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     Volume 4 Issue 30 | January 21, 2005 |


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Letters

Love of the Language
I am very fond of SWM. Not only do I find it entertaining I also think it is useful for English learning students as well. I always try to develop my vocabulary by reading all the articles. I also feel that the British Council page should be continued for new English Language learners. I feel that it would definitely increase SWM's popularity.
Zunaead Shah
Dhaka

Would you Like to Ride on Your Own Ass?
Chintito should have looked around Dhaka city roadside shops more seriously before giving his verdict on rating our city in his article, "Would you like to ride on your own ass," in the 24th December 2004 issue of SWM. I remember seeing an interesting signboard of a tailor-shop on Elephant Road. The name of the shop, declares the signboard rather candidly, 'Clad Tailors'. How would Chintito react, if, on entering a tailor-shop, he found the 'master-cutter' and others sitting there unclad?
A Z M Abdul Ali
Uttara, Dhaka

On "The Battle of the Sexes"
I enjoyed reading the unique feature" The Battle of the Sexes" by Srabonti Narmeen Ali on the Dec 31st issue of SWM. In her article Srabonti paints a wonderful canvas where the battle of sexes rages on! On her getting together with a few friends during the marriage season they happen to encounter a snobbish male chauvinist who continuously speaks on the so-called frivolities of women, which ultimately ends up in a situation where he is subjected to ridicule. On dissecting this subtle and delicate issue Srabonti unfolds a crucial point that male chauvinists never make a commitment to women. At the same time she also makes the point that women are prone to succumb to the lure of marriage and commitment and are also responsible to the same degree for the predicament that so many young people find themselves in these days -- getting married for the wrong reasons and it ending in disaster. During the course in which the comments and events of the evening unfold, the writer remains invisible and at times appears to be much too cynical about the so-called culprit of the evening, the male chauvinist. This comes out even more when his cell phone rings and he makes a dash for the door to rush to pick his significant other up. A sorry state for the poor fellow involved in the Battle! Congrats, Srabonti and keep it up!
Rafiqul Islam Rime
Agrabad, Chittagong

Beautification?
The word beautification has been all the rage in Dhaka for the last few months. Funnily enough, the word has little meaning in areas that lack the status of being posh. There are areas like Old Dhaka, Khilgaon, Badda that badly need a touch of the magic wand. Unfortunately, the beautification effort centres round the main thoroughfares of the city. In the name of beautification, trees have been felled in certain areas and in the end the thoroughfares look cleaner, as hefty amounts have been spent in dressing the roadsides with gardens, which look too artificial. Besides, what's the point in beautifying a few roads while many roads and footpaths still lie in ruin. Even in posh areas, there are footpaths that are badly damaged and are in need of immediate repair. The other day I was walking along the Kamal Ataturk road leading to Gulshan-2, and the footpath has virtually been effaced at some places. Unfortunately, it is the roads less taken by pedestrians that have been given the face-lift, and the rest lies in utter neglect. I hope SWM will run articles addressing the issue.
Ahmed Kabir
Kamalapur, Dhaka

On Campus of Jan 14th issue
I was a little taken aback after reading "A department worth mention" in On Campus on January 14th. Tania, a student of the department definitely earned an edge with her teachers and the faculty members by writing such an "all-is-excellent-here" letter. In her fourth year, she has perhaps chosen a great time to write such a letter and have it published in SWM. I hope the editor of SWM uses more precaution when publishing clever letters like these which could unduly or duly benefit someone.
Selina Jefry
Dhaka

I am a new but avid reader of the Mita column and I get immense enjoyment from reading her answers and advice. I await this column with great eagerness every week. The question in my head though is who is this Mita? I am curious to know who this great person is, since she has reached the hearts of so many people by solving their problems. It seems unfair that she knows so much about us and we know nothing about her. Will the mysterious Mita ever be unveiled?
Jannatul Ferdous
Dhaka University

Where are the writers?
I have found that, recently, SWM has not been publishing many writings by their staff in-house writers. While I enjoy reading the contributors' articles I also feel that the staff writers of SWM add a certain flavour to the magazine that cannot be duplicated or replaced. I enjoy reading the musings pieces and the coverage of different events that the various writers make. I think they always come up with perspectives that have not been thought of before and can enlighten the rest of us with their perceptions. I hope to see more in-house writing in SWM for I believe the staff writers are the essence of the magazine.
K.M Abdul
On Email


Submission Guideline:
Letters to the Editor, Dhaka Diary and Write to Mita, with the writer's name and address, should be within 200 words. All articles should be within 1,200 words. A cover letter is not necessary, but every write-up should include the writer's name, phone number and email address (if any). While SWM welcomes unsolicited articles and photographs, it cannot accept the responsibility of their loss or damage. SWM does not return unsolicited articles and photos. Response time for unsolicited write-ups range from three weeks to two months. All articles submitted are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity.
All materials should be sent to: Star Weekend Magazine, 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka-1215, Fax: 880-2-8125155 or emailed to: <starweekendmag@gmail.com>
It is recommended that those submitting work for the first time to the SWM take a look at the sample copy beforehand. Our website is: http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine

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