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Monday, October 19, 2009

[ALOCHONA] NGO activism for the indigenous



NGO activism for the indigenous

A section of the NGO network and academia are cashing in on the plight of the ethnic minorities, using them to churn out a multi-million taka seminar-oriented industry

by Altaf Parvez

There are innumerable small ethic groups scattered all around remote areas of Bangladesh. Wherever there is any upheaval in these areas, like incidence of rape, murder or arson, teachers disappear from about 10 to 20% of the classes in Dhaka University. Upon reading the news of these incidents in the morning paper, they rush of to the site. Classes are suspended not just for the day, but for a few consecutive days. After all, the teachers have to visit the area and then take part in press conferences at the local or district press club. They have to participate in human chain programmes. Then they have to draw up "proposals" and meet with the programme officers of donor organisations. Funds will be allocated for research and advocacy regarding the events and the teachers may even travel abroad to speak on the "continuing violation of the rights of the indigenous people in Bangladesh". Then there are the TV talks shows, interviews with various newspapers. It is essential to write columns of the newspapers too while the incident is still fresh. Often the research assistants do this work. Professors and NGOs are so expert at this fast-paced activism that the leaders of the ethnic groups hardly have a chance to speak for themselves. The professors and NGOs sometimes take pity and give the indigenous leaders a chance to sit with them at the workshops. They hardly get the chance, though, to attend conferences at Geneva or Amsterdam.

Indigenous groups are now the hit product in Dhaka's NGO world. These areas populated by ethnic groups are now saturated with NGOs. In Modhupur alone there are 36 NGOs at work. Research work is being churned out like products in a mass production line. These research papers and reports, written in English, first reach the desks of Christian Aid, Action Aid, Oxfam, SIDA, etc, before they reach the local readership. Activism for the indigenous groups is so strong at present that the donors allocate a significantly large portion of their funds for this specific sector. These funds run up to hundreds of crores of taka. In this country where a deputy commissioner has to face so many questions to spend just 100 taka of public money, who is to account for these hundreds of crores of taka being taken in the name of the people, in the name of ethnic minorities? Do the likes of Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed not see these expenditures? Chairmen and members at a grassroots level are torn apart in the media for filching a few bundles of tin meant for relief or for a few kg of VGF rice, but no one is asking about how and why these crores of taka are being spent on 'advocacy projects'.

Till recently the Jumma rebellion had been the

focus of this country's activism for indigenous people. Now the Dalit issue has been added. So now no one is free from the long hand of the NGOs and professors – whether they are the Chakmas of Panchhari-Dighinala, the Marmas or the sweepers of Dhaka's Gonoktuli. They don't even let the river people alone.

Paying no heed to the political and economic aspects of the struggle of the indigenous people and the Dalits, these NGOs restrict their activism to seminars, workshops and human chain programmes. They do not really organize these groups to form any movement that can make a tangible difference. They focus their 'activism' on stray incidents like a skirmish over a plot of land, an incident where an indigenous woman has been harassed, where some trees in the hill tracts have been unlawfully felled and so on. They do not question why the tea garden workers comprising a few lakh members of an ethnic minority group, are paid only 25 to 30 taka a day. Their glossy annual reports produced from their plush offices in the capital city have no mention of these exploited tea garden workers. There are some professors, though, who have done consultancy worth crores of taka to determine whether these tea garden workers took part in the liberation war or not! They are not very interested in the poor state of these ethnic minorities and what can be done to retrieve them from this nadir of subsistence.

The most 'glamorous' advocacy at the moment where indigenous activism is concerned is to educate the ethnic groups in their own languages. They are pressurizing the government to ensure that these groups can study in their own languages. This may seem all very nice, but in actuality such a scheme will only marginalize them further. As it is they are small in numbers, not politically organized and are already lagging behind in the job market due to lack of English and Bengali skills. Now if they are educated in their own languages with no Bengali or English, will they ever get government or any other jobs? It would be hard anyway for the government to meet such demands. For example, in Sylhet, children of two or three ethnic groups come to study alongside the Bengali children. How will the government appoint separate teachers for them? After all, these ethnic children aren't all bunched up in one class. Of will a separate section be opened for them? The ground reality must be taken into account. But our learned professors just babble on about UN conventions being violated, blah, blah, blah…

As in the rest of South Asia, in Bangladesh too the ethnic minority groups like the Chakma, Marma, Hrishi, Buno, Santal, Patra, Telegu and Kanpuri are not in any good state. But then, crores of Bengalis are also in a poor state. This is a class issue. This is not a Bengali versus indigenous people issue. This is a conflict between the wealthy and the politically weak poverty stricken people. These NGOs and their professor activists have been wrongly characterizing the problems of the ethnic groups. As a result, the problems are not being solved.

