The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ramzan and traffic madness

A MEETING was called by the Chief Adviser himself before the start of the month of Ramzan to address the issue of traffic jam. Besides discussing long-term plans of traffic management, the meeting also examined what could be done during the holy month to minimise people's sufferings. Members of the traffic wing of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were present at the meeting. The traffic wing later unfolded its plans to better manage the traffic during the month. The same included posting more traffic policemen at traffic intersections to keep order on the roads and traffic movement at a reasonable level of ease.

But all the plans and promises have gone haywire. Traffic gridlocks are now turning out to be too menacing and tormenting for the residents of the city. Progressively traffic movement conditions in the city have turned from bad to worse. At many places traffic gets held up motionlessly for more than half an hour or so. Thus, a destination to arrive at in twenty minutes needs at least one and half hours. Needless to say, the horrendous traffic jams cause great hardships to people who are fasting. Many people are known to be falling ill as a result. They cannot avoid going out because the Eid festival is nearing.

The sufferers have this view that the jams are largely uncalled for ones. Large scale political disturbances leading to road blockading activities are not going on in the city. Marches, rallies, etc., that lead to jams are not noted. Thus, it is apparent that it is only the failure of the DMP's traffic wing to enforce their earlier plans which is causing the traffic madness. Only better traffic policing can bring about quick changes in the situation.

Adapting to climate change

THE southern part of the country has turned vulnerable to natural calamities. It is reported in the press, that tidal surges have inundated Patuakhali as well as the sea-shores beside Chittagong Port. Coastal areas of Bangladesh are frequently affected by tidal surges that damage homes and standing crops. Ships in port areas and boats are damaged or sunk. The recent flooding of coastal zones have turned quite devastating for people in those areas. The people have not only lost their homes but also turned vulnerable to different water-borne diseases. They find it difficult to find food for themselves and their children. The recent tidal floodings have affected ten lakh people. Crops on farmlands have been damaged with ultimate loss to the economy.

As it is, the tidal surges and floods are becoming move frequent and destructive. Scientists believe they are due to global warming that has raised sea-levels. Experts dealing with environmental issues have urged global actors and national governments to adopt corrective measures and prepare plans for adaptation to floodings and tidal surges. Due to frequent floodings and tidal surges in the recent months crops on around twenty-three thousand acres of land have been damaged. The inundated lands total over three lakh twenty-seven acres in the southern zones.

Along with that, around two thousand kilometres of roads, one hundred and ten kilometres of dams as well as four hundred educational and religious institutions have been damaged. Government agencies and members of local communities have to take preventive and corrective measures. Donors appear to be interested in helping Bangladesh to take up adaptation strategies to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and sea level rise. Their support should be optimally utilised to live with manmade disasters to which the people of the country has little contribution.

Some thoughts about the election of 2008

M.T. Hussain

At last the election date for the 9th Bangladesh Parliament was announced by the Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmad in a TV (Radio as well) address on the 20th September 2008 to be held on the 18th December this year followed by the Upazila or local government ones in two phases on the 24th and the 28th. The announcement of the date for the parliament election, in particular, has brought some positive and few negative reactions from quarters interested in the political matter of crucial national importance. I have specific reading on the issue.

Despite the harsh realities and suspense that ran for nearly two years since the end of 2006 that led now to the announcement of the date for the next parliament election, and despite some hope for reconciliation of scores between two major contending parties, the Jote and the Mahajote have been busy shaping naturally for their individual strategies with issue-based rhetoric likely to be popular in the perception of the people in distinctly divided groups, one or the other. To me the core dividing issues may fall into what our forefathers had in 1940s.

The anti-British movement for independence from the foreign shackle of the Raj though started soon after the British East India Company got hold of the independent Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1757 from Nawab Seraj Ud Daowla based at capital Murshidabad, it took nearly two centuries of long drawn struggle to rid the British off from the colonial control in 1947. The initial struggles for independence of the people in this country had neither been organizationally integrated nor been constitutionally lawful until the British Government based in London provided for the Indian Administrative Act of 1935. The first provincial election held under the Act in 1936 based on the separate electorate shaped perceptional difference and identity of the people of Bengal, in particular, for personalities like A.K. Fazlul Haq, Huseyn Shaheed Sohrawardy and Khawja Nazimuddin leading for long one decade the administration of Bengal as Premiers in turn, one after another, nothing acting in communal way but marginally promoting the Muslims who fell backward for nearly two centuries to come up gradually at per with the already advanced elite Hindu community who took all advantages of the English education, landed properties, learned vocations, professions, business etc. Such marginal promotional help for the disadvantaged Muslims, however, was unpalatable to the elite Hindus for they took such marginal favor as undue ones that they thought challenged their vested interests. As a result the Bengal Muslims had to think in terms of their own that brought the Muslim League in forefront and soon rose to the height of popularity. At one stage the KSP (KRISAK SRAMIK PROJA PARTY) stalwart AK Fazlul Haq had to leave KSP and took full allegiance and membership of the All India Muslim League. Thus Bengal got divided into two major communities, Hindus and Muslims. The 1946 election was fought by the Muslim League as a referendum for separate entity and an independent country comprising the Muslim majority areas of the British Indian provinces. The Muslims responded overwhelmingly for the idea set in the 1940 Lahore Resolution. Bengal was thus to become along with Assam an independent country in 1947. But the British and the Hindu vested interests represented by the Congress bombarded the issue just as they did in 1911 by forcing the British to agree to annul the new Muslim majority province of East Bengal and Assam created not to favor the Muslims but merely for administrative ease and expediency by the then British government, and that was ill perceived by the Calcutta (now Kolkata) based Hindu elite as a threat to their vested interests in economic and political matters. The unfortunate annulment had its reaction in permanent division leading to the partition of India in 1947 between the two major communities, Hindus and Muslims (See, Dr. Matiur Rahman, From Consultation to Confrontation: A Study of the Muslim League in British Indian Politics, 1906 -1912).

