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Storms, hail lash North-east
Staff Correspondent
A 25 to 50 kilometre per
hour storm along with hailstorm lashed northeast and
central parts of the country injuring many people,
damaging thatched houses uprooting many trees, destroying
crops and disrupting power supply across the country.
The storm on Tuesday evening battered capital Dhaka,
Sylhet, Sunamganj, partial parts of Mymensignh and
Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Tangail and Bogra district
including sadar.
In the capital and suburbs, a nor’wester with speeds up to
40 kilometre along with hailstorm lashing at different
places also disrupted normal activities of the life. In
the evening, thick-black clouds covered the sky. At one
stage, the speed of the wind intensified and blew strongly
and it rained with hail in and around the airport and its
adjoining areas.
Talking to the Bangladesh Today, an official of Deputy
Commissioner of Sylhet said it was a heavy rain and storm.
"A 25 to 35 kilometre nor’wester lashed over the district.
Some 30 millimeter rain was recorded in the city.
Simultaneously, the city has also experienced hailstorm.
During the storm, panic stricken people were seen running
for shelter. However, damages caused by the storm could
not be estimated immediately," the official added.
In Bogra, people experienced the storm of 32 kilometre per
hour along with moderate and heavy rain while Tangail
experienced 30 millimetre precipitation, according to Met
Office sources.
In Munshiganj a 30 kilometer per hour storm along with
gusty winds and rain swept over different places of the
districts.
Main players of Pakistan’s elections
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s allies conceded
defeat Tuesday after parliamentary elections, leaving the
party of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and
another grouping led by two-time prime minister Nawaz
Sharif headed for victory. The political future of US-ally
Musharraf was in doubt.
Here are short profiles of the major figures:
Pervez Musharraf: A whisky-drinking moderate, the
mustachioed Musharraf, 64, has been president since 1999
when he led a bloodless coup that overthrew the civilian
regime of Nawaz Sharif.
He was born in Old Delhi on August 11, 1943 and his family
moved to the newly-created Pakistan shortly after
independence four years later.
He joined the Pakistan Military Academy at age 18 and
became a commando in 1966 but admitted "my bluntness and
indiscipline landed me in many a serious trouble" until
his marriage in 1968. He has a son and a daughter.
On October 7, 1998 Sharif appointed him chief of staff,
only to try and sack him the following year in a move that
triggered the coup.
Musharraf won a five-year term as president in an April
2002 referendum, and during his rule has escaped at least
three assassination attempts by Al-Qaeda.
After promising for years to shed his uniform, he finally
returned to civilian life last November during a state of
emergency that he imposed, citing growing militancy and an
interfering judiciary.
Critics charged that he feared the Supreme Court was about
to overturn his October 6 presidential election victory.
Asif Ali Zardari: The husband of slain opposition leader
Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, 51, has gone from
playboy to villain and now to political widower and
effective leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, although
he did not stand as a candidate in Monday’s elections.
He was nicknamed "Mr Ten Percent" by Pakistanis because of
allegations about kickbacks during his wife’s time in
power.
Zardari was the little-known scion of a landowning
polo-playing family from southern Sindh province when he
married into the Bhutto political dynasty in 1987.
He carved out an influential position during his wife’s
two tenures in power but spent eight years in jail after
the dismissal of her second government in 1996.
He was later freed after being cleared in the last of 17
cases of corruption, murder and drug smuggling. One of the
charges related to the killing of his wife’s brother,
Murtaza, in a clash with police.
Bhutto named him as her political heir in a will written
before she returned to Pakistan from exile in October
2007.
He pledged to complete his wife’s "mission" for democracy
after her December death in a gun and suicide attack.
Nawaz Sharif: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, 57, who
heads the Pakistan Muslim League-N party, is a former
industrialist. He entered politics a quarter of a century
ago under the wing of the army.
Sharif still maintains a power base, especially in his
native Punjab province, but alienated many Pakistanis with
his one-time plans to introduce Islamic sharia law and
declare himself "Commander of the Faithful."
His family had a longstanding enmity with Bhutto’s father,
late prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, because he
nationalised the industries of Sharif’s father.
As a result, late military dictator Zia-ul-Haq handpicked
him as Punjab’s youngest-ever finance minister in 1981
after having Zulfiqar Bhutto executed.
Sharif won elections for prime minister after Benazir
Bhutto’s dismissal as prime minister in 1990, but three
years later he was sacked on corruption charges.
Sharif later bounced back to the post but was exiled to
Saudi Arabia in 2000 following his ouster in the bloodless
coup by Musharraf.
The formerly-balding Sharif returned to Pakistan in late
2007 -- with a full head of hair after a transplant. He
received a huge welcome and agreed to work with Bhutto.
Pharmaceutical Exports
F.M. Masum back from Tongi
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are considering
to import pharmaceutical products worth Tk 3000 crore
every year from Bangladesh. A high-power business
delegation of the GCC countries Tuesday expressed
satisfaction over the quality and price of medicines
manufactured in the Beximco plants. "We are very much
satisfied about the quality of Bangladeshi medicine. We
just came here to judge the quality of the pharmaceutical
products. The quality of products is amazing it is beyond
our expectation," said Dr Alaa Rady, a member of the
visiting delegation.
"We are pleased seeing the quality and price of the
medicine manufactured here. Personally I can say that the
infrastructures and facilities here are amazing and
equivalent to European and other developed countries’
standards," Dr Bader Alanzi, another member of the
delegation told reporters. He said, "This is start of the
exporting process and we are keenly interested to import
pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh but for that we
have to work together and it is not that we are going to
start importing drugs from tomorrow. But we are hopeful
that, after completing the necessary processes, BPL will
start exporting to the GCC countries very soon."
The Chief Executive Officer of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd
, Nazmul Hassan said, "Middle East is considered as a high
potential market and with the establishment of a common
market of GCC countries; this region has become one of the
most lucrative pharmaceutical markets of the world." He
said, "Pharmaceutical products of Bangladesh have enormous
exporting opportunities in the various countries in the
world and it is one of the most potentials sector after
Ready Made Garments (RMG), After successfully qualifying
through this audit the company will be able export its
medicine to the GCC countries and this will create an
enormous opportunity for Bangladesh as a whole."
He said," the Government gives all out supports to the
industry, Bangladesh can export a total of Tk10000 crore
by the year 2009. The Government should pull out the
barriers of registration to promote the export to the
various countries and if Bangladesh can avail only in its
one percent market." Nazmul Hassan said, "If we can export
such big amount of pharmaceutical products, the other
countries of the world will be encouraged and that can
play a vital role in the economic sector like RMG sector.
This is a great opportunity to export to the Gulf region
and this will also act as a gateway for Bangladeshi
pharmaceutical industry for exporting medicines to this
huge market. "
It may be mentioned that the combined pharmaceutical
market of the GCC countries is currently valued at over $
4 billion. Beximco Pharmaceuticals is one of the world’s
15 companies and the first in the country, which is
producing CFC (Chroroflurocarbon) free and HFA-enriched
MDIs, used in asthma and COPD. It may also be mentioned
here that under the Quota protocol, the signatory
countries are prescribed to stop producing CFC-enriched
asthma products by 2008.
Unity in BNP not possible without Khaleda's instruction:
Hannan
Staff Correspondent
Coming out
of the jail, BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Brig (retd) ASM
Hannan Shah on Monday echoed the voice of BNP Secretary
General Khandoker Delwar Hosssain saying, the unity in BNP
cannot take place going beyond Begum Khaleda Zia’s
instruction.
