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TO THE EDITOR
An appeal to Sheikh Hasina
Through the letter column of your daily, I wish to request the hon'ble leader of the opposition, Sheikh Hasina, to consider calling off the hartal scheduled on March 27 for the following reason: March 27 is Easter Sunday, the greatest religious occasion for the Christians. The very foundation of Christianity rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Friday, 25 March, Christians all over the world will commemorate the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ, and on Sunday, they will celebrate His ascension to Heaven. In Bangladesh as elsewhere, near and dear ones in the towns and villages will await the home coming of their relatives. Relatives wait eagerly to attend church service on Sunday morning with their dear ones.
Therefore, I very humbly request the hon'ble leader of the opposition to call off hartal scheduled for March 27.
Terence Penheiro
Associate Professor Gono Bishwabidyalay Mirza Nagar, Savar
ACC and 24th BCS
Why I am writing to a daily about an issue over which it has no command needs to be clarified first and it is that in present Bangladesh every institution of a democracy except the press media has already lost credibility and the people do not believe such institutions any more. In my opinion, only the press except certain newspapers is doing an excellent job which is clearly helping the democracy of Bangladesh to
survive. I am really proud of them and probably this is the reason for which the local and field journalists are facing death threats and many have been killed by this time.
Now let me come to my point. We know that the newly formed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is committed to making Bangladesh corruption free from every stage of the administration. The ACC has started its operation. I think if the ACC wants to make Bangladesh corruption free in real sense, then it's better to take up some long term programmes. The PSC (Public Service Commission) is the place from where the noble job can be started. Just check the irregularities and corruption taking place over the requirement of BCS cadres. I am sure corruption will go down by 75% by 2010. I earnestly request the chair of the ACC for taking a step to review the recruitment process of the 24th BCS. Please listen to my appeal and do something which is urgently needed for the betterment of the country's meritorious students.
Lastly, how could recruitment to the 25th BCS cadres be fair when questions are reported to have been leaked?
A BCS candidate
Dhaka
Overbridge at Airport Road
The Airport Road is becoming busier day by day. Vehicles ply this road at a very high speed from the Banani rail-crossing up to the airport. There is only one overbridge at Nikunza. All the way the pedestrians cross the road at a high risk, particularly at Kuril rail-crossing. Many a time fatal accidents occur while poor pedestrians venture to run through the road amidst speedy and recklessly driven vehicles.
So in order to save life and help both the pedestrians and smooth vehicular movement, the authorities concerned should build at least two overbridges at the Airport Road on a priority basis.
Mohammed Lakiotullah
Uttara
Dhaka
Frequent hartals
We, the citizens of Bangladesh, are very much shocked to see frequent hartals. Hartals paralyse the normal life of people. Opposition parties call hartal when something goes wrong. During hartals all types of shops, educational institutions and offices are kept closed. Students of college and university cannot attend their classes, examinations are postponed and that creates session jams. During hartal vehicles are damaged and set on fire.
We must find a way out of this.
Md. Rezaul Karim
Dhaka-1207
Poor technical maintenance
The DS report (Mar 5) on poor maintenance in BR (Bangladesh Railway) is an old story, retold many times.
Regular routine maintenance is an invisible, essential service, needing trained and experienced teams, with proper logistic support (tools, equipment, and budget). Senior controlling officers need
some extra awareness on the importance of regular maintenance service in any organisation.
The management and administration have to be technically-oriented, for reducing the systems losses. There is hardly any scope for debate. The capital cost of a huge project loses its face value if the maintenance is neglected (the difference between the healthy and the sick).
The launch disasters we are facing is also due to poor maintenance, plus loss of control over transparent regulatory practices (unscientific designs approved through faked documents).
Many passengers are switching over from launches to trains as IWT has become an unreliable sector as far as safety is concerned.
A railway system can run well if well maintained, as the maintenance cost is not comparatively higher as in the case of hi-tech projects where updating is required at frequent intervals (plus refresher training at regular intervals). The BR officials have admitted that while the main lines are being maintained, there is not enough budget for the branch lines. Our density of population is very high, hence alternative travel routes are a must. Here travelling is not a pleasure, and we are harping on tourist promotion!
The point to note in this corruption-ridden age is that extra money is spent on purchasing expensive new capital goods, compared to the 10-15 percent relative budget required for maintenance. First maintain, then buy in phases.
