Fri 29 Jun 2007
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibr Rahman’s sister Asia Khatun breathed her last yesterday. Not much is known about her personal traits. However some events of this person’s very personal life and her losses has been intricately associated with that of the nation.
On that night of August 15 1975, this mother, grandmother and sister, lost both of her brothers, her eldest son with the whole family and almost 20 other members of her extended family in political massacre. She didn’t have the scope to mourn all the deaths during that time of devastation. She had to become strong to protect, hide and safeguard her surviving sons. And she did what she had to do out of her maternal instinct.
32 years later, yesterday, when Asia Khatun departed the world, as a result of another political storm, the son she protected with all what she had, was not with her. He was in jail awaiting trial.
This probably is the typical fate of a subcontinental politician family. In ths subcontinent, power and politics tends to run down the family and so is the sacrifice, personal loss, debacle.
Politicians enjoy enormous power at the good times, no doubt. But they are the one who also pay equally. There is hardly any political family in the subcontinent which has not lost one or more of its members to political assasinations or which has not been subjected to prolonged persecution/jail/deportation or asset confiscation etc.
I write this note at a time when politicians are being subjected to a freestyle demonization. And while doing that there is a concerted effort to hide the fact that corrption is a disease that polluted the whole environment and it is not something that is confined to the politicians only. And it is not fair that only selectively some selective politicians will have to pay for the crime committed by all.
June 29th, 2007 at 3:44 am
“And it is not fair that only selectively some selective politicians will have to pay for the crime committed by all.”
I disagree with this statement, Mr. Rumi.
Politicians elected to power have to be held to higher standards than the rest of society because
1) They are the law makers. If there is one point where you want to tweak to change a society for the better, it has to be at the corridoors of power. These people can make appropriate laws and ensure that the rest of the society changes for the better.
2) Politicians voted to power are supposedly guardians of people’s trust. Corruption and misuse of power is equivalent to breaking their oath of office.
I believe that those entrusted with more power have to act with more responsibility. This is the implicit bargain in the electoral process between elected politicians and their constituency.
June 29th, 2007 at 3:55 am
Theoretically you are very right Tanveer Bhai. But I do not know how the theoretical description of the moral supremacy of a politician you painted is applicable in Bangladesh standards. We are talking about a poor country, where the street activists have no other source of income, and who wait for political activities to earn some money. And also when in reality there is no guideline, law, regulation on political accounting and campaign finance, the line between a morally correct act and looting is exceedingly fine.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:21 am
Saleh, although I agree that as the guardians of the public trust political leaders in government should be held to the highest ethical standards, I have to disagree with the corollaries that follow from your initial statement.
Under the law, every citizen, including politicians, must be accorded the same rights and held accountable for criminal violations equitably. Selectively targeting politicians may be in vogue currently but is very dangerous for the health of the nation - it very quickly leads to persecution and the use of the law as a weapon to settle political scores (and history in Bangladesh affirms this).
The other more general problem with holding politicians “to a higher standard” in the application of criminal law is that it can lead to an abdication of responsibility on the part of the citizen. The implicit bargain that you mentioned has two sides to it - the citizens must adhere to their end of it. This abdication of responsibility by the citizens leads to the notion that government (read, politicians) should solve all our problems and when those problems are not solved, the politicians are wholly to blame - the citizens are seen as unwitting victims of a corrupt political culture. This can lead to common criminality such as not paying one’s taxes becoming a socially acceptable form of corruption.
So, I question the wisdom of the current political purge. We’ve been around this block a number of times already in our history. The results have been the same - greater corruption with new faces.
While we must ensure that politicians are not above the law, we also need to ensure that that same law extends equally to the rest of the populace - if we do not, we will continue to see the law used by those in power against those they have ousted from power, or against those they fear will take power from them. That is the principal reason why justice is often portrayed with a blindfold over her eyes.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:01 am
Thanks Rumi Bhai to bring this Topic on light and I also thank Mash for another Gem.
Basically I feel this is the right time to scrutinize the last 5 months activities of
CTG.
Basically Dangerous trend is to generalize the all politicians on the name of reform. Biggest problem is in human rights.
It seems there is a invisible screen in front of our eyes.Can any one tell us what is the basic difference between Two Barristers Moudud and Mainul ?Even in today
we need to listen abuse comments about human rights from Law advisers.