It has long been said that the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are victims of Islamic aggression. It is being pictured that way because the people from the plains going there are mostly Muslim. But in neighbouring Tripura where there are no Muslims, why are the Tipuras and the Barmans suffering? Is there Hindu aggression there? That is not the case.

The fact is that the areas populated by the indigenous people face the negligence of a colonial-type administration. In Rajshahi, about 90% of the Santals are landless. At the same time, in the same place, at least 60% of the Bengalis are also landless. It does not really pinpoint the problem simply saying that the Santals are losing their land to the Bengalis. The country's socio-economic state has created a class of land-grabbers which will eventually lead to 90% of the population being landless and the state machinery will encourage this. This deep-rooted problem will not be solved by shedding crocodile tears for the indigenous people. It will not be solved by sitting in air-conditioned conference rooms and speaking for the rights of the ethnic minorities for cheap kudos as lofty seminars.

It is in a very skilled and deliberate manner that the indigenous people and the Dalits are being misguided. After all, rather than allowing these suppressed people to burst out in an effective struggle as in other South Asian countries, the NGO-network is entrapping them in sterile seminar rooms. In this manner, the 'civil society' is running a business worth crores of taka, year after year. They cash in on the dances and the handloom of the indigenous people, focus on their religious conversion, on their areas being used for tourism. But they have no time for a united struggle of the indigenous and Bengali people against exploitation and discrimination. n

The writer can be contacted at altafparvez@yahoo.com

 

http://probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=5590




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[mukto-mona] FW: Transit To Tripura : Is It Proper? --Asia Post , Dhaka, editorial, dated 19.10.09



 

.


Transit To Tripura : Is It Proper?  
 

Press has reported that Dhaka considers allowing New Delhi to use its territory to carry goods to the north-eastern state of Tripura as a ‘test case,’ giving a positive nod to India’s pending requests for transit, officials said.  Officials of the foreign affairs, shipping and communications ministries said they would want to seek how the decision would be implemented and how it could benefit both the neighbours. ‘We consider allowing India transit once as a test case and its result will decide the fate of other proposals floated earlier by New Delhi,’ said a senior official involved in the process.Officials said once the decision of giving transit to India once for heavy equipment through the Ashuganj Port was done successfully, Bangladesh would then move with other proposals for transit of various modes for the next-door neighbour. New Delhi in September agreed to provide Dhaka with connectivity to the land-locked Nepal and Bhutan in exchange for access to Bangladesh’s Ashuganj port. Dhaka, during a meeting between the foreign minister, Dipu Moni, and her Indian counterpart SM Krishna in New Delhi on September 8, agreed to allow India to use the Bangladesh territory to carry heavy equipment for a power plant at Palatan in Tripura through the Ashuganj port and use the Akhaura-Agartala Road.The two countries are scheduled to sign a deal on India’s access to the Ashuganj Port in May 2010. The issue of transit will come prominently when the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New Delhi later this year. As it did on other occasions, New Delhi will again ask Dhaka for connectivity to its north-eastern states through the Bangladesh territory.
   As the country has decided to get connected to the Asian highway network, Bangladesh will request India to divert the route of the Asian Highway through the Aushtagram border, instead of connection through Myanmar.The country has hardly any scope to directly enter Myanmar if and when Dhaka joins the Asian Highway Network in keeping with its already identified and primarily agreed routes connecting India from both sides of the Bangladesh territory.
   The three proposed Asian highway network routes are Benapole to Tamabil via Jessore, Dhaka, Kachpur and Sylhet; Banglabandha to Tamabil via Hatikumrul, Dhaka, Kachpur and Sylhet; and Mongla to Myanmar via Jessore, Hatikumrul, Dhaka, Kachpur, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf.New Delhi has for long been pressing for a transit route through the Bangladesh territory to carry goods from one part of India to another and has offered to invest in transport infrastructures in Bangladesh. Foreign policy experts, however, feel that allowing
India to build infrastructure in Bangladesh for transit might invite New Delhi’s unwarranted control over the transport system here and suggest the country should rather mobilize its own resources to invest in road, railway and port development.

