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To The Editor
EastTimorandwe
The shooting of East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta and Father of the Nation and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao brings back memories of the conspiracies that Bangladesh went through in its childhood. There are amazing similarities between these two nations in terms of events in the preindependence. independence and post-independence eras. Consider the following:
1. Both East Timor and Bangladesh are small nations in their respective neighbourhood with homogeneous ethnicity.
2. In both cases, the occupying army (namely Indonesia and.Paki-
stan) perpetrated genocides and Henry Kissinger has been proven to be involved in both of these.
3. The backdrop of the shooting of the father of the nation of both the countries is identical. In the years leading up to the killing of Bangabandhu, there was confusion and resentment that Bangabandhu was strengthening the Rakkhi Bahini to create a parallel force. This, along with the anarchy in the civil administration, allegedly were the reasons for a group of "ambitious(!!??)” military officers going on to kill the father of the nation and the four leaders. In the case of East Timor as well, renegade soldiers led by Alfredo
Reinardo attempted to kill both Gusmao and Horta on the same day. The reason? Soldiers from the western part of the country claimed that they were being discriminated against, in favour of soldiers from the eastern part of the country, and all these in a country stretching barely 15,410 sq. km with a population of 9,47,000. It is like saying that people of Motijheel are being discriminated against in favour of people ofShantinagar.
History does repeat itself, and so does blue-prints by imperialists to expand their empires.
Esraj Fairuz
Departmen t of Management Studies University ofDhqka (
Niketon -Gulshan walkway
The walkway constructed from Niketon Bridge to Mohakhali Road on the Gulshan-1 side is one of the more laudatory projects of Dhaka City Corporation. Its picture really deserved its pride of place in the Star City section of DS some days ago. However, like most such projects of DCC it has been left incomplete. Here is why:
1 .Earth compaction on the Niketon Lake side has not been done, so the walkway is already starting to crack and may not last many monsoons. This can easily be done now by dredging the lake to provide the earth compaction cheaply.
2 .Once earth is filled up, there should be a sloping landscaped grassy verge going down to die lake. A few benches would be welcome on a summer's day as would some shade trees.
3 .As a measure to stop land grabbing, the walkway is very effective, but what are the two dozens or more sewerage pipes, jutting out from houses on both sides of the lake under the walkway, doing? Is this a reservoir of clean water or sewerage?
4 .The existing area between the walkway and die lake has become a household refuse dump for die houses on both sides. With water levels falling as summer approaches, only those with perfumed handkerchiefs on their noses will be able to use the walkway. The stench already makes breathing an impossibility.
5.To complete the project and serve the same purpose, an identical walkway should also be constructed on the Niketon side up to Partex/ Mohakhali Bridge. From the Niketon Bridge to Gulshan Avenue between Niketon Society and the proposed park (wrested from DCC sweepers two years ago), the smaller lake could well serve as an additional place of recreation with the same improvements.
6 .To maintain it, the completed project could be leased out to a private organisation to run fish-ery/poultry/nurseryprojects.
7 .Finally, what in the world is that electric guide-wire doing in.
die middle of die walkway? If its purpose is to trip unwary pedestrians in the dark, it is doing its job magnificently. 1 have already fallen victim twice, which for a 75 year old, is two too many.
Slkander Ahmed Niketon, Dhaka
Al Gore?
According to many observers, in the Democratic convention in August, "Al Gore, the former Vice-President, could emerge as a compromise candidate.” It may be recalled that Al Gore, already a Nobel Laureate, has since become a grand ecologist and he appears more a benefactor of the mother eardi than just a politician of the United States. He has been lecturing on the topic of global warming, which he labels as "the climate crisis." Despite all these, the public speculation is already there in the United States as also in the rest of the world over the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. However, Gore frequendy stated that "I have no plans to run". At this stage, no one can say for sure as to who is going to be the next President of the United States although a very few can gainsay that Al Gore, if nominated by the Democrats, could prove to be one of the best Presidents die United States ever had.
HafeejulAlam
Aconsultant, LJCBP, Dhaka
Steve Bucknor
Jamaican Umpire Steve Bucknor raises the question again: should he stand in a Test match after wrongly judging Rafique LBW in our 1st Test match against the South Africans.
Bucknor's poor performance during the infamous Sydney Test in January led the BCCI to threaten to boycott the series against the Aussies, if Bucknor stood again in the series. Later, he was sacked from umpiring for the rest of the series.
The 61 years old Bucknor has umpired iri more Test matches than anyone else and stood in five successive World Cup finals from 1992 to 2007. But the recent slump in his umpiring raises many questions about his ability.
A cricketer like Saurav Ganguly is not getting chance not because of his performance but only because of his age, as modern day cricket theory is: "Pick the young". Then why the ICC is not following the same theory in selecting umpires, as Bucknor is not performingwell.
Majumdcr Isnad Ahmed
BBA student, Southeast University
Age limit of 28th BCS
I would request you to write a befitting column and urge thePSC to reconsider the age limit of the 28th BCS exams. You know that almost after 30 month the PSC has recendy issued the circular of the 28th BCS exams. Already, a good number of candidates have crossed the age limit.
So, to avoid doing injustice to anybody the PSC should reconsider the age limit.
Mohd. Masum Miah On e-mail
Save the trees
During a recent visit to a relative in Gulshan 2, I was surprised to see that half the road was dug up and die otherwise quiet, pleasant area was a complete mess. I enquired about what was going on and was told that they wanted to expand the road from building to building. First of all, I would like to know where the pavement will be for the pedestrians. Secondly, this is a residential area and doesn't need more expansion of the roads. Thirdly, with half of Gulshan lake being taken by encroachers all the time, shouldn't the DCC have other priorities rather than to break up an already nicely kept area? I then realised that the government bodies don't normally take action unless they are forced to by higher powers or there is some profit in it. I looked carefully at the tree lined roads and therein lies the clue! This is obviously a pretence to cut down all the beautiful trees of Gulshan-2 and make some timber money. This will not be the first time people would wake up to see all the trees gone overnight; this happened during the BNP government
The joint forces must look iqto
what is going on here and ensure that the beautiful trees remain untouched.
A resident
Gulshan, Dhaka
Dr. Kamal's stand
Nice to know that "Dr Kamal vows to resist any move against poll roadmap” (Re. report by your staff correspondent dated Feb 25,
2008), but why did he “keep silent ” when asked "whether the constitution permits formation of a government based on national consensus"?
Perhaps the doctor does not know what use his recommended medicine has. How confused these leaders are!
An expatriate
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