Seeing through other's eyes: A perpetual malady

We recall that our Finance and Planning Minister Mr. Saifur Rahman had recently participated in a round table on Reproductive Health ...... etc. in a European country. The meet was reported to have covered various aspects of reproductive health, the problems, their variations between advanced countries and LDCs, the common grounds as would address those and other complications etc. Without raising eye-brows on the relevance of a finance minister's participation in such an international (some one directly responsible to the health sector could perhaps be a better choice) we can take a look at the versatile Minister's statements to the press on the report about the concern expressed in the EEU parliament on the situation in Bangladesh.

Mr. Saifur Rahman emphatically refuted the report and claimed that nothing like that happened in the EEU parliament. On the contrary, he alluded to his participation in a dinner in company of 12 distinguished members of the EEU parliament. In his own words those gentlemen were all in praise about the radical improvement of law and order situation in Bangladesh, its economy, harmony among the people belonging to different communities. He dismissed the report as a mere cock and bull story, a veritable concoction hatched up by the disgruntled members of the opposition who were out to damage the image of Bangladesh.

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Coming on the heels of Mr. Saifur Rahman's statement to the press at ZIA, a front-page report in a few national dailies on April 16, 2005 gave to the whole nation a clear and unambiguous corroboration of the 'story' Mr. Rahman tried to pre-empt and belie. This report categorically referred to the great concern expressed by the European Parliament on the recent and latest situation in Bangladesh. More specifically, the EEU parliament vis-a-vis its distinguished members took official cognizance of the numerous bomb assaults on the leaders and workers of the opposition political parties, minority communities, journalists, workers of NGOs. They made particular reference to grenade charges on the opposition leader Sheikh Hasina and former Finance Minister SAMS Kibria.

The EEU parliament was also reported to have adopted a resolution in condemnation of the continuous bomb and grenade assaults on the opposition. Besides, they resolved that all these be properly investigated into by noted international agencies who would have to be allowed free access to all the witnesses and documentary evidences and also to work independently. The EEU parliament resolution was also reported to have dealt at length the issues of free and fair national election, an absolutely neutral election commission and a caretaker government after procedural reforms to the system. Among other issues incorporated in the resolution were: trial of the war criminals of 1971, withholding of RAB activities, ensuring rights and privileges of religious minorities and stoppage of criminal activities of extremist Muslim militants. Before adoption of the resolutions the EEU parliament members went into formal voting. Out of 92 members only 2 voted against while 3 were absent. The resolutions were eventually adopted by 87-2 votes which could be considered to have been absolute and unanimous.

The Finance Minister neither retracted from his airport statement nor challenged the reported resolutions mentioned above. However, and as is usual, we have had a half-hearted reaction from the law minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed. In an interview with a television channel he thought very casually that the EEU parliament had identified some problems and expressed their concern. This they did as well-wishers of Bangladesh and that they wanted good governance to be more firmly established in Bangladesh. Barrister Moudud Ahmed didn't think that there would be any adverse reaction on the country.

Notwithstanding the contentions of the two honourable ministers on the resolution adopted by the EEU parliament, there is no way out to repair the damage already done to our national image by the self-same complacency born of utter lack of farsightedness on the part of our leadership.

Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, a renowned lawyer in the International Criminal Court living in Brussels, Belgium had almost concurrently expressed his hurt feelings on the failure of the present government in conducting the affairs of the state. It has been, in his opinion, all due to this ignominous inefficiency that the image of the country has been tarnished globally. Dr Ahmed had firmly claimed that, if the government itself didn't violate human rights, provide unfettered leverage to the so called religious fundamentalists and could curb corruption with strong hands then the country wouldn't have faced such a delicate situation in the international arena, wouldn't be so pitiably disgraced in the comity of nations. According to Mr Sitangshu Guha, an international coordinator for the Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad in Europe thought the EEU parliament resolution reconfirmed existence of extreme fundamentalists and violators of human rights in Bangladesh. On the other hand, a convener of BNP in USA observed that the EEU parliament was used to make such resolutions against many countries every year. In his words those had been all mere paper works and would have no impact on the nationalistic spirit of his party. Coincidentally, his conviction has been in conformity with that of the central leadership.

Massive haul of illegal arms and random use of grenades have been yet another intriguing aspect that has invoked great concern both nationally and internationally. Inspite of claims of government leaders that there was no existence of extremists like Al-Qaida in Bangladesh the United States and the European countries have been expressing their reservations about such contention of the government. We may recall that the US Ambassador in Bangladesh Harry K Thomas had openly complained about the notorious 'Banglabhai' and his criminal activities. Subsequent to that the Prime Minister had ordered for arrest of the alleged 'bandit' creating havoc in the northern districts. 'Banglabhai' has been 'absconding' since then.

Meantime, the unusually big haul of arms in Chittagong, at Kuril of Dhaka and at other places of the country went on without any meaningful intervention of the administration. Between the period the country witnessed a number of tragic incidents in Sylhet, Dhaka and Habiganj. The British High Commissioner had sustained wounds from grenade blast at Hazrat Shah Jalal's Shrine, grenade attack on August 21, 2004 on Awami League meeting at Bangabandhu Avenue killed 20 including Ivy Rahman and lastly on 27 January 2005 killed former Finance Minister SMS Kibria among others at Habijganj.

Taking cue from all these unfortunate incidents Admiral William J Felon of the United States firmly claimed on April 17, 2005 in Dhaka after his meeting with Foreign Minister Morshed Khan, that some international extremist militant groups having Al Qaida connection was very much active in Bangladesh. He offered US assistance to contain these terrorists. The Admiral also observed that there were some people used to provide patronage to extremism, use religion for their personal gains. Admiral Felon had said that there was a big network of international terrorists. They were ever on the look for such places where there was political and economic unrest. These are the basic weaknesses where the terrorists would fruitfully exploit the poor to achieve their ulterior motive. In this context, he alluded to similar groups active is Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines and Afghanistan.

The government will have to make a very serious rethinking about its strategies to combat the terrorist groups.

Kazi Alauddin Ahmed is an industrial consultant.