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EDITORIAL
Monga-hit have-nots
Since time immemorial the common people in the northern part of this country have been in the chronic vicious circle of poverty, hardly ever had food autarky, and almost always experienced scarcity of eatables. Consequently, the persistent presence of starvation has more often than not stared them in the face and hunger stalked almost every year.
The Great Bengal Famine of 1943 was one of the worst to strike this region owing to crop failures, disruption of usual imports of food grains from Burma and, most importantly, colonial British policy of prohibiting inter-provincial and inter-district food grain movement. The result was a man-made disaster claiming heavy toll of lives: the total number of deaths was estimated at 3.5 million. Almost the whole of Bengal was more or less affected by the famine.
Three decades later independent Bangladesh witnessed a repeat performance of famine in 1974, which was a rural phenomenon and people migrated from rural to urban areas in search of food. According to some estimates, as Atiur Rahman writes, more than one million people died during the period from July 1974 to January 1975. The Awami League Government's "estimate of mortality was, not surprisingly, only 26,000."
In no other region has hardship been so horrid, extreme and insufferable as it has been in some monga-prone northern districts of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur. Known in local dialect as monga -- meaning extreme food crisis or famine-like condition -- it has been endemic for a long time in that region.
Monga is the perennial condition of paucity of food and job in a particular zone where household incomes reaches their nadir leading to lack of access to food amongst mainly rural poor landless families. Monga -- which visits every year the northern region of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts -- implies the impact of reduction in day-labour opportunities after the rice crop is sown and before the harvest, seasonal higher prices of basic food items, and the after-effects of monsoon flooding. Devastating erosion of the Brahmaputra and other rivers is attributable to destruction of hundreds of villages, extensive loss of arable lands and consequent massive displacement of populace and pauperisation in the region. It occurs almost every year particularly after the planting but before the Aman harvest in the months of September, October and November.
It is a pertinent question as to why monga occurs in the same area at the same time of the year. Among some oft-mentioned factors are the generally poor economic condition of the area, less scope of employment opportunity and low level of economic activities. Studies say that most of the migrated day labourers of the area become jobless when harvesting is affected in other areas because of flood and other natural calamities. Besides, the region is deficient in income generation for the poor. This year widespread flooding in July and August has intensified the problem. Numbering some 20 to 30 million, these jobless people are the most vulnerable ultra-poor who have no access to food.
Though the vulnerable group feeding or VGF and food for work are in place, but it is inadequate and the problem is acute. As the crisis occurs annually so it is imperative that the government takes preparation well ahead for every year, preferably in early September.
Bangladesh boasts hundreds of NGOs, TIB chairman Professor Mozaffar Ahmed says the number is around 45 thousand, that are running their activities across the country; but their outcome is naught, sadly. Over the past several decades they could not devise any effective plan to alleviate the monga-hit people. It is time NGOs including Grameen and BRAC were asked to adopt practical projects there. Last but not least, planners ought to rethink if they can relocate some labour-intensive agro-based manufacturing enterprises in the region of the hapless have-nots.
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Bangladesh at UNGA 2007
Sadeq Khan
The 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly this year put the matter of addressing the problem of climate change as the highest priority topic. In his opening statement, H.E. Dr. Srgjan Kerim, President of the UNGA, said: "I identified five priority topics that we need to address during this session;
* climate change;
* financing for development;
* the Millennium Development Goals;
* countering terrorism, and
* renewing the management, effectiveness and coherence of this organisation, including Security Council reform.
I believe that these five priorities represent an equilibrium of interests that all Member States can identify with, and take forward successfully together."
Referring to the high-level meeting on climate change at the United Nations that preceded the opening of the session, President Srgjan Kerim voiced his concern: "Climate change and its dramatic effects are increasingly visible and increasingly violent. The irony is that those least responsible for it will suffer most. Yesterday, many of you reaffirmed this, and sent a strong political message that the time for action had come."
