an ordinary citizen

I was listening to a talk show few days back where the chairman of Public Service Commission, was telling that the survey they have conducted on quota system for Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) has been given to the journalists and it was hoped that the journalists would summarize and discuss it in the papers and TV channels. But that didn’t happen. Public Service Commission (PSC) is also arranging seminars in the capital and different regional cities on the survey report. But they are thinking but yet have not given it to the web site. This indicates a sad outlook of our top executives about the power and potentiality of the internet. The issue of quota system gripped our young generation throughout the country and PSC made them dependent on the conventional media to be informed about that!

Few months back Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, Chairman of the Regulatory Reform Commission was of the opinion to disclose his proposals on the reform in the internet and suggested the government accordingly. We still don’t know about the content and the progress of the reform commission report.

After devastating Sidr, millions of dollars of donation in cash and kind were committed and part of it received by the Bangladesh government. One of the very remarkable contribution was made by an unknown philanthropist of 139 million dollars (Tk 900 crore). We are in the dark, how the money was spent and most important of all, how are the victims of Sidr, how far
they were rehabilitated and to what extent govt extend the support- all the information could be displayed in the internet and different ministries including the information ministry could play vital roles in this regard.

The present government is promulgating the ‘Right to information ordinance’ but this information only will be available on payment. But some basic information should be available to the common people without any complexity and in original form. For that internet is the answer for both public and private organizations.

Recently International day of freedom of information was observed where freedom of expression was highlighted. In a seminar. The Law Adviser Hasan Arif advocates for strengthening the power of Press Council but the journalist leaders resented to the idea saying that it will curtail the freedom of expression. They also said that the idea goes against the spirit of the day.

The government is feeling stressed may be because the news and views expressed in the media is gradually going against the interest of the government. Curtailing the freedom of the press would not be the answer. It is not clear to me why a temporary caretaker government is so concerned with the press and press freedom.An alternative way to reach to the people would be to utilize the internet to its full as a way to convey the news and information and to have a direct communication with them for the present and future government..

Blogging may also be used to establish rapport with the citizens. In many countries, public officials and political leaders have their own blogs. It will not be a bad idea one or more of our advisers to have their own blogs. I shall be pleased if Dr. Hussain Zilur Rahman take the lead role.

Blog in general is also becoming an important way of expression for the citizens of a country. Both government and political leaders should take note of their opinion and recognize their ideas. A time will come, when important bloggers will also be invited to the state and political functions of a country.

An ordinary citizen

Education and Commerce Adviser, Dr. Hussain Zillur Rahman said that the advisers will talk with the different sections of people- civil society, different professional groups, the journalists, workers and farmers etc in the ongoing political dialogue.

The announcement is a new one and will probably add a new dimension to the dialogue. Different political parties may not like the idea and may oppose the government in this initiative. But the civil society and people at large will appreciate it.

Dr. Zillur , one of the recruits of the second batch of advisers of the care taker government few months back, took the prudent step to solve the Dhaka University crisis arises out of the arrest of the teachers of the university. He was one of the advocates who favours strongly to release the teachers to calm the situation in DU which ultimately proved correct though there were many skeptics who were against the move the way it was handled.

In the political dialogue, Dr. Zillur is working as the spokesman of the Advisory council. His measured and well knitted conclusion after each session of pre-dialogue keeps our hope sustained.

We hope that the decision of the government to directly interact with the different cross-section of people will make the dialogue effective and will give the government to understand the pulse of the people.

An ordinary citizen

The advisers completed their pre-dialogue talk with the political parties. The talk includes the pro-Khaleda faction of BNP with whom Election Commission didn’t like to sit. The Advisers talked among themselves and made a ‘synthesis’ of the pre-dialogue to present to the Chief Adviser. It is said that the chief adviser will address the nation but the moment has yet not come.

In the mean time, AL wanted to stage nationwide hunger strike by its workers to demand the release of SK. Hasina. But the government didn’t permit it citing the state of emergency in the country. AL decided to stage the hunger strike in the capital Dhaka. In AL,once known as, reformists are advocating in loudest voices for the presence of Hasina in the dialogue and demanding release of her.

On the other hand, Delwar led pro-Khaleda faction is demanding the resignation of CEC, release of Khaleda and not accepting any election under the present government. The other faction of BNP that led by Saifur Rahman is also demanding the release of Khaleda and is telling that without Khaleda, there will be no meaningful dialogue with the government and there will be no meaningful election.

