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Leading
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City transport-anarchy
Sheikh Didarul Islam
An anarchic situation has
been prevailing in the city transport sector for long,
causing endless suffering to the passengers. The city bus
and mini bus owners in the capital do not abide by any
rules regarding bus fare at all, resulting in unpleasant
incidents between the transport workers and the passengers
on board every day. Such incidents sometimes cause
momentary disruptions to city transportation services
creating unbearable traffic congestion. Hundreds of
thousands of city dwellers have been held hostage by the
city transport owners and workers for long as there is no
instance of exemplary punishment for collecting excess
fare from the passengers and harassment of the innocent
travellers.
Excess bus fare collection, incidents of altercation
between the transport workers and passengers and
humiliating the travellers take place everyday in the
city. Almost all the transport workers collect excess
fare, defying the city bus fare rate fixed by the
government.
Private city bus and mini-bus companies now have a
monopoly on transport business as millions of city
dwellers have no option but to use the private-owned road
transportation. Besides, sufferings of the city dwellers
have increased to a large extent as there is no adequate
number of city transport.
There are about 4,000 buses and mini buses in the city.
Among the owners of these city transports, around 1,500
bus owners have route permits from the Bangladesh Road
Transport Authority (BRTA) with the pledge of launching
new, modern and comfortable vehicles in order to provide
better service to the people. But these buses are not
suitable for carrying passengers as the owners have not
complied with their promise to run new transports. The CNG-run
transport workers collect excess fare from the passengers
than that of the diesel-run vehicles. Per cubic meters CNG
is selling at Taka 8.50 while per litre diesel is selling
at Taka 40 per litre. Of the 4,000 city vehicles, around
2,000 minibuses are run under the transport workers'
management. They run these vehicles by leasing them from
the bus owners.
Sources said, around 80 percent of the vehicles of the
town service are run on lease. At least 12,000 transport
workers are engaged in running these buses. Under the
terms of the lease, the workers have to pay between Taka
1,800 and Taka 2,200 as rent to the minibus owners
everyday. Some 12 transport workers, including drivers,
helpers and conductors, run each hired bus; of these, some
six workers work on alternate days. The City Transport
Owners Association has virtually no control over these
workers as only a small number of city buses are directly
run by the owners. So, the transport workers collect
excess bus fare.
Passenger-harassment has taken a serious turn on city's
the Gabtoli-Sayedabad route.
The passengers are compelled to pay Taka 2.00 as minimum
fare even for travelling less than half a kilometre.
Minibuses of the Balaka Paribahan charge Take 10.00 for
travelling from Tejgaon to Sayedabad on the
Tongi-Sayedabad route instead of Taka 6.00.
Operators of the Balaka service are also taking Taka 18
instead of Taka 10.
A director of Dhaka Paribahan, plying between Dhaka and
Gazipur, said they are compelled to take excess fare from
the passengers because of high maintenance cost though CNG
price is comparatively low. The Bangladesh Road Transport
Authority is responsible for fixing bus fare and issuing
transport licenses in this regard. But the government
office has apparently no control over the private
transport companies in the city.
Biman bleeds in
bureaucratic tangle
Rabiul Islam
Biman is yet to come out of
bureaucratic tangle although it has turned into a Public
Limited Company. Since inception of PLC the Biman board
has failed to take any concrete decision regarding a
viable route plan, procuring new generation aircraft and
appointing a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). On July 31,
2007, the national flag carrier was turned into a PLC with
a view to making it commercially viable and profitable.
Sources said an internecine conflict among board members
holds back the progress of Biman. A board member told The
Bangladesh Today that it requires an in-depth assessment
to take a firm decision on modernisation of the national
airlines. But some members of Biman board keep on hurrying
its meetings that the outcome turns zero, he added.
Officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism
said Shaikh Altaf Ali, who was secretary of the ministry,
was made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) because of a
conflict among board members. However, Shaikh Altaf Ali
was made OSD after an air agreement between Bangladesh and
India.
Boeing and Airbus, two aircraft companies, recently
presented proposals to sell and lease aircraft to Biman
board but the management is yet to come up with a firm
decision. Biman MD M A Momen told this correspondent that
nothing has been finalised relating to procuring aircraft
and appointing a CEO. Experts opine that bureaucrats, who
have no experience in civil aviation business, cannot take
quick and timely decision. They observe the fate of the
national carrier is rolling from bad to worse. Now Biman
Bangladesh Airlines has DC-10 (5), Air bus (3) and F-28
(4). Of these 12 aged aircraft, half remains out of order
most of the time. Biman operates to 20 international
destinations and 4 domestic destinations. Against this
backdrop, private airlines are launching operations to
capture the market. United Airways, Best Air and Aviana
Airways recently started operation alongside Biman
Bangladesh Airlines. Earlier, GMG Airlines was the only
private airline operating on domestic routes.
Bdnews24 adds: Biman Bangladesh Airlines is to decide by
March 15 the purchase of four aircraft from the US
aircraft giant Boeing as an Airbus offer did not
comparatively seem profitable to Bangladesh, a senior
Biman official said on Friday.
The Boeing offer remains valid until March 15.
Airbus was interested more in leasing than selling
aircraft, the official said.
On the other hand, the Boeing proposal included the option
of leasing aircraft to Biman until it delivered the planes
ordered, which certainly looked more reasonable and
affordable to Biman, the official said.
Biman managing director MA Momen told bdnews24.com: "The
Boeing proposal will lose its validity after March 15. The
authorities, therefore, must decide about the purchase
before that date."
Asked about Biman's preference as regards the two
proposals, Momen said, "We are treating both proposals
with due priority. We'll raise both Boeing and Airbus
proposals at the Biman board meeting. It's finally up to
the board of directors to decide on the purchase weighing
all pros and cons."
"It'll be difficult for Biman to stay in business if it
doesn't add new aircraft to its dwindling fleet."
Nation pays tribute to Ekushey martyrs
Bdnews24, Dhaka
President Iajuddin Ahmed was
the first to lay a wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar a
minute past on Wednesday midnight, commemorating the
sacrifices of Language Movement martyrs.
Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed followed suit. Next came
the members of the cabinet.
Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and deputy speaker Akhter Hamid
Siddiqui placed a wreath together, followed by Dhaka mayor
Sadek Hossain Khoka and delegates of the Diplomatic Corps
in Bangladesh. Dhaka University vice-chancellor SMA Faiz
also placed a wreath. The president and the chief adviser
paid tribute in separate messages on the occasion, calling
for broader unity among people.
"February 21, 1952, is a historic and significant day in
our national life. I pay deep tribute to the Ekushey
martyrs and pray for the salvation of the souls of those
who sacrificed their lives in the Language Movement,"
Iajuddin said. Fakhruddin, in his message, urged all to
build national unity by rising above partisan attitudes
and differences of opinion.
"On the occasion of glorious Shaheed Day and International
Mother Language Day, I extend good wishes to all Bangla-speaking
people throughout the world including my countrymen," said
the chief adviser.
Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman in a message
on the eve of Amar Ekushey said: "In 1952, the martyrs
established the mother language by sacrificing their
lives."
"As a result of their sacrifices, 188 countries now
commemorate February 21 as International Mother Language
Day. The glory belongs to the language, literature and
culture of the Bangalis."
BNP reorganising
Taib Ahmed
The Khaleda-led loyalist camp in BNP is reorganizing the
party from UP committee up to district committee aiming at
preparing itself to face any hurdle in the coming days.
