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TO THE EDITOR
Why UN?
I never wrote to any newspaper. Today I feel like writing a couple of lines.
Bangladesh is an independent country. We have democracy in practice, you can argue about its effectiveness; but I believe that this practice is slow but active. Both the major political parties had their fare chance of ruling the country. And it is the people of Bangladesh who will determine who did well and who performed badly.
It is really sad that some respected intellectuals of Bangladesh are asking the UN to interfere in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. This is not on, I must say.
Abu Abdullah, Portland, OR
"Statesman and statesmanship"
It was very clear that Shafiqul Alam and Niraj Agarwalla (11-9-2004) were annoyed with Shajahan Ahmed and Arshad Jamil over their 'premature' and 'absurd' letters regarding a newspaper editorial of our neighbouring country, which is 'a bigger power than Bangladesh is'.
It is very much true the editorial was carried by a privately owned newspaper. But the wording of the editorial was audacious and provocative.
We live in a sovereign country and we have an elected government. It is not the first time the Indian media is after Bangladesh. They termed some top-listed criminals of Bangladesh as Al-Qaeda associates. (I really do doubt the overall standard of their media). It is the Indian media that has been engaged in a slender mongering mission for a long time. We have been silent for long to be a 'good neighbour' of our big brother.
Indian ministers regularly accuse Bangladesh of harbouring terrorists and aiding them. But they are the ones that gave support to the so called 'Shanti Bahini'; they are the ones who are killing people in the border areas and trying to 'push in' their citizens terming them illegal Bangladeshis.
Mutual respect should be the criterion for good neighbourhood.
Saif, Dhaka
A shame
I have seen in the newspaper that the FBI is investigating the August 21 bomb blasts. It implies that we have failed to do the job properly. Isn't it a shame?
Concerned, On e-mail
Should we look East? Dr. Ahmed's Letter from America titled, "For Friendship Bangladesh should look East" reads for the most part like patent inanity . The fact that his ire is raised by an article in an
Indian newspaper which takes a critical look at the Khaleda-Nizami regime for the August 21st attack on Sheikh Hasina is farcical. There is a lot of truth in Bangladesh suffering from unfair trade practices from India over the past 30 years and also some other countries but Dr. Ahmed was only moved to write about this issue when the BNP regime was criticised by an Indian newspaper. I don't see the foreign minister of India going amuck after the years of India bashing that some newspapers in Bangladesh have engaged in. Also other countries in SAARC have negotiated themselves to better trade situation vis-avis India over time from an initially disadvantageous position. I would cite Sri Lanka and now slowly Pakistan. These countries have taken concrete steps with India that will only help them in the long run. Unfortunately, successive governments of Bangladesh have only carped about unfair trade and lined their own pockets rather than engage India in substantive and constructive negotiations.
Returning to his letter, Dr. Ahmed should do a little more fact based research. It is a widely known fact that Bangladesh under late President Zia tried very hard to be allowed to join ASEAN in the late 1970s, only to be rejected several times. Bangladesh so far has not been allowed entry into even the ASEAN's Regional Forum (ARF), of which India is already a member. Other ARF members include the United States, Russia and Canada which share no common border with Myanmar or any other ASEAN countries. Dr. Ahmed, if he had truly written an objective assessment, would have realised that one reason ASEAN countries encourage treaties with Bangladesh is to actually use Bangladesh as a springboard to enter the vast and booming Indian market. The fact that Dr. Ahmed quotes his only source in the article as the Bollywood film, "Dil Se" is really funny. Is that the level of research now accepted in Princeton?
The best way for Bangladesh to expand trade and reduce unfair trade practices in the region would be to work with SAARC members to introduce a free trade zone like EU or NAFTA. The United States also has neighbours who are unhappy with it; but Mexico and Canada negotiated with the US to introduce NAFTA and other treaties. Mexico did not ignore the US market to go trade with Honduras and Surinam and Canada is definitely not ignoring the US market to focus on trading with its northern neighbour Greenland, which I am sure has a far less "Big Brotherly", attitude as Dr. Ahmed would put it, than the United States of America.
