|
Leading
News
EC finalising Electoral Rules
Elections in four city corporations,
seven pourasavas
in April; Election to 100 upazila parishads in May
Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission is
going to finalise the much-awaited electoral rules by the
end of this month and send it to the government for
approval.
"On the basis of proposals, suggestions and
recommendations given by different political parties
during the two-round dialogues with the EC, we are going
to formulate the electoral laws as well as the rules of
conduct for the upcoming parliament elections. Currently
we are revising and examining different parties’
recommendations. We are hopeful of finalising the rules
soon," Election Commissioner Mohhammad Sohul Hussain told
reporters on the premises of EC secretariat on Wednesday.
"But before finalising any such rules, we will have to
hold two rounds of dialogue with Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP). The High Court have been hearing for a couple
of days a writ petition of Khaleda Zia challenging the
EC’s letter inviting Maj (rtd) Hafizuddin, acting
Secretary General of Saifur-Mannan faction of BNP, to the
dialogue on electoral reforms," Sohul said, adding, "we
are expecting that the matter will be disposed off soon.
Within one week of the court’s order, the EC will complete
its dialogue with BNP. We will not finalise the electoral
laws without talking to the BNP."
Later, talking to the newsmen, another Election
Commissioner Sakhwat Hossain said, "as the electoral rules
will be finalised by this month, the election will be held
within the time frame announced in the roadmap."
Replying to a question how he can be sure that the
electoral rules will be finalised by this month and the
election will be held as per roadmap as he has been saying
the same thing for three months, Sakhwat Hossain retorted,
"Allah knows."
According to sources at EC secretariat, the rules prepared
by the EC will bar the non-registered political parties
from participating in the election. But not a single
political party has been registered yet. It is to be noted
that the political parties will have to register with the
commission by June next.
UNB, Khulna adds: Elections in four city corporations and
seven pourasavas would be held in April while election to
100 upazila parishads in May.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal disclosed the government plan
while inaugurating Khulna WASA formally by unveiling the
WASA plaque at the KCC Division of Water Supply on
Wednesday. A couple of days earlier, the Election
Commission decided in principle to hold upazila elections
as per its electoral roadmap that will culminate into the
national polls. December is the terminal time in the
roadmap timeline for holding the stalled general election.
2nd cabinet meeting in Barisal
Rabiul Islam
The second cabinet meeting
at Barisal will take steps for the Sidr-hit areas and some
districts based on the advisers’ experience after visits
in different districts, said an official.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at Barishal Circuit
House today (Thursday) with Chief Advise Fakhruddin Ahmed
in the chair.
Sources said after visiting assigned districts the
advisers will deliver their observations before the
cabinet meeting so that it can take steps to solve the
problems of the local people.
Prior to the cabinet meeting, the advisers and special
assistants to the Chief Adviser were asked to visit
various Sidr-hit as well as some other districts to know
the rehabilitation and development activities.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam were asked to visit
Jalokhati, Home Adviser Gen M A Matin to Bagerhat, Foreign
Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury to Madaripur, Jute and
Textile Adviser Md. Anwarul Iqbal to Khulna, Agriculture
Adviser C S Karim to Satkhira, A M M Shawkat Ali to
Patuakhali, Law Adviser A F Hasan Arif to Barguna,
Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader to Pirojpur, Women
and Children Affairs Adviser Begum Rasheda K Chowdhury to
Vhola, Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Mahbub Jamil to
Shariatpur, the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistants Raja
Debashi Roy to Bagherhat, M A Malek to Jhalokhati and
Manik Lal Samadar to Gopalgonj.
"We will exchange views at the cabinet meeting at Barisal
and inform the meeting in which areas special attention
for development is needed", Agriculture Adviser C S Karim,
who is assigned to visit Satkhira told The Bangladesh
Today.
"I am surprised to see that many people have cultivated
paddy defying shrimp culture and it is encouraging for
us", the Agriculture Adviser added.
Sources said Jute and Textile Adviser Anwarul Iqbal, who
is assigned to visit Khulna, held a meeting with district
administration and representatives of the workers on
Wednesday.
He urged the workers’ representatives to refrain from
violent acts, assuring that the Government is working to
revive the jute industry and would pay the workers’ dues
soon.
The Jute Adviser also asked the mills management to form a
welfare committee involving members from the law enforcing
agencies so that any unrest in jute sector can be managed.
Earlier, first cabinet meeting was held at Rangpur Circuit
House on February 2, focusing on price hike of essentials,
local problems and Boro production.
BNP
unity process
Taib Ahmed
The reformists’ camp in bifurcated BNP is likely to merge
with the mainstream soon abiding by the conditions given
by Khaleda Zia-appointed Secretary General, Khandoker
Delwar Hossain. According to sources, recently-released
Brig (retd) ASM Hannan Shah, member of BNP Chairperson’s
advisory council, has almost finlalized a draft resolution
to the end of the much-touted unity in BNP. The draft
resolution was learnt to be written with the provisions of
going back to a situation that existed before October 29
and of agreeing to wage a movement to free Begum Zia.
Meanwhile, it is not yet clear what the stand of the BNP
Secretary General, Khandoker Delwar Hossain, now in
Singapore is about Hannan Shah’s latest moves. Talking to
this correspondent, Rizvi Ahmed quoted Delwar Hossain as
saying, "I am not involved with the unity move taken by
Hannan Shah." Delwar, however, did not disagree with the
possibility of a reunification in the troubled party.
Most of the joint Secretary Generals are not well aware of
the unity process. "I know nothing of unity process," said
both Nazrul Islam Khan and Goyeshwar Roy. On the other
hand, talking to newsmen, BNP Chairperson’s Adviser
Mofazzal Karim, a leading reformist, said, "We want BNP to
be reunited at any cost." He, however, declined to comment
on whether they would relinquish the disputed committee
formed on October 29 night at Saifur’s residence. It is
learnt that soon after the return of Delwar Hossain the
unity process might be finalized, if Delwar agrees with
the terms and conditions set by ASM Hannan Shah.
However, the unity move of Hannan Shah has raised question
in the minds of party rank and file. "Why has Hannan Shah
become desperate to take the reformists back to the fold
of mainstream whereas the party Secretary General is
reluctant to do so," they opined. Hannan Shah’s statement
‘who wants to go to jail repeatedly’ has added fuel to the
doubt of the party rank and file.
AL
against local govt polls before parliamentary election
Staff Correspondent
Acting Awami League President Zillur Rahman has said
Parliamentary Election will be hampered if the Local
Government polls are held before that election.
He was addressing a press conference at his Gulshan
residence where two AL units- Georgia in USA and Homna
thana – donated Tk 1.50 lakh to the AL relief fund for the
Sidr victims yesterday evening.
"The Caretaker Government will handover the state-power to
the people’s representatives through ensuring a free, fair
and credible general election and the elected legislative
body will hold the local government polls including
Upazila and Union Parishad," observed
the veteran AL leader.Expressing his grave concern over
the on-going voters’ list, Zillur Rahman said the voters’
list preparation is yet to be finalised.
The former AL minister demanded of the government to send
the ailing AL chief Sheikh Hasina abroad for her better
treatment after releasing her from the ‘false and
fabricated cases’ as early as possible.
"Hasina is not being treated properly by the specialist
physicians in Bangladesh. If the authorities concerned
fail to take necessary steps in this regard within a day
or two, Hasina’s ears may be damaged," Zillur
apprehended.He said, "The health condition of the detained
former prime minister is deteriorating day by day, the
government must ensure better treatment outside the
country according to the advice of the doctors within the
shortest possible time." The senior most AL presidium
member urged the government to free Hasina unconditionally
and immediately. He also thanked the government for
allowing ailing AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil for his
better treatment in Singapore.
