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EDITORIAL
Whither parliamentary decorum
Notwithstanding the existence of a number of political parties having small following based on left ideology in Bangladesh two parties —- Awami League (AL) and BNP —- have been dominating the political horizon since the rebirth of democracy in 1991. This being the reality, either BNP or AL continues to rule the country by turns.
People today see not only a brazen display of narrow partisanship. The politicians of Awami League (AL) have got rid of the ordeal of lawsuits prosecuted by the military-backed emergency rule as the AL government-sponsored high-powered committee already recommended the withdrawal of 45 cases considering those as politically motivated. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was exonerated from a dozen cases. The names include those of the AL heavyweights. Reportedly, even Joynal Hazari, the former godfather of Feni, is being recommended for case withdrawal. Of the several hundred withdrawn cases none is from the Opposition.
Questioned why his Committee is dealing with cases of the AL leaders only, an irate Advocate Quamrul Islam retorted, “Have we sat here to withdraw the cases against the Opposition? This Committee has not been formed to withdraw cases against the Opposition.”
About a week back the Prime Minister suggested that the tomb beneath which the mortal remains of slain President Ziaur Raman lie in eternal rest are not Zia's —- it is somebody else's. In accordance with the Constitution the PM exercises the Republic's executive power; hence this crude unverified remark is unbecoming of the high office of the Republic's chief executive. Some Awami League leaders, even some ministers, are in the habit of hurling crude remarks verging on poor taste. The Prime Minister ought to have reprimanded them too in addition to refraining from such utterances herself. As per constitutional provision the PM may at any time request a Minister to even resign.
As per rule 270, a member while speaking shall not make a personal charge against a member, or the holder of a public office except in so far as it may be strictly necessary in regard to the subject-matter before the House; use of any offensive, abusive, vulgar expressions; shall not refer to another member discourteously in a debate nor shall he be permitted to use expressions which are unparliamentary in nature. Rule 271 says, no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any person unless the member has given previous intimation to the Speaker: besides, every petition shall be couched in respectful, decorous and temperate language.
There is no gainsaying that rivalry between two parties forms the nucleus of politics; hence contradictions and controversies are common denominators in politicking. Oddly though, at the cradle of parliamentary democracy on Albion's shore Britons witnessed political conflict between from Fox and Pitt and then all the way through Gladstone and Disraeli, Macmillan and Butler, till Brown and Blair. Curiously, they belonged to the same party having been on the same wavelength; but their disagreements did not exceed the limits of parliamentary refinement.
When it comes to dealing with Opposition, the decorum is pleasant.
In a two-party system as ours bipartisan governance can be of use avoiding undesirable squabbles leading to clashes. Under bipartisan system both of the major political parties reach a consensus on a bill, act, resolution or any other action of a political body. Agreement thus arrived at is called bipartisan if the parties resolve the desires of both parties.
In the United States, foreign and domestic affairs are inextricably intertwined. Since they are responsible to the electorate, presidents and secretaries of state must take into account public opinion when they shape foreign policy. As regards foreign policy, out in Bangladesh the ruling AL did not care a fig for not only disregarding the BNP representing some 37 per cent voters while formulating deal with India, it also kept the masses in complete darkness regarding the clauses. Bipartisanship is a process of foreign policy formulation that presupposes presidential leadership in the establishment of the overall parameters defining the national interest. It is desirable that the incumbents heed it.
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STATE OF UNION ADDRESS
Obama faces big challenges
on domestic issues
Barrister Harun ur Rashid
Obama Year One began with euphoria and at the start of Year two, the President seems to be angry with critics on all sides, his campaign magic bogged down in political hostility. He faces enormous challenges on all domestic issus including healthcare bill, and carbon-cut bill for global warming from the Senate as Democrats lost majority.
As he boasted to propose tax cuts for 95% of working families, Democrats jumped to their feet to cheer but Republicans sat quietly. Obama noticed it and said “I thought I'd get some applause on that one” from the Republicans. He has now hardly any illusion about the depth of the partisan divide in America.
Barack Obama has sought to revive his “change” agenda, imploring Americans who have grown sceptical amid anxiety over jobs and the brittle economic recovery to back his push to reform healthcare, rein in a galloping budget deficit and pitch the US to the forefront of clean energy development.
The President also responded to critics by redoubling efforts on job creation, packaging measures to invigorate business while directing billions of dollars of bail-out funds being repaid by Wall Street banks into the hands of small lenders.
In his first State of the Union address on 26th January, Obama sought to reassure mainstream America, caught in the worst downturn since the Great Depression, which has pushed unemployment above 10 per cent. He acknowledged the hardship being felt by millions, but said he retained confidence in the nation's resilience.