Funniest thing is the verdict against Anoar Hussain Manju of 5 years Jail against
To keep the wine at home. So Just imagine the quality of our Current administration and charges. It seems you are intend to humiliate some one in front of whole society
and even one 10 years kid will understand it is for personal interest.
But we are silent. Our Sushil shomaj is giving every day so much prescriptions . But
why are they all become ostrich ? Are we so much bank craps nation that we need to support our so called Honest Govt in blind
eyes?
I remember My fellow Blogger K Gazi always speaks about the corruption of politician and all.
But what we are gaining in last six months?
1)Can we make election commission proerly effective?
2) Can we improve our Human rights record?
3)Is Judiciary Independent?
4) why are Govt taking late to open Telecom market?
CTG needs time to clear up so called 15 years corruption etc etc.
So are we not taking Instance of Political parties itself.
I feel If we don’t raise the voice now , It will be too late.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:26 am
While I agree with you that politians alone should not be villified (actually civil servants are also being highlighted) selectively, at the same time we should note that the definition of politician has changed over the last 10-15 years. The kind of sacrificing politicians Rumi bhai mentions are still there but they are in the minority but they are often not recognized by the party leaders themselves. When I think of sacrifice, the names of Amanullah Aman, Haji Selim , Mirja Abbas, Jainal Hajari, Shamim Osman — their names are not synonimous with sacrifice exactly.
Tanoy, regarding improvement in the last 6 months, if I try to be objective, I would say the job is not complete but there has some real progress made on the following areas..separation of lower court from the admin (the job is not done yet, so we should hold judgement on it), election commission has been made independent and more importantly Anti Corruption Commission has been made independent and powerful. These are changes that were never implemented by the parties in the last 15 years.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Rumi bhai, again the issue of competing rights coming in for discussion which puts in a dilemma. While I agree that it is not fair, but can we say just because I can not score 10 on the “clean up mission”, I should not try to obtain 4? Can we say unless we can get corrupt officials in every sector, we should not attempt to get anyone because its “unfair”? Fairness and Bangladeshi systems never went hand in hand. So if we judge from the scale of unfairness (which used to favour the big and powerful before), are we “less unfair” than before?
June 29th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Tiktiki,
I am not disagreed with you but don’t you feel Is it not eye wash?
Just one of your word-
“on the following areas..separation of lower court from the admin (the job is not done yet, so we should hold judgement on it).”
See you need to Put first bracket . Just tell me why do you need to put?
Because neither of us know when it will take place. My question who is the party in here
Govt. If Public prosecutor supports the court for public interest there should not be any problem.
But You see time has been taken. I against mention 1990-2000 we did not find any major Flows. I was asking in Salam Dhaka’s blog
” is there any Ber in the cantonments or not?”
on the name of anti corruption if we see such type of Joke is going on Judiciary how
can you be hopeful.Even Political leaders do have their Civil right.
To put charge against corruption is one stage but we should not make any official
charge where this person is unnecessarily
humiliated in front of all.
Basically i don’t support any type of State of emergency where one particular group is enjoying all sorts of Power and we all will support with out any things.
At the End I feel my beloved Bangladesh as
Sattajit Ray’s Master piece ” Hirak Rajar Deshe”
“Lekha Pora korey jey onaharey moreshey
Janar kono shesh naai Janar Chesta Britha taai
Bidda labhey Lokshan Nai ortho Naai Maan.
Hirak Raja Budhidhi Man Koro shobey taar Joygan”
So we are satisfying our Hirak Raja
June 29th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Tanoy, unfortunately I am not quite sure what you tried to say here. But if you can think 6 months is too long a time, then I am not sure if you were this vocal last 15 years. Also we should not judge everything by “feelings” which are often clouded by emotions. We need to judge it by facts. I have no reason to believe the separation of election commission from the admin or independence of ACC (DUDOK) is an eyewash. There is of course things that may improve. When it comes to institutional changes, I don’t think you can make a point in comparision with the past governments. A lot more has happened than the past 15 years. I am not championing military rule here but I am trying to objective here. There are things that have been bad and then there are things that have been better in the last 5 months. If I look at governance issue, the recovery and management and investigation of the landslide was certainly better than any other past tragedies we faced. Similarly a small example — we have often talked about the pains migrant workers in the middle east and how they are harrassed. Now in the ZIA international airport, there is a dedicated desk to help the migrant workers in filling out forms and everything.
