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Leading
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SCBA elections postponed by a
month
Staff Correspondent
In the face of government's ban order the Supreme Court
Bar Association (SCBA) has deferred its election by one
month and it will be held on April 28 and 29 April this
year. The two day long election which was scheduled to
start at 10 am yesterday was not held because of a ban
imposed by the DMP. In a letter addressed to SCBA
Secretary Advocate Aminuddin, the DMP said, "As per the
provisions of the Emergency Power Rules, it was necessary
for SCBA to take prior permission from DMP for holding the
election. As the association did not take permission, the
election will not be held."
Ignoring the DMP letter, the SCBA was determined to hold
election as per scheduled time. From different parts of
the capital, the lawyers started to gather at the Supreme
Court Bar premises to cast their votes, but as they
approached the election centre, they saw a heavy
contingent of law enforcers deployed to take control of
booths. As a result, the election conducting committee
could not take the ballot-papers and other election
materials to the election centre. As the lawyers were
agitated and frustrated, apprehending deterioration of law
and order, the SCBA leaders, Attorney General, Convenor of
election conducting committee and five contesting
presidential candidates went to the secretariat to discuss
the issue with the Law Adviser.
Sources at the SC bar and the Ministry both confirmed that
during the meeting the SC bar leaders, Attorney General
and Law Adviser signed an agreement to hold election on 28
and 29 of April. Returning from meeting, SCBA incumbent
President Amir Ul Islam told the waiting journalists and
lawyers that considering the law and order situation and
to avoid untoward situation we held meeting with highest
government body, decided to defer election and signed an
agreement.
In a reaction to Amir Ul Islam's speech, a section of
lawyers were shouting slogan through hand mike that they
do not support this 'black agreement' which has been
signed against their interest. They also demanded
immediate resignation of the incumbent leaders of the bar
and formation of an ad-hoc committee to run the bar. Amid
a huge crowd of lawyers, Amir Ul Islam asked the lawyers
other than association's office bearers and journalists to
leave the meeting place. He said, "I understand a section
is very much active in creating anarchy to foil the
election. As the contesting candidates and the head of the
election conducting committee have decided to defer the
election, I have no hand in it." He stated that as the
lawyers work for bringing discipline in the society, he
has no intention to indulge in indiscipline and go into a
confrontation with government or anybody on the issue of
election. He said everybody should understand that he is
not speaking as a political leader about a political
issue, rather he is speaking about SCBA election.
About the issue, Attorney General Fida M Kamal told
newsmen, " We have held meeting to reschedule the dates of
SCBA election. During the meeting, the government side
also agreed that election campaign was very much peaceful.
The candidates were voting on their professional capacity,
not political capacity. Following DMP letter and other
reasons it is too late to hold election today."
About the reason for deferring the election, he clarified
as the Supreme Court will be closed within few days due to
summer vacation, the election date has been deferred for
one month.
HC sets April 10 for judgement in
BNP leadership case
UNB, Dhaka
The High Court set April 10
for pronouncing its judgment on the much-debated writ of
detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging validity
of the Election Commission invitation to her party's
reformist faction for dialogue on electoral reforms.
A division bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider
and Justice Mamnoon Rahman passed the order Monday fixing
the date for the verdict, following hearings on extensive
submissions from both sides.
The court also adjourned until April 10 the hearing on
another writ of similar nature in the form of Public
Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Nasir Uddin Ashim, a
BNP leader. On November 4 last year, the High Court, upon
Asim's writ, had issued rule upon the EC and the
government to explain why they should not be directed to
invite legitimate BNP officials for the pre-election
dialogue on electoral reforms.
Earlier On Mar 18, the bench closed the hearings on the
writ petition that had lasted long ten working days, with
veterans in black gowns fighting war of words in their
legal jargons.
The BNP-leadership dispute arose when on November 5 last
year the EC, ignoring Khaleda-appointed BNP secretary
general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, sent a letter to Maj (Retd)
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed to participate in the dialogue with
political parties preparatory to holding the stalled
parliament elections.
Aggrieved at the decision, Khaleda Zia, also the
immediate-past premier, moved to the High Court for
seeking redress.
On November 18 the same year, the High Court, responding
to Khaleda's writ, had stayed operation of the EC letter
to the BNP standing committee-nominated acting secretary
general, Maj Hafiz, causing the Election Commission to
inconclusively conclude the crucial first round of its
reform dialogue with political parties. The court also had
issued a rule upon the EC, the acting secretary general
and six members of the BNP standing committee and the
chief adviser of the caretaker government to explain why
the impugned letter 'should not be declared illegal'.
On September 2 last year, prior to her arrest in
connection with a corruption case amid a crackdown on
politicians in the interim period, the BNP chief expelled
her secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on charge of
anti-party activities and handpicked Khandker Delwar as
secretary general.
On October 29, an impromptu meeting of the BNP standing
committee declared M Saifur Rahman and Maj (Retd) Hafiz
acting chairperson and acting secretary general
respectively, in a sort of inner-party coup. The EC took
the decision on the plea of "doctrine of necessity" in the
wake of a tug-of-war between the two squabbling groups in
the BNP.
Since the BNP leadership hinges on the decision of the
High Court ruling, the EC could not complete its dialogue
programme with the political parties on electoral reforms.
Only
elected govt can face economic recession: Dr Akbar Ali
Staff Correspondent
Regulatory Reforms Commission Chairman
Dr Akbar Ali Khan on Monday said the Government should
feed up to 50 lakh workers through OMS programs for next
few months, and must immediately ensure enough food stock
and supply in the markets to contain the prices of
essentials. He was speaking as chief guest at a seminar on
'Poverty Alleviation and Workers Social Safety' organized
by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) at the
city's CIRDAP auditorium yesterday. The former adviser,
Akbar Ali Khan said, "There is no alternative to democracy
and only an elected government can face the country's
present economic recession".
He hoped that as per its commitment the interim
administration would hand over power to an elected
government through holding a free, fair and credible
election.
He criticized the government for not implementing its
commitments as it made in its budget that the government
would feed the 50 lakh people free of cost through
introducing VGF cards. "It is a matter of sorrow that the
government is yet to implement its budget allocation of Tk
750 crore subsidies to the agricultural sector for smooth
irrigation." Akbar Ali said. He said, "For the poor
people, the inflation rate has reached up to 30 percent
and the government should take immediate steps regarding
importing child foods as we know that children are facing
serious crisis of foods."
About the unemployment problems, Dr Ali said, "In the the
Government's hand, there is no exact figure of the total
unemployed people, so how it will address the problem. The
government should take a long term policy to face the
unemployment problems. And that is only possible if there
is democratic government." He said, "Before privatization
of any state owned industry, firstly the government must
meet all the demands of the workers because it is their
right." Presided over by Acting Chairman of BILS Mujibur
Rahman Bhuiyan, among others, Acting Secretary of Labour
Ministry Mahfuzul Haque also spoke at the seminar.
Mahfuzul Haque said, "The government is considering
increasing the rate of minimum wage fixed earlier in the
tripartite agreement last year, as the prices of daily
commodities are increasing abnormally."
Reformist
Saifur weighs in on democracy
Staff Correspondent
Acting Chairperson of the reformist faction in BNP M
Saifur Rahman on Monday said the sooner a political
government will assume power the better for the country
and its people.
"The people are passing their daily lives in a suffocating
situation due to the abnormal price hike of essentials and
only a political government can solve the present crisis
the country is facing now," Saifur Rahan told a discussion
meeting to mark the Independence and National Day
organised by the reformist camp of BNP at a city hotel
yesterday.
