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Leading News
EC releases
draft of delimitated constituencies
Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission has released the revised
boundaries of 300 delimitated constituencies as a part of
its preparation of holding the general election in
December 2008 with massive change in the seats of Dhaka
division.
After conducting physical survey on the basis of latest
population census report published in 2007, the EC
re-demarcated the area of constituencies and draft of the
demarcated seats published by the EC Secretariat as
gazette was formally launched by the Chief Election
Commissioner through a press briefing yesterday.
Due to delimitation, changes took place in the areas 133
constituencies out of 300 while remaining 167
constituencies retained intact.
Meanwhile, 9 constituencies have been abolished which are
Sirajgonj 7, Shatkhira 5, Barguna 3, Piro with Barisal
132, Mymensingh 160, Kishoreganj 7, Manikganj 4,
Munshiganj 4 and Faridpur 5.
Dhaka Division and Dhaka District alone came under drastic
change because four constituencies increased in Dhaka
Division whereas seven seats increased in Dhaka District.
Overwhelming change are recorded in Dhaka district where
the number of existing seats has increased up to 20 from
13.
The division-wise statistics are that the seats of
Chittagong division have been decreased from 59 to 58,
Barisal division from 23 to 21, Khulna division from 37 to
36 and seats of Dhaka division increased up to 94 but
there is no changes in Sylhet and Rajshahi divisions.
Anybody who is a domicile of a respective district and is
aggrieved by the delimitation can file application to the
Election Commission by June 1 which will he heard within
June 25 and final gazette area delimitation will be
published by June 30. But the application can be filed on
only one ground, that is, if any provision of delimitation
law is violated in revising an area. The person's
advantages and disadvantages will not be considered. CEC
said as per article 125 of the Constitution no case can be
filed challenging delimitation and if any case is filed it
may not be entertained by the court.
Nargis intensifies into a severe cyclonic storm, moves
northwards
Panic grip coastal people, many prepare
for leaving their villages for safe places
Staff Correspondent
After the severe cyclonic
storm 'SIDR' that hit coastal regions of Bangladesh on
November 15, another cyclonic storm "Nargis" over
southwest bay and adjoining southeast bay moved slightly
northwards and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm "Nargis"
(with ecp 984 hpa.), said a special weather bulletin of
Met Office.
It now lies over west central bay and adjoining southwest
bay centred at 12 noon on Tuesday about 1170 kms southwest
of Chittagong port, 1100 kms southwest of Cox's Bazer port
and 1050 kms south- southwest of Mongla port (near lat
13.8 ° N & long 85.5° E).
The cyclone might intensify gradually and move in a
northerly direction towards the Bangladesh-India coast.
"At the same time, there is the possibility that it may
change course and move in a northeast direction to hit the
Bangladesh-Myanmar coast," said the BMD release.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 64 kms of the storm
centre is about 90 kph rising to 115 kph in gusts/
squalls- sea will remain very rough over north bay and
high near the cyclone.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have
been advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal number
two (r) two. All fishing boats and trawlers over north bay
have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed
with caution till further notice. They were also also
advised not to venture into the deep sea.
Meanwhile, the government has directed all volunteers in
the coastal districts to remain alert in view of the
severe storm. Fishing trawlers and other water vessels
have anchored at safe places. On the other hand, panic
gripped the people living the costal district. Many of
them have started preparing for leaving their villages for
safe places.
Five advisers to submit report to CA today
Formal dialogue would be meaningless if Hasina and
Khaleda are not freed, says AL and loyalist BNP
Staff Correspondent
In preparation for the holding of the formal dialogue
between the emergency government and the political
parties, the five advisers assigned to prepare a report on
the basis of the outcome of the pre-dialogue talks have
accomplished their task on Tuesday and the report would be
submitted to the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed today
(Wednesday).
Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Communication Adviser Ghulam
Quader, Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman and LGD
Anwarul Iqbal and held a closed door meeting at the
Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
"We ended pre-dialogue talks with political parties on
Monday. Later we started preparing recommendations on the
basis of the outcome of the talks. So we will have to hold
series of meeting today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday) to
prepare the final report. After finalising recommendations
it will be placed before the council of advisers through
the Chief Adviser on Tuesday," after the meeting Hossain
Zillur Rahman told reporters.
It may be mentioned that five advisers had been assigned
to hold the pre-dialogue talks, which began on Apr 7 as
preparation for the government's formal dialogue with
political parties. They held pre-dialogue talks Awami
League, both factions of BNP, Jatiya Party and
Jamaat-e-Islami, with the business community, NGOs and
union parishad representatives.
According to Chief Adviser's Office sources, formal
dialogue between the caretaker government and the
political parties on modalities of transition from the
interim period is likely to begin in the first or second
week of May, as pre-dialogue talks wrapped up.
"I think the formal dialogue will begin in the first or
second week of May," the source further said adding
advisers engaged in pre-dialogue talks with the political
parties would submit a report on the outcome of the
consultations to Chief Adviser and after a review of the
report by the government, the formal dialogue will begin,
and the agenda of the formal dialogue would also come out
from analysis of the report, the source added.
Meanwhile, leaders of major political parties Awami League
and mainstream BNP are frequently demanding release of
their detained parties' President Sheikh Hasina and BNP
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia respectively before the
expected formal dialogues.
Both leaders of Awami League and mainstream BNP during the
pre-dialogue talks with the government said immediate
release of the two leaders Sheikh Hasina and Chairperson
Begum Khaleda Zia is a must to make the dialogues
fruitful, meaningful and the upcoming election, fair,
credible and acceptable. Otherwise the much-talked about
formal dialogue between the government and political
parties will be meaningless, they warned.
Price
hike of CNG
Bus operators charging 60% extra fare
Commuters’ sufferings aggravated
Sahidul Islam Rana
Sufferings of office-going and home-bound passengers have
aggravated due to transport crisis in capital on Thursday
followed strict government's supervision on compressed
natural gas (CNG)-run vehicles allegedly charging higher
fares ignoring order of the authorities concern.
Following the widespread dissatisfaction and complains of
passengers over taking extra fare, the Bangladesh Road
Transport Authority (BRTA) went into action against most
of CNG-run counter-buses, three wheelers and taxi cabs -
charging around 60 percent higher fare than the previous
ones - on the ground of increased CNG prices across the
country.
Police, however, picked up some countermen and operators
of the CNG-run buses in the capital in connection with
collecting extra charges from the passengers at different
bus-counters including Jatarabari, Press Club, Khilgaon,
Shamoly and other bus counters in the capital on Tuesday.
The drive of the law enforcers regarding the violation of
the BRTA rule, panic gripped the drivers, helpers,
countermen and bus owners. On the other hand, different
untoward incidents - including clashes between busmen and
commuters - were reported. The angry passengers also
damaged windowpane of the buses in many parts of the city,
according to witnesses.
Sources said, due to drive of law enforcers, no vehicles
without legal documents or papers plied in the city
streets yesterday. Traffic police remained vigilant to
check driving licenses and fitness certificates.
While visiting city streets, this correspondent found CNG-run
buses, especially counter-service vehicles, three-wheelers
and Taxicab in a limited scale.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, one Abedur Rahim, a
banker of the City Bank, claimed "I am waiting here for
about one hour for Bus or three-wheelers to see my ailing
wife in the Bangladesh Medical College Hospital in
Dhanmondhi area, but no transport facilities are available
here."
One Amir Hamja, a resident of South Goran said to this
correspondent, "My Line, Borak and Midway have increased
bus fare by 60 percent considering the distance between
Gulistan and Khilgaon level crossing. Previously the fare
was Tk five but at present they are charging Taka eight
for each passengers which may cause unpleasant situation
at any time."