Hannan Shah, who was released on bail in his latest case
from a Gazipur court last week and then underwent
treatment at a city hospital, faced media at his New DOHS
residence yesterday for the first time after being freed
from his two and a half months-long imprisonment. When
reporters sought his comment about the party unity
referring to Delwar’s condition to cancel the
controversial 29 October meeting at Saifur’s residence,
Shah said, "I do not see it as a precondition. The unity
must be held following the party Chairperson’s
instructions that Khandoker Delwar Hossain is the party
Secretary General and the party Constitution should be
upheld. There will be no unity going beyond the
instructions of Begum Khaleda Zia."
In reply to a counter question about the Begum Zia’s
instructions, he said, "Begum Khaleda Zia appointed
Khandoker Delwar Hossain the party Secretary General and
expelled Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain from the
party."
He, however, was hopeful of reunification in the party.
"Keep patience for some time–the High Court judgment in
the writ of Begum Khaleda Zia will bring about a drastic
change in BNP."
Replying to a query as to how the unity can take place in
the party, he replied quickly, "just following the
instruction of Begum Zia. You see, you will have to come
forward to have your meal if you are hungry. Those who
believes in the ideals of Ziaur Rahman’s nationalism
cannot stay out of the BNP."
Hannan Shah castigated the jail authorities for not
dispatching Begum Zia’s letter to the Chief Election
Commissioner saying, "It is not a political letter; rather
it is letter which will facilitate the smooth holding of
the next parliamentary election. Moreover, there is the
precedent of dispatching political letter of AL General
Secretary Abdul Jalil to the Chief Adviser."
He alleged that he was arrested in false and fabricated
cases with a view to harassing him as he is following
Begum Zia’s instructions.
Militants still active
Govt must root out outlawed groups before polls: AL
Staff Correspondent
The militants’ forces are still active in the country and
the Caretaker Government should take necessity steps to
root out such the anti-state elements prior to holding the
next general election.
This was stated by the coordinator of the Awami League
–led 14-party combine, Tofael Ahmed after a bilateral
meeting between AL and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), one
of the components of 14-party alliance.
Emerging from the meeting, AL presidium member Tofael
Ahmed said, "The recovery of grenade and explosives in
Satkhira recently has proved that the pre-planned
activities of outlawed Jama’tul Mijahideen Bangladesh (JMB)
still continues and it’s a threat to the overall security
and holding the election."
About yesterday’s discussion, he said, "Chaired by the
Acting AL President Zillur Rahman, the meeting discussed
the overall political, socio-economic situation of the
country, release of Sheikh Hasina, Abdul Jalil and other
party leaders and price hike of essentials. The health
condition of the detained AL President Sheikh Hasina was
also discussed in the hour-long bilateral talks between
the two allies."
"As part of taking a unified position on the issues to be
discussed at the proposed dialogue between the government
and political parties, we discussed about in the upcoming
dialogue on the basis of 31-point reform proposals of the
14-party alliance earlier placed by the detained AL
president Sheikh Hasina on July 15, 2005," Tofael added.
The former AL minister demanded of the Caretaker
Government to hold dialogue immediately for holding polls
at an early date so that the prevailing political, social
and economical problems can be resolved through a fruitful
discussion with an open mind.
Talking to the waiting newsmen after the meeting at
Gulshan, JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu said, "We hope
the Chief Adviser would lead the dialogue and through
holding the talks, the widespread confusion among mass
people as well as the political parties will be removed."
"Along with the EC-announced road map, the political
parties would also implement a supplementary political
road map for the interest of political parties in the
country," Inu observed.
Among others, Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Motia
Chowdhury, Kazi Zaforullah and Syed Ashraful Islam of AL,
Syed Jafor Sazzad. Mainuddin Khan Badol and Nurul Ambia
and Shirin Ahkter were present in the hour-long meeting.
During the bilateral talks, they reached a consensus that
the agenda of the ensuing dialogue between the Caretaker
Government and political parties would be without
pre-condition to resolve all the burning issues of the
country.
Smuggling Checks
Staff Correspondent
A number of publishing houses in the Amar Ekushey Book
Fair are reportedly selling pirated books violating the
rules and regulations of the fair, concerned quarters
alleged.
The month-long book fair that began on the Bangla Academy
premises in the city on February 1, commemorating the
great Language Movement of 1952, has got momentum.
Some renowned publishers alleged that the Bangla Academy
authorities are largely responsible for such
irregularities, as many publication houses which do not
qualify for participating in the fair are getting stalls
every year.
Despite authorities’ warning against the publication
houses not to flout the rules and regulations of the fair,
the warnings turned into futile efforts as effective
actions are yet to be taken against the defaulters.
According to the rules and regulations, publication houses
having at least 15 new publications in one year, will
qualify for getting stalls in the fair.
Osman Gani, a publisher of "Agamee Prakashani", alleged
that the rules and regulations regarding allocation of
stalls and sale of books are being flouted every year.
Back Page
Traffic congestion
in city
Ainul Haque Royal
Despite series of steps
taken by the Caretaker Government to reduce traffic
congestions in the city, the condition has remained
unchanged as the city people are still facing serious
difficulties and passing their valuable times when they
pass the streets everyday.
No initiative will be able to free the city from traffic
jam, as there is no adequate space for plying vehicles on
the roads and streets. On the other hand, due to heavy
rush of people from different parts of the country, many
private companies have introduced different transports to
provide service to passengers. As a result, the city
streets fail to accommodate increased vehicles, which
contribute heavy traffic congestions at different
strategic points, according to sources.
"Measurement of an area of the city has to have 25 percent
space for roads and trafficking system but we have only 8
percent space that is inadequate according to necessity,
due to the reason the traffic jam lasting several hours in
the capital, Humayon Rashid Khalifa, director of
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) told The
Bangladesh Today yesterday.
Around one lakh and 50 thousand vehicles including 3668
buses are running in the capital. Of them around 20
thousand vehicles have no road permission certificates due
to some complications. These vehicles are running on the
city streets without any restrictions and polluting the
air alarmingly, Rashid said.
"We have only 300 employees across the country. Due to the
shortage of manpower, we cannot take any steps against
these vehicles and also the owner. A section of dishonest
BRTA officials issue fitness certificate of unfit vehicles
exchanging money. In a bid to prevent the crime, members
of different law enforcing agencies should come forward
with us and take result oriented steps against them, he
said.
Earlier, to ease the traffic system in the capital city,
hawkers and counters of different city buses who were
running their business on the pavement of the roads had
been evicted but they have already returned to their
respective areas and occupied the foot path, even some
portion of the streets. So the city streets again started
witnessing heavy traffic jams.
The city dwellers observed that increase of passenger bus,
private cars, rickshaws and other vehicles are the main
cause of traffic jam. Besides, random parking of cars and
other vehicles in the city streets is another reason of
it. A traffic police said lack of knowledge of traffic law
is one of the main causes of traffic jam as the
rickshaw-pullers and bus drivers do not follow the traffic
rules. The commuters frequently complain that the traffic
police themselves create traffic jams by stopping vehicles
here and there to exact bribes on the plea of checking
documents. Shopping complexes are one of the serious
causes of traffic jam as most of these do not have car
parking facilities. Consequently, the customers are
compelled to park their cars on the busy streets. The
patients are the worst sufferers of the traffic jam as the
ambulance carrying them fail to reach the clinics and
hospitals on time as a result of which the critically ill
patients die on the way before getting any treatment. The
second worst sufferers are the students and office goers
who cannot reach their destinations even after getting out
of their abodes two hours earlier. The government has
taken up a multiple plans to ease the traffic congestion
including construction of flyovers, which have presently
become another cause of traffic jam.
UNEP special meeting in Monaco
Mobilising finance for CC
BSS, Nice, Monaco
The biggest gathering of environment ministers since UNFCC
climate change breakthrough in Bali began on Tuesday in
this Mediterranean state under the theme "Mobilizing
Finance for the Climate Challenge".
More than 100 ministers from across the globe have been
attending the 10th Special Session of the UN Environment
Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council, Global Ministerial
Environment Forum (GMEF) and 9th Global Civil Society
Forum meetings being held in the second smallest
independent state in the world. Senior figures from
industry and finance, science, local government, civil
society, trades unions and inter-governmental bodies will
also join the meeting, UNEP sources said.
V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
an expert on the emerging challenge of 'global dimming'
and leader of the Atmospheric Brown Cloud research team,
which is carrying out cutting edge research on the
emerging links between dust in the atmosphere and climatic
impacts, will attend the meeting.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP
Executive Director, on the eve of the meeting said the
GMEF meeting will help mobilizing finance, focusing
markets, spawning new technologies and unlashing
innovation to successfully negotiating the Road Map as
over 190 countries are putting in their efforts to deliver
a new and decisive climate deal by 2009. It will also help
in designing and delivering a Green Economy to address the
challenges of environmentally sustainable development
outlined in UNEP's recent Global Environment Outlook
focusing on from loss of biodiversity and rapid ecosystem
degradation to collapsing fish stocks and depleted soils,"
he said.
Other key issues on the table in Monaco include the
approval of UNEP's new medium term strategy for 2010-2013
to evolve the institution into a more efficient, focused,
effective and results based environmental body of the
United Nations to deal with the sustainability challenges
of the 21st century. Also on the table are reports on
improved funding for the Strategic Approach to
International Chemicals Management and the extent to which
the international community is moving forward on the
management of the hazardous heavy metal mercury.
UNEP will present the ministers with a key report on
tackling illegal international trade in hazardous
substances alongside one outlining recommendations on how
to improve waste management including recycling in
developing economies.
Vested quarter active to ruin domestic knitting market
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Textile
Mills Association (BTMA) on Tuesday said a certain quarter
through spreading lie about the price of country made
yarn, is trying to import the same from India in a bid to
destroy domestic yarn industries for serving their own
interest.
"This certain quarter is always active and maintaining
lobbies in different ways to continue their propaganda
against the country made yarn. If they are able to
convince the higher authorities, they will be able to
import yarn through Benapole border evading huge revenue.
Following such illegal import, government earlier sealed
off Banpole border for not importing," BTMA President
Abdul Hai Sarker told reporters at a press conference
yesterday.
Brushing aside the BKMEA's allegation about the locally
made one kilo gram yarn price shot up by 40 cent but the
true figure is 12 cent. The raw cotton is being imported
at 30-35 per cent higher price whereas yarn is being sold
at 7-8 per cent higher price.
"But when we sell the yarn to our customers we provide
them extra facility. We can beat the Indian yarn as we
manufacture quality threads in our local high tech based
industries. Before receiving Letter of Credit (LC), we
send yarn to the Knitwear industries. If any question
arises about the quality of our thread, instantly we alter
it," he further said.
He said other factors which contribute to the price hike
are that the supply of yarn is not as much as to meet the
demand, frequent changes in the decision of the government
and fluctuating prices of international currencies.
Criticising withdrawal of tax holiday facilities from the
spinning, weaving, knit dying, yarn dying, and
dying-printing-finishing industries, he said if the
government withdraws tax holiday facilities from such
backward linkage industries, the garment industries, the
pioneer foreign earning sector, will be badly affected.
Army remains beside 'Sidr' victims:
Moeen
Honest people to help develop country
UNB, Patuakhali
Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed on Tuesday urged honest
people to come forward to develop the country by utilizing
its ample resources.
"Our country has a lot of resources. We can develop our
country by utilizing those resources," he told his
audience while distributing fishing-tools among fishermen
left pauper by the recent cyclone Sidr.
Addressing a gathering at the Khepupara High School ground
in Kalapara upazila, the Chief of Army Staff said army
members would remain beside the Sidr-affected people until
their rehabilitation is completed.
"We were, we are and we shall be beside the people, 'Inshallah',
in the event of such disaster. Even, army members will
stand beside the affected people until the rehabilitation
work finished," he added.
Referring to army's role alongside the people in
rehabilitation work after the Cyclone 'Sidr', General
Moeen observed that none had to die without food and also
no person was deprived of treatment after the disaster.
Crime Watch
VoIP equipments, drugs recovered
Staff Correspondent
A huge illegal equipment of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
worth about Tk 50 lakh, was unearthed form the city's
Paltan area on Monday night.
Acting on a tip off a special squad of RAB-11 led by
Captain Kawsar Jahan raided a house no-77/1 under Paltan
police station on Monday night and recovered huge amount
of VoIP equipment including two channels banks, three
quantums, hundreds of mobile seam cards and telular
machineries worth about Tk 50 lakh from there. Sensing the
presence of RAB officials, Moniruzzama, owner of the
illegal business left the spot.
Besides, another team of RAB-4 led by commander Arafat,
raided a house under Adabar police station at about 2:30
am and arrested Belayat, 42, Jajid, 25 and Zakir, 32.
Around 767 bottles of phynsidil were recovered from their
possession.
6 people to die in rape, robbery cases
BDNEWS24, Feni
A Feni court Tuesday sentenced six people to death by
hanging after they were found guilty of burglary and rape.
Judge Md Nazrul Islam of the District and Sessions Judge
Court handed down the verdict.
The court also fined them Tk 1 lakh each while it
acquitted 12 other accused of the same charges.
Only two people were in dock when the verdict came. The
rest remained fugitive.
The convicts to be hanged are Nur Ahammad, Mojibul Haque,
Sobuj, Selim, Ismail Hossain and Abdul Mannan.
They are the residents of Korbanpur village under
Daganbhuiyan upazila.
The convicts were found guilty of committing robbery and
raping a woman at the home of Nurul Haque at Bhabanipur
village at Daganbhuiyan on July 18, 2002, the judge said.
Abdul Malek, the victim's relative, filed a case with
Daganbhuiyan Police Station On July 24, 2002.
Nurul Haque, father-in-law of the victim, was happy with
the verdict.
26 persons busted
BSS, Rajshahi
Police, in anti-crime drives, picked up 26 persons
including an alleged drug-peddler on various charges from
different areas in the city and nine upazilas of the
district on Monday.
Police sources said, of them 10 were rounded up from
different areas in the metropolis while 16 others from
nine upazilas of the district.
Police arrested the drug-peddler identified as Zobdul
Ahmed, 25, son of Abdus Salam of Chalk Jamira village
under Puthiya upazila of the district, with 40 bottles of
phensidyl and one kilogram of ganja during a raid at
Belpukur crossing under the same upazila red-handed.
After recording separate cases in these connections the
arrested persons and the seized goods were sent to the
court.
Traffic police lodged 31 cases under the motor vehicles
ordinance and seized three motorbikes for either without
registration or having no valid documents during drives
against the non-registered motor vehicles and other
document related malpractices in different parts of the
city during the time.
On the other hand, local unit of RAB destroyed huge drug
items like 14,041 bottles and 24.7 liters of loose
phensidyl, 45 bottles of whisky, 43 liters of country-made
liquor, one kilogram of opium, 201 kilograms of ganja and
144 drug-injections at its camp premises.
