*** Letters for publication in these columns should be addressed to the Editor and legibly written or typed with double space. For reasons of space, short letters are preferred, and all are subject to editing and cuts. Pseudonyms are accepted. However, all communications must bear the writer's real name, signature and address. ***

Brave displayer

Sir, A recent news item in your esteemed daily (May 27) shows the picture of a person who has two scorpions crawling on his face and head.

The particular view was a part of a display in a park in Malaysia. This person had been able to control himself and be calm and poised during the time, when he allowed the scorpions to crawl over him.

It is not unknown to us, as to how poisonous and deadly these creatures can be. At best one or two bites from them is good enough to put a human being to sleep forever.

Therefore, we admire the courage and fortitude shown by the dispiayer. But at the same time, we once again are puzzled by the unpredictable nature of human beings. It 1s difficult to understand why a person would want to do so dangerous a thing, where a small

mistake might end his life I

This is of course not the first time, when man has been seen trying to perform difficult and extraordinary feat. There are cases when men have tried to sleep or spend time with equally or more deadly snakes.

So as much as we admire their strength of mind, we would request them to be careful, and if possible, refrain from such acts, as we must not forget that we only live once.

Ayesha Ahmed

Khilgaon, Dhaka

An appreciation

Sir, With great enthusiasm I have been watching the emergence of The Daily Star" and I believe a time has now come When many more readers like me would be surely thinking of according this dally a grand welcome and a heroic congrat-ulation.

This appreciation is genuine and spontaneous. Surely, the Editor, management and everyone associated with this newspaper deserve this for their noble and tireless task of bringing out the beautiful English daily and giving It a real professional touch.

The wide coverage of national and international news, reports on variety of events and performances plus the fine tuning in its editing has made it worth reading and made it an object of, rapt attention and continued curiosity for the readers. Let it bloom in full to give us more feeling of confidence and generate more eagerness among us for peeping into its pages every fine morning.

Anowar ul Mohsin

Jigatola, Dhaka

Oversimplification!

Sir, While accusing "some bureaucrats of conspiring to destabilise administration" the General Secretary of the B.C.S. Coordination Committee told your Correspondent that "due to bureaucratic conspiracy" Ayub Khan and Ershad could take power by ousting elected governments (Dally Star

26.5.91). This is perhaps oversimplification of a grave issue. It is difficult to believe that both the powerful Generals staged coup de etat just acting on the advice of the so-called secretariat quill-drivers', some of whom are no doubt good conspirators but their conspiracies are limited to the filework only. About how they do it, a senior bureaucrat once remarked that the bureaucrats know only two rules, namely, 'Yes Rule' and 'No Rule’l When they want to do something positive for someone they initiate notes applying 'Yes Rule'. And, when not to do anything for anyone they apply 'No Rule' formula. Only the other day, a local newspaper reported how a top bureaucrat put up a false' note to the Highest Executive of the country. I know of another bureaucrat, now lies burled in the Banani graveyard, who in collaboration with another (both held the rank of sccretaiy) 'shelved' for ever a significant 'query' madp to a cabinet minister by the then Highest Executive, who is also now dead. But the memories of such 'bad' bureaucrats still haunt me with agony and bitterness.

Abdul Kader.

Purana Paltan, Dhaka.