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Emergency should
be lifted carefully: German envoy
UNB, Dhaka
Suggesting pre-poll reforms
for sustainable democracy in Bangladesh, German Ambassador
Frank Meyke Monday said the state of emergency should be
lifted carefully calibrated to progress on the election
roadmap.
Talking to a group of journalists from print and
electronic media at his Gulshan residence, he particularly
stressed reform within political parties to ensure
internal democratization of choosing leadership as well as
establishing transparency in operation of party funds.
The European diplomat also called for showing
responsibility by both the caretaker government and the
parties to ensure free and fair elections and sustainable
democracy after the polls.
He praised the courageous role of the army after the
January 11 changeover and hoped for similar courageous
role on part of the politicians to bring about reforms
within their parties "to make future democracy effective
and sustainable".
Asked about transparency in corruption cases filed against
two top politicians-Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia—the
Ambassador made it clear that they don’t support
individuals but support institutions. They, however, stand
for following the due process of law to be applied in each
case.
Meyke hinted that a fund of half a million Euros is
earmarked from his government for promoting the idea of
bringing about reforms within parties in Bangladesh
through consultation, if the parties want to do so.
He said a detailed work plan could be figured out in
consultation with UNDP to utilize the political
development funds-a gratis meant for helping the country
avert a repeat of the past political crisis.
The German Ambassador welcomed the planned dialogue
between the government and the political parties to work
out "best ways to make democracy sustainable and attain
economic progress of the country".
He said Germany is supportive of the caretaker government
initiatives to hold a free and fair election to parliament
according the Election Commission’s roadmap.
Hans-Hinrich Schnelle, First Secretary and Head of
Development Cooperation, told the journalists that the
German government has been pursuing a number of projects
in health and nutrition, energy and good-governance
sectors.
He said the German government is also planning to initiate
a pilot project in a couple of months in cooperation with
Bangladesh government in three prisons of the country on
how to reduce the overcrowding problem in jails.
According to statistics there are 34,000 prisons in the
country, accommodating overcrowded inmates of nearly
80,000 to 90,000.
Both Ambassador Meyke and Schnelle said the
government-to-government bilateral negotiations would take
place on April 20-21 on German assistance to Bangladesh.
Since 1976, Germany has provided grants of 2.1 billion
Euros to support various programmes in Bangladesh.
Besides, Germany provided another dollop of 2 billion
Euros through multilateral organizations like EU, World
Bank, IMF and ADB to support various development projects
in the country.
ACC to find out corruption in military
UNB, Dhaka
The Anti-Corruption Commission is going to take up a
programme to find out corruption in Bangladesh military,
head of the visiting Parliament’s Public Accounts
Committee of Denmark Helge Adam Moller said on Monday
quoting the Anti-Corruption Commission chairman.
Moller, also a member of Danish parliament, said this
while briefing reporters about their meeting with ACC
chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury at his
office.He said, "There are many politicians, high ranking
politicians, former ministers and state ministers who have
been sentenced (for corruption). There are also police
officers and high businessmen." Moller said Mogens
Lykketoft, former Danish Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Finance, specifically asked the chairman as a
former general what does he think about military "because
there could also be corruption in the military as well as
police and politics."
He went on: "… they (ACC) are also having a programme…to
find out and to follow up corruption in the military, and
that’s a good and right sign."
The head of the delegation said, "The ongoing anti-graft
campaign is very important for the future of the country
and the upcoming elections, which should be held before
the end of the year."
Moller said the present Commission is driving the
anti-graft campaign in a much higher gear than a couple of
years ago and reconstituted the ACC together with the
reconstitution of the Election Commission and the move to
establish Human Rights Commission are great steps before a
fair and free election.
Asked if the delegation is satisfied with the transparency
in the Commission’s activities, he said they are happy
with what they have seen.
About the state of emergency, he said, "Our position is
that the state of emergency should be as short as
possible. The situation you had been in at the beginning
of January last year, you had to have the caretaker
government. But, what is really important is that period
be as short as possible and you got full democratic
rights."
Sought comments on complaints of disregard to human rights
of the detained corrupt suspects, the Danish member of
parliament said as Bangladesh is in a state of emergency,
people do not have certain democratic rights.He, however,
said if a person is put in jail he or she should be
produced before a judge very soon and nobody should be
mistreated in jail.
Replying to a question whether the Commission would enjoy
independence under future political governments, Moller
said the political parties that would participate in the
upcoming election should reach an agreement that whoever
forms the next government the Commission would be allowed
to work independently.
"Otherwise, it can’t function. That’s what we’ll fight for
and all the other countries from the European Community
have the same point as the Danish government and
Parliament," he added.
Moller said having talked to the chairman and others their
impressions have been good and "Denmark is privileged" to
help Bangladesh carry on its anti-graft campaign.
The other members of the visiting delegation, the Danish
Ambassador in Dhaka and ACC director general (admin) Col
Hanif Iqbal were present during the briefing.
AL prepares for
polls
Sahidul Islam Rana
Awami League are preparing for the next general election
in the wake of the directive given by detained party
President Sheikh Hasina to take part in the polls even
without her. Soon after the hints of party chief Hasina,
the central leaders are communicating with the district
level leaders to gear up the party activities at the
grassroots level.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, AL presidium member
Tofael Ahmed said, "The rank and file of the party are
taking preparation for the ensuing general polls as our
detained party president asked us to remain ready for
polls." "As the biggest political party in the country,
the AL has preparation to take part in any elections," he
said. Asked about the grand electoral alliance, he said,
"We formed a grand alliance at the fag end of the then
erstwhile BNP-Jamaat government on 2007 but it remains
formally inactive at this moment. We always believe that
the any type of alliances may be formed as part of the
election strategy and it must have to be with
pro-liberation and like-minded political parties." "AL
believes in the ideology of pro-liberation forces and our
stand is clear that if it’s needed, a grand unity may be
formed with the like-minded political parties which
believe in democracy, want exemplary punishment of the
ant-liberation forces and against war criminals," the
former AL minister added.
About talks with allies, the AL presidium member said "We
are holding talks about taking a common stance on the
basis of 31-point reform proposals of the 14-party
alliance, earlier placed by the detained AL president
Sheikh Hasina." Tofael demanded of the caretaker
government to hold dialogue between the government and
political parties immediately for holding polls at an
early date so that the prevailing political, social and
economical problems can be resolved across the country.
"The caretaker government’s main task would be to hand
over power to an elected government after ensuring a free,
fair and credible general election," he observed urging
the authorities to complete the preparation of voters’
list within the shortest possible time.
Earlier, a central AL leader preferring anonymity told
this correspondent, they were mentally prepared to
participate in the polls with Hasina, AL general secretary
Abdul Jalil, presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim,
Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and other party leaders behind the
bars. And it would not adversely affect AL’s position at
the grassroots level. "AL is the only party which has many
scopes to fulfil the gap of leadership in the upcoming
parliamentary election where we are expecting many new
faces, mostly former student leaders, as parliament
members."
Meanwhile, with a view to taking a unified position on the
issues to be discussed at the proposed dialogue between
the caretaker government and political parties, the AL on
Sunday started formal talks with the Workers Party, one of
the components of the AL-led 14-party combine. The AL will
sit with Samyabadi Dal at the residence of the Acting AL
President Zillur Rahman today (Tuesday), Tofael Ahmed said
adding that they would also sit with Communist Party of
Bangladesh (CPB) to discuss the same issues.
Chaired by Zillur Rahman the meeting is expected to
discuss the overall political situation of the country,
release of AL president Sheikh Hasina, Abdul Jalil and
other party leaders, and price hike of essentials which
would come up for discussion in the bilateral talks.
