Middle Ages, the poem is oriented by religious beliefs. However, this paper finds that, in this poem, Martuza presents a discourse on language where he identifies the nature of language as it is identified in modern linguistics. Like Saussure, he holds the notion that our reality is linguistic as we come into terms with reality with language. However, while Saussure says that there are no pre-existing ideas and nothing is distinct before the appearance of language, Martuza recognizes the language-independent existence of the reality. Moreover, his idea of language embodies modern discourses on semiotics and the role of human thought on language and vice versa. Thus this study reveals that though oriented by religious beliefs, the verses of Bangla literature in the Middle Ages are not detached from the social realities. 
6.TitleDemocratization in Bangladesh: Challenges and Suggestions
AuthorMd. Kabirul HasanLecturer (Political Science), School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages (SSHL)Bangladesh Open University Md. Manzorul Islam NayeemLecturer, Department of Political Science, Brahmanbaria GovernmentWomen College, Brahmanbaria,
AbstractAfter a long period of the turbulent journey, parliamentary democracy has been restored in Bangladesh in 1991 but political governance of the country is still mired by innumerable ills. It broadly contains a wide arena of confrontation, competition, monopolization of state institutions and resources by the party in power. This trend of politics has tremendously weakened the formal accountability mechanisms and put governance in crisis. The party that wins the election absolutely monopolizes the state apparatus with ‘winner takes all’ attitude, leaving little scope for the losing party to take part in the process of governance, which leads them to be violent, destructive and irresponsible. In the monopolization process, the ruling party exerts a strong control over all the key state institutions and this is the actual scenario of democratization in Bangladesh and it is limited only in holding elections and demagogue of politicians. We have democratic institutions (Political party, parliament and election commission etc) but sorry to say that these are not institutionalized and vibrant, these are puppet like and inactive. In this article, we are going to discuss the obstacles to institutionalize the democracy in Bangladesh and giving some suggestions to make the way of democratization smooth. 
7.TitleWhat Did Taslima Want?:Nirbachita Kalam Reconsidered
AuthorManmay ZafarAssociate Professor, Department English,Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh.
AbstractTaslima Nasrin’s Nirbachita Kalam (1991) documented a young woman doctor’s struggle to get established in Dhaka. Nothing escaped Taslima’s discerning eyes, be that the difficulties she faced as a single woman while renting a place, or the physical and psychological abuses her female patients suffered, or the sexual propositions she herself received from the so-called progressive intellectuals. Nirbachita Kalam was unique because of the way Taslima’s forthrightness illuminated her analysis of women’s precarious condition in Bangladesh. That’s why a quarter-century after its publication, her first book of non-fictional writings is still in print, both in Bangladesh and India, having attained the status of a minor classic of Bengali literature. 
8.TitleSpatial Inequality of Urban Environmental Services: A Case Study of Dhaka City Corporation
AuthorShahina AkterAssistant Professor (Geography)Open School, Bangladesh Open University Dr. Nurul Islam NazemProfessor (Geography)Geography & Environment, University of Dhaka 
AbstractBangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world with total 164.7 million population in the year of 2017 and it will be 169.77 million (projected) in 2020 (United Nations 2017). On the other hand, Bangladesh is also a fast urbanizing country although its level of urbanization is still low (30.46%) in 2010 and (35.86%) in 2017 (Statistical report, 2017). Dhaka has a population of approximately 12 million residents, including 3 million in unincorporated areas and Dhaka’s population is expected to reach 20 million in the year of 2020 making it one of the world’s most populous cities (World Bank, 2007). Dhaka is growing even faster, at the rate of more than 6 percent per annum, while the environmental services provided by the City Corporation and other city authorities are not increasing with the pace of its population growth. On the contrary, the provision of environmental services available within the city corporations is highly unequally distributed. To analyze the spatial inequality of urban environmental services, mainly secondary data has been used from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics among the data of 90 wards of Dhaka City Corporation. Data have been collected and analyzed by Geographic Information System (GIS) and the result is shown by GIS maps. The result revealed that there were a lot of spatial inequalities of urban environmental services among the 90 wards of Dhaka City Corporation. This study has displayed how such kinds of inequalities have been taken place among the 90 wards of Dhaka City Corporation with the causes of inequalities in terms of Urban Environmental Services. Some recommendations have also been given to reduce the existing inequality for sustainable development of Dhaka City Corporation. 
9.TitleLocal People’s Initiatives in Disaster Risk Reduction in Costal Bangladesh; A Sociological Study in Dakope: An Exploratory Study
AuthorPratima DevPhD Student, Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (IDMVS)University of Dhaka, Sajal K. RoyEthical Trade executive, Primark. 
