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Leading News
Britain does not support any
military rule: British High Commissioner
Staff Correspondent
Outgoing British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar
Choudhury on Monday said his country would not support any
military rule as it only believes that functional
democracy can led a country to progress. He made this
remark while addressing a press conference organized by
the Diplomatic Correspondents of different media houses at
National Press club yesterday.
Replying a query, the British High Commissioner said,
"Britain is a democratic country, we believe only in
democracy, so we always encourage democratic process in
stead of any military rule."
He also said, "I am hopeful that the next parliamentary
election would be held as per the EC announced road map.
The present caretaker administration has assured its
commitment to the international community for holding the
stalled national polls by the end of this year. There are
a lot of evidences in favour of next polls and it makes me
believe that the general election would be held in due
time. We hope that all the political parties will
participate in the next parliamentary elections. "
Responding to another query regarding lifting the
emergency before the general polls, Anwar Choudury said,
"The emergency should be withdrawn before the general
elections.
But if it is not possible, the emergency should be relaxed
before the polls for creating a congenial atmosphere
required for a free, fair and credible election."
Underscoring the need for reforms of bureaucracy, he said,
"There is a need for administrative reforms and that has
to be carried out for smooth progress of the country. I
hope that this government would complete its reform
programme before holding the next parliamentary polls."
He emphasized on promoting trade and business for
developing a nation, saying, "Bangladesh will have to
emphasize on its trade and business, as no nation can be
developed without these. But the people of this country
should not only focus on politics to such a large extent."
Asked what the next election is not held as per the road
map then what would be the role of Britain, British High
Commissioner said, "We are observing the situation very
closely. We do not want that such situation should take
place."
Govt wraps up pre-dialogue talks
Release of Khaleda and Hasina is a
must: BNP
Party also asks govt to stop harassing its workers
Taib Ahmed
The BNP on Monday
categorically told the government that the party would
take part neither in the government-sponsored dialogue nor
in the general elections without ensuring Begum Zia's
presence in both the dialogue and the election.
"We think release of Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina
is a must for holding a free, fair and a credible election
and for making the formal dialogue meaningful and we
apprised the advisers that the BNP would participate in
none of these," BNP standing committee member Chowdhury
Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui told newsmen emerging from two-hour
long pre-dialogue talks with five advisers to the
caretaker government held at the state guest house Meghna.
An 11-member delegation of pro-Khaleda faction led by
Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui was comprised of, among others, RA
Ghani, M K Anwar, Begum Sarwari Rahman, Brig (retd) ASM
Hannan Shah, Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, Goyeshwar
Chandro Roy and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.
The party also demanded of the government immediate
withdrawal of the state of emergency and lifting the ban
on indoor politics from across the country for creating a
conducive environment for holding the stalled
parliamentary election scheduled to be held December next.
"We have lodged our strong protest against the repression
on our party workers and filing of cases against them and
we asked the government that such repression and
harassment should be stopped immediately to pave the way
for creating a congenial political atmosphere," Nazrul
Islam Khan told newsmen adding, "We also protested the
police harassment on our Secretary General Khandoker
Delwar Hossain as police snatched away the foods meant for
the distressed people from him while he was distributing
the foods in the city's Khilgaon area."
The army-backed government wrapped up its pre-dialogue
talks with the political parties through holding the talks
with the BNP.
"The government has arranged this pre-dialogue talk for
three reasons for instance rebuilding the confidence among
ourselves, finding out ways and means for holding a
credible election and devising the mechanism to bring
qualitative changes in the country's politics," Adviser
Hossain Zillur Rahmna told newsmen after wrapping up the
pre-dialogue talks yesterday.
"We have got many important and significant views and
opinions from different quarters in our talks as we have
also held talks with the business community and other
sectors. These recommendations will be placed before the
Chief Adviser on April 30 after synthesizing it by
tomorrow (Tuesday)," the Adviser said.
City AL submits memorandum to CA office
Demanded immediate unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina
Staff Correspondent
Dhaka City Unit Awami League (AL) on Monday submitted a
memorandum to the office of Chief Adviser containing
signatures of about 25 lakhs people demanding immediate
unconditional release of detained party president and
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Acting president of City AL MA Aziz and Acting General
Secretary Quamrul Islam submitted the memorandum to
Mostafizur Rahman, director of the Chief Adviser's office
at about 11:30 am.
After handing over the memorandum, talking to reporters
outside the CA office, Quamrul Islam said, "I hope that
taking the memorandum into consideration and as per the
people's demand, the chief adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed
would take necessary steps to release the AL president
soon."
It may be noted that AL central and city unit leaders were
scheduled to go to the CA's office, but as they did not
get the permission which is required to visit the head of
the caretaker office, they could not do so.
Meanwhile, AL leaders expressed resentment over the
caretaker administration for not getting the permission to
go to the CA's office. Expressing his disappointment over
the government decision for not allowing the central
leaders to visit the head of the caretaker office, AL
presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said, "It is really a
matter of regret that the government did not permit our
leaders to go to CA's office."
Completion
of 3D seismic survey at Moulvibazar gas-field soon
UNB, Dhaka
International oil-company Chevron plans to complete its 3D
seismic survey in Moulavibazar gas-field as its work is in
full swing for striking newer hydrocarbon reserves in the
mine area.
Chevron Bangladesh President Steve Wilson expressed his
company's firm belief that if the company continues to
advance work as planned, they should finish the survey
before the monsoon season. "We continue to advance our
efforts and hope to complete the survey around mid-year,"
he told UNB, adding that about one-third of data recording
has been completed so far. Chevron started work on their
three-dimensional (3D) seismic survey in January this year
in this gas-field to determine a better understanding of
the size and location of the gas reserves.
The field was discovered in 1999 and production was
started in 2005, with current production volume coming to
around 75 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day. Wilson
said that most modern technology is being used in the
survey, which covers nearly 150 sq km, including about 16
percent within the Lawachhara national forest. The survey
techniques have been extensively modified for work in
Lawachhara's sensitive habitat, to ensure that there is no
significant impact on the environment. "Only existing
trails have been used, ensuring that no trees are cut
during the work," said the company boss. Speaking about
the fire which took place in the Lawachhara forest on
Saturday afternoon, he said, "We were shocked to hear
about the fire over the weekend."
Right now there is no evidence to suggest that the
incident is connected to Chevron's activities, he claimed,
adding that they are continuing to gather information to
better understand what really happened. About the
allegation that the fire might have been caused by
explosions during survey work, the Chevron's country chief
said that to date no charges had been set off in the
forest area, and the company had no crew working in the
vicinity of the fire area at the time.
However, Wilson pointed out that, during the survey, small
charges would be used, but they would be buried into a
depth of 70 feet. "The charges are biodegradable, and when
set off, show no trace of any explosion on the surface.
They are designed such that sound waves propagate down
into the earth."
Concerning the reports in the press of deafening
explosions, Wilson stated that "the noise level recorded
from test shots is less than that recorded from the
singing of birds in the forest".
He said that Chevron has taken the reporting of the fire
incident very seriously. "Fortunately, from our initial
reports the fire did not appear to cause major damage to
the flora and fauna of the forest. We can now confirm that
an area of 70 to 35 meters was damaged, and it appears the
fire only burnt surface scrub and no trees were harmed".
Wilson said that Chevron has launched an investigation
into the fire, and that recording activities in the forest
would be suspended until initial findings of the
investigation are reported. Chevron is also operating
two-additional gas-fields in the country. Of them, the
giant Bibiyana field is producing around 500 mmcfd while
the Jalalabad field 150 mmcfd. In total, the US-based
IOC's country outfit now provides about 40 percent of
Bangladesh's gas supply, investing more than $820 million
in the newfound business. Bangladesh's proven and
recoverable gas reserves are 13.54 tcf and the country is
producing about 1800 mmcfd gas against a demand for over
1900 mmcfd.
The gap between demand and supply is widening with the
demand being on a steady rise from the power and
fertilizer plants and industrial consumers.
ED
of Bashundhara Group sent to jail
Staff Correspondent
Abu Shufian, former executive director of Bashundhara
Group and also a close associate of Shah Alam, chairman of
the group was arrested by joint forces on Sunday, was
produced before the court that sent him to jail yesterday
afternoon.
He was arrested from his Lalmatia residence under
Mohammadpur police station in the capital for his alleged
involvement in the Humayun Kabir Sabbir murder case. It
was alleged the former state minister for home Lutfozzaman
Babar was given Tk 20 crore as bribe to hide up the
murder.
Ramna Thana police produced him before the Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate court, with a prayer for detaining
him in custody. Golam Rabbani, additional chief
metropolitan magistrate rejected the appeal for bail and
sent him to Dhaka Central Jail.
Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lodged a
case with Gulshan police station against Babar,
Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah
Alam, his two sons Safiat Sobhan Sanbir and Sadat Sobhan,
East West Property Development Project director Abu Sufian
and BNP's senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman
and his accomplice Nuruddin Apu.
Of them, Babar and Tarique Rahman are now behind bars
while others accused except Abu Shufian are yet to be
arrested.
After conducting countrywide anti-corruption drive, Abu
Shufian went into hiding for avoiding arrest. On the basis
of secret information, joint forces led by Rapid Action
Battalion arrested him from his residence.
Back Page
Special Eco-Zone
to be set up in Sylhet
Staff Correspondents
The country's first 'special
economic zone' is going to be set up in Sylhet.
According to sources at the Board of Investment (BOI), the
special economic zone projects has already been approved
by the cabinet and preliminary work on the project is
completed. After completion of the project in Sylhet, more
special economic zones will be established in the country
gradually.
BOI sources said, three sites have been selected primarily
to build the new special economic zone in Sylhet. The
sites are situated at Bateshwar on Sylhet-Tamabil road, in
Fenchugonj fertiliser Factory area and Fenchugonj bypass
area.
After visiting the sites, the relevant government
officials preferred the Fenchugonj fertiliser area to
build the proposed economic zone as there are vast areas
of land to use to build a modern industrial park. Besides,
the area is also propitious to establish a container
terminal to facilitate the new special economic zone.
The government is giving priority to the project and
expatriates welfare and foreign employment affairs adviser
Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdury visited Sylhet during April
22-23 and held talks with the leaders of Sylhet Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and British-Bangladesh
Chamber of Commerce (BBCI) and government officials
concerned in this regard.
The 'non-resident Bangladeshis' (NRB) have expressed their
eagerness to invest in the special economic zone, a senior
BOI official said on condition of anonymity.
He said, the Bangladeshi expatriates, specially the
inhabitants of Sylhet, are expected to invest around 3.40
billion Pounds in the new economic zone if the project is
implemented. Moreover, the relevant government offices are
scheduled to organize seminars in foreign countries
including the United Kingdom and Germany to attract the
entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh, he said.
Sources said, the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce are playing a
pioneering role in implementing the economic zone project.
River
erosion has multidimensional effects on life: Karim
BSS, Dhaka
Adviser for Water Resources Dr CS Karim Monday said river
erosion has multidimensional effects on life and property,
and socio-cultural heritages.
He said, "The river erosion not only takes life, damages
property and affects livelihood of people, but also
affects our heritage and civilisation."
The adviser was addressing a seminar on 'Proactive
disaster risk reduction through erosion prediction'
organised by the Centre for Environmental and Geography
Information Services (CEGIS) at a city hotel.
Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Hua
Du attended the seminar as the special guest while
Director General of the Water Development Board HS
Mozaddad Faruque was in the chair.
CS Karim said the government has been strengthening its
efforts to check the river erosion and help the erosion
victims. He urged all organisations concerned,
stakeholders and development partners to give more
attention to the issue as it is serious threat to the
socio-cultural heritages.
Hua Du said, "We are assisting the government in
rehabilitating disaster-affected people and mitigating the
disaster risks.”
The river erosion is taking a serious turn day by day
because of rapid change in climate, she said adding that
as a development partner of the region, the ADB is fully
committed to help meet the challenges created by the
climate change that causes the river erosion.
Executive Director of the CEGIS Giasuddin Ahmed Choudhury,
head of the Morphology Division of the organisation
Maminul Haque Sarker and Ian Rector of the Comprehensive
Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) presented three
separate keynote papers at the seminar. The keynote
speakers in their presentations said the river erosion is
one of the main causes of poverty in Bangladesh.
Describing the Jamuna, the Ganges, the Padma and the lower
Meghna as the most erosion-hit rivers, they said the
rivers annually erode about 6,000 hectares of land, render
thousands of people homeless and damage infrastructures.
30pc among cancer patients suffer from head, neck cancer
UNB, Dhaka
Among the cancer patient of the country, around 30 percent
are suffering from head and neck cancer.
Smoking, chewing tobacco leaves and taking alcohol cause
high risk for mouth, vocal cord and lunge cancer,
specialists disclosed the fact at a seminar here Monday.
ENT department of Medical College for Women and Hospital
at Uttara organized the seminar as part of the observation
of "ENT, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week".
Former President Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury was present
in the seminar as the chief guest. Presided over by head
of ENT department of the medical college Professor M
Alamgir Chowdhury, the seminar was also attended, among
others, by National Professor MR Khan, Professor AM
Muzibul Haque and Professor MA Khasru as the special
guests. Professor M Alamgir Chowdhury said smoking, use of
tobacco leaves and drinking alcohol enhance the
possibility of cancer in mouth, respiratory tract, tongue
and vocal cord.
Around 85 percent of such cancer is caused by smoking
alone, he added.
"Using tobacco leaves and alcohol together as more
dangerous that smoking using tobacco leaves and drinking
alcohol," he further said. Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury
said most types of cancer are curable if diagnosed at the
primary stage.
National Professor MR Khan said organizing such seminar is
very important to make people aware of the symptoms of
cancer and media has to play a vital role in this regard.
The seminar discussed issues related to symptoms,
prevention and modern treatment of Head and Neck cancer.
The seminar was also attended by the physicians, students
and patients of the medical college.
BD can be a bridge between America and Asia: Foreign
Adviser
UNB, Dhaka
Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar
Ahmed Chowdhury Monday said Bangladesh could be a bridge
between America and Asia at a time when a new 'Asian Age'
has dawned.
"Bangladesh can be a bridge between America and Asia
because of her (Bangladesh's) traditional bonds with both
sides," he said.
Dr Iftekhar was speaking at a function organised by the
Canadian High Commission at a local hotel, marking the 5th
anniversary of the access of Bangladeshi items to the
Canadian market as LDC products, said a handout.
The Foreign Adviser said Bangladeshi exports to Canada
quadrupled in five years, growing from US $163 million in
2001-2002 to US $542 million in 2006-2007. "The reason for
this is the GSP facilities were extended to us. This
reflects Canada's enlightened approach to global issues,"
he told the function.
He added that Bangladesh is looking for similar access to
other markets of the developed countries. "If we're good
at manufacturing something, like readymade garments, we
should be rewarded for it by giving us free access, but
not be punished by creating tariff and non-tariff
barriers." Bangladesh's average export to Canada $163
million until 2003 and rose to $542 million in 2007.
The Foreign Adviser mentioned nearly 70,000 people of
Bangladeshi origin are living in Canada and contributing
to its progress.He said, "Today, Canada is emerging as a
destination for our skilled manpower, which will become
another key connection linking our two countries."
Dr Iftekhar spoke of Bangladesh's partnership with Canada
in UN peacekeeping and women's empowerment roles. "We
cooperate in these areas to underscore the fact that
despite many obvious differences between our two
countries, there are certain values that are universal,
that all countries must share, and that is what defines
our modern world," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Canadian High Commissioner
Barbara Richardson praised Bangladesh as one of the most
successful LDCs to use the duty- and quota-free market
access.
She urged Bangladesh to keep on producing high-quality
export products and improve transportation infrastructure
to get those products to the world markets.
HC stays operation of Supreme Judicial Commission
UNB, Dhaka
The High Court Monday stayed for three months operation of
the Supreme Judicial Commission (SCJ), a newly constituted
recruitment body for selection and forwarding names of
candidates to the President for appointment as judges in
both divisions of the Supreme Court.
Passing the interim order of stay following a Public
Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, a division bench
issued a rule upon government to explain why the impugned
Supreme Judicial Commission Ordinance 2008 "should not be
declared inconsistent with the Constitution and unlawful".
After six weeks' operation of the Commission, Advocate
Idrisur Rahman, a human-rights activist, filed the PIL
with the division bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and
Justice Farid Ahmed, challenging the constitutional
validity of the Supreme Judicial Commission Ordinance 2008
promulgated on March 16.
Crime
Police-Media cooperation can help curb crime
UNB, Comilla
Speakers at a view exchange meeting Sunday said
police-media cooperation could help curb crime in the
society to a great extent.
Addressing the meeting on Police-Media Relations at
local community centre, the speakers stressed the need
for building up good relationship between police and
media.
DIG of Chittagong Range AKM Shahidul Haque attended as
chief discussant in the meeting, which was presided over
by Police Super Imtiaz Ahmed. Local journalists and
police officials participated in the meeting.
Youth killed
UNB, Natore
A youth was hacked to death at Dighoil village in
Boraigram upazila on Sunday night.
Local people said some unidentified youths called the
youth Polash out of his house and hacked him
indiscriminately leaving him badly injured. He was
rushed to a local hospital where he died later. Reason
behind the killing could not be known immediately. In
another incident Protima, 16, a domestic help of the
house of Advocate Ranajit in Nimtala area of the
district town, was rescued in an unconscious state on
Sunday night. Pratima was rushed to Sadar hospital where
the attending doctors declared her dead. Police arrested
Ranajit and another lawyer Qudrat-e-Elahi Jalal in this
connection.
Two get death sentence
Our Correspondent, Kurigram
Two youths were sentenced to death by a court on Monday
for violating and murdering an eight-year old girl two
years ago.
The convicts were identified as Rofiqul Islam, son of
Saifur Ali of Voterhalla village under Khachakata thana
of Nageswari upazila and Nurul Islam, son of late-Jalep
Ali of the same village under Khachakata thana of
Nageswari in Kurigram district. The prosecution story in
brief was, the convicts violated and murdered an
eight-year old girl Munni, daughter of Tomij Uddin of
Voterhalla village under Khachakata thana. The convicted
picked up Munni, 8, from her house and took to a nearby
jute field on the night of 2006. They reaped Munni and
killed her on the spot.
Khachakata thana police recovered the body of Munni and
later her father filed a case against of them in
Khachakata thana.
After examining witnesses and relevant evidences the
additional district and season's judge of Kurigram,
Bhabani Proshad Sing, pronounced the verdict.
Girl rescued
from brothel
UNB, Goalanda
A teenaged girl, who was sold at Daulatdia brothel here,
was luckily rescued on Saturday with the prompt action
of law enforcers.
The 13-year old girl, resident of Satkar Betma village
in Patharghata upazila of Barguna, recently left her
home following disagreement with her poor parents and
came to a relative's house at Nabinagar in Savar.
On Saturday she was introduced with a neighbour, Sathi
Parveen, who took her to Daulatdia promising a good job.
Later, she was sold to a woman who forced the girl to
engage in flesh trade. On information, local police
rescued her and arrested Sathi. Police said the victim
and arrested Sathi were sent to district court on
Sunday.
Mother, daughter commit suicide
BSS, Jamalpur
A mother and her daughter committed suicide by taking
poison at Paschimpara village under Bokshiganj upazila
in the district on Sunday.
They were identified as Safina Begum, 50, wife of late
freedom fighter Mujibar Rahman, and her daughter Laki
Akhter, 20.
Police and family sources said, Lakshmi, a student of
honours class, was given to marry forcefully with
Advocate Nuruddin of Sherpur district on April 18.
She returned home from her law's house on Saturday. But
mentally shocked Lakshmi could not tolerate the marriage
as she had a relation with her cousin. On the day, she
wrote a letter mentioning the cause of her suicide and
later took poison. Hearing the news, her mother also
took rest of the poison and died on her way to hospital.
A UD case was registered with Bokshiganj thana in this
connection.
Two rapists arrested
BSS, Bhurungamari
Two rapists were arrested by police from village
Paikdanga in Bhurungamari upazila of Kurigram on Sunday,
police sources said.
The sources said the arrested rapists were identified as
Babu Mian, 20 and Zakku Mian, 25 of the village.
The rapists forcibly abducted a girl, 13, of the village
and took her to nearby char area on the river Dudhkumar
and raped her overnight till Friday morning and left her
there in injured condition.
Local people recovered her in a critical condition and
admitted her to Bhurungamari Upazila Health Complex. A
case was filed in this connection with Bhurungamari
police station. Police arrested the rapists and sent
them to jail hajat after producing them before a
Kurigram court, the sources said.
Woman commits suicide
Our Correspondent, Sirajganj
Police recovered a dead body of a school teacher from
Jamtail village in Raiganj upazila under Sirajganj
district on Monday.
Police said they recovered the hanged body of Md. Waazed
Ali, 40, a former teacher of Jamtail Registered Primary
School, from a banyan-tree of his village at about 11:00
am.
Police and the local people said they suspected that Ms
Ali being a mental patient committed the act. However,
police recorded an unnatural death (UD) case in this
matter. Md. Haider Ali, the police Officer-in-Charge
confirmed the incident.
Agayan party attacks businessmen
Our Correspondent, Rajshahi
Two Businessmen in Rajshahi were attacked by agayan
party men on Monday. They were admitted to the Rajshahi
Medical College Hospital in critical condition. The
victims were identified as Jafir Uddin, 50, of Maria
village and Younus Ali, 30, of Nandapara village under
Durgapur upazila in Rajshahi.
According to the concerned sources, the two men were
returning home from Dhaka by bus on Monday after
completing their business works. They became senseless
after smoking a cigar offered by a fellow passenger on
Monday morning, sources said. After being confirmed
senseless, the looted cash and mobile from the
passengers.
The other passengers at first admitted them into
Durgapur health complex and the doctor shifted them to
Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as critical condition.
Toll collector held
UNB, Rajshahi
The Rapid Action Battalion on Sunday arrested a man
while collecting tolls from businessmen in the city,
allegedly on behalf of police.
A RAB team caught Isarul Haque Tutul red-handed while he
along with police car driver Ansar Ali was collecting
toll at city's Shaheb Bazar wholesale market early in
the morning. Ansar Ali, however, managed to flee away
with his motor cycle during the raid. The businessmen
said Tutul used to collect Tk 70,000-80,000 from the
wholesale market everyday in the name of police. They
said they informed RAB about the matter.
Tutul and his men also used to collect toll from
vehicles and other traders engaged in smuggling.
Tutul told RAB that he took an unwritten lease on Tk 80
lakh from police for collecting yearly tolls from
traders. He said he shared the collected money with
police, including traffic police, of different thanas in
the city. Tutul, a resident of Rajpara in the city, said
a team of 20 people used to aid him in collecting tolls.