"The current government will have to expedite their
activists so that an answerable and accountable government
can be formed through a free and fair election at the
latest," Saifur said adding, "The country must go through
a democratic process and democracy should be restored as
early as possible. But at the same time, it will have to
be ensured that the restored democracy will not be a
hostage to a certain quarter; rather a real democracy
should be established."
He continued to saying, "The process for establishing a
true democracy has started its journey and I hope a real
democratic government will be established after completion
of that process successfully."
When Sifur Rahman was delivering his speech, the party
workers were chanting slogans -Saifur go ahead, we are
with you and a government of Saifur Rahman is an
imperative right at this moment."
Speaking on the occasion, former BNP Secretary General
Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan lambasted the government for their
failure to contain the price hike and said the
hard-core-poor people of the country should be brought
under the VGD and VGP programme.
About the stalled ninth parliamentary election, Bhuiyan
said, "I am optimistic that the election will be held on
scheduled time and the Election Commission will create a
congenial atmosphere for holding a free and fair election
soon after completion of the tasks of voter list."
Referring to the party unity, Bhuiyan, who for the first
time announced the reform proposals that led to a division
in BNP, said, "I hope the party will be reunited and those
who do not want the BNP to be united are not the friends
of the party. One day, they will be isolated from the
party rank and file."
SSC,
Dakhil exams from March 27
BSS, Dhaka
A total of 7,47,545 examinees, including 3,63,775 females
will sit for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC)
examinations form March 27 under the seven education
boards.
Besides, 1,83381 candidates, including 83,222 females,
will appear for the Dakhil examinations under the Madrasa
Education Board and 82,375 in the SSC vocational
examinations under the Technical Education Board on the
same day. A total of 1,837 centres have been set up for
holding the examinations across the country.
Ministry of Education officials said Monday a total of
10,13,301 students will appear in the SSC, Dakhil and
vocational examinations this year, and it was 10,28821 in
last year. The authorities have taken necessary steps and
measures to prevent the students from adopting unfair
means in the examinations, sources said. Of the seven
education boards, 2,19,758 examinees will sit under Dhaka
Education Board, 2,08,646 under Rajshahi Education Board,
76,990 under Comilla Education Board, 1,06,139 under
Jessore Education Board, 55,088 under Chittagong Education
Board, 49,116 under Barisal Education Board and 31,808
under Sylhet Education Board.
Hasina’s treatment abroad appears uncertain
Ears' condition remains as usual
Staff Correspondent
The
prospect of detained Awami League President Sheikh
Hasina's treatment abroad appears uncertain as 10 to12
more days will be needed to complete all her tests in
capital's Square Hospital. Meanwhile, AL General Secretary
Syed Ashraful Islam claimed, "We are concerned about the
health condition of ailing detained party President as we
have come to know that the doctors of the Hospital and
Hasina's private physicians are not treating her. We want
to know what is going on in the Square Hospital in the
name of her treatment."
According to Square Hospital sources said, two more tests
out of some 22 pathological tests was performed on Monday.
The AL Chief was brought to the third floor from 13th
floor yesterday morning for this. "Alongwith the regular
check-ups, doctors of the hospital examined her body. The
health condition of the former Premier is quite well. Her
blood pressure is normal. Doctors are overseeing the whole
situation time-to-time. They carried out normal check ups,
two other tests - EDM and bone-X ray at 8.10 am today
(Monday)," said DIG (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider
Siddique while talking to The Bangladesh Today. Asked
about the progress of her ears' problem, he failed to
answer properly except saying "The condition of her ears
remains as usual." Replying to a query Major Siddique
said, "After completing all tests, a Medical Board will be
formed and the doctors of the board will decide whether
she would be sent abroad or not." "Besides, 10 to12 more
days will be required to complete all tests," he added.
Govt allocates Tk 57.61 cr to pay workers under BJMC
Staff Correspondent
The
Government has allocated Tk. 57.61 crore to pay jute mills
workers who were sent to forced retirement under the
Voluntarily Retirement Scheme (VRS) programme, officials
said. Sources said around 6,000 to 7,000 jute mills
workers under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC).
BJMC Chairman Ataharul Islam told Bangladesh Today that
"we will start paying as soon as we receive the money".
Besides, the Finance Ministry has approved an allocation
of Tk. 17.91 crore to pay gratuity of the workers,
employees and officials who went to retirement in the
financial year-2000-2001 and 2002-2003. Around 5372
workers, employees and officials can be paid if the amount
is released, sources said. The BJMC will return the
Government the money at an interest rate of 5 percent
through installments every six months in 20 years.
Back Page
BD to study trade
deals of Sri Lanka, Nepal
UNB, Dhaka
Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain
Zillur Rahman Monday said Bangladesh would study the
outcomes of Sri Lanka and Nepal's bilateral trade deals
with India signed undercover of free trade agreements (FTA).
"We believe, we're not each other's competitors in
regional trade, but we need more discussions and
study...We should see first how the Nepal and Sri Lanka's
agreements with India work and benefit them," he told a
regional seminar on regional trade at Brac INN auditorium
in the city.
South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) and CUTS
International India and Commonwealth Secretariat, London
jointly organised the discussion.
Presided over by SANEM executive director Dr. Selim Raihan,
the function was moderated by CPD chairman Prof Rehman
Sobahan.
Zillur said the South Asian region is far way from
establishing a regional trade bloc although many regions
have shown good success in this regard.
Expressing his opinion on developing local industries, he
said there should be emphasis not only on getting access
to regional and international markets, but also on the
enhancement of local productivity, quality and
diversification.
"If we don't improve our productivity, quality and
diversity, we won't be able to derive benefits from the
market access," he said adding that the focus should be on
the future exporters alongside the present ones. The
Commerce Adviser said the matter of regional trade should
be considered from a holistic point of view so that it
could address all the issues. Former SAARC secretary
general QMA Rahim said the move to introduce regional
trade under SAFTA among the south Asian nations has failed
because of non-tariff barriers (NTBs). "Unless the NTBs
are removed, no bilateral trade agreement will work," he
observed.
CPD executive director Prof Mustafizur Rahman said
Indian investment in Bangladesh would come when their
investors find that their exports to the Indian market
have a zero tariff access.
He cited Tata Group's investment proposal and said the
Indian giant was very cautiously looking into the zero
tariff product list when they planned to invest.
FBCCI Adviser Manzur Ahmed said India, as the largest
economy of the region, should come forward to remove
obstacles to the regional trade to help its small
neighbours by ensuring market access.
Prof Indra Nath Mukharjee and Bipul Chatterjee of
India, Newaj Rajabdeen of Sri Lanka, and Navin Dahal of
Nepal also spoke at the seminar.
Parjatan to be turned into Nat'l Tourism Authority
Govt looks for total privatisation
UNB, Dhaka
The government has decided to turn Bangladesh Parjatan
Corporation into National Tourism Authority by December
next for better exploitation of the potentials of the
country's tourism sector.
The National Tourism Authority will be set up through the
enactment of Tourism Act by the end of the year as the
government now looks for complete privatisation of the
prospective sector.
Newly appointed chairman of the corporation Joint
Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi made the disclosure at an
opinion-exchange meeting with journalists at his office at
noon.
"By December, the present Parjatan Corporation will be
turned into a National Tourism Authority. The present
government wants to see the tourism sector grow as a real
industry that will help earn huge revenues and create
jobs," Shafiq Alam said.
After the formation of the National Authority, he said,
Parjatan Corporation would withdraw it from all types of
business affairs. "The National Authority will only play
the role of facilitator and supervisor of all the
activities of various institutions in the sector." The new
chairman said the tourism sector in Bangladesh is
"limping" and it will have to be reformed radically.
