Star Diary

The Right Image

I met Patricia, one of my online friends from Brazil, through Instagram. As we further interacted, we found that she was totally ignorant of contemporary Bangladesh and had a negative and superficial preconceived idea about Bangladesh, especially our economy, and muslims in general. She thought Bangladesh is a country that is inundated with floods, famines and illiteracy. Over time, she expressed her surprise when she learnt that I was an educated and efficient person. When I learnt that, I stopped replying as I felt slighted.
She might have understood my annoyance and probably later read up on Bangladesh. She sent an apology for misunderstanding Bangladesh and its status quo.

I feel out-and-out dejected as my country is not being projected properly, even after all the success stories that should have changed Bangladesh's image on the outside world.
Samiul Raijul
School of Business and Economics, NSU

A Strong Bond

While people complain of not having good neighbours, I have been very lucky. My next door neighbour to the left is a family of four. The couple have a son and daughter. The daughter is of my age. Being a doctor and a mother of a two-year-old, it becomes very difficult for me to manage everything. Every time they go out to the store for their grocery, they don't forget to ask if I would like them to pick something up. They are very friendly and we often pass most of our afternoons together over a cup of tea. On different festivals, we try to have a meal together. It's like having a family! We share a very strong bond even if we are not related by blood. How lucky we are to have them as our neighbours!
Afrina Tabassum
Mohakhali, Dhaka