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EDITORIAL
Bangladeshi gangland lords in India
It is an incontrovertible fact that among the South Asian nations Bangladesh is by far the most crime-infested country where all urban neighbourhoods in particular and rural localities in general, mafia gang lords and their sidekicks make lives of innocent citizens --- businessmen and moneyed people --- miserable. The latter are invariably threatened to pay extortion money; but if the preys refuse to pay or somehow fail they are abducted, taken hostage for ransom and usually murdered.
A large number of underworld gangsters left the country soon after BNP came into power in 2001 and took shelter in Kolkata in particular and in other parts of India in general. The Bangla daily Naya Diganta in its 14th February issue front-paged an alarming news item detailing the luxurious lifestyle of Bangladeshi underworld ringleaders in Kolkata and other places of India where they live in comfy upmarket apartments. Some of them have obtained Indian citizenship, established businesses and secured bank loans to start off trade. According to the report, Rejanur alias Reju has married in Murshidaband; Molla Masud is a fish merchant while Montu, Mukta, Mintu and Shahin are engaged in trade. Shahadat drives a car bearing registration number WB 2080482 and his accomplice Lengra Tasgir's mobile number is 9748-182700.
Numbering about 200, they get money by extorting Bangladeshi well-off people through their accomplices in Dhaka and elsewhere. Recently two Bangladesh's CID officials went to India and sought cooperation of the law enforcement department there; but their Indian counterpart, mysteriously, did not cooperate. What is more, the Indian police officials are reported to have casually remarked, "Here they [Bangladeshi criminals] are doing business, they are not committing crime."
Back in 2006 a news item published in the New Age said that hundreds of youths from the capital city of Dhaka were routinely flocking to the Indian state of West Bengal, especially Kolkata, for meetings with most-wanted Bangladeshi fugitive criminals to obtain favourable positions in the Bangladesh underworld. The scheme is to prove their worth to the crime lords, who had fled Bangladesh a couple of years ago in the face of increased anti-crime drive and found it difficult to return home.
The criminalisation of society in this country kept on creeping soon after the end of the Liberation War owing mainly to the utter failure of the government of the day to stem the tide of disorder, felony and violence. Lawbreakers, who claimed themselves to be freedom fighters, let loose a reign of terror. Those rogues were sarcastically referred to as members of 'Sixteenth Division' as they grabbed and brandished arms left or abandoned by the vanquished Pakistani soldiers. Besides, a section of freedom fighters -- who should have been absorbed in the armed forces, law enforcing agencies and other government departments, but were left out in the cold -- chose the depraved path of breaking the law. Thus proliferated the underworld terror gangs of dons and lords.
Though the Rapid Action Battalion has been credited for arresting 'wanted' criminals some of whom were killed in encounters, much remains to be done. Because every nook and corner of the country is infested with robbers, murderers and criminals of every description who have been keeping cities and towns terrorised - and RAB shall have to root out these crime rings.
As regards extradition, Indian government has to be approached with due seriousness and urgency. Mentionably, it is an enigma indeed as to why a couple of years ago the Indian police arrested some most-wanted Bangladeshi criminals in Kolkata and later set them free. The Caretaker Government should urge the Indian government to arrest the criminals there and hand them over to Bangladesh police. Let us hope, so be it.
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TWENTY-FIRST FEBRUARY
The Prelude to Liberation
A.U.M. Fakhruddin
Fifty-six years have elapsed since the sanguinary heroic twenty-first day of February which had, in it the seed of our independence. I feel inclined to consider Ekushey as a prelude to our liberation in that it afforded us courage and inspiration which found its fullest expression in the fruition of a long-craved desire of a people: freedom and achievement of a sovereign homeland, Bangladesh.
The Ekushey February conjures up the images of our resplendent, glorious heritage built by the masses, patriots, scholars and statesmen of this country. The Movement for Bangla Language was in effect the prelude to the struggle for self-determination and independence of Bangladesh because from it sprouted up the independence struggle, which had its successful culmination when on 16 December, 1971, this nation won freedom.
The Bangalees' passionate devotion to Bangla Bhasha - their unique love of their mother tongue - has outshone that of any other linguistic groups of the world. Never before in history did people shed blood or lay down their lives for the cause of their mother tongue. Indeed, the 1952 movement was the second significantly bold voice of dissent -- the first potent one being the formation in 1949 of the Awami Muslim League the first ever opposition political party headed by Maulana Bhashani -- to challenge the authoritarian regime of Pakistan.
