The New Nation - Internet Edition

Lawachhara forest under threat

THE Lawachhara forest is reportedly heading towards what looks like a doom under multidimensional onslaughts. The future of this rain forest appears to be threatened by forces inimical to nature. Chevron, the giant international oil company, has been conducting three-dimensional seismic surveys in the forest to delineate gas reserve in the area. Environmentalists protested the survey out of the fear that underground explosions that are being carried out might cause serious harm to the forest.

According to media reports, the explosions have caused serious harm to biodiversity. The forest is a habitat for many endangered species of birds and animals including capped langur, Assamese macaques. They have started fleeing into remote areas being panicked by the strange mechanical noise that exceeds safe audibility limits. Experts fear that the pregnant animals may face abortion due to tremors and noise pollution. The story does not end here. A powerful nexus is active in destroying the forest. Smuggling of logs from the forest by illegal loggers is so rampant that forest officials fear that in ten years there will be no woods at Lawachhara.

Lawachhara is one of the last remaining primary forests in Bangladesh, which has only nine percent of its land covered by forest. This rain forest has an ecological system with a complete and harmonious life cycle. The plants and animals have lived and thrived in the forest for decades in a delicate balance. Now, this ecological system is threatened. The forest must be protected at any cost before it is lost forever. All activities that cause damage to the forest must be stopped. A complete inventory of plants and animals of Lawachhara should be made to regularly monitor the situation and take conservation measures.

The Asian crisis fund

FINANCE ministers of 13 Asian nations in a joint statement recently from a meeting in Madrid agreed to set up a foreign exchange pool of at least $80 billion to be used in the event of regional crises like the one experienced a decade ago. China, Japan and South Korea reportedly will provide 80 per cent of the funds, with the rest coming from the 10 members of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). To protect their currencies from turmoil, the 13 Asian nations had agreed to set up a mainly bilateral currency swap scheme known as the Chiang Mai Initiative, particularly after the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

The creation of the pool is a big step towards the creation of an Asian equivalent of the International Monetary Fund. Issuing the joint statement, the Asian finance ministers said that they are committed to further accelerate their work in order to reach consensus on all of the elements that include concrete conditions for borrowing and contents of covenants specified in borrowing arrangements. The foreign exchange pool would be self-managed and be governed by a single contract that will be legally binding and the 13 nations would work to develop a way of monitoring the fund.

During the 1997-98 financial crisis Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand had to borrow heavily from the IMF to boost their finances as investors sold their currencies and the IMF forced the governments of the three nations to make unpopular spending cuts, sell state-owned firms and raise interest rates. The regional economy as a whole has continued its strong growth and is forecast to remain robust although somewhat weaker. Yet the Asian economies are being challenged by rising energy and commodity prices as well as the vulnerability of financial markets.

Promoting social solidarity through insurance

Dr Mahbub Alam

Uncertainty is the only certainty in the world. In our everyday life, we are prone face accidents, which may lead to disability, even death and also loss or damage of properties. An accident is a mishap. It has been defined severally as an unplanned, undesigned, unexpected, un-devised, undesirable, unintended and or unfortunate occurrence.

Insurance is one of the most significant and scientific methods of handling risks. In simple terms, insurance allows someone who suffers a loss or accident to be compensated for the effects of their misfortune. It lets your protect yourself against everyday risks to you health, home and financial situation. In modern society, almost every type of risk could actually be mitigated. An insurance company is always prepared to take the risk for us. It is up to us to make the choice of which risks to mitigate in our daily lives.

But the Islamic scholars have objection to the concept of conventional insurance. In their view, the elements of Gharar (Uncertainty), Maisir (Gambling) and Riba (Usury) are involved in insurance contracts, which make it un-Islamic. Therefore, as an alternative of conventional insurance the Islamic scholars have developed a new concept of insurance that complies with Islamic principles on basics and rules drawn from the Holy Quran and Sunnah., called Takaful insurance. As mentioned in the Qur'an: "And help one another in righteousness and piety and do not help one another in evil deeds and enmity" (AI Maidah verse 2)

Takaful, the Islamic alternative to insurance is based on the concept of social solidarity, cooperation and mutual indemnification of losses of members. It is a promise among a group of persons who agree to jointly indemnify the loss or damage that may inflict upon any of them, out of the fund they donate collectively. The Takaful contract so agreed usually involves the concepts of Mudarabah, Tabarru' (to donate for benefit of others) and mutual sharing of losses with the overall objective of eliminating the element of uncertainty.

