Holiday

Geopolitical dimensions of Hillary visit


Sheikh Hasina	Hillary Clinton	Khaleda Zia

Sadeq Khan

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh has become the natural beneficiary of certain changes in geopolitical equations steadily occurring in the region, as well as in the global “great game” of power balance. After the ITLOS adjudication settling our marine boundaries with Myanmar (and largely lured by the incentive of prospective US investments in oil and gas exploration in the continental shelf of Bangladesh exclusively obtained under ITLOS award), the sole superpower has begun to eye Bangladesh through a different set of lenses. Indeed the U.S.A. has been toying with that new set of lenses even before and irrespective of the ITLOS award, in anticipation of fast changing geopolitical equations in the region.

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Sheikh Hasina	Hillary Clinton	Khaleda Zia

Sadeq Khan

New calculations in geopolitical equations from the US point of view is the growing realisation of the Obama administration that the rising South Asian giant, India has too many congenital disabilities, and is proving to be neither able nor willing to partner with USA in the oversight of peace and stability in the region, and in consolidation of superpower leadership interest and influence. As a matter of fact, the conceit, swagger and insensitivity of Indian leadership in dealing with its smaller neighbours like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives has resulted in disturbing developments alien to superpower instincts. U.S. frustration with India is highlighted in a remark last month by Hillary Clinton: “Some of today’s emerging powers in Asia and elsewhere act as selective stakeholders, picking and choosing when to participate constructively and when to stand apart from the international system.”

Contextually the U.S. Secretary of State sharply pointed out that rising Asian powers including India, Indonesia and China have been able to prosper thanks to an international system supported by the United States.

In contrast, US China constructive engagements have been steadily expanding, despite fundamental differences and ideological incompatibilities, since 2009. In tackling his troubled inheritance of financial crisis, Obama obtained significant support from China. Economic interdependence of US-China trade has energised market forces in both countries. And although mutual ‘mistrust’ of strategic moves and material ‘conflicts’ of interest came to heads from time to time in flashpoints like in South China Sea and over Syrian crisis, it has been possible to carry forward “US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue” to ever-increasing dimensions. Effectiveness of such US-China engagements, amongst other reasons, prompted Hillary Clinton to write in the ‘Foreign Affairs’ magazine, November/December 2010 issue:

“Today’s world is a crucible of challenges testing American leadership. Global problems, from violent extremism to worldwide recession to climate change to poverty, demand collective solutions, even as power in the world becomes more diffuse. They require effective international cooperation, even as that becomes harder to achieve.

“I began my tenure as U.S. Secretary of State by stressing the need to elevate diplomacy and development alongside defence — a “smart power” approach to solving global problems. To make that approach succeed, however, U.S. civilian power must be strengthened and amplified. It must, as U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has argued, be brought into better balance with U.S. military power.” (Robert Gates early in 2009 had warned that increasing military spending may not enhance US power enough to maintain global security. Simultaneous use and expansion of diplomatic and economic capability, i.e. “leading through civilian power” was necessary).

Secretary of State Clinton went further to summarily dismiss, ahead of her Asian tour, any idea of a “U.S.-India axis” or any other overt scheme to contain China. Addressing aspiring military leaders at the US Naval Academy on April 11, 2012, Clinton said bluntly that 2012 “is not 1912, when friction between a declining Britain and a rising Germany set the stage for global conflict. “We are not seeking new enemies. Today’s China is not the Soviet Union. We are not on the brink of a new Cold War in Asia.

“A thriving China is good for America, and a thriving America is good for China — so long as we both thrive in a way that contributes to the regional and global good.” And while in China in the first leg of her Asia tour on May 3-4, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton in her joint statement with China’s State Councillor Din Bigguo covered only the “Strategic Track” of US-China dialogue, while the whole of the governments of USA and the People’s Republic of China were engaged in comprehensive exchanges, social, technological, military and economic.

Visit’s significance

It is in this context that we may examine the significance of Hillary’s Dhaka visit. In response to Bangladesh Foreign Minister’s invitation to Secretary of State Clinton to visit Dhaka, the latter had written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last October expressing her grave disapproval of the shrinking space for the civil society and the media under Sheikh Hasina’s style of governance. She had also said that unless better conditions prevailed, her Dhaka visit might not be easy. Conditions had in fact deteriorated further with the abduction and disappearance of Opposition politician Ilyas Ali, and several other mysterious murders and disappearances. Yet Clinton came. In private and in public, she did not mince words to chastise the incumbent government in Bangladesh for misgovernance and for undemocratic conduct. We shall not discuss in this article the domestic impact of her words, but only the geo-political dimension of her visit, which managed, unpleasant encounters notwithstanding, to get signed a joint statement on US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue, which read as follows (abridged):

“We, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States of America and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament Dr. Dipu Moni of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, affirm the strong bonds of friendship and shared values that exist between our two countries and reaffirm our desire to deepen our partnership in addressing bilateral, regional and global issues to the mutual benefit of both Bangladesh and the United States. .....

“We reiterate our support for the United Nations system, underscore the value of UN-led peacekeeping and peace building initiatives, and note Bangladesh’s singular contribution to such activities.

We affirm our dedication to deepening dialogue in security cooperation, including in combating terrorism, violent extremism, and trans-national crime, such as narcotics trafficking, piracy, and trafficking in persons and arms.

We also intend to develop deeper and broader people-to-people ties between the United States and Bangladesh, including through educational and cultural exchanges, encouraging innovation and expanding our commercial and trade relations by building on the creativity and rich diversity of our societies. We further support the exchange of information, skills and technology bilaterally, regionally and globally to promote new economic opportunities for our citizens.

To advance these and other shared objectives, and to review and give strategic direction to the bilateral relationship and its wide array of ongoing and future cooperative activities, we intend to hold regular, annual consultations under a Partnership Dialogue. The Dialogue will be led at the level of Foreign Secretary/Under Secretary of State and held at times mutually convenient to both parties, alternating between our respective capitals. We also intend to hold periodic consultations at the Foreign Minister-Secretary level.”

