Candid thoughts

Mohiuddin Babar

It was like hell falling upon the saints. Sizeable chunks of thick and solid plaster of concrete came off a ceiling in a classroom of a primary school in the city last Monday and dropped on young children engaged in holistic pursuits of learning. Seven of them were seriously injured with one had to undergo surgery at an orthopaedic hospital. The incident not only caused instant panic all around but must have injected a strong dose of psycho-phobia amongst the innocent little kids. They may have to live with the after-shocks for a long time.
   The big concrete chunks were not splinters from any outer space but from the roof under which young children spend several hours in a day in their learning endeavours. Ironically, the incident took place at a time when the children were engrossed in an art class trying to paintbrush their inner thoughts of beauty. Unfortunately their efforts of appreciating beauty were savagely struck by an act of callousness of the concerned authorities. However, this has hihghlighted the real scenario of the infrastructural or structural plight of tens of thousands of schools throughout the country.
   According to reports, the ceiling of the ill fated classroom where the incident took place on Monday had developed cracks long ago. The school authorities had also drawn the attention of the concerned authorities seeking renovation. However, not only that the matter never received proper attention, no inspection of the hazard was ever done either. As a result, the dangers loomed large starkly all along and finally, the skies fell apart.
   School safety is indeed totally disregarded in our country. Except for some good finance-backed schools, particularly in Dhaka, most of the schools across the country are in run-down conditions. Not to talk of the congenial environment and comfort for the students, safety hazards are in plenty. The primary schools are the most neglected ones which are also beset with perennial shortages of teachers, teaching aids and above all, a proper management system. A random survey of the state of primary schools, government and private, including madrassas throughout the country would reveal that most of them are living with visible structural hazards. The hygienic conditions in most of the schools are in deplorable condition while student density per class room is beyond its carrying capacity. All these render a disappointing outlook of the state of our schools.
   Schools are the temples of learning and it is here where children receive the first light of intellectual and behavioural enlightenment. The progress and sustainability of state in politics, economics and society of a nation are deeply rooted in schools. Therefore, due focus has to be given to ensure that the schools are in appropriate shape and have requisite facilities. Health and safety must lead the list of requirements needed to ensure a proper schooling facility where children can be groomed without any fear and more importantly, with a sense of assurance for the parents.
   It is definitely not an easy task to reform the existing structural conditions at the schools to bring them to the level of acceptable standards. However, steps must be taken immediately to make periodic inspections by competent authorities to ensure that the school premises are made free from potential hazards; to educate the teachers, school management and students on disaster management --- be it in cases of accidents or natural disasters. We need to rethink seriously on how much we care about our children.
   babar.mohiuddin@gmail.com

