A dream comes true

It was in the afternoon of 17 December, 1973. I, a Captain then, along with another Major reached Comilla Cantonment from Dhaka by a bus. We were two of the first fourteen army officers posted to the then nonexistent Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) to establish the academy. A few of these fourteen were posted to BMA from units located in Comilla. But till then none of them joined BMA. At dusk we were led to the BOQ (bachelor officers’ quarters) of the 1st Field Regiment Artillery Officers’ Mess on a tiny mound. No sooner had I entered the room allotted to me than I leaped out of it. Believe you me, there was that strong pungent smell of fresh goat droppings! It took few minutes for me to muster my soldierly guts and bear with the smell ! Thanks God, the toilet was operational! After having a quick wash I went to the mess to have a cup of tea. I requested the Mess Havildar to arrange a sweeper to clean my room with phenyl or dettol. After long waiting at about 8 PM a sweeper came, but with no phenyl or dettol. The room was washed with water again making no difference in the intensity of the goat’s blessing! A cot newer was placed in the room. The bed was laid. But there were no stands to fix the mosquito net. It was impossible to sleep without a mosquito net. I sent a message to my old friend Captain Eric Rozario (now retired as a Colonel), the Quarter Master of the host unit, to help me out. 12 O’clock at night Eric came with two sets of mosquito net stands (one set for my companion). Eric was apologetic for the delay. 1300 soldiers, mostly repatriated ones from Pakistan, were at that time living in his unit which had the capacity to hold only 400 soldiers. All soldiers could not sleep at a time at night because of shortage of space under the roof, cots and mosquito nets. They slept by turns. Eric had to wait till 12 O’clock for one batch of soldiers to wake up and spare the mosquito net stands for us.

Next morning when we asked where was our (BMA) office we were shown some empty barracks not far way from the mess. I and my companion in full uniform walked to the area which gave a deserted look. We found some jackals moving freely. Soldiers on sentry duty with staves in hand warned us to be aware of those man-eating animals. They got the taste of human blood and flesh during the Liberation War in 1971. We managed to get a school type bench from a nearby barrack. We put it under the shade of a mango tree on a small mound and sat over it facing west to avoid direct sunlight on our faces. By about 1 O’clock some soldiers from the local signals unit came and placed a receiver set on the bench between me and my partner. So, we got a telephone! We were so happy! We talked to the local Brigade HQ on telephone and a CJ-5 jeep, allotted to BMA, with no overhead cover and silencer reported to us by 2 O’clock. Our joys knew no bounds. That was how the history of BMA started.

Then the million dollar question which stormed our mind was what to do next? Where from to start the raising of the organization of our dream , BMA? Yes, soon we got the answer to our question and started working under the very able leadership of Major A Manaf (later Major General and now deceased). Many skeptics at home and abroad had little confidence in our ability to establish a military academy. Many politicians and economists openly opposed the idea of having a military academy in Bangladesh by assigning many unreal reasons. But we, a bunch of mid level and young army officers, took the challenge in the right earnest. BMA started functioning. The first batch of gentleman cadets (GCs) arrived in January,1974. It was an excellent lot. All the boys were highly intelligent, hard working and patriotic. Many of them had already gathered war experience in our Liberation War. It was always a great pleasure dealing with them inside and outside the classroom. A dream started taking shape.

Today after 32 years our dream has come true. By the grace Allah and with the active support of the people of Bangladesh we have done it. The high quality of the professional training imparted in BMA is now recognized all over the world. In addition to our own officers many officers from friendly foreign countries have been receiving training in this academy. The people of Bangladesh can rightly feel proud of BMA and its officers.

Lieutenant General Moeen U Ahmed, one of our dear students from the 1st batch of BMA cadets, has been appointed as the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army and promoted to his present rank. With General Moeen heading the army a new golden chapter is added today to the history of BMA, to the military history of our country. My heartiest congratulations to you Moeen. We are proud of you. May Allah bless you with the physical, mental and moral strength to bear the responsibility He has reposed on you. I am grateful to Allah for keeping me alive to see this day.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

A wake up call to our politicians

It was in 1971 when the Bangladeshis got united for the last time under a political leadership and after fighting successfully liberation war liberated their motherland from Pakistani occupation. Bangladeshis marveled the world by exhibiting not only their valor and martial qualities on the battlefield, but also their political maturity. But soon after the liberation the same Bangladeshis due to poor political leadership fell apart as political splinter groups and sub-groups. Only God alone knows how many political parties we have today in Bangladesh. Let us confess that we are one of the most disunited nations in the world. Our track record from after the glorious victory in the liberation war bears testimony to the fact that we could never stand united as a nation to face a crisis, be it a natural disaster, a foreign policy matter, an aggression on our soil (Boraibari incident), dealing with India on water sharing, internal terrorism or corruption. The 8/21 incident is the last item so far on the list of our failures. The Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina is saying manina (not acceptable) to every thing the government of Khaleda Zia is doing or saying to investigate into the matter. She is refusing to testify before the judicial inquiry commission. She is refusing to hand over her jeep, an important alamat (material evidence) in the case, to the police. After the incident she has not so far said a word to refrain her supporters from destroying public and private properties. When asked by the journalists she rather gave indulgence to her supporters by saying that the aggrieved people had the right to express their anger by doing so. She is tacitly approving jalao-porao (burn one, burn all) activities committed by her supporters. Is it politics sanity and unity?

