Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Political stuntmen were always there in our political arena. They were there before and of them some are now showing up faces tainted differently. The Awami League general secretary, Abdul Jalil, is one among them.
   People are apt to forget many things soon, but Jalil’s April-30 stunt is less likely to be forgotten in years. For months the entire nation passed days and nights quivering and awaiting any disaster any time. What was it? Never was it known nor do we know it now.
   And again Jalil was found hyperactive in September and October last year in organising blockades and mobilising forces with ‘logi-boitha’ which ultimately caused deaths to over 50 people in the city streets and elsewhere throughout the country. He was also seen much too vocal and often not agreeing, as was his party president, with the interim government’s plan of action, in matters of voters’ list preparation procedure and election timing, even hours before he was taken to custody.
   That he would come out so clean admitting his wrongdoings because of his lust for power and prestige, as he said, was not in our imagination either. It seems the AL’s general secretary Abdul Jalil has come to his senses — but how and why that is of course not known to us, anyway! However, it is better late than never. We then take it from him that he is making sincere efforts to free national politics from the vices of the family icons. Any contribution he makes in this regard shall help people condone and forget much of what he did for ‘his lust for power and prestige’.
   Moni Khan
   Dhaka

Community commitment among the Japanese is known and respected by the rest of the world. Recently, I visited Japan and was delighted to witness a cleanliness drive initiated by the community members of a government residential colony in Tokyo. The colony in question is comprised of three blocks — A, B and C. There are 15 buildings in each block, each building having three storeys and one unit on each floor.
   Three families live in each building. Thus, some 45 families dwell in a single block. In order to maintain cleanliness in the area, the residents have introduced a new system. They have formed a body comprising of 15 members, one from each family residing in a block. The chairman of the committee is elected by rotation so that one from each family gets a chance to become chairman.
   Each family pays ¥600 as a monthly fee. With the money, the committee buys necessary equipment for cleaning the area. And the additional fund is invested for other welfare activities of the community.
   Every morning, the members of the community engage themselves in a cleaning drive. They also rent a room to store the equipment which is distributed and collected every morning by the chairman. The committee is also responsible for medical assistance, in case of emergencies, for the families living in their block.
   This is indeed a unique initiative, which should be adopted by other countries especially ours.
   Tahmina Salim
   Japan

Offering voting right to an expatriate is wrong. Bangladesh and many other countries allow/offer double citizenship to immigrants with full rights and responsibilities of a normal resident. Rich western countries do it for certain reasons. For example, many US citizens have Israeli citizenship where they work and help the Israeli nation. They are mostly American Jews. The British and the French also allow dual citizenship and traditionally it has been so due to unholy colonial interest of the colonialist powers but the practice still continues.
   Bangladesh is a poor country and it was very generous to offer an immigrant from Bangladesh double citizenship and even a Bangladeshi passport knowing it well that the immigrant is a foreign citizen now and has a passport from his/her adopted country. This generosity of Bangladesh has offered good and bad opportunities to many people. To a good person it gives a sense of nostalgia and he/she always fondly remembers his country of origin with deep gratitude and love. Such a decent person returns this generosity of his/her motherland doing good things in return when an opportunity comes. However, this type of people are very few and often very rare. An individual is always after his/her personal interest and there are many who would go to any extent to gain a little extra profit whenever he/she gets an opportunity to do so. There are also certain criminals who use this opportunity to maximise benefits of their many horrendous crimes. Often the generous rules and regulations of the criminals’ adopted countries offer these criminals safe haven and the countries of origin of the criminals cannot take any action against them for their crimes committed in his/her country of origin. Many criminals from Arab countries moved to the UK on the pretext of political persecution in their home countries and the same pretext were used by many people from former communist countries to get a safe sanctuary in Western Europe.
   Some expatriates/immigrants from underdeveloped countries can be classified as political touts and basically, ordinary criminals. Sometimes they are politically connected with political touts at home and very often co-operate with corrupt politicians of their home countries to share their ill earned money or social or political advantages. Some well-established expatriates also go back to their countries of origin to take part in direct politics and hold ministerial posts by offering money to political organisations or directly to party bosses. These people are basically corrupt and live high life in Bangladesh mostly by corruption at the cost of poor Bangladesh.
   Now, what can be done or what rights and privileges to be offered to a Bangladeshi immigrant/expatriate? Recently, someone has even proposed in Bangladesh media that two seats of the national parliament should be reserved for the expatriates. I consider it unfair and dangerous for Bangladesh. I shall suggest that except ‘No visa requirement’ seal at a reasonable fee on the foreign passport of an expatriate no other right or privilege should be offered to anybody as long as he/she carries a foreign passport. The double citizenship business should be cancelled and every expatriate/immigrant should declare his/her assets in Bangladesh if he/she stays in the country more than three months at any given time. No immigrant should be allowed to own agricultural land in Bangladesh if he/she does not cultivate and properly use it for agriculture or farming purpose. Sometime ago I read in the media about an expatriate living in USA asking the government to intervene because a criminal in Bangladesh had grabbed his land. While I do not support any land-grabbing by anybody, I strongly oppose any foreign citizen owning any land in Bangladesh under any circumstances. Bangladesh is a very small country, land per capita in Bangladesh is lowest in the world and under such circumstances no expatriate should be allowed to own agricultural or commercial land in Bangladesh if he/she does not return home and live in Bangladesh permanently.
   Regarding jobs in Bangladesh, anybody with foreign passport/citizenship should not be allowed to seek any job in Bangladesh except those foreign experts whom Bangladesh may need for certain special jobs. Again, anybody who is a Bangladeshi citizen with a Bangladeshi passport but did not live in Bangladesh continuously over a year or so (except those who are abroad on government duty or studying in a foreign country) should not be allowed to vote or to take part in any election or seek any government office. Any one in service with the Bangladesh government with foreign citizenship should be found out, dismissed and in case where any one who has hidden his/her foreign connection while serving the government should be sent out of the country after checking properly his/her assets and foreign links. By adopting such a strong measure against the expatriates Bangladesh may prove itself very unkind or even hostile towards its ‘lost’ children but these measures are very necessary to safeguard the interest of Bangladeshi people and to curb the ill activities of a great number of criminals who are Bangladeshi expatriates/immigrants and foreign citizens.
   Tayeb Husain
   Sweden

The step taken by the caretaker government in forming the National Security Council is an important issue and definitely it will raise many question and controversies, especially when it comes to its compatibility with democratic norms. I personally believe it is a positive step and an acceptable one. This might contribute in creating power equilibrium, instead of creating poser crisis. The military is a source of power i.e. energy. Keeping this energy inactive and reserved only for contingencies seems to be unwise in the modern world environment. Linking this powerful energy with the civil administration and using it in different national issues and interests can be beneficial to the nation.
   MH Khan
   On e-mail