BNP reformists' new strategy
Staff Correspondent
The
loyalist camp in the trouble-torn BNP is still sticking
to their earlier stand as they think the High Court
verdict in the writ petition filed by Begum Khaleda Zia
against the EC’s decision will go in their favor.
According to sources, Khaleda-appointed Secretary
General Khandoker Delwar Hossain has not shifted his
earlier stand following Saifur Rahman’s outright
rejection to his conditions of canceling the disputed
BNP standing committee meeting held on 29 October night
before reconciliation. Talking to this correspondent,
BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan again
justified their stand arguing, "there is no provision in
the party Constitution to hold any standing committee
meeting in absence of the party Chairperson." "If they
do not cancel their meeting and subsequently its
decision, how can we sit with them? Sitting with them
with their present status will provide a recognition of
their illegal standing committee meeting," Khan
observed.
Meanwhile, there has been a development in the writ
filed by Begum Khaleda Zia against the Election
Commission’s (EC) invitation to the EC-BNP talks. Four
standing committee members –Khandoker Mahbubuddin Ahmed,
RA Ghani, Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui and M Shamsul Islam,
who were present in that controversial standing
committee meeting –have submitted an affidavit to the
court where they have urged the court to allow the plea
of the writ petitioner, Begum Khaleda Zia. In their
affidavit, the four standing committee member have said
that 29 October’s meeting at the residence of Saifur
Rahman was not a meeting of the BNP standing committee;
rather they went there on an invitation of Saifur Rahman
to have a cup of tea. They also said, "two unknown
persons had placed a draft resolution before them and
asked them to sign on the resolution."
Following this development, the loyalist camp is now
brimed with confidence that they are going to get the
High Court verdict in their favor and if it is so, then
there will be no existence of the reformists in BNP.
Armed forces not to take responsibility for failures:
Ibrahim
Staff Correspondent
The Chairman
of the Bangladesh Kallyan Party, Major General Syed
Mohammad Ibrahim (retd), on Monday said the armed forces
would not take the responsibilities of the failures of the
caretaker government. "The present caretaker government
has achieved success in many sectors simultaneously it has
failure in some other sectors. But the army would not
shoulder the responsibility of the failures of the
caretaker government," he said while briefing newsmen at
the party’s central office in the Capital yesterday. He
said the people should stand beside the law enforcers as
well as the armed forces who are conducting drive against
corruption, crime and criminals. "We want to see a bridge
between the army and the common people in a bid to build a
prosperous Bangladesh." he said. We are also demanding to
the government to hold the parliamentary election within
the stipulated time announced by the election commission,
he said.
"High profile foreign diplomats are coming to Bangladesh
with their specific mission and vision. They are working
to give support to some quarters. They are even trying to
interfere into our internal affairs. We should be careful
about them," he added.
Referring to the miserable life of Khulna Khalishpur jute
mill workers, he said after closing the mills of the area,
a huge number of jute mill workers are passing their days
without food. We urge government to take steps to reduce
their hardship.
CG performance in handling Sidr aftermath
appreciated
UNB, Dhaka
Visiting British-Bangladeshi Member of the House of Lords
Baroness Pola Uddin appreciated the caretaker government’s
performance in handling the aftereffects of super-cyclone
‘Sidr’ in the coastal belt.
She made the remarks during discussion when she paid a
courtesy call on Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his
office on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, Pola Uddin, on behalf of herself and
the Bangladeshi expatriates in the UK, handed over a
cheque for Tk 10 lakh to the Chief Adviser in aid of the
cyclone-affected people.
UK-based NGO Muslim Aid worked for water purification in
Sarankhola of Bagerhat district while Pola Uddin
coordinated from the House of Lords raising money for the
Sidr victims.
Thanking for providing the donations, the Chief Adviser
said now rehabilitation and reconstruction works are going
on in the Sidr-hit areas and emphasized more capacity
building and permanence through the cooperation of
development partners.
"We must think for long-term measure," he told the Member
of the House of Lords of British Parliament. Adverse
impacts of climate change on Bangladesh were also
discussed.
DF-QF market access to US
Govt to examine the benefit : Zillur
Staff Correspondent
The Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman on Monday
said the government, business bodies, trade unions and the
stock holders should do their best to get the Duty-Free
and Quota-Free access to the US market.
The government is examining whether the country will be
benefited from the Duty-Free Quota-Free (DF-QF) market
access for all export items to the United States, the
Adviser said. He was talking to reporters after
participating in a dialogue on " The New Market Access
Initiative of US Congress: Concerns and Interests of
Bangladesh" organized by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
at the city’s CIRDAP auditorium yesterday.
He said, "Particularly a section is very much interested
in getting the DF-QF access to the US market, but a united
effort is needed for continuing negotiation with the US
Congress to get the opportunity."
Zillur Rahman said, " Bangladesh is trying to make
economic progress but LDC share report is not encouraging
for the country as world trade shares of LDC is decreasing
every year, besides discrimination between the Asian and
African countries is an alarming sign for us."
Asked about the terms and conditions for being eligible
for getting market access, the Adviser said, "the US bill
has set up some conditions including enforcement of law
concerning child labour and political pluralism. But we
must take the interests of our future exporters into the
consideration."
Stressing about the need for speaking in one voice, the
Adviser said, " It will not be wise if we think that it is
only the interests of the present exporters, but we also
have to consider the benefits of the future exporters."
Executive Director of CPD, Prof Mustafizur Rahman,
presented the keynote paper on " The New Market Access
Initiative of the US Congress : Concerns and Interests of
Bangladesh, and Possible Strategies", with Prof Rehman
Sobhan in the chair.
In his keynote paper, Mustafzur Rahman said Bangladesh
should convince Sub Sahara African (SSA) countries that
most of the concerns with regards to the context of the
Bill are shared by all the beneficiary countries and
therefore, they should attempt to have a mutually
acceptable stand on those. He said, "Bangladesh needs to
follow-up on her concerns and interests in the context of
the NPDA 2007 through continuing engagements with US
authorities. He said Bangladesh will be able to earn more
US $ 500-1000 million every year by exporting only RMG
products if it gets the DF-QF access to the US market.
Speaking on the occasion, Former Secretary Faruq Sobhan
said, " this is the last opportunity for Bangladesh to get
the DF-QF access to the US market and that’s why all the
economic sector along with the government will have to
take immediate steps to convince the congressmen through
Bangladesh Embassy in Washington."
He also urged the government and the RMG entrepreneurs to
come forward for ensuring labour rights immediately for
getting the opportunity.
Back Page
Gas, oil exploration
Move to lease out 27 blocks to foreign firms protested
Staff Correspondent
Experts, economists,
teachers and politicians on Monday strongly protested the
government move to lease out 27 blocks in the deep sea and
offshore areas to the foreign companies for exploring oil
and gas.
"If 20 blocks in the deep sea and seven in offshore areas
are leased out to the foreign companies, national security
and sovereignty will be threatened", they added.
They said in the name of energy exploration the foreign
countries especially the USA will use the Bay of Bengal as
a military strategic point to threaten China and other
countries.
Under the banner of the National Committee for Protecting
Oil, Gas, Electricity and Port, they talked to newsmen at
a view exchange meeting at Progoti conference centre in
Paltan.
They said, the Caretaker Government came to the power with
the support of foreign countries which are backing it to
sustain a long time and in return it is now supporting the
interest of these foreign countries.
Criticising the Caretaker Government for deferring the
general election, they said the government wants to
continue a long time in power, it is delaying the election
process showing different causes in a bid to implement all
anti-state polices.
They also urged the government to fix up the sea area upon
which Bangladesh will be able to exercise its rights as
against the areas of the neighbouring countries like India
and Myanmar before handing over 27 blocks of our sea to
foreign companies.
