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TO THE EDITOR
Political scenario
Very recently, the head of the interim govt.. Chief Adviser Dr FakhruddinAhmed, addressed the nation on political developments i.e. election and other issues. In his speech he said die govt, would sit with the political parties soon to discuss vanous issues. He did not mention which issue would come up for discussion.
The whole nation is looking forward to the outcome of the dialogue.
Md Zonaed Emran Dept, of Political Science Un i versi ry of Dhaka
Free market environment
In less developed countries, it is difficult to introduce and maintain free market conditions, that is. supply (goods and services) should be more than the public demand.
Tak$ 0j0$,yie pi ncX>ha^, Pedal rickshaw's are popular, as these are cheaper for the vast majority of the residents of Dhaka DCC zone. Hence the city' is flooded with cycle rickshaws. On the other hand, the metered auto rickshaws refuse to go by the meter, and the supply of vehicles is less than the demand (plus, no taxi stands). The hawker footpath stalls draw huge crow’ds, compared to the air-conditioned shopping malls — for obvious reasons. 1 do most of my shopping on the footpaths ( I can go to the supermarkets and dept stores, but the vast majority of the goods are imported—not at all essential).
The planners have to keep in mind these simple basic factors while promulgating rules and regulations. Too many restrictions create systems losses in operation, maintenance, management, and control, prosecution and paper work Good administration works in the background. Our politics is front-stage tamasha——too noisy and demonstrative. Work quietly in the background, like the air you breathe, and the way your body works quietly through automatic feedback systems.
Our general elections are treated (by the politicians) as periods of revolutionary shake-ups. Why no continuity could be maintained?
There is no professionalism in our politics: it reminds us of our cycle rickshaws, autorickshaws, and footpath stalls. This sort of ad hocism in political culture has resulted in what w’e witness today after several decades---in fact, since 1947 (partition). Our leadership reminds us of abject destitu-tion—those who cannot take care of themselves, not to speak of looking after 140 million citizens!
Why do we have to hope for the bener after the coming general elections? First the reforms, and then the establishment of the right foundation for future political transparency. Why am I speaking against the popular political diatribe? Propped up ‘popularity’ is not a sign of success! Hard w'ork, no charisma
A Mahasen, Dhaka
Rickshaw menace
It is not only-astounding but shock-. >pgAlso .’ok^Q.bQWJtyen 'higblv^ educated people can be so irrational in respect of viewing administrative, social and economic problems such as the rickshaw menace in Dhaka city. In the letters captioned ’Regulate Number of Rickshaws' by Nasreen Khondkar and ’Rickshaw-free Capital' by Mr. Sikandar Ahmed, both have lamented the possibility(!) of a rickshaw-free Dhaka city and advocated for the so-called convenient tricycle without least men-tioning how untrained rickshawallahs, totally ignorant of the traffic rules, run amuck on the highways and main streets of the capital city wherever they are. Nasreen Khondkar has mentioned European cities and also Singapore where the number of motor cars has been controlled and bicycles are in abundant use. Mr Sikandar has cut a joke on Mr. Rabat's suggestions for introducing mass transport system (MTS). Both of them seem to be oblivious of Kolkata, the biggest city of our neighbouring country, where rickshaws have been removed from the main streets, not to speak of highways. Nasreen has wailed on how she could walk the distance from Neelkhet to Dhanmondi which is less than a mile or two. Does she know that people both
male and female in our neighbouring country’ walk miles to go to their respective destinations? Mr. Sikandar has jeered at the introduction of MTS. Does he also feel shy to stand in a queue to collect a ticket and travel in a bus? We people in this capital city perhaps would feel better and more comfortable had there been bus-stops at every door-step. How callous and irrational! Isn't crowding the city with countless rickshaws telling on the law and order and other civic conditions? Moreover, they say more than 60% of our population has gone down below the poverty line. Now, does she, an economist, suggest those people also should come to the capital for rickshaw-pulling as there are no other alternatives for selfemployment? Of course Nasreen Khondkars suggestion to introduce bicycles and providing lanes for it is not very difficult to implement. It can be done simply by "^bvjn^niHiiuitllyidriveli ind small motor vehicles from the highways and main streets and introducing wide-bodied, double-decker buses and sky-rails. But none is for that; instead they run after metro-rail. What a joke! They have even failed to implement DUTIP in the last 6/7 years! God knows when responsible people will come to their senses.
