World of terror, Sidr and US ‘help’
Whenever the US says peace we need to read it as war, whenever it says democracy we need to think of repression. History shows us again and again that whenever the US extended ‘help’, it ended with new chains, occupation and human suffering, writes
Anu Muhammad
‘We levelled it. There was nobody left, just dirt and dust.’ A US general in an occupied land after destruction of three villages in 2002 THE world has entered into a permanent system of war, militarisation, destruction and dehumanisation. After the Second World War, for whatever reasons, the United States has emerged as the centre of this global system. The survival of the US as a superpower, expansion of its hegemony and the function of global capitalism now mostly depend upon war machine and militarism. That gives birth to a new phase of imperialism and becomes a threat to not only people and nations in the periphery but also the whole human civilisation.................
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Ageing war criminals and their old crimes
Ageing war criminals and their old crimes
Syed Badrul Ahsan
General Harunur Rashid has been doing an admirable job of keeping us all posted on the need to resist the anti-liberation elements which have, of late, been rearing their heads. His careful and determined handling of conditions, especially through his efforts to organise the surviving sector commanders of the War of Liberation, is proof, if proof at all were needed, that the spirit which informed our view of the war and underlined our participation in that war is yet alive, and that it only needs men of courage and patriotism to rekindle it in order for the dark forces endangering our liberty to be sent packing..........
Syed Badrul Ahsan
General Harunur Rashid has been doing an admirable job of keeping us all posted on the need to resist the anti-liberation elements which have, of late, been rearing their heads. His careful and determined handling of conditions, especially through his efforts to organise the surviving sector commanders of the War of Liberation, is proof, if proof at all were needed, that the spirit which informed our view of the war and underlined our participation in that war is yet alive, and that it only needs men of courage and patriotism to rekindle it in order for the dark forces endangering our liberty to be sent packing..........
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Midnight Coups
‘Midnight coups’ and their ill-fated history
Just as predictions of the impending disintegration of the BNP and the Awami League proved to be wrong two-and-a-half decades ago when the country was put through a similar political purge by a military government as the one that is being carried out today, the predictions of doom for the parties will prove just as wrong this time around, writes Shameran Abed..........
Just as predictions of the impending disintegration of the BNP and the Awami League proved to be wrong two-and-a-half decades ago when the country was put through a similar political purge by a military government as the one that is being carried out today, the predictions of doom for the parties will prove just as wrong this time around, writes Shameran Abed..........
Thursday, October 04, 2007
9/11 Is Over - by Thomas Friedman
"I will not vote for any candidate running on 9/11. We don’t need another president of 9/11. We need a president for 9/12. I will only vote for the 9/12 candidate.What does that mean? This: 9/11 has made us stupid. I honor, and weep for, all those murdered on that day. But our reaction to 9/11 has knocked America completely out of balance."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Revolution is Just Below the Surface
A Revolution is Just Below the Surface
September 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger, Noam Chomsky
On September 21, 2007, I had the extraordinary opportunity to interview Noam Chomsky in his office at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The interview will be aired on Venezuelan and Latin American television as part of the promotion for the III International Book Fair in Venezuela, which this year focuses on the theme: "United States: Is Revolution Possible?" The transcription of the interview follows............
September 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger, Noam Chomsky
On September 21, 2007, I had the extraordinary opportunity to interview Noam Chomsky in his office at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The interview will be aired on Venezuelan and Latin American television as part of the promotion for the III International Book Fair in Venezuela, which this year focuses on the theme: "United States: Is Revolution Possible?" The transcription of the interview follows............
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Business confidence lacking
Business confidence lacking
by Achintya Sen
Many entrepreneurs have gone underground to keep themselves safe but their reputed enterprises are in a bad shape. There is a deplorable state of affairs in the businesses of those taken into custody. At present 30 to 35 big industries owned by leading businessmen are in an awful state due to financial crisis. The owners of these business houses after their arrest or going underground have been deprived of bank loans or financial support from any quarters. As a result, officers, employees and workers of these commercial establishments are not getting their salaries or wages for months together..................
by Achintya Sen
Many entrepreneurs have gone underground to keep themselves safe but their reputed enterprises are in a bad shape. There is a deplorable state of affairs in the businesses of those taken into custody. At present 30 to 35 big industries owned by leading businessmen are in an awful state due to financial crisis. The owners of these business houses after their arrest or going underground have been deprived of bank loans or financial support from any quarters. As a result, officers, employees and workers of these commercial establishments are not getting their salaries or wages for months together..................
It's the economy, stupid vs it's politic.stupid
It’s the economy, stupid vs it’s the politics, stupid
NM Harun
From September 6 onward, the government in its entirety has been operating beyond its normal constitutional date of expiry. Anything beyond its date of expiry is hazardous – may even be fatal. If not hazardous or fatal, such a thing definitely loses its potency. The key to revive the potency of the government and the state, while the constitution is still in force, is the holding of the elections to the ninth parliament as expeditiously as possible…The crux of the problem is thus reactivation of politics, leading to the full restoration of constitutional governance. Economic issues, including price spiral and flood damages, are ordinary problems of governance and pale into insignificance compared to the extraordinary and overwhelming political crisis............
NM Harun
From September 6 onward, the government in its entirety has been operating beyond its normal constitutional date of expiry. Anything beyond its date of expiry is hazardous – may even be fatal. If not hazardous or fatal, such a thing definitely loses its potency. The key to revive the potency of the government and the state, while the constitution is still in force, is the holding of the elections to the ninth parliament as expeditiously as possible…The crux of the problem is thus reactivation of politics, leading to the full restoration of constitutional governance. Economic issues, including price spiral and flood damages, are ordinary problems of governance and pale into insignificance compared to the extraordinary and overwhelming political crisis............
Monday, September 17, 2007
Hollow words of Fakhruddin
Fakhruddin’s words ring hollow
The comments of the chief adviser to the military-driven interim government, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, made during an interview given to the British Broadcasting Corporation on Friday deserve greater scrutiny. But before moving on to the comments of the chief adviser, it is worth noting that while the interview to the BBC is just the latest in a series of interviews given to the foreign media, the chief adviser has not yet given a single interview to the local media despite the fact that several media outlets, including New Age, formally applied to his office months ago to seek interviews with him. .................
The comments of the chief adviser to the military-driven interim government, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, made during an interview given to the British Broadcasting Corporation on Friday deserve greater scrutiny. But before moving on to the comments of the chief adviser, it is worth noting that while the interview to the BBC is just the latest in a series of interviews given to the foreign media, the chief adviser has not yet given a single interview to the local media despite the fact that several media outlets, including New Age, formally applied to his office months ago to seek interviews with him. .................
Monday, September 03, 2007
Women in Bangladesh Prison
Women in prison
Tahmina Shafique uncovers the pathetic plight of the female inmates in the country’s prison system. The stories of abuse, the stories of torture, and the problems of reintegration
Having spent a year in prison already, 25-year-old Rahima still cannot reconcile with her living conditions. ‘The air, the walls, the people, the place- all of it has been a shock for me,’ she says. She struggles to wear the blank and emotionless expression that the rest of her inmates wear everyday, yet every time she speaks of her experience in jail, she fights back tears...........
