The New Nation - Internet Edition

General Moeen U Ahmed psc

Our aspirations in the last eight months enter into an important and challenging phase to admire the resolve of the people, and its judgment in evolving a community of Bangladeshis who are thinking and feeling for the development of the country. While rising to meet the success, dealing with the immediate future and common requirements, atainable in the realm of practical life, from a business entrepreneur to a farmer, given the mutual good will and understanding, we most certainly can influence vital human issues in economic field and governance by potential control through such participatory forum as today.

As evident, Bangladeshis' have survived through hardship and struggles for the country's cause, but some how or other they fell short of playing as role model on decisive factors like addressing chaos and corruption. The business community being an integral part now has to invent a vehicle of public oriented deliverables through alternatives as fortunes of the country can neither be a dear service nor a preferred injustice, as practiced by the predecessors.

During the last one and a half decades Bangladesh made efforts to impressive progress, however, the country was high on growth and as well high on corruption; as part of social transformation we now need to be low on corruption and high on growth with raising prosperity and high quality of life for middle and low income people.

This Caretaker Government has received an overwhelming mandate of the population, and still the majority is bearing the pressure of high price, relocation, reforms and system improvements. I appreciate the patience on part of the people being able to understand unlike any other previous Caretaker this is a 'Reformist Caretaker Government'. As it is taking some hard decisions - it can not be politically popular but has a silent popular consent from every citizen of the country.

I call this realisation and change as a New Social Contract; reminding us of our objective at hand and indicating need for reconciliation for economic development and nation building. Within us I see a new rebirth, a new chapter of human liberation, a new reverence for human values and a new impetus that all are accountable as greater people's participation is required to ensure justice which is not a collective decision of few, authoritarian and unnoticed.

The resonance of rural Bangladesh is the voice of current Bangladeshi history. It seems clearer that, we as Bangladeshis must learn to frame our policies as expected of a university student, rickshaw puller, garments worker, call operator, nurse, clerk and a corporate leader. They compose an 'internal order of economics' and all sources of our political activity must be cycled through economic development to ensure our strategic national thrust is achievable by the sustained growth and development of quality human resource. It is crucial in our policy to create hope and express confidence in our Business community for promoting an equitable society, quality of life and reducing economic disparity.

In Bangladesh private sectors are the mainstay of economic force contributing 85% of the entrepreneurship and 18.73% in national GDP. The current process of 'corruption cleansing', following stream of events discovered malfunctioning of the system, that is deficient on justice, people's support and practice. At one angle it puts the community as victim and from other facet as 'syndicate beneficiaries', an accusation that is selective and not necessarily to the group itself. We have to accept such practices have taken place even with western or developed countries during the beginning years of their history as the system often functioned with limited transparency, absence of accountability and incapable policy demanded by the public good.

While standing on the confrontation of the past and the present, virtues and values by the beneficiary groups have been flouted irrespective of their position and associations, as these groups secured an idea of perennial adventure of existence with no thoughts that once for all they will be summoned to the dock of justice.

The unfortunate incident of Dhaka University on August the 20th has left a mole in last half a year governance of the Caretaker administration. Disputes and problems, whatever its variety, whether they are subtler act of few academician or naked form of street hostility of agitated innocent citisens are deplorable, and once more proved students are hostage to the unconscious politics in the government universities and colleges both by their political masters and patrons. However, untying the past will not evolve a prescription for the future. We shall need to develop a compatible and congruous approach to see beyond today, practice these ones tomorrow and set a bench mark for Bangladesh beyond day after tomorrow.

The understanding I have that the business community is suffering from an insecurity that should not have stressed on itself. The strains are from a host of circumspective reasons best known to few but in the process it has introduced an inactive business cycle shaking even small traders with double faced policy of unknown fear and non commitment even at bureaucratic level. The government will not go beyond acceptable norms and thereby harm the foundations of the economy. In other words, political reforms must be aligned with economic good sense for the country to prosper in both these fields. The political goals of the present administration is, therefore, limited to cleaning up politics and dismantling the support bases of corruption in business and the bureaucracy so that truly free and fair elections may be held by 2008.

As a corollary to this the economy must be allowed to grow through proper policy incentives and economic initiatives and nothing must be allowed to deter us from this essential and vital goal. I must emphatically call upon all partners that no businessmen should be called as culprits, and if there are any, they are known to you all. Henceforth, it is your duty to hand over any culprit for corruption charges. We should now have 'whistleblowers' within the business community to foresee that the development matrix is continuous and sustainable. I do not have any knowledge of any medium entrepreneur being caught on corruption charges. No potential businessmen of worth caliber can be corrupt I urge upon all partners, departments and organisations not to unnecessarily harass them to deny Bangladesh a chance of development

The realities of the present situation, however, make it imperative for us to hope for a stable Bangladesh now and beyond December 2008 on a solid foundation of law to which all the stakeholders in the county must subscribe. We do have an impressive growth record, export of US $ 12.1 billion against import of US $ 15.9 billion. To bridge this deficit and keep the inflation to single digit, which is 7.2% now, more diversification will be required. The new journey of a deprived society by its nature will be long and arduous. To us let's accept this challenge thrown to us by history and forge an irresistible solidarity to face problems and perils, share honour and respect and divide rewards and benefits for the beterment of our citizens. I urge the Government to pursue a holistic approach to economic development, accept the business community as responsible friend, contributor, and goal seter that should regenerate our economic cycle aimed at poverty eradication and remodeling societal need around developing people below poverty level. My understandings on strategic imperatives on our economics are :

- We have to face challenges of Global economy and domestic market including market liberalisation.

- Our advantage should rest on potentials to produce products to meet domestic market, to reduce dependency on foreign imports, utilise resources and acquire expertise.

- Speed up investment to introduce new technology and new products through trade and atract spill over capitals being safe area of investment

- National unity and availing political maturity should be the greatest source of our strength, dynamism and creativity.

- Targeting poverty reduction by tackling pockets of poverty in designated areas through income generating projects, self reliance, micro credit, lower bank interest rate and access to basic amenities.

- Make effort to climb on technology ladder on value chain and prioritise agriculture, manufacturing, export of trained man power, services and non traditional sectors as lead economic areas.

- Domestic private investment along with the participation of Bangladeshi expatriate community can help wealth creation and strengthen economic resilience.

If we have to seek a cure, we have to create an environment of participation by all stakeholders through National Development Council, a body that can help the government function on long term policy through participation of people and think tank groups. The idea is to enlighten the mind, restrain passion and elevate the reasoning. Today it has become an indispensable condition for the survival of our people, for the defence of our basic conviction in search of peace and honour, to erase our questionable label of corruption to a degree of conscience of purity. To meet requirements of knowledge based economy, we will need a paradigm shift in the immediate policies and strategies on medium term economic goals. I request the government to look into the following 11 points cardinal formula to study and apply judgment to intensify our economic activity:

- An Interim Development Fund to speed up development projects. Individuals, who deposited unaccounted money out of court setlement or 'Plea Bargain', should now invest on people oriented projects to support and further help infrastructural and development oriented projects that the government intends to undertake in immediate future.

- A body-Bangladesh Economic Development Commitee responsible to the Finance Adviser and the business community to implement projects and fortnightly meet to oversee all activities of the economy.

- Disinvesting all government shares and foreign company shares, both existing and unlisted in the capital market, recover and reinvest irregular shares of various organisations. This will generate more than US $ 10 billion in the capital market and help government to lay the base of the economy.

- Generate economic activity at grass root level on various development projects within one month, failing, any governmental and departmental officer responsible will be answerable. This should cover micro credit, industrial development, youth employment opportunity, domestic private investment, imports; people-oriented projects, agro based industry, small and medium enterprises, wholesale and retail trade, education, professional services, infrastructure development, capital market through the increased use of economic instruments.

- Reduction of bank interest rate and tax cut for people below poverty level for credit financing and increment of tax network. There is also a need to appropriately manage tax policy and its administration cycle. The social service benefit should be rendered to targeted groups to ensure beter standard of living of people below poverty level.

- Utilise NGOs to further substantiate sustained growth in rural economy.

- Avoid harassing business community by increasing beter emolument to tax, anti corruption and police departments.

- The human resource export counts 77% to Middle Eastern countries and greater add on will be needed to export manpower; skilled, semi skilled and unskilled abroad to balance human development index and remitance over current figure of US $ 5.9 billion.

- Investment of Expatriate Community to be arranged by holding an International Business Conference of Expatriates in November 2007 to ensure further injection of capital in the economy.

- All pending projects to be implemented on Government to Government basis with further project perusals, specially, on infrastructure, energy, port facilities, tourism, real state, road and rail networks. This will help incoming government to continue with the economic development on the same pace.

- A financial dividend scheme for all private sector or self employed persons to cover after retirement benefit

We owe much to our country as we owe to our people and the society. The new awareness of good will today can help us to re-inject our values, adopt an ethical approach with such relevance to understand the crisis with compassionateness and deal with the offenders with vigorous impunity.

This conference is an initiative of the Business Community and once more they are one of the forerunners to contribute to the national development and help create an environment of people's confidence that is genuine, not coercive and pave ways to handle economy prudently. I assure once more the business community to stay above fear and support the emergence of New Social Contract in Bangladesh, which is for all of us to live by and look for on terms of existential reality.

(Chief of the Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed presented this keynote paper at the "Business Dialogue on Bangladesh Economy and future perspective" in Dhaka on September 5.)

Dr. M. S. Haq

It appears from the protest note on front page of The Bangladesh Observer of today, 08 September 2007: the journalists, employees and workers of the country's oldest English daily are still suffering due to for example, non payment of their legitimate dues, either in part or in full, by concerned authorities. Factors such as: non-payment of one time legitimate dues; continuous non-payment of legitimate dues; partial payment of legitimate dues; irregular payment of legitimate dues; and delayed payment of legitimate dues; have now-a-days become a more or less regular practice on the part of authorities especially, when it comes to the people of print media.

Bangladeshis and others usually come to know about pay related miseries and sufferings of the media people through a variety of means. For example: personal contacts; media interviews; relevant news items including inter alia those relating to governmental actions or interventions in pertinent areas; outbursts of affected media people at different levels of societal interaction; solidarity statements; and overt actions similar to one The Bangladesh Observer has been doing for a relatively long period of time; to mention a few.

It is becoming clear increasingly: media outcomes (print, electronic and others) - whether or not to the satisfaction of majority of people on a continuous basis - have, in an average sense and in varying degrees, been instrumental in facilitating, sustaining and promoting human liberty, human freedom, moral values, democracy, human rights, right justice, progress and prosperity in world countries, relative to time, space and other variables, though.

On the other hand, the role of people, governments and others - at conceptual, operation and other levels - in facilitating, in a sustainable and result-oriented manner, a continuous development of media cannot be ignored or underestimated particularly at the present stage of human civilization and societal reintegration. One of the reasons for that is: they (I mean, people, governments and others, hereinafter: the people or people) represent both the demand side and the supply side of media and media products in relevant areas of life, living and continuity in the universe including inter alia those relating to beter governance in quantitative, qualitative and other terms. Further, the role of people in shaping the media, and in defining or redefining or positioning, or repositioning the media in the universe - relative to time, space and other variables - can be described, in many ways and as appropriate, as media movers, media shakers, media friends, media enemies, media patrons, media sponsors, media subscribers and media critics, to mention a few.

Against the backdrop of what has been discussed so far and not discussed in the article, it should, among other things, be clear to the people that they cannot afford to shrugging off, either directly or otherwise, their duties or obligations (or both) associated with for example, looking after the well-being of people who are behind the media machine (used in a wider sense) and who (to whom it may concern) become the subject of media calamities in the form of non-payment of dues and police excesses, among other things. The government and the people of Bangladesh are no exception to that

It will not, however, be out of place to mention here: the media is responsible, among other things, for informing people not only their problems and grievances but their response strategies, as well as solution alternatives in respect of those problems and grievances. They should keep the people posted about the work-in-progress in relevant areas and the measures taken or to be taken by owners, government, unions, professional bodies (relating to the media, in particular) and others in those areas.

A mere publication of protest note on a regular basis on the front page of dailies will not be probably sufficient for remedying the situation. Opportunities should be created for all parties concerned to express their views and suggestions, as appropriate, in pertinent areas. In that respect, the affected dailies could, among other things, initiate a kind of public dialogue on say relevant problems through a column dedicated for the purpose and continue the dialogue till those problems are atended to and solved in a proper and satisfactory manner, per se. It will not be an easy job. People-media synergies will inter alia be required for materialization and popularization of dialogues of above nature.

The last word: it is expected the owner, the management, the union of The Bangladesh Observer, the government, and others will be able to setle outstanding problems of the daily at the soonest and to the satisfaction of all concerned. Further, it is expected all concerned will be more forthcoming and result-oriented in dealing with and solving problems, whether relating to human resources management or not, of for example, other dailies (to whom it may concern) in an effective and efficient manner. Bangladesh must provide an adequate breathing space to the media world of Bangladesh for its own interest One of the ways of doing that involves: a proper and maximum harnessing of media freedom - that the country has been enjoying for a relatively long period of time including inter alia the present period of state of emergency - in pursuits of media reform and development