How Green was My City
Photo: Prabir Das
It is a beautifully written article that makes us think about our total disregard for nature. After reading this article, I hope, we will be more conscious about preserving trees around us. Trees may provide urban people with the opportunity to recover from daily stress and revive memories. Contact with trees can help children learn about nature and natural processes in an otherwise artificial environment. Trees can be, because of seasonal changes in their size, shape, and colour, the most prominent elements of a city. They contribute to an attractive green townscape and thus can create the image of a positive, nature-oriented city. Urban trees and forests can promote tourism and enhance economic development. At the local level trees contribute to the quality of housing and working environments and add to property values. Kona Jalil DOHS, Dhaka *** I appreciate the writer and the Star magazine for publishing such a thought provoking article. I remember a time when Dhaka was much greener and livable. While successive governments have failed to implement policies to keep our city green, the city dwellers have failed to play their role as well. Let's face it. We cannot blame the government for everything that is wrong with the city. People have a responsibility too. I had three big mango trees by my house in Dhanmondi. A property developer unnecessarily cut them down when they started the construction of a multi-storied apartment complex last month. They said that they had to do it to install electric poles. I know they could have avoided cutting the trees if they had planned a bit more carefully. We see this kind of irresponsible behaviour everywhere. Let us be more respectful towards nature, plant more trees and preserve whatever is left. Farzana Ferdousi Dhanmondi, Dhaka
*** Sheba and those early reading years I would like to thank the writer for writing this beautiful article. Growing up, I too was a great fan of Sheba's translated works. Thanks to Sheba, I was able to read classics such as The Three Comrades, The Road Back, All Quiet on the Western Front, Three Musketeers, Les Miserables, Huckleberry Finn and many more. Each of these books carry a message and a specific perspective. It is unfortunate that we do not have a reading culture in this country anymore. I think it is very important that children become familiar at the earliest possible age with different literary genres in order to develop an enlightened worldview. Shamim Reza Dhanmondi, Dhaka *** Sense and Sensibility The article published on June 21, 2013, was a fascinating read. I attained a better understanding about the modern art scene of Bangladesh through this article. Most importantly, the article spoke about new artists, who are not given much exposure. It teaches us that the delicate sense of art can't be judged by commercial mentality. The necessity of curators in the world of art is also emphasised in the article. I also think that it can raise awareness about the art scene of this country which will obviously help Bangladesh prosper in this sector. Finally, I would like to thank the writer for such a nice article and also wish newcomers all the best for their continual success. Mohana Debnath Mohammadpur, Dhaka *** Myth about Clapping It is interesting to learn that clapping is contagious and often is not related to the quality of the performance. I would like to share with readers my thoughts on clapping during or after classical concerts. Classical music is all about the nuances of the playing and the intensity of the experience, and an ill-timed applause can ruin it. When the music warrants applause – i.e. at the end of the first movement of a Tchaikovsky violin concerto – I don't mind because it is a spontaneous and emotional, response. But at the end of a slow movement of a Mahler symphony, clapping seems unnecessary. English conductor John Eliot Gardiner came up with a brilliant idea to control the clapping after a performance – remain with his baton aloft long after the final note has faded away, as if forming a barrier to premature applause, defying anyone to break the spell. The result: pin drop silence until the baton came down. Anamika Chowdhury Minto Road, Dhaka *** A Litterateur with wit and fancy I would like to thank Fayza Haq for her interesting article on Professor Niaz Zaman published in the Star magazine on 14 June 2013. I love the way the writer talks about Niaz Zaman. As an ex student of the Department of English of DU, I would like to share something about Prof Niaz Zaman. In our first year at DU, she used to take classes on drama such as Arms and the Man. Her way of speaking and her variation of voice according to the situation was so mesmerising that all the students began to discover a new way of enjoying their lessons. She used to make our classes so enjoyable that in our fourth year of study I took American Literature as my elective subject, and the reasons behind the decision were two: firstly I knew that the course teacher would be Dr Niaz Zaman and secondly because I did not want to study Bangla ( it was the other elective subject). So, in 4th year, she taught us Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Henry James and JD Salinger and I can claim confidently that I never missed any of her wonderful lectures. I am indeed grateful to her. Kazi Amzad Hossain Lecturer Dept. of English ZH Sikder University of Science & Technology (ZHSUST)
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