AbstractBangladesh is one of the most climate induced disasters in vulnerable countries in the world and will become even more so in the coming decades as a result of climate change. Floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges and droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. The objective of the study was to explore the nature of local people’s initiatives of the south-western part of Bangladesh to reduce disaster vulnerability. The study intended to find out different levels of initiatives at the family level, community level and institutional level to reduce disaster risk. Most of the previous researchers tried to find out the nature, vulnerability and coping mechanism of vulnerable groups. This paper instead of finding mere knowledge and coping mechanism of local people, intended to sense using personal and local (local community and local institutional) mechanism they use to face disaster. A triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative methodology was used connecting with Ulrich Beck’s theory on risk society to conceptualize the study. The study found that, local people have various sort of initiatives in their daily life to reduce disaster risk. Three forms of initiatives were found namely, Personal, Community and Institutional initiatives. Among various personal initiatives likely, making houses on higher ground, saving food for emergency needs are noticeable. In community level they were found to use community workers or committee members to create a strong disaster signal system and after disaster risk reduction methods like providing food and water and sharing left resources among neighbor after disaster. The institutional initiatives refer to the initiatives taken by local NGOs and government authorities likely, the reconstruction of embankment and sluice gate etc. 
10.TitleRevisiting the Procedures Adopted by Banks to Finance SMEs: An Empirical Study
AuthorS M ASHRAFUL ISLAMFaculty, Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT)Rajendrapur Cantonment
AbstractThe government of Bangladesh has broadly described the importance and modalities of financing SMEs by financial institutions in Industrial Policies 2016. SMEs are quite focused to finance by the financial institutions, especially by banks. Often there are debatable issues between banks and SMEs regarding funding procedures. Banks receive funds from Bangladesh Bank and other international development and lending agencies. These financiers have prescribed criterion to grant a loan for the SME. The present study will analyze the present scenario, possibilities, concerns, and constraints to evaluate procedures adopted by banks to finance SMEs. For this exploratory research, a convenient sample size of 50 entrepreneurs and 10 commercial banks were randomly selected from three districts. During the study, it was found that the SME loan procedures required to complete as many as 10 to 12 various steps. Besides, lack of policy support, inappropriate information, high bank interest rate, hidden cost, inadequate grace period or moratorium and non-availability of mortgage or collateral are the main difficulties faced by the SMEs. Also, banks have considered the ability and intention to repay the loan, the requirement of working capital, business cycle, national festivals, owner’s equity-credit-capital machinery ratio, business profiles and type of finished products etc. to grant the loan. In conclusion, this study suggested appropriate measures for the banks to efficiently finance SMEs.
11.Titleজনসংখ্যা সমস্যা ও ইসলাম : প্রেক্ষাপট বাংলাদেশ
 Authorড. মোঃ ইব্রাহীম খলিল
সহকারী অধ্যাপক, ইসলামিক স্টাডিজ বিভাগ, জগন্নাথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, ঢাকা।কামরুজ্জামান
সহকারী অধ্যাপক (ইসলামিক স্টাডিজ), সামাজিক বিজ্ঞান, মানবিক ও ভাষা স্কুল
বাংলাদেশ উন্মুক্ত বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, গাজীপুর ১৭০৫।
Abstractবাংলাদেশের সামাজিক সমস্যাসমূহের মধ্যে জনসংখ্যা সমস্যা অন্যতম। সীমিত সম্পদ, অসীম প্রয়োজন আর অনিয়ন্ত্রিত ও অপরিকল্পিত জনগোষ্ঠী এ সমস্যাকে প্রকট করে তুলেছে। বিভিন্ন সময়ে দেশের প্রায় সকল সরকারের অগ্রাধিকারপ্রাপ্ত সমস্যাগুলোর মধ্যে এটি শীর্ষে ছিল। কিন্তু নানা কারণে সমস্যাটির কাঙ্খিত সমাধান সম্ভব হয়নি। বাংলাদেশের অধিকাংশ মানুষ ইসলাম ধর্মের অনুসারী ও ধর্মভীরু। পরিকল্পিত জীবন যাপনের ব্যাপারে ইসলামের এমন সুনির্দিষ্ট ও সুস্পষ্ট নির্দেশনা রয়েছে যে, এ সকল নির্দেশনার সঠিক অনুসরণ বাংলাদেশের জনসংখ্যা সমাধানে তাৎপর্যবহ ভূমিকা রাখতে সক্ষম হবে। অথচ পরিস্থিতি পুরোপুরি ভিন্ন। ইসলামি বিধানের সঠিক বোধগম্যতা না থাকার কারণে এ দেশের অধিকাংশ মুসলমান পরিকল্পিত পরিবার গঠনে কোনো উদ্যোগ গ্রহণ করেননি। ইসলামি আহকামের সঠিক জ্ঞান না থাকায় যে আবেগ পরিকল্পিত পরিবার গঠনে ভূমিকা রাখতে পারতো, সে আবেগই অপরিকল্পিত পরিবার গঠনের অন্যতম প্রধান নিয়ামকে পরিণত হয়েছে। এ পরিস্থিতিতে বাংলাদেশের জনসংখ্যা সমস্যা সমাধানে ইসলামি বিধিসমূহের যথাযথ মূল্যায়ন এবং তা বাস্তবায়নের কার্যকর উপায় অন্বেষণ আবশ্যক। আলোচ্য প্রবন্ধে এ উপায় অন্বেষণ করা হয়েছে।