Daily Online Alochona: Jun 23, 2009

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Re: [ALOCHONA] Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

Indian High Commissioner is right. India can do anything. Now you know why some of our fore fathers decided to leave everything and migrate to Bangladesh, then east Pakistan.

Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

They demanded declaration of Pinak as persona non-grata for his speech on the issue which goes against the interest of Bangladesh.

Different organisations yesterday strongly protested and condemned the controversial speech of Indian High Commissioner to Bngladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty for saying that there is no international law that could stop India from implementing the Tipaimukh dam.

Dr Hossain Siddique and Md Redwan Khan, President and Secretary General of Bangladesh Sachetan Nagorik Gusti, condemned the speech of the High Commissioner. In a joint statement, they demanded removal of his speech without any delay saying that the high commissioner made the speech violating the diplomatic rules.They condemned the silence of Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni who was present at the function when the High Commissioner was delivering the controversial speech.

Surma Kushiara Meghna Bachao Andolan in a separate statement on the issue was sharply critical of the High Commissioner. Convener of the organisation Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury and Member Secretary Md Selim Uddin said that Pinak's speech is violation of diplomatic norms. They demanded declaration of Pinak as persona non-grata for his speech on the issue which goes against the interest of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Muslim Millat Party was also criticised of Pinak.

It may be recalled here that the Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarti on Sunday at a seminar at hotel Sonargoan in the city on 'South Asian Connectivity' said that his country had consulted Bangladesh over the construction of the controversial Tipaimukh dam on the Barak river.

Organised by Bangladesh-India Friendship Society, he also said at the seminar that there is no international law that could stop India from implementing the Tipaimukh dam, perceived to wreak huge environmental disaster on Bangladesh. The seminar was attended among other, by Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni as chief guest.

http://nation.ittefaq.com/ issues/2009/06/23/news0828.htm

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[ALOCHONA] Leaders across political divide want trial of 3 Ahmeds

How many leaders want the trial of three Ahmeds, that's not a big deal. Whether hasina wants or not that's the billion dollar question.Will hasina betray with Moeen U ahmed who brought her in power exploiting army(see ershad's comment), ACC etc as per deed between Moeen and Joy in USA after which Joy stpped talking against army controlled CTG.?.

Bdeshi Mahathir

Is there any army in the world that can win over 150 Millions people? Should we be afraid of any country?

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Re: [ALOCHONA] BAL was 3 times more corrupted than BNP (!)_ TIB reports!!!

Dear Mr. Khan:

Thanks for sharing this information. There is a common saying among statisticians and socio-economic analysts, "those who don't know how to read data, are better off without it". I am of the opinion that albeit being an engineer, a professional title that somehow becomes part of our good name, you have missed the mark on the TI report. It is called a "Corruption Perception Index", an aggregated grading system based on certain benchmarks and not the volume or amount of money allegedly corrupted. So, to remain true to an "Index".

Secondly, the two sources that you mention are faulty. They neither indicate the data that you present in your post, nor do you refer to exact location in such reports where this data can be verified. I would appreciate if you kindly refer us to the exact report from where you have gathered this data. If this table is your compilation of scattered data, please cite your sources so that we can distill facts and data from your personal biases.

Thanks in advance,

Cyrus

From: Engr. M H Khan <engrmhkhan@yahoo.com>
To: world_peace_movement@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoo.com; mukto_mona@yahoo.com; alochona@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com; voice-of-south@yahoogroups.com; odhora@yahoogroups.com; muslim-professionals@yahoogroups.com; bangladesh-zindabad@yahoogroups.com; amra-bangladeshi@yahoogroups.com; notun_bangladesh@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:57:39 AM
Subject: [ALOCHONA] BAL was 3 times more corrupted than BNP (!)_ TIB reports!!!

Dear brothers & sisters,

Greetings from the heart of Bangladesh . Be a proud Bangladeshi.

Please take a look of below mention data regarding Corruption Perception Index (CPI) & Ranks of Bangladesh published by TI,

Year Government Rank CPI Corrupted Amount

(Out of 10)

2001 BAL 1^st ^{0.4 17192 crores}

2002 BNP 1^st 1.2 11500 crores

2003 BNP 1^st 1.3 4800 crores

2004 BNP 1^st 1.5 5650 crores

2005 BNP 1^st 1.7 2650 crores

2006 BNP 5^th 2.0 526 crores

2007 EG 14^th 2.0

2008 EG 31^st 2.1

The reports of TI show that BAL is about 3 times more corrupted than BNP!!!!!! In last BNP tenure, corruption reduced about 32 (17192crores/ 526crores) times than BAL!!!!!!!!!

For details, please follow the below link of TI,

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi

http://www.transparency.org/publications/annual_report

Thanks & Regards,

Engr M H Khan

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[ALOCHONA] Re: TIB FACTS - In 2002 BNP was 2 times more corrupt than AL in 2001(!!!)

