Dear Alochok Chowdhury
The plain truth is that Prime Ministers and Presidents throughout the world's democracies make personal/political appointments to ambassadorial posts. Often these are given as politcal rewards - especially for large campaign contributions. This is the truth.
Against this background we have Bangladesh - and Bangladesh, as usual in my opinion, is a special case.
An American president may appoint a friend or campaign contributor to the Court of St James without hurting the diplomatic corps of the USA. In Bangladesh this is not the case. Our diplomatic corps is in trouble and has been in trouble for a long time.
As the over used saying goes - justice must not only be done but be seen to be done. The same is true for all appointments within the bureaucracy, armed forces and government.
The plain truth is that we were hoping to see a different course charted by this government. In fairness, all is not yet completely lost.
I might add that your positive verdict on a diplomat having a PhD is countered by your negative verdict on a politcian having a PhD. After all how many politicians are highly educated? Who cares!
And of course, we could never imagine having a Prime Minister who undertands that diplomacy is not just for Ambassadors...
The truth is you have no problem with whoever Hasina choses or whatever Hasina decides. It's okay - you are not alone.
God help us when AL starts selling Joy's education openly to us...
Regards
Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Sajjad Hossain <shossain456@...> wrote:
>
> Sorry. The brother of Finance Minister is not a career diplomat and not now working as a diplomat in Kuwait. He lives in Boston now and unfortunately an American Citizen. The person appointed as the Ambassador in Moscow is a businessman. Never had any job experience. And we all know the quality of Russian PhD.
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> SH
> Toronto
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> From: J.A. Chowdhury <Chwdhury@...>
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:01:25 PM
> Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] Political appointments in key missions
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> Dear Ezaj
> Yes it is political appointment but considering their performance. Brother of finance minister is a professional diplomat. He is serving in your country Kuwait now. Expatriate who got appointment in Moscow is a high educated Phd holder. So I think nothing wrong with this appointment. Newspaper cretisized it because they are just AL supporter.
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> Regards
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> J.A.Chowdhury
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> ________________________________
> To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
> From: ezajur.rahman@ q8.com
> Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 18:03:31 +0300
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Political appointments in key missions
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> Political appointments in key missions
> Courtesy New Age 27/5/09
> http://www.newagebd .com/2009/ may/27/fb. html
> I started reading your front page news ‘government prefers political appointment in key missions’ (May 24) with interest and ended with disgust. After nearly five months during which key missions have been left without a head of mission (Germany has been without one for over a year and half!), this government has finally laid the ‘theoretical’ foundation of how it would establish diplomatic missions. As expounded by Mostafa Farooq Mohammad, a former diplomat and a Member of Parliament now, the government will henceforth send to key missions individuals who ‘must act as alter egos of the head of government’. I am afraid not many of us understood what he meant by this. Does it mean that the prime minister will choose for these posts those she knows personally and who in turn know her personally, like the name proposed to be the ambassador to Kuwait happens to be a friend of Sheikh Kamal?
> I was disgusted that such an idea has been given by a professional diplomat. The journalist who interviewed this gentleman should have asked him whether he would have subscribed to such a view when he was serving as a professional diplomat. There is no question that he would not for that would have meant acknowledging that he is incompetent. The ‘theoretical’ base that this government is laying for appointment of ambassadors/ high commissioners is being laid by openly telling the professionals of the ministry of foreign affairs that they are incompetent.
> On the issue of being alter egos, how do former diplomats who have left the country to become citizens of another country become better alter egos of our prime minister? As alter egos, would they have an access to the prime minister of a regular basis? What would then happen to our poor Dipu Moni? Most importantly, does it mean that in the past 37 years when people like Mostafa Farooq Mohammad as professional diplomats headed missions had been worthless? I am told that this gentleman was a good professional diplomat but I am afraid in his eagerness to sell an un-sellable agenda of the government, he has proven himself no better no worse than a sycophant.
> At a time when we are trying to create a digital Bangladesh with emphasis on professionalism, we are doing the reverse by posting in our key missions individuals in place of professional diplomats. These political ambassadors would no doubt be placed in their positions over career diplomats who would be manning the ministry of foreign affairs. Does logic say that they would cooperate with these ‘outsiders’ in implementing the policies of the government? Or does Farooq Mohammad think that foreign policy and its implementation begins and ends in ambassadors being the alter egos of the prime minister? At this stage, I am not sure whether I should be laughing over it or be disgusted and say ‘God help Bangladesh!’
> The appointment of an expatriate in Russia as the country’s next ambassador to Moscow takes the cake! So does the appointment of the individual named for Saudi Arabia who happens to be a brother of the finance minister. People who know the foreign ministry better however know too well that no theory or anything is behind these appointments. These have been made on purely personal interests.
> All told, I am astounded how a former career diplomat comes out to make a statement denigrating his juniors in a service that I am sure he was proud to serve. This is betrayal to say the least.
> Rashed Ahmed
> Gulshan, Dhaka
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