Earlier, Doctor Sahla Khatun examined the health condition
of the former premier Sheikh Hasina, detained at the
special jail in the Parliament Complex since July 16 last
year but refused to talk to the press.
DU
depts exacting money forcefully
Daud Md Isa
Some departments of Dhaka University are forcefully
collecting huge amounts of money from students in the name
of development works without ensuring any transparency in
transaction, according to sources. The department
authorities said, they had to take money from students as
the government cannot provide them with necessary fund to
equip the departments with modern technological
facilities. But the students alleged that the departments
are not maintaining the rules and regulations in the
transaction of money and the departments are not giving
them any money receipt in violation of the syndicate
decision
Syndicate, the highest decision making body of the
university, at a meeting on Oct 4, 2006 approved that the
departments, if necessary, may collect money from the
students but it will have to ensure transparency to avoid
the allegation of misappropriation. In that case, the
departments will prepare a budget showing earnings and
expenditure which must be approved in the academic council
of the department and be audited yearly. But it was found
that most of the departments are not maintaining this
criterion.
Students of Islamic Studies department on Wednesday
alleged that the department is forcefully taking Taka one
thousand each from them in the name of setting up of a
computer laboratory. The 4th year students of the
department also alleged that the authorities are not
giving them any money receipt and those who could not bear
the expense are not being allowed to appear in the viva
voce. When asked, the chairman of the examination
committee of the department, Dr Muhammad Abdul Baki, could
not clarify why they are not giving any money receipts.
The students of the department have so far deposited more
than TK ten lacs in last three years for setting up of a
computer laboratory but there is no sign of such a
laboratory.
Chairman of the department Dr Muhammad Abdul Latif said,
he does not know anything about the laboratory as he took
charge a few months ago.
Treasurer Sayed Abul Kalam Azad said, collecting money
without receipt is illegal and no department can take
money from the students in that way.
Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz said, the process of taking
money from the students has to be transparent and
voluntary.
Power
crisis continues
Staff Correspondent
Despite tough measures taken
by authorities to ensure smooth power supply during the
current summer season, the country has been experiencing
about 1000 MW of electricity shortfall due to inadequate
generation by the Power Development Board (PDB).
"The capital and many other parts of the country have been
gripped by a serious power crisis due to drastic fall in
production and supply of electricity due to short supply
of gas," a source in the PDB said adding although the PDB
has active power plants at Ghorashal, Rauzan and many
others gas fired power plant across the country, these can
not produce adequate power due to short supply of gas.
Besides, separate nor’westers that swept different areas
of country during the last two nights also caused power
disruption, sources in PDB told this correspondent on
Wednesday.
The PDB has the capacity to generate 3500 MW to 3800 MW
electricity against the demand of 4800 MW to 5000 MW. The
PDB has 24 power plants, 85 per cent of them are gas run
plants. On Wednesday PDB was not supplied sufficient gas
against the demand of 750 million cubic feet gas, the
sources added.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today an official of PDB said
PDB generated some 3800 mw of electricity against the
demand for 3900 MW of electricity.
"The terrible power situation will deteriorate day by day
as most of the power plants are old. Many power units of
different power plants in the country with a generation
capacity of 1000 MW to 1500 MW of electricity remain out
of order," a source in the Power Development Board said.
In the capital, frequent power disruption and load
shedding is seriously affecting the city dwellers,
educational institutions and business establishments as
the supply of electricity falls short by about 200MW
daily.
The worst affected areas are Farashganj, Sadarghat,
Tantibazar, Nawabpur, Bakshibazar, Lalbagh, Fakirapool,
Arambagh, Malibagh, Gulbagh, Rampura, Badda, Mohammadpur,
Lalmatia and different places in Mirpur which witness
frequent power disruption, at least five to seven times a
day, causing untold hardships to the residents. The
residents of the affected areas lodged complaints with the
DESA sub-stations but they do not get any positive
response.
An official of DESA on Wednesday said PDB supplied 1300 mw
of electricity to DESA against the demand for 1500 MW in
the peak hours during the summer. "On the other hand, DESA
is now distributing electricity through its 36 zonal
sub-stations which are in very bad shape. Earlier, DESA
had undertaken a programme to set up nine new sub-stations
out of which only five have been constructed so far," the
official added.
Janaza
of Mahbubuzzaman held
Bdnnews24, Dhaka
The namaz-e-janaza of former
minister and cabinet secretary Md Mahbubuzzaman was held
on Wednesday at the mosque of the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, chairman of the Regulatory
Reforms Commission Akbar Ali Khan, BNP leader MK Anwar and
establishment secretary Abdus Salam Khan were among the
family members, friends, and others who attended the
janaza at 11 am. Mahbubuzzaman died on Monday at Mount
Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. He was 82.
His coffin was brought back to Dhaka on Wednesday.
Before his burial in Banani cantonment graveyard, two more
janazas were to be held —one at Baitul Aman Mosque,
Dhanmondi and the second one at Gulshan Jam-e-Masjid.
President Iajuddin Ahmed on Tuesday expressed deep
condolence at the death of Mahbubuzzaman. In a condolence
message, the president referred to Mahbubuzzaman’s "colourful
career" and said people would remember with respect his
contribution to "civil and social service". In a separate
condolence message on Tuesday, the chief adviser
remembered the contribution of the "brilliant late member
of the civil service" to the administration.
Release
of Hasina demanded
DU Correspondent
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) staged a demonstration on
the Dhaka University campus on Wednesday to press home the
demand for immediate release of Sheikh Hasina.
BCL, the student front of Awami League, also demanded
release of its general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury
Roton. A good number of BCL activists brought out a
procession on the DU campus to press home their demand.
The procession began from the Modhur Canteen at about 12
pm and ended at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla after
parading campus streets. At a rally there, the BCL leaders
urged the government to release Hasina even for treatment
purpose.
Case
against Babar, OC Mahbub and 3 others
UNB, Dhaka
Former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar and four others
were accused in a case filed on Wednesday accusing them of
torturing a central leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League in
2004.
Abu Abbas Bhuiyan, BCL leader and student of Dhaka
University student who was the victim of torture in
custody, filed the case with the CMM court.
Others accused are OC Mahbubur Rahman, Sub-Inspectors
Rezaul Karim and Naser Ali and Sergeant Anwar Hossain who
were posted in Ramna thana during the
incident.
The court referred the case to Ramna thana for
investigation.
The plaintiff said he was taken into custody on orders
from the then state minister for Home Affairs from a
procession protesting the attack on Dr Humayun Azad, a
teacher of Dhaka University on February 27, 2004. Taken to
police remand he was meted out inhuman torture by the
police in Ramna thana.
Back Page
EIU forecasts BD’s
GDP down at 5.7 per cent
UNB, Dhaka
London-based Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) has revised down its forecast on
Bangladesh's economic growth to 5.7 percent in 2007-08 in
their latest revision of country report on Bangladesh.
It fears inflation in the country to entrench further as
the Bangladesh Bank has not tightened monetary policy and
is not expected to do so in the near future.
In its March issue, EIU said the GDP growth of Bangladesh
to slow down to the level compared to 5.8 percent as
projected in their February report due to less favourable
external environment in 2008.
"The outlook for Bangladesh's external environment is
expected to be less favourable in 2008, as economic growth
slows in the country's main export markets," according to
the report.
The projection was made in the light of EIU's latest
revisions of GDP forecasts for the US and the euro area,
two major export destinations of Bangladesh.
The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
Asian Development Bank (ADB) projected the country's GDP
at 5.5 percent while the Bangladesh Bank expected it to be
around 6 percent.
The EIU is a specialist publisher serving companies
establishing and managing operations across national
borders. For 60 years it has been a source of information
on business developments, economic and political trends,
government regulations and corporate practice worldwide.
