The forgotten cricketer

Sir. Khawja Ahtar, son of late Khawja Adel of the Dhaka Nawab family, was among the few promising crickters of this soil, who were unfortunately, deprived of a test cap to represent the then Pakistan eleven, Khawja Ahtar was an outstanding top quality cricketer of the 1950s. known for his deadly accurate fast leg cutters and fast leg breaks. A rare type of a bowler indeedl

Khawja Ahtar was contemporary to the great Fazal Mahmud. During the MCC tour to Pakistan sometime in the early fifties. Ahtar was called in to the nets for the test match in Dhaka, but unfortunately, he was deprived of a test debut barely few hours before the commencement -of the test match. He was unjustly replaced by Mahmud Hossain of Lahore. This step-motherly attitude of the colonial masters struck a painful blow, that gradually led him to quit cricket.

However. Khawja Ahtar had the distinction of representing EPSF eleven, where he had always performed well. To recall some of the best moments of his career, he created a sensation by bowling out Manjrekar. Mankad and Mantree of the visiting Indian national side, in a three-day unofficial match in Chittagong in 1954. Since then, he was the local talked about hero, but yet this great feat was ignored and could not Impress the selectors!

Khawja Ahtar. who was once

compared to Fazal Mahmud and a victim of deprivation of sure test cap. left us on the fateful morning of 27th September. 1994. He was suffering from protracted illness. He was 63. He was buried at his family graveyard in Dilkusha. Dhaka, the very birth place of the promising but a forgotten cricketer. With the cruel course of nature, his mortal remains will slowly perish into dust, but his dream to win a test cap will remain. I wish among our promising cricketers.

Khawja Vtqar Motnuddin , Dhaka

Balance of payment

Sir, Very often we come across in newspapers reports regarding the widening gap of balance of payments between India-Bangladesh trade as our import is several times more than exports to India. It is evident from Dhaka roadside newspaper stands that a good quantity of Bengali magazines leaving aside the question of Bengali books and other textbooks, are of West Bengal origin. The notable 'Puja issue' of Bengali magazines are selling at Tk 100.00 only and it contains at least 500 pages while the paper is of good quality, the printing is superb and advertisements so attractive. Our 'Eld issues’ are simply of no match anywhere. I am not at all concerned with the con-‘tents of W Bengal puja Issues or similar issues of magazines. I am tempted to know when we shall be able to publish

such magazines in quality papers along with quality printing in Bangladesh at such a comparatively low price. ■

The Industries minister has made a lot of hulla-ballo on the success of producing paper from green jute plants and let us hope that good quality papers will be produced and thus good books and magazines will be published locally. Thus a portion of balance of payments with India would be probably narrowed down in future. Let Us pray sincerely!

Sadiq Alee

Maghbazar, Dhaka-1217.

Dhanmondi needs two culverts

Sir, Residential though by name only Dhanmondi has lost its residential character long ago. Apart from the shopping centres, it now houses a large number of coaching centres, schools, colleges, universities, a museum, a newspaper office, art galleries, drawing and music schools. UN and foreign mission offices, NGO offices, beauty parlours, Chinese restaurants, private clinics, community centres, consultancy and construction firms. In the morning and at noon the aijpa is as busy and noisy as any other commercial part of the city.

It's a fact that Dhanmondi is a well-planned area with suffl dent number of roads. But due to its recently assumed commercial character, traffic Jam has become an unavoidable phenomenon in the area due

mainly to the two old and narrow links on Road 8 and Road 32 connecting the two sides of the Dhanmondi lake. Whatever be the means of transport one has to spend a considerable amount of time in these two necks every day.

The sufferings of the commuters of this area can largely be eased if the two culverts are widened or two more culverts are constructed along the side of the existing ones. We drtw the attention of the appropriate authorities in this matter.

All Reza Bakhtier Dhanmondi. Dhaka

NEMAP

Sir, I refer to Dr Zahir Sadeque's article (DS 27 September) on the “National Environmental Management Action Plan (NEMAP)".

I found Dr Sadeque's artlde as a timely move to unearth many hidden facts prior to finalisation of the report. My humble observations are as follows: a) It is true that the NEMAP is project-biased. When we are looking for interventions and actions. NEMAP has come up with further projects proposal. 37 or how many?; b) Like in most of the government projects, concerned officials of the MOEF were found to be unconcerned and less enthusiastic. MOEFs professional guidance during the NEMAP process was terribly missing; c) On the other hand, the UNDP appeared to be a promoter and employer of

consultants and selected NGOs without looking into details of the NEMAP document. What a mess of taxpayers' money, apparently!; d) Question arises, what is called "people’s participation"? Can we term mere representation by a few selected NGOs. as people's participation? Do findings of many workshops reflect sentiment of common people?

Before we continue the debate further, we earnestly request the MOEF to kindly circulate the NEMAP document in order to soliciting public opinion. The document may be finalised after incorporating people's sentiments and views.

Md Raftqul Islam

8/16. Sir Syed Road Mohammadpw. Dhaka

Sylhet Division

Sir, The people of greater Sylhet district burst into cheers, applaud. Joy and merriment when Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia consistent with the Wishes of the people of the district declared Sylhet as country’s new administrative division.

The long felt demand of the people of Sylhet has now been met. It is a great victory for them. We congratulate the people of Sylhet and wish them all the success.

The .people of Mymenslngh. Bogra. Rangpur. Noakhall, Faridpur and Dlnajpur have also been demanding for the creation of their own separate administrative divisions for a long time. “When would their

dream be fulfilled?

At the time of independence of our country we ha3 only nineteen districts. Today we have sixtyfour districts. The number of division has also Increased from four to six including Sylhet. What is to follow next? The creation of more and more new divisions? And then demand for upgrading the division to province? Nothing unlikely.

We feel that the more we have administrative districts, upazilas or divisions the more we delegate and surrender our powers to our government servants and we increasingly spend money for them from our public exchequer.

When a sub-division becomes a upazila or a district or a district becomes a division the thachet house of a poor man of the district or the division does not turn into a brick-built house or that he travels comfortably in a public bus or a motor launch. On the contrary, costly buildings are built and expensive cars are purchased for government officials of the district or the division.

We, therefore, suggest that we should have a Zlla Prodan' elected directly by people's vote instead of Zlla Proshasak' (Deputy Commissioner) for a smooth, efficient, accountable and people-oriented administration in each district. This would help us establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people' in our country.

OH Kabir Dhaka 1203