Adda

Prospect for Democracy in Bangladesh

2007-08-29T22:03:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Deshivoice)

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the agenda of the military government in Bangladesh. It’s becoming crystal clear that Army is running the show and it has no desire to leave it in the coming days. If you don’t believe, watch the TV news that will show you who runs the game plan. If you look at the history of military backed political parties under General Zia and Ershad, the recent political trend in Bangladesh fingers at the same path of dirty history. Now, the military spokesperson Law Advisor Mainul Hosein says that the government may not lift ban on politics due to recent violence. Isn’t it a part of the blue print that the Army wants to stall the return of democracy? Bangladesh Election Commission has repeatedly asked the government to lift ban on in door politics to start grounds for dialogs with political parties. Nothing happened. Now, the Commission has come up with schedules of dialogs as it’s been left with no alternatives. BDnews24 reports today:

Law adviser Mainul Hosein Wednesday said recent street violence had made the government rethink a move to immediately lift a long-standing ban on indoor politics.
His latest concern came a day after the Election Commission announced that it would kick off dialogue with the political parties in the second week of next month.

"We have finalised an outline to lift the ban on indoor politics. But the recent violence in Dhaka University has forced the government to reconsider its implementation," Hosein told bdnews24.com. "The council of advisers will take a (final) decision," he said.

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Tuesday said that they would start the much-expected dialogue on electoral reforms with the political parties on September 12.

The major political parties have said they are not interested to sit with the EC for talks unless the ban goes...”.

General Moeen has already concluded that traditional democracy has failed to yield any good to this poor nation, as he implied to abandon it and replace it with a new form of governance and democracy (i.e. military democracy?). How many times are we going to be fooled to our Goldfish memory? Yes, we’re looking for democracy. We don’t want to fail as we’ve seen failures of military take over. We want to show the world how Bangladesh can and will return to democracy. Has the process started to welcome the return of democracy? No, not yet.

Political ban in Bangladesh has not been lifted, and it appears that will not likely to happen it in the coming days. Corruption charges and legal proceedings have painfully suffered as they’ve been crafted and enforced to serve ill-motivated political interests and hidden agenda. Yes, the mother of all corruption is still left spared and untouched. The Army Generals’ motive is clear as democracy will return as per their term. When the rest of the world is safely assured that the Bangladesh military won’t take over the government, it doesn’t guarantee that democracy will come back here without sponsorships and influences. Can we afford another hand made regime in Bangladesh in the name of democracy? Sadly, the prospect for democracy in Bangladesh is severely distorted when it solely depends on the mercy of the Generals as the free will and hope of people are cordoned off by bans and blames.

What’s Next?

2007-08-23T20:39:00.000+06:00

Bangladesh has faced an unprecedented unrest since the Army backed Caretaker government has taken over power on January 11, 2007. At the beginning, the Caretaker Government has enjoyed over pouring support from the masses as it came into power with popular mandates for ensuring a free and fair election and driving corrupt politicians away permanently. Its popular support started evaporating as the election process slowed down, consumer price hike reached at its peak, political process stalled as political activities remain banned and popular support plummeted as suspicion about the Army’s ultimate motive grew as special interest political figures enjoyed favor to regroup and reappear under a new political platform.

The current volatile situation erupted as a few soldiers got involved into fighting with Dhaka University students and beat them while they’re watching soccer game on August 20th. While students started protesting against this incident of maltreatment by the military personnel, it exploded unexpectedly as the Police force has brutally tortured mass students to quell their protest. The protest turned violent as mass people joined students to condemn the attack on students. This is a first visible sign of massive dissatisfaction with the Army backed Caretaker Government. The Army through its Information Advisor Barrister Moinul Hossain is claiming alleged foreign money and influence behind this uprising which is an old tactic to divert attention from the root cause of this unrest. This alarming sign demands to shift priorities for the Army. It needs to show respect for popular demand to return to democracy as quickly as possible. Bangladesh can not afford an army backed non elected government for a long period as its credibility and legitimacy are in question. International community is seriously paying attention to this worsening political development in Bangladesh as Google news item currently show more than 489 stories about curfew situation in Bangladesh.

Times Online reiterates concern expressed by the international observers as it states,

Some analysts and Western diplomats see the protests as the first clear indication that time is running out for the interim government. “Regrettably, the incumbents decided to take the path of repression,” the English-language New Age daily wrote in an editorial today. “The public discontent will simmer on and will find manifestation in different forms and style, sooner than later.”

The current army backed regime shows huge insensitivity to people’s interest and demand. BBC reports about high stakes in Bangladesh following the massive unrest. It says,

“…adding to the mix is a growing fear among many - particularly students and professional groups, that the military has a long-term plan to depoliticise the country, and cement its control over society. They point out that while politicians are being vilified relentlessly, military men are being appointed to various key institutions. The much-talked about National Security Council with a strong role for the military is close to being formed. The current student demonstrations may have been the opening shots in another long battle - not to get rid of military rule, but perhaps to prevent one”.

We cannot speculate what’s next waiting for Bangladesh. While blaming invisible powers behind this trouble could be a nice try, but not a smart one. The Army backed Caretaker Government has lost its credibility as it stalled the election and political process for unknown reasons when the nation is loosing patience. Army may dream for a Pakistani or Burmese military model to replace political institutions which will backfire tremendously as the people of Bangladesh have outgrown military regimes. History knows the end result for an unelected government as the Army needs to relearn this historical lesson once again until it becomes too late.

Two Teachers Jailed

2007-08-02T00:16:00.000+06:00

This is the dark side of the military ruled emergency power. These 2 poor teachers have been jailed for staging a drama against fertilizer crisis in March this year. Daily Star reports on August 2, 2007:

"Two teachers of Damurhat upazila were sentenced to different jail terms Tuesday in a case filed on charge of violating Emergency Power Rules by trying to stage a 'drama' on fertiliser crisis in March this year.

Court sources said madrasa teacher ANM Afzal Hossain was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 10,000, in default, to suffer six months more RI and M Harun-or-Rashid, teacher of a kindergarten school, to 3 years and 4 months imprisonment and fined Tk 6000, in default, to suffer more four months.

Another accused Abdur Rahim, a farmer, was acquitted.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Shamsul Haq filed the case accusing the three persons as they tried to stage a drama in protest of “fertiliser crisis” in front of Damurhat UNO office on March 27 this year, police said.

After examining the witnesses and records, the Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal Yusuf Ali handed down the verdict".

This is a harsh punishment to the poor teachers who wanted to draw Government's attention to fertilizer crisis. Many more worse offenders are walking out there free when these poor teachers will suffer in jail. Who will speak for them?

Immunity for Jamaat-e Islami Bangladesh

2007-07-25T22:32:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted at Deshi Voice)
It is great news for the fundamentalist Jamat Islami in Bangladesh, as the current military backed Care Taker Government in Bangladesh has openly taken side with them. Yes, it is now reconfirmed by the highest authority of the National Coordination Committee that Jamaat is most likely immune from corruption. General Matin with his Army colleagues may seek comfort with Jamatis when the evidence shows Jamaat’s huge involvement into corruption. Daily Prothom Alo published an investigative report on July 23, 2007, “13 of its central leaders are charged with corruption. Out of their 17 MPs, 9 of them are facing charges”. So the question arises, why the current Adviser Gen M. A. Matin is maneuvering unconditional support for Jamaat? Who is he to certify Jamaat? Read his stark statement published today.

BD News reports, “Adviser MA Matin Wednesday said the caretaker government did not take any laidback approach to deal with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists with suspected corruption ties. The chairman of the national coordination committee on serious crime responded to a question on why Jamaat leaders or activists were not arrested in the ongoing anticorruption drive. "Well, questions surfaced over the issue. It just may be that Jamaat leaders were not involved in corruption," he said. Matin, also communications adviser, told reporters in his office that the government was determined to hold elections by 2008 and took measures to prevent corrupt people participating in the polls. "I don't see any difference between a reformist and the one who is not when it comes to corruption”.

Transparency for All

2007-07-18T19:24:00.000+06:00

Right after Sheikh Hasina landed in jail, Anti Corruption Commission has asked for the wealth information for Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, two leaders of the largest political parties in Bangladesh. The timing and the sequence of this development have raised valid questions about the subtle motive of the care taker government.

Daily Star reports, "The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday served notices on former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina to submit their wealth statements as part of its initiative to find out whether there is any ground for filing graft cases against the two.

In the notices, the government anti-graft watchdog asked the chiefs of BNP and Awami League (AL) to submit statements of their movable and immovable properties to the commission within seven working days from the date of the notification.

AL President Sheikh Hasina, who had been arrested on Monday and sent to a sub-jail, was served with the notice through the jail authorities while the notice to Khaleda was sent to her Mainul Road residence in Dhaka Cantonment.

Talking to reporters on the ACC premises, its Secretary Mokhles Ur Rahman said the decision was taken yesterday morning. "This is a routine work of the commission," the secretary added.

On receiving the two most prominent leaders' wealth statements, the ACC will crosscheck the statements with the information gathered by itself with assistance from intelligence agencies.

"The ACC will file cases against them, if they are found to be suppressing information about their wealth in the statements," a source in the ACC said.

Sources in intelligence agencies said they already have information about the wealth of the two leaders. The intelligence agencies gathered the information by collecting the two leaders' wealth statements submitted to the Election Commission during filing of their nominations, and from NBR. Besides, they collected information about the two leaders' bank accounts and examined whether there were any unusual transactions, the sources said".

