Sidr did not spare Chittagong. More than 100 fishermen died and more than 300 trawlers were destroyed. The tidal bore swamped many coastal areas and floodwaters washed away fish from ponds. Many embankments collapsed and paddy fields were totally damaged. Water in many places was undrinkable. You could have hardly stopped tears if you had seen the parents of the missing people in their agony. Most of the dead were from Banshkhali and Shatkania. Fishermen from these areas usually go to Dublar Char in Sundarban for fishing.
Abu Jafar,Hathazari, Chittagong
I am delighted to see that The Executive Times chose Sidr as its lead story. In fact the impact of the cyclone has seriously undercut any positive calculations concerning our economy. Already there are signs of a fall in the GDP and unless steady and adequate supply of food is ensured for at least six months, we may have to face a famine.
Amiruzzaman,Bangshal, Dhaka
Sundarban proved why it is of paramount importance to protect our environment. Like a mother desperate to save her child, the forest fought the evil force and thus saved many lives. Sidr is a lesson for those of us who are careless about environmental issues.
Md. Abdul Baten,Azimpur, Dhaka
You have written 'Business leaders extend a generous hand to Sidr Victims'. But the statistics of assistance speaks otherwise. We know these people are billionaires and for an association or group of billionaires donating 30-40 lakh taka is too small a token of sympathy. Still, I congratulate them and I would ask the Task Force to find out and punish those businessmen who have made money by corrupt means but have not contributed a single taka to the relief fund.
Shuvo,by email
We cannot stop natural disasters but we can minimize damage if we take precautionary measures. I do not think people in the remotest corners of the country, who have no access to radio and television, had been given warning before Sidr struck. The authorities should realize their job does not stop at making repeated announcements; they should make sure their announcements reach the target people.
Jahangir Alam,Shantinagar, Dhaka
Benazir Bhutto
It is unbelievable that Benazir Bhutto is no more. I am terribly shocked-as much as I was when Lady Diana was killed. The world is not for good humans.
Rafa Binte,Gulshan, Dhaka
I cannot imagine how a former prime minister can be assassinated when there is a tight security surrounding her. There must have been a conspiracy and the suggestion that a section of the army had a hand in it is not unjustified. Whatever, it will take many years to fill the intellectual vacuum created in the political culture in Pakistan with the departure of Benazir Bhutto.
Javed Iqbal,by email
Rural Economy
It is time for your magazine to diversify in terms of contents. One area that I think you should cover is rural economy. You could choose a village or a couple of villages for a start and focus on the economic activities going on there. You might point out the problems and make fruitful suggestions. Such microeconomic coverage will help the people at the grassroots level and it will also give an extra weight to your highly reputed magazine.
Abu Bakr Siddique,Mohammadpur, Dhaka
Illegal Land Occupancy
Everyone welcomed the government when it started to take action against those who had grabbed govt. land. But without any good reason the action has stopped. There are small pockets of land here and there at Mirpur as in many areas in Dhaka. The narrow strips of land adjacent to Arambag, Mirpur, belonging to Milk Vita and the Housing Department are now in the possession of some local musclemen, who have built slums and shops. They have earth-filled the drain carrying wastewater from Milk Vita. As a result, the environment in the area has been polluted. Moreover, some of these slums provide shelter to criminals.
Previous governments had their political interests and so they gave shelter to law-breakers. This government is clean. I hope the army will make a survey of the area and take whatever action is necessary to throw out illegal occupants.
Ilyas Hussain,Mirpur, Dhaka
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