The tourism sector requires immediate development of
infrastructures like construction of roads, hotels and
motels apart from ensuring security of the tourists both
from home and abroad in every spot, he said. Shafiq Alam
said, "The government is now working to attract
investments from home and abroad to bring about a massive
change. The present infrastructures are no longer
effective to satisfy the tourists. At least we should
attain the quality of the Maldives and Nepal."
He said Bangladesh is such a country where natural and
historic spots are in plenty, but it cannot make the best
use of such potentials for lack of a proper policy.
"I hope the Tourism Act in the offing won't control but
facilitate the tourism industry in Bangladesh. We need
tourism-friendly policy and laws," Shafiq Alam said. He
informed the journalists that the Parjatan Corporation is
working to rank the hotels in Bangladesh under certain
categories.
The chairman said the corporation feels the necessity of
setting up at least 10 national hotel and tourism
institutes across the country for creating skilled human
resources to be needed for massive activities of the
National Tourism Authority.
The skilled manpower will also be exported to the western
countries, including Europe, he said.
ACC to charge sheet Tarique soon
UNB, Dhaka
The Anti-Corruption Commission is finally going to submit
charge sheet in the case against detained BNP senior joint
secretary general Tarique Rahman very soon for concealing
his wealth information and amassing wealth that do not
match his known sources of income.
"The process of submission of charge sheet in the case
against Tarique Rahman is at the final stage. We can
assume that the charge sheet will be submitted very soon,"
ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told a
Commission's regular briefing Monday. Replying to a
question, he said, "The charge sheet can be submitted any
time, any day." To another questioner, Hanif said, "The
charge sheet can be submitted by this week. I can't say so
surely. But, to the best of my knowledge it's at the final
stage. The submission of charge sheet awaits the
Commission's approval." On September 26, 2007, the
anti-graft watchdog filed the case with Kafrul police
station against Tarique, his wife Dr Jobaida Rahman and
mother-in-law Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu for concealing
information of assets worth about Tk 4.23 crore and
acquiring wealth worth about Tk 4.81 crore beyond their
known sources of income.
The case was filed under sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the
Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004, section 109 of the
Penal Code and section 15(D)(5) of the Emergency Power
Rules, 2007.
Following the filing of the case, ACC assistant director
Taufiqul Islam investigated the case and submitted the
memo of evidence (investigation report) on January 13 this
year. The report is being scrutinized by the Commission
before submission of the charge sheet.
Tarique, now in jail, was arrested on March 8, 2007 from
his cantonment residence. Since then, 12 cases have been
filed against him and one by the ACC.
Crime
Two boys
rescued, trafficker held
UNB, Bagerhat
Local people rescued two schoolboys while being trafficked
to India and also caught a trafficker from Faltita Bazar
in Fakirhat upazila Saturday night.
Police said three child traffickers in the name of giving
good jobs at a pharmaceutical company in Dhaka asked the
two boys, Sabya Sachi Majumder, 11, and Dinesh Bhakta, 10,
to go with them while they were returning home from school
in Chitalmari upazila.
They took them to Faltita in Fakirhat but local people
challenged them following their suspicious movement.
They caught child trafficker gang member Shafiqul Islam
Hawlader, 25, and also rescued the two boys at night. The
other members of the gang managed to flee the scene.
The held trafficker and the rescued boys were handed over
to the Fakirhat thana police later.
The gang was trafficking the two boys to India from
Chitalmari, police said.
Two killed in city
UNB, Dhaka
Two people were killed in separate incidents in the city
Monday. An employee of Kohinur Chemical Industry was
killed allegedly by his elder brother in the factory at
Tejgaon area.
Sources said Bashir Ahmed stabbed his younger brother
Emajul Haq, 22,
following an altercation in the factory, leaving him
injured seriously.
When Emajul was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital
doctors declared him dead at about 2:00 pm.
In another incident, a construction worker was killed
falling from the rooftop of an under construction building
at Khilgaon yesterday.
Sources said Sahabuddin Ahmed, 25 was injured seriously
when he fell down from the fourth floor of the under
construction building in the morning.
Doctors declared him dead when he was taken to Dhaka
Medical College Hospital.
Meeting on police reforms
BSS, Mymensingh
A views exchange meeting on "police reforms draft
ordinance 2007" was held on Sunday at Muktagacha thana
here.
Police Super Md Rafiqul Islam was present it as the chief
guest.
Assistant Police Super Idris Ali Bhuiyan, UNO AKM Tipu
Sultan and Officer in Charge Asaduzzaman, Principal Khan
Mohammad Salahuddin, journalist AZM Imam Uddin Mukta, Prof
Eklasur Rahman Jewel and Advocate Mahbubur, among others,
spoke on the occasion. Civil society members, leaders of
the different professionals, business community,
journalists, leaders of the different women organizations
attended it.
Youth gets death sentence for rape, murder
UNB, Chapainawabganj
A court here Monday sentenced a youth to death for killing
a minor girl after rape.
The condemned convict was identified as Mohammad Shamim,
18, son of Shahidul Islam of Dewanjaigir village in
Shibganj upazila.
According to the prosecution, Shamim wanted to develop a
love affair with teenage Anguri, daughter of Amirul Islam
but on her refusal he became angry.
To take revenge, Shamim took Anguri's younger sister Ambia
Khatun Ankhi, 8, to his house and strangulated her to
death after rape on November 20, 2005 and dumped the body
into their septic tank.
Local people caught Shamim and handed him over to the
police. Later, the body of the victim was recovered on the
basis of his confessional statement.
After examining the records and witnesses, Judge of the
Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1
Hrishikesh Saha pronounced the verdict in the crowded
courtroom.
Robber busted, firearms seized
UNB, Noakhali
Detective Branch of police arrested a wanted terrorist and
also seized five firearms, bullets and cartridges and
sharp weapons from Minarpur village in Begumganj upazila
Sunday night.
On secret information, DB police arrested notorious robber
Nasiruddin Aiyub, also accused in four criminal cases,
from the village.
As per his confessional statement, police took him to his
village home and recovered two revolvers, three guns and
seven rounds of cartridge, two rounds of bullet and a
number of sharp weapons from a sack dumped under the
earth.
Two members of Agyan party arrested
BSS, Rayanganj
Agitated mob caught two members of a highway Agyan party
at Aduria on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway under Rupganj
Upazila last night and set ablaze to a microbus used for
snatching about Tk one lakh and a cellular phone from a
cloth
trader of Narayanganj.
Police and eyewitness sources said the apprehended
snatchers were identified as Ataur Rahman, 40, and Kabir
Hossain, 35. Another two members of the gang however,
managed to escape the scene.
The sources said the cloth trader Ranjit Kumar Saha, 40,
boarded the microbus bound for Narsingdi from Kachpur at
9:00 pm on Sunday. Four members of the Agyan party also
boarded the vehicle in the guise of passengers from the
same point.
The two accomplices of the snatchers and the driver of the
vehicle however could escape the wrath of the mob. The mob
later handed over the two to a team of the highway police.
Trader killed, money looted
BSS, Rangamati
A gang of armed robbers killed a trader and looted his
money at Durchhari Bazar under Baghaichhari upazila, about
148 kilometers off the district headquarters on Saturday
night.
Police sources at Rangamati said the dead was identified
as Moju Miah, 70.
Two other traders - Malek and Sukkur received injury as
the robbers fired gun shots at them. They two were
admitted to Chittagong hospital as their condition was
deteriorated.
Police said a gang of robbers numbering 30 to 35 equipped
with firearms attacked the traders at Durchhari Bazar at
around 9:00 pm on Saturday and looted money from different
shops. Police could not ascertain the amount of looted
money.
