Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board: Caller ID System
I was very happy when I heard from a friend of mine to tell me that the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) was going to introduce the Caller ID System on all the T&T lines, so that we could be aware of the person who was making the call. But alas! This did not happen for the existing users of BTTB telephones. The people who had very recently subscribed for a telephone line got this facility. I would like to ask the BTTB the reason for their discrimination? In these bad times, when crime is on the increase and people are being threatened over the telephone for ransom, or just for the fun of it, wouldn't this provision facilitate the need for someone to be able to trace the caller and report to the BTTB or even to the law, if necessary? I often get calls from people who ask for a certain person. And when I politely reply that the person they were looking for is someone I don't know or does not stay in my home, they hurl vulgar words at me and even threaten to kill me. If I had the facility of the Caller ID System I could have easily reported the matter to the BTTB or the law-enforcing agency. With this letter, I strongly urge the BTTB authorities to give the matter a thought. I firmly do hope that others, who share my frustrations, will join me to support this cause.
Michael Matthias
Dhanmondi

Good Cover
There could not be a better topic for this weekend than the Bangla Academy. We thank SWM for selecting the topic and Mr. Zaman for carrying out an excellent job in writing the cover story, dated February 20, 2004. Mr. Zaman has given us a picture of the past and present state of the Bangla Academy. The material has enough basic information for one to prepare a comprehensive evaluation on the past, present and future of the academy, a very important institution of this nation. Usually I keep the cover story to be read at some convenient time but in this case while browsing through the content of this issue of SWM my attention was drawn by the photo of the empty research cell of the Academy. This sight intrigued me into reading the full article immediately. I then read a fantastic story of neglect, mismanagement, corruption and apathy of all concerned.

May I take this opportunity to draw your attention to the fact that it was Mr. Nurul Amin who happened to be the Prime minister of the time, not Monaem Khan. The latter was however the Governor of the province of East Pakistan. Thanking you again for this most informative write up.
Syed Waliullah
Dhaka

Good Magazine
From the very beginning I have enjoyed reading The Daily Star as it provides new things, current information, features and so on. I love reading SWM for its special character. I have become very fascinated with this magazine. I would like to thank Professor Shawkat Hussain for his short, simple, but powerful writings. His element of writing is satirical. I like it very much. I request that you continue publishing his writing.
Mahbub Alam
Dhaka University

Incorporate Islam into your Magazine?
I am a new reader of SWM. It's true that I enjoy reading your magazine and am learning a lot, and improving my English by learning new words. However, I have a question, why do you not have a page on Islamic life and culture? I feel that we need to be more educated on this topic and what better way than to have SWM help us. I think we should have at least two pages every week on the "real Islamic life and culture."
A Reader

On Strikes and Beatings
On the latest edition of Star Weekend magazine, I've seen the small article on strikes, which also had the picture of a man being mercilessly beaten up by some policemen, and this brought tears to my eyes. Though I'm not a supporter of any of the existing political parties in Bangladesh, I'm a human-being, which most other politicians are not. What they are always looking for is power and revenge. My question is, can't they order their policemen(!) not to beat up the respectable people of the opposition? Let them speak, at least!
Raihan Hadi
BBA,Presidency University

On our Political Parties
I want to make a statement about our two political parties. I think most of the politicians in Bangladesh are selfish. They only do things for their own benefit. If they thought about the country's interests instead of their own needs and wants, they would never call hartals. Don't they realise how harmful a hartal is for a developing country? Why doesn't our honourable (!) opposition party attempt to go and talk to the Prime Minister instead of making unreasonable demands and reacting like children when their demands aren't met. Although political wrangles may occur in any democratic country, hartals should never be used as an instrument in political disputes. A hartal burns crores of taka in a jiffy. If our political parties wanted the country's welfare, they would boycott this nasty habit of calling hartals and would attempt to work together.
Md. Abdullah Imran
Kushtia Government
University College