Ominous clouds

Today my mind is racing back to the article, "Bangladesh A Cocoon of Terror" published in the Far Eastern Economic Review sometime back. The entire media including the largest section of the civil society at that time condemned the article as being biased, derogatory and based on false notions. I too joined the ranks simply because I was also of the similar conviction. To this day I believe that the largest section of people of this country continue to be tolerant to people belonging to other religious faiths and do not believe in any form of religious fundamentalism. Yet the fact remains, we do see ominous clouds of rising religious fundamentalism in the country. To my mind this should be a matter of grave concern both for the state and the people at large. Whether we like it or not it must be said that nearly all of the religious fundamentalists are Muslims by faith.

Nearly all other major recognised religions of the world do have sectarian differences both in their beliefs and practices. Yet one seldom hears of any sectarian strife or persecutions amongst themselves. This is not to say that religious fundamentalism did not exist amongst peoples of other faiths. It did indeed reach critical proportions amongst the Christians way back in the 17th and the 18th centuries. While the people have been

successful in coming out of this scourge of fundamentalism, we seem to be slowly slipping into it, creating opportunities for "our" enemies to be hostile and resort to extreme measures against us.

One day in the late sixties when I saw a news item in the daily Dawn, published from Karachi, about Mr. M. M. Ahmed of the then Pakistan Planning Commission, a Kadiani by faith, being manhandled by some Muslim religious fundamentalists, I knew then that the seed of religious fundamentalism had set its feet on the soil of Pakistan. The stories which followed thereafter are but too well known to us and the world at large. It is my firm belief that the propagation of our faith Islam is often too loud and certainly unduly aggressive.

The government talks about "taking appropriate and adequate measures" against recurrence of all such incidents like the recent burning of the mosque of the Ahmadias and the Banshkhali carnage. I am indeed sorry to say that the people are not convinced simply because the leaders and activists directly involved in all such incidences past and present are but too well known to the government. On the contrary, it is my belief that the perpetrators are being encouraged and receiving patronage from behind the scenes.

I also believe if we fail to arrest these heinous acts with an iron hand now, we may end up seeing the emergence of a "second Pakistan'' in not too distant a future here on the sacred soil of Bangladesh. While the "first" Pakistan was the work and creation of the British Raj, this "second Pakistan" will be our creation, ushering in disastrous consequences for our future generations.

Shamsher Chowdhury

On e-mail

Noise, everywhere!

Reportedly, the ministry of environment and forests is finalising a draft on noise pollution control (DS, December 3). The minister, Shahjahan Siraj, said that the draft gives "utmost importance to noise pollution cuts in the cities". He promised to scrutinise the draft before approval. The Noise Pollution Control Rules, 2003, has zoned the city into five noise limits, which are being further reduced in the night.

Along with the crime situation going berserk , chaos in the roads, electricity and telephone system playing games with consumers, noise pollution has become another nightmare for city dwellers. That they have lost a "little of hearing ability" is no surprise; the greater surprise being that they have been able to maintain their sanity!

But before the government issues the rules, it should tarry a while and think about the consequences. Will the police (Noise Control Police?) be able to implement the rules? Do they have the ability to measure the decibel limits imposed by the rules? We have seen the minister going to bazaars catching shop owners with polythene bags, he is running in the brick fields checking the height of chimneys of brick-kilns. Hopefully, he won't be standing at the Farm Gate or Gulistan with an audiometer to check noise levels!

But there is a bigger problem -- a substantial proportion of pedestrians in Dhaka's streets would jay walk; they are careless pedestrians who do not bother about the traffic. When I drive through Tejgaon, I occasionally watch scores of garment girls crossing roads without bothering to check the traffic. Slowing down for them to cross, I have often wondered, is looking right and looking left to check the traffic so difficult for them when they are taking a grave risk on their lives. What can a motorist do rather than honk to warn them? Clusters of rickshaws and scores of people block roads, obstructing free- flow of traffic. One is compelled to honk in such situations.

Many people are not aware of traffic rules, of the damage that honking does to one's ear-drums and one's nervous system. Obviously, a sustained campaign is needed to train them for their benefit and for the benefit of society. Let not a good initiative wither away because of wrong planning and thoughtless implementation. Abdullah Haroon Pasha

Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests,

Gulshan 1, Dhaka

Anticipating foreign intervention ?

As published in a well known daily, JSD Chairman Hasanul Haq Inu in a press conference held at Col. Taher Auditorium on December 2, expressed his concern over rising of a hard-line radical force in the country. He said that military intervention by the US or India might occur in Bangladesh.

How could he reach such a ridiculous conclusion? We did not hear anything harsh about rising of a radical force in Bangladesh either from the US or from India. Rather, the USA and western countries consider Bangladesh a moderate Muslim country and the US Ambassador in Bangladesh and spokesmen of the White House acknowledged the same many times.

Then what is the source of Mr. Inu's remarks? Is he authorised to make statement on behalf of other countries, or does he want to encourage military interference in the country from outside? This is quite unexpected from a veteran politician who is also a party chief. The simile he presented between Iraq and Bangladesh is hardly plausible. Apprehension of such interference does not seem logical. But what appears from his statement is that it is the anticipation of some quarters who would be happy with such intervention.

