Bangladeshi blogs creating a ripple

Yeah, you heard me! First there was the cowardly threatening of bloggers. Chilling as that was, it showed that blogs were being taken somewhat seriously.

Today, we have a somewhat less chilling instance of a blog creating a stir. Last week, Shadakalo along with several other Bangladeshi blogs exposed what came to be called the Double Hoax: a hoax newspaper report alleging that a letter from 15 U.S. Senators to the Bangladeshi government was a hoax.

A reader of said toilet paper substitute newspaper, named "Taslima", has reacted strongly to Shadakalo's expose, calling him/her among other things, a "tout" and "a volatile fellow and a son of some corrupt civil servant" who should be brought "home to Dhaka to face the music for all the looting they and their families indulged in".

Now I neither know nor need to defend Shadakalo's reputation. Especially since s/he has done it so admirably him/herself. I'd just like to point out the absolute worthlessness of the New Nation as an organization. Not just because they are underhanded, but because they are incompetent even at that!

The sheer awful taste displayed in printing letters speculating about a stranger's family and income is bad enough. But as an attempt at character assassination, this is simply laughable. "A volatile fellow"? Who talks like that nowadays? Anglophile Bangladeshi "uncles" trying their best to be British, of course! And when was the last time we heard a woman say "humbug to cretins"? I mean, even Dickens probably gave up that expression by the end of his career.

Which leads me to think that perhaps "Taslima" is simply someone else with the same first three letters in their name. Get my drift ... Tas?

Easily the best laugh I've had the entire day. In any case, here's hoping that the ripple 'Deshi blogs are causing one day becomes a flood!