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To the Editor

Letters will only be considered if they carry the writer's full name, address and telephone number (if any). The identity of the writers will be protected. Letters must be limited to 300 words. All letters will be subject to editing.
Misleading statement
A couple of days back, the agriculture minister, M K Anwar has made 'unwanted' statement in the Jatiya Sangsad about the former presidents of the republic. The laws of the land do not permit citizens like me to take legal action against these sort of derogatory statements, but in a "parliamentary democracy" representatives of a responsible government do make apology, regret or withdraw the statements ifthose are found "false and misleading".
The honourable speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad may expunge those "non-parliamentary proceedings" if he desires. Two particular statements by the agriculture minister in the question-answer session during the adjourned sitting of the house on 25 April are totally "misleading". Those are: (1) a former president cannot denigrate any political party and (2)
appropriate actions can be taken against the former president if he is involved with the "conspiracy to oust the government."
The minister himself agreed to the point, "former presidents have the constitutional right to do politics despite enjoying state facilities." But he disowned his statement by further saying that "existing laws allow the government to take stern actions if any former president is involved with the conspiracy to topple the government." If a political party is defamed following the criticism of its misdeeds, then the opposition politicians have nothing to do. It is the party, which should be blamed for its failure in running the country.
Moreover, no particular political party provides the state facilities to the former presidents. The former presidents enjoy those privileges and honour offered by the state. So former presidents, like other citizens of the country, can criticise any political party for its activities and
failures, but not the state.
The minister also told the parliament, "there are provisions to take actions against the former presidents if they are found engaged in the activities to unseat the government." But he has probably forgotten that the government of General Ershad was "unseated" through a mass movement. Did the politicians face trial for leading that "oust the government movement?" What a funny statement the minister made in the floor of the house!
If the current government is "ousted" or "inundated" by the large-scale movement against it, will there be any trial for the "winning opposition political figures?"
It is believed that the bureaucrat-turned-minister has earned 13 years of experience in politics. But it will be beneficial to promote democratic attitude within the parliament if the minister refrains from making "childish statements" provoked by those who flatter the
political high-ups. The ministers should not make such statements since the former presidents do not have the privilege to express their opinions in parliament sessions.
Maniruzzaman
Shamoly, Dhaka
Mobile phone and poverty
With the announcement of BTTB going in for the first phase (about 200,000 plus) of installing mobile telephones, the cynical citizens are already perturbed by the vile machination of the suspected BTTB policy and practices on the deliberate official tendency of keeping new telephone supply far below the demand rate, and allegedly making money on the side (corrupt practices).
Now letters are pouring in The Daily Star suspecting foul play and nepotism in the allocation of the new mobile sets to genuine users following the published
procedures. The next phase of the project would raise the total number to one million (news report). There is many a slip between the cup and the lip;
In view of the popularity of cheaper mobile telephone, there would be a scramble by the insiders to grab a large share of the market through unfair means, VIP quotas and other means. The business through the back doors has to be stopped; and official silence on this point would be misunderstood.
An interesting point was made by one of the citizens, that mobile telephone hawking (in the villages) is a positive step towards poverty alleviation. Today we see innumerable small shops and outlets in cities offering mobile calls as a public service, as the vast majority cannot afford to acquire a mobile phone. Such hawking business has to follow some official guidelines, which is not being publicised.
The official policy was misguided
for 14 years, treating telephone as a luxury item (indirectly). Communication reduces the cost of business, including private use (saving time which money cannot buy once lost).
There is one simple way to allay public fears: revamp the BTTB, and reduce its business load. The era of government doing business is gone (globalisation and what not).
Secondly, review the further expansion of land-line telephone system using underground and overhead cables (timeconsuming, and too many human personnel involved at different stages, thus encouraging corrupt practices).
Third, assembly of mobile sets may be started in Bangladesh (there is a factory in the semi-public sector).
Fourth: always keep the supply more than the demand.
Md. Abad
Dhaka
Fighting in the admission test
After passing the HSC examination, most of the students want to get themselves admitted into any public medical college or engineering institutes or universities and so on. But seats at these institutions are limited and the number of students is higher than the number of seats available. So the students have to sit for a tough admission test. It is like the survival of the fittest. The examinations are highly competitive. So getting chance has become a matter of luck.
I think our present system of admission test is not correct. Most of the institutions take admission test based on MCQ. The answers to the questions are set in such a way that sometimes the students become confused and they cannot answer correctly. Sometimes, if luck favours, the answer of a student may be correct although he does not know the correct answer. But he answers
the question only by assumption. Besides this, most of the universities take examination on several subjects. Suppose, a student wants to study in English. But he has to give examination on Bengali, general knowledge and in some universities on the other subjects of humanity group - why is it necessary? I do not understand. I think the admission test should betaken subjectwise.
Sometimes, for the limitation of seats and such system of admission test many students do not get a chance of studying in a public institution. So the number of seats should be increased and the system of admission test should be changed.
SaimaAhmed
Dept, of English HUC, Chittagong