To the weird proposal in favour of Urdu by Ziauddin, then vice-chancellor of the Aligarh University, polyglot, scholar, linguist and bibliophile Dr Muhammad Shahidullah gave an appropriate reply in 1946, a year ahead of the Great Divide. The Tamaddun Majlish intellectuals spearheaded the cause of Bangla in 1948. Sri Dhiendranath Datta from Comilla proposed in Parliament in Karachi that Bangla be a State language of Pakistan. The lamp continued to gleam luminescence till the fateful day. Eminent intellectual and Editor of the daily Azad, Abul Kalam Shamsuddin relinquished his position of a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
President of the Assam Muslim League since the early 1940s, Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, the founder President of the then Awami Muslim League or AML [subsequently Awami League (AL) ] was then the undisputed leader of what is now Bangladesh. The memories of Moulana Bhashani's offering of 'munajat' (supplication to God soliciting His blessing) at the simple function inaugurating the first Shaheed Minar [ memorial monument] in 1955 are still fresh in the minds of those born in the mid-forties of the past century.
People speaking in Bangla in general and those whose mother tongue it is in particular have good reason to be delighted and proud as the language is now internationally recognised. Besides, a four years ago the UNESCO officially declared "February 21" as the Universal Mother Language Day to be observed annually. Another feather has been added in Bangla's cap: Bengali language has gone up in the outer space on Mars. 17 languages, including Bangla, Inuktituk, Lingala and Malay-Indonesian, as well as ancient Sumerian and Mayan are there.
Today it is a fitting occasion to recall how the 21 February incident had its impact on the masses who spontaneously got involved in the glorious movement. Let us see what Abdus Salim had to say.
"As I was directly involved with the Language Movement and viewed the sanguinary anecdotes of the 21st and 22nd February 1952 it is possible for me to give a vivid description of all that took place and I firmly believe that in my description history would be depicted in its true I perspective. In this reminiscence I have earnestly aimed at focusing certain noble names who remained unsung in the pages of the history. So, it is the prime objective of my write up to retrieve those missing pages of the history. Those who actively participated in the language movement were Mohammed Toaha, Abdul Matin. Oli Ahad, Gaziul Haque, Abul Kasem, Sanaullah Noori, and Mahmud Ali.
On the evening of Wednesday, the 20th February, 1952, a meeting of All-Party Language Movement Committee was held at Nawabpur Awami Muslim League office. The agendum of the meeting was to take decision to break Section 144 on the 2lst February.
"The meeting was presided over by Shamsul Haque, the first General Secretary of the then Awami Muslim League. It should be mentioned that at that time Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman respectively founder President and Joint Secretary of Awami Muslim League were in prison at Dhaka Central Jail.
Bangla owes much for its patronage and development to the independent Sultans of Bengal -- Sultan Husain Shah, Sultan Nasrat Shah Sultan Ilyas Shah et al. The 45-year rule of the Hussein Shah dynasty (1493-1538) in Bengal not only led to political, social and cultural prosperity, but also nurtured Bangla language and literature. It was during the rule of Hussein Shah that some Bengali poets began composing lyrics in brajabuli. Notwithstanding the worthy role of the Christian missionaries, Fort William College and William Carey in the development of Bangla prose, to précis the history of a rather dismal state of Bangla under colonial domination, the British colonisers used English language to infuse awareness of their own educational and cultural policies on the natives of the subcontinent. They succeeded in creating a class of 'culturally British Indians' who "passed on to their descendants the inheritance of being models of British culture. The Calcuttan Bangali pundits of the Hindu College valued proficiency in the English language and training in European fields of study. They, according to the grapevine, did not consider it a threat to their traditional Hindu identity in encouraging such an institution. Another experiment in fusing the Hindu Oriental educational system with the Western European educational system was Wilson's Sanskrit College.