Tahmina Shafique uncovers the pathetic plight of the female inmates in the country’s prison system. The stories of abuse, the stories of torture, and the problems of reintegration
Having spent a year in prison already, 25-year-old Rahima still cannot reconcile with her living conditions. ‘The air, the walls, the people, the place- all of it has been a shock for me,’ she says. She struggles to wear the blank and emotionless expression that the rest of her inmates wear everyday, yet every time she speaks of her experience in jail, she fights back tears...........
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Confluence of The Two Seas
Confluence Of The Two Seas
" The Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and of prosperity. A 'broader Asia' that broke away geographical boundaries is now beginning to take on a distinct form". So spoke the Prime Minister of Japan.
SHINZO ABE
I would like to begin my remarks today by extending my sincerest condolences to many victims of nature's great fury, the people of India who have suffered tremendous damage from the recent torrential rain cantered in Bihar state, who are even at this very moment struggling against enormous hardships.Today I have the great honour of addressing the highest organ of state power in this largest democracy in the world. I come before you on behalf of the citizens of another democracy that is equally representing Asia, to speak to you about my views on the future of Japan and India..........................
" The Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and of prosperity. A 'broader Asia' that broke away geographical boundaries is now beginning to take on a distinct form". So spoke the Prime Minister of Japan.
SHINZO ABE
I would like to begin my remarks today by extending my sincerest condolences to many victims of nature's great fury, the people of India who have suffered tremendous damage from the recent torrential rain cantered in Bihar state, who are even at this very moment struggling against enormous hardships.Today I have the great honour of addressing the highest organ of state power in this largest democracy in the world. I come before you on behalf of the citizens of another democracy that is equally representing Asia, to speak to you about my views on the future of Japan and India..........................
Exit strategies:Some lessons from history
Exit strategies: Some lessons from history
Rehman Sobhan discusses the stark choices facing the nation
Rehman Sobhan discusses the stark choices facing the nation
The exit strategy for the caretaker government (CTG) may turn out to be its most challenging task because the full agenda of the forces behind such a government have yet to be made explicit. In exploring the options of the CTG and its backers it may be well to take some lessons from the entry and exit of previous militarised regimes in both Pakistan and Bangladesh............
This should never happened
This should never have happened
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)
It must cause all right thinking persons to ask why a fracas between some army persons and university students turned into violent protests that witnessed wide-scale vandalism and destruction, which could only be controlled through imposition of curfew. One could ask why the students' anger did not subside once very high-ranking officers of the army visited the spot and assured the students of appropriate actions against the errant soldiers, and that the army billet located at the gym would be withdrawn. In fact, all the logical demands of the students were accepted. Why then the events of August 21 and 22?...............
Monday, August 27, 2007
Take the people with you
Take the people with you
Prove the allegations of attempted subversion
Prove the allegations of attempted subversion
We are deeply concerned over the statement made by Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed about evil forces trying to make a capital out of Dhaka University incident of August 20 by bankrolling crores of taka to wreak anarchy in the country on the following day. The allegations are of very serious nature. And although, as claimed by the army chief, the design has been 'foiled', the onus is now on the government to come out with credible evidence before the people to enable the formation of a greater public support behind the government's efforts...........
Which way now ?
Which way now?
Ahmed Shafiqul Huque
This is the first time a non-partisan caretaker government had to use repressive measures to quell disturbances in Bangladesh. An incident between army personnel and students on Dhaka University campus erupted into a major show of disenchantment with the government. Only a short while ago, this government enjoyed unprecedented public support.What could have led to such a drastic change? In his address to the nation, the chief adviser attributed the disturbances to the efforts by certain quarters who were taking advantage of a minor event to destabilise and discredit the government. This explanation is not too different from the excuses used by governments in the past whenever they were unable to contain violence on the streets. However, the sabotage of communication cable around the same time in a remote area of Chittagong and the images on television of men on rampage who appeared to be non-students lend some credence to the chief adviser's claim............................
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
M. Abdul Hafiz
"Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins." -- Kahlil Gibran
An apolitical student uprising in Dhaka University on August 20 and 21 has disencumbered the nation of its ignominious impotence -- but at a cost. Indeed, the spontaneity, spread, and intensity of the event has few parallels in our recent history. It spread like a prairie fire, engulfing in its flames the entire country, while the student community was gripped by a spasmodic hysteria. When the rampage stopped, it left a deep scar on the face of the nation and the establishment. Already exasperated with multiple problems, they are trying to understand what it was all about................................
M. Abdul Hafiz
"Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins." -- Kahlil Gibran
An apolitical student uprising in Dhaka University on August 20 and 21 has disencumbered the nation of its ignominious impotence -- but at a cost. Indeed, the spontaneity, spread, and intensity of the event has few parallels in our recent history. It spread like a prairie fire, engulfing in its flames the entire country, while the student community was gripped by a spasmodic hysteria. When the rampage stopped, it left a deep scar on the face of the nation and the establishment. Already exasperated with multiple problems, they are trying to understand what it was all about................................
Friday, July 27, 2007
Scholar, Statesman, Gentleman
Web| Jul 26, 2007
Vice Presidency
Scholar, Statesman, Gentleman
Not just a 'bhadralok', he is also a man of firm and strong views and an impartiality of spirit, articulate and self deprecating, a warm and loyal friend. For once, one salutes those who had the discrimination to select him to uphold the honour of the country.
ARUNDHATI GHOSE Imagine having a friend nominated as Vice President of India! I am sure there are other people whose friends have entered high portals, but one would be hard put to find one so eminently deserving of recognition, one who does, not just his friends, but his country proud, as Hamid Ansari. The pride and glee are however, tempered with a hint of regret; no longer would we be able to have long discussions on the state of India’s educational system, the problems in the Middle East, gossip about the UN or India-US relations, in the lounge of the IIC or even on the telephone! Protocol, security will, and have already, reared their heads as Hamid moves into inaccessible circles One cannot really gossip with the Vice President of the country—or can one?...............
Vice Presidency
Scholar, Statesman, Gentleman
Not just a 'bhadralok', he is also a man of firm and strong views and an impartiality of spirit, articulate and self deprecating, a warm and loyal friend. For once, one salutes those who had the discrimination to select him to uphold the honour of the country.
ARUNDHATI GHOSE Imagine having a friend nominated as Vice President of India! I am sure there are other people whose friends have entered high portals, but one would be hard put to find one so eminently deserving of recognition, one who does, not just his friends, but his country proud, as Hamid Ansari. The pride and glee are however, tempered with a hint of regret; no longer would we be able to have long discussions on the state of India’s educational system, the problems in the Middle East, gossip about the UN or India-US relations, in the lounge of the IIC or even on the telephone! Protocol, security will, and have already, reared their heads as Hamid moves into inaccessible circles One cannot really gossip with the Vice President of the country—or can one?...............
Govt. Should Not Mislead People
There is little doubt that, since independence, the majority of those who have been in state power, both civil and military, have varying degrees abused power and authority to amass public wealth. What is more, instead of investing the large amounts of ill-gotten wealth in this country, which would at least have contributed to a certain extent to its economic development, a major portion of the money has been illegally taken out of the country and deposited in foreign banks........
