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PDB faces 728 mw power generation
shortfall for gas crisis
Nine units shut or keyed down
UNB, Dhaka
The Power Development Board claimed that it faced with a
shortage of 728 megawatts in power generation for gas
crunch that knocked down a number of plants.
According a senior PDB official, they had to either shut
down or scale down operation of nine generation units at
different power stations across the country because of
short supply of gas.
The troubled plants include Raujan Thermal Power Station
in Chittagong, Shikalbaha, 2 units at Ghorasal, Sylhet,
Shajibazar, Haripur, Shiddhirganj and Ashuganj power
station.
The PDB generated on Tuesday about 3,500MW electricity
against the demand for 4,500MW.
However, experts believe the electricity demand is more
than 4,700 megawatts, but PDB is hiding the fact.
For the big demand-supply gap, the PDB and other power
utilities have to go for huge load shedding of about 1,200
megawatts to make do with the cut-down production.
The capital city of Dhaka has to experience about 800MW
load shedding against its demand for 1800MWs, resulting in
frequent outages in these hot days.
According to official website of Petrobangla, the
organisation now supplies 695 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd)
gas to power stations against their demand for 841 mmcfd,
which shows a 145 mmcfd supply shortage.
Similarly, the fertiliser factories are getting 289 mmcfd
gas against their demand for 233 mmcfd, leaving a supply
shortage of 65 mmcfd.
Meanwhile, another UNB report from Chittagong says one of
the two units of Raujan Thermal Power Station was shut
down completely while the other partially early Tuesday
due to poor gas supply, causing frequent load shedding in
different areas of the port city.
Power Development Board (PDB) sources said they were
compelled to stop power production in unit no-2, which is
capable of generating 220mw electricity, at about 1.30am.
The authorities also cut down production to 100 MWs in the
200-MW unit due to short supply of gas.
According to the sources, the station required 56 MMC gas
to run the station smoothly. But, since Monday midnight,
the Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd has been supplying only 20
MMCS for fuelling the plant.
Following the power disruption, city-dwellers are
suffering a lot while the outages also hampered production
in mills and factories.
BB using reserve cautiously:
Governor
Staff Correspondent
In a bid to take
precautionary steps for meeting increased payments for
imports of food in future, Bangladesh Bank will hold tight
the present level of foreign exchange reserve.
"Bangladesh Bank is using the foreign reserve cautiously
to meet the payment for import food, fertiliser, capital
machinery and power pumps. The reserves will be required
in future," the Bangladesh Bank Governor Salehuddin Ahmed
told journalists after a meeting with the high officials
of non-banking financial institutions at the central bank
headquarters in Motijheel.
Despite comfortable reserve position about $5.5 billion in
the Central Bank, the Bank has decided to borrow about US$
220 from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the
support of (Balance of Payment) BoP, replying to a query
Bangladesh Governor said.
"Today (Tuesday) foreign exchange reserve was US$ 5.6
billion, which is equivalent to import payments for three
months. The IMF loan would help avert unexpected pressure
on the BoP as the country will have to import of huge
quantity of food grains," he added.
When asked about the loan he said the government has got
better offer from Standard Chartered Bank than the Islamic
Development Bank (IDB) to take a loan of US$ 300 million
for Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
"Bangladesh Bank would hold separate meetings with the
individual banks to overcome the problem. The meeting
decided to form a committee to look into the delay in
issuing IPOs of seven FIs in the capital market,"
Salehuddin Ahmed said.
Dr
Tamim comes under criticism from Prof Anu Muhammad
Staff Correspondent
Leaders of National Committee for protecting Oil, Gas,
Mineral Resources and Power-Port on Tuesday in a letter
requested the Chief Adviser for relieving Dr Tamim from
the responsibility of Energy and Power Ministry for his
alleged involvement in the corruption.
The letter signed by the committee convener Prof Anu
Muhammad said, "The Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser
for the Energy Ministry Dr Tamim is working against the
national interest and serving the benefits of the foreign
companies. Even he is trying to bring changes in the
proposed coal policy to serve the benefits of some
multinational companies."
They said, "the Government has taken all-out preparations
to complete the third round bidding in quick time before
taking over the power by the next elected Government and
recently a group of university teachers at a press
briefing also expressed deep concern over Dr Tamim’s
controversial role."
The letter mentioned, "Dr Tamim formed an additional
committee to review the proposed coal policy only to serve
the interests of foreign companies and he is allowing
foreign companies for the exploration of some blocks
including 12, 13 and 14 instead of the BAPEX which is
totally against the national interests. Disregarding the
participation opportunity of the local companies, Tamim
also strategically is trying to allow the foreign
companies to set up power plants."
The committee said, "Dr Tamim himself is taking steps
ignoring the government decision regarding lease out of
some blocks in shallow and deep shore." They also demanded
investigation into the allegations of his corruption
involvement by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
BNP
will reopen its party office soon: Hannan Shah
Staff Correspondent
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser
Brig (retd) ASM Hannan Shah on Tuesday hoped they will be
able to carry out their activities from the central party
office soon, which has all along remain closed.
"Make preparations. It is immaterial whether or not the
unity in the BNP takes place; we will start our activities
from the central party office soon," Hannan Shah told the
party workers attended a discussion meeting on the
occasion of Independence and National Day organised by
Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the youth wing of BNP.
Calling upon the government to set free Begum Khaleda Zia
and Sheikh Hasina, Hannan Shah alleged, "many had wanted
to implement the so-called minus-two theory. But they have
already failed; rather in doing so, two essentials rice
and atta have already become minus from the reach of the
people."
Hannan Shah warned the government of delaying in holding
the general election and said of the government, "We are
peaceful and we do not want to create any chaos, if things
are going on smoothly. So ensure a smooth handing over of
power to an elected government by holding the election at
the earliest."
Referring to the demand for announcing action programme to
secure the release of the detained BNP chairperson, which
was raised by almost each and every mid-level leader
during their speech, Hannan Shah said, "We will free our
leaders either by waging movement or by legal process. But
firstly we will conduct legal battle."
Once the BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain
returns home, he will decide the next course of action of
the party consulting other party senior leaders, he said.
Hannan Shah was very critical of different decisions taken
by the government like taking loan from the foreign bank
with high interest rate and also of allowing Myanmar to
encroach on the maritime territory of Bangladesh.
"Our neighbouring country Myanmar is conduction
exploration in some 10000 square mile of Bay of Bengal by
encroaching on our territory," said Hannan Shah, adding,
"The people of the country will allow nobody to occupy a
single inch of the land of our country. So the government
must be answerable to the people in future for their
present activities."
Hannan Shah asked the party rank and file not to pay heed
to allegation against him of not following Begum Zia’s
instruction.
Speaking on the occasion, BNP joint Secretary General
Goyeshwar Chandro Roy said, "Those who are trying to term
me as well as Hannan Shah as the agent of this government
are bastards."
BNP acting Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed
accused the government of hatching a conspiracy so that an
elected government, who will really represent the people
of the country, cannot come to power. "The present
government is carrying out its activities under the
instruction of foreign powers."
Meanwhile, BNP will announce its programmes to demand the
release of the party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, after the
secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, returns home,
the acting office secretary, Rizvi Ahmed, said on Tuesday.
'The party policymakers will announce programmes after the
secretary general returns home. The party's fronts have
already taken programmes pushing for an end to the present
situation,' Rizvi said at a briefing at Khandaker Delwar's
house. 'We wanted to move the court for Khaleda's release,
but we no more have confidence in what the government is
doing with the delivery of justice,' he said.
