Untold Facts

Does Israel rule the world?

With many of the major powers bowing to Tel Aviv, those aboard the Freedom Flotilla should be praised for risking their lives

Yesterday, the Israeli military attacked and boarded one of the Turkish aid ships sailing to Gaza as part of a flotilla, killing 19 and injuring many more. As this occurred in international waters, it is not only an act of piracy but could also be construed as an ‘act of war’. This attack on unarmed civilian men and women illustrates the moral depths to which the Jewish state has sunk.

An Al Jazeera reporter on board the vessel says the Israelis fired live bullets even after a white flag was hoisted. This atrocity and the potential fall-out should merit loud condemnation from the international community … but don’t hold your breath! We have yet to witness the extent of Turkey’s response.

Why are so many nations bending to Israel’s will or staying silent on its crimes? What is it about this minuscule country that enables it to have so much control on decisions made by larger and more powerful nations? It refuses to abide by international laws and treaties. It illegally occupies great swathes of Palestinian land and it’s imposing an illegal blockade on Gaza. Moreover, it is the only country that could get away with assassinating its enemies on foreign soil.

* If any other country or territory with a smaller population than New York behaved as outrageously as Israel, it would be isolated, boycotted and, perhaps, even invaded. Yet, Israel gets away with ignoring a long list of UN Security Council resolutions — as opposed to Saddam’s Iraq, which was invaded, plundered and occupied on those same grounds.
* Israel has a stockpile of undeclared nuclear weapons and, as documentation recently released by Pretoria confirms, was prepared to sell nuclear warheads and technology to South Africa during apartheid; a reality that counters US claims that Israel is a responsible democracy that would never supply weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to rogue states.
* Iran, on the other hand, which does not have nuclear weapons — and, unlike Israel, is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — is being subjected to UN sanctions.
* Last Friday, all 189 signatories to the NPT — including the US — agreed to hold a conference during 2012 “on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons …” Sounds good! President Barack Obama has espoused the idea of a nuclear-free Middle East.
* The entire Arab world has been pushing for a nuclear-free Middle East and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has long called for a nuclear-free region.

But wait! The usual suspect, Israel, is none too pleased because it believes it is being singled out. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the call as “deeply flawed and hypocritical”, while his office has issued a statement that reads: “As a non-signatory state of the NPT, Israel is not obligated by the decisions of this conference, which has no authority over Israel”.

No surprise there! But then Obama promptly does an about-turn, saying, “We strongly oppose efforts to single-out Israel and will oppose actions that jeopardise Israel’s security”. His message begs the question, how on earth can the region ever be free of nuclear weapons if Israel is kept out of the equation when it is the only nuclear country in the area?

Change of heart

Now here’s a turn of events that makes me wonder whether America’s capital city is actually Tel Aviv.
When the proposed uranium swap between Iran and Brazil that is slated to take place on Turkish soil was recently announced, the White House dismissed it as a delaying tactic on the part of Tehran and began to pressurise UN Security Council members to agree to a new round of anti-Iranian sanctions.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says a proposal that buys time for Iran “makes the world more dangerous, not less”.

In response, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US and its allies of “lacking a fair and sincere approach”.

He is absolutely right and it appears that the Brazilian president agrees with him.

In a break from protocol, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has leaked a letter he received from his US counterpart in April this year in which Obama warmly supported the uranium swap, provided Iran were to agree to Turkey holding its low-enriched uranium “in escrow” for up to a year.

“Iran has never pursued the ‘escrow’ compromise and has provided no credible explanation for its rejection,” Obama wrote. Now that Tehran has rubber-stamped the very procedure Obama advocated in the missive, it seems that he is unable to take ‘yes’ for an answer. Could it be because Netanyahu has denounced the fuel deal as “trickery” intended to avoid international sanctions?

