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EDITORIAL
Jamaat opens Pandora's box
Vipers change their scales but their venom remains. In the garb of religionists, the leaders and activists of Jamat-e-Islami and their accomplices such as members of Al Badr and Al Shams --- who during the Bangladesh Liberation War acted as heinous traitors by involving themselves in the genocide, rape and arson perpetrated by the occupation Army of Pakistan --- are again showing their fangs by making arrogant, boorish and disparaging remarks against our hallowed Liberation War, the State, its ethos and the Nation's greatest achievement --- freedom of our motherland --- earned at the cost of blood of innumerable Freedom Fighters, regular soldiers as well as civilians.
It is not only foolhardy and rash to term our war against Pakistan a 'civil war' as Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and a member of Jamaat's think tank, former secretary to the government Shah Abdul Hannan have stated. They have also denied that genocide took place in the country during the War of Liberation in 1971 and that no 'war criminals' exist in the country. Mujahid may try to say anything because it is the wont of his ilk to talk twaddle; but it is really shocking to hear the same kind of gobbledygook from Shah A. Hannan who has a repute of being a learned person and is known to talk prudently. By all means, through their utterances they have opened a Pandora's box.
It is commendable that Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on Wednesday said the Caretaker Government would welcome if any aggrieved person moves legally for trial of the war criminals.
An axiomatic, self-evident, obvious truth is incontrovertible and undeniable. Whichever individuals try to negate and defy the universally recognised Bangladesh War of Liberation after 36 years of independence, it will be justified to smell a rat and suspect that certain quarters have an axe to grind. Perhaps an ulterior motive is prompting them to muddle and muddy the country's calm and tranquil socio-political atmosphere under the Army-backed emergency rule. There is reason for the people to feel alarmed as various quarters are resenting and articulating against the war criminals' audacious and impudent statements.
When the nine-month long saga of Independence War was over in 1971 following the supreme sacrifices of millions of martyrs as well as common innocent unarmed masses and the 95 thousand Pakistani troops --- Jamaat leaders' masters --- ignominiously surrendered at the Suhrawardy Udyan on the 16th of December, they ran for their life and remained fugitive until they managed to go into police custody and were subsequently imprisoned. It is most unfortunate for the nation to hear them blatantly utter flagrant lies.
The forum of commanders in various sectors during the Liberation War at a meeting decided on Tuesday to constitute a legal committee to try those war criminals like Nizami and Mujahid who were involved in genocide and other crimes. They demanded arrest and punishment of Jamaat leader Mujahid for telling a lie about genocide and Shah Abdul Hannan for terming the war against Pakistan a civil war.
Demanding social ostracisation for them, the commanders have called for a grand assembly of freedom fighters in the capital. Besides, they expected that the political parties would clearly articulate their stand in this regard.
As a proverb goes, black will take no other hue and so will the shameless traitors and Pakistani collaborators denigrate our greatest achievement --- freedom --- as did the Jamaat leaders last week demonstrating their impudence to affront and despise the nation by uttering that Bangladesh's War of Independence was a 'civil war'. It is a pity that fairly educated senior Jamaatis should deny a historical fact included in the world's all major encyclopaedias and important studies and books by eminent scholars of the West. What is more, even successive Pakistani presidents from Gen. Ziaul Haq to Gen. Pervez Musharraf have saluted the Liberation War Martyrs' Mausoleum at Savar.
Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner agreed in principle to make war criminals as well as anti-liberation forces (individuals or institutions) disqualified to contest elections. However, before that can happen, a court case is to be formally filed, as the Chief Adviser has suggested, to initiate the legal process against them. It is imperative that a well thought-out measure is taken to resolve the snowballing resentment without delay.
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Tale of a 'safe' cluster bomb in Lebanon
Rebecca Murray in Tyre, Lebanon
The explosion ripped through the tiny garden in rural south Lebanon, hurling Naemah Ghazi to the ground. The shrapnel from the bomb sliced through her legs, and she rapidly lost consciousness. "There was a lot of blood," her mother Khadija recalls. "All her body was bleeding."
Naemah, 48, lived quietly with her mother in the border town Blida since her father passed away nearly 30 years ago. She was still a teenager when she gave up a future of marriage and kids to take care of her mother full time.