Rizvi came down heavily on the government for indicting
Tarique Rahman, his wife and mother-in-law in false
charges and jailing the son of the party's secretary
general for 17 years. 'All these have been done to
demoralise Khaleda Zia and Khandaker Delwar,' he said.
'The charges against Tarique and wife and mother-in-law do
not have any validity. It is clearly false, fabricated and
aimed at harassing Khaleda Zia and her family,' Rizvi
said. The Anti-Corruption Communion on Monday framed
charges against Tarique, his wife and mother-in-law of
amassing illegal wealth and hiding information on wealth.
Rizvi demanded immediate withdrawal of all charges against
Tarique and release of Khaleda and other leaders.
Tarique's counsel Nasiruddin Ahmed Asim questioned the
six-month delay in framing the charges against his client,
saying: 'We are losing confidence in the judiciary.'
'My client has submitted his wealth statement to the
commission properly and they waited for six months hoping
that Khaleda would change her stance,' he said. Nawshad
Jamir, another of Tarique's counsels, former BNP lawmaker
Akhtaruzzman and front organisation leaders attended the
briefing.
Suspend
cases against Hasina until her proper treatment abroad
ensured: AL
Staff Correspondent
Leaders of the journalists organizations at a joint
protest meeting here Monday condemned strongly the
Sunday’s atrocious attacked on BSS head office building in
Dhaka by armed goons and demanded of the government
immediate arrest of the criminals and their exemplary
punishments.
"Terming the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) as symbol
of national pride and dignity in media sector at home and
abroad, the speakers said Sunday’s broad day light attack
on the BSS building in the name of eviction of commercial
establishments at ground floor was " virtually attack on
the whole media industry as well as the journalist
community".
They called upon the caretaker government particularly the
Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed to take proper steps to
probe into the heinous act of vandalism to trace out the
mentors of the attack and ensure their proper punishment
for the greater interest of the nation.
A large number of journalists working in daily newspapers,
news agencies and electronic media were present at the
meeting. Addressing the meeting, the journalists leaders
said organized broad day light attack by miscreants
equipped with lethal weapons on BSS at the heart of the
capital and on the nose of the law enforcing agencies was
simply unbelievable and astonishing.
CPC President Ali Abbas said "We considered the attack on
BSS office as attack on whole media and miscreants would
encourage to carry out such further violence on any other
media establishments or journalists in the future if the
culprits responsible for the crime go unpunished".
Swapan Dutta, Assistant Editor of daily Purbakone and a
noted poet said it was the responsibility of the
government to protect the image and dignity of the
national wire service by taking punitive legal action
against the mastans.
The leaders viewed that the attack was part of a well-
planned conspiracy with the backing of a vested interest
quarter to capture the office building of the BSS.
They said journalists would not hesitate to opt for all
means of protest even take to the streets by launching a
long term protest programme if legal action against the
persons responsible for the attack.
India
reintroduces rice export ban
BBC/ Bdnews24, New Delhi
The Indian government Monday banned the export of
non-basmati rice to control soaring domestic food costs
but that is not going to affect the already promised 4
lakh tons of rice export to Bangladesh, claim Bangladeshi
officials.
The decision, one of a series of measures to curb
inflation, was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting.
The price for exports of aromatic basmati rice has also
been raised to $1,200 per tonne to discourage exports.
The move could have an impact on rice prices globally as
the country is the third largest exporter of the grain, a
staple food in many countries.
The move is the latest in a series of increases in the
export price of non-basmati rice.
The price of such rice was increased from $650 to $1,000
per tonne in the month of March alone. India imposed a
total ban on non-basmati rice exports last October but
lifted it following protests from exporters.
India is the second-largest rice producer in the world. It
usually exports more than four million tonnes of rice a
year. The government also announced that it would be
scrapping import duty on all crude edible oils as part of
its inflation-curbing measures.
India ended its reliance on food imports in the 1970s,
largely to the government’s so-called Green Revolution.
But two years ago, it imported wheat for the first time in
six years following a significant drop in its stockpiles.
The government wants to avoid a similar situation for its
rice stocks. In mid-March, in an attempt to bolster its
stocks, India abolished import duties on rice. The problem
is an international one, as global rice stocks have
reached a 25-year low.
I
won’t eat in Bangabhaban if freedom fighters’ wards
starve: Akbar Ali
UNB, Dhaka
Chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC) Dr
Akbar Ali Khan on Tuesday said he would never take food in
Bangabhaban if the children of freedom fighters remain
unfed.
"On March 26, a freedom fighter’s wife had been in
Bangabhaban to collect the leftover of guests. As a
freedom fighter, I cannot tolerate such thing. If the
children of freedom fighters go hungry, I’ ll never take
food in Bangabhaban," Dr Akbar said in a sad voice. He was
addressing the premier show of telefilm ‘Sidr Tragedy-
2007’ at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Dr Akbar said the government is just like a ‘mother’.
"Then why the poor and the freedom fighters’ children will
go hungry?"
About the telefilm on Sidr, he said it would help the
people to know about the destruction caused by the cyclone
in the southeastern districts. Dr Akbar further said the
government has failed to take adequate measures to
reconstruct the infrastructures and improve the lifestyle
of the people in the Sidr-hit areas.
IGP
asks new recruits to be accountable
BSS, Rajshahi
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Muhammad on Tuesday
called upon the new recruit of cadet sub- inspectors and
probationary sergeants to be accountable for their every
work.
Addressing the passing out ceremony of 13 cadet sub-
inspectors and 85 probationary sergeants at Bangladesh
Police Academy at Sarda, he also reminded that there is no
scope of failure in performing duty.
IGP Nur Muhammad urged them to perform their duties being
imbued with the spirit of patriotism and remaining above
all sorts of greed and lust.
"Police have to play a pioneering role in protecting
rights of the women and children along with ensuring human
rights of all sections of people", he said adding that you
should be refrained from any cruelty and inhuman behavior
to human being.
Back Page
LG poll before
Nat’l
UP chairmen & members demand
Staff correspondent
Union Parishad chairmen and
members of Dhaka region at a convention on Thursday
demanded of the government to hold Local Government
election before national.
"If the local government is not strengthened it is
impossible to develop the grassroots level. It is possible
to keep law and situation under control by strengthening
the local government. So we want to see the government
will first hold local government election" they said at a
Dhaka regional convention to 2008 held at 'Engineering
Institute' in the city. They said that the past three
political governments had made them beggars in many ways.
"During the three past governments we could not work
independently for many types of interference and threat of
MPs and bureaucratis," they added.
They also placed a set of recommendations in the
convention and called upon the government to implement
those. "It is a long cherished demand and dream of people
from all walks of life including root level to establish
strong local government. Within few days, tenure of Union
Parishad will expire. So we want immediate election and it
will have to be held before general election," they said.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman attended the
function at chief guest. A total of twelve thousand
chairmen and members of Dhaka and its adjacent six
districts took part in the function. On the basis of
priority and needs, Zillur said the Central Government
will have to develop the local government first. "To
achieve the target of Millennium Development Goal (MDG),
the main task is to develop the local government. As the
local government has become more pro-active, it was
possible to rehabilitate the people at their respective
areas soon after two times flood and a cyclonic storm,"
the Commerce Adviser said.
Procurement
plan for Boro stressed
BSS, Dhaka
Economists at a discussion meeting in Dhaka on Tuesday
suggested the government for making a procurement plan to
ascertain quantity of the crop that would be purchased and
stockpiled during the coming Boro crop harvesting season.
