Letters
Effective Cover Story
The cover story on "A Life-saving Innovator" on 23rd June, 2006 has raised our hopes. We learned some new information about the off-pump beating heart arterial bypass surgery. I want to give special thanks to Dr Lutfur Rahman, the pioneer of bringing this revolutionary method of surgery into this country and Hana Shams Ahmed who wrote the story. Through it we have learnt many things like the effectiveness of the conventional open-heart surgery and this new method. I have a bitter experience with open-heart surgery when one of my relatives was admitted to the National Heart Foundation Hospital in the capital. We hope that through this revolutionary method our medical sector will improve a lot.
Mamunur Rashid Tomal
Dept of English, DIU
Thanks for paying heed
There are about 10,000 people living in Shakhari Bazar and that too, within an area of 4.6 acres. Most of the buildings of this area are at risk of collapsing. On June 19,2004 a 5-storied building caved in and killed 19 people. Recently a news report on The Daily Prothom Alo informed that 5 risky buildings have been renovated and 9 others are under renovation.
It is our duty to protect, preserve and conserve our heritage. I want to thank the concerned authorities for paying heed.
Shirin Sharmin Bubly
Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET
Time to think of alternate power source
With the rapid increase of population, Bangladesh is suffering terribly from a shortage of power supply. We must understand that with this power shortage we are not going to get the full benefits of industrialisation. Our neighbour India secretly started working on their atomic reactors way back in 1969. Even in 1974 when France refused to help India with fuel India carried on their research and end up inventing new fuel themselves.
We cannot set up nuclear reactors overnight but isn't it high time to think about setting up a nuclear reactor as an alternate power source for the future? I wonder if our government has ever considered it or now.
Farhan Rahman
Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET
Mobile phone and teenagers
Mobile phones are a necessity for us these days. It keeps us in the touch with our near and dear ones at all times. But it has lots of adverse effects. In the cities we see mobile phones in the hands of school-going children. Most of them keep it as a fashion accessory. Sometimes they waste their valuable time either playing games or using internet. They also collect pornography. All these things are harmful for the teenagers. Every parent should think twice before giving a mobile phone to the children.
Shafiquzzaman Khokon
Dept of English, JU
An Abode of Excellence
Darul Ihsan University has an Islamic name, that refers to an abode of excellence. Ironically this abode of excellence witnessed brutal and destructive fight for power. Because of this battle the students and teachers of the English Language and Literature department suffered the most. It is still a mystery as to who destroyed the department. The rooms at the campus in Shyamoli have an appearance that exposes the intensity of the destructiveness of people.
This is the University which boasts of imparting faith-based education to the students. Not only that, people holding high positions at the University give long lectures and speeches to anyone who comes here. After this will anyone else ever call this University the 'Abode of Excellence'?
Sraboni Ahmed
Eskaton Garden
'Media for News' or 'News for Media'
The media has been given so much freedom that they now hold the power to rule views of the public from facts into fantasies thanks to the newspaper agencies who are bribed to do so.
Bushra Ahmed was a student of Manarat Dhaka Intl College and had been failing very often. One day she was caught red handed while cheating on her final exam. She was sent to the control room, and her father was called to pick up his daughter and make a decision about her. She was naturally very frightened of the consequences and while the teachers were busy she dodged the maid guarding her, ran to the fifth floor, and jumped off the roof.
The media started making false accusations against the teacher and the school authority. So biased the statements were that instead of being shocked about the incident, the reports made me shell-shocked. The reports published on 6th and 7th June at the Daily Jonokontho criticised the teachers for forcing the girls to wear scarves and said that the students are being forced to take religious studies. As far as the scarves go, I know about lots of schools, where boys are forced to wear "tupi" but I cannot remember any newspaper report criticising such a rule. Guardians and parents put their children at Manarat mainly because it is an Islamic school.
Manarat was also blamed in a few reports for being so strict that students are hit with sticks. Since its birth in 1984, Manarat has been holding its reputation as a modern religious school. If the school treated its students badly, parents would never keep their children there.
If a student attends classes in Manarat from 8am to 1pm every day, they are free to spend the rest of their time in any way they want. Therefore, it cannot be claimed as a fort, or cannot be claimed impenetrable. The institute holds regular meetings with teachers, students, and guardians, where they are free to express all their concerns.
Manarat has held its name high among all English medium schools for its Islamic stance. This is my endeavour to make the false allegations clear and transparent to all and also make general public aware that everything they get from the media is not true. No torture, politics or hatred exist in Manarat. It is better that the reporters stop making up such myths otherwise the public will soon raise the question - "Media for news" or "news for media?"
Raiyan Nazim
A level Student
Manarat Dhaka Intl College
Sick politics
What is happening to our country? Fire, batons, bloody bodies, tear gas, and broken lens of photojournalists are on the screen of all the TV Channels. After working from nine to five we turn on the TV and surf channels for the sake of entertainment and relaxation and we get very disappointed to see the present condition of our country. Why is this happening? This is a game of snatching the power and misusing it.
It is time to develop our country. The activities of the politicians astonish us. When I see that the political activists destroy property with enthusiasm, set cars on fire, it really hurts. What is the benefit of wreaking this havoc? Only four and half months are left for the BNP-led four-party-alliance government to hand over power. Can't the opposition wait four months for the interest of our country and people? Don't they have any patience? When will we get rid of this sick politics?
Shafayet Islam (Shanto)
Nasirabad, Chittagong
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