STAR DIARY

A matter of shame

Last week I met a young Indian woman with her father coming to Bangladesh to get her admission in a medical college under foreign quota. As we were talking about the medical education facilities in Bangladesh, I found that they have a very positive outlook towards our education system. Every year lots of students, specially from Bangalore and Kashmir prefer coming to Bangladesh to study MBBS. Not only do they have to pay less here, but they also believe that the quality of education that they could get here is really good. Given the recent medical admission test question paper leak incidents, I felt very ashamed to continue our discussions further. I can't understand what our society has turned into. If the medical authority and the students – a squad responsible to ensure our well being, are contaminated by corruption, how can we hope to develop and improve our country? 

Anisuzzamman Khan
Gulshan, Dhaka                     

Fare Woes

Last Friday I went to buy a bus ticket from Gabtoli for Mymensingh. The salesperson at the ticket counter demanded for Tk 800 where the actual price is only Tk 470. The bus fare is hiked illegally by the salesperson without obeying the actual fare. If the rates are fixed by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authorities, why aren't they more careful when increasing the fare? Many of the people living in Dhaka are poor people from rural areas to earn their livelihoods. How will they be able to bear this illegal increase in transport fares? I believe that this illegal price determination is sure to ruin the goodwill of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authorities. The government needs to take immediate measures and look into this matter asap. 

Nabila Nazneen
Farmgate, Dhaka