Martialing the Law in Bangladesh

Martialing the Law in Bangladesh

Rumi Ahmed

The military coup of 11 January 2007 is unique in modern history. This is probably the first of a kind where a military coup took place under an impeccable disguise of diplomat supported media sponsored military enforced civil society takeover. Martial law usually follows Military coups and this special constitutional provision of martial law usually provides the very important legal and political protection of the coup leaders.

The problem with 1/11 was that although the coup, thanks to co-conspirator media, was very easy; in the after math, the legal-political protection of martial law was not there. This was, IMO, was the most challenging side of the disguised military coup of 1/11.

There is no martial law; it means that the authority has to use the prevailing laws and processes to achieve the effect of martial law.

Initially a subservient chief justice served the purpose quite effectively. The state of affairs is a bit muddy these days with the ascension of a new chief justice. It will be a matter of time before we will know whether the new CJ will continue to follow the order of the General. (After all, you only can offer presidency to only one person, not two).

In the meantime, in addition to the hiring the chief justice to work as the military government’s button man, the ruling military authority has also engaged a multiple layer of safety network. The layers include, among others,

1. The Chief Justice: Any observer of higher court proceedings of the last 18 months will know that the Chief Justice either threw away all the high court rulings against government or formed-dismissed high court benches to serve his purposes.

2. Carrot and stick. Bring all the most senior lawyers of the Supreme Court in the general’s pocket. Both carrots and sticks were used to do this. Likes of Kamal Hossain, Amirul Islam, Rokonuddin Mahmud were shown the carrot of giving lucrative jobs in the coming govt. Some were coerced into submission. And the rest were made corrupt (media helped a lot) and was put in jail with incredible 35 -40 years jail sentences. Pro BNP Supreme Court lawyers’ assoc leaders like Aminul Haque and Nazmul Huda fell into this category. Aminul Haque apparently was handed 100 + years of jail term so far. The allegations-evidence is ridiculously flimsy. It is also getting clear now a days why Aminul Haque/Nazmul Huda were tried and sentenced with such a high priority.

3. The attorney General’s office, under the direct command of a dozen mid level military officers, served the legal side of government’s political motive. Cases were defended/ not defended; appeals were made or not made based on instructions from the military intelligence office that effectively rules the country now. Delivery of justice and merit of the case was never the factor in government decisions. Recently, the attorney general himself confessed that his office did not appeal the high court bail of right wing political leader Motiur Rahman Nizami as there was no pressure from the government to do so. However, the same office aggressively appealed against the bail of other political leaders jailed under the same case as the government (Military intelligence agency in this case) did not want the other leaders to get bail.

A recent news report detailed how the lawyers representing the government and Anti Corruption Commission under the auspices of Attorney general Office were working under the constant supervision of some army majors. This report, published in a vernacular daily, describes how the government lawyers were grouped in different teams of five lawyers and each group works at the instruction of an army major. The major will decide which case would be defended and which one would not be appealed etc.

4. The government with the help of those sold out senior lawyers like Kamal Hossain etc did their best to keep the lawyers community divided along the political line. A recent judgment regarding the job of ten judges is an example. This case suddenly came up out of nowhere and this issue was not even in the political agenda of the lawyers group representing political ideology of the judges. And interestingly, although the government was the defendant, the Attorney General Office did not move a finger to defend this case.

5. Another layer is letting the media lose against the stubborn judges. A new ordinance on contempt of court was passed early on after the coup of 1/11. With a more than helpful Chief Justice, the meaning and real implication of that ordinance was not very clear at that time. Some recent activities of the most trusted and effective media corps of this government, vernacular daily Prothom Alo, has finally clarified the real meaning of that ordinance.

The conspirators of 1/11 used these media very effectively in priming the public sentiment for a military coup. Now when the higher judiciary is going through a very restless time and thanks to a bunch of irrepressible Judges, government lost a series of very important proceedings, the power house has just played their latest card. A reporter in a vernacular daily started a public deliberation of some sub judies cases with some judges mentioning their name in first pages of the national daily. The recently promulgated contempt of court is ordinance is his shield. An extremely alarming precedence is being created. Partisan newspapers are openly dissecting, criticizing judgments and intimidating a sitting judge about future cases. Then what next? First page story on the scandals of the personal life of the judge’s daughter? I can not over emphasize this; this new precedence Prothom Alo has just created, is very dangerous and suicidal for a nation. This sort of media enforced dirty war on judicial system must be stopped at any cost.

6. We just talked about the latest card that is being played in Prothom ALo now. By no means is this the last card. There should be no doubt in everybody’s mind that if needed, much worse cards will be played against one or two headstrong judge.

Why one need a martial law if so many layers of mechanism are there to be used by the military regime?

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This post has originally been published in the blog of this writer.

