Star Diary

Crippling the Youth

Almost three years ago, we read in the newspapers about a strange substance called “Yaba”, that was supposedly fast becoming popular among some sections of the youth in our country. The consumption of Yaba was limited to some filthy rich youngsters gone astray. The caretaker government in power had just launched an unprecedented drive against the consumption of Yaba targeting both consumers and dealers. The government assured the general public that things would change. Now back in Bangladesh after almost two and a half years, I can notice the change promised by our government- Yaba is no longer a strange substance that one would read in the newspapers; it is a very common recreational drug. No longer is the use of Yaba limited to some rich youngsters, the mad drug can be found almost everywhere in Bangladesh. So where are the concerned authorities now? What has changed in the two years that they have stopped worrying about Yaba? It seems the concerned authorities were worried not about the proliferation of Yaba, but rather wanted to make the arrangements that would allow them to profit from the trade of this deadly drug.
S Haque
London

Change We Need

Like other days, I was going to my campus by bus and had to stand since there were no seats. After a while, two female passengers got on the bus and also had to stand. Though there were reserved seats for female passengers on the bus, they could not sit. A few of the male passengers had occupied them. Shockingly enough, despite being aware of the fact, the male passengers, however, did not feel the urge to give up their seats. I know this is a common phenomenon in the context of our commuting sector and most readers are familiar with my experience. I hope all will agree with me that to be truly progressive and open, firstly we must all change the way we think and regain our lost morality as well as humanity.
Ashim Kumar Paul
Government Edward College
Pabna

Banani 11 Horror

Recently, my car got stuck in one of the worst traffic jams ever on Banani road number 11 in Dhaka. Thanks to the rain and the road work that is going on, Banani 11 was absolutely blocked. Eventually, I decided to get down and walk to my destination, a bank situated at the very end of the road. After walking a few steps, I realised that I along with other pedestrians were actually fighting for space with the vehicles on the road! Because of the road work and the rainwater, we did not have any footpath or a sidewalk to walk on except for the road itself. Banani road 11 has become one of the busiest roads because of all the boutiques and eateries amongst both students and families, which is of course a good thing. However, the authorities must research properly before placing the shops, apartments, banks and maybe even hospitals all on one road. There has also been recent news of several cases of mugging on Banani 11. An earnest request to the government -- please do something about Banani road 11 before it turns into a complete horror!
Shabnaz Farhana Putul
Banani, Dhaka

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