Both BR and IWT need top priority to overcome the crisis in travel and transportation; whereas the emphasis is on "roads, bridges and culverts" as heard frequently on the radio and TV. The Dhaka metro circular river service drew huge publicity when the PM opened the service the other day, and many went to the terminal ghat for a joy ride, but were disappointed (DS report Mar 5). Premature openings create problems; viz BTTB mobile telephone service (DS Mar 5). Political publicity and PR have to be carefully planned. It is bad news to read (DS Mar 5) that not a single electric power project got going during the last three years of this regime! Trying to be transparent? The intention is good, but what about hidden motivationsthe backdoor syndrome?
Pay for maintenance, and spend less in the long run. There is scope for corrupt practices, but the percentage is lower than in capital budgets. Before going for new projects, first examine what could be done about the existing projects. Md Abad
Retd Chief Engineer (BCS) Dhaka
Is our education system appropriate?
I have no experience of writing for a newspaper. But I feel like writing. As a university student it is my responsibility to be aware of different important things of the world. Today I am going to write something about our problematic education system. The knowledge acquired in student life comes in handy at our work places. It is expected that a student gathers the kind of knowledge which offers him/her better opportunity in future. The highest seat of education is university and we believe it will provide us with basic elements of education. But we do not gather practical knowledge at all. While a student in Japan invents different important things, we do not. Why? That's a big question. I think our education system is responsible for that. If our education system is changed, I mean if it is made practical education, then we will be successful in contributing to different sectors.
After studying for 4-5 years we look for jobs and it is our tradition. Our educationists should come forward with new ideas for changing the existing system of education.
The existing education system results in unemployment which is the biggest problem of our country today.
Hasan
Dhaka University Dhaka-1000
It's our headache
An intelligent family head does not generally disclose his family or home secrets to outsiders, as it may harm the family or home this or that way. There might originate some sort of disturbing or disorderly matters in a family or a home, compelling everybody to be worried , and each member of that family or home then no doubt seeks resolution of the undesirable matters without the notice or help of any outsiders. Of course, it is true that if the matter goes beyond the fam-ily/home control and if it becomes impossible for the family/home head himself to handle the situation, it may be necessary for him to seek others' interference to resolve it. Only then non-members may be called for temporary help.
Ours is a small country with a large population and the bulk of our people are illiterate and poor. We cannot deny the facts, but it does not mean that we should allow others to poke their noses into every important matter. Yes, non-members may extend their helping hand to some extent which we need. Past records say that outsiders had entered into a country in the name of friendship and started playing tricky games like data collection with a view to fulfilling their evil desire of making the country dependant on them. More clearly, they make the politicians their pets and force them to walk along the path prescribed by them. This way the entire country goes into their hands and it then loses its status of sovereignty and freedom and becomes completely crippled.
Considering all these facts and circumstances, our head of family and head of home, along with other members, should think very carefully before treading the path shown by the so-called friends. We should not overlook what has happened to some countries which are now totally dominated by foreigners.
FM Abdul Matin
Mirpur, Dhaka
Hate crime…
I'm writing against the views expressed in the letter titled 'Don't Cry For the Criminals' published in your February 26 issue. In the letter the writer (Cantara Ruhi) argues that it's wrong to sympathise with the criminals. It also appears as if she supports the incidents of crossfire killing. I think she should realise that no human being is born as a criminal. Every person, regardless of class, is equally innocent upon his birth. But lack of proper education and awareness, eco-nomic deprivation, lack of conscience, and absence of basic moral values, which exist alongside the constructive aspects of the society, transform an innocent man into a violent criminal. We all are born in the same society, but unfortunately each of us doesn't receive the same treatment. It's undeniable that no human society is completely perfect. Some people simply become the victims of the imperfection of the society. I'm not saying that every poor and uneducated man turns into a criminal. People who have done better in adversity obviously got something motivational in their lives.
But most of the people who live in adversities and fail to receive any good inspiration in their lives are unable to be completely civilised. We should accept the fact that our environment, heredity, experiences, and education shape our minds and we all act accordingly. For instance, men like Ershad Shikder are not born, they are created. Several politicians backed him up for their own profits. He got encouragement not resentment for his dirty deeds. If he had been born in a better society, he might well have been a different man. Criminals who were killed in crossfire also deserved a fair trial. However, it's true that the media should not represent a criminal as a hero. Nevertheless, we should realise that criminals are human beings as well and they deserve a chance to rectify themselves.
Cantara should remember the phrase: "Hate Crime, Not Criminals"
Kh. Asef Safa Kabir Upal
Lalmatia, Zakir Hossain Road Dhaka-1207