The concept of Takaful is not new in Islamic commercial law. The contemporary jurists acknowledge that the foundation of shared responsibility or Takaful was laid down in the system of 'Aaqilah' (Mutual Help), which was an arrangement of mutual help or indemnification customary in some tribes at the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). In case of any natural calamity, everybody used to contribute something until the loss was indemnified. Similarly, the idea of Aaqilah in respect of blood money or any disaster was based on the concept of Takaful wherein payments by the whole tribe distributed the financial burden among the entire tribe. Islam accepted this principle of reciprocal compensation and joint responsibility.

The contract of Takaful provides solidarity in respect of any tragedy in human life and loss to the business or property. The policyholders pay subscription to assist and indemnify each other and share the profits earned from business conducted by the Company with the subscribed funds. Takaful companies normally divide the contributions into two parts, i.e., donations for meeting mortality liability or losses of the fellow policyholders and the other part for investment. Accordingly, the clause of Tabarru' is incorporated in the contract. How much of the contribution is meant for mortality liability and how much for investment account is based on a sound technical basis of mortality tables and other actuarial requirements. Both the accounts are invested and returns thereof distributed on Mudarabah principle between the participants and the Takaful operators. To describe from another angle, a Takaful contract may comprise clauses for either protection or savings/investments or both the benefits of protection as well as savings and investment. The protection part of Takaful works on the donation principle according to which individual rights are given up to indemnify the losses reciprocally. In the savings part, individual rights remain intact under Mudarabah principle and the contributions along with profit (net of expenses) are paid to the policyholders at the end of policy term or before, if required by him.

The dissimilarity between the conventional insurance and Takaful business is more visible with respect to investment of funds. While insurance companies invest their funds in interest-based avenues and without any regard for the concept of Halal-o-Haram, Takaful companies undertake only Shariah compliant business and the profits are distributed in accordance with the pre-agreed ratios in the Takaful Agreements. Likewise they share in any surplus or loss from the pool collectively. Takaful system has a built-in mechanism to counter any over-pricing policies of the insurance companies because whatever may be the premium charged, the surplus would normally go back to the participants in proportion to their contributions.

Takaful "co-operative or Islamic insurance" has steadily been growing as a legal financial tool to serve the peoples in Islamic countries as well as non-Muslim countries. Besides operating in Muslim countries, there are more than 108 Takaful (Islamic Insurance) companies operating successfully in the non-Muslim countries such as USA, England, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Japan,

Bangladesh as a Muslim country has a very ample opportunity to flourish Takaful (Islamic Insurance) within a short span of time. But imprudently yet there is no policy framework undertaken by the proper authority of the government machinery. Though 85% of its population is Muslim they live their life based on Islamic valves which lies the enormous feasibility of Takaful. However, the government can take prompt initiative to formulate a new criteria about the rules and regulations of shariah-based insurance business in Bangladesh. To implement the 'Takaful' concept in the society, it will not only a praiseworthy task of the government, it will also uphold our Islamic values and heritage beyond the boundaries.

Factors that induced the 1947 partition of India

M.T.Hussain

It is still wrongly argued in a circle sadly for propaganda rhetoric that the British Indian subcontinent was divided in 1947 on the basis of religion alone putting all blames for the division on Pakistan. Was the blame factually right?

It is true that the three independent nation-states, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, now in existence following the departure of the colonial British rulers in 1947 had then two major religious beliefs, Islam and Hinduism, dominated the scenes of the partition. But apart from religions, economic, cultural and many social factors influenced the 'Great Divide' just as H.V. Hodson made some records in his memoirs of the same appellation.

If one would care to read events of historical forces during 190 years of the British colonial rule in this part of the world, particularly, in the then undivided Bengal one would unambiguously discover that the overwhelming large number of people of this area, the Muslims and other depressed classes even belonging to other religions, had been the conspicuous victims of shear exploitation perpetrated not only by the British rulers but also by those locals who formed minority but professing religion other than Islam. They had been, with rare exceptions, the landlords, money-lenders, traders etc engaged in the so-called elite jobs as against heavily exploited farmers and laborers the overwhelming majority Muslims constituted.

In the late 19th and beginning of the twentieth century some awakening among the poor Muslims took root not by its own but through some educational movements led by philanthropists like Nawab Abdul Latif of Faridpur, Syed Ameer Ali of Calcutta, Syed Ahmad Khan of Aligargh, Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka etc. They secured further concession from the British Government as to people's representation and say to the government by having separate representation for religious minorities and so for the Muslims in the provincial and other councils. In the meantime, the Muslim League formed in Dhaka in 1906 advanced its struggle throughout India for the Muslim minorities in political and State power sharing just as the relatively older Congress party did claiming to do for all Indians.

The 'parting of the ways' had its head high as soon as the provincial general elections under the Government of India Act 1935 held in early 1937 and provincial governments formed in seven provinces by the Congress out of 11. The seven governments started to behave all alike as if they had freedom in all matters thus hitting at their free will against the basic interests and cultural sensibilities of the minority Muslims in those provinces. The attacks on Muslim sensibilities were, for example, like making compulsory for all school students to sing the chorus of BANDE MATARAM during school class opening that Muslim students objected to for their own religious reason. In the same token, all students in schools were asked to bow down to the portrait of Gandhi in the classrooms that again was taken by the Muslim students and guardians against religious sensibilities. In economic opportunities, the Muslims found very difficult to get jobs and business in competition with the counterparts of other religious belief. The discrimination was so rampant that a great person and a life long secular politician like Shere Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haq reacted very sharply against those discriminations of the Muslim minorities. Thus when the nearly three year period of the Congress rule ended through the resignation of the seven ministries, the Muslim League observed on the 22nd December 1939 throughout India the exit of those ministries in midst of the World War Two as the GREAT DAY OF DELIVERANCE with huge razzmatazz. One may note that in just after 12 weeks the Muslim League in the Lahore session held on the 23-24 March adopted unanimously the historic resolution that was moved by the same Shere Bangla to chart the political future of India and of the minority Muslims mainly concentrated in the western (Pakistan} and eastern (Bangladesh) part of the subcontinent There is another historical fact that clearly showed that even after the adoption of the Lahore resolution, there was no clear cut commitment of religious divide based exclusively on Islam but instead it aimed at redressing the long standing grievances of backwardness of the Muslims along with other depressed classes in these two regions. In addition, the Muslim League, in order to keep the oneness of India as before, accepted the British Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 that the Congress leader and President Pandit Nehru, according to Abul Kalam Azad, exploded in these words, "* This was one of the greatest tragedies of Indian history and I have to say with the deepest of regret that a large part of the responsibility for this development (failure of the Cabinet Mission Plan) rests with Jawaharlal. His unfortunate statement (10th July 1946 that the Congress would be free to modify the Cabinet Mission Plan reopened the whole question of political and communal settlement. Mr. Jinnah took full advantage of his mistake and withdrew from the League's early acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan*" (see, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India Wins Freedom, the complete version, Orient Longman, New Delhi, 1988/1992, P.170).

Shall we recall here that the Muslim League leader Jinnah who ultimately led the Pakistan movement and the division of India in 1947 to final fruition had not only been a serious Congressite in his early political career and tried best to keep India united but at the same time sought only in return minimum guarantee of citizenship rights of the minority Muslim in the huge sea of Hindu domination in India after the British had left in the vicious age old caste ridden divided society of few elite 'pure' men and overwhelmingly 'polluted' men and women.

I hope that who would still and continue to label the division of British India in 1947 as merely for religious reason giving all blames to the Muslim League, its leaders and Pakistan better sift fiction from facts that remained embedded in areas of political control, social conflicts, cultural aspirations and economic interests.

Healthcare of under-five children

Md. Sazedul Islam

The condition of under five children is very risky in our country. At this age, they fall to various diseases and many of them lose their life being suffered from malnutrition. Death risk caused by malnutrition is reduced to large extent after passing of this age.

Children who are deprived of proper care and balanced food turn sick, their cognitive development hampered and later become burden to society as well as family. If the children get proper food, their physical and mental growth is developed which help them grow up in proper manner.

However, lack of awareness about food, ignorance about nutritious food and neglect caused by malnutrition affected many of our people, said Mojibur Rahman Khoinkuti, Senior Medical Technologist (Food), Institute of Public Health Nutrition, Mahakhali, Dhaka.

Children of poor people may grow up properly if they have sufficient breastfeeding at first six month after birth. After the first six-month, they should be given sufficient nutritious food for their growth.

If they don't get this, their growth is hampered that caused physical and psychological problem.

An underage child needs more protein than aged man. Protein is needed for an underage child because it is the basis for formation of body.

On the other hand, pregnant woman need more protein and minerals during this time, because foetus take elements from the food of mother for its body formation.

Expectant mother needs proper food for maintaining her natural body weight. If a pregnant woman's body weight remain less than normal, untimely abortion may occur or she may be affected by complex diseases like toxema, and eclampsia that may cause mother's death.

During pregnancy, lack of nutritious food cause more damages to foetus. It hampers the physical growth of foetus, hence a immatured, disabled or a dead child is given birth. So additional food is needed for the growth of foetus.

A pregnant woman need more iron-riched food for meeting iron need. A pregnant woman is likely to fall victim to anemia due to lack of iron. So, she should take additional iron through tablet.

The demand for calcium of pregnant woman increases for bone formation of her child. If possible, a mother should take half kg of milk daily, because milk contain sufficient calcium and it easily fit into body.

The demand for daily protein for a pregnant woman enhances by 10 gram, which is used for increasing foetus, uterus and breast and blood making. She should take more fish, meat, eggs, milk and pulse for meeting the demand of protein.

A pregnant mother should take foods properly for keeping her health well and future child's health fit and for growth of her child. She should take rice, ruti, pulse, potato, green leaf, fruits, fish, meat, milk and eggs than in other times, because it will keep her health well and also her child strong and healthy.

A pregnant woman must take all types of foods in much quantity for getting a strong and healthy child.

During pregnancy, a woman may fall to anamae due to rise in demand for iron. She may be affected by any disease for anamea and her death risk may increase during post-delivery bleeding for anamea during pregnancy period.

Weight of both mother and child is disrupted due to anamea during pregnancy. A premature baby may be given to birth with less body weight.

The children who are born with less weight lack the necessary amount of iron like other elements, hence, they may be easily affected any disease and it enhance their death risk.

A mother can ensure the nutrition of her foetus by taking foods as per nutrition demand before and after pregnancy till delivery.

A baby is more likely to be given birth with less weight if a girl becomes pregnant at under age. Any girl should not marry before the age 18 and not be pregnant before 20 years of her age.

Short, lean and malnourished mother only gives birth to baby with less weight, which in later life bring serious consequences for children.

Due to less body weight during birth, chances of child mortality and being affected by diseases are more likely. They lose their resistance power against contagious diseases and they frequently fall to diarrhoea and pain respiratory system.

If a pregnant woman lack iodine, she is more likely to give birth to fool child. Lack of sufficient iodine cause irreparable damages to brain and neurology of the child.

Those women who suffer from iodine deficiency are more likely to face abortion and to give birth to dead or disabled child than other women.

Those children who suffer from iodine deficiency are more likely to fall to malnutrition than other children and their disease prevention capacity also get reduced. The death risk also increase for iodine deficiency.

The demand for nutrition elements for the under five children is more than the grown up man as their body weight increases at every six months till the age two, said Khoinkuti.

Under age children need protein for their quick growth and body formation. So the amount of both quality and quantity of protein should be ensured in the food of children. Demand for calorie for children is more than their parents because of more body growth than grown up man. Breast milk only don't meet the requirement of a child after passing of six month.

Since six month, they should be given other foods along with human milk. This food is called complementary food for children. If the children are provided only breastmilk or other milk and are not given complementary foods, then they may gradually become sick and thin which is called marasmas caused by lack of necessary protein and calorie.

On the other hand, various symptoms may ensue in child's body due to lack of necessary protein if only carbohydrate are given to them as complementary food.

These symptoms are body swelling with water, disruption of body growth, slight reduction of body weight and lack of feelings and interest.

Another serious malnutrition of children of this year is various eye diseases caused by vitamins and children become completely blind if this malnutrition continue.

Many of our children turn blind due to lack of Vitamin-A every year. Intake of huge quantity of vegetables and yellow coloured fruits can solve the Vitamin-A deficiency. The above-mentioned two types of may affect children in two-year age but protein deficiency malnutrition is seen within first one year of age.

Many of poor children suffer from intestinal diseases and malnutrition due to living in unhygienic environment. Khoinkuti advised mothers to breastfeed their children during first six months to keep their children free from intestinal diseases.

Children should not be provided food now and then. Intake of excess foods may cause trouble in their liver and hamper digestive system. A child remain healthy with sound body if they get foods timely and as per quantity.

(PID-UNICEF Feature)