Saarc Summit
Badal Hasib Dhanmondi, Dhaka
The Saarc Summit was held in Dhaka to improve the socio-economic condition of this regions' people but what the residents of Dhaka underwent during those days would remain in their mind as an ordeal. It reminds us of the days of Ershad where curfew was like bread and butter to us. Everybody knows what will be the effect of these meetings and how much influence they have on people's lives. It is a pity that when people of Rangpur were dying Special Decorations were made in the city. The memories of Saarc will remain as a nightmare. * * *I don't know if I should congratulate the Bangladesh government for spending (or wasting!) hundreds of millions of taka for the Saarc Summit. It seems the only achievement that would make Khaleda Zia happy is the "Saarc Podok". So basically we, the general people, have gifted this "Podok", to our leader. The irony is we are failing in every sector of life. Did anyone ever question why a country had to come to a standstill to organise a conference. Does the government have any right to stop people from living their regular life for an international talk show? What is the outcome of this event, can anyone please tell me? I don't think that Bangladesh would be able to earn the money that they have spent through doing business with the Saarc countries. I would like to ask my fellow countrymen what do they think they have achieved through their representatives in the 20 years of Saarc. Nayeem Hossain, California, US * * *Nothing will change unless India changes its mindset. It has unfriendly neighbours on all four sides of the compass. New Delhi should address the problem. Abdad Khan Dhaka * * *To enter into Taj Mahal it takes only 20 rupees for an Indian, but if you are not an Indian, you have to give 780 rupees to view the wonderful tomb of love. As a non-Indian I had to pay 780 rupees. It would be really difficult to pay 780 rupees for many South Asians. Have our leaders raised the issue of visiting such places in India for less money? There are many other issues that can be addressed by Saarc countries to promote relations among them. Sharin Shajahan Noami Law department, DU * * *It was enlightening to see that while the whole country and the capital city in particular focused its attention on the Saarc Summit, it did not seem to create much ripples in other countries, especially in India, the largest country. All our newspapers have covered the summit extensively on the front page and in supplements, giving full coverage to all countries respectfully. But, glancing through the major Saarc country newspapers on the Internet, I don't see anything near the same attention. Is it because we gave it too much importance, reflected in the forced standstill for our capital city dwellers, who faced inconvenience and loss of income for the supposed positive image of our country? If so, why is there no positive result reflected in the news media of the other Saarc countries? Sanjoy Kumar Nath Chittagong
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