O Really!!! Engr. Khan, you should have done your research more thoroughly or should I say more honestly. You think you have scored a huge point for BNP-Jamaat circle. But reality is totally different and really very harsh. The following information exposes your false perception. Be a proud Bangladeshi, but also an honest one.

You first go to this link http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2002#cpi and go down to Explanatory Notes and you will come across http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~uwvw/2002.html . And here you will find Background Information in the following link: http://www.icgg.org/corruption.cpi_2002_faq.html. Go down to locate the following:

Can data from one year be compared with that from a previous year?

Comparisons to the results from previous years should be based on a country's score, not its rank. A country's rank can change simply because new countries enter the index and others drop out. A higher score is an indicator that respondents provided better ratings, while a lower score suggests that respondents revised their perception downwards. However, year-to-year shifts in a country's score can result not only from a changing perception of a country's performance but also from a changing sample and methodology. With differing respondents and slightly differing methodologies, a change in a country's score may also relate to the fact that different viewpoints have been collected and different questions been asked.

As compared with the CPI 2001, in 2002 Bangladesh's score has improved by 0.8 points. However, this change was due solely to methodological changes: the new standardisation technique avoids negative numbers. For example, last year the worst individual score provided to Bangladesh was -1.7. This year the worst standardised score is 0.3 due to the methodological changes. Bangladesh's original values had remained largely constant. As a consequence, the higher score in 2002 in no way reflects actual improvements. Quite the contrary: the results obtained in 2001 were corroborated by this year's CPI. There is now even much more agreement (that is, a low standard deviation of the data) that Bangladesh is perceived to have exceptionally serious problems with corruption. For the expert, maybe the following additional piece of data might be relevant. Had we used our former methodology, in 2002 Bangladesh would have obtained a score of 0.2, with a standard deviation of 1.4. The High-Low range would have been from -1.4 to 1.8.

Thanks,

Engr. Mohammad Musa Sarkar

From: Engr. M H Khan <engrmhkhan@yahoo.com>
To: world_peace_movement@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoo.com; mukto_mona@yahoo.com; alochona@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com; voice-of-south@yahoogroups.com; odhora@yahoogroups.com; muslim-professionals@yahoogroups.com; bangladesh-zindabad@yahoogroups.com; amra-bangladeshi@yahoogroups.com; notun_bangladesh@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 9:57:39 PM
Subject: [ALOCHONA] BAL was 3 times more corrupted than BNP (!)_ TIB reports!!!

Dear brothers & sisters,

Greetings from the heart of Bangladesh . Be a proud Bangladeshi.

Please take a look of below mention data regarding Corruption Perception Index (CPI) & Ranks of Bangladesh published by TI,

Year Government Rank CPI Corrupted Amount

(Out of 10)

2001 BAL 1^st ^{0.4 17192 crores}

2002 BNP 1^st 1.2 11500 crores

2003 BNP 1^st 1.3 4800 crores

2004 BNP 1^st 1.5 5650 crores

2005 BNP 1^st 1.7 2650 crores

2006 BNP 5^th 2.0 526 crores

2007 EG 14^th 2.0

2008 EG 31^st 2.1

The reports of TI show that BAL is about 3 times more corrupted than BNP!!!!!! In last BNP tenure, corruption reduced about 32 (17192crores/ 526crores) times than BAL!!!!!!!!!

For details, please follow the below link of TI,

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi

http://www.transparency.org/publications/annual_report

Thanks & Regards,

Engr M H Khan

__._,_.___

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[ALOCHONA] Bangladesh-India ties: more downs than ups

Bangladesh-India ties: more downs than ups

By not acknowledging what Farakka has already done to Bangladesh and what the Tipaimukh dam project can do, India is not just treating with utter disdain a neighbour who desires friendship with respect, it has in fact chosen to ignore the dangers to our very existence, writes Shamsher M Chowdhury

NINETEEN seventy-one is what should have been the defining element of the form and content of bilateral relations between these two neighbouring countries in South Asia. It was after all in that year that India joined us in our glorious war of liberation against the occupying Pakistani army that gave us our motherland, Bangladesh, and at the same time served to achieve the otherwise unachievable Indian desire to dismember, and thereby, severely weaken its arch enemy Pakistan. We in Bangladesh were singing songs of joy, India felt like being on top of the world and Pakistan appeared to be in shreds.

It was, however, not long before our intrinsic sense of suspicion took over and we wanted the Indian army to leave our soil, much to the displeasure of the Indian ruling establishment. But then that's what we are. The history of the population of the deltaic eastern Bengal of having had their destiny decided by outsiders has made us inherently suspicious, fearful and distrusting.

