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EDITORIAL
Sidr: Prioritise VGF, food security
Every calamity reminds us afresh how much at the mercy of cosmic scheme of things man still is. When flood or tornado or hurricane strikes a resource poor country such as ours, where the overwhelming number of people are disadvantaged having practically nothing to fall back upon, it inflicts a grievous crippling blow. The raging frenzied fury of devastating Sidr that hit the country's coastal districts last week, took a toll of many lives, left in its wake a vast army of battered and mangled starving masses without a roof over their head. The Red Crescent presumes, death toll could be in the neighbourhood of 10,000.
While some cyclone-battered areas were inaccessible for four days, the Navy did an excellent job at Dublar Char, an island detached from the mainland, by standing beside the hapless people. The scenario now is: hunger stalks, succour has not reached everywhere, pond water is contaminated as saline water surged into them, decomposed bloated bodies are scattered, and some are buried without shroud. In a word it is a spectacle of great human tragedy.
Inadequacy of food has to be overcome immediately. Some 70 per cent of the men and women in the affected areas are subsistence people who cannot survive without vulnerable group feeding (VGF). As crop loss has been staggering (6 lakh tons of Aman washed away) VGF shall have to be continued for at least eight months. Already 10 lakh tons of rice were lost during the earlier floods. To refresh our memory, after the 1991 cyclone the Government imported about 55 lakh tons of rice. It is advisable that the present caretaker government (CG) does without delay its homework as to how much food should be imported.
Even after seven days of the devastating Sidr all the national newspapers are stuffed with upsetting pictorial reports of the affected multitude’s distress. What can be more depressing than learning about countless bodies of victims of the cataclysm being buried without formal ritual of wrapping with shroud or pre-burial prayer after a week? Wailing bereaved, unfed survivors’ sobbing faces are seen round-the-clock on the private TV channels recounting their tales of agony. Having completely lost possessions and fruits of their years of hard labour, they are now absolutely pauperised.
Extensive crop loss --- as commonsense says and economists presume --- will definitely tell upon the economy. Agriculture Adviser C.S. Karim is of similar view, but we are dumbfounded at Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam’s assertion that there will be no considerable impact of all these on the economy. However, earlier he himself mentioned in the Economic Survey of Bangladesh-2007 said otherwise. [Read our page one report on this.]
If the CG acts as per Islam’s advice, we apprehend, people’s woes will worsen further. Without heeding him, it is advisable that Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed sits with other advisers of the CG and adopts programme to ensure food security. This we emphasise keeping in mind the huge loss of Aman during the floods and the Sidr devastation.
As regards forecast, the Met office, some people argue, has not given cautionary signals comprehensively; after signal number 3 or 4 it has abruptly jumped upwards to the great danger signal number 10. Perhaps an easily understandable method can be devised and local dialects used. For example, in most parts of Cox's Bazar and Chittagong they call it towan to mean cyclone. In respect of 'miking', which denotes using loud speakers for asking people to go to shelters --- the number of these 2000 cyclone shelters are disproportionate in relation to the rising population which multiplies in geometric proportion --- small radio broadcasting stations should be set up at all the upazila headquarters of the entire calamity-prone zone from worst-hit Dublar Char to moderately affected Bhola with other coastal districts in between.
The bottom line is: the CG should prioritise VGF programme, ensure national food security and rehabilitate the catastrophe victims.
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Pakistan in deep crisis: Musharraff’s dilemma
Mohmmad Amjad Hossain
It is unfortunate that President Bush was credited by the media in the United States for declaring of holding parliamentary elections in Pakistan in mid -February, 2008 by President Musharraff, who has since changed the date by early January. It may be noted President Bush has made a call to Pakistan President on November 7 under pressure from his own party and opposition Democratic Party.
President Bush’s telephone parley with Musharraff is seen as playing to the gallery which has been reflected during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on November 7 where Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte pinpointed Pakistan as an “indispensable ally” that shares most basic strategic imperatives.
