Political Discussions

nice to see the launching of politics thread. thanx Tmac

here's a polular joke reminder ...

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What is politics?"

Dad says, "Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I'm the breadwinner of the family, so let's call me capitalism. Your Mom, she's the administrator of the money, so we'll call her the Government. We're here to take care of your needs, so we'll call you the people. The nanny, we'll consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother, we'll call him the Future. Now, think about that and see if that makes sense,"

So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what dad had said.

Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper. So the little boy goes to his parents' room and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, "Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now."

The father says, "Good son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about."

The little boy replies, "Well, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, the Government is sound asleep, the People are being ignored and the Future is in deep poo."

masud.rahman said:

nice to see the launching of politics thread. thanx Tmac

here's a polular joke reminder ...

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What is politics?"

...................

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:lol: That is so true............

:lol:

There is another one about our politicians.....

3 people from different countries are arguing about their country's advancement in medical technology. The 1st guy, from North America says: "Our doctors transplanted a bionic leg into a man whose legs had been torn apart and that man later won a world race championship." Now the 2nd guy from Europe argues "Our hospitals transplanted artificial hands into a man who had no hands and that man later crossed the English Channel by swimming." Now the Bangladeshi cannot keep himself quiet, he says "Our kabiraj transplanted two cucumbers into two little girls whose brains had been torn apart in rail accidents, and one of them became our prime minister and the other became our leader of opposition."

Dhakaiya said:

:lol:

There is another one about our politicians.....

Click to expand...

Cucumber being perishable commodity..........

interesting reading..

Source: The Daily Star

Bangladesh through global eyes
Habibul Haque Khondker

Bangladesh has been receiving much attention from the world at large. The letter of the 15 influential US senators to the chief of the caretaker government of Bangladesh was a significant development. The international concern on the botched-up decision to block former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's return, and the Economist story, indicate a growing interest on the part of the international community in the developments in Bangladesh. In a sense it is good news. Bangladesh has changed from being the poster child of poverty to an embattled democracy.

One of the consequences of living in a globalized world is receiving such attention -- due or undue. Rather than displaying knee-jerk reactions, it would be wiser to take the evaluations of Bangladesh by the rest of the world in stride. In the past, the elected governments would take a predictable line: they would deny it first, and then criticize the critics.

However, when Bangladesh was occasionally praised, they would use the positive evaluation as a badge of honour. Such a contradictory position vis-à-vis the international community's evaluations often went ignored. Whenever the evaluations were negative (but true) the government of the day would take all kinds of measures, from banning the particular issue of the magazine, suing the magazine, and arresting or barring the correspondent, in addition to issuing the routine denials.

Remember when Bertil Linter wrote that "cocoon of terror" article in the Far Eastern Economic Review (April 4, 2002), or the Time magazine (October 14, 2002) article by Alex Perry. How did the BNP-led coalition government react? Another example was the response to Transparency International's rating of Bangladesh as the most corrupt country insofar as public perception was concerned.


The Senators' letter called for lifting emergency in Bangladesh and a return to democracy. These demands are reasonable. Yet the letter, despite its due praise for the CTG, fails to show a clear understanding of the circumstances that led to the declaration of the emergency.


The response to the letter of the US politicians, first by veteran diplomat Farooq Sobhan and later by Dr. Iftikhar Chowdhury the advisor in charge of foreign affairs, marked a sharp departure from the past. Their responses were suave, diplomatic and astute, reflecting the sophistication of the present caretaker government. Rather than taking an unrealistically hyper-nationalist and defensive position, the high caliber Bangladeshi diplomats took a decent, pragmatic and positive stance.


The Economist's story (Asia, May 12), "Hasina Resurgent," seems to suggest that Hasina is going to be the next prime minister of Bangladesh, but a closer reading indicates that the story, rather than praising her, vilifies her. Is it not puzzling that international pressure (which came from respected politicians, EU representatives, and so on) should be applied on behalf of someone who is presumably so unworthy?

Hasina, a former prime minister and the leader of the 14-Party alliance, was successful in galvanizing popular support and leading a movement against the government of Begum Zia to foil the scheme of a rigged election. Regrettably, the agitation, when challenged by rival parties, turned violent.

By mid-December most of the political parties outside the ruling coalition joined Hasina in a grand alliance, which paved the way for the emergence of a new administration backed by the military.

Hasina, along with members of the grand alliance, attended the inauguration of the new administration on January 11. The new administration took quick, decisive, and popular actions to fight corruption, which netted people across the political spectrum, including some party men of Hasina as well. Yet, she promised to ratify all the actions of the present administration if her party won the next election.

