Banner Advertiser

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Fwd: Ministers and cars : Education Minister uses 6



-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Javed Ahmad <javedahmad@yahoo.com>
Date: Apr 1, 2010 9:42 AM

When ever I get the chance I alwyas try to point out that none of the 'public servants' should have cars including the PM and the President, simply because they need to know how it is like to live like a common citizen in order to address the issues properly.

Look what they have done:

1. They have given themselves a considerable raise in their wages.
2. Gave themselves cars, which means it will now cost additional in maintenance, fuel and use to the government.

In order to cover these additional cost increase of the government, they are now:

1. After common people's income to ensure none of them escapes taxes.
2. Going to increase the cost of utilities use putting more financial pressure on the common people who are already in the whip of the uncontrolled inflation.

The reality is:

1. World economy is tanking that would reduce in reduction of our foreign reserves.
2. Less exports would mean closure of local industries causing job losses to many.
3. Return of foreign workers from abroad would cause a huge pressure in the job market, economy and the society as a whole.

What is our government's plan to tackle all this? Nothing! They are looking into their own petty comfort at the expense of the citizens!

--- On Wed, 3/31/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Subject: Ministers and cars : Education Minister uses 6
To: dhakamails@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010, 10:51 PM

Ministers and cars : Education Minister uses 6
 
 



__._,_.___


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




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

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Ministers and cars : Education Minister uses 6



Ministers and cars : Education Minister uses 6
 
 


__._,_.___


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




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

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Lawmakers fear public anger outburst over water, power



Lawmakers fear public anger outburst over water, power

 

Ruling Awami League lawmakers, elected for constituencies in Dhaka and adjacent areas, on Wednesday feared violent action by city residents unless they could immediately give people a respite from the nagging water and power crisis.The lawmakers expressed their fear at a meeting with the LGRD and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, in his ministry with the city people facing acute scarcity of supply water and power since the advent of summer.
   Ashraful, in response, said the army would be deployed to help the water supply authorities in Dhaka and Narayanganj from Thursday (today).
   

They called for an immediate solution to the problem to stave off widespread agitation as Dhaka WASA, the city's water supply agency, could supply about 190 crore litres of water a day against the demand for 220 crore litres during the hot summer.

http://www.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/04/01/news0595.htm
   At the meeting on the water management and supply in Dhaka and Narayanganj, the lawmakers demanded installation of more water pumps to resolve the crisis and to ensure speedy supply of water to different parts of the city.
   Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, lawmaker for the constituency covering Tejgaon, said there had been no water supply to the Moghbazar areas, which covers his house, for three days.
   

People are also complaining of bad smell in dirty supply water, he said.
   Sanjida Khanom, lawmaker for the constituency covering Shyampur, said the ministry must do whatever it can immediately; there will, otherwise, be an outburst of public anger.
   She also said any such situation would be very unpleasant for the present democratic government.
   Habibur Rahman Mollah, lawmaker for the constituency covering Demra, said people would understand the problems of electricity but it was hard for them to put up with water crisis.

http://www.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/04/01/news0587.htm
   

In response, the minister said the government was fully aware of the situation but there was not much it could do to solve the problem immediately.
   The lawmakers also demanded water distribution with water lorries of Dhaka WASA in the worst affected areas of the capital.
   Ashraful told reporters after the meeting they had sought cooperation from the lawmakers after the government decided to deploy the army to help the Dhaka WASA in supplying water among the affected people.
   

He admitted WASA, despite enhancing its supply capacity by 14 crore litres since July 2009, was struggling to cope with the growing demand for supply water because of fast rising population in the city.
   WASA officials told the meeting they were facing problems in pumping out water because of frequent power outages.
   It has already installed dual electricity connections to 80 pumps while similar connections to 55 more pumps will be given soon. WASA relied on some 546 deep tube wells for 87 per cent of its supply water while the rest comes from river water.
   WASA has also set up diesel-run generators at 234 water pumps and kept 60 mobile generators ready for emergency use. It has 61 water lorries of different types for emergencies. Five more lorries will be bought soon, the meeting was told.
   WASA officials hoped they would run the supply round-the-clock from Chandnighat and Godnail water treatment plants and from 10 others pumps after installation of four gas-run generators.

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/apr/01/front.html

 
Editorial

THE government's latest measure announced to combat the massive power crisis that is crippling the nation, the directive that air conditioning units be prohibited from operating from the hours of 6-11pm, is nothing short of the ridiculous, and suggests a government that is quite out of its depth.
 

It is true that the government inherited a power crisis, and the people of this country have been patient in waiting for it to be resolved, understanding that these things take time. However, now that it has been in office for well over a year, the government has no excuse for its continuing inability to at least give us a roadmap of what lies ahead.

Even worse than the government's apparent incompetence in dealing with the issue, is the amateurish measures that it periodically has tried to implement in order to relieve the situation. These have included the ill-conceived DST initiative and the directive for reduced business hours for shops.

The anti-AC order is merely the latest in this line of foolishness. In the first place, it will have only a negligible impact on aggregate electricity usage, even if it were enforceable. More to the point, it is totally unenforceable and risks making the government look like a laughing stock.

When the government has failed so miserably when it comes to setting up new power generating plants, fixing and bringing on line the power plants that now lie idle and under-utilised, plugging the endemic systems loss, and cracking down on the numberless illegal connections that proliferate, to try to address the issue with a directive limiting use of air conditioners demonstrates a lack of seriousness in dealing with the problem.

The report yesterday of the suffering of the patients at DMCH due to lack of power saw the crisis reach its lowest ebb. That the situation has been allowed to reach such a sorry pass simply beggars the imagination.

The government is not doing its job, and ordering people to shut off their ACs sounds to us like the worst form of avoidance of responsibility and buck passing, as though the problem is the excessive consumption of electricity in some quarters and not the government's failure to generate power sufficient to meet the people's needs.

The government needs to stop these asinine ad hoc solutions that serve only to make it look clueless, and needs to address the crisis head-on. Right now, the impression that is created by the government's latest plan, is that it is simply floundering in its response to the crisis.
 
 


__._,_.___


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




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

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Tri-patriate agreement of Bangladesh-Pakistan-India



Tri-patriate agreement of Bangladesh-Pakistan-India

Following is the full text of tripartite agreement signed in New Delhi on 9 April 1974.

1. On 2 July 1972, the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India signed an historic agreement at Simla under which they resolved that "the two countries put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the subcontinent." The agreement also provided for the settlement of "their differences by any other peaceful means mutually agreed upon".

2. Bangladesh welcomed the Simla Agreement. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh strongly supported its objective of reconciliation, good neighborliness and establishment of durable peace in the subcontinent.

