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EDITORIAL
Using food as fuel is a crime against humanity
Unlike the universally acclaimed master film director of all times, Chaplin -- whose classic creation Gold Rush traumatises us when we see a hungry man eating a boiled shoe, and his friend deliriously imagines him as a huge chicken in 1926. The plight of the destitute in the flesh in today's Bangladesh is more horrifying as we occasionally learn about suicide of the poor.
A Bangla daily front-paged a despatch from its Ramganj correspondent on Monday last the death of one Sohel Mia, aged 25, of Bholakot in Ramganj by committing suicide after starving for days, leaving behind his wife and two-year-old child. Indeed, truth is stranger than fiction.
On the same day its Modhupur correspondent reported that Rehena and her daughter Nargis of Bekraid village had been eating only kochu or arum for survival for a week. It is not infrequently that such mind-boggling news stories appear in the print media here.
All conscious people will agree that there is no more atrocious and reprehensible crime against humanity to keep millions of people across the world unfed, hungry and starving than converting cereals into automobile fuel.
A message sent to the Brasilia conference by U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, on Monday last heated up a debate. Ziegler called production of biofuels "a crime against humanity," because a large proportion of food grains is now used for this purpose. Staple food prices have risen because of shrinking production and the use of cereals like maize, or oilseeds like soybeans, for making biofuels. Meanwhile, the World Bank warned that violent uprisings might occur in an estimated 33 countries due to increased food prices.
It is advisable to remember that a good -- we won't call it bumper -- Boro harvest may not reduce the prices of rice and thus end the misery of the masses. The target of rice production this season is in over 15 million tonnes, which is more than half the country's yearly demand for rice. The government plans to procure for its food stocks about 1.5 million tonnes while economists believe, as reported in the press, it should buy 2 million tonnes. In the context of global food crisis autarky in food has gained much importance and become crucial for the CG to ensure survival of the poor.
Traditionally, Aman has been a major crop after Boro in Bangladesh. But with feelings of stunning shock and amazement the people learnt from the Finance Adviser that the colossal loss of Aman crop in the vast Sidr-hit southern Bangladesh would have little or no impact on the nation's critical food situation. It is only deplorable that a person of his stature will be unconcerned about the hard reality of food insecurity.
According to FAO, in Bangladesh the livelihood of over 8.5 million people has been adversely hit by the damage caused by the cyclone. A government study says, the cyclone and two consecutive floods have caused a shortfall of 14 lakh metric tons (MT) of rice. Our economists horribly misjudged the impending crisis and made naïve and ludicrous remarks on the impact of twin floods and cyclone Sidr. Much of today's hitch is owing to their wrong bookish analysis.
It is desirable that the CG take pragmatic and practicable decision on boosting food production and energise vigorously to promote investment in Agri sector immediately -- there is no time to stand and stare.
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CONSPIRACIES DEMOLISHED DEMOCRACY MANY TIMES BEFORE
Politicians' unity can bring stability in Pakistan
Dr. Abdul RuffColachal
Premier Yousaf Raza Gilani seems to have already begun his job quite earnestly. His chief concern has been to make his nation stable and is trying to bring the economy back into rails. Gilani is keen to secure a unified political class committed to national rebuilding. In this context, the announcement by Gilani to cut down the size of the PM House budget is a laudable development. He rightly says that austerity is the solution to all economic problems.
Prime Minister Gilani also assured the opposition that the new government's policies are based on principles of reconciliation, non-violence and taking everybody along towards strengthening and ensuring the supremacy of National Assembly. If the country is to move ahead on the path of progress, politics of the past will have to be left behind.
Gilani has appealed to the well-off segments of society, including members of the parliament and philanthropists to provide all possible financial assistance to the poor in their respective areas. He was talking to journalists after visiting the house of Bushra Bibi, who along with her two minor children committed suicide due to poverty.
Practical measures
Urging austerity measures in government offices, Gilani stressed the need for adopting practical measures to control inflation and lower prices of essential commodities besides ensuring sustainable economic development. Gilani underlined the importance of a well-functioning financial sector for economic stability of the country and said a strong banking system was an essential ingredient for a vibrant economy. The Prime Minister said the banking sector should cater to the needs of low income people, small and medium enterprises, self-employed people, youth and farmers. He stressed the need for lowering excessive borrowing to reduce inflationary pressures.
Gilani said banking sectors needed to increase the volume of agricultural credit to farmers, and added that it would lead to increase in crop yield besides improving the living standard of rural area people.
Poverty remains a serious issue in Pakistan, where the per capita gross national income is $ 720. If the persons of a fixed income group cannot purchase basic necessities, i.e. food, clothing, housing, education and basic health facilities, they are considered to fall below the poverty line.
