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Leading News
EC to sit with BNP's rebel faction
on April 27
Take necessary action, Khaleda Zia asks her
counsels
Taib Ahmed & Firoz Mamun
The Election Commission once again on Tuesday invited the
Saifur-Hafiz faction for the EC-BNP electoral talks
disregarding the letter of five standing committee members
of the party.
The EC on Tuesday afternoon through its special emissary
sent the letter to Banani residence of the acting
Secretary General of the reformist faction, Maj (retd)
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed inviting his faction to the electoral
talks on April 27.
Justifying the EC decision to invite Hafiz, the CEC said,
"We had earlier invited Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed to
dialogue scheduled for November 22, 2007, but the dialogue
could not be held as the other faction moved to the court
and obtained stay order. However, the High Court on April
10 vacated the stay rejecting the writ and now we are free
to invite him."
"I am hopeful of wrapping up the dialogues with political
parties by holding dialogue with BNP on April 27," Huda
said. In response to a question, he said the EC will hold
dialogue with BNP once, although it held dialogue with
other 16 political parties twice.
The BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain heavily
come down on the EC alleging the EC is hatching a
conspiracy to joining hands with the government aiming at
forming a government of "stooges" through holding a
farcical election with the participation of loyalists to
this government.
Khandoker Delwar Hossain also alleged that a certain
quarter is threatening party standing committee members,
its ex-MPs as was as well as other party men to work in
favour of the faction led by Saifur-Hafiz.
In reply to a question, the BNP Secretary General said the
party is working out plans on how to give an "effective
and realistic" programme soon to free the detained
Chairperson."
Meanwhile, the loyalist faction of BNP is going to sit
with the advisers in the pre-dialogue at 5.00pm today
(Wednesday) at state guest house Meghna.
"The EC decision has not stunned us at all as from the
very beginning the EC is working in line with the blue
print of a certain quarter," Delwar Hossain was quoted to
have said this by BNP acting Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir
Rizvi Ahmed while talking to The Bangladesh Today.
Meanwhile, the detained BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia
has asked the party leaders as well as her counsels to
take necessary action against EC's decision to invite
Hafiz to the EC-BNP dialogue.
Begum Zia on Tuesday gave this instruction when two
counsels -Barrister Nawshad Zamir and Adv Masud Uddin
Taluker -met her at the specialized sub-jail in the
parliament complex.
"Begum Zia was shocked at the HC decision to discharge her
writ against the EC. She further asked us to be prepared
for taking necessary legal action if the EC once again
invites Hafiz," Masud told waiting newsmen at sub-jail
gate after holding two-hour-long meeting with Begum Zia.
Two lawyers entered the sub-jail at 4.50 pm.
However, talking to The Bangladesh Today, Nawshad Zamir
said, "As the previous writ was discharged by the HC, we
would not go for filing any further writ. We are looking
for other options." In reply to a question, he said, "We
might go to the civil court to secure justice."
Referring to the much-talked-about reforms in BNP, Zamir
said, "Begum Zia is in favour of party reforms and she
today (Tuesday) categorically announced that necessary
reforms must be carried out in her party as well as in the
party constitution."
On the other hand soon after receiving the EC's letter,
Hafiz called an impromptu press briefing at his Banani
residence. Hailing the EC's decision, Hafiz said, "The EC
has not invited me; rather it has invited the BNP and the
letter was addressed to the right person."
"We will sit with the senior party leaders soon and will
try to take the senior leaders of our rival faction along
with us in the dialogue with the EC," Hafiz said.
Free Hasina to make official dialogue successful: AL
Staff Correspondent
Unconditional release of detained Awami League president
Sheikh would be a pre-condition to make the upcoming
dialogue between the Caretaker Government and political
parties successful.
This was stated by the AL Leaders at a post- 'Hunger
Strike' meeting of Bangladesh Muktijuddha Janata League (BMJL)
at Bangbandhu Avenue's AL Central Office on Tuesday with
its president Sirajul Islam in the chair.
Terming the prevailing overall situation of the country as
very critical in the history of Bangladesh, AL leaders
said, "About 15 months have passed; the incumbent
government failed to achieve any of its goals and resolve
any crises - including arresting the price spiral of
essentials till date. It's quite impossible to overcome
the existing problems without any political government.
The government should handover the state-power to the
elected representatives through ensuring a free, fair and
credible general election as early as possible."
Addressing the meeting, AL presidium member Amir Hossain
Amu said, "The Present government absolutely failed to run
the country and to give anything good for mass-people;
rather it has increased sufferings of common men. During
this critical juncture, Hasina's release is a must to save
the country."
Another AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta said,
"Crises prevail in all sectors, including political and
socio-economic, at the changed circumstances. The present
political situation of the country is absolutely unstable.
People are confused as well as in doubt regarding the
election."
Demanding the date for national election within the
stipulated timeframe of the Election Commission, the
veteran AL lawyer said, "There is no alternative but to
hold election within the shortest possible time. With
regards to the present national and international
perspectives, holding general election is a must for
Bangladesh."
Colonel (Retd) Faruk Khan blasted the Government for its
failure to combat corruption at present saying, "The
Chairman of TIB - who works with the corruption reports
across the country -mentioned in his report that
corruption has increased in the country during the regime
of this interim Caretaker Government."
Referring to the 'Women Development Policy 2008', the
ex-AL lawmaker said, "The army-backed Government is
working to enact a 'Women Development Policy' violating
the rules of the Constitution as its foremost
responsibility is to handover the power to a elected
government after a free, fair and credible national
election."
Govt-political
parties formal dialogue uncertain within this month
It's very difficult to spell out appropriate timeframe:
General Quader
UNB, Dhaka
Uncertainty looms large over holding the planned formal
dialogue between the caretaker government and political
parties within this month, meant for making a way out of
the blind alley the nation appears to be stranded in.
Talking to reporters at his office on Tuesday,
Communications Advisor Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader said
it is very difficult to spell out an appropriate timeframe
for starting the formal dialogue with the political
parties.
"It is not possible to say formal dialogue would start by
this month and it is not also possible to tell you that
dialogue would not start this month," he said, striking a
note of equivocation.
Earlier, General Quader, LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal and
Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur-the trio who are
holding regular pre-dialogue interactions with the
political parties-had said the formal dialogue between the
two sides would kick off within this month. Responding to
a query about public doubt over the holding of elections
as per announced electoral roadmap, the Advisor said the
government has nothing to do if people don't believe that
the polls would be held within the announced timeline.
Asked about remarks of new US Ambassador to Bangladesh
James F Moriarty that it would be extremely difficult to
hold credible elections under the state of emergency,
Quader said that the envoy expressed his personal opinion.
He, however, said that the caretaker government is
considering lifting the state of emergency.
To another question as to whether the BNP loyal to Khaleda
Zia would be invited to pre-dialogue talks, he said the
government already has contacted the BNP leaders and now
they are to inform the government negotiators when they
would sit.
Hot
spell to continue for two, three days
Serious nor'wester or tornado may hit country soon
Staff Correspondent
People's sufferings across the country especially city
dwellers, may intensify further as Met office cautioned
there is no possibility to fall of temperature within the
next two or three days.
"The hot spell now sweeping the country will continue for
more two or three days, the country may even experience
highest 42.0 degree Celsius in the next month and witness
severe nor'westers or tornados after the fall of the high
temperature. We are expecting the rain to take place
within four or five days then the present heat wave would
disappear" Weather Specialists told The Bangladesh Today
on Tuesday.