3. The humanitarian problems arising in the wake of the tragic event of 1971 constituted a major obstacle in the way of reconciliation and normalization among the countries of the subcontinent. In the absence of recognition, it was not possible to have tripartite talks to settle the humanitarian problems, as Bangladesh could not participate in such a meeting except on the basis of sovereign equality.

4. On 17 April 1973, India and Bangladesh took a major step forward to break the deadlock on the humanitarian issues by setting aside the political problem of recognition. In a declaration issued on that date, they said that they "are resolved to continue their efforts to reduce tension, promote friendly and harmonious relationship in the sub-continent and work together towards the establishment of a durable peace."

Inspired by this vision and "in the larger interest of reconciliation, peace and stability in the subcontinent", they jointly proposed that the problem of the detained and stranded persons should be resolved on humanitarian considerations through simultaneous repatriation of all such persons except those Pakistani prisoners of war who might be required by the Government of Bangladesh for trial on certain charges.

5. Following the declaration, there were a series of talks between India and Bangladesh and India and Pakistan. These talks resulted in an agreement at Delhi on 28 august 1973, between India and Pakistan with the concurrence of Bangladesh, which provided for a solution of the outstanding humanitarian problems.

6. In pursuance of this agreement, the process of three-way repatriation commenced on 19 September 1973. So far nearly three lakh persons have been repatriated which has generated an atmosphere of reconciliation and paved the way for normalization of relations in the sub-continent.

7. In February 1974, recognition took place thus facilitating the participation of Bangladesh in the tripartite meeting envisaged in the Delhi Agreement, on the basis of sovereign equality. Accordingly, Dr. Kamal Hossain, Foreign Minister of Government of Bangladesh, Mr. Swaran Singh, Minister of External affairs, Government of India, and Mr. Aziz Ahmed, Minister of State for Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Pakistan, met in New Delhi from 5 April to 9 April 1974 and discussed the various issues mentioned in the Delhi Agreement, in particular the question of the 195 prisoners of war and the completion of the three-way process of repatriation involving Bangladesh and Pakistani prisoners of war in India.

8. The Ministers reviewed the progress of the three-way repatriation under the Delhi Agreement of 28 August 1973. They were gratified that such a large number of persons detained or stranded in the three countries had since reached their destinations.

9. The Ministers also considered steps that needed to be taken in order expeditiously to bring the process of three-way repatriation to a satisfactory conclusion.

10. The Indian side stated that the remaining Pakistani prisoners of war and civilian internees in India to be repatriated under the Delhi Agreement, numbering approximately 6,500, would be repatriated at the usual pace of a train on alternate days and the likely shortfall due to suspension of trains from 10 April to 19 April 1974, on account of the Kumbh mela, would be made up by running additional trains after April 19. It was thus hoped that the repatriation of prisoners of war would be completed by the end of April 1974.

11. The Pakistan side stated that the repatriation of Bangladesh nationals from Pakistan was approaching completion. The remaining Bangladesh nationals in Pakistan would also be repatriated without let or hindrance.

12. In respect of non-Bengalis in Bangladesh, the Pakistan side stated that the Government of Pakistan had already issued clearances for movement of Pakistanis in favour of those non-Bengalis who were either domiciled in former West Pakistan, were employees of the Central Government and their families or were members of the divided families, irrespective of their original domicile. The issuance of clearances to 25,000 persons who constitute hardship cases was also in progress.

The Pakistan side also reiterated that all those who fall under the first three categories would be received by Pakistan without any limit to numbers. In respect of persons whose applications had been rejected, the Government of Pakistan would, upon request, provide reasons why any particular case was rejected. Any aggrieved applicant could at a time, seek a review of his application provided he was able to supply new facts or further information to the Government of Pakistan in support of his contention that he qualified in one or other of the three categories. The claim of such persons would not be time-barred. In the event of the decision of review of a case being adverse, the Government of Pakistan and Bangladesh might seek to resolve it by mutual consultation.

13. The question of 195 Pakistani prisoners of war was discussed by the three Ministers in the context of the earnest desire of the Governments for reconciliation, peace and friendship in the sub-continent. The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh stated that the excesses and manifold crimes committed by those prisoners of war constituted, according to the relevant provisions of the UN General Assembly resolutions and international law, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and that there was universal consensus that persons charged with such crimes as 195 Pakistani prisons of war should be held to account and subjected to the due process of law. The Minister of State for Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Pakistan said that his Government condemned and deeply regretted any crimes that may have been committed.

14. In this connection, the three Ministers noted that the matter should be viewed in the context of the determination of the three countries to continue resolutely to work for reconciliation. The Ministers further noted that following recognition, the Prime Minister of Pakistan had declared that he would visit Bangladesh in response to the invitation of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and appealed to the people of Bangladesh to forgive and forget the mistakes of the past in order to promote reconciliation. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh had declared with regard to the atrocities and destruction committed in Bangladesh in 1971, that he wanted the people to forget the past and to make a fresh start, stating that the people of Bangladesh knew how to forgive.

15. In the light of the foregoing and, in particular, having regard to the appeal of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the people of Bangladesh to forgive and forget the mistakes of the past, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh stated that the Government of Bangladesh had decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of clemency. It was agreed that the 195 prisoners of war might be repatriated to Pakistan along with the other prisoners of war now in the process of repatriation under the Delhi Agreement.

16. The Ministers expressed their conviction that the above agreements provide a firm basis for the resolution of the humanitarian problems arising out of the conflict of 1971. They reaffirmed the vital stake the 700 million people of the three countries have in peace and progress and reiterated the resolve of their Governments to work for the promotion of normalization of relations and the establishment of durable peace in the sub-continent.

Signed in New Delhi on 9 April 1974, in three originals, each of which is equally authentic.