Later, Tutul was handed over to Boalia thana. When
contacted, an official of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police
denied any involvement of police and termed Tutul's
claim as false. He, however, said the matter is being
looked into.
Robbers killed
in gunfight
UNB, Kishoreganj
An alleged robber was killed in a gunfight with police
in Itna upazila on Monday.
Police said a gang of armed bandits hijacked a
rice-laden boat from Rasulpur in Khaliajuri upazila of
Netrakona district at about 12:45 am.
Being informed by the local people over mobile phone,
police of Itna thana tracked down the boat in the
upazila and chased the robbers. Sensing danger, the
robber opened fire on the police forcing them to fire
back. Ful Miah, an accused in a number of cases, was
struck by bullet and died on the spot, the sources said.
Police also arrested another robber Shahjahan, 40, and
seized the rice-laden boat. The other bandits managed to
flee the scene.
Editorial
The Crisis of BNP
Politics
BNP has become the
best road-show, or more precisely, the most popular circus in
the country right now, with all its leaders, past & present,
big, medium and small acrimoniously bickering with each other
in front of the media. With Begum Khaleda Zia and her two sons
in jail nobody seems to be in control of the party or its
structures which are in shambles right down to the grass root
levels.
The rot in the party started soon after it won an absolute
majority in the 2001 elections on a common platform with
Jamaat-e-Islami. Bangladesh had by then gone through 5 years
of harrowing experience of AL politics and government.
Thoroughly disillusioned the people were looking forward to
changes in governance vociferously promised by the BNP led
4-Party Alliance and to that end the people had given the
Alliance an absolute mandate. Unfortunately for the people and
the country the BNP did not seem the least bit interested in
fulfilling their promises to the electorate. On the one hand,
the Jamaat encouraged, if not supported the rise of extremism
in its most violent forms; on the other hand, some of the most
bizarre and shadowy characters in the country, centered around
the Hawa Bhaban, took over not only control of the party
structures but also of much of the government - these two, the
Jamaat and the Hawa Bhaban in tandem, in 5 years, more or less
unchallenged, established a regime of predatory rapine of
public and private wealth, in the process destroying every
institution of the State. Such circumstances were fast leading
the country towards chaos and endangering the State's very
existence and so, we were led into the Emergency. By now,
these are facts, well known to every inhabitant of Bangladesh.
Even when the Emergency was declared as a sharp reaction
against such anarchy, the BNP leadership refused to realize
what they had wrought on their wretched nation. BNP leadership
continued to verbalize the same old clichés and platitudes
till they were all flung into prisons for committing every
criminal act conceivable and even some unconceivable ones too.
A political party had ceased to be political and soon after
the Emergency, dissensions emerged not on any valid policy or
ideological or moral issues but on individual differences
between "leaders" still out of prisons. What ought to have
been a political debate was reduced to bickering of
incompetent and largely impotent individuals.
If the BNP, as a political party, means to survive, it must
take in hand a policy not of reform but of complete
reorganization based on moral imperatives; its must throw away
its mediocre and now redundant leadership and look for
inspiring, charismatic and brilliant leadership, if necessary
from outside the party structures; and last but most
importantly, it must seek apology from the people of this
country for the ruin and devastation that they had so
mercilessly poured onto the people and the land.
We are not supporters of the BNP, nor even its sympathizers
but we are the electorate and we would like to see better
choices open to us in our next election. We are also in favor
of a "particular balance" in our politics whereby no single
group of people, a conglomerate, an alliance or a party will
have the opportunity and the occasion to take absolute,
unchallenged control of our government, governance, politics
and polity and take us back to the "Edge of Chaos" once again.
Anarchy in transport sector
An anarchic situation has
been created in the transport sector due to abrupt rise in the
fare of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, taxicabs and buses following
the implementation of the government decision to increase the
price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by almost 100 per cent
with a view a reducing the loss of Petrobangla by Taka 80
crores. The government has raised the CNG price from Taka 8.50
to Taka 16.75 per cubic metre with effect from Saturday and
re-fixed upward the fare of auto-rickshaws and taxicabs, but
refrained from enhancing the bus fare.
But the bus owners are abruptly realizing fare from the
passengers at an enhanced rate defying the rules as they are
not permitted to increase fare without government approval.
This shows that the bus owners are willfully violating
government rules even during the emergency. At present there
are one lakh 42 thousand CNG-run vehicles in the country. Of
these 25 thousands are auto rickshaws and 3 thousands are taxi
cabs, while remaining vehicles are trucks and buses. The
owners of these transports are charging more from the people
on the plea of CNG price escalation and as a result of this
altercations and squabbles are taking place between the
passengers and transport workers frequently.
There might be some reasons for increasing CNG price against
the backdrop of a sharp rise in fuel oil price and soaring
loss of the Petrobangla. But even then the rate of increase
should have been lower than what has been fixed. The
unfortunate aspect of the situation arising out of the CNG
price hike is that the people have been forced to spend more
on all sorts of transports at a time when they are already hit
hard financially by the skyrocketing prices of essentials. It
is surprising that bus owners are realizing extra money
although bus fare has not been enhanced by the government and
the taxicabs and auto-rickshaws are charging more than the
re-fixed rate. The government, for the interest of exerting
its own authority and retrieving the people from unwarranted
harassment, should look into the matter and ensure that none
in the transport sector can violate rules to extract extra
money from the people.
Analysis
The Seeds of Disaster
The World Bank projects food prices will remain
at current levels or above through 2009.
Lee Hudson Teslik
For
consumers and businesses in the United States and Europe,
bubbling inflation and rising oil prices bring varying degrees
of hardship, producing a nuisance for some and raising
solvency issues for others. Elsewhere in the world, these
factors threaten more existential consequences. World Bank
data show rising commodity prices have prompted a dramatic
spike in global food prices, with the cost of staples like
wheat and rice showing the greatest increases. Unrest has
risen along with prices. Riots over food prices have broken
out in North and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the
Middle East, and East Asia-an interactive chart from the
Financial Times shows the global reach and magnitude of the
crisis. Economist Jeffrey Sachs calls it the "worst crisis of
its kind in more than thirty years" (NYT).
Supply problems only seem to be accelerating. Beyond the broad
rise in commodity prices, which affects most global
businesses, other factors compound food problems. A drought in
Australia (Sydney Morning Herald) has taken a severe toll on
grain harvests. Meanwhile, global production centers of wheat
and rice, pinched by shortages at home, have moved to limit
exports-disrupting supplies for neighbors and trading
partners. Kazakhstan, a critical supplier of wheat to Central
Asia, recently suspended exports (RFE/RL). Vietnam, the
world's second leading rice exporter, did the same (Xinhua),
adding to demand pressures on nearby Thailand, the global rice
export leader. Some experts fault an increased focus on
biofuel production for chewing up much needed food supplies,
though major biofuel producers like Brazil sharply counter
these claims (AP). Meanwhile, the international agency
designed to deal with food crises, the UN World Food Program,
says it won't be able to meet its commitments without
emergency funding.
With such a perfect storm brewing, where does one even begin
with a remedy? The Economist argues rich countries should take
the food crisis as seriously as they take the global credit
crunch, and ought to quickly provide the World Food Program
$700 million or more. In addition, it says, the program's
mandate should be broadened to help it provide humanitarian
aid in a way that doesn't disrupt local markets-proposing that
the program focus on distributing funding rather than food
itself.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund came up with a
plan of their own in mid-April meetings in Washington. World
Bank President Robert Zoellick called for a "new deal" on
global food policy that would include cash injections,
food-for-work programs, and assistance with plantings. The IMF,
for its part, links its efforts to combat food shortages with
its broader attempt to stave off a global economic slowdown.