The Bangalees began fighting the quasi-colonialist Pakistanis from 1946 to 1952 and afterwards to establish Bangla Bhasha, their cherished and beloved mother tongue. Now it is time for the younger generation to familiarise themselves with the Bangla classics -- most of which are now out of print -- to enrich their knowledge and understanding of the priceless gems. In addition, Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, French, German and English classics merit to be translated into Bangla under the aegis of the Bangla Academy. Last but not least, Mrs. Piary Mahbub, the wife of the late lamented language activist Kazi Golam Mahbub, has done a commendable job by setting up a museum at her Dhanmondi residence where memorabilia and mementoes connected with the great event have been preserved. Perhaps it will be appropriate if a state institution embarks on a similar admirable venture.
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VIEW POINT
Politics and our realisation
Monirul Islam
Sheikh Hasina is demanding an election by April or May this year. On the other hand BNP's secretary general Khandkar Delwar Hossain (nominated by Kahaleda Zia) states that no election will be acceptable without the two ladies, which he thinks are indispensable for our national politics.
Again, both the parties are very much against a national government, which many think is the best solution.
The Army's going back to the barracks leaving the job unfinished will be the most dangerous experiment we can ill afford at this critical juncture. An unholy alliance is going to take shape one more time.
Track records
The time has come to rethink. What are these old politicians going to contribute to the nation or give us a better future? What is their track record, what are their credentials?
Now the time has come to ask this serious question: Have they been honest in the past, we would not be where we are today. What a shame! These two ladies refused to see eye to eye for years creating political deadlock for the whole nation.
While we were all looking towards them for a solution, they wasted our valuable time, as if Bangladesh is a playground for their naïve activities.
Let us take one point at a time. We do not have room for healthy politics for our young generation any more; basically it is controlled by gangsters these days.
Let us look at Awami League and its president; did she (Hasina) come into politics as a professional? The answer is negative. Then why is she the president of one of the biggest political parties of the country? The reason is: without Sheikh Mujib's shadow the party cannot be held together. Why?
Did Hasina receive any training during her father's time to pick up politics by mere chance? The answer is 'no' again. Was she interested in any possible way in the affairs of running a state? So we have a big problem here. Awami League needs new directions from its new leaders, but as long as Hasina is there, that is not possible. So what do we do?
Khaleda Zia came into politics by chance. She never had the dream of becoming prime minister of the country. She was a simple housewife and President Shaheed Ziaur Rahman never even brought her into the limelight of state affairs, to be precise. She does not have formal training either from any institutions, or by training, trying to run the most difficult country of the world which has lots of constrictions in every sense. Let us not forget the way she allowed her son Tariq Zia to run the state affairs from Hawa Bhaban.
The time has come to think about some real alternatives. The next twenty years are very important and if we fail to fix our direction now, we may even face extinction; all the bad ingredients are there already.
In a democracy the people are the ultimate political authority. They have the power to choose a government. We need only note that whatever are democracy's merits, it had better not be founded on the assumption that the majority of the people are experts on economics, jurisprudence, international relations, and so on, because most of us are woefully ignorant about these topics. Literal authority is sometimes based on expertise, for example, most football referees are experts in the laws of sports. But it is not always the case. And the most obvious example of their separation is democracy. Yet the opinion of the people is endlessly invoked by politicians seeking support for their views.
The point we are trying to make here is that, be it Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia or Maj. (Retd) Hafiz, Saifur Rahman, Suranjit Sen or Tofail Ahmed, we do not have much hope in these people regarding our country's future. We must think about the obvious alternative now.
Cyril Dean Darlington, a British geneticist, in his book The Evolution of Man and Society takes the extreme view that the evolution of human society is the product of genes. According to him, civilisations flourish and decay in obedience to genetic decrees. He pointed out that once a ruling class fixed itself in power, it sought to conserve that power by in-breeding, thus denying the infusion of fresh stock.
Andalusian Sufi Ibn Arabi says that a person is conscious of one thing or another, and then he is conscious that he is conscious of this thing or the other, and then he is generally conscious of his consciousness, which is a prelude to pure consciousness. So, what is the state of our consciousness in general?
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LETTERS
Law for good governance
Dear Editor:
Anwar Hossain Manju, the former editor of the Daily Ittefaq and former minister in Sheikh Hasina's cabinet now living in the U.S. in an interview with the Holiday correspondent at New York said that taking the advantage of the emergency rule in the country his brother Mainul Hosein wanted to deprive him of his paternal properties. He alleged that it was not the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed but his brother Barrister Mainul Hosein, who was also a member of the Council of Advisers, wanted to get him out of the Daily Ittefaq and grab the property wholly. Manju said that he was made the Editor of the Daily Ittefaq in a meeting of the board of directors of the company, but he was ousted by the decision of one man, though he is still the owner of 33 per cent of the newspaper. He further said that he is the victim of family feud and it was the vested interest that wanted to get him out of the way and put him in jail by giving a false case (Holiday, dated. January 25, 2008).
