Carolina Reaper chili This is the hottest chili pepper in the world. This chili was first found in the state of South Carolina so it was named the Carolina Reaper chili. Chili peppers are both spicy and have a unique fruity flavor. Trinidad Moruga scorpion chili This is the second type of hot pepper. The Trinidad Moruga scorpion pepper is a variety of ornamental chili pepper native to the Moruga region of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidadian chocolate scorpion chili This is another hot pepper in the world. Trinidad chocolate scorpion peppers for sauces and BBQ. Chilli Bhut Jolokia Also known as Holy chili. Bhut Jolokia is elongated, 4-7 cm long and has wrinkled skin. According to the Indian Defense Research Laboratory, the spiciness of the Bhut Jolokia chili is 855,000 SHU. Naga Morich Chilli This chili is native to Bangladesh and wrinkled like the Bhut Jolokia chili. It is smaller in size and has external veins. According to experts, Naga Morich peppers have less earthy flavor than Bhut Jolokia peppers. Red Chili Savina Habanero In the Guinness Book of Records, this chili was the hottest chili pepper in the world from 1994 to 2007. The spiciness of chili peppers ranges from 350,000 to 850,000 SHU. Scotch Bonner chili This is a type of chili that is harvested mainly in the Caribbean islands and in Guyana. This chili is used to flavor many different dishes and is often used as a hot sauce and condiment. Manzano chili Manzano peppers are harvested in Peru and Bolivia. This chili has a distinctive red color and is much more meaty than other chili peppers.

“When Covid-19 hit, the number of tourists dropped to a very low level, just like a trickle. We are struggling to make a living. How do we feed the horses?”, Ms. Begum talk to AFP . During last year’s blockade, 41 horses, including Begum’s eight, died, she added. Dozens of horses in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, starve to death because their owners can’t afford to feed them. Photo: AFP. At Cox’s Bazar, people often keep horses to rent to tourists when they go out on the beach. The owners of the horses say they are struggling to have enough money to buy hay for their cattle. Some owners have freed their horses, in the hope that they can make a living on their own. Not to mention raising cattle, horse owners here say they also struggle to feed their families. Many people, including Ms. Begum, have to borrow money from small lending companies to make ends meet. “Every week, employees of the loan company come to my house to collect installment loans. But, if tourists don’t come to Cox’s Bazar, I don’t have the money to pay,” Begum said, adding that she borrowed about $1,200. Dozens of horse riders, often hired by horse owners to teach tourists how to ride, have turned to cart drivers or masons. Like many other countries, Bangladesh is struggling with a new wave of Covid-19. The health system is bearing the brunt, and lockdowns have been imposed across the country.

Supply Chain Act What Bangladesh workers hope for

Status: 11.06.2021 11:59 a.m.

With the supply chain law, textile workers in Bangladesh now expect concrete improvements in their job conditions – in an industry for which millions of people work. Peter Hornung, ARD studio South Asia Anju Begum expects a lot from the German supply chain law. “ Once this law is in place, we will be able to take maternity leave with financial benefits, including overtime pay and other facilities, “she says.” We want this law to be implemented. ” Begum is a brave woman. She is 57 and has been working in a textile factory called Jesus Fashion Limited in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka for twelve years. She has been elected head of the works council several times, most recently three months ago.

“Always threatened with dismissal”

“We are facing a lot of difficulties,” says Anju Begum. “The factory doesn’t have enough work. That’s why we’re always threatened with firing. The management has repeatedly postponed our demands and unsolved problems.” Now the workforce is exerting pressure on the factory owner through the trade unions – which is now also having an effect. The head of the works council was actually able to achieve a lot for the workers: clean drinking water, functioning fans so that work is bearable even now in the heat, and emergency exits that are no longer blocked as they used to be. But there are many things that are not so easy to enforce. Anju believes that the fact that there is now a lever that can be used with German customers changes a lot.

