MAILBOX
MAILBOX
Parenting 101
The cover story came at a time when a lot of parents are wondering about where they have gone wrong in raising their children. I am not a mother yet. So I am not much of an expert on how to raise children. But I have parents and I know how they tried to raise me. Instead of lecturing me to “do the right thing,” they always led by example. Integrity is something that has to be instilled in children at an early stage. Spending quality time with them is a must, as the cover story points out. Children must be taught to respect their fellow humans regardless of race, creed and colour. Teachers play one of the most important roles in the lives of children. So teachers must act accordingly. We must remember that today's child is tomorrow's citizen.
Ayesha Akhter
Student
Gulshan, Dhaka
***
The cover story makes some good points about how to become good parents. Spending quality time with children is one of the most important factors of good parenting. I think good parenting is about teaching children to read good books, become compassionate to others, know our culture, be respectful to elders and above all, be honest. Parents must first practice before they can preach their children.
Shohana Ali
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
A Really Bad Habit
A Few months ago, the British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a sweeping censorship plan that would block the internet users in the UK from accessing online pornography. I think it is a milestone step by the British government. I wish our government took similar steps because it is much more important in our country's perspective. Many students at the school, college and university level visit porn sites on a regular basis, wasting valuable time which they could have used to study or play sports. Watching pornography has many bad effects. Studies show that men who regularly watch porn generally look at women with less respect than non-watchers. Other studies show that watching porn is highly addictive and may cause depression. With the rise of cell phones and internet just a click away, we really need to come up with a comprehensive plan to censor/stop the spread of pornography in this country.
Anando Kumar Saha
On Email
Stop this madness
The recent remarks by a senior minister while referring to Nisha Desai Biswal, US assistant secretary of state, and Dan Mozena, the US ambassador to Bangladesh, is outrageous. He called Nisha Biswal a “two penny worth of a minister”. He also mocked her ethnicity, age, gender, and marital status. The minister's comments about the US ambassador were even more hurtful. He told an audience in Khulna that that he has a domestic servant called “Morzina” who now wants to change her name after he had told her that Dan Mozena was trying to remove the AL from power. Does the minister have any sense of decency? More important, is he in his right mind? Does he understand the importance of a visiting US diplomat and a US ambassador? In the recent past, other ministers also have taken cheap shots at the World Bank and the US, violating diplomatic etiquette. Whenever the government faces any criticism, they come up with these ridiculous comments. This needs to stop. It is hurting our image as a country.
Anonymous
Undaunted spirit
A few days ago, after saying jumma prayer I was returning home and I noticed a vegetable vendor selling vegetables on his van. He was about 30 years old. One of his hands was amputated from the knee joint. But that did not seem to be much of a problem for him. Though holding a weight scale is not an easy task for him but he mastered the technique with a lot perseverance and determination. Every day I see so many physically fit persons begging on the streets. They should learn from this vegetable vendor. Begging robs one of his or her dignity. If someone is physically capable of working, he or she must do something to earn a livelihood. No work is small if it is done with honesty and dignity.
Md Zonaed Emran
The farmers bank Ltd
Don't Kill the Guest
During the winter migratory birds such as Bali Duck, Samukal, Bright, Rose King, Bali Lenja, Chity, Boikal, Nilshir, Piyang, Pankouri, Rangamuri, and Pintail flock to the country's beels, haors, marshy lands and major rivers. These birds come from various regions of the world including the Himalayas, Siberia, Nepal, China and Mongolia. They come for warmer weather. They are good for the ecosystem. But after coming here, they face harsh realities. We catch or kill them for food, although the law forbids us to do so. There is a great demand for migratory birds in Bangladeshi markets. Let us show compassion to these creatures that sometimes fly thousands of miles to be here for a warmer shelter. And let us implement the laws against killing or catching them.
Md Al- Amin Jony
School of Business
Asian University of
Bangladesh