DHAKA THIS WEEK

Mahbub Husain Khan

The poet Sofia Richmond has written: "Yesterday is a memory, while tomorrow is a guess / what is real is here and now / and here and now is all that we possess". Yesterday for us was corruption, and tomorrow will be elections. But what is for here and now? That is what everybody, the super-affluent and the men on the street are asking. The government has introduced some measures for bringing down prices, including allowing trucks carrying food items and other essential commodities -such as medicines-to ply day and night and also partially relaxing the loading restrictions. What is however needed is emergency import of food-grains and 'open market sales' of food items to increase supplies in the markets and bring down prices.
   This week for me and for many of my friends and former colleagues in the civil service, was one of loss and remembrance. Syed Shamim Ahsan, a member of the 1961 batch of the ex-CSP, died on Friday (18th May), at the age of 71. He was the son of Syed Moinul Ahsan, scion of a distinguished family of Bengal and grandson -on his mother's side-of Sir A.F. Rahman. Mr Ahsan was Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur, when I was SDO, Gaibandha. And his mother was my mother's class friend at Jalpaiguri School. The difference in our ages is due to the fact that his mother was married, just out of school, while my mother married after she passed her M.A.
   For all of his life Shamirn Ahsan believed that true evenhandedness meant that those in need always were allowed more. And as he left us, he did so with that most elusive of qualities, a little bit of charm. We of his family, colleagues and friends who remain have a special burden. We have lived with nobility. He was a person who regarded life as one long attempt to provide a happy moment or so for another person. Always, he was outraged by those who rushed about, shouldering past others, their sides lathered with effort, horses in some cheap race, as they pawed for material success. He knew that life belonged to those who seek out the weary, sit with the defeated, understand the clumsy. And do this not as some duty. But do it with the cheerful realisation that we are apart of it all. He thought the word "duty" meant that each day there should be a word or a gesture that would cause someone else to smile over the life about them. His contempt was reserved for those who would not attempt this. Who are you, he would rail. to go through a day, knowing that another day is to follow, and another after that, and knowing that it is all ceaseless, and still you refuse to join with us and help soften the path of those about you? He was a woman utterly unspoiled. I thank God for the high privilege of having known him so well. He leaves us with a tradition of decency that we must attempt to carry on. His strength was such that even if those of us here today stumble now and then. I think Mr Sharnin Ahsan's line of decency will reveal itself time after time in whatever generations there are to come. As was said of other aristocrats such as this one: 'Earth, receive an honoured guest.'
   On 20th May was the 37th death anniversary of Shaheed Nurul Amin Khan (also of the 1961 batch of CSP). On the 20th of May, 1971, he had gone to the Physical Education College at Muhamrnadpur where his mother-in-law (widow of Late Justice Abdus Sobhan Choudhury), and brother-in-law and three sisters-in-law were interned by the Pakistan Army. But he did not return home. He was taken to Dhaka Cantonment and killed by the Pakistan Army. He had just been posted as Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture, GOEP, after serving as Deputy Commissioner, Barisal. On Sunday, 20th May, a commemorative discussion meeting was held at BIAM on Shaheed Nurul Amin Khan, organized by his wife Humaira Khan and his son Shahez Amin. His colleagues in the civil service and his friends spoke on the occasion, remembering his life and times and his valour.
   
