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To The Editor
Hasina's stand
Opposition leader Hasina has characteristically publicised to international community that Bangladesh is a heaven for Islamic terrorists. In her recent press commentary, she suggested that an
international investigation into the recent serial bomb blasts be conducted. I must ask why she is carrying on the smear campaign against our homeland that brings unwanted attention and scrutiny from international community. Her comments only cause embarrassment to Bangladeshis living at home and abroad.
In her press release, she also demanded that the prime minister relinquish her office immediately, as the public has lost confidence in the government. What she has failed to realise is that the citizens have also lost confidence in the opposition. We have a prime minister whose government consists of left wing ultra neo liberals, who are responsible for corruption, and on
the other hand, we have a major opposition leader who is utterly conservative and absolutely incapable of controlling her mouth. She will go to any lengths to tarnish the image of Bangladesh. Rather than calling for national solidarity, and show of strong resolve, she is out in public and among journalists to tarnish our image, culture and secular democratic values that we cherish since 1971.
What she had suggested is wrong. Bangladesh is a progressive & self correcting democratic country in the South Asian region. It is an icon of freedom, and a symbol of progressive movement. Hindus, Christians, and Muslims are free to express their opinions, and choose their own religions, and way of lives. Women are the fastest growing working class that has an active role in today's economic, social, and political arena. As a result, in the last decade and a half, Bangladesh had two female prime ministers.
Shadabul Mujib Los Angeles, US
Too much homework
My little niece, a student of class V in an English-medium school, came to our house one Friday afternoon bleary-eyed. Asked if she was feeling indisposed, she said that she got up at sunrise grappling with four assignments of homework during the weekend. Then she snoozed for a couple of hours.
In the primary stage (up to class VI) there is too much to read, write and assimilate for the little minds. During our school days (during the British days), the quality of teaching prevailed over quantity. The teachers are under the impression that too much homework is good for educating young minds. As a pensioner, I have to help my niece with reference materials from my personal library.
Lately, the press has been pointing out the grey areas in the official code of syllabi and teaching methods in the private schools, specially the popular English-medium schools. This Code has to be announced quickly and implemented firmly, to avoid overstuffing the young minds. My father, who was in the Bengal Education Service, had to pass BT (Bachelor of Teaching) before further promotion. There are courses for teachers at the KG level. The media carry no news on these vital sectors; while the opening of new educational institutions are being publicised for subjective reasons. The Quality in development projects is lacking.
When our political pundits would settle down to some serious business?
Alfa Ahmad
Dhaka
Fight against session jam
The students sniffed when they heard the name of Pharmacy Department. Very often they would pass some jarring comments. Because at that time one had to spend six years to complete the three-year honours course! Most of the students of our department were downhearted. This is the history of Pharmacy Department.
But the situation dramatically changed after the new chairman took over. Now I am proud of my department because there is no session jam here. Although I have spent five years to complete the four-year course, I am not depressed, because the situation has improved appreciably.
Md Kamal Hossain
Jahangirnagar University
London bombings
At first I thought suicide bombers carried on London bombings and I also wrote a letter in that vein. But now after analysing everything I have got the impression that there is something deeper, which is sinister and deplorable. It suggests a diabolical design to justify Prime Minister Tony Blair's war against terror.
First, the four people who are being accused of the bombings must have been aware of the CCTV, so they would not have come in a group and there was no sign of nervousness in them.
Second, one who is going to blow him up in a bus will never leave his identification papers on the roof of the bus to be picked up by the police.
Third, all the bombs went off within seconds of one another, it seems peculiar; circumstances might have differed and all of them might not have been able to plant the bombs so preciously.
Fourth, at first the police claimed that those were time-bombs, then shifted from their stance when a family reported that their son was missing; they immediately pounced on it and branded him as a suicide bomber.
It is a matter of great disappointment that Muslims are being oppressed and blamed for all untoward incidents.
Nur Jahan, Chittagong
International assistance & third world
I think international financial assistance is a hindrance to the development of the third world countries. This is because most of the donors are nowadays interfering in the internal affairs of these third world countries this is obvious to everybody. Of course, there're various logical reasons to be in debt but if we try to avoid taking financial assistance, then, in my opinion, development will be possible through our own efforts. For that, firstly we've to uproot corruption from every sector. In this context, it is notable that the donors never help us to remove corruption either by financial assistance or through any other means. So, this is our own responsibility. If we are not serious about eliminating corruption, it will eat up our national resources.
