MAILBOX

Photo: Prabir Das

For the Love of Books
When I went to the Ekushey Boi mela last week, my 12-year-old son asked me how the mela started. I started scratching my head and discovered that I knew nothing about it. So I told my son that I would get back to him on that one. I got the Star this morning and I felt like it was heaven sent. The cover story was on the historical background of the fair! What a coincidence! I am glad that I will not disappoint my young son who thinks his dad is the smartest person on earth.
Mahbubur Rahman
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
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Through the Boi Mela, every year we pay homage to the martyrs of the language movement. The mela is a meeting place for all who love Bangla, Bangladesh and Bangladeshis.  
Shamima Tasnim
Via Email

The Pundit's Tale
The article is special in the sense that it tells the readers why Professor Anisuzzaman is worth our attention. Here is a man who has always been active in all progressive movements since the language movement of 1952. His research in the area of language, women and religion is unparallel. The writer of the article briefly but accurately depicts the life sketch of this great scholar.
Mahuba Khanam
Baridhara, Dhaka

Corporal punishment:  Scars Inside
 In his provocative report published on Jan 31, Sir Frank Peters calls for an end to this violence against children and says "Any school that allows corporal punishment is a breeding ground for terrorists".   I enthusiastically agree with him.  Violence begets violence.  
 I have studied the subject extensively and written two books about it, “This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You” and “Breaking the Paddle”. Many victims require medical care.  Sometimes the scars are inside and ever-lasting; they experience long-term humiliation, anger, resentment, and hatred of school and teachers.
The goal of education is to develop citizens to become self-disciplined, caring, responsible and productive.  Children learn best in a nurturing, friendly environment where they can be active, involved, able to ask questions, and to solve their own problems.
 Teachers should ask themselves how they want to be treated when they make mistakes.  Don't they want to be able to learn from their mistakes instead of being smacked?  They should treat children likewise.
Nadine Block
Columbus, Ohio, USA

Photo: Prabir Das

In the Name of Love
The way our society treats women is barbarian.  Women have become second class citizens in our own country. But women working in all major sectors have proved that they are just as hardworking, sincere and intelligent.  Let us vow to treat them as they deserve: equals, not inferior or superior.
Anan Chowdhury
Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Looking East
I just hope that no country of the BCIM forum will dominate the ambitious initiative and the corridor will be taken forward on the principles of mutual trust and respect, mutual interest and equitable sharing of mutual benefits, as written by the writer in his concluding paragraph.
Mohammad Sanaullah Khan
Shantinagar, Dhaka

Open RU Campus
The Rajshahi University syndicate on Dec 24 last year decided on a two-to-five-fold hike of various fees including exam fees. It also decided to introduce evening programmes in the Social Science Faculty. A lot of students did not like the decisions and started protesting.  But the police along with the goons of Chatra League attacked the protesting students. The incident left many injured. Following the unrest, RU authority decided to shut down the campus for an indefinite period. The move will further complicate the 'session jam' and affect the admission process. We urge the university authority to take actions immediately to break the deadlock and open the campus.
Wasiur Rahman Shibly
Dept. of Law, Rajshahi
University

Star is the Best
I started reading the Star just three weeks ago and I am proud to say that I am in love with the magazine which has something for everyone. I really like the contents and the quality of the language. And I like the cover photos. I am really glad that our country has such a great weekly magazine in English.
Din islam
 Azimpur, Dhaka

Cut, Copy, Paste
Although there are so many TV channels operating in the country, the quality of the programmes is very poor-most are copied from Indian programmes. If a channel comes up with an original idea,   other channels start telecasting programmess of a similar nature. We must ensure quality, not quantity. So there should not be more than five private channels in a small country like Bangladesh. Also, the number of commercials in between programmes should be reduced.
Nasih Ul Wadud Alam
Via Email

 Don't Marry for Money
It has become a common practice for parents of girls to demand money as "mahr" (gift given to the bride by the groom) disregarding the economic condition of the groom. And parents prefer grooms with highly paid jobs. Though their concern for their daughters is legitimate, the Holy Quran speaks about those who want to get married but their economic conditions aren't well: "If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allah is All Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All Knowing (about the state of the people)”[al-Noor 24:32]. Also, we must remember that premarital relationships have disastrous consequences both in this world and the next.
Anika Nawal Ahmed
Dhanmondi
Dhaka