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:
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All articles should be within 1,200 words. A cover letter
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SWM does not return unsolicited articles and photos. Response
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