We're not disputing Government's intention. Anti graft watchdog needs to crate transparency for all of its action. Can the Caretaker Government claim that all of the Advisers have come clean? May I have answers to the following questions:

Where is the wealth statement for Maj. General Matin; (including his wife's business)? What is about Tapan Chowdhury's tax evasion?
Where is the wealth Statement for Tapan?
Where is the wealth statement for Giti Ara?
Where is the wealth statement for Ex Army General Sakhawat Hossain (Election Commissioner)?

Yes, this list will grow. Please tune up. Before you start clean up others mess, clean up yours.

Is Sheikh Hasina Arrested?

2007-07-16T07:08:00.000+06:00

Cross Posted at Deshi Voice

Currently, I’m observing breaking news from Bangladeshi media outlets that Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has been or is going to be arrested momentarily. This is a sad development in Bangladesh as it looks like that the country is going to be plunged into more political turmoils. It appears to a lot of observers that the military backed Interim government is trying to neutralize Awami League by taking Sheikh Hasina into custody. Please follow the breaking news from bdnews.com. Channel I news has just reported that phone lines at Sudha bhaban have been disconnected. Live breaking news was showing from Sudha bhaban... 7:05 am BD Time. More to come soon...

Blogger Tasneem Khaleel Picked up by the Army

2007-05-11T07:09:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted at Deshivoice and Bangla Adda)

As a blogger, I'm concerned about Bangladesh Army's action to arrest Tasneem Khaleel. Please read this breaking news from Salam Dhaka, "Army has picked up a freind, blogger, and human rights activist Tasneem Khalil. We're not going to let this go unanswered. Tasneem's blog is http://www.tasneemkhalil.com/Tasneem is CNN and Human Rights Watch representative in Dhaka. He also works for Daily Star.The U.S State department, CNN, HRW are being contacted through the highest levels".

Bangla Bloggers have already started their protest against this action. Rezwan has just published this breaking news in Bangla Blog. Third World View is maintaining updates on Tasneem Khalil. Another blogger Sushanta is keeping updated posts on Tasneem. Human Rights Watch has already issued a press release to protest Tasneem's arrest and demanded his immediate release.

Please join me along with thousands of bloggers to condemn this cowardly action by the Military.

Political Crisis in Bangladesh

2007-04-23T11:26:00.000+06:00

Cross posted at deshivoice

Bangladesh is increasingly dominating the world media outlets as the military backed care taker government has taken dramatic steps to take off the leaders of the two largest political parties. This is a tactical operation that Caretaker Government has undertaken to worsen political anomaly in Bangladesh that will raise suspicion among the citizens about the inner motives of this three month old Caretaker Government and its military backer.

The Independent says, “Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was yesterday blocked from boarding a flight home from London after the military-backed government barred her from returning”. International Herald Tribune says, Hasina had vowed to return to fight murder and corruption charges after the country's military-backed interim government moved last week to force her and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia — who together have dominated Bangladeshi politics for the past 15 years — into exile. "This is my country, and I don't understand why they should stop me," Hasina told AP Television News, after being told by British Airways at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday that she could not travel.

When Hasina was attempting to board the British Airlines, back in Bangladesh a court dramatically issued a warrant against her to arrest upon arrival. It has become the most amazing senseless joke of the military backed interim Government to issue a warrant when they are barring her even to enter into Bangladesh air space. Yet, Hasina has shown her utmost courage and dedication as the Washington Post reports, "I want to face the case," Hasina said. "This is totally fake, false. I didn't commit any murder, so it is absolutely (a) false case and that's why I'm going to face it." But the Government’s move is growing more suspicion among citizens of Bangladesh. The Guardian reports the political move of Awami League as it quotes, ``How can a free citizen be barred from coming home? We will challenge this in court,'' said Zillur Rahman, a senior Awami League leader. ``She is willing to come back to face the charges against her, but the government is barring her.''

BBC reports, “it becomes clear that the country has reached a crossroads. Go one way, and the road leads to cleaner politics with free elections and restoration of representative democracy. There is a broad acceptance of the military-backed government. But go the other way, and the country risks sliding back into the kind of military-led dictatorship which so blighted Bangladesh's politics and economy in the 1980s”. But the question is becoming clearer day by day, will democracy return in Bangladesh? Who is winning by playing all these childish crooked game?

The election reform could bring the political reform, rather the military backed government chose to plunge itself in political in fight. The question remains unanswered when we ask who will benefit from this political crisis. Obviously, it does not favor the current caretaker government for the long run. Listen to the BBC’s MP who has already questioned the motive of the current interim government and has committed herself to advance this issue in the British Government.

Learning Bangla

2007-03-03T10:16:00.000+06:00

Resourses for Learning Bangla is coming soon

Bangladesh Election:

2007-01-26T11:37:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Bangla Blog)

Washington Post published an article on January 25, 2007 that expresses an overwhelming concern about stalled election in Bangladesh. Currently, it does not appear that we will have our national election very soon. The Caretaker Government may need time to reform election commission, voter list and the civil administration. As the Army has been credited to be instrumental in promulgating the emergency rule, its credit will quickly fade away if the election is really stalled. At least, the past records of the military regimes in Bangladesh validate this claim. We should not forget Martial Law and Emergency Law always violate human rights and free expression.

The Washington Post Article has mainly focused on the accusation by the political activists for the stalled election. Confusion and mistrust among political parties will grow if election is stalled. The article quotes one activist, "If people cannot express their rights freely, then fundamentalist groups will have more influence," she said. "Now, no political activity is allowed. With the absence of political participation, mosques will be used by the right-wing religious parties. This cannot be a good thing."

It is not at all in our distant memory that the fundamentalist and the war criminal Jamati Islami reappeared in Bangladesh politics during 1977 when the military Dictator General Zia took power. The notion overwhelmingly begs no further explanation that denying political freedom and political transperancy usually breeds and energizes the underground militant forces.

Clean up the mess in Bangladesh:

2007-01-26T10:08:00.000+06:00

(Photo Courtesy: New Age)

(Cross posted in Bangla Blog)
For almost a week Bangladesh is undergoing a huge demolition drive. Bangladesh Police, the Army, and the Municipal Authorities across the country are working very diligently to demolish all illegal structures erected inside the cities and along the highways. People have encroached public space and they built shops, clinics and houses. Now, under the emergency law, we’re knocking down everything. Aren’t we citizens of Bangladesh proud and pleased with this overzealous public interest activity? What happened to the Law, Public Enforcement, and Municipal Authorities when these structures were erected? What are the reasons behind this noble act?

(1) We’re knocking down illegal building structures to rebuild them again?
(2) Is it a public strategy of the Caretaker Government to earn cheap popularity and acceptance with citizens?
(3) Is it to prove the poor oversight of the previous BNP-Jamat Government?
(4) Is it to redesign the cities for beautification?
(5) Is it a new chapter in Bangladesh?
(6) Is it to make cities more beautiful and attractive?

Of course, we need to make our cities the most attractive and beautiful place in the country. If we don’t clean up, what will the next regime encroach again. Instead of knocking down the increasing socio-economic divide, we need to knock down illegal building structures. We’re impressed with the most expensive cars driving along the city streets. We can not knock down the root of all corruption as there’s no limit in tax evasion and corruption. When we can’t knock down the corrupt people’s power structure, as it will hurt the most powerful people of our society. Therefore, at least knocking down the illegal structures is really impressing the people of Bangladesh. Cheer up Bangladeshis!!! We congratulate the prudence of the Caretaker Government. Please continue cleaning up our cities as we can not clean up our poor society.

Political Crisis Deepened in Bangladesh:

2007-01-11T09:18:00.000+06:00

Bangladesh is facing a huge political turmoil in coming days that has been predicted for quite sometime. At the end of three day siege organized by the 14th Party alliance turned very ugly when the Police used brutal force against the political activists on January 9th. Top leaders of the 14th Party alliance were gravely injured when the Police assaulted them with the maximum force. Naturally, it poses a valid question, why have the Police taken such a hard line? It happened as the higher ups in the Police have been assured that the BNP-Jamaat led Government will return to power again. It is a sad reality that the Police can never win political opposition and agitation.

The current political turmoil has drawn international attention. The BNP-Jamaat led Alliance may win the election by force in a race less election but they won’t get international acceptance. International Political Observers have already lost their interest to monitor the upcoming election. Using the Military to quell political unrest won’t yield much result in favor of the BNP-Jamaat Alliance. As the election is moving to uncertainty, they’re quickly loosing their influence and support over the people. Internal rifts are growing. People are loosing patience.

Had the two main opposition parties in Bangladesh agreed to reform the caretaker government and the Election Commission, we could escape this political crisis. BNP-Jamat’s insistence and selfishness have thrown the country to this political crisis that the people are paying price for. Now they’re realizing that they can not run and win this upcoming election by hook or crook. They’ve shown their immaturity to foresee their future as now they’re quickly loosing political ground and people’s support altogether.

Praying for Peace

2006-07-15T09:43:00.000+06:00

Bangla blogging has become a great means to express our ideas spontaneously at the courtesy of Somewhere in. I've been greatly addicted to Bangla blogging. I'm updating this site today as I've neglected it for a while. Lately, Bangla blog has received significant updates. Specially, another fellow blogger S.M. Mahbood Morshed has shown a very interesting way to add hyperlinks in Bangla blog that allows us to enjoy the wonderful interactive features here.

