Star Diary

Good Behaviour is Rare

	Photo: Zahedul I Khan

Just the other day, on my way to office from Uttara to Farmgate, I experienced something on a crowded bus that annoyed me a lot even though it might seem fairly trivial.

The bus was completely full and there were a lot of people standing near the door of the bus. So when the bus arrived at Farmgate bus-stop, I had to jostle through the crowd to get to the door in the process of which I mistakenly stepped on the foot of a young man. From his clothes, I gathered that he was from a relatively well-off, if not well-educated, background. I immediately apologised, saying sorry. But he loudly remarked, "She steps on me and then says sorry." I was so annoyed by his remarks – is this the way someone should respond to an apology made on account of a small mistake which was completely unintentional? I have noticed that an increasing number of people are doing higher studies nowadays, given the growing number of universities, more and more people in fancy clothes are moving up the corporate ladder. But somehow their manner hasn't quite improved. Why is good behavior so scarce in our society?

Sanita Huda
Uttara, Dhaka

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Sense of Dignity

The other day, when the vehicles were at the traffic signal at Mastcho Bhaban Mor in Segunbagicha, some hawkers were selling their goods to the passengers. At that juncture a child hawker started to sell “Tasty Hazmi,” trying to attract buyers by showing them his fingerless hand. A passenger offered two takas, after which the boy gave two pieces of “Tasty Hazmi” to that passenger. The passenger wanted to give him money without taking the ‘hazmies.’ But the resolute boy said loudly “I do not beg. So, please take back your money.” And he left the place quickly. Most passengers were initially puzzled but later rather took the incident with good humour and good will.

Come to think of it, many people in this city who are physically sound want to beg instead of working but this young disabled boy had an amazing sense of dignity.

Bipul K Debnath
Dhaka College, Dhaka

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A Packet of Candies

The day had been hectic as I had to work for long hours. The road was clogged with buses and cars, and their drivers were about to lose their nerves in the commotion and heat. I, too, was very exhausted and was hoping earnestly to catch a glimpse of any kind rickshaw-puller who would take me to my destination. There was a small boy in ragged shorts who was standing at a distance, curiously looking at me. He held a colourful packet in his tiny hands which was delicately wrapped in a plastic material. The boy's curiosity caught my attention for I could not find the reason for his strange behaviour.

The boy had a flamboyant charm and looked very confident. As I realised that my luck was not on my side to get a rickshaw, I started to walk towards him.

When I had approached the boy, I could see that his valued possession was a packet of lozenges which he had somehow managed to acquire.

The boy read my thoughts and said that an old gentleman had given him the packet when he was standing beside a confectionary store. I smiled at the boy and tried to cheer him up upon the success of having his relishing prize. But to my disappointment, the boy became sad and replied that he was intending to sell the packet to me. He could not afford to savour the lozenges because his poor old mother and younger sister, who lived in a shanty nearby, had been starving for days and he had to buy some rice with that money. I did not have the words to console him. All I could do was to buy that packet of lozenges to relieve him a bit of his misery.

Naome Syed
Mohammadpur, Dhaka

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