The so-called murder charge against her was not initiated by the present administration headed by Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed, who is reputed to be a man of integrity. A citizen filed the case on the sad and brutal death of a person that resulted from the violence that marked the mass upheaval on October 28, 2006.

On that day Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's tenure ended, and the fourteen-party alliance organized a mass rally to protest the attempted rigging of the next election. On the same day, the retiring government also organized a huge rally of its supporters. The violence on that day was almost predictable. Whether such a mob action can be attributed to a political leader is something for the court to judge.

The decision of the present administration to prevent her return from abroad, according to many analysts, was misguided, and gave her additional publicity. The government's decision to withdraw the restriction was timely and wise. It proved once again that this government is not an ostrich; it can mend its errors. On the whole, the political developments in Bangladesh since late October 2006 portend more hope than despair.


What is unfortunate is not the gaze of the international community, but that often the comments are based on superficial understanding of the political developments in Bangladesh. This aspect, perhaps a sad legacy of orientalism, needs amendment.



The author is a sociologist at Zayed University, UAE.

relâmpago said:

Internal elections need to be a big thing back home. I just wonder how can you democratically rule a country if you end up making your party a one-man / woman dictatorship? I think it is time both these women bring in new leadership..

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lol...that, my friend, is precisely the point I've been making for so long. With these people being almost permanent fixtures as head of their parties, it pretty much is like a dictatorship.....and we have been under a bi-lateral (this is probably a gross misuse of the word but..) dictatorship...going back and forth between these two women.

anyway, let's see what happens now..

Call me sadistic..but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this

Source: The Daily Star Online

Mamun alleges he was threatened with 'crossfire'
Says he was unofficially detained for weeks
Staff Correspondent

Giasuddin Al Mamun, the detained businessman friend of Tarique Rahman, yesterday told the court that he could not submit his wealth statement in time since he was in the joint forces' custody from January 31 to March 26.
During hearing of the case against him for not declaring his assets to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), he pleaded not guilty.

The anti-graft body issued the notice for him to turn in the statement in person on February 18 within 72 hours of receipt.


He said that while in captivity the joint forces had threatened to kill him and his staff in crossfire.


Mamun was taken to the fifth graft tribunal at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar MP Hostel at around 11:00am yesterday. In the dock, he took some time from the judge and wrote a statement.


He read out, "At 12:30am on January 31, I was arrested at one of my acquaintances' house along with the two staff accompanying me and the house owner. They got us into a car, blindfolded. Shortly afterwards, I could tell from their telephone conversation that we were crossing the Hotel Sheraton. After 10 to 12 minutes, I was taken out of the car and led to a room. There, a doctor came and checked my health."

"On February 6, I gave the joint forces an account of my wealth. But they did not believe me and grilled me again.

On March 6, they took me and my staff to a site, threatening to kill us in crossfire. Soon, I was separated from the other two and heard a gunshot. Frightened, I told them that what I had said earlier was true and that I hid nothing.


In the morning of March 25, they grilled me about my wealth. In the videotaped interrogation, I begged that whatever I had to say I should be allowed to say in the court.

I thought I would be produced before a court on March 26. But after roaming the streets, they took me to my house. I realised that I was home only after they had removed the handcuffs and the hood from my face. Out of fear, my wife and children were huddling inside a room at that time. As I was sporting a beard, none could recognise me. My wife fainted at the sight of me. I had to convince her that I was Mamun.


The joint forces then told me that I'd better stay here and spend some time with my family. While I was talking to my family, a policeman came and said that they had found a firearm in my bedroom. At that time, at least 90 people including the Rab and police were in my house.


I was in their custody between January 31 and March 26. After March 26, I was taken into their custody again, this time on a 50-day remand. This is why I could not submit my wealth statement."

The court asked Mamun if he could name any defence witnesses. Mentioning names of different national dailies, Mamun's lawyer pleaded the court to allow him to invite the newspaper editors to corroborate the defendant's claim.


The newspapers had run reports on Mamun's arrest by the joint forces. The court accepted his plea and adjourned the hearing till Thursday noon.


Meanwhile, witnesses in the graft case against former state minister Mir Nasiruddin continued making depositions yesterday while those in the case of Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir began theirs.

Rangs Bhaban’s fate likely to be decided tomorrow

The fate of the much-talked-about Rangs Bhaban which is situated on Bijoy Sarani is likely to be determined by the High Court tomorrow.

The hearing of the case of the 22-storey building — ‘illegally constructed on a proposed road’ — is scheduled to be held in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The housing and public works ministry and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha have made all the necessary preparations for fighting the legal battle against the owners of the building, according to official sources.

The authorities concerned are reportedly ready to demolish the high-rise on the proposed road either by the traditional method (using heavyweight hammers) or blasting dynamite just after the court delivers the verdict in their favour.