Today I've spent a great amount of time in front of the TV set as I've watched news. Suddenly, our world has become very violent. It's started bleeding. Humanity has been again very sadly threatened. The whole humanity is praying for peace. We all want to see the end of hate, violence, and fighting. I start singing with our Great Poet Rabindranath Tagore for peace:

"When the heart is hard and parched up, come upon me
with a shower of mercy.
When grace is lost from life, come with a burst of song.
When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides
shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my lord of
silence, with thy peace and rest..."

Rabindranath Tagore

Reform dialog or despair for tomorrow:

2006-04-30T09:14:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Adda’s Bangla Blog)
Recent political developments in Bangladesh indicate that we have been plunged into more political crisis in the coming days. It appears that prospects for reforming election commission and caretaker government through a political forum between two main political parties BNP and Awami League have been stalled due to their uncompromising attitude. Even there is no last word in politics, it seems that the ruling party in Bangladesh has lost opportunities to bring the main opposition party in the discussion table as they have included representative from fundamentalist Jamati Islami and Islami Oikya Jot.

Today’s Daily Star reports, “The Awami League-led 14-party opposition line-up yesterday formally rejected the letter of ruling BNP nominating leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) for discussing the reform agenda. The opposition vowed to realize reforms in the caretaker government system, Election Commission and electoral laws through mass movements to ensure a free, fair and neutral election. It also threatened to resist any election in the country without these reforms. "The letter was nothing but a farce with the countrymen," 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil yesterday told newsmen after a meeting of the opposition alliance at his residence in the capital. "This letter is not acceptable from any perspective as they [the BNP] have included war criminals, patrons of militants and anti-Liberation War forces in the committee," the Awami League (AL) general secretary said. The opposition will respond to the BNP letter soon, he said”.

Our common people can hardly wait for a consensus and peaceful solution on election and caretaker government reforms as they are tired of economic hardships, gas crisis, and imbalances in currency flow. If Awami League has earned the confidence of its 14 parties to represent the reform talk unilaterally, it is unfortunate that the ruling party has grossly failed to convince its 4 party alliance to lead discussions on reform. It really proves the very fragile nature of their alliance. Instead of getting strengthened, the physical knot of alliance of the ruling may have been weakened over the last five years that precludes them to open any discussion on behalf of their alliance. Ultimately, people are suffering and getting tired of this unfortunate political crisis. They have become more conscious as they have paid the ultimate value of life struggle and rise of fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh. If the ruling party looses common sense to understand this mere reality, then they are building a castle of hope on sands.

“When I give up the helm I know that
the time has come for thee to take it,
What there is to do will be instantly done.
Vain is the struggle.
Then take away your hands and
silently put up with your defeat, my heart,
and think it your good fortune to sit perfectly still
where you are placed...”

Rabindranath Tagore

When people are rising:

2006-04-08T09:40:00.000+06:00

Adda is back. I’ll try to update my English Adda as I’m really occupied with my Bangla Adda. It is a sad news again in Bangladesh. People in a small district of Northern Bangladesh are fighting for an uninterrupted electricity supply, so that they can continue their irrigation project.

Government has grossly failed to provide electricity supply or pacify the people peacefully. It is sad as more peopled died there. New Age reports on April 7th, “At least three persons were killed and more than 50 wounded in a fierce clash between members of Kansat Palli Bidyut Sangram Parishad (action council for rural electrification) and local activists of the ruling BNP at Shibganj in Chapainawabganj, 251 kilometres northwest of the capital Dhaka, on Thursday evening. The death count may increase as many of the wounded, whose condition was stated to be critical, were without treatment. The action council had earlier announced a procession of its activists carrying brooms and sticks on Thursday and demanding uninterrupted supply of electricity.”

Read more information also from Daily Star. May be someone needs to look back that this same area experienced mass peasant’s movement almost 60 years ago. History still highlights about Nachole Krishak Andolan (peasants' movement) organised by ila mitra in 1949. Is it another phase of peasants’ movement?

Mother Language Day:

2006-02-22T10:34:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Adda’s Bangla Blog)

As Bangladesh has observed the language martyrs day on February 21st, do you know that the world observes International Mother Language Day on the same day as well? A lot of us may not know that UNESCO has been observing mother language day for last six years. Bangladesh has played a pioneering role in observing the language day to honor our language martyrs 34 years ago. Every year Bangladesh uniquely observes language movement that energizes our cultural revival and takes us back to our proud history for Bangla language.

As UNESCO’s Press Release says, “International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21 February to promote the recognition and practice of the mother languages of the world, and especially those of minorities. It was proclaimed in 1999 during the 30th session of UNESCO General Conference”. UNESCO has organized a conference on linguistic diversity to observe this glorious day. Do you know that according to UNESCO, “half of the world's 6000 languages are in danger of disappearing in just a few generations”? That’s why we need to protect and promote linguistic diversities as UNESCO urges member states to promote 12 point language policy for its member countries. We need to promote language, its wonderful diversity as David Crystal a scholar on linguistic said, "Every time we lose a language, we lose one vision of the world." What are you going to do to enrich your mother language?

What Happened?

2006-02-21T08:05:00.000+06:00

My English blog has been very quiet for sometime. No posting. Have I given up blogging? No, that’s not true. I haven’t taken any time off. Actually, I’ve been very busy with Adda’s Bangla blog. Today I’ve published my 100th posting in Adda’s Bangla site within eight weeks. The reasons are very clear. It takes me very closed to my beloved Bangladesh and its wonderful readers. People come up with different ideas and views that they debate about. The most critical issues that highlighted in the Bangla blog are fundamentalism and Jamat’s collaboration with Pakistan in 1971. If you can read Bangla, please visit the Bangla blog site. On the top, I’m showing a snap shot of my one hundredth posting.

Shah AMS Kibria: Asking for Justice

2006-02-01T10:08:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Adda’s Bangla Blog)

It happened very sadly and suddenly. No one knew that it would happen like this. It was an ordinary day for a 73 year old Shah AMS Kibria, a parliamentarian, a politician, a former bureaucrat, a diplomat, a former finance minister, and a cultural person who went out to his constituency in Habiganj to address his supporters. On January 27, 2005, he finished his political meeting and was coming out from the school where his meeting took place. Suddenly, a grenade was thrown towards him. He was fatally injured and died in few hours. We have just silently passed the first anniversary of the assassination of the former Bangladeshi Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria. A happy family lost their beloved person, a nation lost one of the best and the brightest sons, an opposition party lost its star. Nothing happened in last one year. No one was brought to justice. The current BNP-Jamat Government tragically failed to bring the criminals to justice and played a dirty partisan politics to expedite the judicial process.

Shah AMS Kibria has now turned to be a powerful voice in our hearts and national spirit. His family and friends have successfully modeled a wonderful and peaceful way to protest his assassination and to demand justice for his killing. Bangladesh has unbeatable reputation in South Asia for political and partisan killing. Peoples and groups across the globes including Amnesty International, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, European Parliament, US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice have already condemned Mr. Kibria’s killing and demanded an expeditious justice to the killing of Mr. Kibria. We may loose great leaders in turmoil but we will never loose our conscience and resiliency. That is why; people wake up through political activism to reach to a national consensus to bring political criminals to justice. Mr. Kibria’s assassination is not the end of an era; it is a unique beginning of a new day to raise national and international consciousness to stop terrorism and political killing in Bangladesh. Kibria family demands international probe and UN led investigation. Why don’t you join with grieving Kibria family and the people of Bangladesh to ask for justice?

Wind of Change in South Asia:

2006-01-26T11:18:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted at Adda’s Bangla Blog)

We live in the world of rapid change. Things are changing faster than what we imagine. I remember, when we were young we used to tune news on the radio; we used to listen and think. All the news sources were unidirectional to the listeners. Now, suddenly everything is getting changed. We are no longer listening or watching; now we are speaking out loudly, forcefully, and courageously. We are witnessing the unimaginable rise of information revolution where we can write independently in the virtual world. We are blogging to express our own ideas, share our joys and pains with the rest of the world.

The most amazing thing happened in Bangladesh on December 16, 2005 when Somewhere in, a Norwegian company in Bangladesh, inaugurated blogging platform in Bangla. It named Badh Bhangar Awaz as it implies the sound of breaking off the dam to unlock the free expression of motions, emotions, interactions in Bangla blogs. Their site has already received over a hundred thousand hits within a month. All the would-be and real thinkers, writers, critics, singers are now flocking at the Bangla site to express themselves.

When people are looking for enlightment, this is the beginning of a new era where bloggers express themselves to bring out the most unseen and the most hidden treasures of unexpressed minds in the obscure corner of South Asia. The beginning of the Desicritics is another victory for all of us where all the South Asian people will join the rest of the world to tell their side of stories. It is really the beginning of the end of the digital divide. Indeed, Noble Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore imagined that real awakening of human minds in a fearless undivided world that we still have a long way to reach when he says,

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has no been broken into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth...
Into the heaven of freedom, my Father,
let my country awake.”

Rating System at Blogging

2006-01-08T23:24:00.001+06:00

I've come up with a very innovative system in Adda's Bangla Blog. I've received an overwhelming amount of response and reaction from my Bangladeshi readers. I've mainly concentrated my writing around religious militancy issues in Bangladesh, collaborator Jamati and Rajakars etc. A lot of pro-Jamati readers innundated my Bangla blog with their own judgements and personal agonies. Therefore, I've imposed a self-explained rating that has a caption like "Rajakar Free Horizon". As a blogger, I'm enjoying conversations, dialogs, debates which I believe will lead us to reach to a national consensus that will prevent the rise of militant and extremist islamic thought in Bangladesh.