Every time there was a need to change a bad government the common people of this country never made a mistake. They obliged by putting their votes in the right ballot box. They initiated successful mass uprisings to pull down unpopular governments. But unfortunately after every changeover the new government did not appear to be better than the previous one, so far as good governance was concerned. Who are to blame for this? Definitely the common people cannot be blamed. The blame lies squarely and unmistakably on the shoulders of our politicians and the generals (turned into politicians).

Our politicians have been continually proving to the world that they are dishonest, corrupt, unfaithful and, hence, unreliable and unfit to run a democratic system in our country. Transparency International has been issuing annual certificates to this effect for the last few years. The politicians themselves also accepted this fact when they incorporated the Care Taker System of Government (CTSG) in the constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in 1996. Unlike those of our politicians who take credit and pride in introducing this unique system, many patriotic Bangladeshis never feel proud of the CTSG. Rather they feel deeply ashamed. It is a slur on the face of our politicians who instead of rectifying themselves prefer to a better (?) policing on them by odd 10 0r 12 apolitical gentlemen, that too during the general election only. Now the People of Bangladesh are found sharing a painful political joke that says: the Caretaker Government of three months is far superior in every respect to the “Careless Government” that follows in the next five years. Why not to have Caretaker Government then for five years!

It may be a very interesting study for our social scientists to carry out a survey to find out the present location of our young men and women who graduated from our universities and medical colleges securing first ten positions in the last 25 years. As there is no statistics available on the subject, from personal experience I can safely assume that 75% of them are not residing in Bangladesh. At the earliest opportunity they left Bangladesh to work for some other countries. Certainly all of them did not leave the country just for money. Most of them left because they suffered from physical insecurity due to the prevailing law and order situation, and did not get commensurable jobs of their qualification and ability. They also found that political links, rather than honesty, efficiency and professional competence, was the easy ladder to rise in government service or in business. Many of these persons, by dint of their merit and hard work, are making outstanding contributions in their respective professions in their present countries of residence. If an appropriate healthy political environment were created in Bangladesh many of these patriotic Bangladeshis, I am sure, would love to make contributions in the development of their dear motherland by returning to Bangladesh permanently or periodically. (Deng Xiao Bing did the same in China after the death of Mao and now we can see the result). At the same time we must take steps to stop the current brain drain. If we can improve the quality of our human resources in every field including politics with the returned Bangladeshi professionals and the present bright products of our educational institutions, we can certainly change the existing face of our country and raise our head as a nation with dignity and honor.

Coming back to the point, to run a state we cannot do without politics and politicians. It is politics, which formulates, executes and supervises the implementation of all other policies that are required to govern and develop a state. One cannot have good politics when bad politicians are at the helm of affairs. Bad eggs never make good omelettes. We need to improve the quality of our politicians if we want to see good governance and development our beloved country in the future.

A state cannot be governed with duffers. (Well, one may need some duffers to shout zindabad-murdabad, ‘joy’, etc.). Therefore, the politicians who are entrusted with the governance of the state should be people with at least high average IQ. Gone are those days when illiterate or uneducated sovereigns used to rule the countries. In this age of missiles and satellite communication, to succeed, a present day ruler must have the basic education to understand the complexities of international politics and the notes prepared by his or her own bureaucrats and give decisions on as diverse subjects as animal husbandry to space science. If the honorable members of our present parliament kindly agree, they may be made to sit for taking a quiz test on our national budget which they passed the other day to find out how many of them really understood what they had passed! The result will be, I am sure, very interesting to all of us who elected them to the parliament.

I am like one of those millions of music lovers who never touched a harmonium in their life, but can easily identify a discordant music. Like many common viewers I can see the difference when things go wrong in politics. But I am not an expert to comment on why things go wrong in politics. As a layman, without going into finer aspects, I lay before your learned readers the following lines for their (Honorable MPs) consideration to improve the quality of our national politics with the hope that this will generate a healthy and constructive discussion to show the nation a way out:

a.With their entire drawback results of our public examinations are accepted as the index of IQ and academic ability of a person. We may lay down a minimum educational qualification for a person to be a candidate for a seat in the parliament. For any Class-I job in our country one must have a bachelor degree in any field of study. To be a recognized politician of the highest status, as the honorable MPs are, the PM must have at least a bachelor degree.

b.The criminal record of a person is always a very important matter to consider before s/he is given a job in the governance of the country. The police records of all candidates for government jobs, and many private jobs, are verified before any appointment is made. When this regulation is applicable even to the appointment of a police constable, who is the most junior law enforcing person, then why should the criminal record of a person who will be entrusted with the supreme duty of making laws for the country be kept above this regulation? Politicians often say that the people are their (politicians’) best judges. It is right. But people must have access to all relevant facts about a politician. Otherwise how would they make the correct judgment? Last 20 years’ criminal/police record of a candidate for the membership of the parliament must be submitted to Election Commission (EC) by the candidate himself/herself for verification. Rules should be inducted for the EC to disqualify a candidate for a serious criminal record.