Meanwhile, the Association of Bus Companies (ABC) at a
press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has asked
bus operators not to charge hiked fares on city routes on
the excuse of a rise in the CNG fuel price.
Leader of the association, Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, in his
written statement, however, urged the interim government
to re-fix the CNG price considering their business.
Newly
appointed US ambassador calls on Foreign Adviser
BD reassures for holding of national election by the end
of this year : US ambassador
Staff Correspondent
"As the Election Commission is taking all out preparations
including voter ID card, constituencies' delimitation and
holding dialogue with the political parties, it seems the
election will be held as per the stipulated timeframe and
Election Commission's road map," the US Ambassador after
an hour long meeting with Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at
Foreign Ministry on Tuesday told reporters.
Replying to a query whether he felt the elections would be
held on time, the US ambassador said he had heard nothing
to the "contrary" and "the government understood the need
for moving ahead with the preparations for it."
He said although the Foreign Adviser assured him of the
government move to hold general election timely but he did
not say anything about lifting state of emergency.
"We had broad ranging discussion including trade, politics
and development issues along with bilateral relationship.
We discussed to move forward the bilateral relationship
towards a positive direction. We also discussed modalities
and methods of how to take them forward," he said.
Addressing his first courtesy call with Mr. Moriarty,
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said we discussed
how to proceed on the common and strategic issues which
remain between two countries.
"This was my first meeting with him and I am extremely
pleased with his commitment to his responsibilities,"
Iftekhar said adding Bangladesh and the US have many areas
of common interests.
Price
of edible oil re-fixed
BSS, Chittagong
The price of edible oil was re- fixed at a meeting between
the businessmen and the officials of intelligence agencies
on Tuesday noon.
As per the decision of the meeting, from now on good
quality of Soybean to be sold at Taka 93 per kg by whole
seller from current rate of Taka 108 while the retail sale
price to be at Taka 96 per kg from the current rate of
Taka 112.
On the other hand, the businessmen and refined edible oil
mill owners have been asked to delivery their respective
huge deposited DO (Delivery Order) in the market within
May 10 next.
Meeting sources said the brokers bought near about Taka
one thousand crore DO's from the mill owners before one
year. But the brokers did not take delivery of the DOs
from the mills owners till on Tuesday.
The intelligence agencies said that they would monitor
constantly whether the owners of the refined edible oil
mills and DO brokers comply the latest price structure.
They would also take stern legal action against those who
failed to response positively. The meeting decided that
the joint forces would start the monitoring the situation
of supplying DO from today. The businessmen have been
asked to follow the re-fixed price structure up to next
December. They were assured of reviewing the rate after
the dateline, the sources said.
Back Page
Recruiting
agencies extort money from foreign bound youths
Many pass inhuman life abroad, 2500
people return in last 6 months
Ainul Haque Royal
Ignoring the government
rate, a large number of manpower recruiting agencies in
association with their representatives, are extorting
excess money from the people specially from the youths who
are going abroad in search of jobs.
Around 750 manpower recruiting agencies are now running
their business across the country. Taking three times
higher than the actual rate from the youths they are
sending them as labour to foreign countries: Kuwait, Oman,
Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Yemen under the
very nose of concerned authorities.
On the other hand, after being assured by the recruitment
agencies when the Bangladesh youths go to foreign
countries, they have to face various problems as they are
not provided in job as per contact. Many of them return
home as they are issued fake visas.
Due to the irregularities and misappropriation indulged in
by the recruiting agencies many people are passing inhuman
life abroad and around 2500 workers from different foreign
countries returned to the country during the last six
months, according to sources.
The government had fixed Tk 84 thousand for a labor visa
of those countries except Korea but the agencies are
collecting Tk 3.35 to 4 lakh per workers in the name of
various office expenses.
Earlier, nine youths who went to Singapore for jobs
returned to Dhaka after passing inhuman life there, as
their recruitment process was fake.
"We all nine had given taka 4.20 lakh per person as we
were assured that we would be provided good jobs with
Canadian company in Singapore. But when we went to
Singapore, instead of the Canadian company, we were
provided jobs at an Indian Supply Company. As we
protested, they started repressing us in many ways. Even
they warned us that if we don't work, they would take away
US $ 50 from us as fine," the youths hailed from village
Hizla at Chitalmari Upazila in Bagerhat district."
Export
earnings increase by 11.33 pc during first 8 months: EPB
Staff Correspondent
Country's export earnings increased by 11.33 percent
during the first eight months of the fiscal year 2007-08
compared to the corresponding period of the previous
fiscal despite economic recession since May last.
According to a statistics published by the Export
Promotion Bureau (EPB), the export income hiked during the
period from July to February of the current fiscal to a
large extent though the total exports are lagging behind
the target. The export target was fixed at 932.49 crore US
dollars for the first eight months of the current year.
The export target could be achieved if the export income
increased more by 4.21 percent. So, the amount of net
export income is lagging behind the target by 4.21 percent
during period from July to February last.
In the first eight months of the year 2007-08, Bangladesh
exported goods worth 893.25 crore US dollars. The value of
exports was US 802.38 crore dollars during same period of
the last fiscal. As a result, the export growth spiraled
by 11.30 percent in the current fiscal.
The EPB statistics said, knit wears are at the top of the
export list in the fiscal 2007-08. In the last eight
months in 2007-08, the country's total knit wear exports
amounted to 347 crore US dollars with an increase by 16
percent compared to the same period of the last fiscal.
However, the knit wear export target was 351.45 crore US
dollars.
The total amount of woven wear export stood at 329 crore
US dollars. The export income rose by 5.50 percent
compared to the same period of the precedent year though
the export earning is lagging behind by 5.25 percent in
export target.
Despite declining trend in the country's knit wear and
woven wear export, the export of frozen foods marked a
rise during July-February last. Over the last eight
months, frozen food exports exceeded the target by 30
percent with an increase by 5.75 percent compared with the
same period of the previous fiscal.
Since July last, the country's frozen food exports rose to
37.19 crore US dollars, the EPB statistics said.
In terms of month, export earnings reached the top of the
list in February last. In February last, the country's
total export amounted to 119.90 crore US dollars as
exports started increasing from the month of January last
resulting in increase of export income in the first eight
months of the current year.
Student-police clash leaves 20 injured around Dhaka
College
UNB, Dhaka
Police burst teargas and used batons to disperse unruly
students of Dhaka College on Tuesday, leaving at last 20
students, teachers and police wounded in the clash.
Witnesses said trouble erupted when police went to clear
road blocks in front of the college. Angry students put
the barricades following separate incidents involving
students, hawkers and transport workers at noon. "At one
stage, unruly students of Dhaka College began hurling
bricks at the police who retaliated with teargas and baton
charge," says a spot account of the street fights.
Witnesses said riot police stormed into the college campus
at about 3pm and charged baton and fired teargas shells on
students and teachers in classrooms. Vice-Principal Dr
Anwarul Alam Khan and teachers Dr Alauddin, Waliullah,
Farzana and Shaheed were among the injured.
Police also entered the college hostel dinning rooms, used
tear gas and beat up the students.
New Market Police Station OC Anisur Rahman told UNB at
least five policemen suffered injuries during the clashes.
Tensions on the college campus were prevailing till
4:30pm, when the last report came.
Campus sources said the incident took place at Nilkhet at
about 1:30 when there was a brawl between a student and a
hawker over the prices of books. After a scuffle, the
hawkers detained the student. Tensions erupted as the news
spread fast to the college campus.
Chevron activities should be stopped: BAPA
Staff Correspondent
The anti-environment
activities of the US oil company, Chevron, should be
stopped immediately in the greater interest of the
country.
"It is very necessary to stop immediately the US oil
company's three dimensional geological survey at the
Lawachhara reserved forest in Moulvibazar as their
activities in the name of oil exploration is very
injurious to our environment", said TIB chairman Muzaffar
Ahmed at a press conference in the city yesterday.
He said 100 years ago, the exploration companies used to
dig land in search of oil and gas mines as the system of
exploration is safe.
In this process there was no environmental hazard. But now
Chevron is conducting three dimensional geological survey,
which has serious environmental hazard. He said "the
survey system is not environment-friendly and various type
of environmental and social hazards have occurred
centering this survey. It is true that energy security is
necessary, but the security of the people and environment
should be given the most priority."
He also said we have the right to use our natural
resources, but we should remember that other natural
resource should not be destroyed in the name of exploring
one natural resource. It is true that Chevron is not aware
about our national interest.
Crime
Pregnant woman strangled
UNB, Natore
A pregnant woman was allegedly strangled by the rivals
of her husband at Budhpara village in Lalpur upazila
Monday night.
The deceased was identified as Bedana Begum, wife of
Humayun Kabir. Quoting victim's family members, police
said the assailants, led by one Sijdar Ali, attacked the
house of Humayun Kabir when he was out of his house.
Being failed to get Humayun, the assailants severely
beat up Bedana and strangled her.
Housewife slaughtered
after rape
UNB, Jessore
A housewife was slaughtered after rape at Ratnasarpur
village in Monirampur upazila Monday morning.
Sources said when Parveen,28, wife of Uzir Ali, was
sleeping at the veranda of their house some terrorists
picked her up at gun point. They raped her one after
another and slaughtered her with sharp weapon.
Hearing her scream local people rushed to the spot but
found her dead on the spot. The miscreants managed to
escape. The body was sent to hospital morgue for
autopsy.
Monk killed in Rangamati
BSS, Rangamati
Unidentified assailants chopped an elderly Buddhist
monk, popularly known as Bunte, to death at a remote
village under Kawkhali upazila in the district at Sunday
night.
Police said being informed a team of police from
Kawkhali rushed to Mitingachhari village and recovered
the body of Tuisa Mong Marma, 70, on Monday. The body
was sent to Rangamati General Hospital for autopsy.
A case was lodged with Kawkhali police station in this
connection.
The elderly monk used to work at Mitingachhari Buddhist
temple, where he lived alone, police said.
2 get life, 3
others 3-yr jail
UNB, Magura
A court here Tuesday sentenced 12 people to life term
imprisonment while three others to three years for
killing a man at Holinagar village in Sadar upazila
eight years back.
The lifers are Goura Chandra Sarkar, Sudhangshu Sarkar,
Makhan Sarkar, Gopal Sarkar, Shreepoti Sarkar, Girish
Sarkar, Bibhuti Mandol, Ashutosh Mandol, Harish Chandra
Boiragi, Sanyasi Mandol, Ranjan Sarkar and Shanti Ram.
Those, who were jailed for three years, are Goutam
Chandra Sarkar, Khiroj Sarkar and Bidyut Sarkar.
The court also fined all the convicts Tk 20,000 each, in
default, to suffer six months more in jail.
Four of the convicts were present in the dock during the
judgment while the eight others on the run.
According to the prosecution, the convicts hacked their
co-villager Samaren Chandra Sarkar following a land
dispute on July 10, 2001, leaving him critically
injured.
Samaren died at Faridpur Medical College Hospital on the
following day. Later, a case was filed with the local
police station accusing 16 people.
After examining records and witnesses, District and
Sessions Judge Nazir Ahmed pronounced the verdict
against 15 people dropping out the name of another
accuse as he died when the trial proceedings were
running.
10 to die for
robbing, killing
A Correspondent, Khulna
The Bagerhat district and sessions judge's court awarded
death sentence to 10 persons in a robbery and murder
case at Komorpur village under Bagerhat Sadar thana in
Bagerhat district in 2003.
Judge Begum Nurunnahar Osmani declared the verdict on
Tuesday. The convicted persons were Idris Sheikh,
Shahjahan, Anis Hawlader, Farukh Hawlader, Mojnu
Hawlader, Dulal, Kalu Sardar, Harun Sheikh, Moyazzem
Hossain and Shaheed Moulongi. Of them, Farukh, Mojnu,
Dulal and Shaheed were in hiding and rest six convicted
persons were in jail.
According to police and court sources, the convicted
persons robbed the residence, Thakurbari, of Komorpur
village under Bagerhat Sadar upazila, chopped and shot a
family member, Tapan Bhattacharjee, to death at the
night following March 9, 2003. According to the sources,
the victim's elder brother, Niranjan Bhattacharjee,
lodged a case in this connection with the Bagerhat Sadar
thana on the following day.
The sources said police submitted the charge sheet on
April 14, 2004 accusing 22 persons and the court awarded
the 10 persons death penalty as the allegations proved
against them. The court also released 12 persons from
charges.
April 13 bomb blast in B’Baria
5 extremists confess being HUJI members
Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria
The five extremists arrested by the members of Rapid
Action Battalion (RAB)-9 earlier, were handed over to
the Brahmanbaria Sadar thana police on the night of
April-26.
They were identified as Sarnsul Islam, of Sadullapur
village under Nabiganj Upazila of Habigonj district and
the chieftain of the extremists, Tajul Islam, Mizan, son
of Moti Miali of Bogair village under Ashuganj Upazila,
Jamal and Saiful Islam, the latter three were students
of B'Baria Jamiya Yunesia Madrasha.
Assistant police super of B'Baria sadar circle, Zahurul
Islam Chowdury, and the Officer-in-Charge of B'Baria
sadar thana, Md. Kamal Uddin, PPM quizzed them on April
26-27. In the four-hour long interrogation the law
enforcers were able to extract crucial information.
Another round of interrogation for four hours also took
place on the following day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
During interrogation they divulged some specific
information relating their involvement in the bomb blast
at the bomb making factory in the name of shoe making
factory of Bhadughar Bus Terminal on April 13.
Later police produced them before the chief judicial
magistrate's court in the district seeking ten days
remand, but the court granted five days.
Meanwhile, chieftain Sumsul Islam and his associate,
Zamal Miah, made confessional statements before the
court under the section 164 PC.
In his confessional statement Samsul Islam said, he was
associated with the outlawed outfit "Harkatul Zihad" and
he was appointed to the post of Brahmanbaria district
Amir (Leader) by his bosses named Abdur Rab and Abdus
Samad.
It is worth mentioning that B'Baria sadar thana police
detained five persons including two women on suspicion
in the bomb blast of April-13.
Acting on the information RAB-9 arrested Retired Lance
Nayek of Bangladesh Army and Leader of the extremists
Shamsul Islam and his associate Tajul Islam in a carried
out block raid at Sadullapur village.
On the information provided by Samsul Islam RAB also
arrested Mizanur Rahman from Bogair village while Zamal
Miah and Saiful Islam were arrested from Nasimagar
upazila of the district.
Drug peddler
gets 2-yr RI
BSS, Jamalpur
A drug trader was sentenced to two years rigorous
imprisonment for possessing heroin in May 2003.
The convict was identified as Jewel, resident of Chandra
in the town. The court also fined him Taka 1,000, in
default to suffer 10 days in prison. Additional district
and sessions judge Mohammad Sirajul Islam after
examining seven witnesses and relevant documents
pronounced the verdict on Monday.
The prosecution story in brief is that, police recovered
heroin from the house of Jewel on May 1, 2003 and
arrested him. Police filed a case against Jewel and five
others with Jamalpur thana.
The court acquitted five accused as charges against them
could not be proved.
Case against 13 vehicles, 143
owners filed in city
UNB, Dhaka
A mobile court filed cases against 143 transport owners
and also seized 13 vehicles in the city for realizing
excess fare and plying vehicles without having any valid
documents.
The court, led by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA),
conducted the drives at Manik Miah Avenue, Satrastar
more, Postogola, Jatrabari and Jigatala crossing.
Besides, the court also realized Tk 14,000 in fine from
11 transport owners and also sent two people to jail as
they failed to pay the fine, said a handout today.
Editorial
Re-vitalization of our Rural Economy
Not
too far back in the past, our rural agri-based economy used to
be so vibrant and productive that the general populace enjoyed
a level of comfort which is but a far away dream now. That era
of plenty brought about a sobriquet for Bangladesh, that of
"Golden Bengal" which all our politicians frequently refer to
but which they have been utterly unable to materialize for the
last three and a half decades.
There are many reasons for this unfortunate decline in our
rural economy. The first and the foremost reason is the rapid
rise of our population, doubling over a thirty year period,
which put a tremendous pressure on land; holdings both for
cultivation and homesteads have had to be divided and then
further subdivided. Consequently, the amount of land which
used to be available for agriculture has greatly decreased
although productivity per acreage of land has increased
manifold due to modern technological inputs. The second
important factor is the rapid industrialization which has
taken place in Bangladesh over the last 25 years. New
sub-urban and urban areas grew up around these industrial
concerns, using up land which were devoted to agriculture;
young and productive labour too gradually shifted to these
urban areas, finding jobs in industries and in the service
sectors. The rural small and cottage-based enterprises could
not compete with modern industrial production and therefore,
they rapidly declined. The third important factor for the
decline of rural economy is the development of roads and
highway which connected the entire country in a network of
cheap and rapid automobile communication. This ate up further
land and encouraged the growth of sub-urban areas at major
communication nodal points. Rural markets which were hubs of
local trade and commerce now came under pressure because
produces were bought-off directly from the producers by
wealthy city merchants. Therefore, these rural markets
declined and combined with the collapse of local cottage and
small industries as well as the paucity of agricultural lands,
the "rural economy" which had developed and sustained over
centuries now ceased to exist for all practical purposes.
The implications and consequences of this decline in our rural
economy are serious and far reaching. The first, the most
visible and the most troubling is that we are running short of
food because less land and less able labour is available for
agriculture whereas just a decade back, we could claim
self-sufficiency in rice production. Additionally,
agricultural areas are becoming more vulnerable to natural
calamities which have increased due to environmental
degradation and worldwide climatic changes. The second,
equally troubling consequence is the shifting of large numbers
of people from rural to urban areas where they can find only
part-time poorly paid employment in industries or service
sectors and where they lead inhuman lives. This burgeoning
population in cities creates massive socio-economic problems.
The third and perhaps the most important consequence is the
decline in prosperity, of standard of life and living for the
rural people, who make up a good 80 percent of our population.
So, what about solutions to all these? One of the solutions
suggested by some renowned economists is to carryout a
thoroughgoing land reform, distributing unutilized khas or
government land to landless people. The idea is eminently
sound and practical - this will immediately increase
cultivable land, it will pull away large number of people from
overcrowded urban areas and it will provide a source of
earning and living to "marginalized" people. Secondly, local
industries and SMEs must be encouraged in rural areas not
merely through verbalizations by politicians, government and
bank officials but through structures with legal bindings, for
example, banks by law must disburse 20 or 25 percent of their
investments in these rural SMEs, NGOs by law must be made to
devote their energies and resources to developing rural and
sub-urban SMEs. Through such and other measures, our rural
economy ought to be revitalized and only then will large-scale
poverty alleviation be possible. One thing however, is clear
and that is as long as our rural areas with 80 percent of our
population remain marginalized, poor and unempowered, our
Nation and our State will continue to face social, economic
and ultimately political upheavals.
Rotten rice
News
reports and photographs from the port city of Chittagong on
Saturday, 26 April 2008, depict people of different age groups
salvaging rice from muddy waters and drying it out in the sun.
Mostly, women, children and youths from poor families gathered
out in the salty mud under the hot sun collecting rice after
washing and filtering it; their bodies covered with mud they
scrambled for whatever they could get. Ghoulish faces of
half-starved people are a common scenario in both rural and
urban areas of the country now but this time the incident at
Halishahar ought to make us all concerned because these people
are salvaging rice from the waters to survive, not out of mere
merriment. If there was ample food for poor people of the
country then there was no reason for them to under go to such
hardships to get a handful of rice which was dumped at the
nearby sea beach as unfit for human consumption.
All these started when some 100 tons of rice was dumped at
near by Kattali sea beach, at the suggestion of a committee
that the rice was rotten and unfit for human consumption. The
committee which suggested this was jointly formed by the
Chittagong port and customs authority, food department,
environment department, City Corporation. Later, on hearing of
the incident the Army, in the form of the GOC, 24 Infantry
Division intervened and found out that among the 500 tons in
25 containers of rice which was stock-piled at the port, about
100 tons was dumped. The rest 23 containers were seized by the
joint forces after they found the rice to be of good quality.
While there is a severe food crisis, an event like this once
again proves employees who are to execute government's
policies are incompetent and not concerned about the well
being of the people. An enquiry by the Food and Disaster
Management ministry is going on but what ever the result might
be, the scene at the Kattoli sea beach will remain in our
minds to remind us of the hard times of our people and
incompetence of our government. Once again it has been proved
that bad decisions of government officials intensify toil and
troubles for the poor.
Analysis
How to improve healthcare in
Bangladesh
The overwhelming majority of people in
Bangladesh continue to be deprived of reliable medical
services.
Professor Mahfuz R. Chowdhury
Bangladesh,
a poverty stricken country of about 150 million people, has
attracted the world's attention for one thing or another since
its creation in1971. In addition to foreign governmental help,
thousands of non-government organizations (NGOs), many with
outside help also, have been set up there to help bring
stability to a society that was once regarded as a "bottomless
basket". The perception about Bangladesh may have since
changed somewhat, but the country still faces great many
challenges. It has yet to bring economic and political
stability and establish the rule of law. Although improvements
in its educational and healthcare systems are said to have
been made, a lot more needs to be achieved in these areas.
This is especially true in the case of its healthcare system,
which requires much more immediate attention.
In Bangladesh, healthcare is offered either through
government-run hospitals or through privately-run clinics. The
government is the biggest healthcare provider to which all
citizens supposedly have equal access, whereas private clinics
are for paid clients. But most government-run hospitals,
especially those outside the big cities, seem to lack adequate
resources, such as doctors, medicines, medical equipment,
technicians, and the like. In big cities, the hospitals may be
comparatively better equipped, while in small cities and
villages the medical facilities are dreadfully insufficient.
In any case, the services available in government hospitals
have remained as bad as ever. Recent news reports about a
scandal in the country's main medical hospital in Dhaka
involving unethical behavior by doctors and others would shed
some light on the current situation. In order to promote their
private practices, the doctors would either not treat patients
in the hospital or would refer them to expensive labs outside
the hospital even though such services were available in the
hospital at reduced rates.
The services available from private practitioners and clinics
may be considered better, except in the villages where quack
doctors continue to reign. Many private clinics rely on
outside facilities for lab tests and x-rays. These facilities,
however, seem ill-equipped to provide the appropriate
services, for the lack of either proper medical equipment or
trained technicians or correct management. The government has
also failed to regulate them to ensure quality. So, wrong
diagnosis followed by incorrect treatment resulting from
unreliable lab tests or even misinterpretation of symptoms
have become daily occurrences. It is not uncommon in
Bangladesh for a person with heart disease to be treated for
asthma or a patient with appendicitis to be prescribed for
stomach virus.
Thus, the overwhelming majority of people in Bangladesh
continue to be deprived of reliable medical services. The
general public is clearly trapped in a decayed system. But
ironically, the very rich in the country are not affected by
this situation, since by virtue of their wealth they can seek
medical help outside the country. In fact, India, Singapore
and Thailand have become quite popular destinations for the
country's rich for obtaining medical services. As a result,
each year Bangladesh loses millions of dollars of its precious
foreign exchange.
Bangladesh is well known for producing many medical doctors
through its state-funded medical schools. Some of them have
indeed become top-notch doctors and specialists in various
advanced medical fields. But a good number of them have left
the country and are now settled permanently outside the
country. Of those who remain in the country, most find the
situation there not too conducive to providing a good
healthcare service, while a few have become money-making
machines with little regard to human values.
In a situation like this, Bangladeshi expatriate medical
professionals including doctors, dentists and pharmacists
could play an important role in initiating or bringing about a
change. Besides medical professionals, there are other
Bangladeshi professionals, such as engineers, scientists and
others, who have availed the country's state-funded education
facilities and have established themselves abroad. Some of
these professionals, out of a sense of moral obligation and
personal satisfaction or gratification, are presently working
hard to give back something to their native land through
individual projects. Yet others are looking for worthwhile
projects in Bangladesh to support. Since the healthcare area
in the country has remained quite neglected, the expatriates
could help in this area by pooling their resources.
Bangladeshi medical professionals could lead the way.
One great way to arrange this would be through an organization
modeled after the international NGO "Doctors Without Borders"
for providing special medical services that may or may not be
available in the country, or which may be out of reach of the
poor. The management of such an organization would be in the
hands of qualified professionals, while the Bangladeshi
expatriate medical professionals would provide the services.
The gain from this arrangement could be three fold: the
benefit to the common people, the benefit to the country in
saving its foreign exchange, and the pressure it would create
on existing medical facilities to improve. Moreover, the
expatriate doctors could speed up the spread of the latest
medical knowledge through workshops, seminars, and short
courses in Bangladesh's medical colleges.
Here is how it might work. First, an institution in the name
of "Bangladesh Expatriate Hospital" with modern medical
equipment would be established to operate in Bangladesh. It
would have at least one permanent hospital unit located in
Dhaka. Second, a databank of expatriate medical professionals
who would donate at least two weeks of their services in a
given year would be prepared, and a procedure for rendering
their services in Bangladesh would beset up. Those
professionals who might not give their time in a particular
year would donate a comparable amount of money for the
hospital. Third, a caravan of buses furnished with modern
medical equipment including power generators and sleeping
arrangements would be obtained. This caravan of buses would be
used as a mobile hospital attended by the expatriate medical
professionals, and operated from a different place every
month. This mobile hospital, similar to the floating hospital
presently working in Bangladesh, would be equipped with
supplies of common medicines, such as analgesics, vitamins,
vaccines, antibiotics, and the like as well as locally
recruited nurses and attendants.
The permanent hospital unit in Dhaka would provide the most
advanced and specialized medical services mainly through
referrals from local doctors. As to the mobile hospital,
patients who would need follow-up or specialized treatment
could not be helped. But, it is expected that its better
trained expatriate doctors would be more qualified to give the
best diagnosis or advice to patients than would the local
doctors. The importance of proper diagnosis in the medical
field could not be overemphasized. Each year, a great many
people in Bangladesh either die prematurely or endure
unnecessary suffering because of wrong diagnosis by local
doctors. So, more reliable diagnosis or medical advice from
these expatriate doctors would be a tremendous help. Patients
who would require specialized treatment would be referred to
the hospital in Dhaka.
The benefit from the mobile hospital could also come in
another big way. It is estimated that more than fifty percent
of medical situations in Bangladesh are caused by infectious
diseases. The origins of such infectious diseases are readily
traceable to the country's polluted drinking water and
improperly disposed human waste. The other serious medical
problem Bangladesh faces is lethal arsenic, whose source is
also water. So, even with no other benefit, it would be a
tremendous accomplishment if through this mobile hospital the
general public would get the appropriate lessons on how to
avoid these undesirable things.
Additionally, birth control continues to be a serious problem
for the country's underprivileged, though some improvements
over the years have been made. In fact, population growth is a
more acute problem for Bangladesh than is currently being
addressed with the urgency that it deserves. Even at the
present well reduced growth rate of about 2 per cent a year,
the population of the country will double in about 35 years.
This kind of growth is an extremely worrisome matter for a
country like Bangladesh, whose density of population is
already one of the highest in the world. Doubling the current
population there is a clear invitation to the worst social and
environmental disasters in modern times, especially when most
of the low lying areas of the country are expected to be
submerged under water because of global warming.
The expatriate doctors or professionals could emphasize the
need for birth control, and at the same time motivate the
public to adopt birth control. The professionals could
accomplish this by organizing small discussion groups and by
showing videos on the topic to people in areas where they
would camp their mobile hospital every month. The general
expectation is that the rural people would be more inclined to
heed the advice of the expatriate doctors on birth control and
other health related matters than their counterparts in the
country.
Here are some additional functions the proposed hospital could
perform. By creating an interactive web site, it could work as
a clearing house for expatriate doctors wishing to help during
their family visits in a certain area of the country, by
allowing the doctors to post their expertise and availability
and permitting the local institutions to communicate with
them. The web site could also allow visiting doctors and their
Bangladeshi host institutions-and possibly their treated
patients or students taught by them or local doctors who
worked with these visiting doctors-to record their experiences
with each other. This would, over time, increase the
effectiveness of the exchange program by providing information
to both sides.
Bangladeshi expertise is now available in almost every medical
field, and the expatriates have the resources to implement a
plan to deliver their services to the country. What is needed
for this is a good procedure to pool the available resources
from every corner. The Bangladeshi medical associations abroad
could certainly take the lead, and with the help of the
information technology professionals, could easily put
together a workable plan. Having formulated such a plan other
Bangladeshi professional organizations, such as dentists,
pharmacists, and engineers could be invited to join. This
would surely be one of the ideal ways for the medical
expatriates and others to give back something very useful to
their native country. Furthermore, there are international
organizations, which are prepared to lend monetary and
logistic support. Assistance from those organizations could
also be expected and arranged for a venture like this, if and
when necessary.
Instead of small individual attempts to help Bangladesh, a lot
more could be achieved if the expatriates were to combine
their resources for arranging something on a large scale. The
dispensing of quality healthcare service in the country would
surely be a worthwhile cause to consider for a collective
effort. Let us sincerely hope the idea catches on quickly.
(The writer teaches Economics at the CW Post Campus of Long
Island University,
New York.
E-mail: Mahfuz.Chowdhury@liu.edu)
Building Ecotopia: Cob Homes
Due to the fact that walls in a cob home are one or two feet
thick, they offer excellent thermal properties.
Chuck Hall
Cob
building is the art of building homes using earth materials.
Earth has been used for thousands of years as a building
material, and is probably still the most common building
material. The word 'cob' comes from an old English word that
means 'a rounded lump or mass.' We get our word 'gob' from the
same root word. Cob is basically a mixture of straw, sand and
clay. These natural building materials are often available
right on the building site, so transportation costs for
materials are greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Once
the walls are built, they are covered with plaster to seal
them. There are no forms, brick shapes or frames. Since cob is
basically the same consistency as modeling clay, it lends
itself to organic shapes that are more curved and natural. An
artistically designed cob home fits in with its surroundings.
These structures feel more at home and in harmony with natural
landscapes. In addition to making beautiful homes, cob can
also be used to build sculpture, garden walls and outdoor
ovens.
Cob is literally 'dirt cheap' since it is made from materials
readily found in nature. Many cob homes I've visited have been
built for less than $5,000, and a few have been constructed
for less than $500! Not only that, but it's so easy a child
could do it. Ever make mud pies when you were a child? Then
you've already got most of the basic skills to build with cob!
Cob is at home in most environments. Some of the earliest
structures on Earth, in the Mesopotamian region, were made of
a type of cob. There are cob homes in Western Europe that have
been continuously occupied for centuries. With a little
regular maintenance, a cob home is extremely durable. A friend
of mine once built a cob pottery studio in Gulf Breeze,
Florida (for information, visit: www.barefootbuilder.com). It
survived two hurricanes, even when the surrounding buildings
were demolished. Many cob structures in earthquake zones have
demonstrated remarkable durability as well. No building system
is earthquake-proof under every seismic condition, but a cob
mansion in Nelson, New Zealand has survived two major
earthquakes that destroyed the town around it. A cob building
is one monolithic unit reinforced by straw, so it has no weak
straight-line mortar joints.
Cob is also non-toxic and recyclable. It is made from natural
materials that contain no toxins. This ancient way of building
also doesn't contribute to deforestation, mining or pollution.
Since it is a natural form of building, it does not rely on
manufactured materials. Since it is made using materials
directly from the building site, it doesn't use fossil fuels
transporting materials to the site. When properly constructed,
it is highly resistant to rain and humidity even in
environments such as the Pacific Northwest and the British
Isles. In fact, of the hotbeds of cob building right now in
the United States is Oregon!
Due to the fact that walls in a cob home are one or two feet
thick, they offer excellent thermal properties. When built
with passive solar design in mind, these homes often don't
require extensive heating or cooling in temperate climates.
The earthen walls capture heat from the sunlight in the
daytime and radiate it at night. Such homes rarely need
cooling in the summertime, and can be heated with a small wood
stove in the wintertime.
(Chuck Hall is an internationally renowned freelance columnist
writing on climate change and environmental issues. You may
contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org).
Food Crisis: Biofuels Are Only Part of the Picture
Conor Foley
Since the publication of
Susan George's book "How the Other Half Dies" and Amartya
Sen's "Poverty and Famines" it has been widely accepted that
hunger is caused not by an absolute lack of food, but the
inequities of its distribution. Sen's widely quoted claim that
famines don't occur in democracies was based on his own
experiences of the Bengal famine of 1943 in British
ruled-India. It could also have applied to my own family's
stories from Ireland almost a century earlier.
Around 2.5 million people died or emigrated during the Great
Hunger while food in abundance continued to be exported from
Ireland. The famine entered folk memory as symbolizing the
cruelty and ineptness of English rule. It became a rallying
point for future generations of physical force separatists and
created a diaspora, particularly in America, who were prepared
to support them, with money and guns. A few weeks ago I
attended a seminar at the UN World Food Program's (WFP)
regional headquarters in Bangkok. A number of heads of mission
from the Asian regional programs were there and all had
similar stories to tell about the devastating effects that the
current worldwide rise in food prices is causing. WFP in
Afghanistan has already started an emergency distribution
program for 2.5 million people. The Asian Development Bank
estimates that 300 million people are at risk in India,
Bangladesh and Pakistan. Everyone that I spoke to said it was
the worst crisis that any of them have ever seen. The most
immediate cause of the price rise has been the sudden decision
by many farmers to switch production to growing cereals which
can be converted to biofuels, prompted by new Western laws and
subsidies. But, as George Monbiot points out, biofuels are
only part of the picture. Last year there was a record grain
harvest of over 2bn tons. The production of biofuels consumed
100m tons of this, while almost 800m went to feed livestock
for meat production.
Most of the world's poor live in rural areas and so a gradual
increase in prices is actually good news for them. In the
longer term it could make it economic to bring more land under
cultivation and provide a boost in exports for some poor
countries. Africa currently has less commercial agriculture
than it did 50 years ago and, as everyone who has ever visited
the continent knows, there is a huge amount of fertile land
that is currently lying fallow. Agriculture is one of the few
economic sectors where developing countries could compete with
the rich world on equal terms, but tariffs and subsidy regimes
have blocked their exports. Rich countries currently spend
about 10 times more subsidizing their own farmers than they
give to the poorest countries in aid, and the average EU cow
receives more financial support than half the world's
population has to live on. Some of this aid actually consists
of food surpluses that are shipped across the world at great
expense and then dumped on poor countries, where they price
local farmers out of the market. The root cause of the current
instability of the world's food markets is directly related to
the long-term distorting effect these subsidies have created.
Source:
www.arabnews.com
Viewpoints
The West, Islam, Islamism and Jihad -
Undigested Modernity and the Promise of Politics
We are today, not confronted with a clash of
civilizations but with a confrontation between the 'ideal of
jihad' and the 'rest of the world'.
Sami
Zemni
The
attacks of 9/11, Madrid and Bali, the 'cartoon' riots, the
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the radicalization and
polarization of numerous societies have all added strength to
the idea of an imminent clash of civilizations. Seen from
Europe, I argue that we are not heading towards a clash of
civilizations but rather confronted with two complex dynamics,
largely independent from one another. Firstly, within European
countries, we are facing a conflict-ridden but utterly
democratic dialogue between the Muslims of Europe and the
local authorities. Secondly, on a global level, there is a
clash between the 'ideal of the jihad' and the 'rest of the
world'. It is the amalgamation of both these dynamics that
further polarizes the debates on the place and role of Islam
in world politics and the question of the integration of
Muslims in their host societies in Europe.
While it is fairly easy to contextualize the dialogue between
Muslims and the local authorities within Europe, Islamist
movements (and their violent offshoots) are the consequence of
undigested modernity. Islamism itself, in my perspective, is
not the issue but rather, our 'political blind spot' that
constitutes the problem of coming to grips with contemporary
violent forms of jihad'.
Under current neo-liberal globalization, the traditional
boundaries of inclusion and exclusion within the site of the
still powerful nation-state are changing and altering. We are,
by and large, living in what the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj
Zizek has called a context of post-politics, i.e. the
situation in which opposite ideologies grounded in political
parties and fighting democratically for the voter's voice has
been replaced by the general consensus that capitalism is the
only natural way to go. The result is that politics has become
only a question of policy which thereby reduces and
obliterates its liberating promises.
The problems of Muslims in Europe cannot be reduced to the
bankruptcy of integration or the consequence of Islam. Second
and third generation Muslims are engaging in public debate and
participating in the civil and political realms of their
countries, pressing for the same rights that other groups
already enjoy. The Muslims of Europe are channeling their
questions, desires and wants within the existing
constitutional, legal and political landscapes of the European
countries. This accounts for the fact that the debate on Islam
in France is quite different from that one in Great Britain.