Partnership dialogue

Earlier, the US state department announcement of the visit had said that whilst in Dhaka, Clinton proposed to “review robust US-Bangladesh cooperation across the full range of political, economic, and security matters.” The visit that followed and its quick results surprised global “great game” watchers in India. But in fact the development was certainly not abrupt. Preparations have been discreetly going on for quite some time to pave way for the “Partnership Dialogue,” involving in the process essentially the military wing of the state establishment of Bangladesh.

The first-ever security talks between Bangladesh and the US were held in Dhaka on April 19 focusing on commonly perceived security challenges. The US press reported about the talks as follows: “This inaugural Dialogue on Security Issues highlights the robust engagement between the United States and Bangladesh as well as outgrowing defence relationship.” Reports quoting a Moscow Strategic publication added that Washington expected the Security Dialogue to broaden and strengthen bilateral cooperation on a wide range of political-military issues, and enhance cooperation in peacekeeping, joint military exercises and exchanges, counterterrorism, and security cooperation. Nothing was said to the media in Bangladesh.

From January this year, there has been a steady stream of senior US officials to Dhaka, the last being the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman in April. Andrew Shapiro, US assistant secretary in the bureau of political-military affairs, who led the American side at the Security Dialogue in Dhaka, later said:

“Indeed, over the past decade, the bilateral defence relationship… has become one of the most robust in South Asia. Bangladesh is a key player in maintaining security in the Bay of Bengal. They are an active partner in regional counterterrorism efforts… Our cooperation with Bangladesh is a prime example of how US security assistance can play a critically important role in our diplomatic engagement.

“Bangladesh is also working through a military modernization plan, which includes looking to partners for affordable defence systems... This modernization effort provides an opportunity for us to expand our security cooperation, especially through our Excess Defence Articles program, which makes U.S. equipment that is surplus to our requirements available to our partners… Additionally, we provide assistance to support Bangladesh’s peacekeeping efforts… And through our training initiatives and exchanges we are helping professionalize its national military forces… In short, our security assistance is playing a critically important role for… the national security of the United States.”

Firm believers in the “India-U.S. axis to contain China” continue to see in the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue a move to “bait” Bangladesh into becoming an unwitting surrogate of the Indo-US “containment strategy toward China.”

Ambassador MK Bhadrakumar, formerly of the Indian Foreign Service, in an article entitled ‘The great game comes to Bangladesh’ surmised as follows:

“The ‘robustness’ of the US-Bangladesh relations runs parallel to an unprecedented upward curve in the trajectory of the India-Bangladesh relationship, which has been lacklustre in the recent decades. Quite obviously, the US policies toward Myanmar and Bangladesh are inter-connected and, in turn, they emanate out of Washington’s ‘containment’ strategy toward China. Clinton’s visit to Dhaka follows her recent trip to Myanmar – and from Dhaka she is proceeding to India.

“The US regional policy gains by showcasing a robust relationship with a moderate Muslim majority country like Bangladesh. But from the US perspective, geopolitics and energy appear to be the compelling themes of Clinton’s visit. Simply put, Bangladesh’s strategic location enhances its importance for the US to try and bring Bangladesh into the ambit of the US-India axis, which has taken shape in the region. Myanmar and Sri Lanka become two other similar ‘target’ countries for the coordinated US-Indian regional strategy.

Unsurprisingly, India is content with taking a back seat as a junior partner (given the sensitivities of its small neighbours) and is letting the US take the lead role in advancing their regional strategy.”

Contrary indications, however, put a different geopolitical light on the visit. Ahead of the US-Bangladesh Security Dialogue in April, in response to a reporter’s query the new Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh publicly asserted that a US military base in Bangladesh would not be acceptable to China. Throughout the US-Bangladesh security dialogue, the US side never expressed any interest in having a military base in this country. The US approach was primarily for assistance in modernising and strengthening the Bangladesh navy (which China has also been doing, providing submarine-chaser missiles and building naval boats for Bangladesh) for the security of prospective US-Bangladesh joint assets in the Bay of Bengal.

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Govt’s bluff ‘n’ bluster fail to fool the world

Ataus Samad

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has now been given clear notice by the international community that its bluff and bluster has miserably failed to hide its corruption and misgovernance.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told a gathering of young Bangladeshis in Dhaka that because of corruption in Bangladesh this poor country was not included in the Millennium Fund of the United States of America. It may be mentioned here that in the Human Development Index ranking, 2011, of UNDP the position of Bangladesh is 147th from the top in a list of 187 countries. Among the only 40 countries falling behind Bangladesh all of the last 15 are from troubled regions of Africa. Bangladesh is indeed in the group of the most poorly developed in the UNDP’s Human Development Index. This shows that the tall claims of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her ministers and jaw-boning Awami Leaguers that ‘Bangladesh has entered the world of light leaving behind the era of darkness’ are a pack of lies.

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Ataus Samad

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has now been given clear notice by the international community that its bluff and bluster has miserably failed to hide its corruption and misgovernance.

William Hannah, the head of the European Union delegation in Bangladesh, accompanied by the British High Commissioner and seven other EU country ambassadors at a press briefing in Dhaka last Wednesday on the occasion of Europe Day, minced no words in expressing the sadness and anxiety of their countries at the political tension, disappearances, violation of human rights and corruption in Bangladesh. The group said that people in EU countries were sceptical about Bangladesh. They said that the Awami League government did little or nothing to curb corruption much like its predecessor BNP government. They warned that EU shows ‘zero tolerance’ to corruption in projects funded by it. The EU diplomats also expressed concern over the political unrest and violence in Bangladesh and urged political leaders of the country to resolve through peaceful dialogue their dispute over ways of holding fair elections to the parliament. They also demanded proper investigation into the disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali and the kidnapping and murder of labour leader Aminul Islam.

