Readers’ Voice

Indiscipline on
bus routes

One of the main problems of Dhaka, a city of over one crore population, is inadequate transports and indiscipline on roads. In 2008, the Association of Bus Owners and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police restored some sort of discipline, fixing routes. As a result, it was easy for passengers to identify buses for the respective routes. A very good number of bus owners established ticket counters in the city’s busy areas for the convenient of commuters, who also responded to paying higher fare than usual.
But sadly the system began to decay from early 2011. It has put female passengers in particular in troubles because they cannot hustle with male passengers while boarding and alighting. Today if a passenger arriving at Kamlapur Railway Station by train wants to go to Sobhanbagh, he will be in trouble because there is no bus counter of Bahan Paribahan near the station. Had there been a counter, he could have asked the man selling tickets about the arrival of the next bus.
We, therefore, would request the Association of Bus owners to reintroduce the counter system for the convenience of passengers.

Rashida
Kamlapur, Dhaka

BT Brinjal: To eat or not

Our country has quite hurriedly released some varieties of genetically modified Bt. Brinjal even before our neighboring country India where the case of Bt. Brinjal is still pending for Supreme Court’s verdict the hearing of which is expected to be started in April next. The government has `however’ directed to make controlled cultivation of Bt. Brinjal.
Meanwhile, many of the readers and friends have enquired from me if Bt. Brinjals have adverse effects on health and environment. Well, as per available scientific research reports, genetically modified crops have some adverse effects on human and animal health and environment. The question is how far the restrictions on controlled cultivation of Bt. Brinjal could be maintained? In fact, genetic modification of plants create new mutations and destroys the natural gene pool resulting in harmful flora and fauna.
There are the problems of pest and diseases. Still production of local varieties of Brinjal in our country is satisfactory. So, commercial cultivation should only be allowed after due revision of the existing and future scientific findings on the effects of transgenic crops including the Bt. Brinjal.
One thing, since members of the public are skeptical about consuming Bt. Brinjal, proper labeling on Bt. Brinjal packs/trays should be made to facilitate consumers to decide their choice!

Prof M Zahidul Haque
SAU, Dhaka