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Leading
News
2nd round dialogue with political
parties
ALWC emergency meeting held
10-member team to join AL-EC talks tomorrow
Staff Correspondent
A-ten member team of
Bangladesh Awami League led by the Acting party President
Zillur Rahman will take part in the second-round talks
with the Election Commission at the EC Secretariat in
capital at 12pm tomorrow (Monday).
This was stated by AL Acting General Secretary Syed
Ashraful Islam while talking to newsmen at the Dhanmondhi
AL Office after an emergency Awami League Working
Committee (ALWC) on Saturday.
"The ALWC meeting has decided to discuss some issues which
were not settled earlier in the last dialogue with the
Election Commission on November 4, 2007," said Ashraful
Islam adding "EC and AL reached a consensus on some 80
percent issues and the rest will be discussed tomorrow."
Some prevailing issues - including immediate release of
former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her proper
treatment, release of other detained party leaders,
immediate announcement of general election’s schedule,
withdrawal of the State of Emergency within the shortest
possible time, resumption of indoor politics as early as
possible - would dominate the ensuing dialogue between the
EC and AL on Monday.
The ALWC meeting has chalked out an elaborate programmes
marking three historic events - Historic March 7, the
birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mijubur Rahman on
March 17 (National Children Day) and Independence Day on
March 26 - in a befitting manner.
A team of AL Executive Committee members will offer
dowa-munajat at the graveyard of Bangabandhu at Tungipara
in Gopalganj on March 17. AL will hold separate discussion
meetings in the capital on March 7, 18 and 26, as part of
their programmes.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, a senior AL leaders said,
the ALWC meeting aslo discussed the upcoming bilateral
dialogue between the Caretaker Government and political
parties and how to gear up activities of city AL and other
front organizations in this changed circumstances.
Asked about the preparation for the next parliamentary
election, another WC member said, "The three-hour
emergency meeting also discussed the selection of
nominations for the next general polls.The meeting, in
principle, agreed to ask the roots-level (wards, unions
and thana) leaders to select bonafide party candidates for
each constituency across the country and to place the
names before the AL Parliamentary Board for final
approval."
With the acting AL president Zillur Rahman in the chair,
almost all senior AL leaders were present at the meeting
that started at 11:20 am and continued till 2.25pm
yesterday.
According to AL sources, this was the third ALWC meeting
of the party after the lifting of the ban on indoor
politics and keeping AL president Sheikh Hasina and the
General Secretary Abdul Jalil behind bars.
Hannan Shah blames EC
UNB, Dhaka
BNP chairperson’s adviser
Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah on Saturday blamed the
Election Commission for the current deadlock in holding
dialogue with BNP by taking a controversial decision on
its invitation letter.
"This complex situation would not have created had the
Election Commission sent the invitation letter to BNP
secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain timely," he
told reporters at his Mohakhali DOH apartment.
Hannan Shah hoped that the Commission would invite Begum
Zia-appointed secretary general Khandaker Delwar for
dialogue as he said BNP across the country is united under
her leadership. The BNP leader said, "We believe that
election is a means to hand over power. We saw in the past
election under any blueprint was never acceptable."
On BNP’s unity, Hannan Shah said unity is possible if the
dissident group agrees to accept before October 29 last
year’s BNP. "The ball is now in the court of reformists.
Unity is possible if they respect chairperson Begum Zia’s
instructions," he told the reporters.
Earlier, Hannan Shah had a meeting with BNP leaders Nazrul
Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, Goyeswar Roy and Mohammad
Shajahan.
BNP not yet invited
EC begins talks with political
parties from today
Staff Correspondent
Keeping the BNP out of the dialogue, the Election
Commission (EC) begins its second round of talks with the
political parties on electoral reforms from today, Sunday,
February 24.
As per schedule the EC will begin its dialogue with
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP) and Bangladesh Sammobadi Dal on Sunday.
According to EC secretariat, it will sit separately with
each political party, not with all the 15 political
parties at a time. The dialogue will begin at 10.30 am and
will continue till 4.10 pm everyday. Each political party
will be given one and half hour for talks. A ten-member
delegate from each political party has been invited for
dialogue. Earlier on February 14, Chief Election
Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda announced the schedule for
holding second round of talks with the political parties
to finalise its proposed electoral reforms.
Later, as per schedule the EC will continue its dialogue
with Workers Party, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)
and Awami League (AL) tomorrow, Monday, February 25,
Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) and
National Awami Party (NAP) on February 26, Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) and Jatiya Party
(JP) on February 27 and Islamic Oikkya Jote (OIJ), Krishak
Sramik Janata League (KSJL) and Ganotantri Party (GP) on
February 28.
Earlier, declaring the schedule for second round of talks,
the CEC ATM Shamsul Huda said, "During the first round of
dialogue, the political parties had made some
recommendations. We have examined the recommendations. Now
the EC will make its stand and views clear to the
political parties for holding a free, fair and credible
election. If any political party disagrees with us, EC
will have nothing to do. EC will do its job as per its
responsibility. We think that the task will be easy as the
dialogue will be held separately with each political
party."
A highly placed source in the EC said the Commission
expects that a court decision on holding the stalled
dialogue with BNP will also come by that time. BNP
Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a writ with the High Court
after the Election Commission invited Saifur Rahman-led
BNP faction to join the talks and the court then issued a
stay order on the dialogue with the reformist faction of
BNP that was scheduled for November 22 last year.
According to the source if the EC does not get the HC
directive in this regard within the time it expects, it
might wait for a few days more to send the draft electoral
laws to the Law Ministry for finalisation.
On completion of the second round of dialogue with all the
15 political parties, the EC has a plan to send the draft
electoral laws to the Law Ministry by the first week of
March. According to the EC announced roadmap, the
electoral laws would have to be made final by March next.
Asked whether they would send the draft to the ministry
without discussion with BNP in case there is no dialogue
with it, the source said, it can not be said right now.
Economy in
Recession
Sheikh Didarul Islam
The present economic
recession in the country is likely to deepen resulting in
further price spiral of essential commodities and decrease
in foreign direct investment (FDI) if preventive measures
are not taken as soon as possible. There is growing
apprehension among the economists that the existing
economic senility will take a serious turn if the
government fails to improve the prevailing situation by
taking necessary steps immediately.
Talking to the Bangladesh Today, renowned economist Dr.
Atiar Rahman said, the country is now in grip of deep
economic recession. There is no possibility of any
improvement in the present crisis if policies are not
formulated soon to pull the country out of recession.
Economic activities have increased to some extent in the
Sidr-affected areas as a result of massive foreign relief
and rehabilitation work. But such activities could not
contribute a lot to the national economy, he observed.
Amount of foreign direct investment is not likely to rise
in Bangladesh if congenial atmosphere is not created by
ensuring the economic stability in the country, he added.
When contacted, chairman of the Transparency
International, Bangladesh prof. Muzzaffer Ahmad said,
improvement to the present economic instability depends on
the next Boro and Amon crops. A handsome harvest of these
crops will greatly help stabilise the economic recession.
Price of essential items is on the rise despite several
steps already taken by the government causing unbearable
miseries to the limited income group across the country.
The rate of inflation has increased to a large extent.
According to government statistics, the inflation rate has
reached double digits while the economists claim that the
actual sum of inflation rate has already surpassed the
two-digit. It is quite hard to over come the prevailing
economic recession without creating an atmosphere
conducive to sound economic activities by improving the
existing political situation, the economists observed.