In the United States, some policymakers are grappling with the
role agricultural subsidies play distorting food markets.
This, experts say, is the broader problem that must be turned
to once immediate World Food Program funding shortages have
been addressed. In a recent podcast interview with CFR.org,
Daniel Gustafson, the director of the Washington office of the
UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, says the next U.S.
president should incorporate liberalized agricultural policy
into the United States' broad development agenda. Concerns
over agricultural subsidies in the United States and other
countries have come sharply into focus during trade debates
and seem likely to continue to percolate as Congress nears
approval of a new farm bill. Analysts caution against
underestimating the stakes. The World Bank projects food
prices will remain at current levels or above through 2009.
For the world's poor, many of whom Gustafson says spend as
much as 80 percent of their income on food, the clock is
ticking.
(Lee Hudson Teslik is Assistant Editor of the Council on
Foreign Relations.
Source: www.cfr.org)
A Seat at the Table: The Role of Displaced Persons in Peace
Talks and Peacebuilding
While some internal displacement results from natural
disasters, including droughts, pestilence, and floods, the
vast majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been
made homeless by conflict.
Donald Steinberg
From Sudan to Sri Lanka,
from Colombia to Congo, there are few more visible and
heart-breaking signs of conflict than internally displaced
persons driven from their homes and forced to live in
makeshift camps, abandoned buildings, forests, and shanty
towns. Outcasts in their own homelands, they are unprotected
by international conventions on refugees and subject to the
not-so-tender mercies of their own governments and to relief
efforts of domestic and international agencies. Frequently,
they have been endured unspeakable crimes and unimaginable
horrors, and struggle to find food, shelter, health
facilities, and basic security. Some 25 million people today
find themselves in such conditions in about 50 countries,
including by most estimates more than a million each in
Algeria, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq,
Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Uganda.
While some internal displacement results from natural
disasters, including droughts, pestilence, and floods, the
vast majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been
made homeless by conflict. Yet when parties come together to
negotiate the end to conflict, IDPs are generally excluded
from the peace talks, and the issues of greatest interest to
them - resettlement to their places of origin, rebuilding of
basic infrastructure and social services, clearance of
landmines, and reform of the security sector - are given short
shrift by the armed combatants participating in the talks.
Given that there is likely to be little domestic pressure for
the inclusion of IDPs in the processes of peacemaking and
post-conflict reconstruction, it often falls to the
international community - and in particular the United Nations
through its mediation efforts and the power of the UN Security
Council - to ensure their participation.
IDPs at the Table: Good for Them, Good for the Process
The exclusion of IDPs from peace processes is both unjust and
unwise. In modern warfare, some 90 percent of the victims are
now civilians, and internal displacement generally occurs
against powerless groups already subject to exploitation.
Sexual violence, including rape used as a weapon of war; theft
of property, livestock and other assets; trafficking in women
and girls; and similar abuses are common among individuals who
have lost their homes and identities. Abuses occur not only at
the hands of rebels and criminals, but often from government
security forces who are charged with their protection. IDP
camps are sites of domestic violence, trafficking in persons,
drug and alcohol abuse, tuberculosis, cholera, and crime.
The exclusion of IDPs from the peacemaking and peacebuilding
has a deeper cost of undercutting the efficiency and
effectiveness of the processes. The return of IDPs to their
places of origin are key to the re-establishment of normalcy,
return of security and the extension of state administration
throughout the national territory. Thus, early returns are
often pushed by impatient negotiators seeking good news and
tangible signs of progress from stalled processes. But the
premature return of displaced persons to their homes, in the
absence of security and sustainability, can lead quickly to
new displacement, which simply adds new instability to the
process. IDPs themselves are best positioned to know when it
is wise and safe to return to their homes, and their voices to
this effect must be part of the peace process. Further, they
must be there to advocate for assistance and compensation
packages: the sense that demobilised ex-combatants are
receiving generous assistance packages, training
opportunities, and positions in the new government or security
forces in excess of what IDPs receive can bring tension and
alienation for key constituents.
The disengagement of civil society groups from a peace process
means that they will view the peace process as belonging to
the armed combatants, not to them, and there will be little
civil society pressure on the combatants if the peace process
falters. For example, the exclusion of IDP representatives at
the Darfur peace talks in Abuja in 2006 was a key factor in
creating an unsustainable and unworkable peace agreement that
was quickly repudiated by most of Darfur civil society. It is
for this reason that we are now urging the inclusion of IDP
representatives - as well as those of women's organizations
and Arab tribes - in the UN/AU talks being led by Jan Eliasson
and Salim Salim.
One particularly disturbing problem occurred in Angola while I
was serving there as American Ambassador and a member of the
Peace Commission. In our rush to see Angola's four million
displaced persons return to their homes in a country where
large numbers of landmines had been planted, we focused
primarily on the commercial demining of major roads.
Regrettably, our humanitarian demining efforts in local
fields, forests, and lakes were given secondary priority. When
the displaced returned to their homes and started going out to
plant fields, collect firewood, and fetch water, there was a
rush of tragic landmine accidents. Had IDPs been at the table
in the Peace Commission from an early stage, this tragedy
might have avoided.
There is an expression used in the disability community:
"Nothing about us without us." This concept should apply to
the displaced community in peace talks.
Whose Peace Process?
Yet the exclusion of IDPs persists. We have the strange
specters of maniacal and often homicidal combatants such as
Angola's Jonas Savimbi, Sierra Leone's Foday Sankoh, and
Uganda's Joseph Kony, or the fractured forces of Darfurian
rebels claiming to represent "the people" in their respective
negotiations. Too often, the first action of these individuals
is to seek amnesty for crimes that they, their supporters, and
even the opposite side committed during the conflict. While we
welcome national reconciliation and forgiveness that
accompanies the end of conflict, amnesties too often mean that
men with guns forgive other men with guns for crimes committed
against powerless civilians, including displaced persons.
Amnesties can also put a cynical cancer in the center of a
peace process and undercut the re-establishment of rule of law
and justice after the guns go silent.
These lessons are vital for negotiators to address, and it is
a welcome sign that the Mediation Support Unit at the UN
Department of Political Affairs has recognized this. This unit
is now preparing guidance to be used in training potential
envoys, mediators and representatives of the UN Secretary
General in conflict situations. In addressing these issues,
many questions need to be addressed.
Who are the Displaced and Who Represents Them
First is the question of identifying IDPs and their
representatives and leaders. Often, the pattern of rural to
urban migration and the sudden development of squatters
village and shanty towns on the outskirts of major cities begs
the question of whether these are economic migrants or
conflict-related IDPs. One key question is whether these
individuals intend to return to their homes after conflict.
Similarly, it is not enough to look for major camps of
displacement: IDPs quite frequently do not flock only to large
camps: many live with friends or relatives, while others
congregate in small groups in safe areas in forests or
mountains.
On the question of representation, rarely are there cases
where clear leaders of the internally displaced emerge. Rebel
leaders may claim to represent IDPs and their interests, but
frequently, these leaders may be the perpetrators of actions
against the displaced or simply seeking to use IDPs as
leverage to gain greater concessions. The leaders of the
communities from which the displaced came may have been
killed, displaced elsewhere, or discredited, and IDP camps do
not generally have the stability to elect their own
leadership. Further, individuals in IDP camps themselves may
be far from innocent victims, but actual perpetrators of the
violence, such as in the case of IDPs in the secured areas of
Rwanda following the 1994 genocide.
It may also be difficult to incorporate IDP leaders into
formal peace processes given their lack of formal training and
education, and perhaps even language issues. Typically, IDPs
come from marginalized groups, such as the Afro-Colombian
community in Colombia, where the skills necessary to
participate in diplomatic negotiations must be fostered and
nurtured. Training for their participation is essential, and
must take place early and in a culturally appropriate manner.
