& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

To the Editor
Rental power plants
There was a report published in The Daily Star that refers to Mr. Debajit Das, Managing Director (Asia) of UK based Aggreko Co. which is operating a 40 MW diesel powered rental power plant in Khulna since June last Mr. Das believes that Bangladesh would have to rely on the rental power system as the best short-term solution for the next few years until it could bring some large power projects online. Reasonably, the company is interested to expand its business in Bangladesh and outlined the details it can do to proride < extra power for a term as short as one .day, like Beijing Olympics and US presidential inauguration. According to him, Aggreko can quickly mobilize installing and supplying 200 MW plant in just one month if the plant site is ready.
The 40 MW Khulna plant is .Aggreko's first venture in Bangladesh. It is learnt that there are 50 small diesel gen-
crator sets in the plant that run on costly diesel fuel. It is not very difficult to guess what may be the generation cost of power from this plant in addition to its environmental impact.There is no doubt that our country is in serious power crisis that will aggravate in the coming days. But we need power for our domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural needs and the cost of power is an important matter for us. The last caretaker government, being temporary' in nature, also took temporary measures to overcome power shortage. But the present political government must not think that way. It must take the decision considering the long-term benefit of the country. Without draining money for the costly rental power plants, the government should go for land based large power projects. This will take 2-3 years and we are to go through the painfill period. For the greater national interest we must endure that sufferings.
Engr.Md./Vmlnul Hoque Khalishpur, Khulna
Higher education
AU English medium schools k are following the rules of
British Council and students are also concentrating on that. A time comes after completing their O' level and A' level when the students are bound to go to foreign countries for obtaining their higher degrees. But every student is not capable of doing that, because they do not have enough money.
They cannot <_fiord these expenses, because of this reason many briUiant students cannot obtain their higher degrees.
So, the authorities should open university branches in this country, which are well known in the United Kingdom [UK], so that students can have their higher degrees in their own country, especiaUy those who cannot afford huge expenses.
Rifat Bin Hossain Student
East West International School & College Mirpur-2, Dhaka
Role ofOIC
We noticed that from the beginning of Israeli invasion of Gaza, the QIC did not express solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people.
The role of the QIC in this respect is inexplicable!
Md Humayun Kabir
Naria, Shariatpur
Diesel price reduction
We, the common people, would expect from the new govt, a reasonable diesel price reduction, so that the agriculture sector would be benefited. But all our hopes were nipped in the bud. How will the farmers be inspired to grow more paddy with the high prices of fertilizers lingering, when the price of paddyis lower than before.
So the govt should look into the matter to lower the productioncosts.
F Rashid
Ass Teacher
Porsha High Madrasha Porsha, Naogaon
1 ACC
s Some politicians are ver} 1 unhappy with the role of the ACC. But mere accusation ol । the ACC will not clean there t from charges and public will not accept them as their clean ' 1 . . . .
leaders. They should prove beyond doubt that all the charges brought against them I by the ACC during the CTG • were false and the ACC did
imprison them out of enmity!
It is hard to believe that the [ ACC has done this just out ol i grudge
। Shafiqul Islam, NY
A new Bangladesh
A new government, I want a new Bangladesh too. Wc are peaceful people, we don’t want violence. I want punishment to those who opposed our liberation war. The new government has promised to build a digital Bangladesh
Good Luck! At first you need better education. It is the first step towards a digital Bangladesh.
SumonCorraya Luxmibazar, Dhaka
Shocking!
I am indeed shocked to know about the Chittagong Mayor's plan to demolish Aparna Charan Girls' High School and Krishnakumari Girls' High School.
As an old student of Aparna Charan Girls' High School, I ' demand the attention of the Ministry of Education to this matter.
I sincerely hope that the government would doits best to protect the schools.
Yasmin Zaman Toronto, Canada
Hasty thinking
I am appalled to hear the new commerce minister and coverage by few channels and newspapers to the effect that they are actively considering to offer transit facilities to India and availing of TIFA, both of which will bring no good to our country but unbearable damage only!