c.A politician is a human being to. S/he has a family for which s/he needs a source for living. People have a right to know how does s/he, when not in power, makes a living. People have the right to know how much property s/he inherited from his/her parents, how much money his/her parents spent monthly on his education, and finally what assets s/he acquires while s/he is holding a public office. Before an election our politicians make solemn promises in their election manifestos to declare their assets after they are elected. But so far they have been conveniently and without facing any challenge forgetting the promise after every election. Rules must be introduced to compel a candidate to declare his/her assets and the assets of his/her wife(s)/husband, children and dependants to the Income Tax Department before the filing of the nomination paper to the EC. S/he must also submit a similar declaration to the Income Tax Department on vacation of the office to explain where from s/he got the extra assets, if there is any. In the absence of a satisfactory explanation the person concerned should be prosecuted under the relevant law(s) of the land.

d.For any game the teams need to be registered with the regulating authority. Doing politics is not a child’s game that does not need any registration. Rather, it is the highest game that decides the destiny of a nation. Political parties must be registered with their regulating authority, that is, the EC. Organizing and operating a political party without registration should be a criminal offence under the law.

e.From our experience of last 33 years it can be well said that the lack of financial accountability in the political parties is the root cause of institutionalized corruption in our country. During the autocratic rule of Gen Ershad there was a mayor of Dhaka City who used to take huge amount of money in cash as bribe for leasing out shops in DCC markets. People gave him the nickname ‘thief of Baghdad’ (That is how Gen Ershad, having been in the jail for long 6 years, has enough money to run politics even today). It was widely believed that the mayor in question used to deposit 50% of the bribe money to the party fund and keep the remaining 50% in his own pocket. As a routine matter it is seen that every government, the present one being no exception, has few politicians who earn such bad names. To eliminate these corrupt practices there must be some financial accountability for the political parties. Some government agency under the direct supervision of the EC must carry out periodical audit of the income and expenditure of the political parties. The EC can formulate rules to regulate the matter.

f.Rules must be made so as not to allow any political party to have any student front under its own name. Financing any student organization by a political party must be made a criminal offence. Students may have their own organizations financed by themselves.

g.Some government servants, mostly senior ones from both civil and military, while in service indulge in rampant corruption. To enjoy immunity from legal actions while in service, and also after retirement, these officers share their ill-gotten money with a section of politicians. No sooner they retire from service than they join the political parties of their choice. Political parties not only accept them as lost children coming back home but also make them ministers and MPs as a reward for the services (illegal) they rendered earlier to their party. This is another root cause of corruption in our bureaucracy and politics. This most despicable practice by the most privileged needs to be stopped immediately. Rules are to be made so as not to allow a retired government servant to be a member of a political party and also to contest for a public office before s/he spends at least 5 years after the date of his retirement. 5 years after retirement s/he will be at liberty to do politics, the way s/he feels like to.

h.Our political parties are well known for not practicing democracy within their respective parties. How can a party, which does not practice democracy itself, uphold democracy at the national level after coming to power? The EC must be empowered by law to disqualify a party from participation in an election if it finds that council meetings at national and lower levels, as required by the constitution of the concerned party, were not duly held.

i.The EC must be under obligation to supply to a voter on demand, and on deposition of certain fee to cover the administrative work involved, any or all of the above information about a candidate or a political party participating in an election. A voter has a right to know about a candidate or a party for whom/which s/he intends to cast his/her vote. It is one of his/her fundamental rights. It is sacrosanct upon the EC to protect it.

There may be many other measures necessary to reform our very existing rotten political system. I leave it to you, the learned a readers to point them out. We must all remember that the biggest enemies to a reform are the existing beneficiaries of the present faulty system. While these enemies of reform always fight amongst themselves on matters of individual interest, they readily get themselves united with full force to fight against any move to reform. I understand, in the present case our political parties, and their leaders, may not be willing to accept the reforms suggested above, as they did when the EC tried to bring in some positive changes in the electoral laws before the last general election was held in 2001. But how long the poor people of this country will continue to suffer untold miseries due to presence of an unhealthy political system, which instead of serving exploits them? Dear politicians, can you see the cloud forming in the horizon? The lessons from the history clearly indicate that the storm is not far off. Still there is time. Dear honest and dedicated politicians, will you please wake up to save yourselves and the nation? Why must you give protection to godfathers, terrorists and all sorts of criminals who have infiltrated into the rank and file of your party in the garb of politician? Shed them off from the party. Don’t feel you are alone in this war against unhealthy politics. The whole nation is standing behind you. In case the politicians fail to wake up clear the garbage, the EC must come forward to do the needful, if necessary during the rule of the next Care Taker Government by issuing necessary ordinances by the President. The nation cannot afford to leave its destiny to be decided by a handful of those politicians who are the products of a corrupt system and who unfortunately prefer to remain so.

Last of all, where are the members of our civil society, which includes the journalists too? Isn’t there any one whose heart, mind and pocket are not mortgaged to any local political party or foreign agency? Dear sirs/madams now is the time for you to come out. We have hardly two years to go before the next general election. We must do it now to save ourselves from another spell of 5 years of corrupt politics. Please come out and help this poor nation by motivating the common people in favor of necessary political reforms. Are we expecting too much from you?

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Some Query on Hajj, Qurbani and Akika

Following are queries and concerns on some Islamic rituals that I would like to learn more from Qur’anic stand point; rather not from sources that are unauthentic and lack precise credibility. I believe that among our respected readers there are many who tender wise and realistic opinions on such practices that I consider simply non-Qur’anic, thus lack justification of being known as “Islamic”. Thanks.