From Poland to Pabna:

2006-01-05T07:39:00.000+06:00

(Cross posted in Adda’s Bangla Blog)

Both news itmes broke out almost at the same time. Law is chasing a perpetrator after sixty years. It happened thousands miles away from Bangladesh. Two unrelated stories happened three decade apart but they are uniquely related in a single thread of humanity. Both Demanjanuk from Ukraine and Moitta Nizami, from Pabna, Bangladesh have taken part in the torture and mass killing of people. As AP reports on December 29, 2005, the 85 year old Demanjanuk is accused of his role in mass killing at Treblinka Concentration Camp where he was a security guard. On the other hand, the other criminal Nizami has yet to face law for his involvement in the killing of people of Pabna in 1971. He is now our Industry Minister. A Bangladesh Daily on December 30, 2005, puts out the elaborate portrait of his heinous activity during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 against the people of Pabna District. Law chases criminals anyway whether it happens right now or right after sixty year.

Thoughts in an evening:

2006-01-01T23:49:00.000+06:00

First published in Adda’s Bangla Blog on January 1, 2006. I have translated it here into English for my readers. Let me share with you that I’m putting more time to Adda’s Bangla site in order to reach my Bangladeshi audience, but I promise that I won’t neglect this site either. Thank you for visiting Adda.

I am a nature loving person and I really enjoy open space. Whenever I find time, I go outside the crowd to enjoy the beauty of nature. Whenever I think about nature, I mean blue sky, flowing water and green field. So, I went by the river to enjoy the evening of the first day of 2006. I took a picture of the sun set as I was thinking a lot. I started putting my ideas on the laptop for my readers.

I was thinking about the unrest in Bangladesh and was hoping to present glowing light of hope and determination in 2006. We want to see a growing trust and determination in people’s power and unity. In Bangladesh, we no longer need startling and breaking news, swinging dramatic turns in politics, and unexpected demise of conscience. We don’t need anarchy when we need peace and tranquility. We need belief in God, but we don’t need the rise of fanaticism. We don’t need immoral cultural occupation when we need to promote our own cultural heritage of thousands year. We need to “Free Democracy” not as a hostage to a Prince, but we need growing spirit of democracy in people’s spontaneity. We no longer need deception, delusion, and spread of lies. We need enlightened life for every living person of Bangladesh with ardent embracement of justice and truth. I was murmuring few lines from Tagore’s poem (dared to translate here):

“...Need food, need life, need light, need fresh air,
Need strength, health, long life of joy and light,
An encouraged expanse. Oh Poet! In the realm of penury
At least bring a portrait of trust from heaven”.

Let’s work together to instill “a portrait of trust” in people’s mind.

Top 20 News Items from Bangladesh for 2005

2006-01-01T10:41:00.000+06:00

It is really interesting to find how a Bangladesh Daily has ranked the top 20 news items from Bangladesh for the year 2005. I've tried to apply the most appropriate news link to each item. So enjoy and think:

The Most Discussed Story: A series of bomb attacks in Bangladesh
The Most Discussed Guest: Bill Gates in Bangladesh
The Most Discussed Raid: Raid against adulterated food
The Most Discussed Killing: The Killing of Shaha AMS Kibria
The Most Discussed Success: Bangladesh won cricket against Australia
The Most Discussed Organization: Jamatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB)
The Most Discussed Ruling: Rule against 5th Amendment in the Constitution
The Most Discussed Person: Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai
The Most Discussed Corruption: Niko's Car Scandal
Them Most Discussed Letter: Khaleda Zia's letter to Sheikh Hasina for dialog
The Most discusseded Threat: "Talk carefully and within limit, if you threat we will bring sedition charge": Prime Minister to the Opposition Leader
The Most Discussed Remark: "We're looking for shatruz" (enemies) State Minister for Home
The Most Discussed Divorce: Divorce between Ershad and Bidisha
The Most Discussed Parlaiment Member: Mr. Abu Hena (expelled from BNP)
The Most Discussed Attack: Suicide Attack
The Most Discussed Arrest: Arrest of matchmaker of Bangla Bhai
The Most Discussed Pardon: Convicted BNP Leader Zintu's capital punishment
The Most Discusssed Tribute: Prime Minister and more than a dozen of minister's flower wreath to a terrorist Sagir's body
The Most Discussed Appointment: 150 BNP Student Leader's Appointment as Election Oficers
The Most Discussed Competition: Star Search-Music Talent competition

Happy New Year: 2006

2005-12-31T10:52:00.000+06:00

Happy New Year. Welcome 2006!!! I have started my journey this year in Adda to express myself under a pen name “Addabaj” (Gossip Guy). I write with hope and light to revisit things, issues challenges and possibilities that we face here in Bangladesh and else where in the world. I appreciate my readers’ thoughts as they react, comment, encourage, criticize, and inspire me to move forward. Indeed, we need new ideas, hopes and inspirations. We need enlighment and commitment to change. I live in hope and dream as I see our new generation is coming to regain Bangladesh with glory and to rescue us from our mistakes and shames. My desire and dream bounce with the lines of our great Rebellious Poet Nazrul to pronounce it on the eve of New Year:

“There comes the bold new youth
eager to wipe out all that is ugly and decayed.
He comes with his unkempt hair and careless dress
on the wings of the Deluge
with a smile on his lips.

He is the eternal beauty
who knows how to destroy and build again,
Come, make merry and rejoice!
What fear has he
for whom all this destruction and rebuilding
is but a game?
Come, make merry and rejoice
and Welcome the Beautiful
who comes today in the garb of the Terrible”

Translated by: Kabir Chowdhury

Simultaneous publication in my Bangla Blog:

Rise of Fundamentalism: Agenda for Socio-Political Reform

2005-12-28T07:17:00.000+06:00

It has been a remarkable observation by the news and views expressed by the Bangladeshi media outlets that religious fundamentalism and militancy have been on rise in Bangladesh. We don’t need to conduct any social or political opinion survey in this regard. Historically, for the first time in Bangladesh militant Jamatis have enjoyed the flavor of administrative power because of petty interest of the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s political greediness.

In that respect, Jamatis have already reaped their own political interest by exploiting opportunities to directly and indirectly occupy administrative and socio-political set-ups by placing their own people. This kind of islamization has never happened before in Bangladesh. It has direct and unprecedented impact on socio-political fabric of our society. If you review the news and views, there has been an obvious and remarkable polarization taking place that people are facing the choice of either pro-Islamic alliance with a so-called nationalistic view point or a secular pro-democratic alliance to eliminate religious fundamentalism in the coming years. In the recent by-election, popular jamati incumbent seat has been lost to a popular pro-people anti-government candidate which is showing the turning point in our political dimension.

In order to measure the progress of anti-fundamentalist force in Bangladesh, we need to identify political polarization from people’s perspective. We need to identify the persons, faces, institutions that have been infiltrated by the religious fundamentalist Jamati forces. We need to enlist their activities, institutional influences and paradoxes, so that they can not change their color over night. We have seen in the past they became sea turtle to hide their face. In order to prevent the rise of religious fundamentalism, we need non-partisan people based socio-political agenda that will unmask the political economy and socio-political aspects of fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh. I hope my colleagues will come forward to lay out a socio-political agenda for people that will successfully annihilate Jamati politics from Bangladesh forever. If any one wants to see the proof, I’ll invite them to look at the fall of Ershad’s military regime in 1990. People still hold power in Bangladesh and they can easily and peacefully change the fate of greedy politician’s dream very unexpectedly. In order to bring war criminal Jamatis to justice, we need to free this critical issue from partisan politics and make it a popular demand. Hopefully, it is a new beginning of a socio-political agenda to free Bangladesh from the curse of fundamentalist and war criminal force.

Click here to read in Bangla:

A Successful BNP Rally: Postscripts for Thought

2005-12-22T07:29:00.000+06:00

As I wrote on November 22nd , “A popular nationalistic BNP-Jamat government should not be subject to ...baseless fear” due to a rally by AL and its 14 party alliance, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has shown huge political maturity by holding a bigger rally right after one month from their opposition’s rally. As reported, they have spent half a core taka ($70,000) for a 3 hour rally in Dhaka. Fortunately, there has been no dramatic transportation strike at this time. It is a huge celebration of success and festivity at a very pleasant temperature in Dhaka.

Our prime minister Khaleda Zia’s speech was very straightforward as she blamed the opposition party for militancy and anarchy. As she has said: ‘Those who have stayed out of it [dialogue] are accomplices of the militants.’ Madam, dialogue does not stop militancy. Fanaticism breeds militancy. Inaction and indifference inspire militants. Whether Awami League joined the dialogue or not, how can she escape responsibility for her administration’s gross failure to tackle militancy? How can she escape the blame of breeding militancy when she forms a government on theological conception?

Since most of us now have been at least graduated from high school, I think we will love to find everything critically. In a democratic process, a political party needs to present reasonable and appropriate responses to their counterpart to convince a lay person like me. Addabaj invites readers to have a comparative analysis of BNP’s speeches in the light of 23 point common national program for political action announced by the opposition parties in Bangladesh. For the sake of time, I’ll review only the first six out of 23 demands of opposition parties and let my readers critically review the adequacy and appropriateness of BNP’s response.

