Yet in the longer term, Bangladeshis’ latest suffering may give strength to a general feeling that democracy should be restored.
2. An election is scheduled for December next year. .....It may well be postponed.
3.Bangladesh would be a hard case to govern
Read latest Economist piece:
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Donate rice for free to Bangladesh's Sidr survivors
Many people are donating for the cyclone-affected peoples of Bangladesh.
Besides donating money directly, you can also donate rice indirectly for the poor people.
For this free rice donation, you don’t have to pay anything from your pocket. Just play an on-line vocabulary game and the rice would be donated from the site’s advertisers to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
A portion of the rice will eventually come to Bangladesh because United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is providing foods for the cyclone effected peoples of Bangladesh.
Please visit: http://www.freerice.com to play the game and donate rice.
Besides donating money directly, you can also donate rice indirectly for the poor people.
For this free rice donation, you don’t have to pay anything from your pocket. Just play an on-line vocabulary game and the rice would be donated from the site’s advertisers to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
A portion of the rice will eventually come to Bangladesh because United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is providing foods for the cyclone effected peoples of Bangladesh.
Please visit: http://www.freerice.com to play the game and donate rice.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Are we seeing future of Bangladesh here?
This picture is from a multi-national peacekeeping exercise carried out in Rajendrapur Cantonment in 2002. The Bangladesh Army hosted this nine-nation exercise dubbed “SHANTEE DOOT” (ambassador of peace). The other participating countries were: India, Mongolia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Begum Khaleda Zia, the then Prime Minister, inaugurated this event where she told the audience: “It is my firm belief that this training will have a far-reaching and significant impact on peacekeepers for successful operation in multinational environment in the days to come.”
To get a feel of this ‘multinational environment in the days to come’, the picture shows the U.S. soldiers are checking local villagers as they go through the food distribution lane run by the Royal Nepal Army.
Are we seeing future of Bangladesh here?
Simmering discontent in Bangladesh
Bangladesh prepares for 2008 elections amid simmering public discontent at the hands of a military-backed caretaker government that is weakening democratic institutions.
Read commentary by Harsh V Pant, a lecturer at King's College London. His research interests include WMD proliferation, US foreign policy and Asia-Pacific security issues.
for ISN Security Watch
Read commentary by Harsh V Pant, a lecturer at King's College London. His research interests include WMD proliferation, US foreign policy and Asia-Pacific security issues.
for ISN Security Watch
Akhanda Bharat: Devouring Bangladesh and Pakistan
Some people won't stop dreaming of Akhanda Bharaat, at the expense of Bangladesh and Pakistan. Why Times of India giving spaces to such idea is another matter to ponder over. Read this bizzare piece, along with some comments:
http://o3.indiatimes.com/ssbedi1945/archive/2007/10/19/4792962.aspx
http://o3.indiatimes.com/ssbedi1945/archive/2007/10/19/4792962.aspx
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bias minds produce bias results
Are Muslim Countries Less Democratic?
Scholars and theoreticians have long argued about the compatibility of Islam and democracy. Bush administration support for export of democracy to the Middle East has brought the debate to the forefront of policy circles. As the discussion continues, statistical models can be useful to interpret the historical record. While recent studies have reached contradictory conclusions, as more data is considered, a nuanced relationship between Islam and democracy emerges: In all but the poorest countries, Islam is associated with fewer political rights.
Read this: http://www.meforum.org/article/1763
Scholars and theoreticians have long argued about the compatibility of Islam and democracy. Bush administration support for export of democracy to the Middle East has brought the debate to the forefront of policy circles. As the discussion continues, statistical models can be useful to interpret the historical record. While recent studies have reached contradictory conclusions, as more data is considered, a nuanced relationship between Islam and democracy emerges: In all but the poorest countries, Islam is associated with fewer political rights.
Read this: http://www.meforum.org/article/1763
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Khaleda to remain behind bars
SC freezes HC bail to Khaleda (bdnews24.com)
The Supreme Court Thursday overturned the High Court rule and froze the bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in GATCO corruption case.
A seven-strong full bench of the Appellate Division led by chief justice M Ruhul Amin also ruled that the proceedings of the graft case could go on in the trial court against the BNP chairperson.
