The New Nation - Internet Edition

LDCs’ time to revisit policies

Around 780 million people of the mother-earth are living in the poorest countries of the world. These countries are officially described as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). They are continuously struggling against hunger, poverty and disparity. Though they represent 11 % of the world population, which are living in 49 LDCs', they have the stake of less than 5% of the global resources.

Over the years, the poor countries of the world have been facing series of discriminatory treatments by the most advanced parts of the world resulting marginalization in the global economy. The world powers, through their different wings like International Financial Institutions (IFIs), have imposed destructive policies based on neo-liberal doctrine. The so-called ideology claims that 'people are best served by maximum market freedom and minimum intervention by the state'.

Adoption of the neo-liberal agenda, whether be it partial or full, has virtually widened the resource endowment gaps between the 'haves' and 'haves not' in the nation states. As a ~esult majority of the people of the LDCs are still severely trapped in poverty and hunger. It is interesting to note that in 1971, the United Nations (UN) identified 24 countries as LDCs, recognizing them as the most vulnerable of the international community. During last three decades, the number of LDCs has increased to 49.

The vulnerability of the LDCs was re-exposed severally during the last one and half year when food and fuel crises became the 'two most dangers' for the world poor. Food riots have happened in 8 LDCs between 2007 and the first half of 2008. The eight countries are Burkina Faso, Guinea, Haiti, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia and Yemen. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAD) has identified 34 'countries in crisis requiring external assistance' to absorb food shock.2 Among the 34 countries, 19 are LDCs.3

The list includes even the country like Bangladesh, which is considered as advanced among the LDCs in respect to different development indicators. And it is the country which adopts corporate-driven and market-oriented development strategies sidelining the state-based institutions and programmes. Gradual withdrawal of public support from agriculture and promotion of private players without proper regulation have distorted the food security of the poor people in Bangladesh.

Economic expansion in the LDCs since 2000 has been stronger than in the 1990s. In 2005 and 2006, there was further growth acceleration and the LDCs together achieved the strongest growth performance compared to the last 30 years. But this rapid economic growth has failed to accelerate the rate of poverty reduction and progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The LDCs as a group are unlikely to achieve the goal of reducing the incidence of abject poverty by half between 1990 and 2015. Most of these countries are also off track to achieve most of the other MDGs. There is no evidence of a significant change in trends in social development since 2000, after the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and more socially-oriented policy reforms. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has categorically said that due to wrong types of growth and development models that only allowed limited segments of the population to be benefitted, LDCs have failed to translate the growth into poverty reduction efforts and has only marginally improved the wellbeing of LDC.

The LDCs saw their values of exports climb by a collective 80% between 2004 and 2006 and recorded their highest rates of economic growth in 30 years, even surpassing the 7% target set by their governments and their development partners.s But the LDCs have very negligible share in the global trade, which is widely campaigned by the proponents of the neo-liberalism. The LDCs share to the global trade is around 1 %. The share of LDCs in world exports fell from 3% in the 1950s to 0.7% in the 2000s while their share in agricultural exports dropped from 3.3% in the 1970s to 1.5% in the 1990s.6 The LDCs attracted less than 2% of global foreign direct investment, most of it in the sectors of oil and gas exploration and mining.

In fact, the multilateral trade regime, spearheaded by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has failed to provide 100% duty-free and quota-free market access for the LDCs. The socalled Doha Round of UN FfD has remained inconclusive due to tussle between developed and advanced developing countries.? Although the interests of the LDCs are recognized to some extent, there is little move to turn the words into action by both developed as well as advanced developing countries.

LDCs' reliance on foreign aid has also come under close scrutiny, as official development assistance (ODA) is not very encouraging in many of the countries. In 2006, the average share of ODA disbursements as a share of GDP was about 8% in LDCs; with island LDCs registering the highest aid dependence of 17%, followed by African LDCs (9.3%). The lowest aid dependence was shown by Asian LDCs (i.e., 4.8% only), and if Afghanistan is taken out, the Asian LDCs rate was only 2.7%.8 Thus, the developed world has grossly failed to realise their commitment of allocating 0.15% of their GNI for the development of the LDCs. Moreover, many of them are tagging different conditions against the sprit of the commitment. In this context, recommandation by the UN body is that LDCs should have greater control and flexibility over how foreign aid they receive is used so that it has the greatest positive impact.

The threat of climate change appears as another wide-ranged risk for the sustainable development of the LDCs. The recent report of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) argues that the world is drifting towards a "tipping point" that could lock the world's poorest countries and their poorest citizens in a downward spiral, leaving hundreds of millions facing malnutrition, water scarcity, ecological threats, and a loss of livelihoods. To assist the LDCs in reducing climate related vulnerabilities, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), controlled by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has been set up by UNFCCC. It is to help these countries adapt to global warming, but its results are yet to be seen.

When the national multi-stakeholder consultation is going to take place in Dhaka to review the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) for the LDCs, the above-mentioned issues need to be discussed in a serious manner. It is important to urge the policymakers of the LDCs to critically review the policies that they are following now.

As global economy is struggling with a stage of turmoil, which is mainly originated from the 'failure of market', the economic powers of the world are now said to be resorting 'intervention of the state' to overcome this situation. The neo-liberal policies have gone through severe criticism and challenge. Against this backdrop, the LDCs need to shift their policy biases and restore the constructive roles of the states. To make this policy shift effective, mutual co-operation among the LDCs is very important.

Confessions of a British Spy - IX

Muslims' weak spots as recorded in the book were as follows:

1- The Sunnite-Shi'ite controversy; the sovereign-people controversy (31); the Turkish-Iranian controversy; the tribal controversy; and the scholars-states controversy (32).

2- With very few exceptions, Muslims are ignorant and illiterate (33).

3- Lack of spirituality, knowledge, and conscience (34).

4- They have completely ceased from worldly business and are absorbed in matters pertaining to the Hereafter (35).

5- The emperors are cruel dictators (36).

6- The roads are unsafe, transportation and travels are sporadic (37).

7- No precaution is taken against epidemics such as plague and cholera, which kill tens of thousands of people each year; hygiene is altogether ignored (38).

8- The cities are in ruins, and there is no system of supplying water (39).

9- The administration is unable to cope with rebels and insurgents, there is a general disorderliness, rules of the Qur'an, of which they are so proud, are almost never put into practice (40).

10- Economical collapse, poverty, and retrogression.

11- There is not an orderly army, nor adequate weaponry; and the weapons in stock are classical and friable. [Are they unaware of the systematic army established by Orhan Ghazi, who ascended to the (Ottoman) throne in 726 (C.E. 1326), Yildirim (The Thunderbolt) Bayazid Khan's immaculate army, which routed the great army of crusaders in Nighbolu in 799 (C.E. 1399)?]

12- Violation of women's right (41).

13- Lack of environmental health and cleanliness (42). After citing what was considered as Muslims' vulnerable spots in the paragraphs paraphrased above, the book advised to cause Muslims to remain oblivious of the material and spiritual superiority of their faith, Islam. Then, it gave the following information about Islam:

1- Islam commands unity and cooperation and prohibits disunion. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Hold fast to Allah's rope altogether." (43)

2- Islam commands being educated and being conscious. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Travel on the earth." (44)

3- Islam commands to acquire knowledge. It is stated in a hadith, "Learning knowledge is fard for every Muslim, male and female alike."

4- Islam commands to work for the world. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Some of them: O our Allah! Allot to us whatever is beautiful both in the world and in the Hereafter." (45)

5- Islam commands consultation. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Their deeds are (done) upon consultation among themselves." (46)

6- Islam commands to build roads. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Walk on the earth." (47)

7- Islam commands Muslims to maintain their health. It is stated in a hadith, "Knowledge is (made up) of four (parts): 1) The knowledge of Fiqh for the maintenance of faith; 2) The knowledge of Medicine for the maintenance of health; 3) The knowledge of Sarf and Nahw (Arabic grammar) for the maintenance of language; 4) The knowledge of Astronomy so as to be aware of the times."

8- Islam commands development. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Allah created everything on the earth for you." (48)

9- Islam commands orderliness. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Everything is based on calculations, orders." (49)

10- Islam commands to be strong economically. It is stated in a hadith. "Work for your world as though you would never die. And work for your hereafter as if you were going to die tomorrow."

11- Islam commands to establish an army equipped with powerful weapons. It is stated in the Qur'an, "Prepare as many forces as you can against them." (50)

12- Islam commands to observe women's rights and to value them. It is stated in the Qur'an, "As men legally have (rights) over women, so women have rights over them." (51)

13- Islam commands cleanliness. It is stated in a hadith, "Cleanliness is from iman."

The book recommended to degenerate and to impair the following power sources:

1- Islam has negated racial, lingual, traditional, conventional, and national bigotry.

2- Interest, profiteering, fornication, alcoholic spirits, and pork are forbidden.

3- Muslims are firmly adherent to their 'Ulama (religious scholars).

4- Most of the Sunni Muslims accept the Khalifa as the Prophet's representative. They believe that it is fard to show him the same respect as must be shown to Allah and the Prophet.

5- Jihad is fard.

6- According to the Shi'i Muslims, all non-Muslims and Sunni Muslims are foul people.

7- All Muslims believe that Islam is the only true religion.

8- Most Muslims believe that it is fard to expel the Jews and Christians from the Arab peninsula.

9- They perform their worships, (such as namaz, fast, hajjt), in the most beautiful way.

10- The Shi'i Muslims believe that it is haram (forbidden) to build churches in Muslim countries.

11- Muslims hold fast to the principles of the Islamic belief.

12- The Shi'i Muslims consider it fard to give one-fifth of the Humus, i.e. booties taken in Holy War, to the 'Ulama.

13- Muslims raise their children with such education that they are not likely to abandon the way followed by their ancestors.

14- Muslim women cover themselves so well that mischief can by no means act on them.

15- Muslims make namaz in jamaat, which brings them together five times daily.

16- Because the Prophet's grave and those of Ali and other pious Muslims are sacred according to them, they assemble at these places.

17- There are a number of people descending from the Prophet, [who are called Sayyids and Sharifs]; these people who remind of the Prophet and who keep Him always remain alive in the eyes of Muslims.

18- When Muslims assemble, preachers consolidate their iman and motivate them to do pious acts.

19- It is fard to perform Amr-i-bi-l-maruf [Advising piety] and nahy-i-ani-l-munkar [admonishing against wrongdoing].

20- It is sunnat to marry more than one woman in order to contribute to the increase of Muslim population.

21- Converting one person to Islam is more valuable to a Muslim than possessing the whole world.

22- The hadith, "If a person opens an auspicious way, he will attain the thawabs of people who follow that way as well as the thawab for having attained it," is well known among Muslims.

23- Muslims hold the Qur'an and hadiths in very profound reverence. They believe that obeying these sources is the only way of attaining Paradise.

The book recommends to vitiate Muslims' staunch spots and to popularize their weaknesses, and it prescribed the methods for accomplishing this.

It advised the following steps for popularizing their vulnerable spots:

1- Establish controversies by inducing animosity among disputing groups, inoculating mistrust, and by publishing literature to further incite controversies.

2- Obstruct schooling and publications, and burn literature whenever possible. Make sure that Muslim children remain ignorant by casting various aspersions on religious authorities and thus preventing Muslim parents from sending their children to religious schools. [This British method has been very harmful to Islam].

3-4- Praise Paradise in their presence and convince them that they need not work for a worldly life. Enlarge the circles of Tasawwuf. Keep them in an unconscious state by encouraging them to read books advising Zuhd, such as Ihya-ul-'Ulum-id-din, by Ghazali, Masnawi, by Mawlana, and various books written by Muhyiddin Arabi (52).

5- Wheedle the emperors into cruelty and dictatorship by the following demagogic falsifications: You are Allah's shadows on the earth. In fact, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, Umayyads and Abbasids came to seize power by sheer force and the sword, and each of them was a sovereign. For example, Abu Bakr assumed power with the help of 'Umar's sword and by setting fire to the houses of those who would not obey him, such as Fatima's house (53). And 'Umar became Khalifa upon Abu Bakr's commendation. 'Uthman, on the other hand, became the president with 'Umar's order. As for 'Ali; he became head of the State by an election held among bandits. Muawiya assumed power by the sword (54). Then, in the time of the Umayyads, sovereignty was turned into an inheritance transferred through paternal chain. So was the case with the Abbasids. These are the evidences for the fact that in Islam sovereignty is a form of dictatorship.

6- Delete death penalty for homicide from the penal code. [Death punishment is the only deterrent to homicide and banditry. Anarchy and banditry cannot be prevented without death penalty]. Hinder the administration in punishing highwaymen and robbers. Make sure that travelling is unsafe by supporting and arming them.

7- We can make them lead an unhealthy life with the following scheme: Everything is dependent on Allah's foreordination. Medical treatment will have no role in restoring health. Does not Allah say in the Qur'an, "My Rab (Allah) makes me eat and drink. He cures me when I am ill. He alone will kill me and then resurrect me." (55) Then, no one will recover from an illness or escape death outside Allah's will (56).

8- Make the following statements for encouraging cruelty: Islam is a religion of worship. It has no interest in State matters. Therefore, Muhammad and his Khalifas did not have any ministers or laws (57).

9- Economic decline is a natural consequence of the injurious activities advised so far. We can add to the atrophy by rotting the crops, sinking the trade ships, setting fire to the market places, destroying dams and barrages and thus leaving agricultural areas and industrial centres under water, and finally by contaminating their networks of drinking water (58).

10- Accustom statesmen to such indulgences as [sex, sports,] alcohol, gambling, corruption which cause sedition and intriguing, and spending the State property for their personal advantages. Encourage the civil servants to do things of this sort and reward those who serve us in this way. Then the book added the following advice: The British spies assigned this duty must be protected secretly or openly, and no expense must be spared to rescue the ones arrested by Muslims.

11- Popularize all sorts of interest. For interest not only ruins national economy, but also accustoms Muslims to disobeying the Koranic rules. Once a person has violated one article of law, it will be easy for him to violate the other articles, too. They must be told that "interest is haram when in multiples, for it is stated in the Qur'an, 'Do not receive interest in multiples.' (59) Therefore, not every form of interest is haram." [The pay-off time of a loan must not be appointed in advance. Any extra payment agreed on (at the time of lending) is interest. This type of interest is a grave sin, be the extra payment stipulated worth only a dirham. If it is stipulated that the same amount (borrowed) must be repaid after a certain time, this is interest according to the Hanafi Madhhab. In sales on credit, time of repayment must be appointed; yet if the debtor cannot pay off at the appointed time and the time is protracted and an extra payment is stipulated, this kind of interest is called Muda'af. The ayat-i- karima quoted above states this type of interest in trade].

12- Spread false charges of atrocity against scholars, cast sordid aspersions against them and thus alienate Muslims from them. We shall disguise some of our spies as them. Then we shall have them commit squalid deeds. Thus they will be confused with scholars and every scholar will be looked upon with suspicion. It is a must to infiltrate these spies into Al-Azhar, Istanbul, Najaf, and Karbala. We shall open schools, colleges for estranging Muslims from scholars. In these schools we shall educate Byzantine, Greek and Armenian children and bring them up as the enemies of Muslims. As for Muslim children; we shall imbue them with the conviction that their ancestors were ignorant people. In order to make these children hostile towards Khalifas, scholars, and statesmen, we shall tell them about their errors and convince them that they were busy with their sensuous pleasures, that Khalifas spent their time having fun with concubines, that they misused the people's property, that they did not obey the Prophet in anything they did.

13- In order to spread the calumniation that Islam abhors womankind, we shall quote the ayat, "Men are dominant over women," (60) and the hadith, "The woman is an evil altogether." (61)

14- Dirtiness is the result of lack of water. Therefore, we must deter the increasing of the water supplies under various schemes.

(Source: Waqf Ikhlas, Istanbul)

Strategy of financing higher education in Bangladesh

Kazi Khaled Shams Chisty

The quality of human resources of a nation is easily judged by the percentage of literate population living in it. Only through the attainment of education, one is able to receive information from the external world; to get acquainted with the past and receive all necessary information regarding the present. For the development of any field or area such as Business, Science, Economics, Religion education is deemed necessary.

This is to say that education is a must if a nation aspires to achieve growth and development and more importantly sustain it. This may well explain the fact that rich and developed nations of the world have very high literacy rates and productive human resources. We call say that without education, we arc as though in a closed room and with education we find ourselves in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world.

"According to statistics released for the first time, China has the most tertiary graduates in the world. As part of the World Education Indicators (WEI) Programme, this publication analyses the progress made by 19 middle-income and developing countries.

1. For comparative purposes, the report also includes benchmarks for Member States of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and an additional 12 countries. 2. In total, it presents data for 63 countries at different stages or development that comprise 71% of the world's population and produce over 90% of the global gross domestic product (GDP).

In 2005, more students entered and graduated from universities in the 19 WEI countries than in the 30 Member States of the OECD combined. About 5.7 million WEI students attained a tertiary degree compared to 5.2 million from OECD countries. This figure does not include data from India, which are currently not available.

China now has the most tertiary graduates in the world - 2.4 million in 2006. This is more than the top three OECD countries combined: the United States (1.4 million), Japan (0.6 million) and Prance (0.3 million). In addition, more than one million tertiary students graduated in the Russian Federation, which is also the case for Brazil and Indonesia combined" 1.

"The education system in Bangladesh is divided into four levels or stages. The first is the Primary level which incorporates grades 1 to 5. The second is Secondary level which covers grades 6 to 10. The Higher Secondary level consists of grades 11 and 12. If a student wishes to pursue further studies, tertiary education institutions are available. There are government universities in Bangladesh and some private universities which provide tertiary education. Students can choose to further studies in engineering, technology, agriculture and medicine at a variety of universities and colleges.

At all levels of schooling, students can choose to receive their education in English or Bengali. Private schools tend to provide instruction in English while government-sponsored schools use Bengali more frequently.

A separate religious branch of education, known as the Madrasah system, teaches all the basics of education in a religious environment. Religious studies are taught in Arabic and the children also usually serve the related mosques, 2.

Universities represent 75 out of 104 institutions listed as conventional higher educational institutions in Bangladesh. Segmented by management and financial structure, these include 29 public universities, 56 non-government universities, 1 international university, 31 specialised colleges, and 2 special universities. There arc specialised universities in both categories offering courses principally in technological studies, medical studies, business studies and Islamic studies. There are two private universities dedicated solely to female students".

Passing the HSC is one of the ways to step into the arena of achieving higher education in Bangladesh.

"Over 23 percent of students registered in class XI to sit for the HSC examinations this year have dropped out, due mainly to financial constraints.

About 6.07 lakh students were registered as regular students under nine Education Boards after passing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. But only 4.64 lakh students sat for the Higher Secondary Certificates (HSC) examinations in 2007 according to statistics. As many as 143,297 students or 23.58 percent will not appear in this year's HSC examinations under seven Education Boards, one technical education board and one madrasah board, according to data.

The main cause of the failure to complete is the financial inability of the students' families to bear their educational expenses. The problem becomes acute as purchasing capacity of the general population has been tremendously reduced, while prices of educational materials and different types of fees have sharply shot up in the last two years. Academicians observe that most families of the low-income group are forced to reduce their children's educational expense".

"Bangladesh has recently developed a National Strategic Plan for Higher Education for the next 20 years. The strategic plan highlights major challenges facing the sector in Bangladesh and recommends strategies to address the issues. The strategic plan recognised, among others, limited access, weak governance and management of institutions, and poor quality of higher education as major issues which need to be addressed.

The Plan proposed a number of policy reforms and interventions to be implemented in three consecutive phases. Some of the key recommendations made by the Plan are: (I) Depoliticisation of public universities; (ii) Setting up a national search committee for selecting Vice-chancellors and other senior officials; (iii) Strengthening of UGC; (iv) Establishment of accreditation council; (v) Enhanced support for research; and (vi) Development of strategies for retaining and developing quality teaching staff' 5.

"The educational system in Bangladesh is three-tiered and highly subsidised. The government of Bangladesh operates many schools in the primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels. It also subsidises parts of the funding for many private schools. In the tertiary education sector, the government also funds state universities through the University Grants Commission"6. But so far no policy has been taken for in the name of financing higher education.

But does it mean that we sit idle or do not search for options for financing higher education in Bangladesh? Or has no one done anything yet to finance higher education in Bangladesh? The answer is no, a few financial institutions and to the best of my knowledge one private sector university is doing something to further the financing the higher education in Bangladesh.

"Grameen Kalyan, the welfare division of Grameen Bank, famous since 1983 for its innovative lending programmes for the landless poor, has expanded its objectives beyond micro enterprise to include higher education. Grameen Kalyan has devised a programme the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP)--that identifies intellectually talented young villagers and helps them to finance their university education through loans.

Using Grameen Bank's network of 1,118 branch offices throughout rural Bangladesh, Grameen Kalyan wants to encourage poor children not only to complete the equivalent of Secondary education, but also to attend public university.

The hope is to create a new generation of highly educated poor who will have one more weapon with which to attack the cycle of poverty. In the context of Bangladesh, one of the least-developed countries in the world, such a task would seem enormous if not impossible7".

"Prime Bank Limited, one of the leading private commercial banks in the country has established the Prime Bank Foundation. Through the foundation, the bank provides education scholarships among poor but brilliant students" 8. And I am sure that few other banks are also contributing for the same cause but unfortunately I do not have all their names right now.

From my own experience I can say that Dutch Bangla Bank has given a scholarship to one student of East West University for finishing his IBA. Standard Chattered Bank of Bangladesh used to provide higher education loan to the students of East West University.

"Regarding Contribution of Universities for financing higher education IUBAT-International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, set an example by establishing a higher education finance programme name, KBAD-Knowledge Based Area Development. Under this programme IUBAT has set out the long term vision of producing one technical graduate from each village/ward as a step towards community self reliance.

To institutionalise the educational financing IUBAT has established an educational cooperative in the form of IUBAT Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd (IMCSL), with a share capital of 50 million taka divided in 500 thousand shares of taka 100 each.

One of the prime objectives of IMCSL is to mobilise funds for providing educational loans and scholarships to members and their dependents to help them pursue higher education and professional training"9

1. More budget allocation to support higher education from the government.

2. Raising tuition fee as a significant source of revenue for the support of instructional cost.

3. Full cost recovery of other fees such as institutionally provided room and board.

4. Sale of research publications, consultancy, etc

5. Participation of private sector both non-profit and proprietary providers

6. Philanthropy for endowments, for direct operations and for scholarship to students

7. Getting sponsor for meritorious but financially challenged students from different private sector banks, industries.

"Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest and most densely populated countries, but according to the IMF list of 2007, Bangladesh ranked as the 48th largest economy in the world"10. And if this type of success is achieved by Bangladesh where its universities turn out almost "450,000 skilled graduates" annually, then we can easily imagine that if the number of university graduates goes higher then there is a huge possibility that the economy of Bangladesh would be in much better position rather than 48th. So, let's work together to findout more ways to finance higher education in Bangladesh for a more prosperous future.