On the morning of Sept. 11, Naemah was out picking vegetables for the evening meal when the bomb-an Israeli-made M85 cluster munition with a 'self-destruct' mechanism, buried a mere ten metres from her back door-exploded under her feet.
Naemah was rushed to Sidon's Labib Medical Centre two hours drive away. The doctors amputated her right leg just below the knee, but saved the other within a construct of metal rods.
A month later, Naemah is still in hospital; small and frail on her white metal bed. She is on painkillers and antibiotics, and has become depressed, says hospital supervisor, Shadi Hanouni. The wounds on her left leg are infected, and nurses change her dressings every five hours.
Blida is a small and poor town. Most residents rely on tobacco and olive harvests, and money sent by relatives abroad to keep financially afloat. Occupied until 2000 by Israel and its local proxy army, the SLA, it was one of the first targets for cluster munitions strikes last summer.
Cluster bombs in Blida have injured town leader Suleiman Majdi, and Naemah's six-year-old nephew Abbas Yousef Abbas, along with three other children he was playing with. All have survived, but barely-Majdi and Abbas bear deep scars across their stomachs and limbs.
Lebanon has a devastating cluster bomb problem. Hit hard during the final days of last summer's conflict with Israel, hundreds of thousands of unexploded munitions are strewn throughout the south's rural towns and fertile fields and valleys. Although there have been 255 civilian and de-mining casualties to date, official requests for Israel's cluster bomb strike data have gone unanswered.
"The reality of the situation is we simply don't know how many there are, and we will never know until the Israelis tell us how many they fired," says Chris Clark, the United Nations programme manager for the Mine Action Coordination Centre (MACC), the official body tasked with coordinating munitions clearance with the Lebanese Army in the south.
So far the clearance teams working under the MACC have destroyed over 131,000 cluster bombs. While US munitions manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s are the majority found and destroyed, Israeli M85 cluster munitions strikes have been discovered mostly in fields and towns like Blida along the Blue Line, the UN demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon.
Stockpiled by the US, Britain and Germany among others, the M85 cluster bomb is shaped like a miniature tin can with a white ribbon on top that spins to load the bomb once it's airborne. While older versions have a single fuse, the current model is equipped with a second; a 'safety' fuse that detonates automatically if the initial one fails.
"For some years there has been a humanitarian concern about the post-conflict problems caused by the use of cluster bombs-it goes back to Kosovo and the use of them there," says Clark. "In an attempt to mitigate that, the Israelis took the basic nucleus of the (US-made) M77 and M42 design, smartened it up a bit and added a self-destruct mechanism."
Its manufacturers cite the contemporary M85's failure rate at less than one per cent-results that countries like Britain hold up for justifying their continued use. However, independent studies since conducted in 'real'-as opposed to laboratory-conditions have determined the figure to be more like 5 to 10 per cent.
Clark seconds this finding. "What we have established here (in Lebanon) is that the average failure rate is at least 6 per cent. So for the users of this system to continue to use them on a basis that they have a negligible failure rate is clearly foolish."
The push to ban cluster munitions worldwide by 2008 was kicked off in Oslo earlier this year. Spearheaded by the Britain-based Cluster Munitions Coalition representing hundreds of civil society groups, the conferences have successfully recruited 80 countries - including producers, users and stockpilers - to sign on so far.
But top weapons manufacturers and exporters - the US, China and Russia - are staying away, and Britain, although a participant, is fighting hard for the exclusion of the M85 from the ban. "They've been arguing this for several months now," says Thomas Nash, coordinator for the CMC. "Although it is proven they do not work, and are a huge danger to the civilian population."
With the next meeting due this December in Vienna, tobacco and olive harvesters in Blida, and throughout the south of Lebanon, continue to harvest their crops in fear. "Blida was the place where the first civilians were injured," says Nash when told about Naemah. "The symmetry post-conflict is just tragic."
- Inter Press Service
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An appeal to the Chief Adviser on retirement age
Sajedul Islam and some other govt. officers
The proposal for enhancement of retirement age for govt. servants including freedom fighters from 57 years to 60 years is being heard since long without any realistic step to implement the same. Recently a proposal by the ministry for freedom fighters to enhance the retirement age of freedom fighters serving in government jobs up to 65 years has been placed in the upper echelon of the govt., but it is yet to yield any outcome.