Over the last nearly four decades of our existence as an independent nation state, it is this lack of trust and a sense of suspicion and fear that has come to define the very nature of our relations with our giant neighbour India. Our experience during this same period has in fact served to reinforce these very traits. Global history also shows that in a big neighbour/small neighbour scenario, the onus is inevitably on the bigger neighbour to make the right move to win the confidence of the smaller neighbour, simply because size scares. And Bangladesh can be no exception to this phenomenon.

From the moment of the beginning of our journey as a nation state, we felt a sense of intrusion into our decision making process. This sense was not just one of perception, most of it was in fact real. A senior Indian diplomat once told me personally at a social meeting in New Delhi 'India wishes to see a pliant state in Bangladesh'!

The first true test came when both countries decided to address the land boundary demarcation, a legacy from the two centuries of colonial rule. The British might have left our subcontinent in 1947 but they certainly left behind a lot of problems for us. The Radcliff award of the land territorial boundaries of India and Pakistan left much to be desired. In some cases even the fundamental principles determining the partitioning of India were not followed.

We in independent Bangladesh inherited some of those problems as a successor state. There were Bangladeshi enclaves in India, and vice versa, and land in adverse possession of each other. Attempts were made to resolve this issue early on and an agreement was signed by the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India in 1974. This was thought to have paved the way for a solution. But that was not to be. Bangladesh did not delay in delivering on its part of the deal by ratifying the agreement and handing over ownership of Berubari to India in quick succession. But the Indian obligations have not yet been met on one pretext or the other.

Thus Bangladeshis inhabiting some of our enclaves in India like Angarpatha and Dahagram, for example, were subjected to inhuman sufferings, and in fact continue to suffer to this day. It was not until the early 1990s that the two countries reached an agreement that allowed the inhabitants of these two enclaves to use a corridor to come to Bangladesh if they needed to. But the corridor is open for only twelve hours of the day, during the daytime. This means that at night they cannot come to Bangladesh even in the case of extreme medical or other emergencies. They are also subjected to humiliating checks and controls by Indian security forces along the border. There is hardly any proper schooling or medical facilities within the enclaves. They need unhindered access to Bangladesh for their very survival! The harrowing tales of this people were narrated at a recent seminar in Dhaka. Anybody listening to their heartbreaking plight would have had to be moved.

But does India care? It must. After all, we are talking of genuine human sufferings here.The construction and subsequent commissioning of the Farakka barrage in Indian West Bengal over the once mighty Ganges River and its debilitating impact on Bangladesh is now known to all, both at home and abroad. India went ahead with this severely damaging project in total disregard and disdain for all protestations of Bangladesh governments and Bangladeshis from all walks of life.

The severity of its impact on the economy, ecology and society of Bangladesh left Bangladesh with no other option but to take it to the UN and that too after every effort to resolve it bilaterally had failed in the face of sustained Indian intransigence. It was only with a change of government in India following the elections in 1977 that an agreement was signed for five years that guaranteed an equitable share of water for Bangladesh. But the outcome of the Indian elections in early 1980 changed all that and once again Bangladesh was being deprived of its rightful share of water as a lower riparian country, resulting in alarmingly increasing desertification, vastly reduced navigability and large scale population displacement. It was said in New Delhi at that time that 'India cannot give the waters of the Ganges to Bangladesh for the sake of good neighbourly relations alone'. In other words, Bangladesh needed to do more to please India. The much talked about Ganges Water Treaty of 1996 was possible because of having an 'India friendly' government in Dhaka. It was, in the end, all about politics.

But even that treaty does not guarantee Bangladesh what amount of water it deserves and needs. Besides, the damage already done is irreversible. The immediate and long-term negative effects of Farakka barrage on Bangladesh have all been catalogued. It is there for all to see.

Now comes the proposed Tipaimukh dam project on the Barak river in the Indian state of Manipur and the potential of this causing as much, if not more, damage to the north-eastern regions of Bangladesh. Like in the case of Farakka, India plans to go ahead with the Tipaimukh dam project in total disregard for the rights of Bangladesh as a lower riparian country and in violation of existing international conventions on sharing of water of common rivers. Importantly, it will be violating at least two provisions of the much touted Ganges Water Treaty of 1996, viz. the principle of no harm and the one stating that consultations will have to be held between the two countries before any one undertakes any project on the rivers whose waters are shared by Bangladesh and India. Dr Habib Siddiqui, a Bangladeshi-American writing from Pennsylvania, said recently: 'The Indian government's decision to construct the Tipaimukh dam in north-east India is not only arrogant but it is criminal to the core.' This is the degree of anger emanating from Bangladeshis everywhere. Can India continue to ignore this?

The construction of barbed wire fencing around Bangladesh and the daily killing of innocent Bangladeshis by Indian border guards certainly does not speak of good neighbourliness. These are in fact acts of outright hostility. It certainly doesn't help things when the Indian foreign secretary condescendingly declares publicly in Dhaka that he feels 'good fences make good neighbours'.

It is this deadly combination of disrespect and hostility by India that impedes building of confidence on this side of the border and makes the average Bangladeshi distrustful and fearful of its giant neighbour. In fact, many look at India as a source of threat.

