MAILBOX

Putting a Price on the Priceless
The Star has once again proved that it thinks out of the box when it comes to dealing with complex socio-economic problems in our country. Everyone talks about punishment for drivers after road crashes. But as the well-researched article points out, drivers are always not at fault. The article addresses an issue that is often misunderstood or little known in our country: victims' compensation. There should be a legal way to claim compensation for losses and damages. Hopefully articles like these will help raise awareness about this issue at all levels starting from the public to all the way up to the high-ups in the different branches of the government.
Moulana Fazlur Rahman
Faridpur
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After reading the article, it seems to me that the insurance industry needs to do a lot more to provide their clients with better service. Also they need to make clear what exactly third party insurance on automobiles covers. A human life is a sacred gift from God. Let us treat it as such.
Ozma Usmani
Baridhara, Dhaka

New Talent
The Star has earned the hearts of a zillion readers through its quality writings. The articles and features of the Star excel in quality for its fluid language, in-depth analysis and constructive criticism. I congratulate its gifted writers and the editor. However, I think the Star should invite more new writers. I think a magazine as progressive as the Star has a responsibility to find and develop new talents who will ultimate enrich the quality of the magazine even more.  
Dr Suma Mita Biswas
Register, Apollo Hospitals

Photo: Star File

Alienating Bengali
[Re: 28 February 2014] The article about alienating Bengali   exposed some alarming aspects of our education system which are very true and as a student I have to live with this problem. In the 21st century English has become the language of communication, business and trade internationally. But that does not mean that we should be done away with Bengali, the language we re-established as our mother tongue after much bloodshed and a long struggle.   More text books at the college and university levels need to be written in Bengali so students can study for higher degrees in their mother tongue. If the Japanese and the Russians can do cutting edge research in science and technology in their own language, so can we.
Naznin Sultana
University of Dhaka

Omi's World
Congratulations to the writer for a well written article about one of the most brilliant photographers of our country. A good photographer is sound in his techniques. A great photographer is all that and more. He tells a story that moves hearts. And that's exactly Saiful Huq Omi does: armed with nothing but a camera he raises issues that even thousands of words sometimes fail to do. I was particularly moved to see the dried up river Naaf and man standing in it trying to point to his home across the “river.”
Lubna Haque
Dhammondi, Dhaka

Our Friend
I was very glad to read about the person whom I have known as 'Mita' for years (Mita Revealed published on Feb 14, 2014). I have been an avid reader of the Star since my student days in Dhaka University. I have most copies in my collection. Still now it is the most popular weekly English magazine in the country for its quality.  To me "Write to Mita" column was the heart of this magazine. I always wondered about the real person behind this pseudo name because over the years Mita touched so many lives by listening to their personal problems and coming up with effective suggestions. I want Shaheen Anam to know that she has been a real 'mita' or friend to us and we respect and love her for being in our lives. I wish more success to her and her family.
 Kazi Khaleda Yasmeen
MA M Phil, Political Science
Dhaka University

Our women in Sports
We are proud of our men's cricket team.  Hopefully, they are going to fare better in the upcoming T-20 World Cup than they did in the recently held Asia Cup.  However, let me congratulate our women's team for winning the home series against Pakistan women's team. Much to our delight, our women's team had beaten them on the same day our boys were beaten by their Pakistani counterparts. Only a day later, our football team almost secured a rare win against India but some dubious decisions by the referee turned the match in favour of India and we had to settle for a (2-2) draw. Lately our adrenaline has been running so high watching the men's cricket that many of us forgot to take notice of these significant strides that Bangladesh women's cricket team and football team have achieved.   The media needs to do more to cover the achievements of our women in sports.
Nasih Ul Wadud Alam
Via Email

Photo: Saiful Huq Omi