1,572 more people held
UNB, Dhaka
Police arrested 1,572 people in separate drives across the
county in the last 24 hours ending at 6:00 am Tuesday.
During the countrywide drives, two pistols, two pipe guns,
three guns, one shutter guns and six LGs were also
recovered.
Meanwhile, 50 motor cycles were seized for not having
valid documents and 467 cases filed in this connection.
Woman's chopped body recovered
UNB, Dhaka
The slaughtered body of a woman was recovered from near
Police City College in Kafrul thana Tuesday.
Sources said the body of the unidentified woman was found
in a bag in the morning. On information, police recovered
the body and sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue
for autopsy.
Police said the woman might have been killed after rape at
any time Monday night.n
2 held, contraband seized
A Correspondent, Chouddagram
Police arrested two persons including a woman for drug
peddling on Monday and recovered huge contraband items,
sources said. Acting on a secret information, a team of
police raided Chowara bazar area in Chouddagram upazila
and seized 143 bottles of Indian phensidyl and arrested a
women, Laky Akhter, 24 and a drug seller Abdus Sattar, 50
of the area in this connection.
Meanwhile, police acting on secret information conducted
drives at Rajgong bazaar in Sadar Upazila at the same
night and recovered huge banned Indian items worth Tk.20
lakh. Police filed separate cases in the respective thanas.
36 sacks of rice recovered
BSS, Madaripur
Police recovered 36 sacks of rice meant for relief from
Gopalganj village under Rajoir upazila in the district on
Sunday.
Police said, acting on a tip-off, a team of Rajoir thana
police raided the houses of Vabatosh Sarker and Natbar
Sarker and recovered the rice. UNO of the upazila Moshiur
Rahman was present during the drive. A case was filed with
Rajoir thana in this connection.
10 held in Rajshahi
BSS, Rajshahi
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested 10
alleged criminals including nine drug-peddlers
and seized phensidyl, ganja and smuggled goods from
different areas of four northern districts on Monday.
Acting on secret information, the elite forces rounded up
the drug- peddlers including a female identified as Jobdul,
25, Suman, 20, Ripon, 19, Shakiluzzaman, 20, Abdul Alim,
20, Maleka Begum, 32, Suman Mian, 28, Nure Alam, 38, and
Ismail Hossain, 22, and seized 819 33 bottles of phensidyl
and 3.95 kilograms of ganja during separate raids to
different places in Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Joypurhat and
Rangpur districts.
Another RAB squad arrested a wanted criminal identified as
Ajmal Hossain alias Ziner Badsha, 45, from his resident at
Bishwanathpur village under Govindagonj upazila of
Gaibandha district.
They also seized 35 smuggled saree during a sudden drive
at Katakhali area under Motihar Police Station in the
city. However, none could be arrested in this connection.
After recording separate cases in these connections, the
arrested persons and the seized goods were handed over to
the concerned police stations.
One arrested with drugs
BSS, Comilla
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested one
person and seized 58 bottles of contraband ricodex syrup
from his possession from Thomson Bridge area in the
district town on Monday.
The arrested was identified as Mohammad Sabuj, 24, son of
Shamsul Alam od Chamilda village under Louhajang upazila
of Munshiganj district.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted
the drive at Tomson Bridge area and arrest Sabuj along
with 58 bottles of the drug worth about Taka 17,400.
A case was filed with Kotwali police station in this
connection.
Editorial
The State of Our Education
Clearly
there are three different orientations running parallel
through all four tiers – primary, secondary, tertiary and
higher – of our education system. The first of these is the
vernacular or Bangla medium which caters to the need for
education of the vast majority of the children of our country
from the primary to the higher level, from the villages to the
metropolitan cities. It is to this that the government directs
its main efforts through providing funding, direction and
control and yet it is the weakest of the three orientations.
Weaknesses are many, chief among which are endemic corruption
in the government structures controlling the system, a lack of
clear policy & direction, and lack of a formal structure for
setting and reviewing policies based on consensus of the major
stake holders such a educationists, teachers and government
officials. The outcome of these weaknesses are an unhappy
blend of poor teaching materials such as text books, poor
teachers in both intellectual and monetary sense and a
unsatisfactory, largely impractical education for our
children. It is therefore, self-evident that such a system
produces mass literacy of sorts but not education conducive to
creating a productive, pragmatic, tolerant and aware citizenry
so necessary for the continued prosperity and growth of our
society, nation and state.
The second of this orientation which also caters, to a large
extent, to the needs of the masses is religion-based education
through Madrashas. It is the dispossessed, the utterly poor,
the abandoned and certain section of the lower middle class
who are targeted by the Madrashas providing them with not only
education but also shelter. Madrasha education is neither very
pragmatic nor very attuned to the practical requirements of
life and living but it fulfills the important function of
“socializing” the most downtrodden portion of the population,
with a life long sense of belongingness and bonding to a
particular social group – functions which secular education is
demonstratively incapable of performing.
The third orientation is that of English medium which sees to
the education of the offsprings of the affluent and higher
income groups in major cities of the Country. Aligned and
attuned to western, that is, British & US modes of education,
this is perhaps the most rapidly growing sector of our
education right from the primary level to the higher
university level. Managed and operated like big business
enterprises, it is open to question how much and what
education those institutions provide to produce useful citizen
for our Nation attuned to the cultural and social proclivities
of our people.
From even a cursory study of these three orientations it
becomes clear that we are in fact dealing here with three
different cultural orientations with different out looks,
attitudes, beliefs, customs, traditions even language.
Therefore, instead of coalescing our society and ultimately
our nation, it is getting increasing fragmented into
culturally exclusive groups with little inter-group
commonality but considerable areas of discordance even
conflict between them. On the one side is the vast mass of the
population more or less oriented towards Bangaliness in
language and education; on the other is a small coterie with
western oriented language and education; in the middle is the
not inconsiderable number of people with Madrasha education.
Perhaps one of the major reason for our social and political
unrest is the lack of concordance in our education system, for
as we have seen, our education system has created and is now
reinforcing divisive trends in our society. Unless the society
and the government which regulates this society pays urgent
and immediate attention to our entire education system, the
troubles and tribulation of this society will reach a stage
where social and its attendant political conflict will become
“historically inevitable”.
Analysis
Independent Kosovo
The decision to shore up financial system was
considered since Global stock markets were hard hit last week
as a slew of U.S. economic data boosted recession fears.
Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
After
a long wait, Kosovo Albanians, predominantly Muslims, have
declared themselves a sovereign nation on 17 February,
mounting a historic bid to become an “independent and
democratic state”. The move has been backed by the U.S. and
key European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia and
Russia. Kosovo’s freedom ends a long chapter in the bloody
breakup of Yugoslavia. Kosovo is the 6th state carved out from
the Serb-dominated federation since 1991, after Slovenia,
Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and the last to
escape Serbia’s embrace. In defiance of the Albanians and
their Western backers, Serbs want to keep their grip on
strongholds in northern Kosovo, making the ethnic partition of
the new state a reality from the start.
The declaration was carefully orchestrated with the U.S. and
key European powers, and Kosovo was counting on swift
international recognition that could come when EU foreign
ministers meet in Brussels, Belgium. Kosovo’s parliament
approved a declaration of independence from Serbia, backed by
the U.S. and European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia
and Russia. Kosovo has formally remained a part of Serbia even
though it has been administered by the U.N and NATO since
1999, when NATO air-strikes ended former Yugoslav leader
Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists.