(Kamal Hossain)
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh

(Swaran Singh)
Minister of External Affairs, Government of India
(Aziz Ahmed) Minister of State for Defense and Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan

http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/?p=196



__._,_.___


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




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

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Blocking of DeshCalling indicates the true meaning of ‘Digital Bangladesh’



Blocking of DeshCalling indicates the true meaning of `Digital Bangladesh'

 

 

Dear All,

 

I recently received an email from a yahoo forum indicating an article linked to the DeshCalling blog operated by Barrister MBI Munshi.  When I opened the link I saw a caption stating that the blog was blocked to viewers in Bangladesh. Visitors to the site apparently see only a white screen or a backdated version of the blog without recent posts being displayed. Since I am in London I could view the blog and tried to discover the reason for the Bangladesh government's action. It seems that Barrister Munshi had published two articles (written anonymously) on the Pilkhana Massacre which revealed direct government complicity in the tragedy. The publication of these articles must have caused a great deal of consternation and annoyance in ruling circles hence the blocking procedure. I delved further into the archive of DeshCalling and read through several law related articles on the recently concluded Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case which presented in full the defense of one of the accused. There were also a number of articles written by Barrister Munshi that displayed a negative attitude to Indian foreign policy as applied to Bangladesh as well as other South Asian countries. One may argue that Barrister Munshi should have been more sensitive to the present government's agenda and avoided such controversial subjects and thereby avoided the blocking. But when one reads about death threats against Mahmudur Rahman (Amar Desh), Nurul Kabir (New Age) and Shahidul Alam (DRIK) one gets the impression that something else is going on here. A relative of mine, residing in Bangladesh, sent me a message a few days ago expressing surprise that the newspapers and TV channels were not showing the large and violent protests in Dhaka over pay, loadshedding and extortionate practices of the AL or BCL. It should now be clear to all what this Digital Bangladesh charade is really all about. Its purpose is to control opinion and censor information that could prove embarrassing to the government. Everyone should be aware of this pernicious trend and what it means for the future of Bangladesh. Digital Bangladesh is merely a cover for government oppression and the shutting down of oppositional viewpoints. DeshCalling could be the first of many blockings that will result in the narrowing down of opinion creating a climate of fear and distrust that is essential for the government's own survival.    

 

S. T. Islam

 

Imperial College London

 

 



__._,_.___


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




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

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Genocide



Genocide

"…… we were told to kill the hindus and Kafirs (non-believer in God). One day in June, we cordoned a village and were ordered to kill the Kafirs in that area. We found all the village women reciting from the Holy Quran, and the men holding special congregational prayers seeking God's mercy. But they were unlucky. Our commanding officer ordered us not to waste any time."

Confession of a Pakistani Soldier

kill29.jpg

It all started with Operation Searchlight, a planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army started on 25 March, 1971 to curb the Bengali nationalist movement by taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from Bangladesh. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid May.

According to New York Times (3/28/71) 10,000 people were killed; New York Times (3/29/71) 5,000-7,000 people were killed in Dhaka; The Sydney Morning Herald (3/29/71) 10,000 – 100,000 were killed; New York Times (4/1/71) 35,000 were killed in Dhaka during operation searchlight.

The operation also began the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East Pakistan later in December, 1971. The international media and reference books in English have published casualty figures which vary greatly; 200,000–3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole.

There is only one word for this: Genocide.

Genocide in Bangladesh, 1971

pakistani-army-shooting.jpgThe mass killings in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1971 vie with the annihilation of the Soviet POWs, the holocaust against the Jews, and the genocide in Rwanda as the most concentrated act of genocide in the twentieth century. In an attempt to crush forces seeking independence for East Pakistan, the West Pakistani military regime unleashed a systematic campaign of mass murder which aimed at killing millions of Bengalis, and likely succeeded in doing so.

In national elections held in December 1970, the Awami League won an overwhelming victory across Bengali territory. On February 22, 1971 the generals in West Pakistan took a decision to crush the Awami League and its supporters. It was recognized from the first that a campaign of genocide would be necessary to eradicate the threat: "Kill three million of them," said President Yahya Khan at the February conference, "and the rest will eat out of our hands." (Robert Payne, Massacre [1972], p. 50.) On March 25 the genocide was launched. The university in Dacca (Dhaka) was attacked and students exterminated in their hundreds. Death squads roamed the streets of Dacca, killing some 7,000 people in a single night. It was only the beginning. "Within a week, half the population of Dacca had fled, and at least 30,000 people had been killed. Chittagong, too, had lost half its population. All over East Pakistan people were taking flight, and it was estimated that in April some thirty million people [!] were wandering helplessly across East Pakistan to escape the grasp of the military." (Payne, Massacre, p. 48.) Ten million refugees fled to India, overwhelming that country's resources and spurring the eventual Indian military intervention. (The population of Bangladesh/East Pakistan at the outbreak of the genocide was about 75 million.)

The Guinness Book of Records lists the Bangladesh Genocide as one of the top 5 genocides in the 20th century.

The gendercide against Bengali men

The war against the Bengali population proceeded in classic gendercidal fashion. According to Anthony Mascarenhas:

There is no doubt whatsoever about the targets of the genocide. They were: (1) The Bengali militarymen of the East Bengal Regiment, the East Pakistan Rifles, police and para-military Ansars and Mujahids. (2) The Hindus — "We are only killing the men; the women and children go free. We are soldiers not cowards to kill them …" I was to hear in Comilla [site of a major military base] [Comments R.J. Rummel: "One would think that murdering an unarmed man was a heroic act" (Death By Government, p. 323)] (3) The Awami Leaguers — all office bearers and volunteers down to the lowest link in the chain of command. (4) The students — college and university boys and some of the more militant girls. (5) Bengali intellectuals such as professors and teachers whenever damned by the army as "militant." (Anthony Mascarenhas, The Rape of Bangla Desh [Delhi: Vikas Publications, 1972(?)], pp. 116-17.)

Mascarenhas's summary makes clear the linkages between gender and social class (the "intellectuals," "professors," "teachers," "office bearers," and — obviously — "militarymen" can all be expected to be overwhelmingly if not exclusively male, although in many cases their families died or fell victim to other atrocities alongside them). In this respect, the Bangladesh events can be classed as a combined gendercide and elitocide, with both strategies overwhelmingly targeting males for the most annihilatory excesses.

London, 6/13/71). The Sunday Times….."The Government's policy for East Bengal was spelled out to me in the Eastern Command headquarters at Dacca. It has three elements:

1. The Bengalis have proved themselves unreliable and must be ruled by West Pakistanis;
2. The Bengalis will have to be re-educated along proper Islamic lines. The – Islamization of the masses – this is the official jargon – is intended to eliminate secessionist tendencies and provide a strong religious bond with West Pakistan;
3. When the Hindus have been eliminated by death and fight, their property will be used as a golden carrot to win over the under privileged Muslim middle-class. This will provide the base for erecting administrative and political structures in the future."

Bengali man and boys massacred by the West Pakistani regime.