The national economy is passing a critical time due not
only to different internal problems but also frequent
price spiral of essential commodities on the international
market. The economist, however, said the increased
inflation is not solely responsible for deterioration in
the country’s economic situation. Unusual price rise and
abnormal hoarding of essential items are mainly
responsible for the present economic instability in the
country.
The rate of growth has also decreased to some extent in
the country’s manufacturing sector as a result of short
fall of local and foreign investment significantly.
Despite the on-going economic recession in the country,
the growth rate will reach 6.20 percent at the end of the
year, the Bangladesh Bank authorities hoped. On the other
hand, the economists said the growth rate will at best
rise to 5.80 percent.
Artefacts returned
Staff Correspondent
After 83 days the rare
Bangladeshi artefacts which were sent to France for an
exhibition, were brought back to the country on Saturday
morning. Talking to journalists at ZIA, Rasheda K
Chowdhury said two officials from Bangladesh were guarding
the artefacts since December 1 last year. "We had a strict
vigilance on the artefacts. If any confusion arises about
the artefacts, we will examine those by the experts" she
told. "Out of the total artefacts, 14 were taken from
Barindra Research Museum, 10 from National Museum and 18
from Mohasthangarh, Paharpur and Moinamoti Museum," an
official of France Embassy told The Bangladesh Today
yesterday.
"After hours-long examination and inspection we have
received the artefacts at about 11:15 am at ZIA. Then the
artefacts were sent to the National Museum by home-bound
courier service amid tight security," Samar Chandra Paul,
Director General of the National Museum told The
Bangladesh Today. "I am sure about originality of
artefacts which have been brought back from Paris today,
Saturday. For further confirmation about originality of
the artefatcs, we are going to place the statues inside
the museum immediately for the common viewers," he also
said.
It may be pointed out Education Adviser Ayub Quadri
resigned on December 26 in 2007 over the missing of
France-bound artefacts from Zia International Airport.
Following the incident the government cancelled the
exhibition of the rare pieces to Paris Guimet Museum for
exhibition.
Tense DU campus
F.M. Masum
A tense situation is prevailing at the Dhaka University
campus as student wings of both the Awami League and BNP,
along with outsider party activists are reorganizing in a
bid to take control over their respective dormitories and
to work in favor of their political parties during the
upcoming general election. Apart from this, the BCL of AL,
JCD of BNP, Islami Chhatra Shibir of Jamaat-e-Islami and
other students’ fronts are also becoming very active
separately.
Sources said, the leaders of the different political
parties including BNP and AL have already asked the
leaders of their student wings to be active in student
politics across the country. Meanwhile, following the
frequent activities of different political parties’
student wings, common students especially staying in the
halls are very much concerned about their academic and
peaceful atmosphere. There is growing apprehension among
the general students that resumption of student politics
on the campus will hamper the propitious environment
conducive to education.
Many of the activists of different political parties, who
went into hiding in the last few months, are returning to
the halls and conducting political activities and they are
gathering in and around the campus for showdown and
everyday they are bringing out processions on the campus
and forcing the general students to join in their
gatherings and processions. Most of the leaders of the
different halls also went into hiding for the last one
year as many of them are allegedly involved in different
anti-social activities including drug peddling. Talking to
this correspondent, a JCD leader of Salimullah Muslim
Hall, who did not want to be named, said, "the BCL leaders
are trying to capture the SM Hall but we will resist any
such attempt by them with the help of general students."
While talking to The Bangladesh Today, Rajan Khandoker, a
BCL leader said, "the JCD activists along with the Shibir
activists are trying to hamper the educational environment
of the Dhaka University, but the BCL leaders and activists
would protest against such attempts any how." Asked if
they are forcing the general students to join their
processions, another student leader said, "We are not
forcing any student to join us rather they are willingly
joining us to raise their voice against the oppression of
the caretaker Government over the last few months."
Meanwhile, Khaled Rana, a student of Political Science of
Mohasin Hall, said, "since take over by the caretaker
Government, we, the general students, had a very good time
as nobody forced us into political activities, but now
some identified leaders of different political
organisations are reorganizing on the campus and creating
anarchic situation in the halls, disrupting educational
environment." He said, "The caretaker Government should
ban the student politics for maintaining a congenial
atmosphere in the country’s educational institutions for
the betterment of the country and its next generation. No
political Government would be able to take such decision
regarding banning the students politics as they often use
the students to serve their own interests."
Talking to this correspondent, many students’ leaders said
they would launch a tough movement demanding immediate
release of detained former Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina
and Khaleda Zia. It may be mentioned that the reformists
and loyalists sections of AL and BNP have already engaged
in confrontation several times over the control of hall
politics of Kobi Jasmiuddin and Hazi Mohasin Halls.
Since the formation of caretaker Government, the campus
was free from student politics as the student leaders and
activists of different political party went into hiding
fearing arrest by the law enforcers. Yesterday, the BCL
activists brought out a procession on the campus demanding
immediate release of their party President Sheikh Hasina.
Afterwards at a gathering in front of Aparjaya Bangla, the
BCL leaders also vowed to launch a tough movement
programme including an indefinite strike in the
educational institutions across the country.
Pakistan PM likely named next month
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan’s new government, which could drive President
Pervez Musharraf from office, will likely name its choice
for prime minister when parliament reconvenes next month,
a party official said Saturday.
The two biggest parties to emerge after Monday’s election
have been weighing their choice for prime minister after
agreeing to form a coalition that analysts say could place
key US ally Musharraf’s political future in doubt.
Officials from both parties said the frontrunner to be
prime minister was Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the widely
respected vice president of slain former PM Benazir
Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
"There is an agreement that Fahim should be the
parliamentary leader and candidate for PM but the
announcement is unlikely to be made public before the
parliament is convened into session, most probably in the
first week of March," a senior PPP official told AFP.
Another senior PPP official said earlier that Bhutto’s
widower, Asif Ali Zardari, and Nawaz Sharif, whose party
emerged second to the PPP, "discussed the name of Makhdoom
Amin Fahim as the future premier" during a meeting.
Sharif, a former prime minister, and Zardari announced
that their parties would join forces after trouncing
Musharraf’s allies in the ballot. The two camps were once
bitter rivals. They have agreed that the PPP would
designate the next prime minister.
The first senior party official said that although Fahim
was the man most likely to be named, there was no rush to
make a formal announcement and internal discussions were
continuing. Bhutto’s assassination at a suicide attack
during a political rally in December overshadowed the
election campaign. Musharraf seized power from Sharif in a
1999 coup and was seen in Washington as a bulwark against
Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Questions remain over whether
Pakistan’s new coalition will press for the former
general’s immediate ouster from office.
Back Page
Advisory council
to decide
time for lifting emergency
Staff Correspondent
LGRD and Cooperatives
Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said decision for lifting of
emergency would be decided by the Council of Advisers
considering the overall situation.
The Adviser faced a barrage of questions on emergency,
price of essentials, power outage, fertilizer, stagnation
of development activities, repair of infrastructure, etc
at a view-exchange meeting at the DC's office on Saturday.
The meeting was part of gathering opinions of different
sections of the people at all five districts of the
division before the Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed
visits Mymensingh on February 25.
Iqbal wanted to know from the leading farmers and
entrepreneurs attending the meeting about inputs for boro
cultivation, power supply, food situation, employment,
small and medium factories and flood control measures. He
sought suggestions to resolve the problems facing the
people in the district.
Shamsher Ali, a farmer, informed the Adviser that several
thousand acres could not be cultivated in Nalitabari and
Jhenigati upazilas for want of irrigation facility.