Most of the time women work in the factories

“Once this law is in place, we will be able to share our complaints with buyers when they visit,” she says. “You will also find out that we have been informed of the new law.” Four and a half million people work in Bangladesh’s clothing industry, most of them women. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building eight years ago highlighted the conditions in the textile factories. More than 1100 people were killed at that time. The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) says that things have improved a lot since then. There are new laws that are also being enforced. Nevertheless, the country still lags behind international standards in many ways. And that’s why the new German law is raising high hopes in Bangladesh – including Kalpona Akter, one of the country’s best-known worker activists.

New possibility of lawsuits

“ A supply chain law like this is really necessary in order to really hold companies accountable, “says Akter.” For us as a union, there is currently no way of holding German companies responsible. With such a law, we could also sue companies in Germany. That would be very, very helpful and would open a new window for the protection of the workers. ” However, the factory owners are much less enthusiastic, but they do not want to speak in front of the microphone. In conversation with the ARD – Studio South Asia says a manager that he is anything but comfortable with the new law – precisely because the possibilities for legal action for the workers’ representatives would be significantly expanded. In addition, it is to be feared that German customers will now put increased pressure on them.

The white water lily (Shapla) is the symbol of Bangladesh. To the people of Bangladesh, the white water lily also symbolizes purity and peace. In the capital of Bangladesh, a large water lily statue was erected to show the nation’s respect for the flower. The current capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka city, located in central Bangladesh. This is the major industrial, cultural and commercial center of this country; area of ​​815.85 km2, population more than 7 million people. Dhaka became the capital of Bangladesh in 1971. Bangladesh is officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, along with countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal… This country has a natural area of ​​nearly 150,000 square kilometers, a population of 166 million people. Myanmar is the only country in Southeast Asia that borders Bangladesh in the southeast of this South Asian country. Bangladesh borders India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal. The country’s name means “Country of the Bengal”, referring to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group living in the Bengal region of South Asia. Bangladesh is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, with more than 80% of the population (148 million people), being Sunni Muslims – the largest branch of Islam. The current currency of Bangladesh is the Bangladeshi Taka. The Bangladeshi taka was introduced in 1972, a year after Bangladesh became an independent country.

The story begins with Apu’s grandfather. At that time, the problem of not having a fingerprint was not considered a serious matter. Until now, the disease was considered a condition that could only be found in a few families worldwide. Speaking to the BBC, Apu said: “At that time, my family and I did not think the problem of not having fingerprints would be inherited and affect future generations.” For decades, fingerprints have been considered the most collected biometric data in the world. Fingerprints are used in many fields, from airport check-in to voting, smartphone opening and Identity verification. No fingerprints: it doesn’t seem to affect the body, but it leads to many inadequacies In 2008, when Apu was a child, the Bangladeshi government adopted a national identification card for all adults and the database required fingerprints. Since there were no fingerprints, the staff stamped the line. “NO FINGERPRINT” (NO FINGER) on Apu’s card. Apu’s fingertips have no fingerprints. Photo: BBC In 2010, fingerprints were required for passports and driver’s licenses in India. After several attempts, Apu was able to obtain a passport by presenting a certificate from the medical board. However, Apu never used it, partly out of fear of problems he might run into at the airport. Moreover, motorbike is a necessary means of transportation to work, Apu has not yet been granted a driver’s license. “I paid the fee, passed the exam but they didn’t give me the degree because I couldn’t provide my fingerprints,” Apu said. Because of the problem of not having a driver’s license, Apu often had to pay fines when the traffic police checked the papers. Despite bringing medical documents to prove her condition, Apu still did not receive sympathy and had to pay a fine. However, the trouble did not stop there. In 2016, the Indian government required fingerprint authentication against the national database to purchase sim cards for mobile phones. And of course, Apu can’t match because it doesn’t have a fingerprint. Currently, Apu and other men in the family are using Apu’s mother’s phone sim. Anu Sarker, Apu’s younger brother, also had a problem with no fingerprints. Photo: BBC Findings from research on this extremely rare condition A rare condition that affects the Apu family is called Adermatoglyphia. This condition first became known in 2007 when Peter Itin, a Swiss dermatologist, was contacted by a woman in the country who informed her that she was having difficulty entering the US. The girl was 20 years old at the time, her face matched the photo on her passport but customs officers could not take her fingerprints because she did not have one. On examination, Professor Itin discovered that the girl and eight other members of her family had the same strange condition – flat fingers and decreased number of sweat glands in the hands. Working with other collaborators Professor Itin examined the DNA of 16 family members. The results show that 7 people have fingerprints and 9 people do not. The condition is isolated and rare, reported in only a few families worldwide, Professor Itin said. In 2011, Itin’s team conducted research on the SMARCAD1 gene and found that the gene was mutated in nine non-fingerprint members of the woman’s family. This is the cause of the absence of fingerprints. However, at that time, the gene problem was not studied in depth and the condition did not affect the health of the sufferer other than affecting the hands. After the discovery, the researchers took the name Adermatoglyphia to name this condition. Adermatoglyphia affects several generations in a family and is hereditary because it is caused by a genetic mutation. Professor Itin determined the status of the Apu family could be secondary Adermatoglyphia. However, more genetic testing and research is needed to confirm it. Recently, after completing the procedure and presenting medical documents, Apu received a new type of identification card issued by the Bangladesh government. This type of card uses retina scan and facial recognition data to verify identity. However, Apu has yet to obtain a driver’s license or buy a sim card and the process of obtaining a passport remains a dilemma for him.

