Mon 12 May 2008
A much delayed welcome speech from Fakhruddin Shaheb. Comment about the content of is a bit later but the best part of the speech was that it had some specific dates.
Quick Instant reaction:
Positives:
1. Definitive date for election. Finally a date is here which should partially dispel speculation about the election whether it will happen or not.
2. Lifting of the country wide indoor politics.
3. National Charter: can be a good thing if its in good hand but also can be deadly. But from what we understand, the parities need to buy into this through the dialogue. So whatever is decided, hopefully will be decided with a general agreement.
Negatives:
1. Indications are there that the election will happen under SOE.
2. No direction on National Security Council. They are still keeping the country in dark about such a major upcoming change.
3. Lifting of the indoor politics with so many strings attached.
Again these are instant reactions without going through the full transcript of the speech. But some of the confusion and uncertainty prevailing last few months will be dispelled after this speech for sure.
Update on the exit strategy:
Whether it was due to our Mr. Boucher’s visit or was it our ACC chief General Mashud’s resilience in bringing cases against the reformists, we don’t know. But the plan to create BNP - 2 seems to have fallen into pieces and both the BNPs are getting back together. So hopefully none of BNP or AL will boycott the election. However, we must be united in calling for an election after withdrawing the state of emergency. An election where people’s basic fundamental right to assemble is missing would not be very meaningful.
What’s your thought on the speech?
May 12th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I think National Charter spells National Security Council. This will give President Moeen U Ahmed (previously the only 5 star general in Bangladesh) the right to dissolve parliament and with a sham referrendum bringing an army formally into power. (powered by Shaik Seraj, Channel I doing farmer campaigns just so farmers don’t storm into Dhaka and send Moeen to Dubai)
May 13th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Moeen thanks for your personal prediction.
With indoor politics now being allowed across the country - our political parties must now have their “grass roots level” meetings which they were unable to hold due to the ban.
We the people now want to hear what the political parties are offering us if they return to power.
They must also tell the public what brought about 1/11 and their formula for avoiding future 1/11s.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Journalists demand an end to emergency to protect press freedom
Tue, May 13th, 2008 8:21 pm BdST
Dhaka, May 13 (bdnews24.com)—Editors, other senior journalists and journalist union leaders have demanded that the government ensure press freedom by withdrawing the state of emergency without delay.
The demand came from a joint meeting held at the National Press Club Tuesday, preceded by Monday’s—both chaired by senior journalist Ataus Samad.
A statement signed by Samad says: “After the imposition of the state of emergency on January 11 last year, the media have been working with limited right and under pressure of the emergency powers rules that erode fundamental rights.”
“It has been noticed that different agencies—military and civilian—have been intervening in the work of the media,” the statement says.
“Media do not have freedom in a state of emergency. Regular interference in day-to-day work of the media is not acceptable,” the statement says.
The meeting also decided to form a committee to overcome the setbacks.
Later Ataus Samad said: “The committee will be formed through discussion.”
The meeting pulled in editors, chief news editors of newspapers and the electronic media, representatives of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists and the National Press Club. They reviewed the overall situation.
Prothom Alo editor Motiur Rahman, News Today editor Reazuddin Ahmed, Ittefaq editor Rahat Khan, Samokal editor Abed Khan, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha chief editor Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Inqilab editor AMM Bahauddin, The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, Bangladesh Observer editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Manavjamin editor Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, Sangram editor Abul Asad, Jugantor deputy editor Shahjahan Sarder, bdnews24.com’s editor-in-chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Amader Shomoy editor Naimul Islam Khan, Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamol Dutta, Channel i chief news editor Saiful Amin, leaders of two factions of BFUJ M Mozammel Haque, Monzurul Ahsan Bulbul and Ruhul Amin Gazi, Dainik Dinkal executive editor Maruf Kamal Khan, journalist leaders Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan and Omar Faruq and Dhaka Reporters Unity general secretary Ilyas Khan were present at either of the meetings.
In a separate joint statement Tuesday, four senior journalists protested “direct and indirect control” over the media.
In the statement they said: “Following in the footsteps of our predecessors in the last phase of our life, we vow to take part in the movement for removing all setbacks to independent journalism.”
“We wish present fighters similar success for the freedom of the press as we succeeded in the past,” they said.
The signatories to the statement are KG Mustafa, ABM Musa, Nirmal Sen and Kamal Lohani.
bdnews24.com/sm/eh/ad/2004 hours
May 14th, 2008 at 2:26 am
@mamoon
Political parties may have bought 1/11 (even some may argue against it, but i’ll let it slide)
But everything since, has been far worse in principle and action.
1/11 was and still is the least of our worries
May 26th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Much of the political analysis, including my own, tend to think in terms of maximum programme - what is the most each side wants. Particularly, we have tended to focus on the maximum programme of the coupmakers: the chief coupmaker to become the new king, with his own king’s party (BNP 2) and a pliant parliament. Fortunately, it seems that this is maximum programme is difficult to achieve.
But there is also a possible minimum programme. What’s the minimum that the coupmakers will settle for? It seems to me that such a minimum programme would involve: presidency for Gen Moeen under the current constitutional set up, and a guarantee against impeachment.
This is much easier to achieve. All that is required is the support of a major political party. If I was a strategist for the regime, I’d be talking to Hasina right away.
I’m not making a positive analysis of what might happen, not any normative comment on what should happen. What might happen is the minimum programme. Question then is, is the minimum programme better than other alternatives?