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TO THE EDITOR
Law and order situation
As part of the drive against cUrruption in the public administration, the government has declared a policy under which the heads of each department of all government offices will be made responsible for-corruption that takes place under their respective administrations.
This means the minister is responsible for the ministry he heads, and secretaries, chairmen, director generals of autonomous bodies will be responsible for corruption which happens under their control. I believe if this policy could be enforced corruption will be reduced in the public offices.
Our Home Minister herself is very often complaining about police who, according to her, remain inactive on their duties in many spot occurrences. The police department is her own department and if she fails to control her forces, it is she who is responsible for her department's failure. She should take the strongest steps against them.
The present government has promised to contain two major big challenges -extortions through terrorism
and corruption. Price control and all other issues come next to these two issues. The people were much more happy under the caretaker government administration than they are at present. If this government fails to give security to the people, it will grow unpopular.
1 -Theiaw and order situation has deteriorated. The Home Minister, instead of creating confidence and hope, is rather making the public more panicky by talking about her inability to control the situation.
I believe the government should concentrate more on the law and order issue than digging out the faults and corruption of past government officials.
Shafiqul Islam, NY
Obama in Cairo...
US President Barack Obama's recent speech at Cairo University had messages both for Muslims and Jews.
Crippled by the faithlessness of the mighty US dollar, America can no longer open or maintain several military fronts in different parts of the globe. It also means the US can no longer support Israel's ambitions blindly in the ME (of course the Jewish lobby in
Washington is very strong). Time for change!
The eyeing of the Middle East was for natural energy resources for the Western industrialised nations. Today, over-consumption, overproduction and stark materialism, under capitalism, are at the dead end of culture.
The vast Third World (four billion souls] has to be recognised, and elbow room allowed, for peaceful existence. Military might is out of date. What is required is the human touch. Why has GM collapsed? Four wheels and pedestrian philosophy.
The Americans are lucky to get a citizen of the world (Barack Obama] as the new President of the United States. The British Empire lasted for over two centuries, when the global communication gaps were severe. The US came into the picture after the WWI1 (for a nation only two centuries old).
Japan rose after the war with the assistance of the SMEs. But as island nations, both Japan and the UK are in the slow lane today-Japan putting all its eggs into one basket for export.
Europe had to unite in times of distress to form the European Union. The rise of
China has forced back attention to Asia, especially South Asia (note the focus on India). At the last general elections in India, one major party failed, stressing shining cities. Bangladesh got the same virus: shining cities, and stress jammed by four-wheelers.
Islam is weak today due to internal disunity. The price has to be paid for it. Suppose the Arab monarchs withdraw their wealth saved in the USA. A new problem: the ability of the US dollar to maintain global monopoly.
The Muslims arc learning (desperately!) their lessons the hard way; and the Jews have to follow suit. Future visions: Africa and South America arc waiting for modes to change in the coming century. Why could the powerful nations not capture and rule over the Afghans? Why are Pakistan and Bangladesh earmarked for turning into disabled states by powerful Western cartels?
Our politics is too local. We need long-vision spectacles. AlifZabr
Dhaka
Scammers around
In these days activities of scammers are really unbearable. A scammer would send e-mail to someone to inform that he/she (the e-mail receiver) has won a lottery from the selected country and mentions that the lottery draw has been done by electronic system. Such people-inform the receivers that they have won hundreds of thousands and even some time millions of pounds or dollars. Eventually they ask for money for preparation to pay money to the winners. This way they just simply cheat the gullible.
There are some others who would inform by sending e-mails that he/she has got millions of dollars in banks and couldn't collect the money without the help of the e-mail receiver. Some inform by e-mail that there is some packet waiting for the receiver and should be collected by paying charges. All are cheats.
Proper initiative should be taken soon to protect us from scammers.
Mahmud All Kabir Gopalganj
Pandemic and endemic
Recently swine flu (the virus subtype H1N1) has been declared a pandemic.
Often we get confused with the application of the terms pandemic and endemic. Well, before drawing a line differentiating the terms, let’s have a look at another related term, i.e., epidemic which refers to an outbreak of an infectious disease that attacks many people at about the same time and may spread through one or several communities.
Pandemic is a very extensive epidemic that spreads through population across a large region or throughout the world, e.g. plague, smallpox, tuberculosis, HIV, avian flu, swine flu, et cetera.
Endemic is a disease that exists permanently in a partic-
ular region or population. For instance, malaria exists in parts of Africa.
In a nutshell, a disease when confined to a particular area is called endemic, when it spreads to a vast area it Is referred to as a pandemic.
Professor M Zahldul Haque Chairman
Department of Agricultural Extension & Information System
SAU, Dhaka
Black money
Our country since long is carrying the legacy of wrong policies which always go against good people and support the people of the other end. The Finance Minister is very seriously trying to widen the scope of such policies by allowing people to whiten their black money by paying tax @ 10% only.
What is black money? I do not know how the minister defines it. If scope is given to legalise it, it should be the money which has been earned legally but tax was not paid on earning.
The ideal title to this kind of income can be Undeclared Income. Persons who deliberately did not pay tax on income should be penalised. The way which I think should be logical in handling this kind of income is that the person has got to declare his income which was not taxed before related to a certain period. The authorities will take into consideration his declared income of that period and will apply the standard rate to determine the amount tax payable with which interest and penalty should be added to determine the amount of tax payable now.
Under no circumstances should so-called black money include money earned from sources which cannot be identified or money earned from sources which are illegal. If illegal income is allowed to be legalised, it will mean that the government is accepting, encouraging and legalising corruption.
