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Leading News
Political scene in Bangladesh to
remain unsettled over food price, says EIU
UNB, Dhaka
London-based Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has said
political scene in Bangladesh will remain unsettled during
the early part of 2008-09, as mounting discontent over
rising food prices could lead to widespread demonstration.
In its Country Report for May, EIU said the public
discontent would "test the caretaker government's ability
to govern and could prolong the state of emergency."
The report, released on May 1, said despite the
introduction of a range of electoral reforms, the next
election battle would be fought between long-standing
rivals, the Awami League and the BNP - the two largest
political parties.
"To ensure that the elections are free, fair and
transparent, it will need all the main political parties
to take part, following the cancellation of the
parliamentary poll in January 2007."
It said that ahead of the dialogue, Awami League and BNP
are likely to use the opportunity to press for the release
of their respective leaders, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.
Members of the BNP have already threatened to boycott the
election unless Begum Zia is released, while the AL have
organised a nationwide hunger strike to press for the
release of Sheikh Hasina.
It said preparations for the parliamentary polls could be
hampered by mounting discontent over food prices. Garment
workers in the capital, Dhaka, defied the state of
emergency in April by holding strikes to demand higher
wages to cover the cost of rising food prices. The
situation is unlikely to improve over the short-term,
despite reports of a bumper rice harvest, and further
demonstrations are likely, which will test the caretaker
government's ability to govern and in turn could prolong
the state of emergency.
Assuming that the main political parties decide to take
part in the next election, the caretaker government will
be able to claim that it has reinforced the electoral
process, the report said. "What it will not be able to do,
however, is to move the country away from a two-party
political system," it said, adding that political opinion
is so strongly polarised in Bangladesh that the
parliamentary contest will once again pit the Awami League
against the BNP.
The EIU expects the budget deficit in fiscal year 2007/08
(July-June) to rise to the equivalent of 5% of GDP,
compared with the official target of 4.7%.
It said real GDP is expected to grow by 5.7% in 2007/08
and by 6% in 2008/09 while consumer price inflation is
expected to average 8.9% in 2008, after averaging an
estimated 9.1% in 2007.
The report said the trade deficit is expected to swell to
record levels in 2008-09 as demand for industrial raw
materials strengthens and international oil prices stay
high. The caretaker government has secured a loan from the
IMF to help finance imports, the cost of which has
increased substantially on the back of high international
prices for fuel and food.
The latest external trade data pointed to a recovery in
the textile sector, it mentioned.
On outlook for 2008-09 fiscal policy, EIU said Bangladesh
would continue to post a budget deficit in the forecast
period, as revenue expansion fails to keep pace with
growth in spending.
It said the interim government faces a difficult task in
achieving its revenue target, owing to the narrow tax base
and low rates of revenue collection. At the equivalent of
10% of GDP in fiscal year 2006/07 (July-June), the revenue
collection rate in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in the
world.
Despite the measures outlined in the 2007/08 budget to
boost collection, the EIU report said revenue is expected
to remain low as a proportion of GDP during the forecast
period.
Stand on a single platform to save country from
conspiracy
Delwar tells all parties and patriotic,
democratic forces
Meaningful election is not possible without Khaleda &
Hasina: Saifur
Staff Correspondent
BNP Secretary General
Khandoker Delwar Hosain on Friday made a clarion call for
all political parties as well as people from all strata
irrespective of political identities, caste and creed to
forge a unity to save the country from a "deep-rooted
conspiracy."
Khaleda-appointed Secretary General made the call at a
discussion meeting organised by Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal to
mark the May Day and to observe its founding anniversary
held at the National Press Club yesterday.
"Rights and privileges can never be achieved without
movement. Today we are observing the May Day as the
working-class people had to lay their lives for realizing
their rights at the Haymarket Square in Chicago in the
US," said Khandoker Delwar Hossain, adding, "May Day is
being observed in the country at a time when the people of
the country cannot speak their minds, although they are
being deprived of their fundamental rights."
Describing a gloomy picture of the economic condition of
the country, Delwar said, "The hardship of the people has
reached to its peak as the government has failed utterly
to create job opportunities as well as to arrest the price
spiral of essentials. Had there been a democratic and
elected government in the country, the people would have
spoken of their hardship. Now the country is run by an
interim government which has no legal and constitutional
basis. However, they in an autocratic manner are
formulating laws one after another through ordinance and
most of which are going against the interests of the
common people."
Delwar went on, "This government is trying to form a
rubber-stamp parliament through a farcical election. On
the other hand, the EC is working as a stooge of a certain
quarter. The EC has already lost its credibility."
The BNP Secretary General, however, cautioned the EC
against any move to hold a staged election with the
participation of some selected individuals saying, "It
would bring about dire consequences. The BNP and the
people of the country will never accept such a move. There
might be hands of foreign powers behind the scene. The
people of a sovereign country can never abide by the
foreign prescription. So I will urge all democratic and
patriotic forces to stand on a single platform to save the
country's sovereignty and liberty."
Meanwhile in a latest turn of events, acting Chairperson
of pro-government reformists' camp of BNP M Saifur Rahman
on Friday urged the government to ensure the participation
of the two detained leaders -Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh
Hasina -in the election process to make it credible and
acceptable saying, "I do not think that a credible and
meaningful election would be possible keeping the two
leaders out of the election process."
Saifur said this while a group of leader from Sylhet
district met him at his Gulshan residence yesterday. "For
the sake of the greater interests of the country, a
meaningful election is a must as the people would never
accept anything except democracy," he observed.
AL rejects EC's move to reshuffle constituencies
M Waliullah
Awami League on Friday rejected the Election Commission's
move to re-demarcate the constituencies saying it might
thwart the election roadmap. The party has also formed a
three-member committee to see whether there is any
conspiracy behind delimitation.
"Through releasing the draft of re-demarcated
constituencies, EC has violated the constitution. We have
formed a three-member enquiry committee to see whether
there is any conspiracy behind carrying out the
re-demarcation. The committee has been asked to submit its
report within two weeks," Awami League acting General
Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told waiting journalists
after emerging from a presidium meeting held at the
Gulshan residence of AL acting President Zillur Rahman
with him in the chair.
He said, "The EC has brought about huge changes in some
133 constituencies' boundaries, although, the EC had said
during talks between Awami League and EC it would
re-demarcate only 40 to 50 constituencies. We are
apprehending that this reshuffling would create a huge
controversy as the aggrieved people will definitely move
to the court"
"The re-demarcation is being carried out on the basis of
the census report held in 2001, but it should be on the
basis of current census report," he said, adding, "we urge
the EC not to undertake such tasks which might hinder the
election process in line with the announced roadmap. The
EC has already lagging behind its announced roadmap by
three months. The way the EC is extending its tasks,
people from different quarters have started raising
question whether the election would be held on schedule or
not."
Referring to the government-sponsored dialogue, Suranjeet
Sen Gupta told newsmen, the dialogue should be held
exclusively between the government and the political
parties, presence of any third party would not be
accepted.
TIB
chief for ombudsman for efficient, honest police force
BSS, Dhaka
Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)
Prof Muzaffer Ahmed on Friday underlined the importance of
introducing 'police ombudsman' to build an efficient and
honest police force.
"Establishment of police ombudsman is necessary for
building an efficient, accountable, transparent and honest
police force side by side with reforms of police law," he
told a roundtable at Jatiya Press Club here.
