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EDITORIAL
Poisoned river water
As if canonically ordained and condemned to live in subhuman condition when it comes to speaking about the environment in this metropolis, the Dhakaites shuddered as they had a rude awakening the other day when a contemporary front-paged a pictorial news item telling us that the river water is toxic to the extent that it now looks like coal tar, dark as jet black.
It was a horrid shock to see that contamination in the rivers has reached such a frightening level which has polluted the groundwater system. Extremely upsetting as it is, the aquifers are recharged from the riverbeds and the water is then supplied to the people of Dhaka. The report is based on the findings of a survey conducted by the World Bank and the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM). The culprits in this case are those small number of people because of whose illegal activities the rivers have degraded to water courses of poison. Well, here is a most appropriate question to ask: what indeed the Department of Environment (DoE) do all these years? This we say because the DoE has the legal authority to clamp down on the offenders.
It will not be out of place to say that all successive governments are to blame for causing great harm to Dhaka's excellent natural drainage system to flush out through a dozen or so canals stagnant water and sewage until the late sixties when the vast urban areas never witnessed inundation after a moderate shower or during monsoon flood. The BUET and the engineering graduates who headed the city planning bodies like the DIT, later named RAJUK, and also the Dhaka Municipality (now DCC) had no qualms when they filled the canals in the name of development --- unscrupulously.
We do not anticipate things to change for the better very soon as people have watched absolutely helplessly the mindless degradation of urban environment much owing to the utter carelessness of the town planners since the sixties. A lay city dweller suffering endlessly will feel like a dog with two tails if she or he gets potable water which is at least free from contamination of toxic and noxious substances. This is what the Government has to ensure.
Surprisingly, in Jatiya Sangsad the honourable MPs and ministers are tirelessly spitting venom and flying into fury launching vitriolic diatribes with great vehemence against the opposition BNP every other moment, but this appalling issue --- that can veritably kill millions --- does not seem to have merited to be discussed.
Look at the Dhaka City Corporation or DCC's performance. A casual visit to the outfalls at Jatrabari and other sites in Dhaka city and its suburbs gives a rudimentary idea of the dumping of untreated rubbish. Horrible odour of human wastes, decomposed animals and other garbage spread through a wide area where vultures, stray dogs and other scavengers are engaged in endless feast on the refuse. People who reside in surrounding areas have to live in a virtual hell. The DCC is to blame for disposal of highly toxic and harmful wastes that seep into the ground.
Among various functions one task of the Dhaka WASA is to supply pure water; but after long 46 years of its existence it cannot do so at many wards and zones of the city. More often than not city dwellers, foaming at the mouth out of anger and disgust, gherao different water pump stations with empty jugs, pitchers and even broomsticks to express their wrath but reality is sad and bleak. Its planners failed to make correct projection of demography and consumers' requirement when in 1992 it formulated the water supply master plan. To aggravate the situation more, meanwhile the groundwater table has gone down further. Since decades we heard of utilisation of surface water but the rivers in the periphery have undergone much pollution due to indiscriminate discharge of domestic waste water and industrial effluents. While water supply has miserably depleted, the chief of the DWASA told inquiring newsmen the day before yesterday to pray to God for the monsoon rain to come!
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Obama revives relations with Russia
Mohammad Amjad Hossain
President Barack Hussein Obama has reversed the gear to improve the cold relations between US and Russia when he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the side lines of G-20 summit in London on April 02.This is in contrast to the policy being pursued by former President George W. Bush during his second term presidency. The relations between the two countries has sharply turned into sour when US President Bush had decided to go ahead of placing defense missile shield in Czech Republic and Poland, next door to Russia. The recognition of Kosovo, a province of Serbia by US in total disregard of Russian relations with Serbia had caused strained relations. The relations has further been deteriorated to lowest point when US took side against Russia when Georgia and Russia get involved in war over the break away Ossetia of Georgia in 2008.
Both Obama and Medvedev discussed about cold war era arm control and the non-proliferation treaty to get rid of the nuclear weapons gradually, a utopian dream indeed. Possibly the issue of arms control is the easiest area to start with renewing their bilateral relations.