The miscreants gunned down one trader and injured two as
they tried to resist them.
Fraud NGO chief on remand
UNB, Natore
President of a fraud NGO surrendered to the court from
hideout was given to 10-day police remand.
Azhar Ali, president of Provati Unnyan Sangstha was sent
to jail when surrendered to the judicial magistrate court
on March 20. Police on Monday prayed for ten days' remand
of Azhar that was granted by the court.
The NGO melted away on March 3 with crores of taka taken
deposit from small savers with lofty promises. Angry
depositors torched its head office at Nashratpur under
Naldanga thana.
Editorial
Foreign Interference in our Politics
The
Foreign Ministry has issued a rather carefully worded press
release requesting foreign embassies, Ambassadors, High
Commissioners and Representatives to restrict their activities
to diplomacy according to internationally accepted diplomatic
conventions, norms and customs. We welcome this move by our
Foreign Ministry, belated though it is. Repeatedly, through
our columns and editorials we have brought it to the notice of
the public this matter of open interference in our politics by
foreign diplomats. One way or the other, foreigners have
always been involved in our economy and in our politics but
never have these involvements been as blatant as during the
last 2 years.
Involvements in our economy cannot and perhaps ought not to be
prevented because we live in an economically interdependent
world; we import goods which we need and we export goods which
others need; we need the investments and resources which
foreigners bring to us but we have to draw a line when the
pursuit of those economic interests leads foreign powers to
interfere in our politics, government and governance. Since
the Emergency was declared the Indians, both their government
and the media, have mounted a virtual campaign to pressurize
Bangladesh into conceding what they want, which are: access to
Chittagong port, transit through Bangladesh to other parts of
India and gas pipelines from Myanmar to India passing through
Bangladesh. This was particularly evident when the Indian
Ambassador recently went to Chittagong and was
enthusiastically extolling the economic benefits that would
accrue to Bangladesh if the Indians were allowed an
unrestricted access to the port there; he was however silent
about what benefits the Indians would be getting. The Indians
have caught us at the wrong foot, at our most vulnerable
moment when we are facing food shortages and we desperately
need food, which Indians can provide us with, have in fact
promised to provide us with but are now reluctant to do so,
using the issue of food as a tool to bamboozle us into giving
them what they want. Little do the Indians realize that an
unrepresentative, temporary government like the Emergency
Government can do nothing about these substantial issues which
past elected governments have carefully shied away from. This
is but one aspect of foreign interference.
A couple of months before the Emergency was declared, a number
of European diplomats formed a club called the "Tuesday Club"
with the express intent of keeping a close eye on Bangladesh
politics and publicly airing their combined views regarding
different political issues. Two diplomats namely Ms Beutenis
of USA and Mr. Anwar Cowdhury of UK took it upon themselves to
speak to various Bangladeshi politicians and the media about
the nature of politics in Bangladesh. Many, in the know, are
of the opinion that these two diplomats were the key to the
advent of the Emergency, garnering foreign power support for
it and persuading local politicians to agree to it. Now that
the Emergency Government is in deep trouble, foreign backers
have decided to keep their activities and their lips closed
except for the USA, whose Charge de Affaires Geeta Pasi while
denying any involvement with local politics keeps on meeting
politicians including such unsavory ones as the
Jamaat-i-Islami and HM Ershad, insisting that dialogues with
the political parties is the Government's business and that
elections must be held by December 2008. Such is the nature of
diplomats and of diplomacy in Bangladesh; makes one wonder
whether such "diplomats" would have a place anywhere else in
the world including their own countries.
Coal Mining Needs all
Attention
Experts
have already called upon the government to take a prompt
decision regarding coal extraction in the mineral rich areas
of the country. They have pointed out this at a number of
seminars and symposia held in the city and elsewhere in the
country. Regional workshops and seminars have also been held
in the northern districts where experts and conscious citizens
have emphasized the need for immediate exploitation of coal in
the northern districts. They have called for open-pit mining
through which it would be possible to gather over 85 per cent
of the coal.
Energy experts have already suggested that the government
should take up prompt decision for utilizing coal resources of
the country without delay. The importance of coal has been
underscored by a number of factors, especially by the
shortfall in the electricity production and the faults in its
distribution around the country. The experts have also pointed
to the fact that the gas reserves on the country are being
used up very fast. We have to find out alternative sources of
energy generation and distribution especially in the interest
of future developments of the manufacturing sector and the
potentials for increasing the export earnings. Bangladesh
Atomic Energy Commission sources too have called for utilizing
coal sector in the absence of any noteworthy development n the
nuclear power sector. The only prospect, therefore, seems to
be in the coal sub-sector.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor underlined the fact
that 80 percent of the National Energy Policy was yet to be
implemented. What could have been more shocking news than
this? One is tempted to question what have the past
governments been doing about this? Far from the success in
this sector, governments have not carried out a proper survey
on the potential benefits to the people at large and the
possible damage on the local community. Phulbari coal mining
has apparently become a topic for discussion by the people in
the meantime. Optimum coal extraction and proper distribution
without causing much harm to the local people looks like the
need of the hour. Proper utilization of the extracted coal
needs to be emphasized. People are waiting for the good times
to come when they would be able to benefit from the country's
natural resources under an efficient management.
Analysis
Conservative Conundrum in
Iran
The election results illustrate the
electorate's deep displeasure (VOA) with Iran's economic
fortunes.
Greg Bruno
Polls
were barely closed when Brussels fired the first shot
condemning Iran's March 14 parliamentary elections. The U.S.
State Department waited only a little longer in seconding EU
concerns. The counter-strikes were equally swift on the
Iranian side: the country's Supreme Leader issued a statement
heralding conservative victories as a blow to Iran's "enemies"
(Telegraph), while Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, a spokesman for the
Foreign Ministry, dismissed criticism as "hasty prejudgment"
(Press TV).
Missing from the high-profile war of words were answers to a
vital question: who won? Like many things inside Iran, a lack
of transparency in the voting process makes that a hard
question to answer. On paper the spoils went to the
establishment. Conservative candidates close to President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad control about two thirds of the 190 races
settled so far (Fars), putting conservatives on track to
control roughly the same majority of the 290 seat-parliament
as held in the current government . Conservatives won a
majority of seats from districts inside Tehran, normally
considered a reformist stronghold, and reformists are
protesting the results (NYT). All told, reformist candidates
are expected to win as many as 50 seats once second-round
runoffs are completed in coming weeks. Independent and
minority candidates will fill out of the chamber
But conservatives' strong showing may not mean a continuation
of the status quo. Some observers say voters opted for
conservative candidates directly opposed to the economic
policies of President Ahmadinejad, who could face a tough
reelection battle in 2009. A number of the president's rivals
won seats, including the country's former chief nuclear
negotiator, Ali Larijani, and Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, speaker
of the current parliament. Kassam Kasir, a political
correspondent for Al-Arab newspaper in Qatar, says the
election results illustrate the electorate's deep displeasure
(VOA) with Iran's economic fortunes. (The Economist
Intelligence Unit notes Iran's inflation hovers around 19
percent and its annual gross domestic product is forecast to
fall.)
The disqualification of as many as 1,700 reformist candidates
was also closely scrutinized, and prompted some moderates to
threaten a boycott of the vote . Kasra Noori, an Iranian
journalist and one of many moderates banned from running,
tells Newsweek he was tossed for a lack of commitment to
Islam. "As far as I know I'm a good Muslim, and it seems that
I'm also enjoying a relatively good reputation in public," he
said.