They said decisions on volume of rice, allocation of
funds, amount of money to be paid to the growers, location
of procurement and availability of godowns should be taken
just now.
The meeting titled 'Bangladesh Economic Trend -Review by
Shamunnay' was jointly organized by Shamunnay and Manusher
Jonno at the Jatiya Press club with eminent economist Dr
Atiur Rahman in the chair.
Former adviser to the caretaker government Hafiz Uddin
Khan attended the discussion as the chief guest while
newly elected president of FBCCI Annisul Huq was the
special guest.
Economist Dr Selim Raihan presented the key findings of
the third issue of 'Bangladesh Economic Outlook' prepared
by Shamunnay.
Dr Atiur said a high-level task force could be formed for
assessing the country's food demand accurately. He
recommended for stockpiling 20 lakh metric tons of rice
for price controlling and said the government could
renovate the idle godowns of Bangladesh Agriculture
Development Corporation (BADC) and at the same time lease
private buildings for storing the procured rice.
He also suggested starting Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice
at union level for easing the suffering of the low-income
poor rural people and also increasing the volume of
Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme in the country.
Dr Atiur said, after the short-term measure, medium and
long- term plans are needed to be taken in the agriculture
sector for increasing the local food production.
"We have to provide support to agro researches as well as
increase investment and subsidy in the agriculture sector
for ensuring food security in the country," he said.
Hafiz Uddin Khan said mismatch in the demand and supply of
food must be removed for controlling the food market.
He suggested introducing food ration programme and
building adequate rice stock by the government to check
the price hike.
He said we should take a five-year development plan like
the past and the annual development programmed would be
formulated by following that plan.
Ban Ki-Moon lauds reforms of Emergency Govt
Staff Correspondent
UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon lauded the reforms
initiatives being undertaken in Bangladesh and expressed
the hope that this would render democratic institutions
sustainable.
Her said this when Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Foreign
Adviser called on him at the UN Headquarters in New York
on Monday afternoon, said a PID press release.
The Foreign Adviser had arrived in New York earlier that
day and is scheduled to Chair a Session on Poverty
alleviation and education on 01 April. He will also
address the Plenary of the General Assembly on Millennium
Development Goals in his capacity as Chairman of Least
Developed Countries.
Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury apprised Ban Ki-Moon about the
determination of the Caretaker Government to hold " free,
fair and credible elections in accordance with the Road
Map before the end of December this year", which the
Secretary General " deeply appreciated" and offered any
logistic support in this regard that the government may
wish to seek.
The Foreign Adviser strongly urged the higher
representation of Bangladesh at senior command level
appoint in UN Peace-keeping both in the headquarters and
field missions in keeping with Bangladesh's troop
contributions. The Secretary General responded that
positive consideration would be given to this request. He
praised the " training and discipline of Bangladeshi
soldiers and police on the ground" which he himself had
seen whenever visited peace-keeping missions.
Ban Ki-Moon underscored the fact that the manner in which
the government in Bangladesh is seeking to strengthen
democratic norms " can be example to many other
countries."
While apprising the Secretary General about the recent
political developments in Bangladesh, the Foreign Adviser
informed him that the government will organize a dialogue
with political parties on all domestic issues soon.
He added that people in Bangladesh hold the UN in great
esteem as a " custodian of international norms and
standards ". In this connection the Foreign Adviser alos
mentioned that there is a growing demand for trial of war
criminals, in which a popular sentiment has been expressed
for UN development.
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon accepted the invitation by
the Foreign Adviser to visit Bangladesh, observed "
Bangladesh is always very close to my heart". He hoped
that he would be able to make the visit within this year.
Effective
preparedness on disaster: Speakers
BSS, Dhaka
Speakers at a view exchange meeting on disaster risk
reduction have stressed the need for undertaking effective
disaster preparedness to reduce the losses.
They also laid emphasis on creating massive awareness
about disasters among the people, particularly the garment
workers, who are the most vulnerable to the earthquake.
Population Service Training Centre (PSTC) organised the
meeting in cooperation with the European Commission (EC)
and ActionAid Bangladesh at Meghastar Apparels Ltd on
Monday in the city marking the National Disaster
Preparedness Day.
The meeting was organized to raise awareness of garment
workers and officials to reduce disaster risk through
Mobilizing Communities for Disaster Risk Reduction DIPECHO-IV
Project.
The function, conducted by Ali Asgar Fakir of the PSTC,
was addressed, among others, by community services of the
PSTC Foyez Mohammad Mostaque, Rezaul Karim and Sanjib
Bishwas Sanjoy of ActionAid Bangladesh, production manager
of the factory Helal Uddin and compliance manager
Kayechuzzaman.
Mobile rice shops
launched
Bdnews24, Dhaka
The government on Tuesday launched mobile shops in Dhaka
and other divisional cities to sell rice at low prices, an
official said.
The mobile sale of the staple began in Rajshahi,
Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet as well, Sefaur
Rahman, deputy director of the Directorate General of
Food, said.
Rice would be sold every other day throughout April.
A kg of rice would cost Tk 25 and one can buy a maximum of
five kg rice, he added.
He told bdnews24.com that 20 trucks hit Dhaka streets with
rice, with each truck selling 3060 kgs of rice in the
city.
A truck in other divisional cities would sell 2040 kgs of
rice a day.
The move is part of the decision the Ministry of Food and
Disaster Management took on March 27 to rein in the price
of rice.
Crime
CROSSFIRE
Alleged ‘serial killer’ Taj killed in city
UNB, Dhaka
The suspected main hitman of the infamous Imon gang was
killed in crossfire during an encounter between RAB men
and his cohorts at Jigatola in the city early Tuesday,
official sources said.
A release from the Rapid Action Battalion gave his
identity as "serial killer" Taj Mohammad Ponir alias
'killer Ponir', 36, suspected as the main hitman in the
group of arrested top-terror Imon, recently brought back
from his hideouts in India.
Hailed from Srinagar in Munshiganj district, Ponir was
wanted in a number of criminal cases, including murders
and abductions, the sources said.
The elite-force RAB said based on the confessional
statement of Imon, now on remand, plainclothes RAB troops
chased a white microbus at Jigatola crossing because of
its suspicious movement.
"Sensing the presence of RAB personnel, the microbus
turned around and Ponir fired gunshots from the vehicle,
forcing the RAB men to fire back," its release said.
"He was caught in the crossfire trying to flee the scene
at about 3am and died on the spot," it added.
After the gunbattle, the law-enforcers recovered a pistol
and some ammunition from the micro. His body was sent to
Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue.
Ponir had started his underworld activities in 1991
through the killing of a man in the city. He also
allegedly committed a number of other murders, including
that of JCD Hazaribagh unit general secretary Shibli this
past March.
A case was filed with Dhanmondi police station in
connection with the encounter incident.
RAB-8 recovers 2 invaluable artefacts
A Correspondent, Madaripur
RAB-8 Madaripur recovered two touchstone statues of the
Hindu lord Bisnu weighing about 182 kg and worth about Tk
twenty crore in two separate drives in Kalkini upazila
under Madaripur and Agouiljhara upazila under Barisal
district on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off a team of RAB-8, led by major
Anwar-us-Sadat, raided Dhjee village under Kalkini and
recovered a touchstone statue of Bisnu (120 kg) worth
about Tk twelve crore and arrested a smuggler, Niranjon
Bakchi (50), son of Monohor Bakchi resident of the
village.