The US is far from being the only country allowing Israel to call the tune. Greek Cypriot authorities attempted to prevent a group that included 17 Irish, Bulgarian and Swedish members of parliament from travelling on small ferry boats to join the aid flotilla attempting to break the siege of Gaza in order to protect the island’s “vital interests”.

When much of the western world bows and scrapes in front of the Israeli standard, those aboard ships in the Flotilla should be applauded for risking their lives to do what is right. It’s beyond time that the international community grew a backbone and followed suit!

By Linda S. Heard, Special to Gulf News June 1, 2010
- Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs.

BSF Killings and Bangladeshi Politics

In Indian mytholodgy, a ‘thug’ was “one of a band of professional assassins formerly active in northern India who worshiped Kali and offered their victims to her.” I think this term is quite apposite to describe India’s BSF (Border Security Force) if we consider its murderous acts in Bangladesh’s border region.

When the BSF thugs routinely kill Bangladeshis in the border regions, they do not discriminate whether their victims in Bangladesh belong to Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party or Jama’at. However, in condemning BSF’s regular violations of human rights and its killings of Bangladeshis, Bangladeshi pollitical parties are sharply divided. Some Bangladeshi political parties raise hue and cry now and then to register their protests against BSF’s murderous actions. But, unfortunately, a very prominent Bangladeshi political party remains dead silent with regard to BSF’s wrongdoings.

This tells us about the sad story of Bangladeshi politics, as the political parties are not united even in protecting the country people from foreign aggression. This also suggests the success of Indian foreign policy, as it has a very loyal political group in Bangladesh that looks after India’s interest blindly and is ready to ignore Bangladesh’s interest when India’s political and strategic interest is involved.

If the Bangladeshi party loyal to India were selective in its condemnation of BSF’s routine murders, then we would have some consolation. What is frustrating is the fact that its silence about India’a atrocities is absolute. When India is in the scene, it does not bother whether the BSF victims are from its own party or from other parties. In other words, the security of the people who voted that party to power do not count much in its imagination.

The whole world is stunned by the Israeli atrocities directed to the Palestinians and to people who try to stand by them. But, there is a striking analogy: Palestine and Bangladesh: Israel and India. This analogy will perhaps explain the reason why India is a strong ally of Israel. More so, the political party in Bangladesh that is silent about India’s illegal cruelty inflicted on Bangladeshis is also largely silent about Israel’s monstrous behaviour.

Bangladeshi people are politically highly senstitive, but extremely naive. But when they come to know the real story of the friendship between their oppressors outside the border and a party within the country they vote for, they may exercise their democratic rights more wisely in future.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

The Road To BAKSAL

The forecast of the political weather of Bangladesh is not very good. The way the ruling regime Awami League is treating the opposition parties and stifling dissent voices reminds people of the BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League) of 1975 when all opposition political parties and newspapers were banned.

During the campaign of the last general election, Awami League never mentioned that, in honour of the founder of BAKSAL Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it would go back to a one-party political system in Bangladesh. But now we notice an irresistible tendency in the Awami psyche to return to BAKSAL style politics.

Television channels and newspapers are being shut down. Rallies of opposition parties are being thwarted with bright Awami excuses: Awami affiliate organizations call counter rallies at the venue where opposition parties want to hold a meeting; and then the police step in and declare 144 to proscribe any political rallies. On one occasion, obviously directed by the government high-ups in Dhaka, a local UNO emerged in the midst of a political meeting and declared 144 on the spot. Needless to say, if such an episode occurred in the midst of an Awami rally, the UNO would not have returned home alive.

Unlike the first Awami regime of the 1970s, the current Awami government does not shut down a newspaper without an excuse. It locates a Hasmat Ali, takes him away from his home and keeps him in a secret location for 6 hours. Then the country comes to know that this Hasmat Ali sues an editor, on the basis of which the government arrests the editor and shuts down his newspaper.

