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EDITORIAL
Delimitation through consensus
Delimiting electoral constituencies is neither a novel idea nor weird notion. It is a universally recognised practice to reconstitute electoral zones or areas. With the passage of time demographic size changes adding a considerable number of eligible electors to the voters' list in constituency following which re-demarcation of areas is felt necessary, subject to the endorsement of stakeholders, which means political leaders and former and aspirant parliament members of respective zones. This is particularly needed in this country which is one of the world's most densely populated countries.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said on Monday that the parliamentary constituencies in 18 districts including Dhaka would be redrawn. He asserted the Election Commission (EC) had the absolute authority to demark constituencies anytime if it felt necessary and said, "There is no need for consultation with anybody for this." But major political parties, including Awami League and BNP, on Tuesday raised questions about the 'sudden' move of the EC to demark parliamentary constituencies afresh.
Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman said that "demarcation is a difficult and time consuming task", so he doubts if it could be completed soon as "the EC is yet to complete the huge task of preparing the voters roll." BNP, on the other hand, expressed its discontent at the 'abrupt' move for fresh demarcation of constituencies without consulting the political parties. BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said he didn't understand what prompted the EC to initiate fresh demarcation of a huge number of constituencies, while it could not complete its dialogue process and preparation of voters list". Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon gave similar opinion.
One good thing is that "constituencies should not cross district boundaries. Parliamentary seats should be allocated to districts and the requisite number of constituency boundaries should be drawn within each district such that no constituency includes territory from more than one district.
Unions (or, in incorporated cities, wards) should not be divided across constituencies. Constituencies should be formed by assigning unions/wards in total.
To make the record straight, the Constitution assigns responsibility for delimiting constituency boundaries for the purpose of elections to Parliament to the Election Commission. The process by which constituency boundaries are redrawn is particularly significant in the context of a constituency-based system such as that in Bangladesh.
As per law, the Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance, 1976 requires the delimitation of constituency boundaries after each census. However, only minor adjustments were made to the constituencies following the release the censuses in both the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Because only minor changes to the boundaries have been made in the last 30 years, the existing constituencies vary significantly in population.
The Ordinance of 1976 requires constituencies to be delimited with regard to "the distribution of population as given in the latest census report". Two additional criteria are also identified in Section 6 (2) of the Ordinance:
administrative convenience and compactness. Section 6 (2) states: "The constituencies shall be so delimited having regard to administrative convenience, that each constituency is a compact area and in doing so due regard shall be had as far as practicable to the distribution of population as given in the latest census report."
When you implement a decision based on agreement, nothing like it. Application of consensus is always golden; hence we suggest that the delimitation process is implemented only and surely after discussions with the local politicians of respective constituencies. This will also heighten the spirit of cooperation among the people, which the Election Commission would certainly like.
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Who killed Benazir Bhutto?
General Mirza Aslam Beg
"We all killed her, in east and west, orient and occident, north and south. We of the globalised beastly generation that transformed political violence from an occasional crime to an ideology and an addiction." Says the 2006 Pax Chiriste International Peace Award laureate Rami G. Khouri, and hastens to explain: "Watching leaders being assassinated, foreign armies topple government, local colonels seize power, foreign occupations persist for garbage, constitution being ignored, and in the end, ordinary people finally deciding that they will not remain outside history. Or invisible in their own societies. Instead, they decide to write themselves into the violent and criminal scripts. They kill, as they have been killed. Having been dehumanised in turn, they will embrace inhumanity and brutality."
The damage is done and the search will continue to find the perpetrators of the crime. The Scotland yards' detectives have been commissioned, the third time to help Pakistan. After the assassination in 1951, the Scotland yard had done only a few weeks of investigations into the assassination of the late Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, when they were asked to leave Pakistan, for reasons never disclosed, nor the authorities revealed anything about the investigations. In 1996, when Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's own brother Murtaza Bhutto was killed in cold-blood, a few yards distance from his 70, Clifton residence, the Scotland yards' services were commissioned, but soon were dispensed with by the government. The task for the British investigators now is much more complex because the PPP leadership doesn't approve of them, and the evidence without a proper postmortem of the body would remain inconclusive. The results are obvious.
It is important for us to remember, that with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's politics has undergone a sea-change, such as:
1. The regime change in Pakistan, now will take place according to the wishes of the people of Pakistan and not Capitol Hill. This has been possible as a result of the struggle launched by the civil society, which has created a new consciousness and awareness amongst the masses to fight for their rights.
2. The Bush administration has decided to support the masses of Pakistan and with this shift in American policy, Pak-American relationship for the first time, will enter into a new phase of a meaningful partnership based on self-respect and mutuality of interests. But unfortunately the 'Mother of all Evil' - "foreign occupation of Afghan", will continue to poison Pak-US relations, more intensely than before.
