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I understand that the government is under tremendous pressure due to rise of current expenditure vis-à-vis limited revenue generating capacity of the country. It is reasonable that government will undertake cost-cutting measures to keep things under control. One of such measures is restriction on procurement of new government vehicle. A similar restriction was imposed last year in the wake of August flood. The government will save as much as tk 150 crore if no new vehicle is purchased in 2005-06. But, believe me, it will be a fatal remedy if replacement of old vehicles is postponed for the second year.
   Last year I received budget allocation for replacing one of the vehicles in my office but could not replace it due to restrictions imposed later on. But that cost the government an additional amount of tk 3.0 lakh for unavoidable repairs and another tk 1.5 lakh due to low mileage per litre since it is a very old car. It will be a ‘penny wise pound foolish’ decision if uneconomic vehicles are not allowed to be replaced. There are certainly some abuse of government vehicles but in most cases vehicles are essential for efficient running of the government machinery.
   So, Finance Minister, please don’t impose restrictions on replacement of economically unviable vehicles. It will be counter-productive although it seems, there is none to carry out a cost-benefit analysis at the ministry.
   Instead why not raise the development surcharge (IDSC) by one or even half per cent? You have done this exercise many times before, haven’t you? This will fetch you ten times more revenue than you will save by restricting replacement of old vehicles.
   Or alternatively, double the amount of excise duty on bank account of tk 50 lakh and above. This will also fetch you a lot of money.
   Give us necessary stationery, essential supplies, logistics and support equipment, finance minister, if you want us to perform efficiently. Our mere presence in the office is not enough. We need paper, books, file cover, computer, printer, printer ink, photocopier, toner-cartridge and such other things just to do the basic business at the office. Don’t tie our hands too much and incapacitate thereby. I hope you understand.
   A civil servant
   Dhaka

Since the hurricane hit the southern states of USA causing devastation I have been scouring the press and other media  for news of Bangladeshi-American residents in that part of  USA, where I myself had spent some very pleasurable time in my youth.
   I congratulate the authorities for coming out with an official statement at last informing that although there are massive economic damage people of Bangladeshi origin living in those areas are physically safe.
   In this age of a global village, natural or terrorist calamities all produce international victims and none of us is far from the bell ‘which tolls for thee’. Although I am overwhelmed by sadness due to the death and destruction and the stone age behaviour of some survivors, I am heartened to learn from earlier reports that Bangladesh has offered help along with many other nations.
   Shafi Ahmed
   London, UK

So far we have witnessed three major bomb attacks in the western world: 9/11 attacks in the United States, railway bombing in Madrid, Spain, and the recent subway bombing in London. Just before the last US presidential election, Bin Laden himself claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. After 9/11 attacks United State arrested many people and almost all of them were Muslims and majority of them originated from Middle Eastern countries. The Al-Qaeda group claimed responsibility of Madrid bombing and the arrested individuals were Muslim originated from Mid Eastern countries.
   Similarly, after the London bombing, Al-Qaeda claimed the responsibility and again the arrested individuals were Muslim originated from Pakistan and other Mid Eastern country.
   In all of these bombing we don’t see involvement of any non-Muslim. From racial perspective, we see that no white person was arrested for these incidents. It is difficult to believe that all these countries intentionally avoided arresting non Muslims or white people since the government of these countries must place security of its own people above anything else.
   In Bangladesh case, all the arrested persons are Bangladeshi and they are Muslims. Recently, one Indian was arrested but he is a Muslim and he is living in Bangladesh for more than 10 years.
   Now if any foreign country is involved in the incident, as claimed by Jamaat, Ershad and pro-government intellectuals, then at least one non Muslim should have been arrested. But none has been.
   The arrestees in Bangladesh are part of the majority Muslims. It is really difficult to believe that so many people will work under the guidance of a non Muslim. We have found so many Muslim militant camps in Bangladesh. It is really doubtful that a non-Muslim country is running these ultra Islamic military camps.
   Wasim Haider
   Toronto, Canada

Azad Miah has hit the jackpot! How is it possible for all our so-called ‘Jono Dorodi’ politicians, including communists and capitalists, to go all over the world with their meagre income? How about their Mercedes and expensive SUVS? Oh! Hasina’s son Joy used to drive a very expensive car in Dallas while going to UT Arlington which would not be possible with his parents’ income.
   May we know how much earning shown by our Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia in their tax returns? Even in the US, the president’s earning is reported to the public every year on April 15.  Why can’t we know the earnings and business ventures of all the public officials as reported on their tax returns?
   MK
   On e-mail