Sears Towers a manifestation of what US, Bangladesh can achieve together: US Secretary of State Blinken

[Avicenna]

BD needs to convince the US that its cooperation with China is necceciated by a rougue Burmese regime and overbearing policies by India. That China Bangladesh cooperation will not jeopardise US geostrageic interest. Tbh i think both USA and China is OK to some degree with BD being kinda neutral. India perhaps is the one who has most to loose from this arrangement, as Bangladesh slowly will drift out of its orbit. And that too without going full alliance with any specific camp.

If done correctly Bangladesh would have successfully played by the book of indian foreign policy and escaped from its influence.

Escaping Indian influence really needs to be the goal right now for Bangladesh.

 

[Wergeland]

Come on Blinken and Obama (ey.. come on bro everyone knows its you who is the real President) give our products a chance. We have much more than just clothes:

- pharma
- IT
- Electronics
- Interior items
- good poets

and much more

For hippie section, If it counts, we are the people with the real buddhist spirit, as we were the first buddhist nation on the planet.

Jokes aside, if we get Gunships, F-16 plus Patriots i am more than willing to do like this guy:

 

[bluesky]

So America steals brains, keeps poor countries poor, uses the brain power to makes itself better. The poor countries just sit in slums. Oh the pedestal and delusions the west sits on.

It is better stupid people only should go to America without the chance of brain drain of his native country BD. No one can match F. R. Khan, he was just an exceptional design engineer. But, the American Universities and the environment mostly contributed to his developing the engineering knowledge.

Had he been in BD he would become just like others, working in a govt department and earning two extra paisas by illegal method.

 

[bluesky]

Its called brian drain... Its one of the reasons why poor countries do not develop.

Why to blame other countries for the underdevelopment of your own country infested with corruption? Does American, European or Japanese govts allow corruptions in their countries?

But, your and my countries happily allow it. People on the praying mats with bribe money (رشوت) in their pockets and we claim we are a bunch of holiest religionists, and here you want development.

Our people are a group of hypocrites and dishonest to the core. Even many of them remain so in the Western countries trying to get extra unemployment benefits by producing false papers.

 

[bluesky]

Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan

Guys, please note that the central part of Sears Tower is surrounded by quite a few smaller structures. I can see 5 smaller structures in the photo. There can be a few more than I cannot see in the picture.

The Sears Tower is the first where the main building is surrounded by smaller structures. It is the design legacy of FR Khan. It was his concept.

A very tall structure is subject to both wind pressure and earthquake load. Both act horizontally. Without surrounded by smaller structures a tall building has to be built too strong and too heavy to offset heavy horizontal loads.

So, FR Khan first thought of this concept of surrounding a tall one with a few smaller structures. The small ones would take the horizontal loads due to wind and/ or earthquake.

Thus this concept assures a very lesser amount of horizontal load to the main structure. This is how a tall building can be built with less quantity of steel and concrete.

Please note that only the top naked part gets any direct wind load which is very small comparing to what it would have received had it been built alone.

The main structure is not allowed also to sway left and right by the presence of smaller structures. It sways, but the deflection is minimum.

 

[Wergeland]

View attachment 830647

View attachment 830649
Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan

Guys, please note that the central part of Sears Tower is surrounded by quite a few smaller structures. I can see 5 smaller structures in the photo. There can be a few more than I cannot see in the picture.

The Sears Tower is the first where the main building is surrounded by smaller structures. It is the design legacy of FR Khan. It was his concept.

A very tall structure is subject to both wind pressure and earthquake load. Both act horizontally. Without surrounded by smaller structures a tall building has to be built too strong and too heavy to offset heavy horizontal loads.

So, FR Khan first thought of this concept of surrounding a tall one with a few smaller structures. The small ones would take the horizontal swaying loads due to wind and/ or earthquake.

Thus this concept assures a very lesser amount of horizontal load to the main structure. This is how a tall building can be built with less quantity of steel and concrete.

Please note that only the top naked part gets any direct wind load which is very small comparing to what it would have received had it been built alone.

The main structure is not allowed also to sway left and right by the presence of smaller structures. It sways, but the deflection is minimum.

I remember reading the books in the mid 90s and Sears Tower was still the tallest building in the world. Until Petronas Towers i believe. From then on the tallest building has been residing on the Asian continent.

 

[PakFactor]

Its called brian drain... Its one of the reasons why poor countries do not develop.

That's partly because of western backed imf and world banks have crippled developing countries and keeping them poor and In debt.