M.ShowkatAli
Uttara, Dhaka
Political developments
The Gono Forum had their chance to unveil their political plan during dialogue - A National Unity Government. Of course currently they want that to happen after the genera) election. This has two major political implications. Number one : the ensuing election might be held without popular participation and therefore would not get legitimacy from within and outside. Then the option of a National Unity’ Government would be mooted out, and those who participated in such an election and won seats would be considered as the components of such a government. The number two: the election is deferred indefinitely
and the present CTG would be replaced by political leaders of like minded parties to form a National Unity Government under the cover of the CTG to make an exit door for this CTG.
In both the cases the problem would multiply and the country would fall into deeper trouble. We think the government is losing its best opportunity to come to a consensus with the major political parties and pave the way for the general election between Oct and Dec 2008. We think it is high time to disassociate with the political pundits in the government and open up their eyes and ears and genuinely behave like a " neutral and non political" CTG. Whatever political plan is in their briefcase, it has already failed to produce any positive results. The plan is only helping the "super politician" and political pundit around to manoeuvre and manipulate the situation.
The crack-down on the worker-and local leaders of major political parties under emergency law, is another attempt to induce fear among the political activists so that the two major political parties lose political strength at the grassroots level. The explanation of the government is not tenable because, if they are holding criminals, why this was not done on routine basis as soon as the law enforcing agencies got their names? Why the CTG needs a special drive? This has only produced two negative results as far the people are concerned , the people have been terrorised in the rural areas (as we saw during 1/11) and open politics is shut down making the dialogue meaningless. We feel extremely sorry for our senior political leaders talking about national unity government. It appears that they have lost complete faith in democracy and election.
I remember that I heard a joke from a senior colleague, it goes like : A lot of political debate was going on in the country without a solution in sight, one innocent person made a very significant observation and said, Sir, why you spend so much of energy and money in politics and election, why not fill up the position of the ministers, presi-dent and other political positions through normal system of promotion as part of the public service? As for example, he observed that the secretary of a ministry would be promoted as minister automat! callyand hold the post for 3-5 years as determined by the rules. It sounds very funny. But in reality we are seeking our political solution through a bureaucratic framework to serve a particular privileged class, ignoring the aspirations of the nation for an elected democratic government.
A reader
On e-mail
Whither legal education?
We do talk of a effective legal sys tern and judiciary in Bangladesh. The people deserve that.
I lowever, we do hardly pay our attention to the root cause of the problem. We have to have a plan to standardize the quality of our legal education to meet the needs of the time. This is a pre-requisite to have sound legally educated personnel to fill up positions of lawyers, judges and other professionals. This is instrumental for an effective justice system as well.
Some time back, one columnist questioned the validity of our expectation for the rule of law in the country without any significant investment for quality legal education (except funds for some public universities which have law departments).
Now, there are mostly four streams of legal education in Bangladesh. These are four public universities, 10 to 12 private universities, non-governmental colleges under the National University, and distance/external programmes of UK-based universities. Apart from that there are a few self-styled centres of some overseas institutions or linked programmes that cheat the 'degree-seekers' in the name of offering degrees through so-called online courses.
There have been LL.B. (Honours) and L L.M, programmes at four public universities. One could easily raise questions on the level and standard of the existing curriculum, medium of instruction and teaching methods, research works and publications carried out by the faculty members, extra-curricular engagements of students etc.
In recent years, politically-patronized individuals have grabbed faculty positions in almost all of those law departments.
Despite that some students from law departments at public universities could achieve remarkable standards as a result of their individual efforts during student life and afterwards.
Our legal luminaries have been busy in the corridors of courts and politics and on overseas missions as well. They hardly have time to think of how to facilitate quality legal education. The professors (we have few of that standard) are also busy with consultancy work and their own NGOs.
Therefore, it is a high time to make avenues for offering quality legal education and research in the country. In an Asian Development Bank-sponsored study renowned Professor N. R. Madhava Menon (of India) has provided an excellent review of our existing legal education. It could be a benchmark for any future relevant activity.