Historically, both the countries renewed their relations based on the issue of arms control. As far back as in mid 70s US President Richard Nixon went to Moscow to hold talks with Nikolai Podgorny,President of the Soviet union and Leonid Breznev,Secretary General of the communist party and talks were confined to arms control. US renewed bilateral relations based on negotiations, which is known as the strategic arms limitation talks. A treaty was signed on May 26, 1972 in Moscow. US president had spent a week in Moscow, which is unusual gesture towards communist country. During presidency of Ronald Reagan, anti-communist, an agreement was signed to eliminate US army's Pershing 11 missile and Soviet Union's Pioneer missile which could be seen in the museum in Washington and Moscow museum. Reagan and Russian President Gorbachev should be credited to end cold war and tearing down Berlin wall to bring unified Germany.
The strategic arms limitation treaty is expected to expire in December this year. President Obama's tit-a-tat with Russian President Medvedev is the follow-up of the discussion that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavron in Geneva during UN conference on disarmament in the first week of March.
As appears from the joint statement the discussion was fruitful and productive. The joint statement said that era when our countries viewed each other as enemies is long over. Both the leaders pledged to work together to limit world's two largest stockpile of nuclear arsenals. Both Obama and Medvedev urged Iran to address the international community's concerns about its nuclear programme although Iran continued to deny of developing nuclear arsenals.
Ironically, Russia and Iran has been maintaining good relations. With the assistance of Russia a nuclear reactor was set up in Isfahan in Iran. While opening the facility on April 9 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran would not suspend its uranium enrichment programme which is meant for peaceful purpose to produce electricity. On top of the discussion President Obama has accepted the invitation of the President of Russian Federation to visit Moscow in July when a new agreement on strategic arms control is likely to be signed.
Possibly defence shield programme treaties with Czech Republic and Poland signed by Bush administration to build radar facilities and missiles to shoot down alleged nuclear missile coming from Iran remains at stake in improving relations between US and Russia unless the treaties are scrapped or forgotten. A doubt has arisen about US intention as Obama administration is sending mixed signal when opposite views are expressed by US Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Vice-President Joe Biden is reported to have said at the Munich security conference that US was open to the possibility of new form of cooperation with Russia on missile defense while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked that US would consider dropping the programme if Iran abandoned its nuclear efforts. While President Obama visiting Czech Republic neither denied nor expressed the intension of going ahead with the programme. Instead, he has spoken loudly to the huge crow of disarmament of nuclear arsenals.
As of now President Obama did not show any interest in deploying missile defence system in the neighboring countries of Russia.Obama's advisor Susan Rice ,who is now US ambassador to the United Nations, has candidly confided to this writer at a briefing session of the volunteers of Obama's presidential campaign that Obama administration will review from cost-benefit ratio the programme of deploying a missile shield on Polish soil, where 10 missiles interceptors will be set up and linked up with radar in the Czech Republic.
However, Obama administration maintains the policy of Bush administration of supporting the territorial integrity of former Soviet Republics, such as Georgia and continues to support expansion of NATO bringing Georgia and Ukraine in its fold.
It is certainly good beginning of dialogue between US and Russia towards developing friendly and fruitful cooperation. It could be said a dramatic development in international politics which has been described by President Obama as the "beginning of new progress in US-Russia relations". The developing of the relations depends on how Russia sees treaty with Czech Republic and Poland. For the improvement of relations with Russian Federation Obama administration may consider scrapping the treaties because US needs the help of Russia to exert pressure on Iran to abandon nuclear programme and to stabilise Afghanistan.
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Abu Ghraib victims can sue interrogators
William Fisher in New York
In a ruling that could have widespread implications for government contractors overseas, a federal court has concluded that four former Abu Ghraib detainees, who were tortured and later released without charge, can sue the U.S. military contractor who was involved in conducting prisoner interrogations for the Pentagon in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, denied a motion to dismiss the detainees' claims by the contractor, CACI International. The Arlington, Virginia-based company is a major contractor to the Defence Department.
The former detainees allege multiple violations of U.S. law, including torture, war crimes and civil conspiracy.
Physical, mental abuse
The suit alleges that the CACI defendants not only participated in physical and mental abuse of the detainees, but also destroyed documents, videos and photographs; prevented the reporting of the torture and abuse to the International Committee of the Red Cross; hid detainees and other prisoners from the International Committee of the Red Cross; and misled non-conspiring military and government officials about the state of affairs at the Iraq prisons.
CACI sought immunity against the lawsuits and claimed that the actions of its contract interrogators at Abu Ghraib were beyond judicial review. Court martial and other testimony from the soldiers convicted of abuse has linked company personnel to the abuse.