The Answer of Why I Use The Tag “India is a Bad Neighbor”

BSF kill two BDR men in Chapainawabganj

Fri, Jul 18th, 2008 2:30 pm BdST

Chapainawabganj, July 18 (bdnews24.com) – Indian border guards gunned down two members of Bangladesh Rifles on the Raghunathpur border in Chapainawabganj in the early hours of Friday, a BDR officer said.
The dead were identified as Havildar Abdul Hannan Sarkar, 55, and Lance Naik Krishnapada Saha, 28.
Lt-Col. Golam Kibria Md. Neyamat Ullah, commander of BDR 39 Battalion, told bdnews24.com that a group from the Indian Border Security Force entered about 1300 yards into Bangladesh territory in Durlavpur union, shortly after Thursday midnight.
On a tip, Abdul Hannan Sarkar along with a BDR team rushed to the area and challenged the BSF members. But the Indian border guards opened fire on them killing the two BDR men at the scene, said Golam Kibria.
The incident has coincided with a foreign secretary-level talk between Bangladesh and India in New Delhi, where border security is one of the issues on the agenda.
Senior BDR officials visited the scene.
bdnews24.com/corr/my/rah/1250 hours

You can have a look at the bottom of this blog post. This post is tagged under “India is a Bad Neighbor”. I’ve been using that tag since I’ve started blogging. Some ask me why I have created such a tag like this; what’s wrong between me and India. Now, the news story block-quoted above explains my reasons quite better.

Chapainawabganj is not a locality where fear of man-eater species has been discovered. That’s not a place where international hostile groups carry on their drills and commit acts of terrorism. There is no threat from Bangladeshi security apparatus to attack India. There is no exasperation presently taking place between Bangladesh & India diplomacy. There is no riot anywhere threatening lives of any people. It’s not like Bangladesh Riffles personals look like a target practice card. So, what can be shown as reason of shooting at security forces of a neighboring country? What can be the reason of gunning down two BDR personals at the border? Were those two BDR personals taking preparations of India invasion?

To the date, some thousands of Bangladeshi citizens have been murdered by Indian security wacko group BSF. Border area residents of Bangladesh have been experiencing the tyrannical acts of India since our liberation. Kidnapping, torturing in BSF camps, kidnapping young Bangladesh women and then raping them, are common tendencies of BSF. Being ranked as one of world’s grossest smuggling-friendly frontier military unit, BSF has been doing these crimes and have been becoming the reason of international tension for many years. As the present regime of Bangladesh is not a elected one, rather they have been working as a close ally of India in all senses, it’s not sure how’ll be the reply from the Bangladeshi authority side. The guy, who’s already flushed off all points of Vienna Convention down to his commode, is Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh, the guy named Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty. His words never reflect any prospect of friendship between two nations. So, we do not expect any ambitious reply from Bangladesh against this murder of two BDR personnels. All I can say is, those BDR jawans should have known before risking their lives that their authority is not going to take care of how many of them are killed.

Welcome Aboard Biman

Welcome Aboard Biman

Mahruf Ahmed

12 July 2008

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your captain Mahmud welcoming both seated and standing passengers on board of “Biman”. We apologize for the four-day delay in taking off, it was due to bad weather, engine problems and a part time job I have in a fast food restaurant in New York.

This is flight 707 to Dhaka . Landing there is not guaranteed, but we will end up somewhere in Bangladesh. And, if luck is in our favor, we may even be landing in your village!

Bangladesh Biman has an excellent safety-record!!! In fact, our safety standards are so high, that even terrorists are afraid to fly with us! It is with pleasure; I announce that, starting this year, over 30% of our passengers have reached their destination.

If our engines are too noisy for you, on passenger’s request, we can arrange to turn them off! To make your free fall to earth pleasant and memorable, we serve complimentary Taree (Bangla alcohol).

For our not-so-religious passengers, we are the only airline who can help you find out if there really is a God!!! We regret to inform you, that today’s in-flight movie will not be shown as we forgot to record it from the television. However, for our movie buffs, we will be flying right next to Emirates Airline, where their movie will be visible from the right side of the cabin window.

There is no smoking allowed in this airplane. Any smoke you see in the cabin is only the early warning system on the engines telling us to slow down! If you see water dripping from the top of your head, don’t think it is raining outside, it could be the AC, that is leaking water and if you notice that you are feeling so hot, that means the AC is not working, please feel free to ask the air hostess for a hand fan.

We apologize for the inconvenience!! In order to catch important landmarks, we try to fly as close as possible for the best view. If however, we go a little too close, do let us know.

Our enthusiastic co-pilot sometimes flies right through the landmark!

Kindly be seated, keep your seat in an upright position for take-off and fasten your seat-belt. For those of you who can’t find a seat-belt, kindly fasten your own belt to the arm of your seat. And, for those of you who can’t find a seat, do not hesitate to get in touch with a stewardess who will explain how to fasten yourself to your suitcase.”

“Thanking you all for choosing “Biman” to fly for the first and last time”. Enjoy your flight.

* * * * *

Mahruf Ahmed is a Bangladeshi-British trainee pilot, presently studying BBA at North South University.

Thousands & millions of Bangladeshis, who are living abroad, always prefer to travel through the airliners of their homeland. Ignoring hilariously poor services, they do not abandon Biman. They can get a far more better service from other airlines at reasonable prices, but still they stick with Biman. Because they don’t like to abandon their homeland’s airliners. But how long the scene will remain like this? Many competitors are in the field. If the situation remains unchanged then it won’t be too long from now when we will have to see our Biman’s being outfaught off the scene.