 

We feel that one time transit is a peculiar idea and there is no justification for expenditure on infrastructure development for such a single transit.In fact what we should do is to to tackle the transit issue as a whole or s a package .This should include Indian transit or corridor from west to east of India through Bangladesh, Bangladesh transit to Nepal, Bhutan and China through India. The package should be looked into from need point of view and economic benefits of these two countries, not politically or emotionally.

We do not understand the reason why Bangladesh can not access Myanmar if the Asian highway goes through Myanmar, this is illogical. It is a bilateral issue and also a multi lateral issue. Myanmar can not refuse us using Asian highway, nor there is any enmity between Bangladesh and Myanmar to create any problem in this regard. Any problem can be sorted out.

 



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[mukto-mona] FW: [political_analysts] -Khilafah/1300 years old USA - a basic mistake about the concept of Khilafah or Islam's political order -an emotional outburst



 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: political_analysts@yahoogroups.com [mailto:political_analysts@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of S A Hannan
 

Dear sirs,

 

Assalamu Alaikum.This is my third and last post about the issue.It is true that Nazrul Islam and others praised Kamal Pasha without fully knowing Kamal's belief and  later actions .There was not enough information right then.Nazrul praised him for his fighting against Greeks for protecting Muslim Turkey.

 

To say  Kamal was a Jew is too much, there is not enough credible evidence.He might have been an atheist (?) .

 

No body is denying any Sahih Hadith but the issue is interpreting hadith in the context as it exists now, interpreting what is an Islamic state now ?, what is Baiyah now ? ( voting is considered as Baiyah by many ) and so on.

 

Nobody is also denying the concept of Khilafah as a government by the people and accepting Islamic law as the basis of the state.The only question is structure , it is clear that no clear single  structure has been prescribed by the Shariah., it was adhoc type in the early stages and continued to changePlease read my two posts below also.

 

Shah Abdul Hannan

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: kgmowla@att.net [mailto:kgmowla@att.net]
Sent:
Sunday, October 18, 2009 11:00 AM
To: political_analysts@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; political_analysts@yahoogroups.com; 'raja chemayel'
Cc: S A Hannan; dahuk@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; witness-pioneer@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [political_analysts] -Khilafah/1300 years old
USA - a basic mistake about the concept of Khilafah or Islam's political order -an emotional outburst

 

Assalamu Alaikum

 

 

Like Iqbal poet Nazrul Islam also praised Ataturk who is worshiped in Pakistan and Bangladesh with Ataturk Avenue, Ataturk College etc  though he was successful after abolishing Khalifah a dream existed for several hundred years since his ancestors along with several hundred Jews came from Spain after fall of Muslim rule in 1492. Again Ataturk was a Jew.

t                                                                

Iqbal was a great poet and he was not like Justice Syed Ameer Ali.

Justice Syed Ameer Ali was first Muslim who wrote several books in Islam in English. Above all he was the Syed.

He was not after bribe, free Hajj, delicious Iftari, Biriani and donation of all kind including donation to be subcontractors of illegal client States.

How so call Muftis or Islamic Scholars dare to argue  and work against Khilafah for  bribe, free Hajj,   delicious Iftari and to be certifier against Khilfah which was established by the holy Companions of the Prophets(Peace upon the Prophet, his holy family members and his companions.

Justice Ameer Ali's judgment is followed by even Indian Supreme Court till today.

 

 

System of Khilafah or USA is a system no mate who were they including Osmani. Will present USA all you to create 50 separate clients States out of USA. The answer no never as power depends on unity and not division.