In another drive, a team led by Captain Saleh Uddin raided
the village of south Sihipasa under Agouljara upazila of
Barisal district and recovered another touchstone statue
(62 kg) of the same Hindu god worth about Tk twelve crore
and arrested a smuggler Aminul Islam (40) son of Abu Taleb
Sadar village of south Sihipasa.
Two separate cases were filed in these connections.
Terrorists gouge out eyes of BNP leader
UNB, Goalundo
Terrorists gouged out eyes of a BNP leader at Daulatdia
union in the upazila Tuesday morning.
The victim is Abdul Hamid Mridha,45, president of BNP
Daulatdia union unit and also a member of Daulatdia union
parishad.
Police said a gang of unidentified terrorists swooped on
Abdul Hamid at Alek Sarder para when he was going for his
work at about 9:00 am.
They beat him up mercilessly, gouged out his eyes with
sharp weapon and left the scene thinking him dead.
Hearing his cry local people rushed to the spot and first
took him to local health complex and then shifted to
Faridpur Medical College Hospital. Later he was taken to
Islamia Eye Hospital in Dhaka as his condition
deteriorated.
Assistant Police Super Mahfuzur Rahman visited the spot.
Police said he might have been killed following past
enmity.
Mother along with child commit suicide jumping under train
UNB, Jhenidah
A woman allegedly committed suicide along with her
three-year-old son jumping under a train at Barobamundia
village in Kotchandpur upazila on Monday midnight.
Police said the Syedpur-bound train from Khulna crushed
Tanjia Khatun, 22, and her son Santo, 3, leaving them dead
on the spot.
Reason behind the suicide could not be known immediately.
Student commits suicide
A Correspondent, Manikganj
A student committed suicide by taking poison at Hajinagar
village in Manikganj on Sunday morning.
The victim was identified as Sabur, son of Mojibar Rahman
of hajinagar village under sadar police station in
Manikganj. Sabur was a student of class ten of Basuddevpur
High School.
Family sources said he took poison as his parents impelled
him to study hard.
3 students face actions for adopting unfair means in exams
UNB, Khulna
Punitive action has been taken against three students of
Khulna University for adopting unfair means in
examinations.
A press release of Khulna University said Tuesday that the
decision has been taken at a meeting of the university's
Disciplinary Committee recently.
The committee has decided to cancel the second term
examination of Sujit Kanti Roy, a 2nd year student of
English Department, while all 3rd year examinations of
Golam Mostafizur Rahman of Pharmacy Department.
The meeting also decided to cancel second term examination
of the 4th year student of Environment Science, Isa Miah,
and not to allow him to sit for his term examination of
2006-07 education year.
Fake factory unearthed, huge electric equipment seized
UNB, Naogaon
A huge quantity of fake electric equipment worth Tk 10
lakh was seized from a fake electric equipment making
factory at Boalia village in Sadar upazila on Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of policemen led by
Officer-in-Charge of Sadar police station Ekramul Haque
raided the house of one Jalal Hossain and unearthed the
fake factory.
Later, they seized the fake electric equipment and
arrested electric equipment seller Ekramul Haque, its two
employees -- Sabuj Hossain and Sohel Rana.
The electric equipment include holders, switches, sockets
and plugs.
A case was filed with the police.
3 drug paddlers nabbed, phensidyl seized
A Correspondent, Sirajganj
The members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-12,
Sirajganj seized at least 1,000 bottles of Indian
phensidyl on Monday.
The team also nabbed three drug paddlers and a car (Dhaka
Metro-Ka-03-2120) from Goal Chakkar area, the western side
of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.
RAB sources said, acting on tip-top, the team led by
Delower Hossain, the deputy assistant director, seized
those drugs and nabbed Alamgir Hossain, 20, son of late
Ali Hossain, Fazlur Rahman, 37, son of Abul Hossain, and
Jahangir Alam, 20, Sahar Hossain, of Benapole area under
Jessore district at about 11:30 am.
Later, they were handed over to sadar police station.
Major Mostafa of specialized company acknowledged the
incident.
Fugitive convict arrested
UNB, Brahmanbaria
A fugitive convict was arrested at Dhamtali village in
Nasirnagar upazila Monday afternoon.
The arrested convict was identified as Borhanuddin, 40, of
Rajapur village of Sharail upazila.
He was sentenced to 16 years rigorous imprisonment in an
arms case and a robbery case by a court in 1997. But he
remained absconding since the verdict was delivered.
Acting on a tip-off police raided Borhanuddin's
father-in-law's house in the village and arrested him.
70-kg hemp seized
UNB, Moulvibazar
Police seized 70 kgs of hemp worth Tk 3.50 crore from a
truck in Jalalabad Gas Office area in Sadar upazila on
Tuesday.
On secrete information, CID police raided a truck in front
of the office at dead of night and seized the hemp from
it. They also arrested truck driver Abdul Haque and his
helper Saiful in this connection.
Editorial
Market Monitoring
Bangladesh
Rifles authorities have obviously been tasked with monitoring
the market for essential food commodities. This appears to be
the latest in the Emergency Government's initiatives at
controlling prices. The BDR high-ups apparently warned
profit-mongering businessmen and traders of severe
consequences if and when they are found to be responsible for
employing questionable techniques for maximizing profits at
the cost of the general public.
People are already reeling under the pressure of a severe
economic crisis. Worse still, they are a part of the global
order that has been hit by an inflationary pressure, food
grains crisis and rise in the prices of fuel oil. These have
conspired to make livelihood difficult for the masses of
people in this continent as well as in our Country. In
Bangladesh however, the problem is evidently not one of merely
short supply of goods and services; prices keep on rising even
if goods are available. By the look of things problems are
apparently being created by some traders and middlemen who
have established a monopoly on the market and on prices. We
have had our experiences of discussions with traders and
businessmen and with market monitoring before and all that has
led to further price increases.
The point of the fact is whenever pressures are applied,
traders and businessmen band together, stop importing goods or
procuring them from local sources and hoard goods locally thus
creating an artificial crisis in the market further fueling
price rises. The Government then goes for appeasement by
slackening its efforts at market monitoring until such times
public pressures once again forces some actions on the part of
the government. This cat and mouse game has been going on ever
since the Emergency was declared.
No one is questioning the efficacy of a free-market economy
under normal circumstances but right now we do not have those
"normal circumstances"; not when the entire Nation is facing
food shortages and unaffordable prices of food commodities.
Under such situations no polity can leave, at least, the food
economy at the 'tender mercies' of a rapacious and
irresponsible private sector; active government intervention
and control is mandatory and this so even in such large
countries like China which maintains strict control and
monitoring of markets for essential commodities. We absolutely
must get away from this false notion of a free-market economy
which allow traders and businessmen to hold an entire nation
hostage and which pushes people to the brink of starvation.
Employing the BDR, on and off, for market monitoring and for
running OMS programs is certainly not a solution to the
problem; the BDR is a para-military force organized for border
security and when it is employed for such purposes, it
debilitates the organization's ability to fulfill its original
mission and roles. The myriad of government agencies,
ministries and departments responsible for trade, commerce and
markets have all decided to go into hibernation as soon as BDR
and military forces began getting involved in tasks which are
not theirs and which they scarcely comprehend. Therefore, it
is a non-functioning government, its administration and its
bureaucracy who are also responsible for the ills of high
prices and uncontrollable markets and it is these which must
be revitalized to fulfill their tasks of maintaining an
economy that can provide the minimum needs of the people of
the Nation.