Price support
The government inherited the wheat crisis and Gilani has announced a support price of 625 Rupees per 40 kilogram to give incentives to farmers. He said the new crop has started reaching in the market and the government has also started procurement of the commodity and hoped that the crisis of the wheat flour would soon be overcome. The present crises of atta and ghee have also added to the woes of the poor.
He said the main cause of crisis was mismanagement of the previous government which has failed to control the smuggling of the commodity to the neighboring countries.
Gilani seeks to make judiciary independent as part of good governance to help restore accountability, transparency and fight corruption and dispense justice at grass roots. Similarly, he hopes that judges will maintain the spirit of suo motu. Necessary changes will be made in service rules and constitution to bring to book the public servants including police who execute unlawful orders of the rulers and fail to follow lawful orders of the judiciary.
Proactive steps
Prime Minister Gilani seems to play a real proactive -role in today's Pakistani life, government and politics.Gilani took over as an interim premier to smooth the political machinery. His quick plan is tuned to solve the immediate ailment as quickly as possible. Initially it also looked Gilani has taken over the government as a one trick pony, restoration of Iftikhar Chaudhry on which the media had focused then was the main agenda of his government. His emergency plan did assuage the people of his sincere intent on prosperity of Pakistan.
Terror breeds terror
Gilani was right when he said "terrorism" should be addressed differently. His government has told the US administration that there is no quick fix for elimination of "terrorism" in the country. It is a political matter and should be resolved politically. The US should understand that terror breeds terror as it has seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Kashmir and other parts of the world. Pakistan needs to integrate tribal areas and provide them with equal rights and basic amenities.
When Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto took over, it was truly a revolution. Every day there were plans, proposals, ordinances, resolutions and reforms. In quick-fix mode he is trying to assuage the current situation and, therefore, he did not mention of "land reforms" and increasing the Tax Base of the government, judicial reforms, jail reforms, 1000 new small claims courts, 100 new high courts, judicial training for judges, ethics programs for judges, and corruption monitoring of the judiciary. There was no proper mention of even infrastructure development.
US and Musharraf
PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif, annoyed by US support for his arch-enemy president Musharraf, is still rustling with the idea of toppling President Musharraf's regime. By reinstating the judges he thinks he could inflict insult upon him.
President Pervez Musharraf had allowed Ms Bhutto and Sharif to return to the country from exile under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), under which cases against them were quashed and they were allowed to take part in politics and the election. It is obvious that President Pervez Musharraf was well aware of the fact that both Ms Bhutto and Sharif were popular leaders of the country and they could upset his applecart once they were allowed to return and take part in politics, but he did let them in and become law-makers of today's Pakistan. Logically, he must have got some assurances from them about his future. So, there must be more to the NRO than what meets the eyes.
However, the most powerful factor in his prolonged stay in power will be the US. People who know ground realities in Pakistan understand that if the US has carved a role for him in the new setup, no one in the country, including the threatening ruling coalition --most critical and vocal being Sharif -- can dare remove him. Some analysts believe the ruling coalition will soften its stance against Musharraf in a few months and he would be allowed to play his role in the war on terror. They say the PPP has already softened its stance against the president and the PML-N will follow suit in a few months.
People's expectations
Prime Minister Gilani has rightly urged all political forces to extend a helping hand to the government in realising expectations of the people. National resources should be directed towards developmental goals so that the people may be relieved of the economic pressures.
The PPP, the PML-N and the ANP had joined hands to form a coalition government at the Centre and in the provinces. With the passage of time, the atmosphere of consensus developed and both the JUI-F and the MQM too were co-opted in the alliance. Their relations look cordial and a deeper consensus seemed to emerge on the vital issue of national importance. It is a positive sign for Gilani.
The new government should remain steadfast in its commitment to work for the country's smooth transition to democracy. Democratically elected parliament is the focal point of a democracy and the strength and robustness of a democracy. With the revival of democracy in Pakistan it is imperative that efforts are made to strengthen the role of the parliament to sustain democracy in the country without letting elements working to derail the democratic process. Under no circumstances should Pakistan's transition to this new era of democracy be hampered by any devious machination directed against the present government. Hence Gilani aims to unity among different component so polity in the country.
The politics of confrontation resulted in chaos and economic hardships in the past, often giving way to the undemocratic forces to creep in. The opposition had recently vowed that it would not support any step against damaging democratic institutions and had assured the nation that this time around the people would witness a different opposition. The opposition must now fulfill its pledge as it is an integral part of democracy and is essential for good governance.
The government is taking huge loans from other countries. These loans are acquired in the name of the poor, but they are never spent on the welfare of the deserving people. Gilani government has to concentrate on repayment and rescheduling the debts. Only a re-surged economy can take Pakistan from strains of loans.