Monirul Islam sought for immediate employment measures for
thousands of poor living in char areas.
Hakim Babul wanted the administration take effective
measure to check rise in prices of essentials, which is
waning popularity of the government.
Aborigine leader Kopendra Nakrek demanded repair of
infrastructure damaged by the flooding in Nalitabaria
upazila and measures for protection of life and crops from
wild elephants.
Power outage and upazila election also came up at the
meeting.
The Adviser assured their demands and views would be
placed before the Advisory Council.
He said the Election Commission will decide if the
parliamentary and upazila elections be held
simultaneously.
August 21 grenade probe
Police taking time to avoid dispute: IG
Bdnews24, Dhaka
Inspector-general of police Noor Mohammad said on Saturday
that the investigation into the August 21, 2004, grenade
attack is taking "so long" to complete in order to avoid
further controversy.
"There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the
investigation into the August 21 grenade attack," Noor
told reporters following a sports prize giving ceremony at
the Shaheed Police Memorial School and College in the
city.
"We do not want any more controversies. That is why the
investigation is taking so long," he said.
At least 23 people were killed in 2004 in a grenade attack
on an Awami League rally in front of the party's office on
Bangabandhu Avenue. The inspector-general remained vague
on the possibility of taking action against police
officers for negligence in the investigation.
"There are cases where action could possibly be taken
against senior police officials, so long as the
allegations are proved," said Noor. On Feb 18, the IG said
action would be taken against those responsible if any
flaws were found in the grenade attack investigation,
although he added that nothing would be done until the
present investigation is completed.
The initial stages of the investigation led to the arrest
of one Joj Miah, whose confessional statement implicated
Harkatul Jihad members in the attack.
Much of the controversy of the case has centred on the
validity of that confession, and subsequent police action.
When Harkatul Jihad leader Mufti Hannan was later
arrested, police claimed his confessional statement also
implicated the Islamist group in the attack.
The CID's investigation into the case is ongoing.
Recently, 41 grenades were recovered in Satkhira on
information received from another senior member of
Harkatul Jihad, Abu Jandal. Rapid Action Battallion said
the seized grenades were similar to those used in the 2004
attack.
Rural roadworkers' wages almost doubled
Bdnews24,
Jamalpur
The wages of rural workers
employed in improvement and maintenance of roads and
infrastructure have been increased to Tk 90 from Tk 54,
adviser Anwarul Iqbal said on Saturday.
"The government this year allocated Tk 53 crore for the
purpose," the local government, rural development and
cooperatives adviser said at a discussion meeting in
Jamalpur.
The adviser added that several measures were being taken
to increase rural employment opportunities. Anwarul also
told Saturday's meeting that the government will do away
with those municipalities that in the past were created
for political reasons.
"Many municipalities have been formed only on political
grounds."
"The government is formulating laws regarding
municipalities, of which many will be scrapped once the
law is enacted."
RPCL
move to offload share
UNB, Dhaka
A move by the Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) to float
its shares for public with an unresolved liability of
about Tk 425 crore gave rise to questions among
capital-market investors.
According to official sources, the RPCL, a subsidiary of
the Rural Electrification Board (REB) and some Palli
Bidyut Samittees (PDB), has planned to offload some of its
shares on the stock market for investors. The PBSs have 49
percent shares in RPCL while REB holds the rest 51
percent.
Sources said that after the successful offloading of
shares by two state-owned public enterprises in power
sector-DESCO and PGCB-the RPCL took the move to come into
the capital market.
Shares of both the DESCO and PGCB are being treated as
hotcakes as they are making huge profits and they do not
have such liabilities.
But, the move of the RPCL has created lot of questions as
the company has an unresolved liability of about TK 425
crore which is payable to its terminated power-plant
operator. They said offloading share with this huge
unresolved liability might throw investors into a tricky
situation.
The RPCL terminated its Mymensingh Power Plant's operation
and maintenance (ONM) company LIPPS without maintaining
the due legal process in 2005.
Following the termination, LIPPS went to a Singapore
international arbitration court seeking compensation
against the RPCL action. After a long hearing from both
sides, the arbitration court issued its ruling in October
2006 in favour of LIPPS, asking the RPCL to pay a huge sum
as compensation.
LIPPS officials claimed the compensation amount now stands
at about 425 crore, including interest and other charges.
Another case also still remained pending with the similar
arbitration court regarding the RPCL's DNPP power project.
Crime Watch
Madrasa teacher held
A Correspondent, Barisal
Police arrested Mawlana Masum Billah, assistant teacher of
Somertaban Mohila Madrasa at Port Road area of the city on
Friday and was sent to jail as he was produced before
court on Saturday.
Police sources said Mawlana Masum was son-in-law of
Mawlana Rafikul Islam, principal and super of the
institution.
Mawlana Rafik was accused for misappropriating funds,
corruption and irregularities in the institution and
investigation against him was going on.
Sources said Mawlana Masum was detained by local people
while he was removing important documents from the
institution to conceal corruption of his father in law and
Madrasa principal and then handed over to police as per
direction of the chairman of the Madrasa governing body on
Friday.
A N M Ahmed Ali, additional deputy commissioner for
education and development and chairman of the Madrasa
managing committee, acknowledging the facts as he visited
the institution on February 19 after receiving many
allegations against the principal and teachers and found
many irregularities there.
Mawlana Masum was handed over to police under section 54
for his suspicious activities in Madrasa office on holiday
and 7 out of 18 teachers and staffs of the institution are
relatives of Principal Mawlana Rafique.
This girl's Madrasa has classes from six to ten and only
24 girls studying in class nine and ten and no one in
classes six to eight, sources added.
Mother hands over addict son
BSS, Nagesshari
A mother handed over her addicted son to police in
Kurigram on Friday morning after being impatient for his
in human tortures on her and the family members.
Police said Shariful Islam (25), son of late Abdul Majid
of Thanapara in Nagesshari pourasabha area had been
torturing her mother and other family members to realize
money for purchasing wines for a long time.
The drug addicted son attacked his mother for money to
purchase more wine on the day when the neighbours rushed
to the spot and rescued the injured mother and caught the
drug addicted son. Later, the mother handed over her son
to Nagesshari police station from where he was sent to
jail hajat when police produced him before a Kurigram
court yesterday, the sources said.
Fake RAB held
in Bagerhat
UNB, Bagerhat
A fake captain of RAB was arrested from a residential
hotel in the town Saturday.
Abdur Rashid alias Rakib, 34, resident of Akhainagar
village in Sadar upazila, rented a room at Mohona hotel
identifying him as a captain of RAB. On suspicion, the
hotel authorities informed police who arrested him at noon
after interrogation.
Police said Rashid remained fugitive after a court here
earlier sentenced him in a case. He was also accused in
another case.
Two held with Phensidyl
A Correspondent, Comilla
Police arrested two drug peddlers with Phensidyl at
Uloin-Southpara village in Sadar Dakkin upazila on Friday
night.
Police source said the arrested were identified as Md.
Ibrahim (40) and Mostafa Miah (36) of the village in Sadar
Dakkin uapzila, acting on a secret information police
raided the area and arrested the two and recovered 260
bottles of Indian phensidyl. A case was filed with police
in this connection.
96 people arrested
BSS, Rangpur
Police in separate drives arrested 96 people from
different places of the district during the past 48 hours
till this noon, police sources said.
Of them, Kotwali police picked up 14 persons, Gangachara
five, Taraganj two, Badarganj four, Mithapukur nine,
Pirganj 44, Pirgacha 11 and Kawnia five and DB police
arrested two persons in the drives.
The arrested persons include absconding warrantees,
convicts, accused in different cases, drug-peddlers and
traffickers, antisocial elements, thieves and suspected
criminals. Police also seized huge quantities of smuggled
ganja, fermented wine and phensidyl, stolen televisions,
VCD and huge porno CDs, snatched goods and other illegal
things during the raids.
The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police
produced them before the concerned Rangpur courts today,
the sources said.
Two revolvers,
bullets recovered
BSS, Lalmonirhat
Sadar Thana police recovered two revolvers and eight
rounds live bullet from Purbo Thanapara area in the town
on Friday evening, police sources said. The sources said
some labourers while digging a pond of one Rubel Molla in
the area found the arms and ammunition and informed the
matter to police.
Being informed, a special police team rushed to the spot
and seized the revolvers and bullets and took those to the
police station.
After filing a general diary in this connection, police
have already started investigation into the matter, the
sources said.
Heroin recovered
UNB, Joypurhat
RAB and BDR members, in separate drives in the district,
arrested six people and recovered huge quantity of drugs
including one kg heroin Friday night.
Acting on a tip-off, BDR 29 Battalion jawans raided
Parbatipur bound Rocket mail train from Khulna at dead of
night and recovered one kg of heroin from a compartment in
an abandoned condition.
Besides, members of RAB-5 held Champa Khatun with 22
bottles of phensidyl syrup from Bonmukh area of Panchbibi
upazila.
They also arrested two drug peddlers - Momin and Sayem -
along with 570 bottles of phensidyl from Diora village in
Hakimpur upazila.
In another drive, the elite force seized 448 ampoules of
contraband Indian pathedin injection and arrested three
smugglers - Shahin, Abul Bashar and Abdul Mannan - in this
connection from Pachur crossing area of the town on the
same night.
Woman injured in acid attack
UNB, Sirajganj
A woman received severe burn injury as her husband
allegedly threw acid on her at Barodugali village in
Shahjadpur upazila on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as Lina Begum, 25, wife of
Jelhaj Ali of the village. Police said Jelhaj threw acid
on the victim following a family feud early in the
morning.
Hearing the hue and cry of Lina neighbors rushed to the
spot and took her to the local health complex. Later,
following the deterioration of her condition she was
shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
A case was filed.
Teenage boy found dead
UNB, Mymensingh
A teenage boy was found dead at Bhakua Beel (water body)
in Iswarganj upazila on Tuesday.
The dead was identified as Sohel (14), son of Moslemuddin
of Parahar village in Nandail upazila.
Police said Sohel was missing since he went out of his
house Monday morning.
Later, local people found his body at the beel (wet land).
Later, police recovered the body and sent it to hospital
morgue for autopsy. A case was filed.
Ganja worth Tk 50 lakh recovered
BSS, Brahmanbaria
Police arrested one person and seized phensidyl and ganja
worth about Taka 50 lakh from different areas of the town
on Sunday. The arrested was identified as Tahidul Islam
alias Shafiq, 25, son of Nur Mia of Petoajuri in the
district.
Police sources said Shafiq was arrested with 20 bottles of
phensidyl from Khadurail area of Mirjapur upazila. Police,
in another drive at Tetuajuri area of Champaknagar
recovered 5-kg ganja from a passenger bus, the sources
said.
Separate cases were filed in these connections. Robbery at
expatriate's house UNB, Sylhet Armed bandits looted cash
and valuables from an expatriate's house early Tuesday at
Furkanchak village in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj
district.
Locals said a gang of robbers, numbering 10/12, broke open
the door of the house of Shafiqul Islam, who returned from
Saudi Arabia recently, at about 3am and looted cash and
valuables worth over Tk 1 lakh at gunpoint.
Shafiqul Islam, who was sleeping in a nearby bungalow
during the robbery, informed the villagers about the
incident over mobile phone. The robbers fled the scene
along with the booty when the villagers started rushing to
the spot. A case was filed.
Editorial
Three Questions Regarding Sustainability of Reforms
The
starting point for any strategic policy formulation on
structural changes in state institutions are three basic
questions :
(1) What makes a Government legitimate, so that it will
exercise "voluntary rule over voluntary subjects"?
(2) What kind of social order will people freely &
spontaneously accept & support?
(3) What is meant by Justice & what basic standards of justice
can be applied to the transformation of existing economic &
political systems?
These are the fundamental questions that confront, and in some
form must be answered by any polity. Different polities at
different periods of history have answered them in different
ways and any answer like the initial postulates that form the
starting-points of Euclidian geometry, must consist of an
ethical affirmation, not of a demonstrable truth. Thus,
Liberalism begins by asserting the rights of the individual
personality, which are regarded as not interchangeable with
any or all other social objectives & hence of infinite value,
while Conservatism postulates a belief in the organic order &
unity of society. These must be recognized as hypotheses, not
as dogmas or facts, and the only possible test of their
validity lies in the extent of their operational application.
Any refusal to recognize this necessary uncertainty by
insisting that the rightness of some particular system can be
rationally demonstrated leads to intolerance & persecution.
Of utmost importance to us is the recognition that a State has
an ethical and moral end and that end is the realization of
cultural and civilizational greatness of a nation; the state
being an instrument & a conduit for the achievement of the
end. State structures provide the essential foundation &
framework within which the society & the nation move forward
in an attempt to realize its ethical & moral mission. Such
structures must balance contradictory requirements: Justice
must be balanced by Utility & Necessity; Liberty &
Individualism must be balanced by Order, Discipline & Law;
Creativity & Innovation must be balanced by Continuity. As to
why Bangladesh failed to set up such state structures is a
moot question now.
One does not have to master John Locke in order to understand
that politics is all about power for without power, political
aims cannot be achieved. Largely, what constitutes power, how
to achieve and regulate it, is defined by cultural norms of a
particular society, nation or civilization. One could of
course, define political power as the capability to persuade,
convince, motivate and in the ultimate instance coerce large
masses of people living in a defined geographical space, to
accede to regulating both their individual and collective
affairs through particular processes and institutions for the
attainment of what is nebulously termed "National Interests".
The Emergency Government backed by the Army has radically
changed the definition and balance of political power.
Measures taken against corruption have resulted in
disorganization of BNP and disarray of AL. To all intents and
purposes the Emergency Government appears to be bent on
destroying the hold, of these two political parties, on
political processes (elections) and political institutions
(parliament). On the other hand, the Emergency Government and
the Army which backs it, do not seem to have any "End State",
that is a set of conditions, the fulfillment of which will
allow a return to some form of democracy or representative
government. Almost certainly neither the Emergency Government
nor the Army will 'exit' until it is entirely convinced that
all its acts, of both commission and omission, are given
blanket 'de jure' recognition by the next government, whatever
be its form or structure. The question of sustainability of
this Government's reform measures would, it is hoped, be taken
care of by this 'ratification'. Unfortunately, that contention
is incorrect, for as we have pointed out at the very beginning
of this editorial, the three essential questions have not been
answered satisfactorily by the Emergency Government. Under the
circumstance 'the Reforms' will collapse with the departure of
this Government.
Analysis
Exterminators on our Roads
and Highways
According to the Accident Research Centre (ARC)
of BUET thirty-two people are killed everyday on the roads of
our country.
Maswood Alam Khan
Captivated
by birds and airplanes in flight in our childhood we slaked
our wish of flight by hand-launching a paper-plane made of
folded papers with wings and a fuselage designed on
aerodynamic principles that glided in the air like a real-life
aircraft---warming the cockles of our baby hearts.
Travelling in an aircraft does not really fulfil our mythical
wish to fly on our own wings unless we ourselves can fly the
aircraft as its captain. But, not everybody can afford to be a
member of the flying club to become a pilot. And not every
qualified pilot has an aircraft of his own parked at his
backyard always ready to lift him up high into the sky
whenever he fancies.
Flunking our attempt to pilot an aircraft sitting on its
cockpit we then as adults satiated our longing to be a 'bird
in flight' on an alternative mode: we drove our cars holding
the steering wheel, shifting the transmission gears, pressing
the accelerator and pushing the brakes while focusing on the
road ahead---like an eagle hovering in the azure sky focusing
on preys in quest for her food. The speed, altitude,
centrifugal forces, and sensations of flying that we
experience while driving our cars let us feel what it is like
to be a bird or an aircraft pilot in flight. This partly
explains why we love our cars, preferring this mode of
locomotion to that of walking or running for which we are
genealogically adapted.
Birds of prey, whose survival hinges on swiftness and who live
in deep forests and earn their living by chasing down other
birds and insects, have very high 'flicker fusion frequency'
enabling them to react quickly when moving at high speed---an
ability achieved through an evolutionary process driven by
survival necessity for thousands of years---compared to
humans, whose evolution did not necessitate a fast flicker
fusion frequency like that of birds, nor did their evolution
presage that they would have to piggyback in future on a very
fast vehicle to run or fly faster than a bird. So, when we
drive our cars like a flying bird, we are a fish out of water.
We abscond from our natural bipedal habit for an airborne one
in which we are at times out of control.
We are genetically designed to walk or run on the locomotive
strength of our two legs. So, when we get behind the steering
wheel of a car, we may think we have gained a bird's power of
flight---a dangerous psychological illusion on the part of a
human driver, if s/he is not properly educated, trained,
governed, controlled and overseen. Likewise, the lady dog
Laika---the first animal launched into orbit---was not
expected to while away her time inside the Soviet spacecraft
Sputnik-2 on her own without having undergone any training and
without any remote controls from the ground station.
Pathetically, most of the motor vehicle drivers in our country
are lesser trained and lesser medically screened for their
ability to cope with speed than Laika, the lady dog who
underwent series of trainings and medical checkups before she
was harnessed with gears for her maiden journey into space.
Hundreds of our drivers embark upon their dreams to drive a
truck to earn a livelihood at a minor age when they were
supposed to learn lessons from schools and morals from
guardians. Their prime time for games in playgrounds and for
lessons inside classrooms is thus lost in the smoggy and slimy
environment of trucks and buses belching out leaden fumes and
truckers smiting them with spiteful scolds and unholy
gestures. The first chapter of their driving lessons begins
with "massaging feet, hands, back and head of their 'ustad'
(master driver) when he prepares to go to sleep. The next are
washing the truck, screaming warnings to drivers of other
competing vehicles and doing his ustad's personal errands.
With tortuous experience on massaging human limbs, cleansing
body parts of motor vehicles, and screaming nasty scolds at
fellow motorists the 'helper-turning-into-driver' is suddenly
ordained as a full-fledged driver---on a day when his ustad is
a little tired and does not feel like driving. The new driver
is now behind the wheel of a truck. He is now in the pilot's
seat of a jumbo jet with turbofan engines. Speeding up is now
his passion being continuously fuelled by his fantasies
pent-up in a cocoon of dreams he has been knitting since the
day he started his apprenticeship under the tutelage of his
ustad! His dream to fly has at last come true.
The new driver was too preoccupied all his childhood dreams of
driving to go to a school. He could not learn from a teacher
the values of human empathy for another driver seeking a
passage on the right side of his speeding truck. Neither could
he afford time to read a story with a moral or hear words from
a leader with a message that could instil into his embryonic
mind a dose of patriotism. Following in his ustad's footsteps
his next dream is to own a truck by his extra savings---every
time by overloading the already overloaded cargo of the day.
His ustad has categorically instructed him to maintain his
truck's equilibrium by driving just on the middle of the road
straddling the dividing white line, come what may---left-hand
or right-hand driving is none of his business! A little
deviation from the middle point of the highway for any
allowance given to any passing vehicle, he has been repeatedly
warned, will endanger his truck, imperil his new career and
shatter his dreams because his hyper-overloaded truck---now
precariously on a balance on the flat surface of a
road---would invariably turn turtle if it has to veer onto the
slightly-sloped sideways of the road or the highway. Colliding
side-on or head-on with a tiny car, to him, is far safer than
sacrificing the middle path thereby losing his job or his
life.
Every single citizen of our country and every single
individual of our police force know and see everyday that
trucks with capacity of carrying 5 tons of cargo are regularly
hauling 400 large-sized sacks (each to hold 2.5 maunds of
rice) fully stuffed with paddy or rice which constitutes a
truckload weighing 1000 maunds or 37 tons which is 7.5 times
more than its optimum capacity, thanks to indigenous
modifications doctored to its load bearing power by trebling
or quadrupling the sets of leaf springs that are vital for
balancing loads of a vehicle---a dangerous tempering to
compromise with the original architectural and mechanical
designs of the truck.
We don't know whether cracks developed on the Jamuna Bridge
were caused by such overloaded hauling. Neither have we known
how many thousands of lives or how much tons of money could
have been saved if the regulatory or the law enforcement body
could only resist their temptations of not paying any heed to
those tempered leaf springs that are very much visible at the
underneath of the chassis of a truck.
Thanks to my pretty long driving experience I can empathise
with a driver steering his tiny 800 CC Suzuki car vis-à-vis
with a trucker driving his gigantic TATA lorry on the same
road or highway: both are drivers with equal rights under law;
but with laxity of law enforcement in our country and complete
absence of proper licensing, medical checkups, training and
education of our drivers one finds himself as a sparrow and
the other a sparrow hawk.
We humans differentiate ourselves as rational beings living in
a civilized society compared to other animals roaming on the
wild. Yes, it is true when we are rightly educated and trained
under proper leadership. An uneducated or untrained driver
steering his truck in an environment not controlled by
strictures of law and order is far worse than a hyena in a
jungle. Hyenas don't kill another hyena to quench their
hunger; but we humans do indulge in homicide, fratricide,
matricide, parricide or patricide even for fun if there is no
one to look over our shoulders to stop the crime.
Speed has become the driving force in our lives. Everyone is
in a hurry-to get to work, to unload a cargo, to get home, to
drop off the kids, to pick them up, to get to the market. We
must go ever faster, and we build our cars ever stronger to
protect us in the reckless chase for money and status not
knowing that the truck near our car is a time bomb ticking
away as the metal liner of its CNG cylinder has already frayed
out and is about to give way to a slight concussion.
Thousands of people in our country are falling prey everyday
to our love for speed, shoddy brakes, adulterated lubricants,
CNG gas cylinders made of fatigued metals, spurious
replacements of vital parts, laxity of traffic law, faulty/no
traffic signal and unbridled behaviour of unruly, untrained
and drunken drivers driving defective and unscientifically
modified vehicles on our dilapidated and poorly maintained
roads and highways.
According to the Accident Research Centre (ARC) of BUET
thirty-two people are killed everyday on the roads of our
country and according to Red Cross & Red Crescent Society
three thousand people (including 500 children) are killed
everyday on the roads of the world. This amounts to 1.2
million deaths a year. In addition, more than 50 million
people are seriously injured on roads every year; many are
disabled for life.
World report of 2004 jointly published by World Bank and World
Health Organization cried for taking immediate measures to
check road crashes in poor countries as it predicted that
fatalities on roads will fall by 20 percent in high-income
economies like in USA and rise by 80 percent in low-income
economies like in Bangladesh in the coming years, if we fail
to follow what the developed countries are doing to reverse
the trend of road mishaps.
Hundreds of road mishaps are not heard about even by local
people of the area where the road crashes are taking place in
our country. Only a very few are reported in the news media
and fewer are recorded by the police or the statistician and
no follow-up story of a handful of those reported crashes is
ever published in any newspaper as to plights of the victims
left in the lurch: their groans in hospitals or hunger of the
children who became orphans. As if, victims dying of road
crashes and mosquitoes getting asphyxiated by aerosol insect
sprays are of the same gravity and of the same magnitude.
If traumas and tribulations of those crash victims were
published in news media in serials the way a single mishap of
Rimi murder case (thanks to Rimi's status of a daughter of a
journalist as an additional weight) was highlighted in the
press years back, perhaps there could have been an earthquake
of public opinions to compel our government to right all the
wrongs on the roads or the nerves of the reckless drivers
could perhaps have been calmed enough not to fly their cars at
supersonic speed or ram their trucks on the wrong sides of the
roads or hurtle their buses onto the rail track when the
speeding train is only a few yards away.
Next time when you are in a hurry to overtake a speeding
truck, look out for the space on the right or on the left of
the juggernaut and count moments begging the Providence for
another chance to live a little more of life as you don't know
when the mountain of its sky scraping load would tip on the
roof of your car or when its CNG gas cylinder would detonate
or when another truck or a bus or a train of the same status
is to swoop on you!
(Maswood Alam Khan, General Manager, Bangladesh Krishi Bank
The author may be reached at: maswoodalamkhan@gmail.com)
Germany-Bangladesh
Relations
Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various
international issues and work together in the UN and in other
international forum.
Khan Ferdousour Rahman
After
the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Germany was one of the
first European countries to officially recognize Bangladesh in
1972. Bangladesh also warmly greeted German reunification. As
an economic power as well as an important member of the
European Union (EU), Germany is a reliable partner of
Bangladesh in development cooperation. Since independence
German churches and numerous NGOs made tremendous efforts to
promote the social and economic development of Bangladesh.
German assistance to Bangladesh is received in the form of
development efforts, trade and cultural cooperation. Both
countries have a long and successful bilateral relationship on
most international issues. Germany always emphasizes the
democratic characteristics, governance issues and development
process of Bangladesh.
Germany developed as a democratic country in deep remorse for
World War II and became one of the top most economic powers of
the world. After establishment of diplomatic relations, the
bilateral relations between the two countries began to grow
steadily. Between the start of development cooperation in 1972
and the end of 2005, Bangladesh received approximately € 2.3
billion in commitments from Germany as part of bilateral
Financial and Technical Cooperation in addition of the funds
provided by the German churches and NGOs. At an
intergovernmental negotiation in 2005, Bangladesh received €
14 million in new commitments from Germany. Since 1978, all
German funds provided as part of government level cooperation
have been in the form of non-repayable grants.
Bangladesh is a priority partner country of German Development
Cooperation (GTZ). By an agreement between both the government
adopted in May 2004, the activities of the GTZ focus on three
priority areas such as healthcare including family planning,
economic reform and development of the market system through
promotion of private sector, especially SMEs, and renewable
energies. Among the other ongoing projects the promotion of
legal and social empowerment of women in Bangladesh is also to
be mentioned. The sustainable economic development program of
GTZ in Bangladesh contributes to the competitiveness of the
RMGs sector, as well as other export-oriented sectors like
silk, leather and jute.
In trade with Germany, Bangladesh has for years recorded a
large surplus. Germany is the second largest export market of
Bangladesh after the US. Bangladesh exports in Germany in 2006
amounted to € 1.56 billion as compared with Bangladesh imports
in the same period of only € 305 million. About 94% of the
exports from Bangladesh to Germany are RMGs and Bangladesh
imports mainly comprising machinery, chemical and electrical
goods, and medicines. A German-Bangladeshi investment
promotion and protection agreement has been in force since
1986 and a bilateral double taxation accord since 1993. So far
German direct investments in Bangladesh are almost € 60
million. The Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (BGCCI) acts as a business platform and mediator
between both the countries and promotes bilateral trade
relations by coordinating and providing required information
and services.
The cultural relationship of both the countries is very
strong. The cultural cooperation between them is mainly
channeled through the Goethe Institute that work on developing
the cultural ties between both the countries by sponsoring
local and German cultural activities. Bangladesh has
traditional and historical connection with Germany. There is a
century-old exchange between German and Bengali people. German
interest in the culture of Bengal dates back to the visits to
Germany by the Bengali national poet and Nobel laureate for
literature Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s and 1930s. Many
Bangladeshi intellectuals take a keen and informed interest in
German literature, art, architecture and philosophy. In
Bangladesh Goethe Institute is the main meeting place for all
those interested in Germany. Goethe-Institute Dhaka with
headquarters in Munich offers a broad variety of cultural
events to present the German culture in Bangladesh through its
main activities by film-workshops, film-presentations,
seminars and lectures on socio-political subjects as well as
on aspects on contemporary arts, theatre performances, and
exhibitions of German and Bangladeshi artists. Environmental
care and consequences of globalization are covered in the
workshops and seminars. The Institute offers an extensive
language course program up to intermediate level where about
600 students learn German in every year. There are around 350
academics received training in Germany with German funding;
some of them now hold important positions in the
administrative and academic institutions of Bangladesh. A
foreign professional chair is sponsored by the Bangladeshi
government at the University of Heidelberg's South Asia
Institute.
Bangladesh has traditional and historical connection with
Germany, and both the countries enjoy closest ties. There are
increasing contracts amongst German and Bangladeshi artists,
primarily in the fine arts, photography/film and theatre.
Bangladeshi artists have been able to exhibit in German
galleries and museums. A number of visual artists from
Bangladesh have also made Germany their new home. Germany
continues to promote the restoration of historical monuments,
archeological research and the unique legacy of the Bengali
catamarans. Since 1981, a cooperation agreement has been in
place between Radio Bangladesh and Deutsche Welle (DW).
The bilateral commercial and trade interests of both the
countries are continuing, although there is considerable scope
for greater engagement. Bilateral relations got some momentum
by several high level visits, contracts, and political and
economic dialogue. In December 2000, the then head of the
government of Bangladesh officially visited Germany. In
February 2004, a German nine-member parliamentary delegation
also visited Bangladesh.
Both Germany and Bangladesh share common views on various
international issues and work together in the UN and in other
international forum. They have maintained and developed close
and friendly relations in a wide range of field. The two
countries are harmonized together by their commitment to
various sectors mutually agreed upon, which is expected to be
strengthened further in future.
(The author is a freelance columnist. E-mail: ferdous3820@yahoo.co.uk)
Viewpoints
Role of Media in
Environmental Conservation
The media
people have the comparative advantage in making people aware
of the environmental pollution, protection and management.
Hasan Zahid
The
task of environmental protection and management is so vast
that no amount of effort and investment by environmental
experts and planners can be expected to achieve very much
without the involvement of the media in motivating large-scale
participation of the people. Media is such a means of
communication where general mass are directly contacted.
