MAILBOX

The Haunted Estate   
I went to Gazipur many times but I didn't know about the history of its royal palace. Thanks to Apurba Jahangir's article "The Haunted Estate" published in the Star Weekend on May 13, 2016, I got to know a lot about the history of Gazipur previously known as Bhawal estate. The story of Kumar Ramendra Narayan Roy the second is really very interesting. It reminds me of another story of this kind written by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali titled "Jibito o Mrito", where Kadombini, the main character of the story escaped from cremation in the same way and lived a few years longer. However, like many other historical sites, this palace is also in bad condition. Most of its past grandeurs have been decayed and destroyed. I request the concerned authority to preserve this significant historical site to save it from total destruction.

Enam Hasan
Madaninagar, Narayanganj

Maid in Bangladesh
In the Bangladeshi society, housemaids are a part and parcel of the everyday life. Most of us cannot even imagine a day without their service. They begin their work at dawn and continue relentlessly till midnight. Unfortunately, most people of this society do not recognise their contribution. News of torturing these poor people is very common. It is very positive that with the growth of industries like RMG, they now have some other options to earn their livelihood except being housemaids. The initiative of Bangladesh government to formulate the Domestic Help Protection and Welfare Policy is really commendable in this regard. However the whole article titled "Maid in Bangladesh" published on May 12, 2016 discussed the laws and policies regarding the rights of the maids. But such laws and regulations need to be implemented properly.  Besides these rules and regulations, we should keep in mind that we are human beings, and those whom we are using for these odd jobs are also human beings. It is our duty to treat them well and to show them proper respect and give them the chance to live with dignity. 

Sayedur Rahman
Jatrabari, Dhaka

Photo: Mohammad Ponir Hossain

Save Our Children
I felt really happy when I noticed the very effective initiative of the Star Weekend where they have been continuously spreading awareness regarding child labour in Bangladesh. To bring the overall child labour situation to light will help a lot of people enforce the related laws and monitor the working conditions. Thanks to Naziba Basher for her writing on the topic, and to the Star Weekend family for taking such a useful step. I believe that the media has the power to change the public attitude towards child labour and the capacity to increase community awareness. If people and the government reach a consensus about the safety and the rights of children then indeed one day Bangladesh will be a safe place for its future generations.

Fareed Uddin
Keraniganj, Dhaka

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The opinions expressed in these letters do not necessarily represent the views of the Star Weekend.