IT appears that Dr Abdullah A Dewan, a former BAEC scientist, has stirred up a hornet's nest with his two pieces on "the brotherhood of bureaucrats" (The Daily Star, Oct. 4). Mr Ghulam Rahman, a former government secretary-turned-columnist, has questioned whether people like Dr Dewan, who left the country for greener pastures abroad, has the right to raise questions regarding the intentions of secretaries-turned-columnists. To me, the answer is simple.

Had Dr Dewan, who switched effortlessly from physics to nuclear engineering to economics, remained in Bangladesh and achieved the highest post in the BAEC, i.e. its chairman, his status (but not rank) would have been that of an additional secretary. Mind you, this is a concession granted to the BAEC only. Chairman of other scientific organizations like BCSIR only enjoy the status of joint secretary.

On the other hand, if Dr Dewan had chosen not to be an administrator (which a chairman basically is), but to devote his life to study and fundamental research in one of the BAEC laboratories and rose to the highest level of chief scientist or chief engineer, he would enjoy the status of a joint secretary only.

My question is: "Why should any creative person remain in this country where bureaucrats are accorded higher status than scientists, engineers, agriculturists, etc?" A few scientists from the BAEC chose to become CSPs and achieved the rank of secretary and even principal secretary (Dr Kamal Siddiqui), but why should one have to give up a career in basic research to achieve the highest posts in the country?

In this globalized world, it is utterly myopic to think that only those who are staying at home are contributing to the country. Look at the contribution that the NonResident Chinese (NRCs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are making in the transformation of their respective motherlands, while we take cheap pot-shots at our NRBs for having gone abroad.

And what contributions are we crowing about? That the nexus between the rulers (military or elected) and the bureaucrats (with some honourable exceptions, of course) in making us the champion

in corruption is well known. If any proof is needed, just look at what the donors are doing. They now prefer to channel donations through the NGOs, rather than through the government, the latter being a prescription to line pockets down the chain.

Admittedly some brilliant minds like Mr Shafiul Azam and Mr Manzurul Karim were attracted to bureaucracy because of the power and influence it wielded. In the ultimate analysis, it was possibly a loss to the country. Imagine what a loss it would have been to the Muslim world if Prof Abdus Salam chose to be a secretary. There is no Nobel Prize for bureaucracy.

The recently announced 2006 Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine have gone to five scientists of one country -- the US! There is no glorified administrative class like ICS, CSP, or BCS (Admin.) in that Land of Promise to lord over the rest of the people. In fact, their mantra is: "The less governance (i.e. bureaucracy), the better."

People's spirit of enquiry and pursuit of knowledge and/or happiness are not stifled there by layers of bureaucracy and red tape. Let me give an example here. If a senior BAEC scientist is to attend a meeting in the IAEA HQ in Vienna, he needs to lobby starting from the senior assistant secretary of the controlling ministry right up to the minister for the government order (GO) to go abroad. Often the GO would arrive the day the meeting is going to close in Vienna. And BAEC is supposed to be an autonomous body!

While our bureaucrats are eager to send their children to the Land of Promise, they are unwilling to give up their perks and power at home. In fact they have blocked every effort made in this direction. It is imperative that we dismantle the colonial legacy of a privileged and elite bureaucracy, originally created to cater to the interest of its colonial masters rather than its subjects. It is time we attached proper value to science and fundamental research for this country to flourish. Otherwise, we have no right to blame people like Dr Dewan for having gone abroad.

The author is a former BAEC and IAEA official.