According to party insiders, there might be a move from
the government and its backers' side not to allow BNP to
take part in the next general election and there might be
another move to send Begum Khaleda Zia into exile again.
"The way the government as well as the Election Commission
is behaving with us, we cannot rely on it and we know it
as well that Begum Khaleda Zia would not be set free until
and unless we wage a mass movement," a senior loyalist
closed to Khandoker Delwar Hossain told The Bangladesh
Today. "As there is a ban on the political activities in
place across the country, we are taking necessary
preparations to strengthen the party."
Even BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain at a
discussion meeting to mark the Amar Ekushey on Thursday
warned the government against holding any 'staged'
election saying, "the people would not accept such
election."
"No election without the participation of Begum Khaleda
Zia and her BNP would be acceptable to the people of the
country," Delwar said suggesting, "Do not go for such
election, which would ultimately bring about no good for
the country and its people." He was very much critical of
the state of emergency. He said, "I never visualized the
state of emergency to be continuing for a longer period as
is prevailing in Bangladesh." Besides, most of speakers at
the discussion meeting spoke of waging a movement even
amid the state of emergency to free Begum Khaleda Zia.
BD will not receive any fake artefacts
Staff Correspondent
"We will not receive any fake or faulty artefacts which
are scheduled to be brought back to Dhaka from France
tomorrow, Saturday," Shamoresh Chandra Pal, Director
General of National Museum told reporters.
42 Bangladeshi artefacts were sent on December 1, 2007 for
an exhibition in Guimet Museum in Paris.
According to sources, the Air France, a cargo plane, is
scheduled to reach Zia International Airport (ZIA) at
about 5 am today. Shamoresh Chandra Pal, Director General
of National Museum, said a high-powered committee
comprising 18 members led by Cultural Affairs Adviser
Rasheda K Chowdhury has been formed to ensure safe return
of the artefacts. The cartons will be opened in presence
of the members of different law enforcing agencies,
customs officials and officials of the Cultural Affairs
Ministry. Later, the artefacts will be sent to the
National Museum. The Cultural Affairs Adviser, Secretary
and other officials are scheduled to visit ZIA on Friday
night, according to sources.
Huge contingent of law enforcers were deployed in and
around the airport area and they are keeping close watch
on the different strategic points, emigration sources
said. Representative of the National Museum, the
Department of Archeology and Barendra Museum, along with
the artefacts, will return by the same aircraft. Ignoring
the stay order of high court earlier, the second
consignment of 145 artefacts packed in 13 cartons were
ready for dispatch to Paris for an exhibition at the
Guimet Museum on December 21. But a carton went missing
from the ZIA. Soon after the incident, the government
stopped the second consignment.
Special Report
Earthquake-risk-Dhaka city
Firoz Mamun
A devastating catastrophe may take place in Dhaka as it
has been identified as earthquake prone city due to
geographical characteristic and indiscriminate and
unplanned construction of high-rise and multi-storied
buildings.
"Violating Bangladesh National Building Code around 95 per
cent to 98 per cent multi-storied buildings are being
constructed in the city. The buildings are not capable of
tolerating jolts of earthquake due to substandard design
and materials. On the other hand, unplanned digging of the
earth for multi-storied building is also creating a vacuum
intensifying the earthquake possibility," Director of
Bangla-desh Metrological Department Samarendra Karmakar
told The Bangladesh Today on Wednes-day. He suggested that
immediate initiatives be taken to identify and retrofit
vulnerable buildings in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and
other cities.
"If the earthquake shakes the capital and other
metropolitan cities severely, it will cause huge damage to
lives and properties as these buildings will not be able
stand the earthquake jolts," he added.
Talking to this correspondent MD Shadekul Alam, a
Meteorologist said although Bangladesh National Building
Code is providing guidelines for earthquake resistant
design of steel and concrete structure. "But it is a
matter of regret that our real estate developers and
individuals are not following the Bangladesh National
Building Code."
The Meteorologist further said due to lack of proper
enforcement, a large number of buildings which continue to
be designed and constructed, don't have sufficient
provision for seismic resistance. "If such catastrophe
strikes the capital, we would have nothing do as there are
no equipment for rescue operations", he added.
He said Bangladesh Meteorological Department is the
authorised Government organisation for all meteorological
activities in the country and it maintains a network of
surface and upper air observatories, radar and satellite
stations, agro-meteorological observatories, geomagnetic
and seismological observatories and meteorological
telecommunication system.
"But the modern world is yet to invent technology which
can forecast earthquakes in advance. So there is no way of
knowing an upcoming earthquake and alert people. We will
have to buildup awareness among the city dwellers about
the destructive capacity of earthquakes and how to take
protection against them", the experts said.
If a big earthquake occurs once, subsequently several
earthquakes of smaller magnitude follow it surrounding the
same epi-centre. So, it is necessary to measure the
magnitude of an earthquake. Although there is a seismic
survey station in Chittagong, the government is
constructing three new seismic survey stations with
sophisticated equipments like seismometers and
seismographs in Dhaka, Sylhet and Rangpur in a bid to
inform people of the extent and magnitude of earthquake.
M&H Telecom, Getco win ICX licences
Bdnews24, Dhaka
Thursday clinched two licences to install long-distance
telephony infrastructure, known as interconnection
exchanges.
The firms that beat 26 other competitors in a marathon
open bidding agreed to pay Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission 65.75 percent of their revenue
earnings. BTRC organised the auction at Radisson Water
Garden Hotel, which continued from 10:00am Wednesday to
8:30am Thursday.
ICXs carry phone calls from international gateways (IGWs)
to landline and mobile users. As the bidding ended, BTRC
chairman Manzurul Alam said: "A new era has just started
in the telecommunication sector through awarding IGW and
ICX licences. A level-playing field will be available to
all telecom operators from now."
The final call for bidding was answered by M&H Telecom,
offering a 65.75 percent share of revenues. Getco, the
second highest bidder, capped the race by increasing its
offer to equal 65.75 percent. The ICXs will be set up in
the private sector in addition to the existing ICX of
state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board.
Each of the two operators will be able to set up three
interconnection exchanges, according to the regulatory and
licensing guidelines. Two exchanges will be located in
Dhaka and one will be in Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and
Bogra each.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the BTRC sold three international
gateway licences to the private companies to carry
overseas calls in and out of Bangladesh, ending BTTB's
monopoly over internet telephony.
The commission invited bids in October 2007 for the ICX
licences from Bangladeshi enterprises under the
International Long Distance Telecommunication Services
Policy 2007, which bars the existing telecoms licence
holders and foreign firms from taking part in the bidding.
Wednesday's bidding took off with an offer to share 20
percent of total revenues with the BTRC.
The commission has also fixed Tk 5 crore in acquisition
fees for each exchange licence initially for 15 years. The
interconnection exchanges will have connections to
international gateways and all access network service
operators must interconnect through the exchanges.
Sloan barred from holding press conference
Bdnews24, Dhaka
Security officials on Friday barred international human
rights lawyer William Sloan from holding a press
conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, lawyers said.
Sloan, who was reportedly invited to Bangladesh by
detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's family, was
not allowed to come out of his room at Sonargaon Hotel.
The police, Ansars and officers in plainclothes did not
let journalists enter the hotel to cover the press
conference. Some officers on duty told bdnews24.com that
the "government had cancelled the press conference".
In instant reaction, Barrister Shafique Ahmed and advocate
Mannan Khan, counsels for Hasina, criticised the
"government decision" after they came out of the hotel.
