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India as a scared elephant in the region

From: Innovation Line
Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 5:04 AM

India as a scared elephant in the region
This article could be an introduction of a book on Bangladesh - India relations, writing of which would be completed in next 30 years!

Lets take a look at India from a different perspective. Have you ever encountered a scared elephant which may be concerned with its own security? How about if the elephant thinks that others adjacent to the creature is going to hurt it physically? If you can visualize the scene, its certainly not a pleasant one, specifically for those who are around the scared elephant risk being fatally injured, if not more. 

Now it's a different question whether the concern of the elephant is justified and whether the elephant should at all be scared. We can debate day after day on the justification - but the fact is if the elephant is scared, then it is scared and it is dangerous for its neighbors. 

Now think of Bangladesh beside a scared India. If some of the policymakers there (in India) are also irresponsible (a portion of them), then India will be comparable to a scared elephant who can be very dangerous for BD, isn't it?

So, what to do about it?

The best thing to do is do nothing about it - just chup chap bose thako. Do our own thing. Hopefully the scare of the elephant will go away over time. Off course, we have to make sure that we aren't hurt, now.

Ok, let us say that we are safe in the short term. What about in the future?

What if the scare do not go away? What if there is something inside it which is making India scared. That is a tough situation to be in - if that is really the case. In that situation, if true, doing ONLY our own thing is not probably the right strategy in the long term. Something should be done to reduce the scare, to help the giant scared elephant. What are those, if any?

 

We hope to continue this elo-melo vabna on the national security that arises from sometimes 'irresponsible" behaviuor of our giant neighbor. This is an advance article for our policymakers and politicians to think about.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columnists in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

 

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Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by 

the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want 

to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article as Creative 

Commons contents.

After election of December 2008, we have been silent - we are observing what Hasina government does with the trial of war 

criminals. We would stay silent until we really make up our mind about the intention of war criminal trial by AL government. But 

this article is one of the few exceptions which needed immediate attention.

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Hasina's about-turn to her commitment to change

From: Innovation Line
Date: Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 11:13 PM

Hasina's about-turn to her commitment to change

Her first major failure to show the nation that she is capable

Let us first give the credit, where it is due. AL as a party has complied to the rules set by EC, held its council and submitted

its constitution. More importantly, the party has selected a relatively younger leader to be the General Secretary. However, Hasina forgot her own commitment to change her party - create a new party which will deliver the charter of change to the nation.

Are we to believe that the councilors do not have the capacity to elect the full committee of the party? Even if they decide to 

continue the farcical culture of empowering the Netri to make the committe, why can they do it before the council is over? Hasina could announce a slate of committee members to the councilors which they could have suported. But she did't do it. Why? 

On the face it, at the least, its the imcompetence that stands out.  Beyond incompetence, there could be a number of possibilities that includes previous corrupt practice of selling these positions to the highest bidders as they used to do for the nomination of MP candidates. 

If she can't change the way the party is run (let alone to relinquish the party top position while being PM), how could we beleive that she can deliver the charter of change or a digital Bangladesh? So far, it was honeymoon period for the last six months. However, the way the party council has been conducted, it has demonstrated the first major failure of Hasina as a leader. 

Things to watch in near future:

1. Hasina's selection of cabinet was welcomed by many - however, it is time to assess their performance. Lets see whether you have learned how to assess. 

2. The parliamentary committees are primarily to make policies, they are not investigation agencies. Hasina should know this. They aren't doing their job.

3. The current celing 10% limit of technocrat ministers quota should be abolished or increased at least. Hasina should formalize some of her advisers as full ministers in technocrat quota.

4. It is time to implement the Human Rights Commission fully and make it effective.

5. It is time to implement the Right to Information Act fully and take meaningful steps so that people can benefit from it.

6. Initiate town-hall style citizens consultation meetings about Asian Highway, Chittagong Deep Seaport, Tipaimukh. 

7. Complete the judicial reforms (Oust imcompetent and rajakar sympathezers from the High Court) that was initiated by the CTG.

8. Try the war criminals.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columnists in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Re: Interesting Information about Voter List and National ID.

On 8/8/08, Mustakim Islam <mostakim2001@hotmail.com> wrote:

Interesting Information about Voter List and National ID.

Hi, Dear friendsThe reams of paper used in the voter list and national ID project is enough to cover 850 football fields!

The laminating foils used, if staked one above another would outsmart the height of Mt. Everest by 3.5 times!

The total size of all the DVDs used is about 50 terabyte! Can hold all the Hollywood movies made so far in digital format!

The total size of the database (largest in the world, larger than CIA and FBI) is equal to the overall size of the data available in the Internet (excluding video and graphics). It is five times the size of all the books (converted in digital format) available in the largest library of the world - the Library of Congress!

If one typist sits to type all the data (without any break, sleep, food, toilet) he would need two and half centuries to complete the project by himself.


Even the giant laptop manufacturer DELL fell short in their raw material to supply the laptops for this project. They had to dig in African soil for silicon for the production of microchip!

Samsung company supplied us the printer toner. The man-in-charge of Samsung company came to Bangladesh only to make sure that the demand we placed was accurate. He was confused about the number of zeros we put after 1 in the demand form!

This is the fastest collection of demographic data in the world. The second is Pakistan. They took 5 years. Many European countries are visiting us to learn how to do this job.

The most accurate database in the world - UN Chief of Bangladesh.

The most common birthday in Bangladesh is 01 January - 1.29% according to estimate. The least is - 29 February, naturally - .009%!

If all the voters in Bangladesh (8,06,00,000) unite, they can choose any party/president/ prime ministers in the world through free and fair election(Except for India and China)!

Bangladesh do not need any sectarial science or office managment graduates?

A case could be made against the decision that has been reported in the following news item attached below.

 

It can not be true that the country do not need these graduates. So, we must be missing something.

 

What is the problem with these two programs? Its too early to learn secretarial science? Or is it too early to learn office management?

 

Those who have worked in Dhaka knows that most of the good office secretaries and front office executives are O-level and A-level graduates who do not want to study further or who are just taking a break before they decide for higher studies. So, the same topics can not be too early for HSC level students. Rather it would seem logical that with the increase in our need to hire them as we expand our services industry, it should be seen a good way to produce more workers with soft-skills. So, why the counter-intuitive decision from the national curriculum board, who has so far proven beyond doubt that they have been a worthless some.

 

Or is it that the graduates of these programs are not as per expectation of the industry? If that is the case, then measures should be taken and the teachers should be trained so that they can produce better graduates, hopefully with more emphasis on at least one foreign language.

 

Or is it that these graduates have started taking away the jobs of O-level and A-level dropouts and at the same time, they might be bringing the salary level down, too. So, could this decision be a result of the lobbying of the english medium schools?

 

We should clarify that we are not here to accuse somebody for nothing. However, the decision seems to be counter-intuitive from the context of market need. All we are asking that some stakeholder should look into the actual reasoning and merit of the decision and make sure that it helps broader national interest. Business associations (e.g. FBCCI, DCCI, etc) are relavant shakeholders in this and they should be worried about this decision.