Ongoing heat wave, scorching sun, sultry weather coupled
with erratic power outage has made the people's life
unbearable in and outside the residence.
The weather expert said the on going heat wave may
continue more than the previous year. "Following a low
pressure formed over China Sea, Bangladesh and its
adjoining areas are experiencing simmering hot spell and
all clouds from the south east region are moving towards
the sea. As a result, there is no rainfall over the
region," the expert said adding the country usually
experiences hot spell during this month.
"And this heat wave will continue to sweep the Rajshahi
division, Ishwardi region and Khulna division as well as
across the country. Only with the monsoon setting in fully
the current spell of heat wave would disappear," he added.
The mercury rose to highest40.02 degree Celsius in
Rangamati on Tuesday and the lowest 22.06 degree Celsius
was recorded at Srimangal. The capital Dhaka experienced
36.09 degree Celsius, Chittagong 34.0 degree Celsius,
Rajshahi 39.0 degree Celsius, Khulna 38.0 degree Celsius,
Barisal 36.0 degree Celsius and Sylhet 36.0 degree
Celsius.
Meanwhile, more people fell sick on Tuesday due to on
going heat wave now sweeping the country. Many people,
mostly old men and children, were admitted to different
hospitals and clinics following sunstroke as an unbearably
hot and humid weather persisted in the country for last
few days. The people of the south-eastern region are also
the worst sufferers. People of char areas in Padma, Meghna,
Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers are facing a terrible
situation.
Unfit
vehicles causing accidents, traffic jams and pollution
Staff Correspondent
Braving drive against faulty transports, hundreds of
vehicles which don't have fitness certificate are now
plying the city streets under the very nose of concerned
authorities despite taking various measures to prevent
such trend leading to serious traffic jams, accident and
pollution everyday.
"Around one lakh 50 thousand vehicles including 3668 buses
are running in the capital. Of them around 20 thousand
vehicles have no road permits or fitness certificates due
to some complications. These vehicles are running on the
city streets without any restrictions, creating accidents
and polluting the air alarmingly," a source in the
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said.
Talking to this correspondent BRTA Chairman Sunil Kanti
Bose categorically blamed the law enforcers for not taking
action against those vehicles.
"It is not possible for us alone to root out the anomalies
if the law enforcers specially traffic police assigned to
check faulty transports, do not do their job dutifully. On
the other hand, instead of taking action against the
automobiles, they collect toll from the bus drivers or
conductors in the name of checking documents" the BRTA
Chairman added.
When asked about the drive, he said mobile court led by
BRTA magistrate is conducting checks four days in a week
in a bid to take action against the faulty automobiles.
"Since October 2007 till date our team seized 86 vehicles
from different places in the city. Besides at least 1487
cases were filed in this connection so far," he said.
Replying to a query whether the officials and employees of
BRTA are involved in providing fitness certificates to the
faulty transports, he said, "I am not denying the
allegation. But departmental punishment is being taken
against them."
While the BRTA and city dwellers alleged that taking bribe
from the faulty transport drivers the traffic police are
encouraging them to ply such vehicles, Jasimuddin Joint
Commissioner of traffic police told The Bangladesh Today
that "I will give you Tk 25 thousand as reward if you can
prove any traffic sergeant is engaged in collecting toll
in the name of checking fitness certificates of vehicles."
It may be pointed out that a section of corrupt BRTA
officials are engaged in producing fake fitness
certificates and registrations to the transport owners.
"No initiative will be able to free the city from faulty
and unfit vehicles as both officials of BRTA and traffic
police are involved in corruption. Before taking action
against the faulty transports, action should be taken
against those who are encouraging the plying of these
types of automobiles," a source in BRTA said.
"We have only 300 employees across the country. Due to the
shortage of manpower, we cannot take any steps against
these vehicles and also its owners. A section of dishonest
BRTA officials issue fitness certificate of unfit vehicles
in exchange for money. In a bid to prevent the crime,
members of different law enforcing agencies should come
forward with us and take result oriented steps against
them, Humayon Rashid Khalifa, Director of BRTA said.
The city dwellers observed that increase of passenger bus,
private cars, rickshaws and other vehicles are the main
cause of traffic jam. Besides, random parking of cars and
other vehicles in the city streets is another reason of
it. A traffic police said lack of knowledge of traffic law
is one of the main causes of traffic jam as the
rickshaw-pullers and bus drivers do not follow the traffic
rules. The commuters frequently complain that the traffic
police themselves create traffic jams by stopping vehicles
here and there to exact bribes on the plea of checking
documents.
Shopping complexes are one of the serious causes of
traffic jam as most of these do not have car parking
facilities. Consequently, the customers are compelled to
park their cars on the busy streets. The patients are the
worst sufferers of the traffic jam as the ambulance
carrying them fail to reach the clinics and hospitals on
time as a result of which the critically ill patients die
on the way before getting any treatment. The second worst
sufferers are the students and office goers who cannot
reach their destinations even after getting out of their
abodes two hours earlier. The government has taken up
multiple plans to ease the traffic congestion including
construction of flyovers, which have presently become
another cause of traffic jam.
Biman signs purchase deal with Boeing
Bdnews24, Dhaka
Biman
Bangladesh Airlines signed a $1.26 billion deal on Tuesday
with Boeing on the purchase of eight aircraft. Corrected
A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the
company for a long-term lease of two Boeing 737s, as it
will take time for the eight aircraft to join the Biman
fleet, Mahbub Jamil, special assistant to the chief
adviser in charge of civil aviation, told bdnews24.com.
"This is an interim arrangement."
A MoU was signed between Biman and Boeing on March 15 for
the purchase of eight aircraft.
Biman will finance 85 percent of the total costs of the
aircraft with loans from the US-based EXIM Bank to be
repaid over 12 years.
The rest 15 percent will be obtained from a consortium of
local banks. Four Boeing-777-300 ER airliners will be
added to the Biman Bangladesh fleet in July, August,
October and December of 2013.
The remaining four planes will be added in July, August,
October and November of 2019-20. The present Biman fleet
has four DC-10s, three Airbus aircraft, a Boeing-747 and
three F-28s for operating its domestic and international
flights.
Back Page
Ban Ki Moon has
accepted the BD proposal
Staff Correspondent
UN Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon has accepted Bangladesh proposal for forming a Task
Force to address the current global food crisis,
particularly as rice shortages triggered a stir, said a
Foreign Ministry release issued to the press on Tuesday.
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury made the proposal
during the current UNCTAD XII session in the capital
Accra, Ghana and it was enthusiastically received by the
attending delegations.
The Foreign Adviser's proposal, made from the Chair of the
LDC Ministers' Conference on the sidelines of UNCTAD, was
incorporated in the Declaration issued by the LDCs in
Accra on 20 April 2008. The following day, in his
inaugural remarks at UNCTAD XII, Mr. Ban ki Moon stated:
"In this regard I will immediately establish a high
powered Task Force, comprised of eminent experts and
leading policy authorities to address this issue. We hear
the call of the least developed countries to deal with
market failures and stabilize world food prices. The Task
Force must also deal with the longer term security issues
of agricultural productivity, land utilization, financing
mechanisms and all other elements of the current crisis. I
urge the leaders of the international community to sit
down together and give this matter their fullest attention
as soon as possible".
Iftekhar Chowdhury welcomed the Secretary General's
remarks: "Mr. Ban ki Moon was quick to respond to our
call, which reflected an overwhelming sentiment and that
is the mark of true leadership.
The Task Force should not only look towards stabilizing
the food price, but also lowering it to make food more
available to the teeming masses of Africa and Asia.
Bangladesh will work closely with the Secretary General in
this regard", he added.
RAB
shootout with ‘Gangcheel Bahini’
Staff Correspondent
A fierce armed clash between the members of Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) and the gang of hardened criminals named
Gangcheel Bahini' left at least three alleged terrorists
dead on the spot on Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Boliarpur
upazila in Dhaka in the early hours of Tuesday.
"The deceased were identified as Alam, 32, Bashar, 33, and
Anis, 35. All the three were accused in various criminal
cases including RAB member murder and robbery" an official
of Savar police station told the Bangladesh Today.
According to the RAB and Savar police station on receipt
of the secret information that a gang of criminals
Gangcheel Bahini are plotting to commit crime in the area,
the RAB members cordoned off the area. The elite force
later launched a crack down in and around a brick field
where they were planning to commit crime. Sensing the
presence of the law enforcers, the gang started firing
bullets indiscriminately at the RAB members. RAB also
returned fire targeting the criminals. The criminals were
caught in the shoot-out and died. During the exchange of
gunshots, a RAB assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Siddiqur
Rahman received bullet wounds and was admitted to CMH (Savar).
Later, the bullet ridden criminals were taken to the Savar
Upazila Health Complex where the attending doctors
declared them dead. RAB later recovered a foreign-made
pistol, a shutter-gun, three bullets and two mobile phone
sets from the scene.
During the incident panic gripped the local residents. A
tense situation has been prevailing in the area following
the incident. Additional force has been deployed in the
troubled spot to contain law and order.A case has been
filed with the Savar thana in this connection.
Telecoms poised for next revolution: BTRC chief
Bdnews24, Dhaka
The telecommunications sector is poised to further
revolutionise lives over the next two to three years, BTRC
chairman Manzurul Alam said on Monday, looking back over
his year in office.
In an interview with bdnews24.com, he described the
regulator's steps towards a more transparent and
disciplined telecommunications sector.
The telecoms watchdog chief shared his insights on better
provisions for telecoms subscribers, satellite
connectivity, the potential of the new call centre
industry, greater rural connectivity and much more.
Mentioning that BTRC is set to ask the National Board of
Revenue to lower SIM card tax in a bid to ensure value and
service for the public, Alam said: "We want to prove
BTRC's complementary rather than regulatory role. The
steps BTRC is now taking should have been taken earlier."
Reviewing his year as head of BTRC, he said: "Our main aim
was to restore discipline in the telecommunication sector.
Especially to bring illegal VoIP under a legal framework;
we wanted those who were involved with illegal VoIP to
come under the law. Many have now been fined." The VoIP
problem should have been detected as long ago as 2000, he
added.
"We believe mobile operators are not so involved any more.
They are cooperating now. If we can curb such operations,
tariffs will certainly go down. Vigilance and steps
against VoIP have to be increased," the telecoms regulator
said.
Speaking of his own role: "I have tried to use the
prospective sides of the telecommunication sector. I've
tried to ensure transparency in different activities of
the BTRC. Licences have been issued through auction for
the first time."
On recent developments, Alamsaid that if call centre
licenses had been introduced seven to eight years ago, a
big portion of the world market could have been captured.
"We have tried to kick-start the call centre business. If
we can run it properly, the scope of employment will
increase hugely in two to three years."
"We have also tried to introduce new technologies, for
example Wimax, IP telephony and 3G."
Explaining BTRC's activities, Alam said the telecoms
regulator had many functions, including fixing tariffs.
"We fix the highest and lowest rates. Mobile tariffs in
Bangladesh have come down substantially, to one of the
lowest in the world - 70 paisa on an average."
"This is not our account, but on account of different
international firms. On an average, every month the number
of mobile subscribers is increasing by 10 lakhs. In March
the increase was 14 lakhs. It is happening as tariffs go
down. The price of mobile phone sets is also coming down."
He said that the bandwidth fees for submarine cable
connections had also been lowered, and would come down
further. "BTTB has been asked to give 60 per cent
reduction in bandwidth fees to call centres."
"BTRC will also fix the feeds for the optical fibre links.
As a result subscribers in rural areas will get bandwidth
at a low rate. Rural connectivity will grow," Alam said.
An alternative to submarine cable connectivity has also
been initiated. "We have acquired an orbit from the
International Telecommunications Union for our very own
satellite, to be established as Bangladesh's own or joint
initiative. It will take five to six years. Among many
other provisions, it will lower the cost of satellite TV
channels."
The BTRC chairman lamented the fact that the quality of
mobile phone services was declining day by day, but he
said now the frequencies for mobile operators was being
expanded.
"We are also in the process of giving mobile operators
guidelines regarding subscriber rights." Alam said
operators would further be encouraged to go to remote
areas by providing them with 'universal service funds'.
"So that provision will be made, not only through
Internet, for rural people to contact expatriate relatives
more easily."
He said that PSTN operators were being issued nationwide
licenses to bring more rural areas into the
telecommunication network. "Emphasis is being given on
rural connectivity so that all villages will come under
network."
He said that if rural connectivity were increased along
with developing the ICT industry, women's empowerment and
employment would increase while their domestic repression
would decrease.
Alam stressed the need for information technology and
telecommunications to be brought under one ministry. "If
not, there will remain numerous coordination problems. At
present, three ministries are involved in the sector."
The BTRC chief said the regulatory body suffered greatly
from lack of financial and administrative independence.
"A proposal for amending the BTRC act has been sent to the
ministry," he said, adding that increasing the rate of
fines and the appointment of administrators had also been
proposed.
"If a mobile company did act illegally, an administrator
could be appointed, rather than cancel their licence
outright," he said.
Despite the obstacles, Alam firmly believes in the
revolutionary power of telecoms: "A revolution will occur
in the telecommunications sector in the next two to three
years. The telecommunications sector will change the face
of the country. Man's vision will change."
Crime
Six get
10-yr RI
UNB, Noakhali
A district court Sunday sentenced six people to 10 years
of rigorous imprisonment each in a dacoity case in 2002.
The District and Sessions court also fined the convicts Tk
10,000 each. But, if they fail to pay the money, the
convicts will have to serve one month more RI. The
convicts are: Belaluddin, 36, Ajharuddin, 24, Alauddin,
24, Abdur Rahman, 27, and Amir Hossain, 33. However, two
other accused in the case - Jafarulla and Shahabulla -
were acquitted from the charges, as their guilt was not
proved.
According to the prosecution, the convicted committed
robbery in the house of Maulana Abdus Shahid at Chartorab
Ali village in Subarnachar upazila on October 1, 2002.
After examining the records and witnesses, District and
Sessions Judge SKM Anisur Rahman pronounced the verdict
while all the convicts were present on the dock.
Husband gets life for killing wife
UNB, Chuadanga
A court here Sunday convicted a man and sentenced him to
life term imprisonment for killing his wife.
The 1st Additional District and Sessions Judge Motahar
Hossain also fined the convict Jasimuddin, 32, of Palli
Khejura village in Alamdanga upazila, Tk 20,000, in
default, to serve one year more in jail.
According to the prosecution, Jasimuddin strangulated his
wife Kalpana, 23, on April 29, 2006 following a family
feud. Later, he hanged Kalpana's body with a tree in the
area to conceal the murder incident. Police arrested
Jasimuddin after the victim's father filed a case with the
local police station. After examining the records and
witnesses, the judge delivered the verdict.
Fish monger beaten to death
UNB, Bagerhat
A fish monger was beaten to death allegedly by his rivals
at Panchakaran village in Morelganj upazila Monday night.
Police recovered the body of Taijul Islam, 22, Tuesday
morning and sent it to morgue for autopsy.
Police said one Manik Sheikh severely beat up Taijul, son
of Amir Fakir of Baruikhali village, Monday night
following a dispute, leaving him dead on the spot.
Prisoner dies at RMCH
UNB, Rangpur
A convicted prisoner of district central jail died at
Rangpur Medical College Hospital Sunday.
Jail sources said Shankadhar Chandra Roy,65, of Sonahar
Prodhanpara village of Deviganj upazila of Panchagar
district, was sentenced to life term imprisonment in a
murder case. As Shankadhar felt chest pain in the jail
Friday he was taken Rangpur Medical College Hospital where
he died early Sunday. The body was handed over to his
relatives.
Two bodies recovered
A Correspondent, Madaripur
Kalkini thana police recovered one dead body of a young
housewife from a paddy field near her husband's house at
village Charfatebahadur under Kalkini upazila on Monday
morning.
The deceased was identified as Rita Mondal (22) wife of
Nares Mondal of the same village.
Police Said, She went missing on April 20 from her
husband's house.
The victim's husband and in-laws has been absconding since
the body was recovered. Later, the deceased body was rent
to Madaripur sadar hospital for autopsy.
Niranjan Badday father of the deceased filed a murder case
with the Kalkini thana in this connection.
In another incident, a dead body was recovered from south
Nilokhi union under Shibchor Upazila of the district on 22
April at 10:00 pm.
The dead was identified as Joni Barai son of Srikanto
Barai under Muksudpur upazila at Gopalganj district.
15 held, drugs seized
BSS, Joypurhat
Police in separate drives, arrested 15 persons on various
charges from different areas in five upazilas of the
district on Monday. The arrested were absconding convicts
and warrantees, accused in different cases, drug peddlers
and traffickers.
Police arrested a housewife named Reena Begum, 30, wife of
Khorshed Ali of village Aladepur under Akkelpur upazila of
the district and seized 12 small packets of heroin from
her possession.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion arrested Ahsan, 23, and
Abdur Razzaq, 21, with 50 bottles of Phensidyl during the
period.
One held with 300 bottles of phensidyl
BSS, Barisal
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive
arrested one person with 300 bottles of phensidyl from
Sagardi area in the town on Monday night.
The arrested was identified as Salim,23, police said.
On secret information, a team of the RAB led by Lt
commander Mamunur Rashid during a drive intercepted a
Barisal bound private car from Jessore after searching the
car recovered 300 bottles of phensidyl.
The arrested person and the phensidyl were handed over to
Kotwali thana. A case was filed in this connection.
Huge illegal drugs, liquor destroyed
UNB, Rajshahi
As part of the anti-narcotics drive, the district
administration Monday morning destroyed huge narcotics and
local liquor at the Science and Industrial Research Center
premises in the city's Binodpur area. Local sources said
the district administration officials busted the
contraband goods at about 10am in presence of assistant
commissioner and administrative magistrate M Mohsin Uddin.
The destroyed contraband included 5,127 bottles of
phensidyl syrup, eight liters phensidyl, 49 liter local
wine, 2.2 kg hemp and 11 empty bottles of phensidyl.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police seized the drugs
during an over one-month drive that started in the area on
February 18.
The northern districts including Rajshahi are the main
transit points of smuggling drugs into the country from
neibouring India, said a source close to a law enforcing
agency.
A large number of unemployed youths including women are
getting involved in drug business as it proves profitable
than other professions, the source said.
Editorial
Financing Fuel Oil Imports gets
Costlier
Fuel
oil prices have hit a new record of US $ 117 per barrel. Oil
producers are saying that they are not going to increase their
outputs and there is little that they can do little to stop
this continuous rise in prices when the sustained bull run is
being driven by many factors including strong demands from
fast rising economies such as China and India. Therefore, for
countries like Bangladesh it is extremely difficult to finance
fuel oil imports on the one hand and then to subsidize it sale
internally on the other, when the price of that oil more than
doubles in one year. The Finance Adviser has recently said
that petroleum prices are not being adjusted to avert new
shocks on an economy already reeling from shortages and high
prices of food commodities consequent to massive natural
disasters in 2007 which destroyed much of the country's
agriculture.
The Finance Adviser's comments reflects the horns of dilemma
which low-income countries like Bangladesh have to face when
prices of resources, which they do not possess but which they
desperately need, keeps on rising in the international
markets. The dilemma arises from the fact that Bangladesh does
not have enough money to buy oil at such high prices and
therefore, has to borrow large sums of money from
international money-lenders at exorbitant rates of interest
but then it cannot supply the oil in the internal market at
the same high price because that would further exacerbate the
existing inflationary trends; neither can it afford to keep on
providing subsidies for a long time because that would involve
borrowing even more money pushing the country into further
debts. If the country's economy is unable to generate enough
income, such as by increasing exports, to keep pace with the
amount of money it is borrowing, ultimately a time will arrive
when the country will not be able to pay back interests on its
loans and the loans themselves; the country will become a
"loan-defaulter" and no one will provide it with any more
credits, the economy would shut down and a nation of 150
million would go into a tailspin of economic-social-political
chaos. That is the fear that our Finance Adviser keeps on
mooting from time to time when he insists that subsidizing
petroleum for an indefinite period is non-sustainable. He is
right and we have to bear with the fact that petroleum prices
would have to be increased but that unpleasant job has to be
done with circumspection so that the economy and the people
can also gradually absorb the shocks of increasing prices.
What surprises many is the fact that the Islamic Development
Bank (IDB), a major source of borrowing for Bangladesh, has
arbitrarily decided to put a squeeze on us by demanding an
interest rate of "not less than 5.5%" abandoning the usual
LIBOR plus rates - this inspite of the rhetoric about Islam
and its Quranic injunctions about interest being strictly
prohibited. If anything, this truly reflects the realities of
international finance and its hedonistic nature of not
allowing anything to interfere with profit-making when the
opportunity presents itself. Perhaps the bigots violently
protesting against women's equal rights every Friday, should
now be asked to comment about this blatant disregard of the
Quran by the IDB.
We need Food more than Rifles
It
is undoubtedly a matter of pride that BD-08 rifle, deshi, has
been test fired but at what cost? Especially, when the country
is facing set backs in every sector. For a nation military
aspects of security, internal and external, should be one of
the major concerns but it should not be prioritized over the
basic day-to-day life needs like food, education, health,
housing, clothing, communication, over all the things that are
the key elements for a nation to move along. Both the civil
and army are passing wrong signals to the people, inaugurating
a rifle factory is not the move the country needs while half
naked and half fed people sleep by city roads. "We wish to
make ourselves defensively strong and confident," these words
were delivered by the present Chief of the Army which also
finds echoes in the heart of every patriot. In our present
economic and political situation the country does not need a
new rifle factory which is said to be capable of producing 10,
000 rifles per year only in a single shift and however ever
smart and powerful these weapons are, they surely cannot win
the war on corruption, political unrest, food and power
crisis, poverty, hunger and illiteracy. Therefore not much of
enthusiasm would be forthcoming from the general populace
regarding the upgrading of a mere rifle factory.
Once again the Emergency Government has failed to realise that
a county's defense relies on the strong body of economic and
social policies both for the national and international arena.
For the time being the only "satisfaction" we can achieve is
the satisfaction of being able to provide meals three times a
day for all the people of the country. Pragmatic plans on
socio-economic sector and its timely implementation is
required to obtain a sustainable nation-state where the people
can live in peace and harmony - that is the best defense that
the Nation and the people can have.
Analysis
Lacking key ideological components may
lead to a new chapter of disappointment
Fortunately, people do not intend the shift to
be a wholesale turn away from democracy.
M Abdul Kabir
The
Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed writes an article,
on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh, in the national English
dailies. He attempts to make realities appear in real form,
comparing what we have got with what we could have achieved in
our social, economic and political life. It is a deep,
comprehensive and stimulating analysis similar to the
contemporary works by renowned analysts, except only in a key
aspect. The General makes an allusion to a grave wound in
leadership, for which perhaps he was prompted to suggest "we
shall have to be corruption free in our words, deeds,
principles and ideologies." It is no longer a mere claim that
our leadership was hitched with an ethical crisis-- a product
of corrupt practices in words and deeds; neither would it be a
baseless assertion that the leadership was laid up with a
wholesale ideological crisis as well.
Crisis of ideology, a hitherto-not-much-analyzed strain in the
leadership, has in fact put the country in crisis today.
Political science states that during peacetime and
rocky-but-not-disastrous economic conditions people want
continuity rather than change. But life is changed today. Why?
This is, as we know, because people have responded to a
picture of the nation as perched on the brink of real
disaster, which could have occurred amid the violations of
democratic principles and the sick ideologies the leadership
was plagued with.
During the tenure of democracy, especially after the military
dictatorship in the 1980s, the major parties formed
governments almost alternately, each time the winner beating
its rival quite handsomely. It means people would regard these
parties as pro-nationalist forces worthy of a mandate to lead
the country and steer their destiny. Yet, the major parties
themselves would reject this truth, blaming each other as
being an anti-nationalist force plotting to overturn the
country's sovereignty. When they would accuse themselves as
conspirators, it was tantamount to branding the common people
under the respective flags of those parties in the same way,
which thus means that the majority of people of the country
are an anti-nationalist force. Ridiculous.
Such irrationality was common in leadership though, so much so
that rival-scolding used to be on the top of agenda in any
political seminars or symposiums. There was no ideal avenue
where ideas were debated, no arguing for policy
implementation, and no real thoughtful political maneuvering.
Consequently, the whole spectrum of politics was monotonous,
droning on a "self-defined nationalism"; it was incompetent,
impeding any positive visions for change to develop; and it
was impotent, failing the opportunities and aspirations of
people to march forward smashing the shackle of poverty,
inequality, and injustice.
Another sign of ideological crisis among the leaders was that
they were incapable of mutual respect, even for what they had
in common: their rank, status and so on. It is fairly
reasonable that they would not be capable of establishing
respects for differences in principles, in ideas and visions.
And they were not. Lacking strength in values and beliefs, the
leadership made it evident that it was ideologically
distorted. The result was a sour and fragmented politics,
whose public discourse was dominated by a cacophony of
complaints of one against the other.
Accordingly, people grew impatient and disillusioned with the
prospect the leaders claimed they were after and skeptical of
the faith they preached. A silent disenchantment seemed to be
registering, at least at individual level. And at a wider
spectrum people seemed to be waiting to find an opportunity to
break the restrictions that have narrowed their lives.
The opportunity they were seeking came at a great cost,
however: supporting a military-backed government and
sidestepping democracy. This shift in the political outlook
bears resemblance to trends of revolution in societies where
disappointment is ripe and where a change of any form becomes
a unifying ideology. Here was the danger. Given the loss they
have suffered for a long time, people could have accepted
"anybody" deemed able to direct them towards progress.
Fortunately, people do not intend the shift to be a wholesale
turn away from democracy.
It is because they believe that full democracy is a
prerequisite to political stability. But, it is painful to
note that we are still not attentive to the very basics of
"full democracy", the very essence of courteous political
ideology: mutual respect. We are pressing for an immediate
election; dailies are full with write-ups asserting the same.
Yet, we have yet to ask our leaders to come to the public and
redefine their ideologies towards one another, without which
we may not be certain whether we are going to a new chapter of
disappointment.
(M Abdul Kabir; B.Sc.ETE; North South University.
Email:kabir_nsu051@yahoo.com)
Beyond Cities
The most dangerous trend in the manner that our
megacities are growing is the increasing gap between the rich
and the poor.
Ilmas Futehally
The
21st Century has been described as the century of the cities.
For the first time in history, more people live in cities
today than those that do not. To say that cities are growing
is to state the obvious- one can see it from our own windows.
However the rate of growth is frightening. Fifty years ago,
about 30% of the world's population lived in an urban
environment. In a decade from now it will cross 60%.
At present there are about 440 cities with a population of
more than one million people. However, many of these are more
than cities. Indeed a special name has been coined for them-
Megacities. Megacities are defined as cities that have over a
10 million or residents. In 1950, there were 4 megacities
worldwide. By 1980, this number had increased to 28, by 2002
to 39. It is estimated that by 2015 there will be more than 59
megacities. Most of these are and will be in the developing
world.
Large scale migration within countries, bringing people from
rural areas to urban centres with greater economic options,
has been the chief forces leading to the growth of megacities.
Chinese government figures indicate that at least 210 million
rural labourers have migrated to urban areas in 2006. In the
first six months of 2007, the number of migrant workers
increased by 8.6 million, a year-on-year growth of 8.1
percent. The phenomenon has been described as the biggest
internal migration in the history of the world. As China's
urban centres boom they are gobbling up farmland at a
voracious rate. A total of 16 million acres (6,475,000
hectares) have gone in the last 20 years creating a vicious
cycle that fuels the growth of megacities.
The vicious cycle is further reinforced by push factors such
as unemployment in rural areas, low agricultural productivity,
lack of educational facilities and opportunities. The economic
possibilities, attractive job prospects in cities act as pull
factors. But how long can this growth go on? In megacities
worldwide, we see infrastructure and basic utilities stretched
to the breaking point- roads, electricity and water are the
prime sufferers. A common sight that binds megacities of the
world are poor quality housing for new migrants (slums in
India, China, the Philippines, South Africa and Brazil),
protests from the "original residents" to the growing numbers
entering their cities on a daily basis and never ending
traffic jams.
The most dangerous trend in the manner that our megacities are
growing is the increasing gap between the rich and the poor.
In most cities, the five star hotels are a mere stone throw
away from the squalid living areas of large numbers of people.
If this disparity continues to grow, it will not be long
before the rising discontent in the overpopulated slums will
cause a real threat to the people living in ivory towers.
The biggest challenge that faces our urban policy makers and
planners is to manage the development of our cities in a
sustainable way, and to incorporate into their planning the
aspirations of the majority of the population- which in some
cities doubles every 10 to 15 years. It is debatable whether
technological fixes like wind turbines, new types of mass
transit systems, rooftop panels for solar energy and new
materials for the building industry will be able to deal with
the challenges that growing megacities will throw up in the
future. The only way to deal with the challenges of our cities
is to stop the migration into them by creating opportunities
in the rural areas -a real prosperity in the periphery-
creating an incentive for the rural people to live in dignity
in their own homes. If this does not happen, we will have to
seriously look at shifting to another planet.
(Ilmas Futehally is Vice President, Strategic Foresight
Group and Executive Director, International Centre for Peace
Initiatives. Source:
www.strategicforesight.com)
Living in a non-polar world
The
emergence of a non-polar world could prove to be mostly
negative, making it more difficult to generate collective
responses to pressing regional and global challenges.
Today's
world is dominated not by one or two or even several powers,
but rather is influenced by dozens of state and non-state
actors exercising various kinds of power. A twentieth century
dominated first by a few states, then, during the cold war, by
two states, and finally by American preeminence at the cold
war's end, has given way to a twenty-first century dominated
by no one. Call it non-polar.
Three factors have brought this about. First, some states have
gained power in tandem with their increased economic clout.
Second, globalisation has weakened the role of all states by
enabling other entities to amass substantial power. And,
third, American foreign policy has accelerated the relative
decline of the United States vis-à-vis others. The result is a
world in which power is increasingly distributed rather than
concentrated.
The emergence of a non-polar world could prove to be mostly
negative, making it more difficult to generate collective
responses to pressing regional and global challenges. More
decision makers make it more difficult to make decisions.
Non-polarity also increases both the number and potential
severity of threats, be they rogue states, terrorist groups,
or militias.
Still, if non-polarity is inevitable, its character is not. A
great deal can and should be done to shape the non-polar
world. But order will not emerge on its own. On the contrary,
left to its own devices, a non-polar world will become messier
over time.
Resisting the spread of nuclear weapons and unguarded nuclear
materials may be as important as any other set of
undertakings. If internationally managed enriched-uranium or
spent-fuel banks are established, countries could gain access
to nuclear power but not come to control the material needed
for bombs. Security assurances and defensive systems could be
provided to states that might otherwise feel compelled to
develop their own nuclear programmes to counter those of their
neighbours. And robust sanctions could be introduced to
influence the behaviour of would-be nuclear weapon states.
Combating terrorism is also essential if the non-polar era is
not to turn into a modern Dark Age. There are many ways to
weaken existing terrorist organisations by using intelligence,
law enforcement resources, and military capabilities. But this
is a loser's game unless something can be done to reduce
recruitment.
Parents, religious figures, and political leaders must
delegitimise terrorism by shaming those who embrace it. More
importantly, governments must find ways to integrate alienated
young men and women into their societies, which requires
greater political freedom and economic opportunity.
Trade also can be a powerful force in a non-polar world by
giving states a stake in avoiding conflict, generating greater
wealth, and strengthening the foundations of domestic
political order - thereby decreasing the chance of state
failure as well. To this end, the scope of the World Trade
Organisation should be extended through the negotiation of
future global arrangements that reduce subsidies and both
tariff and non-tariff barriers.
A similar level of effort might be needed to ensure the
continued flow of investment. The goal should be to create a
World Investment Organisation, which, by encouraging
cross-border capital flows, would minimise the risk that
"investment protectionism" impedes activities that, like
trade, are economically beneficial and build political
bulwarks against instability. A WIO could encourage
transparency on the part of investors, determine when national
security is a legitimate reason for prohibiting or limiting
investment, and establish a dispute-resolution mechanism.
More effort also will be needed to prevent state failure and
deal with its consequences. The US and other developed
countries should enhance their military capacities to deal
with the type of threats being faced in Iraq and Afghanistan,
as well as establish a pool of civilian talent to assist with
basic nation-building tasks.
Greater economic and military assistance to increase states'
ability to meet their responsibilities to their citizens and
neighbours will also be essential.
Multilateralism will be critical in a non-polar world. To
succeed, though, it must be recast to include entities other
than the great powers. The United Nations Security Council and
the G-8 should be reconstituted to reflect the world of today
rather than the post-1945 era, and the participation of
non-state actors in multilateral organisations and processes
will need to be considered.
Multilateralism may have to be less comprehensive and less
formal, at least initially. Networks will be needed alongside
organisations. Getting everyone to agree on everything will be
difficult; instead, we should consider accords with fewer
parties and narrower goals.
Trade is something of a model here, insofar as bilateral and
regional accords are filling the vacuum created by the failure
to conclude a global trade round. The same is true of climate
change: agreement on certain aspects of the problem (say,
deforestation) or involving only some countries (the major
carbon emitters, for example) may prove feasible, whereas an
accord that includes every country and tries to resolve every
issue may not.
Multilateralism à la carte is likely to be the order of the
day. This is less than optimal, but in a non-polar world, what
is best may well prove the enemy of the possible.
The writer, a former director of policy planning in the US
State Department, is president of the Council on Foreign
Relations. This article is drawn from an essay that appears in
the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs. ©Project Syndicate,
2008.
www.project-syndicate.org
Source: www.jordantimes.com
Viewpoints
The Problem with Peacekeeping
The military component of a peacekeeping
mission is only as effective as the mission’s political
masters make it.
François Grignon and Daniela Kroslak
After
a decade of dramatic failures in the 1990s-in Somalia, Rwanda,
and Sierra Leone-peacekeeping operations are coming back into
fashion as a primary international tool for protecting
civilians in Africa. The United Nations and the African Union
(AU), sometimes supported by the European Union, are
increasing the number of peacekeepers on the continent this
year, with new missions in, among other places, Sudan's Darfur
region, Chad, the Central African Republic, and Somalia. Four
other peacekeeping missions were already in place before this
latest surge of operations-in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Sudan. This expanded activity
is a direct result of the UN Security Council's finally
accepting the need to challenge state authority and explicitly
mandate peacekeeping missions to protect civilians under
imminent threat. This should be good news, right?
Recent peacekeeping operations have indeed achieved notable
successes in Africa. Yet, paradoxically, their success has not
been in the area of civilian protection. The UN mission in
Congo (Monuc) efficiently supported the peace process in the
DRC and deserves considerable credit for the successful
organization of Congo's 2005 constitutional referendum and
2006 general elections. Yet in its efforts over the past five
years to save lives in eastern Congo, it has performed
abysmally.
Likewise, Unamid (the UN-AU mission in Darfur) is unlikely to
provide much relief to Darfurian civilians under attack from
the janjaweed militia, Khartoum's bombardments, or rebels. And
the current pressure on the UN to take over Amisom (the AU
mission in Somalia) and deploy a peacekeeping operation in
that country-in the absence of a viable peace process-is
completely ill-conceived.
Conflicts such as those in Sudan, Somalia, Chad, and the DRC
are mostly extreme manifestations of power struggles over
resources, land, and political representation, combined with
problems of ethnic marginalization and state collapse. Their
resolution or settlement can only be found in negotiated
political agreements that tackle the roots of the conflicts.
The protection of civilians must be part of a political
strategy that reduces short- and long-term risks for the
population while addressing the need for immediate life-saving
actions. Yet, tragically, peacekeeping missions dispatched to
"protect civilians" have in the past lacked, and still today
lack, the support, courage, and/or means to address the
political rationales behind the violence.
The military component of a peacekeeping mission is only as
effective as the mission's political masters make it. When
asked last year if the 26,000-person force approved for Unamid
by the UN Security Council were sufficient, Salim Ahmed Salim,
the AU's Special Envoy for Darfur, rightly responded that what
matters is "not how large a force it is but what they have
come to defend," since "without an agreement on peace, even a
force of 50,000 can't change the situation here radically." A
UN Security Council peacekeeping mandate with civilian
protection provisions can only be implemented in the context
of a political agreement. And the implementation of a mandate
depends on the will to interpret it politically and to enforce
it with the means provided.
This might seem obvious. Yet the international community is
still advancing humanitarian and military efforts as quick-fix
solutions to combat abuses against civilian populations in the
absence of a proper political framework. Currently neither
Chad nor Somalia nor Sudan's Darfur region have viable peace
agreements to implement. And when such an agreement has been
established, a peacekeeping operation still cannot fulfill its
responsibilities unless political pressure and engagement are
sustained.
The Congo Confrontation
The August 2006 military confrontation in Kinshasa, Congo's
capital is a good example of what happens when the
international community aban- dons the implementation of a
peace process in favour of bilateral interests and at the
expense of civilian protection. Following the announcement of
election results that showed President Joseph Kabila ahead in
the first round of voting, his presidential guard clashed in
the capital over several days with forces loyal to his
principal opponent, Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba. It was
well known in the diplomatic community that the presidential
guard was an oversized praetorian force involved in human
rights violations wherever it was stationed. Yet Kabila
adamantly refused to discuss reining in these forces, and
international political actors either ignored the problem or
dismissed it. The presence of Bemba's troops was also ignored
during the transition to elections, even though they too were
a potential threat to civilians in the capital.
The failure to demobilize these troops or to integrate them
into the army as part of the political transition permitted
the confrontation that caused hundreds of civilian deaths. For
months the international community treated the face-off
between the military forces as a technical problem of army
integration and disarmament. Neither Monuc nor the diplomatic
corps managed to engage the conflicting parties in political
discussions to resolve the issue. Partly as a result, another
military clash occurred in March 2007, killing hundreds more
people, mostly civilians.
Meanwhile, the problem posed by renegade General Laurent
Nkunda in eastern Congo is partly the result of five years of
failed peacekeeping in that region. This situation, too, could
and should have been tackled politically during the
transition. Several plans to address the problem
comprehensively have been suggested to Monuc and the
transitional Congolese government. Instead, the crisis in the
province of North Kivu intensified in 2007 because the
government, Monuc, and international donors were not
interested in dealing with-or refused outright to deal
with-the issue politically. They put all their hopes for
resolution in the electoral process and in Kabila's victory,
and addressed the Nkunda insurgency with a military
containment strategy.
The reason for giving priority to military engagement in the
name of-but, in fact, at the expense of-civilian protection
was simple: The UN mission, the EU, and all major embassies
were unwilling to decisively pressure the Congolese actors,
Kabila in particular, to structure and sustain a reliable and
successful political negotiation process, which ultimately is
the only way to end such deadly insurgencies. The same
mistakes are being repeated in other African theaters of
intervention.
The Darfur Dilemma
In Darfur in particular, public pressure has drawn attention
to the international community's inability to protect
civilians. The consolidation of initiatives under the AU-UN
banner will only bear fruit over time if negotiations go
beyond the superficial sticking points-such as compensation
for crimes committed, and janjaweed disarmament- and deal with
the root causes of the conflict. That means establishing
greater and more equal representation of Darfurians at local
and national levels, and greater sharing of wealth. Despite
the humanitarian effort on the ground, civilians in Darfur
continue to suffer because the international community has put
insufficient political pressure on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
to ensure that the government adheres to its past commitments.
Addressing the root causes of the problem, and providing
international support, will also be crucial if Unamid is to
make a difference on the ground and avoid becoming a new
scapegoat, blamed for its impotence in the effective
protection of Darfurian civilians.
Finally, military operations usually create a void that needs
to be filled by reformed government structures. Any
peacekeeping force engaged in forceful disarmament of militias
and area domination can only carry out these activities for a
few days. Once a vacuum is created, it has to be filled by
agreed state structures. If not, the same or other armed
groups will quickly regain or expand their territorial
control. The protection of civilians can only be successful
operationally in partnership with the state. There is no way
around that.
Sadly, in Darfur and beyond, the world seems more willing to
contribute money to humanitarian efforts than to tackle the
causes of conflicts. Peacekeeping missions are often used as a
Band-Aid for complex conflicts, and are rarely equipped to do
the political work that is vital to addressing the causes. In
complex emergencies such as those facing the DRC, Sudan, and
Somalia, the hostage population can only be sustainably
protected if an effective political strategy accompanies the
deployment of peacekeeping operations.
(François Grignon is the director, and Daniela Kroslak the
deputy director, of the International Crisis Group's Africa
program, based in Nairobi.
Source: www.crisisgroup.org)
No Arab-Israeli Peace Without
Hamas
History
teaches us that everything is in flux. Our fight to redress
the material crimes of 1948 is scarcely begun, and adversity
has taught us patience.
Mahmoud
Al-Zahar
President Jimmy
Carter's sensible plan to visit the Hamas leadership this week
brought honesty and pragmatism to the Middle East while
underscoring the fact that American policy has reached its
dead end. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acts as if a few
alterations here and there would make the hideous straitjacket
of apartheid fit better. While Rice persuades Israeli
occupation forces to cut a few dozen meaningless roadblocks
from among the more than 500 West Bank control points, these
forces simultaneously choke off fuel supplies to Gaza;
blockade its 1.5 million people; approve illegal housing
projects on West Bank land; and attack Gaza City with F-16s,
killing men, women and children. Sadly, this is "business as
usual" for the Palestinians. Last week's attack on the Nahal
Oz fuel depot should not surprise critics in the West.
Palestinians are fighting a total war waged on us by a nation
that mobilizes against our people with every means at its
disposal - from its high-tech military to its economic
stranglehold, from its falsified history to its judiciary that
"legalizes" the infrastructure of apartheid. Resistance
remains our only option. Sixty-five years ago, the courageous
Jews of the Warsaw ghetto rose in defense of their people. We
Gazans, living in the world's largest open-air prison, can do
no less. The US-Israeli alliance has sought to negate the
results of the January 2006 elections, when the Palestinian
people handed our party a mandate to rule. Hundreds of
independent monitors, Carter among them, declared this the
fairest election ever held in the Arab Middle East. Yet
efforts to subvert our democratic experience include the
American coup d'etat that created the new sectarian paradigm
with Fatah and the continuing warfare against and enforced
isolation of Gazans. Now, finally, we have the welcome tonic
of Carter saying what any independent, uncorrupted thinker
should conclude: That no "peace plan," "road map" or "legacy"
can succeed unless we are sitting at the negotiating table and
without any preconditions. Israel's escalation of violence
since the staged Annapolis "peace conference" in November has
been consistent with its policy of illegal, often deadly
collective punishment - in violation of international
conventions. Israeli military strikes on Gaza have killed
hundreds of Palestinians since then with unwavering White
House approval; in 2007 alone the ratio of Palestinians to
Israelis killed was 40 to 1, up from 4 to 1 during the period
from 2000 to 2005.
Only three months ago I buried my son Hussam, who studied
finance at college and wanted to be an accountant; he was
killed by an Israeli airstrike. In 2003, I buried Khaled - my
first-born - after an Israeli F-16 targeting me wounded my
daughter and my wife and flattened the apartment building
where we lived, injuring and killing many of our neighbors.
Last year, my son-in-law was killed. Hussam was only 21, but
like most young men in Gaza he had grown up fast out of
necessity. When I was his age, I wanted to be a surgeon; in
the 1960s, we were already refugees, but there was no
humiliating blockade then. But now, after decades of
imprisonment, killing, statelessness and impoverishment, we
ask: What peace can there be if there is no dignity first? And
where does dignity come from if not from justice? Our movement
fights on because we cannot allow the foundational crime at
the core of the Jewish state - the violent expulsion from our
lands and villages that made us refugees - to slip out of
world consciousness, forgotten or negotiated away. Judaism -
which gave so much to human culture in the contributions of
its ancient lawgivers and modern proponents of tikkun olam -
has corrupted itself in the detour into Zionism, nationalism
and apartheid.