The roundtable on "Coordination of police, mass media and
human rights organisations" was organized by Samajik
Paribesh O Manabadhikar Bastabayan Sangstha. Chairman of
the organisation HM Ibrahim presided. Renowned lawyer
Barrister Amir-ul-Islam, former inspector general of
police Ashraful Huda, executive director of Bangladesh
Manabadhikar Bastabayan Sangstha Advocate Elena Khan also
spoke on the occasion.
The TIB chairman also stressed the need for coordination
among the police, mass media and human rights
organizations for establishing meaningful democracy and
good governance in the country.
"Mass media has to present accurate and objective reports
as conscience of the nation," Prof Muzaffer said. He said
human rights organizations should play a responsible role
in protecting human rights of people. He contended that
only increase in salary and other benefits would not help
establish a corruption-free police administration. Moral
values are also important in this regard, he added.
Barrister Amir-ul-Islam said coordination of police force,
mass media and human rights organisations are essential to
establish true democracy in the country. He also
emphasised the need for institutional reforms and
amendment of police law for an efficient police
administration.
CHT
arson victims stare into dreary future: report
Bdnews24, Dhaka
Seven bordering villages at remote Sajek in Baghaihat of
Chittagong Hill Tracts wear a desolate look after the
April 20 arson attack that erased 123 houses.
A team of politicians, teachers and social workers from
Dhaka visited the area on April 27 and disclosed their
findings from a press conference on Friday.
Unidentified arsonists burnt the houses, leaving a trail
of devastation. Gangaram Mukh village suffered the most.
Of the destroyed houses, 79 belonged to Bangalee settlers
and 53 to indigenous people. Jahangirnagar University
teacher Manosh Chowdhury read out a written statement to
reporters at Dhaka Reports Unity (DRU).
Biplobi Oikya Forum leader Moshrefa Mishu and Jatiya
Chhatra Front leader Shahadat Hossain and Monjurul Ahsan
of Sangskritir Naya Sethu were present. According to the
statement, the affected villagers are passing "inhuman
days without shelter". The Bangalee settlers were
sheltered under government supervision but the indigenous
community is spending their days in Buddhist temples and
houses of their relatives. Many retreated into the deep
jungle, the statement said.
Rights campaigners demanded formation of a judicial
committee to probe the Sajek incident, publication of a
report on the latest human-rights situation in the CHT and
an end to land grabbing.
Outlaws
attack police camp in Rajshahi
One policeman killed, gun looted
UNB, Naogaon
A police constable was killed in a terrorist attack on a
police camp at Taherpur cattle market in Bagmara upazila
of Rajshahi district on Friday.
Sources said outlaws attacked the police camp at about 7pm
and sprayed bullets on the policemen, killing constable
Mizanur Rahman fatally wounded. He died on way to
hospital.
The outlaws also looted two shotguns from the camp. They,
however, left behind one of the guns while running away.
NADPO
places 8-point demand for ensuring rights of disabled
people
BSS, Dhaka
National Alliance of Disabled Peoples Organizations (NADPO)
on Friday put forward an 8-point demands including call
for ensuring the fundamental rights and equal
participation of the persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The NADPO also demanded proper implementation and brisk
actualization of "UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities" which is going to be entry into force
from today.
The demands were made at a press conference held today at
VIP lounge of National Press Club. The written statement
was presented by NADPO secretary general Md Jahangir Alam.
The NADPO demanded to make sure the participation of there
representatives of disabled people's organizations (DPOs)
in the whole process of national development and poverty
alleviation.
Back Page
Edible
oil, chicken price still high
Rice price down by Tk 1/ 2
per kg
F.M. Masum
Huge Boro harvest has
started making its impact on the rice market as soaring
price of the staple food has halted and even some variety
of rice price has started declining in the city markets
alleviating the sufferings of the limited income groups in
the last week.
But price of Chicken broiler and edible oil is still high
in the city markets. Prices of other daily commodities
remain at their earlier rates.
Most items of coarse rice have come down by Tk 1-2 per kg
compared to last week following the arrival of Boro rice
in the city markets and the traders said the price would
decline in the coming days.
The price of both local and imported onions have gone up
in the city markets as Yesterday local onion was selling
at Tk 22, up by Tk 4 per kg compared to that of previous
week and imported onion at Tk 18 per kg in the city
markets.
Meanwhile, while asked about the recent abnormal edible
oil price hike, a whole seller in the city's Naybazar
market, who wanted not to be named, said, "Export of
edible oil to India by a section of traders, violating
Government restriction, is the main cause of abnormal
price hike of the essential in the local market. In spite
of Government restrictions on the export of edible oil
from the country, a section of businessmen are exporting a
huge quantity of edible oil to India." He urged the
government to take stern action against those responsible
for smuggling edible oil out of the country.
Chicken broiler price also remains at its earlier high
rate as it was selling at Tk 120 per kg and the traders
said that the price would remain same until the recovery
of the poultry industry that was damaged by the recent
bird flue. Price of beef also has gone up by Tk 20 per kg
as yesterday it was selling at Tk 200 per kg in the retail
markets.
Yesterday, coarse rice like Lata was selling between Tk 32
and Tk 33 per kg, Pari Tk 32 and Tk 33 per kg, fine
quality Najirshail Tk 39 and Tk 43, miniket at Tk 39 and
Tk 44 per kg. Besides, a kg of coarse rice like Swarna,
Parija and BR 29 was selling for Tk 33 to Tk 37 on Friday.
Meanwhile, the price of edible oil and lentils also rose
as yesterday lentils was selling at Tk 95 per kg and in
the retail markets.
Yesterday, Green chilli was selling at Tk 16 per kg. The
price of various items of fish still remains at their high
as yesterday Ruhi was selling at Tk 180-220 per kg, Hilsha
at Tk 320 per kg. Imported lentils at Tk 85, flour at Tk
43 per kg. Potato was selling at Tk 13, cucumber at Tk 14,
Patal at Tk 26 per kg, tomato at Tk 26, Korola at tk 20
per kg, bean at Tk 24 per kg.
Amid
massive drive criminals become active
Law enforcers reorganise to foil criminals
Ainul Haque Royal
Braving massive drives against crimes and hardened
criminals and their accomplices equipped with firearms and
ammunition are now becoming active in the capital as well
as throughout the country, the police, elite force RAB and
intelligence personnel has been reorganised to foil their
activities.
"Law enforcers and intelligence personnel are watching
closely the fugitive top terrors as well as the emerging
criminals. Besides, the Detective Branch (DB) of police
has been reorganised to contain all sorts of crimes,"
talking to the Bangladesh Today on Friday a highly placed
source in the intelligence branch said.
In the wake of widespread criminal activities including
murder, toll, extortion, mugging, abduction and robbery,
the law enforcing agencies, ordered by the higher
authorities, intensified their hunt for terrorists,
professional killers, extortionists, listed criminals,
robbers and their godfathers, the Deputy Commissioner of
DB of police said.
"Of the most wanted criminals, some died in crossfire,
some were arrested and in the face of massive hunt in the
big cities, some had gone into hiding in remote areas or
villages across the country to avoid arrest. Even a large
number of them have crossed the border. Of them, five were
brought to the country from India recently. Two of them
now in jail have been awarded death penalty. To nab the
rest of the criminals, several intelligence teams who have
been deployed at different strategic area of the country
are now working round the clock," he further said.
But recently, a section of youngsters are now being
involved in various criminals activities at their
respective areas. These young groups may begin committing
big crimes, sources apprehend.