In response, the United States climbed down some what from its high spot as the biggest polluter of the shared earth defying international clamour for restraint. President Bush in his comments at the UNGA acknowledged: "As America works with the United Nations to alleviate immediate human needs, we are also coming together to address long-term challenges. Together, we are preparing for pandemics that could cause death and suffering on a global scale. Together, we are working to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And together, we are confronting the challenges of energy security, environmental quality, and climate change."
Although many were disappointed by such cursory reference to a phenomenon that has been playing havoc in Europe, Asia, Africa and also the US and other countries of the Americas, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations was optimistic. He said: "I sensed something remarkable happening, something transformative - a sea-change, whereby leaders showed themselves willing to put aside blame for the past and pose to themselves more forward-looking questions."
With climate change expected to be responsible for devastation ranging from dramatic water shortages for half a billion people to the desertification of most of northern China, Mr. Ban noted that while countries will seek their own methods to combat climate change, "the important thing is that all agree: national policies should be coordinated within the United Nations, so that our work together is complimentary and mutually enforcing" Additionally, Mr. Ban said there is a shared sense of the necessity to address climate change now. It is no longer purely an environmental concern, but a political one. "We need a breakthrough - an agreement to launch negotiations for a comprehensive climate change deal that all nations can embrace. It will be difficult but I am optimistic. We are in a different place, today, than yesterday."
Bangladesh, which runs the risk of being one of the most adversely affected countries under global warming and climate change, had this to say at the United Nations:
"Mr. President,
Earlier this week, we discussed the exceedingly important issue of climate change. The world leaders re-affirmed our shared commitment to addressing the issue of global warming. Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to global warming given that as much as 30 percent of our land will be submerged if the Bay of Bengal rises by just one meter. The adverse effects of global warming, deforestation and increased salinity are already evident in Bangladesh. Floods have become an annual calamity, and this year our people have suffered particularly severe losses due to flooding. While the resilience of our people and quick mobilization of our limited domestic resources helped us overcome the crisis this year, we envisage that this may become harder in the future. We, therefore, urge enhanced international cooperation to meet the challenges of global warming and its consequence."
Skipping the priority topics, however, the Chief Adviser of the caretaker government of Bangladesh used the opportunity of the annual high-level general debate of the United Nations to project the political transformation through which Bangladesh was passing at the moment. He said: "Recent events in Bangladesh have evoked considerable interest worldwide, as we struggle to fulfill the promise of democracy for our people. I will take this opportunity to share with the global community some of our recent experiences in consolidating democracy. We have learned that democracy is not an event, it is an ongoing process. It is not just about casting votes and changing governments; it is about social justice, accountability and empowerment of the people.
Those who have followed events in Bangladesh over the past few months will know that the Caretaker Government came into office in January this year amidst a political stalemate. The fabric of our democracy had been torn apart by years of catastrophic corruption. Widespread frustration with the status-quo led to a rising tide of political violence. This in turn disrupted ordinary life and shattered all public confidence in the possibility of credible elections. Moreover, there was little hope that a tainted election could have ended the cycle of violence. A State of Emergency was therefore declared on January 11 of this year in an effort to end the ongoing chaos and to usher in a new beginning."
He went on to explain:
"As stipulated in our Constitution, the non-party caretaker administration acts as a bridge between successive political governments. Our task, first and foremost, is to ensure a free and fair election, and we are fully committed to that responsibility. However, our nation has learned through harsh experience that an election cannot simply be a once-off casting of votes, but must be part of a dynamic and a continuing process whereby people freely choose their leaders. While Bangladesh has held three elections in the past two decades, our democracy has been brutally undermined by ruinous corruption. The lack of systemic institutional safeguards allowed corruption to run rampant. This created a "winner-takes-all" electoral system where the spoils of electoral victory were so great and the stakes of winning so high that the political process became hopelessly polarized, leading to a paralysis in even ordinary governance. As the benefits of winning elections increased, so did the costs of securing victory, creating a truly vicious cycle in which corruption was the lynchpin. Corruption thus became both the means to and the end of winning an election. If our democratic spirit is to emerge unscathed from this downward spiral and if we are to deliver a free, fair and meaningful election, we must first free our politics from the clutches of corruption and violence.