1. A secular democratic government will be established through free and fair elections that will be held after bringing reforms in the caretaker system of government and the Election Commission on the basis of the guidelines announced on July 15, 2005.

BNP’s response: She refused any discussion on election process as if she owns the fair election process and shows her huge confidence in political muscles. Why will BNP deny a process of fair election that will increase reliability of the government and people’s trust in the election process? What’s her fear? Her confidence should not have been shaky in any election process, as people will elect her anyway as they have witnessed glowing progress during her regime.

2. The country will be freed from chauvinist communal forces and militants. Such forces will be removed from all levels of the government and administration. Trials of war criminals will be held and there will be a ban on communal politics.

BNP’s Response: When her own party member accused the administration of sheltering militants and resigned, she even did not have guts to go forward to refute that, investigate that or clarify that to the nation. She wants to lead Bangladesh as an Islamist country as her beloved husband the former General Zia started the business of Heaven by introducing religious scripture in our political life and blessing military pardon to the Jamati-Rajakar killers of Bangladesh for validating his military regime. She has completed the legacy of her late husband’s wish by putting the war criminals into the cabinet. People are not dummy anymore that she can run the country by provoking baseless fear and anxiety of a foreign power when she fails to prove her competency to people.

3. People are the owners of all resources and power based on this principle supremacy of the constitution will be established in running of the country. Rule of law will be established, all laws contrary to the fundamental rights of the people will be scrapped, steps will be taken to stop extra-judicial killings, and the judiciary will be separated from the executive branch of the government.

BNP’s Response: There’s no response. Look at the number of mass killing, cross fire and incident of police brutality in Bangladesh. What’s her take on the anti-corruption initiatives as people are sick and tired of corruption? How’s she going to bring back transparency in the administration?

4. The parliament will be the centre of all activities. Accountability of the government will be ensured. Elections to district and upazila councils will be held within a year of the formation of the new government. Autonomous local governments will be strengthened and empowered properly.

BNP’s response: What’s her response? Democracy is not limited to a national election. It starts from the smallest unit of local government. It is the process of representation and accountability. What direction will she give? No response.

5. Criminals and their godfathers will be identified and will be brought to book. They will not be accepted as members of any political party and no party can nominate them in the elections. A healthy political environment will be ensured by stopping political corruption and criminalization.

BNP: No response.

6. A system will be introduced so that all ministers, lawmakers, politicians and bureaucrats disclose the accounts of their assets. Their accounts will be monitored in order to ensure that corruption is rooted out from all spheres of the state and the society.

BNP’s response: Where is the fear for disclosing the accounts of the assets of politicians and (also bureaucrats)? Could you tell me how many ministers had to resign from her cabinet due to allegation of corruption? Where’s law? What’s the recourse?

When we are craving for political action plan from BNP to embrace their success, her rally has really disappointed us as it has only featured joy and festivity for obsessing our minds. How long will we carry on the legacy of deception? I have put this postscript for provoking reasonable thoughts to carry on in our mind as we hate and refuse to be fooled again and again by our political parties.

Somewherein, Bangladesh & Norway: A Bridge to Future

2005-12-20T09:06:00.000+06:00

When I was in the school, we were often asked the most common quiz question about Midnight Sunrise in Norway. Excitingly, it has appeared as a sudden midnight sun in Bangladesh for the internet savvy and blogging nerds who have quickly found opportunities for expressing themselves in Bangla with traditional Bangla key board!!! Somewherein, an off shore Norwegian company along with few talented Bangladeshi young people, who worked on a PHP platform, has unlocked opportunities for us to blog in Bangla.

In order to show my deep appreciation to Somewherein, I have put together few striking features on Norway and Bangladesh. Norway has been helping Bangladesh since 1973 in major areas of Education, Private Sector Development, Human Rights and Governance, and Culture.

Norway became independent in 1905 as the country peacefully ceded from Sweden after staying together for 91 years without dropping a single drop of blood. Whereas, Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971 after staying together only for 24 years through a freedom fight that claimed three million lives.

If you walk a mile in Norway, you’ll meet only 15 people as 46 million live in a country twice the size of Bangladesh. If you walk a mile in Bangladesh, you’ll bump against 1015 people as 114 million people live in a country half of the size of Norway.

Both Bangladesh and Norway proudly boast for its natural beauty. As a riverine country, Bangladesh can present silver water from its rivers; on the other hand Norway can proudly present white snow and glacier from its mountains. I don’t know whether Norway can consider exporting snow to Bangladesh so that we can keep our heads cool!!! Norway can show us how e-governance works. I’ve also enjoyed Norway’s wonderful travel site, as I’ve felt like I am visiting Finnmark on a dog sledge when I browse it. Hi Techy folks in Bangladesh, could you please do something like that fascinating travel site on our Sunderbans?

Norwegians put fish in their breakfast as sea food is their second largest export item. Traditionally, Bangladeshi villagers also pleasantly eat dry fish with rice (panta bhat) as a breakfast item. Anthropologically, do we have Norwegians descendents in remote Bangladeshi villages?

It is really fascinating to find turf roofs (torvtak) in Norway which is an old custom to put and grow grass on the roof of houses. Some of us may wonder whether Norwegian cattle will graze on the roof or not. It’s actually their love for nature. A lot of you may not know that Norwegians cow climb up to the mountain to graze. We need to import few cows from Norway so that they can teach our Bangladeshi cows how to go under water to fish for living.

Being a rich country, Norway discourages its citizens from driving and owning vehicles by making it expensive. This is an attempt to slow down the rise of emission gases to protect their environment. In Bangladesh, we are working very hard to put more cars on congested city roads to protect our flourishing car dealers so that we can enrich our car centered culture.

In Norway, their highways sometimes end at big lakes (fjord) for scenic destinations. In Bangladesh, we try to occupy hawor/water lakes (Gulshan Lake or Dhanmondi Lake) and river banks, fill them up quickly, so that roads can quickly take us to high rise buildings.

As a predominant Christian country, only 3% in Norway attends churches regularly. May be their spirituality lives at home, so they don’t have to look for God at Churches. In a predominant Muslim Bangladesh, our spirituality is fleeing away from our homes as God is now owned by our religious parties on the streets!!!

In terms of bilateral relationship, Bangladesh can help Norway in increasing its literacy rate. Education from six to sixteen is free and compulsory in Norway, as 99% people are literate, I don’t know what happened to 1%. Bangladesh can easily absorb 1% illiterates from Norway so that our friends in Norway can boast for 100% literacy. Bangladesh can proudly teach those 1% illiterates the literacy of survival within few days.

Do you know that Norway is aging as their population growth rate is very low? Bangladesh can offer technical assistance to all newly-wed Norwegian couples by placing them in our rural areas where on-site hands-on training will teach them the value and charm of bringing new lives to families.

It is said that gender equality in Norway has been achieved as women are better treated than any other place in the world. In order to ensure gender equality in Bangladesh, we have at least put two women in leading political positions so that they can proudly present our country’s striking progress!! The way Norway honored and protected the aboriginal Sámi tribe could be a learning experience for all of us when Bangladesh thinks about its Hill Tracts population.

We are proud of our taxation policy. Norway imposes tax on everything including food, so that citizens can maintain their subsistence and poverty level consistently after paying all their taxes. In Bangladesh, we evade taxes (income tax, property tax, VAT, etc) most of the time, so that poor industrialists, businessmen and tax collectors can be rich and escape from poverty level all the time.

Norwegians found prosperity after finding oil and gas reserves on its coastal border in early sixties, whereas in Bangladesh, we let the gas wells burn down in Tengratila so that we don’t have to ensure prosperity for all.

In Norway they’ve been maintaining the Royal dynasty that people don’t have much to say where in Bangladesh our politicians work hard to create a royal dynasty all the time that people always put it down. When will poor Bangladeshis realize that they need Prince and Princess as celebrity icons? We’re working hard to inspire people about royal highness through media outlets right now.

Norway has been ranked as the Best place to live in 2005 as the country tops in wealth, education, and life expectancy. Bangladesh is the best place to escape from as political infighting and violence top every thing else (no ranking is found). Thankfully God has given us the Bay of Bengal on the South to hold all of us within our boundary. Otherwise all of us would have walked out altogether one day to baffle our political leaders as they would not a find a single breathing human being in their grand rallies!!!

If you want to study world literature, you can not escape from Norway. Norway is going to celebrate 100th year anniversary of the Norweygian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), as he has forced us to reflect on our fundamental rights and values. It is often said that Ibsen is the most popular dramatist after Shakespeare.

Addabaj (Gossip guy) finds inspiration in Ibsen’s Dr. Stockmann’s idealistic truth telling. So, let's enjoy the most favorite quote from Ibsen’s play:

“At present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over. But, good Lord!—you can never pretend that it is right that the stupid folk should govern the clever ones... Oh, yes--you can shout me down, I know! But you cannot answer me. The majority has might on its side--unfortunately; but right it has not. I am in the right--I and a few other scattered individuals. The minority is always in the right”- Enemy of the People (1882).

Click here to read this posting in Bangla:

Bangladesh is the Best

2005-12-16T00:01:00.000+06:00

We are living in a global village where Bangladesh has always managed to snatch the headline in the news items in some way or other. It doesn’t matter the content of the news whether it is good, bad or sad. We have a lot of wonderful resources and insights that we can offer to this world for which we are proud of. ‘Bangladesh is the Best’ is not a rhetorical way to express a nationalistic viewpoint. Rather, it is an interactive sketch to reflect our past and present jointly to inspire all of us to work for a promising tomorrow. I would like to dedicate this inspirational writing to our new generation who will lead this nation to the new millennium. Their realization that a positive social change comes through evolving ideas and introspection is going to introduce a new era in our life time.