EIU said world GDP (measured at purchasing power parity
exchange rates) is forecast to ease from 4.6% in 2007 to
3.8% in 2008 before picking up slightly to 3.9% in 2009.
The slowdown reflects a substantial downward revision to
the growth forecast for the US, where real GDP to slow
from 2.2% in 2007 to just 0.8% in 2008 (compared with 1.5%
in our February report).
"Our forecast assumes that there will be a recession in
the US during the first half of the year," the EIU report
said.
"We still expect the US economy to recover in 2009, but at
1.4% the pace of growth is likely to be slower than
previously projected. We have also revised down our
forecast for GDP growth in the euro area in 2008, to 1.7%,
down from 2% previously." The report said the expected
poorer economic performance in the US and the euro area
would have a negative impact on Bangladesh's external
sector, as the two regions combined absorb 55% of total
Bangladeshi exports.
It expected international oil prices (dated Brent Blend)
to average US$79.5/barrel in 2008, before falling to
US$72/b in 2009.
"Because Bangladesh imports nearly all of the oil products
that it requires, high world oil prices will have a
detrimental effect on Bangladesh's balance of trade and
are expected to contribute to record trade deficits in
2008 and 2009."
On the expenditure side, the report said the growth of
exports and services are expected to slow to 4.4%, from an
estimated 11.4% in 2006/07, as the textile sector adjusts
to weaker external demand and tries to overcome production
problems arising from recent labour disputes.
It, however, added that the growth would be driven by
private consumption, which accounts for some 65% of total
GDP, and an increase in investment activity, led by the
government and foreign investors.
On the supply side, the composition of GDP growth in
2007/08 and 2008/09 will be similar to that in 2006/07, as
record inflows of workers' remittances underpin activity
in the services sector and the manufacturing industry
continues to make a strong contribution.
The rates of growth in agriculture will again lag behind
those in manufacturing and services in 2007/08, as the
sector strives to overcome the devastation caused by
floods and Cyclone Sidr.
Assuming normal rainfall, a strong recovery in agriculture
should boost GDP growth to 6.2% in 2008/09.
Record inflows of remittances are expected to spur
consumer spending in 2007/08 and 2008/09 and would help
prop up the balance of payments.
3m poor under US $120m UNDP, DFID project
UNB, Dhaka
UNDP and the Department for
International Development (DFID) have jointly initiated a
US$ 120 million development project to improve the
livelihoods and living conditions of 3 million urban poor
and extremely poor people, especially women and girls.
The project titled 'Urban Partnerships for Poverty
Reduction (UPPR)' will be implemented in cooperation with
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), including
the municipalities and city corporations concerned.
The project, which will continue till March 2015 and cover
30 towns, including Dhaka City Corporation, will support
local capacity for the development and implementation of
poverty-reduction strategies at town level. Links to
financial institutions, such as local banks and
micro-finance bodies, to provide access to a wide range of
financial services by community groups, including housing
improvements and business development support, will also
be provided through the project. It will ensure that the
implementation of pro-poor urban development and
poverty-reduction strategies at town level influence
policy development at the national level.
This project aims to mobilize the urban poor communities
and groups to create healthy living environments and
support urban poor families to acquire resources,
knowledge and skills to increase their incomes and assets.
The project also tends to deliver benefits to poor people
through pro-poor urban policy, said a UNDP release on
Wednesday.
"As part of the global commitment made through the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), UNDP will continue
assisting Bangladesh to fulfill the promise and we are
thankful to the UK Government for its support to eradicate
poverty", said UNDP Country Director Mr. Manoj Basnyat.
Rights to Information Ordinance 2008 on process
UNB, Dhaka
The committee, formed to formulate a draft on Rights to
Information Ordinance 2008, has prepared a primary draft
after reviewing the Law Commission report on information
rights and the existing laws of the SAARC countries.
The government has formed the eight-member committee with
the joint-secretary (development) of Information Ministry
as its chairman to formulate a draft on Rights to
Information Ordinance 2008.
A PID handout on Tuesday said a roundtable would be
arranged soon to elicit opinions on the primary draft of
the Rights to Information Ordinance 2008. Representatives
from the civil society, non-government organisations,
intellectuals, lawyers, journalists, businesspersons and
professionals will take part in the discussion.
Crime Watch
DB police arrested
Staff Correspondent
Detective Branch of police (DB) arrested a criminal and
recovered two private cars from his possession in the
capital on Tuesday night.
The arrestee was identified as Shafiur Rahman, 35, son of
Abdul Hamid of Chandpur district. He is also the owner of
Pallabi Mid Town Shopping mall.
According to sources, acting on a tip-off, a patrol team
of DB police led by assistant commissioner Hasibul Hasan
went to Arambagh under Pallabi police station at about
10:30 pm and arrested Shafiur Rahman. Later the law
enforcer along with him went to the underground of the
shopping mall and recovered two private cars.
Earlier, on the basis of secret information, Tejgaon thana
police arrested Jahangir an active member of an organised
gang. Following his confessional statement, DB police
arrested Shafiur Rahman.
The arrestee Shafiur Rahman in association with local
terrors used to steal a good number of private cars from
different parts of the capital for long. He is also an
accused in several cases including car thefts, DB sources
said.
A case was lodged.
Acid thrower gets 14-yr RI in Gaibandha
UNB, Gaibandha
A special court here on Tuesday convicted a man and
sentenced him to 14 years rigorous imprisonment for
throwing acid on a female college student.
The convict was identified as Biplob Mondal, son of
Dinbandhu Mondal of Chaparhati village in Sundarganj
upazila.
The court also fined him Tk 10,000, in default, to suffer
one year more RI.
According to the prosecution, Biplob and his friend
Subhash halted Anjuara Begum, a 2nd year student of
Dharmapur Jabbar College in Sundarganj upazila, on her way
to the college on July 15, 1997.
Later, Anjuara raised screams when Biblop and Subhas
attacked and tried to torture her physically. At one
stage, Biplob hurled acid at her leaving her critically
injured.
After the incident, a case was filed with local police
against them.
After examining the records and witnesses, Women and
Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad
Sharif Uddin Azad found Biblop guilty and awarded the
punishment acquitting Subhash.
8 live bombs recovered
A Correspondent, Rangpur
Eight live bombs were recovered by Rangpur Kotwali police
from Mukta hostel of Rangpur Medical College on Tuesday
night.
Police sources said, on a secret information, police
conducted a raid at the student dormitory at about 10:00
pm and recovered explosive from the bathroom.
Ahmed Hasmi, officer-in-Charge of Kotwali police station
said, a general diary was registered in this regard.
Police started investigation into the matter he added.
Kidnapper held
A Correspondent, Chapainawabganj
One kidnaper, Shohel (26), son of late Farhing of Acborpur
under Shibganj thana, was arrested on Tuesday night.
Sources said Shohel and other two associates kidnapped
Abdul Basir (35), son of late Yasin Ali of village
Arhaimari under Shibganj upazila from Acborpur mor on
March 3.
In this connection the victim's brother, Toriqul Islam,
filed a case on Tuesday with the Shibganj Thana.
Acting on secret information, Shibganj Thana police
conducted drives in Acborpur area and arrested Shohel.
Top terror killed in crossfire
UNB, Narayanganj
A "top terror" of the district was killed in an
"encounter" between his cohorts and RAB troops in Rupali
residential area under Bandar upazila on Wednesday.
Police and local sources said the deceased, Mahe Alam Dipu,
32, son of Shah Alam of Laxmankhola village in the upazila,
had risen into prominence through underworld activity
using political shelters.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Rapid Action
Battalion-11 arrested the fugitive Dipu from Dhaka on
Tuesday night, a week after his return from his hideouts
in India.