The Tales of Hungry People
The
Yesterday's issue of The Bangladesh Today carried two reports
on hunger and hungry people. In one of those, it was stated
that two jobless brothers were arrested on Saturday for
stealing boiled rice from the kitchen of one Abul Hossain of
bus terminal area under sadar upazila. The two brothers
identified as Joynal Abedin (35) and Aynal Huq ( 25) came from
Ulipur to Kurigram town in search of work and food. But they
were unable to find any work and arrange any food.
Consequently after starving for two days they resorted to
stealing the cooked rice to eat. The other report quoted BNP
leader Hannan Shah as saying that a hungry man is an angry ma,
so the government should take immediate steps to check the
price spiral of food items and solve the food crisis.
Burglary, robbery, snatching etc are nothing new in this
country where even many powerful, privileged and affluent
people also thrive on stealing the wealth of the state and the
people, but theft of boiled rice by two hungry brothers is not
definitely a matter to be taken lightly. Because, this
incident speaks eloquently of the grave situation arising out
of unemployment and hunger in the country. Definitely the
hungry people have every reason to be angry as it is the
sacred duty of the state to ensure jobs and food security for
them. The report mentioned above spoke only of two helpless
people who could not arrange their meals themselves, but it
could not give the break up of those millions who are forced
to skip nights without food. This scenario reflects the
failure of the state and the government to create such a
secure situation where the helpless people would not be forced
to steal rice to keep the body and soul together.
We hope that the people who are running the country will
consider Kurigram incident as an indication of the gathering
storm on the food front and the take some lesson from it to go
all out to resolve the food problem and people's economic
hardship before the hungry and angry people get impatient and
the situation goes out of control.
Analysis
Ending Corruption: Towards a
collaborative strategy
Fighting corruption and installing honesty is a
pre condition for good governance for ensuring human rights,
human dignity, equality and social justice and better business
environment.
Prof. Syed Ahsanul Alam
Corruption
in its all shades and color is the illegal tool of
accumulating illegal wealth depriving a person which creates
inequality and social injustice. Corruption destroys social
order, rule of law and all good governance efforts. Corruption
and the corrupts are the enemies of the people and the society
in any country. That is why fighting corruption and installing
honesty is a pre condition for good governance for ensuring
human rights, human dignity, equality and social justice and
better business environment.
Holding the first position in Corruption Perception Index
(CPI) for 5 consecutive years has tarnished the image of
Bangladesh, and in such a situation majority of the citizens
did not know what to do and how to start a fight against this
man-made tool of exploitation called corruption. Under the
previous oppressive corrupt governance and social system
conscious citizens attempted to raise voice against this evil
through the media or different civil societies organizations.
Today everybody including the Chairman Anti-Corruption
Commission emphasizes on the reality of designing a
collaborative strategy to limit this evil called corruption.
The following nonviolent silent strategies may be used to curb
down corrupt practices in every sector of Bangladesh.
Ending Corruption: Naming and shaming strategy
Naming and shaming can be a very effective tactic to eradicate
corruption in any country. Even in developing countries, where
corruption is accepted as a necessary evil, naming and shaming
tactic has been effective in recent years. In India, high
profile cases uncovered and actively reported by the citizen
action group have led to disgraceful dismissals of high level
government officials and even criminal action against public
figures. No such example has been set by the political
governments in Bangladesh in the past. But citizen action
groups or the media demonstrated ability to generate outrage
among the public that can be channeled productively to control
and eradicate corruption. Nobody can undermine the role and
power of media in the society for establishing good
governance.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness strategy among the
Stakeholders
Everyday policy makers, professionals, business leaders,
sociologist, economists and others independently generate
amazing number of ideas and thoughts. The reasons that these
ideas don't come to fruition is because like-minded reformers
do seldom collaborate to bring changes. There are a lot of
international and domestic organizations, NGOs, government
agencies, opinion leaders and others that are all individually
working on tackling corruption in a piece-meal fashion. A more
comprehensive approach to address corruption will be more
fruitful. Corruption can be marginalized if not eliminated if
all stakeholders work together in a coordinated manner against
corruption.
Ideas and thoughts are ineffective if not put to actions.
Unless what is thought is acted upon, such thought has no
value. What is important is the commitment of all the citizens
"leaders of respective fields" to take on the challenge of
ending corruption and to do one's own part to address it in a
collaborative manner. Corruption, as in all affairs in society
may be viewed from the two sides: a demand side and a supply
side. The demand side can only be curbed by reforms of
institutions, strengthened enforcement of law by a transparent
judiciary. As the owner of the country all citizens are
affected by corruption everyday, and as such they should
insist reforms of the legislative, executive and judicial
organ of the country. The stake holders of a corruption free
society should get united to raise voice against corruption to
curb the supply side. Thus the citizens will have to
participate in the battle against corruption and only moral
support to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is not enough
to eliminate corruption.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among the Civil Society
Citizens face potential corruption practically at every level
and every sector of life. It could be the local police, T.N.T,
electricity and water authority, Municipal Corporation or the
tax department. Government alone cannot succeed in combating
corruption without the active participation of civil society
and citizen action groups. Civil society is in the best
position to articulate the grievances of the citizen and
highlight priorities of action on corruption to governments.
Civil society can serve many important roles: as observer,
critic, analyst, campaigner, or protestor. It can create
public awareness against corruption and mobilize citizens to
fight against corruption in ways that governments cannot.
Civil society can also play a strong role to organize
campaigns against corruption. Center For Good Governance is
working with many civic organizations for capacity building of
such organization.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among Chambers and Trade
Bodies
As Civil society organizations, Citizens' action groups, NGOs,
media, and Chambers can play the largest role in improving
governance both in the public and private sector. Similarly
Chambers can be more active by organizing seminars, workshops,
round tables to generate awareness against corruption and
unethical business practice. Chambers can establish anti
corruption cell headed by a vice president with adequate funds
to establish liaison with media, anti corruption commission
(ACC) and other government agencies to combat corruption and
protect its members from extortion and corrupt claims. Mega
chambers should formulate code of conduct for their members
and put pressure on the members for compliance. Awareness
regarding code of conduct for members of chambers would have
trickle down effect on smaller business enterprises and so on.
Ending Corruption: Creating awareness among Private Sector
The private sector can play a more active role in rooting out
the supply side of corruption. It is painful that most
businessman and citizens looks at corrupt practice as a
system. According to unofficial estimates many business house
just account for it on their books "as much as 10%" adding to
the cost of doing business. Business leaders as well as the
government should take initiatives so that local and foreign
investors can set up business enterprise and function in
Bangladesh without resorting to corruption and extortion.
After 1/11/07 the present Anti corruption commission (ACC)
visibly started a crusade against corruption which may be
looked upon as a proactive move towards corruption free
governance.
For eradicating corruptions the private sector must emphasize
on internal controls and auditing mechanisms. Corporate bodies
and business houses needs to set clear and enforceable
policies against corrupt or unethical business practices.
Business house need to periodically train middle and senior
management on business ethics to ensure that standards are
institutionalized throughout the organization. Business houses
should change their mind-set to prefer managers having
comprehensive business education with emphasis on ethics. Any
business managers can not afford to be unaware of global
ethical standards for doing business in Bangladesh.
Conclusion
In a developing country for good governance the fight against
corruption is not easy. Bangladesh recently started a drive
against corruption. It is expected that the present caretaker
government, patriot citizens and other stakeholders will be
able to address the most difficult challenge of fighting
corruption. Corruption is a tremendous deterrent to good
governance and development, and its burden falls heaviest on
the shoulders of the poor people. An effective Anti-Corruption
Commission with strong political backing, can become a
credible tool to deter corruption. All concerned should help
the ACC to be fully operative. If Bangladesh wants to
establish corruption free business friendly environment, wants
to become a country free of poverty and economically strong,
where every citizen will enjoy his or her rights and a better
quality life, ending corruption is the most important need. It
is the responsibility of every stakeholder to respond to this
need towards corruption free, transparent, participatory good
governance ensuring equity and social justice.
