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A trinity of disasters on the odd days of May (15, 17 & 19) with around 300 dead has totally shaken our confidence in riverine traffic; a vital communication link in Bangladesh. However, the minister responsible, since no ship registered in Bangladesh or plying in Bangladesh waters has had a mishap, naturally feels no such moral guilt as such. Possibly Inland Water Transport is just a dangling department, and whoever heads it, the fault lies with it. After all, when all is said and done, it is an act of God that creates the storms. Puns aside, what can we do to prevent such occurrences? A few pragmatic ideas are placed for consideration. The powers to be can take it or leave it; most probably they will leave it.
   a) Have all motorised passenger or cargo carrying inland waterway vessels be registered with a locally formed professional classification society like Lloyds, ABS, NKK etc.
   b) We should allow only three or four standardised proven designs of vessels covering passenger capacities from 200 to 800 or whatever is considered as normal for the trade. Similarly, we could have a few standard designs for cargo vessels from say 25 tons to 100 tons or capacities that are suited to the trade.
   c) The sareng, sukani and driver must have valid licences.
   d) All vessels must have radio communication sets to weather forecast wavebands only which cannot be tuned to any other channel. If need be, hourly weather forecasts through a specific inland marine band be set up.
   e) Needless to say standardised safety gadgets (lifebuoys, etc.) must be on board.
   One way to have this policy in place is to make insurance coverage compulsory for all inland waterway vessels built under the above criteria. We may set up a specialised private or joint venture (govt-private) insurance company to supervise and insure such standardised vessels during voyages. This could well be possible as Lloyds both certifies ships’ fitness and also insures vessels and cargo. If need be, we should ask for specialised help from IMO or related international body to implement this programme on top priority basis.
   Can the powers to be try to make a start to minimise this uncalled for loss of life in rivers; given that Bangladesh is a riverine country?
   SA Mansoor
   Gulshan, Dhaka

The tragic death of a student of DU has saddened us. The unnatural death of a promising young student is always shocking. Shammee Akhter Happy of Dhaka University lost her life on Saturday, crushed under the wheels of a bus driven by a reckless driver. The tragic incident sparked violent student protests. Students went on a rampage, damaging property, which act is also not acceptable. Regrettably, some inept handling by the police compounded the whole situation in the aftermath of the accident.
   On Sunday, we had to see another episode staged by the ruling party’s student front where the rampaging activists along with a few JCD leaders-turned-teachers attacked the protesters to free the VC and the proctor from confinement inside the Institute of Fine Arts.
   The protesters, mostly female students, were demonstrating against the police atrocities on the students in the wake of the death of Shammee Akhter Happy.
   How can a VC seek help from a student organization to free him and his associates from confinement? He could seek help from the police. Another shameful act is that some teachers joined the JCD in the attack on the general students.
   Unfortunately, relying on the blessings of student organizations for survival has been the practice of our VCs. For the sake of the universities, the VC should act as a neutral guardian of a university. Otherwise, we have to encounter more and more such barbaric and shameful occurrences.
   Mallik Akram Hossain
   University of Hong Kong

Coach Dave Whatmore is agitated; at Durham his team had yet another huge thrashing. Both the coach and captain promised ‘natural’ game by the team under their charge. And ‘naturally’ they made a hash of the Durham Test.
   Coach Whatmore and captain Bashar may be as emphatic as they wish to defend Test status; they can do no lees and we understand. But do they realise they have to do much more by way of defending that status?
   Test status is a privilege and not a right. The team has been under the charge of the coach and captain for long enough yet there is not much to show for it— a fact none will deny.
   That privilege may have been given well before it was actually earned. One would have expected that it will be nurtured by hard toil and perseverance; sadly both have been clearly not in evidence. Yes, privilege can become addictive. Like most addictions it needs withdrawal however miserable the symptoms that follow.
   If excuses were enough all failures would have stood on pillars of excuse. Durham Test is that ‘last nail in the coffin’ of the boastful bravado steered by a coach and captain found clueless under the grey English skies.
   Whatmore and Bashar are invited to introspect and gather the courage needed to admit the failure.
   The same goes for the selectors and the Board. It is by far better and more dignified than fuming with outrage while hiding behind excuses.
   Husain
   Dhaka