He went into hiding after securing bail from a local court
in the sensational Shahin murder case of Bandar police
station. The killing took place early last year.
Housewife injured in acid attack in Faridpur
UNB, Faridpur
A housewife sustained serious burn injury as her rival
allegedly threw acid on her over a land dispute at
Balibhadradia village in Boalmari upazila on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as Farida Begum, 26, wife of
Alamgir of the village.
Police said there was a longstanding dispute between
Alamgir and his neighbor Hassan Sardar over a plot of
land. As a sequel to the dispute an altercation ensued
between them in the morning.
At one stage while Farida came forward to stop the quarrel
Hasan's son hurled acid at her leaving her critically
injured. She was rushed to the local health complex. A
case was filed.
Jute mills worker stabbed to death
UNB, Jessore
A female jute mill worker was stabbed to death at Barandi
in Abhoynagar upazila Tuesday night. The deceased was
identified as Fatema Begum, 45, a worker of Akij Jute
Mill. She was the wife of Golam Mostafa of village Barandi.
Police said Fatema came under attack while going to her
work place at about 10:00 pm. The assailants stabbed
Fatema indiscriminately, killing her on the spot.
Police recovered the body Wednesday morning and sent it to
morgue for autopsy.
One Jubo Dal leader killed
Staff Correspondent
Shibli, general secretary of youth front of BNP of
Dhanmondi unit was killed by a gang of miscreants near
Minabazar in the capital on Wednesday evening.
According to police, a gang of four to five miscreants
equipped with firearms intercepted Shibli and started
firing indiscriminately when he was returning home on foot
at about 6:30 pm. The gang managed to flee the spot
leaving him critically injured.
On receipt of information, police rushed to the spot and
sent him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the
attending physician declared him dead.
Editorial
Crisis in
Leadership
USA,
the world’s most powerful State is facing a severe crisis in
leadership and as such their people decided to look for
individuals who can provide them with leadership which can
bring about changes to suit the need of the times. This is so
not only in the USA but also in many other Nations and States
around the world and one has but to look at what is happening
in, as diverse places, as Korea, Cuba, Pakistan and Russia to
realise that people in those places have redefined what
leadership is all about and the roles they expect their
leaders to play in a World beset by climatic and environmental
changes, decreasing natural resources of food and energy,
massive population increases and population migrations,
complex world-wide economic linkages, proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction and last but not the least, possible
pandemics or epidemics of new types of deadly infections
diseases. The contention is simple : the world has changed, it
will keep on changing and so must the leadership which can
understand and tackle the opportunities and problems of that
changing world.
In Bangladesh our problems are different and acute : we have
few natural resources but we have a burgeoning young
population which is vying for a share of those limited
resources; therefore social, economic and political conflicts
are widespread and rampant. We need leaders who can understand
this and can think out and implement innovative and creative
ways of solving these problems. We have experimented with
various ways of changing our leadership and the least
successful have been those which were forced through murders
and assassinations, through martial-laws and emergencies;
changes through democratic processes of elections have not
been much successful either. The fact of the matter is that we
as a people, as a collective do not know or at least are not
clear about what we want exactly; what changes we want? how we
want those changes to happen? and what sort of leaders do we
want to lead us towards those changes. We as a people are poor
and therefore, economically and socially disadvantaged and
unempowered; easily bedazzled by display of wealth and power,
we vote for and select people as leaders who can adequately
impress us with these conspicuous displays. As a Nation-state,
voting for us is a periodic road-show and not a duty and a
right to be exercised with wisdom and circumspection. We have
politicians and Chiefs of massive political parties; we have
painters, poets, scientists and intellectuals; we have rich
businesspersons and industrialists; we have military Generals
and Admirals; we have even a Nobel Peace laureate but we no
leaders who can get us all together, provide us with purpose
and direction and lead us towards our own “Civilizational
Greatness”. The fault is not with our leaders, the fault is
with us who have never felt the necessity of exercising our
duty to select or elect the leaders we need.
Poor Education Quality
There is widespread
allegation that the quality of our education is poor. Most
people attribute this alarming situation to trading in the
name of education by a section of unscrupulous people. Even
the Finance Advise Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam on Tuesday said,
teaching profession has now become a commercial proposition
while schools are a springboard to open up coaching centres.
He also blamed politicisation of entire system relating to
education for poor education quality.
It is difficult to disagree with him as the quality of
education in the country is deteriorating day by day due to
rampant corruption, mismanagement and irregularities in
education sector and brisk business in the name of education
by a section of teachers and some coaching centre owners. They
are engaged in one sort of business in the name of education.
The polished title of this business is 'coaching'. In fact, in
disguise of coaching they are carrying on silent trading
instead of imparting education. The teachers who give coaching
to the students are among those who are the fortunate people
in the country as they earn quite a good amount of money every
month by imparting education and taking model test- a new
mechanism for extracting money. The coaching system is very
profitable and secure for the teachers as every student has to
pay the price of knowledge in advance. The fact remains that
many teachers have been able to earn a lot just through
selling education as tutors at home or coaching centres. How
much their students have really been benefited is another sad
story.
It is encouraging that despite serious poverty and other
problems, the number of students at different levels is
increasing gradually. But a real success in education cannot
be attained by rise in number of students alone. What is
needed more is quality education which makes a boy or a girl
really educated and a worthy citizen capable of making
substantial contribution to the progress of the country.
Although thousands of boys and girls are coming out with
degrees every year, the standard of education in the country
is degrading. One of the main reasons for this is that the
students depend more on private coaching and in some cases on
copying in examinations instead of regular studies and hard
labour.
In the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal government has
enacted laws banning private tuition by teachers. If a similar
step is taken in our country as well to stop the silent
trading in the name of education, the students will depend on
the teaching given at their classes and devote themselves more
to studies. And that will make positive contribution to the
improvement of the quality of education. According to experts
it is only through proper teaching at educational institutions
and regular studies at home that the students can have good
education to become good citizens. We also think that the
students should follow this path as our nation need quality
education and not only an increase in number of the students
and degree holders.
Analysis
Renewing American Leadership
To renew American leadership in the world, we must first bring
the Iraq war to a responsible end and refocus our attention on
the broader Middle East.
Barack Obama
COMMON
SECURITY FOR OUR COMMON HUMANITY
At moments of great peril in the last century, American
leaders such as Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F.
Kennedy managed both to protect the American people and to
expand opportunity for the next generation. What is more, they
ensured that America, by deed and example, led and lifted the
world — which we stood for and fought for the freedoms sought
by billions of people beyond our borders.
As Roosevelt built the most formidable military the world had
ever seen, his Four Freedoms gave purpose to our struggle
against fascism. Truman championed a bold new architecture to
respond to the Soviet threat — one that paired military
strength with the Marshall Plan and helped secure the peace
and well-being of nations around the world. As colonialism
crumbled and the Soviet Union achieved effective nuclear
parity, Kennedy modernized our military doctrine, strengthened
our conventional forces, and created the Peace Corps and the
Alliance for Progress. They used our strengths to show people
everywhere America at its best.
Today, we are again called to provide visionary leadership.
This century’s threats are at least as dangerous as and in
some ways more complex than those we have confronted in the
past. They come from weapons that can kill on a mass scale and
from global terrorists who respond to alienation or perceived
injustice with murderous nihilism. They come from rogue states
allied to terrorists and from rising powers that could
challenge both America and the international foundation of
liberal democracy. They come from weak states that cannot
control their territory or provide for their people. And they
come from a warming planet that will spur new diseases, spawn
more devastating natural disasters, and catalyze deadly
conflicts.
To recognize the number and complexity of these threats is not
to give way to pessimism. Rather, it is a call to action.
