::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Star Diary

It's Raining

The other day while going to work, it began to rain. I didn't mind. After days of scorching heat, I welcomed the rain with an open heart. It was a wonderful feeling -- the breeze, rain and everything else that accompanied it. Suddenly, I saw a schoolboy running at the speed of a wild cheetah! I tried to follow him with my eyes. Was he all right? Was someone following him? Was he in trouble? As my car sped by in the rainwater, I figured that the boy was just enjoying the weather as well and running like an athlete on the footpath! The people gathered under the footbridge, empty shops and under tin sheds could not help smiling at the screaming boy, who was now jumping over large objects abandoned on the footpath. Finally, he halted and was breathing heavily. As soon as he caught his breath, he began to run in the rain again. His school uniform, school bag, shoes, and socks everything was dripping wet. But he didn't seem to mind. He was simply enjoying life to its fullest.

EK
Baridhara, Dhaka

The Rickshaw Puller talking

I was returning from one of my friends' house one night at 11.30 pm on a rickshaw. While going home, I struck a conversation with the puller. Surprisingly enough, the rickshaw puller was a Bachelor's degree holder from a reputed college in the city. He told me of the dreams that he had as a student. However, reality dawned upon him when he ended up pulling a rickshaw. He showed many reasons behind his present condition -- the poor condition of his family, his father's early death, one of his so-called uncles trying to send him abroad for work hence spending money there and much more. With a broken heart, he spoke of the passengers who sometimes treat him like an animal. He is also beaten by passengers and called names. Not being able to tolerate the indecent behaviour, he can do nothing but cry by himself. Unemployment is a major problem in our society. However, I think it is also the vicious nature of the people in our country that needs to change first, if we ever want to be a developed nation.

Mohammed Kamrul Islam Mishu Kutubi
International Islamic University
Chittagong.

Privilege or Exploitation

I am student of Dhaka University and live in Mirpur. Like every day, I got on the bus, keeping one hour and forty minutes in my hand, reach my university and appear for my exam. Usually, it took about an hour to reach my university. And like every other day, I also got stuck in a traffic jam. I did not take it seriously, as I was quite used to the road situation and knew that I would reach my university on time. However, I suddenly noticed that there was a gridlock on the road! The vehicles were not moving at all. Eventually, we all figured that the gridlock happened because officials stopped all the vehicles on the road while the Prime Minister moved! After exactly an hour, our bus started to move ahead, and when I entered my exam hall there were less than 30 minutes left. I was almost having a nervous breakdown. Is this a privilege that the Prime Minister enjoys, at the inconvenience of the general people? If the government is not concerned for the betterment of the people, how can it be the government for the people?

The government ministers should fall in a state of gridlock once in a while. Only then will it understand the misery that the general people go through.

Shahana Ferdowsi Mishu
Institute of Education and Research
University of Dhaka
Dhaka