Ask
first
A few days
back, I went to Botanical Garden with a friend. We sat down
in a nice spot and started to talk. We were in the midst of
our discussion when a young man came to us carrying cans of
soft drinks. He insisted that we bought one and he constantly
kept on nagging about it. Finally, he stopped nagging and broke
the cap off the can and handed the cool can to us politely.
We decided not to refuse his gesture. He then left the scene,
promising to return after a while to take his money. When we
finished the drink, he came to take his money, but this time,
with his friends. He boldly demanded Tk.40 for the can. I was
surprised because it cost only Tk.15 in the market. I told him
that if he wanted to make a profit, he could charge a little
extra but Tk.40 was atrocious. After hearing this, his tone
rapidly changed. I handed him Tk.40 but he didn't seem content.
He said that he also needed "baksish" (tip) for his
trouble. I tried really hard to contain myself and handed him
Tk.10 more. This was the most awkward situation that I have
ever been in. Now, I feel very insecure to even order a can
of soft drink in the park.
K.
J. Saeed, Dhaka College
Tenacious
Beggar
Some
days back, I purchased a ticket to board a Premium Bus from
Shahbagh. A beggar with a robust body came to me and asked for
one taka. He came pretty close to me and scared me at first.
I refused him politely and he went away. After about five minutes,
he came again and asked me to buy him an egg. He told me that
he was very hungry. His stubborn persistence angered me and
I rejected him again, this time a little rudely as I was in
a rush. To me, begging is nothing but a public nuisance. When
I returned home, I started to think of the burly beggar that
I had encountered today. Fate is such a funny thing. It can
change at anytime for anyone, even for this gigantic and imperious
guy.
Molla Mohammad Shaheen Dept of English,
Dhaka University
Dhaka:
The Beauty of Uncertainty
The
title is a little contradictory but let me elucidate the facts.
Every day, a large number of people come to Dhaka to have a
better life. There are others who only dream of coming to this
beautiful city. The migration rate to Dhaka can be best observed
if one visits places like Sadargat, Gabtali and Saidabad. However,
things are not what they seem. Dhaka has turned into a city
of slums, since this is the only place the hapless mobs find
their resort. These people are facing adversity at every turn.
Time tells through its own tongue as it offers them nothing
but a gruesome present, keeping them far from the future they
had dreamt of. An invincible adversity with its constant hardships
become their only companion. But Dhaka too, with its mysterious
beauty and cryptic natural beauty somehow tantalises these people
again and again. Every night, they close their eyes with the
hope of another sunrise that will remove all the pangs of their
cruel fate. Time goes by. Time is cruel. Seldom does it change
for the likes of these poor people.
Tawhidur
Rahman Nazrul Islam Hall, BUET