“I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They're not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for president,” Mr Obama told the joint sitting of the houses of Congress together with judges, military chiefs and a range of special guests.
“Some Americans are frustrated; some are angry. They don't understand why it seems like bad behaviour on Wall Street is rewarded [with bail-outs] but hard work on Main Street isn't; or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems.
“They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can't afford it. Not now.”
But he also conceded that change was not easy. Having been swept into office just 14 months ago on a ticket that pledged “change you can believe in”, Obama was determined to acknowledge reality.
“I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone,” he told his audience, which included an estimated 30 million-plus TV viewers. “Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is.”
Obama has been under attack since the shock loss of the Democrats' Massachusetts Senate seat held for almost five decades by the late Ted Kennedy.
As well as removing the Democrats' clear majority in the Senate, the win by Republican and former nude centrefold Scott Brown brought with it allegations that Obama had allowed his healthcare pledge to distract him from efforts to right the economy. But the President insisted he would not abandon his ambition in the face of escalating health-care costs and increasing numbers of Americans losing insurance cover. “I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber,” he said.
Added to this, the President raised the prospect of a new bill to cut carbon emissions, a tall order in the present economic climate, and a new push to repeal the law that denies gays the right to serve in the armed forces, which is certain to face strong opposition.
Early polls suggested that the President's speech had broadly found its mark: 78 per cent of respondents to a poll conducted by CNN described the President's speech as “very positive” or “somewhat positive”.
Despite his optimism, political commentators see the Democrats' path to midterm elections in November as deeply fraught, with the economy languishing. Nevertheless, Obama used the speech to recommit to tax relief for small businesses that add new jobs to their payroll, as well as extra help for families and students, and announced that he was directing S$30 billion already repaid by Wall Street banks to community lenders to help business and aspiring home owners.
He also defended past measures that, he claimed, had saved more than 2 million jobs, while laying the blame for the huge deficit - likely to top $1.4 trillion this year - squarely at the feet of his predecessor, George Bush.
Fiscal discipline also dictated a spending freeze from next year on many non-defence programs, with Obama pledging to repay over time the $1 trillion spent in last year's rescue of the economy. And in a further sign that the often-cerebral lawyer was courting popular appeal, Obama took a swipe at legislators.
“Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it's time to try something new … Let's meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let's try commonsense.”
Observers say that Obama would be rather a good one-time President than a mediocore two-term President and being a good one-term President probably sounds great to him right now. He said : “ I never thought the mere fact of my election wouls usher in peace, harmony and some post-partisan era”. It appears from this statement he is definitely running for the second term.
The writer is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.
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VIEW POINT
Indira award for Sheikh Hasina
has honoured nation
A.M.K. Chowdhury
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was selected for the Prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Award last year for her outstanding contribution to the promotion of democracy, peace and harmony. An international jury chaired by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh selected Sheikh Hasina to get this Award. Speaking at the award giving ceremony, the Bangladesh's premier said the most prestigious prize also greatly honours Bangladesh and its people. Sheikh Hasina said Mrs Indira Gandhi pursued a life dedicated to peace, justice, and democracy. Hasina said, as neighbours Bangladesh and India are committed to peace, as was also conceived by Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust (IGMT) organised the award which is accorded annually to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order. She is the only politician in South Asia to be awarded with such honour ever since the prize had been introduced in 1986.
Over the last 19 years there had been 22 recipients of the award which included former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Garbachev (1987), former US President Jimmy Carter (1997), Nobel laureate Prof. Mohammad Yunus (1998) and non-executive Chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates (2009). The prize carries a cash of Rs 25 lakh Indian Rupees and a citation.
The IGMT has never considered any other Indian politician now alive as worthy for the award; this means it felt that no Indian leader had worked for the promotion of democracy, peace and harmony as did Sheikh Hasina.
The Asiatic Society, Kolkata also selected Sheikh Hasina to accord Indira Gandhi Gold Pluck Award-2009. This award was introduced on November 17, 1984 and is accorded annually to individuals who play important role for the development of inter-culture co-operation or human resources. Former Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarty met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and handed over a letter from the Asiatic Society in this regard. . Olof Palme, former Prime Minister of Sweden, Mother Teresa, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Yasser Arafat, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, , Fidel Castro and Günter Grass received this award.