Bangladesh may allow transit to India.

Our geographical location makes India dependent on Bangladesh for only one transit-route. That is Kotkata -Dhaka - Chittagong - Yangon transit-route. We also feel that India should reciprocate this goodwill on our part by allowing a transit-route between Kathmundu - Dhaka and by allowing a transit-route between Thimpu - Dhaka.

 

 

We have said it all in the headline and sub-headline of the article. The only left is to answer this question -"If that is true, then what is all the fuss in a portion of the Bangladeshi press?"

 

Well, to find out about that you will have to ask those stupids. Its perplexing though, how come so many journalists and so many editors can simultaneously act such stupid? Well, if they are not stupids, they should work on their vocabulary. They need to get their definitions right.

 

There might be a supplimentary question from those newspapers who have been publishing with serious errors - "Well, we understand, what you are saying. Lets say we don't call that transit-route anymore. We stand corrected. Lets say, we call those alleged demands from India as something else - corridors. What do you say about that?"

 

Our answer would be - first start using the correct vocabulary. Lets first see how the transit-routes work out. Let India prove whether they really are "Incredible India" or whether they are "Irresponsible India" as far as its immediate eastern neighbors (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar) are concerned. Once a good reciprocity is achieved on these proposed transit-routes, that will improve the body language of the relations among different nations in this region. Let the first step to happen. That would take a generation. Let the next generation think about what can happen in their time.

 

Ok, ok, eta na hoi bujlam. But what do you say about this question - "We might have our problem with the India's attitude or behaviour. But doesn't that hurt the general people of their north-eastern states (the so-called seven sisters). Because, even Indian government doesn't take care of the people in those states, it's often alleged. A direct proof in support of that allegation is that India has an Emergency Power Act imposed on those seven states for several decades. Don't we have a responsibility for those people?"

 

Our first response would be - 'Ma er cheye, mashir dorod dekhano ta ki valo?" On a serious note, we think we are addressing that, too. At least a portion of that concern. See the news time attached below, from the Bangla version of bdnews24.com.

 

Moreover, we have previously proposed to empower the cheif executives of the district councils of our bordering districts to take combined local projects in partnership with their Indian and Burmese counterparts so that more uniform and people-to-people exchange infrastructure are developed in our regions. We hope that would happen in coming years. On the same note, we have also previously proposed that Bangladesh should setup special economic zones for re-export processing in the bordering districts that can effectively proxy the corridor as far as economics is concerned. 

 

In the meantime, let us start with the transit-route projects. Bangladesh should allow transit to India, only if reciprocated. Our geographical location makes India dependent on Bangladesh for only one transit-route. That is Kotkata -Dhaka - Chittagong - Yangon transit-route. We also feel that India should reciprocate this goodwill on our part with allowing transit between Kathmundu - Dhaka and Thimpu - Dhaka transit-route.

Subsidy neutral life-styles and businesses.

We belong to such a country, like many other countries around the world, there are a huge number of people who are passing their days in unthinkable misery. As a private citizen or as a private business-person, we can't do much to solve the whole problem. We participate in the governance process whenever we are given a chance. And we hope that things will get better - soon.

But can we, those who are better off in this country, can we pass a day without the feeling of guilty for just being well off? Can we really pass a day without feeling sorry when our private cars or taxi or CNG stops at the trafic signal and see some unfortunate little girl or boy begging for money or trying sell some flowers? Don't be worried, because the fact that he or she is still alive, its a big win against many of the odds, since most likely this kid has grown up in a slum in Dhaka. Have you ever been to a bosti? If not, we would suggest that you go visit some bosti someday. Then, you will appreciate the level of luck that those boys or girls have been bestowed upon by The Almighty for just being alive so that they can beg or sell flower to you. That might reduce some of your guilty feeling, because most likely, if you are watching these little boys and girls from a private car, most likely you did not have so much good luck in your life. You were lucky at the birth in that you were not born where those little kids did. However, after the birth, in every step of the way, those little kids were luckier than you (probably) to be able to live until now so she or he can sell flowers to you. If you think that way, guilty feeling should indeed reduce a bit.

However, we did not start to write this article to reduce your guilty feeling, rather we wanted to increase your guilty feeling by highlighting the problem that we have within ourselves. Once that feeling is bumped up enough, it is our hope that you will be motivated to netralize your life-style from the state subsidy. It is also our hope that some NGO will help you with that by offering that service soon. Because at the end, it is our aim to make you guilt free as much as possible. We want to do that not out of goodwill to you (off course, we have goodwill for everyone), but we feel that a guilty feeling does not help a person to go far in life. So, if we can make you guilt free, hopefully, you will become an enlightened person (in the words of Abdullah Abu Sayeed sir, 'Alokito Manush') and you will reach such a stage in life that you might actually think about doing something so those poor kids can become unlucky like you!

Before going into the main topic, we want to talk about another thing - just to give you the right perspective. You must have heard about the word carbon-neutral. People and businesses in many developed countries are spending a lot of money to become carbon neutral. You know what they getting by doing that? They are clearing their conscience, they are trying to become guilt-free. What kind of guilt we are talking about here? Have you heard the recent hue and cry that started about climate change? Many people around you must be shouting that rich countries are causing global warming, causing problem for us. So, the rich countries should compensate us since we are being affected for them. Talks have started and this would be handled in some way (hopefully in a good way) - even though the process of these type of intergovernmental negotiation would be very complex. However, the people and businesses at the individual level is not sitting idle for their government. There are many organizations who are selling carbon credits to individuals and businesses and they are buying those credits to become carbon-neutral by themselves. People are not just sitting idle for the day when the government will settle the issue and let them free from guilt. Responsible people and responsible businesses do that.

With this background, we should first mention that in Bangladesh, even though their numbers will be few, there are people who needs to buy similar carbon credits if they want to be carbon neutral. However, our topic today is not being carbon neutral. It is about subsidy neutral.

When you buy a flower in the trafic light from those little kids, you probably don't need the flower, still you buy, because you want to feel good, you want to help the poor boy or the poor girl. Has it ever occured to you that the air-conditioner that is running in your car, the fuel that is being used to run the car and the air conditioner, some part of that fuel price is being paid by those poor kids? Are you surprised? Don't be. Most likely, those little kids have paid you more than you will be paying them in your whole life, even if you spend taka 10 everytime you buy something from them. Ironic isn't it? Not only that, most likely the computer that you are using to read this article, the electricity that you are using to power your computer, a portion of that electricity was also paid for by those poor kid!

How come - you will ask? Don't be surprised. Just like the world is a complex system and its now coping to find out a mechanism to equitably share the basic resources like carbon footprint, our national government is also a complex system, albeit an inefficient one, too, compared to many others in the developed countries. In many cases, the system cannot differentiate the poor and rich, although in many other case it does. Because of those inefficiencies, we, the rich get a lot of subsidies that we really do not deserve. More importantly, those subsidies, if they could be separated, could be used to buy books or medicine for some kids. Since the government isn't able to make the distinction yet, we are getting the money that we don't need through various subsidies. Don't you feel guilty for having been using such an unnecessary advantage? We are sure you do. But there is no need to wait for the day when government will be efficient enough so it won't make this kind of mistake anymore.

