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TO THE EDITOR
Internet cafes and our inspector closeaus
Anyone with a working knowledge of the Internet (hint: no one in the Technology-related Ministry!) knows that it is possible to "spoof" email addresses and even IP addresses, thus pretending to send e-mails from a location while sending from another. It is also possible to hack into e-mail accounts by gaining access to passwords, using some routine queriesthis is especially easy if the password is an English language word. On top of that, the threatening e-mail was sent from an openaccess cyber-cafe, where any one of dozens of people could have come in and used the terminal. Thus there is very little tangible proof to show that Saibal Saha Partha actually sent the e-mail in question.
Bangladesh ranks at the bottom of the world in Internet connectivity. Because of our refusal to join the submarine cable network a few years back, we have fallen far behind while even laggard Pakistan is now ahead of us. Thus, we can imagine the technological prowess the DB brought to bear on this case to catch their man. Saibal Saha Partha's arrest and subsequent torture is another example of the bumbling work of our detective force.
"Innocent until proven guilty"? No, in Bangladesh, it is, "Torture until confession."
Naeem Mohaiemen, Shobak.Org
Living in Bangladesh Sometimes some news items leave me wondering what kind of a country I live in! A Pakistani citizen with his BNP sidekicks allegedly attacked the members of the eight Hindu families at Adam Sarkerpara village under Pirgachha upazila in the district of Rangpur. The bandits torched 22 houses of Hindus, injured 20 villagers, and looted their cash, crops, and cattle.
The victims are still living under the open sky while the "desperate" attempt by the police to nab the "absconding" criminal is proving futile as usual. The extremist elements are also targeting the Ahmadiyya community. Bangla Bhais are murdering and maiming people in the name of religion, and at the same time BNP cadres are barring people even from attending Janaza prayers. Clandestine training grounds for militants are thriving with new recruits. Anyone divulging such news risks being on
the hit list. Bombs used in the battle field are easily available to the ever increasing militant outfits.
Yes, we do have a government. It consists of self-declared war criminals, alleged arms smugglers, bigots directly aiding the religious fanatics, and so on. The PM seems not to be aware of what is going on. She even made fun of the death threat issued to the opposition leader at Ankara.
The indifference to party members and coalition cadres has gone too far. Is she really in control? Maybe she will have to pay the price for the deeds of her partners. Is she ready for it?
Sumon,Dhaka
The vat vexation
The latest spread of value added tax (VAT) bug recently hit home when I went to have lunch at a Gulshan restaurant with my niece. The bistro offers a popular buffet lunch for only Tk. 250 per person. The main attraction is a great salad bar, in addition to a variety of delicious main dishes and decent selection of desserts.
I had been to this eatery several times. This time though I experienced a befuddled double take when the bill arrived. The Tk 540 bill, including cold drinks, had magically transformed itself into a puffed up Tk. 621 outrage. When I inquired about the inflated amount, the response from the waiter was that the extra was VAT, more specifically, Saifur Rahman's VAT. This VAT monstrosity has raised it's ugly head and has now spread the tentacles in the cooked food sector. This makes a pleasant eating experience somewhat distasteful. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
The US public, especially significant strand of tax rebels and resisters, has always opposed the VAT fiend. It is a dubious way for the government to make incredible amount of money on the back of grumbling but pliant and yielding citizens. It is very common in Europe and Japan. The result is evident for all to see. While the US economy has been a job making dynamic machine, hardly any jobs have been created in Europe in over 20 years and Japan has been in a perpetual downturn for over a decade.
All this hypothesising is for the unanticipated and exceedingly irritating buffet VAT!
Omar Khasru, On e-mail
TIB again!
TIB generated heat again in Bangladesh, they angered especially the law minister who told Channel i last night that he was thinking of filing a defamation suit against the organisation that publishes corruption index. But how do people view corruption? Obviously, less positively, suggesting that it distorts economic decisions. For example, corruption might result in the misallocation of talent to occupations with large opportunities for rent seeking, might bias authority towards purchases on which it is easier to collect bribes, or might affect income distribution.
Consistent with the less flattering view of corruption, it hampers growth, reduces income, increases inequality and reduces investment, can increase the size of the unofficial economy, and is associated with lower levels of human capital, urbanisation, financial depth, and foreign trade. Corruption is lower in countries that are more open to foreign trade, countries with longer exposure to democracy, countries that are more democratic, countries with greater political stability and greater freedom of the press, and countries with parliamentary systems.
TIB looks at newspaper level data on bribes paid in sectors of the economy. This allows people to
understand the persons or enterprises that pay and receive bribes in addition to the characteristics of the institutional and macroeconomic environment. People may find, going through the report, that excess demand is an important determinant of corruption. Bribes are lower where the utility services of the ministries have been privatised. One potential explanation for this is that private sector might have a greater incentive than public servants to impose stiff penalties upon employees taking bribes and reducing bribe payments.