The High Court Sunday awarded bail to Khaleda but a day later the government and the Anticorruption Commission sought Supreme Court freezes on the High Court order and the stay on GATCO corruption case proceedings.
The Supreme Court Thursday overturned the High Court rule and froze the bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in GATCO corruption case.
A seven-strong full bench of the Appellate Division led by chief justice M Ruhul Amin also ruled that the proceedings of the graft case could go on in the trial court against the BNP chairperson.
The High Court Sunday awarded bail to Khaleda but a day later the government and the Anticorruption Commission sought Supreme Court freezes on the High Court order and the stay on GATCO corruption case proceedings.
Bangladeshi Shows Caring Ways for Congo Kids
From: http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/2007/10/03/2007-10-03_i_dont_know_what_i_can_give_this_city_bu.html
'I don't know what I can give this city, but I'll do my best'
BY HEATHER ROBINSON
Wednesday, October 3rd 2007, 4:00 AM
It's Wednesday afternoon, and Shadin Hossain is surrounded by people. A friend named Joe runs in to ask if anyone wants coffee.Alam, Hossain's brother and his co-manager of Galleria - an art and framing store in Murray Hill in Manhattan - says he will attend to the customers. Meanwhile, Hossain fields phone calls from artists who have agreed, at his request, to donate to charity a portion of the proceeds from their work."I'm so happy here, and so blessed," says Hossain, 39, an immigrant from Dhaka, Bangladesh, whose big brown eyes radiate joy and energy. "I feel like, to do something for others, God gave me that opportunity."
About a year ago, he saw a news story on TV about orphaned children in the Congo who were starving to death. Deeply disturbed, he resolved to do something. He made the largest financial contribution he could, but he wished he could do more.One day, inspiration struck.He conceived the idea of donating his time to plan a benefit in which artists' work could be sold, with a percentage donated to help the children.Unsure whether it was possible, he confided his idea to "Auntie Roxie" - one of his many friends who frequently stops by the store on Third Ave. between 35th and 36th Sts."I said, 'Can I do that?'" he recalls. "My Auntie Roxie - a lady who lives on 36th St. - she said, 'Do it!'"
Armed with his friend's encouragement, Hossain approached Galleria's owner, who agreed. But finding artists was a challenge, as many were hesitant to come onboard a first-time project organized by someone inexperienced.He found his man in Marc Tetro, an Atlanta-based artist who illustrated the latest "101 Dalmatians" book for Disney, and with whom he had done business before."When he started talking about the events he wanted to do, I didn't have any doubts," says Tetro. "It's interesting how the neighborhood and the neighbors get involved; he has that magnetism. ... When Shadin calls, you can't run and hide - he'll find you."Tetro's benefit show ran for two weeks last November at Galleria. The artist was on hand to sign his brightly colored paintings and calendars, many of which feature vibrant images of hip-looking urban dogs.Fifty percent of the proceeds went to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to helping families overcome poverty by addressing root causes.
The first benefit, according to Hossain, raised $5,200 to help abandoned children in the Congo."It went toward helping them with all their needs - water, food, getting back to school, and helping them find folks who would mentor them into a more normal situation," says George Ross, executive director of World Vision. But Hossain was just getting started.
In June, he organized a bigger benefit. This time, numerous artists participated, and so did Hossain's celebrity friends - author Salman Rushdie and Carson Kressley of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." That benefit, Hossain said, raised $7,200.He couldn't have done it without his friends and loved ones, Hossain says.Friends Megan and Stephanie helped him prepare the space for the second benefit's opening reception. Proudly, he shares pictures of the guests milling around the space, which is filled with the artwork of Tetro, Thomas Kinkade, whose paintings are ubiquitous in art stores and shopping malls across the U.S., and Kamrun Nahar Monee, who flew in from Bangladesh for the event, among others.
His nieces, Antora, 12, and Ohana, 8, helped prepare the food, he says.Hossain, who came to the U.S. in 1993, is single and lives in Sunnyside, Queens. He says he feels the desire to help others so keenly because his doctor, Richard Schlussel, performed for free "extremely expensive" and lifesaving surgery on him several years ago for an adrenal gland disorder."He understood the situation I was in," says Hossain, who required treatment he could not have obtained in Bangladesh. The doctor's compassion inspires his efforts to give back, he says."I thank millions and billions [of times] to God for my doctor," he adds.