I just cannot imagine how & why this kind of hurry-scurry decision is a (all under consideration while the previous govt, did not even keep these on any agenda of the government, for the very reason that these are not at all in the interest of our nation. It should be rejected, for several agreements with India have been shelved or ignored by India since 1974. In my opinion if such proposals are to be considered a very thorough study has to be undertaken in consultation and concurrence with the neighbouring countries. And over and above, this kind of decisions must be the product of a national referendum.
A F Rahman On e-mail
A visitor speaks
I am a first time visitor to Dhaka, from West Bengal, India. I have been reading your newspaper and found it interesting.
My first impression about this city and its people is very good- much less pollution, cleaner roads (I stay in Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue ).I got friendly with a family on my trip to Dhaka by train ( a tedious five hour wait for immigration) and found them very warm and hospitable.
My visit coincided with the formation of a new government here. I have a few suggestions to the authorities:
Firstly, 'roti, kapda, makhan' for the commoners lot of people sleep on the streets. Secondly, stop corruption and generate employment opportunities. Thirdly, improve trade relations with neighbouring countries, especially trust India.
I have been reading positive statements on the above issues by the government this is an opportunity to implement action plans, since people have laid their trust by giving an overwhelming majority.
N.S. Ramakrishnan Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue Dhaka
BNP's failure
The causes of the failure of the BNP in the last election are many. But the major cause of their failure, according to me, Is terrorism.
In the last tenure of the BNP, terrorism spread all over the country.
Ashis Kumar Roy West Kazipara Mirpur, Dhaka
Residential plots
We all know that in Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka city, the demand for land for housing is increasing every day and if this trend continues for the next 20-25 years, Dhaka city will have no lands left which we call the open space for public.
The plot allotment at Uttara and Purbachal can be termed a blindfolded policy of the government. They also do not want to see the future as the past governments and want to carry on the projects which I feel will increase the cost of living of Dhaka residents.
Once a piece of land is sold to a person, it will remain his/family's property till the dooms day. No one else will be able to live there until that property has been sold. Dhaka which nests more than 1 core people as of now will not be able to provide accommodation to the population in the coming 20-25 years' time as there will be no land available forthecity's extension.Dhaka already has residential areas (if we call them residential) like, Dhanmondi, Lalmatia, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Gulshan, Banani, Nikunja, Niketon Baridhara and Uttara. These so-called residential areas and their properties belong to hardly 2-3% of the Dhaka city's population. As mentioned before by me in a letter dated 09.07.08. It is about time that Dhaka starts growing towards the sky as more people and families can live in a small piece of land than they do today. The argument against living in high rise buildings will be the earthquake issue for sure, but if we look to the Far-East, we will see that these coun-tries/cities are well within the earthquake zone but they have built the buildings with the latest technology to combat the earthquakes. There are cities in the US which are also in danger of earthquakes but they also have tall buildings for commercial and residential use.
The damage which has beqn done already by giving plots to individuals cannot be revised but what can be done is to minimize the damage by allowing the construction of high rise buildings (minimum 25 storied), consulting the department of environment and planning so that if and when high rise buildings are built there is no negative environmental and health impact. Also the other advantage will be that with the buildings going skywards the lands on both sides of the narrow roads can be expanded and pavements can be built for the pedestrians.
At the same time, the government should immediately stop selling all sorts of plots in the name of developing residential areas and concentrate on selling apartments/flats instead. This will also help develop planned roads (minimum 60" wide) where emer-
gency services can reach without problems and pavements can be built as well for giving the pedestrians' safety, as I believe 80% of the population of Dhaka city like other cities in the world walk, which is healthy and saves a lotoftime/money.
For the future generation, we will have to leave open space for parks, playgrounds anu, more important, water reservoirs as the population of the coming years will certainly be much higher than that of today and the demand for fresh water will increase manifold.
