Category: 2020

Remembering the Armenians of Dhaka

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh
Mahir Abrar
  • Published at 09:29 pm April 18th, 2020
Armenians heavily influenced Dhaka’s tea culture BIGSTOCK

A community with a long history of shaping our capital is now gone

Michael Joseph Martin, the last of the Armenians of Dhaka, passed away recently and with him the story of the Armenians in Dhaka becomes history.  

Dhaka is a living, breathing entity that grows and changes with time. It is influenced and shaped by the many different people who have come here, made their lives here, and have become part of the city. Some of those people are no longer part of Dhaka, but their influences live on. The Armenian community is one such group. 

The Armenians were once a wealthy and influential community in Bengal. They had settled in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Armenians were willing to learn the local language and soon became intermediaries between Bengalis and Europeans. The Armenian merchants established businesses in Kolkata, Dhaka, and Narayanganj. 

They built Armenian churches and thriving settlements. They built a little Armenia in each of these cities. They engaged in the trade of jute, silk, textile, and leather. 

The area they lived in Dhaka became known as Armanitola, the place of Armenians. In 1747, it was estimated that Armenian merchants were responsible for at least 23% of the textiles exported from Dhaka.

The community had significant economic and political clout in Bengal. Nicholas Pogose, an Armenian businessman, was a founding member of the Dhaka municipality. He founded the Pogose School, the first private school in Dhaka. The school is one of the best and most prestigious schools in Old Dhaka today. 

Herbert Michael Shircore, another Armenian businessman, had served as the chairman of the Narayangaj municipality. He was awarded the Order of the Indian Empire, Companion.

The Armenians were the first to establish European-style grocery stores in Dhaka, where they sold European-made goods catering to the European residents of Dhaka. Sushil Chaudhury, in his book Trade, Politics and Society: The Indian Milieu in the Early Modern Era, credits the Armenian grocers with helping make tea popular in Dhaka. Today tea is the drink of choice for social gatherings and addas. 

Michael was the sole custodian of the Armenian Church of Holy Resurrection, which was founded in 1781 in Armanitola, the heart of the Armenian community in Dhaka.

Michael was born on June 6, 1930 in Rangoon, Burma when it was part of British India. His father was Armenian while his mother was Parsi. His family, like many Armenian families, was engaged in the jute trade and moved to Dhaka in the 1940s. Michael became the custodian of the church in 1986, a position he held till 2014. 

During his tenure, he led prayers at the church, maintained it, and had Mother Teresa. After the death of his wife in 2014, he moved to Canada. Armen Arslanian, the warden of the church, has been taking care of the church alone since then, but he does not reside in Dhaka.

With the passing of Michael, the last member of this once thriving community, a chapter closes on the history of Dhaka. Today, the institutions they built, like the Pogose School and the Armenian Church are what remain of this community.

Today the neighbourhood of Armanitola contains no Armenians, like Farashganj (French town) contains no French speakers. The Armenian Church has no worshipers. The church now stands as a monument to the community that once thrived in Dhaka and helped shape the city. 

The legacy of the Armenian community lives through the cuisine and institutions they founded. The history of the Armenian community is being preserved by the Bangladesh Armenian Heritage Project and its lead researcher, Liz Chater. The church is now a historic building under the government Department of Archaeology. 

The Armenian community may no longer be here, but their influence will always be here as an immutable part of Dhaka’s identity. 

Mahir Abrar is Lecturer, American International University-Bangladesh.


Electricity generation at Armenia’s solar power plants increased by 50% in January-February

Arsine Chaltikian
Panorama, Armenia

In January-February 2020, a total of 1 billion 461.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity was produced in Armenia, increasing by 23.1% to compare with the same period of 2019, Armenia’s National Statistical Committee (NSS) reported in its monthly update.

According to the NSS data, in two months the electricity generation at terminal power plants grew by 204.2%, amounting to 700.9 million kilowatt-hours, while electricity production volumes at heating power plants rose by 30.3% totaling to 9.9 thousand megajoule.

Electricity production volumes at hydropower plants cut down by 21.9%, totaling to 224.4 million kilowatt-hours to compare with previous year data.

To note, electricity generation at Armenia’s solar power plants made up 2.1 million kilowatt-hours in January-February 2019, increased by 50% to compare with previous year volumes while production volumes at wind power plants cuts down by 22% amounting 0,7 million kilowatt-hours.