If the sea area is not demarcated, India and Myanmar may
demand any oil and gas which may be discovered by the
foreign companies from the territory of Bangladesh, they
opined.
It may be mentioned that with a view to addressing the
coming energy crisis, the government decided to begin a
seismic survey in the deep sea and approved a draft of
Production Sharing Contract (PSC) on February 15 as the
present gas reserve estimated at 8.3 trillion cubic feet (TCF)
may be exhausted by 2011. As such, the government is going
to invite tenders within February 15 and is likely to give
work order by October this year for exploration of gas and
oil from 1,0,5000 square kilometers in the Bay of Bengal
for 25 years.
At this stage, urging the government to scrap its
decision, the leaders of National Committee for Protecting
Oil, Gas, Power and Port threatened that if the government
does not rescind its decision to hand over the sea to the
foreign countries, they will wage tough movement.
Bird flu
Poultry traders demand assurance of chicken supply
Staff Correspondent
Poultry traders and the city kitchen market leaders on
Monday urged the government to ensure supply of chickens
to save the poultry sector and keep the city market clean
to contain the spread of bird flu. They made the call at a
meeting on preventive measures of bird flu at the
Secretariat yesterday. LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal, Special
Assistant to the Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar,
Livestock Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, LGRD Secretary
Khurshid Alam, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) officials, the
poultry traders and DCC kitchen market leaders were
present at the meeting.
The poultry traders alleged that the supply of chickens to
the city markets is hampered due to restriction at
different entry points of the city and the sale of poultry
has drastically fallen.
The DCC officials said that they have taken steps to keep
the city markets clean to contain the spread of bird flu.
The steps to keep the city clean would continue, they
added.
LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal stressed the need for campaign
that it does not cause any harm to the health if chickens
are eaten. The sale of poultry has fallen as the people
are afraid of eating chickens, he said adding there is no
restriction on fresh chickens to come into the city
markets.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar,
who is in charge of the fisheries and livestock ministry,
said, "We have not put any restriction on fresh chickens
to enter the city markets".
LGRD Secretary Khurshid Alam said the situation of bird
flu has not gone beyond control but a good number of birds
are dying.
Rasheda for monitoring nat’l activities against dowry
Staff Correspondent
Women and Children Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury on
Monday said monitoring the national activities against
dowry has to be put in force to stop dowry. "Monitoring
the national activities against dowry is not being carried
out properly since 2005 as the Women and Children Affairs
Ministry suffers from manpower shortages", the Adviser
said while briefing newsmen after an inter-ministerial
meeting on conducting and monitoring the national
activities against dowry.
The inter-ministerial meeting against dowry was held
yesterday at the secretariat after three years, she said
adding the first meeting was held on 5 February, 2005.
From now on the Women Affairs Ministry will regularly
monitor to develop the women community, the Adviser
asserted.
A mass campaign was launched against dowry and some facts
and figures were submitted to the Chief Adviser's Office
but no figure on mass campaign from 40 districts was
submitted to the CA's Office, she stated. The adviser said
all facts and figures on mass campaign against dowry could
be submitted to the CA's Office due to lack of proper
monitoring by the ministry. Rasheda K Chowdhury observed
that the campaign against dowry is not getting priority as
the campaign against corruption is being taken place.
The Adviser opined that micro credit should be distributed
through NGOs and she would talk to the Chief Adviser in
this regard. Circular has to be advertised three times to
fulfill 60 percent quota for women in recruiting the
primary school teachers, she said. Rasheda K Chowdhury
said steps would be taken to give opportunity to the women
community to play role in the policy making.
Bangladesh development
Adaptive steps to tackle CC
UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh
is one of the countries where climate change could have
substantial implications for development and it needs
urgent action to adapt to the effects of unavoidable
climate change, a European Parliament delegation
observed.
The delegation of EP's committee on climate change
visited Dhaka February 6-7 to appreciate the effects of
climate change on a country already under threat of
global warming.
"We're aware that many people in this country are
endangered by both, effects of climate change and
poverty. In the wake of our visits to the districts of
Sirajganj and Khokshabari, areas heavily affected by
river flooding, it's clear that Bangladesh needs urgent
action, first of all to adapt to the effects of
unavoidable climate change," the delegation head, Romana
Jordan Cizelj, said on the delegation's findings and
conclusions. Cizeil said the delegation has also
received, in this vein, strong calls for financial
assistance, technological cooperation and technology
transfer. "Mitigation and adaptation to climate change
are common priorities and common tasks; they should
therefore become key priorities in EU development
policy," the delegation head said.
Crime Watch
Corruption by police won't be tolerated: IGP
UNB, Mymensingh
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Noor Mohammad Monday
reiterated that irregularities by police would not be
tolerated as the days to indulge in corruption are over.
"If any member of the police department fails to perform
his or her duty s/he will have to quit his or her job. And
if anyone of them is found corrupt s/he will surely land
in jail," he said. The IGP administered the note of
warning while addressing a rally and a view-exchange
meeting with local elite at the Zila Parishad auditorium
in the morning.
Noor Mohammad said, "Gone are the days for the politicians
and MPs when police used to appease them. Now each
policeman, from the IGP to constables, has to work with
accountability," he said.
In reply to a question about the community police system,
the IGP said the government has already taken necessary
steps to strengthen it so that the local people can
resolve their disputes over trifling matters through
negotiations by the community police without going to
courts.
He called upon all to lodge their complaints with the
police headquarters without any hesitation if they see any
police personnel indulging in corruption. DIG (Dhaka
range) Amir Hossain and SP of Mymensingh were, among
others, present at the functions.
Charge of extortion
Asst Police Commissioner, two constables arrested
UNB, Chittagong
A senior police officer of the city and two constables
arrested on charge of extortion were given to two-day
police remand when produced before the court on Monday.
Assistant Police Commissioner of Panchlaish Zone Abu Saleh
Mohammad Mofazzal Haq and constables Ehsanul Islam and
Abdur Rab (driver) were arrested at 4:30 am Sunday on
orders of the Chittagong Police Commissioner.
Farooq Ahmed, an iron scrap dealer and resident of
Mehedibagh residential area in the heart of the city,
phoned up the city police chief early hours Sunday to
complain against AC Mofazzal.
In a FIR lodged in the morning Farooq said AC Mofazzal and
two constables raided his house at about 1:30 am Sunday.
At gunpoint they extorted Tk 1.75 lakh in cash, gold
ornaments of 12 tolas and a cheque of Tk 1 lakh on First
Security Bank.
On investigation the cash, cheque and gold ornaments were
recovered from the Police Lines residence of AC Mofazzal.
Mofazzal said he raided the house of Farooq on secret
information of his involvement in smuggling. The money and
gold were seized from his home. But he had no convincing
answer as to why he took the seized money and gold to his
home instead of depositing to the police locker, said the
Kotwali police who arrested him.
Informed sources said AC Mofazzal landed into jail as a
sequel of dispute over sharing the booty collected by him.
"Accusing involvement in illegal trade a section of the
police officers use to collect mashhara from businessmen,"
said a close associate of complainant Farooq Ahmed.
Police officers awarded
BSS, Chittagong
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) awarded some of its
members for their performance while on duty at different
parts of the port city.
M Akbar Ali, Police commissioner handed over the prize
among the police officers of several thanas, Detective
Branch (DB) and Tiger Forces under CMP who put the
contributions for developing the law and order situation
as well as in recovering drugs, looted goods held on
Sunday at CMP headquarters. Senior police officers
attended the function.
Besides, Police Nari Koyllan Samity distributed warm
clothes among 500 distressed people at Dampara police
line, a CMP press release said.