3. Pakistan Peoples Party, no doubt, will get sympathy votes, but, with Asif Zardari pointing the accusing finger at the Kings Party and the un-necessary exhibition of hatred against Punjab, at the time of Bhutto's burial, has pushed the Punjab voters towards Nawaz Sharif, while the PPP itself would be embroiled in the struggle for succession with Murtaza Bhutto's family and the intriguing investigations into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Thus PPP would hardly find time to win the majority seats in Sindh. The Indian scholar Seema Mustafa, rightly comments: "It is difficult for parties run by families to rise to any occasion. Dynasty brings with it a certain servility that does not allow independence of thought and action. It institutionalises authoritarianism that, in turn, lives off factionalism. Family rule exerts dictatorial control over a political party, where strength is taken as rebellion, with independence of thought and action providing sufficient cause for disciplinary action."
4. Nawaz Sharif is emerging as the national leader. His efforts to implement the Charter of Democracy, the formation of the All Parties Democratic Movement and his resolve to form a national government after the 18th February elections, are the crying need of the time, to consolidate the Federation of Pakistan. He puts the interest of the country above the self, and that is what makes him relatively taller than others.
5. General Musharraf is fighting a loosing battle against the tribals in the northwest, against the civil society which provides the consciousness to the people of Pakistan, of their social and political rights, and the expanding alliance of the opposition - the PML(N), PPP and the APDM - which will determine the political destiny of Pakistan. Yet Musharraf will not leave, waiting for the new parliament to deliver the coupe de grace.
Such are the challenges, facing our people, our leaders and the new government. The diminutive and the weak hearted would bemoan of the treacheries of our friends and foes and the looming threat to national security, whereas the brave and the courageous, with an enlightened mind would rise to the occasion, believing that out of the depths of sorrow and sacrifice, Pakistani nation will rise, to find its rightful place, in the comity of nations. The nation stands united, as never before, to carve-out a new destiny for itself, based on socio-economic justice and supremacy of law, within the framework of the Constitution of Pakistan, that is - "a liberal democratic order, based on the principles of Quran and Sunnah" - the raison d'etere, which determines, the "core value" of the Pakistani nation, has not changed nor it has diminished since it voted for Pakistan in 1947, and leaves no room for the extremists, fundamentalists or the fanatics. That is the 'fundamental direction' determined by Quaid-e-Azam, the nation follows despite the trauma of dismemberment of Pakistan and a life full of treachery, turmoil and turbulence.
Napoleon said: "There are only two things that unite men - fear and interest." The fear is patently clear in the dastardly death of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the wave of conspiracies to destabilise the country. The interest is how to preserve the federation of Pakistan as a viable nuclear entity. Fortunately a new political dynamics has emerged which is a revival of the spirit which led to the creation of Pakistan - and will also sustain Pakistan, in the future, Insha Allah.
*The author was the Chief of the Army Staff, Pakistan when the late Benazir Bhutto was the prime minister
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VIEW POINT
Exploring gas, oil in Bay of Bengal
Urgent need for demarcation of maritime boundary
Muhammad Afsar Ali Farajee
Bangladesh is a small least developed and energy-starved country. Practically, she has no proven oil resources except Haripur. Though there are gas and coal resources yet that is very limited if we consider the future need of our energy. Demand for electricity is increasing at a rate or at least 10 per cent; we have atomic energy of 3MW in the energy plant at Savar, we have very limited water resources from where we can get hydroelectricity. Already the government is spending millions of dollars of our hard earned foreign exchange for importing oil from different oil exporting countries. Demand for both gas and oil for our home consumption is increasing and is also bound to increase in near future.
My attention was drawn to a news item which was published in a daily paper on 19th July 2006 under the headline "fviZ I wgqvbgv‡ii GK Zidv c`‡¶c- Mfxi mgy`ªmxgvq †Zj I M¨vm AbymÜvb evievi wcwQ‡q hv‡"QÓ [India and Myanmar take unilateral action. Oil and gas exploration moves back.]
Bangladesh's EEZ
A few months ago a news item about this subject was also published in the Holiday. In response to it I also wrote a letter, which was published in the 'letters' column. In my said published letter I tried to draw the attention of the Government regarding encroachment of India and Myanmar in the high seas of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Law of the high seas is always determined as per provisions of International Law. Bangladesh has got great resource potentials within the jurisdiction of EEZ. Maritime zone and EEZ are practically economic zone for the nearest neighbouring country. As per International law up to 200 nautical miles is regarded as the EEZ from her mainland of Bangladesh. There are three countries in the coasts of the Bay of Bengal. These are India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
EEZ encroached
It is alleged that both India and Myanmar have encroached within the maritime zone/exclusive economic zone of Bangladesh in the high seas of the Bay of Bengal. We do not know weather India and Myanmar had any prior consultation with Bangladesh Government or not.