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Let leadership grow from the ruins
Let leadership grow from the ruins
The state of emergency, crackdown on corruption suspects and ban on politics isolated the chiefs of the two large parties from most of their long-term colleagues. The difficult time has at least done one good thing – it has exposed the leaders to their followers spread up to the villages. True leadership emerges from crisis; not from guided reform formula mapped out in drawing rooms or somewhere else. A ‘test-tube’ political party is also unlikely to be the answer. Let the top leadership prove its ability in the present times of crisis, or let the new leadership emerge from the ruins, writes Titu Datta Gupta
THE ban on politics has apparently opened a floodgate of reform recipes with aging politicians vowing to do right now what they could not do in decades. Colleagues and silent party loyalists across the country are amazed, sometimes amused to see how some of their long-known leaders are turning into total reformists overnight........................
The state of emergency, crackdown on corruption suspects and ban on politics isolated the chiefs of the two large parties from most of their long-term colleagues. The difficult time has at least done one good thing – it has exposed the leaders to their followers spread up to the villages. True leadership emerges from crisis; not from guided reform formula mapped out in drawing rooms or somewhere else. A ‘test-tube’ political party is also unlikely to be the answer. Let the top leadership prove its ability in the present times of crisis, or let the new leadership emerge from the ruins, writes Titu Datta Gupta
THE ban on politics has apparently opened a floodgate of reform recipes with aging politicians vowing to do right now what they could not do in decades. Colleagues and silent party loyalists across the country are amazed, sometimes amused to see how some of their long-known leaders are turning into total reformists overnight........................
Strengthening Democracy ?
This is no way to strengthen democracy
Just as "command economy" failed, so will "command politics"
Mahfuz Anam
The only reason that the caretaker government has survived six months in power, and the chief advisor acknowledges it every time an occasion arises, is because the general public think of it to be an instrument to strengthen democracy. But now if this very instrument of 'strengthening democracy' becomes a symbol of mindless and arbitrary use of power, then how will the public distinguish it from such previous abusers of power and continue to lend it support? .........
Just as "command economy" failed, so will "command politics"
Mahfuz Anam
The only reason that the caretaker government has survived six months in power, and the chief advisor acknowledges it every time an occasion arises, is because the general public think of it to be an instrument to strengthen democracy. But now if this very instrument of 'strengthening democracy' becomes a symbol of mindless and arbitrary use of power, then how will the public distinguish it from such previous abusers of power and continue to lend it support? .........
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Reforms: Facts behind Facts
Bangladeshs political reforms:
facts behind facts
by Dr Abdul Momen
facts behind facts
by Dr Abdul Momen
BANGLADESH is currently facing great uncertainties political, business and legal. Other than these, more things are currently predominant: political reforms, arrests and transfers. Political reforms refer to negotiations between selected leaders and powers in eliminating the top two leaders of the two major political parties, former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party...........
Where Bihar leads India
Where 'backward' Bihar leads India
| By Amarnath Tewary BBC News, Patna |
For many years, Bihar in northern India has earned notoriety for being one of the poorest and most lawless states in the country.
Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul once described it as the place where "civilisation ends".
But all is not lost, perhaps. We discover five areas where Bihar might consider itself to be ahead of other Indian states...............
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Time for Soul Search
Time for some soul searching
Nurul Kabir
It is indisputable that a significantly large section of our people was happy when the military intervened in the political arena on January 11. They welcomed the ‘caretaker’ government of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed that was midwifed by the military the next day, to the extent that they were not much bothered by the imposition of a state of emergency that instantly took away certain ‘inalienable’ fundamental rights of the citizens. Indeed, a people who had once relentlessly fought against emergencies and military interventions in politics had their immediate reasons to passively accept, if not actively support, the new takeover by an apparently apolitical group of individuals..............
Nurul Kabir
It is indisputable that a significantly large section of our people was happy when the military intervened in the political arena on January 11. They welcomed the ‘caretaker’ government of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed that was midwifed by the military the next day, to the extent that they were not much bothered by the imposition of a state of emergency that instantly took away certain ‘inalienable’ fundamental rights of the citizens. Indeed, a people who had once relentlessly fought against emergencies and military interventions in politics had their immediate reasons to passively accept, if not actively support, the new takeover by an apparently apolitical group of individuals..............
Rights gone wrong in emergency rites
Rights gone wrong in emergency rites
Interim govt completes six months Shahiduzzaman
Human rights violation has continued since the proclamation of a state of emergency in the country six months back, with 114 people killed in the custody of law enforcers and some two lakh people detained. The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, proclaimed a state of emergency on January 11 and the Emergency Powers Rules 2007 were promulgated on January 25, banning political activities, suspending fundamental rights of the citizens and detailing a set of guidelines for the media....................
Interim govt completes six months Shahiduzzaman
Human rights violation has continued since the proclamation of a state of emergency in the country six months back, with 114 people killed in the custody of law enforcers and some two lakh people detained. The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, proclaimed a state of emergency on January 11 and the Emergency Powers Rules 2007 were promulgated on January 25, banning political activities, suspending fundamental rights of the citizens and detailing a set of guidelines for the media....................
Monday, July 02, 2007
Invading The Sacred
Invading The Sacred
The story of why I became involved with co-editing a book that analyzes the representation of Hinduism in American academia and the ensuing and ongoing politics when such representations are challenged both by the Indian diaspora as well as by academicians
ADITI BANERJEE
As I write this, I am surrounded by bookshelves full of English translations of the Puranas and the Dharma Shastras. In my puja room are texts of stotras and pujas that I am eager to learn but have not yet touched. A few blocks away, at the local Hindu Center, a Bhagavat Katha is taking place. Similarly, for the past several months, as I became involved in co-editing the book, Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America, papers I had planned to write--on Hindu models of feminism and narratives of my recent pilgrimages in India--went unwritten..................
As I write this, I am surrounded by bookshelves full of English translations of the Puranas and the Dharma Shastras. In my puja room are texts of stotras and pujas that I am eager to learn but have not yet touched. A few blocks away, at the local Hindu Center, a Bhagavat Katha is taking place. Similarly, for the past several months, as I became involved in co-editing the book, Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America, papers I had planned to write--on Hindu models of feminism and narratives of my recent pilgrimages in India--went unwritten..................
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Bangla Bhai Story
The Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
The Bangla Bhai Story
Trading in death under shadow of govt
Julfikar Ali ManikTarique Rahman and several ex-BNP ministers directly patronised the outrageous operations of the JMB (Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh) in Rajshahi with the full knowledge of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, revealed an extensive The Daily Star investigation that was corroborated by top government officials in the region...................
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What India Has Taught Me
Outlook India
For The Record
'What India Has Taught Me' I was born in Europe, but was soon claimed by another world more diverse and more ancient ... India has taught me above all else has taught me above all else that politics is not just the art of the possible; it can also be the art of the impossible. SONIA GANDHI
The full text of the Nexus Lecture, Living Politics: What India Has Taught Me, delivered by the Congress President and UPA Chairperson at the Nexus Institute, the Hague............
For The Record
'What India Has Taught Me' I was born in Europe, but was soon claimed by another world more diverse and more ancient ... India has taught me above all else has taught me above all else that politics is not just the art of the possible; it can also be the art of the impossible. SONIA GANDHI
The full text of the Nexus Lecture, Living Politics: What India Has Taught Me, delivered by the Congress President and UPA Chairperson at the Nexus Institute, the Hague............
A Political Pornography
Outlook India
Magazine Political Pornography?