When asked whether any fresh list of the godfathers and
their accomplices would be prepared, sources said an
updated list of criminals is always prepared as per
routine work. "But preparation of fresh list especially of
godfathers and most wanted criminals depend on
government's decision," he said, adding apart from this,
RAB's intelligence branch is now collecting necessary
information and documents about youngsters who are
involving themselves in crimes.
Currently, law enforcers don't face any political
pressure. So we can work independently. As a result we are
confident, if criminals are arrested they will be
prosecuted tried," the sources told this correspondent.
Industrial sectors on the verge of collapse due to power
crisis
Staff Correspondent
The industrial sector of the country is on the verge of
collapse as ongoing power and gas crisis is worsening day
by day.
Increasing short fall in power and gas supply is posing a
serious threat to the existence of the country's
industrial sectors specially the export-oriented ones.
There is growing apprehension that the country will face a
disastrous situation in the spheres of export trades and
employment if the government fails to improve power and
gas supply soon through bringing the situation under
control.
Due to year-long economic recession in the country,
unstable circumstances are prevailing in the country's all
sectors specially the industrial sector. As a result, some
industries have already been added to the list of the
bankrupt enterprises.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manu-facturers and Exporters
Association (BKMEA) sources said, power and gas crisis is
mainly hampering the production in this sector. Around 9
lakh people are working in some 1,600 knitwear factories
in Dhaka and adjacent districts.
The industry is experiencing a serious short fall in
production due to recent power crisis in the country. The
knit factories remain inoperative half of the day for want
of electricity. Hours-long power failure results in
serious production short fall while frequent disruption to
electric and gas supply is causing more financial loss to
this industry.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, Dr. Atiar Rahman said,
the country is likely to suffer from power crisis in the
near future as there is no possibility to improve
electricity supply overnight. No short-term step will help
to overcome the crisis. Long-term measures should be taken
in this regard.
Unfortunately, there is no government decision regarding
power crisis. Besides, panic is persisting in the business
community. So, no one is coming forward to invest in any
sector including power industry, Atiar said, adding the
government should formulate policy immediately in order
that the private entrepreneurs invest in power sector.
Due to frequent power supply disruption, the producers
cannot ensure high standards of their products in one hand
and the entrepreneurs fail to supply goods to the foreign
buyers timely on the other. To overcome the situation, the
industry-owners are depending on generators to continue
production. But for the want of adequate gas supply, the
generators remain inoperative almost all the time.
‘Media to play critical role in fostering trust’
UNB, Dhaka
Eminent jurist and former
Foreign Minister Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday said the media
can play a critical role in fostering mutual
understanding, trust and cooperation among South Asian
nations by making accurate portrayals and representation
of neighbors.
"Unfortunately, the media have not always fulfilled their
role in promoting regional cooperation by giving undue
coverage to negative aspects of relations between South
Asian countries," he said inaugurating the first South
Asian Media Forum (SAMF)-2008 with a theme "Harnessing the
Media to Enhance South Asian Cooperation" at PIB.
Dr Kamal, who is also the Chairperson of the Bangladesh
Chapter of South Asian Foundation, said the doubts and
suspicions, which generate negative attitude and barriers
to regional cooperation, need to be overcome. "What needed
are hard-headed analyses of the costs and benefits of
schemes for regional cooperation…where win-win situation
can be achieved," he told the inaugural session of the
Forum held marking the World Press Freedom Day on
Saturday. Dr Kamal said political will to take the bold
initiatives must be built upon public opinion and a strong
growing consensus within the region.
"Minds and hearts across the region engaged creatively and
imaginatively to realize the vision for South Asia which
through regional cooperation can build a better future for
all."
Jointly organized by Singapore-based AMIC, UNESCO and
United News of Bangladesh (UNB), the opening session of
the daylong seminar was also addressed by AMIC secretary
general Indrajit Banerjee, UNB chairman Amanullah Khan,
UNESCO Representative Malama Meleisea and PIB DG Nazrul
Islam Khan. Brian Shoesmith, Director, Media
Communications, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB),
conducted the session.
Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, president of Bangladesh
Enterprise Institute, was the keynote speaker at the
opening session chaired by Maj Gen Maniruzzaman,
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. Twenty
foreign journalists, experts and academics from India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore, Malaysia
and UK joined the seminar.
The seminar was split into plenary sessions and roundtable
discussions on 'Media and Development in South Asia',
'Good Neighbours, Bad Neighbours: Media representation and
realities' and 'Harnessing the Media to Enhance South
Asian Cooperation'.
Crime
Indigenous girl raped
Our correspondent, Chapainawabganj
One indigenous girl, Sefaly, 7, daughter of Narendranath
Hazda of Pripur village under Nachol upazila in the
district was raped by a man on Thursday.
Sources said Sefaly was played with her friends in
Pirpur field. In this time a shopkeeper, Salam, 50,
called her into his shop and raped her. Later, the
victim's father, Narendranath Hazda, filed a case with
Nachol thana.
Brother kills brother
UNB, Noakhali
A man was stabbed to death allegedly by his younger
brother at Char Kakra village in Companyganj upazila on
Friday.
The dead was identified as Babul, 32, a rickshaw-puller.
Locals said Babul had an altercation with his younger
brother Mizan in the morning over sowing green chili
plants on his (Babul's) land.
Angered by the elder brother's rebuke, Mizan stabbed
Babul indiscriminately, leaving him critically injured.
Babul died on way to hospital.
Mizan went into hiding soon after the incident.
A case was filed with local police station in this
regard.
10 get life for
violating girl
UNB, Laxmipur
A special court here Wednesday convicted 10 people and
awarded them life term imprisonment for violating a
teenage girl.
The convicts were Kalimullah, Abu Taher, Monsur Ahmed,
Belal Hossain, Moslemuddin, Saju, Abdur Rahim, Tajul Haq,
Bellal and Siraj, of Gondhobbopur village of Sadar
upazila. Of them, Saju, Abdur Rahim, Tajul Haque, Belal
and Siraj were tried in absentia.
According to prosecution, the convicts picked up the
girl from her house at gunpoint and violated her one
after another on September 19, 2000. A case was filed
against 11 people.
One of the accused, Habibur Rahman, was acquitted as his
guilt was not proved.
After examining records and witnesses, Judge of the
Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal M
Mojibul Kamal handed down the verdict.
Journalists assaulted
UNB, Shariatpur
Two local journalists were assaulted by some brick field
workers and employees at Atong village in Sadar upazila
on Friday while taking video footage on burning timber
in the kiln.
Police and locals said MRB Brick Field manager Laxman
and its workers assaulted district correspondent of ATN
Bangla Rokunuzzaman Parvez and Mofizur Rahman Ripon
Channel-1 at about 11:00 am when they were taking video
footage on the widespread burning of timber in the kiln.
The manager also damaged their video cameras and
threatened on their lives if the report on the use of
timbers in brick kilns is broadcast.
A general diary (GD) has been lodged in this connection.
Two minor boys killed in city
Staff Correspondent
Two minor boys were killed by some unidentified
assailants at Nayatola in Moghbazar area of the city on
Thursday afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Jewel, 10, son of Alal
Uddin and Biplob, 8, of Md Siddique of Mirertek in the
area.
Family sources said Jewel and Biplob were classmates,
studied in class two at a local school. Returning from
school both the boys went out on April 29 at 11:30 am
and since then they did not come back home.
Local people said, feeling the smell of the dead bodies
from an abandoned house of the area, they informed the
police at around 2:00 pm on Thursday. At 4:00 pm police
rushed to the spot and recovered the dead bodies from
the house.
