Great
Cover
I just finished reading the article "The Turbulent
Evolution of Bangla Rock" by Faizul A Tanim from
your website and I have to admit the article almost
brought tears to my eyes! Sitting here in Calgary,
Alberta - Western Canada, where the influx of Bangladeshis
is not that high - this article just brought the whole
musical experience of my childhood in Bangladesh into
perspective. Tanim hit every chord of our affinity
towards Bangla rock - he even mentioned the fact that
the most popular ones are played after Eid Nammaz!
His flow of writing was very elegant and the information
he presented was was very emotional...I thank him
for this article and hope we'll get to see such articles
from him more often! Bravo Tanim!
Saima Jamal,
Canada
Iraqi
War Prisoners
What we have seen on television and daily newspapers
about the treatment of Iraqi prisoners is beyond tolerance.
How brutal can they be? Treating people with such
disrespect. These people are not soldiers they are
barbarians. The United Nations should carry out a
thorough investigation and punish people who are responsible
for such heinous and abominable crimes. Even female
soldiers were part of this dirty game. This is nothing
but sheer violation of international law and American
and British soldiers are showing how much respect
they hold for it.
Badal Hasib
Mohammadpur
Misfortune
of three examinees
I have read the article "Heading Towards a Fascist
State" by Ahmede Hussain written in the Star
Weekend Magazine on 30th April 2004.After reading
the article I was shocked. By reading that article
I have come to know that the police are violating
even High Court orders. Even the lawmakers and right
activists are surprised by this gross violation of
human rights, where the police have arrested innocent
young men. Many innocent civilians and their families
are suffering due to these illegal arrests. The most
shocking thing is the arrest of the three HSC examinees
who came to Dhaka for shopping. I feel for these candidates
a lot and I would request each and every concerned
person of our country to help these innocent students
who are not involved in any political movement.
Hasna Hasan
Lecturer
On
Ridley
Many thanks to Tazin Abdullah for her interview with
brilliant journalist Yvonne Ridley who explored the
truth towards the world despite all consequences,
which was actually exploited by the west particularly
western journalists and politicians. She has created
a new trend in the field of journalism and have lessons
for the west. I hope she will have more contributions
in the future
Asadul
Alam
Mohakhali, Dhaka
Thanks
to Tazin Abdullah
The interview of your April 23rd is a great read and
I want give my heartiest congratulations to Tazin
Abdullah for her outstanding work. In one word it
was "brilliant." We came to know about the
truth about the Taliban who have been made controversial
by the western mass media for their treatment of woman.
Yvonne Ridley exposes the unrevealing truth about
Bush and Blair -- that they are invading countries
without any proper reason. From her interview we came
to know that Taliban didn't misbehave with a non-Muslim
woman like her. They treated her as their sister,
which the western media was not prepared to hear.
Returning from captivity she became a Muslim after
reading the Holy Quran. We come to know about much
reality about Afghanistan and events in Iraq that
have been misinterpreted by western reporters who
broadcast stories according to their preconceived
notions, giving Westerners the wrong impression of
Islam and Muslims. She referred to the western journalists
as gutless, lily-livered, spineless individuals who
prefer to be spoon-fed by the government, which is
absolutely true. I would not have known about the
experiences of Yvonne Ridley if it was not published
in SWM. We expect more such informative interviews
from this writer.
Farhana Tahsin
Dhaka University
On
Cinnamon and Honey
Thanks to SWM and Rahatun-nesa for upholding the benefits
of honey. With our decreasing faith in allopathic
medicine (both due to their side effects and our deshi
doctors), such a home remedy will be helpful for all.
The question is where do we get pure honey? Will the
foreign makes available in the market (Indian 'Dabur'
and some Australian brands) do or are they artificial?
Of course, local honey is also available but one tends
to think it is adulterated, as is so common nowadays,
even with vegetables like tomatoes. I would also like
to know the exact amount of honey a diabetic patient
may take per day. The portions outlined contain up
to 5 teaspoons of honey, which I believe is quite
high. While allopathic doctors forbid honey for diabetics,
herbal medicine practitioners say that it is harmless.
I would be very grateful if Rahatun-nesa sheds some
light on such matters in a sequel article.
Waseka Begum
Banani