No body will deny that, in Bangladesh the past governance
mechanism was far less then satisfactory. Many issues and
problems were barriers to ensure good governance, equity and
social justice.
Weak watchdog institutions corruption, political interference
in administration, nepotism, misuse of power, absence of rule
of law, non-accountable and non-transparent governments etc.
are the common features of our governance which needs to be
addressed on an urgent basis.
(Syed Ahsanul Alam is an Associate Professor of marketing at
the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh and Chairman, Center
for Good Governance. Fax : 880-31-2550872 or E-mail:centerforgoodgovernance@yahoo.com)
Real Chance for Settling the Kashmir
Dispute
Peace between India and Pakistan will give them de facto if
not de jure unity because it will restore free movement of
people and goods across the cease-fire line.
M.J. Akbar
What
do Pervez Musharraf, Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan,
Altaf Hussain (chief of the MQM), Asfandyar Wali Khan (leader
of the Awami National Party of the North West Frontier
Province, soon to be renamed Pakhtunkhwa) and influential
opinion-makers in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have in
common?
They have all come to a calculated conclusion: That the
Indo-Pak impasse over Kashmir is now seriously detrimental to
the economic and strategic health of Pakistan; that Pakistan
has been held hostage to the Kashmir dispute and it is time to
shake off the fetters of history and move on.
They may not admit it publicly, but it is likely that the
leaders of the Hurriyat in the Kashmir Valley accept this
privately. Zardari has told Karan Thapar in a television
interview that Pakistan can no longer be held hostage on
Kashmir to the detriment of its economy and defense.
Columnists in influential newspapers like Dawn have written
that Pakistan needs to break out of this suffocating
straitjacket and get on with life. India and Pakistan have
invested too much and too long in death.
This is not the view merely of an enlightened elite. The
street is also tired of a hostility that promises nothing. The
change on the street is reflected in an interesting shift of
perceptions. 2007 was a traumatic year for Pakistan; the
Afghan war had spilled over into the west of the country; the
people were livid with Musharraf; and the turmoil peaked with
the terrible assassination of Benazir Bhutto. But not once in
the whole chain of lurching, searing events was India blamed
for instigating any trouble. India and Kashmir were totally
absent from the rhetoric of the Pakistan elections, for the
first time in the nation's electoral history.
That old idiom has worn so thin that it can't be seen anymore.
The people know that their problems begin at home and must be
addressed there. A self-declared Arab friend of Pakistan was
telling me, with despondent acerbity, that the national slogan
of Pakistan has changed: "They used to say 'Pakistan Zindabad!'
Now they say, 'Pakistan se zinda bhag!'" Terrorism is an
internal threat, and far worse than any external threat could
ever be, for the enemy within is always much more dangerous
than the enemy without. The solution is not with us yet, but
it would be fair to suggest that the Kashmir dispute is over.
The mutually-acceptable future border will be the present
border: The line where the two armies ceased fire on the first
of January 1949, and which they have guarded with such zealous
ferocity for six decades. Six decades add up to two
generations of lost sisters, forgotten cousins, and a
relentless hostility that has aborted the potential of two
nations. Everyone has heard the question: Why do Indians and
Pakistanis get on so well in a third country, and how come
they do so well in a foreign habitat? The answer was always
simple: Because they were not living in India and Pakistan.
Over the last decade India has begun to make such jokes
irrelevant, but that is nothing compared to what it could
achieve in harmony with a natural economic partner like
Pakistan. It would vitalize SAARC, and set the subcontinent on
the long route toward self-respect. But of course the moment
has to be propitious on both sides. One of the minor tragedies
of the Indo-Pak equation is that when one side is ready the
other is busy, or seems to be busy: It is easy to manufacture
an excuse when you do not want to do anything. However, India
is heading into its election season just after Pakistan has
cleared its calendar. No one readily fools around with either
war or peace on the eve of an election, unless you have become
either careless or desperate. Delhi lost a great opportunity
when Musharraf was riding high; but even if high drama is not
possible, there can be forward movement on trade and travel.
But whoever forms the government in Delhi after the next
election cannot afford to waste time. Should those Kashmiris
who challenged India on the strength of support from Pakistan
feel betrayed or relieved by this swivel? Practical sense
suggests relief, because they were caught in a deathly squeeze
between quarrelling elephants. The idea of an independent
Kashmir was always a lemon; neither India nor Pakistan would
have permitted such a state on such a sensitive geopolitical
flank. Punjab and Bengal were divided in 1947; Kashmir was
divided in 1949. Those facts are unlikely to alter. The fate
of Kashmir may be settled, but not the fate of Kashmiris.
Peace between India and Pakistan will give them de facto if
not de jure unity because it will restore free movement of
people and goods across the cease-fire line. That is not a
small gain in a life that is finite.
Source: www.arabnews.com
Opinion
Wrong time, and move
Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's choice of time to wage war on
the Mehdi Army, loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, is
questionable.
The Iraqi government has barely restored some peace and
stability in the country; to start another battlefield now can
only be counterproductive and stir a can of worms.
Maliki may well view the Mehdi militia as outlaws bent on
seizing control of the oil wealth in the Basra region, but
there must be a better way to rein them in. This is all the
more important since Sadr proclaimed a ceasefire, which comes
to support the campaign to pacify the country and bring some
law and order there.
There is now fear that the fragile ceasefire will collapse if
the fighting spreads to other parts of Iraq. The Mehdi forces
have already seized control of Nasiriyia and fought the Iraqi
army in many other cities. If the fighting spreads even more,
all the measures taken so far by the central government to
restore a semblance of normalcy in the country are bound to
have been in vain.
On a different plan, having the US forces involved in a new
war front would surely frustrate President George Bush who
mentioned wanting to withdraw US soldiers from Iraq as soon as
possible.
The conflict with the Shiite cleric is essentially political.
It would be wise, therefore, to seek a political solution to
it, rather than a military one.
Iraq is desperately in need of peace and nothing should be
done, especially at this level of government, to worsen
conditions in the country. Particularly not when the
government forces are not doing too well. In a fight with the
Mehdi Army, the Maliki government risks losing not only
militarily but also political credit.
Bloodletting should stop. Mediation is needed to put an end to
fighting. Sadr proffered an olive branch; Baghdad should make
a similar gesture.
Source: www.jordantimes.com
Viewpoints
The
Shared Heritage of Globalization(s)
Young and Old
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may
be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human
beings'.
Rik Coolsaet
The
times we're living in, are not unique. Globalization is old
news indeed. Ever since the Great Discoveries of the 15th
century, the world has experienced a succession of
globalizations, sudden and brutal intrusions of unknown worlds
into people's familiar surroundings. But since 'short-termism'
has pervaded today's social sciences, globalization is too
often seen as a novel, late 20th century phenomenon, unknown
to our ancestors, thus making irrelevant reflections upon the
past in order to assess today's world.
Globalization has something of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
quality. To some observers, today's globalize world closely
resembles Voltaire's El Dorado, where Candide observed that
there was so much gold that no one fights over it and clung to
the precept that all was for the best in the best of all
possible worlds. Other observers - then and now - judge this
belief to be overly optimistic and desperately naïve,
emphasizing that for times eternal the struggle between have
and have-nots has constituted the very nature of politics.