It is also alleged that both India and Myanmar have already started full-fledged exploration of oil and gas in the high seas of the Bay of Bengal within the exclusive economic zone/Maritime boundary of Bangladesh. Both India and Myanmar are reported to be engaged in seismic survey and even drilling of oil, it is also alleged.
The most important issue in this regard is the important question of demarcation of our maritime boundary/boundary of exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal. If it is a fact that both India and Myanmar have already encroached within our exclusive economic zone/maritime boundary. It should be the duty of the Bangladesh Government to take proper measures so that Bangladesh enjoys full right for exploitation of different types of resources including oil, gas etc.
International Law on EEZ
Neither India nor Myanmar has any right to exploit the resources of our exclusive economic zone/maritime zone. Only International Law should be the guiding principles for determining Bangladesh's boundary of exclusive economic zone/maritime boundary.
There is another urgent need; Bangladesh should try to explore gas, oil, coal etc. within its exclusive economic zone/maritime zone. Bangladesh must not allow India and Myanmar to encroach within her exclusive economic zone/maritime boundary.
So, I appeal to the Government for demarcation of boundary of our exclusive economic zone/Maritime boundary and also to take early steps for exploration of coal, gas, oil and other mineral resources as well as other marine resources in the Bay of Bengal.
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LETTERS
Hashmi's distorted notion of Shariah
Dear Editor:
I want through the write-up "No to hijab: Honour killing is terrorism" which appeared in your prestigious weekly Holiday on December 28, 2007 in the viewpoint section of the post-editorial page. The writer Taj Hashmi came heavily on Sharia, Hijab and Burqa. Taj Hashmi has either very little knowledge about Islam and Muslim Ummah or he is deliberately trying to belittle Islam and the Muslims.
Shariah is the legal system designed to guide Muslims to a life of piety and help them to establish a just society based on moral and spiritual values. Extra marital liaison, sodomy, incest, lesbianism, group-sex, drug addiction, drunkenness and such vices are considered abominable acts and hence are to be eschewed. Against these prohibitions, there are many positive injunctions of Shariah. Shariah attempts to abolish all vices and wants to establish justice and fair play.
It is a matter of great regret that some orientalists and the media have persistently been trying to give a distorted impression of the laws of Shariah and Taj Hashmi's article is a continuation of that distasteful organised propaganda.
Hijab is never for seclusion of Muslim women. Rather it is for the protection of their modesty. The purpose of Burqa is to save the Muslim women from the dangers and evils which result from the liberal exposition of female bodies.
Murdering an innocent man or woman is tantamount to killing the whole of humanity. Everyone demands punishment against the killer of Aqsa. But how Taj Hashmi, in demanding so, challenges the very basis of Islam is a matter of grave concern.
Md. Badrul Alam.
Complaint against Apollo Hospital Dhaka
Dear Editor:
My name is Mohammed Arshad Alam, a Bangladeshi citizen studying in the State University of New York at Buffalo, United States of America. When it comes to good treatment an image of big hospital with modern machinery and foreign educated doctors come in our mind. However, this image can be deceiving.
On my recent visit to Apollo Hospital Dhaka, one of the biggest hospitals in Bangladesh, I have faced breach of trust by hospital management and doctors.
To begin with, a huge amount was billed in our account without performing laboratory tests. Some tests had been repeated twice without any valid explanation to the patient.
After reporting the error to the management, I questioned a billing staff named Mr. Farhan, "People like me can read and write English, therefore I was able to point out your billing error. What about people who cannot read and write English and cannot understand your medical terms?" His reply was, "They pay more, which is how we survive in medical industry".
(i) Rooms are not at all clean. (ii) Cabins and washrooms are not cleaned unless complaints are lodged, which too most of the times go unheeded. (iii) Nurses are overloaded with work due to which they are rarely polite. (iv) Receptionists are rude..
(v) Before the surgery, the doctor gave me a verbal estimate fee of 70,000 Takas; but after the surgery, I was billed for 112,000 Takas. I was at fault because I have not asked for a written estimate from the doctor, as I trusted him to be in a noble profession.
(vi) During my stay at Apollo Hospital Dhaka, I have done a through survey from other patients in the hospital. I have concluded that any average patients admitted in the hospital for surgery has to pay minimum of 100,000 Takas.
Mohammed A. Alam,
Cell: +1 (716)472-7592
E-mail: alam4@buffalo.edu or mohammedarshad86@gmail.com
Confessional statement of Sheikh Selim
Dear Editor:
Former minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim retracting his confessional statement in the extortion case told the court that it was extracted under duress. While Sheikh Selim was brought to Session Judge's court at parliament complex in a petition to the court, he said that he was subjected to terrible mental and physical torture during the police remand to implicate his cousin former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the Tk. 3.00 crore extortion case. He said he did not make the confession willingly. He was forced against his will to give a confessional statement without following the legal provisions. Even he was threatened to be put on crossfire if he denied making the 'confessional statement'. The news item was published in a prominent daily on December 4, 2007.