One gets 17-yr RI
A Correspondent, Sirajganj
The court in Sirajganj sentenced a man 17-year Rigorous
Imprisonment in an arms case on Sunday. The convict is Md.
Anower Hossain (25), son of Amir Hossain of village
Hazrahati in Kazipur upazila of the district. Biplab
Goshwami, the district and session judge, pronounced the
verdict.
According to the prosecution, Kazipur police arrested the
convict as they recovered a foreign revolver and two-round
shots under the pillow of his living room on the mid-night
of 6 January 2006. Later police recorded a case in this
matter.
Abducted BRAC official released
BDNEWS24, Rangamati
A BRAC employee who was abducted at gunpoint five days ago
from a remote area in Rangamati was released Sunday night,
officials said.
Hemanta Kanti Chakma was taken to BRAC's Rangamati office
Monday morning. BRAC officials later took him to Khagra
Zone Sadar where Hemanta gave army personnel an account of
his abduction.
Hemanta, an education manager at BRAC's Kaukhali office,
was kidnapped on Feb 6 while returning home from a tour of
the NGO's schools in Kutubchhari.
Following the abduction, army personnel stationed at
Khagra in Kaukhali mounted an operation to locate Hemanta,
cordoning off Panchhari, Chelachhara and Labourpara.
The gang demanded a ransom of Tk 3 lakh for his release,
family members said. There have been conflicting reports
as to whether a ransom was paid.
Hemanta told reporters at the Khagra Zone Sadar Monday
that his family and authorities had initially kept news of
his abduction quiet so as not to jeopardise his safety.
7 gamblers held
A Correspondent, Kurigram
Seven gambles at Fulbari thana under Kurigram district
were arrested by the police of the local thana while they
were playing gambling on the Saturday at 10.am. They were
punished by the authority and were shown to the common
people making themselves putting their respective ears.
They made slogan by saying "we will never do it again and
none can play it at our presence" A harge crowd observe
the seence and get immense pleaoure of making the
laughable incident. The gmabless were Hafijur Rahman (28),
Khirat chandra Ray (25), Shariful (20) . Anukul Chandra
Ray (21), Nur Islam (20) Nowab Ali(18) and Nur Islam (27).
All of them were sent to jail Source of police).
One arrested with hemp
A Correspondent, Comilla
The police arrested one drug peddler along with 10 kgs of
hemp at Patwer bazar area in SadarDakkin upazila on Monday
morning.
Police sources said, acting on secret information, they
conducted drives in Padwer bazar area and arrested one
drug peddler along with 10 kgs of hemp worth Tk.40 thousan
. The arrested was Md. Zibrail Hossain,42 son of Bisu Miah
of Dariapur village in Chapainabagong district. A case was
filed with Sadar Dakkin upazila polic station in this
connection.
Cases filed against 13 brick-kilns
UNB, Sylhet
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on
Sunday filed cases against 13 brick-kilns in Sadar and
Goainghat upazilas for selling bricks without CM License.
The team, led by its assistant director Engineer
Sohrabuddin, filed the cases after conducting the drive at
eight brick-kilns in Sadar and five in Goainghat upazilas.
On the same day, complaints have also been registered with
the Judicial Magistrate Court against the owners of five
fuel pack points at Badaghat bazar in Sadar upazila for
cheating in weight.
Mystery over a man's death
UNB, Sylhet
A young man, who came to visit the house of his
father-in-law at Biswanathgaon village in Bishwanath
upazila Friday, died mysteriously on Saturday.
On information, police recovered the body of Faruk Mia,
35, son of Hafiz Abdus Sattar of Muftirgaon village in
Bishwanath upazila, and sent it to hospital morgue for
autopsy.
Victim's wife Salma Begum said her husband, an
electrician, complained of chest pain early Saturday and
died after sometime.
Victim's father Abdus Sattar claimed that his son was
killed in a planned way.
A case was filed with the police. Sub-inspector Abdul
Mannan declined to say anything till the availability of
postmortem report.
Editorial
Death in Custody
Death
is not something which can be controlled but when someone dies
in custody, in a jail, it raises a lot of questions. Similar
has been the case with the unfortunate and regrettable death
of a detained BNP ward commissioner by the name of Abdul Qayum
Khan. Jail authorities claim he died of a heart attack while
others contend that continuous mental and physical harassment
of an already ill man accelerated his demise. Anyway, our
jails are otherwise not well known for providing an
environment conducive to preservation of life. What is at
question here is not death per se but the circumstances
surrounding that death and these "circumstance" had led to
passionately heated protests and views on TV Talk Shows on 08
February 2008.
No doubt the late Mr. Qayum Khan was a mid-level BNP
politician with probably an unsavory past behind him but
purportedly with no criminal records and yet he was arrested
not once but twice under the EPR, the second time from the
gates of the Dhaka jail after he was released on bail by a
court on a previous count. Nobody, least of all, the
law-enforcement agencies can say with any certainty under what
exact charges he was arrested and incarcerated for over a year
without any trial and this is exactly the point here - the man
was entitled to the due process of law and yet he was denied
that, violating the Law, the Constitution and basic human
rights. Observers, particularly foreign ones, will now add up
one more of such violations leading to death in a continuous
and ongoing process of a cynical disregard of law, of social
values and of the sanctity of human life.
Many, among them eminent jurists are of the opinion that such
contradictions cannot continue for long without a breakdown of
the system of Justice and ultimately a total breakdown of the
Society itself. On the one hand the Emergency Government is
claiming that it is trying to "re-establish" the rule of law
so long violated by politicians, that it is reforming broken
down state institutions and that it is operating within
Constitutional norms while on the other hand in practice it is
blatantly overriding everything it is adducing to uphold. Such
opinions contend that it would have been far better for the
Emergency Government to have simply announced an abrogation or
suspension of the Constitution and the Laws of the Land and
gone ahead with the contingencies and primacies of the moment,
whatever they are. Everyone then would have been clear where
they stand and what the stakes really are. Under the
circumstances fear, uncertainty and a sense of total
unempowerment is eating away at the very fabric of our already
fragile, moth-eaten political, economic and social systems.
The consequences would be chaos and civil conflict or
alternatively a repressive, reactionary, authoritarian regime
probably designed on fascist lines.
Reforms or Elections Earlier?
The Emergency Government is
not talking about reforms anymore either in State institutions
or within political parties, not after the landmark HC verdict
on the Sheikh Hasina case but neither is it saying anything
about lifting of the Emergency and about specifics of holding
the elections. Now that one of the key underwriters of the
Emergency, the British have sent a Minister to offer "advise"
to the Government on lifting the emergency and on restoring
democracy, the Emergency Government appears to be in a
catatonic shock.
The debate about reforms and elections have now shifted to the
public domain. Many, among them politicians, intellectuals,
professionals and government officials are of the opinion that
until reforms are pushed through and take effect, going to
elections would be tantamount to returning to the same old
corrupt politics put on hold by the Emergency, while others
are of the opinion that the Emergency Government has made only
cosmetic changes, has increased divisiveness and divisions in
politics, is cynically violating the Constitution itself and
has been unable to re-vitalise the economy and therefore it
was better to go back to elections and democracy, even if
flawed hoping that politicians have learned their lessons that
would deter them from corruption in the future.
The politicians now have the bit between their teeth,
particularly the AL and they want election, if possible
tomorrow but doubts remains as to whether the mass of the
Country's population really want elections and as to what sort
of elections do they want? The majority of the people know
fully well that they are caught between the "devil and the
deep sea" and they know also that they have very little choice
in deciding as to whether they want to side with the devil or
sink into the deep sea. The point is nobody is feeling the
necessity of asking them; all this talk of reforms and
elections is restricted to TV channels or five-star hotels
attended by people in suits or to five-star residences of
political leaders. As far as the common man in the street or
the farmer in his acre of land is concerned elections or no
elections is not going to bring about any changes in his
miserable lot.