The council of advisers at a meeting in April approved the public works ministry’s decision to demolish Rangs Bhaban and asked the authorities to find suitable ways and means to demolish the building. The ministry took the decision as per the recommendations of the probe committee which found out that the building was constructed illegally on waqf land and land belonging to the Roads and Highways Department.

The interim government has already included a Tk 118 crore project in the annual development budget to extend the Bijoy Sarani up to Tejgaon, which will require the demolition of a number of structures, including Rangs Bhaban, that have been constructed on the proposed road, said sources.

‘We will have to raze around 63 buildings and structures, most of which are tin-sheds, to implement the project. Around 50 per cent of these structures, including Rangs Bhaban, have been illegally constructed. We are now waiting for the court’s verdict before launching the demolition drive,’ a senior official of the housing and public works ministry told New Age.

The government on February 27 formed a four-member committee, headed by Ayesha Begum, joint secretary of the Public Works Department, to investigate Rangs Bhaban.

The committee, which submitted the report on March 11, found that the building was illegally constructed on the waqf land and land owned by the Roads and Highways Department.

The report also found out that Rangs Bhaban was built in violation of the civil aviation rules and the High Court’s order.

Rangs Bhaban’s owners had submitted for approval the original plan for a 10-storey shopping-cum-office complex on the eastern side of Airport Road on Bijoy Sarani to Rajuk on December 5, 1988.

Rajuk approved the plan on July 6, 1989 without the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority, said a Rajuk official.

http://www.newagebd.com/front.html

This is great news!

Bangladesh parties plan to curb leaders' powers

Bangladesh's two major political parties, under pressure over charges of corruption and abuse of power, have finalised a set of internal reforms aimed at curbing the powers of the party chiefs, leaders said on Tuesday.

The move comes amid a nationwide crackdown on corruption launched by the country's military-backed interim administration in which more than 170 political figures from both the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have been detained.

"The chiefs of political parties should behave democratically. Every decision should be taken with the consent of majority of the party," said Suranjit Sengupta, a senior leader of the Awami League led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Both Hasina and another former prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, who leads the BNP, have wielded absolute power in their parties.

The two leaders also face charges of extortion and murder relating to street violence late last year.

"The party leaders who ignored corruption done by their colleagues while in power, should accept the responsibility and step down from the posts," said Mahbubur Rahman, a senior leader of BNP, who is pushing for party reforms.

Reformists in the Awami League have proposed that party decisions including financial matters should be discussed and passed with the consent of the majority.

"The party should also be transparent in financial matters. Collection of funds through donations and expenses should be audited, regularly," Tofayel Ahmed, a senior leader of Awami League told reporters.

"This is the only way to stop unscrupulous people."

Bangladesh is now run by an army-backed interim government headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed, who has vowed to clean up politics from corruption before holding a free and credible election around end of next year.

The interim authority cancelled an election earlier planned for Jan. 22 and banned all political activity.

Hasina and Khaleda say they are being unfairly targeted and are innocent.

Their supporters said the reforms in the parties were being carried out under pressure from the interim administration.

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/ne...171344Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-303818-1.xml

Tmac said:

This is great news!

Bangladesh parties plan to curb leaders' powers

Bangladesh's two major political parties, under pressure over charges of corruption and abuse of power, have finalised a set of internal reforms aimed at curbing the powers of the party chiefs, leaders said on Tuesday.
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Definitely a great news. About time...........

All I have to say is "hallelujah".

BNP reformists' proposal aims at excluding Khaleda

The pro-reform BNP leaders yesterday unveiled a 15-point proposal including the one aiming to dislodge Khaleda Zia from the post of chairperson.

At a press conference in the evening, Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan read out the proposals prepared in consultation with some senior leaders and former lawmakers.

He said absolute powers of the party chief must be curbed for the BNP to graduate to a democratic organisation. And the [BNP] constitution will have to be amended to make that happen.

According to the proposals, the chairperson will be elected for three years instead of the existing two years.

No one will be allowed to hold the apex post for more than two terms. The proposed provision will be applicable also to those who already held the post for two terms or more than six years. If incorporated in the [BNP] constitution, it will mean an end to Khaleda's being at the helm for around 23 years on the trot.

Also a former prime minister, she has welcomed the plans and said the national council will take decisions after examining those.

The proposals say that no one of the party will be allowed to be the prime minister for third time. Besides, the same person shall not hold simultaneously the posts of chairperson and the premier.

However, nothing has been mentioned about the tenure of secretary general and standing committee members. At the crowded press briefing at his Gulshan residence, Bhuiyan dodged a question about the tenure of the secretary general's post that he has been holding for over 10 years.