As has been mentioned in the earlier part of this piece, the responsibility of rebuilding this lost confidence lies squarely on India's giant shoulders. As a first step, India needs to shift away from its policy of regionalising its domestic political problems. The Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka situation is a case in point. The LTTE, once considered the most fearsome terrorist outfit of all times, derived moral, material and importantly, political support directly from India. New Delhi found such a policy expedient in order to pacify and win support of the volatile political leadership of the state of Tamil Nadu, who openly sympathised with the Sri Lankan Tamils in their brutal campaign for a separate Tamil state in northeast of Sri Lanka. The rest is history. But Sri Lanka today remains a sharply divided society and may continue to be so for a very long time to come.

Perhaps, the same would have been the case in Bangladesh with the way events were turning out in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Shantibahini found safe refuge and support in the neighbouring Indian state of Tripura. This allowed New Delhi to find favour with the leaders of the state. A peace deal between the two countries, however flawed, saved the situation from turning worse.

Both of the instances cited above were part of New Delhi's policy of using 'leverage' against its smaller neighbours to serve its own domestic, geo-political and strategic interests. It is alarming that protagonists of such a policy more often than not are rewarded. Experience, however, shows that in the end nobody wins.

India now has a strong functional democracy. Her growing political and economic clout in the world is an undeniable reality. As an emerging global player, India today is in a position to rise above narrow parochial outlooks, reach out to her smaller neighbours and make them feel safe and secure. This can best be achieved by seriously addressing and seeking mutually beneficial solutions to issues that are of vital interest to her neighbours and their survival. This is the way forward. Anything different and it will be difficult to blame countries like Bangladesh for being fearful of Indian designs in the region and view India less as a friend.

Shamsher M Chowdhury is a decorated freedom fighter and retired foreign secretary and former ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States, Germany and Vietnam and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jun/23/edit.html

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[ALOCHONA] Leaders across political divide want trial of 3 Ahmeds

Leaders across political divide want trial of 3 Ahmeds

A bipartisan consensus seems to have emerged over the need for an investigation of the activities of the military-controlled caretaker government that ruled the country unconstitutionally between January 11, 2007 and December 31 2008.

Quite a significant number of politicians belonging to both the government and opposition camps are unanimous in their opinion that the official and unofficial leaders of the military-controlled regime, particularly the top trio – army chief Moeen U Ahmed, chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and president Iajuddin Ahmed – who ruled the country at their whims, need to be brought to justice to stop recurrence of such usurpation of power in future.

Some senior leaders of the ruling Awami League, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal, Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal came up with identical views over the issue in separate interviews with New Age on Sunday.

Notably, after taking over power on January 11, 2007 in the midst of a fierce power struggle between BNP and Awami League, the military-driven government of Fakhruddin Ahmed promulgated a 'state of emergency' and threw into prisons hundreds of politicians and businessmen in the name of cleaning up politics and economy. Besides, the government made all-out efforts, unsuccessfully though, to re-design the country's political landscape in collaboration with a section of western diplomats and their local cronies. On top of that all, the military-driven regime kept the fundamental rights of the citizens suspended for two years in the name of a 'state of emergency'.

The acting general secretary of the ruling Awami League and local government, rural development and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, however, told reporters on Tuesday that the 'government has not yet taken any decision as regards trial of [former army chief, retired] general Moeen U Ahmed'.

Talking to New Age, politicians viewed that the key persons of the caretaker government and its military backers – particularly the top trio – should be brought to book to ensure that no military or quasi-military forces could intervene in the political process in the future.

Textile and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui said, 'An investigation should be conducted into the activities of the military-controlled interim government during its two years in office.'

The minister, also a veteran leader of the Awami League, demanded trial of Iajuddin Ahmed, Fakhruddin Ahmed and Moeen U Ahmed. 'Iajuddin should be put on trial first as Moeen and Fakhruddin had engaged in unconstitutional activities during Iajuddin's presidency,' he said.

Replying to a query, the minister said, 'As a part of the government, I cannot file a case against them before the government takes any decision in this regard'. But he believes that 'the government should take a decision to investigate the two-year rule of the interim government which had resorted to unconstitutional activities.'

The general secretary of Awami League, Abdul Jalil, who was detained and reportedly harassed by the caretaker regime, said: 'An investigation should be launched into the activities of the caretaker government, and those who had been involved in anti-constitutional activities during the regime should be tried lawfully.' Jalil further said that 'the investigation and trial is needed to stop recurrence of such unconstitutional governance in the future'.

Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim echoed Jalil. 'All of those who conducted illegal activities in violation of the constitution of the state should be tried to prevent their repetition,' said Selim.

Answering a question, the AL leader said that the victims of the caretaker government should go to court against those who had harassed political leaders with ill motives. Selim, who was imprisoned by the caretaker government on corruption charges, however, is yet to decide whether he would file a case.