Hajj:

1. Hajj is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. It involves pilgrimage to the holy Ka’ba in Makkah and, at the same time, performing certain rituals at Arafat and Meena. This particular Ibadat (piety) is not mandatory for all Muslims. According to the holy Qur’an, “Pilgrimage there too, is a duty men owe to Allah, provided they could afford the journey” (3:97). Here affordability involves self-earned financial means and satisfactory physical fitness. For those who can afford it Hajj is mandatory only once in a lifetime. Any earning, which is not legally and morally correct, or Halal, is not acceptable to Allah. A thief, hijacker, godfather, bribe-taker, black marketer, corrupt bureaucrat or politician, for that matter anyone who lives on illicit livelihood, may make a trip to Makkah during the days of Hajj and perform the rituals there at, yet he would be no better than a tourist. In Islam it is not sufficient to have a justifiable mission; one must also adopt honest and justifiable means to achieve that mission. Under the circumstances, will Allah accept the Hajj of those people those persons who perform Hajj with money earned by illegal and immoral means?

2. According to the holy Qur’an (24:61) a Muslim, whether physically able or disabled, is not allowed to accept a casual meal from other than a close relation or an intimate friend. If that be the principle of Islam, is it correct to travel for performing Hajj or Umra with others money, be it from donations from one or more local individuals, organizations or the state, or be it from any foreign government or agency?

3. Does the Qur’an permit a king, president or prime minister performs Hajj or Umra at the cost of the public exchequer? Even if s/he does it for herself/himself with his/her own money, earned by correct legal and moral means, can s/he take her/his personal administrative and security staff at government cost?

4. Every year we find the king of Saudi Arabia invites a number of kings, presidents or prime ministers of other countries to perform Hajj or Umra as his royal guests. Does the Qur’an allow the king of Saudi Arabia to send free tickets as gifts to these guests to perform a personal piety like Hajj/Umra when the money he is spending for the guests belongs to the people of Saudi Arabia?

5. Performing Hajj is mandatory or Farz once in one’s lifetime. The holy Prophet (PBUH) performed Hajj only once. Still we find many people from our society, some by begging money or with government money, go for additional or Nafl Hajj for more than once, even 10 or 12 times. Some of these people also take lot of pride in making this fact known to others. These persons could do better, instead of performing Nafl Hajj, by spending the money to help the local hungry and needy people. Is this practice of performing Hajj and Umra repeatedly allowed or encouraged by Islam?

6. The holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Sahaba (Prophet’s followers) performed Hajj, but none of them ever added the title of “Haji/Alhaj” at the beginning or at the end of their names. Hajj being a very personal piety and a fulfillment of a personal commitment between Allah and His Banda (servant), there is no need or justification to show off to others that one has performed Hajj. In our country we find many people, specially a section of the political and religious leaders and the businessmen, are fond of using “Haji” with their names. Are these people doing the right thing?

7. Going for Hajj is an individual piety. Besides being financially able one has to be physically fit to undertake the journey and perform the rituals. If one lacks physical fitness, however able one may financially be, Allah does not demand Hajj from that individual. Allah does not demand Hajj from a dead person, for with death the Amalnama (dossier) of a person is closed. Still we find people financing others to perform Hajj on their behalf, as they themselves cannot go for the Hajj due to sickness or for some other reason. They call it “Badla Hajj” (alternative Hajj). As per conditions laid down in the Qur’an a sick man is not required to perform Hajj, and there is no question of demanding Hajj from a dead man. Even then we find some people are being financed every year to perform “Badla Hajj” on behalf of the sick or the dead. Where in the holy Qur’an such a practice of “Badla Hajj” is authorized?


Qurbani:

8. As per the holy Qur’an (22:28) only those people who perform Hajj are required to sacrifice animals. In the holy Qur’an there is no direct or indirect indication of a requirement that a non-pilgrim Muslim is required to perform Qurbani or sacrifice animals to celebrate Hajj. The holy Prophet (PBUH) and the early caliphs never practiced it. Whereas in our country, and in many other Muslim countries, millions of animals are being sacrificed by the Muslims during the Eidul Adha. Not only that but also lot of stories have been concocted involving Qurbani. It is said that as soon as a person slaughters an animal, before the first drop of the animal touches the ground; all his sins get washed away, even if the person is a hardened criminal. It is further said that every hair of the sacrificed animal’s fleece would add one unit of piety to the account of the person sacrificing the animal. The most surprising story is that on the Day of Judgment the sacrificed animal will carry its earthly master straight to the heaven on its back.

9. The question is why these concocted stories, which have nothing to do with the holy Qur’an, are being allowed to be narrated by our religious teachers and leaders year after year?
10. As there is no direct or indirect indication in the holy Qur’an of a requirement that a non-pilgrim Muslim is required to perform Qurbani or sacrifice animals to celebrate Hajj, Tunisia which is a Muslim country banned this medieval social Arab custom of sacrificing animals during Hajj in 1992. Then why should we continue to sacrifice millions of our very valuable cattle heads every year in the name of Qurbani?

Akika:

11. As per existing practice one goat is sacrificed to celebrate the naming ceremony called Akika when a female child is born. Two goats are sacrificed at a similar ceremony when a male child is born. This was practiced as a prevailing Arab social custom during early days of Islam. We know, many of the local Arab customs, which did not contradict with the Islamic principles, as laid down in the Qur’an, were allowed to practice. These had nothing to do with the holy Qur’an or Islam. I feel there is an element of Naformani (disobedience) to Allah in this practice. To Allah there is no difference between men and women. There is no difference between a male child and a female child. Who should be blessed with a female child or a male child is entirely a matter to be decided by Allah. If one expresses half happiness on being blessed with a daughter, is one not expressing half unhappiness at the decision of Allah? In spite of all these, why do our religious teachers and leaders still demand from us to continue with this discriminating practice of Akika? Did the holy Prophet (PBUH) perform Akika for his own children?