Analysis
A Reply to US Envoy Robert
Blake
Let me quote from "The Sorrows of Empire" by
Professor Chalmers Johnson: "Nemesis, the Goddess of
Retribution and vengeance, the punisher of pride and hubris
waits impatiently for her meeting with us(the United States of
America)".
Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D
It
is reported that the US Envoy Robert Blake has expressed
doubts if the upcoming elections in the East will be free and
fair. This is related to the possibility of one political
party carrying weapons.It is strange that the call for free
and fair elections comes from the United States of America, a
country that does not hold a fair and free election even to
elect its own President. The Hon. Envoy has forgotten that his
own President has stolen not one Presidential Election in 2000
but also a second election in 2004. What happened in both
these elections is well documented by various authors of
repute. To add insult to injury the Republicans are about to
steal the third 2008 election!
I am not for a moment stating that one political party should
be allowed to carry arms. Total democracy can be ensured only
when an election is held free from intimidation and harassment
and that is what our new President is trying to do. He has so
far ridden the Eastern Province of the monster terrorist.
There will be skirmishes but the democratic forces in Sri
Lanka will be victorious. As much as Trincomalee which was
totally surrounded by the terrorists was taken back by our
patriotic armed forces and the East was also recovered, the
Hon Envoy can be assured that the election will be held in a
fair manner
Let me remind the Hon Envoy of what happened in Presidential
Elections in the USA. The Envoy would be aware that our
President really won the election to be President of our
country. There was no Supreme Court ordering the stopping of
the counting of ballots like in Florida in 2000, to pave the
path for a Rajapaksa to creep into the Presidency of Sri
Lanka. I have worked long as a member of the Sri Lanka
Administrative Service and have known his father D.A.; a real
father figure loved by all of us, and in my work in the South
admired his cousin Lakshman, a terror at inefficiency. The
Rajapaksas are not of a breed to creep into positions.
Re the US Elections, Let me quote from an eminent personality
Alan M. Dershowitz. In his book: "Supreme Injustice: How the
High Court Hijacked Election 2000" (Oxford 2001) he states of
how the Supreme Court interfered:" it was a dignified but
undemocratic resolution behind closed doors by unelected and
politically unaccountable judges who are not supposed to be
involved in making political decisions"(page 91). Let me
narrate what happened from my own book: "The Administrative
Bungling that Hijacked the 2000 US Presidential Election(The
University Press of America,2004). The Florida Supreme Court
had ordered the manual recounts to continue and the
certification deadline had been extended by 12 days. On
December 9, 2000 the US Supreme Court ordered that the manual
recount of all under votes in progress in accordance with the
Florida Supreme Court decision should be stopped
(page32)...Instead of ordering a halt to the recount that was
proceeding the US Supreme Court should have laid down the
standards for the recount... while it has to be accepted that
the US Supreme Court has the right to interfere with a
decision of the Florida Supreme Court the fact remains that
the timing of the decision, according to dissenting Justice
John Paul Stevens was "tantamount to a decision on the merits
in favor of George Bush."(pg 37)
Working in charge of counting ballots in parliamentary
elections as an Assistant Returning Officer in Sri Lanka I
have myself decided that recounts should continue when there
was a doubt- a marginal victory. In one case I ordered three
recounts and we labored for an additional six hours to find
the real winner. More than the loser candidate, I I being in
charge of the count wanted to be certain of who won. This type
of recounting till a perfect count is done, is a common
decision that Returning Officers reach. In the history of Sri
Lankan elections there is no record of any Returning Officer
in charge of a count not fixing standards for counting or
allowing ballot papers to be released to political activists
for them to be validated with missed entries as happened in
the Seminole and Martin Counties. If anyone dared do such they
would be behind bars. Elections are a sacred task and are
taken seriously. Stopping a recount is totally undemocratic.
Let us now deal with the 2004 Election. The Democrats were
waiting ready with plane loads of lawyers and law professors
to be shipped to any State where there was a deadlock, but the
election was won through the malfunctioning of the electronic
voting machines that kept adding votes to Bush and deducting
votes from Kerry. "Facts point out to how the laxity in the
certification of the electronic voting machinery led to a
situation where unfortunately, 'it is not who votes that
counts, but who counts that votes'. ... There is evidence
pointing to the fact that certain malfunctioning had been done
premeditatedly, which amounts to sabotaging the outcome of the
election. Full 80% of all ballots were counted by electronic
voting machines provided by two manufacturers and the chief
executive officer of one of them had said on the eve of the
election, that "he was committed to helping Ohio deliver its
electoral votes to the President". While it was necessary to
ensure proper certification of the voting machinery, "the
appointment as well as payments made to the certifying
institutions being made by the vendors of the voting equipment
makes a total mockery of the certification system".
In the 2004 Presidential Election it was found that optical
scanning type of electronic voting machines were notorious in
adding votes for Bush. A glaring instance of a malfunctioning
voting machine in the 2000 Presidential Election was reported
in the Wall Street Journal (11/17/2000). This happened in an
optical scanning machine at Allamackee County, Iowa. When 300
ballots were fed, the machine reported 4 million votes.. The
County Auditor tried the machine again and it repeated 4
million. The fault was so vast that it could not be ignored.
As Bill Roe, the County Auditor said, 'We don't have 4 million
voters in the State of Iowa."(page69). This was repeated in
the 2004 Election. Exit Polls are conducted in a systematic
manner and generally there has been a correlation between the
number of registered voters of each political party and the
actual votes cast.
In the 2004 Election it was found that "in the two major
States of Ohio and Florida there were wide disparities between
the results of the Exit Polls and the actual Poll"(pg.111) As
Will Pitt says, "the Counties that used optical scanner
machines to record votes showed a consistent pattern of far
more votes for Bush and far less votes for Kerry compared to
the amount of registered democrats and republicans"(pg113).
The problem was that in the States of Ohio and Florida there
were optical scanning machines that had no paper trail, i.e.
there was no record of the voting on paper which could be used
in a manual count to check the veracity of the voting. Thus
whatever total the voting machines declared had to be
accepted. This is how Bush won the Presidency in 2004.
Now to get to the Election due to be held in November 2008,
the electronic voting machines will not all be having a paper
trail. Many Secretaries of State have had to decertify voting
machines for inaccuracy. The Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer
Brunner has even said that the use of electronic voting
machines, "May jeopardize the integrity of the voting
process". The manufacturers seem to be taking the
administration for a ride in designing long paper trails- as
long as 3 ft. of paper per voter prone to paper jams. Further
though Democrats are keen to get Congress to insist on a paper
verifiable document the Republicans object tooth and nail
("Paper trail voting gets organized opposition", USA Today,
23April2007)
The Ambassador be can rest assured that there will be no such
total miscarriage of justice in any of the elections in Sri
Lanka. There may be a stray case of intimidation, a ballot box
being stuffed with ballots has happened in the past, but not
in recent times. But on the whole elections have been held in
a far fairer manner than the US Presidential Elections of 2000
and 2004. (All quotes are from my book: "The Electronic
Stealing of the 2004 Presidential Election",
BookSurge-Amazon.com, due to be released shortly)
As Ambassador it is your duty firstly to look after the
interests of the USA, which I am certain is being done. Your
mandate does not include interference with the politics in the
host country. You tend to forget that Sri Lanka is a sovereign
country. As Thomas Jefferson said, "They(people) are the
safest depository of the ultimate powers of Government". The
voice of the people is paramount and any interference to
divert the voice of the people is not becoming of a great
country like the USA. The USA is a great country, blessed with
great people, with ample resources, its current recession is
of recent origin- entirely due to the current government
policies, and it may not be necessary for the USA to interfere
in the internal affairs of the various countries to maintain
its economy, stature and dignity.
