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| Volume 10 |Issue 33 | August 26, 2011 | |
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Letters Senseless Loss of Life On Aug 13, 2011 we lost an award-winning filmmaker and a brilliant journalistand cinematographer. They were killed by a road accident in Manikganj. These men were great assets for our country. The loss is senseless. It is tragic and shameful for us that we can do nothing to stop these atrocious accidents. The government must take measures to put an end to them. Rowshan Ali *** Almost everyday, there is a report in the newspapers about a road accident that has killed not one, but many people senselessly. Bangladesh has always seemed to me as the place where its people never learn their lessons even after something tragic happens. They might hold protests and speak out for a few days after the incident but no one ever steps up to change anything. The government also, being the “pro-people government" they are, is more busy trying to figure out how to crush the opposition and make more money. Our communications minister like all other ministers state that they lack the funds to repair the roads and highways. Instead of putting efforts into building new roads, he is coming up with many excuses to defer the repair work. I’d like to request the communications minister to get off his high horse before something tragic like this happens to people close to him. When a trip from Dhaka to Mymensingh takes 6 or more hours, which is supposed to take 3 hours at the most, is time to do something about it! Riyadh Al Nur
Inspired writing I read with deep interest the touching tribute written by Sir Frank Peters to honour the memory of his departed friend Nancy Wake: WWII spy, Courier, Saboteur, Heroine and Humanitarian. (The Star Magazine 12/08/2011) The article was beautifully written and interesting to read, but what touched me most was his final paragraph that read “the true worth of a person's friendship cannot be measured until the person has died, unfortunately by that time it's too late to express thanks or your love for them”. That made me think (and act). I was so inspired by Sir Frank's philosophy, I immediately telephoned my parents and other special people in my life, thanked them for everything and expressed my love to them, not knowing if I would get another opportunity: we just never know what Almighty Allah has in mind. My intention now is to do this on a regular basis, while the special people in my life are alive... while I am alive... while I can. Rashna Khabir The Life-changing Note A star diary entitled the “The Life-changing Note” was published in the August 12 issue of The Star. I was appalled by the standpoint it takes on a beggar child's eagerness to receive charity. Ms Gazi writes, “…as in every story hard work always pays off, so it did in this case. We…were completely surprised with what he did to get that note!” Rather than being stricken by the boy's clear desperation for a paltry sum that will sustain him for only a few days, and disturbed by the inhuman conditions which must have driven him to such extremes of existence, Ms Gazi carelessly claims “surprise” at his plight, and callously proceeds to moralise this anecdote as a lesson of “hard work.” How unsympathetic must one be to live in such close quarters to poverty and yet be “surprised” by its debasing effects, to regard begging as proper and commendable “hard work” for a child of merely five years? It can be said that I am naïve in demanding outraged and empathetic reactions to everyday instances of suffering; but as complicated and obscure the solutions to such problems may be, the emotions that spur them ought to be immediate and universal. It is clear that on the streets of Dhaka, desensitisation has rendered empathy much less an instinct than a conscious and arduous effort, and one that is not made often. Fablina Sharara
Submission Guideline: Letters to the Editor, Star 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 The Star welcomes unsolicited articles and photographs, it cannot accept the responsibility of their loss or damage. The Star does not return unsolicited articles and photos. Response time for unsolicited write-ups ranges from three weeks to two months. All articles submitted are subject to editing for reasons of space and clarity. Copyright
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