My Readings

BuddhaÃÂ¢Ãâ¬Ãâ¢s Savage Peace - The Atlantic (September 2009)

2009-08-12T22:12:00.001+02:00

BuddhaÃÂ¢Ãâ¬Ãâ¢s Savage Peace - The Atlantic(September 2009)Shared via AddThis

Guru: Pankaj Ghemawat | The Economist

2009-08-10T09:20:00.001+02:00

Guru: Pankaj Ghemawat | The EconomistShared via AddThis

Pakistan and the Taliban: Is he dead? | The Economist

2009-08-10T09:07:00.001+02:00

Pakistan and the Taliban: Is he dead? | The EconomistShared via AddThis

Will political parties and military share ‘sovereignty’ with people?

2009-08-09T22:41:00.001+02:00

Will political parties and military share 'sovereignty' with people?Much depends on the development of the other institutions that protect human rights even in times of high security alert such as the judiciary and the bureaucracy apart from independent activists. In a state where all the institutions are matured, the citizens feel safe but when the security agencies are the only ones which are

Love Iranian Style

2009-06-23T17:25:00.003+02:00

Love, Iranian Style/A new novel pits passion and repression.by James Wood June 29, 2009Shahriar Mandanipour’s lovers are forever trying to elude the morals patrol; narrative play is conditioned by political reality.Sometimes, the soft literary citizens of liberal democracy long for prohibition. Coming up with anything to write about can be difficult when you are allowed to write about anything. A

Who Killed the BJP ?

2009-06-22T20:00:00.002+02:00

Who Killed The BJP?Everyone, especially those presently most vocal, has blood on their handsVINOD MEHTAI do not consider myself as part of the country’s privileged commentariat. I prefer my last-page Diary where I can combine mischief and malice with some (I hope) serious current affairs analysis. It gives me the opportunity to do some "roaming" and "joking" even as I survey the national scene

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

2009-06-22T19:52:00.002+02:00

Ustad's CalifateCalifornia may not be Maihar, but sarod great Ali Akbar Khan has made it his exiled gharanaKAMLA BHATT ON ALI AKBAR KHAN"We take care of our tummy, our tongue, our nose, our eyes, but we rarely take care of our soul. Our soul needs music, nice good music and that is the food of the soul. It opens your mind. Raga, you see, is the language of God."—Sarod maestro Ali Akbar KhanON the

Radio Insurgency

2009-06-22T19:47:00.002+02:00

Pakistan's Taliban radio insurgencyBy Dawood AzamiBBC World ServiceTransmitters are unsophisticated and cheap to makeWith mullahs and militants using the air waves to broadcast propaganda against their opponents and Western governments, illegal FM radio stations have mushroomed in Pakistan's north-westhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7813632.stm..............

LETTER FROM TEHRAN

2009-04-07T21:04:00.002+02:00

LETTER FROM TEHRANCAN IRAN CHANGE?High stakes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reëlection campaign.by Jon Lee AndersonAPRIL 13, 2009Ahmadinejad’s humble origins provoke disdain among Iran’s political élite, but they are a formidable electoral asset. His 2005 Presidential campaign captured sixty-two per cent of the electorate. Photograph by Thomas Dworzak.ver since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first ran for

Six myths about Indian elections

2009-04-07T20:55:00.002+02:00

Six myths about Indian electionsDo women in India vote according to the wishes of their husbands? Do Muslims vote as a community? Political scientist Yogendra Yadav examines six myths surrounding the Indian elections.A myth is a story or trend that a culture believes to be true. But it has also taken on the meaning of a popular conception that may have become exaggerated if not downright false..

The Tenacity of hope

2009-01-08T13:24:00.001+01:00

The tenacity of hopeDec 30th 2008 DHAKA From The Economist print editionBangladesh enjoys a pretty clean election and a decisive result AFPIT WENT better than anyone dared hope. On December 29th Bangladesh held its first general election for seven years. It was well-attended, with a 70% turnout, well-organised, largely peaceful and, despite some vote-buying and other malpractice, far cleaner

Unguided democracy

2009-01-08T13:19:00.001+01:00

Unguided democracyJan 7th 2009 From Economist.comHardy political perennials in Thailand and BangladeshTHE swearing-in this week of Sheikh Hasina Wajed as Bangladesh’s prime minister has brought national celebration. There is much to cheer: the return of democratic rule after two years of army-installed technocracy; a successful election, largely free of the violence, intimidation and massive

