Dear Farida
My first 4 words were "Khaleda should have attended". Enough said.
I was addressing the politics of the situation. I can rise to any challenge on it. I was not addressing poverty alleviation. I cannot challenge you on it because you know more far more about it than me. I am happy to defer to you on pure poverty alleviation.
You know Farida, my beef is that a lot of good people think that politicians and politics can continue as usual and the rest of us should get on with good works. Fine - the show must go on. I embrace that. But what about the bloody politics? Why give them a blank cheque? You know why people don't like talking politics? Its too shameful and too dirty. But nowadays its also too comfortable to avoid the subject.
Let me break it down in this case:
1. Khaleda should be criticised and mocked by all for not attending.
2. But AL should not get too high and mighty as most probably they would not have attended if they were in opposition.
3. Hasina on stage said "What else can you expect from those who steal form orphanages?" Thats real statesmanlike. That really impresses the donors. That really was all about poverty alleviation. There really was a spirit of mutual cooperation on poverty alleviation!
4. Amartya Sen is a great man. But AL would hurl abuse at him if he, or a man like him, joined BNP. Same goes for BNP. So please don't challenge me about the value of Amartya Sen when our leaders don't know how to truly value the man either.
5. Which is why Hasina, and her minions, raced to garland Dr Yunus when he won the Novel Peace Prize (he was good at poverty alleviation you know!). But a few weeks later when, as a free citizen exercising his constitutional and democratic rights, Dr Yunus declared his entry into politics, Hasina declared him to be a criminal extortionist.
6. So in NY Hasina, through her Advisor (who, coincidentally happens to be her son too!) declares on camera that private foreign investment is sought to replace donor funds because donors attach unwelcome conditions. Not a big point but some can say "Huh?"
7. And heres the main point - WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF POLITICS AND CORRUPTION ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN BANGLADESH? Well I don't attend these seminars as I'm no expert. Could you find out from some of your friends in the field what was said on this subject at the seminar?
8. Just in case you were wondering - I think that knowledge of one's rights, faith in one's rights, access to one's rights, protection of one's rights are crucial to poverty alleviation. And politics and corruption deny all these holy things to the common people.
Poverty alleviation in Bangldesh to date is in no small part 1. due to the fortitude of the poor in the face of all odds and in spite of the failures of central government 2. due to billions of dollars of direct foreign aid with whatever conditions attached 3. due to the efforts of countless NGOs with whatever conditions attached and 4. the silent and patriotic contribution of NRBS to their villages over the past decades.
I know government plays a critical role. I leave experts far more knowledgable than an amateur like me to illuminate the efficiency and effectiveness of government in poverty alleviation.
The Finance Minister and the Central Bank Governor are the right people in the right place at the right time. But that doesn't mean we embrace or tolerate all the nonsense and criminality that is in plain sight.
Regards
Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Farida Majid <farida_majid@...> wrote:
>
>
> It really is a big and shameful deal. And what is there to snigger about anti-poverty seminars attended by a luminary like Amartya Sen? Have you ever attended one yourself? Contrary to your suggestion that anti-poverty 'summits' are fruitless, they are becoming increasingly productive (in terms of commitments made by rich countries) and serious in terms of the breadth of socioeconomic analyses.
>
>
>
> The world is changing fast and everyday we have to renew our knowledge about the causes and remedies, and factors that prevent efforts to eliminate of poverty. Bangladesh has a good record in making progress. Read the following comment about Khaleda Zia's petulant abandonment of the conference.
>
>
>
> http://www.amadershomoy.com/content/2009/10/19/news0701.htm
>
>
>
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> From: ezajur.rahman@...
> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:54:39 +0000
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Khaleda reject to join anti-poverty call for mysterious reason
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Alochok Shamim
>
> Khaleda should have attended. But it is two faced of you to make so much of a big deal about it. It is standard operating procedure for any opposition party.
>
> Don't make us laugh by pretending that AL would necessarily have behaved differently if it was in opposition! Hilarious!
>
> And don't make too much of a big deal about the anti poverty summit. The public knows about seminars, conferences, meets, summits, meetings, conventions and workshops. We are the world leader in such things.
>
> It was a very nice of the Chinese to build a place where our leaders can hold weddings and political meetings with properly maintained toilets. We should have called it the Chairan Mao Convention Centre.