  

Members of US Congress congratulate the people of Artsakh on democratic election

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia

Leaders of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) have sent a letter to Artsakh’s President-elect Arayik Harutyunyan, congratulating the people of Artsakh on recent presidential and parliamentary elections and calling for formal U.S. recognition of Artsakh.

The full text of the Congressional Armenian Caucus letter to President-Elect Arayik Harutyunyan is provided below:

Dear President-Elect Harutyunyan,

As members of the United States Congress and the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we write to offer our congratulations on Artsakh’s historic election on March 31 and the subsequent presidential run-off election that took place earlier this week.

We are heartened to see the people of Artsakh and the country’s leaders remain dedicated to peaceful democracy during these difficult times. Artsakh has remained committed to a system of democratic governance that reflects the will of its citizens, all despite continued violence and threats from its hostile neighbor. And, while we understand there were some complications created by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the relative ease in which voters could cast ballots in these elections without interference clearly represents the strength of the democratic process in the Republic.

As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, we remain committed to promoting and bolstering the democratic independence of Artsakh. We will continue to support the rightful exercise of self-determination which contributes to regional stability and development. Please know that we will also continue to explore ways to strengthen the ties between the United States and Artsakh that includes the formal recognition of its independence.

Once again, please accept our congratulations on an election that was calm, peaceful, and free of corruption or voter intimidation. We look forward to continuing our productive and robust dialogue with your administration moving forward.

Armenian-American community to provide 1.5 million meals to Americans in need on April 24

Vanyan Gary
Public Radio of Armenia


Asbarez – The Armenian community organizations in charge of organizing the Southern California area Armenian Genocide commemorations, the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles (UACLA), the Unified Young Armenians (UYA) and the Armenian Genocide Committee (AGC) announce their plans for alternative commemorative events given state and local orders prohibiting mass gatherings due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In lieu of the traditional requiem service at the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument in Montebello, the march in Little Armenia and the protest demonstration in front of the Los Angeles Turkish Consulate, the committees have been working together to create an all day commemoration which will be aired on local Armenian television channels as well as several hours of live streaming on social media all to take place on April 24, 2020 beginning at 10 a.m.

The all-day commemoration will feature addresses by several prominent government officials, community leaders and the clergy, as well as informative panel discussions concerning Genocide recognition, reparations and restitution for the crime of Genocide. In addition, viewers will have the opportunity to see documentaries regarding the Genocide and hear from our community, well-known personalities and cultural presentations to honor the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century.

The Armenian Genocide brought unspeakable horrors upon the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire, including mass starvation. At the time, Americans organized the largest relief effort in United States history, through the Committee for Near East Relief to come to the aid of the Armenians devastated by the impact of the Genocide. Armenians have never forgotten the benevolence and great generosity of the American people. 105 years later, now Americans are facing a food insecurity crisis due to unprecedented levels of unemployment brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic.

To address this need, the UACLA/UYA/AGC have partnered with Feeding America, America’s largest food bank, to raise funds to provide 1,500,000 meals to America, in honor of our fallen martyrs and this great nation that came to our aid. Through this epic campaign, the entire Armenian community will be able to give thanks to America for its philanthropy at our greatest hour of need, and now, as Armenian-Americans we will do our part to help our communities and neighbors of all backgrounds and affiliations who face food shortages at this extraordinary time.

Iran opposes any violent action on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: envoy

Arbi Tashjian
Mehr News Agency, Iran

TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) – Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Javad Jahangirzadeh said that Iran condemns any move that would undermine the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

According to the UN resolutions and documents, the occupied territories must be returned to Azerbaijan, said Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Javad Jahangirzadeh, according to Trend.

Iran has always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the ambassador said.

Jahangirzadeh added that the Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the first countries to offer assistance and mediation in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and positive steps have been taken in this direction.

The ambassador said that there is a need for stability and cooperation in the region, adding that Iran is pleased that Azerbaijan has always demonstrated its readiness for a peaceful solution to this conflict.

Commenting on the video footage of Iranian trucks allegedly transporting goods to Nagorno Karabakh, he said it is fake and unreliable.

