On the Cover Story
I enjoyed greatly the breathtaking cover story 'The Season of the Mowalis' in the April 23rd issue of SWM, through the lens of Tanjilur Rahman and the narration of Mustafa Zaman. It enlivened a real world of sight and sound of a fading livelihood in the heart of the mightiest mangrove forest on earth, which is so close in distance and at the same time, so far away. Many thanks to the laudable effort by SWM to capture this. However, that being said, I also feel that the article ended a bit abruptly and was a little incomplete. It did not tell us how the "Mowalis" celebrate their safe return home after an incredibly perilous journey, what happens to their hard-earned honey, how the middle-men gobble up most of their money and how the honey ends up on our tables in Dhaka. The story could have been more interesting if it was studded with more anecdotes on the real life and death situation of Mowalis in the hands of man-eaters.

Meshkat A Chowdhury Mirpur

"Whose Arms are They Anyway?"
The article titled, 'Whose Arms are they Anyway', by Ahmede Hussain was thoroughly researched. It is quite surprising that this government (like its predecessors) have been ignoring incidents of gun toting in our country. Ahmede Hussain quite appropriately described the recent arms haul a national security nightmare. It is also not surprising that some unscrupulous policemen, working with the smugglers, have been smuggling huge caches of weapons into the country. What surprises me is where SWM positioned this article. Instead of giving the Perspective proper importance, SWM put it on their 26th page; after mundane and unimportant topics like Voices from the Past (A Horse at Islamabad) and a wearisome Boishaki Dreams.
Nowshinuddin, Lalmatia

Good Issue
Thank you very much for a great issue this week. You started off with a great cover story titled, 'The season of the mowalis'. It was very exciting to read. I found that the health page, in which we learned about 'the benefits of cinnamon and honey' was very informative and helpful. My father is suffering from arthritis and after reading the health page he has decided to use the formula which was given there. 'An interview with Yvonne Ridley' was also very interesting. And finally Newsnotes, Dhaka Dairy this week were magnificent.
Maisha, Ramna

Creative Effort
I was delighted to read the excellent write-up, "The Treasures of Sea Grass", by Aasha Mehreen Amin on the 16th April issue. Although I was aware that "Hogla" (local name hogole pata) is used mainly to made for ground-mats and hut-fences but I never realised that one can do many creative things with it, until I read your cover story. In our part of the world, it is refreshing to know that people are coming up with innovative ways to utilise our natural resources and open up a shop such as Décor Idee". My earnest hats off to "Décor Idee" and the writer Amin for a finely written article.
Md.Zillur Rahaman, Gandaria

On This Week's Perspectives
Ahmede Hussain's perspective on the recent arms haul was, in a word, brilliant! I haven't read such an in-depth report and such powerful analysis on the arms haul before. Bangladesh become a haven for arms-smugglers and terrorists and the government insists on turning a blind eye to such incidents. The country's national security, it seems, means nothing to either of the major political parties. It is quite interesting to see that Awami League, which calls general strikes even on most trivial issues, has remained observably silent this time. Ahmede Hussain, for this exclusive story deserves to be named among one of the best journalists in the country. Ahmede Hussain's writing is thorough, direct and lucid, which we only see in international newsmagazines like Time and Newsweek. I hope SWM will give more attention to issues that centre on our everyday political and social life. Keep up the good work.
Khawja Irfan Habib, Baridhara

An Eye Opener
I was so happy to read the article by Sangita Ahmad, in which she spoke about how she and her family accepted a child into their home with as much love as she would have had for her own child. Her true story will encourage many childless couples to take such a bold step regardless of staunch family traditions of "own born child issues and family torch barriers". It bought tears to my eyes when she compared the fortune of her precious daughter to the poor children on the streets. It gives me hope to think that we can help reduce the number of homeless children this if we wish. It is a misfortune that foreigners can accept a child from our country as their own but we cannot take it upon ourselves to do so because we have become so indifferent to the issue of homeless children. Thank you again Sangita for sharing your valuable thoughts and experiences with us. Hopefully your article will inspire many couples and their elders who are in the dilemma of making the right decision to change their attitudes.
Azra Narveen Ahmad, Old DOHS-Banani

Avoid Repetition
SWM is really the leading magazine in Bangladesh. Its content brings continuous reading pleasure for us. I especially like reading the jokes page. I noticed however, that you have repeated the jokes from the 9th April issue. Please avoid making these mistakes in the future.
Hasan Al Mahbub, Dhaka University