But Atiqul Islam, deputy police commissioner for Ramna
zone, told bdnews24.com: "I know the press conference was
not held. But I don't know who did not let it happen."
Also, Ramna police chief Doulat Akbar said he was not
aware of any government decision.
Advocate Mannan Khan said Sloan came to Bangladesh to
observe the human-rights situation here. "But he was not
allowed to speak and it's the violation of his democratic
right."
Sloan was scheduled to leave Bangladesh on Saturday,
Hasina's lawyers said.
Back Page
Indo-Bangla Games
to strengthen friendship: Chief Adviser
BSS, Dhaka
Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin
Ahmed on Friday said the "Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games"
launched here yesterday would greatly help further
strengthen the friendship between Bangladesh and India.
"The Games will add a new chapter in the sports arena for
the participants of both the countries to achieve more
skills in different events, upholding the theme 'Sports
for friendship', he said while inaugurating the colourful
2nd Indo- Bangladesh Bangla Games-2008 at the Bangabandhu
National Stadium here.
President of Bangladesh Olympic Association and Army Chief
General Moeen U Ahmed and President of Bengal Olympic
Association (India) Paresh Nath Mukherjee also spoke on
the occasion. Asian Olympic Council Secretary Raja Randhir
Singh, among others, was present.
Advisers, Special Assistants to the Chief Adviser,
diplomats, high civil and military officials were also
present on the occasion.
As many as 500 athletes of Bangladesh and West Bengal of
India are participating in nine events of this
international sports competition to be played in different
venues of the country till February 27. Bangabandhu
National Stadium this evening wore a festive look with
claps and applause from the jam-packed spectators as well
as bursting of fireworks after the Games was formally
declared open.
Spectators in gallery repeatedly clapped when Bangladesh
Army paratroopers from the sky descend on the stadium
ground carrying national flags of the two countries.
Thousands of multi-coloured balloons were released to the
air while the sportsmen and women of both the countries
took oath and joined their respective march pasts,
followed by dances and songs performed by the Bangladeshi
artistes.
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said sports and games play a vital
role for sound health of the individuals and in ensuring
social development, nation-building and flourishing
civilization.
"Through sports and games, we can sow the seeds of good
health in social, state and international life," he said
and expressed his firm hope that the sports persons of
Bangladesh and India would come closer through this Games
and further strengthen the ties of friendship between the
two countries.
He expressed his optimism that the week-long Games of both
the neighbourly countries would greatly help the
participants of both Bangladesh and India to achieve more
success in the global sports arena.
Congratulating the organizers and sports persons of India
and Bangladesh for holding such a sports competition, the
Chief Adviser said the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games
started its journey today with a commitment of upholding
the ties of harmony, solidarity and friendship between the
two countries.
"Similar games are also being organized for the sports
persons of two Punjabs in India and Pakistan," he said
adding that the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games was
introduced in Kolkata last year under the initiatives of
Bangladesh Olympic Association and the Olympic officials
of West Bengal (India).
General Moeen U Ahmed said the Games would help further
strengthen socio-economic and cultural friendship between
Bangladesh and India. "Such efforts of improving relations
between the two neighbours would continue for the benefit
of both the peoples," he added.
Commercial banks likely
to cut lending rate
UNB, Dhaka
Commercial banks are heading towards reducing lending
rates to comply with the Bangladesh Bank's so-called "moralsuation"
(moral persuasion) in reducing the spread between lending
and deposit rates.
But the commercial banks would lock in a strong bargain
with the central bank to trade off the rate cut with tax
rate they pay to the national exchequer as well as other
policy rates.
"In all, the lending rates would have to be reduced,"
Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) chairman K Mahmud
Sattar told reporters, after a meeting with Bangladesh
Bank at its conference room on Wednesday.
Mahmud, who is the managing director of City Bank Limited,
said commercial banks raised their points of financial
risks of reducing the lending rates, but the Governor
discouraged them by saying, "so many logic can be raised."
Asked whether the central bank is in the process of
administering the rates, the leader of the commercial bank
CEOs hastened to say: "The central bank could have cut the
lending rates through issuing a simple order. But they are
holding discussion with the bankers."
He said the Governor also advised the banks on how they
could reduce administrative cost and improve their
operating efficiency to continue with the profit margin.
The bankers, however, sought central bank's intervention
to cut costs of the banks through reducing the tax on loan
provisioning, which is now taxable at 2 percent.
Mahmud said Bangladesh Bank has already requested the
National Board of Revenue (NBR) to reduce the rate of tax
on loan provisioning from 2 percent to one percent.
Asked whether they raised any other points to cut their
costs, including corporate income tax (now at 45 percent),
Mahmud said they would examine it later and come back to
the central bank with their proposal.
Bangladesh Bank on Monday invited Bangladesh Association
of Banks (BAB), a platform of bank directors, to submit
their proposals within 15 days to reduce the spread as
well as bank charges.
Outbreak
of avian influenza
People not to be panicked say experts
Staff Correspondent
People should not be
panicked with the outbreak avian influenza as it is not a
threat to the public health, the experts said at a seminar
on 'The ways to combat the challenges facing the poultry
industry." "There is need for growing awareness among the
panic stricken people about the effect of bird flu. If
people eat chicken and egg after properly cooking with
temperature of 70 degree Celsius, then it would not be a
threat to the public health" they said.
The experts said following the outbreak of avian bird flu,
country's hundreds of poultry farms are facing serious set
back as there is no national poultry bird policy.
"Directly and indirectly around fifty lakh people are
dependent on an estimated Taka 15,000-crore poultry
industry sector to meet the growing demand of chicken and
egg in the country. This set back happened exactly when
the poultry industry was on the verge of exports after
meeting local demands," expressing grave concern they
further said
However, while the concerned authorities have been taking
various effective measures to contain the bird flu at
different places of the country, panic is still gripping
the poultry farm owners and consumers. The country's
economy is already in recession, and the current bird flu
will worsen the situation further, multiplying the
miseries of the people, if the government fails to take
proper steps to bring the economy on the right track,
experts apprehended. "The owners of the poultry farms need
cash money to run their business. The government should
take steps immediately. The worst affected should be
identified first," they said.
Meanwhile, authorities have culled nearly thousands of
poultry birds as the bird flu has so far affected the
poultry industry in 43 of the 64 districts and eight
metropolitan cities since its outbreak was announced in
March last year, officials said. According to sources
northwestern Bangladesh and central Dhaka division were
the worst affected areas with 45 cases of bird flu
outbreaks reported each in the Rajshahi and Dhaka
divisions. The total number avian influenza outbreaks in
the past one-year in the country were 118, the sources
said.
Steps were underway from three years ago to face such a
situation and the authorities undertook a series of
measures to prevent further proliferation of the flu,
which so far attacked 60 countries in Asia and Europe with
Bangladesh and Bhutan, being the last victims. The
authorities earlier banned import of grade parents and
day-one chicks from 62 countries, which have become fully
or partially affected by the disease that exposed the
growing poultry industry having some 300,000 farms to the
avian flu risks.
On the other hand, in the wake of bird flue out break,
besides common consumers, hotel and restaurants have
reduced buying chicken. "As many customers do not want eat
chicken so we are trying to erase the menu from the list,"
the restaurant owners said.
Crime Watch
Prisoner dies at hospital
UNB, Nilphamari
An under trial prisoner of the district jail died at Sadar
hospital here Wednesday.
Jailer Ismail Hossain said Shawkat Ali Bain, 35, of
Laxmanpur village of Sayedpur upazila and an accused of a
robbery case, suddenly fell sick in the jail at 8pm with
chest pain.
He was rushed to the hospital where he died late at
night.But family sources claimed that he was very healthy
and strong and they knew nothing about his any disease.
17-yr jail for 3
UNB, Barisal
A tribunal here Tuesday sentenced three people to 17 years
rigorous imprisonment each under two sections of Arms Act.
The convicts Masum Bepari, Akram Bepari and Alam Rari of
Dhamura village in Uzirpur police station were on the dock
when the verdict was delivered. According to the
prosecution, police raided a restaurant at Dhamura tempo
stand on January 26, 2007 and arrested the three while
they were preparing to commit a robbery in the area.
Police also seized one shooter gun and some sharp weapons
on the basis of their confessional statements. A case was
field under the Arms Act against them. Tribunal Judge M
Shahidullah after examining the witnesses and records
sentenced each of the accused to 10 years RI under section
19 (a) and 7 years under section 19(f) of the Arms Act.
Two get life term for murder
UNB, Jamalpur
A court here Wednesday convicted two people and awarded
them life term imprisonment for killing a man in 2003.
The court also fined the convicts, Nurul Farazi and
Chhakku Mondol, Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer five
months more RI.
According to the prosecution, his rivals during a clash
following a union parishad election near Goalerchar
Government Primary School in Islampur upazila on February
26, 2003 beat Haji Asmat Ali to death. A case was filed
against 17 people in this connection.
After examining the records and witnesses, Additional
District and Sessions Judge Sirajul Islam handed down the
verdict acquitting 15 others.
Touchstone statue recovered
UNB, Lalmonirhat
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members recovered a
touchstone made statue from a lychee orchard at Gopal Koy
village in Kaliganj upazila on Thursday.
Acting on a secret information a team of RAB-5 raided the
orchard of one jamaluddin of the village and recovered the
one and half maunds statue in abandoned condition.
None was arrested in this connection.
10 held, drug seized
BSS, Rajshahi
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested 10
alleged criminals including seven drug-peddlers and seized
huge phensidyl and smuggled injections from different
areas of four northern districts during the last 24 hours
till this afternoon.
RAB sources here said, acting on secret information, the
elite force picked up the drug-peddlers including two
females from different places of Rajshahi, Joypurhat,
Rangpur and Dinajpur districts, and seized 964 bottles and
five liters of loose phensidyl.
They were identified as Abdur Rahim, 36, Anjuara Begum,
40, Shampa Khatun, 40, Idrish Ali, 36, Mozammel Haque,
35,Abdul Momin, 22, and Sayem Uddin, 26.
The elite force also arrested three alleged smugglers
identified as Malek Mollah, 28, Shaheen Mondal, 32, and
Abul Bashar, 25, with 448 ample of smuggled injections
red-handed during a sudden raid at Eidgah road area in
Joypurhat town.
The arrested persons and the seized goods were handed over
to the concerned police stations after recording separate
cases in these connections.
Smuggled Indian saree seized
BSS, Comilla
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) seized a huge amount of smuggled
Indian saree and three pieces worth Tk 23.84 lakh in the
district on Thursday.
The BDR jawans in a drive at Paharpur area under South
thana of the district yesterday morning recovered 428
pieces of Indian saree worth Taka 8.40 lakh and 373 pieces
of three pieces.
All the recovered items have been deposited to Comilla
Custom house.
A case was filed with concerned police station in this
connection.
2 fake police busted
BSS, Jhalakathi
Detective police (DB) in a drive arrested two fake DB
police from Kathpatty area of the district town on Tuesday
night.
The arrested were Mahabub Baklai (48), and M Liton (22).
Police said they have been arrested while they were
receiving Tk 5,000 from Yousuf Ali of the area.
The arrested have been sent to jail after producing them
before a court on Wednesday.
2 busted in Sylhet
UND, Sylhet
Police in their separate drives in the city arrested two
cadres of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and recovered a
firearm on Tuesday.
Acting on secret information police conducted a drive in
Badambagicha area of the city and arrested JCD Mizan group
cadre Rezaul Karim along with a pipe-gun and one cartridge
at about 1:00 pm.
In another drive police also arrested another JCD activist
Foyzul Karim Kayes of Emran group from Sonarpara area at
about 5:00 pm.
He was wanted in a number of extortion, hijacking and
other criminal cases, police said.
Man awarded life for killing wife
UNB, Sylhet
A court here Tuesday sentenced a man to life term in jail
for killing his wife in Goainghat upazila six years back.
The lifer was identified as Kacha Mia, 36, of Jalsufa
village in Ajmiriganj upazila of Habiganj district.
According to the prosecution, the convict slaughtered his
wife Rafina Khatun, 32, over a family feud in January 19,
2002 at his shanty at Ajmiri slum in Goainghat upazila.
After examining the records and 13 witnesses, Additional
District and Sessions Judge Ferdous Ahmed pronounced the
verdict.
Editorial
Elections in Pakistan : Is there Something for Us to Learn?
Election
results in Pakistan have been upsetting and disappointing for
the ruling regime of General Pervez Musharraf. Elections were
by and large peaceful, free and fair although the voter
turnout was less than 50 percent which could be expected and
forseen given the mass scale violence preceding the elections,
precipitated by the murder of Benazir Bhutto. People clearly
gave their verdict for the PPP and PML (M), parties of late
Benazir Bhutto and Newaz Sharif respectively. There are a
number of factors in the Pakistani election which lend
themselves to analysis and which could perhaps provide some
generalised lessons for us here in Bangladesh notwithstanding
the contentions of many that situations in Pakistan and
Bangladesh can stand no comparison.
The first factor to consider is that military regimes or
military backed once for that matter, do not necessarily bring
about substantial changes in the prevailing social, political
and economic conditions of a people or a State. This is so
because the military is but one of the many institutions of a
state with well-defined but narrow functions and therefore,
the military, rarely if ever clearly understands the fine
balance of institutions which underlie the sustainability of a
functioning state. More often than not, military interventions
destroy or at best dislocate this "fine balance" giving the
appearance of a revolutionary change. Ultimately the State has
to re-balance its structures if it is to continue functioning
as a viable polity. This is exactly what has happened to
Pakistan and this is so in the case of Bangladesh too as we
have seen from our experience of martial-law regimes or other
military backed governments. Thus "military" is not the
solution to problems of Nation-state building or of national
progress; at best it can be a catalyst to changes, at worst it
leads to militarization and consequent athropy of state
institutions.
The second factor to take note of is that ultimately the
people or the populace will demand the liberties and freedoms
to define, choose and to an extent control the system of
government and governance. This more often than not involves
bargaining and compromises to cater to the needs of
conflicting requirements of diverse interest groups within a
polity. The military with its vertical structures and its
culture of chains of command does not understand this or
concede compromise and bargaining in a bid to force through
changes defined within the narrow parameters of what it
considers to be "National Security". Consequently it agitates,
perturbs and angers every segment of the populace or the
citizenry who than coalesce into a broad based front of
opposition. Conflicts occur, the military looses credibility
and legitimacy until such time it is forced by internal and
external pressures and conditions to give in to the demands of
the people for "democracy" who then in a reaction go ahead to
vote to power the very forces which the military was
attempting to de-legitimize. This is exactly what has happened
to Pakistan and has been happening in Bangladesh since it
became independent in 1971. The same thing has also happened
to many other countries and polities within the last one
decade, the most recent example of which is Thailand.