Though reformists from districts outside of Tehran (TIME) are
poised to pick up seats, the overall results disappointed
many. Reformist voters who supported previous reform
candidates say they have grown tired of supporting a movement
that has little political sway within Tehran's clerical
hierarchy. "I support [former President Mohammad] Khatami, but
what is the point of voting in an election when the result is
known in advance?" one voter told The Guardian newspaper
during a recent campaign rally south of Tehran. "Even when
Khatami was president, he was not allowed to do anything. So
why would I vote?" Supporters of conservative candidates,
meanwhile, cherished their victory. "If the parliament and
president are the same [party], the country will progress,"
Rana Sheidaiee, whose family backed hard-line candidates, told
the Christian Science Monitor. "When they are different,
energy is wasted on internal fighting."
Yet many other questions remain unanswered. For one, who
voted? Some estimates put turnout at 60 percent, a healthy
showing despite widespread disqualifications. But reports of
polling varied widely. Farideh Farhi, an expert in Iranian
politics at the University of Hawaii, says she is "a bit
skeptical" of official turnout figures. Quoting official
sources, TIME reports roughly 1 million fewer Iranians cast
ballots this year compared to 2004. Arguably a more pressing
unknown is how effective conservative lawmakers will be in
challenging Ahmadinejad's mandates. Larijani says the new
parliament will be "much more effective than the current one,
and give priority to national interests" . But in an interview
with CFR.org, Farhi says change will depend on who leads
parliament, "and whether or not the leadership of the
parliament is willing to challenge Ahmadinejad on those issues
more than they have been willing to do in the past.
(Greg Bruno is a Staff writer for the Council on Foreign
Relations. Source: www.cfr.org)
Ruling
Palestine: Gaza under Hamas
Worried at Hamas's growing military arsenal, Israel is
considering a more ambitious and bloody military operation.
The
policy of isolating Hamas and sanctioning Gaza is bankrupt
and, by all conceivable measures, has backfired. Violence is
rising, harming both Gazans and Israelis. Economic conditions
are ruinous, generating anger and despair. The credibility of
President Mahmoud Abbas and other pragmatists has been further
damaged. The peace process is at a standstill. Meanwhile,
Hamas's hold on Gaza, purportedly the policy's principal
target, has been consolidated. Various actors, apparently
acknowledging the long-term unsustainability of the status
quo, are weighing options. Worried at Hamas's growing military
arsenal, Israel is considering a more ambitious and bloody
military operation. But along with others, it also is
tiptoeing around another, wiser course that involves a mutual
ceasefire, international efforts to prevent weapons smuggling
and an opening of Gaza's crossings and requires compromise by
all concerned. Gaza's fate and the future of the peace process
hang in the balance.
Since Hamas assumed full control of Gaza in June 2007, the
already-tight sanctions imposed following its January 2006
electoral victory have been tightened further. Israel
curtailed cross-border traffic, pointing to the absurdity of
providing goods to an entity whose rulers fire rockets at its
citizens. The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, seeking
to undermine Hamas's standing, has also done its part to cut
off Gaza and prevent normal functioning of government; feeble
protests aside, the international community (Arab world
included) has been at best passive.
The logic behind the policy was to demonstrate to Palestinians
that Hamas could not deliver and so ought to be cast aside.
The hope was that the West Bank, buoyed by economic growth, a
loosening of Israeli security measures and a revived peace
process, would be an attractive counter-model. On both counts,
the theory has fallen short. Crisis Group's extensive field
work in Gaza shows that the Islamist movement has come close
to establishing an effective monopoly on the use of force and
has a near-monopoly on open political activity. It has
refashioned the legal and legislative systems and enjoys freer
rein to shape society through management of the health,
education and religious sectors.
Those intending to undermine Hamas have instead given it an
assist. Persons who support current policy point out that
Gazans are turning against the Islamists. There is real
distress at economic hardships and anger at the Islamists'
brutal behavior. Hamas's harsh tactics, recourse to violence
and curbing of the media and independent activity undoubtedly
have generated resentment, disillusionment and fear among many
who voted for the Islamists.
But that is only half the story. The flip side of isolation
has been the Islamists' ability to rule largely unimpeded. By
boycotting the security, judicial and other government sectors
and curtailing administrative links with the Hamas government,
President Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) created a vacuum
Hamas filled. The withdrawal of the international community
has reduced its leverage. Closure of the crossings has caused
the private sector to wither, weakening a constituency
traditionally loyal to the PA. Economic punishment designed to
hurt the rulers has hurt the ruled. Hamas finds ways to
finance its government and can invoke the siege to justify its
more ruthless practices. The situation may be catastrophic
but, from Hamas's perspective, it is far from desperate. Far
less popular regimes have survived more onerous conditions.
Moreover, Hamas has had successes. Its new security force
gradually restored order as militiamen curbed gunfire and
kinsmen reduced inter-clan blood feuds. Criminal activity and
mafia feuding have been sharply curbed.
The questions now are familiar: whether to keep pressure on
Hamas in the hope of undermining it but at the risk of an
explosion; whether to apply heavier, but riskier military
force; or whether to try to stabilize the situation by
engaging Hamas, opening up Gaza and reaching a ceasefire at
the price of providing the Islamists with greater
international recognition. The first two options have a
rationale: any step toward Hamas and loosening of the
sanctions could further entrench its position in Gaza; it
could exploit a ceasefire to bolster its forces.
But the counter-arguments are more powerful. Sanctions and
military pressure have strengthened Hamas's hold. To the
extent the movement has lost some popularity, the attempt to
enfeeble it by squeezing Gaza arguably is working, but the
success is meaningless. Hamas's losses are not Fatah's gains;
Gazans blame Hamas for being unable to end the siege but also
blame Israel for imposing it, the West for supporting it and
Fatah for acquiescing in it. Military talk empowers Hamas's
more militant, armed elements and boosts the movement's
standing. Poverty and hopelessness boost the appeal of jihadi
groups, particularly among under-sixteen Gazans -- half the
population.
Hamas has proved skilful at rewriting the rules through
ballots, bullets or breach of the siege. The more pressure on
it intensifies and the more polarized the intra-Palestinian
conflict becomes, the more it will be tempted to derail
negotiations between President Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert. It has already shown it can disrupt peace talks.
Should violence escalate, how long will it be before whatever
there is of the peace process collapses? The gravest threat to
diplomacy comes not when Hamas has something to gain, but when
it concludes it has nothing to lose.
The alternative is not easy. Israel has legitimate concerns
about how Hamas might use a ceasefire, as does the PA about
how a shift of course would affect its credibility. Hamas will
not accept a ceasefire if it remains isolated and Gaza under
siege. To address these competing interests, a ceasefire
should entail reciprocal commitments to stop all attacks from
and against Gaza; an opening of the crossings that alleviates
Palestinian suffering in Gaza; and the international
community's participation in a credible monitoring effort to
prevent smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.
The status quo is not tenable. Israel cannot accept to see its
citizens threatened by continued rocket fire. Hamas is
unlikely to sit idly by as Gaza is choked. If trends continue,
the worst is imaginable: increased firing of rockets against
Israeli towns and cities, as well as the resumption of
bombings and attacks inside Israel; intensified Israeli
military incursions, assassinations and attacks on key
installations; the collapse of the peace process, discrediting
of pragmatic Palestinian leaders and, potentially, the
conflict's spread to the West Bank or Lebanon.