Suranjit Sengupta yesterday proposed for the inclusion of Army in the dialogue which was rejected by Matiya Chowdhury, another presidium member today.

Women’s Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury said today in a meeting that for materializing the ‘Woman’s Development Policy’, social forces should cooperate with the political forces. In reaction, the Islamists are also organizing movement against the implementation of the policy.

All these means that no national consensus has so far developed among the political parties and the government. Professor Mujaffar Ahmed told recently that the campeign against corruption has been deminished. Is government compromising on the issue of corruption?
Mr. Anwar Chowdhury, the departing British Ambassador, in an interview said that UK government will not support an Army regime in Bangladesh.

In the backdrop of the price hike and electricity crisis, the conflict of the political arena is creating an uncertainty in the minds of the people. But is this uncertainty a calculated one or this is a mere the outcome of the natural forces that have developed from the conflicts of different interest groups in our politics?

The uncertainity increased more with the failure of the government to find out a safe exit for themselves and also for the failure of the governemnt to make significant progress in much publicised corruption cases.

An ordinary citizen

BGM&E( Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers & Exporters) bosses are going to announce salary hike of the knitwear workers within a few days. Knitwear industries are the sector where Bangladesh is earning better than other sector in garment industries.
The BGME is also thinking of introducing rationing for the garment workers to overcome the present price hike.
All this are nice steps in support the workers of the garments sector which is the most profit earning export industry of Bangladesh which at the same time created huge employment opportunity for young workforce of our country.
But mere increasing the salary and introducing rationing may not be enough to recognize the contribution of these young men and women in our industries. Now is the time to change the concept of salary in the economically emerging Bangladesh. The present salary structure that is practiced in our private and public establishment came out of the colonial concept where the employees are given a fixed amount of salary whatever the income the owner is earning from the toil of the employees. The worker is more a slave to serve the purpose of the owner/s.

Ideally, the workers should be given a percentage of the profit he/she is earning for the company, private or public. It will create more motivation in the workers, will create a belonging to the company and will elevate the economic state of the workers. At least10-20% of the profit of the company should be distributed to the workers. Our economists, policy makers, political leaders and company owners should think in this regard and introduce soon this justified right for the workers in our country.

An ordinary citizen

Grameen Ammerica –Grameen’s first micro-finance operation in New York opens recently. Dr. Yunus inaugurates the first branch at Jackson Heights formally though the branch started to work since January 2008.

Grameen America will work as an independent microfinance organization and will not depend on Grameen for its operation though the operational methods will be that of Grameen.

The target population of GA is initially the low income groups of New York City that includes Bangladeshis and Hispanics. Both the groups, more the Hispanics already showed their interest in the microfinance operation. So far 200 families have taken loans from the bank.

The GA will gradually expand its branches to others parts of America. Dr. Muhammad Yunus is hopeful that microfinance will be accepted by people of America and will play important role to change the lot of people who have no collaterals.

GA will work on the concept of social business that the profit will be utilized for the development of the business itself and the dividends will not be needed to be given to the investors.

On the day of inauguration, Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, MD of Grameen Bank and Father of microfinance was hugely acclaimed by the press and people. The scenario at the Jackson Height turned into a visit like that of a celebrity.

It is the first in the history that a Bank from Bangladesh has entered into the soil of America with a new concept and a new vision.

We hope that the venture of Grameen in America will be a happy and successful one.

An ordinary citizen

Ranking system should be introduced for our universities. I have got many request to my blog asking the rank of the universities. But so far no ranking or rating for the universities and technical educations have been introduced in our country.
Recently in a round table conference Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, Ex- Adviser of the last caretaker government and Chairman of the Regulatory Reform Commission has urged to introduce rating of all universities in our country.

This rating must be from a competent authority. University Grant Commission(UGC) could took up the job. It may develop a means to develop the rating.
Ranking will create competitiveness among the universities and institutions. The ranking will be based on certain parameters which should be selected on the basis of international exercise.

The other question asked – would this be of universities only. Not necessarily. Technical education like Medical, Engineering may be included in the ranking. The ranking will not be of universities only but may be of different faculties or among different subjects.