   Power crisis
   'The power crisis is always with us', parapharsing Wordsworth. And we have now learnt that it will be with us till September 2008. Giving a grim picture of the country's power and energy sector, Energy and Power Adviser Tapan Chowdhury, said that no new power generation capacity is possible before September 2008. He said that the country's only future option for alternative energy would be coal, as the existing gas reserves are likely to be substantially depleted by 2011 or 2012. Without new discoveries of natural gas reserves, coal will be the only option, he told reporters at a Meet the Press programme which was organised by the Forum for Energy Reporters, Bangladesh (FERB) at Square Hospital Auditorium in the city on Friday, 18th September .He said that the caretaker government is trying to add about 200 MW electricity to the existing generation through maintenance and overhauling of some of the existing power generation units. Such comments from the Energy Advisor came at a time when the country is experiencing one of the worst power shortage in decades. In recent weeks, power shortage reached 1,500 MW against a total demand of 4,500 to 5,000 MW. Experts in power sector feared the situation might aggravate further in the coming days when temperatures would go up during the summer.
   Tapan Chowdhury said the country would get additional 200 MW in September 2008 when a number of rental power plants would be installed. The Advisor said his ministry is preparing an energy policy where a coal policy would be incorporated. UNDP has recently submitted a draft energy policy to the government for its consideration. About the proposed import of electricity from Myanmar, a Power Ministry team would be visiting the neighbouring country to asses the import potential. Petrobangla Chairman Dr. Abdur Rashid Khan. present at the function, informed that the caretaker government has a plan to invite an international bidding for the country's offshore gas blocks within next three months. He said the onshore gas blocks could not be included in the proposed bidding since a litigation is pending with the court.
   The country has been facing power crises of differing magnitude since Liberation. The Pakistani colonialists had not developed enough power generation capacity with matching transmission and distribution facilities, prior to 1971. Then the averages of our Liberation War had left the power plants and transmission and distribution facilities in a devastated condition. Six year of emergency procurements, since 1971, with assistance from our development partners built up our generation capacities along with matching transmission and distribution facilities, which could meet the demands in those days. But, since then, the industrial and commercial activities of the country have accelerated and thus the demand for power had increased manifold in particular the welcome and significant rise in the number of export-oriented garments factories have added significantly to the demand for power. The exploration of our natural gas reserves had added to the availability of fuel for power generation. But in the decades since then, the absence of planned increase of generating capacity and planned utilisation of our gas reserves have now brought the situation to a crisis level which the political governments since 1991, and not the present caretaker government have not been able to ameliorate.
   A solution must be found to improve the situation, if we are to advance economically and the day-to-day life of the people in the urban and rural areas is to be made pleasant. Besides the obvious measures to conserve power in our domestic, commercial and industrial consumption, the import of power from Myanmar and also India, setting- up of readymade barge -mounted power stations, and also allowing import of generators for industrial and commercial consumption duty-free, are the emergent measures which should be undertaken by the present CG. For this we expect that our development partners will offer us financial and technical assistance on an emergency basis. We look forward to the CG taking up measures to solve this serious crisis in our socio-economic scenario with due diligence.
   Another eighty-four admissions forgery cases were detected by the Dhaka University authorities . These relate to admissions in the departments of International Relations and the Institute of Social Welfare. Along with the previously discovered seventy-six cases, the total forgery cases now add up to 160. These cases have been brought to light by the concerned departmental heads, and relate to the admissions of students for the 2005-2006 session of the D.U. These cases will be examined by the DU Probe Committee formed for the investigation of such misdemeanours in October, 2006, and is headed by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of DU.
   Over the years we have observed with regret that the Dhaka University, renowned in Asia, and called the 'Oxford of the East' has deteriorated in the quality of education delivered, with an increase in corruption among some students and teachers, guilty of leakage of question papers and dishonest marking of examination papers, to give some students a grading they do not deserve.
   Besides, we see now the admissions of students by means of forged certificates and mark-sheets and also tampered results of D.U. admissions tests. So much so that though, in the past, all degrees of the Dhaka University were recognised by universities worldwide, now, degree holders from D.U have to appear in tests for admissions at graduate and Ph.D level at universities abroad. This present unholy nexus between some teachers, students, political leaders, and -as has been seen now - some consulting firms preparing students for DU admissions examinations, have brought the Dhaka and other universities in the country to such a sorry state. And this brings to mind the case of 'Justice 'Fayzee becoming a judge by means of forged certificates.
   There are few subjects that are more intensely discussed than the role of education in the modem society, and particularly its connection with economic purpose. Any and all analysis of the competitive position of the our economy focuses on the importance of a well-educated, occupationally qualified labour force. The point is further emphasized in the frequent references to expenditure for education as human investment. Education is thus an aspect, more precisely a component, of larger economic policy. We therefore look forward to a comprehensive report on the admissions forgery issue, by the DU authorities and appropriate action meted out against the teachers, students and others in the university administration related to admissions processing. As this is being written time for us is short and action has been too long delayed
   Max Beerbohrm said, "I was a modest good-humoured boy. It was Oxford that made me insufferable." Dhaka was modest good-humoured place to live in, once upon a time. Lately it is Dhaka University - Oxford of the East that has made it insufferable. In the nineteen-seventies Al Mahmud wrote a poem 'Dakater Gram' where he said all innocent average folks avoid 'Dakater Gram'-Dhaka University. This was because people travelling by boats in riverine Bangladesh used to avoid the hamlets inhabited by the dacoits. Al Mahrnud's poem made de the Dhaka University students very angry, and Al Mahmud was made a persona non grata in the University, thus banning his entry into that institution.
   What I write now may possibly ban me from entry into the university - I seldom go there anyway -- but I hope I will live to write more columns, after this one is published. There was a time when the pen was considered mightier than the sword, and many who lived by the pen, after passing from the Dhaka University, were considered quite powerful in society. But now the same Dhaka University students have proved that the sword is really mightier than the pen. I think it would now be wise to have theoretical and practical papers on the subject: ' The Art of War in the Dhaka University'. This will help students to prepare for a civilian career including politics. To balance the scale, literature, science and the humanities maybe confined to Cadet Colleges, to prepare for a career in the Army.
   Admission into the Universities (Dhaka and elsewhere) will be determined by the support of armed followers or cadres' as they are now called. In the University selection of teachers of different faculties and admission into halls of residence will have to be decided through a twelve, (or 24 or 36) hours- depending on the rules framed - armed contest. Examination papers in the university will be graded on he democratic principle of votes of armed cadres'. I find that, recently, 55,000 admission forms have been sold for 4273 seats in the First Year Honours Classes of the Dhaka University. This is a mere waste of time, money and effort. It is better to assemble all students, dividing them into male and female groups and fight it out in the Dhaka University stadium. The survivors wi1l get admitted. Those who will die will be given a posthumous degree to compensate for their valiant death in the battle for an educational career.
   Finally Dhaka University will become a truly residential university by successfully excluding entry from outside by students or visitors, except for those with adequate cadre power. From Oxford of the East, Dhaka University will have graduated into an institution called Sandhurst or West Point of Bengal.

^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE