Unheard Voices

London, UK, July 8, 2008 - Drishtipat Writers’ Collective (DWC), A London based writers’ group on Bangladesh, has published its first e-book on the prospect of National Security Council in Bangladesh titled “The Case Against a National Security Council in Bangladesh”.

As the state of emergency draws to a close and national elections loom, the powers-that-be behind Bangladesh’s Caretaker Government have mooted the necessity of such a council. The collective opines that creating an NSC will not solve Bangladesh’s political problems and would rather make it worse. An NSC will make it more difficult for democratic institutions to develop, and quite possibly, condemn the nation to a generation-long conflict. 

A series of articles, published in the print media over the past year, makes the case against an NSC, does comparative analysis with other countries and suggests alternatives.  Please distribute link among possible stakeholders and interest groups.

For questions and comments, please write to dpwriters@drishtipat.org. 

You can see the e-book directly by clicking here

About DWC:

Drishtipat Writers’ Collective is a coalition of writers who blog, write and research on society, politics and the economy of Bangladesh. Experts in their own fields, the writers’ are spread out all across the globe and have more than 50 publications on Bangladesh both in Bangladeshi and International media.  More details can be found at http://dpwriters.wordpress.com 

Dr Ayesha Siddiqa Agha, a Pakistani academic and author of Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy, recently talked to Syeed Ahamed and Faisal Gazi of the Drishtipat Writers’ Collective. The interview was printed by the New Age on Monday 7 July.

A national security council will not only institutionalise an authoritarian political system, once the military becomes part of this system, the system will become less transparent as well. Hence reforming that authoritative system will be much more difficult than reforming the existing political system.

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Not the general public.
Nor the politicians.
Nor any professional bodies.

Yesterday a roundtable of random people (failed politicians, the reform party, 51 first class giving professor and passed sell by date intellectuals) urged for the formation of NSC. Those who are familiar with pattern of making laws and ordinances without any discussion or transparency now know that the standard formula is this.

1. Ask a professor to present a keynote paper favouring what you want.
2. Have a roundtable of people who are used to boot licking.
3. Call it “Gonodabi” and make the law.

In case of NSC, the first two has been concluded. The first paper calling for NSC was presented by Imtiaz Ahmed. Yesterday, the round table happened.

Last time, NSC was called for in Bangladesh was by Gen Ershad in February 1982, a month before the overthrowing of President Sattar, when Ershad wanted an institutional role for the miliary in Bangladesh for policy making.

Read the three news reports and you will get the gist.

Prothom Alo
Daily Star
New Nation

Who was present? The line up has the best of military bootlickers.

The organization which organized it also is a just floated organization and I am sure it will disappear after this meeting of after the passing of NSC ordinance.

The key note speaker was professor Ataur Rahman from the political science department. Does the name sound familiar? Remember the time when Gen Moeen U Ahmed a gave speech for the future of democracy in Bangladesh at the invitation of a no name organization. Yeap, it was headed by the same guy.
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Hassan Ariff says NSC is coming. We are approaching end times
National Security Council will be formed: Hassan Ariff

Thu, Mar 20th, 2008 8:31 pm BdST
Dhaka, March 20 (bdnews24.com) – The caretaker administration is considering forming a National Security Council to tackle law and order issues and national disasters, law adviser AF Hassan Ariff said Thursday. Potential members of the council include the president, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and representatives of the armed forces, the adviser told reporters in his land ministry office. Ariff, who is also land adviser, failed to say when the national security council might come into being. “The matter is being discussed. No draft proposal on the formation of such a council has reached the law ministry or the cabinet from the home ministry,” said Ariff. The adviser, however, confirmed the Truth Commission would be formed in a month: “It seems that the Anticorruption Commission does not have any reservations about it.” The Truth Commission, also known as the ‘accountability commission’, is intended to facilitate legal investigations and trials. bdnews24.com/ahd/ehb/my/am/2000 hours

Money Shot Quotes from Condi Rice:
1. “Bangladesh a strong partner of the United States in fighting terrorism”
2. “We…are committed to further strengthening this partnership”

Translation for those who don’t speak war-on-terrorese:
1. US money pouring into RAB, Army, Joint Forces, Biometric Databases (where do you think voter ID card data going)
2. Even more high jinks as we become another “coalition of willing” (remember what happened to last one)
3. National Security Council now a slam dunk– “desh ke bachate”, etc

Prediction
1. HuJi bomb blasts on cue, conveniently timed for right before NSC legislation about to pass

The $ Million Question
Any link to Patricia Butenis private visit to Dhaka this week from Iraq? Nahh, don’t be so cynical. I am sure she really came back to pick up her “pet dogs” as she claimed. Ooer, that don’t sound right… (more…)

DPWC is publishing a series of articles on the proposed National Security Council. The first one has been published in New Age today.

For the better formatted piece, check the pdf version here.