Helping to write History

2008-12-19T09:33:00.001+01:00

Helping to Write HistoryBy Eli SaslowWashington Post Staff WriterThursday,The job requires him to work unnoticed, even in plain view, so Jon Favreau settles into a wooden chair at a busy Starbucks in the center of Penn Quarter. Deadline looms, and he needs to write at least half a page by the end of the day. As the espresso machines whir, Favreau opens his laptop, calls up a document titled "

US Superpower status is shaken

2008-10-02T15:55:00.002+02:00

US superpower status is shakenBy Paul Reynolds World affairs correspondent, BBC News websiteWill Uncle Sam still bestride the world in future?The financial crisis is likely to diminish the status of the United States as the world's only superpower. On the practical level, the US is already stretched militarily, in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is now stretched financially. On the philosophical level,

Pakistan: the New Frontline

2008-09-29T14:16:00.002+02:00

Pakistan: the new frontlineWashington's military strategy in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region is expanding its range of enemies,writes Paul RogersBY THE end of August 2008 it was clear that Afghanistan was becoming the principal focus of the George W Bush administration's war on terror. Iraq was believed to be making a transition to some sort of peace after more than five years of war; but

BNP to Continue Good Steps: Khaleda

2008-09-29T14:05:00.002+02:00

If elected, BNP to continue good steps of interim govt,Let JS review bad ones.... Khaleda Zia tells New Age in an exclusive interview Staff CorrespondentFormer prime minister and chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda Zia, has said that her party, if voted to power again, ‘may have to accept some irregularities’ of the present regime ‘which has set its own course, tenure,

Pakistan On The Brink

2008-09-29T12:18:00.002+02:00

Pakistan On The Brink is at the center of a gathering fire storm engulfing south and central Asia in the most volatile confrontation since 9/11. Pakistan, Afghanistan, the US and NATO all bear heavy responsibility for the crisis. AHMED RASHIDFor the past seven years the Bush administration studiously ignored the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership gathering in the tribal areas of Pakistan, and

Sea of Poppies

2008-05-21T11:04:00.002+02:00

'The Ghazipur And Patna Opium Factories Together Produced The Wealth Of Britain' At an age when other writers begin to worry about running out of words, the author of Sea of Poppies has just embarked on his biggest writing project. It's a labour of love, he says. SHEELA REDDY At 52, life couldn't get any better for Amitav Ghosh. At an age when other writers begin to worry about running out of

CTG is in a state of Redundancy

2008-05-08T11:01:00.001+02:00

FAKHRUDDIN GOVERNMENT IS IN A STATE OF REDUNDANCYCan the political leadership regain initiative?NM HarunThere was or is nothing unavoidable or inevitable about whatever has happened during the periods of the BNP-Jamaat government, the caretaker government of Iajuddin Ahmed or the current Fakhruddin Ahmed government or whatever will happen at the demise of this government. Everything happens

The trial of war criminals

2008-05-08T10:57:00.001+02:00

The trial of war criminals: a litmus testNM HarunFreedom-fighters are freedom-fighters and war criminals are war criminals in the context of the War of Independence. In the post-’75 Bangladesh, the freedom-fighters are remnants of a radical, revolutionary past that is no longer cherished by the Islam-pasand, neo-liberal political class. The players in the power game are actually busy playing the

The defenning silence

2008-05-08T10:54:00.001+02:00

The deafening silence of echoes from the pastNM HarunWhat is certain is that the powers that be are finding the prolongation of the queer Fakhruddin government increasingly problematic. Hence all the talk about dialogues between the government and the political parties or the disclaimer about the military’s support for constitutionalism and their non-interest in takeover of power. Concerns are

General Moeen's extension

2008-05-08T10:50:00.001+02:00

General Moeen gets extension: time for the court to actNM HarunAt the present ‘critical juncture of the nation’, the court under Chief Justice Ruhul Amin has two options: either a) uphold the rights of the people through judicial activism or b) uphold the Emergency Powers Rules and facilitate political engineering at the behest of the powers that be…Which way will the Supreme Court eventually go?

