& 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...
Letters will only be considered if they carry the writer's full name, address and telephone number (if any). The identity of the writers will be protected. Letters must be limited to 200 words. All letters will be subject to editing.
Minister with no work
At a time when a minister without portfolio is sitting idle without any work, duty and responsibility but drawing huge pay and allowances, enjoying all facilities and amenities from public exchequer, there are allegations of lapses, omissions and irregularities committed by several ministers. We do not have enough fund to build Padma bridge, repair our deplorable roads and highways and operate railways. There are reports of electricity crisis and load shedding, Sonali Bank and Destiny Group scams, lack of accountability and transparency in our finance and accounts sector. We fail to understand the justification of increasing the number of ministers and state ministers from forty-five to fifty-one at the cost of sufferings of our people.
How much money are we spending per year on the payments and allowances, TA and DA, foreign tours and other facilities of our ministers? One billion to two billion taka? Our government — whether run by Awami League, BNP or caretaker system— never tells us the truth.
It is a great privilege and honour to be a minister and to serve people sincerely and honestly. But unfortunately, for decades many of our ministers only served themselves. We are mere mortals. So is the post of a minister which is given purely on temporary basis. Let us all rid ourselves of avarice, hatred and corruption and work honestly for the welfare of our people and build a Sonar Bangla. We also thank Tofail Ahmed and Rashed Khan Menon for their broad vision, wisdom and service to the nation.
O H Kabir
Dhaka
Protesting the wrong
Through this letter I condemn the attacks on US ambassador and diplomats on 11th September 2012.1 also protest against the film which triggered this violence and resulted in the death of 4 US diplomats. The film insulted our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). My question is, when the filmmaker was aware of the fact that such a movie could spread violence, then why did he make it in the first place? And why is it that when the Westerners hurt the beliefs of the Muslims, it becomes their freedom of expression but when the Muslims speak against the wrongs they do against other people, they (Muslims) become terrorists?
We must live in this world in unity and peacefully; we must learn how to respect others' views. Hatred of people of one faith against that of the other must end.
However, we demand punishment of those who triggered this violence. May Almighty Allah guide us all to the straight and humble path of peace.
Anika Nawal Ahmed
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
House of autocracy!
Adnan's letter on the matter published in this page on 12th. September on throttled freedom of our Members of the Parliament does not at all reconcile with the image of democracy that we bandy around as our state principle! Our elected members of the parliament can not vote with clear conscience on issues being put to vote in the House. They have no freedom of choice and belief but must toe the party line!
We say that we are following the Westminster style in our parliament, but basically we do not allow an elected member of the House to vote according to his or her free will! On this matter, we have clear double standards, and party hegemony rules the roost in an open autocratic manner, personal freedom not being allowed! Whither democracy in Bangladesh?
Believer in Democracy
Please reach a consensus
Our two major political parties Awami League and BNP could not come to a consensus regarding the election system yet. Our opposition is demanding election under caretaker government but our government wants to hold it under party government. Our Supreme Court has already scrapped the caretaker government provision from the constitution and declared it illegal.
So now there is no option to hold the next election under caretaker government without amending the constitution. BNP is still showing patience. The opposition can do two things. First, they can boycott the election peacefully. Secondly, they long strong protest against election under party government. Our previous experience tells us that election result will not be accepted if either of the two parties stays away from participating. Both the parties have huge popularity in Bangladesh. They have leaders and activists at the grassroots level.
The government should realise that this time the opposition has called fewer hartals than any time before and shown much flexibility on different issues. It's a positive sign for our politics. It will inspire the next opposition party to do the same. Awami League and BNP should come to an agreement on national issues for the welfare of Bangladesh.
Jabunnaher
Dhaka
10 second pulse!
After a directive of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission the cell phone operator Airtel recently set its rate at Tk 0.06 per pulse. It implies that the subscribers have to pay Tk 0.36 per minute where their previous rate was Tk. 0.29 per minute. In calculation, it is a 24.14% hike from the previous rate.
As a general citizen of the country, I urge the BTRC to look after the matter as well as regulate all the telecom operators.
Pappu Ahmed
Take stern action against food adulterators
Adulteration of foods has become the most dreadful problem in recent times. Some heinous businessmen in order to make huge profits adulterate various food items. The trend to adulterate food is increasing day by day among traders. The mere drives of the Mobile Courts to catch and fine the unscrupulous traders are not enough. The government should follow the directives of the High Court and take actions against those people under the Special Powers Act, 1974 which gives death penalty or imprisonment for life for food adulteration. Md. Nazmul Hasan Chowdhury Student of law Jagannath University