Tue 28 Mar 2006
Shafiur highlights on the image of Bangladesh among the mass in UK. Quite different from what you expect. On the same theme, BBC2 did a series and a film on Bricklane and Bangladesh. Separately, on a much serious level, there is a debate set up by BBC world service tomorrow titled: Can Democracy Deliver? The following is the text that I got as part of the invitation.
The World Debate is one of the BBC’s flagship programmes, broadcast regularly on BBC World television and on
BBC World Service radio. Previous debates have covered issues including global energy resources, the Millennium
Development Goals, climate change, international security post-9/11, migration, world poverty and European Union
enlargement.On this occasion, the focus for the debate will be the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which at the end of March
celebrates the 35th anniversary of its founding. With an election scheduled in late 2006/early 2007, it is a particularly
interesting time to look at some of the issues facing the country when we ask the question: ‘Can Democracy Deliver?’The programme is being filmed in Dhaka hosted by Stephen Sackur, the presenter of HARDtalk, with a panel of guests
and a studio audience, and in London with BBC World presenter, Nisha Pillai, and studio guests together with an
invited audience of young British-born Bangladeshis.The panel will include representatives from the government and the opposition, as well as independent voices and
respected international figures.The programme will be broadcast on BBC World television, which is distributed in more than 270 million homes
around the world. A radio version of the debate will be broadcast on BBC World Service radio (English service),
which has 150 million regular listeners.Transmission times (all in local time for Bangladesh):
BBC World (television)
Saturday 8th April at 18:10 local time (12:10, 19:10 GMT)
Sunday 9th April at 01:10, 13:10 and 23:10 local time (07:10, 17:10 GMT)
BBC World Service (radio)
Sunday 9th April at 19:00, 00:00 local time (13:00, 1800 GMT)
NTV
Saturday 8th April at 20:30 local time and Sunday 9th April at 04:30 local time
Sunday 15th April at 15:00 local time and Sunday 16th April at 00:15 local time
Yours truly is going. Let me know if there is any particular question you want me to ask.
March 28th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
I’m afraid, the dialogue in Shafiur’s blog seems rather contrived. It reads like a bad script but I do get the point. Salam Dhaka’s response to Shafiur’s post is an utter and gross generalisation, and it’s divisive. One might add that it is the same kind of generalisation that most Westerners make of Bangladesh as a whole, not just the north-eastern tip. So, thanks Salam for endorsing the stereotype. Cheers!
March 28th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
Here’s three:
1. Why hasn’t any party tried to change Article 70 where MP has to vote with the party or lose the seat?
2. Name one politician other than Ershad that has been punished for corruption. How can democracy survive if the powerful keep stealing?
3. How can democracy survive when the politicians are constantly abusing the system?
March 28th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
Dear Salam
Politicians get to abuse the system because of the complacency, complicity, and duplicity of the people themselves.
de Maistre: Every nation has the government that it deserves.
March 29th, 2006 at 8:23 am
Just back from the recording. You all have to see the show. This is Najmul Huda meeting BBC Hardtalk. Najumul Huda got nailed. He was an embarassment. Compared to that I was very very impressed like everyone in the audience by the performance of Saber Hossain Choudhury. He was smooth, to the point polished and had all the skills of a debater. He should be the face of the opposition no doubt. I will have more details after I go home. But please please do see the show. The timings are above.
March 29th, 2006 at 9:15 am
I think they will have the audio version online soon. At one of the crucial point of the show, when Najmul Huda brought up that people of all faith are living in harmony, Najmul Huda was asked by Steven about Ahmadiyas and outrageously Mr. Huda said that it was not a religion. Pressed again on why they have banned their publication, Huda said, there was no law to ban it. When Saber chimed in that there was a circular, Huda pleaded ignorance. At this point Saber was given the floor and said AL believes in secularism and described a clear distinction between being anti religion and secularism amid huge cheer from the largely young audience in Dhaka. However, the highlight of the show had to be when Huda was asked if he regretted making a coalition with Jamat. To this he boldly said every political party does politics to go to power. This summed up his philosophy. To his credit, Saber admitted that there was corruption when they were in power as well. At the end Saber said, he was hopeful of Bangladesh because of the younger generation who are very focused. It is them, the political parties, need to start talking otherwise the parties will die a natural death.