Magazine Political Pornography?
My book was not just on the military, but Pakistan's entire power elite AYESHA SIDDIQA
Have I written a political pornography or a Mills & Boon? It's the first question which came to my mind after I found myself in the middle of a storm in a teacup over the publication of my book, Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. The uproar has made me both sad and excited. Sad, because most commentators are trying to draw their own conclusions without having grasped the basic argument of my book. Many have not even read the book; those who have are focusing on its least important argument. Yet I'm excited by the fact that the book has got serving and retired military officers with varied ideological positions on a single forum-- to prove that my book is just a pack of lies meant to malign the armed forces...........
Have I written a political pornography or a Mills & Boon? It's the first question which came to my mind after I found myself in the middle of a storm in a teacup over the publication of my book, Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. The uproar has made me both sad and excited. Sad, because most commentators are trying to draw their own conclusions without having grasped the basic argument of my book. Many have not even read the book; those who have are focusing on its least important argument. Yet I'm excited by the fact that the book has got serving and retired military officers with varied ideological positions on a single forum-- to prove that my book is just a pack of lies meant to malign the armed forces...........
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Siren of Road map to Democracy
New Age
The siren song of ‘Roadmap of Democracy’
NM Harun
Here, in Bangladesh, the elites across the board ‘con-spire’, that is, breathe the same air of hate against the ‘two women’, Hasina and Khaleda, and have been nurtured essentially in an anti-politician mindset since General Ayub’s martial law of 1958. The ‘Roadmap of Democracy’, the latest project of the emergency rulers, may sound like a siren song to many of them
The government on Friday debarred Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League president, from going to the United States to attend to her pregnant daughter. One day earlier, on Thursday, the government did not allow her to go to Chittagong on a visit to the landslide-devastated areas. Hasina has been denied her freedom of movement both on private and public callings..........
The government on Friday debarred Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League president, from going to the United States to attend to her pregnant daughter. One day earlier, on Thursday, the government did not allow her to go to Chittagong on a visit to the landslide-devastated areas. Hasina has been denied her freedom of movement both on private and public callings..........
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Extremist Encroachment
Pakistan
Extremist Encroachment
The NWFP is swiftly crystallizing at the core of the Islamist militant mobilisation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region even as radical Islamists rapidly expand their presence across Pakistan's other provinces.
KANCHAN LAKSHMAN
Extremist Encroachment
The NWFP is swiftly crystallizing at the core of the Islamist militant mobilisation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region even as radical Islamists rapidly expand their presence across Pakistan's other provinces.
KANCHAN LAKSHMAN
Even as Pakistan was reeling under the impact of the violence and disorders in Karachi, in which at least 45 persons were killed, a suicide-bomber hit the Marhaba Hotel in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), killing 25. No official determination has been made so far regarding the group responsible for the fidayeen attack, although the provincial Law Minister Malik Zafar Azam indicated that it could have been an act of retaliation for the killing of the senior Taliban 'commander' Mullah Dadullah two days earlier in Afghanistan. Most of those killed were Afghans, including the restaurant's owner Sadruddin and his two sons, Uzbeks of Afghan origin related to the anti-Taliban leader General Abdul Rasheed Dostum. A message inscribed in Pashto on the bomber's legs warned that "those spying for America would face the same consequences."............
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Slum-dwellers suffering under open Sky
New Age
Rehabilitation plan makes little progress
Evicted slum-dwellers suffering under the open sky
Abul Kalam Azad
The government’s emergency rehabilitation plan has made little headway in three months as the 60,000 people evicted from the capital’s 29 slums continue to suffer, most under the open sky. The concerned officials said it will take months to complete the rehabilitation plan. They pointed out that there are many ministries and institutions involved in the process, which prevents the taking of quick decisions in this regard............
Rehabilitation plan makes little progress
Evicted slum-dwellers suffering under the open sky
Abul Kalam Azad
The government’s emergency rehabilitation plan has made little headway in three months as the 60,000 people evicted from the capital’s 29 slums continue to suffer, most under the open sky. The concerned officials said it will take months to complete the rehabilitation plan. They pointed out that there are many ministries and institutions involved in the process, which prevents the taking of quick decisions in this regard............
96 Custodial death in 130 days
New Age
Odhikar reports 96 custodial deaths in 130 days since Jan 12
Staff Correspondent
Ninety-six people were killed in custody of various law enforcement agencies and 193,329 were arrested across the country in the anti-crime and anti-corruption drives in the first 130 days of the state of emergency proclaimed on January 11, said a report of the human rights coalition Odhikar...............
Odhikar reports 96 custodial deaths in 130 days since Jan 12
Staff Correspondent
Ninety-six people were killed in custody of various law enforcement agencies and 193,329 were arrested across the country in the anti-crime and anti-corruption drives in the first 130 days of the state of emergency proclaimed on January 11, said a report of the human rights coalition Odhikar...............
No Military Takeover in BD
Daily Star,
No chance for military involvement in politics.
Army subservient to civil authority, Lt Gen Moeen tells editors, asserts press freedomStaff CorrespondentArmy chief Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said power takeover by the military or their getting involved in politics is out of the question as the army is not the "proper institution" to run the government.
Moeen also reiterated the army's full commitment to press freedom and journalists' right to report freely. "The army respects the free press and takes its suggestions very seriously and often acts on them," he told newspaper editors at a meeting at his office yesterday...........
Moeen also reiterated the army's full commitment to press freedom and journalists' right to report freely. "The army respects the free press and takes its suggestions very seriously and often acts on them," he told newspaper editors at a meeting at his office yesterday...........
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bangladesh : Extra-Judicial Killings
Govt’s indifference to extra-judicial killings
Ever since the assumption of office by the military-backed interim government, the chief adviser and his colleagues in the council of advisers have severally said that one of their major objectives is to introduce good governance in the country by ensuring accountability and transparency in the affairs of the state. .........
Ever since the assumption of office by the military-backed interim government, the chief adviser and his colleagues in the council of advisers have severally said that one of their major objectives is to introduce good governance in the country by ensuring accountability and transparency in the affairs of the state. .........
Death by committees
Death by thousand committees
Naeem MohaiemenIn the end, this is what it takes to create an inquest. When a case of torture and murder involves an Adivasi activist it needs two months of sustained national outrage, a petition signed by hundreds, and many alert notices from groups like Human Rights Watch to finally push the government to appoint a one-person committee to probe Choles Ritchil's death. How much headway the investigator can make, with limited resources and mandate, in investigating a volatile case, is still hazy..........
Naeem MohaiemenIn the end, this is what it takes to create an inquest. When a case of torture and murder involves an Adivasi activist it needs two months of sustained national outrage, a petition signed by hundreds, and many alert notices from groups like Human Rights Watch to finally push the government to appoint a one-person committee to probe Choles Ritchil's death. How much headway the investigator can make, with limited resources and mandate, in investigating a volatile case, is still hazy..........
Sunday, May 20, 2007
U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror
U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror, but Patrols Ebb
By DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID ROHDE
WASHINGTON, May 19 — The United States is continuing to make large payments of roughly $1 billion a year to Pakistan for what it calls reimbursements to the country’s military for conducting counterterrorism efforts along the border with Afghanistan, even though Pakistan’s president decided eight months ago to slash patrols through the area where Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters are most active.