Bengali man and boys massacred by the West Pakistani regime. Younger men and adolescent boys, of whatever social class, were equally targets. According to Rounaq Jahan, "All through the liberation war, able-bodied young men were suspected of being actual or potential freedom fighters. Thousands were arrested, tortured, and killed. Eventually cities and towns became bereft of young males who either took refuge in India or joined the liberation war." Especially "during the first phase" of the genocide, he writes, "young able-bodied males were the victims of indiscriminate killings." ("Genocide in Bangladesh," in Totten et al., Century of Genocide, p. 298.) R.J. Rummel likewise writes that "the Pakistan army [sought] out those especially likely to join the resistance — young boys. Sweeps were conducted of young men who were never seen again. Bodies of youths would be found in fields, floating down rivers, or near army camps. As can be imagined, this terrorized all young men and their families within reach of the army. Most between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five began to flee from one village to another and toward India. Many of those reluctant to leave their homes were forced to flee by mothers and sisters concerned for their safety." (Death By Government, p. 329.) Rummel describes (p. 323) a chilling gendercidal ritual, reminiscent of Nazi procedure towards Jewish males: "In what became province-wide acts of genocide, Hindus were sought out and killed on the spot. As a matter of course, soldiers would check males for the obligated circumcision among Moslems. If circumcised, they might live; if not, sure death."

Robert Payne describes scenes of systematic mass slaughter around Dacca (Dhaka) that, while not explicitly "gendered" in his account, bear every hallmark of classic gender-selective roundups and gendercidal slaughters of non-combatant men:

Bengali intellectuals murdered and dumped at dockside in Dacca.In the dead region surrounding Dacca, the military authorities conducted experiments in mass extermination in places unlikely to be seen by journalists. At Hariharpara, a once thriving village on the banks of the Buriganga River near Dacca, they found the three elements necessary for killing people in large numbers: a prison in which to hold the victims, a place for executing the prisoners, and a method for disposing of the bodies. The prison was a large riverside warehouse, or godown, belonging to the Pakistan National Oil Company, the place of execution was the river edge, or the shallows near the shore, and the bodies were disposed of by the simple means of permitting them to float downstream. The killing took place night after night. Usually the prisoners were roped together and made to wade out into the river. They were in batches of six or eight, and in the light of a powerful electric arc lamp, they were easy targets, black against the silvery water. The executioners stood on the pier, shooting down at the compact bunches of prisoners wading in the water. There were screams in the hot night air, and then silence. The prisoners fell on their sides and their bodies lapped against the shore. Then a new bunch of prisoners was brought out, and the process was repeated. In the morning the village boatmen hauled the bodies into midstream and the ropes binding the bodies were cut so that each body drifted separately downstream. (Payne, Massacre [Macmillan, 1973], p. 55.)

Strikingly similar and equally hellish scenes are described in the case-studies of genocide in Armenia and the Nanjing Massacre of 1937.

How many died?

Bangladeshi authorities claim that 3 million people were killed, while the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, an official Pakistan Government investigation, put the figure as low as 26,000 civilian casualties. The fact is that the number of dead in Bangladesh in 1971 was almost certainly well into seven figures. It was one of the worst genocides of the World War II era, outstripping Rwanda (800,000 killed) and probably surpassing even Indonesia (1 million to 1.5 million killed in 1965-66).

As R.J. Rummel writes:

The human death toll over only 267 days was incredible. Just to give for five out of the eighteen districts some incomplete statistics published in Bangladesh newspapers or by an Inquiry Committee, the Pakistani army killed 100,000 Bengalis in Dacca, 150,000 in Khulna, 75,000 in Jessore, 95,000 in Comilla, and 100,000 in Chittagong. For eighteen districts the total is 1,247,000 killed. This was an incomplete toll, and to this day no one really knows the final toll. Some estimates of the democide [Rummel's "death by government"] are much lower — one is of 300,000 dead — but most range from 1 million to 3 million. … The Pakistani army and allied paramilitary groups killed about one out of every sixty-one people in Pakistan overall; one out of every twenty-five Bengalis, Hindus, and others in East Pakistan. If the rate of killing for all of Pakistan is annualized over the years the Yahya martial law regime was in power (March 1969 to December 1971), then this one regime was more lethal than that of the Soviet Union, China under the communists, or Japan under the military (even through World War II). (Rummel, Death By Government, p. 331.)

People regard that the best option is to regard "3 million" as not an absolute but an arbitrary number. The proportion of men versus women murdered is impossible to ascertain, but a speculation might be attempted. If we take the highest estimates for both women raped and Bengalis killed (400,000 and 3 million, respectively); if we accept that half as many women were killed as were raped; and if we double that number for murdered children of both sexes (total: 600,000), we are still left with a death-toll that is 80 percent adult male (2.4 million out of 3 million). Any such disproportion, which is almost certainly on the low side, would qualify Bangladesh as one of the worst gendercides against men in the last half-millennium.

Who was responsible?

"For month after month in all the regions of East Pakistan the massacres went on," writes Robert Payne. "They were not the small casual killings of young officers who wanted to demonstrate their efficiency, but organized massacres conducted by sophisticated staff officers, who knew exactly what they were doing. Muslim soldiers, sent out to kill Muslim peasants, went about their work mechanically and efficiently, until killing defenseless people became a habit like smoking cigarettes or drinking wine. … Not since Hitler invaded Russia had there been so vast a massacre." (Payne, Massacre, p. 29.)

There is no doubt that the mass killing in Bangladesh was among the most carefully and centrally planned of modern genocides. A cabal of five Pakistani generals orchestrated the events: President Yahya Khan, General Tikka Khan, chief of staff General Pirzada, security chief General Umar Khan, and intelligence chief General Akbar Khan. The U.S. government, long supportive of military rule in Pakistan, supplied some $3.8 million in military equipment to the dictatorship after the onset of the genocide, "and after a government spokesman told Congress that all shipments to Yahya Khan's regime had ceased." (Payne, Massacre, p. 102.)

hindu-racism.jpgThe genocide and gendercidal atrocities were also perpetrated by lower-ranking officers and ordinary soldiers. These "willing executioners" were fuelled by an abiding anti-Bengali racism, especially against the Hindu minority. "Bengalis were often compared with monkeys and chickens. Said Pakistan General Niazi, 'It was a low lying land of low lying people.' The Hindus among the Bengalis were as Jews to the Nazis: scum and vermin that [should] best be exterminated. As to the Moslem Bengalis, they were to live only on the sufferance of the soldiers: any infraction, any suspicion cast on them, any need for reprisal, could mean their death. And the soldiers were free to kill at will. The journalist Dan Coggin quoted one Punjabi captain as telling him, 'We can kill anyone for anything. We are accountable to no one.' This is the arrogance of Power." (Rummel, Death By Government, p. 335.)