It is the prime responsibility of the government to stop corruption at all spheres of - life Leaving scope ta legalise illegally earned money will encourage corruption and will create the scope for the growth of all kinds of other unwanted evil issues.
Undeclared income from a legal source only should be allowed to be legalised, and under no circumstances should there be any scope to legalise illegal income.
K. Mowla Chowdhury Managing Director Niponika Garments Limited Badda, Dhaka
Women's rights
The progress of our society isn't possible until women get their equal rights. Women should raise their voice to achieve their rights.
Women are deprived not only in family but also in society. For example, in the field of jobs. In our job sector there are only 30% women. The government should take necessary steps to eliminate discrimination between men
and women by giving 50% access to women in the job field.
Md. Al Amin
Gout Kobi Nazrul College
Indian High Commissioner's statement
A few days ago, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Chakravarty spoke in an unfriendly manner. He also referred to our experts as "so-called” which is really a matter
I of great regret. We never • expect this sort of behaviour from a representative of a country. He has also provided less than authentic information about the Tipaimukh dam. Our honourable foreign minister was present there as a chief guest but she did not protest at all.
As a representative of the people of Bangladesh, Dr. Dipu Moni must raise her voice against any conspiracy against our country and our people. We expect that India will not take any decision regarding the Tipaimukh dam which goes against our country and creates major problems for us. For breaching the conduct of behaviour, Mr. Chakravarty should apologise to the people of Bangladesh. We urge our government to take bold steps to uphold the rights of our country.
M.Seefat
University of Dhaka
The statement the Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan
Chakravarty made recently is not at all tolerable. This really shocks us and makes us ask whether we are really living in a sovereign state or not
What was our foreign minister doing? Should we always live like puppets? Can’t we have our own voices against these people who step on our soil and say whatever they like? What would have happened if our high commissioner in India had made some comments against Indian expertise? Mr. Chakravarty has committed a wrong and should-apologise to the people of Bangladesh. He should realise that Bangladesh is an independent country and he must respect that.
Minhaj Ahmed
Uttara, Dhaka
Poisoning
Sheikh Hasina
The caretaker government has been accused of trying to poison Sheikh Hasina in the special prison. The BNP has come up with similar suspicions regarding Khaleda Zia. It looks as if the caretaker government tried to eliminate all the intellectuals (!) similar to the Pakistan army's genocide against our intellectuals in 1971. Our fellow countrymen must be waiting now to hear about similar plots against Moudud, Najmul Huda, Babar and other individuals.
I will never again underestimate the imaginative power of our politicians who looted the country in all sorts of innovative ways.
Iqbal Mahmood, Ph.D.
California, USA
Sajeda Chowdhury recently claimed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was served poisonous food in prison. This, we think, is nothing but a baseless and ridiculous claim. Now, the opposition leader Khaleda Zia also is claiming the same. So the rumour immediately needs to come to an end. We request the politicians, 'Please quit making such meaningless remarks.' People do not want to hear such vindictive words anymore; rather they want to see you working for the betterment of the country.
Habibur Rashid Ismail ]amea Rahmania Fadil Madrasa
Chittagong
The former army chief
I have gone through the article by Prof. S. M. Khashru entitled 'Political Leadership and Our Armed Forces', published in the Op-Ed section of the Daily Star of 16 June, 2009. I really enjoyed his thought -provoking, enlightening, well-thought-out and well-written article in which he rightly hinted at the lesson that should have been obtained by the politicians of Bangladesh after 1/11. Ln this connection, it is worth mentioning here that the divine duty of the army of a country is to defend it from both internal and
external threats. After October 2006, when the 4-party alliance term in office ended, the country was really in chaos. At a point, political parties started killing opponents in the streets by taking the law in their hands. They were desperate to gain control of the administration, adding further to the anarchy. The caretaker government of Prof, lajuddin was not politically competent enough to control the situation which led to further chaos.
At that critical juncture, 1/11 had to take place to gave the country. Some one other than Prof. lajuddin had to control the situation with an iron hand. So he took the help of Dr Fakhruddin, backed by the army. It so happened that General Moeen was its head. The political situation was so bad that we all apprehended that martial law would be declared. Prof. Khasru rightly has pointed out that the politicians of the country should learn a lesson from what happened after 1/11. It was a dire necessity at the time for them to learn that they are not above the law and should explain the misdeeds and corruption committed by them, their associates and relatives. Maybe some innocent (?) politicians had been victimized. The prestige of some politicians might have been hurt
Finally, I would like to add that it was due to the incident of 1 /11 that we had a fair election and the country is back on the track to democracy. SiddiqueMiah, On e-mail
Be aware about antibiotics
At present all are affected by various types of diseases. It may be simple fever to severe type of cancer. When a patient meets with a certain type of doctor then it is simple prescribed an antibiotic with other medicines of the particular diseases. This is the misuse of antibiotic. Yes, it maybe given for serious or chronic condition, but not for simple fever or rhinitis (running nose). But now gradually antibiotics are used.
If a patient takes antibiotic, it makes him resistant to the organism. Maybe diseases will be cured by the antibiotic, but a few organisms are still alive These organisms make them selves resistant genes. These resistant genes will not destroyed by the same antibiotic for further same type of diseases. Ultimately the patient suffers from diseases or needed high power (third generation e.g. Azithromycin) of antibiotic. This may cause severe side-effects. Who is responsible for this?
It is better that at first diag nosis should be made, but it is costly for our normal people So at first normal medicines If that fails to cure then antibi otic can be prescribed.
I would like to say. stop utilization of antibiotic °.| normal purposes. Th s will help us go for better health Fcrdous Rczwan
Dept, of Pharmacy
University of Development Alternative