The New Nation - Internet Edition

US-Pak confrontation

THE fraternity between Islamabad and Washington is fast dissipating and both sides seem to be taking hard positions. The US thinks that Pakistan is not doing enough to root out Taleban operators from its territories. Pakistani authorities find the US overlooking the requirements of consultations and understanding that should exist between allies and launching of attacks on its territories flouting its sovereignty unacceptable. It was learnt that President Bush gave consent to US forces in Afghanistan to operate in Pakistan's Waziristan region freely without taking permission from Islamabad. The government in Pakistan considers this to be an affront to its independence and sovereignty.

Pakistan's army chief has ordered his soldiers to shoot and kill foreign soldiers on its soil, a clear allusion to US troops operating inside Pakistan. A report in this paper on Tuesday highlighted that Pakistani troops fired shots in the air to warn and threaten US forces who attempted to enter Waziristan. Thus, a full blown military confrontation is building up between the two erstwhile allies. Security analysts see in the latest moves by the Bush administration, an intention to intervene in Pakistan on the pretext that support for the Talebans is rising in that country.

Washington may also gradually start saying that Pakistan has become dangerously unstable and unable to retain nuclear weapons in its hands. This could mean a serious threat to the security of the US and the West in general. Centering on such perceived threats, even an Iraq-type of invasion of Pakistan is likely. Neighbours may be persuaded to join in such activities. The recent upsurge in the freedom movement in the Indian-held part of Kashmir, are viewed as underhand acts designed to bring tilt towards the US in its confrontation with Pakistan. South Asian leaders should read the signs and refrain from taking steps against each other.

Reducing maternal mortality

Maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh is still high compared to the projected target set for achieving the millennium development goal by 2015. Maternal mortality has declined from about 550 in 1976 to the present rate of 322 per one lakh live births. The targeted rate of 143 must be achieved by 2015.

According to the national mortality survey, approximately 85 percent of maternal deaths in Bangladesh result from direct obstetric causes. These are primarily haemorrhage among women aged over 25 years and eclampsia among younger women in the 15-24 years age group. Eclampsia is responsible for 23 percent of the maternal deaths. Deaths due to pregnancy-induced hypertension are more prevalent among younger women. Abortion, sepsis, obstructed labour and violence are some other causes of maternal deaths.

Inadequate access to health services, lack of trained birth attendants, and medical-aids are the major causes of deaths among the poor mothers. Delivery by the caesarean section among the rich mothers more than doubled by 2004 from eight percent in 1995 while it all along remained absent among poor women. While delivery by skilled attendants among the rich mothers remained static (40 percent over the period 1991-2004), the service of skilled attendants for poor mothers fell from five percent in 1991 to almost zero in 2004.

To achieve the MDGs by bringing down maternal mortality to the projected target, maternal health services must be affordable and easily available to the poor. Services of sufficient number of professional birth attendants should be available. The use of trained attendants has reportedly increased. This trend should be maintained. Awareness about the importance of health care of would be mothers and lactating mothers should also be increased among the people.

A few of the required measures

Dr. M. S. Haq

It is difficult to say - as at today, 16th day of September 2008 - with a 100 percent certainty as to when, how, and in what form, the next 'democratic' government shall come into effect in Bangladesh. But it is apparent, preparations for creating initial conditions for an elected government in near future have gained momentums in the recent months. It is expected the army-supported government, the election commission, political parties of Bangladesh and others will assist people of Bangladesh in the effort towards for example, holding a free, fair, credible and acceptable to all (as far as possible) election in the country, again in near future.

For a meaningful, result generative and impact-oriented election in Bangladesh - under the country's present situation - a good number of objectives need to be achieved. For example:

1. At least 60 percent of the registered voters should be able to form the critical mass of acceptable votes (in a lawful manner) in the election. In other words: if the total number of registered voter is X; if the total number of absentee voter and rejected vote (in a lawful manner) in the election will be Z; then X - Z = Y, Y will be the total number of acceptable vote cast (to be) in the election. Now, if A is the percentage of total number of acceptable vote (in a lawful manner), then A = Y x 100/X. According to the above requirement: the value of A should be at least 60 percent; and

2. the gap between the total number of cases of buying and selling votes (I mean the election votes) with the help of for example, direct monies - whether illegal or not, or unfair influences or both (say M) and the total number of cases of buying and selling votes (I mean the election votes) on the basis of for example performance - existing or potential or both - and merit (say N) should be narrowed down to a bear minimum level, as far as practicable, in the election. If F is the percentage of fair voting practices, efforts should be made to achieve at least 80 percent as the value of F in the election.