The court rejected CACI's effort to shield itself from accountability by invoking the "political question doctrine."
The court reasoned, "While it is true that the events at Abu Ghraib pose an embarrassment to this country, it is the misconduct alleged and not the litigation surrounding that misconduct that creates the embarrassment. This Court finds that the only potential for embarrassment would be if the Court declined to hear these claims on political questions grounds."
The court found "The policy is clear: what happened at Abu Ghraib was wrong."
The court also ruled, "The fact that CACI's business involves conducting interrogations on the government's behalf is incidental; courts can and do entertain civil suits against government contractors for the manner in which they carry out government business. CACI conveniently ignores the long line of cases where private plaintiffs were allowed to bring tort actions for wartime injuries."
The former detainees began their lawsuit in 2004. CACI is appealing the court's verdict.
Attorney Katherine Gallagher of the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR), one of the Iraqis' lawyers, told IPS, "The court's decision that the case against CACI can proceed is a big step forward in the fight against impunity and the victims' quest for justice. We remain hopeful that the victims will soon have their day in court."
CACI International Inc. criticised the court ruling. "From day one, CACI has rejected the outrageous allegations against the company in this lawsuit and continues to do so," the company said in a statement.
"After five years and numerous investigations, no CACI employee or former employee has been charged with any misconduct in connection with CACI's interrogation work in Iraq," the company said.
Suspicion of CACI's role in abusive interrogations dates back to 2004, when Amnesty International (AI) began a dialogue with the company and with other government contractors, who were involved in questioning detainees at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere.
In the first of a number of letters from Amnesty's Executive Director Dr. William F. Schulz, AI expressed its "concern over the human rights abuses committed in the Abu Ghraib prison facility" and asked for "clarification of your company's human rights policies and practices."
The letter continued, "Your company has performed services contracts with the U.S. military that have led to public allegations of complicity in abuses against detainees by some of your employees. We hope and expect that CACI will support and facilitate public investigations and help bring persons found responsible to justice."
In response, Dr. J.P London, CACI chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer wrote, "We join you in condemning the obvious abuses apparently committed at Abu Ghraib, and we look forward to seeing all wrongdoers brought to justice. If that group happens to include one or more of our employees, those wrongdoers should be subject to appropriate punishment along with all others involved."
London said, "We support and are cooperating fully with all U.S. government investigations into this matter of which we are aware or have been contacted."
"We do not condone, tolerate or in any way endorse illegal behavior on the part of our employees or those with whom we work while conducting business in any circumstances at any time," London responded.
When CACI's name first became linked with abuses at Abu Ghraib, the company mounted a massive public relations campaign, including the publication of a book by Dr. London, "Our Good Name." In speeches at the time, Dr. London accused the media of abandoning the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."
CACI International ranks No. 17 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.
-Inter Press Service
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LETTERS
TIB report on candidates' expenditure
Dear Editor:
A report of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) published in the dailies recently stated that the candidates had spent over Tk. 44 lakh each for campaign in the 29 December, 2008 polls. Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Jatiya Party candidates spent more than Tk. 50 Lakh and the Awami League candidates spent Tk. 67,321,00 on average per head. The candidates who had spent excess money were defeated in the election. This was revealed in a survey conducted on 88 candidates in 48 seats of the parliament. They gave wrong information in their expenditure return. But the TIB did not mention the names of these candidates. However, the TIB suggested to take legal action against the candidates for giving wrong information. Jamaat and Jatiya Party criticised TIB and said it is motivated and fabricated report.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) earned praise for conducting a free, fair and acceptable election under the gaze and supervision of the army-backed undemocratic Caretaker Government. We fail to understand how the candidates could contest in the poll violating election procedure under the CEC. We hope the Election Commission (EC) will clarify it and take necessary action in the interest of the nation.
A. M. K. Chowdhury,
West Masdhair, Narayanganj.
Popularity may divert from Hasina to Khaleda!
Dear Editor:
The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is popular with the majority of the people of Bangladesh which was reflected in all the elections.
The interim government wanted to finish Sheikh Hasina's politics including other major parties. To do it the CG lodged some cases against her. Sheikh Hasina and her party have become popular.