Let me quote from "The Sorrows of Empire" by Professor
Chalmers Johnson:
"Nemesis, the Goddess of Retribution and vengeance, the
punisher of pride and hubris waits impatiently for her meeting
with us(the United States of America)". The USA should
actually appreciate and be supportive of the progress being
made today in Sri Lanka. I need not emphasize that the
goodwill, dignity and the support that countries acquire
through being fair and just, stands in good stead for long.
(Garvin Karunaratne, former SLAS, Government Agent, Matara;
February 6, 2008. E-mail: gamkga@aol.com).
Burma
Heading Towards the Worst
During the long 46 years of unbroken military rule since 1962,
Burma has witnessed many episodes of brutalities and tyranny
of the army.
Ahmedur Rahman Farooq
Burma's
national icon of democracy, peace and liberty, Daw Aung San
Suu Kyie has cautioned the people of Burma to prepare for the
worst, during a rare meeting with the members of her party,
the National League for Democracy on Jan 30.2008, after she
was allowed a rare respite from house arrest. She criticized
the series of meetings she has held with the military junta's
Liaison Minister, Aung Kyie for failing to yield any tangible
result towards the achievement of any political reform. So, it
is clear that Burma is heading to witness another grim showbiz
of blood-bath which may be the worst in the history of Burma,
if the military rulers stick to their hard-line stance to
grind the hopes of the people of Burma under their despotic
wheel and thus to defy the international outcry to restore
peace and democracy in Burma.
During the long 46 years of unbroken military rule since 1962,
Burma has witnessed many episodes of brutalities and tyranny
of the army who have always treated the guns as not for
shooting upwards, but to shoot directly at those who raise
their voice against the military rule.
On July 7.1962, the army has indiscriminately massacred more
than 100 students of Rangoon University, wounded many others
and arrested about 3000 students, simply because they raised
their protest against some rules and regulations which were
imposed upon them by the regime restricting their usual
movement same as those in the military barracks, prohibiting
students coming in or going out after 8 pm and signing the
register book to ascertain that they were in. Such rules sent
students to bed hungry because the dinner provided by the hall
was served from 4.30 to 6.30 pm and supper was not provided by
the hall and the students had to manage it according to their
convenience.
However, in the morning of the 7th July 1962, the campus was
surrounded by about 2000 soldiers. At first an exchange of
abuses took place between the students and the soldiers. The
soldiers were just waiting for the order to shoot. At dusk the
order was given and the shooting began in no time which lasted
about half an hour. The death toll of the students was 135
according to the student's source and 34 according to the govt
announcement. After the shooting, the campus was cleared up,
the dead and the wounded were carried away and at midnight the
historic "Students Union Building" was dynamited and
bulldozed. Everything was done swiftly and precisely. Next
morning everything was normal and quiet. (Details in " Burma:
Nationalism and Ideology", by Dr Shwe Lu Maung).
Similar grim showbiz was perpetrated by the military regime on
11 December 1974, where hundreds of university students were
brutally killed by the army following the tug-of-war over the
siege of the body of U Thant, the Ex-Secretary General of the
UN. U Thant was and still is regarded by the people of Burma
as a most serene and brightest son of Burma. However, the
students were massacred because they wanted to put the body of
U Thant to final rest in an honorable site which would stand
for the people of Burma as the milestone of glory and pride.
But Gen. Ne Win wanted to bury the body in a common cemetery
of "Kyandaw" where the body of notorious Khine May Than (Ne
Win's first legal wife) was buried.
Thus, there arose a tense situation centering the siege of the
body. At this critical situation, once the students seizing
the body buried it in the ground of the Students Union
Building of Rangoon University on 10th December 1974. But next
morning at about 5 am, the army entered the campus using
tanks. The Chancellor Gate was first bulldozed off. The army
began arresting everybody on the way and herded them off in
the military trucks. When the soldiers started digging for the
body, students began to march onward to stop them. Then began
indiscriminate shooting. When the body was raised, there was a
tug-of-war over the body.
All those students who rushed onwards to snatch the body of U
Thant were shot dead. A popular high school girl student, Khin
Khin Myint (?), was one of those who clung on to the coffin of
U Thant. First the soldiers began to kick her down to depart
her from the coffin, later seeing that she was not leaving the
coffin off, the soldiers shot her down. Thus, the UN flag with
which the body of U Thant was wrapped, was drenched with the
blood of the students.
During the great Pro-Democracy Uprising of 1988 which is known
as "8888 Uprising" and is regarded as a national revolution in
Burma, over 3,000 democracy-seeking civilians including
students, monks, government employees, workers, farmers,
traders and even housewives, were brutally killed and
thousands of others have been either maimed or imprisoned
without any trial.
During the recent anti-military protest known as "Saffron
Revolution", the world has awfully witnessed how brutally the
army can quash the peaceful demonstrations led by the revered
Monks. It was the biggest anti-junta protests for nearly 20
years. During this anti-military protests tens of thousands of
the people took to the streets with the monks leading the
demonstrations, wearing deep maroon robes, where over one
hundred peaceful demonstrators including monks, students and
the public were killed and thousands of others were arrested.
There is no denying the fact that the words of frustration of
Daw Aung San Suu Kyie came out due to the lack of any progress
at the current pace of her talks with the military junta's
Liaison Minister for political reforms in Burma, because the
military regime has no interest to listen to what the people
of Burma want or to what the international community says.
However, It is no more difficult to understand that Professor
Ibrahim Gambari who has been appointed by the UN Chief as an
special envoy to Burma to assist "in the process of national
reconciliation through dialogue", has already been bracketed
by the military rulers and there is no more way for him to
play an effective role in the process of democratization of
Burma.
It is nothing unusual that the army who have enjoyed the taste
of absolute power in celestial delight for nearly half a
century, can not give it up so easily. They will stick to
their position at any cost, no matter for them what amount of
bloods are spilled on the streets of Burma or what amount of
tears are rolling down the cheeks of the groaning people of
Burma. But the point which seriously frustrates the
international peace loving community is that the Security
Council of the UN, which is believed to be the custodian of
the world peace, has failed to adopt an unanimous resolution
to compel the junta to bow their head to the international
pressure, due to stiff resistance from veto-wielding council
members China and Russia, except showing some face-saving
episodes .
Nevertheless, the people of Burma have demonstrated many times
in the past that they have the courage to stare at the eye of
death and to move onward under the shower of bullets and the
flash of machine guns, no matter whether they are bruised or
bleeding or racked with thirst. They did not wait to see
whether the UNSC can move or whether the ASEAN can give up
their soft stance on Burma in line with its general policy of
non-interference in domestic affairs (?) of Burma.
The people of Burma have never given up their struggle of
defying the military rulers in whatever means they could
avail. They have been resorting to hit-and-run protests in
different parts of the country including Rangoon. They are
posting posters calling for the release of all political
prisoners, Buddhist monks and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They are
raising their voice through all available means against the
despotic regime, be that music or short story or internet or
any other literary works. Now, it is clear that the people of
Burma will not wait to see whether Mr. Gambari can bring any
tangible result or whether his travel to a number of countries
including Burma's neighboring country like India can make any
difference. They also will not wait to see whether there will
be any progress in the efforts of Mr. Peiro Fassino, the
European Special Envoy for Burma, who has been continuously
taking initiatives and seeking cooperation from China, India,
ASEAN countries and Japan.
Now, it is time for the international community to see what
notch of the worst episodes is going to be added in the scale
of brutalities of the Burmese military rulers.