These threats demand a new vision of leadership in the
twenty-first century — a vision that draws from the past but
is not bound by outdated thinking. The Bush administration
responded to the unconventional attacks of 9/11 with
conventional thinking of the past, largely viewing problems as
state-based and principally amenable to military solutions. It
was this tragically misguided view that led us into a war in
Iraq that never should have been authorized and never should
have been waged. In the wake of Iraq and Abu Ghraib, the world
has lost trust in our purposes and our principles.
After thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars spent,
many Americans may be tempted to turn inward and cede our
leadership in world affairs. But this is a mistake we must not
make. America cannot meet the threats of this century alone,
and the world cannot meet them without America. We can neither
retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission. We
must lead the world, by deed and by example.
Such leadership demands that we retrieve a fundamental insight
of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy — one that is truer now than
ever before: the security and well-being of each and every
American depend on the security and well-being of those who
live beyond our borders. The mission of the United States is
to provide global leadership grounded in the understanding
that the world shares a common security and a common humanity.
The American moment is not over, but it must be seized anew.
To see American power in terminal decline is to ignore
America’s great promise and historic purpose in the world. If
elected president, I will start renewing that promise and
purpose the day I take office.
MOVING BEYOND IRAQ
To renew American leadership in the world, we must first bring
the Iraq war to a responsible end and refocus our attention on
the broader Middle East. Iraq was a diversion from the fight
against the terrorists who struck us on 9/11, and incompetent
prosecution of the war by America’s civilian leaders
compounded the strategic blunder of choosing to wage it in the
first place. We have now lost over 3,300 American lives, and
thousands more suffer wounds both seen and unseen.
Our servicemen and servicewomen have performed admirably while
sacrificing immeasurably. But it is time for our civilian
leaders to acknowledge a painful truth: we cannot impose a
military solution on a civil war between Sunni and Shiite
factions. The best chance we have to leave Iraq a better place
is to pressure these warring parties to find a lasting
political solution. And the only effective way to apply this
pressure is to begin a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces, with
the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March
31, 2008 — a date consistent with the goal set by the
bipartisan Iraq Study Group. This redeployment could be
temporarily suspended if the Iraqi government meets the
security, political, and economic benchmarks to which it has
committed. But we must recognize that, in the end, only Iraqi
leaders can bring real peace and stability to their country.
At the same time, we must launch a comprehensive regional and
international diplomatic initiative to help broker an end to
the civil war in Iraq, prevent its spread, and limit the
suffering of the Iraqi people. To gain credibility in this
effort, we must make clear that we seek no permanent bases in
Iraq. We should leave behind only a minimal over-the-horizon
military force in the region to protect American personnel and
facilities, continue training Iraqi security forces, and root
out al Qaeda.
The morass in Iraq has made it immeasurably harder to confront
and work through the many other problems in the region — and
it has made many of those problems considerably more
dangerous. Changing the dynamic in Iraq will allow us to focus
our attention and influence on resolving the festering
conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians — a task
that the Bush administration neglected for years.
For more than three decades, Israelis, Palestinians, Arab
leaders, and the rest of the world have looked to America to
lead the effort to build the road to a lasting peace. In
recent years, they have all too often looked in vain. Our
starting point must always be a clear and strong commitment to
the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and
its only established democracy. That commitment is all the
more important as we contend with growing threats in the
region — a strengthened Iran, a chaotic Iraq, the resurgence
of al Qaeda, the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah. Now
more than ever, we must strive to secure a lasting settlement
of the conflict with two states living side by side in peace
and security. To do so, we must help the Israelis identify and
strengthen those partners who are truly committed to peace,
while isolating those who seek conflict and instability.
Sustained American leadership for peace and security will
require patient effort and the personal commitment of the
president of the United States. That is a commitment I will
make.
Throughout the Middle East, we must harness American power to
reinvigorate American diplomacy. Tough-minded diplomacy,
backed by the whole range of instruments of American power —
political, economic, and military — could bring success even
when dealing with long-standing adversaries such as Iran and
Syria. Our policy of issuing threats and relying on
intermediaries to curb Iran’s nuclear program, sponsorship of
terrorism, and regional aggression is failing. Although we
must not rule out using military force, we should not hesitate
to talk directly to Iran. Our diplomacy should aim to raise
the cost for Iran of continuing its nuclear program by
applying tougher sanctions and increasing pressure from its
key trading partners. The world must work to stop Iran’s
uranium-enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring
nuclear weapons. It is far too dangerous to have nuclear
weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy. At the same time,
we must show Iran — and especially the Iranian people — what
could be gained from fundamental change: economic engagement,
security assurances, and diplomatic relations. Diplomacy
combined with pressure could also reorient Syria away from its
radical agenda to a more moderate stance — which could, in
turn, help stabilize Iraq, isolate Iran, free Lebanon from
Damascus’ grip, and better secure Israel.
REVITALIZING THE MILITARY
To renew American leadership in the world, we must immediately
begin working to revitalize our military. A strong military
is, more than anything, necessary to sustain peace.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps, according
to our military leaders, are facing a crisis. The Pentagon
cannot certify a single army unit within the United States as
fully ready to respond in the event of a new crisis or
emergency beyond Iraq; 88 percent of the National Guard is not
ready to deploy overseas.
We must use this moment both to rebuild our military and to
prepare it for the missions of the future. We must retain the
capacity to swiftly defeat any conventional threat to our
country and our vital interests. But we must also become
better prepared to put boots on the ground in order to take on
foes that fight asymmetrical and highly adaptive campaigns on
a global scale.
We should expand our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers
to the army and 27,000 marines. Bolstering these forces is
about more than meeting quotas. We must recruit the very best
and invest in their capacity to succeed. That means providing
our servicemen and servicewomen with first-rate equipment,
armor, incentives, and training — including in foreign
languages and other critical skills. Each major defense
program should be reevaluated in light of current needs, gaps
in the field, and likely future threat scenarios. Our military
will have to rebuild some capabilities and transform others.
At the same time, we need to commit sufficient funding to
enable the National Guard to regain a state of readiness.
Enhancing our military will not be enough. As commander in
chief, I would also use our armed forces wisely. When we send
our men and women into harm’s way, I will clearly define the
mission, seek out the advice of our military commanders,
objectively evaluate intelligence, and ensure that our troops
have the resources and the support they need. I will not
hesitate to use force, unilaterally if necessary, to protect
the American people or our vital interests whenever we are
attacked or imminently threatened.
We must also consider using military force in circumstances
beyond self-defense in order to provide for the common
security that underpins global stability — to support friends,
participate in stability and reconstruction operations, or
confront mass atrocities. But when we do use force in
situations other than self-defense, we should make every
effort to garner the clear support and participation of others
— as President George H. W. Bush did when we led the effort to
oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in 1991. The consequences of
forgetting that lesson in the context of the current conflict
in Iraq have been grave.
HALTING THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
To renew American leadership in the world, we must confront
the most urgent threat to the security of America and the
world — the spread of nuclear weapons, material, and
technology and the risk that a nuclear device will fall into
the hands of terrorists. The explosion of one such device
would bring catastrophe, dwarfing the devastation of 9/11 and
shaking every corner of the globe.
As George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger, and Sam Nunn
have warned, our current measures are not sufficient to meet
the nuclear threat. The nonproliferation regime is being
challenged, and new civilian nuclear programs could spread the
means to make nuclear weapons. Al Qaeda has made it a goal to
bring a “Hiroshima” to the United States. Terrorists need not
build a nuclear weapon from scratch; they need only steal or
buy a weapon or the material to assemble one. There is now
highly enriched uranium — some of it poorly secured — sitting
in civilian nuclear facilities in over 40 countries around the
world. In the former Soviet Union, there are approximately
15,000-16,000 nuclear weapons and stockpiles of uranium and
plutonium capable of making another 40,000 weapons — all
scattered across 11 time zones. People have already been
caught trying to smuggle nuclear material to sell on the black
market.
