Untold Facts

Reasons for collective actions to shield Mahmudur Rahman from Awami regime’s cruel exercise of power

It appears that Sheikh Hasina’s government has a sinister plan to continue torturing editor Mahmudur Rahman in the name of legal proceedings. What is most worrying is that the Supreme Court (including the High Courst and Appellate divisions) is on holiday till 3 July 2010. If the repressive regime takes this long vacation as an opportunity to persecute this patriotic man in police custody, freedom loving people in Bangladesh and beyond have a very good reason to feel disturbed.

On a personal note, let me make it very clear that I am not a member of any political groups in Bangladesh. But I have deep respect for Mr Rahman, as I know that he has been honest and brave in exposing the wrongdoings of the people in power. When many columnists remained largely silent and exercised self-censorship during the last army-backed government, he was the one to write relentlessly against human rights violations during those two years. He was the man to challenge them! After Awami League came to power, he continued writing for the betterment of his country and against India’s political and economic hegemony in the region and against the Bangladesh government’s subservient policies.

Recently I contacted a lawyer who has been partly involved in handling Mr Rahman’s case. This is what he said to me:

“He [Mahmudur Rahman] was taken to an unknown place, eyes were folded, he was undressed, tortured,,,,was not allowed to sign a letter of authority for ‘appointment of lawyer’ (it was later allowed), he was kept in police custody without food and drink for long hours, he was not allowed to see his lawyers / family members for over 24 hours. He was arrested on 1 June, by now he has lost his weight @ 7 Kgs, he was taken on police custody for interrogation in criminal cases which were filed after he had been arrested!!!…..his life is endangered. Please see the reports (Naya Diganta, Amar Desh, others 3 June - 15 June). His very arrest was unlawful. He said to his lawyers/family members and even to the Court that he had been brutally tortured: physically and mentally….starvation, inhuman and degrading treatments in violation of all norms of human rights, constitutional safeguards….all have taken place by now….”

Upon court appearance, Mr Rahman told the judge that he was not supposed to be alive after what he had gone through in police custody and asked the judge to save his life.

Historically, Awami League, the political party currently in power in Bangladesh has always been against freedom of the press. On June 16, 1975, the then Awami League government had closed all newspapers except four under government control and banned all other political groups. Since this regime came to power in early 2009, it has kept torturing people of opposition political groups, threatening journalists and shut down television channels like Channel 1and Jamuna TV, and the second most widely-circulated newspaper Amar Desh.

What I have gathered after reading different news stories on Mr Mahmudur Rahman’s arrest and tortures on him is that: He was severely tortured by unidentified five people in one early morning in the name of remand; he was blindfolded, stripped naked. When those men started torturing him, he fainted and remained senseless for many hours. He was questioned not about the issues relating to his cases; but about other extra-judicial matters.

People in Bangladesh believe that Mr Rahman has been the target mainly for his writings where he talked about the regime’s complicity in the killings of about 60 army officers in February 2009 and about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy’s involvement in financial corruptions.

I most humbly request all to do whatever they can to put pressure on the Bangladesh government to rescue this uncompromising writer.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Posted by admin on June 20, 2010 under Bangladesh

Thoughts on BAKSAL, Mahmudur Rahman and the media

The first Awami regime after the birth of Bangladesh introduced a one-party political system in the country by banning all other political groups and shutting down all opposition news outlets. This is a fact and not a fiction. That regime committed a criminal act and waged a war against democracy, for which Awami League has never apologized. People of the country including those belonging to Awami League know this very well.

The political strategy the current Awami regime is following gives us a clear signal that Sheikh Hasina’s government wants to remain in power for a very long time by re-establishing the one-party political system in Bangladesh; and that is why she is stifling political dissents and disallowing opposition rallies, which she may dare to believe will lead to the perpetual rule of her party.

Despite this blatant undemocratic stance of Awami League, both domestic and foreign media are largely silent about Awami brutalities. Since the media largely influence public opinion, people of the country are thus kept in oblivion about the fascist nature of the current regime in Bangladesh. What a section of media usually highlights, for example, is Jamaat-e-Islam’s political stance of 1971 in favour of a united Pakistan. After about four decades of the liberation of Bangladesh, Jamaat’s political stance in 1971 can be interpreted in two ways: firstly, it was totally wrong to espouse to retain a united Pakistan given all the inequalities that existed between West Pakistan and East Pakistan; secondly, the way Indian BSF personnel are killing hundreds of Bangladeshis every year and given other Indian economic and political exploitations of Bangladesh may vindicate the Jamaat fear of 1971 that a Bangladesh axed from Pakistan would be subject to Indian hostilities, which is actually the present day reality. However, this is a matter of political and historical analysis and should be done in an academic way.

