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To the Editor...
"A grand opportunity missed"
Sir, This refers to Mahfuz Anam's commentary entitled "A grand opportunity missed" published on April 1997. Hats off to him for writing such a timely Incisive write-up. Our newspapers seldom play a constructive role in nation-building. Most of them are prone to jumping on the bandwagon and’ playing to the gallery. A very few newspapers come out to speak the unpleasant truth and call a spade a spade. The Daily Star is one of them and he is one of the journalists who has been writing profusely (Wakeup Call to AL, Grand Opportunity Missed, etc.) in The Daily Star to wake up the nation from slumber and to put the nation on its right track. He is the one who has been fearless In detecting the mistakes, follies and foibles of the government.
With a chequered history the Awami League went over with a . bang in the last general election. After 20 years, the party has come to power certainly with an avalanche of workload and commitment to fulfil. History repeats Itself. If Awami League fails to do what is to be done and drop what it is not to be done, the boat the party has floated is certain to sink scuppering any further chance of returning to the helm of state.
I am in agreement with you that the howling victory our brave and daring boys achieved from the Kenyans acquiring a berth in the next World Cup cricket afforded a unique chance for us to forge a national unity through a plenary assembly of all the parties in the civic reception to our herpes. But to our utter surprise what we witnessed at the Manik Miah Avenue was not expected. A spectacular and jubilant event that could usher in an era of national unity and solidarity ended in a parochial and partisan colour and clout. The AL performance at the Manik Miah Avenue appeared that it could claim alone the credit as it happened during its tenure. The partisan spirit dominated the reception. Party slogans, canned music praising Sheikh Mujlb, speeches larded with quotations from Sheikh Mujlb and party chief and colourful banners bearing Mujib's portraits — all these marked the reception gala. Nowhere was it seen that it was a non-party national reception. Prime Minister's recent statement that there were specific reasons behind the arrest of four top ranking BNP leaders and later her failure to substantiate the claim had ultimately brought slight on her personality.
A prime minister Is a pride for a nation. He or she shouldn't say or do anything which she/he doesn't know. A slight mistake of the leadership
can plunge the whole nation into a serious disaster. In the light of the present activities of our leaders, it seems that the wise words of Nelson Mandela have gone unheeded. Our leaders should remember that "you can fool all the people some of the time, some of the people all the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time." It is time AL rose to the occasion if it really means business.
Md Abdul Awal Miah Astatic Society of Bangladesh 5 Old Secretariate Road, Nimtali, Dhaka
Wrong idea
Sir, I read the article written by Mr Shah Hossain Imam on our CHT problems in The Daily Star dated 10-5-97. Let me quote the last part of his writeup — The basic question in the CHT revolves around a colourful indigenous peoples' right to their own culture and traditional way of life. This need to be safeguarded by political autonomy granted constitutionally to six hundred thousand of our compatriots on this hills."
I am sorry to say that like other people who forget or don't know or intentionally hide the history of our hill people, the . writer also did the same. The people of the hill (Upajati, an ordinary people say) came to this area in the 17th or 18th centuries, but the Bangalees have been living in this area since the pre-historic times, that is, for thousands years.
Now the question is, who are indigenous? Next, the CHT is
about 10 per cent of our total area but the people of hill are less than 1 per cent of total population. So is it a correct suggestion to give political autonomy to less than 1 per cent settler-people for more than 10 per cent of land of this densely-populated country? My earnest request to those who write column should remember his country's political, economical and social condition.
Md Muhiuddin Osmani F37/16 Jahuri Mahallah Mohammadpur, Dhaka
South Asia Confederation
Sir, BBC's (April 24) followup of the Indian suggestion for a loose confederation of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, is a new lead of interest to western power groups. The scenario is being unfolded step by step.
From Quadrangle to World Bank Triangle (Dhaka meet, April 20; next meet in July), to bigger triangle! Any superpower would like to tap the combined goodwill of over a billion people.
Who are behind the "Tigers" in Srl Lanka to sustain it lor a dozen years? Anything to do with the proposed use of Trin-comalee as a naval base on global scale? The ghost of "Greater Bengal" might become vocal in the coming days. We need guidance from our leaders.
A Husnaln
Dhaka
Weekend holiday
Sir. Following the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs announcement on the shifting of weekend holiday from Friday to Sunday, some of our fellow citizens and business people have started campaigning for the same. Their arguments are based on the assumption that Friday as holiday hampers our profit-making business transactions with overseas countries. Tills argument, however, does not sound convincing since, unlike what happens in a village market, all international deals run prescheduled.
In the second instance. Bangladesh's problem is not with’ Friday. Sunday or any other day. With almost all countries with which we have trade relations, there remains trade imbalance against us. Again, before 1982. when Sunday was the weekend holiday, our economy and international trade was in a more dire situation. This implies that it Is imperative we go ahead with firm industrial initiatives and positive policies rather than shifting holidays here and there. After all. sound national economy and balanced overseas trade follow political stability and social security. In that case. Foreign Direct Investment (FDD will also pour in to a greater extent.
Thirdly. Sunday is identical with Christian religious tradition. Suppose all the Muslim countries with Friday as holiday become economic giants, it is improbable that developed Sundayers will abandon Sunday as their holiday. Because it has sprang from their deep cultural core^ If they can respect their roots, why can't we? It seems that some of us are so overwhelmed with either inferiority complex or immediate sectarian benefits that they sometimes tend to undermine our essential interest. We choose to follow the rules of the affluent, but forget to try to become affluent ourselves in collective terms.
Fourthly, some argue to set Sunday as holiday within the context of globalisation : We are in global village, we are getting closer day by day in one world." But questions come around: globalisation of what? Is it globalisation of products of multinational corporations? Globalisation of satellite programmes? And so globalisation of Sunday? In fact these amount to subscription of colonial heritage. Globalization can do nothing to eradicate global poverty and injustice. It is a baffling term.
We eat to live, not live to eat. Considering above circumstances, we solemnly protest any move towards shifting Friday as holiday in Bangladesh.
Bapi. Shefa DU, Dhaka