The monthly payments, called coalition support funds, are not widely advertised. Buried in public budget numbers, the payments are intended to reimburse Pakistan’s military for the cost of the operations. So far, Pakistan has received more than $5.6 billion under the program over five years, more than half of the total aid the United States has sent to the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, not counting covert funds...............
By DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID ROHDE
WASHINGTON, May 19 — The United States is continuing to make large payments of roughly $1 billion a year to Pakistan for what it calls reimbursements to the country’s military for conducting counterterrorism efforts along the border with Afghanistan, even though Pakistan’s president decided eight months ago to slash patrols through the area where Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters are most active.
The monthly payments, called coalition support funds, are not widely advertised. Buried in public budget numbers, the payments are intended to reimburse Pakistan’s military for the cost of the operations. So far, Pakistan has received more than $5.6 billion under the program over five years, more than half of the total aid the United States has sent to the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, not counting covert funds...............
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Afsan Chowdhry's four volume: 1971
Daily Star,
Afsan Chowdhury's four-volume history of 1971
Afsan Chowdhury's four-volume history of 1971
Seeing Afsan Chowdhury invariably reminds me of our student days at Dhaka University in the early '70s. All of us 'batchmates' in different departments were habitués of Pedro's, a thatched tea-shack that used to squat where today the modern languages institute sits. It was actually owned by Sharif Miah, but we called it Pedro's in honor of its urchin-boy waiter. Pedro's was our real classroom. It was there that we escaped from lectures for the watery tea, adda, debates and arguments, sitting in a long line by a tree-shaded low wall running alongside.
Afsan of course was a regular there, noticeable not just for his beard and height, but for his laugh, which was frequent and--if somebody had yanked loose Pedro's lungi and exposed his bare butt--very long. Those kinds of things amused him vastly. They still do. But he was also somebody willing to get into a serious exchange, any time. Back then, not having met many who were, I remember being impressed by his bi-linguality, of being at home in both Bengali and English. Given that he could draw on these twin sources, and not just in terms of books and authors, but also with regard to friendships and associations, he tended to be the most informed amongst us on certain things. Huge addas, especially on left politics, were also held at all hours of the day in the drawing room of his house at Magh Bazar, but which I didn't attend since I was more a working class Pedro's line man, not a drawing room kind of guy. Memories of 1971 were still fresh then, and all of us certainly thought and talked about it far more than we do now, but Afsan's thoughts and talk about it, I remember, were qualitatively different than ours. He certainly brooded on it far more. Today, having re-connected with him after a very long gap, I am equally impressed by the fact that he has remained true to that brooding, the fruit of which so many decades later is a four-volume history of our year of grief and liberation.........
Afsan of course was a regular there, noticeable not just for his beard and height, but for his laugh, which was frequent and--if somebody had yanked loose Pedro's lungi and exposed his bare butt--very long. Those kinds of things amused him vastly. They still do. But he was also somebody willing to get into a serious exchange, any time. Back then, not having met many who were, I remember being impressed by his bi-linguality, of being at home in both Bengali and English. Given that he could draw on these twin sources, and not just in terms of books and authors, but also with regard to friendships and associations, he tended to be the most informed amongst us on certain things. Huge addas, especially on left politics, were also held at all hours of the day in the drawing room of his house at Magh Bazar, but which I didn't attend since I was more a working class Pedro's line man, not a drawing room kind of guy. Memories of 1971 were still fresh then, and all of us certainly thought and talked about it far more than we do now, but Afsan's thoughts and talk about it, I remember, were qualitatively different than ours. He certainly brooded on it far more. Today, having re-connected with him after a very long gap, I am equally impressed by the fact that he has remained true to that brooding, the fruit of which so many decades later is a four-volume history of our year of grief and liberation.........
Thursday, May 17, 2007
US Senators ask for Roadmap
US senators ask CA for prompt withdrawal of emergency
Staff Correspondent
Fifteen influential US senators have urged the caretaker government to announce within the next two months a roadmap towards free and fair elections as soon as possible.
They also urged prompt withdrawal of the state of emergency and restoration of full civic and political rights to all citizens of Bangladesh. "There is a need for a public roadmap outlining reforms, including correcting the voter list, to ensure that the election is free, fair, transparent and credible," the senators said in a letter to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on May 14.......
They also urged prompt withdrawal of the state of emergency and restoration of full civic and political rights to all citizens of Bangladesh. "There is a need for a public roadmap outlining reforms, including correcting the voter list, to ensure that the election is free, fair, transparent and credible," the senators said in a letter to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on May 14.......
Friday, April 20, 2007
Bush's Nightmare
Bush's Dreaded Nighmare
The prospect of Sadr's appeal extending to a section of the Sunni community, with the tacit support of Sistani, is the nightmare scenario that the Bush administration most dreads. Yet it may come to pass.
DILIP HIRO
The prospect of Sadr's appeal extending to a section of the Sunni community, with the tacit support of Sistani, is the nightmare scenario that the Bush administration most dreads. Yet it may come to pass.
DILIP HIRO
Public opinion polls are valuable chips to play for those engaged in a debate of national or international consequence. In the end, however, they are abstract numbers. It is popular demonstrations which give them substance, color, and -- above all -- wide media exposure, and make them truly meaningful. This is particularly true when such marches are peaceful and disciplined in a war-ravaged country like Iraq..................
Kamal Hossain at 70
Kamal Hossain at 70
He remains our voice of conscience
When in November 1981, Kamal Hossain challenged Justice Abdus Sattar for the presidency of Bangladesh, there were many among us who truly believed that he had a good chance of taking charge of the country. In the event, he lost. But that did not in any way diminish Kamal Hossain's hold on the popular imagination. If anything, in these past many years, he has in a way been transformed into an effective moral voice for the country. His opinions on the issues that matter, his presence on the national and global stage, all of these have reinforced our feeling that this man of the law also happens to be our point of reference on all other matters which exercise our imagination....................
He remains our voice of conscience
When in November 1981, Kamal Hossain challenged Justice Abdus Sattar for the presidency of Bangladesh, there were many among us who truly believed that he had a good chance of taking charge of the country. In the event, he lost. But that did not in any way diminish Kamal Hossain's hold on the popular imagination. If anything, in these past many years, he has in a way been transformed into an effective moral voice for the country. His opinions on the issues that matter, his presence on the national and global stage, all of these have reinforced our feeling that this man of the law also happens to be our point of reference on all other matters which exercise our imagination....................
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
What Fakhruddin did not say
What Fakhruddin did not say Nurul Kabir
Fakhruddin Ahmed, chief of the ‘caretaker’ government, has finally announced the much expected timeframe, vaguely as it is ‘before the expiry of the year 2008’, for the suspended parliamentary polls to the ninth Jatiya Sangsad to materialise. The timeframe is consistent with an earlier announcement of the Election Commission, made on April 5, that it would require 18 months to bring in the electoral law reforms required to ensure credible national polls free from the influence of money and muscle..........
Monday, April 16, 2007
Bangladesh in the Generals' Grip
Bangladesh in the Generals’ Grip
Promoting democracy, especially in Islamic countries, is supposed to be a major goal of President Bush’s foreign policy. But his administration has raised little protest as Bangladesh — until January the world’s fifth most populous democracy — has been transformed into its second most populous military dictatorship............
