Independence Award

It is indeed ironic to see so much ado about the Independence Award given to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman. Both of them had positive and negative contribution to our nation. Each of them had the opportunity to lead our nation and they did so with their best efforts.

Now, they are dead and buried. It is a nice thing that present government acknowledged their contributions. Please let us move on. Poverty, illiteracy, hunger and diseases are still part of our national life. We have corruption in every vain of our society, our economy is nowhere near progress, we lack basic human rights and we are yet to achieve a minimum standard in any sports or athletics in the international arena.

Our Independence came with a heavy price. Most likely, three to ten lakh people

made the ultimate sacrifice, and many are still surviving with physical or mental handicap. No single person is above such sacrifice, no single person is above the misery and hardship, this nation had to endure during those nine months. We owe our Independence to those martyrs, freedom fighters and many other unknown people who directly or indirectly contributed in liberating our country. So, these awards are just a token. In reality, it is the whole nation who sacrificed.

M.Hassan

USA

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This is my response to the letter of Mr. Raihan Rahman (February 27). Sir I sincerely agree with you when you say that Bangabandhu and Ziaur Rahman were both heads of the state. Sir I do not think that has anything to do with our independence.

In anyway to remind you that Ziaur Rahman had become the head of the state through martial law while Bangabandhu won a democratic election. I also agree when you say that they are both the founders of two of the most important political parties but sir the parties were formed after the country was liberated so once again I do not find anything relevant in this statement which supports our independence.

Anyone who finds a political party cannot be a contender for the Independence Award. But I certainly disagree when you say there is no problem awarding Bangabandhu and Ziaur Rahman together.

Gen. Zia was a freedom fighter, a field commander and an army person whereas Bangabandhu was the liberator, the leader, the rebellion and at that point he was our only hope. I do not think Ziaur Rahman had the potential to be compared with Bangabandhu and nor he has any to this day.

Khalid Rahman

Dhaka

Not cricket

We have turned away from real love of cricket to something commercial. Fairplay and play for the love of the game has gone forever. Australia's do anything for a win and those silly jumps in the air, and embrace all in a display of how good we are! We love ourselves don't we?

I used to watch cricket as a child. Listened all night with the headphones, thrilled to hear Bradman 300 and still going. But not anymore. The old feeling has gone, lost between the next display of useless advertisements between overs. It's all about money these days.

Harry Gordon

Australia

The Management Committee of BCB should resign

Shame on you, BCB. It is not the team to be blamed, it is you who should be blamed. Bangladesh team's miserable failure in the Cricket World Cup is only and absolutely because of your incompetence. Our cricket team's image, our country's image has been

thrown to the dust by you. Even after all these if you still point your fingers at the young innocent and inexperienced boys of the Bangladesh team to avoid your responsibility then the millions of cricket loving people of the country will never ever forgive you.

Wahid Shafi, Dhaka

Any comment?

On your February 27 issue you have misprinted the caption of one of the pictures in the front page as Sammilito Sanskritik Jote. But in fact it would have been 'The Left parties' Anti-War Procession'. Is it just overlooking or it has a biased treatment towards Left-leaning parties?

Such errors are not usually found in the case of Awami League's news items. Any comment, sir? Mahboob N M

On e-mail

BUET Logo and Urban Concern Page

A footnote on February 28 by the Consultant to the Editor, The Daily Star on Urban Issues has caught my attention. In fact I had similar queries in my mind and so far I remember, an expatriate had raised the issue in the Letters Page regarding the status of the views expressed in the "Agenda for Urban Concern" pages of The Daily Star. The query was whether the Pages express the BUET's official views or not?

Using of BUET logo implies an official association of BUET with other parties to present its stand on different urban issues of public concern. The Consultant in his footnote has tried to side-track the main inquiry.

I believe that a journalist has the moral authority to come up with any issue public issue or otherwise with proper investigation, in their own capacity. However, there is nothing wrong in dealing with specialised issues in collaboration with relevant

experts/organisations but that should be explicit.

Abir Hossain

Mohammedpur, Dhaka J'accuse!

