The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE Public Service Commission (PSC), the official body responsible for the recruitment of government officials and employees at different levels, conducts public examinations for the purpose. It is the gateway to the vital services of the republic. Therefore, its proper functioning is crucial in respect of the quality of persons who are selected for government services. The PSC remains entrusted with the task of holding appropriate tests to ensure that only the persons who meet fully the set criterion in the selection process can enter the civil services. Understandably, the expectations are that the PSC would conduct examinations and related tests very scrupulously and efficiently to enable the fittest ones in terms of capabilities and character to join the civil services.

But allegations were made against the PSC in recent years that it has been seriously failing in these tasks and that the main reason for such a regrettable decline in its performance was its politicisation. It was again alleged that the top echelons of the PSC were manned by the people of the previous ruling parties and they were there to recruit such officers of the government who could be relied upon to work loyally for those political parties after taking up their government jobs. Charges were made repeatedly against the PSC for leakage of question papers of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations to serve these ends. Even in viva voce examinations of the ones who passed these examinations, it was alleged in many cases that the candidates were questioned or subjected to tricks to absolutely ascertain their loyalty to the party in power. The ones who did not or could not quite prove such loyalty-convincingly-were shown to have not met the standards in the recruitment procedures. Thus, during the last ten years, a large number of recruits were considered to have joined the civil services whose main qualification was their unflinching loyalties to the ruling parties rather than their competence and academic qualifications.

There is no need to explain how serious are these crimes of perverting an important official body to turn it into an instrument for doing the bidding of political quarters. Not only the same represents grave immorality and injustice, the deteriorated performance of civil servants in most cases can be traced to such manipulation. Therefore, the present caretaker government has taken committed steps to comprehensively reform the PSC. But well intentioned insiders in the know of things are of the view that a thorough cleansing of the PSC remains a task not fully addressed. Till this is attempted, this vital body will not be effectively freed from the lack of ethics that gripped it long ago. The nation ought to make a refreshing new start in all vital spheres. The way to having a better civil service in the future involves carrying out deep and driving reforms in the recruitment system.

Soon after the present Caretaker Government assumed office, it took steps to fulfil the long-awaited expectations of the people through reforms of various institutions. These institutions now freed from corruption has been running efficiently and with good reputation. Only some days ago before the reforms were implemented, the people felt utterly helpless due to unbridled corruption and irregularities of those institutions. Efficiency, honesty, neutrality and an opportunity to work independently are the factors most needed to run any institution. The Government has by now reformed some institutions and the people are already reaping its benefits.

The PSC is responsible to recruit officers for different cadre and non-cadre jobs and they run the Government offices in various capacities. They play an important role in policy formulations and their implementation. For sometime past, the people have grown suspicious about the way the candidates were appointed on grounds of corruption, irregularities and favouritism. Leakages of question papers and appointments of unfit candidates to important cadre and non-cadre posts frustrated the nation. The blue-print to make the administration subservient to the ruling political party was no longer a secret.

The present neutral Caretaker Government took steps to rid the Public Service Commission of illegal practices like favouritism and corruption. The Government appointed a Chairman and five members for the PSC as the controversial appointees left the office. Initiatives were taken to hold viva-voce test afresh for the 27th batch of the BCS candidates. Much to the embarrassment of the PSC, leakage of question papers had become almost an annual event. A new device and strategy is now underway to ensure transparency and accountability which leaves no scope for corruption like leakage of question papers, politicisation and such others.

A sizable number of our educated people are handicapped. Now there exists good opportunities to provide education to the handicapped and they are doing well in various examinations. The PSC allow them to sit for the BCS examination so that they also can contribute their knowledge for nation-building activities. With the appropriate steps taken, the PSC has now got back its lost reputation.

Anti-corruption Commission is a constitutional body and its chairman and members are appointed, by the President of Bangladesh in order that it is kept free of any external influence. In the past, the Anti-corruption Commission could never play its designated role in a free and fair manner. Some members, however, expressed separately their limitations in discharging their responsibilities. The Anti-Corruption. Commission virtually was rendered inoperative for all practical purposes and the people became suspicious about its activities, and corruption was spreading at a faster pace, as a result. The Anti-Corruption Commission did not take any action even when complains were lodged with it.