Zahin,
putting all politicians and parties in one bracket is like calling business men and enterpreneurs in Bangladesh loan defaulters and robbers. Would you be happy with the charaterization? Would you think its fair to put you in the same bracket as Koyes Sami or Giasuddin Mamun? If not, then why would you be calling all politicians goons?
Regarding army to take care of us — well, be careful what you wish for. We have been there before. How are you going to test the strength of the institutions if we call in the army everytime we are in a mess? Also describing army as a homogenious entity is pretty naive as well.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:20 am
The issue is not the rationale behind going after the corrupt politicians. The real issues are (1) the lack of due process and (2) the double standards being used by the military backed interim government.
Moudud Ahmed has been charged with possession of alcohol in his house. Anwar Hossain Manju has been given five years in prison for possession of alcohol. Can all the Advisers with hand on heart say that they did not have alcohol in their house or were not serving alcohol to their friends? Give me a break…Geeteara was the President of Dhaka Club!
Mohiuddin Alamgir has been charged for not being able to provide his wealth statement while he was being confined in a cell. As a friend of mine pointed out the other day…Why do we not put some of the Advisers in a glass box and see how they manage to produce their accurate wealth statements!…David Blaine style!
June 29th, 2007 at 7:31 am
And on that note:
Asif Bhai or anyone else, what is the latest from the one-man commision investigating Chalesh Ritchil’s death?
June 29th, 2007 at 7:37 am
The more I try to read BD people’s perception of ongoing events in Bangladesh, the clearer it gets that an overwhelming majority are thinking in your line Asif.
People do not want to give up yet on the CTG, while they support their basic actions and they also want to give them more time.
And may be this should be the wise approach at this point. People usually do not make mistake in BD politics.
Having said that I feel, as an observer, rather than flying in the heaven of complacency at the good deeds of CTG, we ought to be vigilant of the possible slips of absolute power and overwhelming verdict. Last BNP govt will tell us what absolute verdict can do.
So at this point it’s fair to raise question (for the sake of accountability) on the following issues..
1. Is the lower ( or even higher court) totally independent, fair and free? What about the kangaroo court at Shangshad vaban and all those Tughlaqi verdicts?
2. Is ACC really independent or it is working to supplement the CTG’s political mission? What about asking Abdul mannan Bhuiyan or his APS, or Amir Hossain Amu or Abdur Razzak or Jahiruddin Swapon to submit the wealth report? Do you believe ACC will do it? Don’t you believe it is fair to ask them to do so? Will this ACC ever surprise the nation by asking Barrister Moinul, Dr Kamal, Mr. Tapan Chow to submit their wealth report?
3. Well, this EC has a lot to prove before one should say it is the perfect one.
So lets keep the vigilance and also hope for the best.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:42 am
The biggest riddle to solve!!
What Zia’s were thinking when they appointed our army chief?
I simply don’t get it.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:54 am
Asif I am not disagreed your point and I am also not telling that Care taker Govt has not
done any thing . But My point is that why are
we silent if we find any thing is going wrong?
Basically Major point is that If you do lots of good things and one bad activities spoil
all of your best effort . Problem of Current Regime is that you have no right to point out their Flaws.
Have you ever seen any single print& Electronic Media speaking bad side effect of
Monju Case? Don’t U feel instead of Blog sphere the full coverage should be in the main stream media?
Media Censor ship is the weakest point of this Govt . So If human right is violated,
You can’t speak. You even can’t bring this point on the light.
I am not jumping on conclusion. If excuse of State of Emergency coming up, Is it necessary to carry this burden on the shoulder?
End of the day we all are fighting for democracy but my feeling is that our destination is limited to only a particular Class of the society . Here is my objections.
June 29th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Rumi bhai,
Absolutely agreed that the role of the media and the role of us, the civic society is much different from an average citizen. The role is to continuously question the authority so that they are on the right track. The piece that I wrote about the Bangladeshi media for Himal highlighted that.
Equally as you I get worried about the recent kangaroo courts and flagrant violations of due process. We are riding an extremely dangerous path. Somebody is taking on serious gamble and determined that there will be some casualities in the war (fair or unfair). Majority stil believes, perhaps, that the end goal is noble. They are not doubting the intentions. How long that remains is going to be determined by the actions on a day to day basis. Someone I respect very highly recently told me –” the day someone popular gets arrested, I will let you know”.