The Government has recently formed a new committee with a view to scrutinise all such public admin committee reports and to make final recommendations. On 30th July last, reportedly in a meeting of the said committee, previous proposal of all the committees to enhance retirement age-limit to 60 years has been rejected due to strong opposition of some influential and young bureaucrats. It was said in the report that instead of discussion on enhancing age limit, it was discussed as to how to decrease age-limit from present 57 years to 55 years. If the vernacular newspaper report is correct, then it is not only surprising, but also devoid of practicality.
Then a question is likely to arise whether the age limit of those of various categories has been increased in previous days will revert back to the original. The enhancement of retirement age has been done and is going on all around the world. It is not a new phenomenon.
Moreover, in many countries of the world, there is no fixed retirement age-limit for the employees. The situation in Bangladesh is different. In some sphere, it is 67, in others it is 65 or 60, which shows a clear disparity amongst govt. and non-govt. jobs and is amounting to violation of fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
There has been a lot of letters, comments, articles, write-ups in the newspapers/periodicals justifying the necessity and background for enhancement of the same. Hence, the matter, perhaps, needs no further elaboration. So, the matter of influencing decision of a meeting in a negative way, (as has been reported), is saddening and surprising indeed. Taking any decision on a touchy matter in such a way may harm the popularity of the govt.
It is learnt that during the tenure of the past two govts. some govt. servants having early promotion to higher posts are not in favour of enhancement of age limit; instead they are in favour of reduction of the same, so that they can serve a longer period by virtual exit of their superior counterparts.
In the aforesaid meeting, decision as per previous committee minutes was taken to keep optional retirement period as 20 years of service and involvement of financial matters thereof, was also discussed, which can easily be got, if the retirement age is extended. As there will be no retirement expenditures for 2 or 3 years, thereby crores of Taka will be saved and a portion of it can be utilised for the purpose. It may be mentioned that such a balanced and rational position was taken in the previous committee meetings keeping in view both the sides of the coin.
A proposal to extend the age-limit of serving freedom fighters to 65 years has reportedly been placed before the honourable Chief Adviser on 16 May last, though a decision has not been given as yet. The proposal for extending retirement age-limit of govt. servants had earlier been placed before the Prime Minister in 2005 after due approval of the cabinet. But instead of taking any decision/measure on the matter, the then PM handed over power to the caretaker government.
Enhancement of retirement age-limit as mentioned earlier is a popular and independent demand of govt. servants since long. The matter was taken independently and should not be delayed and made complicated by involving itself with public administration reform matters. The last BNP govt. allegedly did not approve the decision of the cabinet for political reasons and there was strong allegation as well as evidence that on the contrary, enhancement of retirement age-limit of judges was done for the same reason. However, the file remained on the table for more than 9 months without any decision.
After her handing over of power in October, 06, the former PM was once asked by journalists as to why she did not keep promise on the matter, but she could not reply and felt embarrassed. On one TV channel discussion, it was said that such non-execution brought frustration among thousands of families. We feel that the present government should not face similar situation owing to the faulty steps of some high officials.
As the proposal has earlier been recommended by the Cabinet and only needed the approval of the then PM, so the present CA may give his approval on it. Besides, as the essence of various reports on public admin reform appears to be the same, so the new committee needs least time for its recommendation and not three months as has been reported in the press.
The matter can either be resolved by declaring 62 years retirement age for freedom fighters and 60 years for general employees, or by declaring 60 years at present for the former and 59 years for the latter. After the changeover in January/07, those steps/measures taken by the government are usually reformative, rectifying measures. The popular demands need to be attended too at the same time.
Enhancement of retirement age-limit did not result in unemployment problem in the SAARC countries. As per surveys, there were at least one and half to two lakh posts lying vacant in different government departments of the country.
After the change-over of 1/11, it was expected that the CG will take concrete steps without delay to rectify past mistakes. There were occasional news/rumours as published in the newspapers regarding enhancement of the same, but finally nothing was done.