Nonetheless, if Jamaat’s stance was wrong (and I believe it was), it can also be interpreted as its right to hold a political opinion. What is important to note is that Jamaat leaders have wholeheartedly accepted Bangladesh and shown loyalty to the state. I do not know any Jamaat leader who has said that Bangladesh should rejoin Pakistan. In terms of the gravity of crime, establishing BAKSAL was not a lesser offense. What is more, Awami League has not yet declared that it would never pursue such a political goal and their current activities suggest that they do not tolerate any opposition parties or dissent voices. The current Awami government has practically turned many police stations in Bangladesh into torture cells for the opposition party people and for the ones like Mahmudur Rahman who expose the regime’s misdeeds.

Unfortunately, the Awami BAKSAL crime is not highlighted in the media. The line of reporting of a section of Bangladeshi newspapers seems to meet the ‘wishes’ of a neighboring country that is bent on scoring political and economic dividends from Bangladesh while Awami League in power. Shutting down electronic and print media is now deemed to be taken for granted. While an editor is being tortured most inhumanly in police custody, many media agencies are turning blind eyes to the regime’s fascist inclination. Tortures on Mahmudur Rahman have now become a normal practice and many media people are not using their influence to rescue him.

Let us imagine that an editor of one of the many newspapers ‘loyal’ to the neighboring country is tortured in the way Mahmudur Rahman is, what would be the reaction of the local and international media? The leverage of our neighbouring country in international politics and in the media world may be the main reason why global media is largely silent about the tortures on Mahmudur Rahman. It is true that being a poor country we may not be able to exercise such leverage in the near future. But what is frustrating is that a section of our local media is also keen on going along with outside instructions in its reportage.

Mahmudur Rahman’s patriotism is now being tested, and I believe he will remain firm and true to his country in the face of all these state persecutions. We pray to God so that we will see him alive and unharmed after the inhuman remand tortures he is going through at the moment. Mahmudur Rahman’s love for the country has set a target which is beyond the reach many editors who are busy earning the pleasure of the regime.

We know about a number of sweet sounding international organizations like Amnesty International, PEN, Article 19, Reporters sans frontier and Human Rights Watch that are supposed to defend free speech and human rights. Unfortunately, we may not see their intervention to stop the tortures on Mahmudur Rahman, and that is perhaps because he does not fit in their international political agendas. However, I strongly believe that a Mahmudur Rahman – alive or dead – after these tortures in remands will have a greater claim on the gratitude of the people of Bangladesh. A true national hero is in the making, while editors of many newspapers are carousing in the kitchen and pantry of Awami League and its foreign patrons.

Author: Shimul Chaudhury

Posted by admin on June 18, 2010 under Bangladesh

Eye wash or window dressing

A high ranking Opposition stalwart, as the report published in his verbatim in some dailies on the 7th June, stated in an open discussion forum that the Awami League must seek apology for all their misdeeds during Mujib’s rule during 1972-75. Would that be enough to ask from them? How about not referring with deep hatred the significant other anti-national actions they orchestrated during 1996-2001 and as well as of one and half year misrule now on since January 2009? Did he not try to act to hedge Hasina’s past and present oppressive misrule and her killing democracy and supporting her tacitly in many grossly anti-national activities and leading the country to re-embark fully on to the BKSAL?

The truth about the first to mention is that Hasina’s oppressive misrule, more or less, still in people’s memory but the 1972-75 of her father and of the same party that ended 35 years ago that had been given to let to be almost totally forgotten in the memory of the present generation in which the Opposition has a lot contribution. The present generation rather, hurrah, to the endless uninterrupted huge mountain of propaganda, have began to forget Mujib’s role of betrayal repeated in history like that of the Mir Zafar of Pallasey’s 1757 A.D. and so many have accepted him without serious question as the angel of the time, if not for worship as demigod by the Muslims for their belief in the Tawheed or Absolute Monotheism.

There must not have any doubt that the people soon after 1971 independence had started to bitterly realize that Hasina’s father was nothing but a demagogue. Unfortunately they had no scope for respite from the demagogue’s absolute rule until fortune favored people all in the successful army coup organized and operated by a few exceptional quality heroes of the army middle ranks who in turn had jubilant support from the people at home and abroad. Anything short of due and honest appreciation of the heroic act could hardly be of any worth of condemnation of the Awami League/ BKSAL.