>
> Ezajur Rahman
> Kuwait
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Shamim Chowdhury <veirsmill@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Peoples expectation dashed out once again by Mrs. Khaleda Zia the ex prime minister and the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist party. Grounds provided on her press conference for rejecting to join publicly agreed scheduled to make the anti-poverty call at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was not just bogus but another shameful act of her and her party.
> > Â
> > We all thought she would have special sympathy for this anti poverty call, as we all know she and her sons rose from empty broken trunk full of tore garments after her husbands death only to become the richest political family in our subcontinent. Poor people of one of the poorest nation on earth applaud her becoming richest women in poverty prone country Bangladesh from almost having no belongings where she and her family had to take refuge on public fund just to have bread and butter in their table.
> > Â
> > By rejecting, to join the anti poverty call arranged by not government but all party parliamentary committee, perhaps she sent a wrong message that she and her party BNP is not interested on poverty eradication rather chooses to stick with their quirk and sheer jealousy against the government. Alternatively, perchance, it could be a desperate attempt to divert peoples/media attention from persisting debacle of her party affairs. Only hours
> > Â
> > However, whatever the reason is, it is unjust, act of an irresponsible person and acute display of a childish behavior not expected from a national leader. What prompted her change of mind in matter of hours to reject something she agreed to is anybody’s guess. However, what ever she said in her press conference, even if one were in agreement with all the points she raised question still remains weather any of her allegations mystically appeared on her mind which she her self was not aware when she agreed to join the conference hours ago. Only hours ago opposition whip Zainal Abdin MP said, "We (government and opposition) are working together outside the parliament to make Oct 17 successful. These points provide definitive evidence that her publicly claimed reason for the rejection to join is misleading and fallacious.
> > Â
> > Sincerely
> > Shamim Chowdhury
> > Maryland, USA
> > Â
> > ================================================================
> > Â
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Khaleda won't launch anti-poverty call with PM
> >
> > Â
> >
> > Â
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Fri, Oct 16th, 2009 6:32 pm BdST
> >
> > Dial 2324 from your mobile for latest news Â
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dhaka, Oct 16 (bdnews24.com)â€"BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has announced that she will not share the stage with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in launching a joint call for fight against poverty on Saturday.
> >
> > Khaleda and her bitter political rival Hasina were scheduled to to make the anti-poverty call at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
> >
> > She hit out at the Awami League-led government for not cooperating with the opposition and said, "Unilaterally cooperating with the government amounts to condone its crime, anarchy, repression and violation of human rights."
> >
> > At an emergency news conference at her political office in Gulshan on Friday, the opposition chief said: "Observing the events over the last few days, we regret to announce that it will not be possible for us to join tomorrow's programme in the current circumstances."
> >
> > Replying to questions from the media, she said: "We wanted to attend the programme. But I am ethically pressed to make this statement here today following the events over the past few days."
> >
> > Khaleda pointed to the deteriorating law and order, high prices of commodities and politicisation of administration.
> >
> > "The government has failed to protect the country's national unity. They have become a failed government.
> >
> > "They have taken the country to point where people do not have minimum security."
> >
> > She said the government has been more tyrannical in its nine months than the military-installed immediate past caretaker government was in the two-year term.
> >
> > She asked the government to meet her party's four-point charter of demands, pointing out that creating a 'congenial atmosphere' is the pre-requisite for national unity.
> >
> > "The process for creating national consensus on various issues can begin only after the government creates an congenial environment.
> >
> > "Otherwise, the call for unity to alleviate poverty will ring hollow."
> >
> > She quoted the famous lines of poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, "In the land of hunger, the earth is prosaic," and said, "If poverty rate does not reduce in Bangladesh, people may see the moon in the sky but will not see bread or even singed bread on their plates."
> >
> > She thanked speaker Abdul Hamid for his efforts regarding the programme and said a letter of regrets will be sent to him on Friday.
> >
> > Speaker Hamid said at a media briefing, flanked by chief whips of the ruling and opposition parties, on Thursday that it will be an unforgettable moment when the two leading ladies of the country will will for efforts to cut poverty.
