Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Thanks to Naziba Basher for her informative article titled "5 ways to Detect Breast Cancer Yourself" published on October 29, 2016. Nowadays, breast cancer is the second common cancer in Bangladesh. October was the month of breast cancer awareness. But very few women know about this important issue. On the other hand, breast cancer treatment is still very expensive in our country. Therefore, many women in Bangladesh, especially in the rural areas, die without proper treatment. Our Government should take more initiatives to ensure proper medical treatment for the poor cancer patients at low cost. To conclude, I hope that every woman of our country will be aware of this silent killer disease.

Marshia Afrin

Mirpur,Dhaka

Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar 

Recently, Myanmar army has carried out a planned ethnic cleaning in its Rakhaine state against the Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority in Myanmar. It has been reported that at least 160 people were killed and 16 thousand Rohingya Muslims were displaced with thousands others got stranded in between Bangladesh-Myanmar boarders.  Bangladeshi boarder force intercepted the fleeing Rohingyas from entering into our country. During the last couple of days, many of them were pushed back to Myanmar by our border guards. It is quite impossible to know the real condition of the savagery committed by Myanmar army as they have cordoned off the vast Rakhine province and imposed restrictions on entering aid workers and independent observers. Democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi who is also a Nobel peace prize winner has maintained mysterious silence on the entire crisis. We hope UN and the global leaders will force the Myanmar government to restore peace in the region and give recognition to the Rohingyas as the citizens of the country.

Md Zonaed Imran

Banasree, Dhaka

From Rags to Kantha

The article titled "From Rags to Kantha" dated November 18, 2016, will definitely make every Bangladeshi woman nostalgic. The tradition of making kanthas has been continuing for centuries. Converting old cloths and rags into nakshi kanthas (decorated quilt) is a unique artistic creation of our women, although it was never recognised as an art form. This is one of the best ways to recycle our wastes. Women of our rural areas have been stitching kanthas with love and devotion. The culture of gifting kanthas to the loved ones and relatives has been practiced from ancient times. Persons living far away from home can feel the presence of their loved ones by touching this decorated garment. It strengthens the family ties. Our government should take initiative to obtain geographical identification certificate for this heritage piece. Finally, I would like to thank Fayeka Zabeen Siddiqua for introducing this hidden contribution of our women to our society. 

Arif Billah

Department of Law, University of Dhaka