So continue worshipping present USA and opposing 1300 years old USA including killing  own people in millions in the land of 1300 years old USA.

 

From

 

http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/resources/islamic-knowledge/the-obligation-of-khilafah.html

The Obligation of Khilafah

Print

E-mail

 

Islamic Knowledge

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

Though the evidences for Khilafah are many, we start with a daleel that perhaps better than any other describes our reality today, a time when no Khaleefah exists. The hadith was reported by Imam Muslim on the authority of Nafi' (via 'Abdullah b. 'Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (saw)

من نزع يداً من طاعة لقي الله يوم القيامة لا حجة له، ومن مات وليس في عنقه بيعة مات ميتة جاهلية


"The one who removes his hand from obedience he will meet Allah without a proof for himself' and whosoever dies without a bay'ah on his neck dies the death of Jahiliyyah."

 

 

 

And  " Al-Qurtubi, as well as other scholars, said that this Ayah (2:30) proves the obligation of appointing a Khalifah to pass judgements on matters of dispute between people, to aid the oppressed against the oppressor, to implement the Islamic penal code and to forbid evil. There are many other tasks that can only be fulfilled by appointing the Imam, and what is necessary in performing an obligation, is an obligation itself. We should state here that Imamah occurs by either naming a successor, as a group among Ahl As-Sunnah scholars said occurred - by the Prophet - in the case of Abu Bakr, or hinting to a successor. Or, the current Khalifah names a certain person as Khalifah after him, as Abu Bakr did with `Umar. Or, the Khalifah might leave the matter in the hands of the Muslim consultative council, or a group of righteous men, just as `Umar did. Or, the people of authority could gather around a certain person to whom they give the pledge of allegiance, or they could select one among them to choose the candidate, according to the majority of the scholars."

Thousands of Muslims of India gave their life for Babri Mosque where as all Muftis and Scholars of  Islam are silent on the destruction of holy house of our holy Prophet (AS) including many graves in Jannatul Baqi as those scholars got enough donation from present subcontractors in Saudi and in every Muslim country.

They will beg to present USA for  food aid,  training, visit, protection of their illegal power and all kind of aid though they will oppose 1300 years old USA (United States of Arabia).

And  "Al-Qurtubi, as well as other scholars, said that this Ayah (2:30) proves the obligation of appointing a Khalifah to pass judgements on matters of dispute between people, to aid the oppressed against the oppressor, to implement the Islamic penal code and to forbid evil. There are many other tasks that can only be fulfilled by appointing the Imam, and what is necessary in performing an obligation, is an obligation itself. We should state here that Imamah occurs by either naming a successor, as a group among Ahl As-Sunnah scholars said occurred - by the Prophet - in the case of Abu Bakr, or hinting to a successor. Or, the current Khalifah names a certain person as Khalifah after him, as Abu Bakr did with `Umar. Or, the Khalifah might leave the matter in the hands of the Muslim consultative council, or a group of righteous men, just as `Umar did. Or, the people of authority could gather around a certain person to whom they give the pledge of allegiance, or they could select one among them to choose the candidate, according to the majority of the scholars. "

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Prophet+Muhammad+%28AS%29+home+in+Mecca+was+destroyed+by+Saudi&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

 

 

 

Old Picture of Jannat al-Baqi Unveiled + PIC

 

 

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=169341

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Against-Imperialism-Fascism-Caliphate/dp/1438910959

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=The+Judgment+Against+Imperialism%2C+Fascism+and+Racism+Against+Caliphate+and+Islam&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=the+election+of+caliph%2Fkhalifah+and+world+peace&aq=0p&oq=The+E&aqi=g-p1g9

 

 

 

Thanks

 

-------------- Original message from "S A Hannan" <sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com>: --------------

 

Dear sirs,

Assalamu Alaikum.This address or document does not change the essence of Islamic political structure. I hold on to my views expressed below.

Even Iqbal in his Reconstruction of Religious Thought  has commented that no loss has happened to Islamic cause as a result of the downfall of Usmani Sultanat ( most of the rulers used to call them Sultan) because, he said, that there was no point in carrying that dead body.The comment was indeed harsh but this was the comment of the great poet-philosopher of Islam.

