The New Nation - Internet Edition

Way to the election

LESS than seven weeks are to go before the eagerly awaited parliamentary elections to form a new government. All expectations appear to be centring on the surety of holding the election addressing various problems, generally speaking. Rejection by the High Court of the writ petitions challenging the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies paved the way for the announcement of the election schedule yesterday by the Chief Election Commissioner. But challenges remain because the two sides of the broad political divide still remain poles apart about some issues relevant to the holding of the elections.

While the Awami League and its allies welcomed the High Court decision and also the announcement of the schedules, the BNP and its allies did not spell out a reaction. A meeting called by the BNP-led alliance last night was adjourned till today. The BNP and its alliance partners have very recently sharply criticised the Election Commissioners for some of their utterances. After yesterday's High Court Division bench's decision, some of their leaders reportedly looked forward to announcement of schedule in consultation with political leaders. The Election Commission, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief that it had the opportunity to announce the schedules on the date set earlier.

From what came out through statements from leaders of both the major parties and their alliance partners in recent weeks it was clear that all of them wanted the elections to be held on December 18 for a transition to democracy. The Election Commission has responded to the demand of the major parties relating to Upazila elections shifting it by four days. With the schedules now announced the commission as well as the parties should play responsible roles to make the whole exercise a success. The less the commission engages is controversy the better.

Blame game would benefit none

BANGLADESH has dismissed an allegation that a Bangladesh-based extremist group was involved in the recent serial bomb blasts in Assam in which 77 persons were killed and about 300 others injured. Such mindless killing of people is very shocking. Terming the killing a cowardly act of terrorism, the Bangladesh government condemned the incident and expressed deep sympathy for the victims. But a section of Indian media brought the above allegation without producing any evidence. A similar allegation was hurled against Bangladesh also in the recent past.

It is known to all that there has been a heightened racial tension in the Indian State of Assam since the 1970s. The racial hatred often flares up into bloody clashes between Assamese people and the Bangla speaking settlers. In an ethnic clash in October at least 55 people were killed and over two lakh others displaced. Thousands of people reportedly died in separatist violence in the past decade in the region. Bomb blasts have become a public security threat also in Bangladesh since the closing years of the nineties. The security forces here managed to track down some of those responsible for making and exploding bombs. A number of them have been given capital punishment. It was hinted that such elements had foreign sponsors.

While not elaborating more on this, it can possibly be said with sufficient justification that Bangladesh has no territorial ambition to fulfil by engaging terrorists to destabilise the north-eastern states of India. Then what could be the purpose of the alleged involvement of Bangladeshi nationals in the attack! Analysis of the developments in Assam and elsewhere in India probably points to the need for going deep into the causes behind those bomb-blasts to find realistic solutions. There is nothing to gain from blaming a friendly neighbouring country, which cannot afford to be in a state of war with its surrounding states.

Give me the proof and I will act

Dr. M. S. Haq

Yesterday (01 November 2008), a spokesperson for ministry of foreign affairs - Bangladesh - outright dismissed some reports in the Indian media alleging involvement of a Bangladesh-based extremist group in the recent serial bombings in Assam. The spokesperson added "this is no time for finger pointing without proof". In the contemporary period, it has been observed the above or similar type of statement - as at least the first official response to media reports of above or similar nature - are being shared as applicable with world people in a somewhat routinely fashion by for example, South Asian governments such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

One of the questions here is: how much useful, harmful, effective and ineffective those reports and responses are when it comes to for example, taking the war on terror seriously by what I would call victim countries - I mean on account of terrorism and extremism - and channeling efforts, in a productive manner, towards winning the war at the soonest and at minimum costs. An attempt to answering the question would reveal several things of different dimensions - for example.

1. The reports could act as an eye opener for all concerned and could be considered as useful products of investigative journalism by those concerned (to mention a few) if the cause, effect and causality of events that led to those reports are based on say, a quarter of the truth or a half truth or a full truth - as appropriate.

On the other hand, if the reports are based on false premises, the outcome of reports could be instrumental in inter alia: creating, sustaining, spreading and promoting (as appropriate) - with or without any ulterior motive - confusions, misunderstandings and tensions between and among for example, victim countries in relevant areas. A windfall from the development could - inter alia and in varying degrees and subject to intervening, as well as other variables - help promote, in an incremental fashion or otherwise, negative mindsets of concerned governments and people when it comes to subjects such as, war on terror, help create environments polluted by accusation, counter accusation and mistrust, help promote grounds for misdirected and ill conceived policies, programs and strategies pertaining to or connected with say, war on terror, help divert, at least for a time being, the concerned states' scarce resources including opportunities to unproductive sectors, help attempt to prioritize non-competing local, national, global and other priorities, help politicize and commercialize journalism for destructive or similar purposes, help divide say, people of the region, and help redefine and restructure comparative, competitive and other advantages of concerned states and people.

