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To the Editor...
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Cricket in S. Arabia
It is a matter of great joy that the International Cricket Council has given approval to Saudi Arabia to host three one-day matches between an International XI and Pakistan XI later this month which will certainly be played on artificial turf. From time immemorial, the Arabs are famous for camel riding. They might have thought that the cricket ball won't bounce in the deserts as it is a sport of the freezing zones. It is no more a sport of the whites.
It is true that sports can play a vital role in mobilising the people of a society and even its rulers. The cricket diplomacy of India and Pakistan is worth mentioning. Hopefully, the idea will help to develop and promote cricket not only in Saudi Arabia but in the Arab world as well. So, deserts are no more an obstacle to cricket.
Dr. Nasima Zaman
Associate Professor
Dept. of Political Science University of Rajshahi
Decadence of Europe
Europe (and the West, and/or North) are facing sunset years, as rightly pointed out in the Perspectives column, DS, June 27. The two foster fathers. France and Germany, are working with clogged gears and ideologies, as poor leaders of the region, in resolving the ails of the former empire builders. The decline of the British empire showed the way of the shape of things to turn up in the coming decades. Change is inevita-ble-and healthy! The divine Creator
is impartial, before the glamour show is over!
The new millennium is the harbinger of several early indicators. Across the Atlantic, the mighty United States find that military might and high standard of living are not the defence, offence, or solution in many cases, and that human misery or prosperity cannot be tamed or untamed through bursts of fire from cold gun barrels. Satellite monitoring is not enough, when there is no meeting of the minds.
Universal human brotherhood is lost in the wilderness of the concrete jungles. The human bonds need a different kind of cement. Capturing natural energy resources in the four corners of the globe is also no solution.
Humans have feet, and it is a tool of locomotion. It means footprints are created, and there must be space for these imprints. 'Peaceful coexistence' has become a political jargon. Where is the living space, however small? The headlines are confined to the undersea earthquakes called tsunami, but what about the constant political growling and undercover operations? Man's inhumanity to man must be revenged (equalizer tranquilizers) in some way, for lessons to be learnt. It is so difficult to unlearn!
The sine wave of history is shifting (Toynbee). It was from East to West: now it is from the West to the East (the ice is melting in the N and S nodes, thanks to the delayed Greenhouse Effect created by the original defaulters). The conscientious objectors have no ground to feel uneasy. Share and let live. The Americans (standard of living above
US$ 20,000 per head) should experiment to live on a dollar a day for a couple of weeks (voluntary pilot project), and taste the stark realities
of ordinary defaced lives. The poor are nameless; but the rich are faceless.
Why the majority of the UN pro-
jects are out of tune in field operations in the third world countries? Planned by those who live in affluent societies. The background and the basic parameters are not in tune. Micro-credit is a new experiment in Bangladesh, and its success is encouraging, although more finetuning is required. How the top ten per cent of the super-rich are helping?
Notice the lack of competition, and interest, in the silent, ruthless wars between the MNCs and the SMEs. Dhaka is now paying more attention to the cottage and small industries, but the backing of the rich is lacking (the evil hold of black money, and easy money-laundering escape routes available anywhere). Contrast the multi-storey urban jungles, and the shattered tsunami hovels. There is a moral in this morals-shattering experience.
The will to live means the will to intervene--by the majority of the marginalised civilisation.
A Maher, Dhaka
Sunday as holiday
In this age of globalisation, in the context of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), on the concept of regionalisation and on the question of weekly holiday, I have discovered that most probably only we (Bangladesh) observe Friday as weekly holiday (I am not sure about (the) Maldives) among Saarc countries. Our next door neighbour, India, the biggest economy in the Saarc, variation of timing being half an hour only with us, observes Sunday as holiday (not a Christian majority country). Pakistanis also do the same. So
what is our problem?
A citizen
Dhaka
"Don't be sad"
The above beautiful quote (civil service norm) by a former prime minister amazed me very much.
If the man in question, once the most powerful man of the country (also a former army chief), cries, then what will we, the private citizens (I mean the common people) of the country do? The former prime minister also appeared to be very sad, (almost crying), while recording and endorsing the press briefing of his boss on his return from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The endorsement, appeared to me a way of saving his job. Once the most powerful man of East Pakistan, governor Monem Khan wrote, "Your most obedient servant" in conclusion of his letter addressed to his boss, the president of Pakistan, again the most powerful man in the country. The words should possibly have been "yours faithfully, very "truly yours", "sincerely yours" etc. The US president is addressed (salutation) as dear Mr. President. The architect of independent Bangladesh, Sk Mujibur Rahman, also cried (profusely) to express his grief for loss of lives in our liberation war as the prime minister.
President Bush was angry (He himself told), after 9/11, he didn't cry, and president Clinton was very emotional while eulogising president Nixon in his funeral ceremony.
While going through the list of 40 US presidents (from George Wash-
ington to Ronald Reagan), it reminded me of Ershad's ambition to become the next president of Bangladesh (he is sure he cannot become prime minister, the most powerful person of the country). I believe he cannot become president of Bangladesh again and tittle his wife as the "First Lady", as he did while being a civilian president in the past, because Bidisha is most probably the "last lady" in his life. It should have been "enough is enough" for him
Thomas Gomes Bhura Monipuripara
Tejgaon, Dhaka
Politicians spoiling everything
The headline of a news report in The Daily Star has again drawn my attention. As a citizen of an independent nation for which a lot of martyrs sacrificed their invaluable lives, it is very much difficult to accept the activities of our politicians.
In my previous letter published in your paper, I mentioned some intriguing issues from my standpoint. Where is our main fault? I am completely dumfounded at the peculiar activities of our politicians. Before going to power they chant slogans on behalf of the public. But just after assuming power they start looting, embezzling, defalcating, and squandering public funds. How do they brush aside their oath taking commitment at the very threshold of entering the parliament? It has become a long tradition for our politicians to
hoodwink the common masses in the name of coaxing and cajoling. Is there any urgent solution to this critical situation? Yes, there is a solution. We need to awake the mass people. For the misconduct, rampant corruption, widespread violence by our politicians and their accomplices this land is ahead of all other countries in corruption. Who is to be held responsible? Without any prior judgement it can be mentioned that it is the political persons who are directly responsible for our predicament. Gas resource is our asset, which is the main source of energy now. It is not a matter of joke and fun. What the minister says cannot always be right. I think a national probe committee should be formed to investigate the matter and find out the truths of the messy gas sector.
People have the right to make lawmakers accountable, but in reality it has no application.
Bazlur Rahman
Dhaka University
Worst food
Do you know the definition of the worst food? If yes, you don't need to come to the canteens of the dormitories of Dhaka University, but if your answer is no, then you are most welcome to the hell of unhygienic tasteless foods served at the canteen of A. F. Rahman Hall, DU.
Will the hall authorities do something about it?
Confused
Sir AF Rahamn Hall, DU