Bangladesh is a painter’s dream come true. Hundreds of rivers crisscross this country that is the lifeline of this ardent fertile delta. It is true that rivers and streams that carry more water through this tiny nation than flows through all of Europe. Global warming and Greenland meltdown threaten low lying Bangladesh that reminds us to work together for global awareness and action. Ancient Bangla has been transferred to today’s Bangladesh through wonderful struggles over time for its distinct identity. History shows how people’s lives have always been shattered in this wonderful land by nature, by occupation, and by its own people. Yet, Bangladesh proudly comes back to its heart to regain its loss and to rebuild its life. That is why, Bangladesh is uniquely the Best.

Bangladesh is a land of beauty where nature and people have come together to create the tapestry of lives for thousands of years. When we sing our national anthem, we submit our hearts and souls to this land’s wonderful beauty, joyful thrill of fragrance from mango-groves, sweetness of nature’s abundance in full-blossomed paddy fields. This country’s joy and sadness stir our mind uniquely. Nature and people have weaved here a rhythm of vibrant life and a resilient nation called- Bangladesh.

It presents a proud history of struggle for independence against all odds of this world. In a recent declassified oval office document shows, in November 1971 US State Secretary Henry Kissinger was blaming Indians about the independence war in Bangladesh. He was overlooking the democratic rise in Bangladesh against Pakistani Army’s massacre and therefore; he was denying rights of 75 million people at that time. Razakars and militant Jamati collaborators with Pakistan army forces killed three million in nine months, but they failed to defeat the spirit of this nation. It's true that only in Bangladesh justice never comes or even it comes, it's too late. That is why, the mass killer and war criminal Rajakar-Jamatis don't face justice the same way Nazis faced the Nuremberg trial. It always turns to be opposite in Bangladesh as these killers get rehabilitated socially and politically. Probably, Bangladesh is the only country in the world where war criminals got rehabilitated instead of facing justice.

We became independent on December 16, 1971. No one can dominate this wonderful nation. That is why; Bangladesh has become independent twice, first time from Pakistan in 1971, and second time from Ershad’s military government in 1990. Now, the same people are fighting again to free our beloved land, Bangladesh, from the evil shadow of religious extremism, militancy, and corruption.

Bangladesh sadly hit the headline on August 17, 2005, when 459 small bombs simultaneously exploded all over the country. As government is failing to take appropriate action, we are loosing our best sons in terrorist attacks. The recent rise of religious militancy is the biggest crisis that this country has ever faced. Jihadi terrorist groups are not part of the Bangladeshi community. They don't and won't reflect the inner heart of the Bangladeshi people. People will definitely stand up to fight militancy, extremism, and injustice in Bangladesh, as they woke up with a unifying spirit in 1971. People can no longer afford any demented political selfishness when the heart and soul of this nation are bleeding severely. Right now, we really need a national consensus for an interim government to combat terrorism independently, fearlessly and ferociously.

It is true that our history uniquely repeats itself. The strongest regime collapsed and tumbled down to its feet when the masses woke up. Look at 1969, look at 1971 and look at 1990. Nothing has stopped the mass uprising in Bangladesh. In the back alleys of history, attempts were taken to obsess and seduce the collective consciousness through money, poetry, and terror. All those attempts ended at the garbage can of history. All the powerful buildings collapsed, obsessive poetries evaporated and the will of people survived. We see a saga of remarkable strength and inspiration in our resiliency.

Bangladesh presents the wonderful beauty of nature. It has world’s longest sea beach. On the south west, it presents one of the biggest mangroves called Sunderban. It is a cluster of islands with an approximate area of 4500 sq. miles forming the largest block of littoral forests. It is a transboundary ecosystem that can be somehow compared to Florida’s Everglades. Cruising to the Sunderban mangrove is a breath taking journey. Thousands of meandering streams, creeks, rivers and estuaries have enhanced its charm. Sundarban meaning beautiful forest is the natural habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, jungle fowl, wild boar, lizards, theses monkey and an innumerable variety of beautiful birds. Royal Bengal Tiger, the pride of Bangladesh faces near extinction which can be saved by a collaborative biodiversity project only. A travel blog, “A short sojourn in untainted Bangladesh” testifies the exquisite beauty of Bangladesh that will allure others to visit us.

Bangladesh is the seventh largest country (144 millions) in population and the third largest Muslim country in the world. We proudly speak Bangla, our national language that is the fourth most spoken language in the world. Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore won Nobel Prize in literature for Gitanjali in 1913. Our rebellious National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam still inspires us to rise and raise ourselves for justice, freedom and equality that we all aspire. The whole world observes 21st February as International Mother Language Day as the UNESCO General Conference took a decision in 1999 when it unanimously adopted a draft resolution submitted by Bangladesh and co-sponsored and supported by 28 other countries. It honors the brave sons of Bangladesh who have sacrificed their lives to protect Bangla language and culture on February 21, 1952. This is only country in the world whose independence movement has been ushered by its language movement.

Bangladesh is often introduced to media to symbolize poverty. Yes, we are poor but our hearts are really rich. In our culture, entertaining guests with a heartfelt hospitality has become a long cherished tradition from the prehistoric time irrespective of rich and poor people. People somehow manage to survive even in hardships without much complaint. That is a part of our living, you can not frame it in any economic or GNI definition. Clarence Maloney says, “The intensity of human interaction, the expressive culture, the grace, the fullness of life, and the verbal arts – in short, many innately human qualities – are more fully expressed in Bangladesh than in many cultures” (Behavior and Poverty in Bangladesh, 1986).

It is a salient feature that poverty is increasing both in the poor and the rich in Bangladesh. While the poor are becoming poorer financially as economic opportunities are shrinking and the rich are becoming poorer mentally as they’re increasingly living outside the touch of reality and sanity. Bangladesh is no longer a test case of development; it is presenting the glowing picture of the best consumeristic economy in the developing world. Bangladesh shows perfectly how a reverse mercantile economy flourishes when you look at a sudden rise of retail business in Bangladesh. A poor woman in Bangladesh is selling her eyes to come out from poverty when few rich people are on waiting list for Lexus Cars in Dhaka proves the increasing inequity in economic growth. Bashundhara City, a gargantuan new $80 million shopping complex in downtown Dhaka was featured as ‘an epic sign of changing fortunes’ in the New York Times on July 20, 2005. According to the Bangladeshi developers, the 2,000-store retail colossus is called the Mall of South Asia.

The economic success in Bangladesh holds pains and promises simultaneously. Bangladesh appears as a puzzle to a foreign journalist who reports our continued struggle for good governance on the backdrop of natural calamity and political infighting. A Bangladeshi diplomat finds satisfaction in refuting the notion of poverty in 1995 as he says, “Bangladesh is among the top 30 economies in the world. It is above Nigeria, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, New Zealand and several other countries…The country has doubled its gross domestic product, contained inflation at below 2 percent, slowed population growth, immunized 92 percent of its children against major diseases and made safe water available to 90 percent of its people. It now produces enough food to feed its population of 116 million”.

In order to fight poverty, Dr. Yunus from Bangladesh introduced Grameen Bank on the concept of banking without collateral for the poorest of the poor. His initiative shows how technology can alleviate poverty. Grameen Foundation USA replicates the success of Grameen Bank around the world. GFUSA has partnered with forty-six microfinance organizations in twenty countries, and touched the lives of an estimated 2.5 million . Grameen Bank’s success story inspired the eBay founder Pierre Omidyto to donate 100 million dollar to generate micro credit for the poor for entrepreneurship.

Grameen Phone, an initiative of Grameen Bank with the Norwegian telephone company Telenor, accepted the challenge to wire Bangladesh through mobile technologies for income generation. Stories of phone ladies from Bangladesh amazingly show how a simple mobile phone technology can change the life line of 50,000 poor rural women in Bangladesh. Now their number has reached to 180,000 who are pioneering a new model to bridge the digital divide in the developing countries. Wiring Bangladesh without wires emboldens others to work for positive social impact by putting digital technology in the hands of the poor. Even mobile phone company Nokia is working with GFUSA to bring affordable telecommunications to rural Africa encouraged by the success story of phone ladies in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has also shown how an award winning Sustainable Rural Livelihood Information Network can revolutionize information technology for the farmers. The Bangladesh experience in a simple family based poultry firm comes up as a tool for poverty alleviation for the poorer nations in Asia and Africa. Bangladesh shows how tilapia can be cultivated in the rice paddy field to diversify income for the farmers. On the other hand, Bangladesh shows insensitive project that brings profit at the cost of environment and threatens Sunderban’s mangrove forest.

Bangladesh shows its long struggle against natural calamity of tornado and flood. In the recent years, we have shown a successful progress in disaster management. Devastated floods in Bangladesh turned worse as environment pollution and drainage clog in Bangladesh cities caused by careless use of polythene bags. Bangladesh joined the polythene ban in 2002 with Ireland, and South Africa after two decade long polythene bag use. This move, indeed, promoted use of environment friendly jute bag.