The third and the last factor to note is that for the military
it is very difficult, if not impossible to totally
de-legitimize and cut-out existing mass political parties.
Mass political parties represent a broad cross-section of the
entire populace and so they can and do mobilize public opinion
and support on issues which are of concern and interest to
diverse sections of the populace. In an attempt to mobilize
public opinion and support, the military either brings to the
fore a fringe political party or encourages formation of a new
party consisting of fringe and divisive elements of mass
political parties; in either case these are unable to garner
public support in favour of the military or stand the test of
elections even under the shadow of military regimes. This has
happened in Pakistan and this is what we have seen happen to
Bangladesh more than once.
The lessons therefore are clear : military interventions
either in the form of martial-law or its other variant of
military backed caretaker, national or emergency governments
are not the solutions to nation-building or progress; that has
to be left to the people of the Country who will organize
themselves into conglomerates called political parties who
will then legitimize political power and government through
the process called elections.
Analysis
Parliamentary Elections &
Political Dialogues in Bangladesh
Here the truth is, People also want an elected
government as soon as possible, but people want honest
politicians to run it.
Mahmoud Rauf
Present
Bangladesh government has declared THE ROADMAP TO
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN BANGLADESH, and the political
parties want the government to implement it. So far, according
to the roadmap, election will take place before the end of
2008. But, I must say, Roadmap for the sake of a roadmap is
not desirable to so many people of Bangladesh. It must come
with some sort of commitment and guarantee that Bangladesh
will not go back to the situation just before the 11th.
January 2007. We know that, we did have elected governments
and proper elections in Bangladesh. Why do we need to ask for
a ROADMAP for election now? Therefore, we need to discuss and
analyse the back ground and reasons for it.
Brief History since 1971
I will start with a brief history since our liberation
movement. After a big sacrifice during the liberation movement
in 1971, we had a progressive democratically elected
government under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. His
government was overthrown by a military clique after killing
most of his family on 15th August 1975. I would like to say
here that, the then military clique did not allow enough time
for the new government, which has started from the ruins of
destructions, to settle down and to do their job. The military
clique ruled the country until 1990.
During the military rule, first General Ziaur Rahman came to
power in 1975. He formed his political party Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP). Then General Ershad came to power in
1982 after General Zia was killed by another military clique.
He again formed his own political party called Jatyo Party.
Both parties were established when the generals were in power.
At the end of 1990 after a popular movement military rule
ended. In 1991 we have proper election and have a properly
elected democratic government. Now the question is what have
we achieved for all these years of democratic government?
10 years of B N P government gave us mostly corruption and
corrupt practices in politics and in administration. During
the 5 years of Awami League government, first 3 years was very
good. But, final 2 years was as worse as BNP. At least this is
what people think. Awami League gave leadership to the
liberation struggle in 1971 but failed to deliver what people
expected from them.
People did not elect them to misrule the country through
corrupt practices. People have elected them to develop the
country by using the resources available so that general
public can have a reasonable life. Instead of that, some
corrupt politician became reckless to multiply their personal
wealth at the expense of the state. Their party leaders did
not or could not control them. This is the failure of the
leadership. This is injustice to the general people of the
country.
Situation before 11 January 2007
Between November 2006 and 11 January 2007, there was no rule
of law. Practically, the son of ex-prime minister of BNP was
running the country. High court, Election Commission, Anti
corruption Commission, civil administration etc were
controlled by the officials of last government. These are
unacceptable. The president of the country, a member of BNP,
became the chief advisor. He used to follow the orders from
the ex- prime minister and from her son, when people expected
him to be impartial as chief advisor. In the name of saving
the constitution, he was following the orders from his
political party. Virtually whole administration was used for
the interest of one party. In other words, although, BNP was
not in power, they were misusing the power through their
appointed President and chief advisor Iazuddin Ahmed.
Opposition parties of 14 party alliances under the leadership
of Awami League were rightly resisting this illegal attempt.
As a result, the country was in the verge of civil war.
Under these circumstances, the patriotic army took initiative
and asked the president to appoint the present caretaker
government. Initially Awami league welcomed them, and became
proud supporter of this government, as they claimed; it is the
result of their movement. General public of the country were
relieved as they have been saved from a civil war.
Present government supported by patriotic military force have
taken an unprecedented measure and rounded up most of the
corrupt politicians, administrators, businessmen and other
corrupt people irrespective of parties. Many of them fled
abroad and some of them have gone into hiding, waiting for
this government to fall so that they can come to surface. Most
of the peace loving people of Bangladesh supported these steps
and welcomed the present government.
As far as we know, general Public is still supporting this
government. Because of the past bitter experience, people want
present government to stay until the corrupted people are
punished, so that, they cannot take control of the government
again.
Next Step - Elections
Here the truth is, People also want an elected government as
soon as possible, but people want honest politicians to run
it. They do not want the repetition of previous corrupt
practices. People are not against the politicians or against
established political parties. People are against corrupt
politicians of these parties. Therefore, respective parties
should clean up themselves and modernise the party. End of the
day established parties or the alliances will be the main
forces of the election. So, they should prepare themselves as
the people expect them to be.
However, people still want the present government to stick to
their promised roadmap to hold election before the end of
2008. At the same time, it is the duty of the present
government to clean up the political and administrative system
before the election. At least, they should start the cleaning
up process for the future government.
We must recognise that, Individual persons or leaders are not
the main factor for the country. Introduction of democratic
leadership within the parties will ensure the future capable
leadership, which will be good for the political parties and
for the country.
Present government must ensure that, the independent
judiciary, independent election commission, independent Anti
Corruption Commission and other government institutions will
remain independent. These institutions should not be used for
personal or party political purpose.
Present government must also guarantee that, the war
criminals, communal elements, and the political parties which,
do not believe in man made constitution of the country, should
be disallowed to take part in the elections. Otherwise, the
existence of democratic, secular Bangladesh is in danger.
Our democratic secular friends abroad must note this fact. To
create a balance of power, if necessary, present government
may continue to keep the task force with a central body
composed of distinguished people of the country for few more
years. It can be in the form of a security council with power
and authority. This has become necessary due to the failure of
our present system. If the roadmap cannot guarantee the basic
rights of the people, that roadmap is not going to be a
successful one. Present government must not forget it.
In my observation, recently declared 5 points conditions for
political dialogue are mostly pro-people suggestions which
will, up to some extent, guarantee a better future for the
people of the country. These will help to take the country to
the prosperity and make the country a respectable one in the
world society. Bangladesh has enough resources capable to
transform the country as good as Singapore, Hong Kong or
similar, provided we have good governance.
These 5 points are: (1). future parliament and the future
government to approve the activities and amendments of present
non-party government. (2). Approval of actions taken against
corruption by the present government. (3). Stop Boycotting the
future parliament, outlaw Hartals etc. (4). Not to nominate
the corrupt people in future elections. (5) To Form national
government for next three terms of the parliament.
The points about the role of students and trade unionists
needed to be clarified. Their involvement in the party
politics can be stopped, but their right to be involved to
protect their members' interest, or their involvement to a
movement of national interest, should not be minimised.
Subject to the clarification sought as above, I do not see any
reason for the political parties not to accept these
conditions before the election. Accepting these conditions by
the political parties will offer the people of Bangladesh
better governance, which will minimise the anti people and
corrupt practices from politics. If the politicians do not
accept these conditions People may ask, do they want to take
the country back to the pre 11 January 2007? People of
Bangladesh have the right to live without the fear of corrupt
powerful politicians and their supporters.