The sense that the world is in the middle of a continuing
communications revolution has been strong since the 1960s when
television made its great breakthrough. It was then that the
Canadian writer on communications, Marshall McLuhan, made his
memorable statements that "the medium is the message" and that
the world was becoming a global village. It was then too that
the word 'media' became part of daily speech, covering not
only electronic media, live television, but older print media,
particularly the press.
The media people have the comparative advantage in making
people aware of the environmental pollution, protection and
management. This is the age of Internet and the Website.
Moreover, both the electronic and print media are expanding in
even a poor country like ours. So journalists and media men
have ample opportunities to make people aware of the present
environmental challenges.
Even one and half decades ago, Bangladesh did not enter into
the world of 'information society' and the private TV channels
and Internet was not introduced widely. That time was the
beginning of the access to some computer applications only.
Especially in the 90s, the country started to join 'global
village' through the Internet and the Website. But the
environmental issues had got attention much earlier. Only some
print media and the state television existed. The journalists
of Bangladesh, especially the journalists of South Asia and
the ESCAP region showed a positive response to the
conservation of environment at that period. ESCAP published a
handbook for journalists in the year 1988. The local
newspapers highlighted environmental problems and published
articles on environment. In the 90s Forum of Environmental
Journalists of Bangladesh was formed. So, the media played a
very significant role in environmental preservation and
creating awareness. The observance of the World Environment
Day, International Ozone Day, Earth Day and the like got
proper attention of the mass media.
However, in the present context the extent of providing
environmental news and reporting on environment, to some
extent, has lowered down, in comparison to the number of
newspapers and TV channels. One reason maybe the political
instability and the other is that most of the private channels
are commercial. But as a journalist or editor, one has to
inform people about a certain environmental problem
exclusively and has to present environmental trend, problem
and management aspect, as a whole, as regular program. The
print media, in this connection, is much more active than that
of the electronic media. It is of crucial importance that
public awareness be created as a prerequisite for changing
people's attitudes and outlooks with regard to the environment
and development.
The future of the Asian region sits as much on journalists'
shoulders as it does on those of national leaders. A
journalist's job is to inform and help to mould public opinion
and see the real problem without being biased by any corner.
Mostly poorer class, the children and the elderly people
suffer from environmental health hazards in our country. The
poor communities fall victim of any environmental disaster.
The working class is devoid of basic amenities to support
their livelihood as well as to protect their health.
Therefore, a reporter or a journalist should see a problem
from an investigative point of view and should clearly mention
about who are the environmental criminals and who are the
victims.
There are few more crucial subjects to inform the readers
about than the many facts of environmental issues. This is the
critical role a journalist plays in guarding the environmental
commons for future generations.
(Hasan Zahid, Short story writer & essayist. Mailing address:
5A/14 Razia Sultana Road, Block D, Muhammadpur, Dhaka-1207.
Cell:01819482852. Email: hasanzahid_bd @yahoo.com)
Shariah Law can be Modern
Maybe the UK should consult
more with social workers in Pakistani and Bangladeshi cities
who are also coping with urbanization from backward rural
areas.
Dr Terry
Lacey
The
recent controversy in the United Kingdom when the Archbishop
of Canterbury raised the possibility that some aspects of
shariah law might be implemented in UK Muslim communities
raised cultural and economic issues rather than simply
religious questions. Shariah law is not always about
backwardness, despite its image in the West. If shariah
banking can be modernized, globalized and in management terms
westernized in synergy with a liberal financial system, then
why not other aspects of shariah law? Interpretation of
shariah law is culturally contextualized in time and space,
not universally fixed like concrete.
The liberal Islamic Indonesian scholar Zuhairi Misrawi argues
that shariah law is a cultural product because it has been
historically constructed and is attached to a specific
territorial, geographical and socio political culture.
[Jakarta Post 14.02.08]. Last year there were a series of
seminars on shariah banking in Indonesia organized with the
British Chamber of Commerce. Shariah banking can be very
modern. It has Export Credits, Bonds, Mortgages, leasing and
profit-sharing, and will doubtless devise environmental
credits too. The profit and loss sharing aspect of shariah
banking is the most innovative but the poor can normally only
access fixed cost Islamic facilities more similar to Western
interest. However Islamic profit & loss sharing instruments in
Asia are surprisingly heavily used by non Muslims (in
Malaysia).
The big issue in shariah banking policy is the gap between
rich and poor. When a modern economically dynamic society like
UK absorbs migrants from a culture of rural poverty, with
tribal and feudal influences, then economics is driving social
change. Shariah banking could make a greater contribution to
resolving these problems by extending its more innovative
profit sharing concepts to poorer people to reduce
marginalization & promote social inclusion.
Maybe the UK should consult more with social workers in
Pakistani and Bangladeshi cities who are also coping with
urbanization from backward rural areas. The only way out of
this will be economic and social change, in UK, and in
countries of origin.
Shariah banking should offer part of the way forward without
excluding other groups or religions. In Indonesia the trend is
towards Islamic windows in conventional banks, based on
consumer choice, not to an institutionally separatist Muslim
banking system. If non Muslim Chinese business people in
Malaysia or Indonesia want to use Islamic banking they are
welcome to do so, it is open to everybody.
One way to mobilize Islamic banking to help the poor would be
to promote more investment in what we might call social
capital markets like water supply and power supply, especially
New & Renewable Energy. The profit and loss instruments of
Islamic finance are the right shape to finance these long term
investments where poor people cannot afford the services at
the start, but can afford to pay as incomes rise.
Some UK Muslim communities are already resolving family
disputes voluntarily with shariah law. Of course all parties
should also have the right of recourse to the jurisdiction of
UK courts. However, such rights have to be taught, learned and
upheld. Politicizing the debate on shariah law and confusing
it with extreme criminal punishments which are not agreed with
or practiced by most Muslims in the world does not help this
process.
We should study the voluntary use of shariah law to resolve
family disputes in UK, Canada and elsewhere, parallel to
recourse to normal courts, to see if this helps resolve
conflicts or hinders social changes. Most of the same people
who react strongly about shariah law in the UK would not be so
negative if the modernization of their factory or water supply
was partly financed by an Islamic Financing Institution. Nor
do they object to shariah law when they eat in a halal
restaurant, while they are drinking their laager with their
curry. If the Muslims who serve the laager can be broad
minded, is it too much to ask of other people?
(Dr Terry Lacey. E-mail: terrylacey2003@ yahoo.co.uk. Address:
Jl.Tebet Utara IV G No.8, Jakarta 12820. Ph.+ 62 021-8357320 /
+ 62 021-70992075; Fax. +62 021-8379 5878; Hp.00 62 816 1820
953)
Preventing future nuclear
catastrophes
The most critical shortcoming of nuclear deterrence is that the
threat of even overwhelming retaliation is not credible against
extremist groups that cannot be located.
David krieger & stanley k. Sheinbaum
THROUGHOUT
the Cold War, nuclear deterrence was at the heart of US nuclear
policy. But deterrence has some important limitations that make
it highly unreliable, particularly in a time of terrorism. The
most critical shortcoming of nuclear deterrence is that the
threat of even overwhelming retaliation is not credible against
extremist groups that cannot be located.
Further, even a credible threat of nuclear retaliation would not
be effective against an enemy that is suicidal. Simply put, an
enemy that is not locatable or that is suicidal cannot be
deterred, no matter how large a country's nuclear arsenal or how
clear its threats of retaliation.