An ordinary man like day labourer, garment worker, pushcart driver, rickshaw puller, vendor, boatman, fisherman, carpenter, he1per and sweeper can never be a minister or adviser to the caretaker government. It is the noted people like lawyer, politician, journalist, industrialist, capitalist, civil society members, economist, doctor, intellectual and engineer who can be a minister or adviser to the caretaker government. It appears from the version of Anwar Hossain Manju that an extraordinary man who goes to power can use influence in administration for personal gain. Manju alleged that it was not the caretaker government but his brother used influence as adviser to get him out of the Daily Ittefaq and grab the property .
Mainul Hosein refuted his brother's allegation in another newspaper saying that he could not have deprived Manju of his share of the family properties and that he is welcome to have it. Still, we feel that a law should be enacted for the sake of transparency and accountability in the administration. This will help ensure good governance. We hope the concerned authorities will look into the matter and do the needful.
A.M.K. Chowdhury,
West Masdhair
Narayanganj.
Politics of amnesia and US
Dear Editor:
The world's only superpower USA is suffering from amnesia - fighting losing battles everywhere in LDCs and developed countries), and committing the same mistakes. Even the upcoming presidential candidates are committing the same mistakes.
Newsweek's Editor (F.Z.) is right - I hope Hussein Obama would be next US president; to tickle the American sense of humour!
The US dollar is sliding, and share market in the US is jumpy. The dollar will decide the fate of isolated USA; history has not ended as Fujiyama thinks; it has entered a new phase.
A section of Western analysts guess that India may be a superpower- the China factor is the totem. Materialistic taboos are like dry coconuts - not softy as green ones. We in the Third World are softies - to be crushed; and moulded.
White skin begging in the streets of Kolkata (this century)? It is not colour blindness, but a reality check. Keep the fingers crossed; or raise it?
Alif Zabir,
Dhaka.
Torture on Dhaka's commuters
Dear Editor:
The ruling regimes since 1972 failed to introduce discipline and transparency in our inspectors and inspection networks. It means R&D and QC (research and development; and quality control) were wasteful expenditures; especially for goods and services not exported. The local consumers have been suffering, being offered shoddy goods and services. This type of system losses are huge over the decades, tarnishing the image of Bangladeshi products and services.
Who are working in the background, compared to the visible field staff (who wear no uniform outdoors for instant identity by the citizens)? These are the support teams comprising the bureaucrats and the technocrats and the concerned official agencies associated with R&D and QC. Why so lax and devoid of dedication?
The role of the technocrats in the civil service has to be reviewed. Now the technical staff are kept under lid; and brought out once in a while, for the convenience of the political masters.
Some examples: unauthorised shops carrying out conversion of vehicles for CNG operation; people buy foreign honey and other products [even foreign RMG/clothes; many with fake labels!]; unfit vehicles on the roads; fake certificates and documents; adulterated food; unqualified drivers; illegal medical diagnostic centres; non-use of revenue stamps in money receipts [not required for cash memos]; tax evasion-in fact too many items to prepare a list in one sitting; but well-known to the average citizens.
The businessmen and industrialists have an easy time, marketing shoddy products and services. In short, we have encouraged a culture of corrupt practices.
Recently it has been pointed out in the press that even the officially controlled taxicabs at the airport fleece the passengers. There is a more reliable solution: buy a taxi ticket at the airport counter, and pay at the counter, and do not pay the driver. The rates are fixed for the different zones of the city. The taxis form a queue, as in KL Malaysia, where I enjoyed this facility for 10 years in the 1980s. The city autorickshaws and taxis have fare meters fitted, but do not turn it on; and haggle with each and every passenger.
Why cannot the Caretaker Govt. enforce this simple rule, widely practised all over the world? No deterrent prosecutions and publicity. It is not enough to be too busy with the preparations for the next general elections (the ID card is important), and ignore daily hassles. More than 60 per cent of road passengers use the pedal rickshaws in Dhaka city, while only one per cent are private cars plying, [as per newspaper report]; then why this torture on the majority commuters? The majority of rickshaw drivers and vehicles have fake documents.
