Costly Gifts

Costly Gifts

A couple of days ago, I received a message on my mobile phone from my telecom operator. I was informed that since I was an elite subscriber of that operator, some special gifts – MMS, SMS, talk time and free internet data – were being offered. To receive their gifts, I had to activate the offer by 31st of December and I would have to utilise all those items within seven days of the activation date.

I followed their instructions to activate and pick up their gifts before the 31st of December. Among the gifts, what I needed the most was internet data as I frequently use internet on my mobile phone. To my utter disappointment, I could not get access to the free internet data. I dialed their customer care hotline to get help. After a long conversation, the hotline administrator assured me that within 24 hours, I could browse the internet with the free offer. I got a text message saying I can now use the free amount of internet data, but I was let down again when I tried to use it.

Two days before the expiry of the offer, I again made a call to the helpline to submit my complaint. The internet expert team manager made me wait for a very long time to verify the information, and later, confirmed that the technical hitch had been fixed. However, I was disappointed again. Exasperated, I rang them up again. This time, another executive performed a time-consuming inspection and comforted me with empty promises. But my problem was yet to be resolved and finally, I gave up all hopes of using the free offers.

Even though I couldn't enjoy the free offers, I had to pay surplus money for calling their indelible customer service. Should mobile operators exploit their much valued customers in this way?

Ashim Kumar Paul
Government Edward College
Pabna

Internet Edition:Costly Gifts

Gift of the Magic Box

Gift of the Magic Box

I sometimes help with my father's business. My interest in taking charge of his business eases his workload and helps me get acquainted with different sorts of people. One evening, while I was having a tête-à-tête with one of my uncles, a group of people entered the shop. They were decrepit day-labourers in shabby attire. We were talking about the game show 'Ke Hote Chay Kotipoti' (Who Wants to be a Millionaire) screened on Desh TV. The topic was about a participant who won 25 lakh taka during an episode aired the day before. My uncle said that since the participant had already expended all of his lifelines, he would be at risk while answering the next round of questions. If he failed to answer the 50 lakh taka question, his prize-money would decrease from 25 lakh taka to 3 lakh taka. At that time, one of the labourers, about sixty-years-old, interrupted our conversation. He said that the participant would do better to 'quit' the game so that he could be the winner of 25 lakh taka. We were really amazed that the man despite his seemingly poor educational background knew the game term 'quit' without knowing its etymological meaning!

Today people, no matter how old they are or what their education is, find no barrier in keeping themselves in pace with the continuous flow of information and the entertainment simply by watching TV.

Ashim Kumar Paul
Government Edward College
Pabna

Please click the following link to view its internet edition:

Gift of the Magic Box

The Curly haired boy

litospherseThe Curly haired boyAshim Kumar Paul

I saw him having curly hair
Around nine or ten,
By the shrilly highway, under a tree
Selling books and pen.
Having been marvelled, spell-bound
Seeing the enchanting eyes,
Rejoiced face, black, shiny, curly hair
Appear all fair and nice.
Reflects like sunbeam his hair
Effulgent, curly, black,
As though clears the craggy path
With its mighty pluck.
His eyes like the gleaming moon
Float all of our woes,
Taking us to the Lethe forgetting grief
The blissful world shows.
Swathed, truly, in his alluring smile
Let me in heavenly amity,
Afflatus, insentience growing in heart
Tidy up on earth the lethal pity.
 

“Take a book for knowledge
Take it for pleasure”,
Loudly calling he as much possible
Despite being away them far.

A world of love, aspiration and dream hiding that of pains
I ferreted out on his eyes,
‘Lead the family, by removing the poverty
Happiness must again rise’.
Flows of tears trickling down my cheeks
Finding his ceaseless dream,
Wherever the desired lantern he seeks
Hiding his scream.
 I fear not to dare how long he can bear this massive weight
How long be deprived of inborn rights,
Against the gruesome, loathsome fiends
How long can continue his fights.
Day after day with a long restless night
Question myself lacking answer,
“Oh Mother! tell me the heyday of equality
Remains how far? Still how far? To view its internet edition, please click the following link: The Curly Haired Boy