The worst is not yet inevitable but avoiding it depends on
Fatah and Hamas beginning reconciliation; a ceasefire
agreement that lifts the siege on Gaza and allows Gazans and
Israelis near the border to pursue normal lives; and the
international community at last playing a constructive part in
encouraging the parties to achieve these goals.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza, the
Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the
Palestinian Authority (PA) Presidency and Fayyad Government:
1. Prepare for a dialogue aiming at national reconciliation
and take immediate measures to ease tension and rebuild trust,
such as
(a) Ceasing all media attacks and incitement;
(b) Ceasing harassment and detention of Fatah members in the
Gaza Strip and of Hamas members in the West Bank; and
(c) Agreeing on gestures toward the restitution of symbols of
Palestinian unity in the Gaza Strip, including the evacuation
by Hamas of the presidential office and other PA headquarters.
2. Pending a national reconciliation agreement, take steps to
improve governance in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of its
residents, including:
(a) for the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip:
i. enable public institutions to function free of interference
from armed groups and without discrimination against PA civil
servants or civil police officers, including those who
participated in strikes following the June 2007 takeover;
ii. uphold the independence of the judiciary, reinstate public
attorneys who were discharged or prevented from performing
their duties and comply with legal procedures for detention,
arrest and prosecution;
iii. control activities of its armed militants and
organizations, restrain them from interfering in citizens'
daily lives and cease infringement of freedom of association,
expression and peaceful political activities; and
iv. ensure the impartial delivery of services;
(b) for the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah:
i. encourage PA civil servants and other public sector
employees, including judges, doctors and civil police, to
resume full operational duties;
ii. maintain and, where necessary, reinstate salary payments
to civil servants and other public sector employees;
iii. continue payment of utilities and basic services in the
Gaza Strip; and
iv. press for and where possible facilitate the opening of
crossings under arrangements described below.
To the Governments of Israel and Hamas:
3. Halt, immediately and for fifteen days, all attacks by
Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip against Israel and all
Israeli attacks against the Palestinian factions in the Gaza
Strip to give President Abbas and/or Egyptian mediators' time
to negotiate understandings allowing a sustained ceasefire
that would entail:
(a) commitment by Hamas to abstain from attacking any target
in Israel and to ensure compliance by other factions and
commitment by Israel to abstain from attacking any target in
the Gaza Strip;
(b) commitment by Hamas to cooperate on preventing smuggling
across Gaza's borders;
(c) enhanced Egyptian efforts, in coordination with regional
and international actors, to prevent smuggling; and
(d) third-party monitors inside Gaza and along its borders
with Israel and Egypt, mandated to supervise the parties'
compliance with their commitments.
To the Governments of Israel and Egypt, the Palestinian
Authority and Hamas:
4. Agree on modalities allowing regular and continued opening
of Gaza's crossings with Israel and Egypt, including:
(a) as immediate measures:
i. permit rapid transit of people in need of medical care, as
well as movement of students, merchants and individuals who
live in third countries;
ii. increase the opening days and hours of Israeli crossings
handling commercial traffic, broadening the list of allowed
items, restoring fuel and energy supplies to their pre-June
2007 level and permitting exports of commercial supplies; and
iii. accept third-party presence, such as UN personnel or
private contractors, to help manage crossings and interface
between Israel and Hamas;
(b) as a longer-term solution:
i. agree on return of PA border authorities to Gaza's
crossings on the basis of existing regulations;
ii. agree on return of PA forces inside and in the immediate
perimeter of the crossings and redeployment of Hamas forces
away from the crossings, with coordination between the two;
iii. agree on resumption of European Union Border Assistance
Mission (EUBAM) operations at Rafah without interference; and
iv. permit use of revenues collected at the crossings to
finance Gaza's public expenditures, such as utilities,
infrastructure maintenance and running costs of institutions,
such as hospitals, schools and ministries.
To Members of the Quartet (the U.S., European Union (EU),
Russian Federation and UN), Egypt and Members of the League of
Arab States:
5. Adopt unambiguously the goal of influencing Hamas's conduct
rather than defeating it.
6. Identify needs in and increase economic assistance to the
Gaza Strip.
7. Pressure all relevant parties to reach agreement on opening
the crossings, a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange.
8. Establish a Quartet presence in Gaza to monitor the
situation, ensure impartial delivery of international
assistance, promote economic recovery and oversee opening of
crossings.
9. Revive Arab efforts to achieve reconciliation between Fatah
and Hamas, entailing, inter alia, endorsement of the Arab
peace initiative; a mandate for the PLO Chairman to negotiate
with Israel; integration of Hamas and Islamic Jihad into a
reformed PLO; and reform of the security services so that
militias and other factional forces can be integrated into a
more unified, coherent and disciplined force.
(The above is a report by the International Crisis Group
released 19 March 2008. Source: www.crisisgroup.org)
Viewpoints
A Veiled Muslim View
of Art
The problem may not, therefore, lie with art or
freedom of speech per se, but more so with the interpretation
of art through education, beliefs, culture and history.
Bashir Goth
Dubai
- The reappearance in the media of the Danish cartoons
featuring the Prophet Muhammad, following the arrest of three
Muslims accused of planning to kill one of the cartoonists,
has re-opened the debate on art and freedom of expression
between the West and the Muslim world.
It is unfortunate that violent demonstrations in different
parts of the Muslim world in response to such types of
artistic expression have often overshadowed the opinion of the
silent majority of Muslims who do not adhere to such a limited
perception of Islam.
Danish newspapers described their publication of the cartoons
as a sign of protest against the attempt by Muslims to gag
their freedom of expression through fear tactics. Many people
in the Muslim world, however, viewed the cartoons as an
affront to their religious beliefs and expressed their anger
through emotional outbursts and mob demonstrations.
This is not the first time that the West and Muslims have
clashed on the issue of freedom of expression and religion.
The works of writers and artists such as Salman Rushdie,
Taslima Nasreen, Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, Naguib Mahfouz and
others have caused a furor in the Muslim world.
It is sad, therefore, that the response to the Danish cartoons
by Muslims who follow narrow interpretations of Islam reflects
the gruesome bloodbaths that are committed daily by persons
bearing the name Muhammad, in the streets of Karachi, Kandahar,
Baghdad and elsewhere in the heart of the Muslim world.
Such Muslims, in my opinion, need to do a massive amount of
soul searching and house cleaning before they lecture to
others about values and morals.
To this end, it is helpful to revisit art in the Muslim world
through the prism of history. How some Muslims perceive art in
general, and representational art in particular, may have a
lot to do with the way Islam began. Unlike most world
religions, where signs, symbols, sculptures, arts and statutes
play a pivotal role in conveying the spiritual message, Islam
was founded on the notion of eradicating idol worship.
This may explain, for example, why some Muslims remain
relatively indifferent to the Taliban's destruction of the
Buddha statues in the Bamiyan province of Afghanistan.
One also has to remember that, historically, different kinds
of art flourished in many parts of the Muslim world - such as
Iran, the Ottoman Empire, Al Andalus and others. Even today
art thrives in most of the Muslim world, although the degree
of freedom of expression in what should be and should not be
portrayed may vary according to the different religious
schools practiced in the Muslim world.
Many argue that while in the West, the writer and the artist
can indulge in their vocations with an individualistic
approach, the Muslim writer and artist have often been bound
to adhere to social conformity as prescribed by prevailing
religious values.
However, this conformity has not always been the status quo,
as many artists throughout history have explored their
creative abilities through poetry and drawing, even painting
pictures depicting Muhammad.
The problem may not, therefore, lie with art or freedom of
speech per se, but more so with the interpretation of art
through education, beliefs, culture and history.
What may be seen as distant history to the West still plays a
role in defining the present in the Muslim world. Crusades,
colonialism and many years of western cultural domination have
left their marks on the psyche of the Muslim nation. And the
regrettable situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and
elsewhere have served to re-open these old injuries.
