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     Volume 7 Issue 37 | September 12, 2008 |


  Letters
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  Photo Feature
  Human Rights
  Environment
  Writing the Wrong
  Perspective
  One Off
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Letters

Brain Drain
A brain drain or human capital flight is a large emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge, normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity, political instability, or health risks. A brain drain is usually regarded as an economic cost, since emigrants usually take with them the fraction of value of their training sponsored by the government. According to UNDP, Ethiopia lost 75 per cent of its skilled workforce between 1980 and 1991, which harms the ability of such nations to get out of poverty. Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia are believed to be the most affected. In the case of Ethiopia, the country produces many excellent doctors, but there are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than there are in Ethiopia.
Brain Drain from the poor to rich countries is an international issue but how to get rid of it? Offering higher wages for `insiders` according to their qualifications is essential and expanding a better educational infrastructure may definitely prevent emigrants who are seeking a higher education abroad. One of the major causes of brain drain is the growing frustration among the youth and the non-availability of opportunities in the existing social set-up. The implications of the brain drain phenomenon are disastrous. It entails loss of strategic manpower from key positions. It seriously affects skill formation and involves the loss of money invested in education and training. The loss of strategic manpower affects education, research and training, infrastructure building, creative talent, present and future technology. In fact, many countries, having lost their best brains to the industrial world, have had to import expensive consultants from abroad. Such a cycle of events sometimes represents a double loss.
Jewel Rana
MS Student, Dept of Biotechnology
BAU, Mymensingh

Say No to Dowry
Dowry is a dangerous social menace. The holy bond of marriage is polluted by dowry related bargaining. Everyday in our country some women are becoming victims of dowry. Women are not only humiliated and oppressed, but also often pay with their lives for their inability to meet the cruel demand of dowry.
Most cases are never reported for obvious reasons. These incidents are completely unexpected in civilised society. There can be no true development without women's emancipation as they constitute half of our population.
The lack of self confidence and various kind of social obstacles are the main causes of women's lagging behind our society. The government should provide crucial logistic support to help women gain self confidence and ensure that they have freedom to play a more active and decisive role in the society, also steps should be taken to enact different laws programmes undertaken to ensure development of women.
Government should enforce dowry prohibition laws and oppression law for women and children. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs can take steps to create public awareness of dowry.
Jaser Noor Al Rahaman
Medical Technologist

Missing Shahrier Khan's Comics
I would like to give heartfelt thanks to the Star magazine for doing a phenomenal job of serving us with thought-provoking and heart warming articles on a consistent basis. The articles which are weekly published really facilitate and enhance the enrichment and richness of our vocabulary to a significant level which is a bare necessity for students. It is also a real amusement to go through the comics of Sharier Khan which I think make the magazine even more relevant and worthwhile for the readers. I would really like to see it back again which used to break the monotony of our daily life.
Tasneem Khaled
South Khulshi, Chittagong

Emancipation of Women in Doldrums

Bangladesh is a very conservative country and has been unable to deal with the growing problem of violence against women. Everyday we have to hear stories of domestic violence, acid violence, dowry violence and so on. We declare ourselves to be a secular country which gives equal rights for men and women. But we do not appreciate women's emancipation, and fear leadership roles they take, and prefer to keep them imprisoned in domestic roles.
From a research report of the CPD which was published in the Prothom Alo recently we learned that 1 crore 81 lakh women are physically, mentally and sexually abused by their husbands. After torturing them around 343 crore taka is spent for their treatment in a year which is more than 10% of our national economy. What are the impacts in the long run on our society, national economy and other social indicators of those violence? Needless to say it is a great menace for our whole economy and scandalous for our image abroad. Media can contribute to declining this violence, government also should take an epoch-making step to root out this violence.
Md Maidul Islam
M SS (Sociology), CU

Primary School Teachers
The teachers of primary schools are really working hard while getting a meagre salary and scanty facilities. The teacher student ratio at many schools is 1:60. It's really deplorable that we expect such an important duty to be carried out by giving teachers such a ridiculously low salary. A good salary is an inspiration for anyone to work with sincerity and diligence. I would like to request the government and all concerned authorities to have a very effective monitoring and evaluation system on teachers and their teaching. The government should develop our education system as early as possible because a generation has already fallen in a dark hole of difficulties. We have no alternative to depend on other than the teachers to bring up our children. We must have to depend on these teachers to educate our children properly. But if they are not inspired enough they will only do their work half-heartedly. Teachers should be evaluated and appreciated. They inspire our leaders of tomorrow.
Md. Hasan Iqbal
Keranipara, Rangpur

Father of our Nation
The article 'Know thy Father' (August 22, 2008) is a particularly important article for the new generation.
It is inherent in our Bangali culture that every one should treat their parents with utmost respect. Then why did it take us 37 years to recognise and honour our father? It is a shame that, in spite of being human beings, we've already taken so much time to honour the man behind our independence.
August 15 has been declared and observed with every formality as a National Mourning Day by the present caretaker government. The Awami League government had taken the initiative once but it was violated by the following BNP government during their regime. Bangabandhu should be above petty party politics and jealousy for what he did for our country.
Md. Hasan Iqbal (Milan)
Kearanipara, Rangpur

Announcement
The Star magazine is looking for talented writers as freelance contributors to write for its Health, Book Review, Art, Entertainment (film, theatre, television) sections and to take on assigned work. Those interested are requested to send a sample of original writing (between 700 and 1200 words) or already published work. Please include contact number or email address and send to The Star, Magazine Section, 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka 1215 or email to: thestarmagazine@gmail.com . Those selected for interviews will be informed by phone or email. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and must be able to write clear, correct English.

Announcement
We have changed our email address. Our new email address is <thestarmagazine@gmail.com>. Please write to us at our new address from now on.


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 a sample copy beforehand. Our website is: http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine

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