The New Nation - Internet Edition

A NEW bill that will be soon proposed in the US House of Representatives, seeking extension of the US Generalised System of Preference (GSP) and allowing duty-free import of garments from all least developed countries, will not have the same benefits for Bangladesh that will be enjoyed by other LDC countries. According to newspaper reports, the bill tentatively titled the New Partnership for Development Act, and currently being developed by the Ways and Means Committee's member Jim McDermott, also proposes that GSP programme should extend indefinitely beyond its scheduled expiration after December 2008. The proposed bill especially offers duty-free GSP eligibility to apparel, and possibly footwear from all least developed countries. Currently such tariff preferences are limited to African and Andean countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act.

As reported by quoting one of the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) senior leaders, 'some clauses' in the proposed bill will make certain things 'difficult' for Bangladesh. But knowledgeable sources were quoted by the report as saying although the proposed bill brightens the possibility of duty-free access of most products from all least developed countries, garment from Bangladesh and Cambodia will face difficulties in getting free entry to the US market. The BGMEA has already received reports from the analysts in Washington with the explanation regarding the 'critical clauses' in the proposed bill that has darkened Bangladesh's prospects. In the draft, the bill proposes tariff quotas on sensitive categories of apparels from Bangladesh and Cambodia and proposes that only the amount of garment exported in the year 2007 would get duty-free access for the next 10 years. Any amount over that quantity will not get duty-free access. The bill, however, proposes that the duty-free amount of garments should be increased by 15 per cent annually if there is effective enforcement of labour rights, which will be judged by the US Department of Labour.

The bill, according to analysts, will suggest that a proposed office of 'director of competitiveness for LDCs' will have to be assured that the beneficiary country has a market-based economy, promotes the rule of law, adheres to political pluralism and the protection of human rights. In view of the situation, the BGMEA president urged the government and other stakeholders to put strong efforts in persuading the US authorities and lawmakers to ensure proposed benefits from the bills meant for all LDCs to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a BGMEA delegation led by its chief left for Washington with a mission to plead Bangladesh's case. Garment factory workers recently also urged the US authorities through a press conference in Dhaka to consider the desperate condition in Bangladesh and not to respond to any plea from interested quarters to cancel the GSP facilities for the country. The workers' leaders fear that withdrawal of preferential market access to Bangladesh garment in the US market would result in the ruination of the garment industry and cause huge job loss.

FARZANA Hossain Silvia, a third year honours student of Dhaka City College, met with the tragic end of her life under the wheels of a speeding covered van at Mouchak crossing in the city Friday last while her classmate Liza was critically injured. In another accident at CR Dutta Road near Hatirpool, a 30-year-old garment worker Hasina Begum was killed by another covered van. In yet another road accident a passenger bus ran over Apurba, a 4-year-old child and killed him on the spot at Kamalapur in Dhaka.

Lack of safety on the roads was responsible for the premature death of a promising student who could contribute to her family and the society. A number of factors have made the roads in Bangladesh unsafe. Irresponsible and reckless driving was the immediate cause of so many deaths in a single day. It is probably the main cause of accidents on roads and highways. Most of the drivers do not have adequate training on driving. They are neither skilled in driving nor do they care about the safety of the people. They do not have any sense of responsibility that may deter them from reckless driving. With utter negligence to traffic laws, drivers are often found vying for overtaking each other. Unfit and worn out vehicles are also responsible for accidents.

Plying of cargo traffic during daytime has been prohibited in the city to facilitate easy movement of passenger traffic. This ban, it now appears, should be equally applicable to covered vans. Many road crossings, especially that at Mouchak Market, are usually crowded and busy. Drivers are supposed to know that this jam-packed crossing may take some time to pass. Yet the van driver was in a haste to drive recklessly leading to the loss of life of a brilliant student at such a tender age. A proper investigation will reveal how and why the accident took place. The immediate cause of the accident must first be ascertained. It must be investigated whether the driver was trained and experienced. Irrespective of who drove the van, the culprit must be brought to book and given exemplary punishment.