Negroponte told the Foreign affairs Committee that “no country has done more in terms of inflicting damage and punishment on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda since 9/11”. On the other hand, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have charged that Musharraff was spending more time fighting democratic activists, lawyers and human rights activists than Al-Qaeda and that the situation is leading to that of Iran during the period of Reza Shah when the Mullahs took over power. Lawmakers describe Musharraff as a political juggler instead of a leader. The reason that I am saying President Bush has been playing to the gallery also emanates from the fact that Pakistan’s President has consulted with the Bush Administration for the imposition of an emergency rule.
When President Musharraff declared emergency rule on November 3, despite mild objections from the White House, he cited the need to combat growing extremism in Pakistan. Will the suspension of the constitution resolve the problem of terrorism? Will censoring the print and electronic media resolve the issue of extremism? Will arresting lawyers, human rights activists and judges make Pakistan safer? The answer is big no.
President Musharraff has never implemented the pledge given to the Pakistani people since he took over power in 1999. By now he should be free from military uniform which he continues to wear as President.
Since the birth of Pakistan the country has been unfortunately passing through the military rule which is known jungle law, to say the least, and never ending political crisis.
Three trends
Distinctly three trends are visible in Pakistan. One section of the group is led by the military whose representative is General Pervez Musharraf; another group is led by liberal democracy. This particular group led by Benazir and Nawaz Shariff has been weakened over a period of time because of the continuous governing under military rule. Also the military had damaged the image of the politicians. Last but not the least is the emergence of extremist Islamic group which exploits religion to meet their selfish motives versus the well being of the country.
Military bureaucrats in cooperation with corrupt civilian politicians have not allowed democracy to flourish in Pakistan. Incidentally, military dictators not only seized power through coup but also destroyed basic service institutions of the country. Each military dictator immediately suspended the constitution of the country and imposed martial law.
In 1958 on October 7 Major General Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza—- elected by the National Assembly as first President of Pakistan—declared martial law by discarding the constitution with a view to remaining in power in perpetuity. This was the first of many such instances that military intervened in politics in Pakistan. General Ayub was the first military leader to stage a coup. There is one common analogy that follows by each military dictator. Having intervened in politics they claim to the public that their act of suspension of the constitution was to clean corruption from political arena and civil administration.
Judiciary
It goes without saying that when the Judiciary has resisted the military or has been called into question about legality of their decisions, the Justices have become victims in Pakistan’s history. The former military dictator Zia-ul-Haq had removed five Supreme Court Judges. President Musharraf, the fourth military dictator, has been following the footprints of his mentor. By now Musharraf has removed two chief justices, including Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhury. There has always been conflict between Chief Justice of the Superior Court and Military Ruler of Pakistan.
Having been in power for about nine years Musharraff’s popularity is an all time low. During his tenure in office, independence of national institutions has been eroded; the Parliament is in disarray; the media is under severe attack; and the judiciary is not independent either. More than 50 per cent of the population survives on less than a dollar a day. The unemployment rate is about 10 per cent, but actual figure is likely to be around 20 per cent. Like many other military leaders Musharraf’s promise to return to democracy remains elusive.
Now Musharraf has begun playing another hand of cards when he reportedly met exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi at the instance of the Bush Administration to negotiate a power-sharing deal. Possibly that deal some how did not work in favor of Musharraff. Benazir Bhutto was allowed to enter the country following withdrawal of arrest order by High Court. She was promptly placed under house arrest upon her arrival but was freed on the intervention of the Bush Administration.
Under the patronage of President Bush, President Musharraf remains in power as of now because of his unconditional support for “war on terror campaign.” The only beneficiary is Pakistan’s military which receives billion of dollars in aid. $ 2 billion dollars goes to Islamabad from Washington every year.
Changed scenario
In the changed scenario and much to President Bush’s disappointment, the US Congress is considering measures that would condition any military aid to Pakistan upon its cooperation with the “war on terror” and political reforms. For the time being General Musharraf remains the blue-eyed boy of President Bush in view of his recent crack down on tribal area of Waziristan bordering with Afghanistan where Al-Quaeda has gained ground to regroup themselves and storming Red Mosque and Jamia Hafsa in Islamabad leaving a hundred dead, most of them women and children. This unprecedented action by Musharraf has resulted in a sharp increase in attacks against Pakistan army, especially in the volatile provinces of the North-West Frontier.