Hope to get some organization in near future that will provide you this service, to calculate how much money you owe to the society from unnecessary subsidy and you can become neutral by paying that back. Or you can calculate that for yourself if you want to do it now. Do not confuse it with zakat. If you pay zakat or some other donations to the poor, that calculation should "ideally" start after you become subsidy-neutral.

A similar thing should be done for the business firms. There is a recent talk about making CSR expenses tax free. We think, donations at the private level should be made tax free first and see how far NBR can check the abuse for fear which it is still not allowed. CSR spending by the businesses should not be made tax free now. If government wants to do that, to make CSR spending tax free, that count should start only after the businesses become subsidy neutral. It should be mandatory for businesses.

There is also another dimension. In many capital markets of the world, there are separate indexes that include only companies that fulfill certain kind of benchmark. For example, an investor who is looking for Sharia complaint investment, there is an index in NYSE that helps you do that. If you are looking for companies who are environmentally responsible (i.e. green), there are many services available to help with that.

In line with this, in Bangladesh, some civil society or NGO organiation should offer a service to identify the amount of money that different business houses are getting as government subsidy, they get it through different generalized subsidy mechanisms of the government (e.g. fuel subsidy, electricity subsidy, water subsidy, etc) even though the business might not need it. Once that information is public, the individual companies can try to become subsidy-neutral. Once they become subsidy-neutral, only the amounts above that should be treated as tax-deductible CSR expense, if government wants to go that route.

Chief Executives of the Districts - President's Ministers (similar to Premier / Governor)

Zilla level elected chief exucutives should be differentiated from those of Upzilla Level. A better title for these locally elected officials are Governors, who will be bestowed the President's authority within the district. This elected official will be the "President's Minister of the District".

 

An effective local government is very important to ensure the plight of the millions of people in rural Bangladesh be fullfilled in a participatory manner. In order to achieve that the current government is currently proceeding in the right direction - by first holding the Upzilla election. Also, there will be Union level, municipility level elections. The hightest level of the local goverment is the Zilla Porishod.

 

Now, what should we call the chief exucutive of the Zilla Porishod? These positions should be designated as President's Minister for "District Name" (e.g. President's Minister for Faridpur or President's Minister for Dinajpur) with job descriptions that a governor of a US state or the premier of a Canadian or Australian province/state.

 

We could go on describing more details, however, this can be sorted out if we decide on principle to call the chairman of a Zilla Porishod with a different name. It is important to distinguish these important offices of local government which would be the highest post in the local level. These offices should be given the few responsibilities such as primary education, high-schools upto grade 12, sanitation, rural roads, etc.

Moving forward - Akku Chowdhury

THE year 2007 was the most significant for Bangladesh after our liberation on December 16, 1971. The 35 years of chaos and confusion reached a crescendo towards the end of 2006. Although we have not seen the end of it all yet, we can only pray and hope we don't have to see such ruthless violence in the near future as witnessed in October 2006.

All said and done, our political forces talk about democracy -- but in practice it is autocracy and totalitarianism. As a result, to meet their goals or demands, they are more comfortable in using the politics of streets and violence rather than the parliament. This has resulted in the people being totally disgusted with politicians and the political system.

This is the sad part of our history that when democracy is only in an embryonic stage, being merely 15 years old, there is already apathy with large segments of the public about politics, the system, and the value of democracy.

All our values that came with our thousands of years of heritage, culture, history is being drowned in the degradation of our society which has become overcome with greed for power and money, nepotism, intolerance, perversions, intellectual bankruptcy, socio-political degradation, and so on and so forth.

I know I am drawing a very negative picture but look deep down into our society and you can see where we have ended ourselves in. We have reached the bottom of the pit and burnt the ladder to get out. This is all our own doing and we cannot point the finger at anyone else.

It is most unfortunate that even after 36 years of independence we are still struggling to put our history in the right perspective. Although most of the freedom fighters are still alive, we as a nation have not bothered to set the records right, instead they have been used to serve the interest of power hungry leaders and their cronies.

The new generation is being deprived of knowing the glorious history of our liberation struggle, which would, definitely imbue them to become patriots and dedicate to serve the nation.

The present leadership in power has called for national unity to build Bangladesh as a prosperous nation. This can be achieved when we tell our children the true history of our liberation war which will teach them the sacrifice the freedom fighters made for us to be citizens of a free nation.

Since our independence we have been like nomads, and the nation, as a whole, had neither a direction nor a vision. As a result we have engulfed ourselves in corruption, cronyism, and moral degradation that have made us politically, socially, and economically bankrupt.

After January 11, 2007, the nation has a whiff of fresh air and like a "second coming" looks forward to the rebirth of the nation to move towards building a "Golden Bengal" that the freedom fighters fought for. This can only be achieved if we get leaders with the right vision to move forward and the belief in the Spirit of 71 which is that of sacrifice and selflessness to build a "Golden Bengal."

It is not only our moral obligation to the freedom fighters but also our moral obligation to those heroic sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence to commit us to build Bangladesh as a prosperous nation. As we fight to rid our nation of the corruption and evil forces that brought us to our knees we must not forget to punish those who opposed (Razakars, Al-Badr and Al- Shams) our national struggle for independence in 1971. It is important that the truth should be revealed and what happened in 1971 needs to be known not to look backward but for the nation to move forward. We must clear the ashes and debris from 1971 so that we can be reborn like a phoenix and fly to higher grounds.

The big question is how much of this expectation will turn into reality? We have a commission to wipe out corruption and investigate the corrupt, un-transparent Transparency International looking over our shoulders to report our corruption, the international community making sure we follow all the standards of human rights and democratic norms (what a joke), and so on and so forth.

This is all well and good, but what is important now for the nation to move forward is to raise the issues and bring to light the 1971 war crimes, crimes against humanity, the genocide, and other criminal activities that was perpetuated by the Pakistani military, Pakistani politicians, and Pakistani business troika with the collaboration of few Bengalis.

Those who were responsible have already been identified, but except for few Bengali collaborators none were tried. Even the trial of those people that began in 1973 under the Collaborators Act were abruptly stopped after the killing of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman, and the accused including some who were tried and punished were pardoned on December 31, 1975.

Just like the crime itself, this pardon was another crime against humanity to add salt to the wound. The time has come for us to take up the thread and re-open the cases by setting up a tribunal and move towards making a plea to the International Criminal Court to try those Pakistanis who were responsible for the crimes in 1971. The wait has been too long, the families of the victims of 1971 have waited for the last 36 years, let us try to repay the debt by trying the perpetrators and murderers in national and international courts.

As we await for democracy to get rooted with a free and fair election, it is the expectation of all that the evil that dwells amongst us in the form of war criminals and "a legacy of blood that remains unpunished" should be immediately taken care of.