AsifY, the last I heard that Chalesh’s deadbody was exhumed for further autopsy. It is definitely high on the radar of powers that may be. I would be surprised if the report is not published soon.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Asif S, the following is a very telling statement:
That of course is the problem I think. By the time people speak up about abuses of power affecting people they like, its often too late. The tyranny of the majority or mob justice is exactly what a government should not be allowed to exercise. This is more than a point of principle to stand on, it is a lesson learned multiple times in the 20th century worldwide and also learned multiple times in Bangladesh and South Asia in the recent past. The goal of holding criminals and corrupt leaders accountable is very important but, at the same time, it is essential to do so with due process. Otherwise these same or more corrupt folks will be back later with greater impunity.
This government is more and more looking like it is here to stay - I think we are well beyond any reasonable reading of the constitution that can justify this government’s tenure as a caretaker government. The emerging “approved” political party(ies) suggest the blueprint is similar to other military governments. The deeper it entrenches and the longer this government stays, the more difficult it will be for this government to give up power to a successor government - whether it be for fear of retribution or for the seduction of power.
In as far as this government works toward preparing for a timely election, it deserves support because that is its only viable exit strategy. However, all indications are that this government is here to stay - and it continues to clear the decks by gutting likely political opponents. All this while it makes “the trains run on time”. It is my fervent hope that I am wrong in my assessment.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Rumi bhai, thank you for showing us an angle we all miss, the mother’s point of view. I am sure she did not choose to belong to a political family, but paid dearly for the choices the men in her family made. Again, thank you.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
# 2 (Rumi):
I agree with you that the reality in Bangladesh makes clear judgment difficult. Some of those who are making judgments may not be all that clean themselves. I was looking at it from the greater good (or lesser evil) perspective.
Do we keep going just the way it was (pre 1-11), with a free-for-all looting by the high and mighty, or do we want something done about it, recognizing that some of those in charge of cleanup will invariably be tainted themselves ?
If you accept that something needed to be done, I find it logical to start from the top for reasons mentioned in my earlier post, though due process must be given to the accused in order for such moves to be effective in the long run.
With regards to practical measures that will make indulgence in corruption less compelling, I don’t think the present salary structures of government officials and law makers do the nation any good. Salaries have to be commensurate with a minimal standard of living, or else anti-corruption measures cannot be viable. To lessen inflationary pressures, wages can be adjusted gradually.
# 3 (Mr. Mash)
I do not see any conflict between the public holding their elected officials to higher standards and equal law protection for all, at least in the long run. Elected law makers have the power to make laws that will hold every one accountable in equal measure.
Too often, in the pre 1-11 period, it has been the other way around–the law makers and those they have patronized had a different standard of justice than those who were less connected.
I don’t support unilateral action by the joint forces without due process (that in my book is persecution and unfair); nonetheless, I maintain that targetting the erstwhile high and mighty is a good starting point, though it does not have to end there.
I think your concern about abdication of responsibility by citizens is a legitimate one; however, I believe it will be addressed in the long run if solid institutions (judiciary and law enforcement) are created that ensure a rule of law. But these institutions have remained hobbled in a large part due to elected representatives and their patrons going on a looting rampage.
June 29th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Rumi, Tanoy and others relax please. Time has not over yet. Mr. mannan will be the next target of crrent CTG. It is all about politics. But this time CTG is doing politics for the sake of the country and general public. CTG is trying to digest the people who were arreasted in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd phase. In the next phase Mannan gong will be arrested. So no need to jump to the conclusion now.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
MRA what do you want to say? Bangladesh is
going to be a police state? Is it not funny that
any body is going to be arrested any time?Is it
Kid’s play Ground?
CTg is not here to do the Politics. Their duty is to make level playing field. People of the Bangladesh will decide If they are good or bad.
Just don’t forget they are unelected. Even some Current advisers
of CTG have taken lots of benifits on the previous GOVT. Most Important we really don’t know how much popular these 10 people are.
Basic thing is to do due process. Rumi Bhai, me or any blogger can debate on any issues but don’t think we are giving prescription to arrest some one with out due process.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Responding to
“So Just imagine the quality of our Current administration and charges. It seems you are intend to humiliate some one in front of whole society
”
I cannot agree with the above asessment. I thinks its a case of practical approach taken by CTG/ACC given the ground realities.