These questions most often fall to the international or
domestic mediator charged with conducting the peace talks and
to the commission implementing the agreement. These
determinations should be made in consultation with credible
human rights and governance institutions, taking into account
previously existing leadership patterns and the structure of
leadership that may have emerged in IDP camps or communities.
When and How to Engage IDPs
Timing is critical. Issues related to the return of displaced
to their homes are particularly tense, including divisive
questions such as compensation for displacement,
accountability, and restoration of land rights. These
questions can be so disruptive to a fragile peace process that
there is an argument for delaying their consideration and
resolution until basic aspects of the armed conflict have been
resolved and consolidated, especially negotiation of a
ceasefire or permanent cessation of hostility and an agreement
on the disarmament and demobilization of armed forces.
Further, emotions can run high when the abused and the abusers
confront each other, even in polite conference rooms. Thus,
there may be occasions where it is wise to include only the
principal armed parties in the initial stages of a peace
negotiation, as long as it is clear that the voices of other
key actors - including IDP representatives - will be heard and
heeded shortly thereafter.
Ideally, implementation of a peace process can help rebuild
local capacity of civil society organizations that have been
destroyed by the partisanship of conflict. IDPs should be a
principal target of these efforts. It is a sad fact that as a
conflict moves from a period of humanitarian emergency to
re-establishment of stability and security to post-conflict
reconstruction and development, the resources flowing to the
country progressively diminish. Thus, using resettlement
resources to support and strengthen IDP groups as planners,
implementers and beneficiaries of these programs is preferable
to relying solely on foreign entities such as the
International Organization on Migration and international
NGOs.
An International Responsibility to Engage
It is neither neo-colonialist nor paternalistic for the
international community to insist that IDPs be represented in
peace processes. The international community need not be
diffident when faced with charges of interference in the
internal affairs of a sovereign state. There is a lingering
view, for example, that the UN Security Council should not
engage unless there are on-going "threats to international
peace and security" and that situations that involve only
internal displacement are not within its purview. Cases such
as Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar come easily to mind. In
fact, in our interconnected global community, the line between
domestic and international crises has been blurred, if not
obliterated. Conflict and the waves of instability flow easily
across borders. Today's IDP is tomorrow's refugee, while
insecure areas within countries quickly become breeding sites
for international trafficking in arms, persons, and drugs; and
potential training sites for terrorists.
Other seeking to downplay IDP participation argue that, by not
having crossed borders, they are not covered by the refugees
convention and thus do not enjoy the protection of the
international community. In fact, there are ample precedents
and international law to justify forcing IDPs into the peace
process, including rights under international human rights and
humanitarian law. Further, displacement often occurs in
conjunction with genocide, crimes against humanity, war
crimes, or ethnic cleansing. As a result, the concept of
"responsibility to protect" kicks in under paragraphs 138 and
139 of the World Summit Outcome document of October 2005.
These paragraphs, endorsed by the largest grouping of world
leaders ever assembled and subsequently recognized unanimously
by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, state
that the principal responsibility to prevent and stop these
mass atrocities falls to the host government, but to the
extent that the government is unable or unwilling to perform
this duty, the responsibility shifts to the international
community. And even if mass atrocities have not occurred, the
act of displacement makes these populations more vulnerable to
this possibility, and brings into play the corresponding
responsibility to prevent.
Further, while a formal statement of IDP rights has never been
adopted, growing international acceptance of the Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement provides a mediator with a
wide opening to engage IDPs in peace processes. Developed in
1998 by former Special Representative of the Secretary-General
on Internally Displaced Persons Francis Deng, these principles
identify rights and guarantees for protecting persons from
forced displacement and for protecting and assisting them
during displacement and subsequent return. The principles have
been welcomed by the UN General Assembly in 2003; incorporated
into the charters or regional organizations such as the
Council of Europe, Organization of American States, and
African Union; and codified in whole or in part in national
laws in countries such as Colombia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Angola,
Georgia, Peru, Burundi, Liberia, and the Philippines.
It is vital that the full expertise of the United Nations and
other international bodies on IDPs is incorporated into peace
processes. It is not enough for a well-meaning UN envoy to be
sensitive to these issues. Mediators must have the full
backing of the UN Security Council, including specific
references in resolutions to IDP participation in peace
processes involving UN peacemaking and peace enforcement
missions. Mediators must draw on the experience of the Special
Representative for the Human Rights of IDPs, the High
Commissioner for Refugees (especially given its role as IDP
cluster lead on protection), the Geneva-based Internal
Displacement Division of the Coordinator of Humanitarian
Affairs, the International Organization for Migration, the
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations, World Food Program, UNICEF and UNDP.
Beyond Victimhood
Many in the international community view internally displaced
persons as mere victims of conflict and extol their remarkable
capacity for survival. But it is vital to see IDPs as much
more: they are an essential piece of the puzzle in making and
building sustainable peace. Peace processes must benefit
greatly from their knowledge of local conditions, their power
to generate civil society support for agreements, their
willingness to return home and rebuild stable societies, and
their commitment to the future of their countries. In the
pursuit of peace, we must make them part of the solution, not
part of the problem.
(Donald Steinberg is Vice President for Multilateral Affairs
for the International Crisis Group. He previously served as
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees,
and Migration, and was a Senior Fellow at the United States
Institute for Peace addressing issues of internal displacement
Source: www.crisisgroup.org)
Viewpoints
Pope in USA:
Dialog and Reconciliation for Peace
The Pope seems to suggest an admixture of
religion and politics for purposes of reconciliation in modern
life of politicians and religious leaders.
Dr. Abdul
Ruff Colachal
A
lot of significance has been attached to the six-day visit,
from 15 to 20 April, of the head of the Roman Catholic Church,
Pope Benedict XVI to USA after President George W. Bush met
him at Vatican. The trip with a multi-purpose itinerary of
meeting US President on 16 April; White House luncheon; talks
with Bush. Meeting with US bishops and prayer service in
Washington (evening); the presidential candidates cutting
across the political divide, addressing the UN on 18 April,
and visiting select Christian and Jewish religious places on
19 April; New York Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral on 20 April
and finally Ground Zero visit and Yankee Stadium Mass.
This ground-breaking trip, Benedict's first as pontiff, has
already seen the pope tackle some of the thorniest issues
facing the Roman Catholic Church- the key objective of his
efforts in the USA. His meeting with President Bush and the
present presidential aspirants of the USA, among others, also
points to the underlining religio-political goals of his
arrival. A blend of political and religious purposes
characterized the trip that marked meetings between the
pontiff and political and religious leaders and going by the
statements he made there, the Pope seems to suggest an
admixture of religion and politics for purposes of
reconciliation in modern life of politicians and religious
leaders. His remarks on the current crises the world over are
significant.
Terror war: Harsh interrogation methods
On 16 April Pope paid the first papal visit to the White House
in three decades and urged US President George W. Bush to use
diplomacy rather than war to resolve conflicts. Benedict has
addressed terrorism several times during his six-day visit. In
a private meeting with President Bush, the Pope touched on the
need to confront "terrorism" with appropriate means that
respect the human person and his or her rights, according to a
joint U.S.-Holy See statement. Benedict has been critical of
harsh interrogation methods, telling a meeting of the
Vatican's office for social justice last September that, while
a country has an obligation to keep its citizens safe,
prisoners must never be demeaned or tortured. At the White
House, the Pope called for the war on terror to be waged using
means that respect human dignity - in other words, excluding
torture. He rightly pointed out that if a victim's dignity is
violated with impunity, he becomes an easy prey to the call of
violence.