According to reports, the Public Service Ordinance-2007 is going to be promulgated in respect of Public administrative reforms. The draft proposal contains enhancement of retirement age for Public servants in 3 stages begining from 2009 (instead of 2007) at 58 years, then from 201 1 at 59 years and finally from 2013 at 60 years i.e. on 3 isolated years. The Awami League in its 2001 Election manifesto, included the matter as one of its 10-point programme. Therefore, such a way of implementation might create controversy as it was similar to AL party programmes.
The BNP, though did not act in the same manner, however, pledged on many a occasions before and after the general election of that year to implement the same, but the latter put forward a 2 year formula after having power thereby raising retirement age at 59 years. Hence, co-ordination of the two proposals may be the best arrangement, which may remain above criticism and controversy.
For that matter, enhancement of retirement age to 60 years may be in two stages i, e. in the first stage it can be 2 years and next it is one year and why the beginning in the year 2009? It should begin from this year i. e. 2007. Moreover, according to Election Roadmap the General Election will be held by 2008 yearend. The wining party may cancel the govt proposal in this regard terming it to be a previous one. Therefore, the implementation should begin from this year. We hope and pray that in view of the importance attributed to the matter, Chief Adviser will kindly soon give approval to it and be memorable in the history of the country.
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LETTERS
Correspondence columns
Dear Editor:
Most of us, though find it as tempting as it might be to look the other way, it is our prime duty to spotlight problems that abound within the borders first, and go for things that transcend the borders, whether those be global warming, AIDS or genocide. We readers carry no advance information/knowledge of the newspapers contents and normally start with ignorance. But the magic to happen, as the theory goes, the readers' mind must be preserved in a state of absolute innocence- it must be in Internet parlance spoiler-free. Yet most newspapers we choose to read and at times, to write letters and articles, as members of Letter Writers' Forum, are found covered with articles mostly biased and contaminated via the web site.
When we write, it seems that people, normally sit on them, to make sure these are not lost, unmindful of their importance and purpose. And most English newspapers prefer articles of foreign writers with name and fame, whatever be the contents. Does that enrich and attract people'sinterest? Does that become easy and enjoyable reading? People hardly get time to read such stuff unless interesting and informative.
We would, therefore, desire that editors give a little more attention to our writings, in order to help develop writing skill in us. Finally allow us to write/reply to Western charges against Islam and Muslims and let foreigners read our views.
Col Mirza Shafi,
Banani.
Appeal to CG to solve traffic problems
Dear Editor:
This time I am writing about the traffic problems in our country. I appeal to the Caretaker Government (CG) to give special attention, as the traffic is getting bad to worse and more dangerous.
The vehicles seen on the road on the Akhri Manajat day of Iztema is a twice-a-day affair in some of the major big cities in Europe and USA. The density of vehicles on the roads is nothing compared to some of the big cities in South-East Asia.
Productivity and quality of life are greatly hampered by traffic congestion. Loss of time for commuters, industrial and commercial productivity, poor quality of life for residents of Dhaka and Chittagong, poor impression to foreign visitors leads to lower foreign investment and commuters are subject to more exhaust fumes leading to respiratory diseases.
There are no speed limit especially on the inter city roads, A total lack of discipline, patience, consideration for others among drivers. Complete disregard to rules and law or perhaps ignorant of any traffic rule or law.
In other countries, when you flash your light, it means, "I am stopping, you can come", but here, when you flash your light, it is "You stop, I am coming". No one seems to know the right of way.
For immediate solution, I suggest that the Govt. declares a speed limit.
1. Not more than 50 kph on the major highway and 40 kph in the major city roads and 30 kph on all other roads.
2. No overtaking on highways unless there are over-taking lanes.
3. Govt. may start making overtaking lanes on highways after that these may be overtaking.
4. No stopping on roads, vehicles must stop off the road.
5. Buses must only stop at designated stops, off the road. In city all buses and trucks must ply on left lanes.
6. No stopping on turnings at least 30 yards away from turning.
7. Perhaps ban rickshaws for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening from major highways and roads.
8. Print booklets with traffic rules and laws, illustration, figures giving some examples of the common traffic offences which causes traffic jams, make it compulsory for all drivers to carry the booklets in their vehicles. In fact I am trying to darft such booklet with the help of school of engineering and computer science of Independent University, Bangladesh and will be happy to make a presentation to the CG for their approval.
