Is human safety universal? Realists, and later neo-realists, have seen safety as merely incomplete as well as provisional, for the reason that “war is expected.” They consider the world anarchical. Since they consider the state as the ultimate power, therefore, safety is destined to be “national safety.” It presupposes a set of mechanisms to defend a state so that it can continue as a political unit. They include defence against attacks and pressure from outside as well as against any event that could gravely intimidate a country’s ruling government from inside. As such attacks can take place anytime, they call for force. When there is neither war nor other armed disagreement, a state is hypothetically “safe” or “at peace.” Southeast Asia calls it “comprehensive security.” Many non-state actors, including the non-government organisations (NGOs), propagate this idea. Inclusive security goes further, and presupposes customary military pressure, internal aggression and racial conflicts.

Mohammad Rajja, Gono Bishwabidyalay, Savar,

The concluding month of the year, December, brings for us the message of achieving freedom, the taste of emancipation from the regimentation of Pakistani rule. After the bloodbath of nine months, we obtained the `triumph` and since then have been celebrating this month with deep respect and solidarity. On the eve of this month, the people of all districts arrange various functions keeping this month’s glory ahead. Bijoy Mela is one of them. In this month, since independence, our inner souls dance with joy round the duration of the fair where on one side of the stage the martyred sons are remembered, and on the other side the arrangement and buzz of the fair get the upper hand.

But during the tenure of the previous government, the celebration of Bijoy Mela ebbed a little bit, which still torments our mind seeing the declining interest in arranging this festival. But now, when the AL govt. came to power, we, the residents of Chittagong, once again get the ray of hope watching the Bijoy Mela beginning on the soil of Chittagong. We hope that Bijoy Mela will come to us at the end of every year and we should discern that it is not a political issue.

Many associations and clubs organise and host friendly tournaments to celebrate the Victory Day. Usually these tournaments start a few days ahead of time and conclude on December 16. There is a thin layer of irony in this arrangement. As with all tournaments, only one emerges as the victor, leaving many tournament participants as losers on the Victory Day.

One Victory Day tournament has a solution for this irony. This year, Mini-Golf Greens of Uttara Sector 13 organised a mini-golf tournament where no one would be a loser on the Victory Day! The logistics of the tournament were simple and somewhat innovative

Rahat, Malibag, Dhaka