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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
letters@thedailystar.net
Raise voice against pesticides in food
We thank you for publishing the report, "40 pc food poisonous" on 28 April. While people are being slow poisoned, the government machinery is conniving with the dishonest businessmen or is in deep hibernation.
Your report says about the use of banned pesticides in our entire daily food items. However, the report does not identify the pesticides which are not banned and are being used in very high doses in our agricultural products. As per one estimate, about 50,000 tons of pesticides worth Tk 5,000 crore are used in our agriculture every year. We have to remember that not only the banned pesticides are extremely hazardous, importable pesticides are also graded as hazardous to highly hazardous. These importable pesticides do cause various incurable diseases of internal organs, nerve disorder, infertility, birth deformity, diabetes, cancer, etc. So, chemical pesticides of all groups and brands, banned or not banned, are poisons.
Organic agriculture is eco-friendly, life-friendly, less costly, more productive and most importantly sustainable compared to chemical agriculture. The government has various policies and laws on paper only. Unless people supported by the media raise a robust voice in demanding safe food, the government will not act decisively. Time is running out fast. Stop chemical terror now.
Lt Col Quazi Salimuddin (retd) Convener
Bish Mukto Bangladesh, Dhaka
Fear stalks the land
I do not know how to express the grief, despair, fear and all sorts of negative emotions that have got hold of me and I think people all over the country are assailed by these emotions.
Day by day the situation of the country is becoming more and more frightening and we think it has to do with January 5, 2014. On that day a grave injustice was done. As a result, the country is heading towards a point of no return. All sorts of crimes have increased manifolds, abductions and killings have become a routine occurrence. Dead bodies of eight abducted people were found in the river Shitalakhhya.
Those who took charge of the country failed miserably to give security to the people. Where is the so called opposition? Why is opposition leader Roushan Ershad silent? We are stunned by learning that the police barred eminent citizens from protesting against abductions. They snatched the banners when a group of eminent citizens tried to hold a human chain at Manik Miah Avenue on May 3, 2014. Who ordered the police to do it? Or did they do it on their own? Either way it is a very deplorable act.
Will those at the helm ever think about the people instead of trying to remain in power? We can only pray to Almighty Allah to save us from this agonizing situation.
Nur Jahan Chittagong
Comments on news report, "Jubo League man arranged it," published on May 1, 2014
Nds
AL is the antonym of human rights and democracy.
Aasfisarwar
Itseems the ghost is in the exorcist's bag.
Akhtar Shah
For some political types, party badges are a matter of convenience. What matters is control, which delivers everything they want.
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"Cause for concern " (May 1,2014)
Aasfisarwar
It's no longer a concern; it is a red alert. The question remains as to how long will we remain deaf and dumb?
Jubaer
RAB must be abolished to protect human rights.
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"Killed for kidneys" (May 1, 2014)
Snr Citizen
Where is the voice of conscience? These people do not have a reason to live! Why such decay in our society now? How will the mother of the lost child now live?
S.M. Iftekhar Ahmed
At a loss for words! Animals are better than these people. They should be shown no mercy.
Md. Mostafizur Rahman
They deserve capital punishment.
Rai
Kill all those involved in this cruel crime. They should experience death with pain.
SM
Why such brutality? There has to be public hangings for psychotic killers like these.