In conclusion, I would like to say, So far, the indications
are that, the election will be held by as per declared
roadmap. The chief advisor, the president, the army chief and
the election commissioner have said so. We have no reason to
think otherwise.
Now it is up to the political parties to co-operate, keep
cool, modernise the parties and not to create any unwanted
situation, so that, any one can make any excuse
to delay the election to be held before the end of 2008.
Unrealistic demands from
the politicians will not enhance their credibility.
(Mahmoud Rauf. Text of a Speech for Bangladesh seminar At the
House of Lords, London, 25th February 2008)
Letter
from Toronto-2
We can start by opening a mining engineering department in a
university close to the coal mine and make it their pet
project.
Shahriar Shibley
Commodity
prices are high. Unfortunately this is having an adverse
effect on Bangladesh. The situation would be somewhat
different, if 2007 was flood free and cyclone free. Or better
yet, if we were one of those economies which generate revenue
by exporting commodities, we would be happy that commodity
prices are high. Canada is one of those economies. It is
benefiting from all the high metal prices, high wheat and
fertilizer prices. While the US economy is suffering due to
sub-prime crisis and is in a mild recession, Canada's economy
is virtually immune from it, beating all historical odds.
Canadian dollar is at parity with US dollar, or even higher
some days. It is hard to believe that about five years ago,
Canadian dollar was at 63 cents US.
Canadians are heavily investing in mining sector unlike
Americans who are more invested in high tech and service
sector. Metal prices went up significantly in the last five
years. Molybdenum was at $6 per pound in February 2003. Now it
is around $35 per pound. As a result shares of Molybdenum
mining company Thompson Creek Mining went up 700 percent.
Copper price was 75 cents per pound in February 2003. Now it
is about $3.40 per pound. Among others (traders and investors)
petty thieves, who steal copper wire from electrical
installations are taking advantage of the situation. The
number of thefts has been rising. The metal value of US 1cent
copper coin is now higher than its monetary value. The price
of gold and silver was around $325 and $5 per troy oz
respectively in February 2003 and now the prices are around
$900 and $18. Gold, though it plays an important role in our
marriage ceremonies, has very little industrial use (some use
in electronic component industries). But because of jittery US
financial market, investors are taking it as a safe haven.
Uranium price has gone up significantly because nuclear power
stations are getting acceptance from environmental activists.
Also bi-products from nuclear power stations are of high
demand in cancer treatment.
Crude oil price rose from $55 a barrel in October 2004 to
around $100 a barrel. Canada is an oil producing country. Most
of the exports are to the United States. The latest trend is
in extracting oil from oil sand. It is purely surface oil, no
drilling required. But cost of extraction is still very high,
nearly $50 a barrel. Some major oil companies are heavily
invested in oil sand projects. Price of fertilizer like potash
has gone up significantly and with it, the profit of Potash
Corporation, a major Canadian fertilizer company. The price of
wheat is rising. In the Canadian market flour price has
doubled since last summer to $44 for a 40 kg bag. A loaf of
bread now costs around $2.18, compared to $1.27 at the
beginning of 1995. The province of Saskatchewan is immensely
benefiting from that. Ten years ago, its economy was in
shambles.
Agriculture is the backbone of Bangladesh. Protecting every
bit of agriculture land is very important. If mining for coal
means destroying huge chunk of arable land, that will be
similar to trading one commodity for another. The balance, in
the long run will be zero, or worse, negative. If the coal
mine is open pit, we will loose years of rice harvest from
that land. We have to find ways to get both the commodities.
Going underground and mining out the coal seems to be the
solution. But we must be aware that mining is a risky
business. Safety standards in mining industry are usually laid
out by government. When contracts are handed out to foreign
companies, their safety track records should be inspected very
carefully and government should observe closely that safety
standards are maintained in mines. Go-slow approach is also a
good idea, where we develop our own mining technology. We can
start by opening a mining engineering department in a
university close to the coal mine and make it their pet
project. Since we can't bring the mine to the university,
let's bring the university to the mine.
Sudbury is town about 388 km north of Toronto. Everything in
Sudbury is around mining. It has one of the largest
concentrations of nickel-copper sulphides in the world. The
Sudbury Basin, 27 km wide, 60 km long and 15 km deep is
believed to have been formed by a meteorite impact 1.8 billion
years ago. Sudbury is home to the largest integrated mining
complex in the world. There are 5000 kms of mining tunnels
under Sudbury area. Because of their depth, some high energy
cosmic nutrino detection experiments of Physics are performed
in some tunnel sites. Being in one of those mining tunnels, I
was awed by the safety standards. The first step of
underground mining is called sinking. A huge hole is dug into
the ground, elevators are installed and heavy equipments are
lowered. There are several companies who specialize in sinking
process. FNX Mining is one of those companies. After sinking,
tunneling begins. Tunnels are dug using dynamite. First, about
10-15 holes are drilled into the rock. Each hole is about an
inch in diameter and about 10 feet deep. Then sticks of
dynamite are pushed deep into those holes. The dynamites are
exploded in a certain sequence using electronic triggers. When
the dust settles, the debris is collected using heavy
equipments. Safety is number one priority in the whole
process. After cleaning the fragments, support system is laid
out using steel bars and steel nets. I have to mention about
one expert who is in the forefront. This person taps the rocks
and finds out from the sound, which part of the tunnel has the
possibility of breaking apart and needs further digging. When
the tunnel is complete, they are usually wide enough to pass
heavy equipments as big as tanks. When all these activities
are going on underneath Sudbury, on the surface it is nice
quite town with beautiful houses around. Residents own those
houses.
Canadian Real Estate laws give the owners right to the land
and the house but it does give them mining right hundreds of
meters under their house. Companies have to buy mining right
from the government. Sudbury has a university called
Laurentian University which has a very good mining engineering
department.
(Shahriar Shibley; email:
globalsymi@msn.com)
Viewpoints
Tourism and Women's
Rights
The world
humanitarian leaders feel happy to urge the respective
governments of developing countries to provide women more
legislative support.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam
Women
and tourism -- the thought has been receiving sincere
consideration from United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO]
for years. Women occupied special attention of world tourism
day this year. 'Tourism opens doors for women' was the theme
for the United Nations World Tourism Day observed on 27
September 2007, the anniversary of the adoption of the
original UNWTO statutes. Following on the 'Tourism Enriches'
theme of 2006, this year's campaign highlighted the
opportunities that the sector offers for women.
The theme 'tourism opens doors for women' satisfied the world
human rights leaders. They thanked United Nation World Tourism
Organization [UNWTO] for considering women in their
international tourism theme-2007. They also expressed concern
at the same time about the meaningful success of the theme.
Minu Hemmati, a renowned tourism expert writes in her article
Women's Employment and Participation in Tourism [published in
Sustainable Travel & Tourism Pp 17-20, 2000]
"Women's Rights, Stereotypical Images, Sexual Objectification:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979), and respective
national legislation are the legal and policy basis of
addressing human rights and women's rights issues in tourism
(Keefe & Wheat 1998)....
'The scandalous realities of sex tourism and trafficking of
women are not being addressed here. They do indeed represent a
most horrific violation of human rights and dignity. Fighting
sex tourism and trafficking needs to be a priority on the
agenda of everybody involved in tourism. Raising consumer
awareness and introducing effective legal measures, including
in the country of tourist origin, are among the crucial
strategies.