Promoting democracy, especially in Islamic countries, is supposed to be a major goal of President Bush’s foreign policy. But his administration has raised little protest as Bangladesh — until January the world’s fifth most populous democracy — has been transformed into its second most populous military dictatorship............
Killings in Custody.....
Killings in custody defy promise of democratic accountability
Mubin S Khan reveals how Bangladesh’s security agencies are accused of torturing and killing over 800 people in custody since June 2004, over 70 of them since the interim regime assumed power
Then, they went to the room where Choles Richil was kept and beat him again. One of the army personnel told others to bring pliers, red chilli powder and a blade. Choles was crying and saying that he could not bear it any more. The army personnel beat him until about 6 pm. About at 6:20 pm the army told Tuhin and Piran to leave the camp and also told them to see Choles Richil for the last time. They were told they would collect the body of Choles later. Tuhin and Piren went to the room where Choles Richil was kept. They found him lying face down on the floor, his body covered in bruises. Tuhin called: ‘uncle, uncle’. Choles Richil did not reply but looked at them.......
Friday, April 13, 2007
Bangladesh at a crossroads
By Sabir Mustafa Editor, BBC Bengali service
At first glance, the current state of Bangladesh appears to be a paradox : a country under a state of emergency, but where the general public seem quite content.
The military-backed caretaker government has slapped a ban on all political activities, and the security forces have been busy picking up political leaders in the middle of the night and throwing them into jail. But there is little outward sense of repression, and Dhaka's social elite, usually most vocal against human rights violations, appear most pleased. The reason for this apparent sense of satisfaction is not difficult to see.......
At first glance, the current state of Bangladesh appears to be a paradox : a country under a state of emergency, but where the general public seem quite content.
The military-backed caretaker government has slapped a ban on all political activities, and the security forces have been busy picking up political leaders in the middle of the night and throwing them into jail. But there is little outward sense of repression, and Dhaka's social elite, usually most vocal against human rights violations, appear most pleased. The reason for this apparent sense of satisfaction is not difficult to see.......
Friday, April 06, 2007
Gen Moeen Goes Public on Politics
Gen Moeen Goes Public on Politics
How can national interest be served best?
Now that Chief of Army Staff (CAS) Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed has decided to go public on political issues, he must be ready, willing and open to public debate on them including criticism of his views, if any. To start with, should a sitting CAS speak in public and in presence of the President on the political future of a country? Such speech making will naturally raise questions as to whether or not the army chief or his institution plans to get involved in the country's politics? When such comments touch even the structure of the future government and the power balance between the President, the Prime Minister and the cabinet, the question in the public mind acquires more poignancy. So what do we make of the General's speech? Was it a mere intellectual exercise? Or a purposeful floating of ideas to gauge public reaction? On both counts there should be wide ranging discussions, in fact public debate, on the very important questions that he has thrown open......
How can national interest be served best?
Now that Chief of Army Staff (CAS) Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed has decided to go public on political issues, he must be ready, willing and open to public debate on them including criticism of his views, if any. To start with, should a sitting CAS speak in public and in presence of the President on the political future of a country? Such speech making will naturally raise questions as to whether or not the army chief or his institution plans to get involved in the country's politics? When such comments touch even the structure of the future government and the power balance between the President, the Prime Minister and the cabinet, the question in the public mind acquires more poignancy. So what do we make of the General's speech? Was it a mere intellectual exercise? Or a purposeful floating of ideas to gauge public reaction? On both counts there should be wide ranging discussions, in fact public debate, on the very important questions that he has thrown open......
Thursday, April 05, 2007
State of Corruption in Bangladesh
GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT & THE STATE OF CORRUPTION IN BANGLADESH
by Muzaffer Ahmad
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
The structural adjustment programme the Washington consensus claim is designed to eliminate distortions and elementary economics tells us distortions create allocative and distributive inefficiency. The programme was aimed to stimulate growth in developing economies most of whom stagnated due to effects of external and internal shocks......
by Muzaffer Ahmad
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
The structural adjustment programme the Washington consensus claim is designed to eliminate distortions and elementary economics tells us distortions create allocative and distributive inefficiency. The programme was aimed to stimulate growth in developing economies most of whom stagnated due to effects of external and internal shocks......
What is holding Bangladesh Back
What is holding us back?
Nurul Islam
Dramatic changes in the political power in Bangladesh in January 2007 require an understanding of why the country had to face a political crisis and decide, from first principles, as to what is the best future course of action for the nation.
Nurul Islam
Dramatic changes in the political power in Bangladesh in January 2007 require an understanding of why the country had to face a political crisis and decide, from first principles, as to what is the best future course of action for the nation.
The 150 million people of Bangladesh -- struggling to earn a decent living and survive in a ruthless world -- have shown, time and again, their dynamic and powerful presence, expressing in no uncertain terms that they are the masters of their destiny. The people created East Pakistan in 1947, fought an armed struggle to create Bangladesh in 1971, rejected the rule of the Awami League in 1975, overthrew Ershad's autocracy in 1991, discarded the rule of the BNP in 1996, evicted the AL from power in 2001, and rejected both the AL and BNP in 2007. All these events show that whoever neglects the people of Bangladesh in the equation of political power does so at his or her peril..........
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Jhumpa
OutLook Magazine
"It's Mira's Stamp On My Story"
As The Namesake, the film made by Mira Nair, based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, opened to critical as well as box-office acclaim in the West last week , Vibhuti Patel spoke to Jhumpa in New York about the film versus the book, her characters, her connections with her Bengali family, her relationship with Nair, and her new work. Excerpts from their conversation............
"It's Mira's Stamp On My Story"
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author on the film versus the book, her characters, her connections with her Bengali family, her relationship with Nair, and her new work. VIBHUTI PATEL
As The Namesake, the film made by Mira Nair, based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, opened to critical as well as box-office acclaim in the West last week , Vibhuti Patel spoke to Jhumpa in New York about the film versus the book, her characters, her connections with her Bengali family, her relationship with Nair, and her new work. Excerpts from their conversation............
Nation failed to recognise father
Daily Star, 28/03/2007
Nation has failed to recognise father of nation: Gen Moeen
Nation has failed to recognise father of nation: Gen Moeen
He will raise issue of prosecuting war criminals; it is time to fight corrupt politicians; proposes auction of seized cars to build hospitals for poorStaff CorrespondentChief of the Army Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said the country has not achieved its desired progress because of corrupt politicians and the time is now to wage a war against corruption, injustice, and thuggery that have pervaded all levels of the society. Lt Gen Moeen also said corrupt politicians smuggled their money overseas, including at least Tk 20,000 crore smuggled off shore from the energy sector alone............
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
A for AYODHYA
A For Ayodhya... B for Babri. C for Congress. D for Dynasty... yes,
Rahul Gandhi sure has gone to school and learnt the alphabet, but one is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade? HARSH V. PANT
Finally, the heir to the throne has spoken and given his people what they had been clamouring for long—his take on Indian politics. We were told that he is being tutored and for someone who has been to Cambridge and Harvard, his education seemed to be taking a lot of time, much to his courtiers' consternation. One is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade......