If Sheikh Hasina wants to stop Khaleda Zia's politics doing some mistakes; cancellation the lease of the cantonment house to Khaleda Zia, file cases against the bigwigs of BNP and the JCD, the opposition students' wing in the processions or other way, play the blame game. In this way people's love may divert from Hasina to Khaleda and her party!
Samsunnahar,
Fultala, Khulna.
snaharbd@gmail.com
Students, labour unions
Dear Editor:
Roads, culverts and bridges are only on paper; we can't travel on these most of the tim because these are incomplete and not maintained. Now the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University has been politicised. Do students and labour unions run the country?
Cynic Ally,
Dhaka.
BAKSAL attitude
Dear Editor:
Ignoring the advice of the intelligentsia the Government has passed the Upazila Parishad Act in the parliament which is a threat to democracy.
The cantonment's house was given away to Khaleda Zia after the May 30, 1981 assassination of her husband President Ziaur Rahman. The Zia family has been living in the house since the early 1970s.
The motive of cancellation of the lease of the cantonment house to Khaleda Zia in a cabinet meeting is to root out the party.
A large number of government high officials have been made officers on special duty (OSD) for a long time, of them some are really very active, honest and dynamic officers.
Are these not the attitude of BAKSAL?
Sheuly Haque,
Sirajgonj.
sheuly.haque@gmail.com
Poor law and order, traffic system
Dear Editor:
Investment in Bangladesh is not dependant only on cheap labour or Government's repeated call to foreign companies in seminars, nor on offer of 51/49 old economical variable only.
Law and order is the biggest problem. Legislation has to be done so that the police deptt can work without political influence. Although the PM and the home minister asked police to become honest but failed to control criminal influence. Police can pick up criminals easily as ex-IGs like Mr Shahjahan and others repeated.
Thirdly, about 10,000 (ten thousand) people are killed every year by road accidents. Most of these killings actually amount to murder and there is no strong association to sue against the authorities and policymakers. Fourthly, Dhaka and other cities don't have proper traffic signalling system. Dhaka needs immediate bypass roads and underground railway system.
Commerce and tourism minister as well as the finance minister should understand reality before their speaking about the need for foreign investment.
I have seen Nepal or even Bhutans name in Tourist international guide with addresses but there is no name of Bangladesh, which is surprising. Last time when I visited Bangladesh on 13th January it took me 2 hours with my Australian Passport because of some ''computer failure".
Dr Azizul Karim,
GP,Australia
Eviction of Khaleda from Cantonment House
Dear Editor:
After the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman on 30th May 1981 by some apostate army personnel in Chittagong, the Government of the day on humanitarian and compensatory grounds allotted a house to his bereaved wife Begum Khaleda Zia at 6, Shaheed Mainul Road, Dhaka Cantonment. In the history of Bangladesh Zia has a special place. He was the commander of the Z Force of our Liberation War and first Deputy Chief of Army after our independence.
Following the assassination of a large number of army officers of the rank from General to Captain by some traitor BDR Jawans on 25-26 February 2009 the present government on humanitarian and compensatory grounds decided to allot to fifty-four bereaved families of army officers killed in BDR mutiny apartment buildings at Dhaka Cantonment.
We are, however, surprised that on the one hand the present Government in trying to evict Begum Khaleda Zia from her allotted house at 6, Shaheed Mainul Road, Dhaka Cantonment and on the other hand planning to construct there apartment buildings for fifty four bereaved families of army officers killed in February 2009.
What kind of give and take is it on humanitarian and compensatory grounds?
What is the guarantee that fifty-four families of shaheed or martyred army officers, while living in cantonment area, would no take part in politics?
Further what is the guarantee that like our present Government the future governments would not evict the fifty-four bereaved families as in the case of Begum Khaleda Zia?
Due to various complications, problems and political culture in our country it is imperative that before the Government makes any final decision on the matter the present Government may kindly know the opinion and desire of fifty-four bereaved families whether they would like to have apartment buildings inside Dhaka Cantonment or outside it.
We strongly feel if under rules, regulations, laws and in the country's interest no civilian should live in cantonment area, it is better and wise for Begum Khaleda Zia and fifty-four families of shaheed army officers to give up thinking living in cantonment area. All is well that ends well.
O. H. Kabir,
Dhaka.
BTV and media freedom
Dear Editor:
Freedom of the press/mass media is now guaranteed. But BTV's news is still one-sided.
This is not desirable.
A. H.,
Dhaka.
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