'But there is also a strong case for eliminating less obvious
variations of sexual objectification of women working in the
tourism industry. Studies have shown that women are expected
to dress in an "attractive" manner, to look beautiful (i.e.
slim, young, pretty) and to "play along" with sexual
harassment by customers (e.g. Gruetter & Pluess 1996,
Griffiths 1999). Stereotypical images of women are in many
cases part of the tourism product. Friendly smiling women,
fitting certain standards of attractiveness, who seem to be
waiting to submissively serve the customer's every wish are
being portrayed. Women working at destinations as well as
indigenous women are being shown in a stereotypical way in
tourism brochures and other material. "
Human rights leaders strongly believe, women would not be
maltreated and no injustice will be applied to their
employment history and other relevant approaches in the
tourism industry. Their contribution and recruitment should
not be seen as intentional or technical device. It is true
that women are still struggling to reach the top of the
hospitality industry because of difficulties juggling work and
family commitments, leading figures in the sector have warned.
Despite the increasing number of women entering the industry
over the last decade, the highest positions in the industry
are still commonly held by men, due largely to women shying
away from longer hours when starting a family. If women want
to see their kids after school, look after them when they are
ill or spend time with them on holiday, then the senior, more
time-consuming positions can be restrictive.
We hope, UNWTO will ask supports from employers in hospitality
industry to offer more help to women. Women should be exempted
from their odd timing of job responsibilities. But for this
help, it needs assurance; their career promotion will not be
hampered. They should not find it hard to juggle family. They
must be privileged to see more home help and crèche facilities
to allow women the time to reach the very top.
The world humanitarian leaders feel happy to urge the
respective governments of developing countries to provide
women more legislative support. They need some sort of tax
relief to help with childcare, more women on boards and equal
pay for all. On the other hand, womanhood will be
unconditionally entertained with esteem and admiration in the
entire industry.
(Mohammad Shahidul Islam is a Faculty Member of National Hotel
and Tourism Training Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Email:
mohd-s-islam@myway.com)
US Poll 2008: Obama’s economic plan
Obama is surging ahead of
Clinton to obtain the party ticket. Obama had 1,078 pledged
delegates to Clinton's 969, and his campaign said it was
unlikely the former first lady would be able to catch up.
Dr. Abdul
Ruff Colachal
The
US presidential candidates across the political spectrum have
mooted their own business visions to boost the weakening US
economy. Buoyed by a string of eight consecutive victories,
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, Illinois
senator, who would be the first black U.S. president if he
wins the November election, bashed rival Hillary Clinton, the
former first lady and the first ever woman president, if
elected, over the ailing U.S. economy last week and also took
aim at Republican front-runner John McCain.
The Illinois senator, a day after sweeping three more
Democratic presidential contests, unveiled an initiative to
produce 5 million new jobs in the green energy sector and
promised to create a development bank that would invest $60
billion to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. "We are not
standing on the brink of recession due to forces beyond our
control," Obama said in Wisconsin. He took a hit at President
Bush for the economic state of affairs. "It was a failure of
leadership and imagination in Washington -- the culmination of
decades of decisions that were made or put off without regard
to the realities of a global economy."
Obama, made his remarks at a Janesville, Wisconsin plant that
produces General Motors' popular sport utility vehicles and
has been seen as vulnerable to being closed. He used the
occasion to criticize both his main rivals, Democrat Clinton
and Republican McCain, saying they had wasted billions of
dollars and cost thousands of lives by supporting an
unnecessary war in Iraq as U.S. senators.
He accused Clinton, who "tactically" supports Bush terror war,
of changing her stance on the North American Free Trade
Agreement with Mexico and Canada, saying she supported it when
it was signed but now says "we need a time-out on trade." "I
don't know about a time-out, but I do know this -- when I am
president, I will not sign another trade agreement unless it
has protections for our environment and protections for
American workers," Obama said, adding he would end tax breaks
for companies that ship jobs overseas. But Mrs. Clinton said
Obama's ideas for an infrastructure development bank and 5
million green energy sector jobs were taken from her own
campaign proposals." If Senator Obama cannot produce his own
ideas on the campaign trail, how will he solve new problems as
president?" asked Clinton's policy director.
The New York senator dismissed Obama's criticism over the
economy, saying his plans fell short on extending health care
to all Americans, on dealing with the mortgage crisis and
expanding the use of renewable energy. "I don't know how you
take on the economy and produce real results for people if you
don't stay focused on how we're going to create the good new
jobs of the future," she said. "It's a difference between
promises and solutions."
While Obama campaigned in Wisconsin, Clinton focused on
contests in the heavily populated states of Ohio and Texas in
three weeks as her best hope to stop Obama's surge. Tuesday's
victories gave Obama scores of additional pledged delegates to
the Democratic Party's presidential nominating convention in
August.
Republican and a pro-war hawk, McCain, riding his own wave of
momentum after sweeping the Republican primaries on Tuesday in
Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, fired back on Iraq,
saying developments showed Democrats had been premature in
demanding a withdrawal of U.S. forces. "They said that we
would never succeed militarily, then we began to succeed
militarily," McCain said in Washington. He is gaining momentum
in the Republicans platform and is the most likely candidate
for presidency.
Meanwhile Obama is surging ahead of Clinton to obtain the
party ticket. Obama had 1,078 pledged delegates to Clinton's
969, and his campaign said it was unlikely the former first
lady would be able to catch up. A candidate needs 2,025 to
clinch the Democratic nomination. "We believe it's next to
impossible for Senator Clinton to close that pledged delegate
count," said David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager. "The
only way she could do it is winning most of the rest of the
contests by 25 to 30 points."
The former first lady shrugged off Tuesday's losses, saying
Obama had been expected to win the contests and congratulating
him on his victory. But she issued a challenge, saying: "Tell
him to meet me in Texas. We're ready." She is still hopeful of
emerging the ultimate winner of the Democratic nomination for
presidency. Obama has already convinced himself of being the
Democratic candidate. And there goes the musical chair
primaries for the US presidency.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research scholar, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal University, Delhi 110067)
Convenient realities
Instead of admitting failure in halting the violence which has
plagued Iraq since the US occupation of 2003, US and Iraqi
authorities resort a language that continually distracts from
the real issues.
Ramzy Baroud
IN
THE competitive world of media today, swift and conveniently
selective reporting is of prime importance. Google News, for
example, claims to scan 4,500 news sources, of which only a few
are highlighted as main stories. There are thousands of similar
services, all competing to produce a story in the fastest time.
Thorough - and thus slower - reporting is relegated and crucial
information often appears too little too late.
Iraq, which has occupied a huge proportion of headline news for
years, provides many good examples of this.
On February 1, only a few minutes apart, two Iraqi women
detonated themselves in two crowded pet markets in the Iraqi
capital. Authorities said that 98 people were reportedly killed
and 200 wounded. Eyewitnesses reported a grizzly scene where
human and animal body parts littered the streets.
Any thorough analysis of the story would have to examine several
related factors. First, it would need to juxtapose the high
death toll with US and Iraqi governments' reports of 'calm' in
the Baghdad area. This claim of a 'return to normalcy' has been
propagated for months, as a way of validating US President's
Bush's military 'surge'. Even if we buy into the questionable
statistics aimed at hyping the positive outcome of the surge -
questionable because they are only promoted by US and Iraqi
military sources, with obvious vested interests - the violence
clearly seems to have shifted from the capital into northern
areas.