12. I shall be grateful if any Islamic scholar kindly takes the trouble of answering my above-mentioned questions, on the basis of the holy Qur’an only.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Some queries regarding Tarabi prayers

A study of the life of our Holy Prophet demonstrates that he offered the Tarabi prayers in a very relaxed manner. At times he offered the prayers all by himself at his residence with comfortable breaks; taking rest in between two or four rakats and at other times in a congregation in the mosque. This was done by the prophet to give two clear messages to his followers. First, he wanted to convey that Tarabi prayers, though important and can be said in jamaat, are like any other Sunnat prayers and do not have the compulsion of Farz prayers. Secondly, to allow the fasting people, who are naturally very tired after a full day of fasting, to say this prayers in a relaxed manner.

However, in Bangladesh we find that almost in all mosques where Tarabi prayers are offered in the month of Ramadan a system is being practiced which is against the principles propagated by the prophet. Some people claiming religious authority have introduced a system which is popularly known as “Khatam Tarabi”. In that the Imam who normally leads the other Farz prayers does not lead the Tarabi prayers. The services of two or more Qur’an-e-Hafiz are hired to lead the Tarabi prayers every evening through a sharing of the rakats. These Hafizs take about 27 evenings to complete the recitation of the whole of the Qur’an. On the last day, when the recitation is completed a ceremonial long munajat is held. The Hafiz recites the verses from the Qur’an at a very fast pace. It is done so fast that no one can follow it. At the end of Ramadan the Hafiz is paid remuneration out of donations collected from those who attend the prayers. Every evening it takes about two and a half hours to complete the Esha and the “Khatam Tarabi” prayers, whereas a session of “Sura Tarabi” usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
I would like to put the following questions to the learned Islamic scholars regarding Tarabi prayers:

Is it mandatory for a Muslim to say “Khatam Tarabi”? Can s/he not fulfill the religious obligation by saying “Sura Tarabi”? If it is not mandatory, then why do the mosque committees take it as a prestige issue to hold “Khatam Tarabi” in their respective mosques? Why should the mosques in question impose the decision of holding long sessions of “Khatam Tarabi” when it is not required by either the Qur’an or by the Sunnah?

Is it correct for the concerned Hafiz to take remuneration for leading the Tarabi prayers? For that matter, can anybody be paid for only leading prayers, or calling Azan?

Is it proper for the concerned Hafiz to recite from the holy Qur’an as fast as is usually done?

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Dr Humayun Azad, a Perverted Genius

Before he suffered the deadly attack on his life in the Bangla Academy Book Fair in late February this year and became overnight internationally famous I hardly knew about Dr. Humayun Azad. I only heard his name as the author of a the then proscribed Bangla book “Nari”. A few weeks before the attack on him his publisher Mr. Osman Ghani, whom I came to know by chance, presented me the book “Nari” with a request to read it. From the cover I found the book was republished after wining a legal battle after it had suffered a state ban on it for more than four years for being obscene. For an old man like me ( I will be 60 on my next birthday !) an alleged obscene book could not naturally be an interesting reading. However I brought the book home and tried to read it. Let me confess, I could not even finish reading the first chapter. Each paragraph was full of juicy and vulgar description of the female human genital sandwiched by high sounding theories on social relationship between man and woman throughout ages. The theories quoted, the language and the presentation, all prove that Dr. Azad was a very learned scholar with a superb literary flair. But unfortunately I could not finish the first chapter of the book, because my sense of values and the taste I picked up from my middle class Muslim family background and my school teachers did not allow me go through the book. Luckily a very young visitor did me a great favor by quietly lifting the book from table! I felt happy and did not ask anyone about it.

Then came the news of fatal attack on Dr. Azad. I know someone who being a colleague of his knows Dr. Azad very well. He told me that academically Dr. Azad was one of the very outstanding products of the Bangla Department of DU with a first class career all along. I asked him why was such a brilliant scholar like Dr. Azad had been indulging in writing vulgar books like the “Nari”? His great talent could be used to carry out research in Bangla language and literature. He admitted that he did not know the right answer to my question. But while leaving he remarked that, may be, to earn more and more money Dr. Azad had been abusing his talent. By the by he asked me if I had read Dr. Azad’s latest book “Pak Sar Zameen Saad Bad”. I said no. He advised me to read some paragraphs of the said book that were quoted in a local Bangla daily (The Daily Inqilab) early that week to understand the present mind-set of the professor. I collected the daily and tried to read the quotations. To my shock and horror I found it was hundred times more vulgar than “Nari”. Taslima’s “Ka” would run away in shame from “Nari”. I could not even finish reading the first paragraph quoted. Dr. Azad wanted to condemn the atrocities committed by the Pakistani soldiers and the local Razakars on the Hindu population of the then East Pakistan during our Great War of Liberation in 1971. Well, there cannot be a second opinion in the mind of any Bangladeshi about the importance and the necessity of such condemnations to make our present and future generations aware of our national history of that period. But then a man does not physically bite back a dog if he is bitten by it. A man can always adopt many a descent course, without compromising his rationality and greatness as a man, to expose the beastly action of the dog. I very strongly feel Dr. Azad has measurably let him down himself as a scholar, as a university teacher and, finally, as a father. I really feel sorry for his two daughters (shown on TV) who has been made to bear with their father’s obscene writings.)