Unlike the earlier Awami regime, the current one has a big advantage: with the help of a neighbouring country it has produced dozens of ‘intellectuals’ affiliated with universities who issue moral certificates to Awami human rights violations. Many of these intellectuals appear on TV, write for newspapers and sell statements. They are instrumental in distracting the attention of the people from the pressing issues and in bringing in issues in public attention that have no relevance to the eradication of poverty or to the advancement of the country. These intellectuals will present the 21st-century BAKSAL to the world in a sugar-coated way. Since the Awami League uses the secularism slogan to sell its fascist ideas, the secular west may turn a blind eye to a one-party political system in Bangladesh. However, the people of Bangladesh will have to bear the brunt of the atrocities of such a one-party political system.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Mahmudur Rahman yet another target of blind vengeance of Hasina

On the 1-2 June night the acting editor of the Bengali daily Amardesh ( Dhaka) was arrested by the specially armed police squad creating fearful scene in his office premises following cancellation of declaration of the publication on the 1st June. The police had no warrant of arrest for him with them but did intimidate as hey often do. As the note obtained from a foreign media on the 3rd June morning, amazingly, the Information Minister did not know anything about the episode before the act had been orchestrated. On the 2nd June in the afternoon, however, Mr. Minister Azad stated in the Parliament that the DC of Dhaka did take necessary action in canceling the declaration of the newspaper that followed other actions taken (The New Nation, 3 June, 10). What a silly statement possibly made at the behest of PM Hasina for their innocence (!) in the orchestration made at the nose of all of them.

Although relatively a new comer into journalism Mahmudur Rahman, Acting Editor of the widely circulated daily Amardesh, Dhaka, I guess, within a very short span surpassed many in the field. He has been an icon of great attention for his investigating courageous coverage, particularly, about internal anti-national issues of the present government of Hasina made news in the daily with maximum authenticity. That is why many had been suggesting for some time that the habitual liar and vengeful woman must make him a target of wild attack abusing all powers at her disposal. His coverage drew my attention recently so much so that I used to search first through the internet this daily for useful information and his specific items I loved to make possible other stories not as a professional journalist but as a an academic.

Now that the daily has been proscribed and banned applying police force through cancellation of declaration by the government at night on the 1st June (10) and he has been arrested and detained, under two ‘offences’ as was learnt from the 2nd June 7:30 P.M BBC Bengali Radio news: (1) publisher Hashmat Ali’s name printed as usual in spite of the fact that he had resigned some time ago, and (2) Mahmudur Rahman allegedly ‘obstructed the police’ while thy tried to arrest him at dead of night in his office premises at Kawran Bazar, Dhaka, of the daily. There are so many other allegations, I am sure, in the making that might be used to detain and keep him in prison even without any prosecution much less trial that exists in the country from over a century and half the notorious Cr. P. C code 54, and also another possibly more notorious one, the 1974 Special Powers Act that Hasina’s father enacted in 1974 for arbitrarily detaining in prison any person on and on, no government repealed those anti- basic human rights code and act, and being abused at the whims and sweet will of the rulers’ passions ( I suffered arrest on the 1st October, then 5 day police remand cum court attendances followed by imprisonment in total exactly for 89 days in late 1989 arrested under the notorious 54 and kept confined in the Dhaka Central Prison under the 1974 Special Powers Act ordered for 120 days detention but released after 89 days having had no formal charge framed against me by the law enforcing agencies). Now I guess that the notoriously vengeful Hasina has, in addition, asked her concerned agencies to make as many ‘offences’ possible. She has now the loyal and pliant spineless operatives in the government reinforced in the period of about one year and a half of her latest reign. The colonial police of Bangladesh are notoriously efficient to draw up false allegations against any the top boss would ask for them to do (I had seven initial charges drawn against me, the seventh one in serial, I remember, was very much confusing to respond to that they served on me to reply within 7 days of the beginning of imprisonment that I complied duly and then no action followed as far as my information was concerned).