A "peace process" with Palestinians cannot take even its first
tiny step until Israel first withdraws to the borders of 1967;
dismantles all settlements; removes all soldiers from Gaza and
the West Bank; repudiates its illegal annexation of Jerusalem;
releases all prisoners; and ends its blockade of our
international borders, our coastline and our airspace
permanently. This would provide the starting point for just
negotiations and would lay the groundwork for the return of
millions of refugees. Given what we have lost, it is the only
basis by which we can start to be whole again. I am eternally
proud of my sons and miss them every day. I think of them as
fathers everywhere, even in Israel, think of their sons - as
innocent boys, as curious students, as young men with
limitless potential - not as "gunmen" or "militants." But
better that they were defenders of their people than parties
to their ultimate dispossession; better that they were active
in the Palestinian struggle for survival than passive
witnesses to our subjugation. History teaches us that
everything is in flux. Our fight to redress the material
crimes of 1948 is scarcely begun, and adversity has taught us
patience. As for the Israeli state and its Spartan culture of
permanent war, it is all too vulnerable to time, fatigue and
demographics: In the end, it is always a question of our
children and those who come after us.
Source: www.arabnews.com
Comment
An
aberration removed
MONDAY's
judgment by the Supreme Court annulling the condition of
college graduation imposed on contestants to national and
provincial assembly seats is based on natural justice and,
therefore, welcome. The argument put forth before the court by
Attorney General Malik Qayyum that the condition barred 97 per
cent of Pakistanis from contesting elections and was
discriminatory was the sanest point to come out of the
gentleman's mouth in months. By removing this aberration on
the basis that it contravened articles 17 and 25 of the
constitution, the apex court has cleared the way for
non-university graduates to contest polls, restoring the
original clause in the basic law on academic qualifications or
absence thereof. That said, the timing of the judgment, like
much else, is bound to give birth to speculation at a time
when the coalition government is all set to restore the judges
sent packing under the Provisional Constitution Order of Nov 3
last year. There will be many who will see the judgment as
facilitating the PPP co-chairman Mr Asif Ali Zardari whose
university degree remains a mystery. The party has so far
denied that there may be a connection between the timing of
the judgment and Mr Zardari's wish to stand for election and
subsequently be a prime ministerial candidate. Mr Yusuf Raza
Gilani is said to be the party's choice for the top slot for a
full five-year term. If true, Mr Gilani need not be a worried
man just yet. The court's annulment of the academic
qualification clause for MPs comes as another indictment of
the tailor-made system put in place by Gen Musharraf in the
run-up to the 2002 elections. It was more likely aimed at
keeping certain individuals out of the election arena, because
the argument that university graduates - and intriguingly
madressah certificates of the maulanas were held to be on a
par with college degrees - were better qualified as lawmakers
was flawed from the word go. Not surprisingly, the outgoing
all-graduate parliament was perhaps the weakest in terms of
the lawmaking that it undertook. Instead, ironic as it was, it
took pride in rubber-stamping the president's diktat - fair or
otherwise. Moreover, many who couldn't qualify sent in their
offspring and pulled the strings from behind. Another
discriminatory and controversial clause inserted into the
basic law by Gen Musharraf and which restricted the prime
minister's tenure to two terms also needs to go. It is against
the norms of parliamentary form of government anywhere. Though
Ms Bhutto's tragic death prevented her from becoming a
beneficiary of the repeal of the relevant clause, there will
be little stopping Mr Nawaz Sharif from seeking its repeal -
which is just as well.
Source: www.dawn.com
International
Hamas open to peace
deal with Palestinian backing: Carter
AFP, Jerusalem
Former US president Jimmy Carter said on Monday the
Islamist Hamas movement told him it would recognise
Israel's right to live in peace if a deal is reached and
approved by a Palestinian vote.
Carter made the comments following two meetings in
Damascus with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal that
angered Israel and the United States, which consider the
movement a terror group despite its victory in 2006
elections.
"They said that they would accept a Palestinian state
within the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians and
that they would accept the right of Israel to live as a
neighbour, next door, in peace," Carter told the Israeli
Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.
While in the Middle East Carter met with senior Hamas
leaders from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Syria, but
was unable to secure a ceasefire or a prisoner exchange
for an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza militants in 2006.
Hours after Carter spoke Meshaal told a press conference
in Damascus that Hamas would not recognise the Jewish
state and would insist on the right of some 4.5 million
Palestinian refugees to return to Israel.
"We accept a Palestinian state within the June 4 1967
borders with Jerusalem as its capital-a sovereign state
without settlements-as well as the right of Palestinian
refugees to return, but without recognition of Israel," he
said.
Meshaal ruled out any direct talks with Israel but said
Hamas was ready to hold discussions with US officials and
praised Carter for his "audacious and courageous" decision
to meet with the movement's leaders.
He said Hamas would recognise a peace deal negotiated by
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
president Mahmud Abbas on condition that it was subject to
a referendum.
Meshaal insisted, however, that "such a referendum is
impossible without reconciliation" between Hamas and Fatah,
divided since June 2007 when Hamas seized control of the
Gaza Strip after routing forces loyal to Abbas.
It was also unclear whether Hamas would require the
referendum to include Palestinian refugees living outside
the West Bank and Gaza. The United States has criticised
Carter's decision to meet with Hamas and played down the
message he conveyed.
"It seems to me that what Hamas needs to do is pretty
clear. Renounce violence would be a good step towards
showing you actually want peace," US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice told reporters in Manama.
Carter's willingness to meet with Hamas also drew sharp
criticism from Israel, where Olmert and other leaders
refused to meet him.
"Carter is detached from reality... He talks to Khaled
Meshaal and tries to reach an agreement, while the
murderous attacks continue against the state of Israel,"
Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
Carter said peace talks launched last November under US
auspices have shown no sign of progress and that Hamas and
Syria both had to be involved in any attempt to resolve
the Middle East conflict.
"The problem is not that I met with Hamas in Syria, the
problem is that Israel and the United States refuse to
meet these people," said the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize
laureate and architect of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace
treaty.
More anti-France protests sweep China: Police, officials
AFP, Beijing
Thousands of people joined angry protests outside
Carrefour stores across China Monday on the third day of
anti-France demonstrations in the wake of Tibetan unrest,
police and business sources said.
Rallies were held in nine cities with the largest in
Zhengzhou, capital of the central province of Henan, where
the chain store was forced to close its doors, they said.
Thousands also demonstrated against Carrefour over the
weekend, angered by claims-denied by the store-that it
supports exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
There was no immediate reaction from Carrefour's Paris
office to the latest protests, which have apparently
unnerved both the French and Chinese governments.
The anti-French backlash has prompted President Nicolas
Sarkozy to send a message to a wheelchair-bound Chinese
athlete who has become a symbol of national outrage at
protests over the Olympic torch relay.
In a letter delivered by the visiting French Senate
president, Sarkozy said he condemned the attacks on Jin
Jing, who was forced to shield the torch from pro-Tibet
protesters during the relay's chaotic Paris leg.
Sarkozy, who will send another message via a second envoy
this weekend, has himself fuelled controversy by
threatening to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening
ceremony on August 8.
Over the weekend, protesters in Xian, Harbin and Jinan
defied a huge police crackdown to chant slogans and hold
banners that read "Oppose Tibet independence" and "Boycott
Carrefour."
Demonstrators were also lashing out at the CNN TV news
network over its commentator Jack Cafferty, who caused
outrage by calling the Beijing leadership "goons and
thugs" and slamming the quality of Chinese exports.
The protests follow noisy anti-China demonstrations in
London and San Francisco, as well as Paris, that have
marred the international Beijing Olympic torch relay
promoting this year's Games.
Anti-China demonstrations have grown internationally since
Beijing began quelli |