Letters
Has Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed Set a Good Example?
Assuming post of the Chief Adviser (CA) to the Caretaker Government by Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed was never beyond controversy he is still being accused of favouritism. By assuming the post of CA he has set an example which future presidents may want to follow in future elections. As a professor, he should have remembered this. Also, he has not yet been able to show his capability to take firm decisions and his non-aligned position. His wavering stance on the controversial Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) (does he fear anyone?) kept the whole country in anxiety. Moreover, in his two addresses to the nation he finished by saying “Bangladesh Zindabad” which is a popular concluding sentence of a particular party. He must have known this. I would request our President-cum-CA to act neutrally. He should follow reason and his own conscience instead of trying to make others happy. He must bring peace to the nation and create a suitable milieu for a free and fair election.
Md. Maidul Islam
Second Year, Dept. of English
University of Dhaka
On Awami League's Programmes
I do not think Awami League can see how they are jeopardising votes by continuing their siege programmes. During the 2001 elections, the CEC was aligned with the Awami League yet BNP managed to win. I am okay with someone wanting to hold elections with a neutral CEC but that does not mean that they can bring the country to a standstill to have their demands met. We lose a lot of money everyday due to the siege programmes. No wonder we are a poor country. I knew Bangladeshi people to be selfish but not to this extent. Most of my friends and I have our exams coming up in January and are not sure if we will be able to sit for them.
Riyadh Al Nur
BUET
Well Done, Banglalink
Thanks to Banglalink for their innovative advertising. I like to watch television advertisements. So far, Banglalink ads have been creative, the visualisation and music attractive. I become emotional at the sight of our rural areas. Advertising is one of the best tools of modern marketing systems to introduce products and services. It plays a vital role for an organisation. Every organisation should have creative ads to be able to compete in the global market.
S. K. Kamal Hossain
Khulna
Will it Go Unpunished?
November 18 was the birthday of Nasreen Parveen Haq, the country co-ordinator of Action Aid. Seven months have passed since her death but no progress has been made in her case. She was killed on April 24. A person who spent her life making it better for others cannot leave in such a way. We will never forget her, but what about the punishment of her killer?
Shirin Sharmin Bubly
On Political Brutality: An Irresponsible Silence of Civil Society
This is in response to the unethical silence (non-response) of our self-proclaimed civil society members to the bloody and bone-chilling brutality demonstrated by some political activists against a helpless member of their opponents political party. Obviously, I am referring to the killings committed in the recent past in broad daylight which the world had to watch. I, like many others, hoped to see some kind of serious reaction and reprimand from the leaders (men of principle!) of our 'sushil shomaj' (civil society) as they often give. But they had no reaction -- why? Did they not watch the news, or could they not bear to witness the brutality followed by laughter of the killers. Why else did they not protest in any way and demand exemplary punishment for such crimes against humanity? Did they think that a bright student of computer science (6th semester) at Stamford University deserved such an untimely ending of his life and dreams? Did they ever think of his poor parents? How can they not be sensitive to such horrific incidents? Do they not care for humanity, only for their self-interest? Such questions are now frequent in Letters to the Editor from sensitive readers around the world. Such brutality must stop immediately and our political leaders should be cautious against such gross violations of human rights. Let us not be hypocrites.
Arif
Dept. of English
University of Dhaka
Who are the Losers?
According to the law of probability, if you play a game, you will either be a winner or a loser, not both at the same time. But as everyone knows, politics in Bangladesh is a funny game. After the country was relieved of 'Azzzizzz-o-phobia', the 14-party alliance stated that they are the winners as their demands were met (in reality, only half of them or maybe one-third) and they expressed their joy by blockading the whole country! But more surprises came when the four-party alliance also stated that it is they who have won and brought out processions to celebrate. Everyone in the two major political parties were confident of their overwhelming victory! Aren't we missing something here? If all of the political parties are unanimous winners as they claim to be, then who are the losers? The people? But why? We were not playing the game at all and were forced to remain sitting on the sidelines. Maybe it is true that the trivial laws like probability don't work in politics and all the politicians here are in the same boat. But I am also utterly confident that the boat is not labelled WINNERS.
Rajendra Sarkar
Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
North South University
Protect our Journalists
A few days ago, Gautam Das, staff reporter of Dainik Samakal, was strangled by unknown assailants at his office. Nowadays, it is a very common phenomenon in the lives of journalists. they provide us with news of what is happening in society. But their lives become endangered because of such killings. We the people request the government to protect our journalists and punish the killers as soon as possible. Otherwise the government will be responsible for such crimes.
Farhana Hoque
I.S.R.T.
University of Dhaka
A Harmful Exemption
Some days ago, my friends and I got together at a footpath tea stall. At one point, a friend offered everyone a pack of cigarettes. We noticed the warning on the pack, a new and more serious warning, that smoking causes death. We became curious about warnings on the labels of other tobacco products like jarda, gul, etc. We checked cans of different brands of the products at the stall but found no warning at all. We were surprised. How come these products are being sold without any sort of warning and why are the concerned authorities not taking any measures to put warnings on them? Jarda and gul are prepared from tobacco leaves and are as harmful to health as cigarettes. In addition, they cause cancer of the mouth.
Mukul Chandra Mondal
Assistant Quality Control Manager Peoples Pharma Ltd.
Tongi,Gazipur
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