The daily Mr. Rahman used to act as editor for not long but had picked up sympathy among large section of readers not alone among the political Opposition supporters but also among independent minded readers. I would have thought that he had utilized her best merit and capability being a first class Engineer and a highly trained management consultant in this job of the daily too. He had some link advantage too for being one of the top hard working advisers and then a Minister of the BNP chairperson during 2001-2006 administration.

The other and most important aspect of his dedicated work here was that he would continually expose Hasina’s evil pursuance of anti-national policies possibly for protection of the sole interests of her masters mainly staying outside the border of the country. Such exposure of Hasina and the enemies of Bangladesh continued to hurt both. The resolute brilliant person Mr. Rahman remained the serious eye sore for Hasina.

Why should the most powerful person of Bangladesh care for a petty Mahmud? Serious on lookers knew well that she would swoop on him and still more now on to come in store for him. I would not wonder if she would frame other more serious charges soon to keep him imprisoned for as long as it would be feasible. The poor state of the of the judiciary mainly manned by spineless pliant judges might not even grant him the bail that he as the honorable class one citizen and former Advisor and Minister would be entitled to have. Because, her administration is mainly conditioned by her target of vengeance particularly against the brilliant ones as she herself is a duffer like her father- ‘Illiterate Graduate’ and ‘Upper Chamber Khali’ just as Suhrawardy and Bhashani respectively used to label her father Mujib. One may recall from a memoir of BBC fame journalist Serajur Rahman that she had ‘hated politics but took that on just only to avenge the blood of her father (early 1980s recorded saying)’.

Some are making comment that she has barked on the move for the BKSAL her father introduced in Bangladesh but survived not long with the concept for the people utterly disliked the lone party dictatorial running of the country, and had been toppled by the 15th August successful army coup d etat among great jubilation of the people in the country. That made her not only vengeful of anything of army but also crazy for blood thirst that she quenched partly but some still unmet. The psychological trauma she had and the vengeance she holds on for long 35 years was only partly met on the 27-28 January 2010 night. Much more she needs to have yet that she sees in almost every body flashes on her psyche as contestant, particularly, those of high merit, capability and fearless. Thus Mahmud may have to stay in prison for until as she wishes for him; no hope soon in the court either as report goes that many other fresh cases of shear vengeance of Hasina are being framed against him and nothing seen for his relief and become soon free.

I did not know him personally except through his write ups and reported speeches. Those items had convinced me without any shadow of doubt that he meant a life of MUJAHEED or an uncompromising warrior against the tyranny of Hasina. I would while sympathize with him at the trying moment of the present distress, I would certainly continue to pray that let the Almighty Allah grant his holy Jehad for the greater good of the people and the country.

The irregularities alleged against him in running the daily for the short period had nothing been serious to detain him in prison and could well pursue through due process of law as he had already faced many in courts in the country for some baseless cases filed against him earlier by Hasina’s own men. The latest orchestration is nothing but a continuation of the earlier orchestrations made by those of Hasina’s HUQQA HUAS (the term used first by and I have coined from BBC fame journalist Serajur Rahman). The allegation that he ‘obstructed’ the police in discharging their duties for arresting and closing down the newspaper was nothing but the framed up one with ulterior motive to make the real master happy by the police as they often do in such cases against persons in any such incidence of many at a time for showing natural passionate love and exuberance that also occurred at this time among the workers in the daily in sympathy of their editor.

Author:Mohammad T. Hussain

Hasina barked loudly for ‘development’ on the 23 May!