Eyewitness accounts

The atrocities of the razakars in killing the Bengalis equaled those of their Pakistani masters. An excerpt from an article written in the Azad, dated January 15, 1972, underscores the inhuman atrocities of the Pakistani troops and their associates, the razakar and al-Badr forces:

'….The people of Narail can bear witness to the reign of terror, the inhuman atrocities, inflicted on them after (General) Yahya let loose his troops to do what they would. After March 25, many people fled Jessore in fear of their lives, and took refuge in Narail and its neighboring localities. Many of them were severely bashed by the soldiers of Yahya and lost their lives. Very few people ever returned. Bhayna is a flourishing village near Narail. Ali Akbar is a well-known figure there. On April 8, the Pakistani troops surrounded the village on the pretext that it was a sanctuary for freedom fighters. Just as fish are caught in a net so too were the people of this village all assembled, in an open field. Then everyone- men, women, and children–were all forced to line up. Young men between the ages of 25 and 30 were lined up separately. 45 people were shot to death on the spot. Three of Ali Akbar's brothers were killed there. Ali Akbar was able to save himself by lying on the ground. But no one else of that group was as fortunate. Nadanor was the Killing field. Every day 20 to 30 people were taken there with their hands tied behind their backs, and killed. The dead bodies would be flung into the river. Apart from this, a slaughter house was also readied for Bengalis. Manik, Omar, and Ashraf were sent to Jessore Cantonment for training and then brought to this slaughter house. Every day they would slaughter 9 to 12 persons here. The rate per person was Taka ten. On one particular day, 45 persons were slaughtered here. From April 15 to December 10, the butchery continued. It is gathered that 2,723 people lost their lives here. People were brought here and bashed, then their ears were cut off, and their eyes gouged out. Finally they were slaughtered… : The Chairman of the Peace Committee was Moulana Solaiman. With Dr. Abul Hussain and Abdul Rashid Mukhtar, he assisted in the genocide. Omar would proudly say, "During the day I am Omar, at night I am Shimar( legendary executioner famous for extreme cruelty). Don't you see my dagger? There are countless Kafirs (heretics) on it."

Chuknagar: The largest genocide during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971

chuknagar.jpg

Chuknagar is a small business town located in the Dumuria Thana of Khulna district and very close to the India Bangladesh border. In 71 thousands of refugees gathered in Chuknagar to go to Kolkata. According to a conservative account around ten thousand people were in Chuknagar waiting to cross the border.

In the early morning of May 10, the fatal day around 10am two trucks carrying Paki troops arrived at Kautala (then known as Patkhola). The Pakis were not many in number, most possibly a platoon or so. As soon as the Paki trucks stopped, the Pakis alighted from the truck carrying light machine guns (LMGs) and semi automatic rifles and opened fire on the public. Within a few minutes a lively town turned into a city of death.

The accounts of the two hundred interviewees were same. They differed only in details. "There were piled up dead bodies. Dead Kids' on dead mum's laps. Wives hugging their beloved husbands to protect them from killer bullets. Dads' hugging their daughters to shield them. Within a flash they all were just dead bodies. Blood streamed into the Bhadra river, it became a river of corps. A few hours later when the Paki bastards ran out of bullets, they killed the rest of the people with bayonet."

Source: Muntassir Mamun, The Archive of Liberation War, Bangabandhu and Bangladesh Research Institute

Further Documents and facts

  • Statistics Of Pakistan's Democide: Estimates, Calculations, And Sources – R. J. Rummel
  • Genocide 71
  • Massacre of Dhaka University students
  • Torture Cells
  • Killing Zones
  • Operation search light
  • Mass grave found in Bangladesh – Tribune India August, 1999
  • An Army Insider's Honest Expose of Atrocities in East Pakistan Debacle
  • Unearthing the killing fields in Mirpur Dhaka for mass graves – evidence of genocide
  • Genocide Seminar on Bangladesh 2007: An unprecedented step by a US
    Bangladesh Genocide Study Group at Kean University

    Denials

    According to Gregory H. Stanton, President, Genocide Watch there are eight stages of a genocide. All of them are evident in the genocide commited by the Pakistan forces. The last of the eight stages is denial:

    It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims.

    Articles

  • The Mathematics of a Genocide – Abul Kasem
  • 269,000 people died in Bangladesh war, says new study
  • Nights and Days of Pakistani Butchers – Abul Kasem
  • Remembering 25th March: The Darkest Night – Dr. Ajoy Roy
  • Violation of Human Rights and Genocide in Bangladesh -M. Maniruzzaman Mia
  • Tale of an abandoned monument: Madhuri Lata still whimpers for her martyred husband and relatives
  • Never again? Genocide since 1945 – Scott Lamb
  • Century of Genocide: Critical Essays and Eyewitness Accounts: Chapter 9: Genocide in Bangladesh – Rounaq Jahan.
  • Sen. Edward Kennedy on the Hindu Genocide in East Bengal '71
  • The Legacy of the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh- Rabindranath Trivedi
  • Genocide 1971: What does the world know about it? – Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq

    genocide.jpg

    Images

    * Genocide images 1, 2, 3 (Viewers discretion advised)

    * Slaughter Ground

    * Destruction by Pakistan army

    Source: Gendercide Watch, Muktadhara, Kothon, Bangladesh 1971

  • http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/



    __._,_.___


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




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

    __,_._,___

    [ALOCHONA] Poverty



    Prof Abul Barakat or Prof Atiur Rahman does not write on poverty any more. They got their job ( Chairman, Janata Bank and Governor, Bangladesh Bank respectively )
     
     
     


    __._,_.___


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




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

    __,_._,___

    Tuesday, March 30, 2010

    [ALOCHONA] An Analysis of Political Failure in Bangladesh



    An Analysis of Political Failure in Bangladesh

    By

    Sayed Javed Ahmad

    javedahmad@yahoo.com

    1.0. Introduction

    Almost 37 years have passed since Bangladesh was established as an independent state. The independence came relatively easy in only 9 months of struggle; where as many nations fight for years to be independent. Probably that's why the nation does not understand the value of independence. Nor do we value the people who fought for this independence.

    No explanation or proof is needed to believe or accept the fact that we have failed as a nation over and over again. This leads us to believe that we must be doing things seriously wrong, and not learning anything from our mistakes. In this paper I'll try to point out few of those "mistakes" we did or still do.

    1.1. The Foundation

    What is the base or foundation of this nation? It is said that the foundation of the nation is the "Constitution" we have. Who developed that constitution? It was originally formulated by the British colonialists when they ruled the continent. That constitution has been revised from time to time to fit the needs and changes in our lifestyle. But the backbone is pretty much the same as it was originally set.

    The British colonialists had a mindset to rule the people of this continent; therefore, what ever they have formulated is meant to be useful for them to rule. In other words, the constitution was formed from the "masters" point of view to rule the "slaves". Now one can ask, "Is this constitution any goof for us as an independent nation when we are now self ruled?"

    What was good for the British may not be good for us. Therefore, we are ought to look into our so called constitution very carefully and critically and rewrite a new one if necessary.

