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To the Editor...
Letters will only be considered If they carry the writer's full name, address and telephone number (if any). The Identity of the writers will be protected. Letters must be limited to 300 words. All letters will be subject to editing.
Women workers
Our female workers have been brought back from Saudi Arabia. They had been there to work as housemaids with skill, efficiency and a will to help their family back at home through work. But, unfortunately their dream has come to a sudden and humiliating halt Their Saudi employers had sexually harassed them. More appalling is the fact that our government hasn't yet asked the Saudi government for an explanation, rather they just acquiesced in the ill whims of the oil-rich Arabs who inflicted a hellish ordeal on the lives of our poor but worthy people.
Now the question is, if the governmeif! doesn't make any attempt to seek jiutlce for the cruel injustice that hasbeen done to our citizens working across the globe, then how can we explain the do-nothing stand? Moreover, the
inexplicable stoicism will only demean our dignity and the morale of the people of this independent country.
I strongly urge the government to take a stand on the issue on behalf of the citizens.
Rafiqul Islam Rime Agrabad, Chittagong
Inspiring through Urdu!
The endeavour of the state minister for sports to encourage the Bangladeshi cricketers to perform better by exactly pronouncing what a former Pakistani dictator uttered during a war can't be taken lightly, nor can it be considered an innocuous sally. When you are representing a nation, you have the responsibility of lifting the image of your country and so you need to be very careful and prudent before you say anything.
By exact replication of the
dialogue that the dictator produced, he (Mr. Minister) has actually failed to echo general sentiments. Sport nowadays has become a medium to introduce a nation to the world at large. Think of Argentina-- a nation immersed in extreme economic straits, but still the whole world knows about it due to its football. Bangladesh too has a great scope to cut across the boundary line of minimal introduction to the world through cricket And I believe, with my whole being, that one day the Bangladesh cricket team will bring glory, fame and name for us and make us known to theglobe.
I also believe that the minister should’explain as to why he decided tousewrongwordstospurtheboys. Sulav Chowdhury London, England
Can we afford two-day weekend?
Sometimes we get dumfounded to
witness some peculiar decisions coming from the very top. The hasty decision of the present government to declare two-day weekly holiday has really astonished us. The government has done so in response to the price hike of fuel. Does it smack of any ingenious idea? Is it convincing at all? Can we really afford even one day weekly holiday? Fifty percent people of our country still live below poverty line. What about their holiday? Millions of cases in different courts lie unresolved. In all the government offices thousands of files are waiting to receive signature of the bosses. In this social setting can we really afford to enjoy two-day weekly holiday? Haven't we dragged tile wheels of progress back through this declaration?-
Actually, we cannot afford weekly holidays at all if we deeply ponder over the issues of the country. Government or semi-government
staff will enjoy holiday but offices must remain open. 1\vo or three shift offices should be introduced. Customers will receive service and officials and staff will work up to a particular time. The nature of job of all establishments is not the same. So it is unnecessary to start and finish office at the same time. Post offices, banks, hospitals, police stations, educational institutions and business establishments must have their own timing. Our post offices and banks follow peculiar timing.
When all other offices remain open, post office is also kept open . Now how can the people who work in different offices receive postal service? The big bosses can get their works done by their peons but what about other staff? Even post office remains open up to five but that does not mean that people get the service from post office and banks up to five. They
follow a peculiar time of their own. Formoney order one has to go to the post office before twelve. After twelve it is absolutely impossible to get this work done.
To avoid these problems and extending customer service, post offices, banks, and all such organisations in the service sectors must remain open up to night. As the nature of their jobs are different, so what's the harm? The staff of these offices will replace their colleagues in different shifts without affecting the normal affairs of the office. If it is done, the wheel of development will run smoothly and quickly. Otherwise, matters will not improve.
Md. Masum Bill ah
BRAC Head Office, Dhaka
Stipend for boys
Contribution of girls' stipend to rural secondary school is tremen-
dous. It really works very effectively to ensure greater girls' enrolment at school, reduction of drop out rate, increase in attendance In the class, elimination of early marriage, adolescents' empowerment and so on. It lessens financial burden of poor parents in educating their daughter. But the decision of giving stipends to only rural girl students is a kind of discrimination against, boys . Boys' education in rural secondary school is in bad shape. I witnessed the real situation of boys' education when I was a teacher in a rural secondary school. Prices of educational materials have shot up to a great extent. Poor rural parents cannot afford to send their sons for education. On the contrary, they encourage their boy child to earn to combat extreme poverty.
So the drop out rate of boy students at secondary schools in rural areas is increasing at an alarming rate. It is necessary to
mentionherethatthe turn out rate of boys from primary level is very encouraging because in primary school boys are provided stipend for their continuation of study. I have learnt that the government is planning to introduce girls' . stipend at the secondary level even in some of the cities. Most of the guardians of metropolitan city are financially solvent enough to afford the costs of their daughters' education. But rural boys at secondary school are really deprived of the facilities that they deserve. They could be an asset for the nation if they are properly groomed. But due to discriminatory treatment, these rural boys are turning into working children and advancing towards a bleak and uncertain future.
Can't the government do anythingaboutit?
AFMTanvirNabi
Uttara, Dhaka