Barked loudly
After the 19th May warning shot or a cautious wake up call given by Khaleda, PM Hasina has barked loudly not anything though to the point as the barking animal does for her stark failure in running the country clearly in the position of master-poodle subservient relation with Delhi in total senseless way on the 23rd May at Tongi meeting, 15 KMs. away form her seat in the capital.
Her cliché oft repeated and again she did ‘UNNAYAN’-‘development’ (!), if obstructed by Hartal to foil the war crimes (?) trial she would ruthlessly handle and contain! Well, her ruthlessness grossly flouting all democratic rights, norms and values are by now absolutely clear not only inside the country but also outside in the freer world. The question, however, is whose ‘development’ in what and at whose cost? Her own and her cadres or of the country’s millions and deprived helpless destitute and of the poorest? Accepting Hartal as a bad program but at the same time constitutional rights so far that remains peaceful and spontaneous how could one day 12 hour Hartal or spontaneous shut down for protest against misrule could impede development while Hasina’s Hartal of 173 (1996-2001) and 130 (2001-2006) days, at times in a stretch unstopped for 72 hours, could well keep development on as her supporters then had certified to be harmless! Still amazing that she has tagged it with their so-called trial of the war criminals minus the ‘195’ figure well talked about obviously for political witch hunting and punishing scapegoats!

Resource scarcity
For Bangladesh ravaged by poverty, corruption, inefficiency, low productivity and underdevelopment is well known to the world community. In the continuing syndrome of underdevelopment, few people thrived though beyond common imagination, the overwhelming millions do not have the minimum subsistence ensured. Whether the country has enough internal resources for ensuring the basic needs equitably for all of the 150 million people increasing at nearly 1.5% at respectable and sustainable level is another matter.

Development
Even so, development is mainly economic activities in infrastructure like constructing new roads, improvement of transport system and communications, erection of new buildings, housing, schools, furnishings, equipment, other supplies, etc. More importantly development is multi-dimensional issues in comprehensive human resource development in useful learning, skill, character and conscience being destroyed through indirectly promoting all unethical and immoral businesses pursued by the ruling party cadres. Politics must remain at the centre for effectively guide and control everything at the final level. That is why prerequisite of development is politics that involves and usefully engage all potentials irrespective of party divides. Otherwise, politics would make counter development and can not ensure sustainable development. Any development formulated by wrong assumptions in political direction not commensurate and not compatible with democratic norms is bound to be aberration and not sustainable development of any worth. Development imposed from above and outside without duly and carefully caring for internal forces and dynamics again can give no sustenance in the long run, though such apparent development would flash up brightly but for very short duration.

Plundering
If we talk about advancement of economic fortune what we can see for the last 17 months of Hasina’s second term that we find in infrastructure building. Of the money and resources spent in hundreds of crores Taka from the public treasury had been grossly misappropriated by the Awami genres- student league, youth league, labor league, M.P.s and ministers- through tender snatching, admission racket in colleges and universities (not in Maktab- Madarasa), huge rent seeking, stealing even from the VGF cards rations for the poorest of the poor. The quality of development work so done by tender snatchers obviously not lacking full professional expertise in the jobs concerned had almost been spent in works that would not be durable enough for inferior quality. In other words, almost all works done in the manner for the last 17 months of ‘development’ of Hasina thus clearly meant development of her genres at the cost of public money or tax payers’ sweat and blood. It is now well on record that a minister has openly stated, possibly inadvertently, that the ministers are the ‘big thieves’. Another minister stated in public gathering the other day, albeit, to the cadres that the Hasina government would do everything to create jobs, offer employment, provide business opportunities and all such other means of income just only for the various cadres of the same genre (The Weekly Holiday, 28 May 2010). The statement made by him was nothing unusual as they have already been doing everything for their own ‘development’ and for none else. Yet another minister openly boasted and asserted that they were not in power to let the Opposition party’s cases dropped but their own cases only as they did and have been doing even through eye wash of the court processes dictated by Attorney General and his office for immoral relief of their own cadres. The present Deputy leader of the House, Sajeda Chowdhury, has been termed by the Labor Minister Mosharraf Hossain as the BON KHEKO or the eater of the forest resources while she had been the Minister for Forest Resources during the earlier term (1996-2001). Her son Arman had been punished for corruption in forest resource illegal and immoral business for 16 years imprisonment but pardoned by the President Zillur Rahman (The Daily Naya Diganta, 30 May, 2010) In a sense by the admission of truths they were somewhat frank to admit the real truth as in one case some pressmen had recorded minister’s little careless verbatim in tapes, obviously denied possibly being bashed by still powerful end. In sum, developments are by the Awami League, for the Awami League and of the Awami League who constitute not even the 50% or less than absolute majority population in the country. What the other over 50% deprived thus from public resources do even in some possible legal and moral means of earning?

