MAILBOX

The Wake Up Generation
The exceptionally talented young men and women featured in the cover story gives us hope for a better future. Despite all the obstacles, they have performed miracles in their respective fields. Leadership is about establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others, providing the information, knowledge and methods to realise that vision. By that measure, Sarazeen Kazi, Mohammad Ruhul Kader, Suman Kumar Nath, Dr Sayed Saikh Imtiaz and all others in the cover story are true leaders. We wish them more success in future.  
Nelofar Yasmin
Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Hope for a Better Tomorrow
I could not think of a more thoughtful cover story to begin the New Year with. I feel proud of each and every individual in the cover story. These young leaders refused to accept the status quo and came up with innovative ideas to change things for the better. Where there's a will, there is a way.
Asharaful Islam
Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Drink Milk
We have too many tea stalls in our country and people unnecessarily drink too much tea. Tea has many health benefits, if drunk properly. Tea is best when consumed without milk and sugar. But these tea stalls prepare tea with condensed “milk” and an excessive amount of sugar. I have a suggestion. Tea vendors should start selling milk. Initially they may not have customers but people will eventually pick up the habit of drinking milk. I have seen it in cities in North India where students can buy glasses of pure milk from road side stalls. At the same time we need nationwide campaigns to popularise the benefits of drinking milk.
Sohana Urmi
Gulshan, Dhaka

Politics of Peace and Progress
We pray and hope that the year 2015 will be peaceful and more prosperous. We are tired of the confrontational politics of the day. The two biggest political parties should make concessions and think about the interests of the people first. Let businessmen do business and retired civil servants enjoy their pension and play golf. Let only those who are interested in working for the people join politics. Only then can we expect to see some real changes.
Ramzan Ali
Azimpur, Dhaka

The Quirky Bangladeshi
The cover story [published on December 26, 2014] was like a breath of fresh air. I think the readers will highly appreciate more issues like this. As for me, I found each article very funny and poignant. I shared them with friends and family who loved them.
Mohammad Shoaib
Savar, Dhaka

Free Books and Question Paper Leak
The government deserves a lot of credit for giving free books to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren. The move will encourage disadvantaged families to send their children to school. But giving books for free is not enough. We have to ensure the quality of education. Leakage of question papers in public exams has become a common phenomenon.  If a student knows what's to come in the exam, then he or she will have no reason to study the books that were given to them for free. The education minister is in denial about the issue of leakage of question papers. The sooner he acknowledges the problem, the better for the country. If the education sector is ruined, we will have no hope left for our country.  
Anonymous
On Email
 
'Mad' Men
This has reference to the article titled 'Men are idiots, study shows' published on January 2, 2015 in the Quirky Science section. I think the study is interesting and deserves our attention. I also think that similar studies should be conducted to find out why men are usually more violent. A recent study shows that countries led by women leaders are less likely to engage in wars and conflicts.
Rabeya Khatun
Uttara, Dhaka

Congratulations Dr Yunus!
Nobel peace laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus is our pride.  Recently he was ranked 5th among 236 influential global thinkers. The survey was carried out by the Zurich-based Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute for Economic and Social Studies and MIT Sloan School researcher Peter Gloor. The social business model championed by Dr Yunus has the potential to change the world. By doing social business, Bangladeshi young men and women can become entrepreneurs and create jobs for others.
Md Nazmul Islam
HSC student
Jalshuka Habibur Rahman College Bogra

Childhood lost
The sight of children attending coaching centres carrying heavy school bags makes me sad. What kind of an education system are we building? Why should a fifth grader spend most of his day studying? When should he or she play? Are we building robots or are we building compassionate human beings? The government should form an independent commission comprised of renowned educationalists to formulate policies that can reform the primary education in Bangladesh.
Sowkat Hossain Mintu
Lalmatia, Dhaka

Ban Zee Bangla
Most Indian channels do not show any educational programme. All they show is serials where the central theme always is conspiracy and family politics. There is nothing we can learn from watching these channels. The government should ban them.
Zahiruddin Babar
Jessore