HC stays Niko case against Khaleda

Dhaka, July 9 (bdnews24.com) - The High Court on Wednesday stayed the proceedings of the Niko graft case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia for two months.

A HC bench of justices Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Mashuk Hossain Ahmed also asked the government and the Anticorruption Commission to explain within two weeks why the case against Khaleda should not be declared illegal.

The court order came after Khaleda Zia filed a writ petition to the court on Monday, for the second time challenging the legality of the Niko case against her and its proceedings in trial court.

The same HC bench on Monday halted the proceeding of two cases, including a separate Niko graft case, against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, for two months.

Senior advocate Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmad, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia and Advocate Abdur Reza Khan represented Khaleda in court Wednesday.

They told the court that the case against their client had been filed and approved by the ACC without following proper legal procedure.

The HC bench held a hearing on the petition Tuesday, asking the ACC to submit documents, regarding the ACC’s filing and approval of the case by 2pm Wednesday.

Khaleda’s petition included a plea to quash the case, alongside a request to halt the case proceedings in the lower court as a primary step.

The former prime minister accused the Anticorruption Commission chairman, two commissioners, a deputy commissioner and the Special Judge’s Court-9 of Dhaka of misconduct in regard to filing and trying the case.

The petition also said said Khaleda, as prime minister, performed her official duties as per ‘rules of business’ when she asked BAPEX to take necessary steps regarding three abandoned gas fields according to guidelines and regulations. But the Niko case had been filed purposely to harass her, she claimed.

Khaleda mentioned that the ACC does not have the jurisdiction to challenge the ‘rules of business’, hence the Niko case filed against her has no legal standing.

The detained BNP chairperson had filed an earlier petition on May 18 to scrap the Niko case against. On May 20, a High Court bench said it was ‘too embarrassed’ to hear the plea. A second bench, on May 27, rejected the petition.

The Anticorruption Commission charged Khaleda and 10 others, on May 5, with scamming the state coffers of Tk 13,700 crore by signing the deal with Canadian company Niko Resources Ltd.

The ACC filed two separate graft cases involving deals with Niko against Khaleda and Hasina on Dec 9 last year.

bdnews24.com/at/my/rah/1651hours

We’ve Gone Numb II

এখনও নিশ্চিত করে বলা যাচ্ছেনা যে আওয়ামী লীগ সভানেত্রী শেখ হাসিনার মুক্তির বিষয়টিকে কি বর্তমান সরকারের শুভবুদ্ধির উদয় হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করা যায় কি না। বাণিজ্য উপদেষ্টা হোসেন জিল্লুর রহমান তার চিরাচরিত ‘ড়’-সমৃদ্ধ বাচনভঙ্গিতে জানিয়েছেন যে সরকার শেখ হাসিনার নেতৃত্বে আওয়ামীলীগের সাথে সংলাপে যেতে প্রস্তুত, এ ব্যপারে সরকারের সদিচ্ছা রয়েছে। বাংলাদেশের রাজনীতি বর্তমানে যে ডেডলকের শিকার হয়ে আছে, তা থেকে শান্তিপূর্ণ ভাবে বেরুনোর জন্য সরকারের সদিচ্ছা অবশ্যই জরুরি। শেখ হাসিনা বাংলাদেশে সবচেয়ে জনপ্রিয় দুজন জীবিত ব্যাক্তির একজন। এ সত্য প্রমাণিত ও সকল তর্ক-বিতর্কের উর্দ্ধে। তাকে মুক্তি দেয়া বর্তমান রাজনীতিক সংকটের অবসানের জন্য খুবই গুরুত্বপূর্ণ এতে কোন সন্দেহ নেই। আর এতেও কোন সন্দেহ নেই যে দুজন জনপ্রিয় ব্যাক্তির একজনকে আটক রেখে আরেকজনকে মুক্তি দিলে সমস্যার কোন অর্থপূর্ণ সমাধানে পৌছানো সম্ভব নয়।

