It's the Israeli occupation that's at the root of the Middle East problem. Put yourself in the Palestinians' situation for a moment. Walk in their shoes with me. For more than 40 years you've been occupied by a foreign power with the most powerful military in the region. They seize your country, move in hundreds of thousands of heavily armed settlers, and pen you up either in squalid refugee camps or poverty-stricken cities and villages separated by roadblocks and patrolled by their military with tanks and machine guns.

When institutions are not strong enough to function in non-biased way, then there is need for a non-biased party.

Highly flammable projectile known as petrol bomb is being used in Bangladesh to carry out arson attacks. A quick solution which can be taken by the government is to request soft drink companies' to stop processing their products in glass bottle and replace it with plastic bottle. It might reduce the use of petrol bomb in future.

I fully agree with Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan's view about relocating Khaleda Zia's office. There are embassies and high commissions very near to this office.

We are watching in horror that the number of arson attack victims is rising everyday. The ordinary citizens are becoming the victims of the two political parties' fight. How can anyone perpetuate such attacks on innocent civilians?

I congratulate the people of Bangladesh for this great achievement. It happened because of single-minded dedication of the people towards progress and peace.

Through this letter, I want to thank a writer of your letter column, Nur Jahan, from Chittagong for her letters. I agree with her views and want to say that AL government abolished the provision of caretaker ...

We are tired of the ongoing violent hartal-blockade called by BNP-led 20 party alliance in the name of protest against government actions. Protest can be done peacefully and without causing harm to public life and property. Why go violent and put lives in jeopardy?

Sorry to say that there cannot be any neutral government. Even in the words of Khaleda Zia, nobody is neutral except the children and the lunatics. An election under a so-called neutral government could be nothing but an imagination.

We are happy to learn that eminent Bangladeshi writer Selina Hossain has been awarded the prestigious Saarc Literature Award in recognition of her literary excellence. I would like to thank her for her contribution in the literary arena of Bangladesh. At the same time I wish her more success in the coming days.

It is really heartening to see the 'concerned citizens' taking initiative for a solution to the current political impasse and countrywide killing of innocent people. There can be no doubt that the general people except the diehard politicians support this move wholeheartedly.

This is a country where 'my way has become the highway'. People have no love for democracy but they love to use it as a slogan to fight for another day. We have essentially become the cheap thrill seekers of violence and drama. Loss of lives? Who cares?

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has started in New Zealand and Austarlia. Australia, co-hosts and the current number one team in the ICC ODI Rankings, are the favourites just ahead of South Africa. Co-hosts New Zealand are going into the tournament as most pundits' and bookmakers' 'dark horses'.

When hartals are more important to BNP and Jamaat than the education of country's younger generation, there is no other choice but to ban hartals. It is clear that their main aim is to dislodge the government and scuttle the trials...

It is not understood what the government wants. Do they want to rule forever?

It seems that Sheikh Hasina is trying to perpetuate her tenure. The administration has been politicised along with every sector. However, history tells us that no one can remain in power forever. There might be some solutions and civil society should lead both the leaders towards a peaceful path. Hope they will be wise enough to accept the solution.

Due to continuous blockades and hartals, the country's economy is facing severe loss. Innocent people are dying all around us, properties are getting vandalised, schools are remaining closed.

Every year 'Saint Valentine's Day' is observed on February 14 through exchanging messages of affection. A lot of stories are in circulation centering the Valentine's Day origin.

Calling strike, or hartal is the democratic right of a political party. But it should be done in a peaceful manner. Similarly, to observe or not to observe a strike is also the democratic right of every citizen. Nobody can force anyone to support or not to support these political programmes.

After reading the letter of Scott Elliott 'Power is their ultimate goal' published in The Daily Star on February 8, 2015, I have to write a few words because the writer seems unaware of many facts prevailing in our country which cannot be compared with India and Sri Lanka.