^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE

Quorum crisis costs heavily

M. Abdul Latif Mondal

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report titled 'Parliament Watch 2009' released on July 4 revealed that Tk 5,41,80,000 got wasted due to quorum crisis in the first session of the ninth Parliament. One largely-circulated English language daily has further reported that the house proceedings (of the budget session) on June 10 could not be resumed on schedule due to a quorum crisis, meaning that not even 60 lawmakers were present in the House on time, despite over 260 of them being from the Awami League (AL)-led ruling alliance.
   The main opposition BNP has been abstaining from attending parliamentary proceedings since the budget session began on July 4. As reported by the newspapers, the demands of BNP include 'a graceful solution' to the dispute over seating arrangement in the House, restoration of certain facilities of the leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia and ending the 'smear campaign' against her in the state-run Bangladesh Television over her Dhaka cantonment house.
   There have been mixed reactions to BNP's absence in the budget session. Many political observers feel that the MPs of BNP have been abstaining from the budget session over 'silly issues' paying no attention to their electoral pledges made to the people before the December 29 parliamentary election. The opposition could have played an important role by participating in the discussion on budget, which was not an economic matter only. As the "Shadow Cabinet' the opposition could criticize the current government and its legislations as well as offer alternative policies.
   Some others have, however, found both the ruling and opposition benches responsible for this situation. They see an autocratic attitude in the ruling AL, which could have been more accommodative. The sky would not have fallen if one more front-bench seat in the House was given to BNP lawmakers. Without making a noise, the AL-led government could have left the fate of the Dhaka cantonment house inhabited by Khaleda Zia to the law court's decision.
   But even if the opposition MPs remain absent, there is no reason why there should be a quorum crisis. The treasury bench has a huge majority in the House. It is not understandable why even 60 members could not attend the parliament sittings on time.
   Available information suggests that more than 50 per cent of the MPs of the ninth Parliament are businessmen and they are heavily pre-occupied with their business activities. This keeps them away from the House frequently or delays their arrival there.
   Failure of the Speakers to play their role neutrally and courageously during the period of successive political governments has been one of the important, if not the most important, reasons for ineffectiveness of our Parliament. Competent sources suggest that the Speakers in Bangladesh Parliament have played a blatantly partisan role. Take the case of the Speakers of the BNP and AL governments between 1991 and 2006. Each of them was under constant political pressure of the party they belonged to and failed to act independently. On all issues and not just the crucial ones, they only fulfilled the desire of the ruling party chief. Even in matters like the allocation of time and allowing notices and adjournment motions, the political interests of the ruling party/alliance were the prime considerations.
   The situation has not changed under the incumbent Speaker. Many of the allegations levelled against the immediate past Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar can be levelled against the present Speaker Abdul Hamid. As the guardian of Parliament, his role in running the Parliament has not been non-partisan. Some allegations against him are as follows:
   The Rules of Procedure of Parliament (ROP) have fully empowered the Speaker to decide the distribution of seats among lawmakers in the House. Speaker Abdul Hamid could solve the problem of seat distribution by allocating one more seat to the main opposition BNP in the front row thereby raising their total number of seats in the front row from 5 to 6. But he has succumbed to the pressure of the treasury bench without flinching.
   The newspapers of June 11 reported that Speaker Abdul Hamid turned down on June 10 all five notices from BNP-led opposition legislators asking for discussions on issues like scarcity of relief materials in Aila-affected areas, the February rebellion at BDR headquarters, things allegedly taken away by the Speaker of the seventh parliament, Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, privileges enjoyed by the chief whip of the same parliament Abul Hasnat Abdullah, after adjournment of the regular parliamentary sitting. The Speaker refused to accept any of these notices, as the treasury bench did not agree to discuss those issues. The Speaker has thus virtually proved his undoubted loyalty to the treasury bench rather than to the House itself. As stated above, there have been repeated quorum crises in the two sessions of the current Parliament. This speaks of the Speaker's inability to run the House smoothly.
   The Speaker did not rebuff the statement of a senior ruling party leader in the House on June 29 asking the absentee opposition to quit Parliament by tendering resignation.
   The Speaker has not yet taken any serious initiative to bring the main opposition BNP back to the House.
   To conclude, unless corrective measures such as discharging responsibilities by the Speaker neutrally, drastically reducing lawmakers' leave of absence from Parliament, making provision for no remuneration for the absentee MPs are taken, quorum crises in the Parliament will continue and this will hinder healthy growth of parliamentary democracy in the country.

^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE

Holiday Report

A civic group styled "National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port" is scheduled to begin a four-day road march from July 11 towards Cox's Bazar from capital Dhaka to mobilise public opinion against the government's move to allow international oil companies for hydrocarbon exploration in offshore blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
   The programme is also targeted to mobilize public support against the Indian dam construction at Tipaikuh and the Asian Energy's initiative for open pit mining in Fulbari, said an organizer.
    During the long march, the organisers will hold rallies at Shanir Akhra in Dhaka, Daudkandi and Comilla on the first day, at Feni and Mirersharai on the second day, Sitakundu, Barabkundu and Laldighi Maidan in Chittagong city on the third day and finally at Patia, Fatikchhari and Cox's Bazar on the concluding day on July 14.
   Meanwhile, the organisers held a preparatory march on July 9 from Muktangan to drum up support for the four-day march towards the beach resort. The final march will start at 11:00am from Muktangan in the capital on July 11.
   The programme was announced last week at a press conference addressed by the Citizens Group leaders.  Workers Party of Bangladesh (reconstituted) leader Haider Akbar Khan Rano, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh leader Saiful Huq, CPB leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, Workers Party of Bangladesh leader Mozammel Haque Tara and Ganasanghati Andolan leader Zonayed Saki were present at the press conference.
   The group claimed that the government was pursuing a plan of the past military-backed interim administration to award eight offshore gas blocks to US-based Conoco Philips and one to an Irish company, Tullow.  
   'It will never help us to meet our energy demands. If the contract is like that then Bangladesh will need to buy its own natural resources at higher prices from IOCs. We must stop it,' Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, convenor of the group said.
    He called upon the government to refrain from leasing the gas blocks out to foreign companies on the basis of proposed sharing deal and to protect national interests while finalising any such deal.
   Referring to official dossiers, Professor Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the Citizens Committee, said that as per the plan, the US company was set to get deep sea blocks number 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20 and 21, while Irish company would be awarded block no. 5,
    A certain quarter in the energy ministry has also been pursuing a production sharing contract with IOCs to export 80 per cent of the gas in liquid form once mineral is extracted, the organisers alleged.

^ TOP OF THIS PAGE ^ MAIN PAGE