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To the Editor...
This is unjust
Sir. The Minister-in-Charge of Public Works informed the Parliament the other day that all the members of the parliament would be given plots in the Nikunja Project in Dhaka. This is unjust because when the applications were invited in May. 1992 for allotment of some four hundred and fifty plots in that project, it was mentioned in the prospectus that persons of eleven professional groups including members of the parliament would be given plots.
According to the news item appeared in the daily Ittejaq of 31st July. '92 nearly five thousand applications were received. RAJUK has been delaying allotment of plots on one pretext or other. If now the matter is decided as stated by the minister, then injustice will be done to the original applicants. Ninety-nine per cent of the members of the parliament are rich people, for each of them could spend several lacs Taka as election expenses. Most of them also possess residential houses in and around Dhaka.
Now, in all fairness, RAJUK should decide the allotment in the following manner — all the original applications should be scrutinised to find out the valid ones in each category. Calculate the number of plots to be given to each category on the ratio of the valid applications. Determine the allottees after drawing lots separately for each category and announce the allotment in the newspapers along with the names and addresses.
Ghulam Kabir
Juarshahara Bazar Dhaka-1229
Collection for cricket
Sir, As the President of BCCB Mr Saber Chowdhury MP must be pleased that the government has recently allocated
some amount of money for the development of cricket. There is a simple way to supplement the government contribution without burdening anyone in particular. The essence of the plan would be to mobilise the tremendous amount of support for the cricket team.
As an age-old device, every time the Sports Council needs money, it arranges for a lottery. Why not modify this and make a direct plea to the fans for whatever contributions they can make? Given the mass support for the team the total donations can be quite significant. If we assume that one per cent of the population watch cricket and they are each willing to pay only Tk. 10. the grand total of donation exceeds Tk. 1 crore. If we include the fans' family in the picture, the number of potential donors may stand at 2-3 per cent of the population. The amount of the donation shoots up to over three crore taka. Three crore taka can go a long way in meeting the costs of construction of the stadium, bring- -ing in coaches (for bowlers and wicketkeepers), holding training sessions, and financing international cricket tournaments.
And the estimate here is only a conservative one — 1 haven't even counted the number of business units that can contribute a lot more. Corporate donations can work in both ways — it can give the company precious public image and it can also help the development of the game. Individual donations also do not have to be limited to the minimum either.
It is in the collecting stage that the government comes in. With the help of ward commissioners. collection booths can be opened in the constituencies so that collections can be made in an accountable way. It is here that we need some coordination from the top authority: some-
one as focused and involved in cricket as BCCB president, perhaps. For each donation, the fan collects a receipt. These receipts can also offer some incentives — like allowing the holders preferences in buying tickets during the international matches, attending receptions given to the foreign teams and so on. These Incentives can be tailored according to donations. Also, such donations don't necessarily have to be a one-time affair. It can be introduced whenever there is a serious shortage of funds.
Aziz Malick
BBA. IBA
Dhaka University.
Property glut and solution
Sir, There are too many newshopping centre buildings coming up in Dhaka (imitating Bangkok — it well take us more than one generation to believe in originality). Most of these are not crowded, due to duplication of fonds and services offered. and lack of purchasing power of the majority of the consumers. The efficient customers do not go to 'ordinary' shops.
There may be a follout soon, as the number of rent-defaulter shops increase. This may be a blessing in disguise, as there is an acute shortage of office space in Dhaka.
New. small offices cannot afford the rent (the upper floors for offices). Old. larger offices in the residential areas can shift to these complexes, if the government can compel them to vacate the residential areas. This may be carried out in sev eral phases.
— A residential building of flats cannot be shared by families and offices. Choose one; not mixed occupation — a building is either all offices, or all resi-
dential.
— In the Second phase (after, say. one or two years), all offices to vacate residential areas.
— Impose 12.5 or 15 per cent tax on offices in residential areas. to be paid by the tenant, not the landlord. This will discourage stay in the residential areas. and the rents will come down (now it is Tk 3,000 per bedroom on the average).
— Offices shifting to shop-plng/office complexes may be offered some marginal tax holiday for a couple or years.
This is how a glut in some sector can meet the demand in another sector.
Alif Zabr Dhdka.
Revision of pay scale and pensioner
Sir, The government has announced that the pay scales of the public servants are going to be revised with effect from first July. 1997. This is going to be fifth revision of the pay scale since independence. The first revision was made in 1973, the second in 1978, third in 1985 and fourth in 1991. After every revision, the government allowed 10 per cent increase of net pension. Ten per cent increase in net pension means only five per cent increase in gross pen sion. This was not a fare deal, because revision of pay scale raised the pay of the serving government servants by 25 to 100 per cent. As the pension remain static due to the absence of yearly increment a pensioner finds it impossible to cope with the increase in the cost of living.
I, therefore, urge upon the government that this time increase in net pension should be 10 per cent in the case of those retired with 1991 pay scale. 20 per cent In the case those retired with 1985 pay scale, 30 per cent
in the case of those retired with 1978 pay scale and 50 per cent in the case of those retired with 1973 and earlier pay scales. This will not cost the government a huge sum because the number of serving pensioner of earlier years will be very negligible.
A A G Kabir
37/1. Juarshahara
Dhaka-1224.
Reason to feel happy!
Sir, Two learned Judges of the High Court Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court recently have given a judgement in favour of BNP leaders who were earlier put behind the bar under Special Powers Act on charges of sabotage and other offences. The court verdict also ordered the government to pay a compensation of Tk. 1 lac each to three of the accused persons for the hardships they suffered during their imprisonment.
The Attorney General on behalf of the government duly filed an appeal against the decision of the court regarding payment of compensation. The appeal is awaiting hearing and an eventual verdict. The accused persons were released out of jail but they will have to wait for their compensation money till the appeal is settled The payment of the compensation money is. as far as I understand. sub-judlCe.
In a function held on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Bangladesh Bar Council at Shilpakala Academy, the Honorable Chief Justice of Bangladesh is reported (Bhorer KagaJ of Thursday, the 29th May 1997) to have consoled the Prime Minister and asked her not to be worried about the financial the loss to the govern ment. He advised her to see the
bright side of the judgement. The financial loss to the government was nothing compared to the improvement of its image that was achieved through this case. I believe, he referred to the fact that this case has proved that there is rule of law in the country and the supremacy of the court is above everything.
I have tremendous respect for the wisdom and courage of the learned judges who had disagreed with the contention of the Attorney General and gave a judgement which went against the government and hurt it.
As far as I know, the question of paying compensation is still not final. The issue Is under appeal in a higher court. Did the remarks of tne Honorable Chief Justice imply that the judgement of the High Court is absolute and will not be changed by the Supreme Court?
I am under the impression that the matter is sub-judice • and, therefore, no one is in a position to pass any remarks or comments which may pre-iu-dice the merits of the appeal or influence the ultimate Judgement. The remarks of the Honourable Chief Justice leads me to think that either he knows the fate of the appeal or it is the privilege of his position to make such statements to put the government in place.
The remarks of the Honorable Chief Justice relating to what the government gained in terms of image is more than what it had Tost in terms of money are likely to raise questions regarding the power and freedom enjoyed by the Judi-»ciary during the regimes of the previous governments. If this is the observation of the Honorable Chief Justice. I think Sheikh Hasina has every rea son to feel happy about this judgement.
R A Mozumdar Gulshan. Dhaka