MAILBOX

Turning a Blind Eye
Recently, violence on women and children has taken a new dimension. Women in Bangladesh are considered just as a commodity for pleasure. In fact, our mentality has downgraded to the worst level in this regard. It has become our tendency to blame the victim rather than the perpetrators. In addition to the writer of the article titled "Turning a Blind Eye" (published on April 22, 2016), I would like to say that we are experiencing these incidents not only with a blind eye but also with a sealed heart. We have kept our eyes shut as if we did not see anything. But is it possible to shut our hearts too? Does not our heart feel the sufferings of the distressed? Thanks to Elita Karim and to the Star Weekend for a precious write up that was published on April 22, 2016.
Md Sayedur Rahman
Jatrabari, Dhaka

Photo: prabir das

Shining Blue
It is people like Andrew Wakefield, author of a fake research on autism and McCarthy the anti-vaccine activist, mentioned in the article titled "Shining Blue" published on April 29, 2016 who falsely tried to show a relationship between vaccines and autism. However, scientific research showed no causal relationship between vaccines and autism as early back as 1999. Andrew Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in 2010.  Because of media hype fuelled by Jenny McCarthy, percentage of parents saying no to immunisations rose from 22 percent in 2003 to nearly 40 percent in 2008. Then, for the first time in decades, the US saw outbreaks of diseases like measles, mumps, and whooping cough.
Syed. Raiyan Abu Zafar
IUB, Dhaka

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Promises and Illusions 
I would like to thank Fayeka Zabeen Siddiqua for pointing out the difference between donation and compensation.  Immediately after Rana Plaza disaster, I was somewhat consoled by seeing that people from all walks of life gave their kind hands to the survivors and the relatives of the victims. A lot of funds were collected from both public and private sectors.  But these days when I learnt that there was a difference between donation and compensation and all that was handed over to the survivors was in the name of donation, not in the form of compensation I was shocked. I was also shocked to know that these donations were given mainly to the victims of physically injured people and people who suffered from severe mental shock, but trauma did not get any considerable donation. Is there any major difference between mental health and physical health? I strongly request the concerned authority not to deprive the traumatised people of their rights to compensation. 
Enamul Hasan
Madaninagar, Narayanganj