The week in re(ar)view

Dejá vù. It means things that happen and then happen all over again. The term popped up in The Matrix in the form of a black cat. It turned up twice in the same spot and that set off warning bells among our protagonists. We have Dejá vù in real life but do we heed the warnings?

BAF crashes………..yet again
Yep, that's almost a tradition. Sure, you steal all the money, buy rubbish jets that can never be flown for huge costs and then skimp on the rest of the planes. What happens is that the training planes remain with technology developed back when man invented the wheel. And then we have young pilots dying. Does it make anyone realise that we need to upgrade these junk machines? Nope, just go out and buy some more jets. Problem is there will be no pilots to fly them, as they will all pass away while learning. Pathetic? Worse.

Medical fiasco…….that too yet again
Doctors at Bangladesh National Society for Blind (BNSB) Hospital in Naogaon performed on 23 aged patients using two different chemical solutions by Beximco and Opso Saline. 13 patients were given the latter and all ended up having eye problems that could be fatal for the eyes. There's conjecture going on as to what may or may not have happened. We will tell you what happened. Several people became blind and no one is too bothered about it. Could it be that there is no hue and cry because they were poor people? Or does that lead to more conjecture?

BSF kills Bangladeshis……………oh yeah, yet again
BSF killed two in Dinajpur on 21 April. On 23 they killed another in Naogaon. That's just two of the recent hits. They keep on killing people in our land but our beloved BDR manage to be very humanitarian. Our solution? Get rid of BDR and put up signs that proclaim “Welcome, (human) hunting season is officially open”.

By Gokhra and Mood Dude

Cold dark shadows cast themselves across the floor, giving the hospital ward a gaunt, sinister look. Her wounds, both mental and physical were still smoldering, still aching.

She'd never expected it, never thought it would happen to her. But it did. A class ten student, Mayesha always walked home after school. On the way she'd pass a chaer dokan, and a group of men, a few years older then her, would taunt her as she passed. She always ignored them, never gave them much thought.

Her parents had come to visit her this morning, their eyes filling up with tears. Her mother had grasped her hand, silent tears flowing in rivulets down her face. Her father, crying had been unable to speak, his grief too great to be expressed. Mayesha had cried with them, her tears stinging her burnt, once beautiful face.

The police had come to, and they'd made her relive those horrendous moments, their questions piercing, asking for the gruesome details she couldn't voice. She'd told them everything, describing the five men as best as she could, told them how it had all happened.

Mayesha had watched news stories of how frightening things happened to girls like her. She'd never gave them much thought, thinking that it would never happen to her. She'd seen the ghastly pictures of the victims, and then, she had forgotten about them. Now she was one of those pictures.

The media had shone their spotlight on her, flashing her across TV screens and newspapers. Mayesha had hated the whole the ordeal. People would only sympathize with her and then forget it all, just like she once had.

Some her friends had come to visit her, they'd cried with her. They told her how their parents had forbade them from visiting her, told her all about the snide comments that people were passing about her. They told her about how those men were still roaming free, how they were still hanging around the chaer dokan, still teasing girls. Justice had failed her.

It had all happened when one day she was returning home, a bit late. One the men had approached her. Stopped her and tried to converse with her. Mayesha had side stepped the man and kept on walking. The men then started following her. She running them, calling out for help. She'd been quickly intercepted, gagged and carried of. They took her to a deserted construction site.

They pain she'd suffered then was incomparable to anything else. She had screamed and writhed as the men raped and massacred her body, breaking her apart. Then they poured the acid, burning her head to foot. They left her for dead, their lust satisfied. She'd been found two days later, her breath coming out in rasps, her heart beating every now and then.

Now, as she lay in bed, her wounds still aching, her mangled body crying, she let the last breath leave her lungs, closing her eyes and shutting out the harsh world…

RS Mailbx

All kinds of love and hate sent to this address risingstars@thedailystar.net

Couple of comments
The Sport Watch should include articles about Bangladesh football. Everyone knows about Manchester United and Real Madrid but people hardly know about Abahoni, Muktijodhdha,etc. There should be some articles about Joy and Co.

In Bangladesh, we use the term "football", not soccer. Only USA and few other countries use soccer. In a relatively recent RS edition, two articles used the word soccer, the Pink Panther review and World Cup kits. Why are we trying to be like Americans? We call it football, and that's what should be used in RS.

The Striker
Good point. But the fact remains that the likes of Abahani and Muktijoddha does not make as interesting reading as the likes of Real Madrid and United. Also not everyone knows everything about Real or Manchester and I try to write about things that most people would not know about like this week about Villareal. But your point is noted. I shall try to concentrate a few times on local football, however mundane it might have become.

In the first class of photography at Pathshala, our teacher Momena Jalil said a few things about ethics and its requirement in photography. One of the examples was that of a little boy being beaten up by a police inspector. For me its ethically cruel to just sit there and watch the show. But it's important to take a picture of this scene as well! So what should be done? To be honest I am still thinking deeply about it and until now no logical answer came to my mind.

16th April, my grandpa turned on the TV for afternoon news and what we saw was horrible. Police sergeant Akbar along with his men beat the hell out of the photographers. Immediate question was why? Later when I thought deeply about it, there were lots of questions and the top concern was if I had been there what would I have done? My rebellious instinct can get me into serious trouble, nevertheless watching that image gave me shivers. For al I know I could be in that situation a few years later.

These half literate cops have no idea about media, because they just showed the entire world how uncivilised Bangladeshi people are(which I believe is not true) and maybe any photographer would be lucky enough to get an award from the world press for taking such a great picture.

Meanwhile I would be still thinking about ethics and about what should have been done. The conclusion is simple, photography as a hobby is much safer than profession.

By Salman Rahman

When day breaks
A red piece of meat,
That always beat
Under my left ribs
Only for my nibs.
It's warm only when day breaks,
Not in the noon
Not in the evening
Not even when comes moon.
I shrink with torment
Without the existence of you.
I see only when day breaks
other times I am without my view.
In one hand I have you
In other I have the whole earth.
To Choose you, to love you
If I'll die, I want new birth.
My love is divine, extreme for her;
I say to God
For all my good give her to me.
I refused anything instead of her
Even God wants to give me the Haven's key.
By Khalid Nazmus Sakib

Red wine
When hearts are brimming in our street
And your footsteps are too steep
Along the corridor will I be
To lift you from your feet.
On my arms you will fall asleep
As the moonlight plays on your skin
With water I will wash your feet
My kisses will linger as you breathe.
My skin stained with your smell
Your hair polluted with crimson heat
Restless will my heart be
To lie in your arms, to again breathe.
By Adnan M. S. Fakir