We can move forward if only we wipe out our horrible past by trying and punishing the perpetrators of the 1971 genocide. The time has come for our generation to solve this issue and not pass this burden of guilt to our next generations. It is our responsibility to complete the task we undertook in 1971 to free our motherland from the clutches of evil-doers. Now it is we who must complete that job which remains unfinished.

 

Moving forward

Akku Chowdhury
Published On: 2008-06-01 The Daily Star

[Akku Chowdhury is the founder-director of the Liberation War Museum]

Bangladesh Govt.'s Budget for 2008-2009 Financial Year

We have been suggesting few broad principles over the last year. And we are happy to see many of the things reflected on the broad planning. Thank you! Here are some additional points.

 

1. Increase the implementation rate. BD Govt. has for the first time in history has reduced the ADP year to year. Usually, it is set at higher point and adjusted lower at the end. The current government has also done that with the just finished year. Thanks to our laggard bureacracy, if not incompetent and unpatriotic. Now, take this challenge. For the first time in history, adjust the yearly budgetary allocation upwards - after making sure that you will be actually able to cross the line for the first  time in history. Can you do that? How? If we were you, we would make a list of bureacrats who will be under constant watch. The message should be very clear to them. Work  round the clock - forget sleep. Either achieve the goal or work so hard that you get sick and leave job for medical reasons!

 

2. Introduce incentives for foreign owned local enterprises to invest in R&D. The main target would be to give incentives for the companies to invest their money here, instead of repatriating dollars. The goal would be to netralize some of the reverse FDI. If a proper benchmark can be established, the incentives can be very generous. If one considers how much effort does it take to earn the dollars by our expatriate labours, the importance of restricting the reverse FDI should be fully appreciated. At the sametime, a careful consideration has to be made so that this effort to netralize some portion of the reverse FDI shouldn't adversely affect inward FDI.

 

3. In case of inward FDI, there should be incentives for joint venture initiatives so the industrialization can be balanced without making undue pressure on our long-term forex.

 

4. Make donations for education tax free, please. There might be some mishandling of this opportunity. However, its much better option. Lets see how much mishandle they can do... the degree of mishandling would dicate the policy correction within two three years down the road. But it should start now.

 

5. Many of the foreign owned organizations can start expanding some serive wing in Dhaka to serve their external counterparts. For example, GP call center can start providing call center support to other sister organizations that are owned by Telenor. If they do that, a balance will be achieved in FDI flow. Currently, the high volume of the FDI outflow will be compenstated by the portion of these FDI inflows by this type of service extensions. Now, if policy makers takes a heavy handed approach to this idea, that would back fire. Businesses will do everything, just you have to take them into confidence, let them have a say in the decision making process and do the changes progressively. In short, govt. can start this process by giving incentives. Even if govt. dont get any corporate tax for this branches, we would think them to be good steps since they will generate employment for the local youth and also, they will increase the inward FDI. Off course, the detail arrangement will have to be decided by the experts after reviewing more data. At this stage, this is only an idea. Any thoughts?

 

6. Allocate an amount for a facilitating body or foundation for the promotion of open source movement in the ICT sector. This initiative can be styled as a non-profit or social business type entity. The actual amount can be decided based on some percentage (0.5%) of the outward forex flow that is spent on software and service purchase.

 

7. Allocate an for a venture capital company with a very low interest rate - just for service charge. Just give away this money to some promising venture initiative who will utitilize the money as a start-up fund to support new technology based companies. According to international standards, this type of companies are usually for-profit company. The actual amount can be decided based on some percentage (0.1%) of the outward forex flow that is spent on technology based products purchase. BTW, this is not same as IT Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund which is proposed. The devil is in the details - traditional banks can't operate this fund, let alone the central bank. If that is the case, there won't be thousands of venture capital companies throughout the world.
 

 

8. Allocate an amount for a professional services company initiative that will use money build the local capacity so that local industries can take full advantage of the increasing carbon trading regimes. Again, this professional services company will probably get better results if its incorporated as for-profit company. The actual amount can be decided based on some percentage (1%) of the estimated potential inward forex flow from the carbon trading through participation in CDM. Do not mix up this with the proposed climate change fund. That is a disaster managment approach - which is important. This particular proposal is a proactive approach, which will create job, transfer technology and invigorate overall economy.

 

9. Its time we make the salary of the elected officials much more competitive. If we want to be a giant Signapore one day, we better start that process by paying the elected officials following the same principles that Singpore follows.

 

10. Last but not the least, the govt. should set aside at least 5% of its energy subsidy allocation to invest in renewable energy research, development, commercialization and marketing for obviouis reason. These subsidies can't go on forever if we have to come out of vicious cycle of poverty as a nation. However, government just shouldn't withdraw subsidy without using their brain (just like what donors where suggesting with the jute mills). At the moment, a major thrust should be set up a three component project on solar energy. First component will be about technology transfer arrangement with some German company to build a leading edge PV cell manufacturing plant, second component should try to develop local technology and capacity to combine the cells in solar panels (neutral to any specific PV technology) and the third component should aim to develop a business model and solutions that will allow the individual level solar farms to sell their extra capacity to the national grid. The third component is now being in operation in many areas in California. Its not very complicated and a well-thought out plan could help mitigate our problems with shortage in power grid.

 

 

For proposals 6-8, the actual figures can be adjusted as suitable. However, for all the three initiative, its important that the person behind these initiatives are capable and want to serve the societies. Ideally, these initiatives can be taken with private funding. But the quality of the capital-holders in our current society is such that they would hardly understand and/or be motivated to this kind of initiatives. Hence, government should provide the initial seed funding for these considering the immense potential that these initiatives can bring for the national economy going forward. If you really consider doing these, just do not allocate funding in the budget and let them sit idle somewhere in the exchecker. You will have to identify the correct person(s) who can actually bring these into reality. Why is that? - one might ask. If you do not know the answer to this why, you should not allocate the money at the first place, since most likely that money will either be stolen or misappropriated by someone who has good connections in the bureacracy! Then how would we know where to find the right person? Well, that is the burden of good governance and the burden of being a good policy maker.

 

Aro ekta side comment ase. Meyera naki emnite kom beton pai, compared with their male counterparts with same qualification. If that is the case, income tax holiday should be lower for the females, isn't it? :) Would the policy of upping ceiling of income tax for females have any affect in equalizing the gender gap? How? A better approach could be to reward those companies whose payroll has more balanced representation of both genders. No? Any thoughts?

 

 

Another side comment. Do you know that Brazil has ministry called Ministry of Strategic Affairs? You should know and Bangladesh should consider doing the same. As far as we understand, Bangladesh has four major strategic issues that she needs to clarify to the world community. If that can be done well, our road to a modern and developed country that will be contributing to the world affairs in a responsible manner should be a matter of time. Of those four strategic matters, one relates to a mega-project (no, we are not talking about Mega sea-port. That can be another one, which would bring the number to five). Stay tuned for an upcoming article with a proposal for a nation-wide mega-project, valuation of which would be greater than this budget! Also, we intend to write separate articles on the other three major strategic issues in coming days.

MTV : SPLITSVILLA. Reflection in Bangladeshi Culture.