The decreasing value of deterrence in the post-Cold War period
has been recognised by a bipartisan group of former high-level
US officials, including former Secretaries of State Henry
Kissinger and George Shultz, former Secretary of Defence William
Perry, and former chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee
Sam Nunn. They have argued in a seminal Wall Street Journal
article that reliance on nuclear weapons for the purpose of
deterrence "is becoming increasingly hazardous and decreasingly
effective."
Going back to 1984, Ronald Reagan argued in his State of the
Union Message, "A nuclear war can never be won, and must never
be fought." Reagan concluded, "The only value in our two nations
possessing nuclear weapons is to make sure they will never be
used. But then would it not be better to do away with them
entirely?"
The bottom line is: Nuclear weapons do not make us safer. US
reliance on these weapons sets the standard for the world. Right
now the US appears content to promote nuclear double standards,
one standard for ourselves and our friends and another for our
perceived enemies. For example, the US is seeking to bend the
international non-proliferation rules for India, a country that
has developed and tested nuclear weapons, while threatening to
attack Iran for enriching uranium, which it claims is for
nuclear energy development.
The problem is that double standards do not hold up - not with
children and not with nations. So long as the US government
continues to rely upon nuclear weapons for security, other
nations will also do so, and eventually these weapons will
further proliferate, end up in the hands of terrorists and be
used with devastating consequences.
Some people believe that we must wait until nuclear weapons are
used again before policy makers will realise the critical need
to eliminate this danger. We disagree with this view. We believe
that humans are capable of using their imaginations, foreseeing
the likelihood of future nuclear weapons use in a world in which
deterrence is not effective, and acting with determination to
prevent such a catastrophe.
What should we do? First, the US must lead the way by working
with Russia to reduce nuclear dangers and then convening the
other nuclear weapons states for a common effort to eliminate
all nuclear weapons. Such a plan is far more pragmatic than
utopian. What is truly in the realm of fantasy is the belief
that nuclear proliferation, nuclear terrorism and nuclear war
can be prevented by continuing with business as usual.
Since US leadership is essential, the US needs either new
nuclear policies or new leaders and most likely both. The
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has developed an Appeal to the Next
President of the United States that calls for US leadership "in
convening and leading the nations of the world" to take the
following seven steps:
Remove all nuclear weapons from high-alert status;
Make legally binding commitments to No First Use of nuclear
weapons;
Initiate a moratorium on research and development of new nuclear
weapons;
Ratify and bring into force the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;
Bring all weapons-grade nuclear material and the technologies to
create such material under strict and effective international
control;
Commence good faith negotiations on a treaty for the phased,
verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons; and
Reallocate resources from nuclear armaments to alleviating
poverty, eliminating hunger and expanding educational
opportunities.
Achieving these goals will not be easy, but they are essential.
The Appeal has already been endorsed by the Dalai Lama,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and many other leading world citizens.
A world free of nuclear weapons is a goal that demands our
high-priority commitment and our country's best efforts. Each of
us on the planet shares in the responsibility to prevent future
nuclear catastrophes. If we fail, the future will not be bright.
If we succeed, we will leave the world a better place for our
children and grandchildren.
Source:www.khaleejtimes.com
International
Series of rockets
or mortars hit US protected Green Zone in Baghdad
AP/UNB, Baghdad
A series of rockets or mortars were fired
toward the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, a day
after radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his
Mahdi Army militia fighters to cease attacks for another
six months. Nearly 10 blasts were heard in the sprawling
area in central Baghdad starting about 6:15 a.m., and the
U.S. public address system there warned people to "duck
and cover" and to stay away from windows.
Maj. Brad Leighton, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed
the Green Zone was hit by indirect fire, its term for a
rocket or mortar attack but could not immediately provide
more details. The 10-square-kilometer (4-square-mile) area
on the west bank of the Tigris River houses the U.S. and
British embassies, the Iraqi government headquarters and
thousands of American troops on the west bank of the
Tigris River.
It has been frequently struck by rockets and mortar
rounds, but the attacks have tapered off amid stepped up
security measures and a lull of violence in the capital
and surrounding areas. Often, the rounds landed in open
fields - part of a system of parks that former leader
Saddam Hussein built when the area served as the
headquarters of his regime.
But they have proven deadly. On July 10, extremists
unleashed a barrage of more than a dozen mortars or
rockets into the Green Zone, killing at least three people
- including an American - and wounding 18.
The U.S. military blamed Iranian-backed Shiite militias
for a series of deadly rocket attacks in Baghdad earlier
this week, including one against U.S. outposts in Baghdad
that wounded three American soldiers.
Another struck Camp Victory, the main U.S. military
headquarters, and an Iraqi housing complex on the
capital's southwestern outskirts on Monday, killing at
least five people and wounding 16, including two U.S.
soldiers.
The military said the extremists were among factions that
have broke with al-Sadr and refused to follow his
cease-fire order. Al-Sadr announced Friday that he has
extended the six-month order through mid-August and the
U.S. military welcomed the announcement. The cease-fire,
along with an increase in U.S. troop levels and a move by
American-backed Sunni fighters to turn against their
former al-Qaida in Iraq allies, the cease-fire has been
credited with reducing war deaths among Iraqis by nearly
70 percent in six months, according to figures compiled by
The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki on Friday
urged his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to
respect Iraqi sovereignty as Ankara's troops entered
northern Iraq to hunt separatist Kurds.
Maliki reminded Erodgan in a telephone call of "the need
to respect Iraq sovereign authority," according to Maliki
spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh.
He also noted, however, that the Iraqi government
"supports Turkish security and safety, and acknowledges
that the PKK is a threat to Turkey and its border areas".
Pakistani cartoon protesters burn Danish, US flags
AFP, Karachi
Supporters
of a hardline Islamic party burned US and Danish flags in
this southern Pakistani city Friday in fresh protests
against a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) reprinted
in Danish newspapers.
Witnesses said about 150 supporters of fundamentalist
party Jamaat-i-Islami gathered outside a mosque in the
port city, flying banners demanding Pakistan sever
diplomatic ties with Denmark.
"We don't need to have diplomatic relations with a country
that hurts our religious sentiments," the banners read, as
demonstrators chanted: "Death to the cartoonist."
Crowds also gathered in the capital Islamabad, burning
effigies representing the cartoonist.
Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Danish envoy in Islamabad
to lodge a "strong protest" over republication of the
cartoons.
To Muslims, the drawings are blasphemous since Islam
prohibits any images of the prophet.
The pictures originally appeared in September 2005,
sparking anger and protests across the Muslim world.
Iran hails UN nuclear report as a ‘success’
AFP, Tehran
Iran on
Thursday hailed the latest UN nuclear watchdog report into
its atomic programme as a "success," saying it proved that
Western accusations that it wanted nuclear weapons were
baseless.
"The report published today is new proof of the legitimacy
of the position of the Islamic republic and the reality of
the declarations by Iran," top nuclear negotiator Saeed
Jalili told a news conference in Tehran.
"This shows that the accusations that others have made are
false. I congratulate the Iranian people for this success
which is due to their resistance," he added.
Jalili said that the report showed that all remaining
areas of ambiguity over past nuclear activities it had
been discussing with the Vienna-based watchdog have now
been cleared.
"Now those who were looking for pretexts have nothing to
talk about," he commented.
In its latest report on the Iranian nuclear programme, the
Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
said it had received more information from Tehran but
complained that this was not complete. It said it was
still not in a position to determine the "full nature of
Iran's nuclear programme" which the West fears could be
used to make nuclear weapons.
The United States was quick to react, expressing both
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