Jute, an agro base industry, really holds answer to environment when people think about man-made pollution. Bangladesh produces 80% of high quality jute in the world that is famous for biodegradability. Jute has brought fortune to many people except who produce it. If you look at history, Dundee in Scotland remembers its profit in jute production from Bangladesh. Dundee's textile industry was founded on the production of linen from flax but jute from Bengal became increasingly important. Korean War veterans may remember how jute bags have saved their lives in the war zone. It was a lucky break for Pakistan when a sudden and unexpected demand for jute from Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) pushed its price to an unprecedented level for using them as sandbags in Korean War.

Unfortunately, jute has lost its competition to synthetic fiber, yet it holds potentiality for rebound. Visit the product galleries about what jute can offer:
Home Textiles
Fashion Accessories
Apparel
Geotextiles
Composites
Conventional Products
Floor Coverings
Industrial Products

The textile industry of Bengal is very old. Bengal cotton fabrics were exported to the Roman and the Chinese empires and they are mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, and by the ancient Chinese travelers. But Dhaka Muslin became famous and attracted foreign and transmarine buyers after the establishment of the Mughal capital at Dhaka. The Muslin industry of Dhaka received patronage from the Mughal emperors and the Mughal nobility. Muslin is a fine artisan product that a 50 meter long Muslin fabric could be squeezed into a matchbox. The British, during their occupation, ended the Muslin production brutally by having the Muslin weavers' thumbs chopped off. The weaving technology is lost forever.

The art of making jamdani designs on fine fabric reached to its peak during Mughal rule. There were handlooms in almost all villages of dhaka district. Traders from Europe, Iran, Armenia, as well as Mughal-Pathan traders used to deal in these fabrics. The Mughal Emperor, the Nawab of Bengal and other aristocrats used to engage agents at Dhaka to buy high quality muslin and jamdani for their masters' use. Jamdani is still very popular in Bangladesh as Sari.

Sari, a predominant colorful outfit, of Bangladeshi women did allure pop star Madonna to wear it on the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. Bibi Russell, a Bangladeshi fashion designer and entrepreneur, takes Bangladeshi fashion to the west as she says, “fashion is a part of culture,", "and “textiles are a part of the history of Bangladesh”. Now, Sari makes waves in BBC for newscasters as History Talking feels proud in rising diversity of culture. When British Prime Minister’s wife Cherie Blair wears sari, it promotes Sari, a predominant traditional dress of South Asian women.

Bangladesh is trying to diversify its exportable products. Garments is still a leading product worth nearly 5 billion US$ per year to the USA, EU, Canada and other countries of the world. At present, Bangladesh is the 6th largest apparel supplier to the USA and EU countries. Life of workers in a garment factory has often attracted news headline. Recently, a lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of working children of some developing countries including Bangladesh has appeared to be very sensational.

Bangladesh has shown huge success in transforming automobiles from gasoline to concentrated natural gas (CNG). In a research paper, it shows the comparative cost for driving a gasoline-driven vehicle in Bangladesh is Tk. 245 ($4.20), compared to only Tk. 42 ($0.72) for CNG over the same distance. CNG use as a vehicle fuel was first introduced in Bangladesh in 1982 through a World Bank pilot project. Bangladesh has been in the forefront in utilizing CNG for automobiles contributed to drastic reduction in emission pollution in city areas. It is true that due to large reserve in natural gas, Bangladesh is also becoming increasingly important to world energy markets.

It is amazing to find how Bangladeshi faces have contributed to change this world. Fazlur Rahman Khan, a Bangladeshi architect with a difference, symbolizes his fine work in building Sears Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the USA. It was World’s tallest building until 1996. In 1998, the City of Chicago named a street in his honor called “Fazlur R. Khan Way”. In the lobby of the Sears Tower, a sculpture is erected by the Spanish artist Carlos Marinas in Mr. Khan’s honor.

Bangladesh has pioneered a model of preventive public health care program almost half a century ago. Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim led this country in 1956 to raise public awareness and care for diabetic treatment. If anyone wants to see how a low cost community based public health intervention against deadly diabetic disease helps thousands in a poor nation, they need to visit Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi thinker and educator Abdullah Abu Sayeed has become famous for global change through literary movement as in 1975 he founded Bish-wo Sha-hitto Kendro (World Literature Center) in Dhaka. In an interview with CNN Talk Asia he says, “I dream for the new generation, for them to become turn out as enlightened human beings and they are inspired to do good things for their fellow beings and to mitigate their sufferings...”

Tommy Miah, a Bangladeshi chef and entrepreneur, dominates UK’s Indian cuisine show. The money raised through the show doesn’t only promote interest and popularity of Indian cuisine; it also helps an orphanage in Bangladesh. Tommy Miah, curry king of Britain, has been honored and recognized by Queen Elizabeth II who wrote the foreword to his latest book, a move described by Buckingham Palace as the queen’s first and last celebrity endorsement.

Bangladesh Army’s participation in the UN peacekeeping in 12 countries across three continents has earned reputation for helping the most distressed people of the globe. When a citizen from Sierra Leon expresses deep appreciation of Bangladesh Army’s noble role in rebuilding his country, it makes us proud. Bangladesh soldiers sacrificed lives in Congo for peace keeping.

‘Rickshaw’ (tri-cycle) is a popular, environment friendly, cost effective means of transport in city areas that features the huge availability of cheap labor for investors in Bangladesh. Riding Ricksha is fun, pulling rickshaw is not. Bangladeshi Rickshaws’ colorful and artistic designs feature talents of traditional artisan folks who are now loosing their income. The International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico holds rickshaw arts--both panels and hoods from Bangladesh. Joanna Kirkpatrick, an American Cultural and Social Anthropologist, is credited for promoting Bangladeshi rickshaw and its arts.

The huge competition between Rickshaws and Motor cars for driving spaces on city streets of Bangladesh takes us back to the earlier days of industrial revolution and urbanization. Increasingly blamed for traffic gridlock in city areas, Rickshaw is facing restrictions in main thoroughfares in Dhaka. Traffic gridlock in Dhaka along with other city areas in Bangladesh poses policy questions and challenges to ease traffic jam without displacing poor rickshaw pullers. A move to ban rickshaw in Dhaka city has faced huge protest by advocacy groups. When Bangladesh blames rickshaw for gridlock and plans to phase it out, New York City may consider rickshaw as an answer to solve its traffic gridlock in the downtown area.

Bangladesh is a land of colorful festivity. Outside Bangladesh, people need to go to London or New York to see thriving Bangladeshi community. 'Banglatown' in London's East End comes alive when the sights and sound of Bengali culture on the Bangla New Year festival attract thousands of visitors. Brick Lane in East London welcomes its visitors to get a flavor of Bangladesh along with other South Asian communities. Jackson Heights features a multicultural community and a vibrant culture in New York where you will find the highest concentration of Bangladeshi stores. In Queens and Bronx of New York City, we have created a little show case of Bangladesh where Americans and Bangladeshis flock to get the authentic taste of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

When Bangladesh creates showcases of its vibrant culture, it also attracts global attention for its arsenic problem. In early 1990s, arsenic hits the headline as the largest mass poisoning in history that may have been caused by unregulated irrigation project in some area of Bangladesh. Government initiative along with international help in preventing arsenic problem has dramatically raised public awareness to use arsenic free water. Bangladesh has pioneered in Cholera Research for last four decades that is credited to introduce rehydration salts (ORS). Low cost home made oral saline (ORS) saved thousands of children in the developing countries. In 1979, this cholera research project appeared as an International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), a leading public health and population research organization.

Bangladesh shows how an elected government can create a controversial law enforcement branch RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) drawn from the Police, Military and Para Military to model lawless law enforcement in the country. This is the only country where the government can no longer trust and use its police force alone–the legal arm of law enforcement. Bangladesh creates RAB in 2004 as another layer of law enforcement entity parallel to Police force which is a total wastage of public money and manpower and allegedly a pretext of involving military forces in civil affairs. RAB’s brutality in deliberate killing of alleged criminals and innocents in the pretext of cross fire has drawn world wide human right concern.

“The nexus between criminals and politicians appeared to reinforce institutionalized corruption, violence, and impunity for human rights abuses” as Amnesty International presents in its 2005 report on Bangladesh. Bangladesh has managed to maintain its top rank as the most corrupt country on earth that calls for transparent and accountable public governance. The general people are helpless and abandoned when government remains inactive and ambivalent to battle deep rooted corruption. They don’t realize, “corruption isn't a natural disaster: it is the cold, calculated theft of opportunity from the men, women and children who are least able to protect themselves”. World Bank pulls Bangladesh cash out of the allocated money is a no surprise.

The gravity of controversy surrounding bribery charges involving Bangladesh Oil Minister’s dealing with Niko shows the urgency of public accountability in Bangladesh. It is interesting to find out how an oil well blowout in early 2005 that caused the evacuation of up to 20,000 people in Bangladesh, prompted a series of discussion and hearing at Yale University to find its plan to help fix the situation in Bangladesh, as the University holds share in Niko in the amount of $50 million dollars.