You plainly ignore the fact that it was Khaleda who opened up vast
chunks of the Bangladeshi market to India between 1991 to 1996. If you live here for a couple of years under the reign of terror that the fundamentalists have let loose in Bangladesh, may be your letters will be a little more practical and smack less of the blind faith of someone living abroad not to criticise the elements who have now driven the Country Director of the World Bank out of the country. Do you think that is going to bode well for Bangladesh?
Shejuti Khan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Our problems
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) is a technical University. It is situated in the heart of capital city Dhaka. It stands on 87 Acre of land. Many problems are prevailing here. First of all, we the students of SAU cannot attend our classes properly due to lack of a well-equipped laboratory.
Each department has one laboratory (Except agronomy and horticulture). This is not adequate for the students. Besides these, the MS students cannot pursue their research programme because of lack of sufficient instruments and laboratory equipment. The MS students of agronomy, horticulture and soil science cannot research properly due to lack of experimental plots.
The university authorities should look into our problems.
Reza, Lita, Shimu, Shampa Shere-e-Bangla Agricultural University
Dhaka
Avoiding sexual harassment
Sexual harassment of women is common these days. Many women victims feel unable to confront their 'harasser'. But ignoring unwanted sexual attention does not make it go away. Indeed, it may make it worse because the attacker may misinterpret no response as approval of his behaviour.
So, women should know how to face such a situation. Regrettably , they have little training or mental preparation to face such unwanted behaviour.
Palash Poddar
Jagannath Hall, DU
Our campus
Dhaka University is called the Oxford of the East. Being a student of this university, I am really proud. From childhood all my hopes were pinned on getting admitted to this university. The natural atmosphere of the campus really attracted me. But the main problem now is that when we are going to attend classes, especially between 11:00am to 1:00pm, we get really bored by the noise that comes from processions. It is difficult to concentrate on the class-lecture, when the procession goes. The teacher also has to stop his lecture for a few minutes , because of too much sound. One of our senior teachers once commented, "This place is a God-damned zoo." Moazzem Hossain (Mintu) Dept. of English
University of Dhaka
Traffic jam
Traffic jam is a common sight in the city . Roads and streets exhibit a long queue of cars, buses, rickshaws etc. which are stagnated due to traffic jam. Traffic movement stands still. No one knows when the traffic congestion will be cleared . Untold sufferings are inflicted on every citizen. The traffic authorities should address the issue as a matter of top priority.
Md Shahidul Islam
Reazbag, Khilgaon, Dhaka
Whither politics?
As a citizen (and retired official), I have been thinking (like lakhs of others), about the future implications of the "21/8" carnage (bomb attack on Awami League meeting).
Not only politics, but the politicians are in danger of an enforced pilgrimage towards the setting sun.
It is difficult to foresee how the politicians can govern the country during the next few years. The political leaders will deny this harsh presumption, and unleash artificial vocal and physical campaigns to woo the masses. But the die is cast, politics is on a suicide course. It is the law of compensation the greedy fall into their own traps. Political analyses cannot explain everything political. The voters do not live on political fodder alone. Our politicians never talk outside politics. Cribbed and confined to small footprints of transient existence. In the public lives of the politicians, there is no room for outsiders and non-politicians.
It is a multifaceted monomania, unlike glitter from a well-cut diamond. Our politicians do not offer options to the opponents, or to the millions of voters. What sort of hostage politics is this? I resent to be a voter of this kind. I am willing to be educated, but not by apprentices. Raw and immature politics is dragging morality to infamy and perdition. We are still not properly aware why Bangladesh was created three decades ago. The political output is constipated, anaemic, and chronically sick. Retire politics into 4 pension? How to generate a new and clean breed of politics? I am not a politician, I ask questions, to which I do not have the positive answers.
Look at AL. How the badly mauled and maimed will run the party for the next few years, not to speak of rendering service to the nation? Many of the injured have gone abroad for treatment (physical, not mental), and their morale can be imagined on their return. A few might be maimed or disabled physically for life. What is the reaction from the family members? Leave politics. The migration from bad and risky politics will increase, causing a brain drain. Who will run the country? The vacuum will be filled up, as a natural law. Choose the option before implementation.
It would be difficult to find good and able volunteers to lead and sacrifice for political service, unless politics is purged of violence and terrorism. This is the general pattern day to day in many parts of the world, starting with the lone superpower's antics. Poor and weak governance will prevent getting out of the vicious trap.