সরকার এখন পর্যন্ত মোট কটি দলের সাথে সংলাপে বসেছে তা আমি শুরুতে গুনতে শুরু করেছিলাম। কিন্তু পরে দেখলাম এতগুলো পার্টির নাম মনে রেখে গোনাটা বেশ কষ্টকর কাজ। এই পার্টিগুলোর প্রায় সবই সরকারের সাথে সংলাপে বসেছেন, চায়ে ভিজিয়ে সল্টেড বিস্কিট আর স্যান্ডউইচও খেয়েছেন। এবং বি. চৌধুরি, হাসানুল হক ইনু বা কামাল হোসেনের পক্ষ থেকে কিছু অলীক-রুপকথা পর্যায়ের রাজনৈতিক প্রস্তাব ছাড়া এই সংলাপে বলার মত কিছুই ঘটেনি। একটি ল্যাপটপ সামনে রেখে হোসেন জিল্লুর রহমান সাহেব একের পর এক দলের সাথে সংলাপ করে গেছেন। রাজনৈতিক সংলাপে ল্যাপটপের কি ব্যাবহার থাকতে পারে, তার সম্ভাব্য যুক্তি খন্ডন করতে গিয়ে দুর্জনেরা বলেন, আগে থেকে ঠিক করে রাখা কথাগুলো ঠিকঠাক নির্ভুল ভাবে উপস্থাপন করার উদ্দেশ্যেই হোসেন জিল্লুর সাহেব সংলাপের মাঝে ল্যাপটপে অক্লান্ত গুতোগুতি করেন। নিন্দুকদের আরেকটি ছোট দল আছে যারা ল্যাপটপের আরেকটি অপ্রিয় ব্যাবহারের কথা বলছেন। দুর্জনদের বক্তব্য বিশ্লেষনে আমরা না যাই। বাস্তবতা বিবেচনা করলে দেখা যায়, দেশে বিদ্যমান শ’খানেক পার্টির হাজার খানেক নেতার সাথে বছরচুক্তি সংলাপ করে কাজের কাজ কিছুই হবে না, যদি বিএনপি আওয়ামী লীগ সংলাপে না আসে। এটা খুবই বাস্তব সত্য যে বিএনপি আওয়ামী লীগ সংলাপে বসলে দেশের আর কোন রাজনৈতিক দল সেখানে না থাকলেও কোন সমস্যা হতনা। কিন্তু এখানে ঘটেছে উল্টোটা। বিএনপি আওয়ামী লীগ ছাড়া আর সবাই সংলাপে গিয়েছেন। যার কারণে সংলাপের কোন প্রভাব দেশের মানুষের মধ্যে পড়েনি। তারা জানতেও চায়না কে সংলাপে গেল, না গেল। এই আজও দেখলাম আ.স.ম. আব্দুর রব সংলাপে গিয়ে জাতীয় সরকারের জন্য দরবার করেছেন। এধরণের দাবিগুলো সংলাপের গুরুত্ব জনমনে আরও কমিয়েছে। যে সংলাপে কোন পার্টি একটি তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকারকে সংবিধান পরিবর্তনের পরামর্শ দেয়, সেই সংলাপের ব্যাপারে মানুষের অনীহা সৃষ্টি না হওয়ার কোন কারণ নেই। যেসকল পার্টি এখন পর্যন্ত সংলাপে অংশ নিয়েছে, দু’একটি ছাড়া কোনটিরই রাজনৈতিক ক্ষেত্রে কোন ধরণের কোন সাফল্য নেই। দু’একজন ছাড়া একজন নেতাও এখনও জানেননা নির্বাচনে জয়লাভ বস্তুটি আসলে কি। দু’একজন যারা জানেন, তারা জীবণের শেষকালে এসে একটা পলিটিকাল ফ্যান্টাসির ঘোরে আছেন, একদা-সাফল্য হারানোর বেদনা ভুলতে না পেরে তারা আবোল-তাবোল বক্তব্য দেন, কথায় কথায় “জাতীয় সরকার! জাতীয় সরকার!” জপ তোলেন। এসব কোন দল বা কোন নেতাকেই মানুষ দেশের রাজনৈতিক ভবিষ্যতের কোন কার্যকর অংশ হিসেবে মনে করেনা। যার কারণে এদের অংশ নেয়া সংলাপের খবরকে দেশের সচেতন মানুষ অখ্যাত চিত্রশিল্পীর আর্ট এক্সিবিশানের খবরের চেয়ে বেশি গুরুত্ব দেয়না।

