Emerging university in Pabna It is learnt from The Daily Star (26 January 2009) that Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) is going to admit 200 students under two faculties. The subjects that will be taught are Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mathematics under the faculty of Science and Engineering. The other faculty is Business Studies, with the subject Business Administration.

The subjects chosen are appreciable in respect of global demands. Perhaps this is the third university of science and technology in the northern region of Bangladesh after liberation. The main objective behind the establishment of PUST has not been mentioned in the newspaper report. Surely, there are good reasons for setting up such a technologybased university in a district town. It is also true this university can be an effective tool in the northern region for the creation of digital Bangladesh as desired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

There are two other public universities, in Rajshahi city, in addition to those three public universities in the region. What impressed me much is the name as Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) that was the name of the first science and technology university in north Bengal. The university was established about a decade ago in village Thengamara under the district of Bogra. The name of that university also was PUST (Pundra University of Science and Technology) and the academic activities there commenced under two similar faculties. The only difference between the two is that the Bogra-based PUST was a private university and the Pabna-based PUST is a public university. PUST at Bogra was shut down along with other seven universities by the BNP government at the end of its tenure.

PUST was established in a rural atmosphere with the objective of empowering the new generation with modern technology in cooperation with science and technology related international organizations like Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) and the Texas-USA based ICTE Other objectives were to make available the benefits of digital technology to the people living on islands (chars) of the river Jamuna and for those living in Chalan bcel passing

through three districts of northern region. Due to the closure of PUST, the hopes of thousands of people of the region were nipped in the buds. Due to the ignorance of some people, closure of a technology university is just like suicide fdr others. PUST in Bogra is a great lesson for PUST in any other region.

Prof. Lutfor Rahman

Founder Vice-Chancellor Science and Technology University in Rural Bangladesh

Digital Bangladesh and new

generation

The Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) is one of the new initiatives endorsed by ASEM III (October 2000, Seoul, Korea) to connect research networks between Asia and Europe by linking EU's GEANT, the panEuropean gigabit research network, with Asia's research networks such as the APII Testbeds in order to promote information exchanges in research and development and education.

At ASEM III, Korea, the European Commission (EC) and Singapore jointly proposed the TEIN project. ASEM leaders emphasized the need to establish and expand information and research networks between the two regions and among ASEM partners in order to facilitate the flow of knowledge and information as well as research endeavours.

This initiative aims to contribute to enhancing exchanges and cooperation between Asia and Europe through increased and more effective information flows; enhance and diversify research exchanges and cooperation between Asia and Europe; expand and diversify speedier and more powerful telecommunication connections between Asia and Europe.

On 8 December 2009 TEIN 3 will be installed in Vientiane, Laos, and will go online in 2011. Countries like Laos, Malaysia, Philippine und Vietnam will get benefits from it. TEIN 3 has broadband capacity with velocity up to 2,5 Gbit/s.

Everybody who uses Internet in Bangladesh experiences how slow it is. If some body likes to search something on Google or to download something from Internet or is looking for her/his mail with attachment, she/he has to wait and wait and wait until the line is disconnected or she/he has no patience. If this situation is not changed we will lose a chance to update

""l^owfedge and >ve will not t0 get °" share in the international IT business. Ra 7 a b,g P°tential for /7 "h“earn^ Dollars through IT sector

the in,native to update " ,T ^"ni and try to get excess to TEIN 3 It mil help to increase Internet connectivi ty for research, educatron and b“slne« between Europe and Bangladesh via high speed d^cct links to GEANT2 and “"prove mtra-regional connectivity across Asia Dr. Farid Majumder Darmstadt, Germany

Banani noise

Road 11 in Banani has become so^ arish h'ghway °f Ever Since the Banani/ rarndf” budge “oopr-sPeed has tremendously increased along with the "'^of vehicles have started using theconnectingbridge.

s 3150 given rise to emmgly unnecessary loud honlung The relativ?pcace .?d,U,',OfBa™ has been tiered. Both sides of Road 11 have residences, and such noire pollution defies all least cons,derations for the People living here. Students «e T and Senior "'"xens sl" m'Serab|y disturbed s eepisnowadistanlcry!

Maybe the authorities can ^^desaftenip™ fee Io? T qu,et and the Otherw.se ourL^'s s.X do not have any courte * or

^lmUbe further mess of the situation Please rescue , "fentsfmm this nuisance Ilp“' 'Ween 6 und Syed Imtiaz All Banani. Dhaka

MujibandZia

'" politics, no ruler or pohti.

Cheikh

ougbl to admit tha^X*^

him Zia'L behlnd

BXXbd“,,,r0,"Ka^

,dr Kendra in 197) '^etherwesupportoneof

them or not, the influence o these great two leaders canno be wiped out. We should eval uate them properly and place them in their proper historica places.

Rabindranath is the greatest poet in Bangla literature. It is folly to try to avoid this truth. It is also folly to try avoiding Nazrul. Mujib and Zia are the Rabindranath and Nazrul respectively of our political arena.

Harun-or-Rashid Sobhanbag, Dhaka

Obama's call to

Muslim world

CNN recentlyreleased an exclusive interview of US President Barack Obama with Al-Arabia Television. This interview is considered as part of President Obama's commitment during his election campaign to improve relations between the US and the Muslim world.

In his interview, the President was mostly on the

back foot. Unlike President Bush. Obama showed a great deal of politeness and eagerness about the success of any peace process In the Middle East. At one point he even mentioned that some of his family members arc Muslim. President Obama strongly suggested that peace between Israel and the Arab world is only possible through the creation of an Independent and sovereign land for Palestinians and ensuring a better life for their children. Then only will children in Israel not have to grow up with fear of attack by their neighbours. He also mentioned that ever-lasting peace is possible only when both the parties will look forward and forget the miseries and tragedies in tire past. He said. It's not easy, but very much possible .

