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TO THE EDITOR
Buffeted budget
Unholy speculations were rife in the metropolis on the budget announced by the finance minister. Save the party or the budding nation? Accept the rise and fall of political parties, or go by the shortterm, viable ripple-effect of the budget; oblivious of the economic tsunami which might hit later? Ad hoc brains are not real thinkers. It is cosmetic thinking and planning of the have-not minds, keen on immediate impact on powerless voters and captive citizens (speaking of the political approaches to national policies; in contrast to the technical manipulation of budgetary details). Good citizens have few options in the field of choosing good governance from contemporary demonstrations.
The fate and plight of the fluctuating economies in Latin America was focussed in an article in The Daily Star of May 28. The situation in the other third world nations is not much different. Bangladesh is an example of frozen assets and flowing black
money for three decades since independence (1971). Power before service. No service is possible while in the Opposition! The flow is one-way; and that too, outside the august parliament.
We have a very experienced Finance Minister, but he has to process and filter uncharitable proposals from a shady political world full of smoke screens. In the same issue of The Daily Star there was an article by a local professor on the coming mega-earthquake around Dhaka, based on the return-cycle of the huge Bengal earthquake of 1885, predicted to hit the high-rise buildings around 2015-2020. We need flattened egos, not buildings!
Add the absence of political consensus at the national level for the last 15 years, and superimpose ethical factors such as corruption, violence and religious bigotry, and you have a dismaying picture of the shape of things to come in the near future. Protect the self, the family, or the paranoid party? When insecurity
haunts at domestic and public levels, how citizens could contribute to national richness?
A Mahasen
Dhaka
We abhor
"Pickets delight, driver's plight" the news item published in The Daily Star on May 22, 2005 under the above heading made us numb with horror and disgust. It has been reported that Ameer Hossain the sole bread earner of his family was severely burnt during the hartal of May 21, 2005, when he took his three wheeler out on the road in the hope of passengers.
These guys live on their daily earnings, what will happen to his family, how will they survive? A picket's inhuman prank has brought doom to this family. Is this democracy, is this the way to win people's support?
The Awami League called hartal on the day of HSC exams twice. It displeased and outraged the students and the guardians. Doesn't
the Awami League want youths of Bangladesh to be educated?
Nur Jahan
Chittagong
Black Gold
This is no more secret that vast deposits of minerals Ziroon, Rutile, Magnetite, Monazite, Garnet and Elmenite etc. worth millions of dollars are found in some of our coastal areas like Cox's Bazar, Kutubdia, Teknaf, Moheshkhali Nijhum Dip, Kuakata etc.
But due to apathy and lack of coordination among the concerned ministries and government institutions, research centres, the valuable minerals are left uncared for, unutilised and wasted for a long time.
It is also very unfortunate that most of our people, especially those living in the coastal areas, are ignorant and unaware of the importance and availability of the beach sand minerals.
In 1970, I found huge deposits of beach sand minerals which I call
'Black-Gold' of Cox's Bazar.
Ever since I have been trying my best for the commercial utilisation of the valuable minerals either in the public or in the private sector but in vain.
Sometimes the government authorities concerned tell me that beach sand minerals are not economically viable and sometime they say that commercial utilisation of the minerals would involve crores of taka, which a poor country like ours cannot afford. The private sectors entrepreneurs discard me saying that I am (the undersigned) neither a scientist nor a geologist.
I wonder how many of our political leaders, policy makers, journalists, industrialists and businessmen are aware of the utilisation and value of the beach sand minerals and how many of them have actually seen the minerals 'Black-Gold' of Cox's Bazar?
If the beach sand minerals are not economically feasible why is our government spending crores of taka for the last several decades on
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission's so called beach sand plant at Cox's Bazar?
The Australian Titanium Company has applied to the Government of Bangladesh for granting them a mining lease licence for extraction of minerals at Cox's Bazar sea beach. The fact is that the average heavy minerals content of our sand is 15 per cent which is 10 per cent higher than the Australian sand. But Australia is reported to be the biggest beach mineral exporting country capturing the world market.
It is true that development, separation, refining the beach sand minerals involve a heavy expenditure and a colossal capital investment. So should we give up, surrender and lose our national wealth for our incompetence and foolishness?
Let us move step by step, slowly but steadily within our limited means, utilise and export minerals in whatever quantity and quality we can and thus march forward.
O. H Kabir
Dhaka-1203
Time to take stern action
The US state department again criticised Bangladesh for it's inability to combat the operation of some militant groups and specially named "Harkat-UI-Zihad-I-Islami-Bangladesh," that is running its operation in Bangladesh.
Though it praised the government for its role in the war against terror, the criticism is clear.
Once again our foreign minister sharply reacted to this report. But we, the general people of Bangladesh, know that the existence of such organisations in Bangladesh is something that cannot be denied any more.
Recently the govt has banned two organisations named Jagrata Muslim Janata Banladesh (JMJB) and Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). But the members of these groups have not yet been arrested.
Sharply reacting to a report does not prove the sincerity of the administration. We just want to see proper
steps to be taken by the government to stop these organisations from operating inside the country.
R A Rigan
University of Dhaka
Who is responsible?
One fine morning while driving my car I noticed that yellow coloured 'cat's eyes' had been placed on the roads and traffic signal points in Dhaka city. As far as my knowledge goes, these 'cat's eyes' are supposed to illuminate in the dark or to reflect lights when the vehicle lights fall on them. But to my astonishment our 'cat's eyes' on the road do neither of this. They are not even sturdy enough to take the weight of heavy vehicles. They are now crumpled and broken creating a huge problem for smooth driving.
As a tax payer of this country I have the right to know what is the point of wasting our money in such a senseless manner? Who is responsible for this?
Kabir Hossain Taposh
New DOHS