উপরোক্ত সবগুলো কথাই বর্তমান সরকারের রাজনৈতিক সংলাপ ক্যাম্পেইনের ব্যাপারে কিছু বাস্তব সত্য। আর এগুলো যে আমি সহ দেশের শুধুমাত্র গুটিকতক মানুষই জানে, তাও নয়। সরকারের কর্তাব্যাক্তিরাও এ ব্যাপারে বেশ সচেতন। লক্ষ্য করলে বোঝা যাবে, সরকার শুরুতে দুই নেত্রীকে ছাড়াই দুদলকে সংলাপে আনতে চেয়েছিল। বিএনপিকে চিঠি দেয়ার ক্ষেত্রে খন্দকার দেলোয়ার আর হাফিজুদ্দিন দুজনকেই চিঠি দেয়া হয়। বিশেষ করে খন্দকার দেলোয়ারকে ‘মহাসচিব’ আখ্যা দিয়ে চিঠি দেয়া হয়। এতে হাফিজুদ্দিন কান্নাকাটি শুরু করেন এই বলে যে তাকে কেন মহাসচিব বলা হলনা। কিছুদিন আগেও যে হাফিজ বর্তমান সরকারের খুবই নেকনজরে ছিল, এবার সরকার হাফিজের অশ্রুর কোন মূল্যই দিল না। ধরে নেয়া যায় সরকার বিএনপিকে সংলাপে পেতে খন্দকার দেলোয়ারকে মূলধারার মহাসচিব হিসেবে স্বিকার করেই নিয়েছিল। এদিকে সংলাপের আমন্ত্রনের পর মতিয়া চৌধুরী ছাড়া আওয়ামীলীগের আর সব নেতাই দোনোমনো করছিলেন যে সংলাপে তাদের আদৌ যাওয়া উচিত হবে কিনা। মতিয়া চৌধুরী শুরু থেকেই বলেছেন নেত্রী ছাড়া সংলাপের প্রশ্নই আসেনা। আর খন্দকার দেলোয়ার শুরুতেই সাফ জানিয়ে দিয়েছিলেন যে চেয়ারপার্সন বেগম জিয়াকে ছাড়া কোন সংলাপ নয়। খন্দকার দেলোয়ারের এই ঘোষণার পরদিন আওয়ামী লীগ প্রেসিডিয়াম থেকে ঘোষণা আসে তারা নেত্রীকে ছাড়া সংলাপে যাচ্ছেন না, তোফায়েল আহমেদ, আমু, রাজ্জাক এক প্রতীকি অনশনে এই ঘোষনা দেন, পরে ভারপ্রাপ্ত সাধারণ সম্পাদক সৈয়দ আশরাফুল ইসলামও এই ঘোষণা দেন। দুই দলের এরকম অবস্থানের পর হোসেন জিল্লুর রহমান পড়ে যান বিপদে। তিনি “আমি আশাবাদী! আমি আশাবাদী!” বলে মুখের ফেনা তুলে ফেলেন। তখন থেকে এই এখন পর্যন্ত বাংলাদেশের রাজনীতি একটা ডেডলকের মধ্যে আটকা পড়ে আছে। ছোট শিশুও বোঝে দুই নেত্রীকে মুক্তি দেয়া ছাড়া এই লক থেকে বেরুবার কোন রাস্তা নেই। ছোট শিশুর চেয়ে সরকার অবশ্যই বেশি বুদ্ধি রাখে, তাই তারা হয়তো অল্টারনেটিভ খুজছিলেন। তারা খুজে পেতে কি অল্টারনেটিভ পেলেন তা জানা যাচ্ছে না, তবে আজ আওয়ামী লীগ সভানেত্রী শেখ হাসিনা মুক্তি পেলেন। তাকে মুক্তি দিতে গিয়ে আভ্যন্তরীণ ভাবে সরকারকে একটি আইনী জট খুলতে হয়েছে, যে জট তারা নিজেরাই সৃষ্টি করেছিলেন কিছুদিন আগে।

ধরে নেয়া যাক, বর্তমান রাজনৈতিক সংকট থেকে মুক্তি পাওয়ার লক্ষ্যেই মুক্তি দেয়া হয়েছে শেখ হাসিনাকে। কিন্তু, শুধুমাত্র শেখ হাসিনার নেতৃত্বে আওয়ামী লীগকে সংলাপে উপস্থিত রেখে যদি ভবিষ্যতে কেউ এই সংলাপের সাফল্য খোজেন, তবে সেই সাফল্য কোনদিনই পাওয়া যাবেনা।

দেশের পুরো রাজনৈতিক কাঠামো দেশের দুটি প্রধান দলের উপর ভিত্তি করে নির্মিত। দুটি দলের মাঝে যেকোন একটি দলকে বাদ দিলে আরেকটি দলের উপস্থিতি কোন প্রভাব ফেলতে পারেনা। দুটি দলের যেকোন একটিকে সরিয়ে রেখে দেশের ভবিষ্যত পরিকল্পনা করা চরম অদূরদর্শীতা।

আওয়ামী লীগ সভানেত্রী শেখ হাসিনাকে আজ মুক্তি দেয়া হয়েছে এবং সরকারি মুখপাত্র হোসেন জিল্লুর রহমান জানিয়েছেন তারা শেখ হাসিনার নেতৃত্বে আওয়ামী লীগকে সংলাপে পেতে চায়। এই পদক্ষেপ স্বাগত জানাবার মত। কিন্তু শুধুমাত্র আওয়ামী লীগের সাথে সংলাপ করে দেশের কোন রাজনৈতিক সমাধান পাওয়ার আশা করা চরম অদূরদর্শীতা। শেখ হাসিনার চিৎসকরা তার উন্নত চিকিৎসার জন্য আবেদন জানিয়েছেন বলে তাকে প্যারোলে মুক্তি দেয়া হয়েছে একথা আমরা সবাই জানি। কিন্তু হোসেন জিল্লুর রহমানের ঐ বক্তব্যের পর এটি অবশ্যই প্রতীয়মান যে তাকে মুক্তি দেয়ার পেছনে রাজনীতিও সম্পৃক্ত আছে। আর রাজনৈতিক সমাধানের জন্য সংলাপে শেখ হাসিনা আর বেগম খালেদা জিয়া উভয়ের উপস্থিতি একান্ত জরুরি।

