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Today a big number of Bangladeshi people live abroad – some as dual citizens in many countries around the world, some as temporary residents, some as professionals on medium-term work assignments, students, etc. And obviously this big number of people demands cultural products like all other products. Today the technological advancement is allowing electronic transmission of news and information worldwide via the Internet and cable TV networks, among others. These electronic channels are now offering us Bangladeshi programmes in the comfort of our foreign homes just like those watching from Bangladesh. Undoubtedly, this is a big achievement in the sense that one now has an option to cling on to the old culture or at least to remain in touch with the home culture while living in a different one. But on the same token, it is also bringing to raising some ethical issues about copyright. Are these programmes protected by copyrights?
   As I have mentioned earlier, there is a huge market for cultural products such as drama serials, musical programmes and various other programmes. Unfortunately, there is very little legal production and export of such items to the Western countries like the USA, the UK, Australia and the rest. Using this loophole and vacuum, a group of entrepreneurs are engaging in making CD and DVD copies of all such programmes in commercial scales and selling to the local shops. These people are getting the product free of cost, i.e. paying nothing for their business input and therefore making good profits by selling illegal copies of DVDs made from the Bengali programmes. On the other hand, as the products are circulated to minority in a niche market, the local law enforcing authorities are also not aware of any copyright infringements. I guess no one is complaining as traditionally Bangladeshi people are careless about copyright protections.
   I would like to encourage Bangladeshi producers to wake up to the world of new realities and start export of cultural products in DVDs to all foreign countries wherever a demand exists for Bengali cultural products. The right intervention by the producers can ensure more income for the Bengali artistes and it can very well make a good difference in the payments made to the artistes. In the long term, better paid artistes will attract more artistes from the society and help to improve the quality of products further. There is no point to sell professional quality cultural products for free in this age of free market economy and capitalism where anything that has a demand is sold in the market place for a value.
   Wasim Mahmud
   Sydney, Australia

We often see street vendors selling lemon juice, guava, black berry, hog-plum, etc. covered with hot chilly spice around busy areas, especially outside schools, colleges or universities. These vendors claim that these food items are very healthy and provide us with lots of essential vitamins and minerals. But nobody bothers to know how they prepare these items. The way they prepare these food items are enough to make us worry about our health. Flies are seen squirming around the foods and sometimes we can find dust particles of different kinds covering these junk food items.
   We, the students, have read a lot about balanced diet but this food-list does not mean eating things which are made with unhealthily dirty water and filthy ingredients. We also should realise that the new generation is fond of swallowing up burgers and pastries and to tell the truth, our so favourite fast food is not good for our health either.
   I request the authorities concerned to initiate campaigns to warn people about the ill effects of these food items.
   Shatabdi Biswas
   Rajshahi

Sheikh Monirul Islam Opee has drawn a very comprehensive roadmap for Biman (‘A roadmap for Biman’, August 1). I don’t have the expertise to agree or disagree with his suggestions. There are others who will do well to examine those. I only write this letter to include one or two proposals of mine.
   Firstly, the management of the company should be in the hands of experts and surely not in the hands of bureaucrats. They are more useful elsewhere. Like most mid-east airlines, at least for the time being, engage a leader in the business as the CEO and give him a free hand to start with.
   Then involve expatriate Bangladeshis (NRBs), the main users of our airline, in forming the company. Issue shares/debentures, etc. available in hard currency. Do not off-load the shares in favour of groups like Beximco, Bashundhara etc. Specialists/experts will have the responsibility of running the company i.e., ensuring good running and profit making and general share-holders for electing a board of directors. A big business house will only siphon away company finance for their own benefit keeping the company on the fringe most of the time. At least that is our experience so far.
   A big shareholder (say, of $10,000 or more) may get a privileged treatment whereas holding of a very big share (say, of $100,000 or more) may be discouraged in some way.
   Haq
   On e-mail

The emergency government is mulling the idea of engaging clerics in persuading the female voter to be photographed for the voters’ list. As a matter of fact, the regime is categorically giving a green signal to Jamaat-e-Islami to start their election campaign right now. It is well known that most of the clerics are either listed as Jamaat activists or activists of Jamaat’s shadow organisations. If you study the history of these clerics, say from 1947, you will not see any reason or any sign of progressiveness in their past activities which can qualify them to get involved in such an important work. They opposed family planning. They opposed reform in property, inherence and family laws. These clerics fiercely opposed the idea of giving our womenfolk opportunities to get involved in social activities and in contributing in the well-being of their families by earning their own livelihood. These clerics terrorised and agonised rural families by issuing fatwas.
   The government should abandon this idea. Instead, they should spend part of the election budget in educational campaigns involving different media like newspapers, radio, TV channels and cellular phone networks. They can even take help from the NGOs. After all, the media and the NGOs can read the pulse of the rural Bangladesh better than us, the city-dwellers.
   MH Khan
   On e-mail