The island nation of Maldives is a tourist attraction. (Source: business-standard) The Maldives Islands have decided entry ban for people from South Asian countries; including India, in an effort to prevent the spread of the acute respiratory infection pandemic COVID-19 . The Maldives Ministry of Tourism on May 12 said: “The Maldivian government has decided to temporarily stop issuing tourist visas to visitors from South Asian countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.” The ban also applies to passengers who transit more than 24 hours in these countries and who have been to these countries within the past 14 days. Meanwhile, guests from other countries are still allowed to go to the Maldives resort islands if available negative PCR test within 96 hours before entry, but do not have contact with local people. Previously, the Maldives has reopened tourist resorts from July 2020 after 3 months of closure against the epidemic. But the country has recorded a record high number of new infections per day (1,500 cases on May 11), while a month ago, this number was less than 100 cases / day.

The royal chocolate box is intact after 121 years From sweet eggs to luxurious chocolates, Easter is a time when many people will give gifts to loved ones. Perhaps everyone will check the expiration date carefully on the packaging and surely the product is made in this century. Can you believe it, though, that the boxes of chocolates over a hundred years old are still intact after being discovered. Recently, people found a box of chocolate about 121 years old in a helmet box in a house in the Norfolk area, eastern England in an intact condition. Chocolate box sent by Queen Victoria of England to the army of this country in South Africa. The giant British confectionery companies Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree produced boxes of chocolates in 1900 as emotional supportive gifts for soldiers fighting the battlefields in South Africa. Anna Forrest, curator of cultural heritage at the National Trust said: “Although the product doesn’t look good and has been out of date for a long time, you won’t want to eat it anymore, but the chocolate box is still there. intact, is an astonishing discovery. The newly discovered chocolate box once belonged to 8th Baron Henry Edward Paston-Bedingfeld, who fought in the war in South Africa. The chocolate box was discovered during the assembly process of his daughter, Frances Greathead, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 100. Inside the royal chocolate box after 121 years This is a gift from Queen Victoria to the British army soldiers fighting in South Africa in 1900. Each box weighing more than 200 grams has the words ‘South Africa 1900’ and ‘Happy New Year’ engraved in the writing. The Queen’s hand. It is known that more than 100,000 boxes of chocolate have been produced, each containing pure chocolate. Anna Forrest said: “We assume that the 8th baron kept a box of chocolates and a helmet as memories of a time of the war.” Before that, the Australian national librarians were shocked to find a 121-year-old chocolate box hidden inside the personal collection of the famous Australian poet Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson. The chocolates are still in the straw packaging and foil wrapping. It is also the box of chocolates sent by Queen Victoria to the soldiers in South Africa in 1900. The reason Paterson got this box of chocolates was because he had been a battlefield correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on the South African battlefield for almost a year starting in October 1899 before returning to Australia. . His family collections have been kept passed down from generation to generation after his death in 1941. In 2019, the family donated the library.