সরকার তার আইনী তৎপরতার মাধ্যমে যেভাবে শেখ হাসিনাকে মুক্তি দিয়ে তাকে রাজনীতিতে অংশ নেয়ার সুযোগ সৃষ্টি করেছে, তেমনি বেগম খালেদা জিয়ার মুক্তির ব্যাপারেও সরকারকে তৎপর হতে হবে, আন্তরিক হতে হবে। আমরা সবাই দেখেছি তারেক রহমানকে কিভাবে আদালতে হাজির করানো হয়েছে। তিনি একটানা পাঁচ মিনিট বসে বা দাঁড়িয়ে থাকতে পারেননা। আমরা দেখেছি আরাফাত রহমান কিভাবে আদালতে উপস্থিত হন। এদের প্রত্যেকের মেডিকেল রিপোর্ট আদালতে পেশ করা হয়েছে। পেশ করেছেন সেসব চিকিৎসকরা যাদের সরকার নিয়োগ দিয়েছে। এনারা জানিয়েছেন তারেক রহমান দুটি শারীরিক সমস্যার শিকার হয়েছেন যার একটির চিকিৎসা বাংলাদেশ বা তার আশেপাশের কোন দেশেই হয়না। তাকে অবিলম্বে মুক্তি দিয়ে বিদেশ না পাঠালে তাকে আমরণ পঙ্গুত্ব বরণ করতে হবে। আরাফাত রহমান কোকোর ব্যাপারে ঠিক একই বক্তব্য পেশ করেছেন চিকিৎসকরা। তাদের অবিলম্বে মুক্তি দেয়া হোক।

We’ve Gone Numb

Saswoto Satya Appeal

Saswoto Satya

:Walking The

Path Of Dreams

Prof. A Al Mamun

After a long time, I was surprised by my first year journalism class. The subject was the history of the printing industry. Every now and then I would ask questions—day one, day two, day three. My experience of last few years has really robbed me of hope. The new generation has just completely given up on education. I ask, have you read the Mahabharata? I get the reply, no sir I haven’t. Sometimes, someone will say, sir, but I saw the serial on TV. Even though I have stopped hoping, I still ask these questions during a lecture. Out of habit, almost mechanical, without really waiting for an answer.

But this year I was stunned, there was one boy who did know the answers. All the answers. I asked, where was paper invented, he replied, China. I asked who invented modern printing and where is he from—I got the reply, Johannes Gutenberg, from Germany’s Mainz. Have you read Tagore’s novels? Yes sir, I have. Have you read Manik? Yes sir, I have read some of it. My eyes go back repeatedly to this one bright student.

I become curious about this sudden light. I start paying attention to him. His name is Saswoto Satya. Lively, bright eyes. He walks around with a crutch in his left hand. He frequently comes to talk to me after class, I give him advice, recommend some essential books, lay out the ABC’s of journalism. It feels good to be doing this again. An eager student becomes an asset and inspiration for the teacher. I start thinking, this student has a future, I need to give him more books to read, inspire him through discussion. I need to build up his potential— make him aware of state infrastructure, society and media theory. In this way the days passed and we became closer.

After the first in-course exam, I ask him how he did. “Not good sir,” comes the reply. I become quite upset, “Why not?” He looks at me and replies, “I can’t write for very long at a stretch. My hand becomes numb, Sir.”

Until now, I had focused on the expansion of his mental universe. Now the cruel logic of his body forced itself into our conversations.

The history of Saswoto’s battle with his own body is rather long and tragic. From 1998 to 2008. His condition has regularly deteriorated, one by one his limbs have rebelled and become inert. With tremendous willpower Saswoto has continued to advance, even though defeat has always seemed certain. From 2004 to 2006, he was completely bed-ridden, his entire back became covered with infection. Everyone had already accepted him as lifelong cripple, only Saswoto refused to give in. With all the strength of his body and mind, in 2006 he started crawling, dragging himself out of bed. Then at one point he started walking tentative steps on two crutches, his entire back bent over from the effort. Ignoring the tremendous pain of his own body, he somehow gave the HSC examination in 2007. This year he got admitted into our department, walking on one crutch.

I have never seen him absent in a single class. Always battling against death, against fate. Making the grim reaper’s task that much more difficult. At one point his parents gave up on local doctors and took him to Kolkata’s Peerless Hospital. There they learnt that Saswoto was suffering from Serionegative Rheumatoid Arthritis, a disease they had never heard of. He would have to come for treatment every three months.

“While in Kolkata I read a book about Pranayam. After doing that, I got back my willpower and started to stand up slowly in 2006, even with a hump.” He went to Velore in June. Now the doctors said the disease had degenerated further into Enciloging Spondinalaitis. They also informed him that his left hip joint had been destroyed and other body joints were going to gradually degenerate as well. If he was not given four injections as quickly as possible, his other body joints would be damaged beyond repair.

Each of the injections cost two lakh rupees. His father is unable to cover this cost, so his treatment has stopped for last two years. His left leg and spine had already acquired a curve. His right hip joint was now under attack.

Looking at this lively, energetic boy, who would guess his whole body was being eaten away from inside, by an invisible enemy? Who would know that each night he was going to sleep only after taking thousand-power pain killers?

Sometimes while talking to me, he would lean over in his chair and say, “Sir, my charge is almost finished. When I go home, I have to take painkillers to go to sleep. Only then can I come to class the next day. Those medicines are my battery charger.”

We walk him to a ricksha at the end of class. We can’t talk about our own able bodies with each other. The memories of Saswoto float in the hot April air and occupy our waking moments.