I call Dr. Humayun Azad a perverted genius. Well, if anyone who does not agree with me, I shall request him, if he can read Bangla, to read the book “Pak Sar Zameen Saad Bad”. And after having read the book if one feels it is a great peace of literature (or history) one should read it aloud in the presence of his parents, children, students and in public gatherings to preach the greatness of the book. And then a nationwide movement can be started to prescribe the book as a textbook in our schools and colleges. I for one will appreciate the guts of these people, be they intellectuals or politicians of any shade or color.

Thanks to Allah, those who wanted to kill him could not kill Dr. Azad. We do not yet know who did it. If the so-called Islamic fundamentalists, as claimed by Dr. Azaad himself, did it they definitely acted against the teachings of Islam as given the Qur’an. The Qur’an allows the killing of a man (or woman) only under two circumstances. First, one can kill one’s enemy on the battlefield while fighting is on. Second, a person can be executed for committing a serious offence after the process of law is duly followed. There is no other third justification to kill a human being by any power on earth.

I thank Begum Khaleda Zia and her government for arranging all necessary treatment for the perverted professor inside and outside the country. At the same time I call upon our social scientists, psychologists to suggest means and ways to the society and the government how we can spot geniuses like Dr. Azad at an early stage and nip the perversion in them in the bud.
I pray to Allah so that Dr. Azad is fully cured and safely returns to Bangladesh leaving his perverted mind in the Bangkok hospital. May Allah grant him a new enlightened and descent way of life and writing.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Doctors need to be depoliticized

In the last three decades, or so, the most brilliant students of our country were admitted into the medical colleges to become the healers of our diseases. Many of these medical practitioners are doing excellent in foreign countries. Some of them have made name by making outstanding contributions in the field of research in medical science. All these Bangladeshi doctors are not only earning very valuable foreign exchange for our country, but also good name for our people. We have reasons to feel proud of them.

But what is happening with the doctors who are working in Bangladesh? If any newspaper or independent agency conducts an opinion poll, our doctors in Bangladesh will be rated very poorly.

Their disregard for updating professional knowledge, offering wrong treatment to the patients, issuing false medical certificates and injury reports by taking bribe, misbehavior with patients and their next of kin, doing private practice (by government doctors) during official working hours, long absence from place of posting without taking leave and, above all, greed for money is too well known to our people.

We have a health ministry, and a host of directorates and supervising offices under it, to administer our doctors, hospitals and clinics. In spite of that, nothing constructive has so far been done to promote professionalism and discipline among our doctors.

The government and health ministers come and go, but nothing appreciable is done to improve the situation.The root cause of the malady is politicization of the doctors’ community. A political party on coming to power starts cajoling that faction of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) which is politically loyal to it.

The other faction, not friendly to the party in power, just goes into hibernation and waits for the time when its own party comes to power. The pro-government faction takes over the office of the DG Health and starts posting its own favorites to important positions. This is the game of BMA we have been watching for long.

There is another organization called the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) which is openly towing the line of a major political party and doing the same as the BMA.

The BMA and the DAB who claim themselves as the professional organizations of the doctors have been fighting well with the political party in power to extract from them benefits like better pay and perks and higher official status.

But can these organizations tell our countrymen what they have done so far to root out the corruptions and malpractices their members indulge in? In the history of Bangladesh has any doctor ever been punished for committing these offences?

Dear doctors, as the brightest sons and daughters of the soil, you cannot escape the moral obligation you owe to the people of this country who foot the bill to run the medical colleges for you. As doctors the dignity and honor you enjoy in our society, with that you need not belittle yourselves by indulging in the often stinking politics of our country.

Please free the BMA, the DAB, and other similar organizations, from politics. You need not issue political statements, or hold political meetings in favor of a certain political party. There are many people in this country who are doing it well, at times over doing it. But there are none except you who can cure the people of this country from diseases and ailments.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Caretaker government

With the next general election (Bangladesh) hardly half years away, the country seems to be in a hot debate over the constitution and functions of the caretaker government. It seems the nation will once again be pushed into a man-made crisis over this issue. There is likely to be more impasse, arrogance, obduracy, violence and ultimately bloodshed in the next one and a half years before our present set of politicians decide to reach an agreement, at least temporarily, on the issue, as they always did in the past.

Since the attainment of independence in 1971 we have been governed under all forms of governments which democracy can offer the presidential form, the parliamentary form, and lastly the caretaker government for conducting elections only. These governments were run by our politicians, and generals/ bureaucrats/ judges turned politicians. The lesson learnt from all these forms of government is that they all were, more or less, corrupt or inefficient, or both. They failed to serve the people. While the system and leadership varied from time to time in the last thirty four years one important determinant, that is politicians, remained constant. There is a popular saying in the army, ‘It is not the gun, but the man behind the gun which matters in a battle.” Similarly, from our experience of last thirty four years of governance, it can very well be said, it is not what is written in the constitution of a country, but the politicians who run a country as per constitution which matter in governance.

