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To the Editor...
American visa
Sir, The American Embassy in Dhaka at a recent press conference stated that the Bangladeshis who go to USA mostly do not return and their number is the highest. Our Foreign Ministry should come out with a statement whether it is correct or not.
It is also stated that in 1996. 54 per cent of the visa applicants out of 35.000 were not issues visa. If the visa fee is Tk 840. Bangladesh lost Tk 15.87 million to USA.
Great income!
Ismat Ara
Road 5, House 126 DRA, Dhaka
Coin smuggling
Sir, Silver and golden metal coins of Tk one denomination are being smuggled out to India nowadays, (the Daily Ittefaq dt. 13.5.97). It is learnt that silver coins are being used for manufacturing tea spoons, fountain pen nibs etc. Two pieces of silver coins are required to manufacture one piece of tea spoon which is again sold at Tk 6-7 in Bangladesh.
The golden colour coins are in use to manufacture imitation jewellery. Sometimes, coins are amalgamated with gold ornaments. As a result, the coins are about to disappear from the market.
The metal coin Is termed as commodity money of limited legal tender. One metal coin of any denomination has face value as well as intrinsic value. When face value of a coin is less than that of its intrinsic value, the coin may be smuggled out In exchange of money easily.
It is needless to say such smuggling states that the intrinsic value was not verified when the metal coin was minted.
A M Kais Chowdhury Masdhair Gars than Road NarayanganJ
Jamuna Bridge
Sir. It is time to start the PR activities on Jamuna Bridge opening next year.
The public have no idea how the smooth travel arrangements are going to work, and time/delay involved in the block picto-diagrams may be issued in a series of education-cum-information advertisements. Since the curiosity value is high, the Public Relations Cell should make itself visible. I would like to collect the following literature/information.
— sketch map Dhaka-Siraj-ganj-Bogra showing old and new roads;
— bridge approach diagrams including check/toll points; rest-halting points, cafeterias, service areas for vehicles. PO/Tel, mosque;
— traffic fane arrangements on both sides for different types of vehicles;
— inns, restaurants, shopping enclave, clinic, emer-gency/contlngency facilities.
A Citizen Dhaka
Algeria and Myanmar
Sir, When we look into the policy of the West towards Myanmar (Burma) viz-a-viz Algeria, we find hew Washington, London, Bonn and Paris excoriate the military government of Myanmar with magnificent invective for depriving the National League for Democracy cf Nobe) Laureate Aung Su Kyi which won the May 1990 elections. But the western leaders maintain a mysterious silence because of the fact that the Algerian army annulled the election results of-the Islamic Salvation Front and bereft the Front of a massive election victory in 1991.
We also feel confused when the western leaders especially the US leaders advocate democracy, human rights and market
economy on the one hand, but very often on the other hand, they threaten many countries with dire consequences, isolation and imposition of economic sanctions if they do not follow the policy of appeasement towards the West.
It is also very intriguing to note that the USA being the only undisputed economic, political and military superpower is interested in the expansion of NATO and G-7 but she docs not like the membership of Myanmar in ASEAN.
We strongly feel that the old saying "East is East and West is West and never the twin shall meet" is out-dated and obsolete. In the present-day world, the East is fully awaken and East and West are equals and the twin can never attain peace and prosperity without each other's help and cooperation.
We would highly appreciate if the western countries followed a neat and clean policy of amity and equality towards Algeria and Myanmar and also towards Israel, Palestine. Iraq, Libya and Iran.
OH Kabir
6. Hare Street.
Wari. Dhaka-1203
"Coffee is Costly"
Sir, Thanks to Mr Yousuf Jamil of Mirpur for his letter published in the DS (17.6.97) inviting detail information on the beneficial effect of coffee against heart disease. Yes, I do agree with Mr Jamil that I should have furnished detail information on the subject in my letter on 15.6.97. In fact. I had prepared a detail write-up on coffee but unfortunately my draft copy was lost somewhere together with the clippings.
Meanwhile, I use to keep notes of important things and events in my diary. And for information of Mr Jamil. I am sending the following information on the issue recorded in my diary:
The research finding per-
taining to the effective of coffee against heart-disease and cancer was presented at the American Chemical Society Conference held in San Francisco on April 14. 1997 by Mr Takayuki Shimbamoto, Professor of Environmental Toxicology. University of California — Anti-oxidant found in both regular and decaffeinated coffees can fight against cancer and heart dis-
Detail will follow soon after
I complete my study on coffee.
M Zahidul Haque
BAI. Dhaka
Can anyone tell me?
Sir, I am eager to know some important addresses from you and from the readers. I am writing to you with high hopes. I shall be highly delighted if you kindly let me know these addresses: a) Intell company (computer inventor) and b) Bill Clinton (the President of USA).
Md Mukammilur Rahman Rifles Public School and College
Dhaka.
Who are they?
Sir. The other day I read an article in the Sunday Times of UK. 16.2.97 where Peter Conradi Utrecht writes, "A gruesome new crime is sweeping Holland. Dutch fathers, angered by unfair divorce settlements, are murdering their children as the ultimate act of revenge against their wives."
In our country, many divorces remain unsettled, as the marriages are unrecorded. The children of these wedlocks' naturally end up in our street, as, someone may call them, Tokais. Pathakalies, urchins, who grow up only to be mas-taans.'
Mirza Shaft
House-821, Rd-5
Banant. Dhaka