March 29th, 2006 at 9:46 am
I have had the pleasure of knowing Saber bhai for some time now and I am so happy to see him finally in the front lines. I think he epitomizes the future generation of politicians of Bangladesh and a inspiration to many youngsters.
March 29th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Yes Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai image is there.
And Yes faria Alam, australia sex assault image is there.
Yes Enterpreneurship and hard working image of New York, London and European Bangladeshis are there.
You can pick one from the other to present yourself.
If you ask me, I will show the image of a land where microcredit social revolution is born, where thousands of years of geneder bias has been eliminated quite efficiently with 20 years period, where there is significant social developement including infant mortality,maternal mortality has taken place over the last decades.
March 30th, 2006 at 12:42 am
Saber and others such as Noor are without doubt polished, clever and at the front of the pack. Yet despite the influence they wield, tactics and strategy change slowly in AL. You would expect by now figures such as these would be able to move the organisation forward…there must be an impediment somewhere?!
Muhammad - the dialogue is almost verbatim. If you ever come over here, I will introduce you to the guy. He regularly takes me to Heathrow now….
March 30th, 2006 at 2:41 am
THe image problem that Bangladesh has is similar to the one that India has. The world takes not to India as a it power and future economic power but also refer to india as to the same things as bangladesh is often referred to. Unless politicians due change, and leaders are not members of upper echelon of society and have connections will be finally be able to see change in the dynamics of politics in the society. The lineages that people have are often more important then the issues they fight for. This is the fundamental problem with “our” societies today. Bangladesh has made several strides in microcredit projects but quite honestly no one in the western world takes note of it. We must as a society as a whole educate the public about the richness of Bangladesh and its culture. We should make Bangladesh be the ideal moderate Muslim country and be the model to the rest of the Muslim world and not be country that what other countries don’t want to be like.
Those are my two cents on the issue.
March 30th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I had sent Asif’s comment on the BBC recording on to Saber bhai himself and I thought I would post the reply:
“Thanks - it was OK but being in a panel of five (with London roped in as well through Satellite),
doesnt allow much time for a full and detailed discussion on the subjects and BBC crammed in
five or six themes which could each be subject of a one hour programme.
Plus Huda being the Minister had more to answer for and was given more time. There were so
many other points that we wanted to bring in but Hard Talk moderator is hard on time and each
time round we were only allowed 15 seconds or so to comment.
Other than the observations Asif makes, Huda made two other statements which should be
picked up by us - 1. Anti Corruption Council is not able to function because it is too busy
answering questions and responding to queries from the journalists and 2. Reforms may be
carried out by the Caretaker Government (then why the dialogue / committe drama??)
Best.
Saber
=====
March 30th, 2006 at 11:20 am
dear Shafiur
I was only being a practical joker.
Yes, Cambridge is a nice flat place, great for cycling.
My friend Dr. Rangwala is based at Camb. Uni.
March 30th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Saber is one of the good things AL as well as the nation can be proud of. Wish someday leaders like Saber, Noor get the helm of AL. I am sick and tired of that Moron Abdul Zalil. And don’t want to talk about Sheikh Hasina.
Only bad side of Saber, on a lighter note, is the fact that he is Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury’s first cousine.
March 30th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Rubel,
Thanks a lot for the reaction from Saber H. C.
It is refreshing to see his clear thought process.
Rumi bhai, I was just lamenting the fact the other day that everytime AL has someone to share their views it is always Jalil who is on TV. He highlights what is wrong with Bangladeshi politics today. They have to replace him to have any chance winning the young votes in the election. Take a look.
March 30th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Asif,
I agree, the time has come for Saber and Noor to be IN and Jalil and company to be OUT.
I think young generation realizes that BNP is too much of right-wing party. All you get is these fanatics coming to stage. Tarek is a disaster.
Now we need someone AL can present to us that we can relate to - the likes of Saber H.C. and Noor.
Actually there are more dynamic young faces in AL that we really have not had a chance to see much like Tajuddin’s son Sohel Taj who is also very impressive.
March 30th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
and here is Zafar’s take on the debate
April 8th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Well Those who miss the program please find out the repeat telecast time over NTV or BBC world. It was a brilliant debate show about every aspects of our present political situation.
take care and must see the show.
Regards,
Samiha Esha…:)
April 10th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Is it possible to see this on-line.