Banner Advertiser

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Re: [mukto-mona] Hello MM.. and Let people know....

WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/50464

I wish to respond to some common considerations in both these threads
since they are linked in some sense. Mr. Jiten Roy has learned that there
would be riots if Obama loses and thugs (Read Obama supporters) would
rule the streets of America. What Dr. Roy doesn't get it is that the
real thugs are those who is supporting. The necon thugs represented by
Bush-Cheney gong have plundered and destroyed he USA and the world and
their chosen successor MacCain will faithfully carry out the neocon
agenda. The neocon thugs have infiltrated the voting machines and
election agencies. They managed to exclude many legit voters (Kerry
supporters) in 2004 and thus stole the 2004 election. The outcome of
2004 elections contradicted the exit polls then. And the neocons thugs
are playing dirtier games now by picking their favourite diebold company
to run the voting machines. Already there have been reports in early
voting that voters were greeted by these machines with "Thank you for
voting for MacCain" when they actually voted for Obama. Some machines
have already been recalled. These are no technical glitches. Many
genuine voters (prospective Obama voters) are being or possibly will be
turned away for the flimsiest reasons. The neocon thugs are doing their
utmost to twist the elction results. They are desperate. If the report
about preparing for the riot is true, it is because the neocons know
the serious fraud that they are committing and that a legiimate backlash
is possible and justified, hence their preparation. Its the neocons that
are the thugs who can stoop so low and resort to frauds to make their
candidate win. Those who protest their nasty schemes are not thugs.
Again there is no evidence that Obama supporters will resort to street
violence, so calling them thugs in advance reveals Mr. Roy's mentality
rather than any fact.

Coming back to the question of who will win, eiher Desi Neocon Mr. Guha
or Dr. Jaffor Ullah could be right. If the neocon's ploy works and the
election is tight McCain coulkd be made to win even if the polls about
Obama leading is right. So I would say like Mr. Roy, welcome to the new
America where the (neocon)thugs rule and wins election by not so "shukkho
karchupi" (Subtle rigging).

- Jamil Asgor

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Get your free Email ID at www.zapakmail.com now!


------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] No doubt: John McCain will win...

No doubt: John McCain will win...

i just discovered today that several members of my family and friends will vote for John McCain; but when you ask them they will bluntly lie about it.

that is why McCain will win.

a lot of people out there are just lying...



__._,_.___

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Fallout

Fallout

 

Forrest Cookson takes a closer look at how Bangladesh's economy might take a hit

 

Every day, news about the world economy seems to get worse: world equity markets are declining; earnings reports issued by major corporations, particularly financial institutions, are weaker; every industrial economy is either already in or entering a period of recession with negative GDP growth and lower consumption expenditures. Throughout the world there is widespread fear and trembling. Will you lose your job? Will your holdings of stocks be eroded by falling prices? Will your bank fail and destroy your savings?

 

It is a common view that Bangladesh is substantially isolated from the world economy. The authorities, of course, as is their responsibility, express confidence that all will be well; economists who have spoken on the point express views about the limited impact of the world crisis, at least in the next year or two. What are the risks to the Bangladesh economy?

 

Export Growth
Bangladesh has experienced strong export growth over the past several years. The average annual growth over the past 5 years is 16.6% in dollar terms. In terms of domestic contribution (i.e. exports net of import inputs) the growth rate was 19.2%. The growth of the Bangladesh economy was virtually all driven by this export expansion. Exports remain heavily concentrated in the garment sector [76%]. Despite this concentration of exports in apparel, the range of export products is expanding. There are some early signs of new export products becoming established, particularly footwear, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, and home textiles. No export product has reached a level of $1 billion per annum other than garments.

 


Adnan/Driknews

The economic crisis will hit the non-garment exports very hard. For example, frozen foods are quite sensitive to income and the price offered will weaken. Shoe production businesses are trying to build market share, difficult to achieve in a shrinking market. The coming recession is like to lead to grave difficulties for Bangladeshi exporting companies outside the garment sector who will face weaker demands and lower prices. The first casualty of the crisis will be the fledgling export industries whose growth will be held back.