"Thanks to New York City, and thanks to America. I don't know what I can give this city, but I'll do my best to do good. I don't have to be rich; if I can do good that will be fine with me."He just finished a third benefit. This time, he didn't throw a party; he just simply donated 20% of profits from September framing jobs to World Vision.Hossain also is planning a party and show early next year to benefit Smile Train, an international organization that provides plastic surgery to children in 71 of the world's poorest countries born with cleft palate syndrome."Children who have this problem, when they talk, you can't understand them," he says. "If you give them an opportunity so they can talk, they can go to school and be something."
Adds Tetro about Hossain: "These Mother Teresa types look like quiet and simple people, but to make these things happen, you can't be a pushover."You see how easily [Hossain] can pull people in? There's always someone who knows someone. I guess that's New York, too."
Do you know an immigrant New Yorker who achieved his or her dream in our great city?
E-mail Maite Junco at BigTown@nydailynews.com.
'I don't know what I can give this city, but I'll do my best'
BY HEATHER ROBINSON
Wednesday, October 3rd 2007, 4:00 AM
It's Wednesday afternoon, and Shadin Hossain is surrounded by people. A friend named Joe runs in to ask if anyone wants coffee.Alam, Hossain's brother and his co-manager of Galleria - an art and framing store in Murray Hill in Manhattan - says he will attend to the customers. Meanwhile, Hossain fields phone calls from artists who have agreed, at his request, to donate to charity a portion of the proceeds from their work."I'm so happy here, and so blessed," says Hossain, 39, an immigrant from Dhaka, Bangladesh, whose big brown eyes radiate joy and energy. "I feel like, to do something for others, God gave me that opportunity."
About a year ago, he saw a news story on TV about orphaned children in the Congo who were starving to death. Deeply disturbed, he resolved to do something. He made the largest financial contribution he could, but he wished he could do more.One day, inspiration struck.He conceived the idea of donating his time to plan a benefit in which artists' work could be sold, with a percentage donated to help the children.Unsure whether it was possible, he confided his idea to "Auntie Roxie" - one of his many friends who frequently stops by the store on Third Ave. between 35th and 36th Sts."I said, 'Can I do that?'" he recalls. "My Auntie Roxie - a lady who lives on 36th St. - she said, 'Do it!'"
Armed with his friend's encouragement, Hossain approached Galleria's owner, who agreed. But finding artists was a challenge, as many were hesitant to come onboard a first-time project organized by someone inexperienced.He found his man in Marc Tetro, an Atlanta-based artist who illustrated the latest "101 Dalmatians" book for Disney, and with whom he had done business before."When he started talking about the events he wanted to do, I didn't have any doubts," says Tetro. "It's interesting how the neighborhood and the neighbors get involved; he has that magnetism. ... When Shadin calls, you can't run and hide - he'll find you."Tetro's benefit show ran for two weeks last November at Galleria. The artist was on hand to sign his brightly colored paintings and calendars, many of which feature vibrant images of hip-looking urban dogs.Fifty percent of the proceeds went to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to helping families overcome poverty by addressing root causes.
The first benefit, according to Hossain, raised $5,200 to help abandoned children in the Congo."It went toward helping them with all their needs - water, food, getting back to school, and helping them find folks who would mentor them into a more normal situation," says George Ross, executive director of World Vision. But Hossain was just getting started.
In June, he organized a bigger benefit. This time, numerous artists participated, and so did Hossain's celebrity friends - author Salman Rushdie and Carson Kressley of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." That benefit, Hossain said, raised $7,200.He couldn't have done it without his friends and loved ones, Hossain says.Friends Megan and Stephanie helped him prepare the space for the second benefit's opening reception. Proudly, he shares pictures of the guests milling around the space, which is filled with the artwork of Tetro, Thomas Kinkade, whose paintings are ubiquitous in art stores and shopping malls across the U.S., and Kamrun Nahar Monee, who flew in from Bangladesh for the event, among others.