Most interesting and important is that the EU head of delegation and ambassadors who were with him urged the Bangladesh media to publish reports regarding corruption ‘every day! Meanwhile, there are reports that the World Bank has made its decision final not to finance the Padma bridge project because the present government failed to take action against corruption even after it supplied evidence to it in two instalments. The Awami League government, it may be recalled, on the contrary had criticised the World Bank for making baseless charges of corruption relying on complaints without proof. The World Bank has also declined to provide funds for two large power plants to be supplied by the region’s favourited company summit. The WB has reportedly found that those projects do not meet its criteria. WB had actually offered to fund seven small power projects and not large ones of a huge company.

India too has realized that it has become risky to patronise only the Awami League and make enemies of BNP and other political parties in Bangladesh. India’s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee went to the extent of meeting leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia to tell her that his country wanted the friendship of the people of Bangladesh and not any particular political party. After all this the Awami League government should accept the truth that it has brought the country close to anarchy trampling democratic values human rights and fair economic practices. Awami League should let the country to return to political stability, rule of law, peace and development.

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THE HILLARY VISIT

Short-term prospects and long term consequences

M. Serajul Islam

There were no surprises with the way the visit of the US Secretary of State ended. The government’s efforts to give the visit a positive spin were misplaced. No TICFA agreement was signed or any security pact for the region. The request for duty free access of Bangladeshi RMG products to the US market was ignored. The partnership agreement that was signed was on the cards as it was offered to Bangladesh during the discussions of the US Assistant Secretary Andrew Shapiro last month.

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M. Serajul Islam

Nevertheless, the Government that was apprehensive that the Secretary would take a hard-line for the snubbing on the twin issues of Dr. Mohammad Yunus and Grameen Bank was relieved that these issues were not raised in the Secretary’s meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister or at her media briefing. Instead, there were some warm statements on Bangladesh’s performance on crucial issues of social and economic indicators of growth. The Government also received high marks for its zero tolerance on terrorism. It was happy also that the Secretary expressed some harsh words against opposition led hartal that has placed it in a very difficult predicament in governance.

Although the BNP was admonished for hartal, it was nevertheless happy because the Secretary made it clear that the US wanted the next elections in Bangladesh to be held in a manner where all parties would participate. She also urged the ruling party to hold consultations with the opposition both in the parliament and outside on the issue. The BNP has been demanding this from the ruling party and its current political agitation is to pressure the AL to do this precisely. She strongly urged the Government to ensure an end to extra-judicial killings and disappearances, issues that are now concerns of not just the BNP but the nation. The presence of Ilyas Ali’s daughter at the meeting of the Secretary with Begum Khaleda Zia was therefore significant.

Govt. worried

On balance, however, the Secretary left the ruling party much more worried than the opposition. Notwithstanding what she said to the government and the opposition, she visited Bangladesh in pursuance of her country’s regional and global interests. If she made any party happy or worried, it has resulted as collateral advantage or disadvantage in pursuing US’ new security strategy for Asia and the Pacific which was the real reason for her visit to Bangladesh.

That was evident from observations that the Secretary made about India while addressing the press and media after her official talks with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. She encouraged Bangladesh to tread a regional path in company with India to assure its future. To play that role, she urged Bangladesh to strengthen and consolidate its democratic roots. It was also in this context that she urged both the ruling party and the opposition to negotiate a democratic way out of their present impasse and hold the next general elections so that all parties would be able to participate. It was also in this context that she strongly advised the opposition to shun the hartals and return to the parliament for peaceful resolution of their current problems with the ruling party.

Powerful leaders like Hillary Clinton do not do anything without any reason. Their visits overseas are all undertaken in pursuance of the objectives of their foreign policy. These leaders, in pursuance of their goals, are constantly in touch with one another across national boundaries both formally and informally all the time. Hence the fact that the US Secretary of State landed in Dhaka two days after the Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and was in Dhaka at the same time as the Indian Finance Minister were not simple coincidences.

Corruption core issue

The Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Matsuya Okada offered to Bangladesh the promise of investment and economic assistance. He did not, however, do so without preconditions. He urged the government to enter into dialogue with the opposition to resolve the political impasse and encouraged the BNP to participate in the next general elections. He also did not fail to underscore the issue of corruption and urged the Government for showing no tolerance on the issue, underscoring the fact that Japanese laws related to overseas aid make it imperative that the process is free of corruption and is transparent.

In other words, he urged the Government in unequivocal terms that the democratic process in Bangladesh must be allowed to function unhindered. The US Secretary in her discussions with the Bangladesh leaders re-stated the same views as those of the Japanese DPM. Her words were in fact more focused. After expressing US’ choice on “betting on Bangladesh”, she said that it “must make the hard decisions necessary for the rule of law, for transparency.” She added: “We do not want to see Bangladesh flagging or faltering. We want to see democracy flourish in Bangladesh.”

The Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also followed the same line on the need to ensure the democratic way to function in Bangladesh without obstacles. In this context, he made two significant departures from India’s stance in Bangladesh’s politics under the present government so far. He met the opposition leader after mysteriously failing to do so when he visited Dhaka as a Special Envoy in February, 2009. Second, he said that India has no favourites in Bangladesh; that it would be willing to work with any government that is elected by the people of Bangladesh.

The main underlying message of all the three visitors has thus been the same. They have asked the ruling party and the opposition to patch up their differences and shun the path of conflict in favour of the path of discussion and consultation for resolution of political conflicts. It is this common message that leaves little doubt that there has been prior coordination for the three visits.

The interest of these 3 countries for ensuring success of democracy of Bangladesh has nevertheless a serious underlying message. It is not that these countries have in the past encouraged Bangladesh’s democratic process. They have done so in the past. The fact that their top leaders have come to Dhaka to deliver the message at about the same time is what suggests that they have their own common interest in seeing democracy thrive in Bangladesh and that there is an important message in their common support for the democratic political process in the country.