 

Garment Sector Exports
The key question is: How will the garment sector respond to the expected recession in the US and EU markets? There are many views as to what may happen.

 

Demand: The most commonly expressed opinion is that the Bangladeshi garment exports are largely aimed at the low end of the markets so that demand will remain robust despite the drop in total clothing expenditure by Western consumers. But there should be all types of responses here: Some will buy cheaper clothes; some will simply buy fewer more fashionable clothes. We all hear tales that it is the low-income households who are losing the most in this crisis, not the middle classes. If that is indeed the case then the impact on the presumed Bangladeshi end of the market is dire.

 

Competition: The second factor in the market prospects is the competition from other producers. The standard argument is that China is no threat as their costs are high; the buyers are telling Bangladeshi producers that they are cheaper than the Chinese and that no one else can compete with Bangladesh costs. One should be very cautious here in assessing what is happening. Table A on the following page presents the shares of the EU, US, and Canadian markets of China and Bangladesh in 2003 and 2007. Bangladesh is the second largest source of garments to the EU market; but in the past four years with all kinds of changes in trading rules and in the exchange rate movements the Bangladesh exporters managed a small 8% increase in their share of the market, but the Chinese increased their share 62%. The same pattern can be seen in the US market, where Bangladesh exporters increased their share by 43% from 2.8% to 4.0%; the Chinese exporters increased their share from 13.8% to 31.7%, an increase of 130%. The Canadian market shares are perhaps more interesting: Bangladesh has increased its share from 5.3% to 6.4% or 21%, but the share peaked and has been declining; the Chinese share increased from 29.5% to 52.8%, 79%. Altogether China is clearly the major factor in these apparel markets; a small increase in the Chinese market share could result in a sharp drop in the Bangladesh shares; so one must be very cautious about writing off the Chinese. For example, the woven fabrics are very dependent on Chinese sources of supply and problems with price and availability may arise.

 

Squeeze: In a weakening market there will be a harsh squeeze that the apparel industry will face: First, there will be pressure on prices for the EU market arising from the depreciation of the euro and pound sterling with respect to the taka. While one cannot be sure how these exchange rates will change the most likely future is that the euro will stay weak with respect to the dollar, and hence the taka. Second, the appreciation of the Chinese currency has caused the cost of imported fabric to increase in taka terms. In a period of weak prices this has put great pressure on producers of woven goods. Third, with weakening markets, the buyers who intermediate between the large retail firms and the manufacturers will become ever more frantic and manipulative. Many of these people are full of dirty tricks, misrepresentations, and illegal maneuvers to force down the effective price of the apparel exports.

 

Conclusions about exports: The garment sector will face adverse consequences arising from the world crisis. From the on-going decline in private consumption expenditures in the industrial countries, apparel demand (in constant prices) will decline, reaching a maximum decline of about five percent over the next four years. While the low end products that comprise most of Bangladesh's exports will suffer less demand reduction, competition for market share will be very intense; while China's cost is higher, their ability to compete is very strong, as can be seen from the steady increase of their market share over the past several years. They will certainly fight to retain the export volumes that they have achieved.

I project that Bangladesh will lose a few percent of the dollar value of its garment exports in the next two calendar years; recovering in the third year. But the past rapid growth will slow.

 

 

 

 

Food Prices
World market prices for rice are falling sharply partly due to the strong output response to the higher prices of the past year and partly due to the reduction in demand from slower economic growth now taking place throughout the world. The volume of rice being produced domestically in Bangladesh is rising. The Indian rupee is depreciating with respect to the taka. All of these events will result in sharp declines of food-grain prices.

The nation now faces the unwinding of the consequences of the higher rice prices experienced last year; farm gate prices will decline, wholesale and retail prices will begin to decline.

 

It may take a several months to work through the system but the decline in rice prices to significantly lower levels will certainly take place as a consequence of the slower growth of the world economy. Speculation that contributed to the rapid rise in rice prices will work the other way and drive the price down rapidly.

 

Of course this will help persons who are not rice surplus producers, but rice farmers will generally find that the lower farm gate prices and discouraging; the boro crop in 2009 will show little change over 2008. The shift of income to rural areas at the expense of the urban areas will reverse itself. This will help to ease the pressure for wage increases in the industrial sector.

 

Wheat and maize prices will probably also come down; cooking oil will decline but not as much as the grains. The source of increase of soybean oil was partly the shift of land to produce bio-fuels. The food price index should begin to decline over the next few months.

 

Oil Prices
Oil prices have fallen sharply with reduced demand and less speculative pressures. The full impact of the higher oil prices has not been reflected in the prices but rather in the large subsidies that the government is providing to petroleum based products. The main impact of the drop in oil prices will be to relieve pressure on the government budget and the balance of payments. In 2007-08 Bangladesh spent $2.3 billion for petroleum products; in the current financial year this should fall to about $1.7 billion. The saving of $600 million will offset a 10% decline in net export earnings from the garment sector.

 

Remittances
The inflow of remittances from the US, UK, Korea, and the Euro-zone will decline in dollar terms. This is partly due to the weaker economies, reduced incomes, etc of Bangladeshi residents in these countries, and partly a consequence of the depreciation of the currencies with respect to the US dollar. (These remittances total $2.7 billion.) Remittances from the Middle East should remain stable for the first year; but with a continued low oil price the flow of workers and the compensation levels will decline and the flow of remittances will begin to fall. (These remittances total about $5.2 billion.)

 

During the next year a 15% fall in remittances from the above countries plus others that are expected to depreciate with respect to the dollar would cost the balance of payments $400 million; but this would be offset by a continuing rise in remittances from the Middle Eastern countries for which recruitment of new workers has been going on.

 

Loss of Confidence in Capital Markets and Banks?
In much of the world, the public has lost confidence in many forms of investment including some of the banks, shares and all kinds of financial instruments except those issued by governments. Is such a loss of confidence possible in Bangladesh? The share market has been falling slightly from its peak in April 2008; so far there has been no protracted sell off. There is no evidence of a systematic increase of greater currency holdings relative to bank deposits: up to July 2008, the latest data publicly available the fraction of currency in broad money has not changed significantly. The best one can judge there is no sign of a loss of confidence in the capital markets or the banking sector. However, this is always a possibility although it will be immediately evident.

 

 


Shafiq Islam/Driknews

 

 

Foreign Investment Interested in Energy Sector?
The energy sector is suffering from gas shortage, failure to develop the coal resource, and an acute lack of electricity generating equipment. The cost of improving the energy situation cannot be met except with major contributions from private foreign investment. Unfortunately, in the present world economic environment, persuading major energy companies to invest in Bangladesh is a very difficult undertaking, and it is unlikely that this can successfully achieved. This promises grave difficulties for the economy in the next five years when the energy shortage will become increasingly acute. Bangladesh simply does not have the resources to finance the exploration, field development, transmission lines, and generating facilities that are needed. Already difficult, the world economic crisis will make participation by foreign investors much more difficult and more expensive.

 

Macro-economics
Will the Bangladesh population save more in fear of the future? Will Bangladeshi businessmen reduce their investments due to uncertainty over demand? As for the first I expect that middle class Bangladeshis will now become more frugal and push up their saving rate. It is the only sensible response to the crisis. This will harm those providing services to the middle class. Poor households have little opportunity to tighten their belts for fear of the future.

 

Investors will be very much more uncertain as to what is going to happen. Additional capacity in export industries will be deferred until the real picture for the sector emerges. I believe that investors will become much more cautious for the next year or two. Taken together, we can expect some slow down of the economy in the face of reduced investment, less personal consumption, and stagnating exports. The Bangladesh economy will follow along the same path as most other countries.

 

Temptress at the Gate
What will the Bangladesh political system do with respect to changes in regulation and government ownership in the financial system?The temptress at the gate is the call for more regulation, tighter capital controls, and reduced flexibility in the financial sector. All over the world, the cry is heard that there was insufficient regulation and it was this that led to the disastrous collapse of such a large part of the world's financial sector. The United States and Europe seem determined now to take control of the financial sector -- what we used to call the "commanding heights" and to insure a better economic performance.

With odds on Barack Obama being the favorite to become the next president of the United States, and a strong-willed Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, one should expect a determined drive to increase the regulation of the financial sector in the United States. This will be a serious error but inevitable. What about Bangladesh? Will Bangladesh Bank and the next elected government be tempted to interfere even more in the banking sector?

 

Already Bangladesh Bank exercises far too much control over the private commercial banks. Dictating terms of the boards, controlling salaries of managing directors, limiting transport expenses -- these are all symbols of excess interference. Interest rates although uncontrolled in principle move remarkably little. The non-performing loan level of the banks remains precarious but it is not clear what additional supervision would be able to do about this. (Note: official data does not fairly represent the conditions.)

 


AFP

Here are some calls for change that we are likely to hear:
1. Consolidate the number of banks and make them larger. This would be a serious error indeed. There is no evidence in Bangladesh that large banks are more effective.

2. Promote government owned banks! The four NCBs are insolvent. The government specialised banks are insolvent. Nothing could be worse.

3. Increase regulations over what banks can do; for example distinguishing between loans to "productive" and "non-productive" sectors. Bangladesh could use more retail consumer banking and diversified types of financial institutions.

4. Increase government ownership of key sectors of the economy. Exactly the wrong way to do but this was on the cards even without the financial crisis.

Each of these would be a disaster for the economy.

 

Overcoming Temptation
The greatest threat to Bangladesh arises from fear that that the government will come up with increased regulatory actions, interfering even more in the operation of the economy. Much of such intervention started under the CTG, although they claimed it was the other way around, so the world crisis simply adds weight to the argument for more regulation.

The nation will have a rough time with a slowdown in investment and exports, resulting in slower economic growth. However, the inflation rate will slow down. The financial system is unlikely to face any threats of loss of confidence. But the greatest problem will be the keen interest that the bureaucracy and the leftist economists will have in moving towards government ownership and intrusive regulation.

 

Forrest Cookson is an Economist.

 

http://thedailystar.net/forum/2008/november/fallout.htm

 


__._,_.___

[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[mukto-mona] CPM Thugs batter respected journalists

Himansu Halder and Barun Dasgupta who went to Singur on Sunday were
beaten by CPI(M) thugs, under the banner of Save Nano Committee. When
they were inside the ambulance, the police, in company of CPI (M)
thugs, asked, " Tell us truthfully if you belong to the Trinamool
Congress". When both of them showed press accreditation, they were
silent but did not express regret.

Himansu can't raise his right hand.

Himansu was for 19 months in jail during the Emergency and went for
hunger strike for weeks together in solidarity with theNaxalites. He
is a Gandhian in every sense.

------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] [Bengali article] Shada vote, Kalo vote

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/biplab_pal/obama2.htm

Thanks
Biplab


------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] Re: Sharia Law at work in Somalia: 13-year old girl raped and then stoned to death

WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/50497

Dear Mr Fatah,

Somalia is a country that has very old links to India and the
families of the late Siad Barre and Muhammad Farah Aideed have as
many Indian relatives as they do Somali ones. My family knew
President Barre's family quite well and I was a particularly close
friend of his nephew Shakel Abdul until I left India to move to the
USA a little more than five years ago. The fact is that while the
Barre government was not, quite, the best possible government that
Somalia had, it took great care to keep the religious fundamentalists
on a leash. It was when Muhammad Farah Aideed was the Somali
Ambassador to India that he was tempted into planning his ultimately
successful coup against Barre by a combination of American and Saudi
funds and support leading to the mess that Somalia later became. In
the end, Aideed ended up fighting the Americans like their allies in
Afghanistan at that time, Gulbuddin Hikmatyar and others, are doing now though the US managed to make its peace with Aideed when his son Hassan joined the US armed forces and became an officer. That said, Aideed's assassination once again threw Somalia into complete turmoil, making it a sanctuary for the number of murderous fundamentalist groups that it has become today.

I still recall the many arguments that Shakel and I had in the
evenings at Elliot's Beach in Madras before he broke his legs in a
severe automobile accident and moved to Hyderabad where he lives with his charming Indian hotelier wife today where we talked about his country. On one occasion we met Ambassador (often incorrectly referred to as "General" in the US media) Aideed as well and my recollection of him is that he was an extremely quiet man and a patient listener, not the raving fundamentalist that the media here would have people believe. When I last spoke to Shakel on his daughter's birthday two weeks before I left India, our final discussion, as always was about politics. We talked about the growing fundamentalist takeover of his country while I took his mother and brothers' contact details (they live in Canada) and his parting words were, "My family didn't do everything right but we did keep the mad dogs on a leash. Aideed did the same. When the Americans attacked him, they made sure that the mad dogs would rule one day." The horrific murder of this little girl only proves how true his words were.

I have hypothesized for a long time that the US and the West backed
fundamentalist regimes through the Cold War years in order to ight
left of center governments around the world. That was what happened
in Afghanistan and in Somalia in addition to countless other trouble-
spots around the world. When the mujahiddeen took Kabul, one of the
first public acts that they performed was to grab a girl who was
wearing a skirt and hack off her legs where they were visible,
leaving her to bleed to death in public. This was widely reported in
the Asian media, but the American media didn't care - to them there
was a victory to be celebrated over the Soviet "Evil Empire's" ashes
at the time, it hardly mattering that what was to come would
eventually lead to a savage attack on the USA itself on 9/11. In the
end, the victory of fundamentalist forces over these extremely
marginalized countries was nothing more than a result of global
politics, especially that of the USA and the Soviet Union as
ideological opponents.

Sorry to go off on a rant but your post brought back a number of old
memories that I shall, shortly, write about in an article after
contacting my old friend in Hyderabad. Thank you very much for your
hard work in highlighting the abuses of individual freedoms under
religious fundamentalism.

Mehul Kamdar


------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] A July 21, 2007 OPED article in New Age predicted the failure of the reform process

A July 21, 2007 OPED article in New Age predicted the failure of the reform process.
 
 
 
One must understand that the current political crisis is not only the result of polarisation in national politics, but also the outcome of conflict of interests between political parties and other interest groups in society. The struggle is to preserve the status quo of the syndicates of both political and non-political groups, writes ABM Nasir

 

 