As president, I will work with other nations to secure,
destroy, and stop the spread of these weapons in order to
dramatically reduce the nuclear dangers for our nation and the
world. America must lead a global effort to secure all nuclear
weapons and material at vulnerable sites within four years —
the most effective way to prevent terrorists from acquiring a
bomb.
This will require the active cooperation of Russia. Although
we must not shy away from pushing for more democracy and
accountability in Russia, we must work with the country in
areas of common interest — above all, in making sure that
nuclear weapons and material are secure. We must also work
with Russia to update and scale back our dangerously outdated
Cold War nuclear postures and de-emphasize the role of nuclear
weapons. America must not rush to produce a new generation of
nuclear warheads. And we should take advantage of recent
technological advances to build bipartisan consensus behind
ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. All of this
can be done while maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent.
These steps will ultimately strengthen, not weaken, our
security.
As we lock down existing nuclear stockpiles, I will work to
negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new
nuclear weapons material. We must also stop the spread of
nuclear weapons technology and ensure that countries cannot
build — or come to the brink of building — a weapons program
under the auspices of developing peaceful nuclear power. That
is why my administration will immediately provide $50 million
to jump-start the creation of an International Atomic Energy
Agency-controlled nuclear fuel bank and work to update the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. We must also fully implement
the law Senator Richard Lugar and I passed to help the United
States and our allies detect and stop the smuggling of weapons
of mass destruction throughout the world.
Finally, we must develop a strong international coalition to
prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and eliminate
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Iran and North Korea
could trigger regional arms races, creating dangerous nuclear
flashpoints in the Middle East and East Asia. In confronting
these threats, I will not take the military option off the
table. But our first measure must be sustained, direct, and
aggressive diplomacy — the kind that the Bush administration
has been unable and unwilling to use.
COMBATING GLOBAL TERRORISM
To renew American leadership in the world, we must forge a
more effective global response to the terrorism that came to
our shores on an unprecedented scale on 9/11. From Bali to
London, Baghdad to Algiers, Mumbai to Mombasa to Madrid,
terrorists who reject modernity, oppose America, and distort
Islam have killed and mutilated tens of thousands of people
just this decade. Because this enemy operates globally, it
must be confronted globally.
We must refocus our efforts on Afghanistan and Pakistan — the
central front in our war against al Qaeda — so that we are
confronting terrorists where their roots run deepest. Success
in Afghanistan is still possible, but only if we act quickly,
judiciously, and decisively. We should pursue an integrated
strategy that reinforces our troops in Afghanistan and works
to remove the limitations placed by some NATO allies on their
forces. Our strategy must also include sustained diplomacy to
isolate the Taliban and more effective development programs
that target aid to areas where the Taliban are making inroads.
I will join with our allies in insisting — not simply
requesting — that Pakistan crack down on the Taliban, pursue
Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants, and end its relationship
with all terrorist groups. At the same time, I will encourage
dialogue between Pakistan and India to work toward resolving
their dispute over Kashmir and between Afghanistan and
Pakistan to resolve their historic differences and develop the
Pashtun border region. If Pakistan can look toward the east
with greater confidence, it will be less likely to believe
that its interests are best advanced through cooperation with
the Taliban.
Although vigorous action in South Asia and Central Asia should
be a starting point, our efforts must be broader. There must
be no safe haven for those who plot to kill Americans. To
defeat al Qaeda, I will build twenty-first-century military
and twenty-first-century partnerships as strong as the
anticommunist alliance that won the Cold War to stay on the
offense everywhere from Djibouti to Kandahar.
Here at home, we must strengthen our homeland security and
protect the critical infrastructure on which the entire world
depends. We can start by spending homeland security dollars on
the basis of risk. This means investing more resources to
defend mass transit, closing the gaps in our aviation security
by screening all cargo on passenger airliners and checking all
passengers against a comprehensive watch list, and upgrading
port security by ensuring that cargo is screened for
radiation.
To succeed, our homeland security and counterterrorism actions
must be linked to an intelligence community that deals
effectively with the threats we face. Today, we rely largely
on the same institutions and practices that were in place
before 9/11. We need to revisit intelligence reform, going
beyond rearranging boxes on an organizational chart. To keep
pace with highly adaptable enemies, we need technologies and
practices that enable us to efficiently collect and share
information within and across our intelligence agencies. We
must invest still more in human intelligence and deploy
additional trained operatives and diplomats with specialized
knowledge of local cultures and languages. And we should
institutionalize the practice of developing competitive
assessments of critical threats and strengthen our
methodologies of analysis.
Finally, we need a comprehensive strategy to defeat global
terrorists — one that draws on the full range of American
power, not just our military might. As a senior U.S. military
commander put it, when people have dignity and opportunity,
“the chance of extremism being welcomed greatly, if not
completely, diminishes.” It is for this reason that we need to
invest with our allies in strengthening weak states and
helping to rebuild failed ones.
In the Islamic world and beyond, combating the terrorists’
prophets of fear will require more than lectures on democracy.
We need to deepen our knowledge of the circumstances and
beliefs that underpin extremism. A crucial debate is occurring
within Islam. Some believe in a future of peace, tolerance,
development, and democratization. Others embrace a rigid and
violent intolerance of personal liberty and the world at
large. To empower forces of moderation, America must make
every effort to export opportunity — access to education and
health care, trade and investment — and provide the kind of
steady support for political reformers and civil society that
enabled our victory in the Cold War. Our beliefs rest on hope;
the extremists’ rest on fear. That is why we can — and will —
win this struggle.
REBUILDING OUR PARTNERSHIPS
To renew American leadership in the world, I intend to rebuild
the alliances, partnerships, and institutions necessary to
confront common threats and enhance common security. Needed
reform of these alliances and institutions will not come by
bullying other countries to ratify changes we hatch in
isolation. It will come when we convince other governments and
peoples that they, too, have a stake in effective
partnerships.
Too often we have sent the opposite signal to our
international partners. In the case of Europe, we dismissed
European reservations about the wisdom and necessity of the
Iraq war. In Asia, we belittled South Korean efforts to
improve relations with the North. In Latin America, from
Mexico to Argentina, we failed to adequately address concerns
about immigration and equity and economic growth. In Africa,
we have allowed genocide to persist for over four years in
Darfur and have not done nearly enough to answer the African
Union’s call for more support to stop the killing. I will
rebuild our ties to our allies in Europe and Asia and
strengthen our partnerships throughout the Americas and
Africa.
Our alliances require constant cooperation and revision if
they are to remain effective and relevant. NATO has made
tremendous strides over the last 15 years, transforming itself
from a Cold War security structure into a partnership for
peace. But today, NATO’s challenge in Afghanistan has exposed,
as Senator Lugar has put it, “the growing discrepancy between
NATO’s expanding missions and its lagging capabilities.” To
close this gap, I will rally our NATO allies to contribute
more troops to collective security operations and to invest
more in reconstruction and stabilization capabilities.
(Continued on page-5)
Viewpoints
Renewing American
Leadership
(Continued from
page-4)
And as we strengthen NATO, we must build new alliances and
partnerships in other vital regions. As China rises and Japan
and South Korea assert themselves, I will work to forge a more
effective framework in Asia that goes beyond bilateral
agreements, occasional summits, and ad hoc arrangements, such
as the six-party talks on North Korea. We need an inclusive
infrastructure with the countries in East Asia that can
promote stability and prosperity and help confront
transnational threats, from terrorist cells in the Philippines
to avian flu in Indonesia. I will also encourage China to play
a responsible role as a growing power — to help lead in
addressing the common problems of the twenty-first century. We
will compete with China in some areas and cooperate in others.