By bringing discipline on the roads, it will be seen that there is a Govt. functioning in the country.
Wajid Ali Khan Panni
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Honouring National Heroes
Dear Editor:
It is only just and right that we must duly honor our national heroes. If we have not done before, let us do it now in a better way. But how could it be that we have not done so? The people of Bangladesh, I would say, did their part for honor of the national heroes, but I am afraid, not without conjecture, at times, having perceptional differences and variations due mainly to changing situation in the socio-economic milieu.
The changing situation, at times, went so wrong and damaging that the people felt betrayed that made the nation instead of integrating into a single unit for development got, in fact, divided very seriously in perception even about their one time national heroes. Thus the unity built during the 1971 war disintegrated into fragments in post 1971 Bangladesh. Thus a sort of iconic over emphasis for one against another in somewhat pejorative way became the reality in thought process and action programs. Though the division was undesirable, but it turned into reality on the ground.
Now after 36 years of our independent existence, if some one wishes to integrate the whole mass into one body by giving due honor to all national heroes, it would certainly be a noble effort worthy of praise. But that can hardly be done through any method other than mutual understanding and reconciliation. I would think that the best way for reconciliation is to sift and accept real facts from many existing fictions, not only in vocabulary but in many textbooks, as well. Only a committee of experts in historical truth having neutral attitude and outlook, if formed and allowed to work unhindered from any vested interest and political party quarters, it might be able to decide about the quantum of contributions of the past leaders, both positive and negative that might help to fix up the matter based on empirical facts. Otherwise, if we go by simple emotion of the variety of the past, it might end up to naught as soon as the next political party government would take on the country's administration following the scheduled next general election just as we had experienced very oddly and contradictorily during the period of last three and a half decades.
MTHusssain,
795/2 Ibrahimpur
Dhaka-1206
Mysticism of truth omission
Dear Editor:
To tell the truth, it is difficult for me to fathom the mysticism of the proposed "Truth Commission", to lessen graft in society. How about truth omissions? Truth is free and fiercely independent; so how do you commission it?
Expose 100 per cent of truth from 99 per cent? Or, any percentage would do?
"Judge not that ye be judged"?
Pandora's boxes come in many models, open the lid 10 per cent, 50 per cent, 99.9 per cent? Baffling permutations and combinations.
Play dice with truth, or flirt openly in public? Judge in private, 0.05 per cent? Confusing!
What happens to situations classified officially as "confidential" and "secret"?
Define "transparency". Half full, or half empty? May be full, but the cup/glass may not be of the correct size! Confusing, isn't it?
This "T.C" (Truth commission") how long would it last? The next JS would decide.
Modesty and indecent publicity - what is the choice? How "discretion" would be used, and "judgement" tampered? Yardsticks and units? Fate of writ petitions to the court?
One simple, ad hoc selection: replace "Truth" from "Truth" commission".
Alif Zaber,
Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
Coconut fibre export should be encouraged
Dear Editor:
Bangladesh can earn foreign currency worth taka 10 crore per annum by exporting coconut fibre, it is learnt. It is a non-traditional item on the export list. It has great demand in China, Thailand and Malayasia. Last year the manufacturers of coconut fibre of Bagerhat district exported coconut fibre worth Tk. One crore to China and Thailand. After exporting many coconut fibre factories have been set in different places of Bagerhat. But all these factories are now in small scale. Initially it requires one crusher machine and freshing machine valued at Tk. 4.00 lakh only.
Coconut oil factory generally use copra and not coir. People take water and copra and then throw away coir which is used as fuel. It is also used for mattress. Coir rope which is locally called 'Kathi' was available in the market previously. But at present its demand has been decreased to a great extent.
Coconut fibre is made from coir. Coconut grows abundantly in Bagerhat, Khulna, Jessore, Magura, Satkhira, Barisal, Jhalkhati, Perozpur and some other places in north Bengal. The concerned authorities should give proper attention to establish coconut fibre factories in large scale in the places where coconut grows abundantly. We hope the government will take necessary measures to encourage coconut fibre export so that it can be turned into a traditional item on the export list in the days to come.
A. M. K. Chowdhury,
West Masdhair
Narayanganj.
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