His nieces, Antora, 12, and Ohana, 8, helped prepare the food, he says.Hossain, who came to the U.S. in 1993, is single and lives in Sunnyside, Queens. He says he feels the desire to help others so keenly because his doctor, Richard Schlussel, performed for free "extremely expensive" and lifesaving surgery on him several years ago for an adrenal gland disorder."He understood the situation I was in," says Hossain, who required treatment he could not have obtained in Bangladesh. The doctor's compassion inspires his efforts to give back, he says."I thank millions and billions [of times] to God for my doctor," he adds.
"Thanks to New York City, and thanks to America. I don't know what I can give this city, but I'll do my best to do good. I don't have to be rich; if I can do good that will be fine with me."He just finished a third benefit. This time, he didn't throw a party; he just simply donated 20% of profits from September framing jobs to World Vision.Hossain also is planning a party and show early next year to benefit Smile Train, an international organization that provides plastic surgery to children in 71 of the world's poorest countries born with cleft palate syndrome."Children who have this problem, when they talk, you can't understand them," he says. "If you give them an opportunity so they can talk, they can go to school and be something."
Adds Tetro about Hossain: "These Mother Teresa types look like quiet and simple people, but to make these things happen, you can't be a pushover."You see how easily [Hossain] can pull people in? There's always someone who knows someone. I guess that's New York, too."
Do you know an immigrant New Yorker who achieved his or her dream in our great city?
E-mail Maite Junco at BigTown@nydailynews.com.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Rubab Khan's
Selection of FA as speaker for Columbia's World Leaders Forum has raised a sort of debate. Read this:
By Rubab Khan
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
Along with the usual array of accomplished presidents and prime ministers, this year, Columbia's World Leaders Forum is hosting Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the chief adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. Ever since his pseudomilitary regime took office in Dhaka, rampant human rights violations have become the state's hallmark. Before questioning his place at the Forum, it is worth taking a look at recent events in Bangladesh.
The unusual electoral process of Bangladesh requires an outgoing government to hand over power to a nonpartisan administration for three months to prepare for polls. This process failed when the last elected government installed a bunch of puppets to hold a farcical election. As a result, massive protests led to the military stepping in and establishing a government comprised of retired bureaucrats and ex-military officers. They promised to clean up the corrupt political system and hold elections, but the prospect of change evaporated as the government started handpicking whom to prosecute for corruption, and toward whom to turn a blind eye. The latter group was comprised almost exclusively of members and leaders of the powerful fundamentalist political elements who had little electoral chance, yet whose leaders roam in Bangladeshi politics using piles of money procured from global fundamentalist networks.
Under the state of emergency rules, the regime suspended fundamental rights and prohibited the media from publishing critical stories, and military officers briefed news editors. Military camps were set up in every major university and the army started ordering around university administrations.
At the end of August, the military personnel severely beat a number of students and a faculty member at the University of Dhaka, the largest university of Bangladesh. As a result, student protests spread across campuses throughout the country. They were joined by disgruntled common people who were fed up with a 40 percent increase in the price of essentials and closure of numerous industrial factories. Though the government grudgingly withdrew the army camp from the university gymnasium, thousands of police continued to batter students. On the third day of violence, the protesters set an army vehicle on fire. A curfew was immediately declared, and college dormitories were vacated. Thousands of soldiers conducted door-to-door searches and picked up students. Deans of three schools of the University of Dhaka were arrested, along with eight other senior faculty members. All of them were tortured indiscriminately.
The military responded to the publication of a photo in many Bangladeshi papers, of a student kicking a solider, by arresting and severely beating over 250 journalists. International publications are still censored in the country.
For example, two critical articles from The Economist (one from the Aug. 23, 2007 issue and one from Sept. 6, 2007) were ripped off before the magazine's distribution in Bangladesh. This caused Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization in the U.S., to say, "Ripping out pages from an international magazine is the hallmark of a dictatorship, not a caretaker government committed to reform and the rule of law."
All this paints a pretty grim picture of Dr. Ahmed's despotic rule, so why did Columbia to invite him to speak?
This is not the first time something like this has happened. Last year, Pakistan's military ruler President Musharraf honored the World Leaders Forum with his presence. Today, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad spoke.
University Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, the University's most distinguished expert on South Asian economics and a member of the University Senate, was not consulted on the issue of the invitation to Dr. Ahmed, although he has stated that he thinks that it is better to invite disagreeable people and to subject them to debate. This lack of consultation implies that it was not Dr. Ahmed's profile as an economist that earned him the invitation.
Maybe my research-lab postdoctorate had a closer guess. She suggested that perhaps lobbyists got paid by the Bangladeshi government to convince the University to ask him to speak. We will never know for sure, but what we do know is that attending a major forum at one of the world's leading institutions of scholarship will help the despotic ruler to wash off some of the stigma he earned from the most recent brutal repression of Bangladesh's academia and press.Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed should not have been invited by Columbia to the World Leaders Forum, since he simply does not deserve it.
This conference is for distinguished foreign leaders. Ahmed is neither a legitimate leader of his people—even under the state of emergency, the government's tenure formally expired after the first four months—nor does his making academia and the press the primary victims of repression give him any extra credit. I hope that the Columbia administration will regain its senses and give the issue some serious thought.
The author is a Columbia College senior majoring in astrophysics.
By Rubab Khan
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
Along with the usual array of accomplished presidents and prime ministers, this year, Columbia's World Leaders Forum is hosting Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the chief adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. Ever since his pseudomilitary regime took office in Dhaka, rampant human rights violations have become the state's hallmark. Before questioning his place at the Forum, it is worth taking a look at recent events in Bangladesh.
The unusual electoral process of Bangladesh requires an outgoing government to hand over power to a nonpartisan administration for three months to prepare for polls. This process failed when the last elected government installed a bunch of puppets to hold a farcical election. As a result, massive protests led to the military stepping in and establishing a government comprised of retired bureaucrats and ex-military officers. They promised to clean up the corrupt political system and hold elections, but the prospect of change evaporated as the government started handpicking whom to prosecute for corruption, and toward whom to turn a blind eye. The latter group was comprised almost exclusively of members and leaders of the powerful fundamentalist political elements who had little electoral chance, yet whose leaders roam in Bangladeshi politics using piles of money procured from global fundamentalist networks.
Under the state of emergency rules, the regime suspended fundamental rights and prohibited the media from publishing critical stories, and military officers briefed news editors. Military camps were set up in every major university and the army started ordering around university administrations.
At the end of August, the military personnel severely beat a number of students and a faculty member at the University of Dhaka, the largest university of Bangladesh. As a result, student protests spread across campuses throughout the country. They were joined by disgruntled common people who were fed up with a 40 percent increase in the price of essentials and closure of numerous industrial factories. Though the government grudgingly withdrew the army camp from the university gymnasium, thousands of police continued to batter students. On the third day of violence, the protesters set an army vehicle on fire. A curfew was immediately declared, and college dormitories were vacated. Thousands of soldiers conducted door-to-door searches and picked up students. Deans of three schools of the University of Dhaka were arrested, along with eight other senior faculty members. All of them were tortured indiscriminately.
The military responded to the publication of a photo in many Bangladeshi papers, of a student kicking a solider, by arresting and severely beating over 250 journalists. International publications are still censored in the country.
For example, two critical articles from The Economist (one from the Aug. 23, 2007 issue and one from Sept. 6, 2007) were ripped off before the magazine's distribution in Bangladesh. This caused Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization in the U.S., to say, "Ripping out pages from an international magazine is the hallmark of a dictatorship, not a caretaker government committed to reform and the rule of law."
All this paints a pretty grim picture of Dr. Ahmed's despotic rule, so why did Columbia to invite him to speak?
This is not the first time something like this has happened. Last year, Pakistan's military ruler President Musharraf honored the World Leaders Forum with his presence. Today, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad spoke.
University Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, the University's most distinguished expert on South Asian economics and a member of the University Senate, was not consulted on the issue of the invitation to Dr. Ahmed, although he has stated that he thinks that it is better to invite disagreeable people and to subject them to debate. This lack of consultation implies that it was not Dr. Ahmed's profile as an economist that earned him the invitation.