The interview was published at a moment when people in Pakistan are frightened by the US missile attack along the Pak-Afghan border region.

President Obama s interview is a message to terrorists that the so called 'war on terror' is over and everyone should make the world a better place to live. If terrorists fail to appreciate this good gesture, then they ought to prepare for the worst.

Imon Hussain Washington DC, USA

Not bad at all!

1 was not at all surprised. I have rather been trying to look for the benefits from the DU teachers' greeting spree! Though students missed their classes, with this hands-on demonstration on “political science" the students can learn "constructive politics" and master the art of succeeding in traditional Bangladeshi Politics. Not bad!

EnamulHuq

USA ;

University in

Barisal <

Although Barisal is one of the x six divisions, it has been 1 neglected by all governments, f All previous governments s made promises but their c words did not come true. 1 Education is imperative for all t development activities but t there is no university in Barisal ( city. If we look at all other divisional cities, we will find a s different picture. Even many j district towns have public c universities. Doesn't it bear a testimony to the unequal a treatment meted out to v Barisal? Although the present a government has already p treated Barisal badly not s ncluding anyone in the cabi- e let from the region, we hope it vill set up a university in the c :ity in order to make Barisal a n iart of Digital Bangladesh. a

vldHabibullahHowlader 0

Jept of English, CU

'No' to 2nd deputy speaker

The AL said before the election that it would appoint the deputy speaker from the opposition. Within days of winning the election the AI. has forgotten that pledge. We feel disgusted, but we are not surprised. Clearly, what was once a "pledge" has now become a “lie". And to cover up that lie the AL is now planning to create a new seat for a second deputy speaker!

Having a second deputy speaker will not solve any problems. If anything, it will create more friction and disagreement. But there is another important factor that we must take into consideration: the cost. Who is going to pay this extra deputy speaker's salary? The AL or the taxpayers?

Being a poor and small country, we can't afford a huge number of speakers, ministers and MPs. We have got so many other problems that need

immediate government cash Besides, why should taxpayer pay to make up for the AL s lie

1 Clearly, this whole “depub ; speaker storm” has beer : created by the AL. Why shoulc our poor people pay for it?.

I will ask the BNP not tc accept any such arrangement The AL must apologise to the people for not honouring its pledge and immediately give ' the deputy speaker's positior ' to the opposition. Our politi cal parties must understanc that it is time for them to be accountable for what they saj and do.

Azad Mi ah Oldham UK

Weekly holiday

There is an unnecessary obstacle in our economic sector.

In the international market, weekly holidays are Saturday and Sunday; but in Bangladesh weekly holidays are Friday and Saturday. Obviously our economy is disconnected from the international market for three days.

For that reason the Bangladesh economy has to lose twenty thousand crore taka every year.

In the modern world, economy is more important than religion. We cannot fall behind only because of some fanatics.

So we hope the new government will declare Sunday as our weekly holiday in the interest of our economy.

George LBoidya NewEskaton

Dhaka

Mohakhali foot overbridge

A few years ago Mohakhali Railway overbridge was constructed and it has facilitated traffic movement on the road to some extent. But a big problem still continues to afflict the residents of the area. People of Mohakhali DOHS, Shahinbag, Arjat Para. etc. have to go to Mohakhali kutcha bazar everyday with big serious risks to their lives as they cross the road. This is an everyday hazard which puts a lot of pressure on their nerves. Hence a foot over bridge connecting Mohakhali kutcha bazar is a long felt necessity.

It is reported that the Kawran Bazar wholesale vegetables market will be shifted to Mohakhali in about wo years' time. Hence the jver bridge should be planned n such a way so that it may onncct both Mohakhali ] oitcha bazar and the under 1 construction wholesale vege- J ablcs market if possible. The i

proposed foot overbridge will ■ be a great relief to the people

1 of Mohakhali DOHS,

■ Mohakhali proper, Shahinbag

and Arjat Para.

I therefore appeal to Dhaka Municipal Corporation to rise to the occasion and construct a foot overbridge urgently to reduce the risks and hazards posed to the people of these areas for which act it will earn i the gratitude of the people of the area.

Saleh Ahmed Chowdhury DOHS Mohakhali

Dhaka

Balance of merit

A daughter of mine recently got her Ph D from Harvard and came home for a few weeks to meet family and friends before returning to Harvard to do research as a prestigious Swartz Fellow in the newly established Department of Neuroscience. Her sponsors were so keen to have her that they paid a huge amount of money as special fees, so that her H-1B visa for a temporary worker could be processed in only two weeks. The embassy here too was very cooperative and gave her a visa within two days of the interview.

However, when she checked her visa she was horrified to see that it was valid only for one year, though Harvard had explicitly asked for the usual three-year multiple entry permit. She is required to attend conferences in many countries as part of her job, and so asked the visa officers in the embassy about it.

They politely told her that they could not unfortunately do anything about it, as this condition of issuing a one-year visa followed a reciprocity agreement between the governments of the two countries. Since the USA gives a three-year multiple entry permission to most other countries, it appears that this reciprocal clause must have come from the insistence of the government of Bangladesh.

Are we to understand that, since before the financial crunch, highly skilled Americans have been queuing up in throngs to work in Bangladesh, endangering Bangladeshis, so that the government thought it was to this country's greater advantage to put restrictions on Bangladeshis going abroad han allow the universally dlowcd period to Americans eciprocally?

We would love to hear the •orcign Ministry's version.

)r Ahmed Shafcc >hysics Department In i vers ity of Dhaka