Hasina's writ against EPR

2008-05-08T10:38:00.001+02:00

Hasina’s writ against EPR: on the dock is the rule of law NM Harun As the court got involved in the matter of preparing a proper electoral roll during the periods of the BNP-Jamaat government of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and the caretaker government of Iajuddin, so now, during the period of the military-installed emergency government, it finds itself in the thick of the process of

Kpaliks are on prowl

2008-05-08T10:35:00.001+02:00

Kapaliks are on the prowlNM HarunIn the maddening confusion of the open-ended reforms programme of the emergency regime is hidden vital issues of restructuring the polity as well as the state. This is against the backdrop of historical debates over Bengali nationalism versus Bengali Muslim nationalism, secularism versus Islamisation or socialist path versus capitalism and in the present-day

Politics Vs.election roadmap

2008-05-08T09:44:00.001+02:00

Politics versus electoral roadmap: a situation too fluid to callNM HarunTalk of election seems to be premature. The immediate outlook is a clash between the political parties and the powers that be on the issue of releasing Hasina and Khaleda. Only if the political parties lose the battle, the powers that be will be able to stage an election of their choosing, manufacture the election results and

My Brother Dulal

2008-05-08T09:22:00.001+02:00

My brother Ferdous Alam Dulal by Shamsul Alam BelalON MAY 7, 1981 Ferdous Alam Dulal was killed along with the eminent labour leader Abdur Rahman on Bijoy Nagar Road in the capital. His death was a bolt from the blue for our family. Our mother, who had already lost two of her sons in their minor age, refused to accept that Dulal was no more among us; she still doesn’t. The second among nine

Please tell us what is happenning ?

2008-04-08T13:15:00.001+02:00

Please tell us what is happening by Shamsher ChowdhuryHonourable Chief Adviser I am once again disturbed by the news that the ‘night runners of Bengal’ have visited the house of one of the teachers of the University of Dhaka. Do you not think that the lessons learnt from the last episode were bad enough? Could it be that the operation was carried out without your knowledge?......................

Megalomania usually brings disasters

2008-04-07T06:23:00.002+02:00

Megalomania usually brings disasters The interested quarters have floated an idea that the proposed dialogues between the government and the political parties should adopt a so-called Citizens’ Charter to be followed by any future elected government. This means the promoters of the dialogues want the political leaders to collaborate with the powers that be in improvising a sort of

No Need for National Security Council

2008-03-31T06:56:00.001+02:00

No need for national security council Why the armed forces are insisting that a national security council has to be formed which will ensure peace in the country? The people at large feel that they should not go back to a situation existing before the proclamation of the state of emergency. But that does not mean that in the post-election scenario the armed forces will call the tune. No political

Democracy can ensure equality

2008-03-31T06:53:00.001+02:00

Democracy can ensure equality only when aided by secularism In these days, when religious intolerance and conflict is increasing, neutrality of the state in religious matters is all the more necessary. If religion of the majority is given the status of state religion it will not only be discriminatory against religious minority but within the majority religious community also it will encourage

On the question of Legacy

2008-03-31T06:40:00.001+02:00

On the question of legacy It is evident that the Election Commission is far from independent and that it often operates under duress, at the dictates of some silent and powerful entity having links to the government and under its tacit support, writes Shamsher Chowdhury AS OF now this government stands completely isolated from the majority of the people of the country. No matter what might or

The defencing silence

2008-03-31T06:37:00.001+02:00

Broken Pendulum

2008-03-25T07:34:00.001+01:00

Broken pendulum: radicalism revisited It is impossible to deny that in the political culture of Pakistan and Bangladesh, the democratic filter have been easily bartered and dismissed by weak political leadership, a military with historical political ambitions, a vacuum that has allowed the domination by radicalised religious political parties and a complacence of the populace and the

A Million Mutinies

2008-03-25T07:28:00.002+01:00

Magazine Mar 31, 2008A Million Mutinies Within No hagiography:'He believed that a less than candid biography would be pointless, and his willingness to allow such a book to be published in his lifetime was at once an act of narcissism and humility.'PATRICK FRENCHPatrick French's authorised biography of V.S. Naipaul, The World Is What It Is (Picador India, 576 pp, Rs 595), is no hagiography. On

Remebering Jahanara Imam

2008-03-24T09:40:00.001+01:00

Remembering Jahanara Imam: the distraction of ‘dialogue’NM Harun It is a truism that any authoritarian intervention like the present emergency rule in countries like ours which have legacies of democratic struggle will eventually be replaced by an elected government. But of immediate interest now is to observe the behaviour of the political leaders and parties: how they carry on the urgent

