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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

letters@thedailystar.net
Syndrome of denial or deification
I wanted to wait until after the remembrances of the national mourning day to write this, so as not to be insensitive to the genuine feelings of sadness and outrage that the mayhem of August 15, 1975 rightly engenders amongst many. Information minister Inu correctly asks that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's legacy be freed from his partisan cage so that the entire nation can celebrate his life and ideals.
We besmirched history for two decades after 1975 by almost denying the very existence of the man but for whom there would possibly be no independence. We do no better, however, by deifying a great man whose flaws are evident to all but those with ideological blinders. Sheikh Mujib's legacy is secure in the Republic he created and we do his greatness no favour by whitewashing his strangulation of democracy with BAKSAL. The legacies of great men need neither denial nor deification.
Esam Sohail
Kansas, USA
Hazrat Omar (RA) and today's Muslim rulers
The Muslims all over the world know about Hazrat Omar (RA) who used to go out at night in disguise to get to know about the condition of his countrymen. The other day, Al Jazeera was showing the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, driving a taxi cab in disguise. As soon as a customer got into the taxi, the PM in disguise began a conversation with the passenger after exchanging formal greetings and soon got to know the opinion of the people. Most of the passengers who got into the taxi failed to recognise him and some said he looked like their prime minister. Immediately, I thought, this gentleman must have known or heard about Hazrat Omar and how he used to check upon the condition of his countrymen.
It is an irony that there is not one single ruler in the entire Muslim world who has followed the footsteps of Hazrat Omar. On the contrary, they are found to be amassing wealth by means of exploitation.
Saleh Mohammad Ayub
Houston, Texas, USA
Beggars a menace
Begging has become an intolerable problem in Dhaka. As soon as you take out your wallet to pay a fruit or vegetable seller at the roadside shops or stop at a traffic signal, you will be mobbed by beggars. Begging is a very profitable business. Beggars would rather beg than work even if they possess good health. Foreigners are also their victims and this is a matter of great embarrassment. Our government promised us that they would rehabilitate the beggars. What happened to that promise? Furthermore, Islam does not encourage begging.
Aminur Rahim
NewDOHS, Mohakhali
Urea in puffed rice
Puffed rice is a very popular food item in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. It is consumed by people of all ages. Some traders mix urea to make rice white and puffy. Still some good quality puffed rice is produced in villages of our country. But these are lost in the crowd of the colourful bags of urea-mixed puffed rice produced by big traders. The authorities concerned should take action against these culprits in the interest of public health.
Shafkat Rahman
BI AM Laboratory School, Dhaka