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    Volume 8 Issue 80| July 31, 2009 |


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Star Diary

Bargaining for Time and Money

Last week I had gone to the old part of Dhaka to buy a watch. After going through at least a dozen shops, I finally found the kind of watch I was looking for. When I asked the price, I couldn't believe my ears. The price, which was offered, was twice more than the actual brand! As I was about to leave the shop, the shopkeeper reduced the price to half. Hearing this I decided to reduce the price a bit more and thus began the bargaining. The bargaining went on for about fifteen minutes and he finally decided to give the watch at a price four times less then what he had initially offered. I guess it is in our nature to bargain, no mater how long it might take.
Rahim Abu Ali Sajwani
North South University
Dhaka

An Unusual Incident

I was in a private bank at Motijheel for some official work the other day. Even though my work was done, it was raining outside so I decided to wait inside for while. As I was waiting, a young man came and sat beside me. I noticed he was using a crutch. He was not very well dressed and was carrying a bag. He started to speak with me in a soft voice requesting me to let him use my mobile phone for a local call since he did not have one and it was raining incessantly. I asked him to give me the mobile number he wanted to call so that I could dial it for him. When I gave him my phone he made some changes to the number and dialled it. He spoke for a minute and then cut it off. Later on, as he was trying to delete the number he had dialled from my mobile, I noticed that it was actually an overseas number! I was surprised and asked him in an irritated voice why he did something like this when I was trying to help him. In response he mumbled something, which flew over my head. Initially I was angry with myself for being so naive but later on I realised that we can't change our habit of being courteous and helpful to others because of the few dishonest people that we meet now and then.
Mohammed Sohel Hara
Yassma Knitting & Dyeing Ltd
Narayangonj

Attestation Crisis

A few days ago, a friend went to a gazetted officer to attest some of his documents, which he needed to apply for a job. However, the officer refused to attest my friend's character certificate saying that she did not know him and it would be risky to actually say that he was a good person and a hard worker. My friend was also unbending and tried to make her understand that in our country, this was a very normal thing to do and it would not matter if she helped him out. No logic melted her from her ideology. This has become a very common problem in our country and frankly, this attestation of a character certificate is quite absurd. This in no way proves the superior qualities in a person or makes him or her qualified for any job whatsoever.
Mohammad Azam Khan
University of Chittagong
Chittagong


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