MAILBOX

Photo: Prabir Das

The News You
Never Got
Nice job on the Eid issue, Star! As usual I opened the magazine first thing in the morning last Friday and started reading the cover story without paying attention to the disclaimer. I felt like I was in a parallel universe. For about a minute, I was like what the heck has happened in our country and the world? What did I miss? Then I realised it was a humourous issue on the occasion of Eid. I enjoyed each and every 'news' item which was hilarious and thought provoking. The special feature was very well written and poignant. I also loved the story by Abdullah Khan. We hope the Star will present us with many more fun issues such as this.
Zunaed Kabir
Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Those Were the Days
The lyrical article is sure to make senior citizens nostalgic as well as a little sad.  Simply put, love was in the air when Eid came around after the long month of fasting and sacrifice.  The enthusiasm and excitement of a little boy for a new pair of shoes described in the story is timeless and universal. The story reminded me of an experience of late Humayun Ahmed. His father once bought a piece of cloth to be cut into shirts for his brother and him on the occasion of Eid. There was no time to make shirts out of it because his father had bought the piece of cloth at the very last moment. But that did not stop the little boy from celebrating Eid wearing new clothes. After the Eid prayer, he went around wearing the cloth around his neck! Nowadays there is a shopping mall at every corner of Dhaka city and people's standard of living has gone up significantly. But the beauty and simplicity with which Eid used to be celebrated is long gone. Those were the days indeed!
Shayla  Khan
Baridhara, Dhaka

Remembrance: Ahsan Habib
Though born in a village, Ahsan Habib became a sophisticated urban poet in language and habits, manners and sensibility. His poems capture the social reality of his times and focus on issues that concern the middle class.  Ahsan Habib started writing while a teenager. His first poem, 'Mayer Kabar Pade Kishor', was published in the school magazine in 1934 when he was student of class X. Subsequently, his poems were published in various journals and magazines such as Desh, Mohammadi, Bichitra, etc and he became one of the leading poets of his time. As his fan, I appreciate very much the Star's attempt to pay homage to this great poet.
Layla Hasan
Lalmatia, Dhaka

Braving the business world
I am highly inspired by the cover history 'Braving the Business World' published on July 18.  The success stories of young entrepreneurs like Tania Waheed and Rajeed Samdani will go a long way to encouraging young people like me to become entrepreneurs.  I want to set up a garment factory and create jobs for people. Political parties must understand that good governance is a prerequisite for business. In the absence of law and order business cannot thrive.  
Arif Mujumder
On Email

Courage Under Fire
I want to thank the Star for drawing our attention to a burning issue of the day—a sudden rise in abduction and mugging in the capital. It is very unfortunate that more often than not, women and young girls are the victims of such heinous crimes. Being a woman is already hard enough in a country like ours. We face discrimination at every step of our lives—at home and outside home. Being a woman means being
sentenced to a life of poverty, exploitation and deprivation. We urge the law enforcement agencies to take immediate actions to stop this crime spree.

Niti Naznin
Dhaka University

The Unsung Hero
This has reference to the refreshing story on legendary football player Abdus Samad [July 18, 2014].  In this country we love foreign affairs, foreign celebrities and foreign products more than our local ones. We know everything about Latin American footballers such as Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi but we know little or nothing about the football wizard Abdus Samad of the subcontinent. I am thankful to the Star for paying tribute to this outstanding footballer. Thanks to the writer we come to know about Abdus Samad, his life and magical football career. I was awestruck to learn that he was capable of snatching victory from the clutches of defeat in the very last minutes.  Aspiring footballers have a lot to learn from Abdus Samad. If we can develop players like him, someday we too will be able to play well at the international stage.
Raki Khan
Lakxmibazaar
 
Atrocious   Zionists
Israel, a belligerent state, faces scathing criticisms as its horrible air raid on the innocent Palestinian children including new born stillborn babies along with women continues without a break. Hamas is, without a doubt, an extremist organisation.  The government of Israel is known to be a sworn enemy of Hamas and shows   hostile attitudes towards Palestinians' fundamental interest.  Israel often responds with overwhelming force in the form of bombardment of Palestine even if a little dispute occurs.  When Israel tries to bomb Palestinian territories to stone ages, Palestinians defend themselves by throwing stones. We do not see any serious effort by any country or international body to stop this atrocity. We express condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.  
Md Rezaul Karim
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Leading University, Sylhet

Cartoon: Sharier Khan