The Government took initiative to reform the Anti-Corruption Commission soon after it assumed office. Competent and acceptable persons were appointed as chairman and members of the Commission. The Government also accorded legal recognition to the Commission as an autonomous institution. An organogram comprising of 1,281 personnel was also approved. The Commission started its work with new vigour. New cases were filed against the corrupt elements. Special court was set-up to settle the cases speedily. The convicts were jailed; fined and their properties confiscated. The trial of the corrupt people created a sensation in the country. The people have now reposed their confidence in the judiciary.

Bangladesh is now a signatory to the United Nation Anti-corruption Convention. Anti-corruption drive has been started to root out corruption from the service-oriented set-ups. The Anti-corruption Task Force took special initiative in this regard. Presently anti-corruption drive is underway in the setups like Rajuk, Chauk (Chittagong Development Authority), PDB, DESA, Health Management, Forest Department, City Corporations and many others. By now many people have been arrested and cases were filed against many. A congenial atmosphere has now returned to offices and the people are now getting service without any hassle.

The policy to import duty-free motor cars for the members of the Parliament has been abolished. It has been found that in the past the MPs sold their imported cars at high price defying the relevant rules to enrich them illegally. Already many of them have been arrested for such illegal transactions and their trial is going on. Of the huge amount smuggled out of the country, Tk 900 crore has already been brought back to the country. A high-powered Task Force have been constituted to bring back money smuggled out of the country and they are putting in their best effort to discharge their responsibilities.

The Government has recovered more than 40 thousand acres of land from the land-grabbers and more than 9 lakh acres of forest lands at district level. Demolition of unauthorised constructions including Rangs Bhaban and recovery of illegal occupation of roads, government lands including filled-in lands have made steady progress.

Special drive has been launched against the illegal VOIP business and drugs like yaba. Government has now created a new source to earn huge amount of money by according permission to operate VOIP in the country. Due to anticrime drive, crime has gone down all over the country and a sense of security has returned to civic life. The anti-adulteration drive has also brought salutory result to make our citizens health conscious. These days one does not find fishes with formalin.

Education is nation's backbone. Fraudulent practices abounded in the sector and as a result, the students and guardians have been deceived since long. Higher education in particular was converted into commerce. Some swindlers were operating to make money out of it. Taking advantage of poor rules and using political power there had been a proliferation of private universities. There being no check in setting up such universities, corruption in education sector had increased sky-high and consequently the nation's backbone was becoming weaker and weaker by the day.

The present government took initiative to reform the University Grants Commission soon after it took office. New appointments to the post of Chairman and other important posts were made. Measures to update the laws regulating the private universities are underway so that they could serve the community in an effective and fruitful manner. Permission to start new private universities has been stopped by a notification. Investigation into the corruption charges leveled by the UGC against the fifteen public universities are now continuing. The UGC has published a list of fifty-six illegal institutions of higher education through a notification. A search committee has been constituted for appointments to the post of Vice-chancellor, pro- Vice-chancellor and Treasurer for the private universities.

Sea-ports are the principal gateways for country's export and import business. Chittagong and Mongla are the two sea ports of our country. Corruption and politics afflicted the two ports much since long.

Government is incurring huge financial loss everyday. In the name of labour organisations, some people have made illegal fortunes at the expense of the nation. The previous governments failed to bring order to the two ports causing huge financial loss to the public exchequer for so many years.

The present government lost no time to implement necessary reforms in the management of both the Chittagong and Mongla ports, and as a result, its management capacity has gone up to forty per cent. Consequently, revenue earning increased substantially, labour unrest disappeared and the quality of service improved manifold. The previous eleven-day turn around period of ships are now reduced to 3.6 days. The management board of dock labourers has been abolished. The labourers are now much disciplined. The access road to the port has been commissioned. The operation schedule has been changed to three shifts from the earlier two. There is no crowding of ships now and goods are being loaded and unloaded as per rules. Chittagong port is the main source of revenue earning of the government. The efficiency of the Mongla port too has improved significantly. The arrival and departure of ships are regulated strictly according to schedule. Discipline and orderliness in now back in ports management.

An independent and neutral Election Commission is the first and foremost requirement to ensure a free and fair election in the country. The present Government took up this responsibility in right earnest soon after it took office. In reorganising the Election Commission, the Government appointed a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners. The office of the Election Commission has been made independent and separated from other offices. The Chief Election Commissioner announced the road-map for election on July 15, 2007. Following the road map, election to local bodies will be held in the beginning of this year. Election to national Parliament is scheduled to be held by December 2008. The work to prepare voters ID card along with photographs has already been started. It is hoped the work will be over earlier to the time table fixed for it and the date for election may also he advanced accordingly. In the event, the election can be completed following the voters list with photographs and national ID cards as per roadmap announced by the Election Commission that certainly would be a shining example for the world community to emulate. Reforms are a continuous process. All citizens' support and cooperation are vital to make the reforms a success.

(PID Feature)

Dr.Abdul Ruff

Fascination for torturing and murdering the Muslims after they are trapped through a series of strategies is too great for India which is bent on crippling their legitimate claims for joining the mainstream. It is deadly unfortunate that even the judiciary seems to be supporting the anti-Islamic chorus of anti-Muslims. In spite of the fact that capital punishment is against international law, the verdict hanging of Mohammad Afzal, A Muslim from Kashmir where people have killed enmasse for asking for independence, till death for his possible involvement in "the attack" on Indian Parliament has been delivered on the eve of birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, whose principles and ideals have long been thrown into waste-box by nuclear India. The majority right wing parties like the BJP demand the head of Afzal and close the punishment process. But terrorism cannot be arrested just by killing one more victim by name Afzal.

At the outset it needs to be mentioned that the anti-Islamic forces operating in India have access to the bureaucracy, media and even judiciary and they are bent on branding the Muslims as "terrorists, suspected and potential ones" and go on influencing all government institutions to see that all those who are arrested by police are punished and even finished off. Democracy, unfortunately, provides for such nefarious connections and influences. Most of judgments, therefore, have religious ramifications.On December 13, 2001, an attack on Indian Parliament, the so-called pillar of Indian democracy, shook the nation. Indian authorities claimed, as a matter of routine accusation, that five Pakistani terrorists attacked Parliament and were killed by security personnel. Nine security personnel also lost their lives. As per a strategic plan of India, exactly a year later, a trial court awarded death penalty to Shaukat Hussain Guru, Mohammad Afzal and Delhi University Lecturer SAR Geelani while sentencing Shaukat's wife Afsan Guru to five years imprisonment for their role in the conspiracy. On appeal, the Delhi High Court in October 2003 upheld the death penalty of Afzal and Shaukat but acquitted Geelani and Afsan Guru. The Delhi police appealed against the acquittals.

Two years later in August 2005, the Supreme Court came out with its verdict. While the acquittal of SAR Geelani and Afsan was upheld, Shaukat Hussain's death sentence was reduced to 10 years imprisonment. Mohammad Afzal's death sentence was however upheld once again. Afzal was accused of procuring arms and ammunition, purchasing the car used in the attack, "providing the terrorists" accommodation in Delhi and "actively" participating in the conspiracy.

The Supreme Court, which never considered the ghastly destruction of Grand Babri Mosque of Indian Muslims by the anti-Islamic terrorists as an act of killing the collective conscience of Indian and world Muslims as well as the humanity at large, stated, "The collective conscience of the society will be satisfied only if the death penalty is awarded to Afzal."

In January 2007 the Supreme Court put the curtain down on the Parliament attack case by dismissing the plea of Afzal, seeking review of his death sentence, saying 'there is no merit' in his curative petition. Afzal's hope in escaping the gallows since then lies solely in his pending mercy petition before the President. Dr. Abdul Kalam left the matter to his successor to decide and the matter is now before the world's Human Rights Organizations, if they are really concerned about human dignity of Muslims, justice would be delivered on those who are unjustly kept in dark cells of India. Gujarat poll verdict supporting anti-Islamic genocide and destructions could come handy to the India arguing for the hanging of Afzal.

As it stands, every thing has been pre-determined about Afzal's case and the Apex Court only merely delivered the judgment for hanging Afzal. Recent revelations about proof of innocence in cases relating to Abdul Nazar Madani a Kerala priest turned politician and Dr. Haneef, who was working in Australia, should now open the eyes of Indian judiciary to view the accused as innocent and not as criminals. Madani was upholding the human dignity of Muslims by counterposing the anti-Islamic Hindutva forces operating in the country and hence his leg was removed by using a powerful blast by them at his madrassa and then he was hooked in a fabricated Coimbatore Case. Both Madani and Haneef, among some more, have been declared innocent and since released. Madani was languishing in jails for nearly a decade, while Haneef was fortunate to have escaped the international anti-Islamic network led by the USA and India.

Of course, Apex court and the government of India can do any thing with Indian Muslims and no one in the world today can come to the rescue of Afzal. Although there have been demonstrations, even abroad including UK, for his release which India chose to ignore with a view to appeasing the Hindutva forces in the country. No sensible Muslim thinks Saudi Arabia would intervene, in Afzal illegal detention, as Christian nations do if some Christian citizens are trapped by Muslim countries.

Obviously New Delhi, suffering from anti-Pakistan syndrome and over-occupied with anti-Muslim syndrome, has used this judgment to justify its cause of terrorism plank to prove a point that India is the "co-sufferer" with the USA, that Pakistan, "abetting cross-border-terrorism" is the root cause of all New Delhi's maladies and that USA must drop Pakistan and co-opt India as its strategic partner. Indian leadership's fascination for the US dollars and its anti-Islamic, "democratic" platform is indeed amazing and now the trend would be further expected to find respectable place among the "anti-terror lobbies" around the world and outsmart the Islamabad's anti-terrorism war being waged in the company of the USA.

With the hanging verdict hanging over the head of Afzal, New Delhi can boast itself of tracking an arch national Muslim enemy and win a point over Pakistan. When so many Muslims under-trails are locked up in Indian jails without trials just because the state agencies have branded them as "terrorists", the judgment on Afzal after the trial seems to be a better way of dealing with Muslims. However, the judgment smacks of vengeance towards a section of its citizens, because they are Muslims. The verdict of killing of the suspect-culprit caught and tried by India, however, leaves behind a Pandora's Box of questions of serious nature.

The judgment delivered by the Indian court declaring Afzal and others guilty of attacking the Indian Parliament in the broad daylight does not seem to have taken into account the various factors that contributed to the actual attack attempt by them. The heavily guarded Parliament in New Delhi by the security forces and effectively supported by remote electronic equipment could only ill afford, if they neglected their primary duty of stopping the untoward from happening. As such the attack was indirectly permitted by the state. If the security personnel were asked by the government sources to sleep or relax and their remote appliances were disabled to perform the surveillance job when the attack was expected to happen, then the suspicion that the Indian government has indeed master-mined the attack by supplying the weapons to the willing people cannot be ruled out.

In fact the Parliament attack could be considered to be one the fine examples of state-sponsored-terrorism to trap Muslims. The actual happenings that contributed to the actual attack have been kept out of purview of the frame of reference for inquiry by the court, as it was asked by the government sources, clearly shows that the episode smacks of foul play by the government to project India as the sufferer of the so-called terrorism following the Sept 11 in the USA and eager to become an ally of USA to fight "terrorism". India, like many other countries, only tried to sympathize with the USA by enacting a similar "terrorist" act in New Delhi involving the Parliament through the so-called terrorists. It is so common in India to entrap the Muslims where possible and butcher them. It is quite normal at places like Bhakra Nangal dam site between Punjab and Himachal to thrash and butcher the Muslim visitors by the state security forces and the world is unconcerned about such incidents.

Instead of delivering a judgment in order to save the government claims, if the court had taken into consideration the facts that are responsible for the terrorist act in New Delhi, perhaps that could have restrained the government sources and the national networks from further enacting such sponsored terrorism to kill and discredit the Muslims in India. Failure of the judiciary in ascertaining all relevant facts before delivering the final judgment of hanging could only undermine the judicial process itself, because the state could mastermind any such crimes in future and get the innocent, emotionally charged people to perform what is "assigned" to them by the state. It is really horrible. A judgment delivered on the eve of the Gandhi's birthday should have been fully truthful and not otherwise. Especially when the state agencies furnish the details as tailored by the intelligence and they know what to include and what not to, the judges should have been more cautious in

examining the issue. And as the so-called largest democracy, India is not expected to influence and twist the justice delivery to suit the state agenda of anti-Islamic and anti-Pakistan propaganda. But since New Delhi is trying hard to be seen closer to the USA (another democracy that invades the Arab nations for their energy resources and tortures the Muslims the world over) the terrorism card pursued by it is quite understandable and is justified to that extent - no matter the Muslim citizens are murdered in the process.

Russia, having some scruples has finally admitted that the Beslan tragedy killing school children was in fact an act of state sponsored terrorism unleashed by security forces in order to discredit the freedom fighting Chechens. India, trying to be a close associate and a strategic partner of the USA has only badly misbehaved with the Muslim citizens by sponsored terrorism. After the Russian exposure India has been too cautious about the outcome judgments if that go against the national interests and hence the final judgment on "Muslim terrorists". Since the people tracked and tortured or killed are the Muslims, New Delhi believes that it has got the tacit support of the US led countries of the West and the rest that support the US actions any where in the world. India has indeed courted the tacit approval as well of the US led west and its willing coalition partners in invasions of Arab nations for their energy resources. In fact today any Indian criminal can assault a

Muslim in the broad day light even in New Delhi and get away with that because the state does not come to his rescue or redressal. The judgment by the Hon. court is a short in arms of the over enthusiastic anti-Islamic India wanting to settle scores with the Muslims in India because that would make New Delhi to quench the blood thirst and settle the historical past. No one questions, including the "democratic" America, about the state sponsored terrorism unleashed on innocent Muslims throughout India, latest large scale ones being in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. That is how Indian and world democracy functions.

After Sept 11 Terror: As it is naive to believe that any one can enter the airports of New York or Washington in the USA and take away aircraft of his choice and hit any select target inside the USA, it is certainly ridiculous to make believe that the intelligence aided by the advanced security systems and agencies could not have any information about the impending "terrorist attack' on the Parliament, even if the Parliament attack was wholly planned and executed by the outside agencies. Of course, every day hundreds of Muslims are murdered all over the world without any information to the public and the death of one more Afzal does not make much of difference to the predominantly anti-Islamic world and that the make-believe crimes and media stories will continue to proliferate and contaminate the national politics.

Sympathy for the Sept 11 in the USA was one thing, but enacting similar terrorist acts in other countries with a view to showing considerate sympathies with the "sufferer" US state is quite another matter altogether. Like Russia and many other nations, India too did exactly the same with view to consoling the Pentagon and advancing their so-called national interests. The parliament attack was because that would "expose" and cripple a fast surging Pakistan and bring the unwilling White House closer to Indian Parliament - the chief foreign policy goal of India since 1947. Democracies do have a common agenda to be pursued and many more such blasts would continue to occur. Anti-Muslim India cannot be expected to behave differently, especially when it has to appease the national majority in order to face regular elections. In case, however, with such assassinations New Delhi is aiming at discrediting the struggle of Kashmiris for their independence nation, it is certainly

mistaken. Whether or not Afzal's hanging would also be coinciding with that of Saddam Hussein, but since the Indian media are almost wholly managed by people apparently breathing anti-Islamic sentiments, the Muslims in India would continue to be targeted in order to undermine their legitimate rights in the country. Anti-Islamic format of Indian journalism mixed with anti-Pakistan rhetoric leaves much to be desired and the Muslims do not see any ray of hope in the near future.

It is ardently suggested that UN embarks on the global terrorism and the role of the states in them. State-sponsored-terrorism is as common as the butchering of animals for meat, but the global body remains silent on that. USA, the self-appointed leader for the universe, itself is busing slaughtering the Muslims in their secret prisons. India cannot but take cue from such international nefarious activities. UNSC must protect the Muslims in India and Kashmir and secure independence for Kashmir, so that India could stop trapping Muslims and jailing them endlessly or killing them by branding them terrorists"