Geopolitical location

US officials depicted the US Secretary’s trip to Bangladesh that has been taken together with China and India as part of a larger US “pivot” for greater US engagement in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The main reason for this engagement which is in fact a new security strategy is the containment of China. Towards this policy of containment, the US and India have already entered into a strategic alliance whose details are being worked out. Recent changes in Myanmar have encouraged both the US and India to try and cut off China across the land connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia. In this scheme, Bangladesh’s importance has enhanced because of its geopolitical location.

Additional factors that have encouraged US, India and Japan to take a joint stand on democracy in Bangladesh have been the prospect of Bangladesh emerging as a regional connectivity hub as a consequence of India’s offer to help Bangladesh to become such a hub in exchange of land transit and security assurances. The recent gains of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal as a result of the ITLOS verdict have opened for Bangladesh promises of discovering hydrocarbons that have also enhanced the sudden importance of Bangladesh to the US, Japan and India.

Nevertheless, on the face of it, the Secretary’s visit should make the people of Bangladesh happy for she has impressed upon the ruling party and the BNP what they expect them to do for the sake of the country. The Secretary has not given the ruling party any assurance that it would use its influence in any way to help the Bangladesh government with its current problem with the WB over the Padma Bridge funding although it is not unknown in Bangladesh that the US Secretary could help Bangladesh on this count even without lifting a finger. She has thus clearly underlines US’ zero tolerance on corruption that is what the people of Bangladesh want. At the same time, she has sent a firm message to the BNP that it must shun the path of hartal which is equally another major demand of all Bangladeshis.

In the short term, the visit of the US Secretary of State therefore promises good omen for Bangladesh provided the ruling party listens to her. The fact that the Government would be seen to be accepting the demands of the opposition if it listens to the US Secretary of State however make such a prospect somewhat uncertain. The Prime Minister has shown zero tolerance to any demand of the Opposition thus far in her second term. There is however one good reason to hope that it would be different this time because the US has India on its side. The government would find it difficult to refuse India.

Dhaka’s concern

In the long term, there is however good reason for Bangladesh to be concerned. The eventual game plan here is to isolate China in the region and Southeast Asia. In such a containment policy, US have its global interests, India its regional and Japan its defence and historical reasons to get together. Bangladesh has none of these reasons.

Bangladesh has painstakingly built excellent relations with China that began when the country was just another developing country to one where it is today, though not yet given the Super Power status, more than one for it is showing all the potentials to overtake the only Super Power, the US, in not that distant a future. China has proven a very dependable ally to Bangladesh. By moving to the US-India security axis, Bangladesh would be wasting all the good work of its diplomacy and getting caught in power play involving super and major powers that would put our interests at risk.

It was not without significance that the US Secretary met Dr Yunus and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed after she had set aside the politicians. She wanted their views on our politics that she could depend upon that was no doubt a poor assessment of our politicians. Both clearly told the Secretary that the country’s future depended on holding the next general elections under a system of caretaker government. That is also what the US wants and with India with it, the chances of the Prime Minister acceding to hold the next elections in way that would bring the BNP to the polls is betting better.

The Secretary departed Dhaka reminding everyone that she “highly respects” Dr. Yunus and that she hopes “to see it (GB) continue without being affected or undermined by any government action.” Clearly, she did not abandon her friend Dr. Yunus or forgot the actions of the Bangladesh Government to humiliate him and discredit the GB.

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The writer is a former Ambassador to Japan and Egypt.

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AG office shielding police failure in missing cases

Faruque Ahmed

The spectre of abductions and missing is haunting the nation. Although the Ilias Ali abduction case and the recovery of the body of labour leader Aminul Islam who was abducted early last month and later killed at a place in the Tangail district sparked global reactions; some other missing cases are also increasingly causing more embarrassment to the government. The abduction of two students of the Islamic University is now attracting greater attention of the nation. The High Court last week responding to a writ petition had asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to appear in person before the court on May 16 to explain why his forces were failing to run credible investigations on the abduction cases.

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Faruque Ahmed

Surprisingly, the Attorney General next day took the matter to the Chamber Judge and obtained a four week stay on the HC order. The Chamber judge asked the Attorney General to file regular appeal before the Supreme Court to knock out the HC efforts to bring the IGP before the court to explain the ineffectiveness of the police forces to probe the abduction cases.

The HC sought the presence of the IGP in the backdrop of the investigation officers’ failure to show progress in the probe and especially in carrying out some specific instructions related to the investigation process.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General foiled the move apparently to save the police chief from being exposed to the failure and ineffectiveness of his forces. But in doing so, the attorney general’s office may have unwittingly also exposed itself to the blame game that all abductions are taking place in the country with the blessing of certain quarters of the government.

The abductions of the two Islamic University students who were going to Kustia campus from the capital on February 5 on a bus service has brought to light the involvement of DB police and RAB-4 as a report of the human rights organization ‘Odhikar’ was reproduced by a national daily on May 10.

The report quoted the supervisor of the bus as saying that the abduction took place at Nobinagar area in the outskirts of the city at around 1 am on February 5. He said a microbus carrying seven to eight persons stopped beside the bus and got on board. Some of them were wearing Detective Branch (DB) jackets and others were wearing RAB uniforms.

They picked up the boys from their seats and took them away. The supervisor said on query as to why and where they were taking them, they said that they have allegations against those boys and would set them free after interrogation.

But as they remained untraced in the following days; members of their families took the matter to the law enforcing agencies but to no avail. The Odhikar report said that the DB official Wahiduzzaman told them that they had no force operating on that day in the Nobinagar area. RAB officer Lt Col Abdullah Ibne-Zaid however declined to make any comment.

