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     Volume 4 Issue 47 | May 20, 2005 |


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Letters

On Devdas
The last issue of the SWM was truly an enjoyment, with an assortment of pieces and write-ups, especially by the in-house writers. Speaking specifically, "Dear Devdas" by Srabonti Narmeen Ali, was a fun read and had many readers laughing out loud. The idea of Devdas, the famous love icon of the east, being absolutely hopeless was something, which made many ponder upon for sure. As Srabonti put it in the first paragraph, "He is the icon of broken hearts. His is the epitome of tragic love stories." In this age and time, who in her right mind would actually fall for a character, no matter how appealing he might seem to be, who prefers to give up and drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Srabonti's article is probably a message to all those Devdas wannabes, who claim to have conquered the world by merely putting up a show of the sweet agony and bitter pain in front of many women and their alluring looks.
Tamanna Banani

Woman's Role
I would like to express my heartiest gratitude and thanks to Iffat Tarannum as she unveiled the seamy side of our society in her Dhaka Diary titled "Woman's Role". Though these incidents are very regular in the text books of both SSC and HSC level, it was an unique experience for her as she witnessed it in real life! This issue is one of the most widely discussed in our society and the government as well as people are trying their best to overcome this. Ours is a poor country and most people cannot afford to live a life, which meets our fundamental needs. That's why the rate of educated people is still low in comparison with the other countries of the world. Illiteracy is the main reason behind this problem. Also the consciousness and knowledge of people have to be raised. Although the percentage of these incidents (or accidents) are reducing day by day in the cities, they are still rampant in villages and remain a major problem. Women have to be educated and the mass population should be made aware.
Shoaib M Siddiqui Dhaka City College

Unfair Criticism!
I was shown a letter by a grocery shop owner who is a Bangladeshi here in New Jersey. This letter is written by Shila Parvin in your letters column in March 6th edition of Volume 4 Issue 45. It is regarding India's Entertainment Industry. In her letter she has criticised our entertainment industry. Let me tell her that nobody has asked her to watch Indian Television. We in India do not have any television from Pakistan or Bangladesh or from any Arab nation or South Asian countries. We never ask for such channels because we as a huge nation have so many things to show in our country that we don't need to get channels from any other countries. A total of 356 channels are currently running in India which is the largest channel corridor in Asia. Finally let me tell her that India, apart from being located on the Eastern side, is predominantly a liberal Hindu Country, so liberalism for viewers with different perspectives have to exist in order for the entertainment industry to grow. What may be considered as obscene to a mid-aged couple can also be scintillating to a newly married couple. For that matter I would advise the writer to watch Thai TV, which is far more vulgar. Isn't Thailand also in the eastern corridor of the world?
Tamal Basu New Jersey, USA

On Impressions
It was delightful how the article "What's Your Problem?" by Srabonti Narmeen Ali has depicted the picture of the typical Bangladeshi society. It's ridiculous how one Bangladeshi never has anything decent to say about another fellow desh-mate. It's this constant competitiveness, back-biting and jealousy that is bringing our country to its ruins, we're never happy with another's success. We don't stop to think that if one Bangali succeeds, it's a score for the whole country. I think we have come a long way after our independence. Our country leaders have committed enough mistakes for us to fear doom, but they've also done an uncountable amount of good for us, so why can't we overlook what they haven't done? Could we have done better? Due to our mentality, our children are also becoming disgusted with our land. We should at least help our children see a brighter view of our motherland, even if we don't always see it. It was wonderful that someone has finally pinpointed such a major problem that everyone overlooks. We would all do better as individuals and as a country if we exchanged encouragement instead of criticism.
Chadni Islam On Email

On the Cover Story
Congratulations for the cover story, "A Chilling Tale." I have to say that the contents made me sick to my stomach. Mind you, not because the article was bad, but rather because the information that I found out through reading made me feel nauseous. However, I am glad that SWM took it upon themselves to expose this particular issue. It is high time that we are aware of the goods and products that we, as masses, are consuming. The fact that even something as simple as ice can be so grossly contaminated and unhealthy makes me really wonder how we are all alive. We are such an unhygienic people . Our people hardly ever wash their hands after going to the bathroom. When we go to restaurants, there is no guarantee that the food we are being served is clean and fresh. We have to be careful about what we eat and what we touch. Everything is contaminated. It is very sad that it is so normal for us to accept our unhealthy ways and lifestyles. I think SWM is doing a good job by informing us about these issues so that we are knowledgeable enough to know better the next time we are in a situation where we buy ice. It was an extremely well written and informative story. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Tareq Zahiruddin Mirpur


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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