In this issue

Cover Story

The Farmer's Plight

The last few years have proven the fact that there is no possible way of fighting the swelling rivers in our country. It has been the same story year after year. People affected are left homeless, without pure drinking water or food, not to mention the outbreaks of diseases that spread from one area to another. The recent floods that have been going on for more than the whole of last month now bring fresh worries. People, now, are not only threatened by the fact that they may never go back to their homes and get back their belongings, but they are also faced with the question of having enough to feed themselves and their children in the near future.

The Usual Suspects

Floods are nothing new to us; we simply take for granted that every year to a certain extent Bangladesh will be covered with floodwater. The difficult part is figuring out how much that 'certain extent' will affect us. Will the waters cover one sixth or two thirds of the country, those are types of questions we have to deal with year in and year out. But then come major years like '88, '98, '04 and now '07 when we simply try and cope with the waters as best we can. Those years' people forget exactly how much of the country is underwater, they are too busy trying to keep mind, body and soul together. When the floods eventually end people believe the worst is over, but little do they know that worst is yet to come. In a country of rural squalor like ours the receding waters often cause more problems than the waters themselves.

Cover Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain
Cover Design: Manan Murshed

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