Sohel Ahmed
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Risible attacks
It is not at all relishing to see the BNP still continuing its ballyhoos of an allegation against the EC and obliquely against those who were at the helm of affairs that they, through conspiracy and widespread vote rigging, got it routed in the general election of December 29. Such allegations, in fact, appeared queer and deprecating or dismissive as the people cast their vote in the most transparent ballot boxes under fool proof security, after correct scrutiny of their names and identifications and also in an utter fear-free mood, never felt in any earlier elections, and as hundreds of local and foreign bodies of observers who observed and monitored the election proceedings found no notable anomalies and commented to their satisfaction that the election was international standard. That sets aside the allegations as phoney and expressive of shameless wallowing in lies which the BNP was always
observed to live in and thrive on. That the respective polling agents and even MP candidates of both camps could not observe any irregularities to complain about, such as the use of fraudulence or manipulation by any quarters until the end of the counting, as nothing of the sort was also reported in the print or electronic media, the BNP's allegations simply fell fiat and many of its supporters were heard saying that the BNP's claim or blame was for its own sake only and many gave vent to that: “The BNP needed this kick in the teeth." One rarest thing was that this time hardly anybody returned saying, 'Oh God, my vote had already been cast'.
Perhaps the BNP which came victorious in 2001 through vote rigging and the alleged favouritism held the view that the AL got the landslide by the same deceptive methods it had used in collusion with the then EC men. Since defeated it would not let good sense prevail that the last CA and the current CEC/ECs were/are different sort of men with proven integrity, they were/are totally neutral and without any prejudice, and would never let any left-hand methods go into action like what happened in 2001. Sheikh Hasina then cried down the election as 'subtly rigged' and there were reports of manipulation, irregularities and anomalies as also of results-tampering but all were hushed up.
About the election of 2001 one would have gone bewildered having read a report in a leading daily that unfolded a story, as a tip of the ice-berg, of how the BNP got the thumping majority in 2001,
and on that score, we can call the last BNP alliance govt, an utterly unfairly elected govt A H Dewan
South Kafrul
Dhaka Cantt., Dhaka
Dismissed correspondents About a total of twenty-eight district correspondents of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) were dismissed by the past BNP 4-party alliance government after assumption of power.
The said dismissed district correspondents should be reappointed in the respective districts.
Would the authorities concerned look into the matter seriously?
Md. Mozammel Huq MA.LLB
Jessore
Hajj agencies
In the year 2008 the undersigned and his wife performed Hajj. We used a private agency about whom we heard many good things. But to our utter disappointment we found that the agencies were more involved in business (making money) rather than looking after the Hajjis. I would mention one incident which is an evidence of their activities.
They arranged our flight on the Saudi Arabian airlines. We left Dhaka for Hajj on 2 November 2008 afternoon and reached Jeddah on 3 November. During our departure we came to know that our return flight was on 18 December 2008. Earlier, the agency had said that they would be able to bring us back by 12 December. Since our departure from Dhaka differ-
ent officials of the agency kept on verbally assuring that we would be returning on 12 December 2008. But they did not provide us the return ticket or any travel documents.
On 10 December 2008, the day we completed all Hajj rituals, we were told to get ready as our flight was on Bangladesh Biman in the early morning of 11 December 2008. We were a little surprised that we had been put on Bangladesh Biman although we came by Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Accordingly, we were put on to a bus with other Hajjis travelling on 11 December Biman flight. At the Jeddah Hajj terminal we were given two tickets of Bangladesh Biman under different names. We were totally shocked to see the tickets. We were not allowed to board the plane and were stranded at the airport!
Is that how the pilgrims should be treated?
Dr. Abu Jamil Faisal
Golartek
Mirpur-1, Dhaka
Achange?
On 23rd January a new prime minister took over. Sheikh Hasina with several promises of bringing a positive change to Bangladesh stepped into the prime minister's office. Yes we are going through a change, but is it the change we wanted? Is it positive? Every day there is news of terror, mugging, hijacking, killing and extortion in DS and other newspapers. Where are we really heading ?
Nishat Binte Mohiuddin Student
Maple leaf International School