One of the boys Al-Mukaddas hails from Pirozpur who came to the capital from the university campus on February 3 to work on a music album. The other boy Mohammad Waliullah hails from Jhalokhati district and came to the city from the Islamic university campus to put some materials to printing.

The High Court responding to a writ petition on February 15 issued an order on nine officials including the Home Secretary, IGP and DG-RAB to produce the victims before the court in three weeks. On expiry of the date, they appeared before the court and said they had no information on their whereabouts. The court was not satisfied and ordered them to further investigate into the case over the next week. On expiry of the date, they again appeared before the court and failed to give any information.

On the latest development, the HC asked the IGP to appear in person before the court on May 16 and explain the police inactions. Specially, the court was unhappy as the investigation officers were showing indifference to search for them at the RAB camp as the complainant claimed that they were being held by the latter.

The investigation officer has also reportedly failed to prove the mobile call lists of the victims as to whom they had talked before they were abducted, newspaper report said pointing out that the Court had expressed unhappiness on the handling of the case and sought clarification from the police chief.

Meanwhile, the wife of missing BNP leader Ilias Ali complained last week at a press briefing that she did not see any progress in the search for her husband by the members of the law enforcing agencies. They have not contacted over the past weeks after her meeting with the Prime Minister early this month and felt abandoned.

It is a politically motivated abduction and an intentional act, she said pointing her finger at the government. BNP leaders from the beginning were blaming the government for the act and demanding Ilias Ali’s return.

However, analysts point out the similarities of the two abduction cases – Ilias Ali and the two students. The forces carrying out the abductions were travelling in similar microbuses and wearing the uniform of law enforcement forces.

An eye witness, a security guard around the venue from where Ilias and his driver were abducted and was quoted by news agency AP last week as saying that he heard screaming of the victim shouting for help. He saw they are forcefully packing them into a vehicle. These people left the place immediately leaving Ilias Ali’s car abandoned on the spot.

In many other abduction cases, victims’ families have complained of the involvement of the members of the security forces either in uniform or in plain clothes but RAB or DB officials had been consistently denying their involvement.

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Global ICT firms find Dhaka new outsourcing destination

Shamsul Huda

Export earnings from software and IT-enabled services (ITES) sector are increasing rapidly and a 76 per cent higher export growth has already been registered in the first half of the current fiscal compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

JP Morgan’s positive report regarding Bangladesh as outsourcing destination, low cost and inclusion of Bangladesh by Gartner in its top 30 outsourcing destinations are helping the country to get software export orders, said Mahbub Zaman, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

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Shamsul Huda

He said, many global companies are targeting Bangladesh as cost of software development is lower than in India, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries due to its pool of talented young IT professionals, aimed at digital Bangladesh, attractive software exhibitions and positive reports by some of the global consulting agencies.

Order will increase in accelerated rate if Bangladesh is connected with another information highway as an alternative way of communication in case of disruption or collapse of the existing connection with the submarine cable, Zaman said and added that it is important for getting software export orders as the buyers want uninterrupted communication and products within their framed lead time.

During this interim period, there could be terrestrial connection over air to create confidence among the buyers, he said.

To attract a good quantity of software export orders from the huge global market, Bangladesh needs to develop both physical and telecommunication infrastructure, the BASIS president said.

A Tk7 billion (700 crore) proposal is there in the government’s ICT policy but it is yet to see light of the day and in the last budget no fund was arranged. He demanded for at least 10 per cent of the proposed fund in the upcoming budget for ICT development.

For ICT development, the government has arranged tax holiday since 2001 and it would be continued till 2013. Though there is no tax problem now but the government should allocate budget for overall infrastructural development of this sector, an industry insider said and added that to make Internet use favourable and attractive, the government should reduce or totally withdraw tax on its usage.

In the ICT policy, the government is to allocate at least 1 per cent of the revenue budget and 2 per cent of the development budget as expenditure for this sector but the arrangements are yet to be made.

A software exporter, who is also a member of the BASIS, said that the proposed extension of the ICT incubator to Janata Tower of Kawran Bazaar in Dhaka and the ICT Palli (ICT Park) at Kaliakoir in Gazipur are yet to take place.

Sirajul Islam, research associate of the association said, in the last fiscal total export earnings from software industry was about $45.31 million, while in the first seven month of the current fiscal year the export earnings have reached $38.47 million, which is 76 per cent higher than the same time of the previous fiscal. He felt that the total export in the current fiscal may exceed $60 million.

Number of the registered Software and IT-related service companies has exceeded eight hundred and the number of the BASIS membership till April, 2012 are only 511; and out of them about 160 companies are exporting software and ITES to around 60 countries mainly to the US - through NRB linkages, UK, Denmark and Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the government is now on an average earning about $260 million annually in terms of exports and tax revenue. The software and ITES sector now employs nearly 30,000 IT graduates and professionals, the research associate said.

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CAPITALISM IN CRISIS

Socialism returns with a vengeance in debt-ridden Europe

The French people celebrate socialist François Hollande’s victory.

M. Shahidul Islam

The once healthy child of capitalism is getting malnourished by the day. In Europe, the socialists are exuberant due to one of their own having made a dramatic inroad to power in France for the first time since the populist socialist Francois Mitterrand’s victory in 1981.

The American capitalists have much to worry now. For too long, many American conservatives demonized President Barack Obama’s fiscal stimulus and health care programmes as the European-style socialist prescriptions.

Now that the European socialists are back with a vengeance, the US must recalibrate its economic and political agendas. For, not only France handed the presidency Sunday to leftist Francois Hollande, this week voters in Greece, France and Italy have also swung in favour of anti-austerity candidates.

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The French people celebrate socialist François Hollande’s victory.

M. Shahidul Islam

In Greece, both the centre-right New Democracy and a former coalition partners, Pasok, saw their support crumbling in favour of radical parties on the left and right.

More alarmingly, recent local elections in the UK have witnessed major increases in Labour Party votes as Conservatives and the Liberals suffered huge losses. The Labour Party has increased its number of Council seats by a stunning 50%.