Instead of admitting failure in halting the violence which has
plagued Iraq since the US occupation of 2003, US and Iraqi
authorities resort a language that continually distracts from
the real issues.
This is how Alissa J Rubin began her article for the New York
Times (January 31): "The unsettled situation in northern Iraq
continued Wednesday as Iraqi troops massed in Mosul to fight
Sunni Arab extremists".
Rubin further quotes an Iraqi defence ministry spokesman as
claiming that the goal of the military operation is to "oust Al
Qaeda in Iraq from the city and prevent its fighters from
returning."
The entry statements contain a dangerously inaccurate linkage
between Arabs, Sunnis, extremists of the previous group and Al
Qaeda. The New York Times story - which often sets the standards
for reporting in other major US publications - will have laid
the prefect foundation to justify future ethnic cleansings of
Sunni Arabs from the city, should the 'military operation'
succeed in 'driving out' Al Qaeda militants.
Returning to the Baghdad markets' bombings, the response to this
tragedy was, as usual, misleading. The Iraqi government issued a
predictable statement and US officials, including Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice made fiery condemnations. These
statements were rehashed to produce hundreds of 'fresh' news
stories within an hour.
CNN online opened one of its articles with: "Two mentally
disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent
into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote
control."
The allegation was attributed to an Iraqi government official
who said that "people referred to the bomber at central
Baghdad's al-Ghazl market as the 'crazy woman' and that the
bomber at a second market had an unspecified birth disability."
Who are these 'people'? Did the CNN reporter examine the
legitimacy of that claim by interviewing any of them'?
And what do the bombings tell us about the security situation in
Baghdad, the success or failure of the 'surge' or the war which
is driving people to suicide in its most brutal manifestations?
But Lt Col Steve Stover, spokesman for the Multi-National
Division-Baghdad has an explanation that seems, at least from
the point view of CNN much more relevant than the seemingly
unimportant questions above. "By targetting innocent Iraqis,
they (those who dispatched the 'mentally disabled' women suicide
bombers) show their true demonic character." Thus, CNN's
headline: "'Demonic' militants sent women to bomb markets in
Iraq."
Focusing on such extraneous associations - mindless, madwomen
acting on the behest of evil Al Qaeda 'Arab Sunni extremists' -
does much more than simply distract from the many policy
failures in Iraq. It helps create a substitute image that shapes
and reshapes the perceptions of faraway news consumers.
The corporate media's depiction of the Gaza story which has been
unfolding for months might be summed up in one overriding
headline: Hordes of Palestinian Breach Gaza Border with Egypt,
Israel Concerned over Its Security. The imprisonment of 1.5
million Palestinians in Gaza - where the majority of the
population is 'food insecure' according to UN statistics -
should have been depicted first and foremost as a humanitarian
disaster compelled by an Israeli siege. The dates related to the
successive stages of the siege follow a line of Israel's
political, not 'security' logic.
Source:www.khaleejtimes.com
International
Pakistan coalition
partners mull PM choice
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan's two biggest opposition parties
agreed to try to form a coalition government that could
drive President Pervez Musharraf from power, but it was
unclear Friday who would be prime minister.
Ex-premier Nawaz Sharif and the widowed husband of slain
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto announced they would join
forces in parliament after trouncing Musharraf's allies in
elections earlier in the week.
The move brings them nearer the two-thirds majority they
would need to seek Musharraf's impeachment, leaving him in
the most precarious position since he seized power in a
1999 coup.
But there remain questions over whether their coalition
will press for the former general's immediate ouster from
office, and who would serve as premier in a new government
that comprises one-time bitter rivals.
All members of parliament from Bhutto's Pakistan People's
Party (PPP) will gather here Friday in Islamabad for a
meeting to discuss the agreement between her widower, Asif
Ali Zardari, and Sharif, party spokesman Farhatullah Babar
told AFP.
A senior PPP official added: "The meeting will ponder over
the question of who should be the next prime minister."
Neither Zardari nor Sharif are immediately eligible to be
premier because they are not MPs-Sharif was barred from
standing, and Bhutto's husband did not do so because his
wife was still alive when nomination papers were filed.
Bhutto, whose party will be the biggest in parliament
following the general election Monday, was assassinated in
a suicide attack at a political rally in December.
Either of the men could still contest upcoming
by-elections for seats left vacant by candidates who
stood-and won-in two constituencies at the same time.
The announcement of the coalition at a joint news
conference late Thursday came after reported attempts by
Musharraf to try to split Zardari and Sharif and persuade
Bhutto's husband to form an alliance with the president's
allies.
"We have agreed on a common agenda," Sharif said. "We will
work together to form the government in the centre and in
the provinces."
Zardari added: "In principle, we have agreed to stay
together. We intend to strengthen Pakistan together."
Sharif said they had overcome their differences over his
demands for the immediate restoration of Pakistan's chief
justice, whom Musharraf sacked in November, adding they
would work on the issue in parliament.
If deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry gets
his job back, he could overturn Musharraf's controversial
October presidential election victory and oust him from
office.
The coalition's first move in government would be to seek
a UN investigation "into the assassination of our leader
Benazir Bhutto," Zardari said.
Sadr expected to renew ceasfire
AFP, Najaf
Moqtada al-Sadr
is expected to announce a renewal of the ceasefire his
Mahdi Army militia has been observing in Iraq for the past
six months, a source close to the Shiite cleric said on
Thursday.
"It is expected that the decision by Moqtada will lean
towards a renewal of the period of the freeze," the source
told AFP on condition of anonymity, on the eve of the
publication of the radical cleric's decision.
Other senior Sadrists in Najaf, the shrine city in central
Iraq where the movement has its headquarters, supported
this view.
Harith al-Adhari, the director of Sadr's office in the
southern city of Basra, said the cleric had already issued
a statement containing his decision and that this was
being sent to supporters.
"Sealed envelopes containing the decision are being
distributed to all mosques in the country to be read out
during Friday prayers," he said.
Sadr ordered the six-month freeze in his militia's
activities last August 29 after allegations that his
fighters were involved in bloody clashes in the shrine
city of Karbala, near Najaf. Under the Muslim calendar,
the ceasefire expires on Saturday.
Powerful Sadrists, including those representing the
movement in parliament, had urged him not to renew the
truce on the grounds that Mahdi Army members and other
officials are being targeted by Iraq's security forces.
Talks on to end Nepal blockade
AFP, Katmandu
Ethnic
protesters blockading Nepal's capital said Thursday they
were in talks with the government to try and end unrest
that threatens to disrupt crucial polls and damage the
country's shaky peace process.
Mahadhesi activists from the impoverished south-who say
they represent around half of Nepal's population-have
moved to boycott the April 10 elections, but said a
compromise was still possible.
The United Democratic Mahadhesi Front (UDMF) argues that
people in the southern Terai region have long been treated
as second-class citizens in Nepal, where hill-origin
elites dominate politics, the security forces and
business.
The group want their community to be given more power.
"Informal talks and sharing of notes have been taking
place and we are more positive than in previous days,"
Hridayesh Tripathi, a UDMF leader, told AFP.
But he added that "government suppression has not stopped,
and on the ground the protesters are getting more agitated
and aggressive."
For the past week, Mahadhesi demonstrators have been
blocking the main road between the capital and the Indian
border, the main corridor for most of the landlocked
country's imports.
Their increasingly violent general strike has left
Kathmandu critically low on fuel and other key
commodities. Hindu temples are even running out of wood
used to cremate the dead.
"We just want certain ideological commitments, so that |