Ashraf’s Column

Thursday, July 30, 2009

We salute our youngsters!

While most of our politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen are busy in making money by corrupt means and tarnishing our national image, our youngsters are fetching name and fame from all corners of the world for our dear motherland. The youngsters, very young ones, recently won a bronze medal in an international Mathematics Olympiad. Our young mountaineers climbed on the top of one of the highest peaks of the Himalaya. Our under 19 cricketers defeated their English counterparts on the English soil. Our national cricket team, for the first time in our cricket history, won a test series and an ODI series by defeating the West Indies team on their own soil.
While their counterparts in so called student politics are taking lessons in corruption and violence from their political gurus, these young boys and girls are really striving hard to excel in every field of nation building.
At the twilight of my life, I am already 65, I surely feel inspired by such wonderful achievements earned by our young boys and girls. I pray to Allah to grant me a longer life so that I can see more of their achievements before my death. I call upon my countrymen to join me in saluting our youngsters. May Allah bless them all!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Seasonal anger!

Due to heavy downpour almost the whole of the city of Dhaka was inundated on July 28, 2009. Life came to a standstill. Miseries befell on millions of the city dwellers. Prime Minister Shekh Hasina, like all her former CEOs of Bangladesh, lost her patience and summoned all the ministers and bosses of the concerned departments and organizations to her office to give them a bit of her mind. It all came in the media next day. We, the ordinary citizens of Dhaka, felt satisfied that the matter has been noted by the Prime Minister. Like every time in the past, this time too, our hopes will run high. But shall we be disappointed again like it happened umpteen times in the past ? Shall the govt take stern actions this time against those land grabbers, corrupt bureaucrats and insincere politicians who make a natural disaster more disastrous by human machinations? Or, shall we have to wait for the next year when the Prime Minister will again show her anger and displeasure to her ministers and officers on the same issue ? Only the Prime Minister can answer this question.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

How old should a student leader be?

Very recently BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, I am sure after very serious considerations, has appointed the topmost leaders of the student front of her party Chhatra Dal. About half of these newly appointed Chatra Dal leaders are in their mid 40s and the remaining are in their late 30s. All of them finished their normal education career long ago in mid 1990s. Thanks God, the newspapers have not published their CV. Had it been so, people could know how bright they were in their academic life. As students, one may assume, these ‘Adu Bhais’ must have been very poor. Most of these student leaders are married and some of them are already fathers. Almost all of them are engaged in business. Many of them are known to be involved in tenderbazi (forcibly capturing contracts for construction work and for supply of stores), chandabazi (extortion) and bhortibazi (getting students of lower merit admitted into educational institutions). It is generally believed that it is these so called student leaders who are responsible for all the violence and terrorism in the campus and the session jams. The leaders of the AL’s student front Chhatra League are also the same. If these are the qualities and activities of our present student leaders what the ordinary young students are going to learn from them. If a big political party like the BNP, or the AL, has to rely on these ‘uncles’ to lead their student fronts people can justifiable doubt the sincerity of these parties. In the last general election, it was observed, the superannuated student leaders of all the major political parties had almost no role to play in favor of their masters. As far as local politics is concerned these Buro Khokas (old boys) had lost their appeal and influence long ago. Our people do not take them seriously as they used to do before the liberation in 1971. It is not understandable why our major political parties can still not get rid of this nuisance.
Our public universities, unfortunately, have been breeding, harboring and patronizing the ‘Adu Bhais’ at the cost of the poor tax payer’s money under the cover of some rules which are certainly anti people. Philosophically speaking, we all remain students till our death. Any one may be a student at any age by getting himself/herself admitted into a faculty or institute in an M. Phil or a Ph. D program by simply paying the required fees. If nothing like this is possible one may get admission into a LL. B program in any law college and wear the tag of a student at any age. Well, there cannot be any objection to anyone’s sincere desire to acquire knowledge in any subject by enrolling oneself as a student at any age. But it is surely objectionable if one remains a student at the age of 44 or 38 with ulterior motive of becoming a student leader to mislead the students and ruin their career.
Normally a child in our society goes to the school at the age of 6. On the average s/he needs 17 (12+5) years to finish his/her normal academic career to get a post graduate degree in a non technical subject, or a graduate degree in medicine or engineering. By the time s/he is 23 years old s/he should finish her normal academic career. In our context we may add another 2 years to it. There is no reason for someone to remain a regular student beyond the age of 25. Let students who are under 25 lead our students in their curricular and co curricular activities, and act as collective bargaining agents for the welfare of the students. Anybody who becomes a student after the age of 25 must not be treated as a regular student. S/he must be an irregular or special student, if at all s/he remains a student. The universities must make rules not to provide any tuition, food and lodging to such irregular and special students at subsidized cost, as it is given to the regular students. They must be made to pay the actual cost. Except for academic, research, and sports organizations these irregular and special students must not be allowed to be members of students’ unions, or other students’ organizations.
As per the RPO no political party can have its student organ. Even then, it is not understandable, how are the political parties still openly maintaining and patronizing their student organs ? The Election Commission must take necessary actions to stop this unholy practice. A National Education Commission is now working. It is hoped that the education commission will come out with recommendations to save the nation from this malady. How long should our innocent regular students suffer in the hands of present ‘Adu Bhai’ leaders ?

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Then who was corrupt in Bangladesh?

