Commentary
Bangladesh Cricket

It seems the day has finally come when our 'famous' cricket team can manage to even compete at the highest level of cricket. It looks as if Dave Whatmore has finally slapped some senses into these so-called professionals. Bangladesh cricket recorded its first win in FIVE years in the international circuit last Wednesday, and this performance definitely deserved praise.

It seems that the tides have changed mainly because it has been one way traffic for most of the teams that have played the Tigers. However, this time they showed great resilience, something that has not been present over the last god knows how many years. Festivities and celebrations have been a virtually non-existent part of the game for the team, but this time it seems that emotions were flying high. Players queuing up for the stumps even before the ball was returned, is something that can't be seen much often in cricket. It just proves how passionate our cricketers have become over these years.

A team performance is what was required from Bangladesh and that was exactly what it got. However, there were glimpses of brilliance from Ashraful, who really came to age in this ODI series. The fielding has improved considerably since the new coach took over, and even then they managed to drop two catches in three deliveries. Its just that our players still don’t have the composure to play an entire game without making mistakes.

Friday and the 4th ODI saw a brilliant bowling performance from the strike bowlers, only to throw it all away in the closing stages of the Zimbabwean innings. However, the performance was much better than that of previous tours and the signs are looking hopeful. A competitive loss by only thirteen runs squared the series one all. One more game is left in the series, and its prime time that the team performs to its peak.

With passions flying high, and with yet another defeat in the 4th One day international, it wouldn't be fair to judge the team as yet. The new captain is in the helm and the team is finally showing glimpses of improvement. Dave Whatmore is definitely delivering when it comes to team tactics and training. It’s now just upto the players to perform in the center stage. They have got the most passionate crowd cheering them on at home and let's just hope that they at least perform well consistently.

By Mishel Ali Khan

This is the age of fashion, which is not only confined to our dress, but also in the way we speak, behave, decorate our homes and our lifestyles in general. Fashion can be nowadays to us teenagers and older people can be regarded as modernity. To have fashion in our lives, to wear fashionable clothes you don't have to be rich. Fashion can be created at any and every minute. Someone can dress up as a hippie and still be can in fashion. It does not mean u have to wear what the common crowd is wearing. Example there was a fashion for boys to sag in baggy pants with huge NBA basketball T-shirts and a cap to go, so if a guy shows up wearing tight pants and flowery shirt its still fashion. Its his fashion. We all do some times call funny names to people wearing out of the blue weird clothes because firstly its not fashionable and secondly he maybe looking like a complete clown.

In a way fashion lends variety to our lives, providing an element of excitement in trying out something new. Change is not only desirable but also appreciated.

So don't worry be happy create your own trends, and maybe you might be ending up creating a fashion statement. This is a free world so go ahead and dip your head into the world of fashion and experience life in a different way.

By Marmarin Virani

Perspective
Price hikes: Destination Everest?

For the last two years or so, the highly disgraceful issue of continuos price hike of everyday products is giving the city folks death rattles almost on a daily basis. It is more like a repulsive test of patience for the average law-abiding and decent citizens. For them every visit to the market leads to a baffling experience which helplessly raises questions about the strength and willingness of the government's efforts on this highly crucial issue of our already much struggling society.

It's not that people are asking to be millionaires within one week or dying to be the one in power. All that a decent average family requires is a peaceful environment where the daily necessities are affordable for all, despite of the individual's socio-economic background. But Alas! With the passing of days it seems the entire daily necessaries are getting out of reach as the prices of the daily essentials are rocketing high one after another. In the last couple of years the price of the daily products have gone up 40%. The price of the edible oil has risen 64.70% and starting from meats, chicken, vegetables (who can forget the last Ramadan's infamous onion showdown in little Dhaka!), butter oil, ghee, sugar to even the good old rice all have soared high and haven't landed safely yet. The latest target is the baby food products, especially the ever-demanding milk powders, soup of pigeon pea or commonly known as daal, and flour. Nothing substantial has been done to control this drastic mayhem and citizens fear that there would never be any actions against this injustice to the society.

The authorities explain this deadly juggling of the price as a normal aspect of the free market economy. But the citizens seems to think this narration of the authorities as nothing but just another lame excuse, something that the authorities never run out of. Experts refer this price hike pandemonium as a result of "free style economy" where there exists no governance at all and no concern for the public interest. Some would say this is due to the indiscriminate extortion while others utter aspects of low supply, high import costs or currency fluctuation and these blah blahs have been going on for more than two years. The civil society believes that the whole market system has been bought by some wicked businessmen who runs things exactly in accordance to their own benefit. From time to time these organised groups of sinister businessmen creates some artificial complication in the supply of products, which is followed by the unexpected swell of the prices of products. What really frustrates the citizens is the laid back attitude of the respective government ministries and authorities when they are supposed to labour on good faith and work out the situation.

The people do not care about the international market situation or some fat excuse of currency fluctuation or some big shot comparison of previous government's price marketing scenario. All that they need is to have the prices of daily essentials in an affordable limit and lead a balanced lifestyle since they earn their income by decent means. And when the prices of the daily essentials go up life for this city folks get very harsh and all the promises of the political parties turn out to be blatant lies. To keep the livelihood of the mass normal it is essential that the prices of the daily necessities are strictly controlled and properly regulated. But the nexus between some crooked businessmen and corrupt government officials have created an anarchy that has snatched away millions of public's hard-earned money by a means which is no less than blackmailing. Tragic it is to see that as the days are passing by things are getting worse than ever and the unfairness towards the citizens continues and yet there seems to be no promising sign of improvement of this drastic situation.

By Obaidur Rahman