Heres an analogy, if ACC is a marine ship, it not only needs to rebuild itself and plug all the holes to make it watertight, but it also has go straight into the rough seas untested and with lack of successful experience. And all this within 6 months.
I think their approach isto take baby steps to get a working model which ensures success. In the cases so far it has been mismatching wealth statements and liquor. To win the big corrpution cases, it will not only take time but also the expeertise needs to be developed. So, I think their approach is good.
On a larger point, I appreciate the vigilance on the CTG. But lets not pick at things without understanding the ground realities. Also, we cannot expect a magic bullet from the CTG. My personal belief based on whatever we have seen, it is a govt of ‘well intent’ and we must have the patience and give it the time it has asked.
June 30th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Post # 19:
Tanoy, now a days I don’t write a lot, although I enjoy reading all the posts, including yours. Helps to see how diverse we can think. You can always learn through contradicting views. Total agreement will hardly discover anything new, rather gives birth to group thinking which is dangerous at times.
I have a very simple question and if you can highlight on this:
“Basic thing is to do due process” …. Absolutely right. However, you won’t disagree, I hope, that to apply due process, you need to have an environment where due process is honoured and can be ensured and is respected by all. Did we have such an environment! Possibly ever!
My dilemma is a sort of what Asif S wrote in another thread. I earnestly want to have due process. But I am baffled witnessing surroundings where due process had been trampeded for years and years. I am inclined to believe that the due process we so aspire and are talking about, we never really had. It is time we create one. How about that!
Let us assume:
KZ/SH truly committed some corruption, just assuming. (By the by, as head of their govt, when country came top in corruption 5 times consecutively, they should voluntarily resign as a matter of respect and give chance to new leadership, but that is my opinion, who cares!)
Let us assume that no CTG is in power and every thing is as it was. Let us say we want to ensure due process.
Question:
1. Who would dare to give witness against them in open court and not fear for the aftermath! They are very powerful. They have millions of followers who are blind. You must have seen even under CTG if some one is filing case against any of them, how we are taking that person down! That we de-characterize the person, vilify, dehumanize, criminalize and do every thing to unearth his 14th generation. I guess you won’t disagree given that this just happened as a matter of fact. WE can’t even take the matter to court. Before taking it to court, we people dclare them innocent.
2. My humble question: Under normal situation, who would dare under due process to give witness against Hazi Selim, Hazari, Pintu, Tareq Zia and so and so forth! Do we really believe that simple people who are victim of their corruption have the guts! (In my crazy dream, I think, every one fears for their lives, I might be wrong though).
I am assuming none. None did in last 15 years, even before. If you see, all cases of corruption against the leaders SH/KZ are withheld, adjourned, withdrawan, and what not! Every time a case is filed it is termed politically motivated. Even SH said that she could not have tried big names like ….. If she being leader accepts that she can’t ensure this under so called due process, what option do we have! I am looking for answers, can’t get it …. help me please. What due process are we talking about! The one we had, or the one we are to create! Must be my lonesome thought.
Do we believe that these two leaders never did / or allowed any corruption in the name of politics! Even if they didn’t, assuming such, can they ignore the flagrant violation and corruption under their tutilege/leadership! Who should take the first blame for the corruption of the ministers! Whose reponsibility is it to ensure it! Any lesson on Leadership will teach one thing: Success is for leader to share with all, blame is for leader to take. That is how a good leader takes the lead. A good leader will never pass the buck.
Under the pre-eleven existing situation this is what in my opinion / or in my dream (depends on how you see) would have happened:
1. Let’s say - you file a case against Hazari or Pintu (who are simply terror).
2. They would have got caught by police. Produced before court.
3. Under so called - due process, their lawyer will apply for bail. Presuming them to be innocent until proven guilty, they would have been released.
4. They would threat anyone who would dare to give witness against them. After all you and me both know very well who they are!
5. Pending no witness, they will come back free. Verdict: Not Guilty.
Are we singing song for that sort of due process! Some one needs to bell the cat.
Or might be I am dreaming a bad dream. It really is a morning dream that may some day come true. May be my beloved Bangladesh pre-11 was a real ideal place where ever body got due process. May be I am crazy. In my beloved pre-11 Bangladesh, justice was ensured. May be we could not buy judge, may be police never took bribe. May be never were people afraid of Selim, Aorong, Hazari, Pintu, Falu, TZ. May be I had a unreal dream. Excuse my dream.