Mujib didn't get Indira award
So, it is our pride that our Prime Minister was selected for this prestigious award. It is a great honour for Sheikh Hasina and for the country. It is a matter of great regret that our nation's architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder president of Bangladesh, was not honoured with this award though there are provisions of giving away the prize posthumously. Indian Prime Minister Rajib Gandhi won it in 1991 after his assassination in Tamil Nadu. So, Sheikh Mujibur could be given away the prize posthumously. He might be overlooked by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Mention may be made here that there had been two wars between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue since independence from Britain in 1947. The struggle for self-determination and the rights of the shackled Kashmiri Muslims culminated in the armed uprising in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There has been regular fighting in different sectors in Kashmir. Some 70 thousand fighters of Kashmir have been killed during the last 20 years. Indian government can follow the ideal of Sheikh Hasina for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
As a secular and democratic country India believes in peoples' dignity and rights. So, Indian government can sign a peace treaty with the leader of Kashmiri freedom fighters like our CHT (Chittagong Hill Tracts) Peace Treaty. The CHT Peace Treaty between the government of Bangladesh and Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Shantu Larma, a tribal leader of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Sangstha (PCJSS) was signed during the first term of Sheikh Hasina's Government. Such a treaty will brighten the image of Sheikh Hasina and our country.
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VIEW POINT
Terrorism unleashed by 'Aatroshir Pir'
A bystander
Residents of Road Number 01, Road Number 01-A, Road Number 03 and others in the vicinity at Dhaka's Banani Residential Area have for the last few years been passing days and nights in hellish condition because of a reign of terror being perpetrated by the son of Atrashir Pir in the name of religion and politics.
Almost everyday at least one thousand people occupy all the roads leading to the pir's house located on Road Number 1-A; their job is to roam around, gossip and have meals offered in earthen plates. Heavily influenced by agents of the pir, thousands of people are directed to board buses to come to Banani from rural areas and donate money and costly commodities like live chickens, goats and cows and sacks full of rice, pulses, onions and other spices to the 'zaker' house on at least two occasions every month when people living in the area cannot walk on the streets, let alone move in their cars.
Anybody found walking in their shoes on the nearby roads is manhandled by the disciples of the pir. A few years back, one retired bureaucrat who had hesitated to wear off his shoes while walking in front of the pir's house was mercilessly beaten by the disciples. The retired civil servant was so shocked and humiliated by the incident that he had wished to commit suicide; advised by his well-wishers he however sold his house in Banani in spite of himself and moved elsewhere.
The multi-story house of the pir is like a fortress and nobody knows what activities are being done inside the heavily guarded house. The pir moves in a jeep that must have cost him— or his disciples — not less than Taka 7 million.
Among the rituals of the Zaker House one daily practice that annoys the neighbors most is a milad that starts just at midnight when people are supposed to be in deep sleep. The milad chants are broadcast in the highest possible pitch of sound through a number of megaphones that are pointed towards nearby apartment blocks and continue till the time of 'fazr' prayer at dawn. Many elderly people living in the neighborhood, who are suffering from different cardiac problems, have to spend sleepless nights and are too scared even to lodge complaints. Asked by one neighbor why the milad starts at midnight and why the megaphones are directed towards the apartments, one disciple of the pir answered: “Our pir wishes the whole area to be his own; so if someone who cannot withstand the mega sounds of milad is cordially invited to sell his property to our pir”.
Tortured by the nuisance created in the area, the owner of a house next to the pir's allegdly had to sell his plot to the pir at a throwaway price. The house is now used as an office of Zaker Party and for meetings and congregations. Banani residents are afraid that they would gradually be evicted by the intolerable furies, sounds and crowds created intentionally by the Zakerans — the way innocent owners of small plots are kicked out by the musclemen.
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LETTERS
Political sharks
Dear Editor:
Beware of man-eaters of the Sunderbans; also, beware of political sharks in the capital Dhaka.
The political parties and the MPs never talk about the man-eaters lurking in the big cities and in the urban and rural areas. Take one example; we are witnessing for several decades the privatisation schemes of the government of the ailing public sector factories.
Adamjee Jute Mills (world's largest) disappeared so efficiently. Once jute was our number one exportable item, simply disappeared from the scene. Now we read our newspapers printed on imported newsprint. Why the English-medium schools are so popular (and costly); and what percentage of Bangladeshi families patronise it, outside the big cities? What is this coaching and tutorial culture? Why are the teachers so busy from morning till night, and the quality of the examinees never rise?
Why the Mawa - Padma bridge has become a question of life and death for a particular political parties, and must be completed within the current regime? Find a survey report where the dominance of public policies is decided by black wealth wielders. Search for the Mammon worshippers and list them.
Beware of the snake charmers, backed by black wealth. There is no difference in ethics practised in the private campus and foreign degree touts, and the manpower exporters.
Remember Jim Corbett's The Man-eaters of Kumaon? Today we seem to have more man-eaters in Dhaka city than in the Sunderbans! Our pubescent politicians need vitamins and other fortifying treatment for reorientation towards the people, and erase attention on the self.