It is unfortunately through this kaleidoscopic prism that some
Muslims view every action that comes from the West as an
affront to their religion, a threat to their identity and an
insult to their pride. And with Islam as a centrifugal force
of many Muslim nations, it is through religion that many view
their world and measure all things, believing that art and
other intellectual endeavors should succumb to its rules.
It is time that Muslims accept however that it is unwise and
indeed unbecoming of a guest to impose his or her own rules on
their host, in this case Denmark. We do not see Americans or
Europeans rioting and burning embassies when conservative
Muslim newspapers lampoon, and extremist Muslim clerics
chastise, the West and call it names.
Borrowing the Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz's words,
"Art does not solve problems but makes us aware of their
existence. It opens our eyes to see and our brain to imagine."
(Bashir Goth is a Somali poet, veteran journalist and
author of numerous cultural, religious and political articles.
Source: Common Ground News Service, 18 March 2008.Copyright
permission is granted for publication.)
We did not sacrifice this much, to
fail
In agreeing to form a coalition government
Nawas Sharif and I have responded to the mandate given by the
people of Pakistan in the February 18 election.
Asif Ali Zardari
Monday
was a momentous day for the people of Pakistan, but a
bittersweet day for me.
Sitting in the gallery watching a democratically elected
National Assembly headed by the Pakistan Peoples Party and its
coalition partners, I thought of the terrible price paid for
this moment of liberty. I thought of the many jailed, beaten,
tortured, and exiled. I thought of all of those who had their
reputations assaulted. I thought of the undermining and
dismantling of Pakistani civil society. I thought of the
attacks on the independence and autonomy of the judicial
system. I thought of the censorship of the press, emergency
rule and martial law.
But of course more than anything else, I thought of my beloved
wife, Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto, who sacrificed her life
for her beliefs and her country. This was the day of her
triumph, the vindication of her long battle for the
restoration of democracy. For my country, this was a day of
celebration. But for me and our children, this day was also a
day of tears. Democracy had come to Pakistan, but at a
terrible, terrible price.
Last week, the two largest political parties in Pakistan
agreed to form a coalition government that would restore
democracy and bring stability to our country. The Pakistan
People's Party (PPP), which I lead after the assassination of
my wife, has joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), led by
former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to form a broad-based,
democratic, liberal government in Pakistan - an umbrella of
reconciliation and consensus. The new prime minister, from the
PPP, will be announced within the next few days.
In agreeing to form a coalition government Nawas Sharif and I
have responded to the mandate given by the people of Pakistan
in the February 18 election. Pakistan's people no longer want
to live under the thumb of a dictator. They want an end to
terrorism and violence and wish to join the rest of the modern
world in the pursuit of peace and prosperity.
Pakistan's political leaders and people have suffered from the
politics of personal destruction; we have been battered by
dictatorship; we have seen civil society taken apart and a
free and independent judiciary destroyed. We have seen
international assistance, secured in the name of fighting
terrorism, diverted towards making Pakistan's affluent few
richer. We have seen progress on education, health and women's
rights stopped and reversed. But now, with renewed confidence
in democratic parties like the PPP and PML-N, it is time for
the rebirth of a democratic, vital and progressive Pakistan.
Some fear a coalition government would lack the necessary
strength to tackle Pakistan's myriad problems. But cooperation
between the country's biggest political parties, representing
an overwhelming majority of the people, would bring greater
stability than one-man rule. Together, the PPP and PML-N will
be able to build a strong civil society.
Under the rule of Pervez Musharraf, extremists were allowed to
thrive along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The key to
improving security there is not to make citizens in Pakistan's
tribal areas feel like second-rate citizens kept under lock
and key, caught between the threats of violence from militants
and the military. Rather, we must let all of our citizens,
including those in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas,
know they are part participants in the growth of Pakistan's
economy and civil society.
Fostering a better level of trust and understanding among the
people in the border areas, and delivering on their key needs,
is essential to enhancing security in the FATA and throughout
Pakistan. While immediate steps must be taken to hunt down
identified terrorists, the long-term solution to extremism
lies in respecting the will of the people and in providing
them with a means of livelihood at every level - food,
clothing, shelter, jobs and education. By talking to and
respecting our people, we will be able to isolate the
extremists and terrorists.
Those of us who are now in a position of leadership seek, in
my wife's words, "a tomorrow better than any of the yesterdays
we have ever known." We see a Pakistan where all children,
regardless of their socio-economic standing or their gender,
are guaranteed compulsory and quality primary and secondary
education. We see a Pakistani educational system of quality
teachers, who receive decent salaries, and teach in modern
classrooms with state-of-the-art computers and technology. We
see a Pakistan where political madrassas that teach hatred are
closed, and educational institutions that focus on science and
technology flourish.
Pakistan's democracy has not evolved over the past 60 years
because the generals believed they should intervene in
politics and run the country. The army's misperception of
itself as the country's only viable institution, and its
deep-rooted suspicion of the civilian political process, has
prevented democracy from flourishing. The PPP and its allies
will reverse the current regime's suppression of civil society
and free speech.
While the tasks ahead are not easy, the Pakistan Peoples Party
plans to work in good faith with its fellow democratic parties
and our coalition allies to achieve our goal of building a
new, progressive Pakistan. Everything will not come at once.
The reformation of Pakistan - politically, economically and
socially - will be a long and complex process. But we are
determined to begin and we are determined to succeed.
We did not come this far, we did not sacrifice this much, to
fail.
Asif Ali Zardari is the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's
Party and widower of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto, who was assassinated in Pakistan in December.
Source: www.khaleejtimes.com
Comment
On history's
plateau
Inder
Malhotra
It is
astonishing that Beijing has denounced the Dalai Lama in such
intemperate language Despite China's earlier assurance to
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, there no longer seems any
possibility of Beijing entering into negotiations any time
soon with the Dalai Lama for a peaceful settlement of the
Tibet issue that, as recent rioting and violent protests show,
remains a tinderbox. Beijing's brutal suppression of the
protests may have doused the situation but it does not
necessarily solve even China's immediate problem of ensuring
the smooth conduct of the Olympics, on which it has invested
not just $3 billion but also its entire prestige as a
superpower in waiting, leave alone the long-term goal of
ensuring peace in the discontented minority province.
It is therefore both astonishing and shocking that Beijing
should have denounced, indeed maligned, the Dalai Lama in most
intemperate language. It continues to accuse him of being the
"mastermind" of the violent upheaval while the reality is that
his adherence to non-violence is sincere and unshakeable. He
went so far as to declare that he would resign if the
agitation "spun out of control". Not for nothing did Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh call him the "embodiment of peace".
Repeatedly and unambiguously the Dalai Lama has stated that he
wants "genuine autonomy" for Tibet, not independence. But
Chinese leaders go on calling him a separatist. One of them
has even described him as a "wolf in a monk's clothing".
Obviously, it is not mere arrogance of power that is
motivating Beijing. It has good reasons to believe that its
power - military, economic and soft - is having its effect.
The Dalai Lama's angry followers in India, still planning a
march to the China border, have apparently been encouraged by
the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi's
meeting with the Dalai Lama and her appeal to the "world
conscience" over Tibet. But what is all this worth, when
President George W. Bush's spokesperson reaffirms that he
would attend the Olympics at Beijing? In any case, the
economic and political stakes of the United States and the
West in China are too complex to allow for the kind of boycott
that was enforced at the time of the Moscow Olympics in 1980
because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Moreover, many
- not in China alone - are asking whether China's action in
Tibet is different from that of the US in Iraq.