The Opposition, the main being the BNP’s stalwarts, have had always shied away from the great event of history of Bangladesh. In other words, they have only, in this matter, lined up tacitly at least with the Hasina’s demonic administration of shear vengeance against the heroes during 1996-20001. Among many examples, they did not oppose the Indemnity Act repeal bill in the Parliament in late 1996. Very cleverly they boycotted the session while the repeal bill had been passed with slender majority, not two third as required, as if they had nothing to do uphold the 15th August 1975 revolutionary change, the stark reality though remained that had there been no 15th August, BNP would not have even been born. The rebirth of some other minor Muslim/Islamic parties as well would not see any light of the day for democracy and pluralism. On this account, it is clear a thesis proved that they have no identity except as the betrayer just as the Awami League happens to be for the people and of the country.

God willing should the right sense prevail now, they have to keep on condemning the judicial murder of the five of the heroes executed in unusual haste on the 27-28 midnight 2010 in the Dhaka Central Prison so that the sins already committed by the opportunist Opposition elements might be reprieved to some extent. Otherwise, it will remain an eye wash to hoodwink common people or for something of window dressing to artificially cover up their gravely sinful omission.

Author: BK Din

Posted by admin on June 8, 2010 under Bangladesh

On the 27 January BKSAL Reappeared in Bangladesh

Real pities for those who now lament for reappearance of the notorious BKSAL in Bangladesh after it had the formal burial 35 years ago back in the year 1975 in the early morning of the 15th August but did hardly oppose the ‘murder case’ against the heroes of the great event in Dhaka.

I would term them, forgive me, to be harsh that they had already missed the bus at least about six months ago for cowardice to stand up to against the judicial murder of the great actors and brilliant heroes of the team of the Bangladesh army men who resolutely and determinedly fought and worked to make the formal burial on the auspicious August morning that memorable day in the midst of mass jubilation of the people in and out. In fact, the patriotic people of Bangladesh had enjoyed the fall and burial along with the fall of the dictator who sponsored and initiated the demon of BKSAL. The successful coup then recognized internally and externally as such provided full legitimacy to the great change from BKSAL to openness and multiparty democracy. The heroes had automatic indemnity for the unfortunate blood letting on both sides in the engagements, very brief though for minutes, legitimated as also had been their Indemnity for the great act of change. They had in no way been ordinary killers but successful army coup operators.

In mid 1996 soon after Hasina took on the State power of Bangladesh she swooped on the heroes of the 15th August as ‘ordinary killers’ of her father, the notorious 20th century Mir Zafar of this country that had in 1757 A.D. the first notorious betrayer ruler Mir Zafar in greater Bengal of the period.

The formal Indemnity provided by the post 15th August 1975 Bangladesh Government had been cancelled in the Parliament by Hasina with slender majority, not two third as it had required being part of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution adopted in April 1979. The most curious thing was that the Opposition BNP in the Parliament did boycott the session to get the Indemnity cancelled by Hasina to frame up ordinary murder case against the 15th August heroes! She had her firm stand to quench the blood for blood so much so that she misused further all State powers at the disposal ultimately to get a death sentence passed by KANGAROO COURT (Lisa Journal April-June 2010, London) and execution made in unusual haste on the 27 -28th mid night in the Dhaka central prison. She cared nothing for appeals made from almost all civilized countries and humanitarian organizations that she had had joined politics for to avenge the blood of her father (See daily Naya Diganta, 24 March 2009, Dhaka, etc and many other publications). That the trial leading to the death sentence was solely driven by Hasina’s politics of shear vengeance was recorded by many here and there (See, for example, The Economist, 27 November 2009).

Once the 15th August anti BKSAL coup had been nullified by the execution, the BKSAL has had automatically reappeared here with still more ferocious venoms not only to bite and eat up all Opposition forces including the BNP but also the independent existence of Bangladesh, the BIG NEIGHBOR in all her mode this time can not afford to loose to keep Hasina and the dynasty alive and in continuity as their most loyal puppet in Bangladesh and not as anything of the independent and sovereign entity. In fact, that is why for Delhi’s serious need and for their supportive plan the heroes had been hastily executed.

The road map is now set for the patriotic people for the only job to rise against the machinations in a revolution still much bigger in momentum than the 15th August of 1975 for Delhi is now much better equipped with nuclear arsenal than in 1975, and further that the highly intelligent army men led by Farook-Dalim-Shahriar successfully operated the coup by bluffing then both the PM Indira and her intelligence, the RAW.

Author: BK Din

Posted by admin on June 6, 2010 under Bangladesh

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

Posted by admin on June 5, 2010 under Bangladesh

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

Posted by admin on June 5, 2010 under Bangladesh

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

Posted by admin on June 4, 2010 under Bangladesh

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

Posted by admin on June 3, 2010 under Bangladesh

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!