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To the Editor

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Political pollution!
The government is rightly concerned with awareness programmes on environmental pollution. But the political masters never talk about political pollution, and its adverse long-term effects on society, and how to tackle it, starting right from the top downwards and not the other way round.
Mud-slinging does not come under development projects. It does not improve the situation, or cleanses the atmosphere. The sense fog we are experiencing in the heavens above (weather) during these early February days are being reflected in the notorious fogginess in our political culture. We are suffering from lack of political sunshine (and warmth) in these days of cold wars.
New negative modalities are being introduced in the politicoreligious fields, with the sudden upsurge in the anti-Ahmadiyya
movement, never seen before in this part of the world since the British days. The presence of hidden foreign hands cannot be discounted when the huge Asian market is up for grabs by the world powers. There is another negative factor in our politics. According to a news item, 45 per cent of the MPs are business persons, without a background or experience in politics. This creates pockets of vested interests. The system losses are huge, based on cumulative effect, but the political pundits concerned are keeping rather mum on the adverse implications.
Legitimate political activity was on hibernation for many years since independence in 1971; and now it looks like that there is a need for a second phase of resting period for the super-active politicians under training (tutorial). If trainees become leaders, then the future of the nation is not bright.
The philosophical approach to create a suitable base is to have a clear role of reward and punishment in the society. Defaulters cannot sit over policies and judgement. The established institutions have to be revived for proper processing of public grievances. The role of the bureaucracy (civil service) is warped due to political distortions; and there are allegations in the press about a parallel secretariat in operation these days. The public services and institutions are already overloaded, with low entrenched inefficiency. The reforms have to start at the roots and trunks, and not at the branches and leaves (thus the details would automatically sort out in the right mode). Ad hocism in politics is a bane for emerging societies.
What we need is perhaps a parallel political stream.
Alif Zabr
Dhaka
An emblem of liberation
The sculpture 'Swadhinata Sangram' is the absolute embodiment of the consciousness and struggle of Bangalees. Eminent sculptor Shamim Sikder erected this grand and pompous sculpture.
It is situated on the turn of the Fuller Road, i.e. between Jagannath Hall and SM Hall. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the sculpture on 10th March, 1999.
Shamim Sikder built the first, and one of the largest, sculpture gardens in the country. The artisan has also created one hundred and three small sculptures around the altar of liberation memorial sculpture. Images of prominent persons and different scenes of Bangalee culture have been included in the garden.
Four phases of our history
1952, '69, '71 and '75 have been represented in Sadhinata Sangram. The phases of history have reduced the work into a compound sculpture. In fact, every phase is a distinct sculpture. The usage of light, music and water makes the work very attractive and impressive to the visitors. A spring of water, mellifluous tune of music and mesmerising light amid the sculpture create a fine artistic environment.
Many visitors from remote areas come to enjoy the beauty of the sculpture and its surroundings. It is really a pleasant sight.
Palash Podder
Dept of Sociology, DU
Foreign physicians needed
It is a very good decision that the Ministry of Health has given permission to foreign physicians for private practice in our coun-
try. I think we can save our valuable foreign exchange as we do not have to go abroad for medical treatment. Ninety per cent of our physicians who work as government servants are attached to medical college hospitals and district level hospitals. They have to take classes at the medical college and have to attend patients. They have to experiment on different subjects and also serve in private clinics as part time practitioners. In these cases they find it very difficult to develop proper treatment standards.
Thus we are deprived of good and proper medical services. That explains why hundreds of people go abroad for better medical treatment. All of them are not rich people. Middle class people are also going abroad for proper and better medicare. So we need good physicians from foreign countries to fill up the gap.
Abu Gursel Siddiqui
Chittagong
"State of the Union" address
Whether we like or dislike the subject, the annual event and its ultimate effect has been for some time in the past a major deciding factor to shape the fate of people all over the world . I was watching this year's live CNN coverage of George W Bush's address on 21st January,2004, delivered to the joint sessions of both the Houses of the Congress at Capitol Hill . Showing great regard for democracy ,freedom , human rights and all those lofty ideals /values, which have so long been the contents of such deliberations, was the norm in the past , but this latest one apparently was full of arrogance of power and unfair justification of the damage caused to all of those values for which the US stood up in the past.
The reactions inside the H o u s e fro m th e Se n a-tors/Congressmen and more so the expressions of the Democrats, including their leaders in the Houses, and Ted Kennedy in
particular to CNN were total rejection of the president's view points . It was perhaps a unique demonstration of such a great occasion tuned in to a clear-cut partisan show that was probably never seen before. No one can deny that the whole thing was tailored to be Bush's next election campaign rhetoric . No matter how hard Mr. Bush, and his war-mongering aides, may try to plunge the world to further insanity and disorder, the American people ought to give the right answers in the next polls in order to save the world from further disasters .
Zahedur Rahman
A globe trotter
Gulshan , Dhaka