The New Nation - Internet Edition

PAUL Warfield Tibbets Jr, the man who dropped the first nuclear bomb in the history of war, died recently at the age of 92. He dropped into the morning of August 6, 1945-the nuclear bomb nicknamed 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima killing about 140,000 people on the spot. Three days later another nuclear bomb called 'Fat Man' was dropped on Nagasaki, another Japanese city. But this was not the end of the story. The nuclear bombs generated radiation, the like of which was never witnessed by mankind, subjected innocent people to benumbing and many other incurable diseases. The death of Tibbets reminds the world people of the tragic incidents of the nuclear bombing.

Those incidents of atomic bombing hastened the Japanese surrender in the Far East ensuring end of the World War II and the victory of the Allied Forces. Adolph Hitler, the German dictator, instigated racialism to motivate the German nation for their total solidarity with his war programme. In an attempt to avenge the humiliation the German nation was subjected to in the aftermath of the WWI, he unleashed the greatest of wars on the earth and brought about immeasurable sufferings for mankind. However, political and economic factors also played a very significant role in the outbreak of the war.

The WWII ended but Europe, in particular, witnessed a period of cold war during the sixties of the last century. The world turned bipolar with the former USSR at one pole and the USA on the other. But after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the present-day world has become unipolar with the United States enjoying unilateral hegemony over the world. Now, the USA along with its allies has been waging wars on a regional basis. As a reaction to hegemonistic manoeuvrings of the world power, the danger of the emergence of desperate forces as Al Qaeda would always be there. In a period when several powers possess nuclear bombs, there may be further proliferation of nuclear weapons. The consequence of such development would simply be disastrous. This might escalate another nuclear warfare and put the existence of the earth at stake. So, it is high time that the big powers came to their senses and refrained from creating fields for the rise of such forces.

The winners of WWII, especially the USA, might have had considered the use of nuclear bombs appropriate and unavoidable for forcing Axis Powers to concede defeat and thus ending the war. But in view of unimaginable scale of damage and destruction of lives and properties, nuclear bombs must never be used again. Proliferation and use of these bombs must, therefore, be stopped forever. Only a world free from big power rivalries can ensure a permanent ban on nuclear weapons. Nuclear proliferation, we believe, should give way to eradication of poverty, hunger and disease from the face of the earth. The world must be made one of lasting peace and justice.

HUMAN capital, as a strategic resource, is flowing out of Bangladesh where it could make significant contribution to human welfare. A nation is considered to be modern and advanced on the basis of its technological development. The main sources of knowledge and know-how for these technologies are the educated and motivated scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers and business pioneers. But in a country like Bangladesh, where most of the people are illiterate, technological development is difficult to achieve. Those who are educated and capable of contributing towards the growth of the nation, prefer to live abroad. There is a significant number of highly educated Bangladeshis abroad who contribute to the welfare of foreign countries.

Statistics show that 65 percent of the newly graduated doctors in Bangladesh attempt to practice abroad when, in the country, there are millions of children and other people who need their care. One can only imagine what improvements the new graduates could have made in the country if they were to practice here. Moreover, every year thousands of people die of diseases untreated. Even though there are free treatment facilities available, the doctors who are available are usually inexperienced. The public is well aware of this fact and, therefore, whenever a complicated operation is to be performed, the patient, if he happens to be from a wealthy family, is rushed to either Singaproe, Bangkok, Calcutta, Mumbai or any other destination. The fate of the poor patients, on the other hand, lies in the hands of the inexperienced doctors.

The general feeling in Bangladesh is that anything "foreign" is better. They would rather go and struggle to survive in a developed country than struggle in their own land. The youths, who are supposed to bring sustainable development to Bangladesh by means of their creative skills and technical and technological know-how, are leaving the country at a bewildering pace. They all want to live abroad. The best of our students are migrating for overseas institutions of higher learning - some through scholarships, others by self-finance; very few of them ever return. If this trend of brain drain continues, Bangladesh will surely face major challenges, if not facing them already, in the initial decades of this century. India and Pakistan have taken several initiatives to bring back their highly qualified expatriates from overseas destinations. It is high time for our government to act and take hard measures to address the situation of brain drain.

Md. Masum Billah

The apprehension and suspension regarding the Pakistan politics since Parvez Musharraf's win in the presidential election held on October 6 this year has come true. No sensible person would give consent to Musharraf's participation in the presidential election wearing uniform though the judicial department of Pakistan nodded their head towards him. Uncertainty and apprehension gathered in the political sky of Pakistan as the court might not give verdict on behalf of Musharraf's assuming the post of president. Sensing such kind of declaration Parvez Musharraf declared the state of emergency in Pakistan. Paramilitary troops and police have surrounded the Supreme Court in Islamabad. All land and mobile telephone lines went down shortly after the declaration while private television channels were taken off the air as tension gripped the normally placid capital.

The Supreme Court ordered the suspension of emergency rule but the government rejected the move. President Parvez Musharraf has been at loggerheads with the Supreme Court since his botched bid to sack the independent minded chief justice Iftakhar Muhammad Chaudhury in March who was reinstated in July following a series of stormy protest organized by the judges and common people. This incident has angered Musharraf who has been hatching the plan to give a good lesson to the Supreme Court verdict showing the true face of military which does not care any sanity and civility. His personal grievance against the court surfaces the deep rooted hatred lying between the military and the judiciary. Though this has been a common a history in Pakistan, people expected the coming of at least half democracy with Benazir's return to the country after eight years in exile.

All the hopes of reviving democracy have been ended in smoke. Benazir Bhutto expressed her reaction who is now away from the country that earlier this week she had heard speculation that Musharraf could declare state of emergency and warned that her party and the opposition would not tolerate such a step.

Nawaz Sharif who had been ousted in 1999 flew back to Pakistan on September 10 but was deported hours later to Saudi Arabia said, " the decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented. Never in Pakistan history has such treatment been meted out to judges."

The United States of America said in its reaction, "We are deeply disturbed by Pakistan's declaration of the state of emergency and urged Musharraf to stick to his commitment to step down as army chief and hold election by January.British Foreign Secretary David said "Britain is gravely concerned at the declaration of emergency in Pakistan and urged to act within the constitution. Britain recognized the threats to peace and security but its future in harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism. He further said'I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today which will take Pakistan farther form the goals.

Analysts say that Musharraf was keen to appoint a loyalist as his successor to ensure that he himself does fall victim to military intervention when he becomes a civilian leader." President Musharraf has made a very correct choice as successor in General Ashfak Kyani. He will be a healer in the civil-military divide which exists today"--------retired general turned political analyst Talat Masood.

Following the same theory he has appointed Hameed Gogar as chief justice of Pakistan replacing Iftekhar Chaudhury. Mr. " "Dogar cannot become the chief justice because he has a corruption reference against him" Chaudhury Ikram, former president of the Suprme Court Bar Association told outside the court adding " we will resist all unconstitutional steps."

Musharraf lays pleas of rising extremism and militancy and judges' interference with the government for declaring the state of emergency. The rising face of extremisim and militancy in Paksitan can be deduced from the following incidents.

" The government should abolish co-education. Quaid-e-Azam Unvieristy has become a brothel. Its female professors and students roam in objectionable dresses. I think I will have to send my daughters of Jamia Hafsa to these immoral women. They will have to hide themselves in the hijab otherwise they will be punished according to Islam.

Our female students have not issued the threat of throwing acid on the uncovered faces of women.

However, such a threat could be used for creating the fear of Islam among sinful women. There is no harm in it. There are far more horrible punishments in the hereafter for such women" Lal Mosjid head cleric adds this chilling messages for women madrasa students Abdul Rashid Ghazi.On May 07 a female teacher of history in Quadi-e-Azam Univeristy physically assaulted in her office by a bearded Taliban looking man who screamed that he had instructions from Allah."

President Parvez Musharraf said that tough measures were needed to counter it as pro-Taliban militants had kidnapped eight government officials and four police officers. His present state of emergency declaration cannot match with countering militancy and extremism.

His sincere effort could have addressed the situation more pragmatically during his office from 1999 onwards. This lame excuse cannot convince the civilized world to suppress the free will of the people of Pakistan. Musharraf must not take time to understand this simple truth.

(The writer works in the PACE Programme of Brac Head Office and regularly writes on national and international issues.)

Fahmida Rahman

Latifur Rahman, a government official in his late 40s, is known as an honest man. Sincerity, devotion and dutifulness are among the qualities Rahman thinks a government official should have. But, his recent behaviour has made even his close colleagues suspicious. What happened to Mr Rahman?