A kiddo dancing on top of a table is not so rear scene for us but it is really surprising that a grown up lady is doing such deed.MTV a very popular satellite channel is showing a so-called reality show named SPLITSVILLA,where 20 girls are fight for 2 boys.This really amazing that how our mentality has changed.Girls are putting on make-up,sexy outfits and many more stuffs just to attract those two MALE towards them.In return boys are simply having fun,after every round they come infront of the girls and with a smile saying that "We are DUMPING you".With full of tears girls are returning home.

This cannot be a show or whatever they want to name it.MTV is just spoiling the moral values of our young generation.With a heavy heart I admit that SPLITSVILLA is nothing but a insulting platform for the Self-concerned Stupid Girls".I don't know who said it but it is 100% true that beauty and brain doesn't come together,maybe this girls beautiful but aren't they humiliating themselves.We are fighting for Women's' Rights and proving such programmes in our tube.It is so funny.If men and women are equal then why don't we organise a reality show '20 boys fighting for 2 girls?'.MTV will never do this because they most probably love to show off girls.

Yeah some may say that this is for fun but who is enjoying it?ONLY the MALE gender.They laugh at what the girls are doing to win those 2 idiots' hearts.One of them dumped a girl reasoning that "We are dumpimg you because you are playing tricks while this is a real show" please someone explain such stupid comment.Real means Is he going to choose a girl as his Girlfriend or whatever??Everyone is playing with their emotions morals beliefs and just want to be the winner.One of the guy even admitted that "Girls have already started but I will start my flirting tricks later" What is this then?A search for a real love by FLIRTING?"

I don't know but I request all specially girls to look up the word "Dump" in the dictionary.Because I always remember the daily soaps of Indian channels saying that Women's are the nation of Mother,so is this the way they respect their Mother' nation?How can a guy just dump a girl in the first impression and isn't it shameful for those girls who are entitled for being Smart Stylish Hot whatever the fake words are?There is always something to learn from a programme but can anyone say what we are learning from this show?

MTV shouldn't cast such immoral illogical reality show which is simply destroying the next generation of their as well as our because of the satellite progress our young generation could be spoiled too.

Writer:
Dilshad Sarwat
Bangladesh

Mass arrests have created panicky situation in Bangladesh.

It is widely being seen as harassment of political activists
 

Pictured Collected from drishtipat.org
 

It is time to talk about mass arrests again, for the obvious reason that there is growing public disquiet about the whole sordid business. In the eight days since the government launched what was given out as a drive against known and listed criminals, as many as 12,000 people have been detained and carted off to prison. The sheer scale of the operation along with the ferocity of it has left an entire nation reeling. Most surprising is the fact that despite the government's stress on nabbing criminals there has been a wide-ranging operation against political workers throughout the country. In fact, more political individuals than lawbreakers have been taken into custody, which makes hollow the government's claim that the action is only aimed at people who have committed crimes and who have so long remained outside the bounds of the law.

The result has been the creation of unwarranted panic. Reports coming in from various parts of the country vividly describe a condition where workers of the Awami League and the BNP are on the run and party organisational activities are in disarray. And there lies the irony. The relaxation of the ban on indoor politics a few weeks ago had given rise to hope that politics was soon to get back to normal. Now the police as well as joint forces operations have undermined that very move. And at a time when the government says it is trying to bring the parties to a dialogue with it, the drive against political leaders and workers does not tally with its stated intentions. There is a huge disconnect between what it says it is doing and what it is actually doing. The message that is thus being sent out is a disturbing one, especially in conditions that should have been easing the way to the promised general elections. The home ministry has of course issued a statement of the routine sort on the arrests, but it lacks the credibility to be considered acceptable by the public.

The mass arrests, apart from the negative consequences they will likely have on politics, are also a serious instance of a violation of human rights. The wide powers the law enforcers enjoy makes it extremely difficult for innocent people arrested to find their way out of the mess. Over the last few days, the human dimensions of the arrests, similar to those witnessed during the rule of the four-party BNP-led government, have become morbidly clear. Absolute uncertainty about the fate of the arrestees has only compounded the problems for their families, whose anxious presence at the various police stations for news of their dear ones captures, in a large way, the mood of the country.

It is time for the government to evaluate the entire operation and rethink its purpose and effectiveness. The country needs to get back to talk of elections and the ways of their being organised. We ask that, barring those with specific cases against them, all other detained people be freed. And let all harassment against political workers come to an end, if restoration of democracy is the goal.

Four challenges for Mr. Moyeen U. Ahmed - Can you tackle these it?

There has been many talk about the general who was appointed by 4-Party Alliance government to lead the Bangladesh Army and who is also currently a key figure in Bangladesh's public discourse, if not power discourse


So, when it comes to analyzing a personality like him and what he has to offer Bangladesh in terms of leadership beyond the official role of Chief of Army Staff, its not a very easy task. Here are few perspectives and challenges that can be useful while assessing the situation.

1. If the governments of the past has neglected in every other sector of the nation, they too have neglected to perform well in the defence sectors. What are the challenges that Bangladesh's Military Forces face? It can not be a fact that during the last 36 years (as we all refer to the life-span of the country), there is not any logistical as well as resource problem with the force. The national discourse has been focused on all the problems with other sectors and we are certainly fixing as many as problems. However, what was the problem so far with the Military that was neglected? What things should current government and next government do to uplift the status of the military? Can you elaborate and demand of the nation about what should we do to make our military forces better prepared? The emergency that we are going through now was human created - you have no option but help the civilian government if you are asked of it. But if an emergency happens in terms of physical situation (something like Tsunami, Cyclone or Earthquake), what do you need to be better prepared to serve the nation? Can you inform the public about your thoughts on this in broader terms?

 

2. With an extended civilian deployment within the country, what problem it might be creating to the military forces? What are the steps (e.g. training, sessions, etc) that top brass of the military has implemented to counter the side-effects of being exposed to civilian administration for an extended period of time? Two issues are here - do you understand and acknowledge the problem? If you do, what you are doing about it? Would you publicly express your concern about this problem and urge the nation to be aware of the situation and do everything possible so that armed forces can return to their original duty at the earliest possible time leaving the actual determination of the timing to the civilian leadership (i.e. president has asked for help from your force, so you are bound to serve as long as needed. However, would it be within the jurisdiction of yours to let the nation know that as the Army Chief you would rather have your forces back to the barrack asap, if and when government allows that)?

 

3. In addition to being the Chief of Army (government seems to be happy with you in that role as demonstrated by your service contract extension), government has bestowed upon an additional duty to you. You are the boss of the national sports body. How is sports doing lately? We understand that it takes time to get results - be it in development or be it in sports. But laying out the vision should not take that much time, should it? Let us get to some speicifics. Do you envision Bangladesh playing Fifa world cup in the short to medium term? Can you challenge the BFF in achieving that goal within the shortest period of time? How far is that goal? Now that a legend in football has taken the helm of BFF, did you ask Mr. Salahuddin whether he has any excutable plan to work toward that that vision?