Another AL presidium member, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, sounded more specific. 'The caretaker government in question violated the constitution by way of indulging in activities beyond the routine work of the state, and therefore those involved in such illegal activities should be punished'.

Alamgir, who was imprisoned by the caretaker regime, said 'I will file a case against the caretakers soon'.He said the government should decide what punishment should be meted out to them for such unconstitutional activities.

Lawmakers of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanded trial of the former army chief, retired general Moeen U Ahmed, on charges of sedition and violation of the constitution, the Army Act, service rules and for vitiating the discipline of the armed forces.

'Bring Moeen U Ahmed under the purview of the law immediately,' said the opposition chief whip, Zainul Abdin Farroque, in a written statement at a press conference held at the media centre of the parliament complex on June 16.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed on June 17 demanded trial of the members of the 'unlawful' caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed.Moudud also demanded 'trial of six retired and serving army personnel, including the just-retired general Moeen U Ahmed, for their move to depoliticise the country, make it dysfunctional and destroy the economy'.He also called upon the government to constitute an all-party probe committee for the purpose.

Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, also demanded an investigation into the illegal activities of the military-driven caretaker government of Fakruddin Ahmed and trial of those who had ruled the country beyond their constitutional limits. 'I will continue to press for this, because if they are not tried, such unconstitutional takeover will recur,' Menon told New Age on Sunday.

Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) acting chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud told New Age that the caretakers, if they were involved in illegal activities during its regime, should be taken to court as every extra-constitutional action should be brought under the scrutiny of law. 'Then the court will decide whether the caretakers were right or wrong,' he said.

Hasanul Huq Inu, president of the Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal, said, 'We have already recognised the caretaker government [of Fakhruddin Ahmed]. But steps can be taken against those in the caretaker government, who might be found guilty of wrongdoings.'

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim also called for trial of 'those behind the unconstitutional takeover of power and illegal activities of the unconstitutional regime' of Fakhruddin Ahmed. He, however, wants trial of all of those who violated constitution since 1975.

Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) convener Khalequzzaman, also demanded that 'those who were involved in the usurpation of power on January 11, 2007, and ruled the country unconstitutionally for two years should be brought to book '.

'In a democratic dispensation, all governments, civilian or otherwise, have to remain accountable to the people'.

http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#1

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[ALOCHONA] Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

They demanded declaration of Pinak as persona non-grata for his speech on the issue which goes against the interest of Bangladesh.

Different organisations yesterday strongly protested and condemned the controversial speech of Indian High Commissioner to Bngladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty for saying that there is no international law that could stop India from implementing the Tipaimukh dam.

Dr Hossain Siddique and Md Redwan Khan, President and Secretary General of Bangladesh Sachetan Nagorik Gusti, condemned the speech of the High Commissioner. In a joint statement, they demanded removal of his speech without any delay saying that the high commissioner made the speech violating the diplomatic rules.They condemned the silence of Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni who was present at the function when the High Commissioner was delivering the controversial speech.

Surma Kushiara Meghna Bachao Andolan in a separate statement on the issue was sharply critical of the High Commissioner. Convener of the organisation Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury and Member Secretary Md Selim Uddin said that Pinak's speech is violation of diplomatic norms. They demanded declaration of Pinak as persona non-grata for his speech on the issue which goes against the interest of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Muslim Millat Party was also criticised of Pinak.

It may be recalled here that the Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarti on Sunday at a seminar at hotel Sonargoan in the city on 'South Asian Connectivity' said that his country had consulted Bangladesh over the construction of the controversial Tipaimukh dam on the Barak river.

Organised by Bangladesh-India Friendship Society, he also said at the seminar that there is no international law that could stop India from implementing the Tipaimukh dam, perceived to wreak huge environmental disaster on Bangladesh. The seminar was attended among other, by Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni as chief guest.

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/06/23/news0828.htm

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[ALOCHONA] Indian HC’s contention challenged by Bangladeshi water expert

Ganges water sharing and Tipaimukh Dam

Indian HC's contention challenged by Bangladeshi water expert

Tauhidul Anwar Khan, a veteran water expert of the country and former executive member of Joint Rivers Commission and DG of Water Resources Planning Organisation, has contested and rebuffed Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's contention on Ganges water sharing and construction of Tipaimukh dam as well as derogatory remarks about Bangladeshi water experts.He was talking to The Bangladesh Today in an exclusive interview on Monday.

1) Question: Is the statement of Indian HC that no international law in the world can stop construction of Tipaimukh dam true?

Answer: My comment is that Pinak himself admitted that there is a UN convention regulating non-navigation and water resources which was adopted in 1997 and this convention to be operational requires ratification by 35 countries has been ratified by only 17 countries with Bangladesh and Indian neither signed nor ratified.