The number of road accidents and death toll is very high in Bangladesh. To avoid or at least bring down the number of accidents, necessary steps must be taken as early as possible. To ensure safety, driving of unfit vehicles as well as services of unskilled drivers must be stopped. Speed limit of vehicles should be strictly enforced. None should be allowed to violate traffic laws. Traffic control and signaling system must also be upgraded. Highway patrolling needs to be strengthened. The number of vehicles in developed countries is far greater than in Bangladesh. But due to adoption of appropriate measures, road accidents and casualties in those countries have decreased. Such measures taken in right earnest would help establish discipline in the traffic system and bring down number of accidents.

Dr. M. S. Haq

In recent times, it has been observed, among other things, world people, governments and others - to whom it may concern - are making extra efforts towards: as to how to control emissions of green house gases for protecting the earth and its inhabitants from consequences - both immediate and long term - of climate change. It is expected this year's (2007) noble peace prize to the area (I mean, climate change) will be instrumental in triggering additional motivations among the people, governments and others for doing more in areas of environmental protection, among other things.

But questions remain: whether or not green house gases are the only factor responsible for creating holes in the ozone layer? Or, the holes in ozone layer are the sole factor responsible for climate change. What are other factors, if any, responsible for climate change? Whether or not climate change on the earth and the resultant developments therein - both existing and anticipated - are, among other things, the part of cyclic, as well as continuous process of change and transformation the universe has been undergoing since the birth of say, 'time' and space? Kindly note: the term 'time' has been used here in a wider sense including inter alia the function of Einstein's time dilation.

By the way, are existing climate change theories adequate for assisting world people, governments and others (including inter alia UNEP, World Bank, Green Peace, IUCN) in the development, in the augmentation, in the implementation and in the promotion - as appropriate - of anti-climate change processes, anti-climate change initiatives and anti-climate change measures in a more meaningful manner than at present - all in pursuits of 'common' good, among other things? Please note: the term 'anti-climate change' has been used in the article for differentiating it (the term) from things that are associated with pro-climate change, per se.

I believe the present day effort towards halting global warming is, in many ways, relevant and constructive particularly, when it comes to dealing with challenges of climate change based on contemporary knowledge and understanding in pertinent areas. The effort would, however, need to be intensified further for addressing the challenges in a more concerted, solid, result-oriented and satisfactory fashion and with a reasonable sense of urgency. Also, taking into cognizance factors such as: uncertainties surrounding the domain of climate change; and implications of climate change - both existing and impending - on the universe; it will now be logical, among other things, to call for broadening further the scope of investigations in areas of climate change with a view to making more unknown things known in pursuits of promoting deeper knowledge and understanding in climate change areas and facilitating, in a sustainable manner and as appropriate, better coping strategies and better practices than ever in those areas.

In that respect, I also believe causes, effects and causalities of climate change should not be perceived in an 'inflexible' way and in a somewhat one-sided manner against the backdrop of contemporary parameters that are connected with or ancillary to green house gases, for example.

"Climate change due to green house gases" is, in a sense, one of the popular present day perceptions of world people. The perception of above nature has potentials for facilitating, to an extent, the advancement of anti-climate change agenda through existing limitations, but it (I mean, the perception) could, on the other hand and among other things, be instrumental in contributing to greater limitations through the future - if climate change for example, starts revealing its other faces unknown to living beings at this point in time. Those and other limitations could, either individually or in combination, be instrumental in, among other things:

one, making - in varying degrees, though - further explorations and further expeditions in areas of climate change victims of tunnel vision, naïve realism, and fixed reality comprehension, to mention a few. One of the underlying assumptions here is: such developments could, in future, make anti-climate change effort costlier, less effective, less affordable, less wholesome, and more unsustainable. In such an event, there is a possibility, anti-climate change efforts could become, - among other things, either directly or otherwise and in varying degrees - sources and forces of global warming, relative to known and suspected variables, through the foreseeable future;

two, hindering, at least for a time being, people's attempt towards say, examining, appreciating and evaluating climate change beyond controlled variables of present day sciences and technologies in pertinent areas - we should not forget, there exist truths behind the truth in the relativistic universe;

three, depriving living beings of for example, identifying, capturing and harnessing opportunities that have been and will be arising out of and in the course of climate change, relative to time, space and other variables, though; and

four, affecting conscious efforts of living beings - save and except those associated with 'involuntary' actions for example, reflex actions - when it comes to matters like, continuous internalization of pertinent realities of climate change in human and other systems in a proper and profitable manner. One of the underlying assumptions here is: present day theories and practices associated with efforts towards reducing the emission of green house gases might not be sufficient for containing known and unknown effects of climate change on for example, life, living and continuity in the universe through the foreseeable future.

The bottom line is: the physics, the chemistry, the biology, the engineering, the technology and others associated, directly or otherwise, with knowledge, understandings and applications in areas of climate change should not be limited only to, and dominated only by, the domain of green house gases when it comes to creating and sustaining the future of universe and its inhabitants that will be safe hopefully from interventions like, environmental disasters and ramifications thereof and when it comes to providing protection to all from those things in an equal and equitable manner, as far as practicable, to mention a few.

World people, governments and others including inter alia media (both print and electronic) must be able to visualize the big picture of climate change - sooner the better - and must be able to recognize present day limitations associated with policy research, planning and implementation in areas of climate change even within existing premises of gas-climate interface - I would like to call it in that way. They must be able to unite themselves, in a best possible manner they could muster, under the present circumstances in pursuits of more collective management of problems relating to global warming and sorting out those problems in a more effective and efficient manner, among other things.

It is being felt increasingly, the demand side and the supply side of opportunities associated with climate change are not, at present, getting their due share when it comes to considerations, decisions and actions, as appropriate, pertaining to matters of climate change. Ignoring opportunities that are emanating and will be emanating from the domain of climate change might be disastrous for world people, governments and others because consequences of ignoring those opportunities could inter alia be instrumental in limiting choices for people and others in areas say, programming resources for anti-climate change activities.

Opportunities of climate change - in for example, its (I mean, climate change) extreme form - might arise out of climate change related situations, solutions, outcomes and ramifications, whether in-process or otherwise, through the foreseeable future. They (I mean, opportunities) could include inter alia and relative to time, space and other variables: relocation of human habitations, per se; reconfiguration of global commons, as well as systems of governance in qualitative, quantitative and other terms; changes in patterns of survival and continuity on the earth, per se; a perhaps 'reengineered' eco system; a new or additional set of challenges for biodiversity; additional demands for breakthroughs in areas of engineering and technology that are associated with for example, up cycles and down cycles of heat treatment, space, robot, and IC (information and communication); additional demands for reinventing laws of conservation of mass and energy and their application in pursuits of say, establishing and maintaining a more reliable balance sheet of climate change through 'quantum computers' for an instance; additional demands for perfecting gene therapies for say, combating new generations of pathogens; additional demands for more effective roles of seas as for example, antidotes to direct, indirect, side, after and other effects of 'changed or modified' global environments; additional requirements for adjustments in behavioral and non-behavioral areas; and additional demands for changes in say, the nature and the mode of transactions in relevant areas of intra, as well as inter-generational transfer.

In short, the factors mentioned and not mentioned above have, among other things, potentials for facilitating the creation of and sustaining new world order (used in a wider sense) in - what I would call - a regenerating world and for that matter a regenerating universe. In that respect, one of the challenges now is: how best and quickest world people, government and others will be able to factor opportunities associated with climate change into policy, program and implementation dimensions that are or will be connected with or ancillary to say, measures for meeting pertinent challenges in a result-oriented manner and to the satisfaction of all living beings, as far as practicable, through the foreseeable future?

Strategies and measures for climate change preparedness should not be built only in and around certain focused areas such as, those relating to green house gases. Disaster management strategies for say, facing climate change and preparing world people and others for negative outcomes of climate change should be more relevant, more holistic, more realistic, more user-friendly, more outcome-oriented, more sustainable, more equitable, more futuristic and more collective, to mention a few. It will not be out of place to mention here: creating panic among people by blowing climate change issues out of proportion, by limiting its focus on certain fixed areas and by politicizing matters associated with climate change (used in a negative sense) will perhaps do less with more when it comes to for example, ensuring and promoting wellbeing of all living beings on the earth and for that matter in the universe through the foreseeable future.

In tackling climate change, it is expected, world people, governments and others will become, among other things, more objective, less emotional (used in a negative sense), more enriched with entrepreneurial skills, less speculative, more practical, more balanced, more interdisciplinary and more result-oriented. It also expected, common challenges such as, climate change should be dealt with by more common objective, by more common motivation and by more common result-orientation, to mention a few.

Sudhirendar Sharma

It is an imaginative advertisement that unleashes the power of wireless communication. Reliance Communications advertisement on the television uses three distinct frames - majestic snow clad mountain peak, sprawling sea with a swinging boat, vast desert with an insect moving across - to mirror the absence of air, land and water in that order. Nothing is lost, the musical tone forming the background score reassures that there is indeed `network' to proxy for everything else! Like a bikini, this amazing ad conceals more than it reveals. If clean air is not a marketable good with a price then the market places no value on it, the ad seems to suggest! However, if land and sea could fit into the corporate balance sheet the same must be appropriated using the emerging `network' albeit of politicians, bureaucrats and businesses.

From the Tata's controversial mini-car project that has displaced farmers in Singur to the Sethusamundram canal that will run across Ram's mythological bridge at the cost of fishermen's lifesaving catch, the fissure between what is good for `growth' (read `network') at the cost of `people' has been widening by the day. Yet, each of these projects and several upcoming ones being cleared by the `democratically' elected governments across the country (and even in other growing economies in the region) claim big gains for the poor. Despite the fact that doubts about benefits from such projects remain unanswered, bad policy making and insouciant politicians always pull such projects against all odds in India, purportedly to nurture the fledgling `network'.

Skim through the published reports and it would be hard to get a single credible report on the benefits of the Sethusamundram project, the project to dredge sand across the so-called Adam's Bridge in the Gulf of Manner region. Yet, there is unstinted support to the project from powers-that-be in Delhi and in Chennai. One wonders if the Union Shipping Minister and the Tamilnadu Chief Minister have access to information that most others don't or that they haven't read most of what is available in the public domain? It is either a case of hiding strategic information from the public or about making ill-informed decisions on someone's behest, a shameless breach of trust of the public by its elected representatives that may hold the livelihoods and the ecology in the region to ransom!

Politicians may play ignorant to published facts but do the babus (bureaucrats) help doctor such project reports to suit the vested interests? Whether or not they do so, the babus form an important link in the policy-planning process. The critical question is: are they better informed than their political masters? N C Saxena, a widely respected former senior bureaucrat and a member of the National Advisory Council constituted by the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, considers bureaucrats to be as poorly read, if not worse. According to Saxena, `one would find only three books in the house of an officer of the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) - a railway time table because s/he is always on the move, a film magazine because that is the only book s/he reads, and of course, the civil list - that describes how many in the system are above him.'

Does democratic governance not survive on peoples' faith in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance? Painfully so, even when we are living in a knowledge society where information and knowledge is only a press of a button away. Yet, it is ignorance that wields power. No wonder, as Saxena echoes the widely shared belief among the political and bureaucratic elite, the powers-that-be use the state as an arena where public office is used for private ends. The recent arrest of former Uttar Pradsh Chief Secretary Akhand Pratap Singh, a senior IAS who had tried to escape from the back door of his house only to be caught in Delhi's traffic snarl, is a case in point. Reports indicate that till his retirement the said bureaucrat was being protected (in disproportionate assets case) by his political masters. Amen!

As corporations enter the public arena, the network is not only expanding but getting strengthened too. Conversion of public resources into private goods is exchanging hands faster than ever. Singur and Sethusamundrum reflect the tip of the iceberg.

As neo-liberal economist viewpoint becomes central to political, judicial and executive thought process, street vendors will only get displaced on the pretext of protecting peoples' health as neighborhood shops will face sealing to make way for the glamorous malls. It is heartening that the enlightened few have started challenging judicial decisions which have begun to serve vested interests at the cost of the fundamental ethos of this country - Satyamaiv Jaite Nanratam- that truth will triumph and nothing else!

Need it be said that the recent trend of converting communal assets like land and water into commodities for trade in the capital market in the garb of `growth' (again read `network') will not only be anti-poor in short run but ecologically irreversible in long term too. In a market driven economy the environmental assets will need to be fully incorporated into the market for it (market) to transform ecological assets into marketable goods - generating profits for its stakeholders. Unless the move to bring the earth within the corporate balance sheet gets questioned, the network will only proxy the panch tatva, the five basic elements of air, water, land, fire and sky.