2. A continually increasing frequency of reports based on false premises could inter alia be instrumental in promoting eventually a global journalistic order focusing on for example: (a) fooling the world by misusing or abusing (or both) the power of journalism, as well as ICT in overall pursuits of grabbing opportunities of weak states and weak people by depriving them of their legitimate entitlements; and enabling concerned world countries to play - in a more solid and decisive fashion than that at present - the game of confusion-led competitiveness in domains of war, peace, economics, trade and investment, among other things.

On the other hand, a continually increasing frequency of reports based on truth - either in part or in full - could be instrumental in inter alia: enabling world people to enjoy, sustain and promote benefits of present day civilization in a more purposeful and satisfactory manner than that at present; and establishing, as well as maintaining grounds solid enough for withstanding thrusts of on going uncertainties in pertinent areas of intra-generational and inter-generational transfers, per se. It will not be out of place to mention here: the effort of world people, governments, UN, OIC, SAARC, ASEAN, World Bank, EU and concerned others needs to be stepped up further for attracting, harnessing, promoting and recycle maximum opportunities of present day civilization for all on a per capita basis and in a sustainable manner.

3. Government statements of above and similar nature appear to me, among other things and at this point in time, a product of naïve realism, a product missing drastically elements of objectivity, maturity, logic and practicality, a product that does reflect a bureaucratic tendency towards taking serious things lightly and light things seriously, and a product that could do, both at present and in the future, more harm than good to concerned people and governments. How could a government afford to outright dismiss reports, especially, reports of above nature, of the media in the absence of at least some kind of proof in support of dismissing the reports? What were acceptable reasons for dismissing the reports? How could the government - after dismissing the reports - ask for proof? What a contradiction? Is it not a deliberate attempt on the part of government to hide the truth from say, ordinary world people unless the government has got something in its possession that is, at present, beyond the knowledge of those people, per se? Are acts of government in pertinent areas a part of leisurely games played by it at the cost of tax payers' money? What are the real motives and how are those motives shaping for example, present day international relations and politics at local, national, global and other levels?

The last word: Why can not we say, we require proof? Why can not we say, we will act upon receipt of proof? Why can not we wait - for a reasonable period of time - for proof before dismissing the report? Why can not we demonstrate to world people our openness and cooperation - at higher levels than those at present - needed for liberating or protecting (or both) Bangladesh and others (including inter alia the US, Pakistan and India), in a sustainable manner, from say, terrorism and extremism?

There are, at present, few things to hide from world people in an increasingly borderless and technologically advanced universe. Further, just-in-time and balanced reciprocal relationships between transparency and accountability and vice versa in areas say, governance - including inter alia state security management - constitute essentially part of initial conditions for success in pertinent areas in an ever competitive world.

Islamic University of Technology-a centre of engineering education

Abu Bakr Siddique

To day is Monday, 3rd November, 2008 - the day of Twenty Second Convocation of Islamic University of Technology (IUT), at Board Bazar, Gazipur. Dr, Fakhruddin Ahmed, Honorable Chief Adviser of the Care-taker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh will be the chief guest and will award the Diplomas (details given below) to some 223 successful students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Gambia, Indonsesia, Libya, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen.

M,Sc in TE -11, PGDTE -02, B.Sc in TE, 2 Years 09, 1 Year 16, Diploma in TE 09, M.Sc in CIT 01, B.Sc in CIT 41, HD in CIT 12, M. Sc in MCE 01, B.Sc in MCE 41, HDME 06, B.Sc in EEE 69, HDEE 05 Total 223

Historically speaking, at initial stage, the University was born as Islamic Centre for Technical Vocational Training & Research (ICTVTR) establish following a proposal in the 8th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) held in Tripoli, Libya in May 12-14, 1977 and subsequent approval of the proposal in the 9th ICFM held in Dakar in April, 1978 to establish the Centre in Dhaka Bangladesh as a subsidiary organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The then Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh had given 30 acres of land at Board Bazar, Gazipur- some 30 miles north of Dhaka for the Centre. The foundation stone of the Centre was laid on 27 March, 1981 by H.E Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman in presence of H.E Yasseer Arafat, the then Chairman of PLO, H.E. Mr. Habib Chatty, the then Secretary General of OIC and a host of dignitaries both from home and abroad. Dr. Rafiquddin Ahmad, former Professor of BUET was appointed as the first Director in 1979 and had served the centre successfully till 30th April, 1987. Under his able guidance and untiring efforts, the construction work was completed by 1986 and all other preliminary requirements were fulfilled to commence the first Academic Session (1986-87) with three Department viz, ITS, EEE & MCE Departments. Dr, A.M Patwari, then Vice-Chancellor of BUET had joined the Centre as the next director (later on redesignated as Director General) on 01 May, 1987 and had served the Centre till 30th April, 1999. Under his dynamic leadership, Academic programme and other extra-curricular activities got renewed momentum. On his bold initiative, the centre was upgraded and renamed as Islamic Institute of Technology (IIT) following approval of his proposal for the integrated B.Sc. Engineering Courses by studying one more year for the Higher Diploma holders (3 years' duration) in Engineering on payment basic for the last one year in the 22nd ICFM held at Casablanca, Morocco in 10-11 December, 1994. It was indeed his monumental achievement, leaving only one step forward for the Centre to be University. Dr. M. Anwar Hossain, Professor of MCE Department, IIT became the next Director General on 1 May, 1999 and had served the Institute till 04 January, 2003. He did the final job. On his restles endeavour, the 28th ICFM held at Demco, Mari in 23-27 June, 2001 had declared the Institute as the Islamic University of Technology (JUT). Thus from a modest beginning as ICTVTR in 1981, the Centre had gradually climbed its climax- a long cherished goal as the full fledged University named Islamic University of Technology (JUT) in June, 2001 within a span of only 20 years. A glorious achievement indeed : (i) H.E. Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had laid the Foundation on 27 March, 1981. (ii) Dr. Rafiquddin Ahmed had built the buildings and fulfilled all the requirements by 1986 to commence the first academic session 1986-87. (iii) Dr. A.M. Patwari had paved the way in December, 1994 to lead the centre to be University (iv) Dr. M. Anwar Hossain had secured the ultimate goal in June, 2001. All deserve special thanks and due recognition for their contribution and achievement.

Prof Dr. M. Fazle Elahi- a dedicated academic personality and Professor of the MCE Department IIT became the next full-fledged Vice-Chancellor of IUT on January 05, 2003 and had served the University till 31 March, 2008. During his tenure, most of his time was consumed to consolidate the academic and research programme and to update the Rules and Regulations as required for the newly upgraded University as per international norm. A new Department named "Civil & Environmental Engineering" was incorporated to begin from the academic session January, 2009. On 01 April, 2008, Prof Dr. Imtiaz Hossain-a dedicated Professor from BUET has joined the IUT as its present Vice-Chancellor. It is expected that under his able guidance, the University will march forward with due pomp and prosperity.

From the academic session beginning from January, 2009, the University will offer the following Courses:

(i) M.Sc. in Technical Education: PGDTE: B.Sc in Technical Education:

Diploma in Technical Education for professional personnel.

(ii) M.Sc &, B.Sc in MCE, EEE, Computer Science & Information Technology (CIT) and Civil & Environment Engineering.

(iii) One year integrated course in B.Sc Engineering for 3 years' Higher Diploma holders in Engineering.

(iv) Higher Diploma in MCE & EEE.

Medium of instruction is in English. In addition to regular courses, Arabic Language, Islamiat, Islamic History and Culture are taught, Some short courses with specialisation in some subject-fields, seminars, workshops etc at national and International levels are held time to time. All the ITS & Higher Diploma Courses are free. The expenses of these courses are subsidised by the contribution of the OIC Member States. Other courses invole fees payable in US Dollars fixed by the authorities at the time of admission. Students are not admitted direct but their applications are chanelled though the Governments of the OIC Member States. In Bangladesh, it is channeled through Ministry of Education. Applications are invited in September and admission is completed by December in every year. Academic session begins from January of the calendar year. Academic programme is given at the beginning of the academic session.

Islamic University of Technology (IUT) is the unique highest seat of learning in Science & Technology in Bangladesh. It stands as a vivid symbol of Islamic solidarity and joint Islamic action of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). It also stands for Muslim unity, brotherhood and fellowship. Students gather here from some 52 OIC Member States in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation and exchange their ideas in a cordial international atmosphere. Turkish Architect had designed the structure keeping in mind of inherent tradition of Islamic Art, Architecture and Culture. The main ceremonial entrance gate to the complex- an imposing pointed arched gateway portrays Five Fundaments as a tribute to Islam. The whole complex viz academic and administrative buildings, auditorium, mosque, dormitories, workshop, students center, gymnasium, library, laboratory, cafetaria, staff quarters and even open spacious court and roads is meticulously built of attractive red bricks. Academic and research pragramme are modelled as per international academic norm. Environment is exceptionally congenial for pursuit of higher education and research. Best teachers and scholars in their respective subject fields are recruited. Laboratory and library facilities are unique and so are other extra curricular amenities. It is completely residential University. So no political turmoil, Hartal etc can disrupt the academic programme. Session jot (jam) is an unknown phenomena. Admission, Academic Session, Examinations and even Annual Sports and Convocation are held in due time. Bangladesh is indeed proud to host this international highest seat of learning in its soil.

Admission controversy in public universities

M Khiarul Hasan

The recent controversy over the imposition of conditions to qualify students for admission tests by several departments of the public universities has gained momentum flavors to discuss whether it is rational or illogical.

Introduction of the requirements for the admission tests is an usual academic practice not only for the public universities but one can witness such practice in other academic or job recruitment tests also in a bid to enrolling quality and competent persons at the respective institutions. The new requirements are welcomed if those are introduced to justify the real qualifications to the admission seekers. But those are manipulated to keep away a section of students from contesting the admission tests; those are to be treated as an apple of discord. Now, it is high time to look into whether those new requirements are fabricated or well planed?

Every year hundreds and thousands of students pass HSC and equivalent examinations from the nine educational board of Bangladesh, but a little number of students from them get opportunity to admit into public universities, treated as dream to every admission seekers.

The admission seekers have to fight a hectic competition to win a seat at his/her desired university by employing the highest merit as well all academic excellencies. Not only his/her tests performance is enough for admission but also his/her GPA secured in the SSC and HSC examinations are inevitable to get support in the admission process.

A total of highest 22,00,45 students secured GPA-5 in the HSC and Alim examination this year from some 7,31,736 students appeared under nine educational boards.

Of them the Madrassa board grab the highest position in pass rate. But only more than twenty thousand student would be enrolled in all public universities including national university.

The admission tests are knocking at the door to every admission seekers giving no spheres to relax or thinking else without admission battle.

But it is a matter of great regret that a section of the students are seen at the university campus or elsewhere to raise their voice for ensuring their participation in the admission battle.

HSC equivalent-Alim--students passed from Madrassa board, one of the nine educational boards under the Education ministry of Bangladesh, are to expense their valuable last time to ensure their position whether they could contest the admission tests at their desired departments in the public universities.

We know that several departments in the public universities especially seven social science departments of the Dhaka University (DU) introduced new requirements asking conditions of studying 200 marks in Bangla and English separately in the HSC or equivalent levels to take part in the admission tests. This issue begets a lot controversies and confusions in the minds of the conscious personalities about the mentality of the authorities of the universities, the highest academic seats of the country.

Now it is a common asking of the conscious people why the new requirement only for Madrassa students, who secured their HSC level result from one of the nine boards of the education ministry. It is commonly claimed that the Madrassa students are being deprived from their legal rights given by the state.

The university authority is seemingly dishonoring the state law in the name of university autonomy act 1973. If the state provides all opportunities to the Madrassa students in other recruiting fields like Public Service Commission, so why the universities would not give chance to them to display their competency in the name of so called requirements. If this requirement is the process to assess the standard of Madrassa students, so firstly the syllabus of the Madrassa board should be revised and modernised with the demands of the present situation. But the meritorious students should not be kept away from applying their merit in the admission contests.

It is an easy equation that if the Madrassa students are less meritorious or less know they ultimately cast away from the admission process. On the other hand, if they can show their competencies in the admission tests they must have jurisdictional rights to get admission in their desired departments.

In this context, I can mentioned that the High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the Dhaka University authorities to explain in a week why its impugned rules debarring Alim passed Madrassa students from admission test in seven departments "should not be declared illegal and void".

To conclude, I can say the university authorities should show their great heartedness giving the Madrassa students the chance to contest in the admission battle considering their efforts and academic qualifications as well as paying honor to the state Constitution.

Our prime mission and ultimate goal should be to build a prospect and developed country where every citizen will get his/her due rights. We should work together shoulder with shoulder for the progress of the country and betterment for countrymen being ignorant about race, sect, religion and community. Our sole identity should be 'Bangladeshi people'.

(The writer is an MA student and President of Jahangirnagar University Journalists Association (JUJA) E-mail: hasan. khairul@gmail.com )