MAILBOX

Photo: Prabir Das

Living in Music, Living on Music
I sincerely hope that the cover story will draw some much needed attention to the music scene of the country.  The media has an important role to play to promote good music. Singers who appear on TV are not necessarily the best the country can offer. There are innumerable numbers of artistes in small towns and villages who have devoted their entire lives to music but have not received any recognition.  At the government owned BTV the only criterion for selection seems to be loyalty to a particular political party. Quality is not the issue here. On the other hand, we, the audience too have a role to play in order to encourage musicians. Instead of buying pirated CDs, we should buy authentic ones so that the artistes can get their royalty.
Mohammad Asad
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
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If we want to produce good quality, world class musicians, we should create opportunities at the root levels. Music should be made mandatory till class ten. Most schools have a music teacher but no one takes him or her seriously. When I was a student of class eight, our school had a music teacher who was very enthusiastic about her job. I remember my classmates laughing at her most of the time. In many villages, musical programmes at schools and colleges are discouraged. We must remember that a great musician cannot grow overnight. Great musicians need years and years of training and devotion. We must nurture artistes with potential from an early age.
Neelima Ibrahim
Uttara, Dhaka

Israel Cannot Win
The writer makes the convincing argument that there cannot be a military solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. No matter how many innocent Palestinian lives Israel Defence Forces kill, the fact is Palestinian people have the right to an independent and sovereign state. On the other hand, violent attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians will not help the Palestinian cause. Both sides should sit together and make concessions to continue to live side by side in peace and harmony. The United States, the lone superpower, must stop turning a blind eye to Israeli atrocities and use all its power—political, diplomatic and military—to bring the two sides to the negotiating table and reach a peaceful solution. The big powers must realise that unless there is peace in the Middle East, there cannot be peace in the rest of the world.
Mustafa Kamal
Shantinagar, Dhaka

Photo: Prabir Das

A Mouthful of Happiness
Started in 1939 by Haji Golam Hossain and now run by his grandson Haji Mohammed Shahed, the 70 years old Hajir Biriyani makes their Biryani in a very special way. Unlike others, they do not use butter. Instead they use mustard oil. In my opinion that makes all the difference in the world. I am what you call a Biriyani connoisseur. I have had the opportunity to taste Biriyani from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Iran, Malaysia, Burma and Mauritius. I can testify that Hajir Biriyani ranks in the top among them. Its greatness lies in its simplicity both in preparation and presentation. As an admirer of Hajir Biriyani, I enjoyed reading the article. Maybe the Star can run a series on the traditional food items that represent our culture and heritage.
Sofia Khan
DOHS, Dhaka

The State of Education
Many English Medium schools have mushroomed all across the country.  Some of them collect donations for admitting children. The tuition fees are also very high. As far as the quality is concerned, there is no regulatory body to monitor and evaluate their performances. That is why, except for a few well-reputed ones, students who attend these so called English medium schools hardly become proficient in the English language. The government must put a limit on how much schools can charge as “donation”.
Shafiqul Islam
Sirajganj

Akira Kurosawa
[Re: Remembrance, August 29]. The Star deserves my heartfelt thanks for remembering Akira Kurosawa who personified Japanese movies to the world and who grew into one of the most brilliant film directors.  Kurosawa stumbled into filmmaking after failing as a painter and became one of the colossal figures in film history— an autocratic perfectionist with a painter's eye for composition, a dancer's sense of movement and a humanist's quiet sensibility. Directors from all over the world spanning generations have acknowledged his enduring influence. Kurosawa's calculated blend of Japanese folklore with Western acting styles and storytelling techniques provided a link between the two worlds, reintroducing Japanese culture to a post-war global audience and leading to an amazingly fertile decade that saw him produce several films that have widely been acclaimed as among the finest ever made, including  “Rashomon,” ''Seven Samurai,'' ''Ikiru'' and ''Yojimbo.'' In my humble opinion he is the best film director ever born in the history of cinema.
Shahida Ali
On Email

Gardener Turned Heart Surgeon
I am highly impressed with the way the writer described the life of Hamilton Naki, it really inspired me a lot. Thank you so much for such a well written article.
Sharlin Sanjid
Bangalore, India