During the period of the Caretaker Government(CTG) of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed corruption cases against a large number of politicians belonging to both AL and BNP, government servants and businessmen. Many of the accused were proved guilty in the lower courts and, on being convicted, were sent to the jail. Some of these convicted persons were tried in absentia as they fled the country. People in general, including the mid level leaders and workers of AL and BNP, hoped that at least some of their senior leaders, and businessmen who financed these politicians, and the government servants who were genuinely corrupt would get punished; the country and the political parties would get rid of the corrupt leaders; and the state bureaucracy would to a great extent be free from corruption.
Now let us take a look at what all has been happening in combating corruption since the present mohajote (grand alliance) government under Sheikh Hasina came to power. Almost all of those convicts who were sent to jails, or were absconding, have come out on bail granted by the High Court after they filed appeal to it against their convictions. Naturally, as per the law of the land, one can no more treat these people as corrupt till the High court finds them guilty. Even if they are found guilty by the High Court they, being fabulously rich with black money and powerful with political backing, will certainly appeal to the Supreme Court against the verdict of the High Court. It is known from our experience that it will take years, if it is left like that, for the higher judiciary to decide upon the cases. Cases against all those who belong to the ruling party and who have not yet been charge sheeted are being withdrawn by branding the cases as “politically motivated.” It is being rumored that the government may arrange for presidential clemency for all those politicians, naturally belonging to the ruling party, who are already charge sheeted. If BNP wins the next parliamentary election scheduled to be held in 1914, it is most likely that all cases against BNP leaders will be disposed of in the same way without any fair trial. They will have to suffer 5 years more than their AL colleagues for loosing the 2008 election !
Lt Gen Hassan Mashhud Choudhury resigned as the Chairman of ACC for no plausible reason. A new Chairman has recently joined the ACC. Soon after taking over the charge, this retired police officer, on being asked by the journalists about the fate of the corruption cases against some topmost politicians, said, like a typical police officer of our country, that their cases had already been decided by janotar adalat (people’s court), indicating his intention not to follow a strong line while dealing with the cases of corruption against the political VVIPs. With due respect can one ask him if the constitution of Bangladesh, or the Cr.PC, allow such privilege to any citizen of our country.
Some of the politicians who were earlier convicted by lower courts for corruption and tax evasion, on being nominated by their respective parties, got themselves elected as members of the parliament. These politicians and some others who are out of the parliament are now found busy, in and outside the parliament, bashing the last CTG and the the former Chairman of the ACC for causing harassment to them unjustifiably, as they claim, for political reasons. The CTG and the ACC were run in those days by human beings who were not above mistakes and mischief. The mistakes and mischief committed the by them could be investigated into and the wrongdoers can be punished now with due transparency. But is it reasonable to say, as those who were charge sheeted and convicted for corruption are saying now, that all of those were simply victimized? Certainly not. The public perception at that time was, and still is, that few might have been innocent, but most of them were corrupt. Otherwise, how could the Transparency International (T I) could grade Bangladesh as one of the most corrupt countries in the world for many years successively.
The loud mouthed corrupt politicians are now trying to prove that, though the T I branded Bangladesh as one of the most corrupt countries, its polticians, bureaucrats and businessmen are all ganga jolay dhoa tulshi pata (innocent). If the present government of Sheikh Hasina also believes in the same myth it should file defamation suit with the International Court of Justice against the T I for calling Bangladesh a corrupt country.
If the present mohajote government believes that there are at least some politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen, due to whose corrupt activities the country suffered immensely and earned a bad name, it must, as it promised in its election manifesto, take the following actions to punish the corrupt and bring good name to itself and the country:
Revitalize the ACC which has not been seen doing anything to combat corruption in the last six months since the present government came to power. To restore faith and confidence in the ACC it must take all necessary actions to expedite hearing of its cases pending with the lower courts and the High Court.
No one, however big or small s/he might be, that includes the honorable Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, should be exonerated from a corruption charge without a fair trial. S/he must face the trial in a court of law. If not found guilty by the court s/he should be welcome back to the society/politics with full dignity and honor. If found guilty s/he must be condemned by all and find no place in politics. In this case the honorable Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition should come forward willingly to set personal example to the nation.
Empower the ACC to deal with its own cases independently without going through the office of the Attorney General. Being run entirely by political appointees Attorney General’s office may be politically biased. To make the ACC really independent bring in necessary changes in the relevant laws.
The government certainly has the right to appoint its own political nominees to certain government posts. In the last six months, for reasons best known to the appointing authority, some of these posts were filled in by persons with questionable reputation and integrity. Such appointments have already brought bad name to the party in power. There are many followers and sympathizers of AL, including university teachers, retired bureaucrats and technocrats, who are well known for their personal integrity and loyalty to AL. Appointment of such persons, will surely enhance the clean image of the party in power.
Justice delayed is justice denied. In greater national interest the government should take up a case with the honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to constitute some special benches of the High Court to expeditiously deal with corruption cases.
If the mohajote government fails to take the above mentioned actions the country will plunge deeper in corruption. The whole world will continue to call us a corrupt country. The people of Bangladesh will turn away their faces from AL in the next general election. The whole world will find us as the only corrupt country in the world with no corrupt persons individually within the country. The question will naturally arise, “Then who was corrupt in Bangladesh ?”