Sources said, as the house remains abandoned for more
than two years, the anti-social activities may be
performed there by the criminals safely. A secret source
said, perhaps the children went to the place and saw
something bad. Then the criminals slaughtered the
innocent boys in a bid to hide out their unfair
activities.
The bodies were sent to the morgue for autopsy. A case
was filed with Ramna thana in this connection.
No arrest was made till writing of this report.
Six children rescued while being trafficked
UNB, Benapole
Police rescued six children from Sadipur border here on
Friday morning while being trafficked to India.
The rescued children are Pappu, 12, of Chouddagram
upazila in Comilla, Faruq, 7, of Sadar upazila in
Kishoreganj, Kamrul, 8, of Nandail upazila in Mymensingh,
Parvez, 10, of Borshijora thana in Moulvibazar, Sattar,
9, of Bhanga upazila in Faridpur and Najmul, 10, of
Muladi upazila in Barisal district.
Police said a gang of human traffickers brought the
children to Khulna from the capital on Tuesday and later
took them to Benapole by a train promising them good
jobs in India.
But when the traffickers along with them were passing
the check post area the children cried out for help
seeing the police. Later, sensing danger the traffickers
fled the scene leaving the children behind.
Police said they would hand over the children to their
guardians.
Clash leaves one killed, several
others injured
UNB, Jhenidah
A man was killed and several others were injured in a
bloody clash between two rival groups at Sripur village
in Shailakupa upazila on Wednesday.
Police said there was a longstanding rivalry between
Alauddin and Haran Sarder over establishing supremacy in
the village.
Local people said an altercation ensued between them
over a trifling matter in the morning. Later, both the
groups equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other
that left Abdul Jalil, 42, son of late Khelafat Hossain
of the village dead on the spot and several others
injured. On information, police recovered the body and
sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy.
Of the injured three were rushed to Sadar hospital in
critical condition.
A case was filed.
Smuggler held, 3 statues recovered
Our Correspondent, Madaripur
RAB-8 of Madaripur in a drive recovered a Shiblingo
worth about Tk twenty crore at a village, Ogladangi in
the district on Friday.
Acting on a tip-off the elites, lead by ASP Abdullah Al
Mahmud raided the village and recovered the Shiblingo
weighing around 2 kg and 500 gm. Later, in another drive
a brass statue of an Hindu god worth about Tk two and
half lakh was also recovered and a smuggler, Krishno
Chondro Malu (25) was arrested in this connection by the
law enforcers. The recovered statues and the arrested
smuggler were handed over to the Bhangga thana. A case
was also filed with the thana.
UNB from Dinajpur adds: A touchstone-made Vishnu statue,
weighing around 10 kg, was recovered by RAB members in
an abandoned condition from near Laxmipur Bazaar in
Fulbari upazila Wednesday morning.
Acting on a tip-off that a statue of Hindu god Vishnu
was kept beside a road for smuggling, RAB-5 members
rushed in and recovered the valuable statue. None was
arrested in this connection. A GD was registered with
the Fulbari thana.
Bullets recovered
BSS, Chuadanga
Alamdanga police recovered 58 round of bullets at
Jagannathpur village in the district on Wednesday.
Being tipped off, a team of police rushed to the village
and recovered the bullets from an abandoned place. None
was arrested in this connection.
Editorial
Violence in Campuses
The Emergency did not
affect or influence, to any positive degree, politics,
conflicts and violence in public universities, colleges and
institutes. This is evident from various incidences of
conflict and violence which took place within the last one
year. In August 2007, a minor incident led to country-wide
protests by public university teachers and students which led
to violence to such an extent that a 3-day curfew had to be
imposed in all major cities; on 11 January 2008, altercations
between two students led to large-scale violence between the
JCD and BCL in Jahangirnagar University which left 80 students
injured and on 10 February 2008, a fierce clash, this time
involving lethal weapons, occurred between the BCL and Chattra
Shibir resulting in serious injury of 45 students. The latest
in the spate of such violence occurred a couple of days back
when students of Dhaka College picked up arguments with some
hawkers and went on a rampage.
All of these incidences of violence in campuses have 3 things
in common: Firstly, small personal incidents are being made
into issues by student wings of political parties; Secondly,
these issues then lead to large-scale violent clashes
resulting in injuries and destruction of property and thirdly,
issues are not forgotten but are transferred from one campus
to another thereby enlarging and aggravating the conflict and
polarizations. Conflicts and violence therefore, become
endemic and deep-rooted engendering more or less a "culture"
of intolerance and conflict. Unfortunately, this culture of
conflict and violence is most prevalent in our higher
educational institutions particularly the public ones. Such a
situation is once again the "contribution" of our political
parties who have all opened up student wings in all
universities and colleges not with the intent of furthering
education or good citizenship but with the cynical purpose of
using young muscle power in street-fights against one another,
in collecting "contributions" of money, in enforcing
extortion, in controlling zones of influence and interest and
finally in outright serious criminal activities such as arson,
loot and murder. Resultantly our entire education system has
been corrupted and destroyed. So when we get recruits into
government service, into law-enforcement, into law, into
business, into politics and into every other field of
activity, we basically get already hardened corrupted people,
at times, with criminal minds to run our society, our economy
and our politics. Thus a predatory criminal society is
gradually leading to a predatory criminal State where
everything is up for grabs by the most corrupt, the most
criminal and the most ruthless.
One had hoped that the Emergency Government with its
commitment to root out corruption would go into the depth of
things and into making substantial changes for the better in
areas which matter such as in our education sector but that
confidence has been largely frustrated and misplaced. The
Emergency Government seems now to be merely interested in
maintaining itself and if forced to, give an election and exit
with its skin intact.
The political parties are not in the least bit interested in
these issues particularly ones which would challenge their
dominance and control of the minds and bodies of our young
people studying in universities and colleges. More than once
there have been demands, suggestions and proposals for banning
politics by students and teachers in campuses but each time
political parties have brushed aside such suggestions on the
plea that each person over 21 years of age has the
Constitutional right to do politics but it is one thing to
hold political opinions and to do politics and quite another
to hold public higher educational institutions, their students
and teachers ransom to conflict, violence and corruption.
Ultimately political parties win while the Nation suffers.
Harassment over
Cell Phones
In this capital
city and elsewhere innocent people continue to fall prey to
various kinds of crimes such as extortion, mugging, stabbing,
abduction, sexual torture and murder. Added to these crimes,
in recent times, has been unbearable harassment of people over
cell phones by a section of unscrupulous and notorious people,
mostly young and perverted. Some of them demand money over
cell phones from affluent people and issue threats of serious
consequence including death in case of non-payment of the toll
while some others make objectionable comments and proposals to
young women specially students.
Attempts have been made on a number of occasions by
individuals as well as newspapers to draw the attention of the
authorities and the cell phone operators, but all in vain. The
cell phones used for objectionable purposes are supposed to be
deactivated, but despite complains lodged by the victims this
is hardly done. People had welcomed the formation of a
cyber-crime monitoring cell and report that police drive
against such crimes would be launched , but these too are
invisible or seem ineffective to stop the nuisance.
The government cannot skip its responsibility in this respect.
The concerned authorities and the law enforcers as well as the
cell phone operators should work together to find out the
criminals who misuse the cell phones for evil purposes and
punish them besides deactivating their SIMs with a view to
retrieving innocent people from embarrassment and harassment.
Analysis
Climate Change and Trade: time to
think about feedbacks
Trade and environment are most often recognized
in competing interests. A larger portion of existing global
environmental policy is, in fact, based on creating,
regulating and managing markets.