By Peter Hornung and Shehab Sumon, ARD studio South Asia Bangladesh has imposed strict restrictions due to the increasing number of new corona infections. There is a strict lockdown with an all-day curfew – but there are exceptions. While most shops and markets are closed and local public transport is just as paralyzed as air traffic, Bangladesh’s textile factories are allowed to continue producing. “We have appealed to the government to keep the factories open,” said Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, vice president of the national association of textile manufacturers BGMEA ARD studio South Asia . The textile companies currently have so many orders: “It is our responsibility to deliver the work on time.”

Fear of another break-in – and of the virus

Bangladesh’s textile industry fears a similar slump as it did a year ago, when orders worth billions were canceled. At that time the government had also closed the textile factories. In addition, the international fashion companies wanted to lose significantly less weight because of the pandemic – a disaster for the country’s most important industrial sector, which is responsible for 80 percent of Bangladesh’s exports. Although the major customers came back later, they would have asked for large discounts in some cases, according to BGMEA. So one damage remained. But now it’s different – the sewing machines keep running. Also that of Shoheda Akhter, who has been working for “Solar Garments” for 16 years, one of the numerous textile factories in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old is very worried. On the one hand, because she is afraid of losing her income again, as she did last year, her factory should still have to close. On the other hand, because she is afraid of the disease. Even with a low fever, she is afraid of being infected, says Shoheda. After all, with so many factory workers, it is not an easy task for companies to ensure safety.

Jharna Begum hopes not to get infected with the corona virus in the textile factory. But she is dependent on her work. Image: Shehab Sumon / ARD-Studio South Asia She goes to work on foot in the morning and does not drive an overcrowded company bus like many other workers. But the danger is real. Nevertheless, someone like her cannot actually afford to be afraid of corona, says Shoheda: “We get money when we work. If we don’t work, we don’t get anything. So we don’t have much leeway to think about the corona virus.” The equivalent of about $ 250 a month, Shoheda’s family of four lives on. Your own income is even more important since her husband lost a better-paying job in the textile factory because of Corona and can only work as a doorman. Shoheda’s colleague Jharna Begum feels the same way – the fear of loss of income is greater than that of illness. The security in the factory is not far off, says the 26-year-old. “Because this is a textile production, we have to work very closely with one another. We cannot keep the required distance at all. That is due to the nature of our work.”

Open textile mills less dangerous than closures?

In view of the corona risk, it is better to leave the factories open than to close them, says BGMEA Vice President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, who is a factory owner himself. “During the lockdown last year, we found that the virus is more likely to spread when the bus stations are full and the streets are because workers are moving home.” At that time, the workers had fled the cities by the hundreds of thousands in pure need so as not to starve to death. But isn’t there a risk that the textile factories will become hotspots because of the working conditions? No, says the textile entrepreneur, all hygiene regulations must be observed. In addition, there are company-owned hospitals and isolation centers for the workers. The workers ‘organization “Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity” does not require the factories to be closed for safety reasons. Her most important demand: the workers’ wages must under no circumstances be cut or completely canceled – like last year, when many were suddenly left with nothing. Aika Fischbeck from the German women’s rights organization Femnet says that the international fashion companies should not be indifferent to what is going on in Bangladesh: “We not only see the factory owners in Bangladesh as having an obligation, but also the fashion companies commissioned should and must take responsibility also ensure that the factories can observe distance rules and hygiene measures in order to protect the workers from infection. ” The only hope left for the worker Jharna Begum is to get through the pandemic in good health despite the working conditions in the textile factory and to be able to continue to feed her family. Because her husband is unemployed because of the effects of the corona pandemic, so the couple cannot repay loans at the moment. But the 26-year-old is confident: “With the grace of the Almighty, he will get a job again as soon as the coronavirus is over.”