Shah Abdul Hannan

-----Original Message-----
From: kgmowla@att.net [mailto:kgmowla@att.net]
Sent:
Sunday, October 18, 2009 6:25 AM
To: sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; political_analysts@yahoogroups.com; 'raja chemayel'
Cc: S A Hannan; dahuk@yahoogroups.com; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; witness-pioneer@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Sonar
Bangladesh] Khilafah and only Khilafah - On USA (United States of Arab) -Khilafah-- a basic mistake-an emotional outburst
Importance: High

The document which I have attached is copy righted document and it cannot be used without permission. This document is related to following

Address by the Right Hon. Syed Ameer Ali on Islam in the League of Nations in 1919

ISLAM IN THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

ADDRESS BY THE RIGHT HON. SYED AMEER ALI

ON ISLAM IN THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Transactions of the Grotius Society, Vol 5, Problem of Peace and War, Paper before the Society in the Year 1919. (1919). Pp 126-144

I have used it  in my following book with permission from

 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1479-1234(1919)5%3C126%3AABTRHS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6

The Judgment against Imperialism, Fascism and Racism against Caliphate and Islam: Volume 1

http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Against-Imperialism-Fascism-Caliphate/dp/1438910959

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=The+Judgment+Against+Imperialism%2C+Fascism+and+Racism+Against+Caliphate+and+Islam&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Thanks

-------------- Original message from kgmowla@att.net: --------------



Assalamu Alaikum

I am attaching a historical document /judgment on Khilafah by one of the few great judge of Indian/Pakistan/Bangladesh. My 3 books of around 2000 pages

Are based on documents and not based on my personal opinion.

This attached document or Judgment is the summary of my 2000 pages Judgment. Khilafah is nothing but USA (United States of Arab later United States of Islamic Countries). Now all look to present USA and not 1300 years old USA

Best regards and thanks,

-------------- Original message from "S A Hannan" <sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com>: --------------

 

Dear sirs,

Assalamu Alaikum. Any state which follows Islamic law and has elective government is Khilafah.Khilafah in fact means representative government. No specific structure has been prescribed by the Quran and  Sunnah.The form is a matter of Ummah in all matters except forms of Ibadah. Our Fiqh has not elaborated any specific form as Khilafah, because form can not be permanent in Muamalat matters.

Some people without realizing this basic fact is harping on Khilafah.

Shah Abdul Hannan

-----Original Message-----
From: political_analysts@yahoogroups.com [mailto:political_analysts@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of kgmowla@att.net
Sent:
Sunday, October 04, 2009 5:51 PM
To: raja chemayel; political_analysts@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [political_analysts] BREAKING NEWS !!!!!!!

Brother, money talks.Thus there is no discussion or research on Khilafah as  money bought all  Muslim scholars against Khilafah. 1400 years old USA (United States of Arabia later countries) was destroyed by Arabs and Muslims and see the curse of Allah for which Muslims ares uffering at the hand of another USA created by same Allah. The fact is:



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[mukto-mona] An article in the daily star



An article in the daily star for your kind consideration 
 
Thanks
 
Regards,
 
Ripan K Biswas
New York
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 07:48 AM GMT+06:00  
 
Editorial

TIMOTHY F. Geithner, who is now secretary of treasury under the Obama administration, had to pay more than $43,200 in back taxes and interest for underpayments from 2001 to 2004 to get clearance from the Senate Finance Committee to occupy the then President-elect Barack Obama's choice for treasury secretary.

To meet the transparency of the US administration, Clinton's foundation had to disclose the name of 205,000 donors worldwide before the Senate Foreign Committee confirmed Hilary R. Clinton as secretary of state. But Bangladeshis never receive such information or examples of inspiration from their country's legislatures, executives, leaders, or politicians.

Thanks to an English daily newspaper for bringing up a report that says 42 out of 345 lawmakers in the parliament, both from the treasury and opposition bench, including three state ministers, have never paid any income tax, claiming they do not have taxable income while, according to National Board of Revenue (NBR), each of these lawmakers spent Tk.15 to Tk.20 lakh in the parliamentary election, and the limit of tax-free income in the country is 165,000 per year.