Muslims are posing their requests by and large through
democratic dialogue. And, as we often forget, democratic
dialogue is utterly about settling conflict in a non-violent
way. Therefore we should not be surprised that with dialogue
comes, from time to time, conflict. Ultimately this is proof
of the good functioning of democracy. Structurally, this
dialogue poses the question as to what space will be allowed
for Muslims within the European realm. The fact that Islam is
still seen as a religion foreign to Europe inevitably
influences the space given to Muslims. From the French model
of assimilation to the British multicultural setting, Muslims
have organized themselves in different ways, reflecting the
local, historically grown, political traditions. It is the
allowed space that informs us on the civic and political
participation of the Muslims and not specific Islamic theology
or doctrines.
Islamism is an ideology that endeavors to appropriate the
political space and public sphere through the mobilization of
religious (Islamic) resources and modes of social action
ranging from daw'a (predication) to jihad (violence,
terrorism) through which certain social groups manifest their
desire to control the state, to overthrow or oppose the state
and to install an order that is called "Islamic".
The activism of Islamism, just like other faith-based
movements, is a highly modern phenomenon. All forms of
fundamentalisms need and thrive on modernity to constitute
themselves. Islamism and its radical jihad-form do not stand
on the firm ground of (Islamic) tradition but are
traditionalized responses to the doubt, characteristic of our
modern predicament. It is not Islamic tradition that
'produces' Islamism or its militants. It is rather the
conscious choice by the militants for what they call Islamic
tradition - and one should add the "re-invented" forms of it -
that produces Islamism. Islamism in general and its jihad-form
in particular, are thus an anti-modern modernity, a way of
dealing with uncertainty within modernity and offer a
theoretical alternative.
Modernity was 'imported' into the Arab world from the second
half of the 19th century onwards with the introduction of
different institutional, military, legal resources and
technologies. This happened within the framework of
imperialism (later colonialism), i.e. within the frame of a
clear imbalance of power between the two shores of the
Mediterranean. This triggered responses of local rulers to try
and control the dynamics of their rapidly changing societies.
During the ensuing direct forms of colonization several forms
of resistance emerged. During the Nahdha or Arab renaissance,
Arab thinkers sought an answer to the question why the Arab
world was weakened and overrun by powerful European countries.
The responses were diverse and multifaceted but two arguments
were repeatedly stressed. One had to admit and accept that the
weakness was a consequence of certain 'backward' aspects of
Islam, or one had to admit that it was the consequence of not
following the 'right Islam'. Islamic reformist thinkers argued
that Islam was buried underneath a century-old layer of dust
of 'wrong traditions'. This way, a restoration of the
so-called Golden Age was started and a modern religious,
social and political movement emerged.
We are today, not confronted with a clash of civilizations but
with a confrontation between the 'ideal of jihad' and the
'rest of the world'. The contemporary 'ideal of jihad' is a
rigid and dogmatic form of Islam in which all deeds and
actions of the believer are 'weighed' against an imagined
authentic Islamic ideal. This 'ideal' is however not an
ideology nor a culture, let alone a civilization. It is not an
ideology because it does not carry a positive vision for a
future society. It is not a culture because this 'new ideal'
endeavors to destroy all particular and local forms of
culture. Hence their pathological attacks on local forms of
music, traditional ceremonies of marriage or other rituals.
The groups fighting 'jihad' are aiming their violence and
destruction towards anyone against them, in the first place,
against other Muslims.
The causes of the violence are to be found in the political
problems throughout the Arab and Islamic world. By focusing on
Islam, we evacuate the role of politics. By being blind to the
local, historical and specific causes of conflict and diluting
them in rhetoric of good and evil, we depoliticize these
conflicts. As a consequence, we seem to be less and less
capable of understanding why, under certain circumstances,
people use violence as a political means. Therefore we also
put less and less attention on the numerous forms of injustice
and poverty that subsist throughout the world. Hence it
becomes easy to put the blame on Islam and portray it as the
'new enemy' while doing nothing to tackle the root causes of
the problems. This policy is just like a bad doctor who would
treat the symptoms of an illness but not the illness itself.
The consequence is more violence and more insecurity.
The more Islam and Islamism (as its political offshoot) are
reduced to their sectarian components or extremist trends we
are putting political solutions aside and opting for a
military logic. The 'military' option undoubtedly feeds the
'evil' that it tells us it wants to eradicate. The miserable
consequences of such a policy can sadly be seen in the ruins
of Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan or the Palestinian Occupied
territories.
The 'triggers' of Islamism and violent jihad are not to be
discovered in Islam or its theology but in the human agency
manipulating and thus re-creating and re-inventing the
'Islamic theologies' while it posits itself as being authentic
and pristine.
At the basis of the revolt lies the disgruntlement with the
unjust world in which we live. Then, and only then (when the
need for a radical change is felt), the vast historic deposit
of Islam is manipulated so that it evolves into a new logical
system - at least in the eyes of those who follow it - capable
of dealing with the modern world's problems. This happens
through the exclusion of the 'Other' who becomes the enemy
that has to be killed as he epitomizes Evil. The problem of
coming to grips with the phenomenon of jihad lies not in its
supposed archaic, nihilistic or 'barbaric' character but in
our political 'blind spot'. The answer lies not in a hereafter
but in the realm of politics and thus, it suggests that in the
violent revolt against our modern condition emerges a new form
of politics that transcend the political action and that which
is only concerned with self-interest.
If a new, invigorated form of humanism does not succeed in
combining Western self-criticism with empathy for the rest of
the world, we are headed towards more violence and
incomprehension. To get to know each other without reducing
the Other (whether Muslim or not) to a threat, we should learn
to depoliticize and stop dehumanizing this Other.
If Europe keeps focusing on 'Islam', it will not be able to
find solutions for the numerous political problems.
Inter-religious and intercultural dialogues can reduce
suspicions and tensions between people but cannot stop the
violence, as this violence is not the consequence of religious
antagonisms but of political conflicts. It is time that we
talk less about Islam and more about the concrete movements
and parties that prevail in our modern times. To understand is
nothing more than the first step in reaching for constructive
solutions. Let us not wait too long. The world is in need of
it…
(Sami Zemni is a professor of political sciences at Ghent
University. In this piece, he explores how Islamist movements
are the consequence of undigested modernity and the need to
come to terms with our political blind spots in dealing with
complex West Islam issues.
Source: www.strategicforesight.com)
Non-violence and the king of Khans
"Stability and peace in our land will not come
from the barrel of a gun, because peace without justice is an
impossibility."
Jehangir Khattak
“CHAMPIONS
don't become champions in the ring; they are merely recognised
there," goes a famous adage. Not only are champions recognised,
but also their legacies live on. The story of Abdul Ghaffar
Khan, alias Bacha Khan, the founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar
Tehreek, is that of a true champion. The world recognised
Bacha Khan's stature as a statesman after his heroic
non-violent struggle against the British Raj. Twenty years
after his death, the great non-violent Pashtun statesman was
remembered and eulogised at a conference in New York on April
12.
Focusing on his philosophy of non-violence, the first Bacha
Khan Peace Conference was attended and addressed by his
admirers from the US, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. "I came
here from Washington DC to pay my respects to this great
leader," said Charles Aquilina, a one-time resident of Abdul
Ghaffar Khan Road in Mumbai and currently a director at a
Washington-based think-tank. Like Aquilina, Dr Zikria, a
Persian-speaking Afghan professor at Columbia University, paid
his tributes and fondly recalled that Bacha Khan used to visit
his house in Kabul. Ravi Shanker travelled from Boston to join
Khan's admirers. The keynote speaker was Rajmohan Gandhi, the
celebrated historian and biographer grandson of Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi and author of Ghaffar Khan: Non-violent
Badshah of Pukhtoons.