Fakhrul Alam

Siddeswari, Dhaka

Reverse logic?

The more we, helpless people, try to explain to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina, the less they seem to understand. A few days ago, the DS reported about the AL's massive plans to launch a countrywide agitation against the four-party alliance government. And on 7 December, the DS again reported that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in a close-door meeting, directed her senior cabinet members to prepare for massive "party activities ". We wonder where do all these energy and enthusiasm go when it comes to doing something good for the country?

The people didn't vote the BNP for launching public agitation. However, we understand that every party has to defend itself and do all it can to get elected. But we keep telling these two leaders that wasting our money in their personal fights is not the way to get votes. Try serving the people for

once and you will see that people will vote for you.

Instead of getting votes by serving people, both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina seem to be obsessed with using 'organisational strength' for this purpose. So the obvious question is: why do they believe in means other than democratic practices? The reason, I believe, is that they have not been paying a high price for their mistakes.

Let me give you a simple example. Many of us, Bangladeshis, are quite happy to offer bribe (yes, let's admit it) to police and other government officials to get our job done. But when these same Bangladeshis are arrested by police abroad (in the UK, for example), we don't offer them bribe. Why? That is because we know by offering bribe we will make matters worse and get even harsher punishment. If Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina paid a price for their mistakes, they would have corrected the same. Ask yourself how many people have sacrificed their lives for this country? Many of our senior citizens today will clearly remember the pain and harassment they had to tolerate in the hands of the occupiers. Many of you had lost your loved ones in the Liberation War. But why did they fight? They didn't sacrifice their precious lives for this country so that we can just hand it over to other occupiers?

We are guilty of being too soft with criminals.

Azad Miah

Oldham, UK

Kudos to Shajahan

I must applaud the state minister for religious affairs, Hossein Shajahan, for taking the stand against the unfair demand of the mullahs to declare the Ahmadias as non-Muslims. What he did showed that the government was not afraid of the clergy and that the mullahs have no real power to determine the fate of any community.

That power lies solely in the supreme hand of Allah, as the minister said so himself. And the fact, that their desire to brand the Ahmadias as "kafir" was thwarted by the government, should serve as a warning to the maulvis not to push their luck.

I should add that, even though this decision of Hossein Shajahan, has somewhat restored the confidence of the Ahmadias in the government of Bangladesh, what the Ahmadias really need is to feel secure within the boundaries of their mosques.

That is where they will know that nobody can encroach upon their right to worship; that nobody can threaten to burn their mosques.

Praying with police protection means that there is still some unfinished business left. The anti-Ahmadia movement has obstinately vowed to carry on with their intentions and Shajahan's statement was not able to silence them. But I hope that the Ahmadias will always have the support of their government and that they will never have any fear of being given away to the demands of the mullahs.

Maham Bilal Khan, USA

Bankrupt politics

I am amazed by the government's efforts directed at looking for links between bureaucrats and police officers and the former President AQM Bodrudozza Chowdhury as published in newspapers recently, though I can see some logic and even value in statutes preventing coalitions between the civil servants and politicians .

Let's face the facts that almost every sector of life in Bangladesh has been politicised: schools, colleges, universities, professionals' organisations, trade unions etc., making the most benign

interpretation of such arcane laws (enacted by our colonial rulers) quite defunct.

Let us also face the fact that the individualistic politics of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia conveniently passed off under the guise of democracy. There have been miserable failures and utter disappointments for those who had anticipated much since the demise of military rule. What has the country seen in terms of real development since 1991? President Ziaur Rahman mobilised the country to cut canals and export manpower to the Middle East, President HM Ershad undertook extensive road construction projects, yet in 12 years, these two leaders between them have not even been able to establish a viable broadband telecommunication network

essential for our economic growth, but rather brought down the law and order to an all time low!

Leaders without vision and wisdom have really hurt our country. When I think of Dr. Mahatir Mohammad and the magical transformation of Malaysia, when I think of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu and removal of the evil called apartheid from South Africa, when I look at South Korea, Taiwan and India, I discover those two traits of leaders being of paramount importance to any nation. Sadly, in Bangladesh these people are trying to create a legacy riding on the coattails of former national leaders. Frankly, the so-called "new generation" - my generation -that now populates the ranks and files of the BNP and Awami League fill me with horror. I was extremely

dismayed when I read that staggering sums of money had to be contributed by many to earn a seat in the largest ever cabinet of the Bangladesh government. I wish it were not true.

Dr. B may not be the charismatic and energetic face of a frontline leader that we may be looking for. Alas! he has always been the second man - but he is an educated man, an established professional physician, not widely reputed for corruption, an experienced politician, a man with enough dignity and wisdom to step down from the office of the president to save the country from yet another political crisis, even though forcing him out was totally wrong.

A man well respected by the nation has spoken out and stated the obvious: we need a new breed

of politicians. Therefore, to hunt down those who are communicating with him seems a blatant abuse of power and waste of valuable national resources. I happen to think that the country would benefit much more if these intelligence agencies focused their efforts on finding which known criminals were communicating with which lawmaker or minister.

I hope Dr. B and his followers will stay afloat, despite harassment and veiled threats

Shabbir A Bashar

Stanford University, California, USA