Sirajul Islam
Social sciences researcher and consultant
Pisciculture Housing Society, Shyamoli, Dhaka
The burial grounds of Madrid
It was 1969 and I stopped in Rome. I was visiting Madrid and observing historical architecture, the AlHambra palace. I walked through the halls for quite a while. I became so tired that I was left behind the large group of tourists. I came to the burial grounds of the royal people. After I left Madrid I was in Manhattan. Madrid and the graveyard in Al-Hambra left a strange haunting experience of the past. The haunting experience
sometimes led to sleepwalking.
After a week I recovered. I spent some years in New York. I started
reading a book on geology called Secrets In Stones, I also read
folklore, The Ghost, The Russian Witch Baba Yaga, and the Goblin, and Mystery in the Woods. I spent a lot of time in the yards across the Whitestone river. The city, the island of New York and the river became a part of my life. I was reading the Wizard of Oz and it was very interesting to learn about Dorothy. I did not live in the city. I was living in a quiet town. There is a difference between an island, a city, and a town.
Estelle Mahnuma, On e-mail
Unqualified high court judges are unacceptable!
I agree with The Daily Star editorial (August 31) and the PointCounterpoint article by Mr. M. Abdul Latif Mondal (September 2) that only the best and qualified lawyers should be appointed High Court judges. That is why it was so disappointing to hear the comments of, Dr. Kamal Hossain, on August 29 about the nineteen newly sworn-in additional High Court judges: "Who cannot write a sentence in English and who does not know how to proceed a case will now deliver judgement. He will hand down death sentence without hearing the case. It's a shame." And unacceptable! Is there such a dearth of qualified lawyers in Bangladesh that the incompetent ones have to be elevated to the bench? I doubt it. If the judges have been selected primarily on their party loyalty (BNP) rather than qualification, as it appears to be the case, this is partisanship gone amok! Bangladeshis deserve better from their government and are entitled to judges qualified to pass judgement on matters as serious as life and death. The government should publish the qualification of each and every one of the nineteen judges who have been recently appointed and let the nation judge their suitability for positions that may impact on an individual's well being and the nation's future. If the government is unwilling to share the information with the public, one would have to conclude that they are indeed not qualified! In that case, as The Daily Star recommends, "the Chief Justice should certainly heed the request of the Bar to convene a full-court reference with representatives from Bar to reconsider the appointments." Semi-literate and unqualified judges should be removed from the bench even if they have been sworn in stealthily!
Kabir Mia New York
Police trying to protect the Godfathers
The small innocuous news-item, "Police bar Litu's family from holding press conference" (The Daily Star, Thursday September 2, 2004) speaks volumes about the police's active support in suppressing the names of godfathers from coming out in public. The notorious listed criminal Litu's wife and younger brother called a press conference, apparently, to spell out the names of political and business godfathers who utilised Litu's services. Litu, like Pichhi Hannan, another listed criminal, died mysteriously while under arrest.
It doesn't require great detectives like Poirot or Byomkesh to put two and two together and find out who benefitted most from these mysterious deaths in custody and from gagging the mouth of these criminal's families. Besides, isn't it a fundamental right of a any citizen to be able to speak in public and to the press? I draw the attention of all human rights organisations and legal aid organisations, who are trying to see that rule of law is established in this country, to do something about such instances. Our government and opposition political parties are very concerned about crimes and terrorism these days. Do they not know that nothing will be achieved unless the godfathers and beneficiaries, the
Macavitys and the Napoleons of crime, are flushed out and taken to task?
A Z M Abdul Ali ,Uttara, Dhaka
Modernise the intelligence agency
To ensure security of a country, a dynamic and functional intelligence agency is urgent. But the intelligence agencies of Bangladesh seem to be lethargic and impotent. They lack technical know-how and dynamism. Most of them are corrupt and like to impress the government for personal gains. The members of these agencies do not get proper training and incentives that makes them venal, sluggish and unsmart. The government has also been callous towards the need to revitalise our intelligence agencies. The recent grenade attack on AL rally reminds us that our intelligence agencies should be modernised.
Molla Mohammad Shaheen Dept of English, DU
Praying for Partha and his family
After the horrifying grenade attack there was a brief news about Partha, who allegedly sent an email threat against Sheikh Hasina to Bangla daily, Prothom Alo. I do not know him personally and I don't even have enough information about this young man. I could only imagine Partha surfing the net and writing emails in the Cyber Cafe. I could also imagine many other Parthas, Sohels and Tanias doing the same thing.
I find it very alarming that his religion and his education across the border are being highlighted in some newspapers (in a desperate attempt to find some news of Partha I even searched some newspapers which are my least favourite!)
There have been so many deaths in custody that I am now extremely scared for Partha! I request the government not to make Partha a political scapegoat. If he is guilty please follow the proper procedure. I leave it up to our very 'efficient' intelligence to dig the truth out. Though it sounds horrific, but I hope he doesn't die too in custody after 'torture' like so many promising lives have before.
However, I can well imagine his family's ordeal and desperation. I want to tell them that many others like myself are thinking of them and praying.
Dr. Bina D'Costa
Research Fellow, Department of International Relations
RSPAS (Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies)
The Australian National University, Australia