"What a timely idea, but also an overdue event," Rajmohan told
organisers upon accepting their invitation to speak. He
received a standing ovation from his audience who responded to
his spirited, intellectually potent and thought-provokingly
focused address on the conference theme, 'Philosophy of
non-violence and global challenges'. He discussed Bacha Khan
as a Muslim, a leader, and a non-violent freedom fighter.
"When the history of struggle for human dignity will be
written, Bacha Khan's name will be at the top," Rajmohan told
the conference.
Peering through heavy glasses, the tall, frail Indian
intellectual had spoken bluntly to his American hosts in
Manhattan at a function organised a day earlier in memory of
Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and other statesmen of this
century. "I told a crowd of 4,000 that, while I appreciate
their tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson
Mandela, they forgot to include another great personality of
the 20th century. They forgot Abdul Ghaffar Khan," said
Rajmohan who believes the world must now, more than ever
before, adhere to the philosophy of non-violence. A long
line-up of celebrated speakers and intellectuals included,
among others, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Afrasiab Khattak, Dr Fazle
Raheem Marwat, Dr Raj Wali Shah Khattak, Abdul Bari Jahani, Dr
Munir Khan, Dr Saleem Afridi, Abdul Wahid Mashwani, Abdur Rab
Khan, Taj Akbar Khan and Iqbal Ali Khan. They spoke at great
length about non-violence and its relevance to today's
turbulent world. They had one voice: peace can be achieved by
waging peace alone. Bacha Khan struggled for peace in a region
where tribal customs and traditions were at times stronger
than religion. He persevered, however, and proved that change
through peaceful struggle is always and everywhere possible.
Mahatma Gandhi once said of Bacha Khan:
"That such men, who would have killed a human being with no
more thought than they would kill a sheep, should, at the
bidding of one man, have laid down their arms and accepted
non-violence as the superior weapon sounds almost like a
fairy-tale."The speakers noted that today's world is
confronted with wars, bloodshed and instability. Humanity is
caught in the crossfire between powerful nation-states and
stateless and faceless terrorists. Extremism, they noted, is
rearing its ugly head all around and is visible in the conduct
of both warring sides. "Is this the only course that humanity
is left with to tackle one of the greatest threats mankind has
ever encountered?" asked one Afghan speaker, Amir Pawinda.
"No, there are better ways of dealing with it and the
philosophy of non-violence offers the best hope," he said.
John F. Kennedy once said, "Mankind must put an end to war, or
war will put an end to mankind." Another great American
President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, declared, "More than an end
to war, we want an end to the beginning of all wars - yes, an
end to this brutal, inhumane and thoroughly impractical method
of settling differences between governments." Peacemakers may
speak different languages, but their message is always the
same, and it reverberates with the same spirit of hope. The
New York conference reflected that spirit as speaker after
speaker highlighted Bacha Khan's life as a simple man, a
powerful politician, a spiritual leader, a non-violent
peacemaker and a visionary. Bacha Khan would tell his
followers, "There is advantage only in construction. I want to
tell you categorically I will not support anybody in
destruction." Mahatma Gandhi said, "In the secret of my heart,
I am in perpetual quarrel with God that He should allow such
things (as the war) to go on. My non-violence seems almost
impotent. But the answer comes at the end of the daily quarrel
that neither God nor non-violence is impotent. Impotence is in
men. I must try on without losing faith even though I may
break in the attempt." What would Bacha Khan and Mahatma
Gandhi do if they were alive today, was the question many
speakers raised. Rajmohan thought Bacha Khan and Gandhi would
have felt overly challenged by today's complicated puzzles of
corruption and violence, but still their devotion to
harmonious coexistence would have impressed many minds with a
peace mentality, which is the first step towards conflict
resolution. Bacha Khan once said, "There is nothing surprising
in a Muslim or a Pashtun like me subscribing to the creed of
non-violence. It is not a new creed. It was followed 1,400
years ago by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)."
If Bacha Khan was at the helm in today's Pakistan, what would
he do? "I think he would raise a new army of Khudai
Khidmatgars for a change in mindsets. This army would wage
peace for peace, for development, for social justice, for
political empowerment and for equality," said Dr Munir Khan,
associated with the Bacha Khan Education Foundation. The
sentiment raised at the conference reflected the spirit of a
famous saying of one of South Africa's greatest leaders and
Nobel laureate, Desmond Tutu, who said, "Stability and peace
in our land will not come from the barrel of a gun, because
peace without justice is an impossibility." One dynamic,
global message emanated from the conference: "Let's work for
the creation of Khudai Khidmatgars in the 21st century. Let's
spread peace, amity and love by waging nothing but peace."
Source: www.dawn.com
International
Fierce clashes kill
45 in Baghdad’s Sadr City
AFP, Baghdad
US and Iraqi forces have killed at least 45 insurgents in
fierce battles with Shiite fighters in eastern Baghdad
over the past 24 hours, the US military said on Monday.
Three US soldiers were also killed in east Baghdad on
Monday when they were hit by rocket or mortar fire, the
military said.
Earlier, the military said seven "criminals" were killed
in the flashpoint Sadr City district of the Iraqi capital
when US forces called up an aerial weapons team (AWT) and
a M1A2 Abrams Tank after soldiers came under attack with
small-arms fire.
Another 38 militiamen were killed on Sunday, including 22
in one of the heaviest clashes in weeks, when militiamen
blasted Baghdad's fortified Green Zone with rockets and
mortars, taking advantage of a blinding dust storm that
grounded US attack helicopters.
The biggest clash in the day-long battles came at dusk on
Sunday when "a large group of criminals engaging with
small-arms fire" attacked a security forces checkpoint, a
US military statement said.
"US soldiers used 120 mm fire from M1A12 Abrams tanks and
small-arms fire to kill ... 22 criminals, forcing
remaining enemy forces present to retreat," the military
said.
Abbas Abdul Hussein, a resident of Sadr City who witnessed
the attack, said it had come at the height of the
sandstorm.
"The militiamen took advantage of the storm. They knew
there were no helicopters watching them, so they attacked
US troops near the checkpoint," said Hussein.
At about the same time, seven fighters who ambushed a
patrol were killed by US troops.
Other gunmen died in various skirmishes during the day
when troops retaliated after being attacked with
small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the
military said.
Most of the fighting took place in Sadr City, the Baghdad
bastion of the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, who claim they are being deliberately
targeted.
US and Iraqi commanders say they are trying to halt rocket
attacks from Sadr City on the Green Zone, where the Iraqi
government and US embassy are based, by Iranian-backed
militias using Iranian-supplied weaponry.
Tehran strongly denies any involvement.
The Green Zone was hit by waves of rockets and mortar
rounds on Sunday evening, but there were no reports of
casualties.
The latest deaths bring to at least 446 the number of
militiamen and civilians killed in a month of clashes in
Sadr City, where violence erupted after Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki ordered a countrywide crackdown on militias
on March 25, starting in the southern oil city of Basra.
At least 18 US soldiers have died in Baghdad since the
clashes began, including the three killed Monday.
Meanwhile, Sadr's office in the shrine city of Najaf said
new efforts were being brokered by President Jalal
Talabani to try "to end the crisis between the Sadr
movement and the government."
China jails 17 people over Tibet unrest: Official media
AFP, Beijing
Chinese authorities on Tuesday jailed 17 people for
between three years and life for their role in last
month's Tibetan unrest, state press reported.
The 17 were involved in violence on March 14 in Tibet's
capital, Lhasa, the Xinhua news agency said, announcing
the first verdicts for anyone connected with the unrest
that has embarrassed and angered China ahead of the
Olympics.
A court in Lhasa handed down the verdicts on Tuesday,
Xinhua said, givi |