Democracy and the rule of law are not merely concepts, but must be embodied in functioning public institutions. In Bangladesh, the very institutions which form the foundations of democracy have been eroded by ongoing corruption. Re-building these institutions and restoring public confidence through meaningful reforms is a Herculean task, hut one in which we cannot and will not fail."
Then he elaborated on the achievements of his government in the three quarters of a year of its existence in respect of securing an independent Election Commission, an effective Anti-Corruption Commission and Separation of Judiciary from the Executive. He further suggested that the Bangladesh experience in the current process has an exemplary international dimension:
"Mr. President,
Our experience in re-instilling confidence in the government has a wider relevance to the international community. The problems that we are facing today are not unique to Bangladesh. After all, in the developing world democracy does not necessarily ensure good governance. Many countries face similar problems of political violence, mis-governance and corruption. This is particularly true for post-conflict and transition societies, where the politics of mistrust is pervasive. We feel that a greater understanding of our challenges, and more importantly, of our efforts to re-build political and social institutions can serve as benchmarks for others facing similar situations. For example, Bangladesh represents an effective model of civil-military cooperation in crisis prevention. Our experience in crisis management could be relevant for many crisis-torn, nascent democracies."
Some commentators and academics in Bangladesh pool-poohed that suggestion on the ground that different countries had different kinds of governance problems and different forms of internal conflict. Bangladesh model of crisis management as evolving at the moment will hardly be of relevance, they say, in a country torn for instance by civil war or ethnic violence, or in a country weak in institutional development. Some critics also found the CA's speech at UNGA somewhat apologetic. They said Bangladesh does not owe any explanation to the outside world for the way it is peaceably addressing and resolving its internal problems, except in respect of international protocols it has signed. Bangladesh must stand firm in maintaining its sovereign dignity and limit itself to diplomatic communication in response to concerns expressed by development partners from the West or concerns of any organised international body like the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organisation of Islamic Countries, the SAARC etc.
However, others felt that a need to place the Bangladesh case before the international community in a forthright and transparent manner is certainly there, and UNGA provided the opportunity. Whatever the merit of the perception amongst academics and political analysts in Bangladesh that foreign diplomatic meddling compounded the political stalemate that led to the emergency, Bangladesh does need international goodwill and cooperation to be able to smoothly conduct the on-going process of transition. There is also the question of return of misappropriated funds, hidden in foreign bank accounts and lockers by corrupt politicians, officials and businessmen, to be recovered and put into national exchequer.
Bangladesh has been patiently addressing all diplomatic enquiries and concerns about its democratic transition. Notwithstanding a clear road map chalked out by the caretaker government towards establishment of a meaningfully representative government, Bangladesh has been receiving mixed signals from some foreign counterparts. Only the other day, the Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon took a dig at Bangladesh saying: "the caretaker government is playing with fire" by delaying elections until the end of next year and could lose popular support.
"It is pushing a constitutional issue to an absolute extreme to believe that a caretaker government, elected on the basis of about three months, should stay there for a couple of years." And although during his visit to Bangladesh last month, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State extended his country's full support to the road map of the caretaker government, the US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Boucher in affirming such support added a qualifying anguish that Bangladesh was passing through very critical times. It is the quiet confidence of Chief Adviser's address at the United Nations that answered such kite flying remarks and positively summed up the Bangladesh case at the UNGA.