The Daily Star's lopsided reporting on the Iraq crisis is beginning to get on my nerves. It would appear that the Editors of our favourite paper have picked their camps and refuse to budge even the least.

Contrary to what may appear to frequent readers of The Daily Star, the whole world is not united in opposition to the US and British plans on Iraq. As a matter of fact, even if America did decide to go on without another UN resolution, it would hardly be alone. In addition to Britain and Australia, the two countries which would join it in fighting, America has the support of half the current members of the European Union, all the countries applying to join and most of NATO.

The current European Union members who support the Americans are Britain, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands and Ireland. Of the members-to-be the three largest Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, all countries that know the bitter taste of tyranny first hand; have come forward in support of their ally through 50 years of communist oppression. Also in support are the 'Vilnius ten' a central European and Balkan group which includes five countries due to join the Union next year.

Frankly it is well nigh impossible to get a balanced reporting in The Daily Star on the Iraq issue.

It is perfectly reasonable to disagree with the American position on Iraq if one is cognisant with the arguments for and against it. And it is quite another to be unilateralist in our knee jerk antiAmericanism.

M Ali

Dhaka

"War on Iraq"

One of the rare privileges that we, the people of Bangladesh enjoy, is the freedom of the press. Engaging in debate and discourse on various issues is a natural exercise of this privilege. This freedom was not given to us by any foreign nation, but earned for our people by the sons of our soil who gave their lives in the Language Movement and in the War of Independence. Let us not forget that many of the intellectuals killed in the genocide of 1971 were also journalists.

To those unaccustomed to such free and lively debate, our press freedom is distasteful. To them, it is heretical that The Daily Star should be voicing people's opinions and "falling over backwards to print post-editorials by every Tom, Dick and Harry it can wheel out" (MA, February 26) and excluding the more "level-headed" opinions of the Economist and Salman Rushdie (!).

The hypocrisy in their rancour is clear. While using the platform of free speech to demand that The Daily Star print articles of their choice, they are expressing their disdain of others to express themselves via The Daily Star. Their myopic vision overlooks the fact that it is the very belief in the free- dom of speech being an inalienable right of each individual, is what permits the Economist to do its business and further, permitted Salman Rushdie to write his book "The Satanic Verses", however much insulting it was to many Muslims worldwide.

It is therefore not surprising that, to them, those who espouse a dissenting view of the argument behind the impending war on Iraq, are to be brushed aside as "knee jerk peaceniks" (MA, February 26).

I wish The Daily Star continued success in its role as a conscientious newspaper worthy of its name. Every day, the "Letters Page" permits us to come together as a nation, and rejoice in our right to free speech. The path of press freedom is not for one to define nor dictate. Insults levelled at The Daily Star for not printing articles espoused by a particular reader illustrates the inability of the reader to grasp the essence of this freedom, and certainly not the failure of the newspaper.

Shomit Chowdhury Dhanmondi, Dhaka

* * *

I agree with Mr. Jamil Ahmed (March 2). Indeed Mr. MA has missed the point as he often does. MA is just short of suggesting that the Americans are going to war in Iraq to help the Muslims. This war has nothing to do with democracy or Muslims and everything to do with US self-interest and to suggest otherwise is a travesty and a farce! No one denies that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator, and that Iraq will be better off without him. But that does not mean that the Iraqis want a war for that to happen.

The US administration claims that there is support in Iraq and the Arab world for this war. Fortunately, only a handful of people such as MA are buying such rubbish. There is no support for this war in the Arab world, least of all in Iraq. The Iraqis want to get rid of Saddam, but not at the expense of war. Tell me Mr. MA, if you were an Iraqi and wished to get rid of Saddam, would you accept the risk of a bomb dropping on your house and killing your family for that to happen? I think Bishop Tutu said it best when he said, 'We in South Africa wanted an end to Apartheid and to dictatorship for many years, but at no point did we ask the west to come and bomb us into a democracy!' I believe most Iraqis would reflect similar sentiments if you bothered to ask them.

