Letters to the editor
Building first
Sir,
Bridge may come someday; maybe with a lower priority. The longer it takes to build, the more funds can leak under the table. Time frame wise, the building was Priority 1 and then comes the priority for the bridge! May be the first vehicle to cross the Padma Bridge, could well be sometimes in 2050, if things goes at the usual snail pace. Here we may be ensuring that. After all we believe in slow and steady wins the race. After all, when there is the motivation to gather all leakage; it will linger; the longer the better for all concerned with the bridge building.
Meanwhile, if during this progress our political opposition comes to power, they may need more banks in safe heavens, in land beyond the seas so that they can store their spoils from enhanced leakages.
Earlier; when they were in power, they tapped the opportunity of bidding for power plants, on priority basis, while the Airy (Hawa) Apartment (Bhaban) was busy with collecting anticipated and in process leakages and hiding them in safe heavens beyond the seas.
This time around; the builders have gone for a posh office (with guest house?) that could be a landmark in Dhaka! Meanwhile, we can wait patiently over decades; while the Padma Bridge, slowly goes on coming up, brick by brick as the popular saying goes; till it becomes a reality one day; far far away!
S. A. Mansoor, Dhaka
Unwanted ingredients
Sir,
Recently, new information has stirred up debate on social media and in international newspapers regarding certain ingredients found in daily-use items that have been categorised as carcinogens. One such ingredient is triclosan, which is found in toothpastes and liquid hand soaps. According to a report, triclosan in cosmetics, soaps, detergents, shampoos and toothpaste has been found to trigger liver cancer in laboratory mice, raising concerns about its safety for humans.
The link between triclosan and liver cancer in laboratory mice is relevant to human health because the chemical may cause similar hazards to humans. While international organisations have begun research seeking preventive measures to remove risky items from shelves, I hope something is done in our country to check and control the spread of unwarranted ingredients like triclosan.
Triclosan was first developed in the early 1970s for use in surgical hospital scrubs and since then, it has become the most ubiquitous antibacterial component of a wide range of consumer products ranging from shower gel to floor wax.
Secondly, just recently in India, local authorities found dangerous levels of lead in a batch of a famous brand of instant noodles. Raising concern over this finding, Indias assistant commissioner for food safety in Uttar Pradesh conveyed in an interview that lead levels found could potentially be life-threatening, and a criminal complaint was filed in a local court.
I hope health and safety measures are taken in Bangladesh as well. The public should work to ensure that the government acts to ascertain the quality of products that are available to consumers, as elements like triclosan and many others can prove harmful to Pakistans collective human health and to our future generations.
Asif Iqbal, Dhaka
