Letters

University Ranking
University rankings are a common phenomenon in the West, and it can be a very useful tool for students. The H.S.C exams are over. Most students are preparing to get admitted to a university of their choice. We know that not everyone will be able to get admission into public universities because of the limitation of seats. Their second choice is admission to private universities. The reality here is that conscious parents and students are still suspicious about the ranking of private universities. It becomes a matter of worry when every university claims that they are the best. On the other hand, we are getting superficial views about university ranking. We also know some private universities claim that they are the local branches of some foreign universities. All of this adds to the confusion.
So I would like to request our present government and UGC to publish an authentic and trustworthy university ranking for the benefit of the students.
Md. Zahidul Islam Zibon
Dept.of English
International Islamic University, Chittagong

Why are garment workers agitating?

It is appalling that every few weeks we have to open the newspapers and find pictures of violent mobs burning tires or vandalising factories or laying barricades in the roads. The recent violence at Ashulia makes us ordinary citizens confused and dismayed that such violence can escalate to these proportions because workers feel they are not getting their basic rights addressed. Many factory owners claim that this kind of violence is the result of some conspiracy or some outside hand. It maybe true but the point is why should anyone be able to mobilise garment workers if they are satisfied with their wages and benefits and if they were being treated properly. We know that many factories do provide good benefits and their workers are quite happy at their workplace. But there are also many factories where garment workers are not getting what they deserve and maybe that's why they can be manipulated or influenced. Factory owners must really look into the matter with an objective approach. Garment factory owners earn enormous profits that allow them to have luxurious lifestyles. It is about time that they gave back a bit more to the workers who have made it possible to sustain such high standards of living. The government, meanwhile should be more vigilant about controlling acts of vandalism and road blocking that make city life even more difficult than it already is.
S. Hasan
Dhanmondi

A Matter of Taste

Every day while out on the street I see cinema posters stuck on walls. They are often explicit in nature, and embarrass me a lot. Often I have to bring my younger brother and sister from school, and when I see them looking at those posters I feel angry. Where is our sense of decency? Due to commercial greed, people are exposing impressionable young minds to these vulgar things. It is a matter of good taste that such posters are not displayed on the road. Can we not have a healthy and clean environment where young minds can thrive?
Sharmin Sarkar
Department of English, Sylhet International University

Security and Change
Our Prime Minister has talked a lot about the changes she and her government are making to improve the socio-economic scenario of Bangladesh, to make it into a a prosperous nation. It is true that her government is new and still needs time to make changes for the development of the country. It is also true that this government has inherited many ills of past governments and it will take some time to sort those things out. But some issues have to be dealt with immediately no matter how many critical things the government has on hand. Law and order should be the most important agenda for this government. But it seems that they are just not paying any attention to the rising crime rates in the city. What is most mysterious is that we don't see RAB personnel patrolling the crime zones as much as we did during the Caretaker government. We feel insecure when we go into the streets or when we travel by public transport. The government must start taking this issue seriously and the public must be more vocal about it.
Bilkis Banu,
Monipuri Para

Attestation by Government Officer
Applications have been invited for the post of Assistant Teacher of primary school in Bangladesh. Interested candidates have been asked to submit application with copies of his/her educational certificates etc duly attested by a first class gazetted officer. Is it possible for all ordinary candidates to have the paper attested by first class gazette officer? This practice of attestation has been derived from the colonial era of administration in our country. This practice should be repealed introducing a system where any other responsible person is allowed to do the attestation such as head master of school, bank officer or retired persons of like status who are easily available in the society. I hope the government will lend a sympathetic ear to my plea.
M.A.Zaman
Hari Charan Roy Road
Faridabad, Dhaka-1204

Good Bye to Dowry
Mr. Zibon's letter in The Star (5th June, 2009) is really praiseworthy because of its authentic and accurate description of the reality surrounding us. Like many other problems, this is another evil that has reached alarming levels through years of neglect. A lot of talk is going on these days about change, so let us once again be serious and say 'good bye' finally to the system of dowry because it is a curse that is still tearing down innumerable families both in towns and villages. Particularly in the rural areas, parents have still not moved beyond the thought that the daughter is a heavy burden on the family. Even in the towns and city areas, I found some so-called educated people saying, “Yes, the bride's parents have offered me Taka 3 lakhs before passing the BCS exam, and after passing the BCS exam, I must have minimum Tk.6 lakhs from them to marry the same girl.” If this were the mentality of an educated BCS cadre, what would be the future of the country?
Women are not commodities to be bought and sold. Parents bring up their daughters with the hope of making them self-confident, self-sufficient and educated enough so that they themselves can do something. They have given their daughters a lot of freedom and the daughters as well are committed to fulfill their parents' dreams. Definitely and undoubtedly this is a very bright sign of social development. People are becoming aware that it is only educating the girls that can solve the problem.
My request to the concerned authority is to have a deeper look into the matter, if you really want to make the country a Digital Bangladesh. It is really a deplorable matter that we could not bring about a little change in this field whereas lots of NGOs are working on these issues throughout the country. Where is the problem then? In fact, it is all about our money making mentality and worldly attitude. This sort of attitude will never change unless there is proper implementation of existing laws.
We should all remember that the woman who is going to be one's wife is entitled to respect and fair treatment. There is no dowry in the Quran and so it is deplorable on religious grounds as well. We should all unite to resist this evil.
Md. Hasan Iqbal (Milan),
JiVitA, Keranipara, Rangpur

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