Thanks for the New Age report ‘protest against offshore block deal’. Apparently, the police force was let loose by the ministry of home affairs to punish the protesters and ruin their peaceful protest allowed by any standard of democratic government. They have not only shown ‘zero’ tolerance, but ‘zero’ respect towards democratic values. The home ministry must come out and inform us whether our police force can from now on be used as a tool to suppress democratic movements.
   The opposition leader Khaleda Zia who went to see Professor Anu Muhammad in hospital should also remember what action her government took against the same committee in Phulbari. People shouldn’t be misled by her politics of sympathy shown towards Prof Anu Ahmed. There is no reason to believe that she would have done anything different if she was in power now.
   And as for the Awami League government, each day they are showing their ruthless sides and revealing their selfish interest over national interest. They need to realise that people will never forgive them if they keep on overlooking public and national interest and continue with their brutal effort of suppressing peaceful movement.
   A reader
   Via e-mail
   

For as long as I remember my political leanings, I have been an inveterate foe of the politics and personality of the late Edward Moore Kennedy. His increasing bizarre radical left ideas that sought to curtail individual freedom, regulate transactions, and impose a bigger government were anathema to a libertarian like myself. Nor did it help matters that his character was largely one defined by alcohol, lechery, perhaps even murder, and setting a poor example for his large extended family.
   Yet, in his death I, like millions others, must give the man his due: steadfastly and sincerely he stood up for the Bengali people in the hall of American power when nobody else cared. For this alone, he will have a grateful nation sending prayers heavenwards for a long time.
   Go in peace Ted!
   BT
   USA

Among the expert community, any flu outbreak reminds of the dreadful past. It reminds of the Spanish flu (1918), which was a universal killing machine. It killed about 50-100 million people within few months. Some people fell ill and died within a matter of hours. New York commuters boarded their trains healthy and were dead upon arrival in the city. There was no hiding place and there was no cure. One could only hope not to become infected. Unusually, the virus targeted healthy young people. It appeared suddenly and disappeared after 18 months of worldwide rampage without leaving any trace.
   When recent Swine Flu outbreak was surfacing, experts and health officials were feared and altered as usual. In reality, Swine Flu is not that as lethal as anticipated. The mortality rate is pretty similar to seasonal flu, although it is hitting younger age groups. ‘For most it will be a nasty, but relatively mild illness’, said Dr Laurence Buckman, British Medical Association GP leader (http: //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/ 8155464.stm). Dr Buckman said he was not suggesting the government should not be open with the data, but that officials should be stressing the mild nature of the illness more. A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘The chief medical officer has consistently reiterated that it is a mild illness for man’.
   We, as a panicked prone nation, are getting so frightened. People with simple sign of coughing or running nose are so worried and rushing to clinics. In stark reality, we don’t have the resources to cope up with the situation. Some newspaper headlines have not helped, but might have caused more panic among general people. So we must stay away from being panicked and could help to prevent transmission through good health practice.
   Generally, we take any seasonal flu so lightly since it will go away within few days. If we are so scared about Swine flu, we must be scared about any seasonal flu. Any benign flu virus may become deadly overnight or lethal virus may turn out to be a benign one. Why matter of concern? At molecular level, flu virus is a RNA virus and its genetic material is segmented. In this perspective, whenever two different variants of flu virus (for instance, brid flu, H5N1 and Swine flu, H1N1) infect a single animal, the consequence could be a brand new killer virus due to drastic mix up of fragmented genetic materials ( genetic reassortment). Only pigs can be infected with various kind of flu virus originated from human, bird and other animals. In other words, pig acts as a mixing vessel to generate new version of virus which might be deadly or harmless. Pig is also widely believed to be the case for deadly Spanish flu pandemic.
   There are not much data available about swine/pig virus, its transmission, epidemiology. Personally, I think, due to the political/religious issue, pig/swine were always spared. You can find many news/opinions to support this notion in case of recent swine flu outbreak. Interestingly, even this time, at the beginning of swine flu outbreak, swine was not strongly suspected and there were lot of debate among the experts. Finally, one Australian scientist and his colleagues published their arguments in the Nature journal regarding the swine origin of recent swine flu outbreak. Afterwards, the official name of this flu virus was confirmed as Swine flu virus.
   Sorowar Hossain
   DUKE-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore

Time is a crucial factor in every crime. Time soothes pain and removes scars. High profile criminals become ordinary human beings and their crimes lose attention and victims become generous and forgiving. The memories of Holocaust remained a matter of great concern to the Jews because they are still afraid of annihilation by their adversaries. The Jews due to their constant fear to be overwhelmed by their mortal enemies, the Arabs, politically keep this memory of the Holocaust alive to draw world attention for support and help.
   The genocide in Bangladesh in 1971 and its local henchmen Jamaat-e-Islami’s role in that heinous crime is not a matter to be washed away by time. The long expected trial should have taken place long ago and the Awami League had two stints of power in the country to finish this trial. In the third stint of power there was promise and some movements in this respect. But politics does not have morals always. After 39 years the demand is still there but will is not strong enough to conduct the trial. Late General Ziaur Rahman was a freedom fighter himself but did not show any interest in the matter rather he tried to infuse religious flavour into the politics of Bangladesh.
   During the tenure of Begum Zia, she herself became a company of the collaborators. We also should not forget that even the Awami League itself made a political understanding with the collaborators when they had power before. The Jamaat-e-Islami has made some calculated inroads into many strategic national sectors under the umbrella of BNP and now is in a position to dictate or threaten the present government.
   In the present circumstances it will need tremendous audacity and will power to conduct this long awaited trial. The spectre of Islamic fundamentalism has spread its tentacles everywhere and this has gained satanic powers to dictate some terms. The nation will be relived if the collaborators are really put into trial but how far this will happen is a matter of guess for many.
   Akbar Hussain
   Canada

Asif Shawkat’s front page news on the matter, published on 26th. August, relating to the production potential and actual delivery of sugar from sugar refineries as quoted by the president of FBCCI appears to be irreconcilable. May be it could be an error or misprint. The figures of sugar released to market, of 4000kg per day by even each of the three refineries (although each or all the three, was not clearly stated; so I have taken it as each!) seems absurdly low!
   As stated in the last paragraph of the report, the production capacity of six sugar refiners is 1.8 million tons per annum. Assuming an average operation at 80 per cent of capacity, and on the basis of 365 operating days per annum; the six sugar refiners should produce more than 3400 tons of refined sugar per day. On 300 days per annum, which is usually calculated, the daily production of six refineries should be 18 per cent more i.e. 4012 tons per day! Assuming further that they operate only at the rate of 50 per cent of the 80 per cent capacity, then the bare minimum production should be at the least 1700 tons per day! Each refinery should therefore produce at least 280 tons refined sugar daily!
   On this basis (280 tons per day), three refineries should be able to deliver on an average 840 tons per day, which comes to 840,000 kg of sugar per day for sale. The figure reported (4000kg. per day), however is 21 times less than the figure of 840,000kg per day as calculated.
   In pubic interest, it is requested that you re-look into the figures, and correct or reconfirm the figures given by the FBCCI. There seems to be something very wrong in the reported figure of daily delivery of just only 4000kg. of sugar!
   SA Mansoor
   Dhaka

This is about a disturbing news published on the 31st August in different media including the New Age, regarding the harassment of Deependra Nath Das, the Chairman of Rajshahi Education Board, by an Awami League Leader, Khairuzzaman Liton and his party goons in the efforts to oust him, because he could not yield to the unacceptable demand of fabricating the results of his daughter.
   Since its assuming power, different cadres, affiliated political wing members of Mahila-, Jubo-, Student-, Swechhasebok- and Shramik Leagues are interfering, harassing all levels of employees of government, semi government., autonomous, non-government organisations and institutions in their normal performance of duties possibly with the silent consent of the upper level leaders. This time a leader at the level of a mayor has come to the limelight.
   Education is something which one has to learn. It cannot be obtained by political power. Instead of using political muscle to get a higher grade, students should be advised to be attentive and studious to get good grades. Forcing the administration to commit unfair means is in no way good for the wards. So, I would like to advise the mayor to apologise to the dutiful chairman and thus encourage such an honest official. In doing so, he will be able to contribute to elevate the declining support of his party.
   Dr SA Miah
   Quebec, Canada