Talking about the recently held so-called “elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh, he noted that Iran condemns any move that would undermine the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Such actions will not help resolve the conflict and will only complicate it. The Armenian side must prove its claim to be sincere in the discussions, but their actions prove the opposite,” he said.

Recently, a video was posted on social media allegedly showing transportation of goods and fuel to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh of Azerbaijan by Iranian trucks. The Iranian side said that the footage was fake.

MNA/FNA 13990130000827

Doubling pace of Covid-19 cases in Armenia is 17 days – minister

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

Health 13:54 18/04/2020 Armenia

“The doubling pace of Covid-19 cases in Armenia is every17 days today,” Health Minister Arsen Torosyan wrote on his Facebook page. “If this doubling rate is kept the total number of confirmed cases will reach 2,500 on May 5 and 5000 – on May 21,” Torosyan wrote, calling on the public to be vigilant to decrease the doubling rate further and curb the spread of the virus.

“For this to happen, we need to exclude the virus transmission from human to human, keeping the social distance everywhere, switching to remote interaction through changing our behavior in contacting with others as well as periodically washing our hands, keeping the hygiene and avoiding face touching,” Torosyan wrote.

The minister next informed that the country has increased the number of tests conducted daily, as1000 tests are performed a day which is a technically complex process and involves specialists, equipment, security measures and logistics.

“Our country will need these capacities to resist similar challenges in the future,” Torosyan concluded.

Government reversed its decision – Amnesty International on Amulsar mine operation

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

Protests against gold mining in Amulsar which began with the blockage of a road leading to the mine in 2018, continued, Amnesty International said in its annual report on Friday, assessing the protection of citizens’ right to healthy and sustainable environment in Armenia.

The report that documents the state of human rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in 2019,reminds that campaigners contested the results of the government commissioned Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Review.

“Despite the promise of hundreds of new jobs, local residents and environmental activists remained concerned about the potential social and ecological damage, including the negative impact on their livelihoods of predicted contamination of the mineral water of Jermuk, a spa resort and important tourism destination. The government stated it would go ahead with the project following publication of the review, but later reversed its decision and agreed to a further study on the environmental safety of the proposed mining,” reads the report.

Azerbaijani Press: Baku Slams Illegal ‘Elections’ in Occupied Azerbaijani Lands

Manouk Vasilian
Caspian News, Azerbaijan

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

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    • The central Khankendi city in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Khankendi was occupied by Armenia on December 26, 1991 / Youtube                               

    • The government of Azerbaijan and the international community have denounced and rejected the results of the so-called “presidential elections” held in Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on Tuesday.

    “Referring to the unequivocal position of the international community on this illegal act held in the temporarily occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of our country, I would like to remind that the so-called “elections” and their results have been firmly rejected by leading international organizations and numerous states,” Leyla Abdullayeva, a spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry told local media on Tuesday, referring to a statement issued by the country’s foreign ministry on March 31, which described the so-called “elections” as a sham with no legal basis.

    “Members of the international community still continue to release statements about the so-called “elections”, expressing support for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” the ministry’s website quoted Abdullayeva as saying.

    She pointed out that Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev commented on the matter in a video conference on the socio-economic results of the first quarter of 2020 on April 14, noting that the so-called “elections” would not be recognized.

    Armenians living in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan headed to the illegal polls for a second time on Tuesday to cast their votes. According to reports, Arayik Harutyunyan, a former so-called prime minister of the unrecognized bogus regime, was said to have won the runoff “election” after claiming 88 percent of the votes.

    The first round of illegal “elections” took place on March 31 – when none of the two leading candidates, including Harutyunyan and the self-declared foreign minister of the separatist regime Masis Mailyan, managed to win the vote.

    After the first round, the government of Azerbaijan and the international community, including the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Georgia, and Moldova, as well as the organizations such as the OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates the political negotiations for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the European Union, NATO, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, and the Turkic Council, have all rejected the said “elections” held in the occupied region.

    During a video conference with government ministers in Baku on Tuesday, President Ilham Aliyev dedicated a part of his speech to the illegal “polls”, saying the fact that the illegitimate “election” was not recognized affirmed the Nagorno-Karabakh region’s status as an inseparable part of Azerbaijan.

    “I have said this, I want to say again that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan and an exclamation mark,” President Aliyev said, according to President.az. “There is one way to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and that is to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The reaction of the entire international community to these so-called “elections” strengthens our position.”