Coutdown to Freedom

2008-03-24T09:25:00.002+01:00

Countdown to FreedomForum takes you back to the days leading up to March 26, 1971Reheman Sobhan and Hameeda HossainThis month we commemorate March 26, 1971, Bangladesh's independence day, the day we threw off the yoke of foreign domination and emerged on the world stage as a proud and independent nation, the day we set into motion a nine-month long war that would lead, through despair and

People are not befooled by election talk

2008-02-25T08:08:00.001+01:00

People are not befooled by election-talkNM HarunThe question now is simply of choosing either of the two paths – either (a) following in the footsteps of Thailand and Pakistan, have faith in and respect for the people and try to repair the political process through the holding of the stalled elections to the ninth parliament sooner rather than later or (b) perpetuate the authoritarianism, as

Odhikar: Human Rights Violation

2008-02-20T06:33:00.001+01:00

Torture, human rights violations continue: Odhikar Staff Correspondent Odhikar, a human rights organisation, on Tuesday cautioned the government about the continuation of torture of the arrested persons and violation of human rights under the state of emergency. ‘It is reported that allegations of torture and violations of human rights continue under the state of emergency. Suspects were picked

Tortured Truths

2008-02-19T11:05:00.002+01:00

Tortured truths It was a medieval idea that pain had to be inflicted on the body for truth to pour out. The purpose of modern torture is different. To instil fear. To crush political dissent. To wreak havoc and destroy lives. Often performed out of sheer habit. To assert supremacy. To possess nations. To build empires anew, writes Rahnuma AhmedAS A little child, when I was only three or four, I

Fundamental choices facing Bangladesh

2008-02-19T11:02:00.003+01:00

Fundamental choices facing Bangladesh: Godot does not arriveNM HarunThe irony in the present-day Bangladesh is that the microscopically small nouveau riche class, which is based on crony capitalism and is also comprador in nature, has the military apparently with it and has virtually seized state power. But this class has not yet succeeded in creating –– and does not have the potential of

Welcome ACC Plan

2008-02-14T12:40:00.001+01:00

Welcome ACC plan to bring army under anti-graft surveillanceBangladesh’s image at home and abroad as a country reeling from pervasive corruption at almost every level of society is a reflection of ground realities that ordinary Bangladeshis encounter in their daily lives. As such, any legal measures adopted to tackle corruption are not only welcome, it is important for such measures to be as

Democracy depends on two "begums"

2008-02-14T12:25:00.001+01:00

Democracy depends on our two ‘begums’ The future of our democracy depends not on the implementation of ‘minus-two’ by our generals nor on the ability of the civilian façade of the powers that be, i.e. the interim government of Fakhruddin Ahmed and the Election Commission headed by ATM Shamsul Huda, to fashion acceptable general elections to the ninth parliament. It depends instead, whether we

Conspitorial moves by the Govt.

2008-02-04T09:09:00.001+01:00

Conspiratorial moves the name of the game: who will bell the cat? All sorts of wild speculations, made in utter disregard to the constitution, are doing the rounds in total impunity and at times with the indulgence of the powers that be. Advancing formulas of power struggle -- be it even through staging parliamentary elections -- outside the purview of the constitution is tantamount to seizing

A Photo -op fraught

2008-02-02T16:36:00.001+01:00

A photo-op fraught with misgivings Autocratic regimes can ensure stability through confiscating people’s rights and spreading fear. However, peace and stability gained through oppression is always fragile and short-lived. If nothing else, one can hope that our chief adviser has realised this by sharing a stage with the likes of Musharraf and Karzai,writes Shameran Abed THEY say a picture is worth

The Blood on your Hand

2008-02-02T16:33:00.000+01:00

The blood on your hands Fakhruddin Ahmed’s government –which incidentally promised accountability and decency in governance after its assumption of power – has seen at least 176 deaths in custody, some of them so terrifyingly gruesome that even a written account is too graphic for consumption, writes Mahtab HaiderThe home ministry’s recent directive to the law-enforcement agencies that cautions

Elections unlikely in 2008

2008-01-28T06:47:00.000+01:00

Elections unlikely in 2008Despite the much-touted Road Map, the feasibility of holding the parliamentary elections in 2008 is in question: A PROBE reportRangs Bhaban, in its dilapidated state, has attained iconic status. The caretaker government, in its tirade against corruption, saw fit to pull down this tall structure as it had been illegally constructed and that too on the site for a new road.