Don't retaliate by calling me a peacenik Mr. MA. I am not one. But there is a moral and ethical argument here that warmongers such as yourself prefer to overlook. Fortunately enough, your numbers are small and dwindling all the time. You say that we should stand by our friends, the Americans. Care to remind us Mr. MA what our "friends" the Americans were up to when Bengalis were getting killed by the Pakistanis in '71?

Shameran Abed

New York, USA

Alas! Fumbling Jack

Jack (Jack of the last straw) was fumbling for cogent words in the British parliament. But why? For Jack was attempting to "jack" up his sagging Prime Minister. Tony Blair has been full time Foreign Minister of USA for some time; he is currently running the errands for George Bush. How busy he has been to divide Europe, succeeding though only partially. Tony Blair of late wears the mantle if not the armour of a 21st century Knight waging what is now his moral compulsion , alone in Europe if necessary; seems he is suffering from paranoia; he has to carry the cross alone if need be crusading against evil demons.

Tony Blair is a man possessed, a man of deep conviction who cannot help go against the "ill informed " British public. Jack was seen fumbling, pathetically lost for words, lacking coherence, and turning even comical and utterly pedestrian. A pity to observe such men of the state who are anything but statesmen. Worse, some like the British Foreign Secretary are doing a disgrace to their office by looking and acting more like paid agents fabricating untruths they know to be false. Alas, the public know better and British public must be credited with more sense (common sense) than their own statesmen like to credit them for.

So how much Iraqi and collateral blood must be spilt to defend the falsehood of the statesmen who is willing to follow the agenda of world domination even if that, as in the case in point, is by proxy? How long will majority voice of the world, NAM included, be at best ignored or at worst be dismissed with contempt? Who is making the United Nations irrelevant- the majority who are weak or the minority who are powerful and are absorbed with ambition to control the world though pretending to preserve democracy and freedom? These are questions that must be asked, must be voiced stridently, must be backed by willingness to make sacrifices, sometimes heavy, by the marginalised majority.

Hussain

Dhaka

Chronicles of Iraq

1. World intelligentsia are of the opinion that Saddam Hussein's days are getting numbered every day.

2. With chess game so skilfully played by the big players in UNO,

in European Union and in the Security Council that when the American Army will enter Iraq, there will be jubilation and celebrations in the streets of Mousul, Basra and Baghdad.

3. By this time, Iraq will have to destroy all its short range Al-Samoud missiles. America will conquer Iraq with relatively less casualties, and with more accuracy and speed.

4. After, September 11/2001, Mr. Bush junior, spoke more than one occasion about the incident being very unfortunate no doubt, but it was also an opportunity for the Americans. With Americans being anxious and cowering every day under terrorist threat accompanied by increasing number of joblessness, hopelessness and frustration, the most powerful nation in the world will hand them over the right prize.

5. And one-fifth of the total of mankind who call them Muslims will see with dismay that they only constitute a number with leading zeros. Neither their head-count nor the wisdom of their leaders could change the mind-set of a handful of people in American administration and Tony Blair (once my hero! what a pity!).

6. And Arab and Muslim leaders will be busy in congratulating Mr. Bush for his timely intervention and saving the Iraqi people from ruthless oppression of Saddam.

7. France and Germany will feel rejected and isolated; Russia will make under-the-table deal with the Americans and abandon Saddam to go where he belongs.

8. American oil companies will do 10 times more profit, their economy will get stimulus. America will control 60% of world's oil reserve!

9. New 'Hamid Karzai' will emerge in the horizon of Iraq. Every thing will run smoothly in Iraqi front.

It may look like circus tic-prophecy. But my friends, believe me, it will happen, because it so written in the Holly Quran. " People get ruler of whom they deserve".

Mohammed Ayub Khan

Ottawa, Canada

An Open Letter to the Finance Minister

Your recent observation that corruption and inefficiency is rife in government banks while there is no bribe culture in private banks is much appreciated. The immediate conclusion one comes to is that you should privatise the state-run banks to stop public money being wasted through corruption. If the unions are stopping you from doing so, the government should initiate an "Operation Clean Heart" style crackdown as soon as possible. Believe me, you will get a lot of public support.