The second step is to increase our internal assets. By removing tax collection barriers, we can increase these. We can employ our own engineers, technologists, scientists and other meritorious professionals that are going abroad every year (Brain drain). We have resources but the foreign companies (Niko, for example.) are destroying these, while our super meritorious are engaged abroad and contributing to the economic development of other countries. That's unfortunate, to say the least.
Then comes the point of administrative decentralisation. If we can reform the whole administration by decentralising and giving it financial freedom, then the whole process will be a uniform one.
We have to follow a sensible investment policy. By doing so we can increase foreign investment. Increasing foreign investment and export trade can be two major alternatives to international assistance.
Nowadays, the WB, and the IMF threaten us and impose difficult conditions to have financial assistance.
We had to lose in many ways
(Adamjee Jute Mills, privatisation of various sectors, banks etc) due to their conditions.
Engr Md Ariful Islam
Ramdebpur, Baghit, Tangail
Carcinogenic sweetener?
According to a news report in The Daily Star of Aug 16, Sodivue cyclamate has been banned since 1982, as it might cause cancer. But the items are openly sold in the market as Ghano chini, & minipacks are available in the grocer shops.
How is it that the government is taking no action? Unknowingly I have been using it in my tea for several years under the presumption that if it is available openly, it is safe. Can I sue the regulators?
AA, Dhaka
Hiroshima Day
Mr. Jalil has rightly observed that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed and millions were killed; but surprisingly Hitler's Nazi Germany
was spared only because Germany was a European country, in spite of Hitler's policy of extermination of Jews. All over Germany concentration camps were built where thousands of Jews were massacred. Hitler handled this programme himself.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the proud son of Bengal, made alliance with Japan and formed the Indian national army consisting of both Hindus and Muslims and Shanewaz Khan was made the chief of the INA.
He declared that mother India had two sons and they were Hindu and Muslim. He asked Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, to forge unity and launch an armed struggle to free India from the clutches of colonial bondage. He said, "Give me blood and I shall give you freedom." But because of defeat and surrender of Japan at the hands of allied forces, Netaji could not succeed. Otherwise, the history of India would have been different.
In my opinion it is Nehru, and not Jinnah, who played the main role in the creation of Pakistan, so that he could become prime minister
of India; because Mahatma Gandhi had declared that MA Jinnah should be the first prime minister of independent India.
S. M. Khalid Chowdhury, On email
Worrying news
"Former Islamic Foundation director Moulana Fariduddin Masud, detained for suspected links to the August 17 blasts, accused Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Industries Minister Matiur Rahaman Nizami of involvement in the countrywide bombing" (The Daily Star, 24. 8. 05).
Is this bomber group stronger than our government?
Abu Raihan, South-Hall, CUET
Job fair
The job fair organised by Youth Employment at Osmani Auditorium on 7 August left many in doubt about its effectiveness. The fair was packed with thousands of people looking for a job on the spot. I was there, but what surprised me much was the way they conducted the whole thing. It was no way to make one sure whether s/he was primarily selected or not. One more thing, I could not accept the idea that the employers asked for experience. In fact, the fair should have been only for the totally unemployed.
I think like me many people went there with high hopes, but the result was disappointing.
Md. Kabir Hossian, Dhaka
"Enacting law for appointing judges"
The above captioned write-up appearing in the July 24 issue of The Daily Star is timely and articulate.
Appointment of Judges in the higher judiciary in recent years has stirred all concerned. Before the 4th amendment there was provision in the Constitution requiring the President to Consult the Chief Justice before appointing Judges which was done away by the amendment. But even then a practice was in vogue to consult with the Chief Justice. But the thing took a paradigm shift in recent years and nowadays the party in power selects the judges without any objective analysis and as a result much unsavoury controversy has tainted the image of the higher judiciary.
It is very pertinent that the image, sanctity, and prestige of the judiciary are brought back without any delay. The other day the law minister disclosed that the government was pondering over introducing a law on the qualifications of the Judges. This type of casual approach will not serve the purpose, rather a sustained and committed approach is to be taken to set things right and that can be done by reviving the original provision of the Constitution. The suggestion put forward by the author may also be considered and that must be done without any political motive and parochial agenda, otherwise the image of the Judiciary will be further blurred.
Khijir Ahmed
Segun Bagicha, Dhaka