 

4. This is the last one and a bit tougher. You have been showing your knowledge and interest in the overal national issues including those of political in nature. Constructively thinking, the nation may welcome a move in that direction if you can demonstrate that you have the capacity. Talking free and giving opinions are easy. Lets see if you also have some materials. For the development of Bangladesh, one of major challenge that Bangladesh faces from foreign policy perspective is the issue of its relations with Myanmar, or rather the lack of relationship with our eastern neighbor. That country is our barrier to benefit from a number of things that we would have otherwise achieved from our South-East Asian neighbors. Since Myanmar is somewhat isolated, we are deprived from that prospect since it has not so far provided us the much needed corridor to the South-East.  Also, the problem with the refugees from that nation has been a continued problem for more than a decade. Both the problem can be addresses simultenously. Specifically, since there is new development focus on Myanmar on the part of UN, this might be an opportune time to come up with overal holistic plan. So here is the most challenging idea. It might be particularly suitable for you since the counterparts in Myamnar also wears uniform and your force is largest contributor to UN peace keeping. Seek permission from your bosses in Dhaka first, off course. If you really can do this, we would assume that the current government would be happy. So, here is your fourth challenge. Connect Cox's Bazar to Yangoon with direct road connection by constructing an international standard wide road. Bypass all the usual hoopla of construction work (e.g. tender, etc), rather once an agreement is reached along with support from UN since it will enable UN agencies to use Bangladesh as another base (similar to Thailand), engage the engineering core of the two national armies to build the road within the shortest period of time. Do it with an urgency since an urgent need of reconstruction is there. If that can be achieved soon enough, people of Bangladesh could more effectively take part in the UN-led reconstruction of Cyclone Nargis. That will also enable our businessmen engage Mynmar economy more quickly and effectively including the possible opportunity of contract farming. This would also be helpful for the refugees, if they want to return to their home countries with specific job offer, working for the contract farmers. Let's see if you are really upto the challenge. Build a railway connection, too, between Yangoon and Chittagong (We are sure you have read the novels of Shorotchondro Chattergy. Remember reading few such novels when others were busy with Masud Rana series, many of the heros of those novels of Shorot Babu would travel to the then Rangoon from Dhaka for professional purposes. Having some of those lost cultural as well as economic connections back would be nice).

 

Accomplish all these challenges, or at least show your intention that you do acknowledge these challenges, we are sure the nation will be proud to have such an effective son.

Surprisingly high interest in Satellite Channels - Can this be translated into consumer benefit?

Sat Channel regulaors and SEC should take this sector as a test case for free investment regime. It might be questioned whether there is an economic justification of this high interest in this sector - however, the approach should be professional. This disproportionate interest, however questionable that might be, should be seen as an opportunity to benefit the national interest (i.e. mature the investment scenario).

If we were the regulator of this sector, we would consider doing the following. Give just several additional license - at least one through auction for a for-profit company (general purpose channel that are foreign language channel), one TV-guide type channel, and at least another for a BBC type non-profit company under social business model, if there is any interested party or a group. In case of for-profit licenses, auction should be used to determine the winner to get a direct financial measure of the interest that numerous corporate houses are showing in this sector (see the following link: http://www.ittefaq.com/content/2008/04/30/news0909.htm ). In case of not-for-profit social business type request, a beauty contest type competition should be arranged to determine the winner - similar to what is followed in many scandinavian countries while giving out licenses.

After this auction is done, there will still many interested investor who want to have a play in this sector. How to translate those market interest into investment that will eventually increase the benefit of the consumers? What to do with that?

So, at the same time, in cooperation with different agencies and the securities exchange commission, we would give a short deadline time for all the locally licensed satellite channel companies to go public through IPO. If the auction value was over-blown (which should be expected demonstrated through these numerous applications), allow the existing satellite companies to value their brand while assessing the value of the company.

Once these companies are public (listed, IPO), do incremental deregulation in the sector - like they have in many other countries. Allow the provision of hostile bidding procedure where interested parties can force AGM by offering more than market price of any company - thereby forcing a transfer of ownership. Off course, there has to safeguards on the issue of national interest so that the local companies do not become easy prey of the foreign investors. We would leave the details for the experts. (This particular practice will an important lesson for our capital markets and the regulator, the SEC. We have not develped our market yet to allow this kind of transactions, however, if we were to progress ahead, these type of rules needs to be examined and implemented as a step by step process to ready the market for global competition).

 

A detailed approach following the broad principles outlined here should be examined to infuse fresh energy in our media sector which is currently going through a dormant phase - as far as creativity and constructive engagement is concerned. We think such an approach will also help settle the question of a sustainable number of businesses for a healthy competition. Also, if a sophisticated policy planning and support is provided to the media industry, this could be another focus area where Bangladeshi economy could aim to become a hub of Asian Engine serving all the major markets (India, China and East Asia).

The Raw Deal that General people of Bangladesh is getting.

The raw deal that general people of Bangladesh is getting

The foolish people elect Hasina and Khaleda to lead them. Both of them are in jail. But none of their Cabinet Secretaries are in jail yet. They are too big to be put in jail. You know why? Cabinet secretaries are all good people, they had no choice but follow the orders of their bosses. But wait, did any of you ever hear that a cabinet secretary resigned from his post due to a conflict with the prime minister? No! Yet, Prime ministers go to jail, but their cabinet secretaries becomes office bearers of constitutional posts. Bah!

(A personal message to readers. If you are privileged so you can have dinner with any of the  Mr. Importants of today's Bangladesh, please make a printout of this article and make them read it over dinner, :) We mean it!)
 

 

We have been repeatedly saying that if we are really serious about changing the fate of the people of Bangladesh, if the CTG really mean business, the most effective thing to do is to ensure some honest, effective and competent people gets elected in all the elections - from unions to the post of MPs. Now, how do you ensure that? There will be many opinions - those convoluted opinions might have some credibility, but why go there? Also, if you guys wants to handpick local leaders using intelligence, that will backfire. Why? If you guys had the capacity to understand those, then Ershad would still be in power in Bangladesh. Democracy has to be allowed to grow with the freewill of people.

It is very straight forward. What is expected of the elected posts and from the politicians are extremely demanding jobs and it needs extremely efficient and competent people to deliver. You have create an environment where people in the individual level are motivated to contest in the election. Once you have a good number of interested people, an enabling environment from the government might accelerate the process. But before that, you have start the process by creating incentives for those who are capable. The best way to ensure that is to make what these posts are - make them professional in the sense that they are very highly paid.

 

The Mayor of Dhaka City should be highest paid job in the city - if we really want this person to perform. Similarly, the Mayors of Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet should be very highly paid jobs. The Mayors of all the municipalities around the country should ensure best paid jobs in the locality. The chairman of the Union Porishod jobs should be full-time jobs and very highly paid. Also, all these positions should entitle them to official residences (a similar practice that we have for President or Prime Minister).

 

The post of MPs should be very highly paid jobs so that these positions become competitive compared with private sector corporate jobs.

