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TO THE EDITOR
Mohakhali Flyover
When the construction of Mohakhali Flyover started, our hearts became filled with the hope that we would not be stuck on the road any more. The traffic problem would not hamper us any more and we waited for more than three years to have it done. When it was inaugurated last November we were thrilled, but alas! Now it has become the main reason for traffic congestion. Since it started operating, the cantonment road was closed and all the traffic came pouring into that particular road from Mohakhali to the Old Airport Road. The traffic is so terrible that no taxi is willing to take you to Dhanmondi or Mohammadpur in the evening. In the morning you will see a huge queue of vehicles from the Old Airport Road to Gulshan or Banani. This is a problem, which is deteriorating day by day. And to add insult to the injury, the police checkpoints play a vital role in the morning traffic snarl.ÊThe huge barricades narrow the roads which eventually aggravate the problem.
Isn't there anything that the government can do to reduce this unbearable traffic problem?
Will they let the citizens to have a less traffic problem day? I believe if the cantonment road is opened once again, the traffic problem will ease tremendously. Please let us have the advantage of having a flyover and enjoy its usage.
Badal Hasib
Dhanmondi
Dhaka
Question leakage
We are well informed about the recent question leakage in the
25thÊBCS exams, thanks to reports carried by the press. This is agonising as well as alarming. It has become a culture. Such a destructive culture cannot be carried on for long. The BCS is the most competitive andÊcrucial exam among the public job exams. So corrupt practices are totally unexpected in such an exam. If this foul play continues, the unqualified candidates will qualify.
The government should take immediate steps to stop all such corrupt practices.
Rezaul Haque Sumon Department of Economics University of Dhaka Quorum crisis
It is common news that there is quorum crisis in our parliament. May I remind our honourable MPs that
we, the voters, have elected them to represent us in the parliament. It is regrettable to see that once the MPs are elected they tend to forget the basic truth that they are the voices of the millions of voters who have voted them to represent them in the JS. My reading of the situation is that our MPs are more involved in other activities than law making.
It is sad to note that the ruling party, which enjoys absolute majority in parliament, has no control over its MPs, as far as attending the JS is concerned. Honourable MPs are reminded that it is their duty to attend parliament regularly and to take interest in the proceedings.
Maybe,newspapers should publish the names of MPs who are not attending the JS regularly so that we, the voters, can learn what is going on.
Shahed Jamil Gulshan, Dhak
'Attacks on NGOs'
Mr Firoz Alam, in his article on 'Attacks on NGOs' (The Daily Star, 5 March 2005), has pointed out the role played by the NGOs in the country by "creating a group of critically aware civil society, empowering the women, raising awareness among the community about their rights, and all these activities go against those who prefer ignorance, darkness and exploitation." He has also referred to the problems that the NGOs are faced with following the recent attacks on some of their offices in some parts of the country.
But, unfortunately, Mr Alam has made some remarks about the creation of the Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh (FNB) without verifying the facts. Without repeating the details of the unfortunate situation leading to the creation of the Federation, it is only pertinent to point out that the leading personalities of the NGO movement in Bangladesh, who were constrained to form FNB, were the pioneers of ADAB in the '70s and they are not with ADAB anymore. FNB was sponsored by the NGOs themselves in the backdrop of the ineffectiveness of ADAB. It was not sponsored by any quarters outside the NGO sector, and it is the unanimous decision of more than 2,000 NGOs of the country, big medium and small, to form such a Federation to protect and safeguard the interest of the NGO community.
To name a few, old and large members like BRAC, BELA, CAMPE, Gonoshasthya Kendra, Nijera Kori, RDRS, RIC, SAMATA etc are all with FNB and membership of more such organisations is
under process. It is definitely unfair and unkind to try to indicate that leaders of these renowned organisations are the instruments of what Mr Alam said, "The divide and rule approach of the establishment." Leaders of these organisations as also others in FNB are on record as pro-poor, pro-NGO and staunchly independent civil society stalwarts of the country known at home and abroad.
Mr Alam's assertion that ADAB and FNB "have taken a face to face position" also does not reflect the reality. ADAB was registered as an 'NGO' whereas FNB is a 'Federation'. FNB's doors are open to ADAB also. As a matter of fact, many of the ADAB members are members of FNB and many of them are programme partners of large NGOs which are members of FNB.
It may also be recalled that the press statements of FNB and its leaders repeatedly urged upon the government to refrain from harassing the NGOs and in the process ultimately bring sufferings to the poor and disadvantaged people for whom these NGOs work.
M Tajul Islam
Director, FNB
Indo-Pak cricket
The matches between India and Pakistan always generate a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. Cricket fans arelooking forward to some thrilling matches this time around also.
Cricket is a positive catalyst for the two countries which have had many bad patches of strained relations in the past.
A citizen
Dhaka