Rahul Gandhi sure has gone to school and learnt the alphabet, but one is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade? HARSH V. PANT
Finally, the heir to the throne has spoken and given his people what they had been clamouring for long—his take on Indian politics. We were told that he is being tutored and for someone who has been to Cambridge and Harvard, his education seemed to be taking a lot of time, much to his courtiers' consternation. One is left wondering though if the country, or at least the Muslims of UP don't deserve something better than a cynical charade......
Sunday, March 25, 2007
How all went wrong in Iraq
Mugged by reality
Mar 22nd 2007From The Economist print edition
How it all went wrong in Iraq
Mar 22nd 2007From The Economist print edition
How it all went wrong in Iraq
“NEMESIS” was the word The Economist printed on its front cover four years ago, when jubilant Iraqis, aided by American soldiers, hauled down the big statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad's Firdos Square. For a moment it looked as though all the fears that had accompanied the build-up to the American-led invasion had been groundless. The defeat of Iraq's army in three weeks turned out to be exactly the “cakewalk” that some of the war's boosters predicted. And in many places Iraqis did indeed greet the American soldiers as liberators, just as Ahmed Chalabi, Iraq's best-known politician-in-exile, had promised they would......
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
World's poor represent $5 trillion market: report
World's poor represent $5 trillion market: report: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's estimated four billion people who live under the poverty line represent an untapped global market worth $5 trillion in local purchasing power, according to a new report. "
Friday, March 09, 2007
The rise and fall of Tarique Rahman
Straight Talk, Daily Star
The rise and fall of Tarique Rahman
"Khaleda Zia is our leader
Ziaur Rahman is our philosophy
Tarique Rahman is our future"
The rise and fall of Tarique Rahman
"Khaleda Zia is our leader
Ziaur Rahman is our philosophy
Tarique Rahman is our future"
This particular gem that has been ubiquitous on walls in the capital Dhaka for the past five years encapsulates perfectly the cult of personality that had been created around the person of Tarique Rahman and gave us a strong indication of where Bangladesh was heading had the January 22 election been permitted to go forward as scheduled. More.....
Jalaluddin Rumi
Outlook India
Magazine| Mar 12, 2007
anniversary: year of Rumi
Ruminations On A Poet
All the world romances the 13th century Sufi on his 800th b'day
SHEELA REDDY
Not bad at all for a poet who belonged nowhere. At least 50 countries, including India, are laying claim to him, joining in the celebrations for his 800th birth anniversary this yearthe Year of Rumi, as UNESCO has declared it. Jalaluddin Rumi is an improbable poet laureate of the 21st century: he wrote in Persian, a world language that has long been overtaken by English. And he wrote on themes that modern poets would rather choke than write aboutdeep stuff like Soul and Union with God. But still, he's America's Number One bestselling poet today, the best known Sufi poet across the world, and if he's not already the world's most popular poet in any language, he will surely be by the time his birthday celebrations wind up by year-end..More....
Magazine| Mar 12, 2007
anniversary: year of Rumi
Ruminations On A Poet
All the world romances the 13th century Sufi on his 800th b'day
SHEELA REDDY
Not bad at all for a poet who belonged nowhere. At least 50 countries, including India, are laying claim to him, joining in the celebrations for his 800th birth anniversary this yearthe Year of Rumi, as UNESCO has declared it. Jalaluddin Rumi is an improbable poet laureate of the 21st century: he wrote in Persian, a world language that has long been overtaken by English. And he wrote on themes that modern poets would rather choke than write aboutdeep stuff like Soul and Union with God. But still, he's America's Number One bestselling poet today, the best known Sufi poet across the world, and if he's not already the world's most popular poet in any language, he will surely be by the time his birthday celebrations wind up by year-end..More....
How Could BNP come to this stage ?
Daily Star
Nobody represents the rot that ate away into the very vitals of BNP more dramatically than Tarique Rahman. President Ziaur Rahman for all his constructive (Saarc) and shameful (Indemnity Act) actions was universally respected for his financial honesty. Tarique, as his elder son, on the contrary, appeared hell bent on destroying that core image. Leave alone being concerned, he seemed to bask in his reputation of corruption and never for a moment gave the slightest impression that he was either bothered by it or would ever do anything against it. He considered himself as the product of destiny and took the leadership of BNP to be his proprietorial right. More....
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A STRATEGIC SHIFT
THE REDIRECTION
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Is the Administration’s new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism?
Issue of 2007-03-05Posted 2007-02-25
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Is the Administration’s new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism?
Issue of 2007-03-05Posted 2007-02-25
A STRATEGIC SHIFT
In the past few months, as the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, has significantly shifted its Middle East strategy. The “redirection,” as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. More.....
In the past few months, as the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, has significantly shifted its Middle East strategy. The “redirection,” as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. More.....
Sunday, February 25, 2007
What Dutta said, February 1948
Notes from History
What Dutta said, February 1948
Editorial Desk, Daily Star, On February 25, 1948, Dhirendranath Dutta, a lawmaker from East Bengal in the Constituent Assembly of the new state of Pakistan, rose in the House to move an amendment demanding that the Bengali language be adopted as a medium of expression, along with English and Urdu, in the assembly.
Dutta argued that though Bengali was one of the provincial languages of Pakistan, it happened to be the mother tongue of the Bengalis, the majority segment of Pakistan's population. Dutta went beyond the proposition that Bengali should be a language of the legislature and suggested that it ought to be the language of the state itself. And this is how he put it: More........
What Dutta said, February 1948
Editorial Desk, Daily Star, On February 25, 1948, Dhirendranath Dutta, a lawmaker from East Bengal in the Constituent Assembly of the new state of Pakistan, rose in the House to move an amendment demanding that the Bengali language be adopted as a medium of expression, along with English and Urdu, in the assembly.
Dutta argued that though Bengali was one of the provincial languages of Pakistan, it happened to be the mother tongue of the Bengalis, the majority segment of Pakistan's population. Dutta went beyond the proposition that Bengali should be a language of the legislature and suggested that it ought to be the language of the state itself. And this is how he put it: More........
Thursday, February 22, 2007
What Can IT Industry Do For India?
Web Feb 16, 2007 , Outlook
What Can IT Industry Do For India?
Given what the country has done for Indian IT, it is not silly to ask: what specially can the IT industry do for India (other than what happens automatically without any deliberate pursuit of non-business ends)?
AMARTYA SEN
The Nobel Laureate delivered the Keynote Address at the NASSCOM 2007 India Leadership Forum in Mumbai on February 7. where he spoke on the case for the IT industry to " do even more, indeed in some ways, much more" than what can be seen as its traditional domain.
Some admirations come from near, others from very far. My respect and reverence for the IT industry in general and the extraordinarily dynamic and triumphant Indian IT industry in particular have come, by necessity, from some distance, since I am a dabbler in things far away from IT services and software. When the invitation came to attend this year's NASSCOM meeting and the leadership forum, I thought that this either indicated some mixing up of my identity ("wake up, wake up," I wanted to say, "I teach non-IT subjects at a university!"), or alternatively, it reflected generous interest of NASSCOM leaders to reach out (or as my students say, "hang out") beyond their principality...More....
What Can IT Industry Do For India?
Given what the country has done for Indian IT, it is not silly to ask: what specially can the IT industry do for India (other than what happens automatically without any deliberate pursuit of non-business ends)?