Latifur Rahman (not his real name) lives in Mohammadpur area of Dhaka City. His monthly salary is around Tk 15,000 of which Tk 9,500 goes on house rent. With the remaining money, he cannot manage the other expenses of his seven-member family. He requires at least Tk 20,000 a month to fulfill his family's basic needs. Who will give him the remaining money? The gentleman lately started taking bribe to get the additional amount.

He says people do need food, clothes, shelter and medicine for survival. But, if the prices of these essential commodities keep going up it is very difficult indeed for the people of lower-income group to get on with life.

In recent months, the prices of essentials, from onion to edible oil, marked an all-time high, breaking the financial backbone of the commoners.

According to information provided by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), the average rice price was Tk 29.06 per kg in January this year. In July, it went up to Tk 33.37, showing a 14.83 percent increase. Flour was sold at Tk 27.83 in January and now it was selling at Tk 33.33, posting a 19.76 percent rise. Similarly, the prices of lentil, edible oil, fish, meat, egg, spices and vegetables have gone up by 12.17 percent during January-July period.

Under the circumstances, many people are resorting to dishonest means to run their families because their monthly expenditure is more than income.

CAB secretary Kazi Faruk says, "Having failed to strike a balance between their earning and spending people are taking loans. When they are getting loans they are begging arm. And this is how the social discipline is shattered."

He says, "Two classes of the society have been hit hardest by the price hike. Firstly, the have-nots and the lower-class people who don't have even a shelter. Secondly, the middle-class people who can't come down a certain standard."

It is true that the recent unusual price hike of essentials has prompted many government officers and employees to resort to malpractice just to earn some extra money. Their pay structure is very weak which is why they can't strike a balance between earning and spending.

As the salary of government officials and employees is poor, they are either indulging in corruption or engaging themselves in other works. For example, a government college teacher tutors privately, doctors of government medical colleges are working in clinics and public university teachers are teaching at private universities or working in NGOs as consultants.

The number of private jobs has increased significantly in the country. And, private companies give much higher salaries than that of the government. When a BCS officer sees that despite being less qualified an employee of a multinational or mobile company leads a much better life he gets frustrated. And, this frustration makes him resort to corruption.

Dr Atiur Rahman, an eminent economist, says, "Government servicemen indulge in corruption just for survival. There are many officers and employees who simply can't maintain their families with their salaries. So, there should be a change in the pay structure."

According to available data, the inflation was 5.94 percent in January. Now, it's close to double digit. Until recently, the upward trend in inflation was only limited to food indicator. But, now it is seen in other aspects too. At present, a product worth Tk 100 has to be bought by Tk 108. Those who don't have the additional money have to buy less. Buying rice is the main problem for people. According to government statistics, 54 percent of income is spent on rice.

The spending for a five-member family that needs two and half kilos of rice a day has increased by Tk 12 to 15. So people with little income suffer more than the well-off ones.

As a remedial measure, Dr Atiur advocates for introducing a rationing system as in neighbouring India. "Therefore, any price hike can't affect the low-income group people."

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin recently announced an advance monetary policy. According to his announcement, the inflation will be kept within the target of 6-7 percent in the first six months (From July to December) of 2007-08 fiscal.

He said controlling inflation is the main challenge of the monetary policy. Declaring to run the monetary policy more carefully for the next six months to keep inflation under control, he said inflation would not come down all on a sudden. But, it would be bearable in future. And to make that happen, Dr Salehuddin emphasised the government's revenue policy and increase in product supply.

In his various articles, Dr Atiur Rahman stated the reasons behind the price hike of essentials. He finds the lower supply than demand as the main reason behind the price hike.

The most harmful aspect of this is not to have a similarity between earning and spending. So, there is a financial crisis in public life and people's sufferings kept worsening. Among other reasons, there are interference in stockpiling, increase in transportation cost, fall in production both at home and abroad, import deficit, increase in fuel prices and profiteering by middlemen.

To solve the price-hike problem, Dr Atiur in one of his books wrote about the formation of a cell that would always monitor the movement of the prices of essentials. He says extortion in the transport sector will have to be stopped completely besides taking measures to watch the prices of commodities on the international market. He feels that consumer rights organisations should be more vocal.

According to Dr Atiur, there is a necessity to formulate competition guidelines in addition to having price committees to find the reasons behind price hike.

He also underlines the need for changes in the existing policies and strategies to have an effective answer to the problem.