    1.2. Governance and Public Policy

    We have many nice laws and by-laws written in many different places, but few of us are fully aware of them. We do not tell our citizens about their rights and privileges as a free citizen, nor do they care to know. For instance, in a program like Master of Public Affairs with a major in Governance and Public Policy, we are not required to study the "Constitution" as a semester long course. We do not talk about the policies our government makes from time to time, nor do we show any concern about them. If the policy is a bad one, we just suffer without knowing why. As if we prefer to live in ignorance thinking that "Ignorance is bliss." But is it?  Are we well off being that way?

    We need to have a "Care Taker" government to come in power to fix the mess our democratic governments make every five years. Our political parties are so patriotic and efficient that they cannot manage things for or by themselves any more. As a result, every once in a while our standing military forces has to initiate a coup to get rid of the untouchables from power and declare a martial law. They too when in power forgets who they are and wants to remain in power as long as possible. When the elections takes place, we can be sure that it won't be a fair election, it would definitely be rigged; like it happens in the US, Russia and like.

    "Politics" today is just a business. In the politics business, one just uses the connections through abuse of power to achieve one's goal. Ethics and morality gets thrown out the window and not cared for. As a result we witness the reality of our tremendous decline of our ethics and morality.

    Today we are busy catching the crooks, criminals and thieves without worrying for a moment to understand what has caused such an increase of such criminals. Unfortunately, this is a world wide phenomenon today. Many so called democratic economically solvent nations are also dealing with decline of ethics and morality. No wonder why we are introducing courses on "Ethics and Morality" in our MBA programs!

    Our policy makers are no longer in a position to offer and maintain a good government as they themselves is no longer good. Therefore, we are now dreaming about "Good Governance" without any clue on how to achieve it. Today we talk about good governance but we do not really mean it or want it. It is just a bluff.

    We have become so greedy that we do not mind selling our values and morals for a cheap price. We have sacrificed our principles and personalities for material gain hoping to live better. Forgetting totally that none of it would remain if we lose our precious independence and freedom. What good is wealth when there is famine and starvation all around? How well off are the crooks and criminals who so dedicatedly used their mind and soul for illegal hoarding of wealth? What good is their wealth to them now when they are locked up in jails? Are they repenting? I doubt if they are.

    1.3. Good Governance

    Good governance is not a magic. It takes a lot to achieve the objectives. This is a realistic dream that could only be fulfilled if certain conditions are met. "Goodness" is a primary requirement before anything good can happen. If we are untrue to ourselves then we are just faking our intentions. Thus the result is "hypocrisy".

    Only a "cadre" of good folks can ensure a good government. Our Bangladesh Civil service (BCS) cadres are supposed to be the parts and parcels of our government system. When the recruitment process is corrupted, then whole government system is bound to get corrupted. And so it did. Instead of appointments on the basis of merit and qualifications, the political parties appointed crooks and criminals in those positions. By doing so, the parties may have benefited for a short term by achieving their personal goals and agendas, but failed the nation as a whole.

    Nothing good can be expected out of a bunch of fouls. Their greed has led them to sell the country and its resources to foreign preys. We make unfair deals with foreign subjects without even understanding the consequences. Just like Mir Jafar Ali Khan did by joining hands with the British whose aim was to take over control of this continent. Even this generation is doing the same thing again by joining hands with foreign opportunity seekers by literally giving away our access to resources without protecting our national interests. Take Niko incident for example.

    Where do they expect to go when their freedom is curtailed? What good is freedom if you can't do anything? Are they planning to be "refugees" and seek refuge and shelter in a foreign land living like a traitor betraying his or her own nation? Indeed, from their activities, its seems like it.

    1.4. Public Policies

    What good are the policies if they are not enforced and implemented? We have nice and wonderful policies written down in our books and gazettes but few of us even aware of them. As a result, citizen charters are showing up in public offices to educate the citizens about their rights and expectations. Our educational system and school curriculum does not provide any options for our citizens to learn and be aware of the policies we have for ourselves. Many of us are not even aware of our basic civil rights!

    We are not even certain if the policies we have formulated and drafted are enforceable and workable simply because they have not been put to use. Our situation is like running an organization without any "service rules" even though we are supposed to have one. But it is assumed and pretended that we do.

    Randomly we violate each others rights without any accountability as if no law and order in the country exists. In reality we do have such enforcing authorities in place but they are totally ineffective. As such, no policies and laws gets enforced or implemented. Because the enforcers themselves aren't aware of them!

    1.5. Economics and Cultural Invasion

    All our concerns boil down to one single area, which is "economics". It is the major factor for our people not to behave the way they should. With it comes our poor basic foundation. Our educational system is not preparing us the way we should be prepared. Through cultural invasions, we are adopting more and more foreign philosophies and lifestyle that is full of greed and immorality. Our thinking patterns are today changed through the subliminal messages we receive from our daily cable TV transmissions – domestic and foreign alike. As if we have chosen to corrupt our minds and souls knowingly and willingly without questioning the programs we view. As a result, our world expectations and love for materials have increased and we do not mind attempting illegal means to achieve dreams and desires. Instant gratification has now become the "religion" for most of us.

    In a Muslim majority country, Islam is just a show. The faith and belief has left most of us so did the practice of it. Although we do not want to admit, but the fact is, we no longer believe in Islam. Therefore, we are no longer Muslims. And this is exactly the very reason for our moral decay. Since we no longer believe in the Day of Judgment and meeting with our Lord after death, therefore, we no longer fear the consequences of our activities in this life. Majority of us no longer believes in after life and have been made to believe that this is the only life we will live. So, don't worry, be happy! The ultimate mantra Satan wants us to believe.

    1.6. Population Pressure

    We are over loaded with population pressure that had caused severe competition for survival. Due to which we have lost respect for one another as we now consider each other an open competitor in the urban jungle. People are flocking to the cities hoping to survive by clinging to something for a while. Those who fail in competition choose unethical and dangerous means to survive.

    Same thing goes for our politicians. The people who come to politics are the ones who are basically good for nothing and those who know for sure that they are totally incompetent to survive and a competitive world. Upon this realization, a good number of people are flocking to join the political parties prepared to do pretty much anything to please the leader so that he or she gives a caring eye by offering a job or business. The blessed child in turn becomes a faithful servant of the master knowing well enough that his survival lies on pleasing his or her master. No merit or qualification is needed, except for a total blind submission.

    Therefore the politicians' leaves not stone unturned to discover the ways and strategies to remain in power or to regain it if lost to another party. They are ready to adopt any policy and strategies no matter how mean and cruel it may be. They just want to be in power, that's all matters.

