Bangladesh must protect its national interests and territorial integrity, but be careful not to provoke Myanmar into any armed conflict. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina emphasises, quite rightly, the need for dialogue and understanding (not war) with all neighbours to resolve all problems. But certain quarters seem to highlight the dangers from Myanmar’s border fence, Rohynga issue and maritime boundaries, while they remain totally silent on border fencing, BSF killings and maritime disputes with India. Sheikh Hasina must avoid falling into any trap by overzealous ‘friendly’ elements to encourage or initiate armed conflict with Myanmar.
   At the present time, Bangladesh has a weak government without a clear-cut strategic policy. The defence forces are wounded and traumatised by the February 2009 Peelkhana massacre and its aftermath. Foreign nationals are working as ‘advisers’ in very sensitive organs of the state and government, which have obvious security implications.
   Dr Abdul Malik
   UK

The agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury needs to take in to her consideration that her allegation of evil designs to destabilise the government is not the perception of general folks in the country at the present time. She and her government seem to have lost their sight as to what is going on in the country since they came to power.
   In response to her second allegation, it seems as the minister has failed to comprehend that this is a period of global recession we are going through, many governments of the developed part of the world are providing subsidies to various business sectors in order to overcome the problem. Let us not forget that the garment industry is one of the biggest employers in the country as well as the foreign currency earner. At a time of global recession if that industry requires some help from the government, should that be seen as destabilising the government? I see no logic on the comment of the minister.
   Finally, in regards to her accusation of disturbances about the leasing of off shore gas blocks is part of people’s democratic right when they disagree with the government’s decision. If that right is taken away from people by her government then they are in violation of democratic principles. We are a democracy loving nation, we don’t want dictators.
   MS Ahmed Azad
   Ilford, UK

Laws and their application can reduce corruption in some cases. They can shorten government’s long hands which sometimes harass people for their own interest. Sometimes the government take the opportunity to have revenge against their opponents. There are many instances of these types of acts.
   I think, the government must have the power to maintain discipline, peace and order in society. But there must be laws and discipline to safeguard individual freedom. Individual freedom is a necessity for a modern and civilised nation. And it can establish respect in society. The government can suspect and bring any person to justice under proper rules and laws. They can file cases against the suspects of civil society too with proper evidence and get court orders to arrest them. But every arrest and restriction related to the member of civil society should be done through court orders.
   Hossain Ahmed
   Maryland, USA

The law and order forces have a duty to interrogate and recover arms and explosives from criminal gangs and have an inherent right to defend themselves if under attack. Similarly, if a criminal attempts to escape they have a duty to give warning and if it fails, to stop escape by shooting down the escapee. To label such incidents as ‘crossfire killings’, or ‘extrajudicial killings’ and demand to stop these without any official probe in any such incident, are highly irresponsible and demoralising for the forces of law and order and uplifting for the criminals.
   Obviously, as the number of arms and ammunitions and the number of terrorists and criminals are on the increase in the land, such incidences are likely to increase. Before clamouring for stopping such incidents it is necessary to establish by official or journalistic probe that this is a deliberate policy to get rid of the criminals without judicial trials.
   So I have full sympathy and support for the minister who defended such actions but please note I would never support such an official policy.
   Engineer Shafi Ahmed
   London, UK

An innovative Japanese engineer Takashi Yabe at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has developed a thermal based laser fusion of magnesium particles as a prospective fuel source. It is an incredible discovery based on magnesium from the seas and oceans round the world and the fusion heat harnessed from the sun. Both raw materials are nature’s gift to mankind and available for free.
   The process developed, called the magnesium energy and injection cycle named MAGIC by Engr Yabe could one day remove our dependence on finite traditional fossil fuel. The main crux of this breakthrough is in transformation of magnesium chloride from sea water to magnesium oxide using the sun’s ray and producing clean energy. The by-products are magnesium oxide and water which can be recycled back to the MAGIC cycle probably endlessly.
   There is around 1800 trillion tons of magnesium in the earth’s seas and oceans, as calculated by Engr Yabe. The white powdered magnesium oxide, has however never been considered as a viable source of usable energy since to reduce the oxide to pure magnesium powder needs extreme temperatures up to 4000 degree C not considered realistic.
   Yabe and his team have designed a process extracting magnesium chloride from sea water using a special evaporating technique. Next, magnesium chloride is converted to magnesium oxide in a vacuum tank by plastic Fresnel lenses to focus beam of sunlight into lasers and sending it through microscopic fibres to concentrate the heat that can produce the refined magnesium powder. This magnesium is recombined with water, in the MAGIC engine, creating heat and hydrogen that powers the car! The by-product, magnesium oxide and can be reconverted, to useful energy again by laser heating. This work cycle thus can be repeated.
   The pure magnesium produced can also be used in fuel cell batteries. This is at least seven times more powerful than the lithium batteries that power hybrid and electric cars of today. This MAGIC cycle engine represents the ultimate harnessing of solar power and ocean’s resources for meeting our energy needs, at least for the next few thousand years or till superseded by more easier and cleaner fuel replacement source to provide power to meet our needs which is bound to increase day by day.
   Engr SA Mansoor
   Dhaka