(Ahmedur Rahman Farooq, Chairman, The Council for Restoration
of Democracy in Burma (CRDB) and a member of The Union of
Rohingya Communities in Europe (URCE). Address: 2975, Vang i
Valdres, Norway . Media Contact: +4797413036 Email:
arahman567@yahoo.com, rohingyascrdbinfo@gmail.com)
Viewpoints
US Threat
perceptions
Vague threat perceptions do come handy for the anti-Islamic
nations, particularly USA, Israel and India, to torture
Muslims and to advance their global agenda.
Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
It
looks funny that the most powerful country on the globe, USA
is awfully frightened by small-scale "terrorists" and keeps
inventing newer threat perceptions to stay in Afghanistan and
Iraq and keep killing the Muslims in these countries as much
as else where. Such vague threat perceptions do come handy for
the anti-Islamic nations, particularly USA, Israel and India,
to torture Muslims and to advance their global agenda. What is
shocking is the fact that the country with most sophisticated
remote equipment could not locate the video-tape specialist
Osama Bin Laden and the world is wondering as to how save
itself from US terror wars.
President George W. Bush remains down in the polls. In an
opinion poll conducted earlier this month, only 34 percent of
those surveyed said they approve of the job Bush is doing.
That's low for a president and about where Bush has been since
the fall 2006. Yet the State of the Union always commands some
public attention, maybe more so now because of the widespread
economic concerns. It is perhaps Bush's last good chance to
frame the debate. Republican Party voters have already chosen
a new face for their party, McCain. Even those who pay modest
attention to politics are interested in who the next president
will be. Bush, therefore, does not project himself as the
failed president, but his through his firmness he warns
against "Islamic terrorism" - an emotionally charged, though
funny call that even the opposition Democrats support.
President Bush's strategy reflects what he is up against:
little time left in office, confrontational relations with a
Democratic Congress and a diminishing role on the national
stage. Bush asked Congress to make permanent the tax cuts that
are set to expire in 2010. He will prod Congress to extend a
law allowing surveillance on suspected terrorists, renew his
education law and approve free-trade pacts with Colombia,
Panama and South Korea. He is also likely to recycle ideas on
alternative energy, affordable health care and housing reform.
Once USSR and China were "deadly threats" to USA, then
Afghanistan became a threat and fear complexes were extended
to include Iraq and Iran. The list could be enlarged further
as time passes on. USA unwittingly states that Iran now
remains the key threat to US security but the fact remains
that any country that does not support US interests in the
region becomes an enemy and hence threat to USA. USA keeps
adding troupes to Islamic world. The vast majority of deployed
U.S. troops are still in Iraq, although the force of nearly
160,000 is set on a downward trend. In recent weeks U.S.
officials have spoken of Iraq as moving toward stability, with
al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters weakened and possibly forced to
make a last stand. The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan
has grown over the past two years from about 20,000 to the
current total of 28,000. That is the highest number of the
war, which began in October 2001. The total is to jump by
3,200 this spring with a new influx of Marine reinforcements,
including 2,200 combat troops who will bolster a NATO-led
counterinsurgency force in the south.
The alarming situation in Iraq and Afghanistan makes the
US-led forces to keep shifting their resources from one
country to the other. But there is no wholesale shift of U.S.
military firepower from Iraq to Afghanistan. Gates recently
rejected a Marine Corps proposal to move the 20,000-plus
Marine contingent in Iraq to Afghanistan, reflecting a worry
that Iraq's progress is still fragile. There is growing
recognition that the United States risks further setbacks, if
not deepening conflict or even defeat, in Afghanistan, and
that success in that country hinges on stopping Pakistan from
descending into disorder. It is apparent that as security
conditions in Iraq seemingly improve, the administration is
looking closer at what needs to be done in Afghanistan to
counter recent gains by the Taliban. The Taliban ruled the
country in the late 1990s and provided support for the video
tape specialist Osama bin Laden as his global "terrorist
network" laid the groundwork from Afghanistan for the Sept. 11
attacks, according to the USA. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress that the war in
Afghanistan is a secondary priority. "In Afghanistan we do
what we can. In Iraq we do what we must," he said.
The Bush administration is attempting to re-energize its
terror war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the original
target of a post-Sept. 11 offensive. The U.S. also is
refocusing on Pakistan, where a regenerating al-Qaeda is
posing fresh threats. Now some senior U.S. military commanders
say Pakistan's tribal areas are at the center of the fight
against the so-called "Islamic extremism"; more so than Iraq,
or even Afghanistan. These areas border on eastern Afghanistan
and provide "haven" for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to
regroup, rearm and reorganize. This view may explain, at least
in part, the administration's increasingly public expressions
of concern.
The Pentagon says it has fewer than 100 troops in Pakistan,
including personnel who are training Pakistan's paramilitary
Frontier Corps in the western tribal region along the
Afghanistan border. The U.S. military has used other means,
including aerial surveillance by drones, to hunt Osama bin
Laden and other senior al-Qaeda leaders believed to be hiding
near the Afghan border. Ground troops on the Afghan side
sometimes fire artillery across the border at known Taliban or
al-Qaeda targets, and U.S. officials have said special
operations forces are poised to strike across the border under
certain circumstances. In recent days, administration
officials have said they would send more U.S. forces,
including small numbers of combat troops, if the Pakistani
government decided it wanted to collaborate more closely.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is leading a NATO effort to
produce a statement of goals for Afghanistan that spells out
clearly what is at stake. The purpose is to bolster NATO
governments' efforts to convince their publics that fighting
and dying in Afghanistan is an investment worth making. The
statement is supposed to be ready for adoption by President
Bush and other NATO leaders at a summit meeting in April.
Gates said that while the U.S. respects the Pakistani
government's right to decide what actions are needed to defeat
extremists on its soil, there are reasons to worry that al-Qaeda
poses more than an internal threat to Pakistan.
"I think we are all concerned about the re-establishment of
al-Qaeda safe havens in the border area," Gates said. "I think
it would be unrealistic to assume that all of the planning
that they're doing is focused strictly on Pakistan. So I think
that that is a continuing threat to Europe as well as to us."
But he has refused to admit that USA has already become the
most serious threat to Pakistan, its long-time ally.
Indo-US moorings have caused a lot of problems for Pakistan
and the opposition tries to ignore that aspect altogether,
because they want to see the ouster of Musharraf. Currently US
strategists, therefore, are focused on Islamabad. They say
since the "terrorists" are cross-bordering between Afghanistan
and Pakistan, Pakistan is seen as sources to create fresh
threat perceptions to USA. US strategists also see the nuclear
facility another threat to Indian supremacy in the region.
India wants USA to clip the nuclear wings of Islamabad. Hence
Washington has announced that it considers sending forces to
Pakistan to fight "terrorism" and also to safeguard the
nuclear facility, while the fact remains that Pakistan nuclear
equipment is already reportedly under effective US control.
Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, repeatedly said his
country opposes any foreign forces on its soil. "The man in
the street will not allow this - he will come out and
agitate," he said. Musharraf said the U.S. instead should
bolster its combat forces in Afghanistan. The top two U.S.
intelligence officials made a secret visit to Pakistan in
early January to seek Musharraf's permission for greater
involvement of American forces in trying to ferret out al-Qaeda
and other militant groups active in the tribal regions.
Musharraf was said to have rebuffed an expansion of an
American presence in Pakistan at the meeting, either through
covert CIA missions or by joint operations with Pakistani
security forces. He strongly recommends strengthening the U.S.
military presence in southern Afghanistan. Also, the
administration is showing more interest in deepening its
involvement in Pakistan.
Although hard-pressed, President Bush is no fan of looking
back. His mission is to chart a course for what's left and
remind people that he's still here and engaged. He was written
off as a lame duck last year but then used his veto authority
with great success, staying relevant and forcing changes in
legislation. Inside the White House, Bush's advisers know the
obstacles.
