Hasina asks for justice I have reluctantly read Basina's deliberations with the enquiry team where she asked for justice to the 21 August grenade attack.

We fully agree with her but still wonder why she could not mete out justice to all the people who were killed while she was in power and when she was out of power, especially due to her party's destructive activities and actions, such as hartal.

Nasir

On e-rnail

StoryofHasan

“No one believed there would be a real cyclone. Villagers stayed in the village till 10:00pm, fighting to save their houses. When the houses started falling one by one, people started marching towards the cyclone centre forming a long line fighting the strong wind. I was carrying my infant in one hand and with the other hand I he was guiding my little niece. At one point I found my nephew Hasan following me to heels. As I had two kids to take care with my two hands, I could not look after Hasan. Forceful wind and incessant rain made everyone nervous. As soon we walked on the dam, a strong current of waler wrenched away my niece from my hand. When I

was looking right and left for my niece, I found Hasan was floating on the water. With one hand Hasan held a broken tree and in his other hand was my niece. When I got close to Hasan he said 'Uncle, my father is not with me, please do not leave me here, take me with you'. I assured Hasan that I would not

1 leave him. We started walking again and soon we could see the cyclone 9 centre just about 200 yards ahead of us. Suddenly something shook me violently and I was afloat. I took control, hugged the kids to my bosom and looked back for Hasan; he was not there. Next moment my eyes were set at a broken part of the dam. There was a whirling current of water and Hasan was in the eye of the whirl going down. I went to the cyclone centre, kept the two kids there and went back to the broken part of the dam to look for Hasan. I searched desperately for Hasan but could not find him, he was gone. Oh, if only I tied Hasan with me by a rope! * says Hasan's uncle Badsha while recalling the dark chapter of the Sidr night of 15 November 2007. At this point he threw a question at me "Sir you are educated, you have studied a Jot and have built this dam, still why does the dam break down? Can you not build a dam which will not collapse even during the mightiest cyclone or flood?" Hasan's dead body was found on Saturday (17th November). Hasan's father came back from the sea die same day, but Hasan did not need a father anymore. Hasan had an inseparable relationship with his mother. Fie handed over his 9-rnonth old brother Saiful to his mother and Morium to his grandmother during the cyclone. His mother asked "How will you go?" Hasan answered "Am I not grown up, an 11-year old man?" Hasan's mother regrets Hasan would not have died if they had taken shelter in the cyclone centre in time.

Hasan's family is now standing on debris. Local Union Parisad Chairman Hiron Kazi donated Tk. 10,000 to Hasan's family. Probably more support will be available for this family, but Hasan who was lost in the chasm of the dam, will he ever come back to comfort his mother?

Hasan's family lives in Char Najib village of Kalapara. It is in Patuakhali district in southern Bangladesh. Hasan's father was trapped in the sea during the cyclone.

Dilir Akhtar Khan

MBA (IBA)

Student of MDS (Master of Development Studies) Brae University, Dhaka

Comments

I would like to thank The Daily Star for publishing the article "Time to rethink" by Afroza Ahmed regarding the next steps on handling (he catastrophe of cyclone Sidr.

Nothing can replace the necessity of a good emergency management plan to handle a post-disaster situation. For disasters like Sidr, the necessity of a buffer zone along the coastal line banning permanent human settlement is of extreme importance. It is also necessary to identify and designate the coastal land zoning and introduce regulations for Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Also the multiple uses of resources like the writer has described is important. Therefore, instead of making cyclone shelters serving only one purpose, construction of community facilities that can be used as cyclone centres when necessary -will be more worthwhile in terms of infrastructure.

Given that global warming is becoming more and more a threat for the world, Bangladesh will see more disasters in the coming years. Since we can't control the catastrophe, we must be ready to handle when it hits us. A proper plan and its implementation is a must for our survival.

Ferdouse Oneza, AICP Senior Planner

City of Kennewick, WA, USA A suggestion

In my roller coaster ride through life, of all my successes, our free-. dom struggle is the most pleasing experience, where I had the opportunity to take part.

It is extremely satisfying that, the country appears to be united today, on the question of trial of die war criminals. There is a debate at the moment in the country, about the timing of conducting that trial. The caretaker government seems to be reluctant to conduct that. I believe they should not be pressed to do that. They are not our representatives, none. of the advisers are known to have participated directly in that great war, and the - most disturbing is that, one of them very clearly appears to be against such trials. We will not be sure about the sincerity of the prosecution if that adviser is entrusted to appoint those prosecutors. The whole noble exercise may fall flat. Rather, it will be better to call upon the Election Commission to abide by their own draft reform proposals and the directions laid down in the Constitution and in the Special Powers Act; if they do so, then they CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT accord registration to the Jamaat, the rest should be left to the elected government.