A section of the media in the United States, however, blamed Pakistan’s President for Al-Qaeda’s resurgence. In the words of the Weekly Standard, President Musharraf “has acted erratically and inconsistently, cracking down on militants holed up in the Red Mosque, and then tries to placate the tribal chiefs along the border. He appears to be governing without strategy”.
In view of the resentful Pakistan and failed US aggression in Afghanistan coupled with resurgent Talibans, President Musharraf has no other option but to rearrange his cards. The dramatic imposition of emergency rule with parliament in place and suspending the constitution the country has plunged into its deepest political crisis. In spite of all these turmoil President Bush is still in favor of power-sharing with Benazir Bhutto, who has a good image in Pakistan, in order to stop the Islamic extremists groups who are trying to create a political turmoil and radicalise the population, topple the government, and may make an attempt to get hold of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals. Negroponte was possibly dispatched to Islamabad to find compromise solution between Musharraff and Bhutto. No matter what President Musharraff does to remain in power, he has clearly divided the country and destroyed democratic institutions. Musharraff will pay the price for the present uncertain situation in Pakistan.
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VIEW POINT
Quality control in SMEs
A. Mahasen
When I get the morning newspaper, I turn to the business page for new developments in new products, and opening of new export markets; the challenges before the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Without entrenched corrupt practices at almost all vertical and horizontal levels, today we could have easily reached the base level of a newly developing country. Our workers are hard working and sincere, but the godfathers have no fear of God!
Our human resources are not a problem, but an asset, but our vocation training schools are far short of requirement, especially in the rural areas and small towns.
One glaring example: our furniture sector remains neglected: no formal and theoretical training; the apprentices learn from the semi literate instructors; and quality control QC [] is abysmal. Some of the wooden furniture I purchased in Dhaka 17 years ago were eaten up by white ants; and I lost quite a number of my home library books kept on these local bookshelves. Now synthetic boards of various types have come up, which are treated chemically, but the prices are high for the lakhs of students, while the manufacturers concentrate on ‘luxury items’, and some are falsely branded as imported items! There should be do-it-yourself (DIY) cheaper kits for students, who could assemble their own furniture from standard packages I assembled abroad my plywood bookshelves—much cheaper.
Now it is good news to read that the authorities have decided to set up furniture villages at different points in the country. Considering the huge population density in Bangladesh, the number of vocational centres for primary and school-leveI students is far too low to tap the natural resources of the country. We can produce lakhs of mechanics, technicians and craftsmen/women, equipped with proper qualification certificates in many fields in the cottage and small industries sectors.
The point is that the small informal sectors should not be ignored (such as leather goods). But monitoring has to be widespread, and the inspectors have to be honest. Here comes in E-governance. We are waiting for the fabulous $100 student computer. The price of solar cell units have to be reduced for the LDCs. Consider the tremendous social impact of cell/mobile phones in Bangladesh—who doesn’t have it: the maid, the rickshaw driver, the student, and the fisherman.
The black market could be controlled using the mobile phone. The cell phone has its evil off springs; but the authorities have to be IT-oriented; discarding imperialistic bureaucratic practices. Remember the name Writer’s Building in British Calcutta? Keep the natives busy with pen in hand, while the decisions are taken over whiskey and soda at the club!
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LETTERS
Taka 500 notes
Dear Editor:
At present our five-hundred Taka currency notes that we have in circulation are of different dimensions, colour and monogram. But I suppose and many others like me consider those colourful Tk. 500 notes with the monogram of Savar National Memorial on one side and with the monogram of the High Court Building on the other side signed by ex-Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Lutfar Rahman Sarkar, to be the best and most prestigious of all other such notes.