Our essential challenge is to build a relationship that
broadens cooperation while strengthening our ability to
compete.
In addition, we need effective collaboration on pressing
global issues among all the major powers — including such
newly emerging ones as Brazil, India, Nigeria, and South
Africa. We need to give all of them a stake in upholding the
international order. To that end, the United Nations requires
far-reaching reform. The UN Secretariat’s management practices
remain weak. Peacekeeping operations are overextended. The new
UN Human Rights Council has passed eight resolutions
condemning Israel — but not a single resolution condemning the
genocide in Darfur or human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Yet
none of these problems will be solved unless America
rededicates itself to the organization and its mission.
Strengthened institutions and invigorated alliances and
partnerships are especially crucial if we are to defeat the
epochal, man-made threat to the planet: climate change.
Without dramatic changes, rising sea levels will flood coastal
regions around the world, including much of the eastern
seaboard. Warmer temperatures and declining rainfall will
reduce crop yields, increasing conflict, famine, disease, and
poverty. By 2050, famine could displace more than 250 million
people worldwide. That means increased instability in some of
the most volatile parts of the world.
As the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, America
has the responsibility to lead. While many of our industrial
partners are working hard to reduce their emissions, we are
increasing ours at a steady clip — by more than ten percent
per decade. As president, I intend to enact a cap-and-trade
system that will dramatically reduce our carbon emissions. And
I will work to finally free America of its dependence on
foreign oil — by using energy more efficiently in our cars,
factories, and homes, relying more on renewable sources of
electricity, and harnessing the potential of biofuels.
Getting our own house in order is only a first step. China
will soon replace America as the world’s largest emitter of
greenhouse gases. Clean energy development must be a central
focus in our relationships with major countries in Europe and
Asia. I will invest in efficient and clean technologies at
home while using our assistance policies and export promotions
to help developing countries leapfrog the
carbon-energy-intensive stage of development. We need a global
response to climate change that includes binding and
enforceable commitments to reducing emissions, especially for
those that pollute the most: the United States, China, India,
the European Union, and Russia. This challenge is massive, but
rising to it will also bring new benefits to America. By 2050,
global demand for low-carbon energy could create an annual
market worth $500 billion. Meeting that demand would open new
frontiers for American entrepreneurs and workers.
BUILDING JUST, SECURE, DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES
Finally, to renew American leadership in the world, I will
strengthen our common security by investing in our common
humanity. Our global engagement cannot be defined by what we
are against; it must be guided by a clear sense of what we
stand for. We have a significant stake in ensuring that those
who live in fear and want today can live with dignity and
opportunity tomorrow.
People around the world have heard a great deal of late about
freedom on the march. Tragically, many have come to associate
this with war, torture, and forcibly imposed regime change. To
build a better, freer world, we must first behave in ways that
reflect the decency and aspirations of the American people.
This means ending the practices of shipping away prisoners in
the dead of night to be tortured in far-off countries, of
detaining thousands without charge or trial, of maintaining a
network of secret prisons to jail people beyond the reach of
the law.
Citizens everywhere should be able to choose their leaders in
climates free of fear. America must commit to strengthening
the pillars of a just society. We can help build accountable
institutions that deliver services and opportunity: strong
legislatures, independent judiciaries, honest police forces,
free presses, vibrant civil societies. In countries wracked by
poverty and conflict, citizens long to enjoy freedom from
want. And since extremely poor societies and weak states
provide optimal breeding grounds for disease, terrorism, and
conflict, the United States has a direct national security
interest in dramatically reducing global poverty and joining
with our allies in sharing more of our riches to help those
most in need. We need to invest in building capable,
democratic states that can establish healthy and educated
communities, develop markets, and generate wealth. Such states
would also have greater institutional capacities to fight
terrorism, halt the spread of deadly weapons, and build
health-care infrastructures to prevent, detect, and treat
deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and avian flu.
As president, I will double our annual investment in meeting
these challenges to $50 billion by 2012 and ensure that those
new resources are directed toward worthwhile goals. For the
last 20 years, U.S. foreign assistance funding has done little
more than keep pace with inflation. It is in our national
security interest to do better. But if America is going to
help others build more just and secure societies, our trade
deals, debt relief, and foreign aid must not come as blank
checks. I will couple our support with an insistent call for
reform, to combat the corruption that rots societies and
governments from within. I will do so not in the spirit of a
patron but in the spirit of a partner — a partner mindful of
his own imperfections.
Our rapidly growing international AIDS programs have
demonstrated that increased foreign assistance can make a real
difference. As part of this new funding, I will capitalize a
$2 billion Global Education Fund that will bring the world
together in eliminating the global education deficit, much as
the 9/11 Commission proposed. We cannot hope to shape a world
where opportunity outweighs danger unless we ensure that every
child everywhere is taught to build and not to destroy.
There are compelling moral reasons and compelling security
reasons for renewed American leadership that recognizes the
inherent equality and worth of all people. As President
Kennedy said in his 1961 inaugural address, “To those people
in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break
the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help
them help themselves, for whatever period is required — not
because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek
their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot
help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are
rich.” I will show the world that America remains true to its
founding values. We lead not only for ourselves but also for
the common good.
RESTORING AMERICA’S TRUST
Confronted by Hitler, Roosevelt said that our power would be
“directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate
evil. We Americans are not destroyers; we are builders.” It is
time for a president who can build consensus here at home for
an equally ambitious course.
Ultimately, no foreign policy can succeed unless the American
people understand it and feel they have a stake in its success
— unless they trust that their government hears their concerns
as well. We will not be able to increase foreign aid if we
fail to invest in security and opportunity for our own people.
We cannot negotiate trade agreements to help spur development
in poor countries so long as we provide no meaningful help to
working Americans burdened by the dislocations of a global
economy. We cannot reduce our dependence on foreign oil or
defeat global warming unless Americans are willing to innovate
and conserve. We cannot expect Americans to support placing
our men and women in harm’s way if we cannot show that we will
use force wisely and judiciously. But if the next president
can restore the American people’s trust — if they know that he
or she is acting with their best interests at heart, with
prudence and wisdom and some measure of humility — then I
believe the American people will be eager to see America lead
again.
I believe they will also agree that it is time for a new
generation to tell the next great American story. If we act
with boldness and foresight, we will be able to tell our
grandchildren that this was the time when we helped forge
peace in the Middle East. This was the time we confronted
climate change and secured the weapons that could destroy the
human race. This was the time we defeated global terrorists
and brought opportunity to forgotten corners of the world. And
this was the time when we renewed the America that has led
generations of weary travelers from all over the world to find
opportunity and liberty and hope on our doorstep.
It was not all that long ago that farmers in Venezuela and
Indonesia welcomed American doctors to their villages and hung
pictures of JFK on their living room walls, when millions,
like my father, waited every day for a letter in the mail that
would grant them the privilege to come to America to study,
work, live, or just be free.
We can be this America again. This is our moment to renew the
trust and faith of our people — and all people — in an America
that battles immediate evils, promotes an ultimate good, and
leads the world once more.
(Barack Obama is a Democratic Senator from Illinois and a
candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Source:
www.foreignaffairs.org.)
Murders Under the Guise
of Accidents
We should stop using the word ‘accident’ the way British
Highway Code uses ‘collision’, ‘crash’, ‘mishap’ or ‘incident’
to describe events that once were known as accidents.
Maswood Alam Khan
A
Munshiganj-bound motorized
launch, hit on its behind by a loaded cargo vessel, sank in
the river Buriganga last Thursday and dozens of passengers
died.
