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| Volume 12 |Issue 07| February 15, 2013 | |
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Star Diary
A Good Feeling I was at Shahbag at the protest yesterday and I must say the people surprised me in a good way. This was the first time, I was out on the streets in a crowd and not felt up or harassed in any way. The men were polite and courteous and making way for the women. The feeling of belonging and camaraderie washed over me as we sang songs, lit candles and shouted along with my fellow countrymen. I am so proud of my Bangladesh today, for finally standing up for something we all believe in and I really hope that we can continue what we have started and achieve the results we are all hoping for. Shebin Ahmed
The 'high' Rickshawpuller It was a dark night when my friend and I tried to find transportation back to my home. We looked for a while when we came across a rickshaw on the side of the road with a snoozing rickshaw puller on the seat. We woke him up and he agreed to give us a ride home without much debate about the fare. It was all fine for a few minutes but then he started acting funny. He started pedaling very fast and despite our protests saying we were not in a hurry he drove even faster. He also started mumbling to himself and eventually went on the wrong side of the road, almost hit some pedestrians, hit a bus and kept banging against the side of the bus, until we started shouting for him to stop. He almost hit an oblivious policeman before he finally stopped. We realised pretty soon that he was high on some sort of drug and were thankful we weren't injured badly during the ride. We went home feeling vulnerable and worried about who we can trust. Azmi Syed Proud to be a Bangladeshi I was trying to get to Shahbagh yesterday for the protest and decided to take a richshaw. When the rickshaw puller “mama” realised I was going to join the protest, he did not charge me any money, saying this was his small contribution to the cause. This made me really proud to be a Bangladeshi and I thought I would share this small story to inspire my fellow countrymen to join in and stand up against injustice. S Shaheed Menace on the Roads I understand that young people have little to do in Dhaka which has very few entertainment options. Apart from going out to eat and hanging out at each other's places what else can they do? I totally empathise with that. But the other day I saw something that made me realise that our young people also have to be guided and disciplined. I was on my bicycle quite late at night on Gulshan Avenue and suddenly two cars came racing by almost knocking me over. I practically jumped out of my cycle and just somehow saved myself and my bicycle. The two cars were driven by two young men and they drove as if they were in a car racecourse with no regard for who else was on the road. Obviously they are from wealthy families. I am tired of seeing these rich spoilt brats whose parents think that giving them cars and unlimited allowances somehow enhances their position in society but what they are really doing is spoiling a generation and making them materialistic and unscrupulous. The police are not doing anything to keep these rowdy elements from the roads either. M A Siddique Copyright
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