A WISEMAN once was asked if he would trust the judgement of the people. He quipped, 'I would, only if their judgement is based on full information.'
   No doubt, information is power. More information is always better in the decision-making process, both of individuals and government. In any democratic society non-political special interest groups, namely business associations, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, professional groups, the military establishment play a significant role in generating and disseminating information. Through competition, interaction and lobbying, the actions of these groups tend to maximise not only their gains but also the benefit of the general public. Competition among special interest groups and effectiveness in lobbying for public and private interests are all signs of a nascent democratic society.
   Organised special interest groups have always dominated and will continue to influence the political decision-making process in the near future. The existence of special interest groups per se poses no threat to competition in the political process.
   What is of serious concern is when special interest groups form syndicates with efforts to dominate the political process or stifle competition in the political process. The way political syndicates of special interest restricts competition in the political process is like the way business syndicate restricts competition in the market.
   The rise of syndicates of special interest groups in Bangladesh is fairly a recent phenomenon. During 1975-1990, the political process was mostly dominated by the military-bureaucratic oligarchy with a rising clout of religious establishment. The participation of business associations, NGOs, civil society groups, media and political parties in the political process and policymaking was virtually non-existent. This is preciously why the nation experienced frequent street protests against tyrannical behaviour of the authoritarian regime during 1983-1990. However, the ouster of the military regime in 1990 and induction of electoral democracy in 1991 provided these groups with the opportunities to influence political decision making in various ways. Indeed, with public having their rights to vote and NGOs, civil society groups and the media having their abilities to shape public opinion since 1971, for the first time since 1971 advocacy groups started to indirectly influence political decision making by shaping public opinion. The benefits of such a political transformation are now widely evident from the influence of the media, civil society groups and NGOs in shaping public opinion and influencing political decision making.
   The problem began in the early mid-nineties when elected governments started to act like tyrants and monopolise the political process. This resulted in conflict of interests between political and non-political entities. Attempting to preserve their status quo, many special interest groups started to organise in various
   syndicates.
   In this process, some continued their advocacy roles by actively participating or/and supporting combined opposition protests against tyranny of elected governments. Some engaged in various lobbying for multinationals and donor agencies disregarding the interest of the people. And, some, who now are clamouring for reform in the political process and
   parties, catered to the needs of political establishments.
   Such reversal of roles of special interest groups further alienated the non-members of the syndicates including peasants, rural households, religious and political minorities from the political process.
   In Bangladesh, currently people with economic, social, familial, marital, political and professional connections dominate the electoral nomination process and, in most cases manage to get nominated. The general public, although to some extent has the rights to vote, is largely shut out of the nomination process. In short, who they vote for is
   predetermined and controlled by the urban-based elite syndicates.
   One must understand that the current political crisis is not only the result of polarisation in national politics, but also the outcome of conflict of interests between political parties and other interest groups in society. The struggle is to preserve the status quo of the syndicates of both political and non-political groups.
   However, in the current state of power struggle, while the political syndicate is getting caught up in the crossfire of selective reform process, many other syndicates, also accomplices of political misdeeds, seem to be safely escaping the heat of the political firestorm. Apparently, a new syndicate of military, business associations, media conglomerate, social elites, NGOs, and some civil society groups has been slowly emerging out of the shadow of the reform process. The same group of people with familial, social, business, professional and political ties appear to continue to dominate the political process, but with different attire.
   It seems people are now entering into a new era of 'tyranny of status quo' of non-political groups. Tyranny of status quo is referred to in political science literature as the perpetual grip of the special interest groups in the country's social, economic and political power. Michael S Rozeff defines 'tyranny of the Status Quo' as the tendency for certain situations to stay the same, as they are'.
   During 1990s, the target of the political opposition was the military-bureaucratic oligarchy. Now the target of the reform process seems to be the political establishment and institution. Exploiting the failures of political leadership and current vacuum in the political process, non-political syndicates including certain NGOs, civil society groups, media and military hierarchy have been promoting their agenda through multifaceted strategies.
   For example, some civil society groups, NGOs, and media conglomerate are demanding transparency in the finances and internal democracies of the political parties. While their demand appears to be innocuous and reasonable, underlying motives are questionable at least for three reasons.
   First, they seem to be completely oblivious of the lack of transparency in the sources of their finances, the method of their spending and structure of salary and compensation of the executives vis-à-vis general staffs in their organisations.
   Second, their penchant for selective rather than comprehensive reform also questions the integrity of their demand.
   Third, their nonchalant attitudes in bringing up the issues of the way priorities are made in the national budget and the way certain sectors such as defence manage to get disproportionate allocation clearly indicate a quid pro quo arrangement to maintain status quo of non-political establishments.
   One of the ironies is that the urban-based syndicates create 'law for their own benefits and discard it when it fails to serve their interests'. Unless the system that preserves such arrangement is also reformed, the fast-track selective reform of the caretaker government will not only fail but also create irreparable damage to the nascent political institution.