With due respect to all those politicians, intellectuals and scholars who are now involved in the current debate over the constitution and functions of the caretaker government, I would like to request patriotic and sensible persons from all walks of life to tell the nation how we can get rid of the present political culture and have efficient and honest politicians to govern us. Here, one very interesting point to note is that whenever our Election Commission in the past tried to bring in new laws and systems to keep terrorists, godfathers, corrupt retired bureaucrats, tax evaders and criminals out of the parliament and local government, it faced stiff resistance from all our major political parties. In spite of all the political differences they have, they are united in defending the present corrupt political culture!

Barring a very few exceptions, which can be counted on finger tips, politics in our country is a hostage in the hands of a handful of terrorists, godfathers, corrupt retired bureaucrats, tax evaders and criminals. As long as we fail to free our politics from these anti people so called leaders we shall never have good governance from a pro people government.

An Encounter With General Zia

In late 1975 as a major I was posted at the AHQ as a staff officer. The country was under martial law (ML). Like many of my colleagues I was given some additional ML assignments to perform. Every Friday at 0830 hours I had to report directly to the then Chief of Army Staff (CAS) Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman, BU to brief him on the job I was doing. I was allotted a civil jeep to perform the ML duties. I made it a routine to leave my residence at Dhaka Cantonment at 08:00 in the morning for the ML office near the city center. I used to return to the cantonment around midday to attend my office at the AHQ. On a Thursday when I came to the AHQ office my immediate boss summoned me to his office. He told me that the Adjutant General (AG) had been looking for an officer who failed to salute the CAS that morning while the Chief was moving in his staff car towards the city and the defaulting officer crossed him in a civil jeep in front of the cantonment post office. The Chief personally noted the matter and asked the AG to find and sort out the concerned officer. The AG, after having enquired from many other officers, talked to my boss on telephone and enquired if it was I. My boss, as he had known me very well since I was a cadet at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, told the AG that a well-disciplined officer like me could never do that. He should look for the officer somewhere else. It may be recalled that when Gen Zia assumed the appointment of the CAS the discipline in the army was alarmingly poor. A handful of ill disciplined and politically motivated officers could not accept him as the CAS. Gen Zia thought that the defaulting officer could be one of them. The then AG was known for being ruthlessly firm. The moment I heard my boss I turned almost white in fear. Because the officer he was looking for was none but me. I told him that I was the officer the AG was looking for. I requested him to wait till the next day before he reported my name to the AG. I took a chance to explain personally my position to the CAS on the next day (Friday) when I had a scheduled appointment with him. I was pinning on the hope that the CAS might forgive me if he personally heard my explanation. Otherwise, the AG would tear me off. My boss very kindly agreed.

Next day at around 0830 hours, as per schedule, I met the CAS in his office. As usual, he was very serious and meant business while discussing official matters. After having discussed the official matters I sought his permission to raise a personal point. He said, “ Go ahead.” I said, “ Sir, I understand you are looking for an officer who did not salute you yesterday.” He very coldly and curtly said, “Yes.” I said, “ Sir, I am the officer you are looking for. Would you kindly grant me two minutes time to explain why I did so?” He nodded his head with a grim face. I told him frankly and honestly what exactly had happened that morning. I said, “ Sir, yesterday morning my wife had been groaning under severe abdominal pain. When the civil jeep came to take me to my ML office I thought, instead of calling an ambulance from the CMH, it would be better to take my wife to the CMH by the civil jeep. As my wife was almost unconscious I made her sit on left side of the front seat of the jeep and held her tightly with my left arm. Yes, I saw you crossing on the road. I saw your flag and the stars on your car. Right at that moment it flashed in my mind that it would not be proper from military discipline point of view to salute my Chief with my right arm while I was holding my wife with my left arm. I am sorry for that. Sir, if I have committed an offence, please do punish me.” He stopped me there and with all the sympathy in his voice said, “ Ashraf, it’s okay. You have not done anything wrong. How is your wife now? Forget about it. I shall tell the AG.” I said, “ Thank you sir. Can I have your kind permission to tell you that you were my direct teacher at PMA in 1967? You personally taught me discipline there. How could I, an ordinary young major, dare not to salute my Chief? Moreover, sir, I believe the relationship between a teacher and his taught is a divine one and is far more stronger than what books on protocol demands. As my teacher you will always remain respectable to me in the days to come when none of us will be holding any official position.” As I stood up to salute before leaving his office, Gen Zia, my teacher, also rose on his feet, gently walked to me with a spark of smile on his face and patted on my back and said, Thank you Ashraf, I do appreciate your sentiments, feelings and straightforwardness. Keep it up. May Allah bless you” I saluted him as smartly as a young major like me could do. He shook my hand firmly and warmly. I felt a spark of fatherly affection throughout my body and mind before I left his office. I retrospect I may mention that the AG, after that, was never found looking for the officer he wanted to hang upside down! My wife was admitted in the CMH to remove stones from her gall bladder.