UdattaBikash
Legal and Human Rights Practitioner
Dhaka
Politics in doldrums
In the first place, I would like to clearly mention the fact that I've by no means any hope about our politics and the politicians. Still, being a conscientious citizen of the country I have the right to voice my thoughts pertaining to the welfare of the land I was born and brought up in, and am still living.
Today, however, I would not pen down or ventilate much of the thoughts that at times go perforating my inner being for many reasons.
What we take note of, today after 37 years of freedom, with a broken heart, is a complete political disaster resulting from the wholesale misuse /abuse of power, corruption of monumental height and so forth by the people we call politicians. After a series of shuffle and reshuffle in the CTG, the caretaker government took charge at a critical juncture and since then they have been doing a great job for the country.
At this point, however, it is to be well borne in mind that it was the top two leaders who brought about some sort of equilibrium in their respective parties. Being the leaders of the two major political parties, diey were a must lor bridging the gap created in their parties. So, we want to see a much better handling of the political situation by the top leaders. We don't want to goback...
Rafiqul Islam Rime Agrahad, Chittagong
Encourage local ceramics
In recent years, a very small number of cottage ceramics industries have come up producing handcrafted, hand painted stoneware and porcelain decorative products. The range of products included mugs, vases, showpieces tableware etc. with high quality, exclusive designs, both western and traditional. Eighty per cent of ceramic decorative products are imported from China, Thailand etc and the ones which are manufactured here are also sold as imported because of quality. The costumers should buy more local products which will encourage the local industry' to develop and contribute to the economy. We urge the caretaker government to assist these SMEs to expand rapidly for employment generation.
Shawkat Hassan Chowdhury Covt official
Bangladesh Ceramic Institute Tejgaon, Dhaka
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the multitude of different living beings in a particular ecosystem or on the whole earth Biodiversity can be seen and studied at different organisational levels: genetic and ecological. It touches upon both native environments on land and sea as well as agricultural and oilier man-made surroundings.
The issues involved in the inter-action between biodiversity and biotechnology have far-reaching consequences atjd need to be subject to an open and knowledgebased dialogue in society.
Jewel Rana
Dept of Biotechnology Bangladesh Agricultural University! Mymensingh
Barack Obama
After the longest and most expensive nomination race, Barack Obama made history by capturing the Democratic nomination as the first black candidate. On defeating Hillary Clinton, the 46 year-old Barack Obama will now face a fivemonth campaign against a 71 year-old Republican Senator John McCain, a Vietnam prisoner of war and staunch supporter of the US led war in Iraq. On the other hand, Barack Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq, called for an early troops withdrawal and is in favour of settling Iran issue only through diplomatic means.
It is widely believed that Mr. Barack Obama will really turn the page on the US policies of the past and bring a change that the US as well as the entire world is longing for. At a time when America's image around the world has fallen to the lowest level, this call for change by Barack Obama has raised new hope. At this juncture the US and the world need a person like Obama who has demonstrated discipline, principle, tactics & smartness in the nomination race
with Hillary Clinton who w’ould accept the offer of the former to become his running mate in the presidential race. And if that happens then White House will have a President who may bring something bener for the superpower US and the rest of the world.
Engr. Md.Aminul Hoque Khalishpur, Khulna
Rude foreigners
On Friday(6/06/08) I went to a boutique shop at Banani. After picking my chosen Shalwar-Kamiz 1 put my things in the booth to pay the price for the things 1 intended to buy. I stood in a queue there where two English women were talking in between by putting their tilings in the counter. The cashier was having a slight problem with the computer, requested me and others to wait for a while. Meanwhile, I was talking to the manager about the beautiful set-up of the shop. Suddenly, one of those two women grumbled very rudely how’ long she would have to wait to pay a small thing. All of us became really surprised at their behaviour . Seeing their attitude the shopkeepers became embarrassed and I became apologetic on their behalf for their unintentional delay.
We have to tolerate all the injustice these foreigners inflict on us and accept their attitude as the right way of life.
Rubab Abdullah
Dhaka Cantonment
Dhaka