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Leading News
CA addresses the nation
JS polls in 3rd week of Dec 08, Ban on indoor politics
goes from today, political dialogue begins May 22
Staff Correspondent
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on Monday in his televised
address to the nation said the stalled ninth parliament
election will be held in the third week of December this
year.
In his address the Chief Adviser said, as part of holding
a free, fair and credible election, we will begin formal
proposed dialogue with the political parties from May 22.
Meanwhile, the ban on indoor political activities across
the country will go from tomorrow (Tuesday). To create a
favorable atmosphere for holding the election certain
provision of the Emergency Power Rules will be suspended
or the emergency will be relaxed. A national charter will
be formulated on the basis of consensus so that there will
have a qualitative change in politics as well as in
governance.
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He called upon the people
from all walks of life to prepare a framework to ensure
the sustainability of next governments, politics, economy
and administration. "The nation clearly expects an overall
stability of the post-election government. The balance of
power, the rule of law, healthy politics, an effective
parliament and an accountable administration are the
prerequisites for stability," Fakhruddin Ahmed said.
UNB adds: the Chief Advisor said the main conditions for
creating congenial atmosphere are to curb influence of
black money and muscle power, establishment of the rule of
law, conduct anti-corruption drive, improve law-and-order
situation, make the state organs dynamic and effective to
ensure a meaningful, fair, free and credible election.
"Our government is working to this end uncompromisingly
and already made substantial success in creating an
enabling atmosphere for the elections."
The Election Commission, he said, will announce the
specific date of the election through the election
schedule.
Fakhruddin noted that "all our efforts will go in vain
without introduction of a stable democratic process". To
achieve this end, he said, the first task will be to reach
consensus to infuse quality in politics.
The Chief Advisor expressed his fond hope for voluntary
internal reforms by political parties to get to this
redefined goal. "The nation today expects democratic
behavior and implementation of expected reforms to create
honest, competent and dynamic leadership from political
parties," he said. "We consider public opinion most
important in the process of election and political
reforms," the Chief Advisor said and categorically stated
in the bottom line that there is no going back in to the
turbulent situation of the partisan politics of the past.
"We want qualitative and meaningful change in government
and political paradigm."
The head of the reformist caretaker government told the
countrymen that the people would have to take the
responsibility to ensure that political parties,
henceforth, abide by law and constitution in a democratic
environment.
He further said that the people would also have to ensure
that honest, competent, efficient, meritorious and
patriotic people having dedication to public welfare can
win the election and represent the national parliament.
In instant reactions Awami League expressed mixed reaction
while BNP rejected the CA's address.
Acting Awami League General Secretary Syed Asraful Islam
expressed his grave concern over the five-point demands,
including Hasina's release, lifting of EPR and trial of
the war criminals which were not mentioned in the CA's
speech.
"During the pre-dialogue parley with the representatives
of the Government recently, AL placed before the table
their five point demands. He did not say even a single
word about the trial of war criminals at all," he said
adding, "Although we hail his address to the nation which
gave a guideline regarding the present political situation
as well as the upcoming general election."
Replying to a query, Asraful said, "We are partially
satisfied and hope that the rest of the unresolved issue
will be discussed in the upcoming dialogue between the
Government and AL. The AL is going to prepare an agenda
for the ensuing dialogue after the AL working committee
meeting today (Tuesday).
On the other hand, BNP has rejected the CA's address
saying, he has given his speech keeping their blue-print
in mind.
"CA's address does not satisfy the nation's hopes and
aspirations. He has given a series of conditions in his
speech. Politics cannot go by conditions. Moreover, who
are they to give conditions?" BNP Secretary General
Khandoker Delwar Hossain said in his quick reaction to the
CA's address, adding, "The CA gave no indication about
withdrawal of the state of emergency before the next
general election; rather his speech indicates that the
election would be held under Emergency.
Talking about the national charter Delwar said "Every
consensus should be made in the Parliament. They are
nobody to formulate any charter and even they cannot
demand any change in politics."
Fresh unity move of reformists not getting
off the ground
Make programmes to free Khaleda a success:
Delwar tells party workers
Taib Ahmed
With the
government-backed reformists' house of cards crumbling
fast, fresh unity move by the reformists is not getting
off the ground as Khaleda Zia-appointed Secretary General
Khandoker Delwar Hossain asked Hannan Shah not to move on
the unity agenda.
According to sources, BNP Chairperson's Adviser Brig (retd)
ASM Hannan Shah and acting Secretary General of the
reformist splinter Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were
supposed to announce a joint declaration about the party
unity from Hannan Shah's residence on Monday. However, it
could not be held due to the strong opposition from
Khandoker Delwar Hossain.
Hannan Shah requested BNP's Secretaries General Nazrul
Islam Khan, Selima Rahman and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy to be
present at his New DOHS residence at 4.00pm yesterday from
where he was expected to announce the unity formula. But
when the party Secretaries General communicated with
Khandoker Delwar Hossain, the latter forbid them to go
Hannan Shah's residence. Against this backdrop, Hannan
Shah phoned Major (retd) Hafiz not to come to his home and
said, "the modalities of unity move will be fixed later,
not today (Monday)."
Earlier on Sunday night, Khandoker Delwar phoned Hannan
Shah and they exchanged hard words as the BNP Secretary
General was aggrieved with Hannan Shah as the latter held
a clandestine meeting with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan without
taking party's approval.
Sources said, during their altercation, Hannan Shah told
Delwar that he got the instruction from the detained party
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to go with unity move,
whereas Delwar termed his claim baseless.
Major (retd) Hafiz, however, on Monday at a press
conference vowed to bring unity in the party by May 30,
the day the party's founder Zaiur Rahman's anniversary of
death will be observed.
Calling upon all the streams of BNP to be united ignoring
petty personal interests, Hafiz said, "The BNP will be
united by hook or by crook by May 30 as BNP cannot afford
to be divided. The October 29 meeting was held aiming at
bringing unity in the party."
"Following the cancellation of January 22 election, there
has been a realization among almost all the parties that
the politics cannot go the way it had existed before
one-eleven. That's why we announced a set of reform
proposals to bring democracy in the party and we were
waiting for Begum Zia's stand on reform," he said, adding,
"We came to know that Begum Zia also wants the party to be
reformed and with her statement, it has now been
recognized that the reforms must be carried out in the
party. So we are hoping that all sorts of misgivings and
misunderstanding among party leaders which was created
centering reforms will go and the party will be united."
Asked if his post of acting Secretary General has been
ineffective following Saifur's remark that the post of
acting Chairperson has been anfractuous unfructuous with
four standing committee members' affidavit with the High
Court, Hafiz parried the question, "I am doubtful whether
he (Saifur Rahman) actually said so."
In reply to a question, Hafiz reiterated that he might
quit the post for the sake of the party unity. Meanwhile,
the reformists from a meeting on Sunday night formed a
five-member committee headed by Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur
Rahman to expedite the unity move.
Meanwhile, Khandoker Delwar Hossain on Monday called upon
the party workers to make a success of the programmes of
submitting memorandum to the CA through DCs and TNOs
across the country demanding release of Khaleda Zia.
A BNP press release said, the grassroots leaders and
activities have started submitting the memorandum with
11-point demand in different parts of the country. BNP
acting Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed submitted
the memorandum to Bogra DC office on Monday.
ALWC to decide next course of
action today
Sahidul Islam Rana
Keeping the option for participation in the upcoming
election, the Awami League Working Committee meets today
(Monday), may decide to go for movement to ensure the
release of detained AL President Sheikh Hasina and holding
of fair, free and credible election by December this year.
