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Sidelights from Conversation with the Finance Minister; a Gentle Side of Sheikh Hasina: and Some Tins for Autograph Collectors

MY WORLD

S. M. Ali
THE success,of our “Conversation" pieces lies tn The Daily Star team being able to ask Its questions freely, without too much of advance preparation, and. what's more, in the interviewee providing his or her responses with the same freedom as wc use in conducting the exercise.
We have no problem in following these groundrules with our politicians — with those we have met so far anyway — who arc pleased to see their views reported extensively 1n direct narration. Instead of being abridged drastically. It is always a bit of a shock to a politician to see his or her three-page long speech being reduced to two paragraphs and published on the bottom of an Inside page of a newspaper. When the same politician becomes a minister, the treatment of the three-page long speech Improves considerably, but, I suspect, it Is still below the expectation of the person concerned.
Whatever Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman expected out of his "Conversation" with The Dally Star, which, as we had alerted him, would get a full-page treatment, his cooperation turned the exercise Into a success, as you can judge from the piece published elsewhere In today's paper.
The best part of the exercise was that if we. from The Dally Star, did not run out of questions, the Minister had virtually inexhaustible replies which came promptly — often a little too promptly — leaving me wondering If our questions had been little too naive, little too simple for a finance minister — any finance minister — of Bangladesh.
As expected. Minister's replies were not without some Saifur Rahman-type expressions which were either too forthright or a little abrasive, making me recall a remark he had recently made to the London Economist that none of his cabinet colleagues understood market economy and that the Prime Minister was his only supporter.
During his conversation with us. he did not go that (ar — frankly speaking, I wish, he did — but he kept referring to other ministries as "line ministries" (whatever that might mean), although he stopped short of describing the Ministry of Finance as the pivotal one, the centre-piece of the whole administration. Of course, as you will read in the report, he had no hesitation in criticising the so-called line ministries for being too slow In using their development funds — "Money is no probk-m", he said once, repeating an expression from one of the statements of the late president
Ziaur Rahman — blasted the private sector for Its " failures" and criticised the government for being too large, expensive and cumbersome.
After listening to the Finance Minister for over an hour. I could see why 11 is said that the growing resentment Saifur Rahman has evoked among politicians is in sharp contrast to his rising popularity among Ihc no-nonsense technocrats of aid agencies and that for every friend he wins, he turns two old admirers Into his adversaries.
At the end of our meeting, I complimented the Finance Minister for being most forthright
sheer politeness, and did me the honour of signing their books.
What pleased me was that our youngsters — nun'>c fewer than in our student days — still coll- ■ t autographs and perhaps even stamps and old coins, contrary to my fear that these wonderful hobbies have disappeared in this age of videos.
After all these decades, I recall my own autograph-hunting and stamp-collecting days with nostalgia, even with a touch of pride.
What made my autograph-collecting hobby into an exciting exercise was that I went for
and articulate. "Thal Is your strength - and your problem," 1 added and, Indeed, meant what I said.
* * *
THE other day. I enjoyed the unexpected privilege of signing as many as three autograph books of young students of a local women's college, all smartly dressed as cadets and acting as guards at the concluding session of the seminar on "Women and Politics”. The meeting was organised by "Women for Women." The honour shown to me took me a bit by surprise — after all, I am no celebrity of any sort — and all I could do was Just to sign my name in Bangla, without any sermon. Surely, I could have at least said, "Read The Daily Star every day."
Why was I shown this unexpected honour? I got the answer rather slowly.
Invited to the concluding session of the seminar as the "Guest of Honour", as distinct from the Chief Guest (CG) and Special Guest (SG). whatever the differences may be. I sat on the dais, next to the Awami League chairperson Sheikh I lasina, the Chief Gu^st. As ft often happens when a Journalist and a politician sit together, there was the inevitable whispered conversation, seemingly highly confidential but of little consequence, or news value as such.
So. after getting the autograph of Sheikh Hasina, the three girls turned to me, out of
writers, poets,and painters. I made them either write a few lines or draw a sketch for me. So many of them readily obliged.
I was still in my teens when 1 got a page of my autograph book filled by a poem by Jasimuddin, an original one written especially for me. It was also a beautiful one which I read many times and learnt it by heart. After all these years, 1 can still recite it word for word, which I will do one day for Jasimuddin's daughter Hasna Moudud or any of the close relatives of the late poet.
Then, a few years later. I paid a visit to Santlnikcton and. without any appointmcnt.walkcd into the house where the great artist, Nandalal Basu lived.
I was luckily enough to find him In the living room, sitting all by himself. 1 took off my shoes, entered the room and bowed to the artist who, due to his old age. then received few visitors. I certainly had the right approach.
"Sir. will you please draw something for my autograph book?" I asked a little hesitantly, without appearing to be asking for a favour.
Basu took my autograph book and drew a sketch of two Santal girls plucking some fruits from a tree, a common enough sight in Santiniketon. And then signed ft.
Eventually, I got a few other artists to draw sketches or simple line drawings in my precious little autograph book. It was indeed precious — and I lost ft together with several letters of Uncle Mujtaba AH. during my travels
through Southeast Asia.
So, here is an idea for autograph collectors. Turn your simple hobby Into something exciting, something creative, and you will have a treasure In your possession.
♦ • •
DURING the concluding session of the seminar organised by "Women for
Women", we had a rare glimpse of a gentle side of Sheikh I lasina, the Chief Guest at the function.
I am told that like the BNP leader, Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury who had opened the seminar two days earlier. Hasina had a signal from the organisers to avoid a partisan approach and to discuss the role of women tn politics, without being involved in local power struggle between the two major parties.
The Awami League leader accepted the signal and I must say. did a very good Job when she delivered her address.
Hasina spoke about problems facing women and specifically about what the country should do to promote literacy among our mothers and sisters, without making any criticisms of the government policies.
Then, speaking extempore, she started talking about herself, how she grew up in a political atmosphere as a school student, knowing at the back of her mind that one day she would be a worker for the Awami League. Speaking slowly, almost in a conversational lone, she said how she became involved in bringing up her children and political activities were pushed to the background.
Then, after a pause she referred to some "tragic Incidents" in her life — she was talking about the killing of her father, without using such works as assassination or murder — which brought her back to politics.
It was here that she made a statement that she had probably never before made from a platform. She said. "Some tragic incidents In our lives, tn mine, and of Begum Khaleda Zia and Mrs Banda mike of Sri Lanka brought us to politics and put us at the heads of our political parties, an unforeseen development that we were not ready for."
The Awami League leader thus came as close as possible to saying that none of the three was equipped to face up to the challenge produced by unexpected but tragic incidents in their respective lives.
I complimented Hasina on her speech when she relumed to her scat. She responded with a smile. It was a gracious smile.