   ABM Nasir teaches economics at North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA and can be reached at nasnc@yahoo.com



 
ABM Nasir, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Economics
School of Business
North Carolina Central Univeristy
Durham, NC 27707.
Phone: (919) 530-7372
Fax: (919) 530-6163

__._,_.___

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[mukto-mona] Poem- Bandhu

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/kamrun_nahar/Bandhu.pdf

------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] In which direction political wind is blowing in America?

In which direction political wind is blowing in America?

 

A.H. Jaffor Ullah

 

On November 4, 2008 America will answer to this question.  What happens in America will impact the rest of the world.  In 1980, Ronald Reagan's brand of conservatism swept through America like a wildfire and the nation headed in that direction.  The world had witnessed the rise in religious fundamentalism in many parts of the world including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Israel, etc.  This trend continued until this day.

 

At long last, if the conservatives are defeated in America, then there is a hope that liberalism will again gain its foothold in this country.  It is the conservatives that made the big "L" word.  They loathed the liberals.  In 1984, when Vice President Walter Mondale ran against Reagan he said that no matter who wins in the election, the new president shall have to raise the tax.  He was right.  Reagan cut the tax for the very rich but the middle class shared the burden of Reagan's expansion of the government.  The Republicans have an epithet for Democrats – "Tax and Spend Liberals."

 

Sarah Palin and McCain again labeled Obama-Biden ticket as "Tax and Spend Liberals."  This time this characterization is not gaining any currency.  Two days before the election most polls are telling us that Obama will handily win the election.  Is that so?  For some thoughts on that won't you please join us on the election night in Mukto-mona?  We would like to have an interesting discussion on whether 'Bradley Effect' indeed had a shelf-life or not.

 

There were few participants in this forum who made this prediction that when the last vote is counted, McCain would come out victorious.  This would definitely go against the trend reported by most polltakers. 

 

Avijit Roy posted a message in the forum telling us that he added a link to the new Blog page where people can discuss myriads of issues.  I would request the moderators to allow us to post our comments, write-ups, and whatnot to M-M forum and Blog page so that we could discuss in what direction the political wind is blowing in America.      

__._,_.___

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

Re: [mukto-mona] To M. Harun uz Zaman

Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/50476

Quote from Audrey:

[Fundamentalist atheists such as Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris do not
differ much from fundamentalist religionists. They all believe they
are right and the others are wrong.]

Dear Audrey,
I am a bit taken aback by your labelling of Dawkins as
Fundamentalist(atheist). As an early member of MM you must have read the
plethora of messages and exchanges (many in which I participated besides
Avijit and many other freethinkers) which clarified the fallacy of this
mislabelling of rationalist views as fundamentalist. So its a bit
disappointing to see you still making this characterization after all this.
Let me try to clarfiy this issue here again.

Dawkins himself has refuted this allegation/mislabelling very eloquently
in his NYT best seller "The God Delusion" which is sort of the leit
motif of his book. The point is that there is a fundamental difference
between a scientists's belief in the correctness of his/her theory and
that of a religious or any dogmatic believer. The latter holds on to
their belief irrespective of what the evidence and logic dictates.
Scientists assume something is true after thoroughly examining it with
logic and evidence. Scientists are ready to discard any theory if new
evidence and logic contradicts it. He himself will doubt evolution if a
fossil rabbit is discovered in precambrian era. Not so with the
dogmatists (fundamentalists). Their belief is absolute and unalterable
by any evidence or logic. The difference is so substantial and profound
that to paint both of them with the same brush of fundamentalism label
is signally insensitive and unconsciounable.

