Unheard Voice
All Things Bangladesh
Democracy in Bangladesh – 3
Nov 24th
Couple of months ago, I started a series called Democracy in Bangladesh. The first installment, a revised 2007 UV piece, made the case for democracy. The second instalment analysed democracy using a Lincolnesque definition, and found that Bangladesh under the four elected governments since 1990 have fallen short of being a democracy.
In this installment, I continue with the theme that democracy involves more than just free and fair elections. A democratic State has to be one exhibiting ’separation of powers’ and ‘checks and balances’.
These ideas originate from the city states of classical Greece. They were part of the government system of the Roman Republic. And philosophers of the American and French revolutions articulated them in the 18th century. Most modern constitutions pay at least lip service to them, as does ours.
But in this series, I don’t look at the fine letters and the minute details of what’s in the constitution. There are others who are better qualified than me to do that. Rather, I note my observation of what has happened in Bangladesh since 1990. And I contend that if ’separation of powers’ and ‘checks and balances’ are necessary for a State to be democratic, then Bangladesh has not been a democracy.
Middle of Nowhere
Nov 23rd
I was in a good mood today. I swear I was. And then this came along and ruined it for me.
I am middle class, I eat with my hands and lick my fingers afterwards, gently; I sip my daal off my plate when I am home. I like to chew on paan once in a while and listen to the radio. I like salt with my guava, mixed with mustard oil and sugar. I am middle class, I grew up with parents who were also middle class; they read a lot, dreamt a lot and passed on the middle class complex to me as a prize inheritance. I get uncomfortable with marble floors. I don’t like my feet. I prefer showers over baths.
“I am Middle Class” – this article by Iffat Nawaz on being middle class. Where do I begin? I was at first astonished and then thoroughly confused – is this mocking the middle class or is this how she truly identifies herself as? Along with the identification, I was baffled by actual content of the piece which someone rightfully just pointed out says nothing about the middle class but rather the upper middle!
Truth is, middle class as we knew it about a decade ago, no longer exists. This is not to say that the middle class itself does not exist but there are a number of romantic views and ideas around this class which no longer exists. Yes it was the middle class that was highly intellectual and led the movements for liberation and social change. But many of the well known middle class families have moved on to becoming elite and quite well to do in the market driven Bangladesh. There is however this trend among these upper class families to putting up this “middle class” image which is mainly symbolic such as going to the Shahid Minar on 21 February or wearing shaada laal saree for Pohela Baishakh or attending a few cultural events on the other part of town or taking up causes that make us look liberal and worldly.
The true middle class, with financial constraint in one of the most expensive cities/countries in Asia, are far from all this. Terrible pay scale, mediocre education services availability, unreliable public transportation system, disruption of basic services such as water and gas, make the middle class life a practical living hell. And they truly are in the middle of nowhere. Too proud to beg, too poor to exert any real power. More >
Democracy in Burma
Nov 22nd
It is sad and typical that a sensible article on Burmese-Indian relations is written and published in Britain rather than in the country sandwiched between them.
Over the fold is Timothy Garton Ash’s op-ed in the Guardian from last Thursday which provides a brief discussion on how India’s vision of its foreign policy has changed since its independence. It also calls out India for its silence over the monks’ protest and its brutal suppression 3 years ago, something I then put down, sarcastically, to its staunch secular ideals.
You would think Bangladeshis would have more of an interest in generating greater public discussion about the relationship between its neighbours, but we are socially and politically incapable of producing something like this for two reasons.
Firstly, there exists an element of our population for whom any criticism of India equals either crude Hindu-bashing or an expression of “Pakistan-mindedness”. So they refrain. Secondly, there exists another element of our population for whom any criticism of India is either crude Hindu-bashing or an expression of their “Partition-mindedness”. This makes them toxic for generating public discussion in a country of 14 million Hindus. We would like them to refrain.
Of course the Burmese being Buddhists/animists who look somewhat “Pahari” does not really excite this second group either. Now if these were more “our kind of people” (y’know, wider eyes, Arabic/Persian names, being “forsha” optional but hoile bhalo …) perhaps we would be a bit more excited.
It’s like deja vu all over again…
Nov 21st
Awami League politician promising the moon, BNP vowing to resist transit, electricity shortage, foreign press saying Bangladesh is no longer a basket case…
Heard this all? Sure you have. In March 1997. See the Economist article over the fold.
India’s Microcredit Crisis: Warning Sign For Bangladesh?
Nov 19th
The lessons of Andhra Pradesh- Felix Salmon
Nov 18, 2010 04:11 EST
Are we ever going to get a good article on the hugely important microcredit crisis in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh? The WSJ took a stab on October 29, but the article was thin, added nothing to the FT’s earlier report, and spent more time rehearsing well-known facts about the microfinance industry than it did trying to explain exactly what was going on so suddenly and why. The WSJ didn’t even mention the precipitating cause of the crisis, an ordinance passed by the state governor on October 15 which essentially shut down a whole class of microfinance lenders.
Now the NYT has published its own attempt to cover the story, under the striking headline “India Microcredit Faces Collapse From Defaults”. More >
The best value destination in the world…
Nov 19th
…in 2011 is Bangladesh, according to Lonely Planet.