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LETTERS
Why a Bangladeshi killed, another abducted in Afghanistan
Dear Editor:
It is known to all that ever since the US forces invaded and occupied Afghanistan, killed thousands of innocent people, also enticed and brought the NATO forces to work with them the freedom loving people of Afghanistan started considering and treating the foreigners working in their country as their enemies.
Peace loving people all over the world including Bangladesh have condemned the heinous US aggression of Afghanistan and later Iraq.
BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) is concerned with the rural development works within our country. BRAC is neither a travel nor a manpower recruiting agent.
We are surprised and shocked as to why and how, under what authority, what provision of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladeshi and what national interest or international obligation has BRAC deputed and sent two hundred of its employees to war-ravaged and very risky Afghanistan?
One BRAC employee Abdul Alim has been killed and another Bangladeshi official Nur Islam has been abducted in strife-torn Afghanistan.
We would request our concerned authorities, BRAC, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and. Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to kindly let us know for the sake of accountability and transparency of their respective activities, roles, lapses and commissions, duties and responsibilities, success and failure in respect of killing of a Bangladeshi and abduction of another Bangladeshi in Afghanistan.
This demand of the people of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is in the greater interest of their human rights, independence and sovereignty.
O. H. Kabir,
Dhaka.
Personal enmity, witch hunting
Dear Editor:
There are reports that people having personal enmity have been active for taking revenge against foes. Some are writing letters, some even making reports in the print media out of enmity inviting attention of the law-enforcing agencies and of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to act having nothing in substance. Such fictitious cases have not only been directed to harassing opponents, but also for keeping the law-enforcing agencies and the ACC busy in trivial cases on the one side, and divert their attention from the crucial and big cases.
The intelligence agencies have to be more critical and objective, particularly, regarding the corruption cases.
In any case, there must not be any witch hunting by the ACC, because that would certainly damage its reputation.
M.T. Hussain,
795/2 Ibrahimpur, Dhaka-1206
Regulate political parties
Dear Editor:
Some of the political parties are clamouring ahead of holding the dialogue with the EC against the alleged controlling measures adopted by the EC in the registration process of the political parties. But the general public strongly believe, some kind of regulatory obligations should be there for the political parties to fulfil and ensure financial transparency before they can become eligible for registration to participate in the general election.
There should be a clear-cut policy guideline on prevention of 'nomination trading'. The EC should be authorised under the provision of the Constitution to act as the regulator with adequate legal power to deal with the offenders. This is absolutely necessary to keep the political parties on the right track.
The EC should go ahead with the formulation of the regulatory legal framework after seeking public opinion (if felt necessary) on the proposed provisions and thereafter should place the same before the CG for adoption.
It will not be wise to let the politicians have a free hand in the registration process in view of their adverse past record. The political parties and the politicians will ultimately govern the country. Therefore, some mechanism for screening should be there at the initial stage to encourage and induct patriotic, educated and honest persons in the parties. This may not be hundred per cent possible but an awareness can be created at all levels to discourage criminals, terrorists, extortionists, musclemen, etc. joining the political parties, who under the umbrella of high-ups in the party consider themselves above law and use their political platform as a safe haven to continue with their criminal activities as noticed in the past.
Effective check, therefore, must be there to prevent entry of these elements in the political parties as far as practicable with an obligation on the parties to expel them at the instance of the EC, if found indulged in those nefarious activities in the name of the party.
In the past we have also seen persons with those qualifications even became ministers! The country's future depends largely on establishment of a patriotic, healthy and honest democratic institution in the country. Today, in general politicians are looked down upon by the public as 'Munafiqs', meaning those who are liars, misappropriate public properties and do not honour their promises. That is why the country is in a mess today.
We have got a unique opportunity now to weed out these elements, otherwise the country would plunge again into the same turmoil, lawlessness and uncertainty if those people are allowed to enter the political arena once again.
Mohammad Ataul Hoque,
Dhaka.