 

Until these are done, the country's youth will be repeating the mistakes of Abdul Awal Minto or Morshed Khan. They will think first to steal to become filthy rich with some good intention (may be) in the corner of heart that someday they will start giving back to the country. In the meantime, the rich do not leave them and incapacitate the heart to do any good. And alas! they forget what they were. Even if they don't forget, their baggage becomes so big that they do not have the capacity to maneuver to come out of their corrupt packaging. Another options will be the people like Haji Selims or Mayor Mohiuddins - the people with the street power will be elevated to broker political powers. This group never understood or cared about development in the long term. Or its like Hasina or Khaleda. Some simple housewife or daughter, comes to politics and they are no longer simple. They loose all their originality - if they had any.
 

Or people like Asaduzzaman Noor who don't need money or he is not after corruption. People like him has probably ventured into politics out of pure urge to serve the nation. However, numbers of this kind of people who are accomplished and is beyond many of the shortcomings - they are numbered. So, people like him passes the days in politics making compromises every step of the way and hoping one day he would be big enough so he can make decisions for his party. Alas, with the current structural form - that day would never come. Someone has to change the dynamics within the structure if you have to develop fast. If you do not make those structural changes, Asaduzzaman Noor is also another lost cause in the name of politics - never reaching his own potential.

When all these waste and mis-use of human energy is going on, the only group that is enjoying unchallenged power and the group which is hurting the chance of good governance is this bureaucratic circle of elites. Consciously or unconsciously, they are our burden. This group has to be challenged with injection of professional and competent brains in the politics. Its about time.
 

 

What we are saying that someone has to think about the monthly budget of an office bearer. A mayor or an MP should be paid enough so that his or her standard budget is fully paid and leave some extra when they will no longer be office bearer. This will do a tremendous change in the culture politics. We could go on writing a book on it, but you should just look at any developed modern democracy, you will see the proof. More importantly, we think, it is the only way out from the current hodge-podge situation for Bangladesh.

 

If its that serious then why the proposals aren't moving forward with this otherwise responsive government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed? Do you want to hear? Lets try to  guess. Because, your bureaucrats do not think its a good idea to pay the politicians more than what bureaucrats earn. Or the Election Commissioners do not think that somebody who will be elected through their management should be entitled to earn more than them! Don't you believe this? Off course, this is our guess. But this guess is correct, otherwise, why won't these proposals go forward? And your advisers (most of whom are ex-bureaucrats) aren't sure what to do - listen to they peers or listen to their hearts. Policy making is not so easy - it needs courage. Kake dosh dibo. The elected prime-ministers don't have the courage to break out from the bureaucratic tangle, aar era tu unelected people thinking they have a good opportunity to become famous, but won't take any risk. You guys should know that whatever you thought of these jobs while accepting the offer, its not that easy. Fame and success do not come without courage.
 

 

Lets take a second look.

 

Secretaries think that the politicians should not get paid more money than they get. But when the politicians do crime, they just follow orders. When it comes to going to jail, bureaucrats do not go to jail, its the politicians who goes to jail. Why? Because, bureaucrats were just following order!

 

So, basically what they are saying can be summarized as follows: Bureaucracy is just like a tool. You can use a tool for good purpose or bad purpose. Its the person who should be held responsible if the tool has been used for bad purpose. For example, you can use a knife for good purpose or bad purpose. If someone takes a knife (or a boti) from the kitchen and use that to murder somebody, the knife can't be held responsible. What are you thinking? Don't you agree with this reason? If that is the case, then, can't you just throw a knife in the dustbin and buy a new knife? Eta bolle abaar hobe na. Ebar apnake bola hobe, knife er tu jibon ase! But knife can't be held accountable? That is the raw deal that Bangladesh is getting. Since most of the people is still uneducated, they people elect some fools to office. Doesn't matter who they are, they will become corrupt. The system is designed that way. Politicians comes and goes, but the bureaucrats will become chairmans of different constitutional bodies. How come? One would say the fact that they were part of a failed administration, that would at least disqualify them to take over such an important position as chairman of a regulatory commission. What did they do during their tenure in the bureaucracy? Did they protest in any instances? No, they played by the rule (read they did hamba hamba - thats their qualification). Thats how they became cabinet secretaries or secretaries.

 

All are either incompetent or hypocrites. Most of the bureaucrats are incompetent - a few are competent but they are hypocrites.

 

Not only that. The foreigner group, the people which live in the diplomatic zone of Dhaka or those who fly in to give lessons once in every other week, all are the hypocrites. They know very well (from their home countries) that only a professionally paid elected officials can deliver a working democracy for the benefit of the people. But you will never hear this basic premise from any of those. Why? Because, if you get a group of competent politicians, then how would they be prescribing things upon you!

 

The current leadership of the political parites also do not want to make the elected officials be paid highly. Why is that - you might think? Isn't it counter intuitive that they would be opposing their salary increase? On the face of it, it might seem that way. But if you think a bit, 95% of the current leadership knows that if the positions are made professional, it will attract such competitive people from the private sector that they would not get a chance in that - assuming elections will be held in a level-playing field.

 

So, basically its in nobody's interest to make the positions of the elected officials be made as professional full-time jobs. Except for the general people. Wait, aren't we acting on the assumption that - at least the current CTG is acting in the interest of the general people? Well, these group of emergency room operators seems to beleive that they have operated on the body, there is no need to stich the wounds and make room for the new tissues to be grown to replace the vacuum left by tumors.

 

What exactly we are trying to achieve here? - our esteemed readers might be thinking. Off course, this circular allegations will lead the nation nowhere - you may correctly forecast.

 

And unfortunately, we also agree with you!

 

More unfortunate thing is that if we do not start this cyclic allegations, what we have now - what it seems that we are getting - that is also leading us nowhere. Majority of the people are yet to understand that. They will realize in another 10 years.

 

So, what is the solution? Or do we have any plan to salvage the situation?

 

Yes, we do. We have been shouting for long now. They won't heed to that.

 

Make the elected positions in the Mayor's offices, Upazilla, Zilla and UP Chairman's offices and Parliament full-time paid jobs. The pay scale of these should be much higher than those determined by the PSC. The salary administration of the elected officials should be done through a completely different channel, preferably the EC Secretariat. Politicians go to jail, because the responsibility of failure is upon them. Give them some space. Make these attractive enough so people start considering leaving the corporate jobs and serve the country. Its plain and simple. Only this step can save you all.

 

Also on a different note, for many of you it might be a matter of being famous or popular, for some of you are losing some money, for some of you its about loosing some power, but all of you should remember that most of the people of Bangladesh, it is about life and death, it is about being able to eat two full meal, it is about being able to send their kids to school or buying health care for their old mother. So have some mercy on people.

 

To the daughter of Bangabandhu, have some mercy on people. Go to retirement. Even with your own words, you have reached that point a long time back. So have some mercy on us. Have some mercy on your party. One day you were called in to serve the party. Its strong now. Leave it alone and see from the distance.

 

To the wife of Major Zia, have some mercy on people. Go to retirement. You have shown enough to the nation. Its about time for you.
 