And despite a sudden interest in cooperation on the economic
boost, Bush and the Democratic Congress are at odds on most
matters. "I predict that after hearing the president's speech,
Americans will be more convinced than ever that it's time for
a change," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. In foreign
affairs, Bush promotes the U.S.-backed Middle East peace
effort and his administration's efforts to fight disease and
hunger.
On Iraq, Bush is expected to tout security improvements and
restate that more U.S. troops will come home only as
conditions merit. Given the military progress there and the
Democrats' inability to force a change in strategy in 2007, he
is in a different position this time around. "A year ago, he
was in a very precarious situation when he announced the surge
of U.S. troops.
An Observation
President Bush pursues US policies vehemently and he is quite
conscious of that. Hence nothing seems to stop Bush from going
ahead with his war strategy, recommended by his Neo-cons,
notwithstanding even the opposition from Gulf leaders. For
this purpose, irrespective of the color of ruling
dispensation, USA would always keep the "threat perceptions"
alive. And, thus, the other political party, the Democratic
Party also plays double game with people by supporting the
Republican Bush plans for the world. The global game plan of
the United States, it seems, would go on for ever.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research scholar, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal University, Delhi 110067)
Letter from Toronto
The coastal areas of
Bangladesh can be ideal location for wind turbines and wind
farms. Rural electrification demand can easily be met with
wind generated electricity.
Shahriar
Shibley
I
lived in North America for over 20
years. For the last two years, I feel like I am living very
close to home. This is all because of two TV channels, ATN
Bangla and NTV. I have to pay $25.00 plus 13% tax extra, every
month for those two channels. But it surely is worth it. It is
fascinating to see all the activities of Bangladesh right in my
living room. It feels like I am just there. I want to touch two
news stories which were broadcast recently. One is the kite
flying festival in Cox's Bazar and the other is acute
electricity shortage in Bangladesh.
The kite flying festival was very colorful. The venue was
particularly excellent. Cox's Bazar is very windy. So are all
coastal areas. Here in North America, there are the great lakes
and the cities which are located on the lake shores. Chicago
which is on the shore of Lake Michigan is called windy city.
Toronto which is on the shore of Lake Ontario can also get very
windy. However, Toronto is taking advantage of the situation, to
some extent.
Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has two wind powered electricity
generators. One is very much close to downtown Toronto (the
business district). It is located near Dufferin Street and Lake
Shore drive. The other one is in Pickering, which is the nearest
eastern suburb of Toronto. The one close to downtown is called
the Exhibition Place Wind Turbine. It is the first urban sited
turbine in North America. Turbines are not permitted in city
cores because of dense housing and lack of unobstructed air
flow. The Ex-place Turbine is also community owned. People own
shares of the project under a co-operative.
The value of each share is around $500. You do not have to live
in the community to own shares of it. Even foreigners can buy
into such project. The current yield of each share is over 7%.
Profit is generated by selling electricity to Toronto Hydro
which is the local electricity company. The electricity grids of
different regions of Canada and United States are
interconnected. If one region has a shortage of electricity, it
buys and/or import electricity from other regions which has
surpluses.
The Ex-place turbine generates an average of 1000 megawatt hours
of power per year, equivalent to the electricity needs of over
200 homes. It was constructed in December 2002 at a cost of 1.8
million Canadian dollars. Structurally it is about 30 stories
tall (90 meters high to the tip of the blade). It has a capacity
of 600 kW. The turbine is direct drive (gear less), has AC-DC
grid and AC converter. Its mass is 121,000 kilograms, blade
length 24.5 meters and rotor diameter is 52 meters. Its normal
rotation speed is 24.5 rpm and requires 2.5 m/s minimum wind
threshold for blade rotation. Maximum wind velocity it can
handle is 23-25 m/s. At higher wind velocity, retardation
mechanism has to be applied. Its stopping mechanism is blade
pitch and back up hydraulic brakes. It produces approximately
500 kilowatt power in wind of 11 m/s. It also has an electronic
mechanism to face the turbine in the direction of the wind as
wind changes its direction of flow.
Canada as a whole is trying to take a leading role in harnessing
wind energy. There are many wind farms located in various parts
of the county and there are many under construction. Wind farms
are places where there are several wind turbines lined up
producing electricity together.
The first was built in 1993. It was of 0.15 MW in Haeckel Hill,
Whitehorse, Yukon. Ontario has the largest wind farm in Canada.
The Prince Project is of 189 MW and has 126 turbines located on
the shores of Lake Superior near Sault Ste. Marie. Canada's
current installed capacity is 1,588 MW capable of providing
power to 480000 homes. Globally, wind energy is getting more and
more popular. It grew 25-30 percent over the last decade. By the
end of 2006, there were 74,000 MW of installed wind capacity
throughout the world. It is expected to reach 136,000 MW by
2010. Canada is expected to have 10,000 MW of wind generated
electricity by 2010 and 15,000 MW by 2015 which will represent 4
percent of Canada's electricity, the same as provided by natural
gas today. Still Canada is lagging behind some other countries
in wind energy. For example, Denmark gets about 20 percent of
its electricity from wind, Spain about 9 percent, Germany about
6-7 percent. The Island of Samso in Denmark is an excellent
model of complete reliability on wind energy. Installed in 2002,
11 wind turbines provides 100 percent electricity to 4200
residents of the island.
The coastal areas of Bangladesh can be ideal location for wind
turbines and wind farms. Rural electrification demand can easily
be met with wind generated electricity. Now, when we are trying
to rebuild coastal areas after hurricane Sidr, we should look
into the feasibility of erecting some wind turbines.
(Shahriar Shibley; 2401-85 Emmett Avenue; Toronto, Ontario M6M
5A2; Canada; Phone 416-409-0798)
International
Israel threatens to
hit Hamas leaders in Gaza
AFP, Gaza City
Israel threatened on Sunday to target
Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip as pressure grew on the
government to act after a boy hit by shrapnel in a rocket
strike from the territory had a leg amputated.
With the escalating violence hampering the
recently-revived Middle East peace process, US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice is to visit the region next week
on a new bid to advance negotiations, Palestinian
officials said.
Speaking after talks with security officials, Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert warned that no-one from the Islamist
Hamas movement would be excluded from continuing military
strikes against the territory it has ruled since June.
"We will continue to reach all the terror bodies-those
responsible for them, those who send them and those who
operate them. We will not exclude anyone," Olmert said at
the weekly cabinet meeting.
"We cannot ignore the feelings and frustrations felt in
Sderot and nearby communities, especially after
yesterday's attack," he said, referring to the
eight-year-old child whose leg was amputated after being
hit by shrapnel from a rocket fired from Gaza.
"The rage is understandable," he said. "But it should be
clear that rage is not a work plan. We must act in an
orderly and systematic way over a long period of time.
This is what we have been doing and we will continue
doing."
Over 100 residents of Sderot, which has borne the brunt of
rocket fire, briefly blocked the main highway into
Jerusalem to press demands for harsher measures against
Gaza militants.
Violence has escalated over the past week as militants
have fired more than 100 rockets and mortars against
southern Israel, wounding a handful of people.
Israeli military strikes on Gaza have killed at least 20
people over the past week, all but one of them militants.
The violence is threatening peace negotiations relaunched
in November, officials on both sides warned.
"The Israeli escalation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is
reflected in the negotiations," Ahmed Qorei, the head of
the Palestinian negotiating team, told reporters.
The head of the Israeli team, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni,
said: "There is no hope for any kind of peace or the
vision of a Palestinian state which will including the
Gaza Strip without real change on the ground."
Qorei said Rice was due to visit the region in the next
few days, while a |