The center-piece of his visit was his address to the UN where
he highlighted this year's 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. In his address to the UN, he
urged the global leaders to promote human rights and stressed
the need for the world to embrace the fundamental rights of
all human beings. It is no doubt a grave truth that injustice
and denial of fundamental human rights only leads to
insecurity in the world.
Human Right Evasions, Inequalities
On his first visit to UN headquarters since becoming pope
three years ago, Pope Benedict XVI used his moral authority on
18 April Friday to promote causes of human rights and
multilateralism and urged a greater dialog between religions
in a landmark address, the center-piece of his US mission, to
the UN General Assembly. The 81-year-old pontiff reminded all
192 UN member states of their duty to protect their people
from human rights abuses. "Every state has the primary duty to
protect its own population from grave and sustained violations
of human rights," he told a packed assembly, "If states are
unable to guarantee such protection, the international
community must intervene with the juridical means provided in
the United Nations Charter". The Pope said that member states
should solve the world's crises together. His Holiness said
the world was still subject to "the decisions of a few",
without naming countries. He urged states to protect their
people from "grave and sustained" human rights abuses or face
outside intervention.
His UN visit was the fourth by a pope, following those by Paul
VI in 1965 and John Paul II in 1979 and 1995. The pope told
the UN General Assembly that promoting human rights was "the
most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between
countries and social groups and for increasing security." But
he also warned against "a relativistic conception" of such
rights under which "the meaning and interpretation of rights
could vary and their universality would be denied in the name
of difference in cultural, political, social and even
religious outlooks." Benedict underscored the need to foster
dialog between cultures and religions at a time of tension
between the West and the Islamic world. "The United Nations
can count on the results of dialog between religions and can
draw fruit from the willingness of believers to place their
experiences at the service of the common good," the pope said.
In his remarks, the head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman
Catholics also extolled the virtue of "multilateral consensus"
which he said "continues to be in crisis because it is still
subordinated to the decisions of a few, whereas the world's
problems call for interventions in the form of collective
action." Benedict warned diplomats that international
cooperation needed to solve urgent problems is "in crisis"
because decisions rest in the hands of a few powerful nations.
The pope also insisted that the way to peace was by ensuring
respect for human dignity. "The promotion of human rights
remains the most effective strategy for eliminating
inequalities between countries and social groups, and
increasing security," the pope said. Those whose rights are
trampled, he said, "become easy prey to the call to violence
and they then become violators of peace."
Christianity and Judaism
German-born Pope Benedict later paid a visit to the Park East
synagogue, in Manhattan's Upper East Side, just hours before
the start of the Jewish Passover, becoming the first leader of
the Roman Catholic Church to visit a Jewish place of worship.
The Pontiff said the Jewish community made "a valuable
contribution" to life in New York City. "And I encourage all
of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the
many different ethnic and religious groups present in your
neighborhood," he added. Benedict walked down the center aisle
with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a survivor of the Holocaust, as a
children's choir sang in Hebrew. It was another sign of the
pope's desire for better ties with the Jewish community, after
he met privately met with Jewish leaders in Washington on
Thursday to urge Jews and Roman Catholics to forge "new
attitudes" to foster peace.
Pope Benedict also attended an evening ecumenical service with
Protestant and Orthodox clergy at St Joseph's church in
Manhattan. Celebrating open-air Mass at the Nationals stadium
in Washington DC on April 18 Thursday, the Pope spoke of the
sexual abuse of children by US Catholic clergy before talking
privately to a group of people who had been abused by priests.
The Pope, who was addressing 40,000 people, told the victims
he would pray for them and their families. During the open-air
Mass, the pontiff said: "No words of mine can describe the
pain and the harm inflicted by the sexual abuse of minors."
Efforts to protect children had to continue, he said. He has
condemned and publicly accepted full responsibility for the
crimes of sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests in the
US.
His final day in the USA started with an eerie and somber
visit to the New York symbol of the September 11 attacks in
which more than 2,700 people were killed and ended with a
religious service at the preeminent shrine of baseball, "the
great American pastime." The site where the World Trade Center
was destroyed is normally filled with hundreds of workers
building a 102-story skyscraper, a memorial and transit hub.
There, he became the third pope to deliver what has come to be
known as "the sermon on the mound," a term coined in 1965 when
Pope Paul VI said Mass there because the papal altar is near
the spot where the pitcher throws the ball. After a chilly
start to the day in lower Manhattan, the sun came out in the
afternoon in the Bronx when some 57,000 triumphant cheering
people welcomed the pontiff to Yankee Stadium, known as "the
House that Ruth built" after legendary 1920s slugger Babe
Ruth.
Observations
The Pope as the leader of a major world religion has touched
upon crucial issues facing the world today without making any
direct reference to significant negative aspects of
international scene. His Holiness deliberately avoided
mentioning huge Human Right evasions by foreign forces in
Middle East and else-where. The invasion of Afghanistan after
the September 11 attacks has been a major disaster of
humanity. The fallout of the US-led invasion has led to a
threat to the well-being and rights of hundreds of thousands
of innocent Afghan citizens and around. The Iraq war too has
proved to be a disaster. Iraq was invaded by the US on the
advice of the neo-cons under the pretext to disarm Iraq of the
so-called weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which was a
fabricated lie. Due to this unjustified war, thousands of
Iraqis have been killed and countless injured, while over four
million Iraqis have lost their homes and become refugees since
2003. The humanitarian situation in Iraq remains among the
most critical in the world. Of course, Pope did make general
remarks about torture. He urged the global leaders to promote
human rights and stressed the need for the world to embrace
the fundamental rights of all human beings. Human rights
violations committed by the US, the so-called 'champion of
democracy' and 'guardian of human rights' are countless. The
practice of whisking away alleged suspects in the name of the
'war on terror' is no secret. The CIA has been actively
involved in renditions around the world. Its actions have been
authorized and defended by George W. Bush and other members of
his neo-con administration. Detention centers like Guantanamo
Bay and Abu Ghraib are notorious for abuse, torture, sexual
exploitation and homicide of prisoners. In fact, Guantanamo
has become the symbol of neo-imperialism.
It is no doubt a grave truth that injustice and denial of
fundamental human rights only leads to insecurity in the
world. The Pope should have particularly condemned human
rights violations in the Middle East, especially by the
Israeli forces against the Palestinians. Israel is backed by
the US and thus the international community has largely
remained quiet on the violations committed by the Israeli
forces.
Confrontation between or among religions are dangerous as they
unleash terror on weak nations. When human interests and
values are based on reason alone, apart from the truth that
transcends them, the individual and his human rights, dignity,
worth, and capacity for self-realization are at the mercy of
caprice. Religion "favors conversion of heart" which provides
the proper context for commitment, dialog, authentic human
rights and ultimately peace.
Religion is one's personal choice to quench the spiritual
thirst. Religious freedom, therefore, must be considered a
fundamental right that precedes the state and which cannot be
severely curtailed or denied by it. Put more broadly, and as
Pope John Paul II put it, religious freedom is the "first
freedom." It is "the premise and guarantee of all freedoms
that ensure the common good." Like Mother Theresa did during
her life time, the Pope cared for human longing in persons.
The Papal address to the UN was one of the highlights, but
Benedict also took unprecedented steps to atone for decades of
sexual abuse of young people by US priests. After celebrating
Mass with some 48,000 people in Washington on 17 April, Pope
met privately with five victims of sexual abuse by priests,
acknowledging the pain and damage caused by the scandal.
All said and done, Pope has resisted his usual temptation to
slam the so-called Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism now,
though he used the occasion to indirectly refer to the issue.