Mohammed Abdul Baten
The
issue of climate change and trade are now more intertwined and
each is becoming increasingly dependant on the other. Climate
change is fundamentally altering the competitive landscapes
for trade. It exposes companies to physical risk of such as
increased intensity and frequency of weather events, droughts,
floods, storms, and sea level rise; and regulatory and
competitive risk associated with mitigation strategies such as
exposure to increasing costs of carbon. Meanwhile, raw
materials constraints are starting to bite, affecting
production of industries. On the contrary, trade itself exert
pressures on the environment. The very fact of increased
trade, in and itself, will lead directly to more global
greenhouses gases (GHGs) emissions from increased transport of
goods. Moreover, increases in international grain prices may
increase the profitability of agriculture, and result in the
expansion of farming forested land that increases soil erosion
and eventually causes land degradation. Likewise, wildlife
trade is contributing to the rapid decline of ecologically
important species such as Saiga Antelope. Besides,
International trade also exacerbate environment problems
indirectly. For example, production subsidies in fishing
sector can promote over fishing. Whereas, local trade often
affect environment adversely more than international trade. In
developing countries, for instance, subsidies in fertilizer
and pesticides to grow more food are mostly contributing to
water pollution.
Trade and environment are most often recognized in competing
interests. A larger portion of existing global environmental
policy is, in fact, based on creating, regulating and managing
markets. The most obvious examples are direct trade- related
instruments like the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or the
Basel Convention on Trade in Hazardous Waste. But even less
obvious instruments such as the Climate Convention, specially
through its emission trading provisions or the Biodiversity
Convention (Through, for example, the Cartagena Protocol on
Living Modified Organisms) operate within created or existing
market places and markets are a central element of their
design and implementation. In line to the global reduction of
Carbon dioxide (CO2) treaty (Kyoto protocol), not ratified by
USA, many industrialised countries are worried about potential
impact that mandatory carbon reduction targets would have on
their economies.
On the other hand, increased trade resulted from trade
liberalization, which increases standards of living by
achieving more luxurious production of goods and services that
have negative impacts on climate change; the more goods and
services produced, the more GHGs emitted. Moreover, trade
liberalization policies formulised by different international
organisations such as World Trade Organization (WTO), World
Bank etc. - impede carbon emission strategies in many ways.
Among these is the one that any plan that exempts developing
countries from emissions limits would be ineffective because
carbon-intensive industries of developed countries would
simply shift their operations to one of the exempt countries.
Therefore, it will undercut environmental benefits of the
Kyoto protocol or successor agreement. Furthermore, uneven
trade flows result in more economically polarised world, some
parts are becoming poorer and people have less access to
costly environment friendly instruments that further
exacerbate environmental degradation.
Besides the contested position, some argue that trade and
environment regimes can be complementary and even mutually
reinforcing. For example, trade policies and investment
agreements in particular, may bring new techniques of
production that are more environment friendly and energy
efficient, and therefore emit fewer GHGs per unit output, such
as initiation of solar, wind and bio-fuel technologies. This
may be due to foreign investors bringing new technologies, or
domestic firms having to increase efficiencies in face of
foreign competition.
Trade and climate policies may not seem naturally allies. But,
inclusion of climate concern on the trade agenda is now
obvious. More clearly, trade's ability to foster growth and
increased well being depends ultimately on a healthy
environment. The Stern Report (2006) supports it by
calculating that the costs of action on climate change are in
fact less than the costs of inaction, and noting that failing
to address the problem creates the equivalent of a 20% loss of
GDP globally. In such a context, fundamental goals of
multilateral trading systems are impossible to achieve.
Therefore, there is increasing international interest in
designing the rules and mechanisms of international trade
regimes and investment policies that fit with climate
policies. And following its lead, the Doha round of WTO
negotiations has acknowledged this intrinsic connection by
placing environment squarely on the trade negotiation agenda.
(Mohammed Abdul Baten; Master's in Ecosystems, Governance and
Globalisation, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm
University, Sweden.)
Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment
Throughout the world, 3 May serves as an occasion to inform
the public, of violations of the right to freedom of
expression and as a reminder that many journalists face death
or jail to bring people their daily news.
Ripan Kumar Biswas
While
celebrating 60th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day,
like many other individuals, organizations, government
agencies, and media groups, UNESCO pays tribute to the courage
and professionalism of the many journalists and media
professionals killed and wounded while carrying out their
professional activities, by dedicating this Day to the themes
of "empowerment and access to information."
"Press freedom and access to information feed into the wider
development objective of empowering people by giving people
the information that can help them gain control over their own
lives. This empowerment supports participatory democracy by
giving citizens the capacity to engage in public debate and to
hold governments and others accountable," said Koïchiro
Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO on the eve of the World
Press Freedom Day 2008. Quoting from the Article 19 of the
United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right," he
further added press freedom and freedom of information, are
the founding principles for good governance, development, and
peace.
There is some debate over which publication was the first
newspaper because the definition of a newspaper has been
flexible. In the English-speaking world, Nathaniel Butter is
often credited with the creation of the first news periodical
in 1622. The first newspaper in the American colonies, titled
Publick Occurrences, was published in Boston, Massachusetts on
September 25, 1690. (It was only published once so it is
doubtful if it can be called a newspaper.) But its contents
greatly offended those in power and caused such a public
uproar that it was immediately discontinued after that one
issue. Publick Occurrences was the forerunner of a new time,
and in the 1700s, newspapers began to spring up in the
American colonies.
Today's media not only refers to newspapers but also with the
help of technological advances it allows to reach more people
in more places, allows people to share their opinions more
readily, and allows information to flow across borders.
Throughout the world, 3 May serves as an occasion to inform
the public, of violations of the right to freedom of
expression and as a reminder that many journalists face death
or jail to bring people their daily news.
But the bitter truth is, according to the end-of-year analysis
of the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ), 64 journalists
were killed in direct connection to their work in 2007 -up
from 56 last year while other 22 deaths are under
investigation whether they were work-related. This is
unusually high numbers in 2007, making it the deadliest year
for the press in more than a decade. CPJ has recorded only one
year with a higher death toll: 1994, when 66 journalists were
killed, many in conflicts in Algeria, Bosnia, and Rwanda. For
the fifth straight year, Iraq was the deadliest country in the
world for the press. Its 31 victims account for nearly half of
the 2007 toll.
Knowledge empowerment is not a luxury, it's a necessity. It is
not self-sustaining; it needs to be learned and passed down
from generation to generation. Everyone has to know country's
founding principals, how the institutions came into being, how
they work, what the rights and responsibilities are.
Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political
process that helps people gain control over their own lives.
This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and
unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions,
and the means to actively communicate vertically and
horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of the
community. Here's why media is so valuable.
The media fulfills an essential component of a democratic
society as access to a free, independent and pluralistic media
is essential for gaining awareness of the issues that matter
both nationally and internationally. Empowerment of community
members relies on access to diverse media outlets; however,
several factors affect the extent to which the media
environment can empower its citizens; including media variety,
the existence of professional standards, and access to new
technology.
Ever since 32 newspapermen framed a constitution for the
National Press Club in America in the F Street parlor of the
Willard Hotel in Washington on March 29, 1908 to uphold
freedom of expression, media often faces threats,
intimidation, and actual violence as a direct result of the
work throughout the world. These unconscionable acts impede
the free flow of accurate and reliable information which
underpins good governance and democracy.