Alas, my home library
Dear Editor:
In this fast IT age, the home libraries lack patronisation. My father (in the Education service; as also my ancestors: chachas, mamoos, nana, dada) had big libraries at home, and I was brought up in this environment, and also built up my own. I had the advantage of American Express card and thick mail-order book catalogues; besides taking advantage of the privdege of travelling in my line of duties. The expenses on purchase of books were extravagant in my bachelor days; but the temptation persists as a pensioner: I browse at the book shops in Dhaka through leaves I cannot buy.
Dhaka book stores cater to the academics and the students; the choice is very limited on books for spare time reading-reading for pleasure (specially in English). The culture of English as a second language was gagged soon after independence (1971); and we are feeling the gap, as our human resources going abroad for jobs cannot compete with the Indians and the Filipinos, (on the rebound, nowadays the English-medium schools are popular in Bangladesh with those who can afford it).
My social visitors flee when I drag them to have a look at my library, offering the lending ledger to borrow any book. I like to discuss and talk about the books I have liked, but can't find listeners. The educated middle-class elders have lost mobility in crowded Dhaka metro; and the young ones are more Internet-oriented. Fast food and fast pick ups-not for hoarding accumulated wisdom!
So I have donated more than 100 books [out of 2000] to two NGO libraries. I have another pernicious hobby: addiction for pen and paper; sometimes lured to the personal computer. At home nobody reads my pieces published during the last 40 years (although all the adults at home are graduates). The pastime of reading for pleasure is out of date, although magazines still sell. Now it is all digital bits and bytes, with no analogue output.
The contents of my library are slightly different: for the general non-specialist readers [plus boos on my favourite subjects mysticism, cosmology, good writing, autobiographies...]. Books on my profession (engineering) comprise only one to two per cent ; the rest are miscellaneous ; for sampling many subjects A to Z ; to try to develop a cultivated mind (that is the theme of education), with higher level of general knowledge-to ease small talk in new drawing rooms. Small talk needs years of practice.
The question arises: what do I do with such large quota of non-fiction inputs [get it out of my system]? I try to share it with newspaper readers, through half a dozen columns (and letters) under several pen names. So far about 5,000 have been published in about four decades. There is a snag: I write in English. The columns are slightly compartmentalised: the pleasure of reading [books I liked]; the pleasure of travelling; humour; art, science and technology, politics and current affairs. I write rarely on my chosen profession and speciality.
I am a computer literate for a quarter of a century, but I am deliberately avoiding Internet connection can go to bed with a book!
Looking for readers. I feel sad at the neglect; my books stare back at me and condemn me for lack of circulation and social mixing. Nowadays killing time is so easy: just browse digitally.
A.Z.
Dhaka.
Bangladesh exports drugs to UK!
Dear Editor:
I could never dream of that our country could one day be exporting drugs and medicines to UK-"made in Bangladesh".
I feel proud as a Bangladeshi. We worked hard and suffered much - today we need not crave for "made in England" products. (I am a graduate of British India, St. Xavier's College, Calcutta University).
Bangladesh Zindabad! Why are we still crazy for foreign goods?
Alif Zabar,
Dhaka.
Advertisement code
Dear Editor:
The mass media is flooded with advertisements on higher studies by local and foreign agencies; which are confusing to students/guardians.
Which are genuine and govt. approved? The authorities should make it mandatory to print the govt. approval numbers/code in each advertisement.
The news and newspapers and TV should be told not to publish any commercial ad unless the approval code is provided.
Abul M. Ahmed,
Dhaka.
Brickbats!
Dear Editor,
There are many things which may have been said by a famous person like Ernest Hemingway but if they are deemed to be obscene by a vast majority of the bhadralok bengali society then it should not be put into print. But KZ Islam in his article on Friday 5th October 2007 did that and you as Editor must bear some of the blame.
I think an apology is in order to all readers.
AFMA Harris
9 Deramore Drive West
York YO10 5HS
E-mail: shahela_hamid@talktalk.net
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