Most Serbs fled Kosovo in 1999, fearing Albanian vengeance. Of
the 120,000 who stayed, about half live in the northern
enclave. But the rest are scattered in small, isolated and
vulnerable villages.
The Serbs, however, still vow never to give up the land where
their history goes back 1,000 years. Serbian President Boris
Tadic, as expected, immediately rejected the independence bid,
saying his country will never accept Kosovo’s “unilateral and
illegal” declaration. Reacting to the declaration, Serbian
President Tadic urged international organizations “to
immediately annul this act, which violates the basic
principles of international law.” Kosovo’s independence
declaration violates Serbia’s sovereignty and the U.N. Charter
and threatens “the escalation of tension and ethnic violence
in the region, a new conflict in the Balkans,” the ministry
said in a statement. It warned other nations against
“supporting separatism” by recognizing Kosovo. Russia backed
Serbia in its battle with “terrorists” and “separatists”, an
expression in vogue for quite some time.
“The influence of Belgrade has ended,” Kosovo Prime Minister
Hashim Thaci said. Hashim Thaci pledged that the new nation
would be a democratic, multiethnic state. He attempts to reach
out to Serbs who consider Kosovo the cradle of their medieval
culture and religion. But he also had stern words for the
Serbian government, which last week declared secession illegal
and invalid, saying in the Serbian language: “Kosovo will
never be ruled by Belgrade again. The success of Kosovo’s
independence as a new beginning will be clearly measured by
respect for the rights of minorities, especially Serbs,” the
former guerrilla promised.
Serbia promised reprisals but kept them secret. Some analysts
believe any trade, diplomatic or bureaucratic blockade will be
relatively short-lived. But they say impoverished Kosovo,
whose population of 2 million is Europe’s youngest, will need
a lot of development aid and on-the-spot guidance for years to
come.
Meanwhile, Russia denounced Kosovo’s declaration of
independence from its ally Serbia on Sunday and called for an
emergency meeting of the U.N Security Council. Kosovo’s
independence declaration violates Serbia’s sovereignty and the
U.N. Charter and threatens “the escalation of tension and
ethnic violence in the region, a new conflict in the Balkans,”
the ministry said in a statement. It warned other nations
against “supporting separatism” by recognizing Kosovo.
Russia has stressed its opposition to any decision on Kosovo’s
status that is not accepted by Serbia. It has warned that
recognition of Kosovo by the United States and other nations
would encourage “separatists” in the former Soviet Union,
across Europe and around the world. Moscow, facing
independence move from a few republics, including Chechnya,
termed Kosovo’s declaration an “illegitimate act” since Russia
supports what he called Serbia’s pledges to struggle in a
constructive way to keep its borders intact. The Kremlin wants
to adhere to all possible international mechanisms, and first
of all the United Nations and its Security Council would be
called upon to address the issue. Russia has stressed its
opposition to any decision on Kosovo’s status that is not
accepted by Serbia. It has warned that recognition of Kosovo
by the United States and other nations would encourage
separatists in the former Soviet Union, across Europe and
around the world. The Foreign Ministry said Russia supports
Serbia’s “just demands to restore the country’s territorial
integrity” and wants the Security Council to renew efforts to
reach a settlement on the issue of Kosovo’s status. However,
Russia, busy with its presidential poll, has too little time
now to concentrate on this issue.
Security of Albanians against Serbs should be the top priority
of the UN now. The European Union will deploy a rule-of-law
mission of some 2,000 starting next month to take over from
the United Nations. A NATO-led peace force of 16,000 troops
will stay on. Establishing their writ in Serb-dominated land
north of the Ibar River will be their toughest challenge.
Serbia says the EU mission is illegitimate because it has no
U.N. mandate, and its major ally Russia backs that position.
Western powers are also nervously watching for any Kosovo
fallout in ethnically divided Bosnia, where some Serbs
threaten to secede, breaking up their uneasy partnership with
Muslims and Croats in what would be yet another Balkan
fragmentation. The commander of NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo,
French Lieutenant-General Xavier de Marnhac, said his troops
“will react and oppose any provocation that may happen during
these days, whether from the Albanian or the Serb side.”
Ten years ago, Serb forces fought an Albanian guerrilla
uprising, killing civilians who got in the way. Major Western
powers were calling for talks. Determined to end a decade of
humiliation from Belgrade under the late autocrat Slobodan
Milosevic, the Albanians fought on until the West, unable to
sit powerless after other Balkan bloodbaths, bombed Serbia
into submission in 1999. Kosovo has been run by the United
Nations since Serb forces withdrew in June that year. Promised
recognition by the United States and major European Union
powers, Kosovo’s 90 percent Albanian majority can now ignore
Serb warnings.
Kosovo’s independence would undeniably encourage freedom move
by similar nations across the globe and the countries,
required to grant independence to the demanding nation/s from
within, would see reason to comply with international justice
to all freedom loving peoples demanding independence.
Genocides and oppressive methods are not suited for all ages
and people do gain independence in due course. It is but
natural that oppressed nations seeking to become free and
self-supportive strive for freedom and independence form their
occupiers. Earlier the better! United Nations has a proactive
role to play in the ongoing tussle between Albanians and Serbs
so that Kosovo could join EU, UN and otherworld bodies
quickly.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research scholar, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal University, Delhi 110067)
Opinion
Pricing public transit: learning from Bangkok
Yasmin Chowdhury
When
I first visited Bangkok in 1994, I got around the city mostly
by bus. The buses were slow, the streets congested, and I soon
learned that I could only make one plan for the morning and
one for the afternoon, as it might take a couple hours to move
about.
Then the city started to build their skytrain. I waited with
great anticipation for its completion. It seemed to require a
lot more time and a lot more money (OK, just two years of
delay and three times over budget) than originally
anticipated, and the fares are admittedly quite high, but it
was finally built-if never finished. (I saw an article in a
Thai newspaper about people very upset that the planned line
to their area had never been built; meanwhile, the pilings
leading to the now domestic-only airport have been converted
into advertising posts.)
To be quite honest, I love the skytrain. Sure, the cement
structure looming overhead is ugly. Sure, most of the stations
lack escalators, making them inaccessible to those in
wheelchairs, and exceedingly difficult for those lugging heavy
bags or luggage. Sure, the two lines only cover a very limited
portion of Bangkok. Sure, it's expensive. Sure, despite all
the hassles, the trains are often packed. Sure, the stations
are congested and I sometimes have to push through people to
reach my train. But at least I can see a little of the city
while I travel, and I can now get around to the stops on the
line quickly, allowing myself to visit far more places in a
day.
Though the skytrain certainly makes moving around the city
much easier (if you can afford it), it obviously didn't
alleviate the congestion, as the government then opened a very
limited subway system. The first time I tried to ride it,
about a year after it opened, it was closed for two weeks due
to an accident. I finally rode it a couple years after that,
and discovered that it cost about US$0.50 to ride what it
would take me ten minutes to walk. That seemed outrageous, and
I don't love riding up and down long escalators and traveling
in tunnels. Since the Metro doesn't seem to go much beyond the
skytrain, I stick to the skytrain.
But now, after spending billions of dollars on those mass
transit systems, and despite having an existing extensive bus
system, and more roads than most Asian cities of their level
of economic development, the government is now planning bus
rapid transit-a bit like a street-level trolley, but with
buses instead of trams. Of course, that too is delayed-but the
cost is a fraction of that for the skytrain and Metro.