Maybe my research-lab postdoctorate had a closer guess. She suggested that perhaps lobbyists got paid by the Bangladeshi government to convince the University to ask him to speak. We will never know for sure, but what we do know is that attending a major forum at one of the world's leading institutions of scholarship will help the despotic ruler to wash off some of the stigma he earned from the most recent brutal repression of Bangladesh's academia and press.Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed should not have been invited by Columbia to the World Leaders Forum, since he simply does not deserve it.
This conference is for distinguished foreign leaders. Ahmed is neither a legitimate leader of his people—even under the state of emergency, the government's tenure formally expired after the first four months—nor does his making academia and the press the primary victims of repression give him any extra credit. I hope that the Columbia administration will regain its senses and give the issue some serious thought.
The author is a Columbia College senior majoring in astrophysics.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
What is happening in Bay of Bengal?
While our politicians are langushing in jails, something interesting is happening at the Bay of Bengal. Meanwhile, Bush has landed in Australia to attend APEC meeting. A chill wind seems to be blowing as Asia redesigns its strategic alignments.
This is from: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/101964.html
Warships from five nations, with the major component being from India and the US, Tuesday began war games in the Bay of Bengal that are aimed at improving inter-operability between their navies, even as the communist parties staged demonstrations against the drill.
Malabar-2007, as the Sep 4-9 exercise is named, features 25 vessels participating in a variety of manoeuvres.
These include interception and dissimilar air combat exercises, surface and anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction and VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) operations to counter piracy and terrorist acts at sea.
The Malabar series is now in its 13th year. The drill has previously been a bilateral India-US engagement and has been expanded for the first time to also include Japan, Australia and Singapore.
So, tension is slowly building up in Asia to stop China becoming more powerful. USA, however, denied this last month: Read this Reuters despatch from Delhi on 23 August:
Admiral Timothy J. Keating, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told reporters in New Delhi the exercises were not an attempt to corner China. "There is no, let me emphasize, no effort on our part or any of those (participating) countries' part, I am sure, to isolate China, to put China in a closet," Keating said."Rather than give the perception that we are looking to isolate China, quite the contrary, we are looking to embrace them to the extent that we should and can and want to, and the extent that they want," he added.
When the four powers set up the initiative (informally named the Quad) in Manila last May, a deeply-concerned Beijing sent formal protests to the four governments. Read this BBC commentary on China's displeasure about new 'strategic alliance' against it: (from:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1890485/posts)
"Defence papers issued by all four governments have described China as a potential threat, and that combined with the launch of the Quad suggest a pattern of alliance-building activities that China cannot ignore.
Perhaps as a sign of things to come, 1,600 Chinese troops travelled to Russia's Ural mountains to join several thousand mostly Russian troops in "Peace Mission 2007" manoeuvres in August. "
While Indian Left are protesting, led by Jyoti Bashu, ours Left is in complete doldrum and happily sleeping.
Good Luck Bangladesh, we are all sleeping like Rip Van Winkle.
This is from: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/101964.html
Warships from five nations, with the major component being from India and the US, Tuesday began war games in the Bay of Bengal that are aimed at improving inter-operability between their navies, even as the communist parties staged demonstrations against the drill.
Malabar-2007, as the Sep 4-9 exercise is named, features 25 vessels participating in a variety of manoeuvres.
These include interception and dissimilar air combat exercises, surface and anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction and VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) operations to counter piracy and terrorist acts at sea.
The Malabar series is now in its 13th year. The drill has previously been a bilateral India-US engagement and has been expanded for the first time to also include Japan, Australia and Singapore.
So, tension is slowly building up in Asia to stop China becoming more powerful. USA, however, denied this last month: Read this Reuters despatch from Delhi on 23 August:
Admiral Timothy J. Keating, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told reporters in New Delhi the exercises were not an attempt to corner China. "There is no, let me emphasize, no effort on our part or any of those (participating) countries' part, I am sure, to isolate China, to put China in a closet," Keating said."Rather than give the perception that we are looking to isolate China, quite the contrary, we are looking to embrace them to the extent that we should and can and want to, and the extent that they want," he added.
When the four powers set up the initiative (informally named the Quad) in Manila last May, a deeply-concerned Beijing sent formal protests to the four governments. Read this BBC commentary on China's displeasure about new 'strategic alliance' against it: (from:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1890485/posts)
"Defence papers issued by all four governments have described China as a potential threat, and that combined with the launch of the Quad suggest a pattern of alliance-building activities that China cannot ignore.