Serious economic and political upheavals are expected in coming weeks as Hollande’s win reflects the rejection of the fragile austerity measures arduously crafted by his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and his European counterpart, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Hollande wants to allow government-funded stimulus programs in hopes of restarting growth, arguing that debts will only get worse if Europe’s economies don’t start growing again.

Critics however say his plans are flawed as they plan to generate growth by taxing the rich. They say there is no clear blueprint on how the 75-percent tax hike he is set to impose on higher income earner will translate into a stronger economy.

The new French President is mild and affable, but he’s inherited an economy sunk in debt and divided over how to integrate immigrants while preserving its national identity. Globally, the populist backlash against austerity, as was seen in the elections, could put new pressure on the euro, hence the global economy.

Hollande’s election and the gridlocked aftermath of the Greek elections represent a dual threat to a fragile political consensus that strove to save Europe’s currency bloc from an impending melt down.

Markets have already reacted strongly to Hollande’s election victory. In Asia, stocks plummeted Monday over uncertainty about Europe’s ability to steer clear of the massive government debt and the grinding economic stagnation.

Globally, the euro fell to its lowest level since January 25; oil price slid below $97 a barrel; and, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index plunged 2.6% to 9,134.26. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng also fell 2.4% to 20,582.24 while the Australian dollar slipped to a four-month low near $1.0111 against the US dollar.

The gridlocked outcome of the Greek elections compounded the level of uncertainty further; it’s being unclear as yet as to who can form the government in Greece and how long it may last. The expected attitude to the existing agreements with other EU partners of the future Greek government is another major concern.

Besides, France and Germany are at odds now due to Germany remaining focused on the already agreed austerity measures while the new French President being opposed to them.

Hollande wants to renegotiate the austerity deal. But Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government maintains that reopening talks on the pact — endorsed by 25 of 27 EU governments in March — would be impossible. Hollande says he will visit Germany next week for an emergency meeting with the German Chancellor.

Meanwhile, in the USA, the recovery in the jobs market stalled for a second month as the US added only 115,000 new positions in April and the unemployment rate still not diving below 8.1 per cent.

Over one fourth of the US’s trading being with the EU, the US has much to worry about the sea changes in the European political landscape (globalreview.ca).

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Pak SC issues judgment against Gilani

Jonaid Iqbal in Islamabad

Pakistan Supreme Court issued a detailed judgement in the contempt case against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. He has been held for being wilful, deliberate and persistently defiant to the orders of the Court.

Earlier, the apex court on April 26 issued a short order convicting the Prime Minister and sentenced him for about 30 seconds till the rising of the court.

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Jonaid Iqbal in Islamabad

Earlier, the apex court on April 26 issued a short order convicting the Prime Minister and sentenced him for about 30 seconds till the rising of the court.

Justice Mr. Asif Saeed Khan Khosa quoted poet Khalil Jibran’s long poem Pity the Nation in an additional six page note.

Justice Khosa was part of the seven-member bench that had announced the verdict, says that he is in ‘respectful agreement’ with the proposed judgment authored by Justice Nasirul Mulk.

Therefore we can assume that the main thrust of the detailed judgment is moral. According to some observers the court has stayed back against Gilani’s immediate disqualification.

Some experts have said: “The bench had treaded cautiously for not elaborating into the disqualification question. That way no one could point fingers at the court and accuse it of interfering in others’ domain.”

According to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui, the Supreme Court could not disqualify Yousaf Raza Gilani. “It is the Speaker’s prerogative to disqualify a National Assembly member.”

Yassen Azad, President of S.C. Bar Association said if the P.M. is convicted, even after his appeal, then he could be disqualified through constitutional procedure. But the Opposition of Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and Munawwar Husain want the prime minister to resign on moral grounds.

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Govt-opposition dialogue on the cards

Abdur Rahman Khan

Dialogue between the government and the opposition appears to pave the way for the course of politics to meet opposition parties’ demand for holding the next general elections under a neutral administration.

Diplomatic quarters have been suggesting commencement of talks ever since the ruling coalition and the opposition took diametrically opposite stance on the issue of caretaker government.

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Abdur Rahman Khan

Diplomatic quarters have been suggesting commencement of talks ever since the ruling coalition and the opposition took diametrically opposite stance on the issue of caretaker government.

Apparently influenced by the donors’ pressure, Awami League General Secretary and LGRD Minister Ashraful Islam has favoured the initiative for a political dialogue involving all political parties. He, however, did not give any date or process of holding the talks to resolve ‘differences’.

Volatile political situation

The political dialogue has to be held as it has no alternative to avoid an increasingly volatile political situation, he said replying to reporters’ queries at the parliament building on Wednesday.

When asked about the date and process of talks, the local government minister said, “Everybody will know once the process starts.”

Jatiya Party (JP), a key partner of the Awami League-led ruling coalition, also believes “it is necessary to hold talks before the next general elections”. JP chief H M Ershad on Tuesday voiced in favour of initiating national polls dialogues in parliament.

Responding to the issue of dialogue, BNP acting general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Wednesday that BNP was ready to join dialogue on non-party government either in or outside parliament if the government announces to accept their demand in principle. He said they have agreed to sit in a dialogue with the ruling party at any place. “But before that, the government will have to announce that it has accepted the matter in principle,” he said.

It is clear from BNP’s statement that they want a dialogue on caretaker government issue which the ruling party is still opposing on the ground that it had been scrapped by the court.

BNP also demands that before initiating a dialogue, the government must stop political persecution, withdraw fabricated cases against party leaders and allow the opposition parties to exercise their democratic rights without obstruction from the law enforcing agencies including the police and ruling party hoodlums.

Political observers understand that tiff and gimmick would ensue now centering the preconditions and agenda for discussion.

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SSS takes care of red light children

Rafeza Khatun is feeding the children at lunch time.

