MAILBOX

No Space to Grow
The spotlight story titled "Growing Pains" published in August 14, 2015 was a perfect depiction of the acute problem that is mostly faced by our young generation in the urban areas. Due to the shortage of open spaces and playgrounds, the children of urban areas in Bangladesh are deprived of their mental and physical nourishment. Long time confinement to four-walled rooms have an adverse effect on their body and mind. It is our responsibility to provide our young generation with a healthy form of recreation and entertainment so that they can grow with a healthy mind, in a healthy body. 

Md Israfil Hossen
Bijoy Ekattor Hall
University of Dhaka 

Photo: Zahedul I Khan

No VAT on Education
Despite of heavy protest from all quarters, the government did not change its decision of imposing VAT on private university education. The government should realise that the majority of private university students are from middle-income families. This 7.5 percent VAT is heavy burden for them to bear. When the students of private universities will pay VAT to get higher education, their friends in public universities will study almost free of cost. It's really bad decision taken by the government. Thousands of students in private universities may drop out and a large part of our higher education will virtually collapse in the near future. I think all the conscious people along with the students will continue their protest against this draconian decision.
Anando Kumar Saha
Rampura, Dhaka

Be the Real Star
These days we have become so preoccupied with examination results that it has become the only thing that matters to a student. Most of the people define a student by his/her results regardless of personal qualities. For them if the result is good, the person is good, and if not, the person is bad. Forgetting the importance to be a good person, our society is trying to get good students at any cost. As a result, most of the students have become so desperate to gate good grades that sometimes they try to get it at the cost of their moral values. After so much effort, when they fail to achieve this imposed goal, we see tragic consequences such as frustration, addiction and even suicide. Our society should realise we should be defined not by the exam results but by our values as human beings.
Humaira Maisha Mahmud
Viqarunnisa Noon School and College 
Dhaka

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