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The government is simply acting like a child in trying to confront the Tuesday Group. Facts be told, almost every meaningful political reform in Bangladesh has happened after helpful nudges from our development partners. While the sacrifices of our people and their sufferings have been instrumental in bringing about statutory concessions on human rights, economic freedoms, and political pluralism, none of that would have happened this fast without pressure from the donors. Australia, the US, and Britain are not our foes, they are our friends.
   ES
   USA

The Ahmadiyya community has been under threat and physical violence by the majority mainstream. This is not just intolerance and bigotry intolerable; it is unacceptable and criminal persecution that is neither permissible in the name of Islam nor in secular law of modern society. What other way than to treat such travesty than to crush with iron hand? In the days of the Prophet (pbuh), even the non-Muslims had protection and treated with tolerance, unless they had been at war.
   If there is a single phenomenon that violates basic teachings and tenets of Islam namely compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance and respect of diversity of views and practices among the creatures of Almighty, it is religious intolerance, oppression; Islam does not recognise any form of clerical hegemony though in practice that crept in over time. Again, if Muslims of diverse sects, race and culture find themselves divided and clashing over forms, rituals and symbols and forget the substance of it  all, their current misery and subjugation in the world will only become worse and intolerably humiliating.
   A civilisation that had once been the beacon of light to a dark Europe fell into an abyss of darkness itself by sloth and self indulgence; the Crusaders of the past failed but the new imperialists and neo-colonialists have risen to fill the void and are now tormenting the Muslims in the 21st century.
   Continue your inter sectarian fight, dissipate your precious energy and resource in bigotry and backwardness, wrap your communities in ignorance rather than fill that blinding darkness with light of education and power of knowledge, the Muslim world will have no need of an enemy; it will be the worst enemy of itself; moreover it might well slide into irrelevance in a world of enlightened communities with power and influence deserving of a great civilisation it inherited not so long ago.
   With all the justifications and right to resist, the sporadic violence inflicted upon a few here and there in futile bursts of fury and anger is neither ethical nor effective or well directed. That only exacerbates the asymmetry of force and invites even more assaults by the tormentor. One needs patience and tenacity, energy and endeavour, discipline and dedication, to acquire power and strength sufficient to arouse fear and respect in the heart of the adversary; that alone might not be enough but still will be better and effective response to pre-emption, who knows it  might itself prevent pre-emption in the first place.
   Husain
   Dhaka

There is a growing divide between people living in the cities and the rural areas of Bangladesh. I particularly refer to the people living in Dhaka and Chittagong while referring to the cities. The small minority living in Dhaka and Chittagong may take comfort in the fact that in spite of the most privileged class, they spend the lowest in their energy costs whether it be Titas gas for their kitchen or electricity for lighting and other energy requirements e.g. refrigeration, air-conditioning. The privileged and the government most often ignore the fact that the majority of the people live in rural areas where no Titas gas is available and who despite the lowest earning groups in the country, spend a few times more compared to their privileged counterpart in cities for fulfilling their cooking gas requirements.
   An average household pays only taka 400 or so for unlimited use of Titas gas for their home use in Dhaka and Chittagong while an average household in small towns requires 4 cylinder LPG gas per month costing them nearly tk 2600.00 at present market price. This is a picture of the many disparities existing in our society.
   It is quite understandable that it is just impossible for Titas to supply gas to all households in the country and this is why it hence becomes an obligation of the government to address the issue and find a plausible solution for the people who want to use LPG but cannot due to its exorbitant price.
   As a matter of fact, the LPG companies were selling their cooking gas at around taka 300.00 per cylinder and once having created the demand for it among the consumers particularly in townships, they have kept increasing their price and profitability several times in the absence of a watchdog or a regulatory body. They find excuse in global fuel price in doubling up their price while we all know that the price of fuel in either international market or Bangladesh has not doubled and the price of neither Titas nor CNG has gone up. The multinational company operating in local LPG market pays hardly any regard for the laws of the country in relation to trade practices and keep increasing price whimsically and without any notice as if they airlifted the LPG soon the global price goes up on the day while they were selling stock that could have been imported several months ago.
   It is about time the government did take note of the situation in LPG market for the sake of the people in the low earning bracket living in many small townships in order to closely monitor the LPG companies and stop their malpractice. The big question is why the people in Bangladesh should pay taka 650 per CG (cylinder gas) while people in India pays about Rs 250 per cg viewing that both the countries import LPG.
   Khandaker R Zaman
   Dhaka

I could not actually decipher the decision of the present government regarding the two-day holiday. I wondered how a comparatively pro-people government could strike axe on the life of the nation by imposing inertia in the form of two-day recess.
   Yes, it may be salubrious for a country where corruption does not rule the roost. But here in our country where files do not move without one greasing the palms of government officials, this extension of holiday will drag the nation definitely backwards. I remember on one occasion I had to stay as much as eleven days in Dhaka to have some work done at the Education Bhaban somewhat for overwhelming corruption there and somewhat for a two-day holiday during the period of the Sheikh Hasina government. I also I remember how the bitter experience of being forced to do demeaning things there vitiated my prayer for a long time.
   So, please, either eradicate corruption from the land (which is nearly impossible for our prime minister because her party activists are immensely corrupt) or reduce the two-day holiday to one and that too on Sunday for the greater interest of our impoverished nation.
   Abdus Subhan
   Lalpur, Natore