Abdur Rahman Khan

Maria, Rabbi, Jolly, Farjin and Bristy are some of the names of the kids getting special care away from their mothers. They do not know who their fathers are but only know that their mothers living in the red light area and two female teachers, who are taking care of them at the early learning centre outside.

A total 60 children including 35 girls from the red light area of Tangail are getting pre-school education and care at the early learning centre run by a local NGO in the district town of Tangail, 86 kilometres north-west of the capital city Dhaka.

For over a decade, the Society for Social Service (SSS), has been engaged in helping the God’s children, the offspring the women selling their body as registered sex workers in Tangail which now boasts of having the second biggest brothel in its territory.

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Rafeza Khatun is feeding the children at lunch time.

Abdur Rahman Khan

“Our idea is to eradicate the curse of flesh trading by rehabilitating the sex workers, stop new recruits in the business and break the cycle by motivating the inmates of Kandapara brothel not to engage their daughters in the profession”, said Abdul Hamid Bhuiyan, Executive Director of SSS.

After the initial efforts, SSS found it difficult to break the barriers created by local administration, the influential quarters as well as the political leaders of the locality.

It is an open secret that a big amount of money, about Taka ten lakhs go into the pockets of the influential people in the town each month through the agents and touts from the Kandapara brothel that houses nearly 900 registered sex workers. Since it is a big income, the people at the helm tend to patronise the sex business, keep it running at the cost of these groups of helpless women.

SSS tried to rehabilitate some of the women of older age outside by providing loan and shelter. But they were chased by their clients and the so called “Baboo” who exploit the woman and live on her income in the name of giving protection.

SSS also provided loans to the inmates of Kandapara brothel on easy terms that helped the poor women get rid of the exploitation of money lenders. They need money to maintain their livelihood particularly when they are sick or pregnant and can not afford to entertain clients.

Now, the SSS have revised its strategy. They have decided to protect the offspring, particularly the girls born in the red light area with a a big chance of their getting involved in this disgraceful profession of their mothers after growing up.

“We are working with the 3.5 – 5 age group of children of the sex workers by providing them care and education at pre-school. We have been also providing shelter to adolescents at safe home, giving them education and skill training so that they can rehabilitate themselves in a dignified life”, said MA Latif Mia, who is in charge of the children’s programme.

In two shifts, starting from 9am till 4.30pm, two female teachers teach the kids basic cleanliness, hygiene practice, and primary lessons of alphabets and rhymes through playing, demonstrations, acting and pictures.

Mirza Rafeza Khatun, a teacher of the early learning centre is treated by her minor students as more like a mother than a teacher. “Apart from all the games and funs in teaching class, I clean them by cutting their nails, feed the meal their mothers provide them. Many of them do not take food if I don’t feed them with my hand”, said the affectionate Rafeza Khatun adding that they are more vibrant, lively and emotional than normal family children.

When their mothers start preparation for entertaining clients from mid-day, their children are taken care of at nearby school room. The kids keep busy in funs and games, take meal in time and enjoy one hour break for sleep after lunch, a smiling Rafeza Khatun said.

“The SSS provides primary health care to the children free of cost but in case of any major illness the mothers are asked to buy the medicine”, she added.

After completion of the pre-primary schooling, some of the children get admitted to a regular primary school, also set by SSS in the area. Some go to religious school (Madrasa) as per mother’s wish. Some others are rehabilitated in the children’s safe shelter established at a far away village.

The SSS thus succeeded to bring the kids out their disgraceful situation, help them get basic education and rehabilitate in a normal social life.

“In certain level, we could break the cycle by creating a social support and acceptance for the kids who otherwise have been neglected and cursed to social crimes”, said Abdul Hamid Bhuiya.

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Tourism can vastly contribute to national economy

Shahabuddin Ahmad

The present government took some legal and procedural steps to develop tourism but the steps taken in the course of the last two years, have been rather skin-deep, to say the least.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism is a nonperforming Secretariat outfit. It has taken the ministry to conclude a management contract for Rupashi Bangla, a Government hotel, three years; there is no regular flow of travel statistics of Bangladesh and its earnings from the government agencies and the ministry is indifferent; the category of Shahjalal International Airport could not be up-graded from category two during the last 12 years; Biman, which was transformed into a company for smooth operation and for earning profit has failed to do so and a concerned minister said that Biman Board did not listen to him; and the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the ministry summoned the Chairman of Biman Board to appear before it but he did not oblige.

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Shahabuddin Ahmad

The present government took some legal and procedural steps to develop tourism but the steps taken in the course of the last two years, have been rather skin-deep, to say the least.

The National Tourism Policy of 1991 was revised by the present government in 2010. But what policy decisions were taken by the National Tourism Council, headed by the Prime Minister, during the last two years is not known to the members of the public and the stakeholders of tourism industry of Bangladesh.

The incumbent government established the Bangladesh Tourism Board in the year 2010 despite the fact that another government-owned body – Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), established in 1972 was operating for development of tourism in the country. The BPC was allowed to function as before. This duel administration in the field of tourism has made the Tourism Industry suffer as neither the Tourism Board nor the BPC is performing as is expected as government outfit. There is no planned growth of training facilities for running the tourism undertakings despite positive needs for trained manpower in the sector. As a result unplanned growth has taken place which does not help the trainees at all.

The Minister for Civil Aviation & Tourism is busy in inaugurating tourism fairs, food festivals, seminars on tourism which are mostly the functions of the private sector. The SAARC Tourism & Trade Fair which was organized jointly by the Bangladesh Tourism Board and the Export Promotion Bureau was also ill-conceived. Many stalls in the exhibition were found, either improperly decorated or badly managed and as such the country stalls failed to attend the queries of the visitors.