If the EC does so, and the Jamaat is prevented from taking part in the elections, then the ideal condition will be created for such trials.

Dr. M. Hussain On e-mail

Situation in Pakistan

The promulgation of the amendments to the Army Act is alarming. These amendments give wide powers to military courts. Civilians can be tried for a number of offences including for expressing views that citizens of Pakistan comprise of more than one nationality by military courts. Antiquated laws that had lost their teeth through judicial reviews are now being resurrected and made punishable to be tried by the military. Trials will not be open to public hearings; lawyers will only be allowed to represent the accused in the capacity of a friend. Investigation will be carried out by military personal and ordinary rules of evidence will no t apply.

In the past offences under the Prevention of Anti-National Activities Act were tried by a specially constituted tribunal headed by a Judge of the High Court. The presiding judge was appointed in consultation with the Chief Justice of that court. The Anti-National Activities Act as well as several other offences now to be tried by military courts has remained controversial. Lawyers and leaders of civil society vehemently denounced them for being oppressive. The government had powers to detain any person under the Security of Pakistan Act, 1952 but a Review Board consisting of judges of the Supreme and High Courts examined the grounds of such detentions. The amendments made under the Army Act are blatantly violating all norms of human rights and the Constitution of Pakistan. In order to settle scores with lawyers, human rights activists and defiant journalists the law is given effect from January 2003. This also allows the government to legitimise the illegal acts of disappearances carried out by the intelligence agencies with impunity. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court of Pakistan was hearing a number of petitions concerning several individuals who had been picked up by state agents, tortured and kept in clandestine detention centres. The Fluman Rights Commission of Pakistan had also filed a fundamental rights petition on behalf of 198 persons. On the intervention of the Supreme Court 99 were released.

General Musharaf in a public statement defended the government. Fie assured the people that none of those who had gone missing were picked up by the government but had voluntarily gone for jihad. This was yet another cruel distortion by the General. Perhaps a handful of those who disappeared may have gone 'jihading' but not one person on the Commission’s list was even ^accused of al-Qaeda style terrorism. A large majority were young secular minded Baloch nationalists. The statements of a number of them, who reappeared, including a few journalists, only exposed the horror of the excesses of the securityforces.

The Attorney General justified these amendments on the grounds that these were essential for combating terrorism and that similar laws also exist in the United Kingdom and the USA. Firstly, two wrongs will never make right. Secondly, the UK and the USA have an independent judiciary that has also struck down provisions of the Patriot Act. The military courts in the UK or the USA do not try their own citizens. Moreover, journalists, lawyers and activists in the UK or the US have not been charged for terrorism or treason. In Pakistan, police have filed reports accusing several lawyers and activists of terrorism. There are at least three FIRs against me under theTerrorist Act. Judges of superior courts are not under house arrest in either the UKortheUS.

There is little doubt that the

Musharaf regime is no mood to change course. They want absolute power. They will tolerate no dissent and will continue to use the terrorist card to keep the international community at bay. Flow long will the bluff and a state of self-denial work? (Asma Jahangir is in detentionin her house).

For more information on the happenings in Pakistan, please visit the Rapid Response Alert section on our website www.southasianrights.org

Irfath

coordinator

South Asians for Human Rights

Road accidents

Every year thousands of people are facing road accidents. But successive governments have done little to prevent such accidents. Is it not a serious issue? Flow long will these continue? It is my earnest request to the Chief Adviser to cast a serious look at this matter.

Stern measures should be taken against those bus-drivers and helpers who have "eaten up" their conscience. It is time to wake up. Pradip Das

Lecturer in English, BHPI CRP,Sauar

Relief operations

Frankly speaking, the government's mobilisation of relief activ-

ities and its handling of relief goods in the hurricane affected areas has fallen short of public expectations. Every day we see in print/electronic media how these vulnerable people are crying for help whenever they see someone. Now there is a growing danger of the outbreak of waterborne diseases due to non-availability of potable water. The situation may take a serious turn if proper care is not taken. The situation must be tackled with the participation of people from all walks of life. In order to do that I have a suggest ion -- I think the government should right away invite the political parties and ask them to conduct and organise relief related works.

This is because of the fact that we have seen that it is the political parties which have effectively handled many natural calamities in the past. The reason behind their successful handling of the situation is that these political parties have vast manpower and resources. I think the government should give a serious thought about engaging political parties in conducting the much needed relief operations without putting any string to it in order to save the millions of unfortunate people who are depending on us and desperately looking forhelp.

Humayun Hyder Zigatola, Dhaka