Stating this to The Bangladesh Today, a highly placed
source in AL said, however, the working committee would
take formal decision after reviewing the pros and cons of
the Chief Adviser's address, delivered at 8pm yesterday.
Despite mounting pressure from the grassroots level
leaders and workers, the central leadership of Awami
League appear to be waiting for the outcome of formal
dialogue with the Caretaker Government and likely to
decide the next course of action today.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, AL presidium member
Tofael Ahmed said, "There is no alternative way for AL but
to ensure Hasina's unconditional release."
Asked about the future strategy of AL to press home their
demands, the veteran AL leader said, "The next course of
action will be finalised in the ensuing ALWC meeting."
Replying to a query, the former student leader said, "As
part of the next course of action programme, some issues -
like countrywide protest rallies, hartal and blockade
programme - would dominate the discussion on the 13th
instant. Apart from this, it is expected to confirm the
agenda of the formal dialogue between the representatives
of Awami League and the Interim Government."
A central leader of AL also blasted some other central
leaders, well-known in a recent time as reformists, for
their role and said, "The Government will never release
Hasina easily. We have to break the emergency rules to
free our party chief and ensure her treatment abroad as
per the recommendation of her physicians."
Referring to the Hunger Strike observed by the different
front organisations of AL and collection of about 25 lakh
signatures by Dhaka City unit AL to realise their
five-point demands, he said, "Partymen from root level in
capital yesterday responded satisfactorily. If any tough
programme is announced, it will be fruitful. Besides, the
detention of AL President Sheikh Hasina and BNP
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, mass people are very much
fed up on the government for its failure to control the
soaring of prices of essentials. The government has
already lost its popularity as well."
Another senior member of ALWC observed, "The Government is
proceeding towards hard-line, they have no scope to return
from the present stand. They must reach for the end of the
game to save their own skin. They still remain rigid to
implement their minus-two formula."
"The Government realised that the political parties have
lost their strength at present time and they are not
capable to gear up movement like in the past," he opined
adding, "Considering all these, the central leaders are
still negotiating with the government's highs up and
different diplomatic channel to overcome the situation
mutually. Most of the senior leaders don't want to create
unrest on the streets because if any untoward incident
takes places in this regard, all responsibilities would go
on AL's shoulders."
Agriculture
will be given more importance in the next budget: Mirza
Aziz
Staff Correspondent
Finance Adviser Dr. Mirza Azizzul Islam said that
agriculture is an important sector in our country but not
the only important sector in the economy adding that he
will give more importance on agriculture in the coming
budget along with others priority sectors like water,
power, infrastructure, transportation, human resource
development, health and education.
He was speaking at a function arranged on Monday by
Channel I for placing of 39 recommendations on behalf of
the channel's program on agriculture for inclusion on the
national budget.
The recommendations were placed by the Channel I director
Saikh Shiraj at the function attended among others by
agriculture adviser Dr. C.S. Karim, special assistant to
CA Manik Lal Shamadder, TIB Chairman Mozaffer Ahmed,
economist Mahbubur Rahman, CPD Executive Director Dr.
Mustafizur Rahman.
The finance adviser said additional sanction to one sector
will cause reduction of allocation in another sector and
adverse affect of this deficit will fall on entire
economy. While consumers want the food prices to remain
low, the peasant's demand an increase in the price of
their produce. So the budget will have to be prepared
taking all these factors into consideration. He pointed
out that in the international market the price of rice is
taka 70 per kg now, but we are supplying it to the
consumers at the subsidised rate of taka
40 per kg.
Dr Mirza Azizul Islam also gave assurance of budgetary
support to private initiatives for setting up of cold
storage and development of export market for agriculture
products.
Responding to the demands and needs, the advisers
acknowledged the concerns raised by the speakers at the
meeting in view of the recent food situation and threat to
agriculture sector due to climate change.
Shaikh Shiraj made recommendations on, among others, the
present crisis facing agriculture and measures to be
taken, the crisis of agriculture and public life of Haor
area, co-operatives, peasant organization and market
management, the problems in fisheries sector its prospects
and necessary steps, the shattered poultry industry.
Speaking at the function Shaikh Shiraj said, the country
is running short of food as the production stands at 2.75
crore tons as against the demand for 3.20 crore tons. To
face this situation massive production campaign and change
of food habit are needed, he said. He also demanded
setting up of bank branches at village level.
ACC
to investigate corruption in education sector
UNB, Dhaka
A four-member special
team has been constituted to investigate corruption and
irregularities in the education sector.
Director general (admin) of the Anti-Corruption Commission
Col Hanif Iqbal Monday said this at the Commission's
regular briefing. The ACC will look into corruption in
Education Ministry, education department and different
educational institutions as part of its ongoing campaign
against institutional corruption in the service-providing
sectors.
Col Hanif Iqbal said the special team would investigate
corruption in the process of including institutions in MPO
(Monthly Pay Order) and in admission process, and other
financial irregularities.
Hanif said the Commission has already written to the
Education secretary for providing assistance to the team
in carrying out its duties, logistic support and necessary
documents. The anti-graft watchdog has also asked the
ministry concerned to appoint an official as liaison
officer for providing everyday assistance to the team, he
added.
The ACC director general said the special team would
conduct its investigations by making direct visits to the
concerned offices.
The team, headed by deputy director Syed Iqbal Hossain,
comprises assistant director Manjur Ahmed, deputy
assistant director Jahangir Alam and assistant inspector
Ataul Kabir.
The ACC has already formed such special teams to
investigate corruption and irregularities in Roads and
Highways department, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University (BSMMU), Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications and Dhaka City Corporation.
Delimitation
of the Constituency challenged
HC issues rule on EC why delimitation shall not be held
illegal
Staff Correspondent
The High Court has issued Rule Nisi on the Election
Commission asking it to show cause as to why its gazette
notification in relation to delimitation of constituency
shall not be declared to have been published without
lawful authority.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain
and Justice Farid Ahmed also issued Rule asking why EC's
initiative as well as proceeding for area delimitation
shall not be held illegal. The Rules have been made
returnable within two weeks.
On Monday, the court's order came following a writ
petition challenging the delimitation by the EC filed by
former MP of Dhaka-2 constituency as well as state
minister of BNP-Jamaat regime, Abdul Mannan. Barrister
Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim was the filing lawyer in the writ.
The contention of the petitioner was that the EC
delimitated the constituencies at a moment when 80 per
cent of the voter registration is complete.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Khondker
Mahbubuddin submitted his arguments on the following
grounds. Firstly, as per Article 122 (2) of the
Constitution, a person will be voter of a delimitated
constituency. As such, the EC's delimitation after
completion of 80 per cent voter registration is unlawful.
Secondly, since a person can cast his vote in only one
constituency and his constituency is deconstructed, he
will not be able to cast his vote in his own constituency.
Thirdly, although Section 6 (2) of the Delimitation of the
Constituency Ordinance 1976 asks for not to delimitate
breaking administrative territory but the EC has done
contrary to it.
Fourthly, Articles 124 and 125 of the Constitution lay
down that the constituency can be delimitated after a
census report but EC's act of delimitating areas on the
basis of a backdated report is mala-fide. The counsel
alleged that in fact the EC initiated the delimitation of
the constitution in a bid to defer the election because it
will take long to dispose off innumerable objections which
will be given to the EC or cases will be filed with the
court by the aggrieved parties.
Meanwhile, the same Bench issued a similar Rule in another
writ challenging the EC's move for constituency
delimitation filed by Advocate ABM Nurul Islam.
390
judicial magistrates appointed
UNB, Dhaka
The government appointed 390 assistant judges/judicial
magistrates to perform judicial function in courts across
the country following the separation of the judiciary.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has given
postings of the judicial magistrates to different
districts through a notification and asked them to join
their duty by May 22.
