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TO THE EDITOR
Paper bags and public health
Polythene is a vital cause of environmental pollution. But in our country, it is a thing of the past now, as the production and use of polythene bags have been banned.
Before a couple of years, it had been a familiar material to carry shopping items. After its prohibition, as alternative, the production of paper bags and pouches has increased. Our people have also received these happily and consciously. We use them to carry, along with many things, many food items for example, rice, murri, chirra, sugar, unpacked biscuits and many kinds of street-restaurant-foods.
But how many of us think about the place or quality of the materials that are used to make the bags?
If we walk through any alley in an urban area, we can see many rows of paper made pouches and bags are getting dried on the path. Having been prepared in dirty and dusty place,
these packets get ready to be served to the grocers' shops. We can also observe, some one is dusting off empty cement bags. These bags are also used to make pouches. But, are the cement bags properly dusted off?
Then, are we not consuming food full of unhygienic materials? Are they not casting a great threat to the public health?
There an another fact, and that is the weight of a pouch. A pouch made from used cement bag is not less than 50 grams. The makers of it can easily increase the weight adding more paper and sand underit.
It is right of a consumer to get fresh food in a healthy pouch and in correct weight. Authorities concerned should note this.
Mahmud Kabid
Jahangirnagar University
The terrible mishap
It seems that every year, especially when the rainy season comes, we see
rescuers salvaging floating human bodies in the river! I think the readers have understood what I want to deliver about. Yes, it is launch disaster, the terrible phenomenon. It is the nightmare of launch disasters, which has damaged several other lives besides the direct victims. It's that of their kiths and kins. We have seen the pictures of their sorrows and weeping for their loved ones.
Has it become a part and parcel of our life? It may be. But the distrous phenomenon has become more aggressive in the recent four or five years. The greedy launch owners operate their vessels, loading extra passengers for money. Yet, we have not seen the authorities concerned to take any positive actions.
Ours is the land cris-crossed by rivers and canals and, of course, the main transport system is water vessels. The ordinary and poor people travel by water craft as the transportation is cheaper in cost. So we can't do away with the system, nor we, the human
beings have any control on nature and weather. Bad weather can hit anytime and natural calamity is common. So the launch owners and staffs should be careful and conscious to control on their side and the authorities mindful.
Md Zayed Hasan
Bashabo, Dhaka
Tea for Pakistan
The milestones in history solve problems, not linger it. Once Bangladesh was created in 1971, we started living our own way. It also means that our export markets should not be very much politically sensitive (earning foreign exchange without compromising principles).
Pakistan imports 120 million kg of tea, the majority coming from another continent, from far-away Kenya; while the share of Bangladeshi tea is less than 10 percent (news item, DS, May 30). High cost of transportation has been cited as one of the reasons for the setbackin trade.
Biman is having a lean time. It could offer cheap-chartered cargo flights for tea from Bangladesh to Pakistan for a few months during the tea export season. The return flights should not be a problem, collecting items from neighbouring countries. Sea shipments are getting out of date in this global village (air freight, volume and frequency matters).
The Pakistan tea team was in Dhaka recently. It is a good gesture, offering cups of tea, to be followed by more cups at Pakistani homes for the rest of the year. Fly in the tea-cup? It is a much smaller nuisance!
Alif Zabr,
Dhaka
Caretaker government
Thanks to Messrs Tifomas Gomes and OH Kabir for their thoughtful letters on the subject (DS 13.5.05). To my mind, the system of caretaker government (CTG), which is unique to Bangladesh, is undemocratic, nay, antidemocratic. It
institutionalises distrust and hinders the growth of democratic culture and spirit. It may be recalled that there was no CTG -- and of course no governmental attempt of rigging -- when the ruling Muslim League was wiped off the political arena in 1954 provincial election and the Awami league won a sweeping victory in 1970 election under a notorious military regime (massive rigging was reported in 1973 election first).
Awami League was very happy with and full of praise for the CTG system when they won the first election under it but rejected the result of the next election when they lost and are now demanding reform of the system without which they would boycott and resist the upcoming general election. Such a stand by the major opposition party is very unfortunate and hardly justifiable. What is necessary to ensure free and fair election is to reform the Election Commission to make it effectively powerful and independent. There is no valid reason for reforming the CTG
system. The idea of appointing a Chief Adviser who is "acceptable to all" is too idealistic to be practicable. And raising questions about the integrity and trustworthiness of the would-be Chief Adviser only but manifests our culture of distrust and narrowness.
To conclude, it is hoped that democratic values will take root with social progress and CTG system will be abolished in the near future. Till then the politicians should uphold democratic spirit and solve all issues through friendly dialogue for the sake of the nation's survival.
M A Hashem
114 Mirpur Road, Dhaka
To be smart
Since I have read many letters about smartness, I can't concur with them, who wrote about only improving our English pronunciation. I believe that smartness is not all connected with right pronunciation; yes its a manifest important factor.
Writing is a big problem in our country. Most of the people don't use proper languge and thus write very badly or poorly including with spelling error, grammatical error and more. Such writing -- marred by errors and inconsistencies -- is not only disturbing and distracting, it also diminishes one's interest in reading on. How can we called them smart?
Why it's so difficult to express ourselves clearly writing in English? Fortunately we got a native American as trainer, things changed dramatically within a short time. It's better late than never.
In my opinion, they are smart when they are good in writing, speaking, reading and listening in the language. However, everything depends on practice.
De facto, the art of writing is one that must be practised diligently and crafted with alot of care. Our education system shouldlook afresh.
Md Toufigur Rahman
Rothkola, Kishoregonj