    The occupation of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region by Armenia took place after both countries gained independence following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991. The fully-armed military of Armenia forcibly entered Azerbaijan’s territory and the two countries had fought a bloody war until a ceasefire in 1994. The outcomes of war were quite tragic for Azerbaijan.

    The Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts or 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory were occupied, while more than 30,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis, the indigenous people of the occupied lands, were killed and one million more were expelled from their homeland.

    Today, Armenia keeps historically and internationally recognized Azerbaijani lands under its occupation despite four UN resolutions and international mediation by the U.S., France, and Russia for a political solution. Armenia set up the bogus separatist regime in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region which is not recognized by any state in the world, including Armenia.

    The so-called “elections” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region took place amid a state of emergency declared by its separatist regime due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Sixteen people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far in the occupied Azerbaijani lands.


    4PLUS, the photography collective providing a snapshot of life for Armenian women

    Emil Lazarian
    Emerging Europe
    Portia Kentish

    4PLUS, an Armenian collective of female photographers, is offering an intimate portrayal of daily life in the country, through beautifully curated images. Founded in 2012 with the aim of not only documenting, but empowering women in Armenia, the project aims to provide a different lens to a narrative of everyday life that is commonly drenched in patriarchy.

    While the country has recently experienced progress towards achieving gender equality, according to the UN development programme, Armenia still faces significant challenges. Domestic violence persists as a major problem, exasperated by a lack of accountability for law enforcement as well as a lack of access to quality education for young women.

    It is against this backdrop that 4PLUS gains poignant importance. The photojournalism and art exhibited by the collective aims to bring the aforementioned issues to light and is committed to documenting the lived experiences of Armenian women by visualising cultural particularities. This helps construct a different narrative, one that emphasises the agency on individual day to day life, rather than the broader politics. Instead, the project brings these spheres into a personal purview.

    Co-founded by four award-winning photojournalists, Anahit Hayrapetyan, Nazik Armenakyan, Nelli Shishmanyan, and Piruza Khalapyan, their website features a breathtaking and intimate portrayal of life for women in Armenia.

    A notable recent project, by Piruza Khalapyan explores life in the remote village of Yerashk that lies close to the Azerbaijani border.

    “Women living at the border must be stronger, they must even know some ways of being fearless or have special rules of security, otherwise, how do they live there, moreover, with children?” writes Ms Khalapyan.

    The project spotlights a series of intimate snapshots of day-to-day life for the women living in Yerashk; the Herculean efforts of motherhood to baking the weekly bread, all a shared load amongst the female community. This sense of solidarity is particularly needed in the village, as many of the men travel far distances for work, writes Ms Khalapyan.

    Her photos of Yerashk and its inhabitants are stunning in their simplicity. Beautiful, warm, and natural, they encapsulate day-to-day life so poetically, elevating the menial tasks of hanging up washing and curling hair to a work of art.

    There is something universal about Piruza Khalapyan’s work, and much of the work seen on 4PLUS. While life in an Armenian border village may seems a world away to most, there is something about the photos that capture the essence of the lived female experience, the hardship, and beauty, that no matter where the images are viewed from – they feel very close to home.

    Another recent photo essay by Arman Harutyunyan takes a deep dive into the youth subcultures within the capital Yerevan, particularly focusing on the widespread use of marijuana and the consequential impacts this has on the community. The project skillfully combines black and white portraiture with personal interviews about young people’s relationship with the drug.

    Like much of the work done by 4PLUS, the photos are capable of transporting the viewer, while resonating with a deep universality through the simplicity of their images. In a time of lockdown and social distancing, a look at this all-female project coming out of Armenia’s creative scene provides a stunning snapshot of life with a new perspective that is greatly needed right now.

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    Photos:

    Armenpress: Georgia coronavirus cases reach 385

    Karapet Navasardian

    Georgia coronavirus cases reach 385

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     13:36,

    YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS. The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia has reached 385, Novosti Gruzia reported citing the government-led StopCov.ge website.

    15 new cases have been confirmed in the past one day.

    So far, 84 people have recovered.

    3 patients have died, aged 81, 86 and 76.

    Georgia confirmed the first case of coronavirus on February 26.

    4,971 citizens are under quarantine.

    Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan