**Letters for publication in these columns should be addressed to the Editor and legibly written or typed with double space. For reasons of space, short letters are preferred, and all are subject to editing and cuts. Pseudonyms are accepted. However, all communications must bear the writer's real name, signature and address.***

Lest we forget

Sir. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a student of Islamia College (now renamed Maulana Azad College) and a resident of Baker Hostel. The hostel room in which he spent his time, preparing for his future service and sacrifice, was reopened by the West Bengal Minister for Higher Education. commemorating a great Bengalee. In Calcutta they have Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and Shakespeare Sarani. Late Pro-fulla Cnandra Ghosh and Mr Jayoti Basu were born in this country, but have we remembered them in our thoughts? Could we have Bangladesh, if there was no Pakistan? Do we remember the great Muslim League leaders of the time? Do we remember late Dhirendra Nath Dutta and his services for East Bengal?

We have renamed the 1PGMR as Bangabandhu Medical University. But where are the constituent colleges? It would have been more befitting to have laid the foundations of a 500-bed cancer home, for the patients of the most dreadful disease, and a 500-bed mental hospital, which Dhaka needs most and then, naming them after the great leader.

It is good to see that there is now Tajuddin Ahmed Road, our Seat prime minister, and the st one.

And at the end. I have an humble suggestion — to rename Topkhana Road as S M Ali Road. This proposal and suggestion came up soon after his demise in October 1993. On the 16th of September '93 I met him for the last time In his office with Mr A Z M Shamsul Alam of the Election Commission. Both of us could clearly see that he was in excruciating pain, perhaps being in the last stages of cancer. But like a brave sol-

dier. Syed Mohammed All went on with his writing for his beloved paper to the very end. which was only a few weeks away. May his soul rest In peace.

Shahabuddin Mahtab Siddheswari. Dhaka

Breakdown of

systems

Sir. The government's 'monitoring and Inspection systems' under almost all the ministries appear to have broken down, because the needed outputs are not providing the desired results In public interest. Where are the inputs and processing (detection, prosecution, punishment). to maintain the system at a healthy and clean operational level?

The basic concept of checks and balances has therefore been rendered ineffective. As these are vital components of good governance; the administration f>unch has been diluted. It may >e noted that the same personnel and regulations are in force. Then why this dismal picture? What aspect has changed to render the long-practised system inoperative? The elusive human (actor, not seen In data, statistics, charts and graphs. It is the quality of the service, while publicity looks only at the quantitative aspect of development. How to bring down the systems loss in administration?

The main reasons are increasing corruption, bribery, rent-seeking and nepotism. The deterrence factor has disappeared from administration; more so In the SOEs. Both the government and the public are aware of the moral and ethical erosions taking place in the society; but successive regimes have failed to tackle the misdeeds of the corrupt groups.

One reason is that corruption has now become institutionalised Hence individual and case-to-case prosecutions will not solve the malady. The remedial measures noticed so far at the official level are sporadic and ad hoc. A well-planned. integrated and vigorous anti-corruption campaign has to be launched without any further delay for an extended period, so that positive results are obtained within the remaining three years of the current regime.

There are many political ifs and buts on such a sensitive campaign. A people's regime is running the show. Where is the initiative? What has been done during the last two years? This is not a popular issue for noisy propaganda. A low-key campaign will be fruitless. Backing is required. Whose?

A Zabr Dhaka

Promotion of 154 officers

Sir, Though late. I refer to the letter of Faqeer Abdul Mannan published in your esteemed daily early last month (5.7.98).

I agree with him that the promotions of 154 officers made in early part of this year to the posts of Deputy Secy./Joint Secy./ and above were motivated since this time too like other times, in particular that In Feb. 1992, (mass promotion), many seniors were superseded illegally and thereby their fundamental right was grossly violated. The upgrading ACR marking system was unconstitutional being not covered by any promotion criterion and was arbitrary and might give advantage to some chosen people at the cost Of the seniors.