In a somewhat uncharted political terrain following the declaration of a state of emergency, leaders of the BNP and Awami League have moved to make sweeping intra-party reforms including those which would trim back the 'all-pervasive command' of the party chiefs.

The proposals announced yesterday call for radical changes in the BNP constitution. Those for reforms believe the amendments will translate into a BNP that the leaders and workers across the country have always dreamt of.

"The reforms have to be carried out to enable the party to keep pace with the changing times," observed Bhuiyan, former LGRD minister, brushing aside the allegation that they have drawn up the proposals to spare themselves the heat of the ongoing anti-graft operation.

The pro-reform leaders did not consult Chairperson Khaleda Zia before making public their plans. Rather, they have been avoiding meeting her since the military-backed government launched the crackdown on corruption suspects.

"We will send a copy of the proposals to the chairperson today [yesterday]," the BNP secretary general said replying to a query.


He said these are draft proposals and will be finalised only after discussion at the national council or executive committee, once the ban on indoor politics goes.

Asked about the chairperson's announcement that she too would come up with some proposals, he said, "Anyone can put forward proposals. Everything will be discussed at the party forums."

Bhuiyan, who himself was nominated for secretary general's post by Khaleda, proposed that from now on the council will elect members of the national executive committee including the secretary general and standing committee members.

A number of standing committee members now seeking reforms in the party have also been chosen by the BNP chairperson through the powers vested in her by the party constitution.

Bhuiyan and his allies proposed for doing away with the party chief's authority to dissolve any committee and discipline anyone at will. According to the proposals, any decision regarding the matters will have to be approved by the standing committee.

The leaders also suggest scrapping of the chairperson's power to nominate 10 percent members to various committees down to the grassroots level.

They proposed getting rid of the provision that empowers the BNP chief to amend the party constitution in case of emergency.

To make an end to the politics of dynasty, the proposals suggest that family members and close relatives will have to be discouraged from contesting elections or seeking to be office bearers.

About financial transparency, they said the ministers, lawmakers and members of the standing committee, national executive committee and thana committees must submit their wealth statements to the national executive committee every year.

The BNP in its manifesto for 2001 election pledged that it would release the wealth statements of the prime minister, ministers and lawmakers. But it did not honour the pledge and many of its senior leaders, former ministers and lawmakers now stand accused of massive corruption.

Earlier in the day, the secretary general held a meeting with senior leaders and former lawmakers.

M Saifur Rahman, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Kamal Ibne Yousuf, Hafizuddin Ahmed, Osman Farukh, Ashraf Hossain, Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Moffazzal Karim, ZA Khan, Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan, Selima Rahman, Abdul Alim, Major General (retd) Mahmudul Hasan, Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul, Zahiruddin Swapan, Ziaul Haque Mollah, and Shahiduzzaman, among others, were present.

Meanwhile, Assistant Office Secretary Emran Saleh Prince, who was assigned the task of handing over the proposals to Khaleda Zia, was not allowed to enter the BNP chief's cantonment residence last night.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/06/26/d7062601011.htm

I see no one is really using this thread eventhough there was a request for it. Well well...anyways....

Dhaka okays plan to make poll panel independent

The Bangladesh interim government has approved in principle a proposal of the Election Commission to create an independent secretariat of the poll panel, free from control of the prime minister's office.

The council of advisers in its regular weekly meeting on Saturday night, with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, gave the approval after thorough discussions.

The meeting directed the Law Ministry to place a draft of the Ordinance for establishing an independent secretariat of the Election Commission, said an official communique.

The interim government took the decision following a proposal sent by the Election Commission on June 7 for separating its secretariat from the prime minister's office – now chief adviser's office – for ensuring the commission's financial and administrative independence.

It was suggested that the Election Commission secretariat should be made independent by amending the rules of business as amendments to the constitution could not be made now in absence of parliament.

If the proposed ordinance is promulgated, the Election Commission will not have to depend on the government for funds, a commission official said adding that the government would sanction block allocation as per the requirement of the Election Commission while formulating the budget.

The Election Commission will also be able to take necessary decisions to extend its reach to the grassroots level and appoint officials of its own choice without consulting the government or seeking its approval.

The Election Commission, after consultation with some constitution experts, found the ways to free the commission secretariat from the executive's control by changing the rules of business through promulgation of an ordinance.

Although Bangladesh had been under a parliamentary system of governance for 15 years, each and every national election was made controversial by the country's political parties due to inherent flaws that clouded the Election Commission.

With the latest move, the Election Commission secretariat would not be dependent on the government regarding recruiting its officials then as it is now. Even then, the Public Service Commission may take the recruitment examinations, but the Election Commission will take all the decisions.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topi...=157243&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24