Globalization, a never ending story
Globalization is as old as human history. Remember Stanley
Kubrick's movie 2001 - A space Odyssey. Globalization started
when the first tribe of anthropoids ran into another tribe of
anthropoids. The opening scene of this movie encapsulates the
essence of globalization, with both its opportunities and its
dark side.
Globalization is no constant process. It goes by waves.
Globalizations start, then accelerate, to be followed by
standstills and, sometimes, even by a reversal, due to diverse
factors, ranging from wars between emerging and old powers or
backlashes caused by widespread sentiments of having lost
control over one's daily life.
Actors, driving forces and characteristics of today's
globalization are strikingly similar to earlier waves of
globalization. Globalization is always characterized by the
simultaneous presence of two dimensions: a physical dimension,
being a compression of time and space - put otherwise: the
flattening of the globe, and a mental dimension, the explicit
awareness of the world shrinking, with all its opportunities,
but also all the risks it entails.
The same eclectic array of actors and driving forces over and
over again propel globalization: companies, individuals,
capital markets, states, ideas, non-governmental organizations
- and technology. They flatten the world by enhancing
interdependence: revolutionary advances in technology,
communication, transport and trade literally compress
distances and time, forge new interconnections between
continents, offer fascinating new opportunities for countries,
companies, communities, and individuals, and contribute to a
common heritage for all peoples involved. In his 1909
bestseller The Great Illusion, Norman Angell explains how a
shrinking globe creates common interests across borders:
'[the] complex financial interdependence of the capitals of
the world [creates] a condition in which disturbance in New
York involves financial and commercial disturbance in London,
and, if sufficiently grave, compels financiers of London to
co-operate with those of New York to put an end to the crisis,
not as a matter of altruism, but as a matter of commercial
self-protection. The complexity of modern finance makes New
York dependent on London, London upon Paris, Paris upon
Berlin, to a greater degree than has ever yet been the case in
history. This interdependence is the result of the daily use
of those contrivances of civilization which date from
yesterday - the rapid post, the instantaneous dissemination of
financial and commercial information by means of telegraphy,
and generally the incredible progress of rapidity in
communication which has put the half dozen chief capitals of
Christendom in closer contact financially, and had rendered
them more dependent the one upon the other than were the chief
cities of Great Britain less than a hundred years ago.'
But for mere interdependence to become globalization, an
additional dimension has to be present as well: the explicit
awareness of the consequences of the world shrinking, or, as
Norman Angell puts it:
'Banking done by telegraphy concerns much more than the
stockbroker: it demonstrates clearly and dramatically the real
interdependence of nations, and is destined to transform the
mind of the statesman'
In 1774, in the midst of a similar wave of globalization as
today's, Johann Gottfried Herder asked a rhetorical question
that sounds quite contemporary: 'When has the entire earth
ever been so closely joined together, by so few threads?' He
belonged to the new breed of cosmopolitans, being consciously
aware of thinking and acting in global terms. Cosmopolitanism
as the corollary of a shrinking world offers a mental map of
the globe as an interdependent and interconnected entity.
Whatever their nationality, all human beings belong to one
single community, that is to be cultivated. When today we
speak about 'our global neighborhood' or 'global governance',
we are merely repeating what the 18th century Philosophers
were saying - or Immanuel Kant, Norman Angell, Paul Otlet and
Friedrich von Hayek for that matter.
It is fascinating - for historians and archivists alike - to
go back in time and look how each time the world shrank
(1760-1790; 1870-1914; 1924-1929 and again from the 1980s
onwards) the same words and ideas of one common heritage of
mankind appear - to wither away when the wave of globalization
slowed down or was reversed.
Globalization is power politics too
The shrinking of the world entails a meeting of the minds and
contributes to a sense of a shared destiny. But globalization
has a dark side too. Globalization is also confrontation.
Contrary to Thomas Friedman's much acclaimed bestseller, one
could argue that when confronted with a wave of globalization,
the world is not flat, but rather resembles a white water
rafting race.
When parties of different size and strength encounter, power -
economic, political, as well as cultural - forms part and
parcel of it. The globalizations since the Great Discoveries
of the 15th century were also called by a less positive
sounding name: colonialism. The late 18th century
globalization enabled the British Empire to encircle the world
in a way no empire had ever done before. The late 19th century
globalization - also called colonial imperialism - turned
Europe into the centre of global might. The late 20th century
globalization was the fruition of the Americanization of the
world - but also showed a world characterized by the
widespread rejection of the United States, according to many
international surveys at the end of the 20th and the beginning
of the 21st century. The twenty-first century globalization
will be characterized by the rise of new global challengers
that will defy the West's political, cultural and economic
domination.
Each time globalization enhances the power of the powerful. To
quote Thucydides, the father of scientific history: 'The
strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.'
Consecutively, globalization has turned Portugal and Spain,
the United Kingdom and, finally, the United States into global
powers.
So it was in the past. The 2007 edition of World Bank's
flagship publication Global Economic Prospects underpins the
growing consensus that the 21st century globalization will
bring new actors on the scene. Once called the developing
world, the emerging economies, like China, India, Turkey,
Brazil and many smaller-sized are indeed rapidly becoming the
real engines of world economy and already have the key to the
world's biggest foreign-exchange reserves. Challenging the
long-standing Western ascendancy, they are transforming
today's bilateral economic world order, dominated by the
European Union and the United States, into a multi-polar one.
They already account for more than half of total world GDP,
growing twice as fast as the rich countries. Their ambitious
multinationals are rising on the world scene and are changing
in depth the rules of the game in all sectors, from steel over
services to electronics. Their rise is shifting power in the
industry away from first world companies. Increasingly they
join forces to form a pattern of South-South cooperation -
representing a potential axis of power that was lacking up to
now.
In the decades ahead globalization will shift the balance of
power in favor of the once dispossessed. But the world lacks a
mechanism that can accompany this global power shift in the
'next wave of globalization', as the World Bank dubs it.
Economic decision making will have to be made much more
representative than is the case today. The September 2006
decision at the Singapore IMF meeting to increase the weight
of emerging economies with just 1,8 % was all but a
revolutionary step. More will be needed to make the decision
making architecture truly representative of the real economic
might in the world.
Increased competition will accompany the next wave of
globalization. This will directly affect workers - blue and
white collar alike - by the relocations of multinational
companies. But it will also affect international relations.
For indeed, the increased need for raw materials and markets
by the emerging powers will create friction amongst themselves
and between them and present powers, sometimes to the
detriment of local populations.
Are the emerging powers going to behave differently than the
rich countries once did? Let's take the spectacular return of
China on the world scene. Without any doubt this has been
beneficial for the Chinese population. Hundreds of millions of
people have now left the poverty trap of 1$ day behind them.
The rise of China has undoubtedly also profited to the whole
of the Asian region. But nevertheless, the increasing presence
of China in Africa not only raises questions in the Western
world since it appears to support some of the most brutal
regimes of the continent, but has also built up resentment in
some African countries, like Zambia, where labor practices and
accidents in Chinese-owned factories have led to an
anti-Chinese backlash.
So, the jury is still out if the old and the emerging powers
that will steer the wheels of globalization in the 21st
century will ensure that globalization will again be
contentious or proceed harmoniously? If one looks at the
increasing North-South acrimony in the debates at the UN
General Assembly, the former appears likely.
