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To The Editor
DST implementation k I refer to the letter by Sharif Haque from New Zealand who would have liked to see it implemented on midnight of Thursday, June 18.
His reasoning is based on similar implementation in many developed countries when the clock is put forward or backward at around 0000 hours of a rest day rather than a working day.
Haque seems to have missed the point that Jumma prayer timing is a big issue for ^evout Muslims in Bangladesh, and tampering with the clock on Thursday night would have caused chaos of more weighty significance on following Friday, whereas the actual implementation timing allows a whole week for the Zohr and Jumma prayers to settle down. So I feel the timing was absolutely correct for Bangladesh. Also it may be noted that Saturday is also a holiday in Bangladesh government offices and educational establishments.
Engineer Shafi Ahmed London, UK
City bus service
In Dhaka bus services are simply horrendous. The buses are in dilapidated condition. Most of them have not been painted for years. Some of the seats are broken. The seat cushions are worn out. The floors are strewn with peanut shells and sugarcane rubbish and what not The fans are not in operation even in these hot days. Passengers are herded like poultry. There are all types of ads pasted on the seats and windowpanes. There is no uniform code for drivers and helpers. And the reckless , driving and crazy competition to overtake other vehicles add to this.
The buses are not parked at the designated places. Rather they stand in the middle of the road and contribute to the never ending traffic snarls. The bus stoppages are equally untidy and occupied by vendors and beggars. Who on earth gave permission to open shops in the bus stops?
When are the commuters going to have a respite from all these irregularities?
S h am im Ahmed Gulshan 2
Dhaka
Black money
After the declaration of the budget different organisations protested the opportunity given for whitening black money. Somebody has commented that this opportunity is the demand of the time and it will help industrialisation. On the other hand, we have also heard that this opportunity will discourage honest taxpayers. Are the TIN holders paying genuine tax on their income? In our country nobody wants to pay direct tax willingly. Previous governments also gave this opportunity but they did not get a good response. So, I do not believe this time people will stand in queues to whiten their money.
In our country people keep their money either in banks or in fixed assets. It is difficult to differentiate between black money and white money. Banks are deducting tax on interest without considering whether this interest accrued on white or black money and are depositing it to governmentexchequer.
The government should find out a system where people will pay tax willingly.
N.S. Chowdhury Gopibagh, Dhaka
Swine flu
Swine flu has become a pandemic and is making the whole world panicky. In Bangladesh we don't see enough necessary arrangements made to protect our people from such deadly diseases. The authorities took a little initiative at the beginning, especially in the airport area, but no more activity was seen later.
I would like to remind the authorities that the swine flu threat is still as fatal as it was before.
Mahmud All Kabir Gopalganj
A right decision
The government has correctly taken the decision to develop overpasses at different railway crossing! points in the efty bOt1 the construction of these structures is cumbersome and will involve a lot of money. By the time these overpasses are built, the government can deploy traffic sergeants at the rail crossings to ensure stringent implementation of traffic rules and ease the gridlock at those points as an immediate measure to prevent traffic accidents, like the one which occurred at Moghbazar.
Molla Ibrahim Zaman Oldjessore Road, EastBoyra Khulna
Militancy syndrome While the investigation of the BDR carnage was still on, the commerce minister told the press that militant connec lions with the carnage had been found.
However, none of the investigation committees found any such link. Why does our government try to scare people by over emphasizing militant activities?
Whenever law enforcers arrest a terrorist (militant) and let people know via media that they (like bomaru Mijan) have got the firepower and knowhow enough to blow up a multi-storeyed building and so on, we become terrorised and the militants' mission is half done.
When people are scared of the fact (maybe false) that there is a strong network of terrorists out there, they keep looking for them everywhere. Often people with tupi and panjabi arc feared to be militants, though they are merely peaceful devout Muslims.
Just a couple of days ago, I saw a youth, claiming himself as an activist of Chhatra League, harassing a library goer (with beard and tupi) and trying to prevent him from entering the central library of Dhaka University. He was shouting that he (the latter) was a militant.
We do not expect a peaceful Bangladeshi will be harassed in his own country for being a devout Muslim. So please think before you talk and allow things (investigations included) to run smoothly in their proper course and let us live in peace.
Tanim Ashraf Surja Sen Hall University of Dhaka
Civil defence
We are the poorest of the lot in this part of the world and probably we rank in the top 5 of the poorest country worldwide. As a nation we have all the necessary arrangements on paper as far as civil defence is concerned and the required infrastructure. But can our fire department and IHealth gjire sector really support the needs when there is an emergency? Probably not. The fire at Bashundhara city and frequent fires at the slums and in old Dhaka have failed to make our policy makers open their eyes.
Dhaka is growing in both planned and unplanned ways. The pressure on the city is at the highest level in 100 years. Apart from that, residential buildings, which have grown like wild mushroom, are already inaccessible to the fire brigade due to the unplanned lanes. More highrise buildings
are under construction by the private sector where these developers are only considering the financial feasibility, overlooking safety and health ufactoM The government has failed to give a guideline t6 the developers for following the code of conduct when erecting the highrise apartment complexes around and inside the city. Most of the so-called sub-cities (for the sake of sales promotion) lack facilities when it comes to emergency like fire, which is the worst of the disasters people can face. These private developers don't even have even 20 feet of space from one building to the other and if, God forbid, there is a fire the entire complex or building will turn into ashes in no time as we saw during the Bashundhara inferno.
I don't know how strong our military defence is, but 1 am quite confident that we do not have a strong civil defence system available in this over populated city. There has not been any hue and cry from our hundreds and thousands of intellectuals, the civic society as well as the wealthy media which will create pressure on the government to allocate funds as well as modernize the fire department alongside the health care sector in case of such emergencies. They only like to advertise their intelligence once a disaster has already taken place.