A democracy is only as good as the knowledge of the people who
are part of it. The term "freedom of expression" in any
constitution in the world, asserts that without the free flow
of information and "truth" disseminated by different media,
the future of democracy would be threatened. But tests,
surveys, and facts are showing the lack of freedom of
expression worldwide. The decline in freedom, as reported in
"Freedom in the World 2008," an annual survey of political
rights and civil liberties worldwide, was reflected in
reversals in one-fifth of the world's countries. Most
pronounced in South Asia, it also reached significant levels
in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa,
and sub-Saharan Africa. A substantial number of politically
important countries whose declines have broad regional and
global implications-including Russia, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt,
Nigeria, and Venezuela-were affected.
A number of Asia's most important countries, many on the
Indian subcontinent, suffered setbacks in freedom during 2007.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all
experienced downturns due to increased restrictions on civil
society and, in three of the four cases, increased military
activity. Declines were also noted in the Philippines, Burma,
and Malaysia. Freedom of expression was first being attacked
in those countries.
Even though no journalist was killed for their work in 2007 in
Bangladesh; there was a sharp decrease in the number of
journalists physically attacked or receiving death threats or
warning from political militants and criminals as the Country
is administrated by emergency law, which has been imposed on
January 11, 2007 but arrests increased markedly, with almost
40 cases in 2007.
While some asserts that the media is now the parliament in the
absence of a government formed by elections, but according to
the Bangladesh Centre for Development, Journalism and
Communication (BCDJC), a 'Reporters Without Borders' partner
organization, the media is very often being clearly guided by
the existence of censorship.
A commitment to removing all obstacles to press freedom, to
improving the conditions for independent and professional
journalism, and to empowering citizens' rights to engage in
public debate, is necessary if one is to ensure freedom of
press or guarantee the right of news media to gather, produce,
and disseminate information in secure and safe conditions.
(Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New
York. Dateline: New York, May 01, 2008. E-mail: Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com)
US Endorses Israel's Illegal Use of Force Against Syria
There is no evidence that Syria had made any effort to
introduce nuclear material to the facility under construction.
Scott Ritter
It looks as if Israel
may, in fact, have had reason to believe that Syria was
constructing, with the aid and assistance of North Korea, a
facility capable of housing a nuclear reactor. The United
States Central Intelligence Agency recently released a series
of images, believed to have been made from a videotape
obtained from Israeli intelligence, which provide convincing,
if not incontrovertible, evidence that the "unused military
building" under construction in eastern Syria was, in fact,
intended to be used as a nuclear reactor. Syria continues to
deny such allegations as false.
On the surface, the revelations seem to bolster justification
not only for the Israeli airstrike of Sept. 6 2007, which
destroyed the facility weeks or months before it is assessed
to have been ready for operations, but also the hard-line
stance taken by the administration of President George W Bush
toward both Syria and North Korea regarding their alleged
covert nuclear cooperation. In the aftermath of the Israeli
airstrike, Syria razed the destroyed facility and built a new
one in its stead, ensuring that no follow-up investigation
would be able to ascertain precisely what had transpired
there.
Largely overlooked in the wake of the US revelations is the
fact that, even if the US intelligence is accurate (and there
is no reason to doubt, at this stage, that it is not), Syria
had committed no crime, and Israel had no legal justification
to carry out its attack. There is no evidence that Syria had
made any effort to introduce nuclear material to the facility
under construction.
While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the
global watchdog responsible for the implementation of nuclear
safeguards inspections, has pushed for the universal adherence
to a more stringent safeguards standard known as the
"additional protocol of inspections", such a measure is purely
voluntary, and Syria has refused to sign up to any such
expansion of IAEA inspection activity until such time as
Israel signs the NPT and subjects its nuclear activities to
full safeguards inspections. While vexing, the Syrian position
is totally in keeping with its treaty obligations, and so it
is Syria, not Israel, that was in full conformity with
international law at the time of Israel's Sept. 6 2007 attack.
The United States and Israel contend that the Syrian-North
Korean construction project was part of a covert nuclear
weapons program. However, even the United States admits that
the facility under construction in Syria lacked any
reprocessing capacity, meaning its utility for producing
plutonium for a nuclear bomb was nil.
Rather than serving as the tip of the iceberg for a nuclear
weapons program, it seems more likely that the Syrian facility
was intended for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Following the same path as Iran, Syria most probably was
positioning itself to present the world with a fait accompli,
noting that the current US-Israeli posture concerning the
regime in Damascus would not enable Syria to pursue and
complete any nuclear program declared well in advance. By
building the reactor in secret, Syria would be positioned to
declare the completed facility to the IAEA prior to the
introduction of any nuclear material, and then hope to hide
behind the shield of the IAEA in order to prevent any Israeli
retaliation. The international debate that has taken place
about the Syrian facility shows how successful the Israeli
gambit, in fact, was, since there is virtually no discussion
about the fact that Israel violated international law in
attacking, without provocation, a sovereign state whose status
as a member of the United Nations ostensibly affords it
protection from such assault. The American embrace of the
Israeli action, and the decision to produce intelligence
information about the nature of the bombed facility at this
late stage in the game, only reinforces the reality that the
United States has turned its back on international law in the
form of arms control and nonproliferation agreements.
The Bush administration seeks to use the alleged Syrian
nuclear facility as a lynchpin in making its arguments against
not only the Iranian nuclear program, but also to scuttle the
current discussions with North Korea over its nuclear weapons
activities. Truth, and the adherence to international law,
have never been an impediment to implementation of American
policy objectives under the Bush administration.
Source:
www.arabnews.com
Viewpoints
Heads I win, Tails You Lose
Selfless national leaders do not gamble with
the nation's destiny with a "Heads I win, tails you lose!"
policy.
Ikram
Sehgal
Bristol,
England - While it is commendable and encouraging that the
British government is making a concerted effort to work with
Muslims to combat the scourge of radicalization, its recent
proposal to draft moderate imams from Pakistan indicates that
there is still much to learn.
Far from being breeding centers of radicalization, mosques
have failed to cater to British Muslims precisely by employing
imams from "back home". The consequence of such actions has
been the continued alienation of young Muslims, who
increasingly cannot speak or understand their mother tongue,
which is generally the first language of most imams.
Undeniably, while there are exceptions, the fact remains that
despite their knowledge of Islam, many "imported" imams tend
to have a limited understanding of the complexities of modern
secular life and the challenges faced by young Muslims. Very
rarely do they attempt to make sense of the political climate
or equip themselves to do so; they prefer instead to focus on
matters of piety and faith.
The young radicals I have spoken to over the past six years
typically have become more and more alienated by this general
attitude in mosques and so have looked elsewhere to acquire
Islamic "values".
For example, Hizb ut-Tahrir, a group whose goal is to
establish an Islamic caliphate, proved to be immensely popular
in Britain during the 1990s not only because it addressed very
serious issues (often leading to radical solutions) but also
because its members were both linguistically and culturally
conversant with British Muslims. They spoke fluent English,
which proved to be a compelling and fresh alternative from
imams and preachers who spoke English only as their second or
third language.
While the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Britain are of
Pakistani origin, few actually look to Pakistan for religious
guidance. Even the youth living in Pakistan don't relate to
what is being preached there. The trouble is that many young
Pakistanis in the heartland have grown tired of the way Islam
is being presented and taught, with many limiting their
participation to attending the communal Friday prayer as a
result.
Indeed, if you were to ask young Muslims here in Britain to
cite some of the scholars they relate to and respect, most
will list converts as exemplars and role models. The same is
true in Pakistan, where bootleg recordings of lectures of
Western converts to Islam are readily available.