Others are thieves
Despite the ongoing cut throat stealing by the Awami cadres Hasina has been constantly stating in public statements that she and her men-women do not practice commission seeking! This could have been credible provided by now people would not know her as a habitual liar. Besides she, her immediate progeny, close relations, ministers, M.P.s would open to public knowledge their assets and properties earlier held and been increased during the 17 months period gone by since January 2009. The Finance Minister Muhith had promised several times for declaring their assets and properties but so far the given promises were only broken! Why?

Clean woman
Hasina has already been freed from 9 of the 13 corruption cases, the few others certainly to be dropped soon, by the court in the 17 months period while none dropped against Khaleda drawn under the same mechanism earlier. Similar stories in dropping off cases and even punishment given by courts are on for other Awami Leaguers, not for Opposition persons. They are what we know in Bengali phrase DHOA TULSI PATA (clean men-women with clean slate profile), and all Opposition elements are ‘thieves’ and public money snatchers. The latest facts one year on of 3 southern administrative districts affected severely by the Aila on the 25 May 2009 that there are still now thousands and thousands of helpless poor people not only without shelter but also of one life saving basic provision clean drinking water for them. From the other relief item in terms of 20 KGs of rice per month supposed to be given unfortunately being stolen in many cases for the ‘development’ of the cadres of the ruling party!

Corrupt brother-sister
One of the most amazing matters is that so far known as one of the worst corrupt political persons General Ershad lined up with Hasina in ‘brother- sister’ relation has also become DHOA TULSI PATA! Wonderful development mode of Hasina riddled with endless corruptions!

Sustainable development
Development to be sustainable and worth must make development of workaholic efficiently productive young men and women with commitment and assiduous adherence to high moral and ethical standards. There is every form of degradation among the Awami genres beginning in high schools extending to colleges and universities of next generation of an unbelievably intolerant psyche that dashed hope for the nation to be ethical, moral, usefully learned to turn into efficient productive workers of character and conscience. Their immediate master across the border may have been pleased with the mode of Awami ‘development’ and Hasina’s louder barking for the pattern of ‘development’. In fact, the so-called development isolated from equity and democratic norms have already been bashed by the Western donors and friends. The Amnesty International nothing to do with politics in the latest 2009 report has indicted Hasina for stark political repression of Oppositions, political and judicial killings, gross violation of human rights and clear absence of rule of law but only Attorney’s dictated justice delivered by pliant Courts.

Past misery recalled
Well, if the nation once again turned into the beast of burden of the pre 1947 days as serfs of bigger and powerful elite ruled caste ridden neighbor that looms large Hasina leading us all to. What the nationalists known for closeness to the proud history of the more brilliant forefathers to stay free and independent except to go through serious political action programs against the Awami League’s suicidal and brute misrule. Such program may not be ‘development’ for the lackeys of Brahminist of Delhi based at Dhaka but certainly would mark development for the overwhelming majority people of Bangladesh. The Brahminists’ menace of Delhi is against development of the poorest millions’ lot well taken for serious struggle by the Maoist there.