While all leaders of Pakistan should prove their mettle under the prevailing situation, Gilani is particularly expected to exercise restraint and show his political maturity until the country stabilises in matters of economy and security.
The writer is a Delhi- based researcher and commentator.
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VIEW POINT
Bangladesh history: Looking back and forth
Iftekhar Iqbal
It is interesting that both the new US and UK ambassadors in Dhaka are graduates of History. US Ambassador James F. Moriarty has degree from Darmouth College whereas his British colleague has postgraduate degree from the University of Oxford. Is it that the two important development partners and global players are getting keen on Bangladesh history? There might be reasons for that.
Even after about four decades of its independence, Bangladesh has failed to disengage itself from the nostalgia of her recent past to evoke its own present, let alone future. The spirit of 1971 has turned out to be the ghost of the same. When Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after the bloody nine-month war that saw enormous atrocities of the Pakistan army against the Bangladeshis, decided that he would forgive war criminals and collaborators including notorious general Tikka Khan, he claimed to have done so for the sake of reconciliation in the war-torn country. When General Ziaur Rahman and Ershad engaged some of the collaborators, they did so for materialising their political ambitions and national conciliation. When both the former PMs Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia wanted to make use of some of the collaborators, they did so because they wanted to operate in the logic of democratic power polity and electioneering. Now the enraged 'civil society' wants the trial albeit with the intent to disfranchise the collaborators with the help of the United Nations. It is now almost obvious that the issue stands out as a veritable political capital for all, used at periodical convenience. How and how long do we continue to hang this issue on the worn-out hanger of history?
In 1974, we had our first taste of famine in independent Bangladesh. The 'bottomless basket' was gradually getting some bottom-lines and we saw some long-awaited positive changes in the economic arena since 1990s. Following the 2006 political crisis, the new caretaker government took over and promised a lot and we all greeted it believing that at least the chronically chaotic politics was off the street. But in the past few months, we have been hearing about that famine again. This is not the regional-seasonal monga of northern Bangladesh - a national calamity opening up. We talk about the ripening paddy and imported stocks that will solve the problem. We talked about that in 1974 too, but before the paddy was ready for harvest, thousands of people had perished. For now, even if the famine could be prevented there is disturbing signs that things will deteriorate in coming years if a holistic approach to the food problem is not drawn up. Does the history of famine show the way we can deal with a future famine?
In 1905 Lord Curzon reconstituted the new province of Northeastern India (East Bengal and Assam) comprising today's Bangladesh and northeastern region of India giving it a distinct ecological-administrative unity. It was condemned by the Congress at that time as a sinister ploy to destroy the Bengali nation, and therefore the reconstitution had to be revoked in 1911. But looking back through the prism of the present, it seems that Curzon had much bolder and clearer vision of the region than is generally acknowledged. Given India's current renewed interest on Bangladesh as a 'transit' to reach her northeastern territory, there seems hardly any difference between 'Imperial Design' and postcolonial 'Look East Policy' both of which seem to drive the ideas of nationhood, ethnicity, religion and language to the global call of the Indian Ocean! But doesn't it also call for settling the score for the historical fault-lines that the revocation of the 1905-reconstitution of the Northeastern India created?
In this context the three major contemporary issues affecting Bangladesh are (a) political unrest that largely stems from attempts to emphasise Islam's role in the public sphere by mixing up judicial process with power politics and ideology; (b) reversal of economic wheel culminating into an acute food crisis; and (c) Indo-Bangladesh relationship with respect to trade and security in the Northeastern South Asia. All of these have historical roots, but the only major discontinuity in the recent political history of Bangladesh is that until now no non-elected Caretaker Government since 1996 has ventured to touch on these vital policy issues.
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LETTERS
I.O. of Police and efficiency
Dear Editor:
On 12th April, 2008 for the first time, I could join the above forum chaired and conducted by senior police officers. I congratulate the CG for innovating this idea of bringing the police closer to the general people.
I feel a vital point was left out; that is to say, the role of an investigating officer in dealing with a crime. This is my suggestion to the top Police Administration that on acceptance of a complaint filed by a victim seeking redress, the incident calls for preliminary investigation by an I.O. This very I.O. who is usually of the rank of S.I. becomes the sole authority to carry out the investigation. The I.O. then becomes the most powerful man in the Police administration, on whose honesty, integrity and neutrality alone image of the Police force depends. It is he who alone can ensure justice at grassroots level. He can exercise his sole power either way. He is supposed to be ruthless, rough and tough with the criminals and be sympathetic and kind to the victims.
People in and around the location of incident will either develop their respect and confidence or will get frustrated if natural justice was not seen to be dispensed by the I.O.
