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Dhaka Diary

Mob psychology

This incident took place a couple of weeks ago. It was Friday, so I along with my father and elder brother went to the mosque for Jumma prayers. Having finished the prayer, we were about to leave the mosque when a tiny crowd of people in the front door drew our attention. Someone was screaming. We walked towards the crowd to see what was going on and found a lunatic who was screaming at his vocal chord's content. Violent scorns were sticking out from his mouth and also hitting the innocent spectators. My father asked one of the onlookers about what happened. The man whispered, “Ai loker juta pai na”(his shoes are missing). Having heard the whole chronicle in a nutshell, my father walked to the man and offered him his own shows. The man gave a savage look and warned my father not to make fun of him. Then he started bickering again. He stated that he would never come to the mosque again as it was a 'thief house'. The namazis couldn't focus on their prayers properly for his sky trembling outcry. Then the most shocking part of this drama occurred. A middle-aged man who had just finished his prayer went to him and hissed that he would 'apply' his own shoes on him if he would not leave this place at once. The man was about to start again but all of a sudden he discovered that there was no sound coming from the crowd and also that they were all dispersing off. He just didn't have anyone to scream to now. At the eleventh hour, the man felt that he had nothing to do but leave the mosque as soon as possible. He murmured something and set off barefoot. Finally we got rid of this troublesome creature.
Zihad Azad
Kalabagan, Dhaka.

Experience

A few weeks ago, I along with my five friends went to make some photocopies. However, we discovered that we didn't have enough money with us to pay for the copies. So, we began to check out pockets and borrow from each other to cover the shortage. After paying the shopkeeper, there was only a ten taka note left. We then sat down and began to divide the ten taka between amongst ourselves. Every one was eager to have their share and stretched their hands to get the money back. By this time a beggar also appeared and stretched his hand for alms as well. Rezwan, who was holding five two-taka notes, put a note on one of the extended hands. Belatedly realising that the hand belonged to a beggar, he immediately took the money back. The beggar left, mumbling to himself, “Bhai, apnader obostha to dekhi amar thaikao kharap” (Your situation seems to be worse than mine).
Nawash Akhtar Anon
St. Joseph College

Diary from Rajshahi

The measuring scale

Last Ramadan, when I was going to buy iftari from a nearby store, I discovered that the scale used for measurement had some faults. I told the storekeepers about this, to which they replied that everything was fine and ignored the matter completely. After returning home, I discovered that I was given almost half of hat I had paid for! The next day when I was in a fish market to buy fish, an elderly person was arguing with the seller about his measurement scale being faulty and that he was misleading people. The seller screamed at the elderly gentlemen telling him to take it or leave it! It seems that the seller did not have time to check the instrument used for measuring.

I wonder when the mobile courts will get to these shopkeepers, who can do stoop so low for a small amount of profit.
Md. Saiful Raihan
RU