Author: Mohammad T. Hussain

Loud roaring for ‘development’ does not cut ice

Roared loudly
After the 19th May warning shot or a cautious wake up call given by Khaleda, PM Hasina has barked loudly not anything though to the point as the barking animal does for her stark failure in running the country clearly in the position of master-poodle subservient relation with Delhi in total senseless way on the 23rd May at Tongi meeting, 15 KMs. away form her seat in the capital.
Her cliché oft repeated and again she did ‘UNNAYAN’-‘development’ (!), if obstructed by Hartal to foil the war crimes (?) trial she would ruthlessly handle and contain! Well, her ruthlessness grossly flouting all democratic rights, norms and values are by now absolutely clear not only inside the country but also outside in the freer world. The question, however, is whose ‘development’ in what and at whose cost? Her own and her cadres or of the country’s millions and deprived helpless destitute and of the poorest? Accepting Hartal as a bad program but at the same time constitutional rights so far that remains peaceful and spontaneous how could one day 12 hour Hartal or spontaneous shut down for protest against misrule could impede development while Hasina’s Hartal of 173 (1996-2001) and 130 (2001-2006) days, at times in a stretch unstopped for 72 hours, could well keep development on as her supporters then had certified to be harmless! Still amazing that she has tagged it with their so-called trial of the war criminals minus the ‘195’ figure well talked about obviously for political witch hunting and punishing scapegoats!

Resource scarcity
For Bangladesh ravaged by poverty, corruption, inefficiency, low productivity and underdevelopment is well known to the world community. In the continuing syndrome of underdevelopment, few people thrived though beyond common imagination, the overwhelming millions do not have the minimum subsistence ensured. Whether the country has enough internal resources for ensuring the basic needs equitably for all of the 150 million people increasing at nearly 1.5% at respectable and sustainable level is another matter.

Development
Even so, development is mainly economic activities in infrastructure like constructing new roads, improvement of transport system and communications, erection of new buildings, housing, schools, furnishings, equipment, other supplies, etc. More importantly development is multi-dimensional issues in comprehensive human resource development in useful learning, skill, character and conscience being destroyed through indirectly promoting all unethical and immoral businesses pursued by the ruling party cadres. Politics must remain at the centre for effectively guide and control everything at the final level. That is why prerequisite of development is politics that involves and usefully engage all potentials irrespective of party divides. Otherwise, politics would make counter development and can not ensure sustainable development. Any development formulated by wrong assumptions in political direction not commensurate and not compatible with democratic norms is bound to be aberration and not sustainable development of any worth. Development imposed from above and outside without duly and carefully caring for internal forces and dynamics again can give no sustenance in the long run, though such apparent development would flash up brightly but for very short duration.

Plundering
If we talk about advancement of economic fortune what we can see for the last 17 months of Hasina’s second term that we find in infrastructure building. Of the money and resources spent in hundreds of crores Taka from the public treasury had been grossly misappropriated by the Awami genres- student league, youth league, labor league, M.P.s and ministers- through tender snatching, admission racket in colleges and universities (not in Maktab- Madarasa), huge rent seeking, stealing even from the VGF cards rations for the poorest of the poor. The quality of development work so done by tender snatchers obviously not lacking full professional expertise in the jobs concerned had almost been spent in works that would not be durable enough for inferior quality. In other words, almost all works done in the manner for the last 17 months of ‘development’ of Hasina thus clearly meant development of her genres at the cost of public money or tax payers’ sweat and blood. It is now well on record that a minister has openly stated, possibly inadvertently, that the ministers are the ‘big thieves’. Another minister stated in public gathering the other day, albeit, to the cadres that the Hasina government would do everything to create jobs, offer employment, provide business opportunities and all such other means of income just only for the various cadres of the same genre (The Weekly Holiday, 28 May 2010). The statement made by him was nothing unusual as they have already been doing everything for their own ‘development’ and for none else. Yet another minister openly boasted and asserted that they were not in power to let the Opposition party’s cases dropped but their own cases only as they did and have been doing even through eye wash of the court processes dictated by Attorney General and his office for immoral relief of their own cadres. The present Deputy leader of the House, Sajeda Chowdhury, has been termed by the Labor Minister Mosharraf Hossain as the BON KHEKO or the eater of the forest resources while she had been the Minister for Forest Resources during the earlier term (1996-2001). Her son Arman had been punished for corruption in forest resource illegal and immoral business for 16 years imprisonment but pardoned by the President Zillur Rahman (The Daily Naya Diganta, 30 May, 2010) In a sense by the admission of truths they were somewhat frank to admit the real truth as in one case some pressmen had recorded minister’s little careless verbatim in tapes, obviously denied possibly being bashed by still powerful end. In sum, developments are by the Awami League, for the Awami League and of the Awami League who constitute not even the 50% or less than absolute majority population in the country. What the other over 50% deprived thus from public resources do even in some possible legal and moral means of earning?