> >
> > Opposition chief whip Jainal Abdin Farrouque said at a press conference the same day: "We (government and opposition) are working together outside the parliament to make Oct 17 successful.
> >
> > "I am hoping the speaker will create an environment suitable for the opposition to return to the parliament."
> >
> > Farrouque also told a few TV channels that Khaleda would attend the event.
> >
> > At Friday's news conference, Khaleda called on the ruling Awami League-led government to behave like the country's government, not the party.
> >
> > "Ruling party people have been harassing and filing false cases against opposition party (BNP) activists in every thana across the country.
> >
> > "Section 144 is being imposed on the spot where our MPs are calling meetings to prepare for council at their areas. Ruling party goons are also committing violence against women."
> >
> > Replying to a query on transit, Khaleda said, "We want Asian Highway Network, but not any corridor. The government has not held any talks with us on the Asian Highway issue."
> >
> > "The Indian high commissioner has also not contacted us."
> >
> > The former prime minister said she was still willing to reduce the gap with the government. "We have been speaking of cooperation to close the gap with the government.
> >
> > "But you can see what they are doing. The government itself is widening the distance."
> >
> > Khaleda also pointed out the programmes her past 1996-2001 government had taken to reduce poverty.
> >
> > She expressed the willingness to give the new government more time and cooperate with
> >
> > "People will take to the streets against the government even if we we do not announce programme against it. Then we will have to stand by people."
> >
> > BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, ASM Hannan Shah and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, among others, were present at the conference.
> >
> > bdnews24.com/sm/zr/bd/1824h.
> >
> >
> > WARNING: Any unauthorised use or reproduction of bdnews24.com content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
> > ================================================================================
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hasina-Khaleda joint call will be 'unforgettable moment'
> >
> > Â
> >
> > Â
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Thu, Oct 15th, 2009 7:28 pm BdST
> >
> > Dial 2324 from your mobile for latest news Â
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Dhaka, Oct 15 (bdnews24.com)â€"Speaker Abdul Hamid says it will be an unforgettable moment when the prime minister and opposition chief together will call for fight against poverty from the same stage on 'International Day for the Eradication of Poverty' on Saturday.
> >
> > "Two leaders of two main parties of the country will together appeal the countrymen to fight against poverty. It will be an example, not only for Bangladesh but in the world history as well. It will be an unforgettable moment," he said at a media briefing along with chief whips of the two parties.
> >
> > "Both the two main leaders are respectable to me. They will be able to see eye to eye on national unity in the future. This is just the start," he said.
> >
> > At the briefing organised at parliament's media centre, the speaker said prime minister Sheikh Hasina will be present as chief guest at the programmes at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
> >
> > Opposition chief Khaleda Zia will also be present there.
> >
> > He also expressed hopes that 'International Day for the Eradication of Poverty' would be held annually in the country. The day is being observed for the first time in Bangladesh.
> >
> > When asked if any new steps would be taken to bring back opposition to parliament, speaker said, "Not new, but the efforts to bring them back to the session would continue. I will not consider myself successful until I can bring them back."
> >
> > He pointed to the presence of the two chief whips, Abdus Shahid and Jainal Abdin Farrouque, together at the briefing and said: "We did not see them together for a long time. Now they are here. This is also a sort of progress."
> >
> > Opposition whip Abdin said, "We (government and opposition) are working together outside the parliament to make Oct 17 successful. I am hoping the speaker will create an environment suitable for the opposition to return to the parliament."
> >
> > Government whip Shahid hoped that the opposition will take part in the discussions on second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in parliament on Oct 28.
> >
> > Various programmes will be organised around the country from Oct 16-18 to observe 'International Day for the Eradication of Poverty'.
> >
> > These programmes are organised with the assistance of National Committee against Poverty, Bangladesh National Parliament, All-party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and People's Empowerment Trust (PET).
> >
> > Member secretary of APPG, Shishir Kumar Shil, said, "The UNDP has approved a budget of US$ 1.28 lakh for the three-day programme.
> >
> > bdnews24.com/mhc/ff/aj/sh/dg/rn/1901h.
> >
> > WARNING: Any unauthorised use or reproduction of bdnews24.com content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
> http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141665/direct/01/
>
------------------------------------
[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.comYahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alochona/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alochona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:alochona-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:alochona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
alochona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/