Thanks
LTT
PSS:
You asked a question:
”Is there any Ber in the cantonments or not?” - I guess you asked if there is any bar in the sense where alcoholic beverage is served!
Answer: No. There is no alocoholic bar. But in every officers mess you will find a snacks bar which is shortly called Bar. Many misunderstand this to be synonymous to aloholic bar, hence a misconception.
For information: Alcoholic beverage is officially off-limit for man in uniform. It is a punishable offence.
June 30th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Post # 1: Dear S. Tanveer, I agree with your point. The fact is country was head and heals in corruption. While the number of such corrupt people might be lot, we have to start some where. I would go one step further. If any government is to start somewhere, they ought to start with the leader. And go downwards from their.
Some poeple raise question why is govt not going after him and her. What I think is this (my opinion): Even if govt knows about all, they really can’t go after all at the same time. Govt needs to measure its ability / strength on what it can absorb! It has its limitation. Going after all and failing all through is a worse outcome. Even if few are punished, let that set example for future. That in this country, corrupts can be held to accountability.
It is similar to what Asif said in Post # 6. May be we can’t get 10. But at least even if we try to score 4, that 4 is a better as a result than zero. If we score 4 today, there will be many more tomorrow to come when we can try to score even better.
My prayer and respect for the departed. Let her be in eternal peace.
But no regret for Selim. If he is to wait in jail due to his actions, then be it. Good to see that he was set free on parole.
Thanks
June 30th, 2007 at 8:14 am
To me, the situation is like this…
People did not tell them anything, but they heard and came to implement what they heard.
Now, people are telling them a lot, but they can’t hear, and they do what they think they would hear from people.
Sorry, isn’t exactly what all that goes to power does?
Hope and loss of hope- and even deeper frustration- is that all we can hope from our leaders?
June 30th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Due process! Old song with a new voice.
LTT well said. But your bad dream is not pragmatic
June 30th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
LTT: My humble question: Under normal situation, who would dare under due process to give witness against Hazi Selim, Hazari, Pintu, Tareq Zia and so and so forth! Do we really believe that simple people who are victim of their corruption have the guts! (In my crazy dream, I think, every one fears for their lives, I might be wrong though).
The issue is not about witness protection. I have no problems with that. However, what seems to be happening is that witnesses (leading businessmen in some cases) are being taken in by the authorities and forced to give statements or file extortion cases against the allegedly corrupt politicians. That is lack of due process! The use of threat or force on witnesses cannot be acceptable. There is something fundamentally wrong with that approach.
July 1st, 2007 at 3:46 am
Dear Concerned:
“The use of threat or force on witnesses cannot be acceptable. There is something fundamentally wrong with that approach.”
The fact that some thing fundamentally wrong is taking place, as you said, could not have taken place if the something fundamentally right could have been ensured. (Example of fundamental right: My right to drive during hartal…you will agree my freedom allows me not to obey hartal. Could I have done that! We know the answer, both of us. How about the moral dishonesty of calling for hartal and keeping bank open, in case of Jalil! In my book these are the bigger culprit who deny poor richsha-pooler his earning of the day and keeps their business open after calling hartal. How can we ignore this moral dishonesty!)
Question is whether we did have the situation where the fundamentally right thing could have been ensured! My dilemma is under pre-11 environment could you have ever dared to touch this very powerful persons, does not matter whether its businessman or terrorist. Every body knows that TZ did this, Falu did this, Nazmul Huda is corrupt, Mamun is such and such - it seems to be common knowledge. Could we have done anything before! Could you!
Simple answer no. So how do we ensure that this people, assuming them to be corrupt, are dealt with! If these people could not have been touched under so-called normal situation where we seem to insinuate that due process prevailed, then definitely we need to have a situation that allows us to take care of these corrupts.
I agree with you. Lets ensure due process. But please give me the gurantee that due process can be ensured. That guarantee was not there before. I earnestly hope we will be able to create a due process supportive environment. For that we need to have strong institution. Politicians never so long created one. They destroyed. Lets see if CTG creates one!