Earlier the Pontiff had made adverse remarks on Islam
provoking outrage among the Muslims across the globe. One does
not know if his selection of a Church and a Synagogue in USA
for visits has got any thing to do with the ongoing Mideast
peace process. USA seems to take into account the objections
from the Arab-side for the first time, angering the Israeli
leaders. Pope's endearing attitude could even reassure the
support of his High Office for Israel. Perhaps, that regional
crisis could be resolved with such positive gestures too.
The ongoing anti-Islamic campaign by the Western countries
plus allies and their media is atrocious and mischievous which
needs to be checked by the religion they believe in and the
Pope has a proactive role to play in this regard. Pope needs
to strongly condemn, for instance, the blasphemous caricatures
appearing in Danish newspapers on a regular basis. He should
have insisted on the need of interfaith harmony in true sense
and asked the Danish government to control such incidents,
which harm the sentiments of every Muslim. His words do carry
a lot of weight and meaning for every religion. Overall, his
US trip has a positive tone of a sort.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research Scholar at the School
of International studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; New
Delhi)
Deal with Militants
The White House on April 23 voiced concern over
reports that Pakistan's new government is working on a peace
accord with pro-Taliban leaders in its tribal regions.
Ayaz Ahmed Pirzada
The
activities of Mujahideen and other extremists groups date back
to the time when Soviet Union entered Afghanistan at the
invitation of the then communist government of Noor Mohammed
Taraki to support them. The Soviets actually entered
Afghanistan in December 1979 when Barak Karmal was president
.In fact the Soviets occupied Afghanistan in its quest to have
access to the hot waters.The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
gravely concerned Pakistan and it was eager to cooperate with
the Americans in supporting Mujahideen fighting against the
Soviets The Mujahidden including Bin Laden became darlings of
the USA during the fight against the Soviets. President Ronald
Reagan called the Mujahideen as equivalent of their founding
fathers when a delegation of Mujahideen led by Maulvi Khalis
Younus called him in the White House. But these equivalents of
founding fathers were considered as enemies when they refused
to hand over Bin Laden to America.
After the withdrawal of Soviets from Afghanistan in Feb 1989 a
civil war erupted for control of the country. Ultimately the
Taliban (students from Afghan and Pakistani religious schools)
took over 95% control of the country. In 1989, Osama Bin
Laden, a Saudi national founded Al Qaeda, dedicated to drive
the foreigners out of Afghanistan. The United States and its
allies attacked Afghanistan as AlQaeda based in that country,
had taken the responsibility for 9/11 attack on twin towers in
New York in which thousands lost their lives The US attack in
Afghanistan in 2001 was to punish AlQaeda and its supporters.
Secretary of Defence Colin Powell telephoned to President
Musharraf to ask if he was with them or with the
enemy.Musharraf instantly agreed to make Pakistan a frontline
state in war against terrorism. Many people in Pakistan hold
the view that if an elected leader was in place at that time
he too would have taken the same decision but not before
taking the nation into confidence and not without some
conditions. Colin Powell later said that he was surprised that
Musharraf did not ask for anything though the USA was prepared
to pay a few billion dollars. From then onwards Pakistan
became involved in fighting extremists and terrorists who
attacked the army set ups killing hundreds of armymen and
thousands of civilians in tribal areas and in towns and
cities. No body knows the count because journalists were
banned from going to tribal areas .In retaliation to their
casualties the extremists motivated young people to commit
suicide attacks with impunity and made the life insecure
through out Pakistan. Musharraf government came under scathing
criticism for turning the country vulnerable to attacks by
extremists.
The PPP and PML (N) during the elections and after coming into
power held the stance that use of brute force was not the only
option to tackle the problem of extremism which gripped the
country during the last several years .The government engaged
in talks with the militants soon after winning elections amid
concerns that the military-orientated tactics of President
Musharraf were spawning more violence bringing deaths and
destruction. Prime Minister Gillani has said." We won't talk
to them until our preconditions are met. They should put down
their arms first. Not only Mehsud but also other armed tribes
who are not militants". According to New York Times (April 25)
the Pakistani government is close to an agreement to end
hostilities with the most militant tribes in its turbulent
border area.A 15-point draft of the accord, which was shown to
this newspaper, calls for an end to militant activity and an
exchange of prisoners in return for the gradual withdrawal of
the Pakistani military from part of the tribal region of South
Waziristan. According to the draft document, the deal would be
signed between the political administrator of South Waziristan
and the tribal elders of the Mehsud tribes. It would require
the Mehsud tribes to cease attacks and stop kidnapping
military and government officials, to open all roads and to
allow freedom of movement to the Frontier Corps, the local
security force. They would also promise not to carry out
terrorist acts in Pakistan, including the tribal regions, and
not to assist others in attacks, or allow their territory to
be used for anti -state activity." The draft demands the
Mehsuds to respect state authority and resolve any problems
through the local political administration, which would
respect local customs and cooperate with tribal elders. It
requires the Mehsuds to assist the government in development
plans for the region. It also asks the Mehsud tribes to expel
all foreign militants from their territory and deny them
shelter in the future .The document says that the expulsion of
foreign militants would begin within one month of the signing
of the agreement, but a month's extension could be granted for
good reason. In return, both sides would exchange prisoners
and the government would withdraw regular army troops from
Mehsud territory in a gradual, phased manner. The draft also
states that the agreement should not be scrapped because of
any external or internal pressure, a reference to American or
other pressure.
Initiative for peace in FATA and elsewhere has caused concern
in Washington. The White House on April 23 voiced concern over
reports that Pakistan's new government is working on a peace
accord with pro-Taliban leaders in its tribal regions, saying
Islamabad should continue to fight terrorists. "We are
concerned about it and what we encourage them to do is to
continue to fight against the terrorists and to not disrupt
any secure military operations that are ongoing in order to
prevent a safe haven for terrorists there," spokeswoman Dana
Perino said. Ms. Perino made the remarks as the Pakistan
government pledged to adopt multi-dimensional measures to deal
with extremism and terrorism, including talks with the
militants who lay down their arms. "But in general, yes, we
have been concerned about these types of approaches because we
don't think that they work, she added. Critics here in America
say past deals like the one of 2006 have given the militants a
chance to re-group and intensify their attacks both in
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Assistant Secretary of State Richard
Boucher said on April 23 "You have to talk to people.
Pakistani government is engaged in discussions designed to
stop violence. It's got to be done in a way that produces
results, that reduces violence." Britain has also expressed
cautious reaction to the proposed agreement with militants.UK
Foreign Secretary David Militant has given his public support
to the Pakistani government's efforts to negotiate with
militants but insisted that talks should only be held with
militants prepared to renounce violence. "Reconciliation does
not mean creating safe space for terrorists," he told
journalists in Islamabad.
Though the proposed deal is still in the process of
finalization, Baitulllah Mehsud, the militant leader has
ordered his fighters to cease their activities in the tribal
regions as well as the adjoining North-West Frontier Province,
warning of strict punishment to violators. Interior Minister
Rehman Malik welcomed the cease-fire: "If he's said it, we
welcome it," .He has denied that Mehsud has any role in Ms.
Bhutto's assassination. Keeping in view America's the deep
interest in the region their doubts about the deal are not
totally unfounded in view of failure of similar peace accord
reached in 2006 between the Pakistan government and the
militants .But what is new this time is that this agreement is
being struck by the elected government which knows more about
crux of the problem than the one man-Gen (Ret) Musharraf .The
army would henceforth follow the policy chalked out by the
civilian government. There are also encouraging signs from
Baitullah Mehsud who ordered cease fire before signing the
agreement. The people of Pakistan can only hope that this deal
with militants would be sincerely enforced by the two sides.
(Ayaz Ahmed Pirzada Columnist/Analyst/Former Diplomat; New
York).
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