Only providing funds for development for corporations from rich countries suck up the resources from the poor countries. Whilst the poor gov pay off the loans for those funds provided.

A hand full of locals get jobs, whilst the rest suffer.

You think people in the west are so civilised and high and mighty but this pandemic and uk s shortage of distribution drivers showed the true face of people. Any slight adversity and its daggers in the back of others.

People who have modest/high incomes cleaning out shelves like it's a nuclear disaster, whilst those on living on a weekly wage found themselves with nothing buy at the end of the working week.

Then there was Karen that uses her car to go the asda twice week, full tanks her car and queues just because everyone else is doing it, and fills up a jerry can. Whilst people that work 70 hrs a week don't have time to fill their tank.


I wonder if these people got decimated their culture, resources and oppressed e.t.c for good couple hundred years I would like to see how these people turn out.

Yes and No,

1) Yes: Its brain drain taking talent out of any country.
2) No: Their native country didn't offer any opportunities whereas they can utilities their talents because of no funds and/or being sidelined due to incompetent leadership.

Pakistan in-house drone industry isn't getting the attention it needs from military or civil departments and many have left creating a talent gap. Now if they go to the West its not the West fault because your own native country did you a disservice.

You'll be surprised to know this fact it was a Bangladeshi who worked on the Tomahawk Cruise Missile internal positioning system, an immigrant with a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Robotics from MIT. Why, because he was rejected from his home country many times, and settled in the US. I know him personally as he's a business client of mines in Illinois.

It was an Indian Sikh who developed the tiles used on the Space Shuttle in the US, it was an Indian behind the F-22 engine.

One of the engineers who worked on the Patriot Missile System was a Pashtun Pakistani from the Tribal belt a close family friend of my mom's eldest uncle (may God rest his soul passed away this year due to COVID).

We can point one finger to the West but remember three fingers are pointing right back at you. We have the worst people running our government and creating policies which cause us to self inflict wounds.

 

[bluesky]

So America steals brains, keeps poor countries poor, uses the brain power to makes itself better. The poor countries just sit in slums. Oh the pedestal and delusions the west sits on.

যত দোষ নন্দ ঘোষ। A typical BD mentality.

 

[LeGenD]

Its no hidden secret that the West tries to hamper development in the developing world.

But the rise of China will change things hopefully.

Some countries do not develop due to mirade of internal problems including corruption. These countries are unable to produce visionary leaders and have political instability due to which they are vulnerable to Foreign interventions and/or exploitation.

There are success stories as well:

1. Mahathir Mohamad managed to develop Malaysia.

2. Indonesia introduced political reforms in 2001 and long-term economic growth plan in 2005, and became the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

3. Algeria is one of the countries to experience Arab Spring protests in 2011 but Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika handled this situation with maturity and announced 23 billion USD relief package for the Public in response.

The aforementioned countries have PRESIDENTIAL democratic system. Algeria is located next to Libya but the two countries are POLAR OPPOSITE in terms of managing their internal affairs. Look at the fate of Libya in contrast.

Countries develop when led by sincere and visionary leadership and with long-term planning.

 

[bluesky]

Published on 12:09 PM, April 04, 2022

Sears Towers a manifestation of what US, Bangladesh can achieve together: US Secretary of State Blinken​

Blinken says in message marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries​

Reuters file photo
Star Digital Report
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited the example of the iconic Sears Tower to refer to what the Bangladeshis and Americans can achieve together – in a message marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In a video message posted on his Twitter account, he said that for generations, Bangladeshis have made tremendous contributions to the United States.

In 1952, Fazlur Rahman Khan was the first Bangladeshi to receive the Fulbright Scholarship to study in the US, completed his PhD and two master's degrees in structural engineering and mechanics. Later, he joined an architecture firm in Chicago where he designed an office building for Sears Corporation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1510821962376953859

In 1973, just a year after the US and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations, the iconic Sears Tower was finished in downtown Chicago.

"Since then, the tower has defined a classic American skyline and it represents just one manifestation of what Americans and Bangladeshis can do together," Blinken said.

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen is now in Washington and will hold a bilateral meeting with Blinken in his office today, marking the 50th year of diplomatic relationship.

He recalled that in February 1972, Senator Ted Kennedy visited Bangladesh and spoke to the students at University of Dhaka and the values that tied the peoples of the two countries – the similar struggles for independence, love for liberty and journeys to follow the star of freedom.

Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower. Photo: Wikepedia
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Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower. Photo: Wikepedia
Soon after, on April 4, then US President Richard Nixon sent a letter to Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, establishing the diplomatic ties, predicting that the ties and good will between the two peoples would grow for years to come, Blinken said.

He said 50 years later, the two countries collaborate virtually on every issue that matters to the people and the ties between Bangladeshis and Americans grow deeper and more intertwined with every generation.

"Our countries have forged partnership to improve public health, strengthening local health systems, bringing down the maternal mortality by two thirds over the last two decades, and providing 61 million of Covid-19 vaccines to combat pandemic," Blinken said.

In 2021, the US bought more Bangladeshi products than any other country did, representing some $8.3 billion.

He said the US encourages Bangladesh to make progress on workers' rights to deepen the robust economic partnership.

"We are tackling the climate crisis together, strengthening the resilience of the communities that are already affected by the rising sea level and more severe storms, investing in clean energy and protecting wetlands and forests in Bangladesh for future generations," the US Secretary of State said.

He said the US and Bangladesh address humanitarian conflicts and crises together, from responding to natural disasters to supporting Bangladesh's role as one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping operations.

The two countries are also working together to help the Rohingyas, who fled genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military, Blinken said.

He also commended Bangladesh for sheltering a million Rohingyas and for continuing to support for those efforts as they have been doing since the crisis started in 2017.

"I look forward to seeing what our people will build together in the decades ahead as we continue to follow that 'star of freedom'."

Watching the Blinken video and reading the news accounts as well as going through the diplomatic activities of the Western countries during the last six months have made me emotional that America wants to be a true mentor (not friendship. not between two unequal) of Bangladesh.

Blinken is citing many things positive about BD. On the other hand, without American assistance since 1947, BD people would have almost died out by starvation and diseases. Even today it has contributed millions of doses of anti-Covid medicine to BD.

BD exports to the USA was about $8.3 billion last year. The USA is our biggest (?) export market. It has provided $1.5 billion to rehabilitate the Rohingya people. The list goes on.

Our FM Alga Momen is very careful to tie deep knot with the USA by excluding China. He may be right. He is soon to visit America and will face a big pressure there. Pressures are coming also from EU, UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

These countries are certainly not Indian colonies that India is dictating them all.

I think the non-European Australia and Asian countries together can almost compensate what China is contributing now. BD can seek arms from the Western countries and make its military strong. That may stop India from interfering in the affairs of Bangladesh.

Note that the construction of two new airbases in Lalmonirhat and Sylhet has displeased India tremendously. India has been vetoing Lalmonirhat for many decades. Now, after their completion we can expect new 4.5 G planes for the BAF.

Please note that Lalmonirhat is located at the very northern tip good enough to choke Siliguri Corridor. only 12km away from the border.

One may wonder is there an additional enemy there?

Alga Momen will be in the USA to discuss and sign a few treaties. I hope he does not lose his temper and starts demanding the removal of sanctions imposed by America.

An American goodwill gesture must be reciprocated in kind. BD cannot afford otherwise.

 

[Bilal9]

I have read somewhere American critiques calling F. R. Khan the "Einstein of Structural Engineering", he was such a genius. But, he died too early in SA in a plane accident while visiting there, unfortunately.

Guys, do not please forget that Engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan hailed from my native district Faridpur.

View attachment 830426
A photograph of Sears Tower/ Willis Tower

@bluesky bhai I believe he had a cardiac arrest...not a plane crash.

Faridpur people are indeed genius.

Except those from Gopalganj and Tungipara maybe, which may have been part of Faridpur before.

 

[Arthur]

So, my question is what does the US want from BD now?

In very crude terms....

Trade?

Or worse.....a pawn in the dirty game?

 

[Avicenna]

Or worse.....a pawn in the dirty game?

Yeah.

V Nuland is a dirty dirty girl.

 

[Wergeland]

I cannot imagine America being hunky dory with BD without wanting something in return.
Realpolitik is in work here.

 

[bluesky]

I cannot imagine America being hunky dory with BD without wanting something in return.
Realpolitik is in work here.

All the American good works for BD must be reciprocated by BD. A small country cannot just remain truly independent in the true sense.

And in the case of BD, America has invested too many billions of dollars in the social and infrastructure development sectors since 1947 that it does not want it to see going under the Chinese feet, debt trap or no debt trap.

The USA dislikes BD to become another pariah country like North Korea. This is why the USA and its allies are making a concerted effort to steer away BD to the democratic fundamentals.

China is no democracy!!