Saswoto’s mother is a housewife. His father is a retired school teacher. The family is already bankrupt from twenty trips to Kolkata, three trips to Velore, and purchasing powerful painkillers for a little bit of peace at night. From their written records, they have already spent eleven lakh Taka, and many other expenses are unrecorded.

At the very end of their financial means, Saswoto’s parents cannot imagine how they will save their son. But we know. We know how to save him from becoming a cripple and then dying a painful death. What Saswoto’s father can never manage, a million joined hands can accomplish. We know that people will, indeed they must, step forward to help this promising young man.

This is why our department’s students, professors and employees have created a committee to help Saswoto with his medical treatment. We are currently fundraising via two bank accounts:

1. “Saswoto Medical Treatment Assistance”
Agrani Bank
Rajshahi University Branch
Account No. 34260498

2. “Saswoto Chikitsa Sohayota”
Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd
Account No. 135-101-33705
SWIFT CODE: DBBL BD DH 100

We deeply desire that, even with a body full of pain, Saswoto bring his lively, positive, productive presence back to our university campus. Even with a body full of poison, we want him to walk across the map of his dreams.

I look at him every day and think of Abul Hasan’s poem:

“Oyster, take the pain inside, bear it silently
Close your mouth around poison sand, and birth a pearl.”

Let us give him the chance to at least try.

Prof. A Al Mamun is assistant professor in the department of Mass Communication & Journalism, Rajshahi University. This also has been published here in Unheard Voices.

On The Way of Being Climate Refugees

The Challenge is

Even Bigger

Husain Imam

THE present non-political caretaker government, that came to power on January 11, 2007, under emergency rules apparently with the objective of setting things right for a free, fair and credible election, and transition to a sustainable democracy, has been since then treading through a hazardous path to reach that goal. They have a road map to march on, and have so far covered two-thirds of an arduous journey along the declared road map without much trouble, thanks to the emergency rules. But now they have reached a stage from where they might find the road ahead much harder and trickier than they could possibly think.
They are now holding dialogues with the political parties to pave the way for the much- awaited national election by the 3rd week of December this year, as promised by Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the chief of the caretaker government, in his latest televised address to the nation.
The election has to be credible and acceptable to all at home and abroad and, at the same time, the winner in that election has to be a party that will ensure if possible, continuity of the measures they have undertaken for good or bad during their rule. How far they will succeed in their mission, nobody can say for sure.
What can, however, be said for sure is that the country is passing through very hard times. With the scarcity of rice and wheat world over, soaring prices of essential commodities and food items that have reached a level far beyond the buying capacity of more than half the population of the country, abnormally high prices of crude oil in the international market ($130 per barrel), crises of electricity and water, lack of employment opportunities, political instability, rise of Islamic militancy — all added together — the country with per capita income as low as a dollar and a quarter per day is facing a big challenge.
The topic I am more interested to discuss here may prove an even bigger challenge for Bangladesh in the not so distant future in terms of a nation’s history. That is about climate change because of global warming.
According to recently published research reports of world scientists, environmentalists and climate experts, it is now proven beyond doubt that greenhouse gas emission (GHGE), caused primarily due to burning of fossil fuel in the mills, factories and vehicles has direct link with global warming, in turn, with negative effects of climate change.
Because of greenhouse gas emission, the world is warming up, glaciers are melting, the sea level is rising, and the world climate is changing — all at a faster rate than ever before.
Whereas industrialised and developed countries like America, Europe, Canada Japan, Australia, now joined by India and China, are primarily responsible for the GHGE, the worst sufferers are the underdeveloped countries.
The way world temperature is rising because of GHGE, if no effective measures are taken right now for substantial reduction of GHGE rate, the dry and the low level areas of the world, especially regions in Africa and Asia, will be visited by natural calamities like floods, cyclones, tidal waves, droughts, desertification, rise of sea level, etc., more frequently and severely than ever before.
As a result, food security, housing problems, availability of drinking water, in fact the entire economic and social harmony of these countries, will be in jeopardy.
The reason for Bangladesh to be more concerned about global warming is that, according to the available reports (on climate change), Bangladesh and Maldives are two countries that will be worst affected because of global warming.
Cyclone Sidr, that hit Bangladesh on November 15, 2007 and caused havoc to its south western coastal belt, and then cyclone Nargis of May 3, another severe tropical storm appearing in the vicinity in less than 6 months time, might as well be taken as a red-alert for the governments and the people of this region to get into the serious business of dealing with the consequence of the alarming climate change due to global warming.
According to experts, if the pace at which the world temperature is rising at the moment continues unchecked, by 2050 nearly one-fifth of Bangladesh will go under the sea. As a result, besides acute food crisis, at least 20 million people will lose their habitations and become climate refugees, which will cause serious threats to the peace and stability of the country. At present, our population density is 1000 plus per square kilometer, enough to cause problems of food and housing.
If the population growth rate of Bangladesh remains as it is, and global warming continues unabated, by 2050 we will have 300 million people to live in just about a 120,000 sq kilometers area (reduced due to sea level rise), increasing the country’s population density to 2500 or more per square kilometer.
Imagine the situation. Because of rise of sea level, the area of agriculture land is shrinking. Population is increasing. People are cutting forests or using agricultural land to settle their housing needs, making less and less land available for food production. Because of deforestation, the climatic effects are becoming more and more acute.
So grave and ominous being the situation, it is high time for our governments, our planners and the policy makers to adopt comprehensive plans for 50 years or so, which may include, among others, building of higher and stronger embankments along the coastal belt of the country, construction of sufficient number of strongly built multi-purpose cyclone shelters for both human beings and livestock, and growing of extensive mangrove forests along the seashores.
It is also high time we joined hands with other least developed countries in gearing up the movement to compel the industrially developed countries not only to make substantial reduction of gas emission but also to bear the costs of aforesaid projects as compensation.
More importantly, it is high time we at home gave more attention and priority to increasing production of food grains and agricultural products, controlling population growth and stopping deforestation.
It is imperative that we make a habit of planting trees around our houses, do not leave any land uncultivated, change our food habits, and provide proper education to our children so that they can become a skilled and efficient manpower capable enough to face the challenges.