The measures for achievement of above and related objectives should include:

A. facilitation or ensuring or both, wider and meaningful participation of voters in the election - aiming at achieving at least the critical mass rate of 60 percent mentioned above - by attracting and harnessing support and assistance of people of Bangladesh, the political parties, civil society, the election commission (the EC), the army-supported government, the media (print, electronic, others), friends of Bangladesh - including inter alia the US, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and neighbor of Bangladesh - including inter alia India, Pakistan and other SAARC countries, and others.

By the way, do there exist at present any strategy in Bangladesh with regard to for example enhancing participation of voters in the election? If so, what is the present target in terms of percentage of acceptable votes in the election? It will not be out of place to mention here: the greater the number of participation of voters in the election, the greater is the prospect for a somewhat truly representative parliament in the post election period, among other things. The contemporary Bangladesh can no longer afford the parliament to be represented by a minority of the total registered voters. It is one of the reasons as to why the critical mass (mentioned above) has been proposed to be constituted by at least 60 percent acceptable votes;

B. identification of barriers to maximising participation of the voters, prioritisation of those barriers, formulation of action plans for overcoming those barriers, allocation of resources, just-in-time implementation of those plans, participatory and ownership-driven monitoring and follow-up in relevant areas, and minimisation of wastage;

C. implementation of measures for supplementing and complementing efforts towards improving the percentage of fair voting practices in the election with the help of for example and as appropriate, (i) mass awareness programs and each one detect one (I would like to call it in that way) campaigns for promoting fair voting practices and for minimizing, if not eliminating unfair voting practices, (ii) country-wide fair election booths to be attached to each of the union parishad offices for receiving and dealing (as applicable) with complaints relating to unfair voting practices, (iii) proactive and reactive efforts of relevant NGOs, CBOs (community based organisations) and others (including inter alia the media) towards achieving at least the percentage specified above in respect of fair voting practices, and (iv) intensification of intelligence and law enforcement activities (including inter alia those of the RAB) in areas suspected as bases for facilitating unfair voting practices, for an instance.

It is expected the army supported government, the EC, the judiciary and others will not interfere with the election in a manner that will eventually affect (used in a negative sense) the holding of election in a free, fair, credible and acceptable fashion and destroy hopes, aspirations and expectations of people of Bangladesh, friends of Bangladesh, neighbours of Bangladesh and others in pertinent areas - in a significant manner.

Let me now share with you a few of the expectations (as of today) from Bangladesh in the post election period and beyond.

I. A timely and smooth handing over of the power to people's representatives will take place soon after the election.

II. The next parliament will explore ways and means as to how to factor the weight of popular votes into future parliamentary decisions and actions.

III. The constitution will be amended appropriately to provide for clearer, more accountable, more specific, more time bound and more transparent roles and modes for exercising power, as well as authority - than those at present - during the time prior to an imminent state of emergency in future and during the period of state of emergency in future (for example) by the head of state, the armed forces, the judiciary and other actors.

Further, the constitution will be amended appropriately to provide for specific accountability and punishment in an event of failure on the part of future governments and others when it comes to the achievement of country's competing priorities such as security (including inter alia those relating to terrorism), economic growth, human development, human rights, poverty alleviation and anti-corruption - at a given time and as per the target to be set by the parliament in relevant areas.

Besides, the constitution will be amended appropriately to empower the country's supreme judicial council (do that exist at present in Bangladesh? If not, establish one) for dealing with matters such as recommending hiring and firing of cabinet members (advisors and chief advisors) - during the period of state of emergency - to the head of state for his or her approval. It may be mentioned here: the candidacy criteria for above hiring should be more rigid and the hiring process is more transparent and accountable - than the existing ones.

IV. apparent practices associated with overuse, misuse, under use and no use of bails and paroles - relative to time, space and other variables, though - will be examined with a view to enhancing the independence of judiciary in Bangladesh, among other things.

The last word: more work than rhetoric is at present the need of time in Bangladesh. Let us work towards that.

Traffic Jam - Some short term measures

Md. Masum Billah

The traffic congestion of the city of Dhaka has already gone beyond the forbearance of the city dwellers. It is getting acute day by day. Its solution calls for both short term and long term measures. Some short term steps can ease the existing traffic jam of the city. To address it very effectively, it calls for a long term policy which includes the

four basic principles of traffic system

Traffic enforcement

Traffic education

Traffic engineering

Traffic environment

In order to implement the long term policy it questions our affordability. So, let us think of short term policy first and side by side long term step to be thought of and let it happen gradually.

25 percent place should be for the movement and parking of vehicles in a city whereas Dhaka city has only 7 percent such place invoking a natural cause for being traffic jam. It is very practical that we don't have sufficient place for allowing the vehicles freely. Necessarily there will be some jam. But in absence of broad road and passages, some other alternative means was supposed to be devised to ease the jam but that was not done.

In Dhaka city vehicles ply on 129 routes. DMP is planning to limit it within 40 routs. 20 for city and another 20 for the vehicles coming and going from and to the suburbs or for the vehicles of adjoining towns such as Gazipur, Narayangonj, Manikgonj and Munshigonj. Fixed number of vehicles will ply on particular streets. That's good but the number of vehicles already proves much lower than the number of population in the city of Dhaka. We don't need to go far to seek this truth. During office going and coming time, hundreds and thousands of passengers keep stranded in numerous spots of the city .Dhaka city has eighty-five thousand legal rickshaws whereas it has more than six lakh rickshaws. It is learnt that more one lakh is going to join them before the Eid. Still it becomes awfully difficult to get a rickshaw during office going and coming time. Rickhshawpullers don't want to go to the passengers' expected places. They just wait in particular places to move to some particulars areas causing traffic jam as well as tremendous problems to the passengers. Law must be enacted to enhance the facilities of the passengers as well as to lessen the knot of traffic jam. Law must be mostly in favoour of the passengers. If a raickshaw remains vacant and it must go to any passenger's desired destination. It will lessen the passenger's problem and decrease the jam.

In all the busy points there must be foot over bridges and no pedestrians will be allowed to cross the roads where foot over bridges are constructed. All the news media, police, schools, market, garment workers all will get the message and briefing from their attached and concerned authorities to use foot over bridge. Many busy points of the city don't have foot over bridges. Pedestrians are to cross the road every minutes making the processions of vehicles stopped and stranded. Its effect spreads several miles. Again, there are many over bridges which are not used by the pedestrians because of habit, lack of awareness and law enforcement. From now on it must be made compulsory to use foot over bridges and the remaining crowd and busy point must see the immediate construction of foot over bridges.

The roads which see both mechanized and non-mechanized vehicles use must make exclusive space for non-mechanized vehicles. It will ensure both easy and quick passage and movement of mechanized vehicles. Again, the accentual casualties will get lessened. Now what happens, the non-mechanized vehicles and mechanized ones go side by side causing the disturb to one another and one can move freely. A little touch or hassle invites serious hassle, crowd and chaos causing serious traffic jam. So, these road must be separated by railings so that both rickshaws and buses and cars can move according to their own speed.

All kinds of vehicles become seriously scarce during office hour and after the break up of the offices. The number of vehicles and their capacity prove far less than the existing population of Dhaka city. Commuters not only fail their appointment but also wait for long to have a transport. To avail even a rickshaw a commuter is to wait a lot and bargain with many rickshawpullers. In case of CNG and taxi cab the situation stand far worse. In this situation, lessening the number of vehicles from the city roads will in no way ease the problem of the city dwellers. Rather it will invite several new problems including the existing ones. Rather law should be strictly enfored that rickshawas , CNGs and taxi-cabs must move according to the commuter's desire. Traffic police and sergeants must take extra care for it and take necessary steps to implement it.No CNG; no rickshaw will be allowed to wait in a particular place for long. This situation goes on in big cities like London and Beijing. No taxi cab stand in a particular place for long. Fair should be fixed by the authorities concerned which will be displayed in all the possible and available ways and venues so that all sorts of people can learn it very easily. There will be no haggling and bargaining with the CNG, taxi drivers and rickshaw pullers. Barging with them and their desire not to go without their chosen places cause serious traffic jam and untold miseries to millions of commuters.

Many buses with many stations should be introduced. It will lessen people's dependence on rickshaws and other small and private vehicles. Private vehicles and rickashaws kill much of our limited space of the city. If big and luxurious buses can be introduced, the intensity of traffic jam must be thinner and the people will lost interest in rickshaws because of comfort and cheapness.

All the schools and colleges will have to introduce their own transports for their

students. When many students go to schools and colleges by personal transport and rickshaws , a serious traffic jam occurs around the institutions and its impact influences the adjoining areas of the institutions. Till all the institutions fails manage to manage it,School timing should be changed with the office timing. No rickshaw, CNG, taxi will say 'no' to any student. They must take the students to any school. It is a serious problem I see everyday hundreds of guardians stand beside the road with their kids to request the rickshaws and CNGs with much tension as school gates will be closed. During the examinations the situation goes further worse. The authorities must give a serious thought to this point.

To implement these points and things, we do not need extra expenditure but some concerted efforts.

For the last several years Dhaka city has experienced some good city bus service with ticket counters stationed in various spots of the city. It's far better than picking up passengers whenever and wherever they like. Passengers enjoy this facility very much and have lessened the burden and dependence of rickshaws. But some peculiar things sometimes happen. To ease the traffic jam, traffic police sometimes removes these bus counters on the plea that they cause problems to the pedestrians and traffic jam. Actually, these ticket counters offer much civic facilities to the city dwellers. Ticket counters because a little bit problems to the pedastrians, it's true but its return is greater than this little problem. So, these counters should not be abolished under any false pretext. This kind of bus service makes the people civic and disciplined. This culture has been imported from western countries just several years back. We must extend this facility throughout the city.

Every year traffic jam claims national loss amounting to 15000 taka and 4000 happen every year. In order to find their real solution, both long term and short term measures must be taken. But long term strategy will claim a huge expenditure which becomes really beyond our means. But short term could be implemented employing much less expenditure and effort. Let us try to implement the suggested measures through our concerted efforts.

Opinion: The feeling of being proud

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

THE national flag of a country goes up slowly in the middle of thousands of spectators. A proud citizen of that country sheds tears looking at the flag while singing the country's National Anthem. His hand is on his chest.

The world watched this scene more than once during past few weeks. It was during the Olympic Games. That was the strongest positive feeling one can have for his or her Motherland. It is loyalty towards Motherland, mother tongue and native-ness we are going to talk about today. Bangladesh is being listed today as one of the developing countries with some its people having no loyalty towards our Motherland, mother tongue and nativity.

The majority of Bangladesh is still poor. Many other countries which became Independent in 1971 or before or after have overtaken Bangladesh. Bangladesh cannot be proud of her progress when compared with other countries which got independence at the same time and before or after. We have to point a finger at ourselves for this pathetic situation. The main reason for this setback is our colonial mentality and lack of love and loyalty towards Bangladesh.

At least we have the chance to admit it now and in the past we were not able to admit this. How many of us sing our National Anthem in public? How many of us have a National Flag at our homes and how many of us raise it on 16th December and 26th March? How many of us know what our National Sport is? How many schoolchildren know who the father of Nation is? We cannot be proud of this situation. We have very positive signs today.

Different projects and programmes have been launched to promote local products and services. Promoting Bangladesh at the international level, gaining positions in international organizations, showing our talents in international events have been initiated. But this is not adequate to climb the ladder. We need to be real Bangladeshis who are really proud of our country and ourselves.

Schoolchildren should be educated on the importance of safeguarding their Motherland. We have to take a good look at Japan, China, Korea and similar other countries. They are in some of the most powerful positions in the world today.

If we carefully study the difference between those countries and Bangladesh, we can point out some major differences. The citizens of those countries value their country more than anything else in the world. All of the citizens are ready to die for their country at any time. They are proud to be the citizens of their respective country.

What we do as Bangladeshis? We try to speak 'Banglish' all the time. A person, who goes abroad for a few days, tries to pretend that he cannot speak proper Bengali. Being late is usual here and being punctual is something abnormal. The majority of people always think about how to destroy things and persons and not to protect anything or anyone. They throw garbage on roads and destroy buses, trains by cutting seats, removing parts etc. They rob public properties.

They hate to be in a queue. In developed countries if there are even two persons waiting to obtain a service or anything they wait in a queue. They willingly wait in queues even to obtain a token. No fuss at all. No wonder these countries climb up the ladder passing Bangladesh. We have to change these characteristics immediately.

We should be proud of speaking in proper Bengali, love Bangladesh, its resources and natural beauties. The time of being united to vote for Cox's Bazar and the Sundarnabs has arrived to consolidate the Bengali identity in the world. If we can win the positions of Cox's Bazar and the Sundarbans as 2 wonders among Seven Natural Wonders, we can easily establish our identity in the world. Let's promise to love our Motherland: Bangladesh ever.