In fact if by believeing that one is right one becomes a fudamentalist
then all scientists are fundamentalist. Einstein is also a
fundamentalist by this criterion for belieivng that his notion of time
and space is correct. You and I are also fundamentalists for believing
that we are right in assuming that a traffic light is green when driving
through an intersection and believing that whoever sees it as red
is wrong. This is a trivial example but it serves to make the point.

As Dawkins points out in the God Delusion, just because a scientist can
passionately defend a position just as a religious believer passionately
defends his, that doesn't make both of them right or both of them wrong.
It can simply be that one is right and the other is wrong (by an
objective criterion). Dawkins is passionate about defending evolution as
he sees evidence for it and as he sees dogmatic positions opposing
evolution despite evidence supporting evolution.

Now let me come to the specific case of existence of God issue. This is
not a scientific problem, its a philosophical issue. And it is critical
that one resorts to rigorous logic in any philosophical debate, because
that is the only recourse available in absence of any observational
evidence for a meaningful resolution of an issue. What Dawkins and other
scientists state is the logical absurdity of the notion of the personal
God of the religions. Scientist or science do not claim to know THE
origin of the THE universe. Science can only attempt to explain the
birth of the OBSERVED universe in terms of the laws of Physics. But
science cannot explain the origin of the laws of physics (i.e the cause
of the THE universe). Cosmologist Barrow ends his book "The Origin of
the Universe" by the line "We can never know the origin of THE
universe". If one defines an atheist as one who claims that there is no
origin of the laws of Physics, then such an atheist is a fundamentalist
because he is obviously claiming to know an unknowable. But other that
that there is nothing fundamentalist about stating the facts of science
and opposing views that contradict science. We simply don't know why the
universe (with the laws of physics governing it) exists This ignorance
gives rose to the "God feeling" among scientists and leaves room for
metaphysical speculation (of course without contradicting the laws of
phsics).

- Aparthib


------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[mukto-mona] New Blog Feature has been added in our site !

Dear Members,
 

As bogging has become extremely popular, I was thinking for a while to add such feature in our site.

 

Please go to our site – www.mukto-mona.com and click on the very first or second article of the English section. I have just put these articles in our blog on a test basis. Please check it out whether you can comment on the article. The comments are currently being moderated. So you have to wait for moderator's approval. However, you will get the initial feeling how the site would look  in future. I will gradually add the important features both in Bengali and English section.

 

Please try if you can comment on the following article:

 
 
Your comment and suggestion will be highly appriciated.
 
Regards
Avijit

__._,_.___

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[mukto-mona] Re: To M. Harun uz Zaman (for Audrey manning)

WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/50476

Dear Dr Audrey Manning,

You are absolutely irrational when you say

"Fundamentalist atheists such as Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris do not
differ much from fundamentalist religionists."

Surely "They all believe they are right and the others are wrong",
but that goes as far as opposing the religionists' claim that their
god exists.If you can prove otherwise, go ahead and do that. But it
is irrational on your part to say that

"There is no proof for the non existence of a God, just as there is
no proof for the existence of a God."

Well, there is no proof of "the non existence" of what is claimed in
a mad man's soliloquy! Do we have to find the proof of a mad man's
claim? Religionists claim of god is as nonsense as that.

Everybody, however, enjoys their "pursit of god/no-god". This freedom
is highly respected in democratic societies.

-tistarbahe


------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

RE: [mukto-mona] Hello MM, I know you did not like it, but let people know

Dear Stangshu,

Perhaps you have an opinion on the following piece by Nicholas Kristoff in the NYTimes.

http://www.truthout.org/102808J Memories of the past two elections stolen by Bush are vivid in my mind, as they must be in millions of other Americans.

Happy Election Day for you in New York! (I have already cast my absentee ballot from Dhaka). May the voting be spared of Republican Party dirty tricks!

Regards.

farida apa

------------------------------------

*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

*****************************************

MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/


Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

*****************************************

Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:mukto-mona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:mukto-mona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
mukto-mona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/