The Police Administration has to address this most sensitive part of the administration to win the public confidence. There must be a check and balance on his power and he must be accountable for abusing his authority. The victim -- if subjected to injustice and further victimisation by the I.O. -- must have the scope and option to seek justice and redress from the higher authority.
The country needs a better and efficient police force more than any thing else.
Abul B. M. Zakaria,
1228 East shewrapara
Mirpur Dhaka.-1216
Scarcity of dedicated leaders
Dear Editor:
What is going to be the roadmap in Dhaka after the fair and free general elections scheduled at the end of this year?
New teams (after screening by the voters) would be running the new regime with a new motto: country first, not the party). But coming down to working at the routine level would take a long time--after the political tsunami in Dhaka; and the 'meddling' by the CG, ACC, and the monitoring by the Armed Forces in the background.
In Bangladesh, we never get the time to announce 'everything is operating normally'; even after three decades of devoted practice. We have to redesign operation/management and maintenance (O&M). The leaders announce 'popular' projects, and then dump it on the bureaucrats. They keep quiet about the backdoor activities: political angling and nibbling.
Today the citizens have noted about the lack of confidence by the past political masters. There is only one monotonous refrain: quick elections. After the regime is saddled into power, there would be many orientation and tutorial courses for the old and the new entrants. Now about the question of teamwork and coordination. Other factors: the continuity of the ongoing projects never worked with the preceding regimes. The internal house cleaning chores would take up a lot of man-hours. That is the internal environment.
External forces would continue to exert pressures at sensitive points -- the hidden presence of black wealth-the backlash by those who were deprived recently of dishonest gains, as in the preceding years. Add the secret schemes of powerful foreign cartels who now find South Asia worthy of investment
Bangladeshis are being severely tested for truant behaviour in the past. We have a bigger homework: ditch the subjective mind, and be honest. The havenot mentality is tenacious (anywhere in the world). In this area, it is difficult to find the right type pf dedicated leaders who are allowed to lead. The autocracy of the evil mind continues.
Beware of vacuums created by the past regimes. Air would rush in to normalise the pressures. Are we lazy guys? Then how to attract money?
A Mahasen,
Dhaka.
Community radio
Dear Editor:
In the 1960s, the then East Pakistan government distributed some 10,000 newly-developed transistor radios in the rural and coastal areas under the Community Listening Radio Scheme (CLRS) scheme; operated by the Public Relations Dept at the Secretariat, Dhaka.
Now the GoB has taken up a project to install community radio transmitting stations in different zones of Bangladesh, to reflect the local cultures in regional languages.
It is a timely move, considering the huge popularity of mobile telephones, which have penetrated deeply into remote villages. Communication and information strengthen the sense of freedom, back up the economy, and raiss the standard of living.
One technical back up is essential: provision of renewable energy in the villages; to recharge the radio and mobile telephone batteries.
Alfa Ahmad,
Dhaka.
A despicable incident
Dear Editor:
I write to you with a heavy heart and through your esteemed paper wish to draw the attention of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser to the Caretaker Government.
I was infuriated to see a press report about a despicable incident concerning a renowned expatriate named Rizwan Hussain who was tortured and forced to sign a false confession by some rogue elements of security staff at Zia International Airport. I hope the incident will be thoroughly investigated and all those responsible for the crime will be severely dealt with immediately.
If one were inclined towards conspiracy theories one is tempted to state the following:
Rizwan Hussian, who lives in Britain, is one of the most effective and passionate advocates of all that is positive in Islam and Muslims. Bangladesh authorities must investigate through its channels of intelligence which resulted in the arrest and torture of Rizwan Hussain. Of course, torture to elicit confession is the normal and every day practice in neighbouring India and other countries -- it is also practised under US and UK-controlled Iraq. There can be no tolerance of any member of security personnel torturing or eliciting false confessions.
Taslima,
United Kingdom,
Dhaka's transport system
Dear Editor:
The Government should not be influenced by foreign investors for huge development projects, such as Metro rail system. First, go for sky train. Socially, we are not ready for underground train.
Cheapest solution to Dhaka's transport problem is de-centralisation of power to the divisions and districts.
Abad,
Dhaka.
Aloo-ata ruti
Dear Editor:
Due to food crisis in the country and abnormal rise in price of rice I am eating 'aloo-ata ruti' (bread) with vegetables and also taking little quantity of rice. The price of both rice and ata (flour) is very high, but aloo or potato is cheaper.
It is easy to make aloo-ata ruti. Boil one kg potato, smash it, mix it with 20-25 gram ata and prepare ruti in normal method.
'Aloo-ata ruti is economical and nutritious. Undoubtedly rice is our staple food, but if we temporarily change our food habit we may over come our food crisis to a great extent.
O. H. Kabir,
Dhaka.
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