MAILBOX

An Intelligent Company
It seems that IDCOL has developed a very dynamic organisational culture since its establishment. The way IDCOL conducts business, treats employees and partner organisations and the wider community shows its commitment to the overall development of the country. We can say the culture of an organisation is rich when it enjoys freedom in decision making, developing new ideas and employees are committed towards collective objectives. By these measures, IDCOL is indeed a company from which a lot of other sectors can learn. We did not know such an efficient organisation exists in our country. The cover story addresses all the key factors that are important for increasing the productivity of an organisation, such as recruitment, motivation, training, performance appraisal and monitoring and evaluation. Although the article deals with serious and 'boring' issues like these, it reads well – without ever sounding like a text book.  
Mir Shawkat
Shantinagar, Dhaka
***
The writer argues the importance of lean and efficient management in the running of an organisation. I am highly impressed by the fact that IDCOL does not have any peon. While I appreciate the need for poor, less educated people to have jobs, I am totally opposed to the idea of having peons in offices. Why can't employees carry their own bags or go to the office printer to get their own prints? How much lazier are we going to get? There are no such posts as peons in any developed country.
Lubna Khan
Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Fading Childhood
I usually skip the musings section of the Star. But this week's musings caught my attention for its lyrical style and thought provoking content. I was deeply moved by these lines: “These children will have no memory of collecting wild-flowers or chasing clouds, no idea of that special magical time before sunset when the world would transform into a huge playground and the sheer tragedy of the sunset that would signal the end of play-time.” The writer is talking about children growing and living in Dhaka city. How true and equally sad it is! These children actually have no proper childhood! The reason behind this is we have too many people living in this city. In fact, Bangladesh now has the highest population density in the history of humankind anywhere in the world. Unless and until we can do something about that, it is going to get worse. That's the hard reality.
Anushka Mohsin
Uttara, Dhaka

Bangladesh Cricket
Bangladesh cricket has again disappointed us. It is very sad when we see the entire batting line up collapse in less than 200 runs in a test match. Despite such repetition of poor performances, it seems that the management keeps on picking the same team. When the bowlers are performing well, the batsmen are performing miserably, and when the batsmen are scoring runs, the bowlers are playing badly.  BCB should take immediate and proper steps so that the team as a whole performs better and puts a smile on the faces of the ardent supporters of Bangladesh Cricket.
S Amir Haque
IUB, Baridhara

Rapid Action Necessary
Eve teasing is prevalent almost everywhere in our society though there are laws against it. A few days ago a girl killed herself after being a victim of this heinous crime. We have to change our attitude towards females and have to respect them as human beings, not look at them as commodities. Families can play a vital role in this regard, by teaching the male children how to treat women with respect. And the victims must realise that suicide is not the solution to it, they have to protest. In schools, colleges and offices dialogues on eve teasing should be encouraged. It must be made clear to everyone that it is a crime punishable by law.   Last but not the least; the government should create public awareness to make a woman-friendly environment everywhere and to ensure punishment without procrastination.
M Nur Islam
Carmichael College, Rangpur

Depression
[Re: It's Time to Talk, September 19, 2014]. In our country, depression is often misunderstood or not understood at all. Feeling  blue, grief, sadness and depression are not the same. It is a disease just like diabetes or high blood pressure and requires treatment. You cannot will yourself out of it. Doctors often prescribe medication or/and therapy. In some cases it can be genetic. We need to understand that. If not treated, it can have serious consequences.
Zuabair Ahmed
Lamatia, Dhaka

Deathtrap
The photo feature once again reminds us how poor the infrastructures of this country are.  However, people have accepted it as their fate accompli. We do not know what the government is doing to solve these problems. An independent commission should look into how much money is allocated every year for the repair and maintenance of roads and highways and how much of it is actually spent on this purpose. But then again, where can we find people to constitute such a commission that would be neutral and transparent? All our problems are the classic chicken-and-egg problem.
Mainul Hasan Shibli
On Email

You were in, Now you are Out
In a democracy, every individual has the right to express his or her political thoughts. Chintito's article, published on September 12, was disagreeable. It was, however, encouraging and appreciable to see the Star's apology in the  September 19 issue.
M  Haque, Dhaka

Photo: Star File