No More Election Talks; Leave Us Alone
The new Cabinet just formed, and I hear so many talks about another election already. Why is there so much rush to bring those who did not participate in the election? What have they done in the past that shows their competency? Why are they so important for country?
BANGLADESH AT CROSS ROAD
So Bengalis of Bangladesh have won the first round. By giving capital punishment to Bangla Bhai, Khaleda led BNP had shown a no-nonsense attitude. The Islamic terrorism in BD faced a set back with the death of Bangla Bhai. Credit for this definitely goes to BNP & Khaleda. But due to political compulsion, BNP kept on maintaining a close link with Jamaat and raised doubts in the minds of secular/progressive Bangladeshis about the ulterior intension of Khaleda and Co.
Politics and Democracy – the Bangladeshi Style
In my 32 years in the United States, my social life was most pressing during my time in the greater Boston area. That was 1989-1992, when I was a young lecturer at Northeastern University. When my wife and I arrived there, we knew quite a few Bangladeshis from our Dhaka University days in the 1970s and 1980s. Through them we came to know quite a few more. Most of our friends and acquaintances were highly qualified, both professionals and graduate students. Through social interactions with them, I got involved in the Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE), a Boston-centric group.
QUADER MOLLAH TEST' OF BANGLADESH
AL is historically the party which brought independence to the country. But before getting rid of war criminals and Pakistani collaborators, it submerged into corruption and nepotism. It was criminal offence on the part of AL to deny Bangladeshi people a good governance and progressive development at that time. The Paki collaborators and ISI took the chance and poisoned the mind a group of mid level Bangladeshi army officers and rest is history of emergence of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir.
BANGLADESH - THE OTHER SIDE OF COIN
An important and basic issue with Islam is its mandatory 'religious teaching' for children. A teacher who imparts Islamic religious teaching to small children is called Hujur in Bangladesh. Children's minds can be molded as the Hujurs want. Hujurs, who were taught by their Hujurs, teach a new generation of Muslim children about Islam and prophet. The teaching is one way. Children have to believe what Hujurs teach or tell. Any question is reprimanded. The Islamic 'Iman' comes in handy for Hujurs to suppress any doubt in the minds of children about Islam or prophet. Many false and dangerous things are taught by the Hujurs under the protection of 'Iman'. The teaching methods adopted by these Hujurs are also harsh. Qur'anic 'iqra' was aimed at making bands of regimented followers. Such Islamic teachings are mostly given in local mosques. Some wealthy families do it in homes.
Silver Lining in dark clouds
Bangladesh's political horizon is now dark and getting darker by the day. A bunch of self-aggrandised predacious people, surrounded by slavish cronies and sycophants, are making the lives of millions of hard-working, self-reliant people up and down the country a total misery.
HEIGHT OF MADNESS
Reports from India say that Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary cricketer who very recently retired from the game at the age of 40 years, has been awarded "Bharat Ratna" the highest civilian award in India. Sachin has been an idol in India and cricketing world. His performance in the game of cricket was un-parallel. In his 24 years career as India's cricketer, Sachin has achieved many peaks. He has been non-controversial to the point of being silent in his classical politically correct posture. Such posture reflected escapism at times. From cricket he has earned a lot and shall do so through endorsements and cricket commentary also even after retirement. I am not aware of the conditionalities about "Bharat Ratna". But:
In Search of National Identity
Bangladesh, now just one month short of 42, has come a long way from the heady days of 1971 in trials and tribulations of nationhood. By any standards, this is a considerable period of time - long enough to establish its national identity, to position itself in the comity of nations and chart out its future course of action. But yet for some inexplicable reasons Bangladesh seems to be falling apart on each of these accounts.
Flagrant Violation of Human Rights
Human rights issues may be the despised terms to some prejudiced sections of the society or even to some despicable sovereign States of the world, but human rights epitomises what is good in human conscience, what constitutes inalienable rights of human beings and above all it highlights the sheer value of humanity. Without human rights, human beings would be no better than two-legged human animals, particularly in the modern society where money speaks louder than anything else and might is proclaimed to be the absolute right!