He said "It is true but the issue is that although the treaty has not become yet operational but most of the countries today consider this document as a framework document for sharing and management of international water courses. It has been settled principle that rules in this convention have to be followed by upper-riparian countries."

Apart from this convention, there are some agreed principles and norms in this world stating that if an upper riparian country would like to undertake a project or make an intervention natural flows or flows of the river, that country intending the intervention, must inform the lower riparian countries and must engage in consultation with lower riparian countries in order to obtain consent of lower riparian countries before undertaking those interventions, he added.

He stated that there is no alternative to this rule. Had it not been followed by the countries there would have been chaos and confusion in the world. Certain norms and rules are followed that nothing can be done which is detrimental to other countries, nothing can be done without permission of other countries and nothing can be done in sole interest of a country affecting the citizens of other countries. "I think Mr Pinak Ranjan should take note of this," he opined.

2) Question: Is Indian claim that Bangladesh is getting due share of the Ganges water as per treaty of 1996 as stated by Pinak is authentic?

Answer: Mr Pinak has said that under the 1996 treaty over sharing the Ganges water singed December 12, 1996 Bangladesh has been receiving due share of Ganges water. About this our comment is that treaty became operational since January 1, 1997. In the very first year 1997 Bangladesh did not receive its due share as per the treaty. Then there have been occasions in other years the country did not receive its due share and continuous deprivations took place in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and even 2009. As per press lease report published by JRC on every 10 day period continuing from January 1 to May 31 mentioning the amount of water that BD received from Ganges at Farakka point and the volume of water the country supposed to receive therefrom as per the schedule II of the 1996 treaty. So in all these press releases it was found that BD has received lesser amount of water and at least in 11 cases out of 15 ten day periods in the current year 2009. These are all on record as stated by JRC press releases.

Pinak may contest India is giving water as per annexure I of 1996 treaty but he has totally forgotten that 1996 treaty says that sharing of water between India and Bangladesh in first 10 day from January 1 to May 31 every year without taking into consideration the indicative schedule referred to in schedule II specifying BD share every 10 days.

Quoting Annexure I he said -in case availability of 70,000 cusecs or less water at Farakka Bangladesh and India will get 50% each, in case 70,000 to 75,000 cusecs Bangladesh will get 35,000 cusecs and India will have balance of flow and in case 75,000 cusecs or more India will get 40,000 cusecs and Bangladesh will get balance of flow.

Drawing an analogy between share of water BD is supposed to get as per Annexure II and that it actually got in 2009, he said (a) January 01 t 10 BD actual share of water is 67, 516 cusecs but it got 56,414 cusecs, (b) from January 11-20 actual share is 57,673 cusecs but it got 50, 654 cusecs, (c) January 21-31 actual share is 50, 154 cusecs but it got 45, 974 cusecs, (d) February 01-10 actual share is 46, 323 cusecs but it got 41, 650 cusecs, (e) February 11-20 actual share is 42,859 cusecs but it got 35,000 cusecs, (f) February 21 -28/29 actual share is 39,106 cusecs but it got 32,429 cusecs, (g) March 01-10 actual share is 35,000 cusecs but it got 30,613 cusecs, (h) March 11-20 actual share is 35,000 cusecs and it got the same, (i) March 21 to 31 actual share is 29, 688 cusecs but it got 21, 114 cusecs, (j) April 01 -10 actual share is 35,000 cusecs and it got the same, (k) April 11-20 actual share is 27,633 cusecs but it got 19,219 cusecs, (l) April 21-30 actual share is 35,000 cusecs and it got the same, (m) May 01-10 actual share is 32,351 cusecs but it got 23,351 cusecs, (n) May 11-20 actual share is 35,000 cusecs and it got the same and (o) May 21-31 actual share is 41,854 cusecs and it got the same. It appears from above statistics that Bangladesh has been deprived of its due share in 11 occasions out of 15 in the current months of 2009 alone.

This water sharing amount has been determined studying average availability of water in 40 years from 1949 to 1988 at Farakka. Every effort has to be taken by India as upper-riparian country to protect flow of water to ensure availability of water as indicated in 40 years average but India is not doing so. If the flow is protected, BD will get proper share.

"Pinak's statement that water level is declining because of climate change is baseless due to the fact climate change resulting in melting ice is rather contributing to rise in the water level and melting of ice at Himayans should augment the flow of Ganges. How can it decrease the flow? Water flow at Farakka is less and less and BD is getting less," he said.

3) Question: What is your reaction to Indian HC remarks that so-called BD experts are trying to instigate anti-Indian feeling and poisoning the minds of people of Bangladesh against India by bringing undue allegation against India in terms of water sharing and other issues?

Answer: Then the issue of Tipaimukh dam comes. It has got two components -one is dam at Tipaimukh and the other is barrage diverting water meant for irrigation projects in Assam and Tripura. If dam is constructed by modifying flow condition Tipaimukh in turn will affect the flow of Shurma and Kushiara which ultimately joins with Meghna. It will change hydro morphological condition of Shurma, Kushiara and Meghna and it will cause early drainage and drainage congestion of haors at different times of the year affecting fisheries and environment at large. So, BD is reasonably worried about this dam.