There are two basic aspects: control the number of cycle rickshaws; and discourage urban migration to the capital Dhaka [diversify]. You can't get any work done without visiting Dhaka for most assignments. It is not good governance!
A M M A'abad,
Dhaka.
No provision of dowry in Islam
Dear Editor:
Dowry has become a great social problem even among the Muslims nowadays in our country. Dowry is fully prohibited as per existing laws of our country. To pay dowry and to accept it is a great punishable offence as per existing legal provisions of our country, the govt enacted suitable laws that prohibits both taking and giving dowry. The govt. also established separate Family Courts at the district level to try with the question of dowry, dower money, dissolution of Muslim marriage, divorce, payment of maintenance to the wives by their husbands.
For a valid Muslim marriage certain conditions must be fulfilled as per Islamic law without which a Muslim marriage can't be valid. A marriage between a Muslim and an idol worshipper or fire-worshipper can't be a valid Muslim marriage. Though a Muslim marriage is solemnised on the basis of Islamic law yet a Muslim marriage is also a contract between two Muslims of opposite sexes. But Hindu marriage is purely a religious sacrament and not a contract as per Hindu religion. But, now-a-days due to state legislation the status of Hind marriage has undergone a drastic change.
There is provision of dower money but there is no provision of dowry. A bridegroom is under obligation to give a fixed amount either in cash or in kind to the bride in a Muslim marriage. With full consent of the bride, dower money should be divided into two parts -- immediate and deferred. Dower money is a fixed amount of money either in cash or kind which is payable to bride by bridegroom for marriage.
Without dower money a Muslim marriage can never be a valid Muslim marriage, even in case of deferred dower money the bride may demand payment from the bridegroom and the bridegroom is under obligation to pay deferred dower on demand. There is practically no provision of remission of dower money. Even, when a Muslim male dies without paying dower money to his wife it will be treated as debt and this debt is to be paid from the property of deceased male Muslim to his widowed wife.
But, the question of payment of dowry in Muslim marriage is quite different. As per provisions of Islam, dowry is fully 'haram' (forbidden). The goverment has also prohibited both taking and paying dowry as illegal, dowry is also a punishable offence. The govt. has also established family law courts for trying offences with regard to dowry money, dowry, divorce, payment of maintenance wives, restitution of conjugal rights etc.
There are certain loopholes of the existing laws for which in many cases poor are deprived of proper justice. I have personally observed that in my locality there is a good number of marriageable girls (educated) but their guardians are not capable of paying high dowry for which it has become almost impossible to find out a suitable match and it is alleged their daughters remaining unmarried for a long period. It has become a great social curse.
Possibly existing law is not so helpful for solution of dowry. Hence, steps should be taken for suitable amendments in the existing related laws and the offenders may be dealt with accordingly. We should try to eliminate this social curse from our society.
Muhammad Afsar Ali Farajee,
Advocate
Kaunia, Rangpur.
Caretaker Govt..
Dear editor:
The Caretaker Govt. headed by Fakhruddin Ahmed did some good things like saying "nobody is above Law" and exporting manpower. Of course I don't know whether "nobody" also includes Bangladesh Army or not. So far they have killed 2 elected presidents and staged several illegal coups.
What other good things they have done? Separating Judiciary from executive branch may not ensure justice for poor people. Only lawyers were made happy.
The following task should be done: War criminals are criminals. This Caretaker Govt.. should constitute tribunals to try and punish them.
Dr Azizul Karim
General Practitioner ,Australia
email mounaj@optusnet.com.au
Well done, FBCCI!
Dear Editor:
News website - dhakanewsroom.com - announced on February 15, 2008 that while scrutinising the applications from the candidates for the election of the country's apex business body FBCCI executive board, the loan defaulters were crossed out. This is for the first time it was done by any chamber body in the country. This is a good move by the FBCCI Election Committee for developing a better economic environment in the country. Banks extend loan from the money accumulated by public deposit. So, the loan defaulters have no right to offer themselves as candidates for any elected post in any business or public bodies.
Saif Tinku
Baridhara, Dhaka.
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