Ultimately however, the way globalization will turn out to be,
will depend on the answer to this one question: will the
powers that be, now and to come, develop a system of Global
Governance around a strong and representative United Nations -
or will they instead revert to the classic pattern of shifting
alliances and confrontations, resulting in unpredictable power
relationships once again?
Should one be optimistic or pessimistic? The former might be
warranted. For indeed, some of the powers that be might turn
out to be multilateralists. China has never in its history
been a territorial aggressor. The EU has formidable built-in
barriers against a policy of international bullying and is the
champion of effective multilateralism. Ultimately the United
States too might rediscover the virtues of multilateralism, as
it has championed for so long after the Second World War.
Culture shock
If cosmopolitanism is the bright side of globalization,
polarization and a Manichean division of the world into an
'Us' and a 'Them', represents its dark side.
Globalization also entails another common reaction, indeed:
bewilderment. In the past, the intrusion of the unknown in
one's familiar surroundings has always contributed to arouse
feelings of puzzlement and uncertainty.
In a September 2006 New York Times/CBS News poll, just 29
percent of Americans said their country was headed in the
right direction. National gloom is not an exclusive American
mood however. If there is one feeling today that unites people
on all continents, it is their shared uneasiness about the
state of affairs, both in their own countries and in the rest
of the world. That was one of the findings of an international
Pew survey in 2002. The more than 38,000 people interviewed
were overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the way things were
going in their countries. Solid majorities in nearly every
country in every region surveyed said they were unhappy with
the state of their nation. Their assessment of the state of
the world was even more negative.
This bewilderment is the consequence of the rapid changes of
our familiar surroundings, due to many forces, including in
particular globalization. Man cannot deal very well with
complexity and chaos. So when society changes too fast,
feelings of insecurity set in. Often the closing of the mind
ensues and men grope, just like castaways, for new certainties
to hold on to: New Age, cults, spirituality, nationalism and -
often - religion. All too often these have proved to be
dangerous life buoys, steering people towards a mental wall
dividing the world in a protective 'Us' and a threatening
'Them', as Tariq Ramadan recently wrote, leaving no middle
ground, no room for nuances or tolerance. Global uneasiness is
the common source on which the populist right in Europe as
well as religious fundamentalism in the rest of the world
feed. They have the same recipe on offer: nostalgia for times
gone, simple certainties, distinct scapegoats and simple
solutions. They use the same rhetoric: Us-vs.-Them, thus
offering an apparent order in a chaotic world. Political
forces that capitalize on this stand to score. But as a
result, societies discover new forms of polarization, between
newcomers and native citizens, between Muslims and
non-Muslims. World politics discover new clashes, between
civilizations, between rising and old powers, between
have-mores and have-less's.
This global malaise the 2002 Pew survey highlighted has since
become intertwined with another mood in world opinion. To
many, rightly or wrongly, globalization equals inequality and
inequity. Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economics and
former Vice President at the World Bank, summarized the
problems of today's globalization: an unfair global trade
regime that impedes development; an unstable global financial
system that results in recurrent crises, with poor countries
repeatedly finding themselves burdened with unsustainable
debt; and a global intellectual property regime that denies
access to affordable life-saving drugs, even as AIDS ravages
the developing world. During his tenure as World Bank chief
James Wolfensohn repeatedly warned that 'planetary inequity'
was to become the major theme of the 21st century.
Most Western observers ignore the widespread feelings of
humiliation and resentment in many parts of the world -
directed against the West, and the United States in
particular, as the symbol of Western primacy in world affairs,
and against their own Westernized elites. Most do not perceive
that the quest for dignity constitutes its driving force. Le
Monde Diplomatique expressed the longing of African youth as
follows: 'Youth long for justice… They want to regain their
dignity and at the same time the explanation why the economic
situation is so difficult.'
In different international surveys, including one commissioned
by the German Bertelsmann Stiftung in June 2006, a pervasive
sense of global inequity seems to permeate world opinion.
Poverty comes off second most important global challenge and
poverty reduction is considered the prime objective world
powers should pursue. While respondents do not view the United
Nations as a world power now, many clearly hope for a more
prominent role in the future.
'It's unfair' has always been a powerful force in politics and
a prime mover for change. Surveys indicate that majorities in
all continents express the hope that their government will
distance itself from the United States. But this so-called
anti-Americanism is no rejection of the values of democracy
and freedom America stands for. It rather would be the
opposite. To quote the legendary U.S. Senator William
Fulbright, thirty years ago: people resent the arrogance of
power. This mood helps to explain why a leftwing momentum is
sweeping Latin America. This same rejection of power inequity
has propelled Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon to the stature of
the new Nasser of an Arab-Islamic national movement - or, for
that matter, Osama bin Laden to the new icon of the worldwide
t-shirt market. When people resent inequity, they are prone to
radicalization.
Global malaise and global inequity, together with their
corollaries polarization and radicalization, constitute what
one might call the 'rage of our era'. In this, our era
resembles the late 19th century, when the same global mood
brought about a strikingly similar wave of terrorism as we
witness today. Jihadism has become the religion of resistance
- an ideological role once played by Marxist Utopia. Then and
now, for each and every militant arrested, a new one steps
forward. For each attack foiled, a new one is being planned,
giving the feeling of a never-ending threat. But neither Islam
nor Evil is the driving force. The state of the world we're
living in is.
Conclusion
The next wave of globalization will be a wave of global unrest
- unless we can provide for mechanisms, both at the global
level and at the local level, to absorb the dark side of
globalization. Exactly as was the case in the past, the
stability of global society will depend upon the ability to
absorb this power shift and leadership challenge, on the one
hand, and the feelings of global inequity, on the other. The
exertion of power is indeed always accompanied by a
legitimizing discourse, so as to assure the ruler's primacy.
But when the ruled start to experience this as domination and
humiliation, then resentment appears, soon to be followed by
resistance. At one point in its history each globalization has
produced its generation of discontents, forcing the powers
that be to retreat or at least to adapt by sharing the
benefits of globalization more equitably.
The generational struggle we are facing is between the forces
of exclusion and polarization and the forces promoting
inclusiveness. Globalization enhances both forces at the same
time. Depending from the viewpoint, pessimism or optimism
might seem warranted. What will prevail? Taking into
consideration that history never repeats itself … in the same
way, and realizing that globalization is the result of human
decisions, one might refer to the late president Kennedy: 'Our
problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No
problem of human destiny is beyond human beings'.
(Prof. Rik Coolsaet is Chair of the Department of Political
Science at Ghent University, Belgium and Director of the
Security & Global Governance Department at the Royal Institute
for International Relations, Brussels. In this essay he
explores the next turbulent wave of globalization, its dark
side, the discontent it will create and the dangerous
discourse that must be changed.)
International
At least 461 killed
in Iraq clashes
AFP, Baghdad
At least 461 people were killed in week-long clashes
between Shiite militants and security forces in Iraq,
according to an AFP tally based on reports by security
officials.
Fighting erupted on Tuesday when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
ordered security forces to crack down on strongholds of
Shiite militiamen, mostly those loyal to radical cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, in the southern port city of Basra.
Street battles later spread to other Shiite areas across
Iraq, with the most fighting clashes in Basra and Baghdad.
More than 1,100 people were wounded in Basra and Baghdad.
Interior ministry spokesman Major General Abdul Karim
Khalaf said at least 215 people were killed in Basra and
another 600 wounded since hostilities began.
Iraqi health and security officials said the clashes have
left 140 people dead in Baghdad, most in Sadr City, the
bastion of Sadr's Mahdi Army militia.
More than 500 people were wounded in the sprawling
neighb |