Letters
Request on Rescuing Bangladesh
The political parties are endangering the normal life of the people of the country ever since the caretaker government started ruling. In fact the politicians are making the situation worse by acting in an inhuman way. They hardly know what they want. They have become unpredictable, hostile and are taking our country towards an uncertain future.
Our lives are in turmoil and we just want to see the end of this chaos. The election should be free and fair and we, the common people of the country, want the participation of all the political parties in the election and let it be held properly. We request the politicians not to let the country down in this way. We hope that the political parties will soon create a favourable condition to rescue the country from political unrest and corruption.
Md. Badiuzzaman Tamal
Jahangirnagar University
Thanks to Sharier Khan
I would like to thank Sharier Khan for his cartoons published on December 29, 2006. The cartoons were so funny I could not stop myself from laughing. They were also very meaningful. I must admit that Sharier Khan has a lot of courage to illustrate the real scenario of the political imbalance.
Rubaida W. Sharmin
West Dhanmondi
On "The Best of 2006"
I want to thank the SWM team for the wonderful cover story "The best of 2006" (December 29, 2006). At the end of the year 2006, our country achieved only a few successes in different sectors, among which the achievement of the Nobel peace prize by Dr. Yunus was the greatest. While our country is going through such a political crisis, these achievements are indeed reason for celebration.
Besides that, our Bengal tigers gained their greatest record last year. Despite everything our political leaders have failed to show any prudence at all and the general people have suffered a lot as a result of their activities. Fair polls are now very uncertain in this situation. I really hope that the incomplete endeavours from the previous year will be successfully completed this year. This New Year we dream of a happy, prosperous and peaceful country.
Farhana Hoque Panna
Dept. Of Applied Statistics (I.S.R.T)
University Of Dhaka
Thumbs Up To the Media
I would like to thank Kajalie Shehreen Islam for her informative cover story "Look Who's Talking" (January 12, 2007) on the private TV channels of our country who are doing their best to keep us entertained and enlightened. Their efforts and enthusiasm to keep us in touch with what is going on is praiseworthy. By using ENG (Electronic News Gathering) they are updating us with what is really happening at the time while the news is in the air.
Furthermore, some programmes like Close-Up 1 (musical talent hunt programme), Surf Excel Protivar Lorai (talent hunt programme) are making us realise the potentiality within us. Political talk shows ensure our politicians' accountability. Other awareness programmes are playing a vital role in shaping our minds. I hope our TV media will run smoothly without exercising any yellow journalism.
Abu Saleh Md. Masudul Islam (Sweet)
Fundamentalism in Politics
A non-communal Bangladesh was one of the primary dreams of our immortal freedom fighters. But all that has gone to waste. Our political parties bring anti-liberation forces for restoring their own power and these evil forces accelerate fundamentalism in our society. They are trying to prevent the society from going towards the light of logic and are making inactive the vein of society by the slow poison of religious bigotry. As a result, after 35 years of liberation, our prominent writers, free thinkers, teachers are not safe in our country. Scholars do not feel comfortable about joining politics. The whole political system is now under the grip of some selfish fundamentalists. The recent AL decision to form an alliance with the Khelafat-e Majlish throws us into the cave of fear. They have raised their voice against our national anthem. We seem to be going further into darkness.
Golam Rosul Maruf
Physics Department
University of Dhaka
An Uncivil Connotation!
I don't know the people who are involved with the so-called civil society; what their goals and means of achieving those goals are. They may have something very sublime in their agendas. I don't have any question about that. But I have a very serious objection to the name of their platform. The very name "The Civil Society" has a negative connotation and is very derogatory.
What do they think about other people who are not in their fold? Only those people who are the civil society members are civil, educated, intelligent, aristocrat brand and well-bred! And the rest are uncivil, uneducated, stupid and low-bred?
This name is derogatory, denigrating and demeaning for the rest of the nation. So this type of name should be disbanded. I would request the stalwart members of the civil society to change this uncivil name.
The other important thing to be noted, even if we disregard their thinking about others, they by their activities failed to prove that they themselves are civil. They didn't get bothered by the killings on the city streets by logi-boitha-lathi right in front of their eyes.
Their making noises against the RAB's cross-fire killings depriving peoples' basic right of getting justice is appreciative. But remaining silent when there are inhuman political killings in the country is very unbecoming and shameful for the members of the so-called civil society. And this type of indifference doesn't testify to their civility.
Mohammed Giashuddin
New York
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