Letters
The spirit and duty of sacred Eid
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| SK Enamul Haq |
Eid, the biggest religious festival of the Muslim community, is a rare occasion of the year during which the have's and have-not's interact .Eid means endless joy and happiness. It is for all ages, particularly for children who long for this event since the beginning of Ramadan. It comes to us with unlimited entertainment. But what about the majority of the people who live hand to mouth? Most of them cannot get sufficient food, let alone new clothes and other things that make Eid special. Moreover, most of the rich distribute 'Zakat clothing' (low quality outfits) to the poor which is rather ludicrous and against the spirit of the holy occasion. Most rich people in our country do not know or do not want to know the proper distribution of the Zakat system. Every year poverty can be reduced a thousand times more effectively by means of Zakat only. We must keep in mind that Zakat, fitra, which is provided on the occasion of Eid is the right of the poor. The purpose of Eid is to share everything with others. For this reason, it is the religious and holy duty of every muslim to pay zakat in an Islamic way to please Allah. We should save at least a minimum portion of our Eid budget for the deprived and poor children so that they can enjoy the colour of Eid as much as our children. Thereby, the real spirit and objective of the Eid can be attained.
Mohammad Zia-ul-Haque
International Islamic University
Chittagong
The environmental hazards
Littering is a very common habit among the younger generation today. They just don't realise how dangerous it is. Even street vendors dispose of their waste in any old street corner. Most people are unaware that diseases can spread from dirt. Clean roads and homes can prevent diseases such as malaria, typhoid etc. Our whole nation needs to be made aware of these issues so we can take action without waiting for the government to do something about this. We can start by planting more trees in any open and available space, both in and outside the city. Plants on rooftops can also help keep buildings cooler and protect us from the scorching heat of the sun. River pollution is also a big problem in our country. Not only are our aquatic animals suffering, river pollution is also contributing to the spread of different diseases. Different varieties of fish are already extinct and fishermen are losing their livelihood. Treating raw sewage can be a solution to this problem. By products can be used as fertilisers for fields. We must all make contributions in small ways to solve this problem.
Md Mahbubur Rahman
Dhaka
A persistent crime
Recently, I have noticed that my friends take pleasure in teasing girls on the road. They seem to enjoy making lewd remarks at them, without giving a thought to how it effects the girls. These friends of mine know that what they are doing is wrong and reprehensible, but this doesn't stop them. They do not realise that their behaviour may cause these girls to fear leaving their house or even frighten them enough to commit suicide. Of late, there have been stories all over the newspapers about girls committing suicide after being humiliated by men on the streets. But how can we put a stop to it? Parents and adults responsible for these boys must come forward and explain to them the effect their behaviour may have on women. I do my part by trying to convince my friends that what they are doing is wrong. We must all play an active role in putting an end to this crime.
Al Emran Emu
University of Dhaka
Digital Bangladesh
English is important in the development of Digital Bangladesh. The information super highway, that is the internet, uses this language as the default and most of the world's information is in this language, whether original or translated.
Also, when the proposals to spread technology throughout rural Bangladesh come up, the question of its viability is almost always headed by the fact that to fully utilise the potential of IT, one needs a moderate amount of proficiency in English as it is the principal means through which this kind of communication is carried out. What I am trying to say is that we have to improve our level of English literacy to be able to realise the dream of Digital Bangladesh.
EIS (English in Schools), an initiative taken by The Daily Star newspaper and Robi is a step in the right direction. In this campaign, Under EIS, around 1,000 schools will get handouts. Schools across the country get three copies of The Daily Star five days a week free of charge. The distribution has recently begun and will be carried out in phases. Gradually, more schools will come under the scheme. Every Monday, an extra full-page with English language-learning materials will be brought out.
If more people understand and are comfortable with the language, they are going to be able to access information and tools on the web and use it to their advantage.
You cannot just spread technology and wait for it to improve people's lives. You have to first empower the people with tools to utilise that technology.
Mohammad Kashif Choudhury
North South University
Dhaka
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