The New Nation - Internet Edition

Monitor markets with care

IT is reported in the press, that the President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), has expressed concern over the price hike of consumable goods. He also referred to the prevailing rates of prices at which essentials are sold at major wholesale and retail markets in the city and elsewhere in the country. He has asserted that the situation in the market virtually reflects the failure of the business community to take appropriate measures on collection, storage and distribution of consumable goods at fair prices from wholesale markets to retail markets.

The difference between the price-rates at the wholesale and retail markets was considered high. The same price is much higher than the price at which farmer are found selling their products. The retailers have been blamed for earning more profits with the advent of the holy month of Ramzan. The price of rice and flour apart, the price of other items like brinjals, onions that are used for production of Iftar items has increased remarkably.

The concern expressed by the chief of the apex chambers of commerce and industry reflects the concern of the consumers. Corrective measures have to be taken by official agencies, the chambers of commerce and industry, the association of owners of stores and shops in the wholesale and retail markets. On a priority basis, a market monitoring system has to be introduced. Price-rates of consumable item have to be displayed at the shops in wholesale and retail markets.

However, caution should be exercised while making efforts to control the prices of perishable items which sell for different prices not only depending on quality but also the peak and lean shopping hours. Late in the evening such items are sold at throwaway prices by shoppers to avoid wastage. Without taking these factors into consideration, jumping to hasty conclusions and actions might be counter-productive.

Growing commercial crimes

BANGLADESH chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce, recently, held a workshop in the capital city under the banner 'International Fraud - Prevention, Control and Remedies' with a call to both the government and the financial institutions to be careful to prevent fraud in international trade transactions. 'As international trade of the country is growing, authorities and financial institutions here need to be cautious and careful while dealing with transactions internationally, the ICC president was quoted to have said while inaugurating the day-long workshop.

Commercial crime is growing faster than international trade and it is found that frauds are more complex and involve larger sums than ever before. As international trade is growing fast in Bangladesh, all parties involved in the trade are also getting exposed to risk of international trade finance fraud. Any system, which depends purely on documents, would be vulnerable to abuse by money launderers. So, parties involved in transactions need to remain careful. The more the market of import-export is expanding, the more the traders are facing the risk of unknown events including fraud. In most cases of documentary fraud, the banks, in one way or the other, lose. At the very least, the fraud will strain the relations between the bank and its customer correspondent banks in the letter of credit chain.

It was pointed out at the workshop that Bangladesh is more vulnerable as pirates are even targeting ships that anchor here. Those who are involved in international trading, particularly in export-import, obviously, are coming across various such problems already in different countries where international networks of fraudulence are linked. The International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh by arranging the workshop in this regard has timely cautioned all concerned about growing global commercial crimes as the country's international trade marks a rapid growth.

Knowledge-based area development

Dr. M Alimullah Miyan

Bangladesh is endowed with people, but has very limited natural resources and financial capital. By developing the people into human capital, we can overcome some of the limitations of our physical capital and at the same time lay the basis of generating capital resources. Education and skill development are the route for creating human capital.

The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) is making continuous efforts to expand the educational base at primary, secondary; higher secondary and higher levels despite serious resource constraints. The targeted education of women with stipend and tuition waiver upto Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level is an example of this effort. Although there is an uneven spread of education, most villages of Bangladesh and every urban and semi-urban ward/moholla have many young men and women with higher secondary level educational qualification, if not higher. However, most of these people are educated in non-marketable skills or cannot pursue higher education due to opportunity /resource constraints, and are unemployed. A way out should be found to transform the investment in their education upto HSC level into productive direction through further investment in marketable knowledge and skills. This is the basic premise of the knowledge based development concept.

The area based development approach (rural and urban) is now going on under the umbrella of micro-credit by the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) targeted to ultra-poor and certain special segments of population. This micro-credit has obviously contributed to alleviation of poverty to some extent but has not created prosperity for the recipients for many reasons. Most people continue to remain in the cycle of poverty and do not get an opportunity to break out of the poverty trap.

Under the KBAD, youngmen/women from each village/ward would be given an opportunity to go for higher education and acquire a degree/diploma/post-higher secondary certificate in marketable (within and outside the country) knowledge and skills. Such educated/trained persons would be expected to make efforts to pull up their family; neighbours and the village community through access to knowledge for economic and social development. The achievement of the individual will also have a demonstration effect in the village and act as an eye opener to other young people in the village. This can also bring hopes and dreams to the impoverished village community. The young men or women should have the minimum qualification (HSC, i.e. l2 years of formal education) or equivalent to gain entry to an university level institution.