Others are thieves
Despite the ongoing cut throat stealing by the Awami cadres Hasina has been constantly stating in public statements that she and her men-women do not practice commission seeking! This could have been credible provided by now people would not know her as a habitual liar. Besides she, her immediate progeny, close relations, ministers, M.P.s would open to public knowledge their assets and properties earlier held and been increased during the 17 months period gone by since January 2009. The Finance Minister Muhith had promised several times for declaring their assets and properties but so far the given promises were only broken! Why?

Clean woman
Hasina has already been freed from 9 of the 13 corruption cases, the few others certainly to be dropped soon, by the court in the 17 months period while none dropped against Khaleda drawn under the same mechanism earlier. Similar stories in dropping off cases and even punishment given by courts are on for other Awami Leaguers, not for Opposition persons. They are what we know in Bengali phrase DHOA TULSI PATA (clean men-women with clean slate profile), and all Opposition elements are ‘thieves’ and public money snatchers. The latest facts one year on of 3 southern administrative districts affected severely by the Aila on the 25 May 2009 that there are still now thousands and thousands of helpless poor people not only without shelter but also of one life saving basic provision clean drinking water for them. From the other relief item in terms of 20 KGs of rice per month supposed to be given unfortunately being stolen in many cases for the ‘development’ of the cadres of the ruling party!

Corrupt brother-sister
One of the most amazing matters is that so far known as one of the worst corrupt political persons General Ershad lined up with Hasina in ‘brother- sister’ relation has also become DHOA TULSI PATA! Wonderful development mode of Hasina riddled with endless corruptions!

Sustainable development
Development to be sustainable and worth must make development of workaholic efficiently productive young men and women with commitment and assiduous adherence to high moral and ethical standards. There is every form of degradation among the Awami genres beginning in high schools extending to colleges and universities of next generation of an unbelievably intolerant psyche that dashed hope for the nation to be ethical, moral, usefully learned to turn into efficient productive workers of character and conscience. Their immediate master across the border may have been pleased with the mode of Awami ‘development’ and Hasina’s louder barking for the pattern of ‘development’. In fact, the so-called development isolated from equity and democratic norms have already been bashed by the Western donors and friends. The Amnesty International nothing to do with politics in the latest 2009 report has indicted Hasina for stark political repression of Oppositions, political and judicial killings, gross violation of human rights and clear absence of rule of law but only Attorney’s dictated justice delivered by pliant Courts.

Past misery recalled
Well, if the nation once again turned into the beast of burden of the pre 1947 days as serfs of bigger and powerful elite ruled caste ridden neighbor that looms large Hasina leading us all to. What the nationalists known for closeness to the proud history of the more brilliant forefathers to stay free and independent except to go through serious political action programs against the Awami League’s suicidal and brute misrule. Such program may not be ‘development’ for the lackeys of Brahminist of Delhi based at Dhaka but certainly would mark development for the overwhelming majority people of Bangladesh. The Brahminists’ menace of Delhi is against development of the poorest millions’ lot well taken for serious struggle by the Maoist there.

Author: HB Khair