BNP and AL at
Loggerheads Again
National politics took a nasty turn last week;
while the Awami League called the third general strike in five
days, the prime minister (PM) Begum Khaleda Zia, alluding to
the main opposition, Bangladesh Awami League (AL), told a public
meeting in Jatrabari, "Those who put a block on my roadmap
for progress, will be blocked inside their houses." The
main opposition reacted angrily: "Days of putting resistance
are over. Get ready for counter attacks," AL presidium
member Motia Chow-dhury told party workers on February 14.
What the PM meant by her "road map for
progress" is unclear though; one thing is for sure: so
far her government has miserably failed to improve the ever-deteriorating
law and order situation. Lately, her party, Bangladesh Nationalist
Party, and its student wing, the JCD, have been behaving like
a private army of bully boys, which can outmatch even the forlorn
days of Sheikh Mujib and the Jatya Rakkhi Bhahini in notoriety.
The
opposition, on the other hand, has not lived up to the expectations
of the public either. The AL remained mysteriously silent when
around 40 innocent civilians died in the hands of the army under
the so-called Operation Clean Heart. It seems, with the general
election looming the AL has suddenly aware of the ruling coalition's
misdeeds and corruption. The party has lost its liberal democratic
touch long ago; hunger for power might be new; it was, however,
not unexpected.
BBC
Faces Blair's Wrath
Though its coverage
on the Iraq war has dented BBC's image of being the most reliable
and objective news media, it is still the only western media
to have a fair amount of credibility. But even that is at stake.
The Blair government is working on a plan to break up the BBC
into separate regional entities for England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland. The government is also planning, and it
is extremely significant, to take away the job of ensuring BBC's
impartiality from the corporation's board of directors, the
body that has so far shouldered this responsibility. The government's
efforts to reign in the BBC was not absolutely unexpected though.
BBC's report last May that accused the Blair government of exaggerating
the threat posed by Iraq's WMDs triggered a bitter row between
the BBC and the British government. The Hutton inquiry formed
to look into Kelley's death found the BBC story unfounded and
absolved the government of any crimes. The BBC had to appologise
and its Director General, Chairman and the concerned reporter
had to resign. But looking at the government plans it seems
the BBC has a lot more to lose. This is not good news as far
as the future of neutral and objective media is concerned.
Judiciary
in Pandemonium
The Chief Justice (CJ) has recently recommended the dismissal
of a sitting judge at the High Court for corruption. The incident
seems to have opened a Pandora's box. About 100 lawyers at the
Dhaka Bar have urged the CJ to replace three judges and five
magistrates, including current Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge
(DMSJ). The lawyers, according to the newspaper reports, have
accused them of corruption, irregularities and misconduct.
DMSJ
Md Motiur Rahman and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad
Ayub refused to comment, but Dhaka Divisional Special Judge
Rezaul Karim Khan dismissed it as baseless and asked the lawyers
to prove the allegations against him, reports say. Charges of
corruption against judges are not at all new; but the frequency
has certainly surprised everyone.
Killed
by Negligence
It is carelessness at its best (or should it be worst?). Nearly
100 cattle died when they drank water from a canal that goes
by Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL). When the pipelines
of CUFL carrying industrial waste got leaked, the poisonous
toxic gas flew into the canal and caused this terribly tragedy.
Usually the CUFL authorities warn the people on the loudspeaker
before releasing their industrial waste. But this time no prior
warning was issued. Newspaper reports suggest that some 40 families
affected by this tragic loss will be compensated by the CUFL
authorities. But should some monetary help to the victims absolve
a crime of such magnitude? Shouldn't the responsible person/s
be punished?
Kushtia--Kidnappers'
Haven
Kushtia has recently become a haven for kidnappers. In January
alone at least 20 people were abducted according to police records
and newspaper reports. The number is most likely to be higher
as many incidents remain unreported for fear of reprisal from
the abductors. In the cases where the victims were freed, the
families had to pay huge ransom. Often the police have urged
the families to pay the ransom to save the victim' lives. Most
of the abductions have been carried out by out lawed gangs such
as Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) of the Sramojibi Mukti Andolan, New
Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP), Gano Bahini which claims links
with a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal. Victims include school
children, a college teacher and even farmers. The usual pattern
is to release the victim upon getting the desired ransom or
killing the victim if the ransom is not paid. In one instance
a college teacher, who managed to escape, told the police the
identity of the kidnappers but they did not arrest the culprits.
DIED:
Peer Habibur Rahman; veteran politician and leader of the National
Awami Party (NAP) died of old age complications on February
15. He was 84. Rahman actively took part in the Liberation War
as an organiser, later, after the Independence, as a leader
of the NAP. He played a pivotal role in several anti-communal
movements.