The beauty and significance of this particular note is that till date it has not been duplicated and no such counterfeit note has been reported in the market. This can be compared with any other prestigious note of other countries. We feel proud about it. But hardly we come across such notes.
The irony is that in our country individualism is very high and matters a lot when one holds the fort. One would like to see one’s father’s picture while another would like to leave behind their signature as legacy thus calling for new prints of notes of different dimensions. It will be good to get those notes reprinted.
I also draw the attention of the present Governor of the Bangladesh Bank to the following.
1. Please instruct all the scheduled banks to accept all sorts of soiled/torn but genuine notes when we pay our bills etc in particular Taka 2 notes and pass those on to the central banks for replacement, but must not re-circulate.
2. Scheduled banks refuse to accept torn/soiled notes thus undermining the currency notes which is undesirable. Kindly remove the above anomaly.
A.B.M. Zakaria,
1228 East Shewrapara
Mirpur Dhaka-1216
36 years of illegal arms, politics
Dear Editor:
I was curiously amazed. The print and electronic media quoted verbatim a renowned political leader as saying on September 16 that it had been “money, muscle and illegal arms” that dominated politics during the last 15 or 16 years and nothing of democracy in practical terms was here in Bangladesh. This implied that the previous two decades had been run by democrats.
In general term, there is not much to differ with the leader in the substance of the mater, although he could hardly be free from condemnation; because, he himself, as well, hold the position of kingpin of one of the biggest political parties, many of such heavyweights being of late in the due process of law baring a few fortunate, the one person referred to here included.
The 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh prescribed for democracy, human rights, independent Judiciary, rule of law. But those ideals were not practised. The commoners, except the ruling class and their cronies had all along been helpless victims of muscle, money and illegal arms from the very first day of our independent existence.
That is why during the first three years and a half several thousand prospective young lives were lost being helpless victims of muscle, money and illegal arms known to be under patronage of the ruling elite. Not only that the three evil tools had been indiscriminately used just to kill and maim thousands, but also for making black money through plundering of public properties and misuse of public trust. It was heard that over 10,000 bright young men affiliated to the JSD were killed.
The period of nearly nine years from 1982 to 1990 had another unfortunate period of muscle, money and illegal arms which had its end following the people’s uprising indirectly supported by the patriotic armed forces of the country.
But what one must not agree with him is that it was only 15 years or so as he has mentioned; in fact it was 36 years since early 1972 that muscle, money and illegal arms ruled and prevailed here against freedom and liberty of the 140 millions peace-loving people.
Politics in our motherland had been nothing of angels before 1991.
M.T.Hussain,
Ibrahimpur
Dhaka-1206
Whither Dr. Yunus?
Dear Editor,
Whatever happened to Dr. Yunus? The Bangladeshi expatriot communities in the US and I suspect many others were hopeful that he could make a huge difference in politics just as he did in micro-lending. Of course, we know that was not to be but it is sad to see that he appears to have no real forum to contribute his ideas and thoughts as we struggle through this period of political instability. Is it possible for Holiday to shine some light on this topic and enlighten those of us who are in the dark?
Sayeed Rashid
Dallas, Texas
USA
Ban politics of teachers, students
Dear Editor:
In Bangladesh quality of education at public universities compared to the international educational standard has fallen alarmingly. We are way behind in all fields of education compared to our immediate neighbour India. We do not have enough natural resources to sustain a growing population. Our only hope for the future is our bright, innovative and intelligent population resource.
God has given us a population resource having an enormous potential. If properly trained in an environment conducive to learning they can quickly learn any new technology. Unfortunately, our public universities were used by politician to achieve their aspirations.
Our highly educated public university professors once they earn their PhDs give up learning and become terminally educated. They fall into the trap of the politicians and become highly politicised. They give up their pursuit of knowledge and scholarly activities and are initiated into the shadow of politics. They find out that getting involved in right politics and making right connection, they can advance their career without proper channel.