AMARTYA SEN
The Nobel Laureate delivered the Keynote Address at the NASSCOM 2007 India Leadership Forum in Mumbai on February 7. where he spoke on the case for the IT industry to " do even more, indeed in some ways, much more" than what can be seen as its traditional domain.
Some admirations come from near, others from very far. My respect and reverence for the IT industry in general and the extraordinarily dynamic and triumphant Indian IT industry in particular have come, by necessity, from some distance, since I am a dabbler in things far away from IT services and software. When the invitation came to attend this year's NASSCOM meeting and the leadership forum, I thought that this either indicated some mixing up of my identity ("wake up, wake up," I wanted to say, "I teach non-IT subjects at a university!"), or alternatively, it reflected generous interest of NASSCOM leaders to reach out (or as my students say, "hang out") beyond their principality...More....
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
SC recalls earlier order
New Age, 21 February,2007
SC recalls earlier order that sets aside HC verdict on polls candidate info Shahiduzzaman
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in an unprecedented move on Tuesday recalled an order it had passed only two hours and a half ago setting aside the High Court verdict which made it mandatory for parliamentary polls candidates to submit eight-point personal information along with the nomination papers. On behalf of the four-member bench of the Appellate Division, Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, who will retire on March 1, gave the judgement, saying, ‘The appeal is allowed. More.....
SC recalls earlier order that sets aside HC verdict on polls candidate info Shahiduzzaman
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in an unprecedented move on Tuesday recalled an order it had passed only two hours and a half ago setting aside the High Court verdict which made it mandatory for parliamentary polls candidates to submit eight-point personal information along with the nomination papers. On behalf of the four-member bench of the Appellate Division, Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, who will retire on March 1, gave the judgement, saying, ‘The appeal is allowed. More.....
Ex-private secretary spills .....
Daily Star, 20 February,2007
Ex-private secretary spills graft beans about Khaleda
The Prothom Alo on Monday ran a revealing interview with AHM Nurul Islam, who worked as Khaleda Zia's personal secretary during her term as prime minister in 2001-2006. The interview suggests how Khaleda turned a blind eye to numerous acts of corruption by her son and relatives. The Daily Star has translated the interview considering the importance of the subject and its public interest.
Prothom Alo (PA): Bangladesh topped the international corruption list for five years. The names of several officials from the Prime Minister's Office and people close to it have been linked to corruption. You were working in the PMO for three of those years. What are your comments?
Nurul Islam (NI): According to the country's rules of business, the ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers have been given full responsibility for each ministry. Even then, a minister's corruption cannot be done without the assistance of the ministries' officials. In most cases of corruption in the last five years of the coalition government, ministers have looted state resources with the help of corrupt government officials. If any of these corrupt government officials got into trouble, it was often the case that the other corrupt officials would come to their rescue.........
Ex-private secretary spills graft beans about Khaleda
The Prothom Alo on Monday ran a revealing interview with AHM Nurul Islam, who worked as Khaleda Zia's personal secretary during her term as prime minister in 2001-2006. The interview suggests how Khaleda turned a blind eye to numerous acts of corruption by her son and relatives. The Daily Star has translated the interview considering the importance of the subject and its public interest.
Prothom Alo (PA): Bangladesh topped the international corruption list for five years. The names of several officials from the Prime Minister's Office and people close to it have been linked to corruption. You were working in the PMO for three of those years. What are your comments?
Nurul Islam (NI): According to the country's rules of business, the ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers have been given full responsibility for each ministry. Even then, a minister's corruption cannot be done without the assistance of the ministries' officials. In most cases of corruption in the last five years of the coalition government, ministers have looted state resources with the help of corrupt government officials. If any of these corrupt government officials got into trouble, it was often the case that the other corrupt officials would come to their rescue.........
Monday, February 12, 2007
29 killed, 52,027 held in one month of emergency:
Odhikar , New Age, 12 February
Staff Correspondent
Odhikar , New Age, 12 February
Staff Correspondent
Twenty-nine people were killed by law-enforcing agencies and 52,027 were arrested in the first month of emergency, declared on January 12, said a report of human rights coalition Odhikar published on Sunday.
Eleven of the 29 people were killed in connection with the Rapid Action Battalion, nine with the police, six with the army and three with the joint forces, the report said.
Ten were killed in the ‘crossfire’ of the associates of the crime suspects and the Rapid Action Battalion and four in the ‘crossfire’ of the police. More....
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Prof Yunus invites people to write him on party plan
Prof Yunus invites people to write him on party plan
Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus today floated a flying letter to the people to elicit their support to his latest novel venture -- a new-generation political party as an alternative for the outworn politics.
Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus today floated a flying letter to the people to elicit their support to his latest novel venture -- a new-generation political party as an alternative for the outworn politics.
The micro-credit trailblazer says if the letter failed to gain strong feedback, he wouldn’t enter into the arena of politics.
Prof Yunus distributed the letter among reporters who went to Zia International Airport to cover his departure for India on a second eventful trip to the neighboring country in little over a week.
Basking in world fame following the winning of Nobel for peace in recognition of his contribution to poverty alleviation through his microcredit innovation, the founder of Grameen Bank today left for Kolkata to receive ‘Shera Bangali 2006’ award. More.............
The JMB Survives
Outlook India
Web| Feb 08, 2007
Bangladesh
The JMB Survives
Web| Feb 08, 2007
Bangladesh
The JMB Survives
The much hyped arrests of Bangla Bhai and the visible leadership of JMB have only reinforced the anonymity of the shadowy group of controllers who supported the group behind the scenes in their grandiose plans for a radicalized Islamist Bangladesh.
BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY
BIBHU PRASAD ROUTRAY
On January 28, 2007, authorities fixed February 17 as the date for the execution of six of the seven militants of the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including its chief, Abdur Rahman, its ‘operations commander’ Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, who is also the chief of the Jagrata Janata Muslim Bangladesh (JMJB), Majlish-e-Shura (the highest decision-making body) members, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal, Khaled Saifullah and suicide squad member Iftekhar al Mamun. Another convict, Asadul Islam alias Arif, is absconding. All of them have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the Jhalakathi bomb attack that killed two judges in November 2005. There is, however, little chance of the sentence being carried out on the appointed day as all the convicts have filed mercy petitions with the President. Authorities have indicated that, in case the President rejects the petitions, the militants will be hanged in March. President Iajuddin Ahmed, temporarily presiding over the fate of a politically polarised nation that faces an uncertain poll in a few months, is not expected to take a decision on the petitions any time soon.More.... |
Politics of "Apolitical"
NEW AGE, SUNDAY,11 FEBRUARY
Politics of the ‘apolitical’
Nurul Kabir
Politics of the ‘apolitical’
Nurul Kabir
That the crude power struggle – power struggle devoid of democratic ideology and without a set of civilised rules of the game – between the two rival political camps pushed the country to an abnormal political situation inviting a state of emergency, and that the people at large are still not unhappy with the incumbents, both overt and covert, in spite of losing sine die the universally acknowledged fundamental rights of citizens are home truths.
The people’s endorsement of emergency is rather evident in their silence about a group of apparently apolitical people taking over state power and making decisions of national importance without having any direct electoral mandate. The people, however, could hardly be blamed for such a ‘non-modern’ silence in these modern times, where the affairs of the state are supposed to be managed by elected representatives under a ‘social contract’ – the clauses of which are laid down in the constitution of a democratic republic. More......
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