A more careful look at those costs reveals something
interesting and of considerable relevance as Dhaka plans its
public transit system. According to various Web sites, the
skytrain, which opened in 1999, cost about US$1.5 billion for
24 kilometers. That amounts to US$62.5 million per kilometer.
Of course, things were cheaper back then.
Construction of the Metro began back in 1996, but it wasn't
finished until 2004. According to Wikipedia, "The project
suffered multiple delays not only because of the 1997 economic
crisis, but also due to challenging civil engineering works of
constructing massive underground structures deep in the
water-logged soil upon which the city is built." Interesting.
Fortunately we don't have those troubles in Dhaka (ahem!).
As for cost, the Metro cost a mere US$ 2.75 billion for 21 km,
or US$130.95 million per kilometer-just over twice that of the
skytrain. Apparently burrowing underground, dealing with
flooding issues, providing ventilation, and so on is much more
expensive than building above our heads. Meanwhile, again
quoting Wikipedia, "ridership has settled down to around
180,000 riders daily - considerably lower than projections of
over 400,000, despite fares being slashed in half from 12-38
baht to 10-15 baht per trip. As of 2006, fares range between
14-36 baht per trip." With an exchange rate as I write of 32
baht to one US dollar, that's a mighty high fare. Good thing
Bangladeshis are wealthier than Thais (??).
Meanwhile, the anticipated cost for the BRT is 33.4 million
for 36 kilometers. Admittedly, anticipated costs are often far
less than actual costs, but still, at US$0.93 million per
kilometer, that's a bargain compared to the Metro or the
skytrain-even more so when considering it's being built last,
when prices are highest. At 67 times less than the skytrain
and 141 times less than the Metro, even with significant cost
increases, it will still be far more affordable than its
public transit predecessors.
Of course, operational costs are another issue. Buses require
fuel, trains electricity. Buses tend to require more
maintenance, tires wear down frequently, and buses have to be
replaced far more often than trains. While it is cheaper to
build a BRT system initially, the higher operational costs
might mean that, in the long term, a tram system would be more
affordable-tram meaning street-level light rail, not something
up in the sky or underground, which greatly multiplies the
costs.
Which is all to say, I'm all for public transit. So,
apparently, are Thais: last I checked, hotels and housing
advertise their proximity to the various public transit
options. Apparently people are sick and tired of sitting in
cars stuck in traffic jams. In public transit, you can sit
back and read a book while you ride, look out the window
(preferably not at tunnels), eavesdrop on your neighbor's
conversation, and otherwise amuse yourself without risking
crashing into someone once the traffic moves again.
But when considering spending millions or billions on public
transit, it would make sense to invest it wisely, in a system
that will be the most extensive and least expensive, and thus
offer the best value for the money. At 141 times per kilometer
less to build BRT than Metro, we could both have a far more
extensive system, meeting far more people's needs, and lower
fares. Sounds like a bargain to me!
(Contact: E-mail: shovan1209@yahoo.com)
Viewpoints
‘Hatikva’ in Arabic?
The
100-year-old “Hatikva” is no longer just the spiritual anthem
of the Jews. It is the national anthem of Israel—and Israel
today includes over one million Arab citizens.
Gadi BenMark
NEW
YORK—”Hatikva,” Israel’s national anthem, is about to have a
bumper year with the country’s upcoming 60th anniversary
celebrations—and if Israel is lucky, with the 2008 Summer
Olympics as well. For Jews anywhere, singing “Hatikva” fills
our hearts with pride and emotion. However, the 100-year-old
“Hatikva” is no longer just the spiritual anthem of the Jews.
It is the national anthem of Israel—and Israel today includes
over one million Arab citizens.
“Hatikva,” as is, has been a problem for Israel’s Arab
citizens. When the Israeli national soccer team competes
overseas and “Hatikva” is played, Arab Israeli players who are
representing Israel stand silent. Israeli television cameras
zoom in on those silent lips, highlighting a problem that
resurfaces daily with school choirs, ribbon-cutting
ceremonies, sporting events, and official visits. Can we
possibly imagine an Arab citizen, however loyal and dedicated
to Israel, singing with pride and joy the words “as long as
deep in the heart a Jewish soul beats” and “our 2,000-year-old
hopes of being a free nation in our land?”
Israel should not change “Hatikva.” The words carry deep
meaning, boast a rich history, and stir emotion. What we can
do is learn from the experience of Canada. Like Israel, Canada
is also home to at least two significant groups, the English
and the French, with two official languages and lots of
historical baggage.
“O Canada,” the Canadian national anthem, was originally
written in French in the nineteenth century, as a
French-Canadian song. The French lyrics start with “O Canada,
land of our forefathers” and continue with “your hand that
knows how to carry the sword can also carry the cross.” The
cross here is evoked as a Catholic symbol of peace for French
Canadians, whose forefathers settled New France in the
seventeenth century.
When “O Canada” became a popular anthem across Canada, the
original text did not suit English-speaking Canadians. Not
only were the lyrics in French, but these English-speaking
Canadians were descendants of recent immigrants, many of whom
were not Catholic or even Christian. So, how did Canada handle
this challenge?
First, there was a simple translation of the French lyrics
into English, but that did not get very far, for obvious
reasons. New anthems in English were written over the years.
Finally, in 1980, 100 years after the anthem was first written
in French, an English version gained popularity and was
legislated as the official version in the National Anthem Act.
Today’s “O Canada” in English is not a translation of the
French. It is an “all Canadian” song that any Canadian,
regardless of ethnic origin or religious conviction, can
proudly sing. It talks about “true patriot love in all thy
sons command.” There are no “forefathers” and no “cross” to be
found.
It seems to be working quite well. When Canadian hockey teams
play in the United States, games always begin with “O Canada.”
The English-speaking Canadians sing in English, the
French-speaking Canadians sing in French. Anybody can sing
either of the two official versions or even mix them. Many
Canadians today are not aware of the history of their national
anthem, nor do they feel a need to look up the lyrics in the
“other language.” Twenty-eight years later, it has become a
non-issue.
By comparison, our “Hatikva” is currently written in only one
of Israel’s two official languages and features lyrics that
suits only one part of Israel’s citizenry, the Jews. As in
Canada, it would be unrealistic to expect a single text in a
single language to express the hopes of all citizens in an
ethnically and religiously diverse country. Moreover, many
would argue that the division between English and French
speakers in Canada does not run quite as deep as the division
between Jews and Arabs in Israel. “Hatikva” is ingrained and
entrenched and it makes no sense to translate those words into
Arabic. But just as all Canadians share the music of “O
Canada,” all Israelis can share the music of “Hatikva.” The
music is the bridge that unites.
The original version, with Hebrew lyrics, remains unaltered.
For the Arabic lyrics, Israel can commission a contest among
Arabic speakers and poets. The mission would be to put
together text to which any Israeli citizen who speaks Arabic
can relate. This is a tall order. On one hand, “Hatikva’s”
music, in a minor key, lends itself to lyrics in Arabic, and
these lyrics can express hope. It can be called “Al Amal,” the
hope, thus carrying the same meaning as “Hatikva,” yet this
hope needs to be “universal Israeli.” If “Al Amal” is to throw
all the Jews into the sea, it is unlikely to resonate well
with Arabic-speaking Jews. It needs to be an anthem of hope,
an anthem that any Israeli citizen can sing in Arabic, whether
they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim, for as long as they can
sing—and best of all if they just received an Olympic gold
medal.
(Gadi BenMark is a Canadian-Israeli lawyer who works in
telecom. Source: Ha’aretz, 02 January 2008. Copyright
permission is granted for publication.)