The country now is facing severe unemployment, housing, social and foreign investment problems due mainly to lack of efficient governance, harmonization of views of political parties and the lack of proper infrastructure and intolerance for those who do not agree with the government. If these problems and attitude can be solved through able political leadership with foresight, Bangladesh can benefit from its potentials and emerge as sort of Singapore in South Asia. Its strategic geographical location having sea ports, large waterways and land communication facilities could very well serve some of the countries of South Asia – Nepal, Bhutan and Seven Northeast Indian States bordering Bangladesh.

Bangladesh can become the natural leader in South Asia by developing garments and tourism industries and the manpower sector and thereby earn substantial amount in foreign currency a year from the tourism sector alone and secure employment of at least over a million people within the span of 5-10 years. Bangladesh at present spends very large sum of money annually on account of outbound travels by Bangladeshi nationals, but the country earns on an average a paltry $60 million annually during the last 10 years. Once Biman and other local airlines are streamlined, these earnings could rise in geometric proportion.

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The author is the editor of The Travel World

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Is Maoism a law and order problem?

Vidya Bhushan Rawat

The abduction of Sukma’s District Magistrate Alex Paul Menon recently by the Maoists has raised serious issues of crisis of governance in India. According to the Maoists, he was ‘arrested’ on April 21 when holding a public meeting at a village. The Maoists have demanded that about 8 of their colleagues be released immediately and operation green hut be stopped.

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Vidya Bhushan Rawat

It is a well known fact that a very large part of India is now under the Maoist or Naxal control but somewhere we miss an important fact of India’s ‘growth’ story which we have been speaking since 1990 in the post liberalisation era. Before India opened its horizons for the international brands and companies, the value of the areas where tribal were living was nothing for the big companies and government authorities as they were considered backward regions and none was interested to go there. We allowed them to languish in ignorance, miseries and humiliation. Our government never ever bothered to reach those zones which needed state to protect them, provide health care, housing and better schooling. Today, if you travel to these zones they look stark contrast to what you see in Delhi which we all claim is becoming one of the ‘finest’ capitals of the world, though with little ‘heart’. The problems of the tribal were aggravated by the greedy government officials who would never venture to those zones and forest department which is given the task of maintaining the forests actually exploit the tribal.

Indian state failed to work for the betterment of tribal. Rather than acknowledging the fact that it has not taken care of about 10% of its population which we call as Aadivasis, we made tribal like animals in the cage. The urban middle class go there on ‘Safaris’ to watch them naked and then comment on their life style. There were no attempt by the state as why people are dying of Malaria and other diseases in those regions. Now, in the post globalization era, these poorest regions of India have become virtually the most sought after areas. With enormous natural wealth in the form of mines, minerals and ores, the big industrial corporations are eyeing the region for their own benefits. The Indian state became a real estate agent and a facilitator to dislocate its own people and victimize them if they opposed acquisition of their land. India’s growth model became the death sentence for millions of Aadivasis and they rose up against it. Those who ignore these facts of tribal life must make a visit to Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand, Odhisa and agency areas of Andhra Pradesh and find out why the tribal resisting the state despite the power of Indian state.

The ‘Indian’ ‘Nationalists’ want the government to give the military a free hand to ‘demolish’ these zones. Well, the military is already there in the form of operation green hunt. These are the soldiers who are well paid and trained to fight the guerrilla war in the forest terrain. And they have played havoc in those regions as they go without any sympathy. For them, it is a war against ‘enemy’. How can a person protecting his or her land become ‘enemy’ in his own region? No army can win a war if the people have no faith in it. Indian army knows it well and therefore most of the generals were against war on its own people.

Often, we are reminded the example of Punjab and our security hawks want that story to be replicated everywhere. It is not possible. Much work was done to assuage the feelings of Sikh in Punjab. In fact, the congress party apologized too for the same. Before that, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi invited Harcharan Singh Longowal for negotiations which culminated in the famous peace accord which brought peace in Punjab. Punjab was never won over by army but by confidence building measures which brought Sikh back to Indian mainstream. Similarly, in Kashmir, it is the governance that would win us the day and not the army.

The problem with the ruling establishment in India is that it is playing a big mind game. It is not coming into picture but want to fight the battle by defaming a whole movement. Maoists or Naxalism is not going to end with so called ‘law and order’ game. They are political battles and without active politicization you cannot win a war like this. Where are our political leaders who can go to Baster and talk to Naxals or Maoists? When the government can speak to different terror outfits why is Chidambaram not asking them to come on negotiating table. But for that the government has to show its real inclination. Home Minister Chidambaram and his colleagues do not want to call this battle off because they have to push these greedy corporations inside the forests.

Has Indian state ever apologized to tribal for its failure to protect their interest and identities? Australia and, Canada could do so with special session of their parliament when they acknowledge the indigenous people as ‘first nation’. Have we ever thought of showing our gratitude towards tribal for preserving our nature, our environment and habitat?

The Indian state has gone beyond all their reach to get its big people released from the Maoists heartland. The negotiators have refused to condemn the abductions as they say the state agencies have indulged in heavy violence against the tribal. That is a brute reality. The solution to the Naxalism lies in speaking with the people in the region and sincerely talking of peace. When Nepal could do so with Maoists why not India? More importantly, when Indian government could speak to various Naga nationalist groups or Mozo-Bodo groups demanding autonomy in the Northeast, what is wrong in inviting to Maoists to negotiations? At least the government must make political effort. We need a political home minister and not a bureaucrat. Unfortunately, most of the South block today is being handled not by the political class but the so called civil servants and right wing security hawks who have failed to understand India and its vast diversity. We need a political solution to these issues otherwise today it is Alex Paul tomorrow it could be someone else and the Indian state would always be on its toes finding little time to do work for people. Let the government take initiative for peace talk and come with sincere proposal for the tribal zone. It is certain that Aadivasis too want to live in peace and develop their regions but they would definitely like their stake in whatever is planned for their regions. Any imposition of leadership and ideas from New Delhi would only be counterproductive and will never bring peace.

(The author is a senior Indian analyst and commentator)

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