So, this is why BD is worried about specially for the reason that south west region of Bangladesh is experiencing the detrimental effect of Farakka barrage as it creates serious problems to the life of Bangladeshis and Tipaimukh barrage if it is coupled with dam may bring devastation of life of 3 crore people in the adjoining areas.

http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/leading%20news.htm#lead%20news-01

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[ALOCHONA] Law to protect Hasina, Rehana to be enacted

Law to protect Hasina, Rehana to be enacted

The government is going to enact soon a new law titled Father of the Nation's Family Members' Security Act, 2009 for ensuring security to the two daughters of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana.The Home Ministry has already prepared a draft of the Act upon getting instruction from the Cabinet Division recently, sources in the ministry said yesterday.

The draft of the Act will be placed at the cabinet meeting, which is likely to be held tomorrow (Wednesday) for its approval, sources added.A high official at the Home Ministry yesterday told The Independent that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana are now under death threat as the government has started the process for trial of the war criminals and curbing militancy in the country."The desperate killers have made a number of assassination attempts on Sheikh Hasina on different occasions during the last 12 years," he said.

"Considering the reality, the Act of 2001 on Father of the Nation's Family Members' Security was enacted on June 21 in 2001, which provided special security arrangements for the family members of the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana," he said adding, "but the BNP-Jamaat alliance government unilaterally scrapped the Act as they assumed power in December 2001."

He also said that the life of Sheikh Hasina is, indeed, very important to the nation. Similarly, the life of Sheikh Rehana and other family members of Bangabandhu are also important to the nation. As such, enactment of the Father of the Nation's Family Members' Security Act will be a right step at the right time now, the official added.

Sources said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana would get full-time security provided by the members of the Special Security Force (SSF) and other security personnel during their movement and also at their residences.Residences will also be allotted to the daughters of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman following enactment of the proposed law.

Since Awami League's landslide victory in the parliamentary election held on December 29 last year, Sheikh Hasina has been under security threat. Not only that, fresh threats came after the government expedited the move to try the war criminals, sources said.

Sheikh Hasina has survived several assassination attempts in the past. On August 21, 2004, she had a brush with death when a string of explosions rocked an opposition rally she addressed in Dhaka in which 24 people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman were killed and some 300 injured. In 2000, 80 kg of RDX was found in the Gopalganj district, where Hasina's helicopter was set to land for a political rally. She was the Prime Minister at that time.

In 1988, she came under intense police fire in Chittagong that claimed the life of more than two dozen people. In August, 2007, a group of gunmen fired at her Dhanmondi residence.

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=130870

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[ALOCHONA] AL - 1/11 Connivance

1/11 bashers told to shut up

PM asks party colleagues not to join BNP bandwagon

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned her party leaders not to join the opposition BNP men in speaking against the 1/11 changeover and just-retired army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed.At a cabinet meeting, she and her colleagues expressed resentment at some of the ruling party leaders making 'derogatory remarks' about Moeen and 1/11.Hasina, also president of Awami League, said she would soon sit with the leaders in question and caution that the way they have lately been conducting themselves amounts to playing into the hands of the opposition.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam raised the issue. Some cabinet members said a few AL leaders are speaking like BNP's Moudud Ahmed and Khandaker Delwar Hossain out of frustrations they maybe feeling for not getting a berth in the cabinet, said meeting sources. Both Moudud and Delwar have been calling for trial of Moeen and others for bringing about 1/11.

The AL chief said her party men talking like that will only damage the government's morale, and this cannot be accepted, added the sources.She suspects there is a conspiracy behind bashing the former army chief and the changes that came on January 11, 2007.

Some AL leaders might have reached an understanding with the BNP leaders Nahid is likely to introduce three more bills today, said officials at the Parliament Secretariat.The education minister said the prime minister wants to be relieved of the chancelleries, and the president has consented to take over.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=93753

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[ALOCHONA] AABEA's Picnic & Science Fair on June 28, 2009 (this Sunday). Science Fair starts at 10:00 am. Everyone of any profession is invited & enjoy. [2 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from Mahfuzur Rahman included below]

Respected friends & families,

AABEA (American Association of Bangladeshi Engineers & Architects) is requesting your presence to enjoy "SCIENCE FAIR & PICNIC" on June 28, 2009 (this Sunday) at Black Hill Regional Park, Shelter C, Boyds/Germantown, Maryland. Here you will meet your friends & families residing in Washington DC metro area and out of state.

THIS EVENT IS NOT LIMITED TO ENGINEERS & ARCHITECTS ONLY. Everyone of you on any profession is requested to attend & enjoy.