They don’t feel obliged to improve themselves professionally and become outdated in their field. Unfortunately, we do not have a fair evaluation in place to evaluate our professor’s teaching quality and their professional development. Their teaching load is light compared to the Western universities. In the USA a four-year (BS degree) university teacher teaches three lecture and 2-3 lab classes every semester. They are evaluated by their student every semester, and by their peer every academic year. They have to keep updating their knowledge base to keep their job going. To get their job made permanent (tenured) they have to publish scholarly activities (original publications) in a peer reviewed journal. There are check and balance so that students can obtain quality education.
Bangladesh public university professors are not accountable for their professional activities. They have plenty of free time to meddle in politics and extract political favour from the politician. Since the teachers are not teaching seriously, students are not getting the full benefit of their learning experience.
Like Bangladesh nowhere in the world students are so directly involved in politics. This is the right moment to bring about a fundamental reform in the higher education of Bangladesh. The whole education system needs urgent overhauling so that we can shape and mould our human resources to meet the challenging future of tough competitions.
To make our public universities a healthy place of higher learning and building our future generations, we must prohibit teachers’ and students’ politics on the campuses. Students can have a non-political student government elected by the general student body to run their affairs in the universities. That is how students run their affairs at Western universities. Students can have nonpolitical social, economic, professional and religious clubs to learn social interaction and develop leadership quality.
I have a great hope that once we rid our campuses of clumsy, destructive politics our universities will produce the best and the brightest minds of south Asia.
Dr. Shazib Chowdhury,
USA
Moral re-armament needed
Dear Editor:
Years ago, I used to read in the newspapers about an international NGO named MRA (Moral Rearmament Agency).
It is time to revive it in Bangladesh, judging by the too much workload of our ACC.
How to dig out the roots, the base and the foundation? It means immobilising the political network for a limited period, to revive the basic democratic principles. Sounds simple!
Our politics is not for the people; not by the people, and not of the people. Hence the politicians are jobless; as there is no free, voluntary service.
We can’t live in a vacuum.
Mahasen,
Dhaka.
Taxicab, scooter drivers flout Govt. orders
Dear Editor:
Tyranny of boorish taxicab and CNG scooter drivers continues unabated. These ill-mannered and rude taxicab and CNG scooter drivers continue to defy government orders and instruction.
Whenever approached by any member of the public/passenger for going on hire from one place to another, any destination near, middle or long distance —- many unscrupulous taxi/scooter drivers come out with peculiar, amazing and objectionable utterances, pretense, pretext, arguments and lies and they become aggressive. Most often they flatly refuse the members of the public/passenger to go on hire and on meter.
This results in wastage of time, energy and money and the sufferings of the members of the public/passenger know no bounds.
Bad habit dies hard. But how can we take care of, handle, rectify and tame the crude and unscrupulous taxi/scooter drivers?
I suggest the following measures:
1. We need a close and friendly relation, coordination, help and cooperation among the rnembers of public/pasengers, traffic police sergeants and police constables patrolling the roads and streets.
2. Before approaching any taxi/CNG scooter driver for hire of the vehicle the concerned member of the public/passenger may note down the vehicle number first. If the taxi/ CNG scooter driver behaves well it is good. If not, the passenger may make a verbal complaint to his/her nearest available traffic police sergeant or police constable.
3. The traffic police sergeant or the police constable may give on the spot order to the taxi/scooter driver to go with the passenger, if not the trraffic sergeant/police constable seize the driving licence of the taxi/scooter driver.
4. If necessary the traffic police sergeant or the police constable may write down the name and. address of the driver, or the vehicle number and refer the complaint/matter to the D. M. P. headquarters for disciplinary action. A small chit/receipt of the complaint/matter may be handed over to the concerned passenger.
5. For security, safety and various other reasons the taxi/scooter drivers should always display the vehicle number and the name and address of the owner of the vehicle in a metal plate inside the vehicle permanently fixed in front of the seat of the passengers.
Would the I,G.P., D.M.P., traffic sergeants and police constables and the members of the public/passengers kindly consider and implement the above suggestions in the interest of public service?
O. H. Kabir,
Wari, Dhaka.
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