Following the 1946 election, the Congress stood to divide Bengal on the basis of regional Hindu- Muslim majority smaller units, West Bengal being Hindu majority districts from East Bengal being Muslim majority region. Sohrawardy and Abul Hashem along with a lone broad minded Hindu leader Sarat Bose opposed the division of Bengal. Not only this. They stood to keep Bengal united and independent of both Pakistan and India that were to realize soon. Though Muslim League President M A. Jinnah nodded Sohrawardi to go ahead for Independent Bengal (See H.V. Hodson, The Great Divide) but the Congress and the Hindu Mahasava opposed tooth and nail the proposed independent Greater Bengal. They mobilized Hindu public opinion for the division (Shila Sen, Muslim Politics in Bengal 1937-47 and Joya Chatterjee, Bengal Divided) that the British in their harakiri to leave their Raj here through announcing the 1947 3rd June Plan for division of British India into two units and grant independence to both as India and Pakistan. The vulnerable East Bengal thus had no option but to join the Federation of Pakistan in August 1947. The Congress and the Hindu Mahasava leaders Nehru, Patel, Shyma Prasad etc let the truncated and moth eaten East Bengal to join Pakistan that in their estimation would soon fail to continue like that and then be forced in no time to join the mother West Bengal and the Indian union sooner than latter (See, Nehru's letter dated 23 May 1947 addressed to Ashrafuddin Chowdhury of Tipperah/Comilla Congress). The 1971 episode was mainly directed from their side to that end. But the heroic and freedom loving people of Bangladesh did successfully resist the pressure for the last four decades, despite enormous pressure and all round hegemony (See, M.T. Hussain, Bangladesh: Victim of Black Propaganda, Intrigue and Indian Hegemony ) in terms of cultural intrusion from across the geographical border, economic dominance, flexing of muscles all along the border nearly 2,500 kms., throttling 53 river water flows in the upstream during lean season flouting all international norms and conventions ( See, M Rafiqul Islam, The Ganges Water Dispute) and releasing larger volumes down the rivers during rainy season causing recurring damages each year of billons of dollars (See, B.M Abbas, The Ganges Water Dispute, Leif Ohlsson, ed., Hydropolitics, and M.T. Hussain, India's Farakka Barrage: Cold Blooded Murder of Bangladesh), keeping maritime boundary unsettled for four decades and keeping forcibly occupied the Talpatti (India's New Moore) island of Bangladesh along the Hariabhanga river in the Bay of Bengal, etc.

The most unfortunate matter is that the issues mentioned above that remained unsettled and of life and death question for Bangladesh are only contested by the nationalist parties born or revived after the 1975 August/ November revolutions and hardly by others. It is thus reminiscent of the past failed history of 1905-11 of our forefathers, the 1946-47 evil machination of others against Bengal's unity and independence, Delhi's realization of hegemonic interests in the 1971 war, and now the clearly seen vicious scenario for appeasing the Indian hunger for absolute hegemony for what they dream for the utopia of AKHANDA BHARAT or re-establishing epical Ramrajya in the re-united India, if not in total reality but in essence, by the same group or the Mohajote in the upcoming 18th December general election of 2008. The patriotic nationalists Jote has thus to set clear positive strategies for the next poll to contain not only the hegemonic Indians but also effectively face up to their all time continuing lackeys and faithful of the Indian Central Intelligence Agency, the RAW, based in Bangladesh in various colors and shades.

Is Pakistan next on the neocon agenda?

Aijaz Zaka Syed

Back home in the sub-continent, they say you should always stay away from the cops; their friendship as well as adversity is bad for one's health. I am reminded of the advice as the world's chief cop, United States, bombs its allies and friends in Pakistan. With friends like these, do you need any more enemies?

When General Pervez Musharraf had promptly and so enthusiastically recruited Pakistan in America's war after that call from Colin Powell, he had assured his people that this was the only option available to Pakistan. Else, the reasonable General reasoned later, the US would have bombed Pakistan back to the Stone Age.

Fortunately or unfortunately for Pakistan, Musharraf is not around. Otherwise we could have asked the good General why the Coalition of the Willing has suddenly turned on its own. Or is Pakistan no longer part of Bush's divine mission to promote Democracy and Human Dignity in the Muslim world now that Musharraf is out of power? Or have the new, democratic leaders of Pakistan happily surrendered the total control of the Islamic republic to Uncle Sam?

Last week as Asif Ali Zardari joined 'brother Hamid Karzai' in a duet celebrating democracy and the noble War on Terror after his inauguration, the US special forces were going about taking out 'the terrorists' in the Northwest, who surprisingly looked like women and children.

By hosting the Mayor of Kabul - oops, the Afghan President -- as the chief guest at his inauguration, Musharraf's successor left no one in doubt where his priorities lay. But what was rather too much to take even for Zardari's minders was his endless mollycoddling of 'brother Karzai.'

Don't take me wrong. I have nothing against the elegantly dressed Karzai and his ever-ready pearls of wisdom that he proffers from time to time for the benefit of his Western audiences. But he is not exactly the poster boy of democracy in the Muslim world, regardless of what his American friends might think of him. Most Pakistanis love to hate him. General Musharraf might have made a thousand policy blunders but the guy certainly knew how to deal with the likes of Karzai.

But how do Pakistan's new leaders propose to deal with the increasingly demanding friends and allies like the Americans? Pakistan's Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani won the instant gratitude and admiration of his worried people and surprised the world by standing up to the Coalition of the Willing. The reticent General was lustily cheered by the Americans as 'our man' when he took over from Musharraf as the Chief of the Army Staff. There was much talk of his 'Enlightened Moderation' and his positive outlook on the West.

Which was why the Pakistanis were elated to see the General lash out at the Americans promising 'retaliation' if they continued to violate Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Whether the Pakistani Army will really take on America, the leading member of the fabled trinity -- the other two being Allah and Army of course -- is still a hypothetical question.

However, by asserting himself General Kayani articulated the sentiments and aspirations of the nation of 170 million people that has been at the receiving end for some time. More importantly, Kayani has provided the much-needed leadership and sense of direction to his people at one of the most difficult points in the nation's history.

But where are those who are supposed to lead the nation at all times? Where are the champions of democracy and freedom when they are under threat by the friends who are not so friendly?

While the rejuvenated Pakistani media is constantly debating the growing US attacks inside the Pakistani territory protesting against the mounting civilian casualties, the silence of the country's leaders on the issue is deafening. Zardari clumsily evaded all questions about the US incursions at his first Press conference that appeared more like the unveiling of Hamid Karzai. It's been more than a week since he took over as the President. But he has offered no clue as to how the government proposed to deal with the issue. When the same question was raised in London after his meeting with British PM Gordon Brown, he quipped 'there will be no more (attacks).'

It's understandable if Benazir Bhutto's widower finds himself inexorably indebted to Uncle Sam. After all, the US did not play an insignificant role in the turnaround of his fortune. It was the US pressure that persuaded Musharraf to bring in the National Reconciliation Ordinance paving the way for the return of Benazir and Zardari. It was the Bush administration again that pushed Musharraf to shed his uniform and hold elections.

So even though it was the pro-democracy movement pioneered by the lawyers and the media that eventually brought Musharraf down, the man who spent 11 years in the prison on his way to the presidency views Washington as his real benefactor.

Which is why it's doubtful when and if the neocons in their last desperate bid to make the most out of the Bush presidency hit Pakistan, they'll face much resistance from the political leadership.

Having totally wrecked Iraq and Afghanistan over the past seven years, the neocons are looking for fresh targets, new enemies and new territory to sustain the interest of the bored American voters. After the disastrous eight years of the Bush presidency, you would think the Republican would be too embarrassed to ask the voters for another shot at power. But if you can get Bush re-elected after what he unleashed on the Americans and the world in his first term, you can surely get another dummy elected all over again. Even if he is too old to run and doesn't know how to check his e-mail. Even if he is threatening to persist with the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan and open new fronts in Pakistan and Iran.

Right now, the Republicans and neocons are dangerously desperate. They could do anything to keep Barack Hussein Obama out of the White House. And for them, attacking Pakistan is the surest and only way to laugh all the way to the vote bank. Besides, that's where Osama Bin Laden is supposed to be holed up, right?

But who will tell the Bushies that if they hit Pakistan, the shit will really hit the fan. The world's first Muslim nuclear state might have been much abused by the men in khaki and the civvies over the past half a century.

However, it's not the defanged and neutered Iraq of Saddam Hussein. This is a country that has fought three major wars with the giant called India. The US may be the world's greatest military power. But if it attacks Pakistan, all hell will break loose. It will end up turning the whole of Muslim world, from Morocco to Malaysia, into a large battlefield. So much so Saddam's Iraq would look like a long picnic.

(Aijaz Zaka Syed is Opinion Editor of Khaleej Times. The views expressed here are his own. Write to him at aijaz@khaleejtimes.com )

Opinion: Conspiracy surrounding Biman!

Sheikh Monirul Islam

It may sound very unusual, but when you hear from the horse's mouth, the special assistant to the chief adviser of the military backed caretaker government Mr. Mahbub Jamil, and saying that he had no choice but to hand pick a retired Air Commodore from Bangladesh Air Force, who has no experience running a commercial organization…we find it difficult to convince ourselves how correct is this man in decision making? On one hand he tries to justify that Zahed Quddus is definitely a qualified person as CEO of Biman, then again he continues saying that once Biman find a strategic partner, Zahed Quddus will be replaced by a professional CEO as per business policy. This is a very radical and very much self contradictory statement.

Out of ten (10) criteria for selecting a new CEO for Biman this time Air Commodore (Rtd) Zahed Quddus does not even fulfill two (2); on the other hand a very brilliant candidate who applied for the position, Nazmun Noor, not only meet all the ten (10) criteria, he is a MBA from IBA and last served Biman as DGM of its market research wing. He joined Biman as direct executive in the early eighties and was captain of Bangladesh national cricket team fondly known as Robin. It is unfortunate that Biman management did not even find his resume worth of short listing! No matter what people may say, I agree fully with what Dr. Momin said about his correct decision in removing 2000 jobs from Biman employment. It was absolutely a correct decision not only to bring back the efficiency with in the work force; it also helped Biman to recover financially, although many raised questions about the corrupt ones staying onboard remaining virtually un-touched!

Corruption took it's deepest root with in Biman from the time of Ershad and I am in a position to prove how an ex-military officer who was director of engineering at the time, received 7 lac taka as kick back, which he spend at the time to buy an apartment. Millions were looted buying DC-10s, selling F-27s after refurbishing them spending millions; it was all going on as usual business. A group of young businessmen formed a syndicate and Biman was looted left & right, right under the nose of everyone; no one could do anything…such was the mighty of the power! Today it is the same group of people, who has a huge stake to loose if Biman is run professionally, is the biggest block of resistance bringing reforms with in Biman. Once of my closest friend is a member of this syndicate group, which has 14 member and I am sure everyone in the business world know who are they…but they stayed un-touched. Once again such is the mighty of the power of money. I was not surprised when my friend once said as long as we are here, no one will be able to bring reforms to the way Biman is run! By the way my friend mentioned to me that his average income from Biman was 1.2 million US$ every month and that was in the year 1998.

In recent days special task force investigated Biman and unfortunately the report never saw the day light. Rumour has it that people close to the present day government officials are too close to those people, syndicate members are highly connected and shares from the ill gotten resources has been to virtually everyone's pocket; so protecting those people are duty to the loyal ones. National interest has lesser priority!

A/Cmdr (rtd) Zahed Quddus was Chairman of civil aviation (CAAB) and it is during his tenure that ZIA was down graded due to its overall safety record by ICAO. A B707 cargo aero plane, which belonged at the time to a local cargo operator, had an engine failure during take-off, narrowly escaped from disaster…was neither investigated properly, nor anyone punished, why? In recent days ZIA became heaven by many scrupulous cargo operators who has air operator license (AOL) from CAAB who are simply making some quick bucks by merely sailing their call signs. This is a dangerous phenomenon which may become threat to not only our national security; it may bring disaster for CAAB.

Over the year a healthy civil aviation policy formulation was solicited from many professional in the field, but we failed to understand why such moves were not undertaken. Air Operator Licenses were issued by CAAB from time to time and if you closely monitor, you will find no difficulties how these licenses were given to selected group of people. Some time I wonder why we are call third world countries. Only one answer I find, and that is, we as nation are run by third class mentality; otherwise we would not have justify selecting an ex-air force officer to become Chairman of CAAB or MD of Biman, because both are essentially to do with aero-planes!

I heard from reliable sources that weakening Biman is part of a conspiracy by many quarters that make big bucks being agent (GSA) for many international airlines which operates in to our country. Maintaining Biman aircrafts in India is also in the pipeline. Finally, I like to draw the attention of the people who are close to the government or the power centre to look in to these issues with a very open mind and find a solution to correct the mistakes we have done over the years. One thing for sure and I believe everyone will agree that it is the country that must come first…nothing else!