MAILBOX
Peoples' master plan for a livable future
With rising urbanisation and rapid industrialisation in Bangladesh, the demand for electricity has increased and the pressure on resources is burgeoning. In order to meet the challenges in coming days, the government has taken up a master plan for power generation but the efforts will eventually cause major environmental impact and financial burden as the plans leave Bangladesh dependent on coal-fired power plants and imported coal, liquid natural gas (LNG), and above all, huge loans.
However, Bangladesh is blessed with a plentiful supply of renewable sources of energy e.g. solar, wind, and biomass. A study shows the country receives an average daily solar radiation of 4–6.5 kWh/m2 falling over 300 days per annum. Besides, the country is endowed with a 700 km coastline that can be utilised to generate wind energy. Why should we increase the annual growth rate of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-based power generation if we can utilise renewable energy resources?
We urge the government to take into account the proposals of The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports which provides an alternative to the government's master plan under the title "Peoples' Master Plan for Power and Energy (2017-2041)". This will ensure sustainable use of national resources and development of the country's energy sector.
Md. Khalid Hasan
Institute of Education Research (IER)
University of Dhaka
Raising our voices against child abuse
The articles "What about justice for the unheard?" and "The never ending cycle", published in the Star Weekend of June 21 displayed accurately the perverted minds and cruelty of people against children. For example, the latter talks about the barbaric abuse of 11-year-old domestic worker, Sabina Akhter, by the wife of Lt Col Taslim Ahsan. Cases of physical, mental, verbal and sexual abuse of child workers go unheeded as the legal procedure to get justice for them is too slow and the perpetrators manage somehow to get away with their offences. Thus, the never ending cycle of violence against domestic workers continues.
The article "What about justice for the unheard?" showed the perverted mindset of an old man devoid of humanity and the effect of psychological trauma on a child. I came to learn how difficult it is to get justice for intellectually disabled (and other) persons after suffering violence. It is really important to set examples of punishment of the offenders through legal procedures to save our children from violence. To ensure a healthy environment for the development of children, we have to make the world safe for them. We have to resist violence against children. We have to raise our voices against child abuse.
Nafis Sadik
Farmgate, Dhaka
Stop tiger killings
July 29 is observed as 'World Tiger's Day'. It is a matter of sorrow that while the number of tigers is increasing worldwide, the number of Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans is decreasing day by day. A study has shown that tigers are being killed in the Sundarbans due to traps. In the past few years, at least 30 tigers' body parts have been found in different places of our country. The people who are involved in tiger killings have not been exposed yet. This means the Royal Bengal Tiger is in big trouble. Preservatives are being used for killing tigers. Why are preservatives being sold at open marketplaces? Our government should take immediate action to stop tiger killings. Persons responsible for tiger killings should be punished. At the same time, selling of preservatives at open spaces should be banned. Otherwise it will be impossible for us to save our tigers.
Marshia Afrin
Mirpur, Dhaka