Pakistan: Task before new policymakers
In sum, as a new political
order is ushered in Pakistan, there is a good deal of work to
be done. One can only hope for the country's sake that the new
policymakers will be up to the task.
Shahid
Javed Burki
BY
the time readers see this in print, the elections would have
been held and a relatively new political order would have
begun to take shape.
Some new and some old policymakers will be heading towards
Islamabad and the provincial capitals to begin to work to
fulfil the promise they made during the election campaign.
Whether they arrive in these capitals riding a tiger, or
perched atop a bicycle or carrying an arrow to unleash from
their bow, they will have to address one issue - or perhaps
two issues. The first one will be to take care of the economic
problems the people confront today. There are severe shortages
of several items of daily use and consumption including wheat,
gas and electricity. Shortages always mean that higher prices
and a rise in inflation hit the poor harder than the
well-to-do.
Then there are medium- and long-term problems. These can be
divided further into two categories.
One, the loss of confidence by the people in the state's
ability to provide them with what they need the most: a sense
of security, the working of a judicial system and a legal
system that helps them to resolve their disputes.
The second perceived function of the state is to deliver
economic growth which is high enough and robust enough to be
sustained over a period of time. Without growth at a
significant rate, the poor will remain poor. It was the claim
of the government that governed for almost five years (2002 to
2007) that it had managed to do that - to place Pakistan on
the trajectory of high and sustainable growth.
Some of us argued that that had not happened. But the point of
today's article is not to suggest that 'we were right'. No
purpose would be served by repeating the arguments and
counter-arguments that were then made. The issue now is what
can - or should - the policymakers do to help the country's
economy and to improve the economic situation of its
citizenry. This is where the economic theory of 'catch-up'
becomes relevant.
Several economists - some old and departed, others still
working in the field - have developed different theories of
'catch-up' to study what the economies that have been left
behind can do to catch up with those that have gone ahead.
Pakistan today belongs to the second group of countries that
have fallen behind. Some have fallen behind a greater deal - a
group of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa about which the
economist Paul Collier wrote at some length recently.
Some have missed a few steps and could speed up and come
abreast with those who have advanced. Pakistan, I strongly
believe, belongs to this category. The right set of public
policies can get this country, if not immediately, to gallop
then at least off to a brisk trot. For that to happen, the
policymakers taking positions now or getting ready to that
will need to do four things.
They must closely study the global economic system and how it
has changed over the last couple of decades and how it is
changing today. The reason for doing this is to see what
opportunities exist today for a country in Pakistan's
situation. This would be the second part of the exercise. We
must recognise that the international economic system helped
countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore
and Malaysia to become 'miracle economies' of their day.
That system no longer exists. The world of today is very
different from the world of that day when it accommodated
those miracle economies. In fact, the opportunities that
propelled China into becoming an economic powerhouse and, a
few years later, helped India to create a major presence for
itself on the international economic scene are also gone.
Pakistan will have to seek new areas in order to advance.
When the new policymakers in Pakistan's various capitals begin
to view and really understand the world they will begin to
notice at least three things that are different from the way
the world was structured a few years or a couple of decades
ago. The new industrial production is no longer made up of a
few companies located in a few countries producing a few
finished products that travelled the globe satisfying various
demands.
UNIDO and UNCTAD tell us that there are now some 8,000 to
10,000 multinational companies operating both inside the
countries in which they are headquartered and outside the
borders of these countries. They produce as well as trade.
Apple Computer, for instance, invented the technology for its
highly popular iPod and iPhone and then passed it on to its
producers in China. The Chinese bought from the outside scores
of components that go into the making of these products.
The components come from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia even
from the United States. Using all these components, the
Chinese manufacture the final product most of which is shipped
to the United States to be marketed by Apple's own stores.
What is true for Apple's iPod and iPhone is also true for
thousands of other products that are imported for consumers
all over the world. Cars, motorbikes, refrigerators,
air-conditioners, and many other things are made that way. The
trick for the Pakistani policymakers is to study the
institutional system of industrial production, identify some
niches for its industry that would help it to become a part of
the global supply chain, and then incentivise the producers to
take advantage of the opportunities that are still available.
The global trading system - another part of the new world
economy - has also changed in many significant ways. Tariffs
are way down but other obstacles to trade have materialised.
These include health requirements that must be met by the
producers of processed food, pharmaceuticals, toys and
clothes. Countries producing these items must not employ child
labour, the women working in the factories have to be treated
in certain specified ways.
States wishing to build their export industries - surely
Pakistan is one of them - must abide by these well-defined
rules and standards. They have to set up regulatory bodies,
research institutions and laboratories that can put their
stamp of approval on the products that seek to enter the
international marketplace. This stamp of approval has to have
the acceptance of the countries that import.
The third change that has taken place in the world economy is
in the structure of international finance. The sources of
funds for countries in Pakistan's situation are no longer what
they used to be. It is no longer the governments, not even the
banks that now dominate the field. It is now institutions such
as private equity funds, hedge funds and now sovereign funds
that have become mighty players.
The diaspora communities have also become important providers
of finance. What are they looking for and what can they find
in Pakistan are the sort of questions to which the new
policymakers will have to find the answers and do so quickly.
In sum, as a new political order is ushered in Pakistan, there
is a good deal of work to be done. One can only hope for the
country's sake that the new policymakers will be up to the
task.
Source: www.dawn.com
No Ban on Bangladeshis, but Recruitment Drops
The Saudi media consistently blames Bangladeshis for many or
even most of the crimes in the Kingdom, especially organized
crime.
Razan Baker
JEDDAH
- While reports that a ban on Bangladeshi recruitment turned out
to be false, this hasn't stopped recruitment offices in Jeddah
from believing there's such a ban in effect.
"We saw it everywhere in the newspapers so we stopped
recruitment from Bangladesh," said an employee at the Al-Khibrah
Al-Tawelah recruitment office in Jeddah.
"Many Bangladeshis work for a few months and then run away," he
said, citing reasons for the decision.
"We don't want any more problems; as soon as we heard the news
of the ban we just followed it," said an employee in another
recruitment office.
The news of the ban on recruiting Bangladeshis was printed in
the local press on Feb. 11. Arab News spent two days trying to
contact an official at the Ministry of Labor who is willing to
address this issue. Eventually a person, who didn't provide his
name, confirmed that there is no ban as reported by the media,
but that recruitment of Bangladeshis is declining.
"It is impossible to ban recruiting Bangladeshis all at once,
but it is true that their number is decreasing," he said.
The Saudi media consistently blames Bangladeshis for many or
even most of the crimes in the Kingdom, especially organized
crime.
However, since Saudi security officials do not issue incident
reports in a manner that would allow for such analysis by the
media, the statistical details of criminal activity is based
mostly on newspaper reports and columns.
Nevertheless, numerous reported incidences of criminal activity
committed by Bangladeshis has caused a public outcry and calls
for their deportation from the country.
Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said no such ban was in place,
but alluded to country quotas as one of the reasons for reduced
recruitment.
Kuwait instituted a ban on Bangladeshi recruitment last year,
citing crime committed by them. "We look forward to the day when
we get to celebrate the departure of the last Bangladeshi here
similar to what happened in Kuwait," said Khalid Ibrahim, a
Saudi teacher.
"We could then say with a big relief goodbye to pornography and
alcohol, to our maid stealers, to the rapists of our children,
to the counterfeiters of governmental documents," said another
40-year-old Saudi government employee.
Saudi authorities are still issuing visas to recruit
professionals and workers from Bangladesh, according to S.M.