The judicial magistrates will be given training on court
activities under supervision of the District Judge for
seven days from the day of appointment, an official
announcement said Monday.
"Jobs of the judicial magistrates will be confirmed after
completion of two-year probationary period through taking
necessary training and passing departmental examinations,"
it said.
As per recommendation of the Bangladesh Judicial Service
Commission and on advice of the Supreme Court, the 390
assistant judges/judicial magistrates were placed under
the 9th grade of the national pay scale on March 20.
Back Page
Lessen country’s
dependence on foreign aid through economic reforms
Staff Correspondent
The politicians and
economists have called for massive economic reforms to
lessen the country's dependence on foreign debts.
Immediate steps should be taken to bring about dynamism in
the national economy through establishing rule of law,
democracy and social justice in order that the country
need not incur foreign debt any more to ensure national
development, they said this at the national consultation
on "External Debt-at the cost of Essential Services?
Bangladesh needs full Debt Cancellation" organized by
Campaign for Good Governance at the National Press Club in
the capital on Monday.
About the country's huge financial loss due to increased
dependence on foreign loans, they said Bangladesh is
spending more on external loan repayments than education
or health sectors. In 2007, the country had to pay 1551.30
million US dollars for external loan servicing which is 18
percent of total government expenditure and 2.40 percent
of GDP. But spending on education and health sectors were
16.50 percent and 7.40 percent of the total national
expending respectively during the same year, they
observed.
Referring to an official statistics, they said the
country's expenses due to repayment of foreign loans and
interests increased by 65 percent over the last seven
years as overall external debt servicing rose from 892.70
million US dollars in 2001 to 1551.30 million US dollars
in 2007.
The developed states and international lending agencies
like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
Asian Development Bank (ADB) provide debts to the least
developed countries (LDCs) to serve their own interest,
not to help the LDCs prosper. All kinds of foreign aid and
debts resulted in instability, growth retardation and
economic recession in the under-developed and developing
countries of the world, they said.
Calling for transforming the unskilled manpower into a
semi-skilled and skilled human resource to solve
unemployment problems through creating new employment
opportunities in the country and abroad, they said,
increased remittance earnings is playing a significant
role in national development as the Bangladeshi
expatriate-sent money is on the rise gradually.
Many countries of the world have been able to reduce their
dependency upon foreign debts and aid to a large extent by
properly utilizing huge sum of remittances sent by their
nationals from abroad, they said adding Bangladesh should
follow the instance to be self-reliant.
Urging the government not to underestimate our
potentialities, they said as a country of huge population,
Bangladesh has a potential local market to support its
economy.
BD-IDB
sign MoU on $130m post-Sidr donation
UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on the US$ 130 million
donated by an anonymous philanthropist to implement the
post-Sidr relief and rehabilitation programme.
ERD secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and IDB president Ahmad
Mohamed Ali signed the agreement for their respective
sides at the Planning Ministry in presence of Finance and
Planning Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam and senior
officials from both sides.
IDB in consultation and coordination with the Government
would implement the programme and would set up a project
office here shortly, officials said.
Of the total amount, US$ 110 million will be utilized for
construction of schools cum cyclone shelters in the
coastal areas, while the rest will be utilized to support
the agricultural,
fisheries and small business rehabilitation. An advisory
committee with equal representation from the government
and the IDB will be formed to oversee and monitor the
implementation work.
Earlier, in the day, the IDB president called on the Chief
Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed immediately after his arrival
on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.
Over 3,14,000 cleared for employment so far
Manpower export continues unabated
Staff Correspondent
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that the
export of Bangladeshi manpower abroad is continuing
unabated, and this year, so far 314,000 workers have been
cleared for employment abroad. Out of this 225,000 have
already departed for their destination.
"If this trend continues, and we will make very effort
that it does, then this year we will break even the
previous year's numbers which was already a record", the
Adviser, who is also in charge of the Ministry of
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, further said
in a statement on Monday.
It may be noted that last year 832,000 workers were
cleared for overseas jobs. This year the Ministry believes
that this figure will exceed 900,000.
"Our 7-point strategy in this regard is on-going. New
labour markets are being located and welfare is being
stressed. For instance, I have just returned from Oman
where the market has opened up again after twelve years
and a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed that
will protect our worker's interests," Iftekhar Chowdhury
added.
The Adviser observed that the signing of yet such an
agreement with the UAE has helped expand our market
greatly; "Today we have an average of 800-1000 workers
going there every day".
"The remittances are also increasing. Already the amount
has exceeded US $ 3 billion in the first four months.
Again at this rate we could look to US $ 10 billion in
this regard by the year's end," Iftekhar Chowdhury said.
"We also feel there is a need to upgrade skills to respond
to changing demands, and our 37 Technical Training Centres
(TTC) are gearing themselves to that end", the Adviser
stated.
"The problems of exploitation and harassment are also
being addressed by our Missions abroad who are under
strict instructions to emphasize and ensure welfare.
Action is also being taken by the Task Force and other law
enforcing agencies.
While we may not be able to resolve all problems, with the
help of all concerned, I believe we should be able to
better the lot of our workers in many ways," he concluded.
The Adviser had just returned from a visit to Oman last
night.
Subsidy on diesel being disbursed in Mymensingh
BSS, Mymensing
Agriculture Extension Depart-ment disbursed Taka over 11
crore 76 lakh as subsidy on diesel among the listed power
pump users marginal and poor farmers of Mymensingh
district on May 10.
DAE sources said the government has sanctioned Taka over
14 crore 27 lakh as diesel subsidy for 3,61,373 poor and
marginal farmers in 12 upazilas.
Of the total amount, Taka 78,90,215 was distributed among
19,488 farmers in Sadar upazila, Taka 36,31,783 among
10,710 farmers in Muktagacha upazila, Taka 42,13,591 among
11, 961 in Phulbaria upazila, Taka 61,29,636 among 12,784
in Trishal upazila, Taka 82,20,755 among 20,279 in Bhaluka
upazila, Taka 1,32,18,710 among 31,966 farmers in
Gaffargaon upazila, Taka 99,13,381 among 24,595 farmers in
Nandail upazila, Taka 1,16,69,403 among 36,584 farmers in
Iswarganj upazila, Taka 1,09,03,558 among 24,780 farmers
in Gouripur upazila, Taka 2,11,97,616 among 61,281 farmers
in Phulpur upazila, Taka 1,34,78,187 among 31,910 farmers
in Haluaghat upazila and Taka 71,96,376 among 18,600
farmers in Dubawra upazila.
The sources said the DAE has made the lists of marginal
and poor farmers after conducting a survey in the upazilas.
The distribution of subsidy started on April 24 and will
be completed on May 15. Agriculture adviser formally
inaugurated the diesel subsidy distribution programme in
the district.
Warrant of arrest issued
against 11 men accused of war crimes
UNB, Chapainawabganj
The court Monday issued warrant of arrest against 11 men
accused of collaboration with the occupation forces during
the liberation war and killing of 12 people at Parchowka
village in Shibganj upazila.
District Judicial Magistrate issued the order of arrest of
Fazlur Rahman, Kubed Ali, Murtoza, Jafar Ali, Iasin Ali,
Mohsin Ali, Habu, Zillur Rahman, Deen Mohammad, Ilysd and
Din Mohammad. Badiur Rahman, son of Moslem Uddin who was
killed on October 7, 1971 filed the case against 12
persons.
Police after investigation filed charge sheet against
eleven persons.
Crime
2 shot dead, 5 injured by robbers
UNB, Barguna
Two people were shot dead and five others injured by
robbers at Khasatbak village in Patharghata upazila on
Sunday midnight.
Police said armed bandits numbering 15/20 swooped on the
house of Mannan Master and looted gold ornaments worth Tk
2 lakh.
Hearing screams of the housemaster for help, villagers
rushed to the spot and tried to resist the robbers.
Sensing danger, the bandits opened fire on the villagers
and also beat up some of them leaving seven people
injured, including two by bullets.
Bullet Injured Shah Alam, 50, and Dulal, 22, were rushed
to the District General Hospital where the doctors
declared them dead.
The other injured were admitted to different local
hospitals.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Safayet Hossain and Police
Super M Tanveer Haider Chowdhury visited the spot Monday
morning.
One gets 3 yrs
UNB, Jhalakati
A court here on Sunday sentenced a man to three years
rigorous imprisonment for misappropriating 30 tolas of
gold ornaments of his sister.
The convict was identified as Nurul Haque Khalifa. He was
also fined Tk 5,000, in default, to suffer six months RI
more.
According to the prosecution, Jahanara Begum kept her 30
tolas of gold ornaments to her elder brother Nurul Haque
at Pukhurijana village in Rajapur upazila on security
ground. But later, Nurul misappropriated the ornaments.
Jahanara Begum filed a case against her brother with the
local police station on December 7, 2005.
After examining the records and witnesses, Judge of
District Judicial Magistrate Court M Asadullah handed down
the verdict.
2 officials show caused
UNB, Sherpur
Two agriculture officials were issued show cause notices
on charge of misappropriation of money allocated for
disbursement among farmers as diesel subsidy for Boro
cultivation.
The two deputy assistant agriculture officials, Ganesh
Chandra Paul and Abul Kalam Azad, were asked to reply
within three days. They were also withdrawn from
distributing the subsidy money.
Local detectives caught the two officials red-handed while
they were disbursing money among the farmers less that the
allotted amount at Marichpuran union in Nalitabari upazila
on Saturday.
They were later handed over to Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Department
Rafiqul Islam admitted the incident.
Earlier, another two deputy assistant agriculture
officials were issued show cause notices on charge of
misappropriating diesel subsidy money at Sadar and
Jhenaigati upazilas.
Tk 10.82 lakh stolen from a garment
factory recovered
UNB, Panchagarh
Some Tk 10.82 lakh out of Tk 14 lakh, stolen from a
garments factory at Joydevpur in Gazipur district was
recovered in Sadar upazila here on Sunday.
Abu Hanif, Managing Director of Joydevpur Garments, on May
5 kept Tk 14 lakh at an almirah of his factory for
disbursement as salary of his workers.
But some security guards took away the money by using
duplicate keys from the almirah at night and went into
hiding, creating uproar among the management.
A case was filed with Joydevpur thana in this connection.
On secret information, local police raided the house of
father-in-law of Harun Rashid, one of the hiding security
guards, at Singroad in Sadar upazila and recovered Tk
10.82 lakh.
Rashid, who took the job at the garment factory using fake
address, fled away sensing the arrival of law enforcers.
One with fake certificates held
BSS, Gaibandha
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive
arrested one person and seized fake certificates from his
possession from a studio shop at Kamarpur Bazar under
Gobindaganj upazila in the district on Friday night.
RAB sources said, a team of the elite force led by Major
Shah Ali conducted the drive and held a person with three
fake SSC and HSC certificates.
The arrested person was identified as Zakir Hossain, 26,
son of Bazlar Rahman, of village Nayapara under
Gobindaganj upazila.
A case was filed with Gobindaganj thana in this
connection.
3 robbers arrested
UNB, Noakhali
Three robbers were arrested and three firearms and
ammunition seized in connection with a dacoity committed
in Sonaimuri upazila on Friday midnight.
Police said a gang of bandits numbering 10/12 entered the
house of retired secretary Miah Mostafa Ahmed at Chhangaon
village and looted 65 tolas of gold ornaments.
The robbers left the scene with the looted ornaments by a
microbus.
On information police rushed to the spot and surrounded
the area. At one stage when the microbus was fleeing along
the Satapaiya-Sunaimuri road ignoring police signal the
driver suddenly lost control over the steering at Moukilli
and dashed a tree leaving the vehicle badly damaged.
When the robbers came out from the microbus and tried to
flee the scene, police caught two of them identified as
Anwar Hossain and Saidul Islam while the others managed to
flee the scene. Police also seized the microbus.
As per the statements of the arrested robbers, Begumganj
and Sonaimuri thana police conducted a joint drive and
recovered one LG, a shooter gun, a one-barreled gun, 23
cartridges and various sharp weapons from the house of one
Bellal Hossain of Nateshwar village in Begumganj thana.
They also recovered some of the looted ornaments from the
house. Bellal was also arrested later.
6 pirates netted
BSS, Chandpur
Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard have arrested six
pirates from Alurbazar point on the Meghna river under
Haimchar upazila in the district on Saturday.
The arrested pirates were identified as Wahab Gazi, 50,
Liton Gazi, 25, Monir Hossain, 20, Hanif, 40, Dudu Mia,
40, and Wahab Radi, 45.
Acting on secret information the coast guard arrested the
pirates while they were looting fishing boats. The
arrested pirates were handed over to Chandpur thana
police.
Phensidyl, drugs seized
BSS, Brahmanbaria
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered 400
bottles of phensidyl and other drugs from a paddy field of
Akhura upazila in the district on Sunday.
Sources said the elite force seized the drugs from a paddy
field at Hirapur village under the upazila and o arrested
two drug traders in this connection.
The arrested were identified as Shuva Miah, 55 and Kausar,
24.
Adulterated medicine recovered
BSS, Jhenaidah
Police in a drive unearthed a fake medicine factory at a
house in the district headquarter and seized fake vitamin
and equipments for manufacturing medicine on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive at
one Moksed Ali's house at Chaklapara of the town and
seized 44,000 bottles with lebels, 4,845 bottles without
lebels, chemicals for manufacturing medicine and other
items.
Police also arrested five persons in this connection. They
are Mizanur Rahman, Najma Kahtun, Jahanara Khatun, Shukhi
Khatun and Parula Begum.
Editorial
Oil at
US$ 200 a Barrel
US light crude
futures traded at just over $120/barrel on May 6 but the
message from oil producer group OPEC remains the same: Don't
expect us to increase production, because there is no shortage
of crude; prices have been rising because of the weak US
dollar, speculative activity, insufficient refining capacity
and geopolitics.
The United States insists that fundamentals are the main cause
of the price spike, but other major consumers appear to have
some sympathy with OPEC's position. The International Energy
Forum, a talking shop for oil producing and consuming
countries, ended its April 20-22 meeting in Rome with a
statement reflecting consensus among the more than 90
countries present that current oil prices were a cause for
concern.
The statement also said the high prices were increasingly
linked to financial market movements. And while it insisted
that global oil and gas resources were sufficient to meet
world needs over the coming decades, it also warned that the
current steep price volatility was blurring market signals and
could adversely affect investment in developing capacity to
meet future demand.
The Rome meeting had energy security as a main theme. For
OPEC, that means security of demand as well as security of
supply. As OPEC secretary general Abdalla el-Badri put it to
reporters, energy security is "a two-way street." Badri said
OPEC currently held "more than 3 million b/d" of surplus
capacity and was still targeting 5 million b/d of new crude
production capacity by 2012. He warned, however, that high
costs could delay some projects by as much as a year. Costs
had risen by between 50% and 60% over the past two or three
years, he said.
The producers have argued that consuming nations are asking
them to add new production capacity while at the same time
encouraging a switch to renewable energy sources and other
conservation methods. Ali Naimi, oil minister of OPEC
powerhouse Saudi Arabia has contended that subsidies by the US
and other OECD nations on ethanol and other biofuels provides
alternative fuels with an unfair advantage while eroding
demand for fossil fuels. The high cost of producing biofuels
has set a floor of $60-$70/b below which oil prices cannot
fall without providing any environmental advantages, the Saudi
minister has said.
Meanwhile speculations are rife that oil is going to hit US$
200 per barrel by the end of this year which is going to
further fuel inflation and commodity prices. So what is all
this going to do to our economy in Bangladesh? Basically,
higher fuel prices are going to have a disproportionately
negative impact on us because neither our small national
economy nor our people have enough incomes to keep pace with
the rapid rise in inflation and commodity prices. Already,
people in countries like Bangladesh are spending as much as
80% of their incomes on food; they might well have to spend
100% and even then they may not be able to purchase enough
food to survive. Consequently, more and more people are going
to get poorer to an extent that as a Nation we might have to
face mass starvations, not because we might have food
shortages but because people, by and large, will not be able
to purchase that food.
So, what can our governments do about it? Firstly, dependence
on petroleum must be reduced by fully exploiting our resources
of gas and coal to provide us with power to run our
industries, offices, businesses and homes, so that these can
continue providing employments and incomes to people at home
and earn money for the Nation by exporting products abroad.
Conservation of gas and coal resources for the future, say up
to 2015 or beyond, must take a back seat to helping and
allowing people to survive NOW. Fuel prices will continue to
go up and down, as it has always done for the last four
decades; when it does go down, we need to stock up on that
resource and for that we need to increase our capacities for
refining and storage right now.
Secondly, the government needs to encourage use of mass
transportation systems, both on land and waterways, for bulk
transportation of goods and people, so that less fuel is
consumed. So, the government needs to improve these services
to ensure affordable, safe, efficient and timely movement of
goods, people and services.
Thirdly, government needs to subsidize fuel with
discrimination. Agriculture must continue to receive subsidy
on diesel so that we can have relatively cheaper food in
adequate quantities but subsidies on petrol, octane and
aviation fuel must be removed because these do not affect the
majority of our people or major sectors of our economy.
Invariably there will be political and social fallouts from
this rise in inflation and commodity prices consequent to a
rise of fuel prices. The Emergency Government not mandated by
the people directly or answerable to them, may not be in a
position to tackle such political and social fallouts. Elected
governments on the other hand are answerable to the people,
have grass-root level organizations and are capable of mass
mobilizations and garnering of public support behind hard,
realistic and often unpalatable policies and decisions. So,
right now we, as a Nation are sitting on the "horns of
dilemma" where we cannot afford the continuation of this
Emergency Government, neither can we afford political and
social agitations which will ensue if this Government cannot
hold a credible elections this year, nor yet can we afford the
return of politicians, political parties and politics which
are corrupted, divisive and destructive to our national
interests.
Analysis
Public Universities: Autonomy, Freedom
and Accountability
Private tuition by university teachers in and
out is an unthinkable proposition in other worlds. But
unfortunately in Bangladesh, it is quite a common matter.
M.T.Hussain
Falling
of teaching-learning standards, rampant corruptions in
academic, administrative and financial matters are some issues
we continue to hear day in and day out about public
universities of Bangladesh in recent times. It cannot be true
that all teachers are involved in such evil tasks. But those
who are involved should not escape accountability just as all
in public services are liable to.
The immediate past Government as we know had a through enquiry
in all matters done rightly by the University Grants
Commission (UGC) under the able leadership of late Professor
Asaduzzaman. The recommendations, as was known, if duly
implemented would control many of the existing vices. There
are reports now that some teachers raising a plea that they
would loose autonomy and academic freedom are opposing the
implementation process of the report. Is that really so?
Autonomy and academic freedom are two catchy words in matters
of universities. As highly educated persons run these
institutions, particularly, in teaching positions, freedom of
these persons should ideally be productive that we see in
universities of advanced countries. University teachers in
those countries not only work with high commitment and
devotion but also contribute to creation of new knowledge
through in-depth research in new subject matters. Any case of
monetary corruption by any teacher in any form much less
misappropriation of funds in research projects is just
unthinkable there. But in our case here, we often hear about
misappropriation in development and research funds by some
teachers. Political connections, particularly, with the ruling
government party would make such defalcations all the more
easy bypassing any accountability.
Private tuition by university teachers in and out is an
unthinkable proposition in other worlds. But unfortunately in
Bangladesh, it is quite a common matter. The argument for such
outside tuition and consultancy work is that the 'lowly paid'
teachers thus augment their income to support their family
expenses. It is a good argument, but hardly sustainable for
the fact that comparably "class one" public employees receive
nothing more as legal salary and income. Interestingly we see
many such 'lowly paid' university teachers enjoy chauffer
driven cars of their own. I recall here, my London University
teacher Professor Emeritus Mark Blaugh (Economics of
Education) riding a motorcycle in London street in chilly
January morning! Another Professor Brian Holmes (Comparative
Education) used to ride a private taxi for his transport need.
Many would take buses, tubes and trains.
At the university level in advanced democratic countries,
teachers enjoy undoubted academic freedom, but such exercises
are limited to academic matters for creation of new knowledge.
Unfortunately, I do not know how many of our university
teachers devote their energy to such pursuit except for his
own political party liking and material gains. I wonder
whether academic freedom is misused here for one's personal
and other narrow gains and not for pursuit of academic uplift.
Favoritism in grading of learners in final examinations is
often complained about, against some teachers even involving
sex matters, harassment and favors alike.
I understand that these evils have erupted and multiplied to a
great degree for erosion of moral values among the highly
educated lot, not necessarily among the university teachers
alone. But the question of accountability of university
teachers cannot be evaded, as I knew, the Assaduzzaman
Commission has made recommendations for due accountability for
the fact that they spend huge public money out of the hard
toils of the 140 million poor people of Bangladesh.
(M.T.Hussain;795/2 Ibrahimpur,
Dhaka-1206.10 May 2008.)
Eat Your Words, Mr Bush
Having plundered for centuries through colonialism, they seek
to continue to fatten themselves by a similar plunder through
current phase of imperialist globalisation, whose hallmark is
the sharp escalation of inequalities.
Sitaram Yechury
George
W. Bush's proclivity to tread the absurd is amazing. He sought
to blame the Indian people for the global food crisis by
saying, "[India's] middle-class is bigger than our entire
population... When you start getting wealth, you demand better
food... and prices... go up." So far, many thought that his
insights concerning foodgrains were inspired by his trusted
lieutenant, Condoleezza Rice. Rely, he did, on the intemperate
comments made by Rice a day earlier: "Improvement in the diets
of people, for instance, in China and India" was contributing
to the global food crisis.
Not to be left behind, the European Union (EU) has emerged
more loyal than the king. EU Commissioner for Agriculture
Mariann Fischer Boel has asked the world not to overlook the
"elephant standing right in front of them". This, we are told,
"is the huge increase in demand from emerging countries like
China and India. These countries are eating more meat. It
takes about four kg of cereals to produce one kg of pork, and
about two kg of cereals to make one kg of poultry meat. So a
dietary shift towards meat in countries with populations of
over 1 billion people each has an enormous impact on commodity
markets".
Apart from being as ridiculous as the proverbial story of the
blind describing an elephant, these comments are a brazen
admission by the industrialised West that their levels of
prosperity are mainly dependent upon the levels of
impoverishment and malnutrition in the developing world.
Having plundered for centuries through colonialism, they seek
to continue to fatten themselves by a similar plunder through
current phase of imperialist globalisation, whose hallmark is
the sharp escalation of inequalities.
However, let us first consider certain facts. According to the
US Department of Agriculture, the per capita consumption of
grain in the US is 1,046 kg compared to 178 kg in India, i.e.
five times more. The per capita consumption of poultry is 45.4
kg in the US, 16.2 kg in the EU, while it is 1.9 kg in India.
So who is eating more?
The fact that under imperialist globalisation, the vast
majority of the world's population continues to remain
undernourished is confirmed by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) which estimates that in 2001-03, there were
854 million undernourished people worldwide. Of these, 820
million are in the developing world and 25 million in the
transition countries (former Soviet Union and Eastern European
countries). The World Food Summit (WFS) held in Rome in 1996
had targeted to halve the number of undernourished by 2015.
Since 1990-92, the baseline period for the WFS's target, the
undernourished population in the developing countries has
declined only by 3 million. These are the years of the 'globalisation
offensive'. This contrasts starkly with the reduction of 37
million in the 1970s and 100 million in the 1980s. A decline
of 26 million between 1992 and 1995-97 was followed by an
increase of 23 million up to 2001-03.
This situation will only worsen given the sharp declines in
the global food stocks. Wheat stocks in 2008 are forecast at
142 million tonnes down from 197 million in 2001 - the lowest
since 1982. The rice stocks are expected to tumble to 107
million tonnes in 2007 from 136 million in 2001. Caving in to
pressure from the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank, poor
countries dismantled tariffs and other barriers to trade,
enabling large agri-businesses and subsidised goods from rich
countries to undermine local agricultural production. To some
degree, food aid - in the form of dumped subsidised goods
produced in rich countries - also played a role in diminishing
farming in poor countries. Roughly 70 per cent of all
developing countries are currently net importers of food.
It is ironic that such comments should come when 78 per cent
of Indians live on less than Rs 20 a day. According to
official data, 136,324 farmers have committed 'distress
suicide' between 1997 and 2005. The per capita consumption of
cereals has declined from 468 gms in 1990-91 to 412 gms in
2005-06. The consumption of pulses, the main source of
protein, declined from 42 gms (72 gms in 1956-57) to 33 gms
during this period.
Source: www:hindustantimes.com
Saving Lives Must Come Before Politics
When faced with a
natural disaster of epic proportions, it is time to throw open
the doors and let those willing to help in.
Iman Kurdi
Over
the years, I have spent many an evening listening to
impassioned discussions about the merits of one political
system over another, with those with the right to vote
claiming democracy as a cure all, and those denied this right
claiming education, economic development and cultural
enlightenment should come before democracy or any other kind
of political upheaval. There are many ways to govern a
country, and recent events have convinced me more than ever
that the correct way to judge a country is not by who sits in
government but by how that government looks after the needs of
its citizens. I would go further and say that one of the true
tests of a government is in how it responds to a natural
emergency.
The Bush administration was condemned to failure in my eyes
when it responded so shoddily to the emergency created by
Hurricane Katrina. As a foreigner, I had long disagreed with
Bush's foreign policy. Events in Iraq and elsewhere had shown
beyond doubt that the administration placed little value on
non-American lives. After all in Iraq, only the deaths of US
and British soldiers are officially counted; as for the rest,
well, they're just collateral damage. But not doing their
utmost to save the lives of their own citizens, that is
another matter. That, I thought, showed a casual disregard for
human life, and showed yet again that politicians are too
easily tempted to put politics above the well-being of those
who put - or keep - them in power.
And so in Myanmar today, the government has shown itself to be
an unconditional failure. It has taken a week for the first
relief planes to be allowed to land, with the Myanmar
government dithering and arguing about who it will and will
not allow into the country to save the lives of its citizens.
By the time you read this sentence, it is likely the death
toll will have reached 100,000, and yet the military rulers of
this once rich and now desperately poor state, continue to put
ideology and politics above saving lives. Shame on them. That
they should distrust the US is understandable. That they
should feel uncomfortable in letting in helicopters and planes
from countries who criticize them constantly is also
understandable.
That they should desperately try to control how emergency
supplies are delivered and to whom is hardly surprising. That
they are underplaying the sheer scale of the emergency and
their inability to deal with it is also totally in character.
But when faced with a natural disaster of epic proportions, it
is time to throw open the doors and let those willing to help
in.
And as for the West, how disappointing that the foreign
ministers of Britain and France should feel the need to
lecture the Myanmar government through the pages of their own
newspapers. How rich for them to tell us that "emergency aid
should come before politics" whilst playing politics
themselves. What they should be doing is attempting to
convince the Myanmar government to allow foreign aid in,
discretely and behind closed doors, so that the Myanmar people
can do so without seeming to lose face. Ditto for the US. We
are all shocked and outraged, but what we need is to find the
most effective means to get the Myanmar government to trust us
enough to let our aid workers in, not to antagonize them even
more.
The key players in this emergency are going to be Myanmar's
natural allies, and China in particular. In many ways it is up
to the Chinese to wade in and ensure that supplies make it
through to where they are most needed. If the Myanmar
authorities feel happier letting in supplies carrying a
Chinese, Singaporean or Thai flag, then let the supplies carry
those flags. After all, we keep being told that emergency
relief should come above politics.
There are signs that the Myanmar government is beginning to
understand the gravity of the situation it is facing. As hard
as it may seem, it needs help and guidance at this time, not
criticism. That said, the fact that they intend to continue
with their plans to hold a constitutional referendum today is
not just sickening but depressing. It seems that ideology, and
protecting that ideology from the corrupting influence of the
outside world, matters more than human life in Myanmar.
Source: www.arabnews.com
Viewpoints
UK: Decline of Labour Party
The May 2008 election results were a major blow to Brown
himself, who enjoyed a brief honeymoon with voters after he
took over from Tony Blair, but has since been beset by
economic turmoil, industrial unrest, administrative blunders
and an image problem.
Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
US-led
terror war in Islamic world seems to be taking its political
toll in several Western countries, Britain inclusive, and the
unfavorable political climate for the ruling Labor party in UK
only reinforces that fact. In the 2008 April local elections
Labor Party suffered their worst results in 40 years finishing
in third place with a projected 24% share of the national
vote. The New Labor era that started 1997 with Tony Blair's
arrival as UK premier ended miserably with Blair himself
opting out of 10 Downing Street on account of corruption
scandals and failed terror war. This led to replacement of
Blair by James Gordon Brown last year ostensibly to gear the
party to the general poll 2010. However, the fortunes have
been disappointing in the recent poll. The Conservatives, the
once dominant party of Margaret Thatcher and Winston
Churchill, were in buoyant mood after more than a decade in
the political wilderness. They scored victories in the north
of England where they have struggled and in Labour heartlands
in Wales. Britain's Labour Party lost control of London,
forcing Prime Minister Brown to rethink his strategy to avoid
losing the next national poll.
Conservative Boris Johnson, a journalist-turned-lawmaker prone
to gaffes, wrested the prized post of London mayor from
Labor's maverick Ken Livingstone, who has run the sprawling
metropolis of some 7.5 million people since 2000. Johnson
thinks his victory represented a turning point for the party
which has been in opposition since Blair swept to power in
1997. In the process the British National Party (BNP) has also
made a rare inroad in politics. For the past 10 years there
have been predictions that the B N P could achieve a major
electoral breakthrough. The gloomy economic news continued to
roll in. British house prices suffered their biggest annual
fall in 15 years in April. If the economic crisis continues
through 2010, "Brown's dead in the water," MORI pollster
Robert Worcester told Reuters. Shadow Defense Secretary Liam
Fox said Brown was "caught in a mental rut" by repeatedly
claiming a record of economic stability at a time when
families were being hit by rising prices. Shadow business
secretary Alan Duncan on Brown's claim about his "fight back"
in the polls said: "if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is
now in deeper water."
Brown acknowledged he had made mistakes over the decision to
axe the 10p tax rate, spending "too little time" thinking
about getting his message across to the public and allowing
speculation about a possible early general election "go too
long". Brown said he will attempt to regain the political
initiative during the next few weeks by demonstrating that his
administration is not out of touch with ordinary voters'
concerns. He said he would be "taking the fight to the
Conservative Party" over the next few months, which he said
was "slick" and "impressive in its salesmanship" but short on
substance. "Of course we can recover from this position. First
of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy
and showing people we can come through as we have in the past
very difficult economic times. "Secondly by showing people
that we have the vision of the future that will carry this
country optimistically in my view into its next phase."
Labor strategists are alarmed by the 20-point lead the Tories
achieved over Labor in last week's town hall elections. If
repeated in a general election, it would be enough to put
David Cameron in power with a majority of more than 100. Brown
had urged voters to judge him on his performance during 2008
as he warned it was going to be a "very big year" with major
economic problems looming. So far, senior Labor lawmakers have
rallied behind Prime Minister Brown, saying the former finance
minister is the man to lead Britain through an economic
downturn - but voters are unconvinced. Rising food and fuel
costs, a fall in house prices in a country where two-thirds of
the population own their own home, and a tax move by Brown
that left five million of Britain's poorest households worse
off, have all soured the public mood.
The May 2008 election results were a major blow to Brown
himself, who enjoyed a brief honeymoon with voters after he
took over from Tony Blair, but has since been beset by
economic turmoil, industrial unrest, administrative blunders
and an image problem. People have sent a clear and strong
message. Conceding defeat, Gordon Brown has said Labor "will
recover" after its worst local election results in 40 years,
and told the BBC he took the blame. However, despite growing
dissent on the Labour back benches; Brown is confident his
position is safe. Brown is preparing a package of initiatives
aimed at the hard-pressed former Labour voters who either
stayed at home last week or defected to the Tories. He
admitted to some mistakes but said he had the "conviction and
ideas" to take the country forward. In his first interview
after the results were announced, Brown said that voters were
worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills.
Most Labor lawmakers say that the whole cabinet should take
responsibility for the "big beating" Labour took in the local
elections and the party would be foolish to start casting
around for a new leader Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who
has been tipped as a future Labour leader, said Brown was "the
right man to take us forward into the next general election"
and urged the party to pull together. Labor's deputy leader
Harriet Harman said voters did not want Labor to look "inwards
to ourselves" and said Brown was "the very best placed person"
to lead the country through economic turbulence. Environment
Secretary Hilary Benn said Brown remains the right person to
lead the party and the country. "He represents the qualities
that we need. He thinks deeply, he cares passionately and his
record shows that he takes the right decisions," said Benn and
wants MPs to work together to meet the challenges that lie
ahead;
In policy matters, Brown takes advice from his predecessor
Tony Blair on how to win the next general election despite
pressuring him out of office. The crisis of confidence Blair
suffered in April 2004 at the height of unpopularity over his
decision to take Britain to war with Iraq and accused Brown of
"rattling the keys above his head". Cherie Blair told the Sun
that brown was putting too much pressure on Tony to quit when
Tony wasn't ready. She also revealed Blair would have stood
down earlier than last year if Brown -- then running finances
as Chancellor -- had been prepared to back him on key public
service reforms. Brown had agreed to let Blair run as leader
of the Labour party in a deal struck in 1994, on the proviso
that Blair would eventually step aside. But Brown's impatience
to take over as prime minister eventually soured their
relationship. Brown must call an election by 2010 at the
latest.
So far, Brown has pursued the same old policies of Blair but
has suggested a new set of reform on the eve of polls.
However, the Brown government was involved in controversy on
the poll eve in April 2008 over the decision to scrap the 10p
Income Tax Band and he was forced into making concessions.
Many ministers reported to have voiced concerns about the
abolition of the 10 percent rate last week. Brown remains
defiant for now. He said that people who had lost out because
of the band being scrapped were compensated by other
allowances and people would eventually come round to the idea
he was doing the right thing for the economy.
Brown also plans to set up an all-party convention to look at
new powers for Parliament. Brown has said he will give
Parliament the final say on whether British troops are sent
into action in future; House planning restrictions are likely
to be relaxed. Brown said he wants to release more land and
ease access to ownership with shared equity schemes. He backed
a proposal to build new eco-towns, up to 100,000 new homes in
total.
Brown though was expected to revise his foreign policy goals,
set out a vision of foreign policy that embraced closer ties
between Europe and America and also the emerging economies.
"Now is an opportunity for a historic effort in cooperation, a
new dawn in collaborative action between America and Europe,"
he said in a speech in Boston. Upon completing his three-day
trip to USA in April, Gordon Brown has called for US-European
dialogue for closer cooperation. The USA should take the lead
in driving closer global cooperation, Brown said on 18 April
in a speech that looked beyond the George W. Bush presidency.
Brown's close aide Douglas Alexander was widely reported as
both a policy shift and a message to the U.S.: "In the 21st
century, strength should be measured on what we can build
together…we need to demonstrate by our deeds, words and our
actions that we are internationalist, not isolationist,
multilateralist, not unilateralist, active and not passive,
and driven by core values, consistently applied, not special
interests." However Downing Street's spokesman strongly denied
the suggestion that Alexander was trying to distance Britain
from U.S. foreign policy and show that Britain would not
necessarily, in Tony Blair's words, stand "shoulder to
shoulder" with George W. Bush over future military
interventions. Brown personally clarified his position; "We
will not allow people to separate us from the United States of
America in dealing with the common challenges that we face
around the world. Brown said that America's leadership is, and
will be, indispensable for UK and all efforts should be made
to forge better ties. The speech seemed to look toward the new
White House administration that will be ushered in when the
Republican president leaves office in January 2009.
That new focus was evident when Brown discussed global issues
with main candidates for the November presidential election --
Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican John
McCain -- before Bush in Washington on April 17. Brown wants
to see reform of the international institutions to reflect the
new world order. His argument is that global problems need
global solutions as shown by the credit crunch that has seized
financial markets. Brown always said his interest in Israel
and in the Jewish community has been long-standing… Brown said
in a letter published March 17, 2008 that the United Kingdom
will hold an inquiry into the Iraq war -- but not soon.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will skip the opening
ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, on August 8, 2008 in
Beijing; Brown has been under intense pressure from human
rights campaigners to send a message to China, concerning the
2008 Tibetan unrest.
James Brown, a Scot himself, is under growing pressure to
support a referendum on Scottish independence after an
unexpected volte-face by the Scottish Labor leader Wendy
Alexander in which she supported nationalists' demands for a
vote on Scotland's independence. Gordon Brown is confident the
Scottish people would reject independence from the United
Kingdom if the question were put to them in a referendum.
The New Labor government led by Tony Blair came to power in
1997 promising a government "whiter than white" got derailed
though and Blair had to step down, caught in corruption
charges and failures in terror war in Iraq. With still two
years to go before national elections, Labor recorded its
worst results in 40 years in local polls. The question now is
whether the rout was just mid-term blues from which Labour can
recover before the next general election, due by mid-2010 at
the latest, or whether the tide has finally turned towards the
Conservatives.
Policies pursued by Brown do not seem to have made any
significant impact on the poll verdict and, in all
probability; there has been downward slide otherwise in the
fortunes of Labor politics, both at home and abroad. The
Conservative success in the elections would put the opposition
party and their leader David Cameron under renewed pressure to
prove they can lead the country after more than a decade in
the wilderness.