In addition, according to both the Election Commission and NBR, most of these parliamentarians have Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) but very few of them show up in the tax book while some parliamentarians never feel an obligation to have TINs, keeping their huge income secret.

Since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh has seen no examples of motivation from leaders of its different governments and non-governmental organizations. As democracy is defined as a government system where people control how the government operates, what laws it passes, and how things get done, they have every right to know how their elected legislature runs the country. To be respectful to the law in a democratic country, everyone, from a top-level executive to bottom-level worker, is bound to show his/her earnings and savings. It is meaningless to expect general people to be fair when the people at the top are not.

According to John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 - February 23, 1848), the 6th President of the United States, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Being a good leader means that he/she inspires others to follow his/her example. They are leading people to success and being responsible for their actions. In addition, a good leader inspires confidence and represents a strong example of what needs to be aimed for.

As we assume legislatures or top people are good leaders, they should have good characters, beliefs and values by which they can easily motivate others, but negative characteristics of a leader, or noted person, only convey the wrong message to the people.

Calling it as a charter for change, the present ruling government promised that powerful people must submit wealth statements annually. The same holds true for general citizens bound to do so in its five priority issues in the last election manifesto. Though it is politically motivated according to Awami League (AL), its party chief, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was detained on corruption charges and asked to submit her wealth statement voluntarily during the last caretaker government..

Her arch-rival, Begum Khaleda Zia, former premier of Bangladesh and the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, forgot to mention her wealth accrued in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987 and 1991, while she enjoyed the support of a huge office set-up during her tenure.

Taking bribes, hiding wealth reports, saving in or buying a house in a foreign country, are very common activities among Bangladeshi leaders, only because they have no legal obligation to give their financial status.

The White House published on April 15, 2009 the taxable income of the President and Mrs. Michelle Obama for the 2008 tax year as $855,323 in federal taxes and $78,000 in state taxes. The Obamas had $2.35 million in taxable income after taking deductions, which included his salary as a public servant to the US government and royalties from his two published books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope. A further look at President Barack Obama's 2008 tax returns shows that $172,050 was donated to charities like CARE and United Negro College Fund.

The Bangladesh government has extended time for submitting income tax returns from September 30 to October 30 aiming to collect more tax. Presently, the country has 2.2 million TIN holders but only 0.67 of them pay income tax, says NBR. About 80% of companies do not pay income tax. The World Bank says Bangladesh's tax-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio is among the lowest in South Asia, even lower than that of Nepal.

The income-tax-collection target has been fixed at $2.40 billion (BDT 165.60 billion) for the current fiscal year, 27% higher than last year's target. In fiscal 2008-09, around 0.67 million taxpayers' submitted tax returns involving $144.78 million (BDT 7.92 billion) out of 2.2 million TIN holders.

In a fresh move to make its services friendlier to taxpayers, the NBR and the British donor -- Department for International Development (DFID) -- will pick an international consultancy early next year to find a string of innovative solutions that can change the way the NBR functions now. Still, it always remains an uphill task for NBR to function independently and properly, as it regularly faces government interventions. Very often, it is used as political weapon.

It will be difficult to say how impartially the NBR worked during the last caretaker government, but no doubt, it was the vital weapon to send politicians, bureaucrats, legislatures, or business people behind bars. While the present high-profiled tax defaulters, including ministers, are out of legal proceedings, former AL secretary, Abdul Jalil was issued an arrest warrant in a case filed by NBR for dodging his income tax of $5,910. Clearly, the filing of the case and issuance of the arrest warrant against Jalil is an outcome of his recent derogatory statements about the party and ninth parliamentary elections.

No doubt, paying tax is a national obligation and a step to make the country financially secure. Policymakers, however, particularly those among the politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen, have responded very little thus far to bring about positive changes in this issue, as many of them are widely perceived to be involved in the process.

Setting a good example is not a "put-on." It's simply something that can positively motivate others. In exercise of its positive motivation, the present government should exercise transparency regarding tax paying and make it a legal obligation for everyone to give his/her wealth status to the government.



Ripan Kumar Biswas is based in New York.
E-mail: Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com
 



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"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




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