Financing would be a barrier to realisation of the Knowledge Based Area Development concept. It is expected that the family of the individual would bear the cost of such education/training. However, the prevailing economic situation may not permit most families to bear the cost. The introduction of an Educational Loan Scheme can partially alleviate this problem. The GOB or/and NGOs should consider developing and operating such an Educational Loan Scheme. Eventually an Educational Bank (Shikkha Bank) may be established to facilitate access of the middle class and poor to market-oriented higher education for social mobility and as a step towards realising the vision of Knowledge Based Area Development approach. In this process, it may be possible to break away from the poverty cycle for many. The Education Bank could be the conduit to finance such persons on easy terms but on a repayable basis. This would be a radical approach to break the poverty cycle but this might also work as a catalyst as well as a role model.

The Education Bank can also finance educational institutions on easy terms for institution building but on repayable basis and also provide loans to teachers for higher education and training. The capital for Education Bank can be mobilised through grants and loans from development organisations, share subscription from individuals with expectation of modest return on capital, and philanthropic orientation. Development of human capital of the society would be the intrinsic return to donors, while financial return at a modest rate would be an additional return to subscribers. The Education Bank is to be operated on business principles but targeted to investment in education, skill development and institution building activities relating to the same. The Education Bank can take the form of an educational cooperative.

IUBAT has set out the long term vision of producing one technical graduate from each village/ward under the KBAD concept as a step towards community self reliance. To materialise this vision and to translate the concept into reality, IUBAT has special provision for supplementing the family resources of a student through scholarship, grant, fee waiver, deferred payment, campus job, student loan and the like. It is IUBAT policy to cater to the needs of all qualified students who aspire to higher professional education-regardless of the income level of his/her family through appropriate educational financing arrangements.

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 Tk 100 each. One of the prime objectives of IMCSL is to mobilise funds for providing educational loan and scholarship to the members and their dependents to help them pursue higher education and professional training. IMCSL can be a prelude to establishment of an Educational Bank with a wider mandate. Anyone can contribute to the share capital by becoming a member and pave the way for educational loan.

IUBAT has also introduced the Career Development Loan scheme for students out of the IMCSL as well as the Financial Assistance Fund (FAF). Besides facilities of deferred fees payment have been introduced at IUBAT. Loans under FAF are free of any service charge, while loans from IMCSL or deferred payment from the university carry service charges. Students after graduation and employment are required to repay the loan on easy monthly installments, consistent with the earning potential of the degree/diploma/certificate.

Through this process, IUBAT is already practising the concept of Knowledge Based Area Development to a limited extent. To realise the concept on a wider scale, it is proposed to pick up one young man or woman from each village/ward and give him/her a degree/diploma/certificate in marketable skills on the basis of self financing or in combination with deferred tuition payment facilities to be extended by IUBAT or Career Development Loan to be availed from IMCSL or from the FAF of IUBAT To make the concept operational, each educated member of Bangladesh society, who made productive use of their education, is urged to motivate one HSC or equivalent passed young man or woman belonging to his/her place of birth (village/ward/moholla) to enroll in any of the degree/diploma /certificate programmes of IUBAT. Professional educational programmes presently available at IUBAT include subjects like business administration, computer science, engineering, agriculture, economics, hospitality and tourism and nursing.

Besides motivation to enroll, the referee should make an assessment of the individuals family's ability to pay the relevant university fees during the study period and recommend to the university authority for granting of a loan under the deferred payment facility of IUBAT or other alternatives for those who do not have the ability to pay the full fees during the study period. Referral may also be made to other universities or institutions having professional educational programmes with financial support facilities.

Furthermore, the concerned member of the society should assist in development of the referred student through encouragement and psychological support during his/her difficult educational transition period. IUBAT will send a copy of the result of the student every semester, until graduation, to the referee for information and continued motivational support. This will enable the individual to observe the outcome of his/her referral effort for development of an individual.

Through such enrollment motivation, facilitation, and encouragement during the study period each educated person will have an opportunity to repay his/her debt to the place of birth by facilitating knowledge/skill acquisition for area development and lay the seeds for community self reliance.

The Knowledge Based Area Development concept is a bold attempt to prepare a section of the population to break out of poverty and enter into an era of prosperity. This knowledge based development will require considerable financial capital resource as well as institutional infrastructure.

Active participation of every educated individual of the country in building a prosperous Bangladesh based on knowledge will give rise to a drive towards nation building. This will be worth emulating paving the way for development of the country as a prosperous self-respecting nation.

(Dr. M. Alimullah Miyan is the VC, IUBAT, Dhaka)

Colourful iftar bazaars do not mean better economic conditions

Sheikh Rakib Uddin

The beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan has been featured by the two remarkable developments in Bangladesh, the second largest Muslim country in the world - deep love, emotion and devotion for the religious faith and practice on the one hand and unthinkable abnormal prices of the essential commodities particularly Iftari items on the other hand .One is natural, usual and traditional and the another unimaginable and terrible.

The holy Ramdhan is a month of austerity, fasting and special prayers for the Muslims all over the world, seeking divine blessings for the emancipation of the world and the world hereafter.The Muslims of Bangladesh observe the holy month practicing the dictates of Islam as prescribed in the holy Quran expressing their solidarity with Muslims of the entire world .It needs sound economic facilities and peaceful social and political orders to help the Muslims of the country observe the month of Ramadhan properly through carrying out tenets and teachings of Islam which resolutely stands for peace, happiness and justice in a complete code of life. But it is an irony of fate the Muslims of the country now is deprived of an atmosphere conducive to practicing the principles and the directives the holy month asks to do because of certain man made unwanted developments. The markets are being controlled by unscrupulous elements, smugglers, hoarders and profiteers and also handled by inefficient hands ..

Observers believe the unwanted situation is the outcome of the wrong handle of the country's entire economy .

Focus on certain Itfari bazaars and a section of the kitchen markets in the capital does not reflect the true [picture of how the common people and the middle class already hard hit by soaring prices of the essentials who constitute the 95 percent of the country's total population have been observing the month of Ramadhan. Showing thumbs to the steps mainly taken by the officials and by the private sectors recently prices of the essential commodities resume to continue to rise unabated .The situation is this-" the more is said to control the price ,the price rises more and more". . None could say where the termination of the race lies .

Colorful Iftari bazars in different places of the capital including Chawk Bazar, Hossaini Dalan, Nazira Bazar and Bangshal where items are attractively displayed are nothing but the tradition and heritage of Dhaka .It has been old as old is Dhaka founded by the then Mughal viceroy Islam Khan in 1608. No quarter or authority other than tradition and heritage of the historical city could claim the credit for the lucrative iftari Bazars .Display of the traditional markets does not offer any concrete proofs of improving economic conditions of the city dwellers as a whole.

Despite their economic hardships that knows no bounds of the people across the country except a few number of well to do affluent, have been observing the holy Ramdhan only because of their love and unbreakable faith in their religion. This does not mean that they are well facilitated in performing their religious rites and festivals. They under any circumstances continue to practice their religion and hoist its flags at any cost

The observers also feel the political commotions now obtaining in the country, absence of perfect law and order situation in the society and sky rocketing prices of the commodities seldom offer opportunities to any Rozader to observe fasting and practicing other religious rites in a befitting manner.

Kids, relatives, well wishers, admirers and supporters of those now behind the bar look forward to observing the remaining days of the holy Ramadhahn and the Eid- Ul Fitr with their nearest and dearest ones.

Ramadan presupposes self-restrain

M.T. Hussain

Fasting in day time from dawn to dusk for one lunar month, Ramadan, is one of the five basic rituals Muslims are required to observe as a must provided one is adult, not ill, not in travel, not infirm due to old age, not pregnant or young woman carrying baby in her womb. The compulsory fasting though somewhat physically painful for body to bear, the ritual is rather a popular one among all of the nearly 13 billion Muslims living throughout the world marked by a sort of festivity. I lived in London in my late youth for over seven years and enjoyed fasting there with many. Not only this. I had occasions to say the Ramadan specific Tarabih prayer usually done after following the 'Isha (early night) prayer for few terms in the London Central (Regents' Park) Mosque in 1980s. The festivities for Iftar, Dinner and Tarabih at the Central Mosque had been an enjoying matter for me for years, despite the fact that I had occasions to attend another Rabita mosque at the Goodge Street in Central London as that location was within my walking distance from residence and the Peckham Mosque in the south east of London, and a few times in the East London mosques of Brick Lane and White Chapel street. There in almost all cases Muslim devotees used to fast almost without exception even if many would not say the daily compulsory five times salat or prayer. This is what we see elsewhere including among Bangladesh Muslims. The motivation for fasting is huge for all as we see our young kids do fast in many cases even if parents would discourage them for their young age or not being adult. Possibly because the fasting is physically painful to bear, there are many sayings both in the holy Al-Quran and in the sayings of the Prophet for deep spiritual motivation for the act.

Fasting is enjoined upon the Muslims, baring few exceptions mentioned above, according to the Quran for building up human character and personality of TAQWA or self- restrain. Muslims must attain self restrain in all physical postures and dealings with other human beings. In fact, Muslims' belief in Islam based on the Tawheed or pure monotheism is for building human personality of TAQWA or self-restrain by surrendering and making one subservient to the will and demand of the Almighty Allah. In other words, it may be said that Muslims must surrender to the will of Allah and the surrender must be unconditional to Him to turn into 'good and righteous' one. That is how TAQWA could be created in one's character and personality. Rituals like Salat, Zakat, Hajj and Iman or belief in the lone creator though made compulsory depending on one's own position, the core issue remains that Taqwa or self-restrain is the ultimate goal for human being to attain through performing rituals, not only the mandatory ones but also even the optional ones. In Allama Iqbal's term Muslims must aim to turn into INSAN E KAMEL through observing the set rituals and so overpowering all animal passions that is instinctively present in each and every human being. Mere observance of rituals without attaining self-restrain (LA ALLAKUM TATTAQUN) is meaningless exercise.

Food and drink for life survival is the first need for any living creature and for all human being. Sexuality is another natural instinct for adult male and female. Fasting is meant abstinence from food and drink as from any sexual act, as well. Such abstinence means suppression and control of all physical demand and passion, an exercise against natural need and demand of life. But why is the tortuous and rigorous exercise for adults for continuous thirty long days in a lunar year of 354 days? Is the exercise enough and worth for attaining self-restrain in one's character, attitude and outlook of life?

The goal of self-restrain of late is being misunderstood and misused by many fasting persons as the well off among them take to more food and drink as a sort of festivity. The poor having little means behave though differently in humbleness, not for self-restrain but for poor affordability. Thus the self-restrain goal is defeated by almost all.

In fact self-restrain in food and drink or in other words, avoiding the notion of 'eat, drink and be merry' is what self-restrain should come in for inculcation in one's character and attitude for dealings with all others around. In Bangladesh the issue is very much missing as for one example is that every Ramadan comes with price spiral of essential food items, particularly, for those food items used for Iftar or evening break fasting. Those who take to such market manipulation and price rise are almost without exception themselves making the fasting as ritual possibly with no less devotion than any fasting Muslim! Profit motive of free market is all that the Muslim and fasting guys operate wonderfully and manipulate the market most effectively and quite cleverly without any concern for self-restrain.

Self-restrain is Muslims all time behavior and attitude not only in eating, drinking and sexual acts but also in all other behavioral attitudes in all day to day transactions with all other beings around including I would take, natural and physical environment, as well. That is what the Muslims were taught to stick to by the Prophet of Islam that we may term as 'plain living' or living and passing life in simplicity in food, drink, clothing, housing etc. avoiding all wastefulness or not being consumption spree, particularly in midst of wide spread poverty of ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed millions all around.

It is only true that self-restrained human beings can make civilized society having nucleus in family bondage and keeping up therein basic family values. That is what could be pre-requisite for constructing democratic society. In this sense Muslims practicing self-restrain or Taqwa in its true meaning can make democracy sustainable in all Muslim countries for self-restrained individuals can easily make tolerant democratic culture. Let the 13 billion members of the UMMAH think afresh in building self-restrain in the psyche of the members beginning from this Ramadan of 1429 A.H. or 2008 A.D. that the Muslims had in the initial period thus rising to the peak of advancement but lost the quality in subsequent ages that brought the obvious downfall and all humiliations.

Free market implies making eye-catching advertisement for promotion of sale; but so far as costly elite Iftar is concerned, it goes against self-restrain that Ramadan aims at; it is, as such, incumbent on the government to stop all advertising in media about costly elite Iftar in all Muslim countries including Bangladesh during the Ramadan.