Will you also kindly give some attention to the National Board of Revenue and the Customs Department? I do not know of anybody in these places who is honest. Very recently, when I arrived at Zia International Airport, a group of Customs Officers were openly negotiating with fellow passengers. One even approached me and asked whether I would like to cut a private deal, all under the watchful eyes of the senior officers there. Fortunately, I did not have anything to declare.

So how can you pragmatically address corruption in these areas? I suggest that you take some bold steps and privatise Revenue and Customs. Give realistic targets to private companies who will collect on behalf of the government. Let there be competition between them. People will have the choice of submitting their returns to any of the licensed companies. Involve experts from Singapore or Britain in the inspection of these private companies and have heavy penalties and excruciating punishments imposed on those who involve themselves in corrupt practices.

The root of corruption in Bangladesh is the Government itself. Look at the Judiciary, the vilest of them all. You will find unbelievable inefficiency and corruption there. Look towards the Law Enforcement Department--they are in competition with the Judiciary. Look at any government department from the very top to the peons, they are all collecting toll money. No file has ever moved in any government department as far as I can remember without tolls being paid at every desk with the full knowledge of everyone. Have you considered imposing capital punishment on corrupt government servants? Do you have the courage to do that? Probably not.

Syed Imran Hussain Uttara, Dhaka

European delegation in Bangladesh

The comments made by the visiting delegation from the European Commission will be very heart warming for a section of our society especially as we have come to know how much our freedom and civil liberties mean to others. This is certainly very assuring to know that we are not a forgotten country but there are people who actually care for our liberties. So why me, a lowly citizen of a poor country put the motives of our friends in Europe in question?

The truth is me, myself would not have put their motives in question but that is before I saw this certain news item in BBC where they had obtained leaked papers from the European Union Trade commission which outlines and stresses the need to open up the public utilities sector of the developing countries to create markets for the European companies. Now you may ask is that a very bad idea, are we not all witnesses to the corruption and inefficiencies of the public sector? The problem is though this privatisation and handing over public utilities have not worked and is not working in other countries, where prices for basic service for water has gone up several times after being handed over to the European companies.

So I pose this question to you if the European Union do not have much concern to one of the basic survival needs of the people in the developing countries in this case namely water how much are they genuinely concerned about civil liberties?

Then again I guess caring for our civil liberties make very good sound byte in the media and caring about their companies make it easier to perpetuate their wealth. I guess then our friends do get it both ways but to me it seems a very unequal friendship, but then again maybe it's just me whose concerned about it.

Rezaul Hauque

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Who cares?

Would the authorities concerned please give us an approximate date when our transport problem would be solved? For how long do we have to stand on the road hour after hour to avail of a CNG-scooter or other mode of transportation?

From the lack of letters on this issue, it seems that most of the readers of this Page have car and don't bother about petty problems like this. They are more worried about Iraq crisis and world peace. Why bother about those middleclass people raising hue and cry over transport problem? People can breathe fresh air and there are less traffic, what else are needed? Let others walk for hours, if needed; soak in rain if deemed necessary; if they can't pay for taxicab that's their problem!

Touhid Khan

Purana Paltan, Dhaka

Rajuk and NAM apartments

The other day, Housing Minister Mr. Abbas was answering the question raised by Mowlana Delwar Hossain MP in regards to Purbachal New Town project and NAM apartment project of Rajuk.

I am an allottee of Purbachal project. However, as a low-paid foreign wage earner, I would not like to deposit my hard-earned dollars for an uncertain period.

And the Government should not encourage their MPs to get NAM apartment allotment. Most of the MPs already have multiple houses in various cities. Duty-free cars and DIT plots should not be the priority of the MPs.

Mir Dost Mohammad Khan

Colorado, USA

"Silly point"

In reply to the letter by Tanzia Chowdhury (February 28). No if, no but, no this, no that, no up, no down! Your suggestion is 'spot on'.

Azad Miah

Oldham, UK