MAILBOX
Rohingya crisis: where is the aid coming from and is it useful?
Firsthand accounts of journalists, aid workers and well-meaning philanthropists flocking to Cox's Bazar in light of the Rohingya refugee influx tell of the enormous civilian efforts to help the refugees. People all over Bangladesh are collecting cash, dry food, clothes and other relief materials to donate to the refugees–many of whom fled with practically nothing.
Aid organisations from home and abroad are distributing relief items but there is no system to distribute fairly and in an organised manner. Rather, waste is being created and the refugees, particularly children, are at risk of being harmed in crowds desperately trying to get aid. I urge individuals and organisations wishing to donate to plan a proper distribution system at the site and take into consideration the most pressing needs of the refugees (food, water and shelter materials). But all this cannot be done by civilians alone. The government and international aid agencies need to step up in taking care of vital needs such as healthcare, clean water and sanitation at the settlements springing up in Cox's Bazar.
Mahfuzur Rahman
Adabor, Dhaka
70 Years of Partition: States of being divided
Thanks to Star Weekend for presenting such a wonderful issue demonstrating the Partition of Bengal from different viewpoints. Every single article in the magazine had rich content and covered almost all spheres of life from academics to arts. From the editor's note, we came to know the aim of this special issue is to commemorate the 70th anniversary as well as to revive our interest in the history of Partition.
I think it truly served this purpose. The human stories from different sources helped us get a sense of the emotions and actions of the time. The articles on the influence of Partition on our literature and film, especially the conversation with Tanvir Mokammel, were interesting reads. Thanks to Star Weekend once again for this fascinating issue.
Bulbul
Merul Badda, Dhaka
Enemies of traffic safety
The article "Enemies of traffic safety" published in Star Weekend on September 1 was a perfect scenario of the traffic laws of Dhaka city before Eid. Before the festival, traffic police or sergeants are more active compared to the rest of the year. It is a form of civilised harassment–even if the vehicle and its driver are fully abiding with traffic rules and regulations, the sergeants make up an absurd violation and lodge a case against the vehicle simply to extract money from the owners.
The more tickets they issue, the greater their supposed efficiency. But city dwellers suffer and if we attempt to argue with the sergeants, we are fined more heavily. There should be a proper monitoring system so that we are not exploited. At times, vehicle owners bribe traffic sergeants in order to avoid paying larger amounts where both parties are wrong. But if a car and its driver are in full accordance with traffic rules, why should we pay fines to the traffic authorities?
Rafid Alam
Mohammadpur, Dhaka
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