The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rights are not unlimited. Their exercise are restricted by certain regulations. While exercising one's own right, care should be taken that it does not infringe upon the right of others.

Rights are based on the use of intelligence and good behaviour. None has the right to spread evils in the society. If one's right encroaches upon the right of others, disorder and chaos are sure to grow in the society. In other words, rights inherently impose obligations in regards to abiding by certain rules and principles. Political scientist Wilde defines right as, "Rights are a reasonable claim to freedom in the exercise of certain activities."

I am sure Irin Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International knows all these very well and therefore will refrain from the reported effort of lobbying for the release of a cartoonist who blasphemed the Prophet Muhammad (SM) and Islam a few months ago.

William

Banani, Dhaka

According to a recent USAID Press Release, the United States will undertake a program involving more than $50 million to help the farmers in the Dominican Republic learn how to be competitive by growing new crops and manufacturing handicrafts demanded by the global markets.

Agriculture is the main employer in the Dominican Republic where farmers grow mainly beans, rice, onions and garlic.

The economic and poverty reduction program called - "The Rural Economic Diversification Project" will create opportunities for more profitable produce with overseas demand. Under this project,the Dominican farmers will be trained on making wooden and decorative products to supplement their income and on environmental measures.

The project is no doubt very pragmatic. As I was going through the above mentioned press release I was thinking about our farmers.

They also need technical assistances for switching over to crop diversification and for learning domestic agro-processing skills. Particularly at this moment such a project is very much essential for the farmers of the cyclone 'Sidr' devastating areas.

It is sincerely expected that the USAID as part of their development program in Bangladesh will consider undertaking Dominican Republic type project for the economic development and poverty reduction of our farmers.

Professor M Zahidul Haque

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

Dhaka.