Haroon, the Bangladeshi labor counselor in Riyadh.
"To our knowledge several Saudi delegations are still in
Bangladesh to recruit manpower," he added.
Though some were pleased with the presumed ban, others had a
different view regarding the attitude taken against the
Bangladeshis.
"Bangladeshis may account for the highest number of recorded
crimes in the Kingdom, but it doesn't mean that all Bangladeshis
here are criminals," said Hussain Al-Ahmad, a bank employee in
his 30s.
"It is unfair that some Saudis take a negative attitude and
refuse to buy anything from a store that has a Bangladeshi
working in it. It is just too much and this on its own may lead
these foreigners to behave in an erratic way," he added.
Source: www. www.arabnews.com
International
Islamists face
heavy losses in Pakistan vote: State TV
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan's main alliance of Islamist
parties faced heavy losses Tuesday, early election results
showed, five years after winning control of a key province
bordering Afghanistan.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance was the third-largest
grouping in the previous national parliament with 50
seats.
But they had won just two seats out of 158 counted in
unofficial early results announced by state run television
Tuesday, the day after crucial parliamentary elections
across Pakistan.
Formed in 2002, the alliance won control of the volatile
North West Frontier Province on the back of fierce anti-US
sentiment after US-led troops overthrew the hardline
Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.
Their success in 2002 elections had raised international
fears about a growing influence of hardline Islam in
politics in nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Residents in the provincial capital Peshawar welcomed the
setback for the mullahs on Tuesday with gunfire and street
celebrations.
In one constituency, up to 4,000 people gathered early to
celebrate the victory of Arbab Alamgir Khan, from the
party of Benazir Bhutto who was slain in a gun and suicide
attack in December, an AFP reporter witnessed. They fired
volleys of celebratory gunfire into the air and drove
around in open trucks shouting, "Long live Bhutto!"
"These people did nothing for us during their five-year
tenure and just strengthened the hands of Islamists and
those supporting militancy," said Raees Zaidi, who runs a
property business.
"People believe that there should be moderate and
progressive parties to lead them in a right direction and
steer the province out of the turmoil caused by the MMA."
Ifran Jan, an auto-rickshaw mechanic, called the mullahs
"religious fanatics" and said a vote for them would be
wasted.
"These mullahs made our lives miserable," said Jan, his
hands stained with engine oil.
"They showed us dreams of a prosperous NWFP but left us at
the mercy of militants. This situation was simply
unacceptable."
A senior government official said the results showed "a
clear verdict by the people against those who use religion
as a tool to gain political clout."
According to the unofficial results, alliance leader
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a firebrand pro-Taliban cleric, was
defeated in his home town of Dera Ismail Khan, the
constituency he previously held. The cleric, opposition
leader in the previous provincial assembly, won another
seat in neighbouring Bannu district, according to state
television.
Under national election laws, a candidate can contest a
number of seats but may only hold one.
The alliance split before the elections after one major
party, Jamaat-e-Islami, announced a boycott, leaving only
Rehman's Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) to take part.
Musharraf’s allies face defeat in Pakistan vote
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's allies on Tuesday
faced a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections that
placed the key US ally's political survival in doubt,
according to early unofficial results and analysts.
Opposition supporters took to the streets chanting the
names of former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and the slain
Benazir Bhutto early Tuesday as early counting showed
their parties sweeping the board.
The polls were the final step on the nuclear-armed
nation's path to civilian democracy after eight years of
turbulent military rule by the increasingly unpopular
Musharraf.
"The voters have delivered their verdict, and as democrats
we accept their verdict," said Tariq Azeem, a spokesman
for the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), which backed
Musharraf throughout the last parliament.
Early results appeared to dispel opposition fears that the
polls would be massively rigged.
Results showed a "big gain" for Sharif and Bhutto's
parties, Azeem told AFP, adding: "If the results are
confirmed we will play the part of the opposition as
effectively as we can."
High-profile victims who lost their seats included party
president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and almost all of
Musharraf's former cabinet, including close presidential
ally Sheikh Rashid.
"The results are shocking," a party official said on
condition of anonymity.
State television said that with 158 out of 272
constituencies counted, Sharif's faction of the Pakistan
Muslim League had 57 seats, the PPP had 54 and the PML-Q
had 21, with smaller parties and independents taking the
rest.
Full details are not expected until late Tuesday or early
Wednesday.
Musharraf will become a powerless leader at best-and could
lose his job-if the trends were confirmed, analysts said.
After casting his ballot, Musharraf said he would accept
the outcome.
"The result will be the voice of the nation and whosoever
wins we should accept it-that includes myself," he told
state television.
Turnout was estimated at more than 40 percent of
Pakistan's 81 million eligible voters, election commission
secretary Kanwar Dilshad said, indicating similar turnout
to previous elections in 1997 and 2002.
US-Islamic forum in Gulf backs Obama
AFP, Doha
Delegates
at a US-Islamic forum voiced support on Monday for US
presidential hopeful Barack Obama, although some warned
against expecting any radical policy change irrespective
of who captures the White House.
Obama, who is vying to become the first black president of
the United States, won overwhelming support in a mock
election by more than 200 American and Muslim delegates at
the US-Islamic World Forum in the Qatari capital.
His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and Republican
candidates won only a handful of votes.
Around 280 public figures and academics from 32 countries,
including Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the US
ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad,
attended the fifth edition of the forum due to end in the
gas-rich Gulf state later Monday.
Many Muslim delegates said they hoped to see Obama win the
Democratic nomination and go on to be elected next
November to succeed US President George W. Bush.
"I would like to see Obama become president of America
because he champions 'change and hope', which we Muslims
need as much as the Americans do," Islamic television
preacher Amr Khaled told AFP.
Khaled told the forum that he speaks "on behalf of
millions of Muslim youth who seek work, respect and
freedom," and urged the next US administration to "solve
the political problems in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan,
and not to mix between Muslims and extremists."
"The Indonesian people would love to see a (US) president
who has studied at an elementary school in Jakarta," Din
Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia's
largest Islamic organisations, told AFP in a reference to
Obama.
But Dhiya Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on terrorist groups,
warned that US policy under the next president would be "a
continuation of current policies, though in a less extreme
way than the conservative Republican administration".
The Bush administration has "planted landmines everywhere"
for its successor, making it impossible for the next
president to suddenly reverse course, Rashwan said.
One example is the arms deals concluded by the Bush
administration "to counter Iran and terrorism ... The arms
industry will not give up these deals under any
circumstances," he said.
Israel still not easing West Bank conditions: EU envoy
AFP, Jerusalem
The EU envoy to Israel
criticised it on Monday for still failing to ease
conditions in the occupied West Bank, saying it should
have more confidence in the Palestinian Authority.
"The European Union feels uneasy over Israel's actions in
the West Bank," Ramiro Cibrian told reporters in
Jerusalem.
Palestinian prime minister "Salam Fayyad is an
extraordinary counterpart but there is no softening of
measures implemented by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) in
the West Bank.
"We would like to see the Israeli authorities at least
start to think on how to remove some restrictions in the
West Bank and to establish some kind of links with the
improved Palestinian Authority."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed Fayyad, a
former World Bank economist well-regarded in the West, to
head his Ramallah-based government after the Islamist
Hamas movement drove his forces from Gaza in June.
Since then Abbas and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
have revived peace talks under a 2003 agreement that calls
on Israel to dismantle settlements and for Palestinians to
improve security in the territories.
Israel has not withdrawn from any West Bank settlements
since the talks were relaunched in November, but the
Palestinian Authority has |