Japanese voters made history by voting out of power the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which had ruled Japan almost uninterruptedly since 1955. What it seemed, people had been fed up for a long time. Their frustration must have reached a boiling point, and they finally rose up. The frustration ended up meaning that the LDP lost two-thirds of its seats in Japan’s lower house of parliament. The man now most likely to take the reins is Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), a weak alliance of LDP defectors, socialists and progressives. Hatomaya is expected to form a government in mid-September. The DPJ is primarily focused on social programmes, lowering taxes and helping Japan assert a more independent and assertive role on the international stage. According to Hatoyama, however, its main focus will be on lifting Japan out of the worst economic situation it has been in since Second World War.
   With his historic election victory, Yukio Hatoyama has been clearly given a mandate to put an end to Japan’s post-war period. It’s also paradoxical that the future prime minister will have to break up all the structures that his grandfather, Ichiro Hatoyama, helped set up when he was prime minister in 1955. Still, it is not known what exactly the Japanese voters want, but in fact, they perhaps don’t know themselves. The elections were first and foremost about showing the LDP the red card. But the clear victory for the DPJ also now gives Hatoyama a free hand and four years to transform Japan.
   Up until now, Japan has had a power structure made up of the LDP, the corporate sector and the bureaucracy. What is so far understood, one of Hatoyama’s most urgent tasks is to dismantle this syndicate and subjugate the bureaucracy to political power. He knows that the voters voted him to power on this issue, but he will also need the support of the very civil servants whose power he’ll have to limit. If he can’t do this, he will fail. The vote in the world’s second-largest economy is historic, but there still is one analysis that the DPJ’s triumph is a protest against the conservative LDP rather than a conscious vote in favour of the DPJ. The LDP is simply too used up, arrogant and lacking in ideas and, as the voters saw it, it will only be able to refurbish itself as part of the opposition.
   The DPJ has rightly acknowledged that the country’s neglect of social issues is a problem. But, with all their many promises, it is still unclear how they are going to finance these social programmes given the fact that the state coffers are empty and the country has record-level public debts. Still, on the whole, things can only get better in Japan because the party that has been in power for what seems like an eternity has now been ousted, which means that a two or more party system might actually have a chance. This, in fact, is the genuinely historic advance that this election makes possible, regardless of how many of its promises the DPJ will ultimately be unable to fulfil. Revolution doesn’t exactly fit with what has happened in Japan, but at first glance it’s pretty easy to assume the results are revolutionary. However, in the first moments of his triumph, Hatoyama had already announced that a DPJ-led government would not change everything in Japan. And perhaps that’s even the key to why a former opposition party won in such an overwhelming way. The Japanese simply hope things will get better again. They will probably have to face disappointments, but it’s doubtful they will be longing for the LDP’s return anytime soon.
   Will Hatoyama really bring about the change that he has promised? Not likely. Only two scenarios possible, completely and radically reforming all areas of life, or stubbornly holding on to tradition. At the moment, the latter is practicable. The large part of Japan’s aging and dismayed society would prefer to return to the good old days of the 1980s, when Japanese companies went on a buying spree in the United States. They want to forbid their military forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions, and disallow American military bases on their soil. They will not take risks aimed at helping the government shrink massive state debts by reducing state-funded programmes. Hatoyama has pledged what he can’t deliver, a higher minimum wage, and more money for families, tolls-free roads and lower healthcare payments for pensioners. In the long run, such measures, if taken, would just send Japan, and their finances in jeopardy. Hatoyama possibly knew this. But he took the risk disappointing his countrymen in order to get elected.
   Sirajul Islam
   Shyamoli, Dhaka

I have recently learnt that the government is thinking of banning old cars. Will it be a prudent decision? The government should remember that this country is a poor country and no elitist decision will bear any fruit. Rather, it will damage life and livelihoods of poor and middleclass people. Permit me to give you some examples:
   1) Most of the rental car services carrying school-going children use old cars considering cost-effectiveness. Due to inadequacy of private transports (e.g. scooters, taxicab, etc) the guardians have to resort to rental car services for sending their children to schools. What would happen to these children if old cars are banned?
   2) A huge number of children work in the garages which earn money by repairing mostly old cars. Most of the families of these children depend on the earnings of these children. Banning old cars will reduce their earning and it will push downward their poverty situation.
   3) A huge amount of trading is dependent on the import and purchase of parts for repairing old cars. Banning old cars
   will reduce this trading and hence reduce the economic activities based on old cars. At least half of the economic activities of Dolaikhal will be reduced.
   4) Majority people of middleclass families can afford only old cars. Old cars ease their lives against a situation where public transport system cannot help them. These families will fall into a helpless condition.
   5) The government should remember that at least 70 per cent cars are old and are used directly or indirectly by middleclass and poor people. Also the public transports that carry the middleclass and poor office-goers, are mostly of old cars or vehicles. What would happen to these people if the ban is imposed?
   6) A huge number of drivers will lose there jobs and their families will fall into poverty. Does the government want this?
   The government should remember that Dhaka city or big cities are not the abodes of only rich people, rather of mostly middleclass or poor people. Therefore, any decision to ban old cars will harm the easygoing lives of majority of these people.
   What the government can do is to give very strong emphasis on fitness. If the fitness is okay there is no problem with the old cars. There are even cars of the ‘80s which are giving very efficient service due to better maintenance. If the government becomes very strict on fitness of the cars then people will be serious about proper maintenance of their vehicles. Make BRTA strict on fitness and traffic system efficient. Impose strict punishment for those who break traffic rules. This will improve traffic system. The government should be strict on improving overall traffic system rather than chop off the head to relieve headache. This is the expectation of the middleclass and poor people from the government.
   Ahmed Selim
   Banani, Dhaka