I read with a great deal of interest Dr. Ahmad Islam's article entitled "Hoodlums reign", published in The Daily Star on Friday, August 22, 2008. This article has spoken the minds of millions of concerned citizens residing in Dhaka as most of them have directly ort indirectly experienced horrific situations in the hands of criminals, similar to those narrated by Dr. Islam. This is a subject of great national concern for all peace-loving people. We hope that, as Dr. Islam urged, the government will address this situation on a priority basis. The development and progress of a nation cannot be measured just by the economic index or the technological advancement - - there has to be a certain level of peace, security and social stability for a nation to be considered progressive and to earn the trust and respect of the world community, especially the foreign governments and investors whom we need so badly as our development partners.