Solution? New inputs, discarding the old concepts in the changing morals of the existing civilisations. We have to think of the Ages, lasting from a few hundred years to several thousand years, as mentioned in many books of history: the cycles of changes. We are nor passing thorough a cycle of violence, whether it is Iraq or Bangladesh. Force has no sustaining power (in the background).
Man forgot his Creator, and he has to pay the price for returning to the source. Morals and politics: which comes first? Religion is a message or a medium? Too much of rituals is not divine devotion. It is time to ponder. It is possible to render public service keeping a low profile, and remaining in the background. The problem is the crowding effect in the foreground, too much limelight and virtual or artificial publicity, trying to create rosy versions of virtual reality. Illusions (Umaya) rule the world today .
The sincerity of the politicians is creating image problems all over the world. In Dhaka, it is laced with passion, not cool, calculated cunning. The slip is showing! Poise does not depend on the dressing. Today, political presentations are lousy, and the contents are foul. Political indigestion is the epidemic of the times. The after dinner digestion pills do not work. Change the menu, and the chef.
Abdad Khan
Dhaka
A sadist on the prowl Since this morning after reading a report titled "End of life in arson attack" in your Star City, Sept 7, we have suffered quietness and numbness in the family. We are wondering how on earth a human being can burn down a bus with its passengers in cold blood? Was this an act of a single lunatic or an act performed at the behest of one or a couple of sadists lurking in the public, unnoticed?
This reminds us of an incident that occurred way back on a hartal day of 1991-1996. That was the period of the first ever democratically elected government. Two middle aged office goers were caught by a cadre group engaged in enforcing hartal in the capital. The two gentlemen were made naked before they let them go. Their offence was that they were on their way to their offices on the hartal day called by the opposition. Later, when the leader was asked about the incident journalists were told that such a thing could happen. According to her, there was nothing wrong about it. One wonders if there is any link between the two incidents.
Syed Waliullah
Dhaka
Death of Humayun Azad
Dr Humayun Azad, professor of Dhaka University, died on August 10 in Germany. The German government is saying that he died of heart attack and it was a completely natural death, while his family members believe it to be a planned murder as he was always under the threat of some fanatics.
Shall we ever know the truth?
Manirul Hassan (Shimul)
Dept of English, Zia Hall, University of Dhaka
DCC's holding tax
If the self-assessment form is meant for new assesses, as the Mayor has reportedly said, then why distribute it to all house owners, old and new? Moreover, in view of the high price of building materials and exorbitant remuneration of masons and labourers, the tax-allowance of two months' house-rent for maintenance is not justifiable. We all know the government allows one-fourth of the house rent as maintenance for IT payers. If the govt law allows this, why not the DCC?
With the writ hanging over its head the DCC, if it wants to go on with its project of collecting additional revenue from holding taxes, is now left with no other option than to pigeonhole the
enhancement drive .
The DCC has no time to lose in its drive for holding tax increase set in motion in July last. September, which is the month for submitting IT return forms and paying income-tax, began two weeks ago and the house-owners will have to state in their income-tax returns how much they have paid as holding-tax to the DCC to enable them to get taxconcessions. This, the houseowners won't be able to do because of the present stalemate.
Md Abdul Jalil
Mirpur, Dhaka
A good write-up
This refers to the article published in The Daily Star of 9 September under the caption "virtues of intervention" by Brig. General (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan. A very well conceived, down to earth article written with absolute conviction and honesty of purpose. While dealing with regional security vis- a- vis India he rightly points out " There is no virtue in intervention.
The consequences of such an act will be disastrous." Security in its final dimension in today's context is much more complex than tackling it with "sheer superior might or fire power". Had it been so the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war against Iraq in the name of "fighting global terrorism" would have long succeeded, instead it has not only increased the instances of terrorism but also drawn other nations into the arena who never before had to deal with security hazards. Has India with all its military interventions within and outside the country been able to solve "security and terrorism problems related to Kashmir? "Frankly it is my impression that unless our neighbour sheds off its 'Big Brotherly' attitude its problems in the region on security issues or otherwise will be continually on the rise.
Shamsher Chowdhury
Dhaka