All things considered, this country's reaction to the
developments in Tibet has been unexceptionable. Like most
other countries, it expressed its "distress" and - as it has
done in the case of other chronic and painful conflicts such
as the one in Palestine -appealed to both sides to solve the
problem through peaceful dialogue. Come to think of it, the
statement of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is mild by
comparison. Yet the UPA government has drawn criticism -
especially from the principal opposition party, the BJP, as
well as others - that in relation to China's "unacceptable
repression " in Tibet it has been "weak-kneed" and "chicken
hearted". Even before the eruption in Lhasa, the government
here was being charged with being "slurred" and "stilted" in
replying to China's aggressively asserted claims on Arunachal
Pradesh, particularly the Tawang tract. This is a result
partly of the inflamed polarisation of the Indian polity and
partly of the complexity and delicacy of the country's Tibet
policy, right from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, that has
often been under fire, not always without reason.
Historically, Tibet had only a tributary relationship with the
Chinese empire that never directly ruled it. On the other
hand, not a single country had ever recognised Tibet to be
sovereign. Ironically, it was Britain, then ruling India,
which pushed Tibet into the Chinese orbit out of fear of
Russia's imperial designs. After the Younghusband Expedition
to Lhasa (1904), British India on the one hand and Tibet and
China on the other signed the Shimla Convention of 1914 that
delineated the MacMahon Line.
After Indian independence and the Chinese Revolution, which
were roughly simultaneous, things were bound to change - and
change they did. India's initial reaction to the march of the
People's Liberation Army into Lhasa was sharp. China responded
even more acrimoniously and refused to countenance any
"interference" in its internal affairs. No country in the
world contested China's claim. The British who had started the
whole thing were the first to wash their hands of Tibet. They
were worrying about Hong Kong! In the circumstances, India
accepted the inevitable but insisted that Tibet's autonomy be
protected. The Chinese readily concurred and even signed an
agreement with the young Dalai Lama in 1953, which they
cynically reneged on.
In accepting the Chinese assurance on Tibetan autonomy, Nehru
rejected the advice of Sardar Patel and Rajagopalachari (then
Union minister without portfolio) for a "clean break" with
China, and ignored a "vague hint" by the American ambassador,
Loy Henderson, that the State Department would be "glad to
help, if asked". Those who continue to curse Nehru for "not
resisting" the Chinese occupation of Tibet are talking
nonsense. India did not have the power to do so, and was
itself under heavy pressure at the UN over Kashmir where an
uneasy cease-fire was in its early stages.
Nehru's cardinal mistake, of course, was the 1954 agreement on
the Tibet region of China, accepting Chinese sovereignty over
"autonomous Tibet" without any quid pro quo in terms of
Chinese acceptance of this country's "long-settled",
"long-established" border. This story of Nehru falling between
the two stools of trusting and distrusting China and the
Chinese successfully fooling the Indian side is much too
complex and convoluted. In this, the role of then Indian
ambassador to China, K.M. Panikkar, was not just disastrous
but diabolical. Almost all countries have accepted Tibet to be
part of China. Under the circumstances, everyone has to walk a
tightrope balancing one's support to the cause of Tibetan
autonomy and one's relationship with China.
Source: www.indianexpress.com
International
Musharraf vows to
support new government
AFP, Islamabad
President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday pledged his full
support to Pakistan's new coalition government led by his
political opponents, who have vowed to take on the
embattled US ally.
Musharraf, speaking at a military parade marking
Pakistan's national day, hailed the start of what he
called a "real democratic era" in the country, plagued for
months by violence linked to Al-Qaeda and Taliban
militants.
"Whichever new government is formed, it will have my full
support," Musharraf said, adding that he hoped the new
administration would maintain peace, economic growth and
vigorously combat terrorism and extremism.
The man set to become Pakistan's new premier-former
parliamentary speaker Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was
nominated by the party of slain ex-premier Benazir
Bhutto-on Sunday promised to deliver following his party's
big election win.
"I can only assume that we are here to deliver-we are not
here just to stay for a period," Gilani told reporters
outside parliament, where he filed his nomination papers
ahead of Monday's election for the premiership.
"Inshallah (God willing) we will deliver and there is a
will and there is a hope." Gilani was named on Saturday by
Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party as its candidate for
prime minister, more than a month after the PPP won the
most seats in general elections.
The party has agreed to form a coalition government with
the party of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by
Musharraf in a coup in 1999, and other smaller groups who
trounced the US-backed president's allies in the February
18 polls.
Party officials said top coalition members including
Gilani were set to meet on Sunday ahead of Monday's
parliamentary session to elect a new prime minister-a vote
which Gilani is almost certain to win. When asked how the
new government would handle Musharraf, the 58-year-old
Gilani, a low-key but stalwart aide to Bhutto and her
husband Asif Ali Zardari, replied: "I will follow the
constitution."
"We will struggle for the supremacy of the parliament and
make it supreme in all policymaking because it reflects
the wishes of the people," he said, vowing to pursue the
mission of Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27.
Gilani spent five years in jail under Musharraf's rule on
corruption charges stemming from his time as
speaker-charges his PPP colleagues said were politically
motivated.
"Yousuf Raza Gilani is not afraid to lead and he knows the
way," Zardari said in a statement announcing the
nomination on Saturday. Speculation is rife that Gilani
will only be a stop-gap premier until Zardari-who is not
an MP-becomes eligible to stand for the post by contesting
a by-election in May.
Gilani served as speaker during Bhutto's second term in
power from 1993 to 1996 and a minister during her first
term from 1988 to 1990. "We hope that the country will
have a prime minister empowered to tackle the challenges,
rather than a puppet on a string with real authority lying
elsewhere in the party hierarchy," the leading English
daily Dawn said in an editorial.
Bhutanese vote in historic polls
AFP, Thimphu
Bhutan was
set to bring a century of absolute monarchy to an end
Monday with the election of the tiny Himalayan nation's
first democratic government.
The polls are the culmination of an initiative by Bhutan's
royal family to peacefully transform the remote kingdom,
which is wedged in the mountains between India and China,
into a constitutional monarchy.
The country's young Oxford-educated King Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuck made a strong pitch at the weekend for
his subjects, many of whom have been reluctant to see
democracy introduced, to take part.
Two parties are locked in a tight race and have both made
similar promises to boost growth and develop roads and
other infrastructure-and to stick by the royal concept of
"Gross National Happiness".
Only university graduates have been allowed to stand for
the 47 seats in the new National Assembly, who will be
chosen from either the People's Democratic Party (PDP) or
the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party.
"This is the first time I'm voting," smiled Lhamchum, a
68-year-old housewife who had turned up with nine family
members to vote in Thimphu, a capital city devoid of
traffic jams and high-rise buildings.
"It's a development for my country and I'm happy about
it," she said.
Election officials handed out badges reading "I voted in
the National Assembly Elections 2008."
"We are very excited. It is history in the making for us,"
said Tshewang Tashi, a 41-year-old civil servant.
"It's a very proud moment for us because of the way
democracy has started. We didn't have to fight for it,"
she said.
Bhutan, about the size of Switzerland, is one of the most
insular countries on earth. It had no roads, telephones or
currency until the 1960s, and only allowed television in
1999.
The landlocked country, which calls itself "The Land of
the Thunder Dragon", was never colonised. For centuries
the Bhutanese relished their isolation, maintaining a
barter economy and allowing few foreigners to visit.
Officials said they expected more than 70 percent turnout
after a tepid response to mock polls last year, which were
held to familiarise voters with the process, and recent
elections for an upper house.
Polling stations were to close at 5:00 pm (1100 GMT) and
preliminary results were expected late Monday. Final
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