Azam J. Chowdhury, Managing Director of East Coast Trading Pvt Ltd. filed the case with Gulshan P.S. against Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and Sheikh Selim. Chowdhury alleged that Hasina and Selim forced him to pay Taka 2.99 crore as bribes in return for allowing him to build a power plant in suburban Narayanganj while Awami League had been in power in 1996-2001.
Sheikh Selim said the joint forces arrested him from his Banani house without warrant and he was taken to an unknown place blindfolded. Selim apprehended that he might again undergo similar torture for retraction of the confessional statement. He said this seeking security of his life.
Some political parties and social as well as cultural organisations nowadays want the trial of the war criminals of 1971. But the trial of war criminals is a settled issue. It was Bangabandhu's magnanimity that he granted general amnesty to war criminals in 1973. At that time a total of 195 war criminals returned to Pakistan without trial under Simla and Delhi agreement. We should not disregard Bangabandhu by demanding trial of the war criminals after 36 years.
Awami League supporters who now demand trial of war criminals had been in power once. But they did not try the war criminals while in power. By raising this settled issue after 36 years they want to divert anti-corruption drive of the government towards another direction and to foil general election.
It is a fact that some people joined the auxiliary forces of Pakistan Army and became Rajakars, Al-Badrs and Al Shams to maintain livelihood, while some joined under pressure from the government as well as influential quarters. Some of them were forced to be involved in the genocide, rape and arson by the occupation Army of Pakistan. Some of them were involved in the atrocities intentionally. Many of those collaborators were killed immediately after the independence. Even some innocent persons had to die because of their dress and lifestyle as well as personal enmity.
During the war of liberation some people left for India to save themselves from the torture of occupation army of Pakistan. Some of them joined independence movement, while some did their own business. Some of them tried to foil independence struggle by making confederation with Pakistan.
All of the people who left for India did not join liberation war. But after independence of Bangladesh all of them claimed themselves as freedom fighters. As a result many fake freedom fighters appeared in the country and made fortune.
The court is the only authority to say who the war criminals are now living in the country.
A.M.K. Chowdhury,
West Masdhair,
Narayanganj.
Bangladesh needs a breakthrough
Dear Editor:
Our approach to "national thinking" needs a breakthrough, and re-orientation. I have before me huge newspaper supplements. What do we do the rest of the year? Huge emotional vaporisation.
For Bengalees, strong, firm leadership is a problem. However, credit goes to Jyoti Basu, starting focussing on the rural base. But vested groups are creating problems. Bangladesh and Pakistan are unstable in 2007. Foreign agents are active in the background. The global economy is shifting towards the East with an uncertain future for the once mighty US dollar (military power has no long-term effect). OPEC and China already attracted to the Euro.
China and India are going to be economic and industrial bases for the rest of this century.
Bangladesh has a strategic role to play; once political fences are cleared.
A Z,
Dhaka.
Birth control pill for men
Dear Editor:
Recently a woman of Panchagarh district gave birth to a quadruplet (three daughters and a son) in Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Man has invented many things, landed on moon, made atom bomb, many useful medicines including birth control pill for women. So I wanted to learn from a doctor as to why scientists and doctors of the USA and the Europeon Union have so far failed to make a birth control pill for men.
The doctor laughed and could not reply.
Would the US President George Bush, world's most populated countries like China and India, our Ministry of Health and Planning and WHO kindly enlighten us on the matter?
O. H. Kabir,
Dhaka.
A Z,
Dhaka.
Year 2007as seen by me
Dear Editor:
The caretaker govt (CG) has started operation cleanup; but it is an uphill task: uprooting of evil foundations; and dismantling of structures and super-structures with 70 per cent of the population semi-literate in the rural area and 40 per cent living below poverty-level.
Planning on paper looks attractive -how to break up the networks of the syndicates and cartels?
Black wealth has tremendous kickback effects - the difference between kinetic and potential energies. Long-term plans phase by phase are needed, operated by honest public servants.
Why the glamorous shops in the A/C shopping centres display 90 per cent of imported products - for 1 per cent shoppers? Catch: black money stacked abroad is being sent back to Bangladesh through such export-import business by syndicates. The authorities have to come out with analysis and reports.
Where will future leadership come from? Filtered and de-indoctrinated? The higher education sector has been tainted. How to reform it in the shortest possible timeframe?
Keep a watch on regulatory commissions- make it click. Its presence must be felt in the affected areas.
The Taka has to be brought down nearer to Tk. 68-69 per USD. Start now.
We are an indisciplined society. This section needs voluntary reformation. Too many blinking light in daily lives more political Sidrs?
Aba'd,
Dhaka.
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