Please look at the attached first flyer. The second flyer is our first published quarterly newsletter.

Date: June 28, 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 10:00 am till 6:00 pm

Contribution: $10.00 per person
$8.00 per student of 1st grade to 8th grade
Free for Science Fair participants of all ages

Free for children up to 6 years old

Address: Black Hill Regional Park

               Shelter C
               20930 Lake Ridge Drive
               Boyds/Germantown, Maryland 20841
               301-972-9396

Driving direction: From interstate 495 (Beltway) in Maryland, follow interstate 270 North towards Frederick. Take exit 16A towards route 27 East (Damascus). Merge onto Father Hurley Blvd. Father Hurley Blvd becomes Ridge Road. Turn left onto route 355 North (Frederick Road). Turn left onto W Old Baltimore Road. Turn left onto Lake Ridge Drive. Shelter C will be on your left. Parking for Shelter C is right in front of Shelter C.

Schedule:
10:00 am: Science Fair for young generation
                Cricket, Volleyball, Badminton, and Soccer/Football game for

                all ages (Virginia versus Maryland/DC)
1:00 pm:    Delicious catered lunch
2:00 pm:    Fun games for all ages (Dorri Tanatani, Rooster fight, pillow pass, etc.)
                Micro competition on vocal songs (Rabindra Sangeet or Nazrul

Geeti) {Our senior community member Dr. Mozharul Hoque

sponsored this slot. He will give a cash gift of $20.00 to the person

who will be selected as the best singer}
4:30 pm: Award & prize giving ceremony

There are also swimming, water park, children's attractions, and boat riding opportunities located next to our picnic spot (nominal price charged separately for these attractions).

If possible, please bring extra chairs, mats, bed-sheets, etc. to lay over on the ground around picnic shelter.

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

Instructions for Science Fair:
The participants will be in four groups as described in the following: Primary is students of KG to 3rd grade; Junior is students of 4th to 6th grade; Intermediate is students of 7th to 9th grade; and Senior is students of 10th to 12th grade. The judges will move around all participants. Each participant will explain & demonstrate his/her project to the judges. All participants will be recognized & awarded certificates anyway. However, based on the judgment, special awards will be given to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd placeholders in each group.

Please encourage your children strongly to participate in Science fair. The participants will bring any old or new science projects from school or home. The participants will bring all accessories needed for their science projects. There may be some wind problem at the park. Some materials of the science project may fly away due to wind. Therefore, the participants are strongly encouraged to bring heavy wight, masking tapes, or anything required to prevent their science projects fly away. THE PARTICIPANTS FOR SCIENCE FAIR SHALL ARRIVE AT THE PICNIC GROUNDS BY 10:00 AM SHARP. Sorry, no guarantees are given for the participation in Science Fair for late comers.

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

We hope to see all of you by 10:00 am on June 28, 2009 (this Sunday) at Black Hill Regional Park to enjoy AABEA's Science Fair and Picnic. Thank you very much for your outstanding support & cooperation.

Faisal Quader, President: 301-990-7363; 301-526-7888 (cell)
Nasreen Chowdhury, President-Elect: 703-493-9219; 703-944-4604 (cell)
Ajhar Nakib, Secretary: 703-760-9616; 703-953-4788 (cell)
Mahfuzur Rahman, Treasurer: 410-796-0577; 301-646-3475 (cell)
Shah "Raja" Ahmed, Executive Member: 301-873-1440 (cell)
Zia Karim, Executive Member: 352-383-1582; 410-807-6160 (cell)
Imran Feroz, Executive Member: 443-756-9858
Nancy Hoque, Executive Member: 202-558-6756
Masrifa Tasnim (Misu), Executive Member: 240-462-4000 (cell)

Attachment(s) from Mahfuzur Rahman

2 of 2 File(s)

Picnic-Science Fair June 28.ppt

AABEA newsletter.pdf

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Re: [ALOCHONA] Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

[ALOCHONA] Leaders across political divide want trial of 3 Ahmeds

Re: [ALOCHONA] BAL was 3 times more corrupted than BNP (!)_ TIB reports!!!

[ALOCHONA] Re: TIB FACTS - In 2002 BNP was 2 times more corrupt than AL in 2001(!!!)

[ALOCHONA] Bangladesh-India ties: more downs than ups

[ALOCHONA] Leaders across political divide want trial of 3 Ahmeds

[ALOCHONA] Indian High Commisioner Pinak'ss remarks under fire

[ALOCHONA] Indian HC’s contention challenged by Bangladeshi water expert

[ALOCHONA] Law to protect Hasina, Rehana to be enacted

[ALOCHONA] AL - 1/11 Connivance

PM asks party colleagues not to join BNP bandwagon

[ALOCHONA] AABEA's Picnic & Science Fair on June 28, 2009 (this Sunday). Science Fair starts at 10:00 am. Everyone of any profession is invited & enjoy. [2 Attachments]

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