Fashion?

We have been observing, albeit silently, an incremental yet disturbing trend among the burgeoning fashionists in today's Dhaka city. Apart from the sheer mockery it makes of the holy month of abstinence, the fashion ads smeared across the magazines and billboards reek of over-exposure of the feminine form, in complete denial of our treasured cultural identity. Our collective cultural identity had long been embedded in the notions of modesty and grace, and these are traits and values we are and should take immense pride in. Even The Daily Star for certain features in its Lifestyle and weekend magazines may stand accused of implicitly endorsing an ethnocentric view, when it is pivotal for a national daily not to lose sight of the fact that Gulshan-Banani-Dhanmondi views on trends and fashions do not necessarily reflect the collective values of the entire city, let alone the country as a whole. Many people echo this view in inconspicuous settings in fear of being branded a fundamentalist, but as social engineers our elected authorities indeed have a responsibility to nurture and preserve positive aspects of our cultural identities before they go awash in prevalent global tides.