It is unfortunate that this government came to power with people's mandate to do Justice on all counts but I am sorry to say that the government has been miserably failing to do so. It seems that the government has been practising a dual policy in matter of promotion. On the one hand it is becoming too liberal by allowing notional seniority to the Juniors and

promoting Them. It so happened that some officers earned galloping promotions like being promoted to the post of deputy secretary now and then, a few months later, to the post of joint secretary etc. This was done ignoring the gestation period of around five years In a particular post to attain maturity to qualify for the next higher post. And. on the other hand, it is not only becoming unjust but even cruel with seniors by subjecting them to be deprived of lawful promotion by imposing higher bench mark illegally. By doing so a senior deputy secretary of 12-14 years standing experience lost to an officer as junior as 3-4 years with little experience ranging from 12 weeks to 12 months. There can hardly be injustice like this.

Mr Faqueer has correctly pointed out that there Is very fine line of difference between the marginal cases like average and good and good and very good. And hence evaluating an officer by mere numeracy and that too with marginal difference can hardly be justified. This is unethical too because of the discriminatory treatment. Hence In the interest of equity, justice and fairplay, the authorities concerned are requested to kindly review the promotion cases immediately and promote the deprived seniors to the posts of joint secretary and above and also restore their seniority and allow all the benefits from the time they were made to undergo deprivation. This is the minimum that can be done to help them out else it would be construed that the government has been following the same unjust practice whicn their predecessors hand done in 1992.

Sued Shah Sq/l Sanaullah. Sher Shah Suri Road, Dhaka.

Leaders' lies

Sir, We are dismayed to see that many of respected leaders are telling lies In public and private meetings. It has become a cancer of the society. Our new generation is taking this as fashion/culture of high standard and are following the leaders. This will ultimately cripple

our society and will ruin our country. Leaders are leading us to hell. We find nobody on earth to help us in this situation.

So we are praying to the Almighty Allah for Hedayet' of our leaders, to show right path to them.

AFM Moeenul Islam Chandgaon R/A, Chittagong.

Kosovo's ethnic

Albanians

Sir, The ethnic Albanian Muslims who constitute 92 per cent of Kosovo's population, have been passing through a period of terrible suffering at the hands of the Serb rulers. Since the start of the crisis in February last, the Serbs have launched their bloody campaign of terror and killing. The wanton killing of the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo drew world-wide condemnation. The six-nation contact group under NATO at the behest of the US told Serbia that it must not do what it did to Bosnia's Muslims Just a few years ago. The US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright declared: "We don't want a repeat of 1991, when the international community did not react with sufficient vigour and force."

The tragedy is that, we are witnessing a repeat of 1991 killing of Bosnian Muslims, in the current situation In Kosovo. So far more than 1.80,000 ethnic Albanians have reportedly fled their village homes to seek shelter across the border. A large number of them are also said to be hiding in the forests near the border to escape the onslaught of the Serbian forces. The TV satellite channels present poignant pictures of their plight.

Despite the previous determination of the US and its Western allies to check Serbian aggressive designs, there has been in evidence lately a dithering on their part. This is helping Serbian President Milosevic to pursue his reckless policy in Kosovo.

The agony and suffering of the ethnic Albanian Muslims in Kosovo seem to have no prospects of relief as the international community watches

on impotently, as they did in the previous case of Bosnian Muslims.

ASM Nurunnabi

29. Dhanmondi R/A. Rd 1 Dhaka-1205

Gas price

Sir. We are pleased to know that the government in a recent move did not okay a proposal for raising the price of gas in two phases with immediate effect by 26 PCT and 6 PCT respectively. It may be remembered that on an earlier occasion the government also did the same, considering its effects on the end-users at large.

At the moment we may feel complacent but we cannot rule out the possibility of a further raise in the near future due to several obvious reasons.

Md Muhibbul Abrar Choudhury Chittagong

Income-tax Return form

Sir. National Board of Revenue recently notified in the press on the 4th July. 1998 that the old 4-page income-tax return forms shall not be accepted from the 1st July. 1998 instead now 6-page forms shall be accepted by the Tax Offices. The above notification of NBR is surprising and unfortunate as the said forms involve several lacs of income-tax payees in Bangladesh who were quite ignorant about the abrupt change in the above return forms from the 1st July. 1998 and the NBR officials should have been prudent to notify the above change at least six months back.

On the other hand huge number of 4-page old forms are still lying unsold or unused In the Government Press and with vendors and tax-lawyers — and a sudden change in policy will not only create problems to the innocent tax payers but also will cause huge financial loss to the government.

Md Khalilur Rahman Income-Tax Advisor

40. Parana Paltan Line Dhaka.