We are already in danger of an earthquake. If it happens, will the administration and the government wait for foreign aid to bring out the people who will be stuck in the rubble and fight the fire which will mainly be caused due to household gas explosions? Sohel Ahmed Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Regional issues
Two very important regional issues need immediate attention from the government today Tipaimukh dam and demarcation of maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. Both issues have far reaching consequences, particularly for the people of Bangladesh. Our experiences of Farakka and Tin Bigha Corridor do not give us hope of negotiated and fair solutions to the bilateral issues with our big neighbour. We are no match for India militarily or economically, but that does not necessarily mean we have to give up our rightful claims to the use of the waters of international rivers flowing through our land or the territorial and economic jurisdictions of the Bay of Bengal. I believe our prime minister is a patriotic lady and
she will do everything in her power to safeguard our national interest.
But how can she achieve the objectives? I am rather worried tohoanfram nkorrarJstcrs and persons in authority1 echoing the Indian versions of the Tipaimukh issue. Sometimes 1 wonder which country's ministers and public representatives they are. With a team like this our prime minister has an uphill task ahead of her.
NuruddinAzam Australia
Gimmicky politics The recent political developments in our country show that we are heading towards new political turmoil and unrest. The opposition party seems to have taken the oath to oppose everything for the sake of opposition. Boycotting parliament seems to have become its main mantra. On the other hand, the ruling party seems to have forgotten the people's verdict in bringing it to power. The different wings of the ruling party are behaving in such a way that they are placed above the law.
A few ministers are making the situation more complicated by their deeds and comments. But if we look at our neighbouring country India, we find a different picture. After the recent general election, the main opposition party BJP congratulated the victorious party and extended it all possible help. In the past, there were many instances in India where all the political parties joined hands in the interest of the country. Will not our politicians learn something from their counterpart? Or will their gimmicky politics lead the country backward? Ripon Rozario Monipuripara Dhaka
Power and privileges of MPs Whether constitutionally allowed or not, the MPs of Bangladesh exercise unlimited and sometimes unwarranted authority anywhere, in almost every matter in the country. As has been listed by Mr. Ataul Hoque in his letter in the DS on June 17, so far such parliamentarians have been involved in nine such activities for gaining undue advantage. They have been involved even in interfering in the performance of the duty of public servants like the law enforcing agencies, and other activities like extortion, grabbing contracts, and govt lands, etc., as if they are elected to
break the existing law and modify it according to their own will.
Such exercise of undue power is really unparalleled in uxth-e...democratic world. It appears that the overwhelming majority of the Mahajote is pushing itself to a point when there will be nothing that the MPs will refrain from doing. I think it is high time that this practice should discontinue. The MPs should not interfere with the activities of local bodies like upazila parishad and committees of educational institutes. Let them perform some activities for the nation.
Dr.S.A.Miah
Quebec, Canada
Ashraful's comments
This is in reference to Ashraful's comments on June 19 in The Daily Star. How can he say that the team showed signs of improvement? This comment just does not make any sense. At the post match briefing he himself admitted that the top order batted poorly which also included himself. The simple fact is that the team lost to a bunch of weekend cricketers and he failed to lead from the front. The worst part is that Md. Ashraful does not seem to be even the least bit ashamed about it.
1 also don't understand why the other players are protesting this and even had the audacity to ask Mr. Ashraf of BCB to apologise for his comments. Mr. Ashraf is absolutely right. As I have said before, please stop these people from going abroad and disgracing us. They do not deserve to play any form of cricket.
Aminur Rahim
NeivDOHS, Mohakhali Dhaka
Regarding Tipaimukh dam It is a serious matter when the Bangladesh foreign minister says that if Tipaimukh dam is erected, India won’t do anything which is pernicious for Bangladesh. This is very ludicrous. Staying in London, we cannot do anything but let people know about the severe consequences of building the Tipaimukh dam. Gandhi once said that the next world war may be due to water. India is penetrating the arena of developed countries gradually, like China and Brazil. Water is indispensable to bring about development in any country. India is going to divert river water towards it to
control it for its usage whenever they need.
We would like to cite an example here about China. There are eight rivers in China, and wa,ter of seven rivers have already been polluted. As a result, China is facing severe environmental problems. So, India will leave no stone unturned to maximize natural resources within this area. This dam will undoubtedly affect biodiversity, increasing desertification, more salinity in the land, hampering local industry, dying of rivers that will increase global warming. Water is a must for industry and our agriculture. We cannot ignore this.
Md. Zahidul Islam
South Bank University Badruzzaman
East London University London, UK
Our army chief Recently some politicians and partisan intellectuals have been spreading calumny against General Moeen U Ahmed, the recently retired chief of army staff. Most vocal are the people who were convicted for amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income, tax evasion and for keeping illegal liquor. Recently Begum Khaleda Zia also joined the bandwagon.
It is evident that General Moeen was behind the 1/11 changeover, military rule in disguise. But perhaps this was the most sought after intervention in our country. One should remember the political scenario under President lajuddin Ahmed before criticizing the 1/11 change and General Moeen. The 4-party alliance government, to perpetuate its misrule, enhanced the age of Supreme Court judges, the incumbent President, ignoring the provisions of the Constitution, himself assumed power. Any election under those circumstances would have sparked a bloody civil war. General Moeen, though favoured by alliance government, rose to the occasion and acted as a patriot. He saved the country from imminent ruin. We believe he should be rewarded for his most discreet and valiant act.
During its two year-rule, the army backed government did many wonderful jobs, but they have many failings as well. These were the corporate responsibility of the whole government machinery. M.SanaulHuq
Uttara Model Town Dhaka