    I remember once one of my teachers in the US asked me if I agreed to that fact that Bangladesh would be well off if for some reason the population is suddenly halved. I looked at him for few moments wanting to give an answer, but I couldn't. Because, I understood what he meant by posing the question and he was absolutely right.

    We have been calling upon family planning for few decades now and it did not any good to us. Our population is doubling every decade. Ironically, the educated citizens are adapting to making small families adjusting to their economic situation, but the common poor class has been motivated to do the reverse. Because, according to their calculation, more children would mean more helping hands in the old age. And the result is dire; we now have more poor unlearned, unskilled population who would one day pose a threat to the society. Do not be surprised if a day comes when the mob of this level attacks, loots and ransacks your private houses and apartments out of grief and desperation. If we remain unmindful about them, then that day is not really far.

    1.7. Industrialization

    When I was young, Bangladesh was in dilemma in deciding on which way to go, towards industrialization or agrarian economy. Personally, I was always for an agrarian economic base for Bangladesh. But, the country chose to step toward industrialization hoping that it would bring prosperity to the nation creating job opportunities, etc. Eventually, the nation did move toward industrialization and consequences are not as positive as hoped for.

    Today our environment (lake, rivers, land and air) is polluted due to chemicals waste from the industries. Due to expansion of industrial bases and urbanization, we have used up many of our cultivable and farming lands. The country that did not have to worry much about food production and was relatively self sufficient is now dependent on food imports and facing a shortage.

    Today in Bangladesh, poverty is a day to day struggle compounded with food shortages. What ever foreign currencies we earn from different sources are to be spent largely on food imports. The irony is, the whole world is now facing food production shortage, which means, there won't be much food available for imports in the near future. All our foreign exchange (Forex) reserves will be exhausted just by importing food items, which is the basic need for the survival of the nation. Now the question is, how long would our Forex reserve would last? What will happen when we will run out of Forex?

    1.8. International Turmoil

    Day by day the whole world is approaching toward an international turmoil by getting embroiled in wars and conflicts. As such, all nations are getting increasingly restless and facing uncertainties. All this is upsetting regular peaceful lifestyle in many countries, especially in war torn countries. As a result, food production is hampered causing the prices of food to go up as the supply is now being reduces while the demand is constantly increasing. In such a condition, almost all nations in the world today are now witnessing high inflation on basic necessities that are must for survival. Take the present situation for instance, the price of rice, wheat and edible oil have gone up world wide simply because there is a short supply. Shortage of supply will continue to grow as more and more nations get embroiled in war and conflict. Not just that, many people's lives will be shattered bringing enormous loss and sufferings. Do you think the war mongers care? All they care about is "control" of power, wealth and world resources.

    It is now assumed that the 9-11 incident in New York City took place under full knowledge if CIA and they did not even attempt to prevent the attack. The "War on terror" is just a false pretext to invade Afghanistan blaming it all on Osama who could not have possibly conducted an attack from Afghanistan. Similarly, no weapons of mass destructions were found in Iraq on which pretext the country was attacked and invaded. The underlying causes were actually the laying of the Caspian Oil Pipe line through Afghanistan and production of the Poppy drugs under the supervision of the CIA, and for Iraq, it was just control of oil and opening the flow of it to Israel through the Haifa pipe line which was closed for years.

    Can we just shut our eyes closed to this entire phenomenon? We can't, simply because we are now all tied to a common global problem and have become excessively dependent on other nations produces like food items due to the crazy movement called "Globalization". The question is who is bound to benefit from globalization game? Bangladesh? You would be naïve to believe it.

    2.0. Solutions

    The objective of this paper is not just to talk about the problems, but also to seek out solutions. Focusing and considering the present scenario of Bangladesh, we now find ourselves in a position where we are no longer sure which path to choose. We have pretty much tried out all the known political systems and have failed miserably with all of them. Therefore, we are reluctant to try the old methods again. On the other hand, we do not have much time to invent something absolutely new either. Instead, what we can do is identify the major problems and modify or patch here and there to get our country up and running with a democratic government that would function properly the way we want it. Some clues are discussed below.

    2.1. Political Parties:

    It is now evident that the political parties in Bangladesh are not worth a paisa. All of them are motivated by greed and lust for power and nothing else. Their prime objectives are ascending to power by hook or by crook and then loot the nation left and right. And this process has been going on by decades by BNP, Awami league, you name it.

    I say enough is enough. Let's abolish all political parties and ban all political activities in Bangladesh. Instead, let us all accept and move forward with a new concept of democracy that is plain and simple. All we should care about is "One nation, one party". That's it.

    In absence of political parties, there will be no political candidates. Therefore, there will be no need for any political elections for candidates. You may be wondering, then how can we form a government? There is a way to handle this.

    "What we really need is existence of public councils and forums. People of different walks of life should automatically become part of the appropriate council based on their academic background, experiences, and interest. For instance, there should be a Council of the Economists, where all the economists and those who are interested in contributing in this area would be members. They will discuss and debate issues nationally to come to a solution when a problem arises. Similarly, there should be a Council of Public Administrators, where the public policies would be analyzed and created. And so on.

     Yes, we do need a national representative or a leader or a president, but we definitely DO NOT need any prime minister, or a long line of ministers for different departments; plain and simple. Only the experts in the respective fields and areas will deal with issues in question in open public forums, not in secret board meetings.

     All participation would be on volunteer basis and no one will get paid to participate. Now tell me, in a process like this would there be any need for elections? Or Strikes? Political groups? Yes, there will be no need for any political parties. The whole nation would work as a single force aiming at improving their conditions nationwide…" (Source: http://javedahmad.tripod.com/docs/hello.htm ).

    2.2. The Model

    Considering the nature and situation of people of Bangladesh, the best workable solution would be a "Council Based Democratic System". It means that, instead of elected officials in the government all we need is a group or council of "experts" independently formed to head the respected ministry. For instance, "The Council of Economists" will run and monitor the affairs of concerned governmental ministry. "The Council of Agriculturists" would look after the affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture, and so on.

    The graduates of all the universities would automatically become members of the respective councils and they would have their own elected board members for certain term. Non graduates or graduates of other disciplines who are interested in becoming a member could be allowed membership the ensure participation and contribution in the area.

    The routine council sessions will be held at the parliament house in regular intervals and will be broadcasted through our media of all kinds, so that the members' at large or distant members could also participate in decision making process for the nation and get an opportunity to participate.

    Under this system, there would be no need for wasteful nation wide elections, and all decisions would be taken in broad daylight through open sessions through meeting agendas and minutes and will be passed on to the concerned ministry for execution or implementation.