Perhaps as a sign of things to come, 1,600 Chinese troops travelled to Russia's Ural mountains to join several thousand mostly Russian troops in "Peace Mission 2007" manoeuvres in August. "
While Indian Left are protesting, led by Jyoti Bashu, ours Left is in complete doldrum and happily sleeping.
Good Luck Bangladesh, we are all sleeping like Rip Van Winkle.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Oxford Analytica on Bangladesh's Student Uprising
BANGLADESH: Students protest against troop presence
BANGLADESH: Student protests spread from Dhaka to Chittagong and Kushtia today, after clashes with police at Dhaka University yesterday left several injured. According to local media reports, protests erupted after a dispute involving soldiers and students at a football match on the university campus in the capital.
It is the first serious outbreak of violence since January, when a military-backed caretaker government was installed after the postponement of general elections. Emergency rule has been in place ever since, including a ban on protests. A vigorous anti-corruption campaign and the prospect of an overhaul of the political system under the new government meant that it earned support domestically and overseas.
However, signs of weakness within the government -- in its handling of the recent floods, for example -- are causing frustration and there are concerns about the prospect of extended military rule. Students are demanding the withdrawal of troops from the campus and they burnt effigies of army chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
The government is increasingly unpopular, but is only set to become more so as it adopts more authoritarian tactics. There is a danger that the military will assume direct power, although there is considerable international pressure on Dhaka to proceed towards timely elections.
BANGLADESH: Student protests spread from Dhaka to Chittagong and Kushtia today, after clashes with police at Dhaka University yesterday left several injured. According to local media reports, protests erupted after a dispute involving soldiers and students at a football match on the university campus in the capital.
It is the first serious outbreak of violence since January, when a military-backed caretaker government was installed after the postponement of general elections. Emergency rule has been in place ever since, including a ban on protests. A vigorous anti-corruption campaign and the prospect of an overhaul of the political system under the new government meant that it earned support domestically and overseas.
However, signs of weakness within the government -- in its handling of the recent floods, for example -- are causing frustration and there are concerns about the prospect of extended military rule. Students are demanding the withdrawal of troops from the campus and they burnt effigies of army chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
The government is increasingly unpopular, but is only set to become more so as it adopts more authoritarian tactics. There is a danger that the military will assume direct power, although there is considerable international pressure on Dhaka to proceed towards timely elections.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Updates on Dhaka University
Here is the latest bdnews24.com story:
Police fired teargas Tuesday to quell protests that spilled into its second day amid a strike at Dhaka University as more than 1,000 angry students marched through the troubled campus.
The marauding students smashed several vehicles at Shahbagh and Nilkhet on the fringe of the campus as the overnight battle raged on.
The demonstrators also set fire to an army car in front of Aziz Super Market in Shahbagh. They attacked an army driver who suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital.
The Dhaka University Teachers Association has thrown their weight behind the students demanding army pullout from the campus. The association, after an emergency meeting, demanded the army camp be withdrawn from the campus by Wednesday noon, said Professor Akhteruzzaman, a member of the association.
The university Syndicate also sat in a meeting to review the situation.
Sirajul Islam, convenor of the provost standing committee, speaking separately to reporters, condemned Monday night's police action at the dormitories.
The protests spilled over into other institutions including the Jahangirnagar University, as students boycotted class and put up barricades on Dhaka-Aricha highway for a while. They smashed several passing vehicles on the highway and briefly clashed with police.
The protests are the first major defiance of the restrictions clamped under the emergency rules. More than 100 students were injured in violent clashes with troops and police Monday night after the students burst into protest against army action.
bdnews24.com correspondents and photographers said the situation on the DU campus became volatile Tuesday morning after students came out of their dormitories defying tight security.
Police fired teargas Tuesday to quell protests that spilled into its second day amid a strike at Dhaka University as more than 1,000 angry students marched through the troubled campus.
The marauding students smashed several vehicles at Shahbagh and Nilkhet on the fringe of the campus as the overnight battle raged on.
The demonstrators also set fire to an army car in front of Aziz Super Market in Shahbagh. They attacked an army driver who suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital.
