The Swindler and the Swindled

Early in the morning the other day, I was at our front gate when a 'suited-booted' gentleman walked over to me. Without any hesitation he told me about his plight to the effect that his brief case had been mugged at Gabtoli with all his belongings. The mugger had also taken away his billfold. He was visiting Dhaka in response to a court summon and now, needed some money to return home. If I could help him with the bus fare he would go back and make sure that I would get back my money. I gave him the money but he never returned. I was duped. A neighbour of mine shared a similar experience where a man approached him at a dark corner of the street. He said that he and his family needed some money to return home to Norshingdi. They hadn't eaten anything during the day either. There was a black burkha-clad woman with a baby on her shoulder, behind him. The gentleman was not convinced for he had occasionally seen this same couple in the neighbourhood. According to him the man and woman were not husband and wife and that the child was a borrowed one and kept in sedation during the appropriate period of time. The couple failed to dupe my neighbour. Unfortunately the more we try to trust people, the more they take advantage of us.

Syed Waliullah, Dhaka

The Poor Motor Biker

Recently my mom and I went to Agora to buy some household items. After we finished our shopping, we were standing in the parking area waiting for our car. Suddenly, we heard a loud motorbike. When it came near us, I saw that the guy who was on the bike was looking at my mom as if he never saw a woman before. My mom is very young looking and looking at her, no one could tell that she had a twenty four-year-old daughter! The guy who was looking at my mom at a flirting way could not have been more than 22. He was even staring flirtations after he had passed us by and this was indeed very irritating. Unfortunate for the guy, he didn't see another parked motorcycle in front of him and crashed into it. When my mom and I were getting inside our car, we saw the boy standing beside his bike; his whole face had lost its colour as his bike had sustained a lot of damage. . My request to all bike riders: be a little more careful while riding a bike or else it may cost yours or your dear one's life.

F. Islam

No Rescuer!

This incident happened in broad day light to a friend of mine a few days back. She wanted to go to Nilkhet to purchase a book after buying some things from New Market. While walking in front of Chandnichawlk a small group of miscreants, about four in number, encircled her and was trying to take her mobile from her bag. When those miscreants understood that their motive had been disclosed, they put the mobile back into the bag but refused to give back the Tk.1000, which they had taken from the bag. Though she knew that they had taken her money she didn't dare to shout, as she was alone and afraid of them. But in her utter astonishment, she noticed that all the vendors and customers were watching the incident but no one came to the aid of a helpless girl. Their attitude shocked her more. She took a rickshaw to a friend's place near the campus. She had to even borrow some money for the fare. On her way back the rickshaw puller told her that all of them had observed the whole unpleasant occurrence. Actually, we will never be saved from such miscreants until we get united and help those in their times of need.

Farhana Tahsin.Kamlapur