Govt. Should Explain alegations

2008-01-24T08:27:00.000+01:00

Govt should explain allegations of torture in custodyThe allegations of harassment and torture in custody made by the detained Dhaka University teacher, Anwar Hossain, once again indicates the military-controlled interim government’s utter disregard for human rights and lack of commitment to due process and the rule of law. Anwar’s allegations come hot on the heels of similar allegations by

I am Angry......

2008-01-24T08:23:00.000+01:00

I am angry… I am angry too at the frequent display of ‘moral and ethical superiority’ by the magnificent eleven of the present regime. To them the businessmen are corrupt, the politicians are corrupt, the civil bureaucrats are corrupt also are the shopkeepers, you name it. Silent intimidation and coercion appears to be the key element of their administration and administering. One has to

RMG Worker's Right

2008-01-24T08:07:00.000+01:00

RMG workers doubly denied The state’s overt bias towards the moneyed, protecting the garment factory owners, citing emergency power rules, discipline and damage to private property, would hardly benefit the overall condition of the industry or improve its competitiveness in the long run. It is foolish, shameful and imprudent, from a regime that intends to establish the rule of law and equitable

World of terror, Sidr and US "Help"

2007-11-29T09:30:00.000+01:00

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

Ageing war criminals and their old crimes

2007-11-21T11:12:00.000+01:00

Ageing war criminals and their old crimesSyed Badrul AhsanGeneral 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,

Midnight Coups

2007-11-06T08:08:00.000+01:00

‘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

9/11 Is Over - by Thomas Friedman

2007-10-04T12:54:00.001+02:00

"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

Revolution is Just Below the Surface

2007-10-04T11:13:00.000+02:00

A Revolution is Just Below the SurfaceSeptember 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger, Noam ChomskyOn 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

Business confidence lacking

2007-10-03T13:35:00.000+02:00

Business confidence lacking by Achintya SenMany 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

It's the economy, stupid vs it's politic.stupid

2007-10-03T13:27:00.000+02:00

It’s the economy, stupid vs it’s the politics, stupid NM HarunFrom 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

Hollow words of Fakhruddin

2007-09-17T13:12:00.000+02:00

Fakhruddin’s words ring hollowThe 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

Women in Bangladesh Prison

2007-09-03T14:30:00.000+02:00

Women in prisonTahmina 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 reintegrationHaving 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

Confluence of The Two Seas

2007-08-29T09:39:00.000+02:00

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 ABEI would like to begin my remarks today by extending my sincerest condolences to many victims of nature's

Exit strategies:Some lessons from history

2007-08-29T09:04:00.000+02:00

Exit strategies: Some lessons from historyRehman Sobhan discusses the stark choices facing the nationThe 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

This should never happened

2007-08-29T09:02:00.000+02:00

This should never have happenedBrig 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

Take the people with you

2007-08-27T13:46:00.000+02:00

Take the people with youProve the allegations of attempted subversionWe 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

Which way now ?

2007-08-27T13:44:00.000+02:00

Which way now?Ahmed Shafiqul HuqueThis 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

In the eye of the storm

2007-08-27T13:36:00.000+02:00

In the eye of the stormM. Abdul Hafiz"Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins." -- Kahlil GibranAn 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

Scholar, Statesman, Gentleman

2007-07-27T17:53:00.000+02:00

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

Govt. Should Not Mislead People

2007-07-27T13:26:00.000+02:00

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

Let leadership grow from the ruins

2007-07-17T10:53:00.000+02:00

Let leadership grow from the ruinsThe 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

Strengthening Democracy ?