The image US-Europe unity has come handy for Brown to hide the
economic failures of his government. On the eve of UK local
polls, Brown unsuccessfully tired to divert the domestic
problems especially in economy. The US economic crisis has
affected the world, including Britain. The English economy is
no longer the former finance minister's trump card -- it is
slowing and Britons are becoming increasingly worried about
the prospect of a housing market crash as mortgage lending
dries up in the face of a global credit crunch. Brown called
in senior bank executives this week to discuss the drying up
of funds in credit markets and a new plan to kick-start
lending is expected next week. Brown is counting on the
economy picking up next year in time for a national election
that must take place by 2010.
The Treasury will now be under pressure to come up with new
measures to restore Labor's credibility on the economy -- hard
won over the past 10 years when Brown was finance minister but
squandered in recent months after a mistake over tax rates.
Of course, Gordon Brown is now down and he has accepted the
fate, but he is not out, not only because his colleagues still
support him vehemently, but more than that he has revised many
of his domestic policies. He seems to be clear about his
destiny and confident about victory for Labor in 2010 polls.
(Not because, astrological predictions in December 2007 showed
that Brown was heading for troubles ahead but from July 2008
for the next two years his life would be steady). From this it
follows that unless Premier Gordon Brown takes firm steps to
improve economy and change UK's part of terror war strategy,
among other measures, the Labour situation in 2010 would not
be entirely different form what is today.
(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research Scholar at the School
of International studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; New
Delhi)
US-Iran Showdown in Gulf
Not
even the Star Wars technological infrastructure of the
Pentagon can prevent an undersea mine explosion or a suicide
bomb attack.
Matein Khalid
THE
risks of an accidental showdown between the US Navy and Iran
in the Gulf have only increased now that the Pentagon has
deployed a second aircraft carrier battle group to the region
and replaced Admiral Fallon with General Petraeus as the new
commander of CENTCOM.
Defence Secretary Gates pointedly termed the deployment a
"reminder" for the Iranian regime, a reference to the vicious,
undeclared US naval attack in the Gulf that forced Ayatollah
Khomeini, in his own words, to swallow "the poisoned chalice"
and accept a negotiated ceasefire with Baathist Iraq in 1988.
Both the US and Iranian military high command acknowledge the
primacy of naval power in the event of war in the Gulf. The
American fleet protects the tanker sea-lanes of the Gulf,
through which almost half of the world's oil tanker traffic
passes. Last week's incident only highlighted the new rules of
engagement sanctioned by the Pentagon against Iranian vessels.
Every day, 16 million barrels of oil laden in the bowels of
VLCC tankers navigate the narrow two-mile wide outbound
shipping lane of the Straits of Hormuz, the world's most
sensitive energy chokepoint. Iran has stationed Chinese
Silkworm missile batteries in the islands and coastal towns
near the straits. It also has enough submarines, fighter
bombers, a flotilla of speedboats, frigates and guided missile
cruisers and martyrdom obsessed Basij militiaman to close down
the Straits of Hormuz, possibly by sinking a couple of oil
supertankers in it.
A blockade of the Straits of Hormuz is, of course, the
quintessential Armageddon scenario for the international crude
oil market. However, even the merest hint of a shooting war in
the Gulf, could have a catastrophic impact on shipping and
insurance rates.
Gate's "reminder" referred to Operation Praying Mantis, the
bloodiest air sea battle waged by the US Navy against
Khomeini's oil platforms and frigates since World War II.
Pentagon strategists concluded that "shock and awe" in the
Gulf was successful because it forced Khomeini to sue for
peace, a lesson it reapplied with a vengeance in the opening
moments of Desert Storm.
However, not even the Star Wars technological infrastructure
of the Pentagon can prevent an undersea mine explosion or a
suicide bomb attack. The naval units of the Pasdaran, who did
not hesitate to attack US warships despite suicidal odds in
1988, use "swarming" as a strategic doctrine. This means
Iranian speedboats buzz US naval vessels at high speeds, as
happened last week. The US Navy has learnt the naval lessons
of the Al Qaeda's attack on the USS Cole and the French tanker
Limburg all too well.
If Iran "swarms" US Navy warships or merchant marine ships,
the risk of a tragic miscalculation soars, as happened when
the USS Vincennes shot down a civilian Iran Air Airbus headed
from Bandar Abbas to Dubai after its IFF misidentified it as a
hostile warplane while it was being "swarmed" by Pasdaran
gunboats. Iran's anti- ship capabilities are also perfectly
capable of lethal damage to US naval warships and, in the
event of war, the Pasdaran missile units will do their best to
target the American aircraft carriers in the Gulf.
As the Imperial Japanese Navy proved in the Pacific war,
suicide attacks on the high seas can exact a painful toll. The
fate of the HMS Sheffield, sunk by an Argentine Exocet
missile, in the Falkland war, should restrain the most
belligerent Pentagon naval strategists.
It is not unnatural that paranoia suffuses Iran's theocratic
regime in its international relations. With an annual defence
budget of only $5 billion, one hundredth the military
expenditure of the Pentagon, Iran is surrounded by a
constellation of states which host US bases or are sworn
allies of Washington. These include Turkey, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, the Gulf monarchies, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Egypt
and Azerbaijan. Iran's sole Arab ally, Baathist Syria, has
been ostracised in the Arab diplomatic order, expelled from
Lebanon, forced to engage in secret negotiations with Israel
via Turkish diplomatic intermediaries for the return of the
Golan Heights, under Zionist occupation since the June 1967
Six Day War. Hezbollah's missile deterrent against an Israeli
assault has been neutralised with the deployment of 13500
UNIFIL troops in South Lebanon, including contingents of
French, Spanish and Italian combat troops. There is increasing
evidence that the CIA has financed sabotage attacks by Iran's
ethnic Baluchi, Ahwazi, Kurdish and Arab minorities against
the Persian regime's provincial bastions of power.
The Bush White House, to use the laudable but anachronistic
metaphor of former Iranian president Khatami, is definitely
not engaged in "a dialogue of civilisations" with the Khomeini
- Ahmadinejad regime. With the sort of pathological Great
Satan-Axis of Evil mutual demonology, it is significant that
Iran and the US have not had diplomatic relations ever since
the Shah lost his Peacock Throne nearly three decades ago. In
such a toxic geo-political climate, the risks of
miscalculation escalate.
It is ominous that the US has raised the decibel count in its
attempt to blame Iran for the death toll on its troops in
Iraq, now that Al Qaeda has been largely vanquished in the
so-called Sunni triangle. The Pentagon and White House media
briefers allege that Iran's spymasters have trained Iraqi Shia
proxies to smuggle improvised roadside bombs and rocket attack
on Baghdad's Green Zone, training conducted in secret camps of
the Al Quds Force of the Pasdaran.
The Pasdaran, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, are the power base
of President Ahmadinijad, the shock troops of the Ayatollah
regime, the only foreign military organisation in the world to
be branded as terrorists by the Bush White House. Iran has, in
essence, engaged in a proxy war with the United States using
surrogates, exactly as it did in the 1980's when Hezbollah
suicide bombers massacred 241 Marines at their West Beirut
barracks, destroyed the US Embassy and kidnapped several high
profile US hostages, including the CIA station chief in
Lebanon.
General Petraeus, Admiral Mullen (Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs), Secretary Gates, and Ambassador Crocker have all
testified that Iran trained and armed the Shia militias who
attacked the Iraqi government troops in Basra. Senior Pentagon
aides and agency spooks have hinted to the media that an air
assault on Iran, launched from US naval ships in the Gulf,
will include Pasdaran weapons caches, safe houses, training
camps and combat bases. The US dossier that detailed a North
Korean-built nuclear reactor in Syria was aimed at Iran. As in
1988, the risk of a naval showdown in the Gulf is all too
real.
Source: www.khaleejtimes.com
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