Feed Board

A Questionable Decision

A recent decision made by the Health Ministry about admitting students in medical and dental colleges on the basis of High School CGPA has taken many students by surprise. Aspirant students who have been preparing to apply for their admission tests in medical and dental colleges across the country have already taken to the streets to protest against this decision. The results of SSC and HSC examinations do not reflect the true merits of a student since the evaluation systems in both of these examinations are mostly based on the memorising skills of students. I hope that the authorities concerned revise their decision regarding the admission process in medical and dental colleges and let our future doctors grow to their full potentials.

Maria Yesmin Srity
United International University, Dhaka.

Perils on the Road

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

The spotlight titled 'Journey Back Home-a risky venture' published in Star Campus on August 12, 2012, was a very well researched one. Every year the students have to face the agonies of scarcity of tickets, black ticket sellers, and increased ticket price and so on during the Eid vacation. Moreover, there are also the problems regarding outrageous traffic jams in highways and the dilapidated condition of roads. Though the problems have been discussed in the media, the authority seems to not care much. Students should raise their voices against these problems so that the authorities concerned take necessary steps to fix the situation on the roads and people can travel to their homes during the festivals safely.

Niranjan Dashgupta
United International University,
Dhaka.

Revising the Madrasah curriculum

Bangladesh is one of the few countries in the world where three distinctive mediums of education namely Bengali, English and Madrasah are followed in educational institutions. The absence of a unified education system is creating obstacles to create a homogenous society. Though a lot of students, especially from the lower strata of society, are studying in Madrasahs across the country, the lack of government observation in modernising the age-old curriculum of Madrasah education is apparent. Moreover, students from Quomi Madrasahs are ending up with virtually no practical knowledge since their curriculum consists of religious issues only. It is high time for the government to modify the current Madrasah curriculum so that the Madrasah students can rise up to the challenges of the twenty first century.

Afzalur Rahman
Department of International Relations
University of Chitttagong, Chittagong.

Of Concern

It is a matter of great regret that garment workers in our country are not paid enough. A recent article published in the New York Times suggests that an individual garment worker in Bangladesh is paid only US $ 37 a month which is not even sufficient to buy a single piece of garment made by these workers.

Despite being one of the major driving forces of our economy, the Readymade Garment Industries (RMG) are suffering from a number of problems nowadays. Occasional clashes between the owners and workers of garment factories can cost our economy big time in the near future. As a matter of fact, the government should take proper measures to ensure a decent salary for the garment workers.

Aziz Monir
Department of Communication and Journalism
University of Chittagong, Chittagong.