Change culture
I have been thinking for quite sometime to address this issue — the issue of ‘Sir and Madam’ culture inherited from our past rulers. If I am not wrong, one English daily has introduced the style of addressing the dignitaries informally by first name, a natural and respectful presentation in print media. Unfortunately, we rarely see such a cultural change in the electronic media. The reason is well understood. Presence of the guests and face to face exchange put some cultural barrier to be more informal and avoid ‘Sir or Madam’ culture. We very well acknowledge the requirement of sobriety in case of dignitaries, but not in the way it is used to subordinate oneself and express a feeling of inferiority on display.
I think it is high time we changed our colonial culture and the sense of subordination while addressing our fellow citizens without showing any disrespect to them. The media can play a vital role in changing this colonial culture.
A reader
On e-mail
Go nuclear
If India expressed its willingness to supply solar power to Bangladesh villages, probably that was a marketing ploy. Or probably India wants to do field research on those toys here in Bangladesh. Whatever could be the reasons, it is a fact that we do not have control on other’s say but we do have control over what we say and what we do. With due concern with carbon dioxide emission and quick depletion of our fuel reserve, I can say that Bangladesh should think very seriously on the prospect of building at least three nuclear power generation plants, one in Khulna region, one in Dhaka region and one in Chittagong region.
The clean energy is the demand of the century. We should not only think of covering the present deficit in power generation, we should also think of the future demand and the factors like quick industrialisation and improvement in lifestyle that will contribute to the growth of future demand. Bangladesh should establish fixed timeframes for planning and completion of projects like nuclear power generation and move ahead towards building our future.
MH Khan
On e-mail
Woe of a civil servant
There are a number of government servants, whose salary are not increasing in keeping with the prices of commodities due to discriminatory and outdated promotion rules. They are now passing their days in hardship. Such as, I am a non-cadre but Class I govt. officer. I have been working for the government since 22nd January 1985. During the last 23 years, I did not get any promotions and time scale facility. The promotion, according to the ERD’s Recruitment Rules 1978, must be against clear vacant positions. Before this rule, ERD had some higher posts for promotion. But after creation of Economic Cadre those posts were included in that cadre service with a hope that we would be encadred as lateral entry. However, despite the case being forwarded to the ministry of planning for necessary action in 2001, I could not be encadred yet due to the objection of the Economic Cadre Association.
The government made some changes to the rules and regulations of the civil service in 1998 and 2006 and gave promotion to a large number of cadre officials though there were no vacant posts in response to the silent agitation by the aggrieved officials. I appreciate this. But this benefitted the cadre and ex-cadre officials in the Secretariat and all the non-cadre govt. officers outside the Secretariat.
ERD’s Recruitment Rules 1978 has not been updated yet. As we have not enough higher post to give promotion and granting time scale facility to Class I officers is not possible under the present rule, I believe that some changes in ERD’s Recruitment Rules 1978 will help reduce discrimination by increasing percentage of promotion from present 40 per cent to 100 per cent. As such, I have appealed to the ERD secretary against the discrimination in the promotion with a proposal for updating of ERD’s Recruitment Rules for reducing the massive discrimination. Past experience shows that it’s long way to go. But the prices of essentials are going up every day. Therefore, in the interim, I would like to urge the government as follows:
• Kindly give in situ [in the originals position] ante dated promotions to me with retrospective effect. It will increase financial support and recover as much of the losses that I suffered as possible. Although, the authority knows that I have the ability to do line functions too, I will not ask for higher posting.
I do hope the authorities will wake up to fulfil this demand because the non-cadre officers need financial support and social status to survive at this exorbitant price level of essential commodities.
The present government is carrying out a number of fundamental reforms to strengthen democracy and establish good governance and rule of law in the country. So, we can only hope that the government will take necessary steps to tackle this problem through formulating policies that will help the non-cadre govt. officers to recover as much of the losses and damage already made to them.
Md. Khadem Hossain
Research officer, ERD
The upcoming voters’ list
One might recall the story, not that old, which was a tale of our country that was at the breaking point at one stage. Strike, siege, vandalism, bloodletting in broad daylight, acerbity among the political parties and what not had become the daily feature. A day of tranquillity and equilibrium was rare. It was a total suffocating atmosphere wherefrom one was finding no way out. The country’s economy was sinking to the abyss. In that insufferable situation, our valiant armed forces could not take the role of a mere silent spectator and they had to shake off all indolence and intervened that came as a boon to save the country. With this preamble let me try to contribute a feedback on the present dilemma over voters’ registration.
The prime requirement for holding a free, fair, impartial and un-biased election is a correct voters’ list. The ultimate success of an election commission much depends on the degree of perfection with which it could prepare an electoral roll.
The present Election Commission appears to be non-partisan, non-controversial, sincere as well as committed and has earned overall confidence of the electorate. Will it be able to prepare a foolproof voters’ roll? s issue.
Rubaiyat N Hasan
Syamoli, Dhaka
Anti-corruption Commission
We have heard of an unconfirmed report from a foreign delegate referring to the chairman of the ACC that the army is not above the scrutiny of the ACC. We do not know whether the Anti-Corruption Commission has the jurisdiction to initiate inquiry of complaints against corruption in the army.
The ACC is composed of one chairman and two members. Since the anti-corruption drive intensified, especially against the politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats, we have seen that the chairman and another high official of the ACC are vocal, active and face the media. They are busy increasing public awareness to strengthen the process of the present anti-corruption drive in the country. We wonder what role the two other members are playing in the current drive against corruption.
A citizen
On e-mail
