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As far as I can guess, the main objectives of construction of Mohakhali flyover was to minimise traffic jam in the Mohakhali rail crossing area for the convenience of the people who travel through Zia International Airport. After opening of Mohakhali flyover everybody expected a relief from existing traffic jam in the Mohakhali rail crossing. But in practice it has not been achieved. Rather, the jamming problem is extended up to Bijoy Sarani, now, especially, in the morning and in the evening office hours, when the entire area becomes tight with full of vehicles.
   The flyover improves the beauty of the road site significantly. In the evening, you will find a lot of people walking through the side of the flyover to spend their leisure time. They may find some difference here from other side of the city as well.
   But the main objectives are to be fulfilled. We need to get rid of these difficulties, because; we have to travel through this road everyday. We are not only wasting our time during travelling through this road, it also has some other impacts. During this congestion, more vehicles are packed up closely to each other and the amount of discharging fumes is huge compared to any normal situation and it is polluting the environment enormously. We, the passengers, are to live under such an environment for hours together and as a result, it may be the cause of lung-related diseases among us.
   We think, the relevant departments are already engaged to find out some solution to this problem. In our general view and understanding, we need some more bypass roads around the city. Initially, there was a plan for one bypass road between Bijoy Sarani and Tejgaon Industrial area road adjacent to the Rangs building. In the same way, a bypass road may be constructed in the south side of Sonargaon Hotel without allocating any shops. This road may link to the Rampura Bridge easily. These two bypass road links may be an immediate solution for the time being. Hope, the relevant departments will think about it.
   Zahir U Hyder
   Dhaka

Like the Empire State building or Buckingham Palace, prisons called Guantanoma Bay and Abu Gharib have become well-known names to many around the world.
   The name Abu Gharib came in world headlines, after CBS News’ In 60 minutes II boardcasted photographs of prisoner abuse in it. These scenes of horrible torture raised voices of people all over the world and damaged the respect of the US Army.
   Some stories of mistreatment in Guantanomo Bay were also horrific and terrible. According to a lawyer, a Bahraini detainee there was made walk on broken glasses and his head was pushed into glass before being interrogated. He also claimed that the detainee was shocked with an electric device on his face and boiling liquid (maybe tea) was poured over his head. The detainees are also often forced to do things, which may be against their religion. Four detainees were killed on January 31, 2005, when soldiers opened fire on them, at Camp Bucca International facility near Qasr.
   These people were detainees, they were not prisoners of war (POWs), and the US Army has no right to mistreat any person like this. It seems that organisations like International Committee of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are not taking necessary measures, as per Geneva Convention, to stop these kinds of torture, abuse and mistreatments. On January 27, President Bush, in an interview with the Times, said, “Torture is never acceptable, nor do we hand over people to countries that do torture”. So, what about the detainees held in the US custody?
   Tahsin Hyder
   Maple Leaf International School

Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) is a high-powered constitutional body to select the best candidates in the rank of the first and second class officers to serve the people of the Republic. The body has been working with great satisfaction of the people for a long time from the very beginning of this statehood. It had been able to work independently during the first democratic government during 1973-75, and during the autocratic or semi-autocratic governments from 1976 to 1990. But after we managed to establish the ‘democratic governments’ from 1991 onwards, the image of BPSC has been degrading day by day. People are now widely dissatisfied with its performance.
   Now during the ongoing democratic government period, BCS question papers were leaked out several times and sometimes the examination had to be rescheduled. Every time the BPSC Chairman first said the system was leak-proof and there was no leakage. But sometimes, the BPSC had to reschedule exams due mainly to pressure from the candidates, not on logical grounds.
   The 25th BCS written test is going on. The Mathematics and General Science test was held on February 24 (Thursday). It was alleged that photocopy of the question paper proper was available outside when the examination was going on. The respected members of the BPSC sat in a meeting presided over by its Chairman Professor ZN Tahmida Begum. The outcome of the meeting was very ‘interesting and thought-provoking’. The meeting said that since the information of the leakage was not available before the examination, it could not be cancelled and rescheduled (!/?). However, the meeting did not say anything about the matter of actual leakage. I don’t have any direct answer to this rather funny logic. But I am tempted to cite some more logics of the same category.
   Case-1. The big launch that capsized in the Buriganga on February 19 and killed about 200 people committed no mistake or wrong to the passengers. The cause lies in the fact that neither the owner nor the driver ‘knew before’ that it would capsize. The launch did not go under water at Sadarghat before it started for Matlab. So none should demand any justice nor should the government investigate into the matter.
   Case-2. There have been about 20 bombing incidents in Bangladesh beginning from the last government. Many people were killed and more seriously injured to live a handicapped life. But none can demand justice to the government because the government did not know about the bombing ‘before it occurred’. So, the persons actively demanding investigation and justice should be tried instead. The logic is that they may arrange for demonstrations in future and the government has scope to try ‘before’ that happens.
   Case-3. A justice in the Bangladesh Supreme Court was said to be employed with forged certificate but the forgery was not known ‘before his appointment’. Now the government can do nothing against this forgery simply because it is too late to do anything.
   If the respected members of the BPSC agree with the three logics above, we then can agree with their logic with due importance. What do the readers say? Do the BPSC members agree? I urge the BPSC members (including the Chairman) to appreciate and uphold their constitutional position and cease to deprive the eligible candidates.
   MAS Molla
   Dhaka