In short, young Muslims are increasingly looking West - not
East - to make sense of the world and the challenges they've
inherited in a post-9/11 world.
Despite controversy among Muslims in Britain, it is clear that
the government proposes to tackle radicalization through
challenging the paucity of both the theological and legal
knowledge of these young radicals. But this is only half of
the battle.
To assert that radicalization among young Muslims has little
to do with British foreign policy is to deny one of the very
root causes of radicalization, rendering any genuine attempt
to eliminate it impotent. While two of the 7/7 suicide bombers
left recorded messages blaming British policy in Iraq for
their actions, a Home Office and Foreign Office dossier
ordered by Tony Blair in 2004 confirmed that Iraq was a
"recruiting sergeant" for extremism.
While Muslims are increasingly waking up to and challenging
the internal threat of extremism, our politicians need to
realize that denying any linkage between an unethical foreign
policy and radicalization will further infuriate critical
partners and serve to bolster the armory of grievances and
double standards cited to prove to others that this is a war
against Islam.
Whatever one believes to be the root cause or causes of the
radicalization of young Muslims, we all need to work together
as this disease is indiscriminate: it attacks both Muslims and
non-Muslims alike. Blaming the "other" for all the ills in the
world is easy, but taking a long, hard, introspective look in
the mirror - now that's the way of the prophets.
(Aftab Ahmad Malik is a visiting fellow at the Centre for the
Study of Ethnicity and Culture at the University of
Birmingham. This article was written for the CGNews and
originally appeared in The Birmingham Post. Source: Common
Ground News Service, 29 April 2008.Copyright permission is
granted for publication.)
Iraq after the Surge : The Need for a New Political Strategy
In the U.S., much of the debate has focused on
whether to maintain or withdraw troops. But this puts the
question the wrong way, and spawns misguided answers.
Babar Ayaz
Against
the odds, the U.S. military surge contributed to a significant
reduction in violence. Its achievements should not be
understated. But in the absence of the fundamental political
changes in Iraq the surge was meant to facilitate, its
successes will remain insufficient, fragile and reversible.
The ever-more relative lull is an opportunity for the U.S. to
focus on two missing ingredients: pressuring the Iraqi
government to take long overdue steps toward political
compromise and altering the regional climate so that Iraq's
neighbours use their leverage to encourage that compromise and
make it stick. As shown in these two companion reports, this
entails ceasing to provide the Iraqi government with
unconditional military support; reaching out to what remains
of the insurgency; using its leverage to encourage free and
fair provincial elections and progress toward a broad national
dialogue and compact; and engaging in real diplomacy with all
Iraq's neighbours, Iran and Syria included.
Many factors account for the reduction in violence: the surge
in some cases benefited from, in others encouraged, and in the
remainder produced, a series of politico-military shifts
affecting the Sunni and Shiite communities. But there is
little doubt that U.S. field commanders displayed
sophistication and knowledge of local dynamics without
precedent during a conflict characterized from the outset by
U.S. policy misguided in its assumptions and flawed in its
execution. A conceptual revolution within the military
leadership gave U.S. forces the ability to carry out new
policies and take advantage of new dynamics. Had they remained
mired in past conceptions, propitious evolutions on the ground
notwithstanding, the situation today would be far bleaker.
One of the more remarkable changes has been the realignment of
tribal elements in Anbar, known as the sahwat, and of former
insurgents, collectively known as the "Sons of Iraq". This was
largely due to increased friction over al-Qaeda in Iraq's
brutal tactics, proclamation of an Islamic state and
escalating assaults on ordinary citizens. But the tribal and
insurgent decisions also were aided by enhanced military
pressure on the jihadi movement resulting from augmented U.S.
troops: in both instances U.S. forces demonstrated more subtle
understanding of existing tensions and intra-Sunni fault
lines. Overall, the military campaign calmed areas that had
become particularly violent and inaccessible, such as Anbar
and several Baghdad neighborhoods, and essentially halted
sectarian warfare.
But on their own, without an overarching strategy for Iraq and
the region, these tactical victories cannot turn into lasting
success. The mood among Sunnis could alter. The turn against
al-Qaeda in Iraq is not necessarily the end of the story.
While some tribal chiefs, left in the cold after Saddam's
fall, found in the U.S. a new patron ready and able to provide
resources, this hardly equates with a genuine, durable trend
toward Sunni Arab acceptance of the political process. For
these chiefs, as for the former insurgents, it mainly is a
tactical alliance, forged to confront an immediate enemy
(al-Qaeda in Iraq) or the central one (Iran). Any
accommodation has been with the U.S., not between them and
their government. It risks unraveling if the ruling parties do
not agree to greater power sharing and if Sunni Arabs become
convinced the U.S. is not prepared to side with them against
Iran or its perceived proxies; at that point, confronting the
greater foe (Shiite militias or the Shiite-dominated
government) once again will take precedence.
Forces combating the U.S. have been weakened but not
vanquished. The insurgency has been cut down to more
manageable size and, after believing victory was within reach,
now appears eager for negotiations with the U.S. Still, what
remains is an enduring source of violence and instability that
could be revived should political progress lag or the Sons of
Iraq experiment falter. Even al-Qaeda in Iraq cannot be
decisively defeated through U.S. military means alone. While
the organization has been significantly weakened and its
operational capacity severely degraded, its deep pockets,
fluid structure and ideological appeal to many young Iraqis
mean it will not be irrevocably vanquished. The only lasting
solution is a state that extends its intelligence and coercive
apparatus throughout its territory, while offering credible
alternatives and socio-economic opportunities to younger
generations.
The U.S. approach suffers from another drawback. It is
bolstering a set of local actors operating beyond the state's
realm or the rule of law and who impose their authority by
force of arms. The sahwat in particular has generated new
divisions in an already divided society and new potential
sources of violence in an already multilayered conflict. Some
tribes have benefited heavily from U.S. assistance, others
less so. This redistribution of power almost certainly will
engender instability and rivalry, which in turn could trigger
intense feuds - an outcome on which still-active insurgent
groups are banking. None of this constitutes progress toward
consolidation of the central government or institutions; all
of it could amount to little more than the U.S. boosting
specific actors in an increasingly fragmented civil war and
unbridled scramble for power and resources. Short-term
achievement could threaten long-term stability.
By President Bush's own standards, the military surge was
useful primarily insofar as it led the Iraqi government to
forge a national consensus, recalibrate power relations and
provide Sunni Arabs in particular with a sense their future
was secure. Observers may legitimately differ over how many of
the administration's so-called benchmarks have been met. None
could reasonably dispute that the government's performance has
been utterly lacking. Its absence of capacity cannot conceal
or excuse its absence of will. True to its sectarian nature
and loath to share power, the ruling coalition has actively
resisted compromise. Why not? It has no reason to alienate its
constituency, jeopardize its political makeup or relinquish
its perks and privileges when inaction has no consequence and
the U.S. will always back it.
The surge is the latest installment in a stop-and-start
project to build a functioning state and legitimate
institutions. All along, the fundamental challenge has been to
settle major disputes and end a chaotic scramble for power,
positions and resources in a society that, after a reign of
terror, finds itself without accepted rules of the game or
means to enforce them. Politically, this conflict has
expressed itself in disputes, both violent and non-violent,
over the structure of the state system
(federalism/regionalization and the degree of power
devolution); ownership, management and distribution of oil and
gas wealth (a hydrocarbons law); internal boundaries
(particularly of the Kurdistan region); mechanisms for
settling relations between post-Saddam "winners" and "losers"
(for example, de-Baathification, amnesty, reintegration); and
the way in which groups gain power (elections vs. force).