2007-07-17T10:45:00.000+02:00

This is no way to strengthen democracyJust as "command economy" failed, so will "command politics"Mahfuz AnamThe 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

Reforms: Facts behind Facts

2007-07-14T09:38:00.000+02:00

Bangladeshs political reforms: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,

Where Bihar leads India

2007-07-14T09:34:00.000+02:00

Where 'backward' Bihar leads India By Amarnath Tewary

Time for Soul Search

2007-07-11T12:03:00.000+02:00

Time for some soul searching Nurul KabirIt 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

Rights gone wrong in emergency rites

2007-07-11T11:58:00.000+02:00

Rights gone wrong in emergency rites Interim govt completes six months ShahiduzzamanHuman 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

Invading The Sacred

2007-07-02T07:57:00.000+02:00

Invading The SacredThe 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 academiciansADITI BANERJEEAs I write this, I am surrounded by bookshelves full of English translations of the Puranas and the Dharma

Bangla Bhai Story

2007-06-21T11:42:00.000+02:00

The Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh The Bangla Bhai StoryTrading 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

What India Has Taught Me

2007-06-20T09:01:00.000+02:00

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 GANDHIThe full text of the Nexus Lecture, Living Politics: What India Has Taught Me,

A Political Pornography

2007-06-20T08:54:00.000+02:00

Outlook IndiaMagazine Political Pornography? My book was not just on the military, but Pakistan's entire power elite AYESHA SIDDIQAHave 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

The Siren of Road map to Democracy

2007-06-17T13:54:00.000+02:00

New AgeThe siren song of ‘Roadmap of Democracy’ NM HarunHere, 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

Extremist Encroachment

2007-05-31T19:12:00.000+02:00

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 Even as Pakistan was reeling under the

Slum-dwellers suffering under open Sky

2007-05-24T08:24:00.000+02:00

New AgeRehabilitation plan makes little progress Evicted slum-dwellers suffering under the open skyAbul Kalam AzadThe 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

96 Custodial death in 130 days

2007-05-24T08:21:00.000+02:00

New AgeOdhikar reports 96 custodial deaths in 130 days since Jan 12 Staff CorrespondentNinety-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

2007-05-24T08:14:00.000+02:00

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

Bangladesh : Extra-Judicial Killings

2007-05-22T10:06:00.000+02:00

Govt’s indifference to extra-judicial killingsEver 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

2007-05-22T10:03:00.000+02:00

Death by thousand committeesNaeem 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

U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror

2007-05-20T10:44:00.000+02:00

U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror, but Patrols EbbBy DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID ROHDEWASHINGTON, 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

Afsan Chowdhry's four volume: 1971

2007-05-19T07:12:00.000+02:00

Daily Star,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

US Senators ask for Roadmap

2007-05-17T13:56:00.000+02:00

US senators ask CA for prompt withdrawal of emergencyStaff 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

Bush's Nightmare

2007-04-20T19:08:00.000+02:00

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 Public opinion polls are valuable chips to play for those engaged in a debate

Kamal Hossain at 70

2007-04-20T18:08:00.000+02:00

Kamal Hossain at 70He remains our voice of conscience Syed Badrul AhsanWhen 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,

What Fakhruddin did not say

2007-04-17T10:27:00.000+02:00

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

Bangladesh in the Generals' Grip

2007-04-16T13:04:00.000+02:00

Bangladesh in the Generals’ GripPromoting 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.....

2007-04-16T12:56:00.000+02:00

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

Bangladesh at a crossroads

2007-04-13T18:03:00.000+02:00

By Sabir Mustafa Editor, BBC Bengali serviceAt 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

Gen Moeen Goes Public on Politics

2007-04-06T18:37:00.000+02:00

Gen Moeen Goes Public on PoliticsHow can national interest be served best? Mahfuz AnamNow 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

State of Corruption in Bangladesh

2007-04-05T11:24:00.000+02:00

GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT & THE STATE OF CORRUPTION IN BANGLADESHby Muzaffer AhmadSTRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENTThe 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

What is holding Bangladesh Back

2007-04-05T10:28:00.000+02:00

What is holding us back?Nurul IslamDramatic 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,

Invite me to Joost Please...........

2007-03-28T11:00:00.000+02:00

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Jhumpa

2007-03-28T09:43:00.000+02:00

OutLook Magazine"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

Nation failed to recognise father

2007-03-28T09:05:00.000+02:00

Daily Star, 28/03/2007Nation 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

A for AYODHYA

2007-03-27T14:21:00.000+02:00

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. PANTFinally, the heir to the throne has spoken and given his people what they had been clamouring for long—his take on Indian

How all went wrong in Iraq

2007-03-25T13:46:00.000+02:00

Mugged by realityMar 22nd 2007From The Economist print editionHow 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