    This system would not allow Tom, Dick and Harry (Or, Jodu, Modu and Kodu) to intervene in any democratic processes. Nor will they ever get a chance to hold positions for which they are not qualified. All things will be governed by experts in respective areas in a democratic way. All decisions will be taken on the basis for what is good for the nation. No personal interests would get preference at any point.

    The good thing about his system is that the process would be constant and the vision of the nation will be long term and effective. There will be no chance for any interference in long term projects and national strategies, as there will be no change in government ever. The whole nation will be focused into one single direction and follow a track smoothly without any distraction.

    2.3. The President

    Yes, we need a national leader or a president. The leader who would be representing the nation could be an elected one, elected by the citizens in open competition. The criterion will be to elect the best among the candidates based on his or her academics, personalities, and other competitive edge they hold and offer. This position could be for a five year term, but would not hold much power in reality. Because, in a council based democratic system, the country is actually run by the citizens behind the scene. Any decision of the president would not be required. In fact, the country would function even if we do not have a president! But still, we should have one, who would be our ambassador to the world community.

    2.4. Presidential Election

    Every five year, there will a presidential election nationwide in an open competition among the interested and independent candidates whose candidature would be approved by the security council of the country after all background check. It will be a day long election day when the eligible voter citizens would cast their votes. The majority vote would bring the successful presidential candidate to take oath ceremoniously.

    There will be no other national elections besides this presidential election. All other elections will be held internally within the council members of the respective councils. Every council will have a Board of Directors and Executive Committees.

    2.5. The Parliament

    The Parliament House will be used for regular National Council Assemblies. There will be no more fixed or permanent parliamentary committees as we have today. A special committee will be formed at the time of National Parliamentary Sessions on ad hoc basis. In other words, all the entry doors for crooks, criminals and ineligible candidates will be closed for good. Only the competent candidates with proven track records will take office.

    3.0. Comparison

    Following chart is a given to understand the difference between the old existing system and the proposed new one.

    Sl.#

    Present

    Proposed

    1

    There is a powerless president.

    Here too will be a president with some powers.

    2

    There is a prime minister

    Prime minister not required.

    3

    There are bunch of "ministers" for different ministries.

    There will be "Chairmen" for different councils heading a ministry.

    4

    There is a presidential election and the prime minister is appointed by the president.

    There will a presidential election and there will also be independent council elections for chairmanship and formation of board of directors.

    5

    The president is the Chancellor of all the universities of Bangladesh.

    There will be Chancellors for each university. The president would not be the Chancellor anymore.

    6

    The ministers are appointed by the prime ministers who are not necessarily qualified to hold the positions

    Here the chairman will be of the same discipline and would be pre-qualified by his council members.

    7

    The chairmen are selected through elections.

    The chairman will be an appointed position selected through competitive merit to ensure appropriate appointments.

    8

    The civil servants enjoy a sense of permanency in job.

    No such notion will be there. Incompetents will be removed from positions.

    9

    There are unrest in normal public lifestyle due to strikes or hartals.

    There will be no need for any of them as there will be no political parties to call for.

    10

    There are foreign interferences through political parties.

    There won't be any. All the people would develop a patriotic feeling.

    11

    There is open and hidden competition among the political parties to gain and stay in power.

    There will be no such "power" to fight for as all citizens would participate in political and democratic process at will.

    12

    Bangladeshis keep distances with other on political ground even in foreign lands and shows sign of disunity.

    Bangladeshis will stay united regardless of their background in foreign lands upholding the dignity and good image of the nation.

    13

    Every five year before the new election, a caretaker government intervenes and cleans the mess of the earlier party government.

    There will be no need for the caretaker government to intervene.

    14

    When things deteriorate badly politically, the military jumps in to take control and declare martial laws.

    Since the system will be run by the citizens with any political party influence and there is no appointed terms in the sense we have today, our military would not have go out of their way to enter into political rescue.

    15

    There is uncontrolled corruption without any scope for any check to it.

    There will be no corruption as all appointments will be on the basis of fair competition and on merit. Besides, there will be no permanency of jobs anymore. There will be no political party influence to rescue the criminals.

    16

    Due to five year term of party based government, many long term projects and plans go wasted when a new government takes over resulting in financial loses when such a project is halted or cancelled.

    Since there will be no political motive at any time on any decision taken at the council by the council members, therefore, all projects would get implemented and completed even when the chairman or the board members changes.

     

    4.0. Conclusion

    Not just Bangladesh, the whole world should adopt this system of democracy. The democratic systems we have today is actually a "deception" and is meant to cause fractions in a nation, not unify it. Besides, different countries have different kind of democratic systems anyway! So, we should have it our way.

    "Bangladesh's political scene has been tumultuous since independence. Periods of democratic rule have been interrupted by coups, martial law, and states of emergency.

    There is a proverb in Bangla which loosely translates into: If you have two Bengali's you will have three political parties. This is kind of evidenced in the existence of over 100 political parties. Most of these are small, fringe parties formed mostly by a small coterie of like minded intellectuals or politicians who usually have broken away from larger groupings…" (Source: http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/bd_politics.html ).

    Sorry, no more grouping will be allowed anymore. The idea of "grouping" is a killer for us. Grouping divides and leads to conflicts. As a single nation of Bangladesh, we should do away with all the groupings and unite under a single philosophy, which is best for all of us.

    The US practices a strange kind of democracy. No matter who becomes the president, the administration behind the scene remains the same. For instance, Henry Kissenger and Donald Rumsfield were the advisors to ex-US president Nixon, and they are still in the government! In other words, the people behind the scene administration work permanently until they drop dead. There is no such thing as retirement in US administration.

    Even in a country like the USA, there are only two political parties. Although on the surface they show some difference in opinion publicly, but deep inside they follow the same agenda.

    We do not want a democracy like this in Bangladesh, nor do we need one like the "Yes Minister" (i.e., British). In those democracies, there is a smell of greed for power and a desire for manipulation of the system. In Bangladesh, we would follow any failed or controversial systems, but develop and enact a new one of our own.

    I've kept the scope of this paper limited to political party and elections. The idea here is, if the echelon is cleaned and remains stable then the remaining branches would also enjoy a better outcome. Elimination of party based politics would yield multi-dimensional benefits for the country and its people.

    This is a base groundwork of my intended thesis paper for the Master of Public Affairs program in Governance and Public Policy. I'll keep on expanding on it till the end of the program until it becomes a complete thesis.

    My objective is to give something useful and meaningful to my nation that could be seriously considered for implementation at a turmoil situation as we are facing today. I fear that Bangladesh is going to make the same mistake again if no new directions are shown. Therefore, this paper is intended to serve that purpose. Thank you.

    http://javedahmad.tripod.com/bd/political_failure.htm



    __._,_.___


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




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

    __,_._,___