On hearing the incident photo journalists started cleansing
their costly zoom lens, rushed to the spot and ran
helter-skelter in their quest for dead bodies; one perhaps
implored a salvager to hold the body of a baby on his arms for
a little longer so that he could catch a lively photograph of
the dead for his newspaper to publish on the front page the
next day.
As usual personnel from police, fire brigade, armed forces and
water transport authority had to come to the spot and do their
job of pulling bodies trapped inside the launch and later the
launch itself while thousands of spectators circling the spot
of mishap witnessed a drama the way people sitting on
galleries enjoy the sight of an elephant doing its tricks in a
circus party.
A probe committee headed by an important government
functionary to find out the cause and identify the culprits
was also formed. Investigation Officer would be doing his
routine job, so routine-like a job that he may ask a
pen-pusher of his office to retrieve from the dust-gathering
heaps of files an investigation report on a similar accident
that took place a few months back and copy the same in toto—-
replacing only the name of the ill-fated launch, the number of
victims and the location of the mishap.
But the incident was a simple one not to shout about, was not
it? We are nonchalant when scores of people die in an
accident. Howls of relations of the victims don’t reach our
ears as loudly as they should. Some of us of course feel sorry
for the accident victims the way we felt at the plight of Sidr
victims. But we who are not direct relations of the victims
don’t shed our tears the way we wail when our pet dog dies
from a road crash. Perhaps that is the reason we have failed
to take measures to stop repetition of such tragedies that are
very much avoidable.
Was it at all necessary to form a probe body to find out the
cause of the Buriganga mishap or engage an otherwise busy
police officer to investigate the monotony of how the
incident—-which is always deemed an accident—-did occur?
Knowing full well that the investigation report may be a
carbon copy of hundreds of such earlier reports and the probe
committee’s dossier containing the root cause of the accident
and recommendations on preventive measures will gather only
layers of dust?
As reported by all the newspapers it was an “accident” and the
launch was described as an “ill-fated” one. So, the episode to
us is a fait accompli as we all are basically defeatists. We
believe that all the victims of the Buriganga mishap were born
with such fate of their death registered on their foreheads.
We assume that the ‘ill-fated” launch could perhaps avoid this
accident if only its owner or its driver could exorcise the
vessel from evil influence of Satan.
Accident, as we find in a dictionary, is an unforeseen and
unplanned event or circumstances beyond human control such as
the cyclone Sidr that had befallen people of Bagerhat, Barisal
and Khulna last November. But when at broad daylight a bus or
a river vessel is rammed from behind by a truck or a cargo
vessel due to lack of maintenance or wrongful issuance of
fitness certificate by the regulatory body or
illness/disability of the driver (which must be screened
during issuance and renewal of his driving license) of the
hitting vehicle or defective signaling system or a conspiracy
the mishap must not be described as an ‘accident’ nor the
rammed vehicle an ‘ill-fated’ one.
When there is an accident police in our country takes the
mishap mostly as negligence of a driver or mere a fatalistic
phenomenon and the investigating officer or his higher
authority does not take the occurrence as seriously as they
would in case of a murder committed. A murder wakes up our
police department to the seriousness of the crime and
different wings of law enforcement bodies are alerted to
investigate deep into the crime to unearth the criminals and
their motives behind the homicide.
A criminal as a coldly calculating planner with malice
aforethought draws an elaborate plan before committing a
felony and mulls for days over his plan to find out lacunas in
his blueprint, say, for a murder. He is well versed in all the
penal codes, procedural strategies of police investigation and
possible strong and weak points of contention his attorney—-in
case he is caught—-would have to deal with while defending him
in a court of law.
A murderer conventionally uses a knife or a gun or any other
lethal instrument like grenade or poison to kill a victim and
the motive behind such a slaughter is to gain wealth from the
victim or take revenge for his defeat or for any other felony
committed by the victim or for any reason that haunts human
brains. The murderer tries his best to camouflage his actions
in such a way that a faint suspicion does not cross the
probing minds of his opponents or the police. Hundreds of such
murderers have thus managed to keep themselves far above the
law.
A criminal who managed to fish himself out of legal dragnet
took utmost precautions to hide or erase his fingerprints from
the weapon he used to kill the victim, but he didn’t know that
a day was not far away when forensic science would enable the
investigators to unearth telltale evidence of his crime from a
single hair that fell from his head on the porch of the
victim’s house, thanks to DNA testing. Many murderers who were
set free and roamed at large for years after committing their
felonies are of late being rounded up in both developing and
developed countries (though not yet in Bangladesh) on new
clues revealed by forensic instruments and fresh trials are
condemning them to death or life imprisonments.
Committing a murder is no more a job as easy as falling off a
log. Killing someone with a knife or a gun is a fool’s trade
when forensic science can detect human identity from follicle
of a hair or a dead cell sloughed off from skin—-or when a
suspect has no way out but to confess his crime under duress
or when bodily tortured.
A shrewd criminal plans to remain miles away from the location
and time of the murder. He would rather hire a hit man to
commit a proxy murder at his behest. Sensing that his enemy is
traveling by a launch on his way home he would instruct over
his cell phone his hit man to direct the driver of a
sand-laden trawler to ram his vessel into the back of the
launch carrying his enemy.
Killing hundreds with a view to kill one single enemy may
sound preposterous, no doubt; but, when greedy criminals in
our society steal guarders from unguarded rail tracks to sell
for a few takas they don’t imagine that thousands of rail
passengers may die from his act of petty theft. Moreover,
there is no dearth of sadists or psychologically imbalanced
people all over the world who enjoy seeing people dying at
their raising of a finger!
I would be the last man to imagine that the driver of the
sand-laden trawler MV Ibrahim Lodi was appointed by someone as
a hit man to ram his vessel into the back of ML Sourav-1 on
the River Buriganga last Thursday. What we as citizens would
love to imagine is that our law enforcement agencies while
investigating such a traffic accident should first envisage
that there could be something grievous behind an
accident—-some horrid machination to murder some people.
According to a statistic 5000 people died in accidents that
took place in 8000 kilometer long river routes of our country
during the last ten years out of which 330 people died from
accidents occurring in the River Buriganga alone since the
year 2000. We don’t know whether government authority could
unearth the real culprits responsible for such cruel deaths of
so many innocent people and perhaps we will never know whether
among the culprits were any surrogate murderers.
There are many incidents we read in newspapers and many dramas
we view in cinemas where innocent and honest people die
ostensibly in accidents but in fact they are killed by a
far-sighted conspiracy. Trucks and jeeps instead of knives and
guns have been used to kill rivals, because the killers know
accidents are accidents and punishment prescribed in penal
codes for such killing in an accident is no punishment.
Revising terminology sometimes greatly helps reshaping our
attitude. Whenever we read about a road crash described as an
accident we, including the investigating officer from the
police department, develop a conditioned attitude and treat
the episode as something preordained. If a train is derailed
the incident has always been described as a train accident
which in fact should not be viewed as an accident because the
derailment is predictable and could well be avoided if proper
measures were taken in proper time.
We should stop using the word ‘accident’ the way British
Highway Code uses ‘collision’, ‘crash’, ‘mishap’ or ‘incident’
to describe events that once were known as accidents. The
prestigious British Medical journal has also decided to ban
the word ‘accident’ from its pages.
If the nomenclature “accident” is banned from using the word
to describe a traffic mishap and if such mishaps are viewed by
our law enforcement agencies as grim as a case of a proxy
murder and if the persons responsible are interrogated the way
a suspect of a murder is grilled not only criminals would find
committing a felony by a surrogate murderer unrewarding,
frequency of crashes on roads and rivers would also diminish
greatly as river and road vehicle owners and operators, who
are in no way criminals, would then be extra cautious about
traffic safety measures while plying their cars, buses and
trucks on a highway or their vessels on a river—-to avoid
hassles a murder suspect faces.
(Maswood Al |