The Dhaka University Teachers Association has thrown their weight behind the students demanding army pullout from the campus. The association, after an emergency meeting, demanded the army camp be withdrawn from the campus by Wednesday noon, said Professor Akhteruzzaman, a member of the association.
The university Syndicate also sat in a meeting to review the situation.
Sirajul Islam, convenor of the provost standing committee, speaking separately to reporters, condemned Monday night's police action at the dormitories.
The protests spilled over into other institutions including the Jahangirnagar University, as students boycotted class and put up barricades on Dhaka-Aricha highway for a while. They smashed several passing vehicles on the highway and briefly clashed with police.
The protests are the first major defiance of the restrictions clamped under the emergency rules. More than 100 students were injured in violent clashes with troops and police Monday night after the students burst into protest against army action.
bdnews24.com correspondents and photographers said the situation on the DU campus became volatile Tuesday morning after students came out of their dormitories defying tight security.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Attempt to clip Bangladesh Military?
This is the largest committee in the US Senate. It writes legislation that annually allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments.
Read bdnews24 story:
Bangladesh under US watch for military funds
An influential US committee has marked Bangladesh for special watch for the human rights record of the country's security forces, according to an official document.
The US Congressional Appropriations Committee has already nodded a bill, and it is expected to be passed into a law next month, according to the document available to bdnews24.com.
Once the bill is signed into a law, Bangladesh will be the latest on the US watch list as countries such as Haiti, Guatemala, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Libya, Angola, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Nigeria are already in the group.
END
Read bdnews24 story:
Bangladesh under US watch for military funds
An influential US committee has marked Bangladesh for special watch for the human rights record of the country's security forces, according to an official document.
The US Congressional Appropriations Committee has already nodded a bill, and it is expected to be passed into a law next month, according to the document available to bdnews24.com.
Once the bill is signed into a law, Bangladesh will be the latest on the US watch list as countries such as Haiti, Guatemala, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Libya, Angola, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Nigeria are already in the group.
END
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Is Hasina's fate sealed!
Rumour now circulating says Chief Justice was briefed by powerful quarters about three verdicts that Supreme Court is to deliver today.
Interestingly, Barriseter Shaheb was not there, sources said.
Let us wait to see.
Interestingly, Barriseter Shaheb was not there, sources said.
Let us wait to see.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Mujib was alive when Dalim made radio announcement
Radio Dhaka Station was captured at 4:00 AM on 15th August. Anthony Mascarenhas said Dalim made radio announcement at 5:15, as there were some confusion and chaos. Mujib was killed around 5:40 AM, as Mascarenhas said.
So, if we take this account as fact, then Mujib was still alive when radio announcement was made by Dalim. Remember, Mujib made phone calls to Army Chief General Shafiullah for his rescue.
It is probabale that Dalim's premature announcement over the radio may have forced the plotters to kill Mujib.
Is there any one who can piece to-gether all avaialble information and reconstruct the scene to see what really happened?
So, if we take this account as fact, then Mujib was still alive when radio announcement was made by Dalim. Remember, Mujib made phone calls to Army Chief General Shafiullah for his rescue.
It is probabale that Dalim's premature announcement over the radio may have forced the plotters to kill Mujib.
Is there any one who can piece to-gether all avaialble information and reconstruct the scene to see what really happened?
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Most uninspiring flood speech by CA
Chief Advisor's 'flood speech' to the nation to night was the most 'uninspiring'. The face was blank and appearance was pale and words used will is unlikely to be heeded. In fact, how many tuned to see this speech is a matter of research. Let us wait to see media's reporting on this.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Is Mainul preparing us for something else?
Now that Mainul has warned us of another 'catestrophic future', should we not ask: is he preparing us for something else? What 'else' that could be?
Remember, in TV talk shows last year Mainul insisted on accepting ' truncated election' on 22 January and warned us of something else. We did not listen (!) and got 1/11.
What else we will get if we don't listen to him this time as well?
Remember, in TV talk shows last year Mainul insisted on accepting ' truncated election' on 22 January and warned us of something else. We did not listen (!) and got 1/11.
What else we will get if we don't listen to him this time as well?
Thursday, August 2, 2007
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