In the editorial of February 8, the editor visited the core of a sensitive issue very skilfully. This is the point where we all are standing breathless. We are breathlessly waiting for the verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The spirit of the High Court verdict on legality of Sheikh Hasina’s trial was courageous, honest and appropriate at the crossroad of the history that we are passing through. Terming of the trial illegal was fine but the court could have also ordered the military-controlled government to route the case to a regular, ordinary court for the trial to continue. But probably that was outside the jurisdiction of the court and hence the court kept itself within the parameter drawn by the issue.
   The ball is now with the government. It should accept the verdict and file the case anew in a regular court. The High Court verdict did no way prove that the accused were innocent. In our opinion, the accused deserve trials but at the same time they deserve free, fair, transparent and legal
   trials.
   MH Khan
   On e-mail

The ministry of food has decided to discontinue supply of food grains to the tea garden workers from January 2008 to June 2008 in consideration of the present stock position.
   In view of the above decision, the Bangladesh Tea Association finds no other option but to advise all managements of tea gardens to arrange for procurement of food grains for their garden workers through local purchase or otherwise as convenient to them from the month of January 2008.
   Bangladesh Tea Association has decided to put up a representation urgently to the government requesting to rescind the above decision and to continue supply of food grains to tea garden workers as before.
   Bangladesh Tea Association and Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union have been continuing their efforts to have the ministry of food order rescinded and re-start supply of ration to the tea labourers.
   Bangladesh Tea Association has in the meantime submitted written memorandum and fax messages separately to advisers to the ministry of food, finance and commerce and also to the secretaries of the above ministries stating that the ministry of food order suspending supply of ration — food grains (wheat/rice) –– to tea gardens workers for six months (from January to June) would seriously affect one lakh tea workers and their 3.5 lakh dependents, hamper tea production and tea development activities, and affect earning of foreign exchange. Further, it has been stated that due to stoppage of ration, Bangladesh Tea Association apprehends serious unrest in tea estates creating law and order situation. The Association has requested for immediate withdrawal of the above order of the ministry of food to save the tea industry from serious dislocation.
   Syed Amiruzzaman
   Srimangal

I refer to the comments of Dr Akbar Hussain from Canada on Feedback (January 30). I disagree with him that a state or nation cannot be founded on the basis of religion when such adherents are in hundreds of millions in number. The problem arises after such foundation because having established such a state and guaranteeing security of their faith, every citizen becomes equal in this respect and religion loses its importance for power-mongering. So the uneducated population in ignorance instinctively falls back on tribalism, feudalism or parochialism (as AH mentions) to form various power groupings, which also include an element of ‘religious fundamentalism’, to divide the erstwhile homogeneous religious groups. This is now obviously happening in Pakistan. But it is also happening quietly in India (Hindu fundamentalism) and Bangladesh (Jamaat, Tablig, etc.) to a smaller degree.
   The violent nature of what is happening in Pakistan is the history and story of the various precarious feudalistic nation states that now comprise the Middle East, and Pakistan, although is claimed to be a South Asian nation, is psychologically a Middle East nation in this respect.
   And, ergo, in my opinion, President Musharraf and the army at the moment are the best agents to unite Pakistan by crushing tribalism, parochialism and fundamentalism. This is necessary to preserve the country and then in few years perhaps to look forward to true democracy.
   Engineer Shafi Ahmed
   London, UK