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Extortion case of Hasina
SC hears govt’s stay petition today
UNB, Dhaka
All eyes are on the Appellate Division as it is poised to
hear today (Sunday) a government petition seeking a stay
on the operation of the High Court judgment that declared
illegal the extortion case against detained ex-PM Sheikh
Hasina for trial under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).
Earlier on Wednesday, the High Court, following a writ
petition of Hasina, quashed the entire trial proceedings
of the Tk 3-crore extortion case filed by businessman Azam
J Chowdhury.
The Appellate Division’s decision is seen crucial on two
counts—upholding the image of the highest judiciary and
the fate of all the corruption cases being tried under the
EPR.
Court sources said Attorney General Fida M Kamal, the
chief government law officer, has filed the stay petition
as it prefers leave to appeal to overturn the High Court
verdict.
On the other hand, Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, the principal
counsel for Hasina, encountered the government petition.
The government said since it has not yet received the
certified copy of the HC judgment, it wants an interim
stay on operation of the HC judgement and orders.
The government further submitted that the High Court what
it said exceeded its jurisdiction in quashing the trial
proceedings of the extortion case for trial under the EPR.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq opposed the government plea on
the grounds that the government has not complied with the
set rules of the Appellate Division in filing the
provisional leave petition. "So, it cannot be entertained
for hearing."
He contended that unless the High Court orders and
judgment are set aside by the Appellate Division through
hearing a regular leave petition on merit, the High Court
judgment cannot be stayed.
Any such attempt would amount to frustrating the High
Court judgment passed under Article 102 of the
Constitution, as Article 102 is one of the basic pillars
of the Constitution. "Such a provision cannot be
frustrated or knocked down without examining the judgement
of the High Court Division."
He further said there is no urgency in the case, since the
respondent (Hasina) cannot come out of jail only for the
HC judgment.
If the High Court verdict is stayed and the trial is
allowed to be continued and concluded, then Hasina shall
suffer an irreparable loss and injury, the counsel argued.
Disagreeing with the government plea on quashing the trial
proceedings of the extortion case by the HC exceeding its
jurisdiction, Barrister Huq, citing case decisions, said,
"If the High Court gives any relief beyond its Rule, such
an action is
admissible."
Concept of nat'l govt unconstitutional: Zillur
Staff Correspondent
Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman has said the
national government concept is a bogus thing and there is
no provision of it in the Constitution.
"A vested quarter has been creating widespread confusion
among people by raising such controversial issue. AL is
the largest political party in Bangladesh and we will not
be a part of any national government," Zillur Rahman said
He was addressing a view-exchange-meeting with leaders of
Bangladesh Chhatra league (BCL), student wing of AL, at
his Gulshan residence in the capital on Saturday evening.
Zillur Rahman reiterated his party demand for holding the
uncoming general election by March, even only updating the
exiting voters’ list as early as possible for the
restoration of democracy.
He urged the party leaders and activists to remain united
and asked them to work together forgetting
misunderstandings greater interest of AL .
Terming the present situation as the worst in the history
of AL, the senior most AL presidium member said, "As many
as 19 false cases were lodged against our party chief. We
must gear up our party activities so that the detained
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina can be freed within
the shortest possible time."
Some BCL leaders also spoke on the occasion expressing
their anger saying, "We were in the field during the last
movements but the party high command did not evaluate us
at all. We are neither in Chhatra League nor Jubo League."
Referring to the allegations against some senior party
leaders who earlier selected new BCL leaders after holding
a central council last year, keeping out a large number of
bonafide student leaders, Zillur Rahman said, "I have come
to know about this just now that many BCL activists and
leaders hold no post. This issue will be an agenda in the
ensuing AL Working Committee meeting."
Acting AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam also
assured the agitating ex-BCL leaders saying, "We will take
immediate steps to resolve the matter after consulting
with detained party chief Sheikh Hasina. And the
dedicated, honest and bonafide party workers and leaders
will be evaluated inshaAllah."He called upon all to unite
and remain alert against the conspirators who have been
hatching conspiracies to destroy AL with Sheikh Hasina
behind bars.
Among others, Abdul Mannan, Subid Ali Bhuiyan, Dr Dipu
Moni, Dr Hasan Mahmud, Balaram Poddar, Marufa Akhter Popy,
Shahjada Shahabuddin, Rafiqul Islam Kotwal, ABM Mazhar
Enam and Hemayet Uddin were present on the occasion.
CPD for diesel subsidy before boro cultivation
Staff Correspondent
If the government does not provide diesel subsidy before
boro cultivation, seeds and fertiliser, the farmers will
not be able to irrigate their lands and the target for
1.75 core metric tons of boro rice will not be achieved.
This was stated by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a
dialogue on "Input Delivery Strategy for Higher Boro
Production" organised by it at CIRDAP auditorium on
Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Uttam Dev, head, research
division, CPD, said, "Flood and Sidr caused loss of 14 to
20 lakh metric tons of rice production in the country. To
recover this loss, the Ministry of Agriculture has set a
target for producing 1.75 crore metric tons of rice during
this boro season as against actual production of 1.50
crore metric tons."
"Achieving this target requires extra effort particularly
for supply of different inputs such as seeds, fertilizer,
irrigation and agricultural credit. But as the farmers are
not getting subsidy money for diesel, they cannot irrigate
their lands yet", he added.
Former agriculture minister, Motia Chowdhury, said, "Mere
setting target is not enough. The farmers are not getting
adequate fertilizer. Even fertilizer is not available in
the monga stricken area of Kurigram."
She emphasised on four factors for achieving high
production of rice saying that seeds, fertilizer,
electricity and agriculture loan should be made available
to the farmers to facilitate their cultivation.
Dr CS Karim, Agriculture Adviser, said, "Although the
government has a plan to give subsidy for diesel, it will
not give so early. If subsidy is given earlier, instead of
farmers the owners of the power pumps will be benefited.
First a contract between the farmers and shallow-machine
owners should take place regarding the cost of irrigation.
Then the government will give subsidy in the middle of
their cultivation."
He added, "As much as 45 lac hactre of lands have been
brought under boro cultivation of which 12.50 lac hactre
allocated for hybrid rice to fulfil the target. The
country has a demand for 3.36 crore metric tons of rice
yearly. Normally, 1. 50 crore metric tons of rice are
produced in boro cultivation, 35 lac tons are imported and
the rest of the quantity comes from Aush and Aman
cultivations. But we need to grow more rice during the
boro to recover the loss caused by Sidr and flood".
Dr Shawkat Ali, Health and Food Adviser, said, "The
government increased the number of dealers from 4,800 to
16,000 to distribute fertiliser smoothly among the
framers. But the reasons for fertiliser shortage are that
many people want to store up fertiliser in much quantity,
the government is giving subsidy of Tk 1,200 per bag and
production or import of fertiliser is not as much as the
demand."
Lack of coordination thwarting anti-graft drive
Staff Correspondent
Speakers
observed that the lack of coordination in conducting
anti-corruption drive and excess enthusiasm of some people
are thwarting the process of curbing corruption.
This observation was made by speakers at the inaugural
session of the annual conference of Socheton Nagorik
Committee (Sanac), a Transparency International Bangladesh
(TIB) sponsored organisation held at Bangladesh China
Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday.
They also observed, an elected government alone could be
an acceptable government, but that government will have to
be free from corruption.
Chairman of TIB Board of Trustees, Professor Muzaffer
Ahmed said massive irregularities are rampant in the
public service organisation. The government institutions
including Taskforce, NBR, Police and Anti-Corruption
Commission are conducting drive against corruption. But
there is a lack of coordination among the law enforcing
agencies.
"We are going forward with a vision to free the country
from corruption. To make the mission a success,
countrywide anti-corruption movement has started and we
like to engage all the countrymen with us," Muzaffer Ahmed
said. We are very unfortunate that we could not free
politics from corruption, he added.
Secretary General of TIB Board of Trustees who is also the
Editor of Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam said the activists of
TIB are creating awareness among the people against
corruption by holding a series of meetings, seminars and
symposia.
"For the greater interest of the nation, politics and also
the political leaders should be free from corruption. We
should take proper and effective steps unitedly against
corruption. In this regard, there is no alternative to
elected government and corruption-free leaders," Mahfuz
Anam said. There is a trend in the country that the
leaders who are involved in crime and corruption are
elected using money and power. This tradition must be
changed, he added.
Among others, around five hundred activists of the
organisation from 36 districts were present at the
conference.
UK for dialogue between CG and political parties
Staff Correspondent
The British
Government is encouraging dialogue between the Caretaker
Government and the political parties in a bid to holding a
free, fair, credible and acceptable parliament election
before the end of the year 2008.
After concluding two-day whirlwind visit to Bangladesh,
the British Foreign Minister the Rt Hon David Miliband MP
told reporters at a crowded press briefing at the
residence of the British High Commissioner at Baridhara.
"We would look to all sides to respond and participate
positively, in order to achieve inclusive elections and
reach consensus over reforms which can sustain democracy
in Bangladesh," David Miliband said.
He has reiterated UK's support for the steps to elections
in Bangladesh before the end of the year, and has
encouraged positive, constructive dialogue between the
Caretaker Government and the political parties. Reflecting
on his visit, Miliband said, "Right now, Bangladesh and
its people are striving to achieve a democracy that will
endure. Success in this endeavour will be vital to
Bangladesh's future stability, development and prosperity.
All have a stake in this; therefore all have a
responsibility towards the process of reforming and
strengthening democracy."
The British Foreign Minister also stressed the fundamental
importance of the steps to elections before the end of the
year. "The UK, as a close friend of Bangladesh and its
people, supports the commitment to the process and
ambition for transparent, inclusive and fair elections of
the highest standard," he added. "We support the
restoration of full democratic processes as soon as is
feasible. The election process including the voter
registration, to which the UK has contributed $22 million,
is progressing and the commitment and enthusiasm of the
Caretaker Government, Election Commission and the people,
is very encouraging," he further said.
During this, his first, visit to Bangladesh David Miliband
called on the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Foreign
Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Election
Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and the Chief of Army Staff
General Moeen U Ahmed.
He also visited a UK DFID-funded project to help the
poorest and most vulnerable adapt to the threat of climate
change, in the Chars. He concluded his visit with a
reception for senior political figures, civil society and
human rights defenders.
Besides, Miliband participated in a discussion event with
young Bangladeshi leaders and met senior civil society
figures. He also held discussions with members of the
British-Bangladeshi Diaspora, and visited a voter
registration centre in Kaliakor.
Govt determined
to hold polls by Dec: Matin
UNB, Khulna
Home Affairs Adviser Major General (retd) MA Matin on
Saturday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to hold
the national election by December this year as per the
Election Commission’s roadmap and said "if possible there
will be polls before
that timeline".
"To hold a credible election, work on preparing the voter
list with photographs is going on in full-swing and
registration of 3.30 crore voters has already been
completed," he said.
Matin was addressing a meeting with officials of Khulna
division, including the Deputy Commissioners and Police
Supers and other seniors officials of police, at the
Circuit House in Khulna on Saturday.
The Adviser said the government is working for building a
corruption-free society, establishing good governance,
transparency and accountability in every sector, curbing
terrorism and developing the country’s economy alongside
its work for holding a free and acceptable election.
"There has been a tremendous progress in this regard and
people have already started getting its results," Matin
told the meeting. He said the government has achieved a
success in curbing the all-pervasive corruption as corrupt
people have returned their ill-gotten money amounting to
Tk 753 crore to the national exchequer.
Back Page
Army to remain
aloof from politics: Miliband
UNB, Dhaka
British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband on Saturday said he was assured by the
Bangladesh army chief that the military would remain
separated from politics, helping the nation's speedy
transition to genuine democracy.
He observed that it is an important year for Bangladesh
for speedy transition to genuine democracy through free
and fair elections.
"I was struck by the commitment and sincerity of the Chief
Advisor and others I had discussions to return to
democracy and democratic rule," he told a pre-departure
crowded media conference at the residence of the British
High Commissioner in the evening.
Asked whether he got any specific indication of timeline
of lifting the state of emergency during his discussions,
the British foreign minister said, "We think it is
important to lift the state of emergency to all intent
possible and the message is received as well."
About transparency in trial process under the current
purge, he said they want charges and cases are dealt with
without any deterrent and without any discrimination and
law applied without fear or favour, without considering
one's position in society.
In reply to a question, he said Britain is not monitoring
but
carefully following up the cases to see due process is
upheld and law is applied without any discrimination.
Asked how Britain justifies a non-elected government,
Miliband said UK's foreign policy is to build on strong
and sustainable institutions rather than backing
individuals. Particularly in Bangladesh, he noted, Britain
supports at all stages speedy establishment of democracy.
"In our discussions with the caretaker government in last
13 months, we have always been focussed not on how they
came into power but how they can get out of power and how
a clean, fair and effective democracy can be achieved in
Bangladesh," said Miliband, at the end of his two-day
tour.
The British Foreign Secretary encouraged positive and
constructive dialogue between the caretaker government and
the political parties on building up democratic
institutions and future of Bangladesh.
He also reminded mutual responsibilities of the caretaker
government, political parties, civil society and free
media to contribute to the transition to full democracy.
The British Foreign Secretary did not subscribe to the
notion of national unity government and said it is
important to ensure democracy takes its roots. He said
after the elections, the major party and the opposition
can cooperate if they feel the need.
About his talks with Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, he
said the discussion focussed on democracy, constitution,
democratic rule, independent army separated from politics
and army's role in UN peacekeeping missions.
He said General Moeen assured that the army would remain
separated from politics. Miliband, who came here Friday
from Afghanistan, said his visit to Dhaka was based on
four themes-politics, governance, the rule of law and
human rights, economic development, climate change, and
tackling extremism.
BB governor sees sluggish business fade
Bdnews24, Chittagong
Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed on Saturday
said that the sluggish trend in the country's trade and
commerce was improving gradually.
Salehuddin said: "The rate of import and exports had
increased over the past few months. In the last several
months, remittance inflows had also increased."
The central banker termed the foreign currency reserves
strong, in his speech to a discussion meeting with the
representatives of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and business leaders at the Chittagong branch of
Bangladesh Bank Saturday.
He hoped the situation would improve substantially if the
boro production reached the target. Bangladesh Bank was
providing all-out assistance to ensure fertiliser and
irrigation to the farmers, he said. Mentioning that the
foreign currency reserves were recorded at $5.4 billion,
Salehuddin said that as the reserves were strong, the
central bank had approved opening L/C worth 100 million
dollars for the import of urea and other fertiliser in
January.
At the meeting, the governor announced that a policy would
be formulated in the next one month to lower import
finance interest rates, L/C commissions and other charges
and to coordinate the activities of commercial banks.
The BB governor said discussions would be held with the
owners and officials of the banks in the next two weeks.
He said work on formulating the policy would be completed
in one month from now. "The work of collecting information
from commercial banks in this regard has already started
to ease import and export as well as to cut expenditure,"
he said.
Efforts are underway to formulate a policy on foreign
currency exchange, he added. Mentioning the recent upward
trend of import, Salehuddin urged businessmen to invest in
the manufacturing sector so that trade and commerce did
not become import-dependent.
Dr Salehuddin said that it was not possible to meet the
demand of the large population through import-dependent
business.
"For this, production-oriented industries and factories
would have to be established," he went on adding that
development of agriculture and agriculture-based
industries was important.
He said in this regard that commercial banks had been
directed to provide loans to small and individual
entrepreneurs.
The governor said that in many cases the banks were
misinterpreting the policy of Bangladesh Bank and
harassing customers and mentioned that if the central bank
got complaints about this, stern action would be taken.
At the meeting, businessmen discussed import-loan interest
rates, dollar prices, foreign direct investment, obstacles
in import and export, high rate of interest on bank loans
and an easier import and export policy.
Efficient admin
under qualified leadership stressed
UNB, Savar
Speakers at a function in Savar on Saturday said
establishing an efficient administration under qualified
leaderships for building a prosperous nation is a demand
of the time.
They were speaking at the 9th Motivators' Reunion
programme of Hunger Project held at the Ganasashthya
Kendra auditorium, with former Chief Adviser Justice
Habibur Rahman attending it as chief guest. The function
was presided over by general secretary of Asiatic Society
of Bangladesh Professor Mahfuza Khanam. Among others,
chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue and former
adviser Professor Rehman Sobhan, Dr Kamal Hossain,
president of Sushashoner Jonno Nagarik (SUJON) Professor
Mozaffar Ahmed, former advisers Hafizuddin Khan and
Advocate Sultana Kamal, Professor Rownak Jahan, Dr Maksud
Ali and journalist Rafiqul Islam spoke on the occasion.
In his address, the ex-chief adviser of caretaker
government, Justice Habibur Rahman, observed that an
uncertain situation is prevailing in the country.
He however struck a note of optimism that a country which
has social capital couldn't go to ruin. Regretting that
local government system could not be built in the country
in last 36 years, the former chief justice said, "Building
an honest and qualified leadership for the sake of the
country is a demand of the time."
Professor Rehman Sobhan urged all to come forward in
establishing democratic system as "there is no alternative
to democracy in the existing market economy." Dr Kamal
Hossain laid emphasis on the role of volunteers in
realizing the dream of independence. Professor Mozaffar
Ahmed called upon all to cast their votes appropriately to
form a strong local government system. Global
Vice-president and Country Director of The Hunger Project
Dr Bodiul Alam Majumder focused on the yearlong activities
of his organization and the significance of the presence
of some 15,000 motivators in the function.
Crime Watch
Stolen transformers, electric equipment recovered
Staff Correspondent
Detective Branch (DB) recovered around 56 stolen
transformers with huge amount of electric equipment worth
about Tk 2 crore from Khilgaon in the capital and arrested
a criminal in this connection on Friday night.
According to sources, acting on a tip-off, a patrol team
of DB police led by ASP Masud raided a house at Gazipur
and arrested Nabi (30), a member of an organized gang.
Following his confessional statement, the law enforcers
along with Nabi went to Nandipara under Khilgaon police
station and raided around five shops.
After searching the shops, around 56 stolen transformers
of WASA, DESA and PDB worth about Tk two crore and a good
amount of electric equipment were recovered.
A case was lodged.
3 held with drugs
A Correspondent, Comilla
Police recovered 160 bottles of phensidyl syrup (Codeine)
and 2 kgs of hemp at Jhowtala area in Comilla town on
Friday night. Police also arrested three persons including
a woman in this connection.
Police sources said, they had recovered the contraband
drugs when the smugglers were smuggling them from India
into the country.
Acting on a secret information they conducted drive at the
area and recovered 160 bottles of Indian phensidyl and 2
kgs of hemp from their possession, and arrested Ali
Hossain (28) of Jorameher village, Mintu Miah, 37 of
Debidwer village and Zakir Hossain of Shovapur village in
Comilla district. A case was filed.
Student beaten to death
UNB, Bagerhat
A school student, injured in an attack in the district
town on Thursday, died at Khulna Medical College Hospital
early Saturday.
The dead was identified as Rafiq Sheikh (13), son of Islam
Sheikh of Badekarapara area on the outskirts. He was a
class VIII student of Jadunath Institution in Bagerhat
district town.
Police said Rafiq had an altercation with a carpenter of
Dashani area on Thursday afternoon over a trifling matter.
Following the brawl, Rafiq alongwith his friends went to
Dashani to protest the incident.
As they came, locals caught and beat them mercilessly.
They also hit the students with sticks and hammers,
leaving four of them seriously injured.
The injured were admitted to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital. Of
them, Rafiq was shifted to KMCH as his condition
deteriorated. He died there yesterday.
Top terror arrested
UNB, Narayanganj
A top terror was arrested along with some bullets from his
house in East Shiarchar Lalkha area of Fatullah thana on
Friday.
The arrested was identified as Ebu Hossain alias Killer
Ebu (45), one of the close accomplices of gangster Nayan,
who was killed in an encounter with law enforcers
recently.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-11, led by captain Kazi
Kawser Jahan, raided Ebu's house in the afternoon and
arrested him along with five rounds of bullet.
Ebu, who went into hiding after the killing of Nayan, has
recently returned home from his hideouts.
He was wanted in a number of murder, extortion, land
grabbing and other criminal cases, police said.
Daring dacoity
UNB, Savar
Dacoits, in separate incidents, looted cash and valuables
from four houses in Savar and Dhamrai upazilas on Thursday
night and early Friday.
Police said a gang of robbers, numbering 8/10, stormed
into the house of late Moslehuddin at Polashbari in
Ashulia thana in Savar at about 8:00 pm on Thursday
introducing themselves as RAB personnel.
They looted 12 tolas of gold ornaments, three mobile sets
and Tk 35,000 in cash from the house.
The same gang also broke open the door of the house of
Nazrul Islam, a Saudi expatriate, in absence of the family
members and looted gold and other valuables from the
house.
In another incident, robbers looted five tolas of gold
ornaments and Tk 25,000 in cash from the house of Abdul
Based at Sreerampur village in Dhamrai at about 2.30am on
Friday. Dacoits also swooped on the house of BNP leader
Zulfikar Ali of Rartia in Dhamrai at about 3am and looted
gold and cash worth over Tk 1 lakh.
7 held in B'baria
BSS, Brahmanbaria
Police arrested seven persons including two brothers from
different places of sadar upazila on charges of various
criminal charges on Friday.
Sources said police arrested two snatchers from Uttar
Pairtala of the town on Friday.
They were identified as Lokman Hossain (37), and his
brother Mohammad Raifqul Islam (35), sons of Khelu Miah.
A case was filed against the arrested two brothers under
special powers rule. They were sent to jail hajat when
police produced them before the court.
Besides, police arrested Selim, Anwar Hossain Sumon,
Mohammad Selim, Shahnur Miah and Soleman Miah on different
charges.
19 nabbed in Rangpur
BSS, Rangpur
Police arrested 19 persons including suspected criminals
from different parts of the district during the past 24
hours till Saturday morning.
Police sources said the arrested persons included dacoits,
thieves, muggers, extortionists, absconding accused in
different cases, cheats, warrantees, drug peddlers and
traffickers, suspected criminals and anti-social elements.
Police also seized huge quantities of contraband ganja,
phensidyl, locally produced wine, illegal things and
recovered stolen goods during the drives.
The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police
produced them before different Rangpur courts, the sources
said.
Phensidyl seized
UNB, Narayanganj
Police seized some 3,000 bottles of phensidyl syrup from a
pickup-van on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at Awkhabo in
Rupganj upazila early Friday and arrested three drug
peddlers.
Acting on-a tip-off, a team led by Rupganj thana
Officer-in-Charge (OC) intercepted the Dhaka-bound
pickup-van and seized the contraband drugs worth about Tk
22 lakh.
The arrested drug peddlers were identified as Habibur
Rahman Siraj, son of Mona Mia in Sadar upazila and Mokbul
Hossain, son of Mohammad Ali in Meghna uapzila of Comilla
and Shahid Mia, son of Joynal of Mawkhali village of
Khulna district. A case was filed.
Another UNB report from Khulna adds: Joint forces, in
separate drives, arrested six drug peddlers along with
3-kg of ganja and 18 bottles of phensidyl syrup in Koira
upazila here on Thursday.
The law-enforcers raided Amadi Bazar, Chandkhali Bazar and
Dashahalia Kheya ghat and arrested them. The arrested are
Rashid, Bakkar, Jahangir, Kadam Ali, Quddus and Jotsna.
Drug peddler killed
BSS, Jessore
A drug peddler was stabbed to death yesterday evening at
Sadipur border area near Benapole land port over sharing
of money earned by selling heroin.
The victim was identified as Shahjahan (45), who died on
the spot while another drug peddler attacked him with a
sharp weapon at around 6:30 pm, police said adding they
had recovered the body.
Soon after the incident, Police said, alleged killer Md.
Alam fled away.
Editorial
HC Judgement :
What is at Stake?
On
04 February 2008, we wrote an Editorial looking at the various
implications of a High Court verdict on Sheikh Hasina's case.
Now that the verdict has been given, pending of course the
inevitable appeal by the prosecution, we can really survey as
to why this verdict/judgement is so important and what is at
stake here?
The first thing that comes to mind is that the higher
judiciary has been able to free itself from the entirely
corrosive effects of politicization, at least temporarily; its
study and judgement in this landmark case of Sheikh Hasina has
been dispassionate, logical and comprehensive. The second
point of note is that by selecting a panel of amicus curiae or
"friends of the court," the HC has been able to take along
with it the bulk of the lawyers and legal expertise of the
Country which is not otherwise usual. To a remarkable extent,
not seen in the last 3 decades, the HC has not only upheld the
law and the Constitution but has also taken public opinion
along with it, without being swayed by public or political
passions.
The third point to consider is that after the whole process is
over including the appeal, the HC is likely to be called upon
to issue judgement in a large number of similar other cases,
between 150 and 300, which it is anticipated will go the same
way as the Sheikh Hasina verdict. Therefore, what is at stake
here is the legality and justification of EPRs in handling of
high-profile corruption cases. The lawyers and the HC have
thus pointed out a lacuna, a hole, through which "the corrupt"
are likely to escape if the Emergency Government does not do
something to plug that hole immediately. It ought to be
remembered that most of the people charged for corruption
under EPR are politicians who are unlikely to forget or
forgive the tribulations they had to go through because of the
EPRs. The public wants to see the corrupt brought to justice
and if the corrupt are allowed to escape because of legal
loopholes, the public is going to be unforgiving too and the
Emergency, for what it is worth right now, is going to loose
further support and currency from the public.
The last and the most pertinent point to note and which we
have pointed out earlier in our editorial of 04 February but
which deserves repetition is that the Laws of the Land and the
Constitution are products of historical evolution and
experiences reflecting social, political and economic
conditions over long periods of time, whereas EPRs are
contingencies to deal with a particular and defined
"time-situation" context. Ultimately the Laws of the Land and
the Constitution must prevail otherwise the entire system of
Law and Justice will collapse - this we contended the State
cannot and will not allow, not unless a politico-social
Revolution prevails. Thus, what is at stake here is the
"reason for existence" of the entire EPR and even of the
Emergency which is already being called into question by
eminent jurists and legal experts. Many are already of the
opinion that the Emergency Government is "de facto" and not
"de jure", that is, its existence is a fact but not legal or
by law. Thus, in the final analysis, whether the next
"lawfully" elected government would at all feel it incumbent
upon itself to ratify the Emergency with its ordinances, rules
and actions, is now laid open to question - that is what is at
stake here.
Govt khas lands and landless people
It is very
unfortunate that the number of landless people in the country
is rising rapidly. At the time of liberation of the country
the number of landless people was around 32 lakh, but over the
last 36 years it has increased alarmingly to about one crore.
These people, rendered homeless mainly by river- erosion and
extreme poverty, are leading unbearable life in slums of the
cities or elsewhere in untold miseries.
There are government rules to distribute khas lands among the
landless people to mitigate their sufferings. But those rules
are not being followed properly and the woes and sufferings of
the landless people continue unabated. According to informed
sources, there are about two crore bighas of government khas
lands in the country. Had these been distributed properly
among the landless people, each of them would have got about
two bighas of land on an average.
But in reality, only a small number of landless people got
allotment of government khas lands, most of which are under
the illegal occupation of influential land grabbers and
political opportunists. These people are so powerful that in
many cases in the past attempts to recover these lands from
the illegal grabbers have failed. However, under the caretaker
government a drive is in progress to recover the lands
occupied by land grabbers. This move is definitely encouraging
and it should be stepped up.
It is known to all that the landless people are suffering
terribly and contributing to the problems gripping the social
fabric and economy. In view of this, we want to stress here
that all government khas lands under illegal occupation should
be recovered as early as possible and distributed among the
landless people with a view to rehabilitating them socially
and economically.
Analysis
Trial against Corruption, not
Person
According to the emergency law, the executive
authority has wide discretions related to restricting the
freedoms of individuals and their constitutional rights.
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New Jersey - In 1989, a photograph called "Piss Christ" by
Andres Serrano, which depicted a crucifix submerged in a glass
of the artist's urine, was on show at the Southeastern Center
for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The
exhibition received funding from the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA). The NEA has yet to recover from the squeeze on
its funding that resulted from the public outcry that
followed.
It was a big story for arts reporters, with its impact
rippling beyond the NEA budget line to a whole-scale reframing
of American values through "conservative Christian" and First
Amendment (freedom of speech) lenses. Like Chris Ofili's
painting, "The Holy Virgin Mary", that followed in 1996 (in
which Mary is dotted with elephant dung), these objects of art
pushed reporters and audiences alike to consider the boundary
of art and offence, and to cross-examine closely held concepts
of religion. The process is cleansing and healthy.
In an open letter to the NEA, Serrano - a Roman Catholic -
writes, "The photograph, and the title itself, are ambiguously
provocative but certainly not blasphemous…. This context is
parallel to Catholicism's obsession with 'the body and blood
of Christ.' It is precisely in the exploration and
juxtaposition of the symbols from which Christianity draws it
strength."
This kind of inquiry exercises intellectual muscles of reason
and faith. Although it may be considered a "modern"
phenomenon, such critiquing is common to cultures across the
ages, including those of Muslims. Except for today, it seems.
The first thing I did when the so-called "cartoon controversy"
of 2006 erupted was turn to the experts - as any good reporter
should. Amid the flurry of accusations, impropriety, bad taste
and worse behavior, a basic question lay fallow: is
representational art forbidden by Islam? And if so, why?
I interviewed scholars of Islam and imams (mosque leaders).
Their answers led to the kind of gold that arts and culture
correspondents quarry - a scoop on the breaking news that,
sadly, gets trampled under the foot of more explosive and
angry events. Although people were killed in anti-cartoon
riots and Muslims again reaped the scorn of many who saw them
as small-minded, extreme and barbarous, the truth is that
there is no Qur'anic prohibition against representational art.
My immediate response was published in New Jersey's largest
newspaper, the Star-Ledger, on 29 September 2006. The headline
read, "Those who have faith know art cannot threaten it."
How important is it to report that tradition, not law,
prescribes avoiding depiction of the Prophet Muhammad?
Significantly, "tradition" is not omni-cultural. Indeed,
exquisite images of the Prophet - many of them medieval
illustrations from Persia and Uzbekistan - are housed at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in the collection
of the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris and at the University
of Edinburgh.
I contend that mass uprisings would not follow in the wake of
reporting that emphasized bad taste and bad manners rather
than a breach of rules. To my great dismay, there are no such
uprisings against Muslim-on-Muslim brutality in Iraq,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. And there are
exact proscriptions against such behavior in the Qur'an and in
the example of the Prophet.
The cartoons were in extremely bad taste; there is no argument
there. But the brutality that erupted in the wake of their
publishing was worse. Both stories, however, fall into the
realm of "culture".
As arts and culture reporters, we must get ahead of public
opinion, telling multi-layered stories with as little acrimony
as possible while offering context. The toughest part of the
job is not to opine but to listen to views with which we may
disagree or against which we may rail; to accept that what's
acceptable in some cultures is not in others; and to report
with integrity.
In my National Geographic documentary Inside Mecca, for
example, we showed poverty in the Holy City. As a Muslim, I
was and am ashamed that this unholy condition persists in
Mecca, but I still reported the story. It was just the facts,
not a judgment. And my audience still receives it that way.
When tribal customs such as female genital mutilation or the
wearing of the drape called burka are reported as "Islamic",
however, this is an error and there is no excuse for it.
Reporters are responsible for knowing more about their
subjects than the general public and what they fail to
fact-check on can brew bad blood.
Arts and culture reporting can be seen as soft. Properly
performed, such reporting is a powerful describer of the human
condition, past and present, and can guide us to better
choices for our future. Indeed, arts and culture are
archaeological measures of civilization, as are weapons of war
and the waste societies leave behind. Newspapers and
television news reports would do well to promote the
importance of this medium in order to quicken the pace of
mutual understanding in our ever-shrinking global village.
(Anisa Mehdi is an Emmy Award-winning arts and culture
reporter/producer. Source: Common Ground News Service, 5
February 2008.Copyright permission is granted for
publication.)
Power
and Port can change Bangladesh.
We can also consider another option for the proposed project
financing. That may be a formation of expatriates' investment
bank, a new type of bank.
Sarker M. B.
There
is a lot of controversy over the issue whether the Bangladesh
Economy is in take-off stage or not at the end of 2007. But I
believe it has to run again to come into the take-off stage.
Whatever it is, but there is no debate that we have to run
ahead. Two necessary factors are required to run. These are
energy and a track. If it is an economy then power supply and
efficient port service is badly needed. If we like to run fast
then obviously we need cheap power supply and a deep sea port.
So a nuclear power plant, like proposed Ruppur Nuclear Power
Plant (RNPP), Pabna and the proposed deep-sea port may change
Bangladesh in long run. RNPP may supply huge electricity at
half of the present price. Though the RNPP will take much time
but it will bring a remarkable change in industrialization in
North Bengal as well as across the country. As we have no need
to produce nuclear weapons, those should be no major barrier
to establish such a nuclear power plant except financing
problem. We, the Bangladeshi people are habituated to think
that we have to depend on donor agencies or donor countries
for every big project. Question is who will finance such a big
and long term public project? Usually our government, civil
society and also the intellectual individuals are looking for
foreign donor agencies' response as our requirements. But is
it the only option? No, it is not, we have another effective
option. That may be non-resident Bangladeshis' (NRB) funding
project. The feasibility study of the proposed port has
already been done by a Japanese company. They have shown that
the project will take much time to finish, probably in 2055. I
think this study was a camouflage by our policy makers and
think tanks. We need to revise the study or we should make a
separate study by our BUET expert team. Here we can remember
our bitter experiences on Jamuna Bridge Project, where foreign
expert calculated a negative IRR (Internal Rate of Return),
but the BUET team detected the wrong assessment and finally
they calculated a positive IRR. Actually, I have no such type
of technical knowledge to comments on the feasibility study,
but I strongly believe that the project would be financially
and strategically feasible within much earlier than 2055. I am
interested in discussing on its financing strategy rather than
length of project.
The Proposed Project Financing:
At the initial stage government can form an authority or body
for the proposed project, for example Ruppur Nuclear Power
Plant (RNPPA) or Deep-sea Port Authority of Bangladesh (DPAB),
similar to Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge Authority (JMBA). The
authority will issue some expatriates' remittance backed bonds
that may offer lucrative rates and returns for the NRBs. The
proposed bond's maturity would be 20 to 30 years along with
semiannual or quarterly coupon profit system. The bonds can be
traded in secondary bond market through stock exchange. We
need to realize that if World Bank or any other international
Institution finances the proposed project, they will ensure
international standard rate of return in foreign currency.
Ultimately it will lead to capital outflow in the long-run,
where as remittance backed bonds system will minimize the
long-run capital out lift.
We can also consider another option for the proposed project
financing. That may be a formation of expatriates' investment
bank, a new type of bank (Sarker. 2007, p.4). The nature and
functions of the new bank would be something different from
the traditional banking. It will play an important role as a
main development partner of the country. So it would be named
as ''International Bank for Expatriate Bangladeshi (IBEB)
'' or ''International Bank for Non-resident Bangladeshi (IBNB)
''but the nature or type will be ''Expatriates' Investment
Bank''. Its capital would be funded by expatriate Bangladeshis
or Non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs). It would be run under
private management. If the proposed bank can finance the
proposed deep-sea port project or such type of long-run public
project like Padma bridge project, nuclear power plant
project, sea beach development project etc off course the
proposed bank will be feasible for at least 20-30 years.
The third alternative option may be securitization. Government
may securitize certain revenue collecting source like Jamuna
Bridge toll collection for future project financing of deep
sea port. This option is very common for public project
financing and it is similar to the system of bond issue
option.
Strategic Importance:
On the occasion of 50 years celebration of Bangladesh
Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in 2007, policy makers
along with few intellectuals showed the clear income disparity
between eastern and western part of Bangladesh. In 15
December, 2007 at Engineers Institute, Dhaka, Professor Moinul
Islam, a veteran economist agreed that the economic disparity
in Northwestern part of Bangladesh is similar to the earlier
East Pakistan. Therefore, if would be wise to set up the
proposed power plant in Northern part of Bangladesh. On the
other hand, the proposed deep sea port has not only economic
importance but also a long term strategic importance both for
Bangladesh and South-East Asian region. The geographical
location of Bangladesh and Bay of Bengal has as much
importance as Panama Canal, Red Sea and Gulf to all super
power balancing factors of the globe. Bangladesh can be the
prime beneficiary along with Kungmin of China, Seven sisters
of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. But there are some bitter
experiences in Bangladesh side on treaty with India. India
always has tendency to get transit over Bangladesh, but they
have less interest to permit transit to Nepal, Bhutan or China
with Bangladesh. So, if we can build the proposed deep sea
port as early as possible, Bangladesh will be in favorable
position for next probable regional and international treaty.
Conclusion:
The main objective of the proposed alternative options will
help the policy makers and think tanks to formulate best
policy options in this regard. Successful implementation of
the proposed alternative options may bring a remarkable change
of our process and level of thinking.
(Sarker M.B. is a freelance columnist. E-mail:bayazidsarker@yahoo.com)
Opinion
In the Name of Security
Tom Plate
Every single day,
3,000 people in the world die and some 100,000 are injured,
many of them seriously. They are not killed by disease. And
more importantly, they are not killed by terrorism. They are
killed in automobile wrecks. Measured against this horrific
death toll, the murders by Al-Qaeda and its satraps in the
seven years since 9/11, even including the savage terrorist
butchery in Iraq, equates to just a few weeks' worth of
roadside carnage. Yet such is the prominence given to the
US-led war on international terror that massive new
surveillance nets have been created and draconian procedures
set in place, for instance for international travelers, all in
the name of security.But security for what? In the case of
America and Britain, it is hardly security for the freedoms
that they still seek to claim underpin their national ways of
life. The UK is now one of the most security-monitored
societies in the world. Kim Jong-il and his repressive regime
in North Korea would give their eyeteeth to be able to afford
the extensive network of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
installations that now watch ordinary Britons as they go about
their daily lives.
No other country boasts so many CCTV cameras. Had North Korea
many international visitors, its border police would envy and
admire the way that US immigration officials treat arrivals in
their country, the constant suspicion, the frequent detentions
of people whose names or profiles happen to match someone else
on the wanted list of one federal agency or another. Innocent
travelers to the US have been held and interrogated sometimes
for weeks until released without a word of apology or
explanation and certainly without compensation.
In the UK, as the revelation that an MP, Sadiq Khan, was
bugged by the security service while talking in prison to a
terror suspect, who was also a constituent and childhood
friend, has demonstrated that even British legislators, who by
custom have been immune from such surveillance are now fair
game. More worryingly it seems that government ministers knew
nothing about this snooping. In a democratic society, where
power rests ultimately with elected representatives, it is not
right that police and intelligence officers, for all the
important work they do in combating terror threats, should be
acting independently of political control.
Yet this is a logical outcome of the terrorist hare that
authorities around the world have set running. Just as PLO
plane hijackings in the 1970s turned international air travel
into an often-cumbersome ordeal, so the threat posed by a few
thousand mindless bigots has encouraged the growth of
increasingly intrusive and paranoid behavior by the forces of
law and order. There is a balance to be struck and a strong
argument that it has been missed, with the scales swinging
alarmingly toward repression, in the name of countering a
threat that is markedly less than motorists and pedestrians
face every day.
Source: www.arabnews.com
Viewpoints
Turkey and Greece
Turkey and Greece have agreed to show the political will to
make intensive efforts to solve their problems and create a
new environment of Peace in the Aegean region.
Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
The
historical official 3-day visit to Turkey by Greek Prime
Minister Costas Karamanlis, from January 23, marked yet
another step in cementing the strained bilateral ties between
the religiously opposite neighbors who had troubled
relationship for a long time. Although he has visited Turkey
several times in the past in an unofficial capacity, this was
the first such official trip by Costas almost 50 years since
his uncle Constantine in May 1959 and the latest sign of a
thaw in once tense relations. Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip
Erdogan had visited Athens in May 2004 and the two countries
spent months scheduling Karamanlis' reciprocal visit. Turkish
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan laid the groundwork for the
Karamanlis trip when he was in the Greek capital in December
2007. Turkey considered the upcoming visit of Prime Minister
Karamanlis to Ankara very important, since Turkey and Greece
are on a dialogue and cooperation process. Babacan told
reporters after concluding his official contacts in Athens in
December that Turkey and Greece have agreed to show the
political will to make intensive efforts to solve their
problems and create a new environment of Peace in the Aegean
region.
The two NATO allies remain at odds over divided Cyprus and
Aegean Sea boundaries, but relations have warmed in recent
years, helped by Athens' support for Turkey's efforts to join
the European Union. Erdogan and Costas held talks in Ankara on
bilateral and global issues in a bid to consolidate and
further improve bilateral ties. "Greece seeks a permanent
improvement in relations, and we are working in this
direction," said a Greek government spokesman. Both sides also
discussed Turkey's prospects of EU accession and the
importance of the pipeline's operation for relations between
their two countries. Once again underlining Greece's support
for Turkey's European prospects in general, the Greek premier
said that Athens was in continuous consultation with its
partners in the EU on how to establish the right framework for
Turkey, given Ankara's non-fulfillment of its obligations.
However, recently in Athens, after meeting the Italian premier
Romano Prodi visiting Greece, Karamanlis had stressed that
Turkey had not actively demonstrated its intention to adopt
European principles and values. "Turkey must realize that its
progress in the accession negotiations depends on its progress
in fulfilling the criteria and conditions it has agreed with
the EU," he stressed.
Karamanlis also stressed that the construction of the natgas
pipeline was a supremely important project for the European
Union. The two countries' bilateral interactions in the energy
sector have to be diversified. Illegal migration and air space
violations were also discussed during talks. Turkey also seeks
Greek assistance against the PKK which Ankara terms as a
terrorist organization. In his meetings with Greek Foreign
Minister Dora Bakoyianni in December, Babacan told his Greek
counterpart that though the PKK has been declared a terrorist
organization in Europe, some of its resources came from Europe
and said these should be cut. Babacan said Turkey had
information showing the terrorist organization PKK was active
in Greece through some cover organizations and asked
Bakoyianni to take necessary steps against these and not allow
the terrorist organization to act freely. Babacan underlined
that the "dogfights" that occurred from time between the air
forces of the two countries was in contrast with the common
vision between the two countries.
Ankara and Athens have recently tried to boost political and
economic relations, after a disagreement over an uninhabited
Aegean Sea islet in 1996 nearly broke into war. Once on the
brink of war over an uninhabited Aegean Sea islet in 1996,
Greece and Turkey improved relations after both countries were
stricken by destructive earthquakes in 1999. Turkish exports
to Greece have also more than doubled between 2000 and 2007.
But similar progress remains to be seen on the political
field. Agreement to establish a hotline between their air
forces and armies came after a Greek pilot died when his jet
collided with a Turkish fighter in one of the mock dogfights
that frequently occur in Aegean airspace. Frequently difficult
relations between the neighboring states have thawed over
recent years with economic cooperation, but sovereignty issues
in the Aegean and the large Turkish military presence on
Cyprus remain thorny issues.
The relations have improved considerably in the past decade,
and Athens is seen now as a strong backer of Turkish efforts
to join the European Union. The border dividing the two NATO
allies is still heavily militarized on both sides. Greece has
said it would clear the area of anti-personnel mines by 2010 -
four years before an international treaty deadline.
In November 2007, Greece and Turkey took a major step in
linking Caspian Sea gas suppliers with west European markets
as Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip inaugurated the pipeline, close to the
town of Ipsala on the Turkish side of the border, hailed as a
symbol of a new era of economic cooperation. This was the
second time that the two prime ministers met on the bridge
over the Evros River, the first time being in July 2005 when
work on the project first began. The pipeline is expected to
transport a large quantity of natural gas from the Caspian Sea
region via Turkey and Greece to Italy and from there to the
rest of Europe.
The Turkey-Greece Inter-Connector is a critical first step in
a new energy supply chain; and it comes on line at a
critically important time. The European Union is the world's
biggest gas import market - and one of the world's fastest
growing. It is reasonable to expect that Europe's dependence
on energy imports will continue to grow over the next 25 years
- meaning that Azerbaijan and the rest of Central Asia is
poised to become Europe's newest main source of supply,
alongside the North Sea region, Russia, and North Africa.
Greece seeks relations of good neighborliness, relations of
cooperation, and relations of constant rapprochement between
the two peoples. We firmly support your country's European
prospects. "The pipeline acts beneficially in our relations"
Karamanlis said at Ipsala and again in Peplos, while speaking
directly to the Turkish side, he stressed: "I wish to assure
you yet again that Greece -- the government, all the political
forces, all the Greeks -- seeks relations of good
neighborliness, relations of cooperation, relations of
constant rapprochement between the two peoples. We firmly
support your country's European prospects." Last month, Turkey
and Greece joined together to set up NATO-sponsored
peacekeeping and emergency response units. Karamanlis stressed
the need for continued cooperation of all the potential
stakeholders, including Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan need to be
brought into negotiations and the EU will need to open up its
gas markets to competition. Both believe the pipeline was a
major step in developing our financial ties.
Attending the inauguration ceremony on the Greece-Turkey
frontier, US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman applauded the
"extraordinary project" and a "critical new energy bridge
between the East and West" and congratulated the Turkish and
Greek prime ministers and those who had "the vision and
commitment of those who conceived this pipeline" He also
hailed the project as a major advancement for the countries in
southern Europe, providing a vital new energy supply link that
underscored the new ways of doing business in Central Asia, a
region full of new energy partners.
Observations
Serious political problems remain to be addressed, such as
near-daily sorties by Turkish warplanes into disputed airspace
over the Aegean and disputed sovereignty claims over dozens of
rocky outcrops. The divided island of Cyprus, where Turkey
still stations its troops, remains a key sticking point for
bilateral relations. Erdogan spoke of their determination to
work toward resolving long-standing disputes - including the
divided island of Cyprus as well as airspace and sea
boundaries in the Aegean Sea - but there was no concrete
agreement on how to proceed.
Recently in Athens, after meeting the Italian premier Romano
Prodi visiting Greece, Karamanlis stressed that Turkey had not
actively demonstrated its intention to adopt European
principles and values. "Turkey must realize that its progress
in the accession negotiations depends on its progress in
fulfilling the criteria and conditions it has agreed with the
EU," he stressed. That also means that while in theory, the
two countries have established a dialogue on these matters, in
practice, that dialogue is somewhat frozen. Now there is some
hope Karamanlis's visit might breathe life into that process.
Provided the peace process set into motion by the two sides
have strong foundation, some concrete results from the visit
of Greek premier to Turkey look quite likely, despite the
issues being extremely sensitive and the two sides' positions
on them still so far apart. Globalization demands some major
sincere adjustments from these Muslim-Christian neighbors.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research scholar, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal University, Delhi 110067)
The measles of mankind
It is ironical that Jews who
suffered so much under Hitler now persecute the helpless
Palestinians.
Dr Viqar
Zaman
ALBERT
Einstein witnessed the rise of militant nationalism during
Hitler's time and was so disgusted by it that he described it as
'the measles of mankind'. He regarded patriotism, on which
nationalism is based, as 'pestilent nonsense'.
Recent research has shown that nationalism is a common
characteristic of all primates. For example, chimpanzees, our
closest relatives, become extremely violent and literally tear
to pieces any intruding chimpanzee from another colony and then
eat its flesh!
There is some evidence that ancient humans also displayed
cannibalistic tendencies towards their enemies. It will,
therefore, not be wrong to assume that modern warfare is just
another version of the terrible conflicts that must have taken
place among various tribes.
Coming to modern times, a nation can be described as an entity
made up of a body of people who are united on the basis of a
common language, ethnicity, culture, customs, history and
ideology. Of these, ideology, which includes religion, appears
to be the weakest link. Numerous wars have been fought among
nations professing the same religion, and the USSR disintegrated
as it was linked together solely by the communist ideology.
Religion could not hold East and West Pakistan together.
Language and ethnicity are probably stronger forces than
ideology in uniting a nation. Nationalism based mainly on
ethnicity sprouted in Germany and Italy before the Second World
War under the garb of fascism. Mussolini summarised this:
"Everything in the state, nothing outside the state, nothing
against the state."
Under fascism, the media was controlled, corporate power
protected, trade unions and leftwing parties suppressed. The
communists were especially targeted as they called for the
workers of the world to unite.
Hitler needed a scapegoat to explain the defeat of Germany in
the First World War. He did this by blaming the Jews for all the
ills of the country. In Mein Kampf he wrote, "The Jew is and
remains a parasite, a sponger who, like a pernicious bacillus,
spread over wider and wider areas … the effect produced by his
presence is like that of the vampire, for wherever he
establishes himself the people who grant him hospitability are
bound to bleed to death, sooner or later."
He did not place much importance on the rule of law. Finally,
Hitler's hubris destroyed Germany.
It is ironical that Jews who suffered so much under Hitler now
persecute the helpless Palestinians. This shows how nationalism
makes people blind to their own faults.
The democratic countries of Europe also saw advantages in
keeping the fires of nationalism burning to maintain their
colonial hold on most of Africa and Asia. The slogan, 'My
country right or wrong' was used for this purpose. The rise of
Japan as an imperialist power meant that when the war broke out
due to a conflict of national interests, it engulfed the whole
world. For the first time, nuclear bombs were used.
A number of ultra-nationalist militant organisations have
sprouted in the subcontinent with their own private armies
reminiscent of Hitler's 'storm troopers'. Prominent amongst
these are the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Shiv Sena in
India. These were mainly responsible for the killing and
terrorising of minorities (both Muslims and Christians) in
Bombay in 1992-3 and in Gujarat in 2002. Muslim counterparts of
these militant organisations exist in Pakistan and are mainly
responsible for suicide bombings. After the end of the Second
World War, West European countries realised that the extreme
form of nationalism which had devastated the continent should
never be repeated and Europe should move towards some form of
unity. This led to the formation of the European Union (EU), the
present form of the initial six-member European Coal and Steel
Community, later the European Economic Community of the 1950s.
It has now 27 member-states.
EU's motto is 'Varietate Concordia', meaning 'United in
Diversity'. Its anthem is 'Ode to Joy', the centrepiece of
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The system works very well and more
countries are waiting to join the EU. Its success can be gauged
by the rise of the euro against the US dollar and other
currencies.
If a European Union is possible among former enemies who have
fought numerous wars, why not an Asian Union? This is unlikely,
at least at present, as Asia is ethnically, linguistically and
culturally more diverse than Europe.
However, relatively minor groupings such as Asean (Association
of Southeast Asian Nations) are working quite well. Hopefully,
South Asian nations will also come together in a more meaningful
manner and solve their political disputes so that the
ever-increasing defence expenditure can be reduced. This should
be one of the principal aims of the new government that will
emerge after the elections in Pakistan.
Source:www.dawn .com
International
‘Now or never’ for
Indo-US nuclear deal: US envoy
AFP, New Delhi
The US ambassador to India has warned
New Delhi it could be "now or never" for the India-US
nuclear technology deal, saying the pact was unlikely to
be offered again.
US ambassador David Mulford's words represented some of
the toughest language yet by a US representative about
delays in India's clearance of the deal which would give
New Delhi crucial access to civilian atomic technology.
Mulford called the agreement India's "passport to the
world," adding its collapse would "affect the trust and
discretion" in Indo-US relations in a television interview
aired on Saturday.
"If this agreement is not processed in the present (US)
Congress it is unlikely that this deal will be offered
again to India," Mulford told CNN-IBN.
The deal-first agreed by US President George W. Bush and
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005 -- is
regarded by the governments of the two nations as a
cornerstone of new, warmer Indo-US ties.
But Indian communists have threatened to withdraw backing
for the minority Congress coalition government if it goes
ahead with the pact without their approval.
They say the accord may threaten India's nuclear weapons
programme and allow US intervention in its foreign policy.
Under the nuclear accord, India will separate its civilian
and military programmes and place 14 of its 22 nuclear
plants under international safeguards in return for
civilian nuclear technology.
Washington, in return, has promised to amend the US Atomic
Energy Act which prevents the United States from trading
nuclear technology with nations such as India that have
not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The deal will enable India to keep its military programme
while still benefiting from international civilian nuclear
commerce.
India tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 and, as a
result, is banned from buying fuel for atomic reactors and
related equipment.
The pact still needs approval from the International
Atomic Energy Agency to place India's civilian nuclear
reactors under UN safeguards and the 45-nation Nuclear
Suppliers Group which regulates global civilian nuclear
trade.
Then afterwards the agreement requires final US
congressional approval.
But a tight 2008 legislative calendar ahead of the US
presidential elections in November could complicate its
passage, experts say. Also, some US opponents fear the
deal will undermine efforts to prevent the spread of
nuclear weapons.
Sri Lanka says 55 Tigers killed as troops take rebel
territory
AFP, Colombo
Sri Lankan troops captured an area from Tamil Tiger rebels
in the island's north Friday after fighting across the
region killed 55 rebels, the defence ministry said Friday.
Security forces took a village near Adampan in the
district of Mannar, where 12 members of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed, the ministry
said. It said two government soldiers were killed and five
more wounded in the latest fighting.
The ministry claims raised the number of guerrillas said
to have been killed this year to at least 1,005, just over
one third of the Tiger's total fighting force, according
to military estimates.
The rebel losses compare with just 44 government soldiers
killed during the same period, according to figures
released by the defence ministry. In separate clashes
along frontlines in the adjoining Vavuniya district since
Thursday, security forces killed 22 guerrillas while
destroying three of their bunkers, the defence ministry
said.
It said another 21 rebels were killed in fresh fighting
since Thursday in the northern peninsula of Jaffna and the
north-eastern Trincomalee districts.
There was no immediate word from the LTTE. The government
claims cannot be independently verified. The Sri Lankan
government last month officially pulled out of a defunct
truce with the rebels, who have fought for more than three
decades for an independent ethnic homeland in the
Sinhalese-majority island.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan government troops and Tamil Tiger
guerrillas claimed on Saturday to have inflicted heavy
casualties against each other in fierce fighting in the
country's north. The defence ministry said 25 Tamil Tiger
rebels were killed in heavy fighting on Friday, while the
rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reported
they had killed 22 troopers.
The pro-rebel tamilnet.com reported fighting lasted for
eight hours in the district of Mannar on Friday and that
the guerrillas beat back a military push into rebel-held
territory. They reported no losses of their own. However,
the defence ministry said security forces captured an area
previously held by the guerrillas. The defence ministry
said two soldiers had been killed.
The latest ministry statements raised the number of
guerrillas it has said have been killed this year to
1,018. This figure represents just over one third of the
Tiger's total fighting force, according to previous
military estimates.
5 US soldiers killed in Iraq
AP/UNB, Baghdad
Five
American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings,
the U.S. military reported Saturday. Four of the deaths
occurred in Baghdad and one in Tamim province, of which
the northeastern city of Kirkuk is the capital, the
military said in separate statements. The five were killed
during operations Friday. The bombing in Tamim province
also wounded three soldiers.
The military gave no further information and said names of
the victims were withheld until family could be notified.
At least 3,958 members of the U.S. military have died
since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003,
according to an Associated Press count.
Also Friday, U.S. troops killed eight suspected insurgents
and captured 26 - including an alleged Shiite militia
leader - in two days of raids across Iraq, the U.S.
military said. The eight were killed Thursday and Friday
in separate raids targeting al-Qaida in Iraq across the
country's central and northern regions, the military said.
At least 22 others were detained in those operations, it
said.
The Shiite militia leader was detained along with three
other suspects late Thursday in the Mashru area south of
Baghdad, a U.S. statement said.
The military said the man was believed to be a "special
groups" leader - language it uses to describe Shiite
Muslim militias allegedly backed by Iran. The U.S. says
the groups have broken ranks with Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi
Army. The radical cleric in August called a six-month
cease-fire, which is due to expire later this month.
The U.S. has been careful not to accuse al-Sadr himself of
any role in ongoing attacks, and instead blame rogue
militiamen violating his cease-fire order. Nevertheless,
U.S. and Iraqi officials have been cracking down on al-Sadr's
followers, especially in Shiite holy cities south of
Baghdad. At Friday prayers in one of those cities, Kufa, a
mosque's imam condemned the recent arrests and accused
Iraqi officials of sectarian bias.
"For the past six months there have been nonstop
detentions of al-Sadr followers, day and night," Sheik
Abdul Hadi al-Karbalaei said Friday during a sermon
broadcast on loudspeakers to thousands of worshippers. He
suggested that U.S. and Iraqi authorities were taking
advantage of al-Sadr's cease-fire to attack his followers.
"We want peace and reconciliation, not blood," al-Karbalaei
said.
The military identified the main suspect in Thursday's
raid as "a deputy for special groups criminal elements in
Wasit province," and a close "associate of several
senior-level criminal element leaders involved in attacks"
on U.S. and Iraqi forces. He and three others were
captured without incident, the military said.
Benazir’s party rejects British finding on cause of her
death
AP/UNB, Islamabad
Benazir Bhutto's supporters
disputed a Scotland Yard finding that a bomb not a bullet
killed the ex-prime minister, and her party renewed its
call for a full-scale international investigation into her
death. The British investigators' report, released Friday
after a 2 ½-week investigation, concluded that Bhutto
suffered a fatal head injury when the force of a blast
from a suicide bomber hurled her against a lever on the
roof of her armored vehicle. British investigators ruled
out that the head injury could have been caused by a
bullet. Pakistan's government announced a similar
conclusion shortly after Bhutto's killing, which occurred
Dec. 27 at the end of a political rally in Rawalpindi.
Bhutto's party has insisted that the former prime minister
was shot and suspects a government cover-up because she
had accused President Pervez Musharraf's political allies
of plotting to kill her.
"We disagree with the finding on the cause of the death,"
said Sherry Rehman, spokeswoman for the Pakistan Peoples
Party, who escorted Bhutto to the hospital after the
attack. "She died from a bullet injury. This was and is
our position." "This gives us all the more reason for a
United Nations probe to know the perpetrators, financiers,
sponsors and organizers of the this crime," she said. "We
are looking for more than the hand that pulled the
trigger."
The bomb site was hosed down within hours of the attack,
removing any chance of a detailed forensic examination,
and no autopsy was performed before Bhutto was buried.
Television pictures appeared to show a gunman firing a
pistol at Bhutto as she waved to supporters from the
vehicle's escape hatch moments before the blast. British
investigators confirmed shots were fired but said they did
not cause her death. The report also concluded the attack
was carried out by a single assailant who fired the pistol
and detonated the bomb. There was speculation that two
attackers were involved. The response of Bhutto's party
suggested the British report alone would not calm the
political storm surrounding her death as the nation
prepares for the crucial Feb. 18 parliamentary elections,
which were postponed for six weeks after her death. "Far
from easing the controversy surrounding Benazir Bhutto's
death, this report is likely to stoke controversy,"
Farzana Shaikh, an analyst at the British think tank
Chatham House, told Britain's news agency Press
Association.
Bhutto's death sparked violent unrest across the country
and prompted most candidates to scale back dramatically on
public campaigning out of fear for their own safety.
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