Dr. Akbar Ali commented that we have introduce the western styles education system, especially in private universities but we didn’t introduced the rating system while authorities of the western universities publish the rating of their educational institutions regularly.

An ordinary citizen

Post script:

To have a glimpse of ranking system for the universitiies currently operating in the world, one can have a glimpse in the wikipedia.

In the regional list of subcontinent, among Bangladesh universities BUET ranked best-20th, then Dhaka Univesrsity at 59th, North South 61, International Islamic University 80, Ahsanullah University of Science and technology 82, Independent University 85 and East West University at 89.

Bangladesh should strive for better ranking in the list. There is a fair chance for Institute of Business Administration and Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons to get a position in the list.

The Government has taken major decisions to achieve excellence in ICT to create the required environment for business, education and reseach.
We appreciate the government decision and hope it will be implemented as soon as possible.
The details of the news is here[...]

An ordinary citizen

Recently Chief Adviser said, ‘Form of this Government has no relation with the price hike of the essentials’. On the other both AL and BNP top leaders are claiming that they would have bring down the price of rice if they be in power, one claiming even to Tk 10 per Kg.

Dr. Ali Akbar Khan, ex Adviser of the last Caretaker Government told that usually famine occurs during the period of non-elected government..

I was searching for an answer to the confusion arose out of these statements. Then I came across the article of Faisal Salauddin, a macroeconomist where he compared the state of Bangladesh with Vietnam which is an economy better managed than us.

 Readers may find some answer in his discourse.[…]

Chart: Bangladesh Vs Vietnam

An ordinary citizen

The world is passing through a critical food crisis which has not affect the world for many decades. Already social uncertainty, political unrest and riots start off in many developing countries. [...]

World Bank has warned that the present crisis will deepen and will create further deterioration in law and order situation in those countries. But the pity is that the warning from the World Bank came when the situation is already exposed. World Bank has failed miserably in forecasting the situation earlier and more significantly to suggest measures to offset the crisis early.

In Bangladesh, the economic analysts blaming the World Bank/IMF for their earlier prescription to shift the attention from agriculture and not supporting to keep enough stock of food grains for the future. The sadness increases with the news that it is the bio-fuel for which crops, the food for millions of people of developing countries, has been sacrificed.[...]

Moreover, the Finance Adviser of the Bangladesh Government Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam said that ‘The World Bank, the IMF and the FAO have expressed their concerns over the global food crisis and the high prices, but in real sense so far they have done nothing for the hard-hit poor countries,’ he mentioned. [...]

Experiencing through a critical crisis, Bangladesh is looking at itself-how to sustain by itself. Experts are giving opinion to revive the agricultural sector and to utilize the full potentiality of Agriculture to make ourselves self –sufficient in food.[...]

An ordinary citizen

Post script

FAO warns of civil war on food crisis [...]
UN battle plan to tacke world food crisis[...][...] Times elaborates on World Food Crisis[...]
UN to set up task force to tackle food crisis [...]

5 May, 2008
UN top adviser for food urged a freeze on bio-fuel investment saying that ‘a blind persuit of the policy is irresponsible.[...]

I first came across about Prof Hans Rosling in a post of Sabine in yunusphere.net and then Lilashana, her coauthor, more exposed Hans Rosling’s observation on Bangladesh in her following post. I couldn’t control myself to republish it here:

“Following on from an earlier post, I have explored further Prof Rosling’s Gapminder website and found several interesting podcasts and videos.

The one most relevant here is GapCast #5 - Bangladesh Miracle described below:

Have you heard about Miracle that has happened in Bangladesh over the last 30 years? No? In 1970 an average women in Bangladesh gave birth to 7 children, and one of four of them died before the age of five.

But after independence from Pakistan in 1971 things have improved. See Hans Roslings GapCast #5 to see how much.

Fascinating and really instructive. Some hard lessons for all of us, irrespective of the disciplines we practice as it shows how received wisdom can be so very wrong.

What one sees in the changes that have happened in Bangladesh over just 30 years should also be compared with his early look on the developments in Sweden over 300 years.

So, Bangladesh is a leading country in the world not just in population density but also in the speed and rate of reduction of child mortality. Grameen Bank and focus on micro-credits for women played clearly a very big part in this quiet and generally overlooked transformation. More startlingly, this transformation has not been fueled by a mad rush to urbanisation either.”