As for this extra-normal situation prevailing in the country, possibly every country goes through situation like this when nation is in dire need (after all we shirk to see nation topping the list of corruption 5 times). I can quote quite a number of example. But for the moment, lets just put the example of post 9/11 in USA. The so-called US Patriot Act (Documentary: Unconstitutional) after all did not ensure due process when they thought that nation needed drastic power to deal with terrorism. The same US that advises us to stop corruption.
As for witness protection, it is intrinsically related to due process. I argued, to prove these powerful people guilty of their soft/hard crime, you need witness to come forward under normal due process. I argued that in pre-11 condition hardly anyone would dare to testify against these powerful people. If none dares to testify, how do we prosecute these powerful culprits!
That is my dilemma. Advance apology for big reply but I guess we both understand the sitution even though we differ in perspective. That is okay.
Thanks
LTT
July 1st, 2007 at 5:56 pm
LTT,
We are on the same page on many issues. We both want a “fundamentally right” environment and I agree with you that such an environment did not exist pre-11 Jan. However, I would differ with your view that the way to get there requires us to bend the rules somehow and maybe forget about the more stringent standards of due process and human rights. If we go down that route we will have no future. In ten years time we will be in the same place or even a worse place than we are today. Going after the top leaders will only create a political vacuum for the powers that be to exploit. They have never been able to administer the country or provide good governance. The right path would be to restore the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution, lift the ban on politics, punish the truly ‘proven’ corrupt politicians throught a free and fair trail (not a kangaroo court), and leave it for the PEOPLE to decide who they want to run the country. The wrong path is to follow a “minus two” formula and artifically create a political vacuum for a third party, impose reforms on the political parties from above, and let human rights and fundamenatal rights take a back seat.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:58 am
I’m gonna say something about the words of the thread “Politics, Sacrifice and Crime.”
What’s politics? What’s the best use of politics? We must know it. Every single stuff God has created can either help us or harm us based on how we use it.
I often retort to my friends and co-workers, can you guys, tell me what is the best of professions? Then I say” Politics is the best of all professions if it is in the right hand. A best doctor can best serve only the sick population. A teacher can help best the students who come to him. A attorney only his clients and so on. But a good true politician can serve people of all professions, of all walks of life. He can guide, help and reach out to everybody.
Then again I ask them what is the worst profession? The answer is the again the same, the politics when it is possessed by the bad guys. Politics with bad people can ruin every thing as is the current case scenario of Bangladesh.
To make our reform endeavor successful we
have to assimilate the essence or true meaning of politics. Politics is the king of all policies and not the kings’ policies.
Now SACRIFICE: we see politicians at
the beginning of their careers make immense
sacrifices. People fight against injustices, they fight for establishing rights of people and they become ready to sacrifice their everything, for the greater cause of people and the country they belong to. But as the same cohort of people gradually get to the powers they forget the spirit and cause of their sacrifices. They get changed and the change is so enormous that they become crazy to devour everything as if even their own sacrificial. The sacrifice then turns to as just selling and lose all public appeal. And those who were once so much adored now abhorred. People get befuddled as to what is sacrifice or sale.
Crime: What is the role of general moms or special Moms like Aschia Khatun [Mom of Late
Sheik Fazlul Haque Moni and Sheik Selim],
Begum Fazilatennesa [Mom of Sheik Hasina, late Sheik Kamal..] and Khaleda Zia [Mom of Tariq and Coco] in controlling crime and corruption in a country. Our Bengali Moms are in general are too affectionate, too loving and too lenient to their kids. And I believe these mothers have great role but they are utterly failing. If we want to fight corruption we have to focus on this very vital field. Maybe it will hear very harsh our mothers are failing us and failing the nation. Our mothers are very good at loving our kids but worst in disciplining the kids. Not only the Moms-kids
love-affection affair is there but also other factors as our women don’t earn money, they become weak and dependent on their kids, their siblings and husbands and lose all control. Moreover, our women
engage in materialistic race among them and encourage men to earn more money to meet their demands, no matter whatever way money is drawn in their drawing rooms.
I believe, late Mrs. Aschia never had
asked her sons how they made a such beautiful palatial edifice in the remote village of Tongipara in the early years of our independence while the leader of
independence Late Sheik Mujib didn’t afford to make such a house in Tongipara.
To correct our nation we need to have multi-pronged approach. And that should include our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters and be reoriented towards transparent clean, honest and modest lives. We need to learn along with our women, how to share with destitue people instead of sucking them. Sorry, if my comments have spatial irrelevance.
Thanks.