Awaz,
Asad Gate, Dhaka.
Bangladesh-India relations
Dear Editor:
Whether the government of Tajuddin Ahmed, Sheikh Mujibur Rahrnan, Kbondkar Mushtaque Ahmed, Ziaur Rahman, H. M. Ershad, Begum Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina, military or caretaker government —— every government which came to power in Bangladesh has tried its best to maintain cordial and friendly relations with India.
But for one reason or other India has always played the big brother role, influenced and put pressure on Bangladesh to uphold, fulfill and honour New Delhi's interest first and did not consider the interest, problems and difficulties of Dhaka. Today India is insisting on Bangladesh for a transit treaty allowing the Indians, Indian goods and commodities, arms and ammunition an easy and quick passage from one part of India to another part of India through Bangladesh territory in the name and disguise of Asian Highway.
Is it permissible, applicable or possible under international law, rule and regulation, under Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh?
Not only Bangladesh's trade and commerce with Nepal and Bhutan for want of Transit, but problems like our rightful share of river waters, our legal possession of Tin Bigha in exchange of our territory Berubari handed over to India thirty-six years ago, illegal occupation of Talpatty, maritime boundary dispute, BSF killing of innocent Bangladeshi people in border areas, smuggling of Indian phensidyl, drugs, varieties of products and many other issues are pending with India for decades together but of no avail.
Both Bangladesh and India are two separate, independent and sovereign countries.
The heart and soul of our foreign policy is “Friendship with all and malice to none”. It is imperative that our government and opposition leaders may pursue and foster relations with India with our equal status and pride as an independent and sovereign country. What is sauce for the gander is not sauce for the goose.
0. H. Kabir,
Dhaka.
Passengers face problems at ZIA
Dear Editor:
At the airports throughout the world probably no one has ever heard immigration authority dictating the airlines, not to let outgoing passengers report to immigration desk 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure of international flights. But this is what exactly has been happening at the Zia International Airport (ZIA), Dhaka. Airlines appear to be helpless at the newly introduced rule of the authority.
I was travelling from the ZIA by GF249/14th January on my way to London, Heathrow via Bahrain. The scheduled departure time of the flight was 2000 local time or l.t.. The flight was fairly overbooked. Moreover, most airlines are cash strapped these days. However, at about 1920 l.t. when I was being checked in, a group of 5-6 checked-in passengers turned up at the counter after being refused entry at the gate by the airport security staff, under instructions of the shift immigration officer in charge, because of their late reporting. I got startled. The GF traffic officer at first rebuked them for late reporting at the gate but later on pacified them by saying to go back and wait near the gate.
At about 1925 l.t. when I reported at the gate, I was also told to hang on by the airport security staff. They assured us that GF staff would manage the shift immigration in charge. At one stage we came to know that immigration authority told the GF staff to reschedule the departure time, which of course would have been unethical and a false declaration. However one of the GF traffic officers rushed near the gate and informed the security staff that officer in charge immigration has permitted the few remaining passengers to get in, but to our surprise they did not oblige and one of them went back to the immigration office for clarification. Any way soon he came back and to our relief, and all the six of us were eventually allowed to pass through immigration.
I suppose there could be only one reason of imposing such uncalled-for and unheard of restrictions i.e., to humble the airline staff or the affected passengers and make them to grease their palms. That is how the holders of authority in our part of the world behave and harass people. Thus airlines normally remain in tension regarding flight departure on time. Here it is immigration authority that has no other business than keeping their doors open 24 hours to the passengers travelling by various airlines, is putting the obstructions. The Minister for Civil Aviation and the chairman CAAB should address the above anomalies at our prime international airport and protect innocent air travellers from such unwanted harassments that tarnish the image of the administration in the eye of our foreign visitors.
Elihan Zakaria
Middlesex Tw19 7Ey, U.K.
Email: abulbmzakaria@yahoo.co.uk
Serving the people
Dear Editor:
While presiding over a cabinet meeting on Monday, 25 January, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the ministers, secretaries and public servants not to pile up files on their tables as she reminded that the present government did not come to power to while way time. She said, “We are here to serve the people of the country for their welfare,” also urging the ministers and bureaucrats to do their respective work with more sincerity, dignity and responsibility. We thank Prime Minister for delivering such a good speech.
For the welfare of the country, the opposition party alongside the ruling one must work together. Besides, the people should help them all the time. We also advise them not to oppose one another merely for gaining the temporary and earthly power. You should always remember the mode of governance of Caliph Hazrat Umar Faruq ®, the second caliph of Islam, and work accordingly for ensuring peace to all.
Habibur Rashid Ismail,
Chittagong.
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