Gen Zia, my teacher, is gone forever. I myself am an old man now. But whenever I remember this incident, and I do that quite often, I still feel his affectionate pat on my back. May Allah grant his soul eternal blessing in the heaven.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Murder of Paul Johnson

The murder of Paul Johnson and other non-Muslim workers in Saudi Arabia is very much against the Islamic principles of values of life and honoring the guest. A non-Muslim may not know it. But we Muslims know it that under no circumstances Islam allows killing of the innocent. It is only on the battle field that a Muslim is allowed to kill the enemy, and the other ground on which a person can be killed is the judicial killing, that is, when a person is sentenced to death by a court of law. The holy Qur’an which is the only source of Islam and the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prohibit the Muslims to kill human beings. The tiny number of misguided Muslims who are indiscriminately killing men, women and children are only acting against the orders of Allah and against the interest of Islam. The great majority of Muslims all over the world are not with them. They condemn such terrorist acts. We sympathise with the family and the friends of Paul Johnson and others who fell victim to senseless terrorism.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Musing on religious sermons

Like other Muslims, all my life (now more than six decades) I have been listening to the waaz (sermons of the imams and preachers). I understand there is an Imam Training Institute. I am not happy with the techniques of presentation (PR or public relations using the media) of the messages (the other aspect is the content of the message).

It is time the authorities reviewed the whole system of training, and modernized the syllabus, to keep up with mass psychology, and face hostile changes faced by the Islamic world.

What appears to me to be seemingly contradictory is the rod and carrot approach to religion, and religious rituals. On the one hand, the Almighty is Rahman Ur Rahim in every other sentence; but at the same time the banda (follower) is threatened (by the preachers) with dire examples of punishment. This is a black and white approach. Life has many shades of grey, if not color. The correct approach to religion and religious practices is necessary, so as not to get lost in the branches and leaves.

The question arises whether religion is a medium or message, or a combination of both. Rituals are necessary to cultivate good habits, for storing in the memory (DNA) for involuntary actions and reactions. Watch the untutored empathy between mother and baby, it is spontaneous and natural. The love between man and woman is also a training stage towards cultivating divine love.

The local preachers, tutored in the traditional method of teaching, have to examine themselves first, before lecturing, about the possible existence of communication gaps (there are many types and levels of listeners, who have to be approached in interactive ways which are friendly and responsive).

The feedback system is weak in religious sermons. It is a one-way command performance. The saints and Sufis also tutor the disciples according to the level of the listeners, stage by stage, otherwise one of them might turn jalali; (When the time comes, the master appears). Modern methods of teaching have to be incorporated in the sermons, just as it is done in propaganda campaigns during war or when facing enemies and opposition.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Hats off to Sonia Gandhi

It needs extra ordinary moral courage, patriotism and strength of character to do what Sonia Gandhi of India has done recently. She has voluntarily declined the offer given to her by the people of India to ascend the throne of Delhi, the throne on which great rulers like Ashoka the Great, Babar, Akbar the Great and her own grand father-in-law Pandit Nehru, and many others, once sat with great honour, authority and power. After having led the Congress Party to victory Sonia had all the democratic, legal and moral right to occupy the chair of the prime minister of India. She was hardly inches away from that chair. The question is where from an ordinary mortal like us gets the moral courage, patriotism and strength of character to take the decision as Sonia did.

In my humble personal opinion it is the cultural and educational background, grooming in the family and, above all, the values of life learnt in the childhood from where a man or a woman gets these qualities. ‘Foreign born’ Sonia with a different religious and cultural background has proved herself more superior human being than the local born Indians like Shushma Swarajs, Uma Bharatis, Promod Mahajans and L.K. Advanis.

Here, I must say that Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the immediate past prime minister of India has miserably failed to rise to the occasion. He very shamelessly joined the Shiv Sena, RSS, Bajrang and their bandwagon by maintaining silence over Sonia’s ‘foreign origin’ issue before and after the election.

Sonia has left the throne of Delhi to save her party from the irritating pricks BJP would have otherwise caused to it. Above all, she did not want to see India divided on an issue which was too personal to her, and she could do nothing to solve the issue. How many Indians born in India could make such sacrifices for the sake of the unity of their country?

Hats off to Sonia Gandhi. Politicians in Bangladesh too have a lot to learn from her.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman

Lady leading Salat (prayer)

On 18 March, 2005, a lady called Dr. Ameena Wadud led a Jum’a congregation in New York. A number of male and female Muslims said their prayer behind the lady. I was listening to the early morning BBC program ‘Probhati’ in Bengali at 06:30 AM (BST) on 19 March, 2005. The incident was reported in this programme with due importance. The BBC correspondent claimed that this was for the first time in the 1400 years of history of Islam that a female Imam led a congregational prayer of Muslims. The incident has raised a storm among the Ulema (Islamic scholars) all over the world, Bangladesh being no exception.

May I draw the attention of the concerned BBC correspondent, and others who think alike, through your column to inform them that this is not an unprecedented incident. There is at least one case on record of a lady, H. Umm-i-Warqa, daughter of Abdullah, who was appointed by the Holy Prophet (SAW) as an Imam to lead the prayers. Imam Shafie (RA), founder one of the four leading schools of Sunni jurisprudence requested that his funeral prayer be led by a lady named H. Nafisa bint-I-Hasan bin Zaid bin Hasa, a son of Ali-Fatima (May Allah be pleased with them all). The lady duly obliged. The congregation obviously included both men and women. The Qur’anic injunction and the normal practice of the Holy Prophet (SAW) were later rendered ineffectual. As a result, entry of women into the mosque was and still is severely inhibited in most Muslim countries of the world.” (Reference: Brigadier ( R ) Nazir Ahmad, Qur’anic and non-Qur’anic Islam (2nd Revised Edition); Lahore, Vanguard Books (Pvt) Ltd., 1997, pp. 195-196.) A Bengali translation of Brig (Retd) Nazir Ahmad’s book is available with Hakkani Publishers.

Syed Ashrafuzzaman