Foreign diplomats and politics

Brig. Gen. AHM Abdul Momen (Retd)

Diplomats of Western nations are extremely active in our country's political scenario and even without asking they offer all sorts of advice to get back to normal democratic politics. This is more so because they are encouraged by our leaders and both the electronic and print media.
   Lately, the newly appointed US ambassador has added another dimension while responding to questions of the reporters at Am Cham Luncheon. To quote, the guests at the function deduced the bottom line of his speech thus:
   (a) Election is a must by December
   (b) Support to a pro-army party to win election for confirmation of measures of the present Caretaker Govt.: and
   (c) Support to action against politicians accused of corruption. Ambassador Moriarty clearly said that his country does not want to see a repeat of Pakistan President General Pervez Mosharraf Government's nemesis in Bangladesh (Holiday 23" May, 08).
   One must know that the 'Army' is a constituent of the State and follow the direction of the Govt. irrespective of party as it does not have any party affiliation. So the Ambassador's remark is very contentious and debatable.
   Above everything else, we as citizens of an independent country irrespective of our economic status should be proud of our country, in our thoughts, expressions and conduct. It should be remembered that it is our country and we have to take care of it.
   Besides, I would like to share some of my personal experiences while speaking about these diplomats. The conduct of the diplomats is guided by the Geneva Convention.
   Diplomats of any country are to promote, protect and publicise interests of their country in the country of their posting. In pursuance of' this responsibility, they have to meet people of all strata and in particular the decision makers, namely the political leaders and the bureaucrats. In pursuit of that when diplomats seek meetings hosts are extremely hospitable which is needed as these diplomats are in fact our guests and they should be extended all courtesies and help. In so doing we should certainly ensure protection of our national interests.
   My experience is that our hosts not only extend unlimited courtesies but at times take national issues to them for a decision. In such circumstances, diplomats find it extremely opportune to further their own interest. It appears that we are yet to recover from the hangover of 200 years of British Raj.
   This reminds me of a story that I read in my school days. The story goes like this. A young Japanese boy was crying while standing next to a roadside roller. A stranger, while passing by, noticed this and walked up to the boy and enquired about the reason of his crying.
   To the surprise of the stranger the boy said that he was not crying and at this the stranger started walking away. Hardly had he gone a few steps when the boy started crying again. Having heard the crying the stranger came back to the boy and again asked him as to why he was crying. This time the boy replied, "Yes, I have got hurt in the roller but why should I tell my woes to a stranger".
   This is what we people should inculcate and develop as citizens of a free nation.
   Unfortunately it is we who encourage the diplomats by our presence and expressions. Diplomats' efforts would be to reach as high as possible and as many times because this would make his job more fruitful. Let me cite an example. One of the missions was to open their newly built Chancellery and expected the Head of State to open and the Foreign Minister to be the chief guest at the dinner. It was natural for an Ambassador to try and if successful would add a feather to his cap.
   Each country has different bilateral relations with different countries depending on various factors. For example, relations with SAARC countries will be a bit different than non- SAARC countries, Muslim countries, the Commonwealth countries and so on. In fact, each county has to develop relationship depending on mutual interests.
   Then comes the question of big powers and donor countries that bring another dimension in the relationship between countries. To cite an example, in the celebration of the national day at a diplomatic mission the official representing the government is to be nominated depending on the bilateral relations with that country. But the diplomatic missions would send invitations to all the ministers, officials, and important persons of different organisations including print and electronic media. But it is the respective guest to decide as to which one to attend and which one to decline. But what is seen is not encouraging. The purpose of mentioning the above facts is to deal with the diplomats' over indulgence even to intrude into the domestic politics of the country they are posted in.
   However, what I feel is that political leaders, officials and members of the print and electronic media should be discreet while meeting and dealing with diplomats. We see in the critical juncture of our national life, a number of' high profile visitors arriving in the country and giving us all sorts of advice.
   The US Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher should have been reminded as to what they did when Dr. Mossadeque was overwhelmingly elected in Iran! Again, what is the US posture in Palestine after the general election? So one should look at himself in the mirror while giving advice and in particular the big power.
   To remind all, I quote what Ho Chi Minh in September 1945 said while speaking to an enormous crowd in the North Vietnamese City of Hanoi, read a statement based largely on the American Declaration of Independence. "All men are born equal" and the Creator has given us inviolable rights to life, liberty and happiness.
   Similarly the British visitor should have been reminded as to what was happening in Ireland and did we interfere in your bloody fights? Have they forgotten the Apartheid Policy in South Africa?

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Dr. Gazi Mahabubul Alam

Education unquestionably plays a vital role in national development. Private higher education market is particularly complex as measurement of the 'educational product' is a difficult task and there are few traditions of quality assurance. Accountability measures, at least those concerning budget, and the direct delivery of education programmes are fairly well developed in the public universities, but the same is not true of private higher education. More transparency is therefore needed. The question thus arises as to how private institutions relate to those core functions of higher education.
   With the exception of universities operated by religious groups, there is little sense of social responsibility on the part of academic institutions. In the USA and Japan, there are some leading private universities which play dominant roles in American and Japanese private higher education and research. In some developing countries, private schools perform better than their public counterparts. For instance, the studies by Lockheed and Jimenez at secondary level in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Tanzania and Thailand found that private schools were more cost effective and had higher rate of return than public ones. It is interesting to note that in private schools, parents play an important role by participating in school management and governance. In addition, parents were more watchful over their children's prospects, and this played an important role in shaping their children's education. There are some exceptional private universities.
   For example, the Aga Khan University in Pakistan and the Al-Ahazar University in Egypt (the oldest university in the world, its establishment initiated privately and is presently controlled by the government) and, if they were to act as role models to the entire sector, the private sector image would quickly improve in developing nations.
   Private institutions provide access to those who can afford to pay for the instruction. Few private universities can afford scholarship programmes for students from poor economic backgrounds, or are able to provide academic support programmes for ill-prepared students. As a result, private universities contribute little to social mobility or to providing educational opportunities for bright but underprivileged students. Letting market forces determine who gets to study at private universities ensures that only those who can afford the tuition fees will be able to attend.
   The professoriate is a central part of any university, and the relationship between private institutions and the academic profession must be considered. Academic freedom and the autonomy of the professoriate are central to the idea of a modern university. However, this is sometimes seen to be in conflict with the market orientation of private higher education. The professoriate traditionally has a central role in designing the curriculum and there is a commitment to freedom to pursue knowledge in the classroom. The traditional values of academia are absorbed with time. Much of the private sector is new, and so it is especially important that these values be instilled into the norms of the institutions and their faculties at the outset.
   In conclusion, the discussion highlights the fact that education unquestionably plays a vital role in national development in terms of economic and social freedom that higher education is a central performer within the overall education of a country. It is worth noting that any progress in education contributes to successful national development. On the other hand, any shortfall brings about its destruction. Thus, if any specific part of education, educational policy, management, governance or quality of education forms a barrier to national development as a whole, then the education of the country will be regarded as declining, and the decline of education is a threat to national development.

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