This has also been published here in The Daily Star.

Glory United

What Unification?

This may appear as a misdirection for all BNP supporters-activists force as well as the whole nation, if our thinkers seem to be convinced by the ultra-recurrence of “unification call” by so called reformists. Some mysteriously compromised leaders as Hafizuddin, Z.A. Khan, Mahbubur Rahman (I know it sounds yawning, but here some ex-Generals are being led by an ex-Major) are showing no sign of fatigue in their efforts of unification. They sound like Bangladesh Nationalist Party is divided into some thousands of fragments & need to be unified by some superstitious gum or something. But I just don’t understand what these people are trying to unify? Why they use the term ‘unify’? I have heard A.S.M Hannan Shah to use this word too. When you have no division in the party, then how can you unify it? Can the Hafiz-gang be called as respectable ‘part’ of the party? They just have some leaders those are illustrious by no mean. They don’t have any supporter. They don’t have anything new to say. They call themselves reformists but have no clear conception that how the reformation may go. They have a decreasing numbers of men in the cult, some are leaving the country, some are surrendering to court etc. Why somebody should call them a party or as a part of the party? You can track its justifications down reading the example below.

We all know Bangladesh is a declared arc-rival of RAW (it ain’t a fun, check this link out then know more about it). Suppose a Bangladeshi citizen has defected to India for some unknown reasons. He made irrational statements against the state administrators and then took shelter in the Indian Embassy where he feels it’s safe. Then he is transported to India arranging a political asylum. That dissident Bangladeshi, suppose after some months or years of living a gross life in some RAW incubator, he has thought there is something wrong in India, at least he no more likes to be there. Now, if he desires to come back to Bangladesh, should he ask for a “unifying call” to Bangladesh government? How will this sound like? He is just a citizen who has once deceived what Bangladesh has offered him, now he thinks he was wrong so he desires to come back. Can this be called a “unification”? I was never a part of Bangladesh government, but I can ask questions to people who are running this government towards somewhere. What do you think Sirs? Would you accept that person to come back under a process named “unification”? I must say Sir you wouldn’t. You would have asked him to beg apology and then you would let him come back. Isn’t it? Now we must consider that this would be thing that you should do in that circumstance.

[I could bring examples from a thousands of such affairs of Cold War era, but I have pulled this because I think this much reflects the relation of India & Bangladesh, as much as the commotion into it caused by recent Jaipur bombings]

So, why should the BNP leadership accept the comeback of Hafiz-gang as“unification”? Today D. Emazuddin has said the adamancy of Khandoker Delwar Hussain can damage the nationalist force of Bangladesh. I never have a shred of lack of respect on D. Emazuddin. But here I must say he has misunderstood the situation. Hundreds of men those accompanied Hafiz to BNP office on 13 November last year and some others who often come to Hafiz’s home with some flowers to congratulate Hafiz for his ‘great deeds’, have been pretended as BNP supporters. Bangladesh is the seventh most populated country of the world. Here, the average price of people’s time & labor is extremely low. It wasn’t a big deal even it’s never a big deal for Hafiz or anybody to create a crowd like that. Lots of unemployed people won’t miss the chance to get paid in exchange of just smiley appearances before the press and video cameras. That’s what happened in BNP office in November last year after the ban on indoor politics was lifted, that’s what now happens at Hafiz’s home (sometimes Mannan’s home too especially at the court during his surrender). Now, this obviously over-estimates the position of Hafiz if we pretend those paid crowds to be BNP activists. They were by no mean BNP supporters. So, when some party-leaders, who deceived the party rules once and tried to show the party divided by showing down with paid crowd, can they be back to the party without begging apology? Never they can. Khandoker Delwar Hussain has asked for less. He has just asked to declare the 29 Octobers meeting as ineffective. Khandoker Delwar should have asked them to beg apology. I want to state to D. Emazuddin and all of men and women who concern about the present situation of BNP and overall Bangladesh politics, what Khandoker Delwar Hussain is doing now, is not irrational adamancy, this is what he should do, this is what convinces us that he was the right choice.