USA Bureau

Unbelievable but it is true that the national anthem of Bangladesh was played when a group of expatriates were seen in front of the White House on April 19.

Everyone stopped for a while listening to the song on cassette in front of the main gate.

With open hearts and full of soul, they themselves sang 'Amar Sonar Bangla Aami Tomai Valobashi ' earned by the fresh blood of three million Bengalis and the honor of two and a half million mothers and sisters.

Although the red-green flag was not visible there, it floated in the hearts of every Bengali. In the light of the situation of the whole world, it is decisive, that is, when a country falls into a democratic or human rights crisis, the United States jumps against the authoritarian rulers of those countries. Again, even if the allied country is attacked, soldiers are sent to protect the country.

For these reasons, the head of the White House is also known as Moral to the world. However, the expected results that have always come home to the United States are not correct. Sometimes they have to fall into delicate situations, they have to bear the gloom of shameful defeats. The events of the Vietnam War, the Bangladesh Liberation War, and the war against it still haunt conscious Americans. It goes without saying that the results of President Biden's naked stance on Israel's indiscriminate massacre in Gaza will have some bearing on the upcoming November election.

How so many decisions are made from inside such a building, where does the US President sit and reach a decision, at which table does the guest entertainment sometimes take place, where does the President, First Lady sleep, how is the situation of the whole world observed, etc., there is no end of curiosity even among the Americans themselves. Because, if you want, you cannot get access inside this house. All but the residents of this building must pass through the security point. Background checks are conducted on those interested in visiting/travelling.

After that at least: three check points have to be entered. Every corridor, room, dining room, cinema hall, gossip room, briefing room are monitored. That is, nothing can be hidden. It is also not possible to make videos without being noticed by the security guards. But thanks to the iPhone (flash won't burn) visitors or travelers are allowed to take pictures of everything. The curiosity that was there until the building was eagerly scrutinized completely subsided after 30/40 minutes of the tour. Because everything is normal, familiar. The bed, the dining table, the guest room, the briefing room—everything is the same. The meeting room also has no special features.

The opportunity to tour the White House, the focus of the entire world, took place on Friday, April 19. A team of 38 people were all Bangladeshi Americans.

Anees Ahmed, Executive Member of the Maryland State Democratic Party and member of the AAPI Leadership Council, led the event. He sometimes leads such events for expatriates, so he informs everyone in his own language about the history and traditions of the rooms. In other words, he descended into Gaiden Bhamika. Where it is possible to stand and take pictures also happened at his suggestion. There is no time to wander, nor is there any opportunity to waste time unnecessarily. Must be active all the time. Because the time is fixed. Talking loudly, even on the phone, is not allowed. But don't be dumb.

The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, this residence was built between 1792 and 1800. Every US president since John Adams has lived in this residence. The architect of this building was James Hoban, a citizen of Ireland. The entire building is basically divided into three separate parts - West Wing, East Wing and Executive Residence. The total area of the building is about 55 thousand square feet.

There are several important offices in this four-storey building. One of them is the President's Room, the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room. Earlier, the President's Room housed the Secretary's office and the President's office. Currently this room is used as a dining room.

The Oval Office is currently the headquarters of the President. The windows of this oval room are made of bulletproof glass. The interior and furniture of the room is decided according to the President's choice.

The President meets with his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room. According to White House custom, the president always sits in the middle of the table. The situation room is on the ground floor. The President came to this 5,000 square feet room when faced with a problem. Here he consults with experts. The Situation Room is run by National Security Council staff. White House Press Briefing Room. The president spoke to the media from here.

The central building on the White House grounds is the Executive Residence. It is basically located between the West and East Wings. This building has green, blue and red rooms. The colors of the window curtains, floor carpets and furnishings of these rooms are as per the name of the room. The two-story building to the south of the Executive Residence is the East Wing. The First Lady's office is on the second floor of the building. Apart from this, the building has a family theater hall, where the President and his family members can enjoy their favorite movies at any time of the day.

Cross Hall is on the first floor of the Executive Residence. It is the widest hallway in the White House. The Cross Hall connects the Executive Residence with the State Dining Room and the East Room.