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1.Bangladesh
This subcontinental treat might just be the cheapest place on earth to travel. Bangladesh offers marvellous meals for under US$1, a mid-range hotel room for less than 10 times that. This means that anyone who isn’t a masochist goes up a price bracket or two. You’ll pay a little more to get around the Sunderbans National Park on a tiger-spotting tour – US$150 or thereabouts – but it’s still peanuts, even compared to what you pay next door in India.
Bangladesh is almost disgracefully under-visited. Here, paddleboat is one of the main forms of transport and you can trek, canoe and even surf to your heart’s content with some of the world’s friendliest people for company. The Rocket is Bangladesh’s most famous ferry, running daily between the capital Dhaka and Khulna. First-class river cruising for 27 hours will cost US$15.
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Here is the entry on Bangladesh.
the politics of the towel
Nov 18th
millions of dollars later on various capacity building projects for government officers yet the towel on the chair will stay on! someone long ago introduced this strange practice which is religiously practiced at every level of the bangladesh government till date. once you have reached the position of deputy secretary, you are entitled to a towel – “congratulations so-and-so on your recent promotion as a deputy secretary to the government of bangladesh, and here is your towel”! this towel becomes THE symbol of power and dignity. “sir’er chair’e towela koi?” oh dear, there goes some poor third class employee’s job for misplacing “the towel”! More >
Lashed for ‘unlawful sex’
Nov 18th
Would there be any lashing if they were white Europeans or Americans?
Foreign couple to be lashed for sex in UAE
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=121596#ixzz15TirMBDc
DUBAI: A Filipina maid and her Bangladeshi lover will receive 100
lashes and be deported for having sex out of wedlock in Sharjah in the
United Arab Emirates, a newspaper said Monday.
The Sharjah Sharia Court ordered the Filipina to be lashed 100 times
and deported for “unlawful sex,” said the Gulf News report. The
Bangladeshi would be lashed for adultery and jailed for a year for
entering the house belonging to the Filipina’s sponsor without
permission before being deported.
Foreign workers in most Gulf states must be sponsored by an employer
to work in the country. In some cases, employers hold the worker’s
passport and can deny permission to change jobs.
The Filipina’s sponsor saw her lover leaving the house and reported it
to police, Gulf News said, adding the two admitted to having sex after
their arrest.
The report said Muslim foreigners who commit adultery are lashed and
deported, while non-Muslims are jailed and deported. Both the Filipina
and the Bangladeshi are Muslims, it said.
The UAE aims to be an international business and tourism hub and
relies heavily on foreign workers, but also seeks to maintain
traditional mores. – AFP
(Hat tip: Robin Khundkar).
Bangladesh Army: Cannon Fodder for Failed Wars
Nov 16th
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan: “An unequivocal NO”
One might ask why is it that a conflict that is being waged under the rubric of GWOT, and which engages currently more than a hundred thousand troops under two separate commands — that of the ISAF led by Nato, and troops under Operation Enduring Freedom led by the US and the UK, and technically has the support of more then forty countries — would have to fall back on Bangladesh to chip in with fighting elements to help ameliorate the current situation.
4 Hizbut Tahrir men arrested
A police press release quoted a part of the leaflet. It read, “Sheikh Hasina has only strengthened the authority of the crusading American army over Bangladesh’s Muslim troops.” The leaflet called upon all Muslims of Bangladesh to protest against the army’s joint exercise with the idol worshipping state of India.
Opposition leader eviction: the legal side – One viewpoint
Nov 15th
Frequent contributor at UV SMahbub makes the following explanation and time-line of the legal process that led to the forceful eviction of the opposition leader from her house. IT is being put as a blogpost to highlight the legal aspect of this highly political issue.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is what happened in the legal side of things:
A. On 13th October the High Court Division gave its Judgment and Order the last and most important sentence of which read as follows:
“However, the respondents will allow at least 30 (thirty) days’ time from this day to the petitioner to vacate the house in question”.
Note 1 – There was no specific direction upon the petitioner (i.e. Khaleda Zia), meaning that she was not ordered to do anything. If there was a direction upon her, the Order would have read something like –
“The petitioner is directed to vacate the house in question within 30 (thirty) days.”
As there was no direction upon Begum Zia she had no obligation to leave her residence by the 12th of November. So the Attorney General’s media statement that she would commit contempt of court if she didn’t leave the house was simply wrong. Likewise, ISPR’s claim that Begum Zia left her house showing respect towards the High Court Order was another badly twisted reading of the Order. When there was no direction upon her, there was nothing for her to follow or respect.
Note 2 – So to whom was the Order directed? The respondents, i.e. Government et al. However, the direction upon the government was not to evict Begum Zia after expiry of the 30 days. If it was, the Order would have read something like –
“The respondents will evict the petitioner from the house in question after expiry of 30 (thirty) days from this day”.
So, although there was a direction upon the government, it was not to evict Begum Zia after 30 days. Again, what the Attorney General, ISPR, Shafique Ahmed, Mahbubul Hanif said about there being an obligation upon them to evict Begum Zia after 30 days was wrong.
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