A small number of agreements have been reached and are
regularly trumpeted. But they have made virtually no
difference. Without basic political consensus over the nature
of the state and the distribution of power and resources,
passage of legislation is only the first step, and often the
least meaningful one. Most of these laws are ambiguous enough
to ensure that implementation is postponed, or that the battle
over substance becomes a struggle over interpretation.
Moreover, in the absence of legitimate and effective state and
local institutions, implementation by definition will be
partisan and politicized. What matters is not principally
whether a law is passed in the Green Zone. It is how the law
is carried out in the Red Zone.
Three things are becoming increasingly clear: First, the
issues at the heart of the political struggle cannot be solved
individually or sequentially. Secondly, the current governing
structure does not want, nor is it able, to take advantage of
the surge to produce agreement on fundamentals. Thirdly,
without cooperation from regional actors, progress will be
unsustainable, with dissatisfied groups seeking help from
neighboring states to promote their interests. All this
suggests that the current piecemeal approach toward deal
making should be replaced with efforts to bring about a broad
agreement that deals with federalism, oil and internal
boundaries; encourages reconciliation/accommodation; and
ensures provincial and national elections as a means of
renewing and expanding the political class. It also suggests
yet again the need for the U.S. to engage in both genuine
negotiations with the insurgency and for vigorous regional
diplomacy to achieve agreement on rules of the game for
outside actors in Iraq.
In the U.S., much of the debate has focused on whether to
maintain or withdraw troops. But this puts the question the
wrong way, and spawns misguided answers. The issue, rather,
should be whether the U.S. is pursuing a policy that, by
laying the foundations of legitimate, functional institutions
and rules of the game, will minimize the costs to itself, the
Iraqi people and regional stability of a withdrawal that
sooner or later must occur - or whether it is simply
postponing a scenario of Iraq's collapse into a failed and
fragmented state, protracted and multilayered violence, as
well as increased foreign meddling.
The surge clearly has contributed to a series of notable
successes. But the question is: Now what? What higher purpose
will they serve? For the first four years of the war, the U.S.
administration pursued a lofty strategy - the spread of
democracy; Iraq as a regional model - detached from any
realistic tactics. The risk today is that, having finally
adopted a set of smart, pragmatic tactics, it finds itself
devoid of any overarching strategy.
(The above is a Report, released on 30 April 2008, by the
International Crisis Group on US involvement in Iraq. Source:
www.crisis group.org)
Comment
India on board: IPI
EVEN
though much more remains to be done, Pakistan and India seem
to have made a major breakthrough on the gas pipeline
question. Given the history of the Iran-Pakistan-India
pipeline project, tied as it is to the bilateral relationship
between Islamabad and New Delhi, optimism without some
reservations would be unwarranted. The differences between
Pakistan and India, especially over the transit fee and
transportation charges, have already delayed the pipeline
project, raising the cost from $3.3bn in 2004 to $7.5bn today.
But the two energy ministers told a press conference in
Islamabad on Friday they had now agreed on the "fundamental
issues" of the project. They were hopeful that a final
agreement could be signed in weeks if not days. President
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's imminent visit to the two capitals will,
no doubt, help expedite the project which - besides meeting
the two countries' fast-expanding energy requirements - is not
without geopolitical importance. Several factors have delayed
the materialising of IPI, one of them being America's
hostility toward Iran and New Delhi's sensitivity to
Washington's concerns. As a result India stayed away from
three meetings between Pakistani and Iranian officials during
the last nine months. However, hard economic realities coupled
with a domestic backlash have combined to force a rethinking
in New Delhi. Many Indian politicians, especially those on the
Left, and sections of the media have criticised what to them
appeared to be their government's lack of spine in standing up
to US pressure. This was in sharp contrast, they pointed out,
to the resolve shown by Tehran and Islamabad to go ahead with
the project. Then there is the obvious fact that India has to
rely on imports to meet its gas requirement. The signing of a
bilateral agreement with Turkmenistan and its entry into the
trilateral Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline
project are an indication of its desire to ensure
uninterrupted supply of gas for the future. However, what
brought the Indian oil minister rushing to Pakistan is the
possibility that China may respond to President Pervez
Musharraf's invitation during his visit to that country to
join the Iran gas project. That perhaps clinched the issue for
New Delhi.India's 're-entry' into the IPI project is a welcome
development. Iran may be under several layers of American
sanctions, and indeed there may be threats every now and then
of America or Israel attacking Iran. But that is no reason why
the three countries should abandon a project that serves the
economic and energy interests of all of them. For Pakistan, a
greater problem is the safety of that portion of the over
700-kilometre pipeline which runs through Balochistan. Even
though the level of insurgency has fallen, acts of sabotage of
vital installations still continue. To ensure the safety of
the pipeline it is essential to remove the causes of Baloch
unrest and ensure peace in the country's largest province
territorially..
Source:
www.dawn.com
International
May Day clashes and
anger over food prices
AFP, Istanbul
Police firing pepper gas and water cannons clashed with
union activists in Istanbul on Thursday, as workers around
the world made soaring food prices their May Day battle
cry.
Clashes erupted in the Turkish capital as hundreds of
police surrounded the main square to stop a planned rally.
Thirty-eight people, including eight police officers, were
injured, and 530 were arrested, the governor of Istanbul
said at a press conference. Volatile crowds also staged
rallies in the Philippines' capital of Manila and
Indonesia's Jakarta, carrying signs demanding "Jobs,
Justice, Food" and "Lower Food Prices Now."
Sharply rising prices for staples such as rice were the
focus of many demonstrations in Asia, where rallies were
patrolled by huge numbers of police. In Singapore and
Bangkok, protesters waved signs reading "Expensive rice
prices, cheap labor wages. How can laborers live?"
The benchmark Thai rice variety now fetches some 1,000
dollars a tonne, three times more than a year ago.
Fears over fuel prices were also on people's minds, with
about 44,000 people attending a Tokyo rally where Japanese
Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii railed against the
government for reinstating a controversial petrol tax.
Some of the biggest demonstrations were in Europe. In
France, the interior ministry told AFP almost 120,000
people marched across the country demanding higher wages
and pensions, increasing the pressure on President Nicolas
Sarkozy to tackle rising living costs. More than two
million people joined Mayday demonstrations in 1,000 towns
across Russia, Ria Novosti news agency said, with worries
about soaring prices overshadowing official calls for
unity a week ahead of Vladimir Putin's departure from the
Kremlin. "The party of power is not ashamed that its
members are millionaires. These are the millionaires who
robbed the country," former chess great turned politician
Garry Kasparov told a rare demonstration in Saint
Petersburg.
In Spain some 25,000 people marched in Madrid amid
concerns over rising unemployment as a decade-long
economic boom ends due to a slowdown in the property
sector.
Spanish General Workers Union general secretary Candido
Mendez rejected calls by business and political leaders
for wage restraint to help fight rising inflation.
"They should tell the big executives of big multinationals
that they, and only they, should tighten their belts," he
said.
In Cuba, President Raul Castro led a vast crowd summoned
to Havana's Revolution Square in a rally that focused on
the country's future after Castro, 76, replaced his ailing
brother Fidel, 81, as president in February.
Many analysts say Raul Castro is under intense pressure to
deliver improvements in Cubans' standard |