To the members of bureaucracy, have some mercy on people. Stop playing with words, start doing what you are paid for. Also, don't think that war criminals will come back to your rescue. Don't block the tribunal. Its coming.
 

 

You all had your day for dirty plays. Now, let people have a fair chance to life. Before we end, let us append a latest example / evidence that proves our allegation that anything having a potential to make a dent (in real sense) to the power oligarchy of the corrupt self-serving bureaucracy, that is not progressing. And our intelligentsia or civil society members will be mum about it. Why is that? Because, the civil society representation is also taken over by the ex bureaucrats.

Allow us to end this rather lengthy article with a concrete proposal. The salary structure and its administration of the elected officials (starting from councilors of union porishod to the elected MPs) should be part of the budget of Election Commission. It should be their duty to elect this official as they are empowered to hold election by the constitution. It is also their responsibility to make sure that competent citizens gets elected and these people can perform their job professionally. So they should be paid for full time jobs. Now how do you determine the salary. Our proposal is EC should set a benchmark amount (say 500 taka per voter or any lower amount that makes sense) for the salaries of all the elected officials of the republic. They should also set a general formula about how these central fund will be distributed among the elected official as a monthly salary. Next thing that they should address is to find out a way to finance this budget. Its not huge budget if you compare the horiloot that happens in the public accounts (Read the news item below, Just let the ad-hoc public accounts committee to work, you will see. But you have to remove the incumbent secretaries from this ad-hoc committee).

Currently, EC is supposed to get its budget from govt. ex checker. In addition, EC should seek alternate way to finance itself. That does not mean they have to ask for money to foreign governments (We strongly disagree that our EC's decision to bring in transparent boxes from outside help. It is not to say that Bangladesh is already ready to deny foreign help. But the basic governance structure should be built with local resource. Let them help the national ex-checker where those foreign governments are hurting us, but not the election commission or ACC. We should take care of them ourselves, otherwise you will never go there).

Rather EC should sit down with Mr. Chairman of the NBR. In the tax forms, the citizens pay the govt. ex checker the budget to run the country, to provide basic services. Add a separate section in those forms. Let the citizens pay the 300 taka (or more if anyone wants) every year as a salary of their representatives. You can make it voluntary for those who are below the minimum bracket of income tax level. However, let even those who are below the minimum bracket of income to make this yearly payment if they want to. Make this donation tax-free. Government ex checker can compensate any lagging that might be there. For the election commission, it would also be a good feedback mechanism - to understand the support they are getting from the voters. We think this fluctuation of yearly donations will be a better benchmark to judge EC's overall performance - much more effective feedback than the one they are currently considering. Giving the voters none-of-the-above option may be a way to measure the pulse of democracy - but you have to think twice why none of the major democracies has adopted that. Asking the voters to support the EC voluntarily is a better mechanism, we think. Or you can have both and see which one works better.

 

If you do not pave the way for the younger talented committed politicians to engage in the nation building, there would not be much that we can do now. But be sure, there would be time when the current youth might rewrite the stone in your memory "Here lies an important member of the generation which watched over the destruction of their children's future".

Caretaker Govt. formed Public Accounts Committee set to be scrapped

The ad hoc Public Accounts Committee (PAC) created by the caretaker government in December last year to scrutinise reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is now about to being cancelled as it 'violates the constitution'.

With the consent of President Iajuddin Ahmed, the finance ministry formed the ad hoc PAC on December 18 to scrutinise audit reports on government accounts in absence of a parliament.

But the ad hoc PAC is yet to begin functioning as objections were raised from different quarters including the speaker of the last parliament saying that the constitution does not allow anyone other than an elected parliament to form the committee, sources in the finance ministry said.

In the wake of the criticism, the finance ministry is now pondering cancellation of the circular that declared the formation of the ad hoc PAC, a senior official of the ministry told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

Sensing that the committee could not be effective due to the legal debate, the finance ministry did not move to reconstitute the committee following resignation of its chairman, the erstwhile law adviser to the government, in early January of this year, the senior official added.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar has been opposing the government move to form the ad hoc committee from the very beginning.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, the speaker said he again sent his legal opinion over a week ago to the government saying the formation of the ad hoc PAC contradicts with the constitution which authorises only a parliament to form a PAC and other such committees, comprising only its members.

"Duties of elected lawmakers cannot be discharged by non-elected persons. Functions of the committee [ad hoc PAC] will be illegal," Sircar said.

Sources in the office of CAG and finance ministry said the military backed caretaker government formed the ad hoc PAC on suggestion of the World Bank and the CAG office.

But, CAG officials said they objected to the inclusion of incumbent government secretaries as members in the committee. The ad hoc PAC has three incumbent secretaries as its members.

CAG officials said incumbent government secretaries cannot be members of a PAC that investigates financial irregularities in government ministries and other government organisations. For the same reason, no incumbent minister can also be a member of a PAC, they added.

After the formation of the ad hoc PAC on December 18, its member secretary, Mahbub Ahmed who is also an additional secretary to the finance ministry, held an informal meeting with officials of CAG in an effort to start the operations of the committee, CAG officials said.

Another ad hoc PAC was formed earlier on October 19, 1983. The erstwhile chief martial law administrator (CMLA) formed the committee with the then law minister KA Bakar as its head. The then CMLA did not face any obstacle in forming that ad hoc PAC since the constitution was suspended back then. But now, under the current state of emergency the constitution is not suspended, the CAG officials said.

With the dissolution of the eighth parliament on October 27 of last year the immediate past PAC was also dissolved. A new parliament was supposed to be formed following the January 22 general elections, which was stalled due to a political crisis that is still plaguing the country.

Now a new parliament is expected to be formed in early 2009, as the stalled election is scheduled to be held on the third week of December this year. So, resumption of PAC's activity is unlikely in the next eight months.

In absence of a PAC, the number of unresolved audit reports involving hundreds of crores of taka, and the cases of retired government officials who are not getting their pensions due to unsettled objections, are increasing. Moreover, recovery of public money that might have been misappropriated has also been stalling.

HOW AD HOC PAC WAS FORMED

Following the World Bank's advice, the office of CAG in July last year sent a proposal to the finance ministry to form the ad hoc PAC. It however asked the finance ministry to consult with the law ministry as the formation of it had legal matters involved.

CAG is authorised to audit all the income and expenditure of the government, and reports it to the parliament through the president, and PAC adjudicates all objections to the audit reports.

CAG suggested the government last year to form an ad hoc PAC comprising former justices, former government officials, academics, and politicians.

The law ministry also okayed the formation of an ad hoc PAC, and the finance ministry formed the committee headed by the then law adviser Mainul Hosein, sources in the finance ministry said.

The other ten members of the ad hoc PAC are the incumbent director general of National Security Intelligence, incumbent secretary to the Parliament Secretariat, incumbent secretary to the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of planning ministry, incumbent chairman of the National Board of Revenue, an incumbent additional secretary to the Finance Division of finance ministry, incumbent president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, former president of Dhaka District Bar Association Fakir Delwar Hossain, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Farhad Hossain, and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman who was the chief of Power and Participation Research Centre before becoming an adviser to the caretaker government.