“Bangladesh is the Best” - it is not a slogan or an article, it is an interactive catalog of few selected faces, facts, incidents, challenges and promises that we have encountered at different times. All these distinct features reflect a true portrait of Bangladesh. As a citizen of this global village, we need to carry on this interactive catalog to inspire us to work together for a common human wellbeing across nations. Our strengths lie in our positive and forward looking outlook as we believe in “We shall overcome”. Bangladesh inspires our hearts like it did for George Harrison and his friends in 1971. We need to reach to an uninhibited heart of Bangladesh that has really captivated our poet Jibanananda Das who wants to come back to this wonderful land even as a bird:

“When I return to the banks of the Dhansiri, to this Bengal,
Not as a man, perhaps, but as a salik bird or white hawk,
Perhaps as a dawn crow in this land of autumn's new rice harvest,
I'll float upon the breast of fog one day in the shade of a jackfruit tree.
or I'll be some young girl's pet duck-ankle bells upon her reddened feet-
And I'll spend the day floating on duckweed-scented waters,
When again I come, smitten by Bengal's rivers and fields, to this
Green and kindly land, Bengal, moistened by the Jalangi river's waves….”
(Translated by the Poet)

Click here to read this posting in Bangla:

Bangladesh is the Best: Final Update

2005-12-11T20:06:00.000+06:00

"Bangaldesh is the Best"-an inspirational interactive sketch is going to be published on December 16th. Recent terrorsit incidents in Bangladesh have really dampened my personal thought. I am not despaired, as I listen it, I believe it in the deep of my heart that We shall overcome. It is my deep conviction. I hope, my writing will inspire the new generation of Bangladesh to move forward with a growing spirit of courage, consciousness and commitment. The same spirit freed this county on December 16, 1971, which has been undefeated from the prehistoric time. If you want to see the background of this article, please look at the following link ups:

Read the rest in Bangla:

Addabaj on BBC's World Have Your Say

2005-12-10T08:11:00.000+06:00

It was amazing when BBC World Services contacted me to join in a discussion on terrorism issue in Bangladesh on December 9th. World has really become very small. It was a short and quick notice for me (couple of hours) to talk about this critical issue. Anyway, please listen to this on-line program that has drummed support for Rajakar Jamatis by Dr. Shamser Ali and Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan as they claimed Jamat is a democratic party.

Designating recent terrorist activities in Bangladesh as a simple law and order issue is a superficial window dressing to cover up the root of this problem which won't be solved by a rally led by religious clerics in Bangladesh. At this critical time, people don't need rallies, seminars, and dialogs to make them conscious, they have already been conscious enough about terrorism as they have seen this whole country is bleeding and grieving. I'd like to reiterate that we really need to go to the very source of terrorism that carefully breeds it, protects it, and denies it. It is no surprise, when militant and religious Islamic parties have partnered with the government, it has simply produced an ideal recipe to breed militancy.

As a Bangladeshi blogger, I think I’ve tried to clarify in my short remark that Jamat's role in 1971 and the current government’s alliance with the same militant islamic party have encouraged this unprecedented militancy in Bangladesh. Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan’s support for 'Jamat as a political party mandated by people' won’t give impunity to Jamat-Shibir for its involvement in chopping wrists of students in Chittagong and Rajshahi Universities in the name of Islam. Jamat should be brought to justice for its act against humanity. How can we forget and forgive Jamat's role in the worst massacre of innocent Bangladeshis in 1971? Mr. Hannan's ambivalence how Jamatis killed innocent people in Bangladesh and pioneered militancy in this country won't change the history of Bangladesh. Don’t need to say any more, read my columns that I've been publishing on terrorism.

Click here to read in Bangla:

Tribute to A Mentor: Personal Thoughts

2005-12-06T21:59:00.000+06:00

I really miss my wonderful Mentor who immensely inspired me to write. He was successful in writing on critical issues and challenges in Bangladesh. He was wonderfully and enviously blessed with huge popularity as readers used to find entertainments with facts and funs in his writings that were published in several Bangla dailies. I was fond of his writing as he reached to the pinnacle of his writing career for many best selling and award winning books in Bangladesh. He was my source of inspiration and encouragement to move forward to talk about issues that no one hardly dares or cares to talk about. He used to encourage me to write and to express my thoughts all the time. Finally, I reached to a point when I finally agreed with him to write about issues and challenges in Bangladesh.

I installed Bangla software in my computer, started sharing my thoughts with him that I would write about. The deal was that he would review my write ups and would direct me to the dailies in Dhaka that could probably consider my work. He was really excited as he had seen a breakthrough as he was able to convince me to write!!! I was also excited to find a Mentor who was enthusiastically standing by me to hold my hands to move me forward!!! Then, suddenly the news broke- my beloved Mentor had suddenly, silently, and sadly left me and his beloved readers. He’s gone forever. Now, it's been almost two years that he's gone, even I still wait for his call...

He left me right after I finished my first draft to e-mail him for his review. I kept reading my first draft over and over in my lonely mind. I know, no one would ever call me again to write any more. My Mentor is my unsung hero whom I've lost very prematurely. How can I pay my respect and tribute to my beloved Mentor who inspired me so greatly? May I ask my readers to join me to show respect to my Mentor? If you agree with me, could you please please please call or see your personal Mentor who helped you the most to rise? If you do that I would find peace as I couldn’t do it any more!!!

Fighting Shadows: How to Combat Terrorism in Bangladesh

2005-12-03T22:17:00.000+06:00

If defeating terrorism is no longer a partisan call, then current government in Bangladesh is fighting its own shadow. The ruling BNP and its four party alliance are formed on so-called nationalism and religious extremism. When series of terrorist attacks in Bangladesh have obsessed the mind of this nation with shock and grief, the people are sadly left in dark. How is this nation going to get rid of terrorist weeds from all walks of life? People no longer want to see blaming games and hate to validate conspiracy theory. The most critical question that this nation has starkly faced: How do you fight your own shadow?

We need to inspire and revive our national spirit and pride of freedom fight to combat the overgrowing curse of terrorism in Bangladesh. The confused, dejected, dissected spirits of Bangladesh are in desperate need to wake up with only unifying spirit of 1971 that brought together the whole nation to fight the Pakistani military junta and its collaborators Rajakar Jamatis. Now the same monsters are back with new masks and new missions. They simply want to destroy our country, our pride and our distinct identity. The ruling party may have been suffering from political amnesia to remember anything from the past. Enough is enough. People are tired with their political show and tell games and band-aids. Their huge failure to combat terrorism is built-in in their politico-administrative mechanism: How can they fight their own shadow?

We’re not asking for political favor to pave road for Awami League in the next election. If Awami League can unify this nation with a nationalistic secular view point, people will definitely weigh them in into the coming election. Right now, people are helpless and speechless. They are in desperate need of their safety. At this critical time, instead of dividing thoughts, we simply need a unifying spirit. We need to reach to a national consensus for an interim government to combat terrorism independently, fearlessly and ferociously. People of Bangladesh can not afford any more demented political selfishness when the heart and soul of this nation are bleeding severely.

Incentives for Fighting Terrorism in Bangladesh

2005-11-29T23:13:00.000+06:00

Graphic pictures of terrorist attacks in Chittagong and Gazipur -two cities of Bangladesh have muted our voice. Families are in pain. Whole Bangladesh is in the state of shock. The whole world is looking at us. Bangladesh is not Afghanistan and it will never be. Salam Dhaka provides the graphic account of the incident. The 3rd World View provides us a painful picture of today’s unfortunate incident:

“Wake up! Suicide bombing has arrived in Bangladesh. The militants have done it recently killing two judges. Today three people, including two suicide bombers and a policeman died when a bomb exploded during a scuffle near a police checkpoint near the main court in the port city of Chittagong. Another three died when a bomb was thrown inside a court library in Gazipur, north of capital Dhaka”.

Government has failed to show its sincerity in defeating the rise of militancy in Bangladesh. Their indolent, conspiracy based, politically calculative action plan to combat terrorism has simply failed to prevent and uproot the curse of this ever growing militancy. When a government minister says, “media coverage and full page headlines on militancy are responsible for instigating these criminals”, we have serious problem. When this Government blames, “international conspiracy” and claims “hands of foreign governments”, yet they can not single out one single foreign scheme to the general public, we invite tremendous problems. The ruling party’s so-called “conspiracy theory” has showered incentives for the terrorist miscreants; they simply aligned their spirit of militancy with Government’s claim.

“If you break it, you own it” is no longer a store sign to make you careful and responsible. This rule applies to the current government. This terrorist mess has been created by the ruling party and now they “own” it. "Conspiracy Theory" is the most revered expression of this government to frame religious militancy, not to attack militancy. They patronized “the Frankenstein” to choke opposition party. Now, it has simply and painfully backfired. Innocent citizens are paying for it with their lives. It was a dangerous game to pet the criminal “Bangla bhai” and his groups. A lot of criminals and innocents died in RAB’s cross fire action, why didn’t a single JMB leader die in crossfire?

Jihadi terrorist groups are not part of the Bangladeshi community. They don't and won't reflect the inner heart of the Bangladeshi people. When we urge you to stand up to fight militancy, extremism, injustice in Bangladesh, we don’t need any political leadership. On December 6, 1990, when Ershad’s military regime fell, it did not need political leaders, because people overwhelmingly took over the streets. I can assure you that Bangladesh will never become Afghanistan. Bangladesh will uniquely wake up much earlier than that. When the people rise, they don’t need any political leadership, rather they will shape the leadership. Defending this country and defeating terrorism altogether are no longer a partisan call...

Why is Bangladesh the Best: Update 2

2005-11-27T21:35:00.000+06:00

Is it a joke or a prank? What did make you think that Bangladesh is the best? Is it a potrait of our poverty or abundance? Is it good or bad? I remember, almost a decade ago, I was travelling through somewhere in the Midwest in the USA, I met an American who said to me, "I know Bangladesh. You guys have tornadoes, storms, disasters. I see these pictures all the time on my TV. I know Bangladesh". I told him, "Yes, you're absolutely right. But you don't know the other side of Bangladesh that shows our strengths in fighting nature, storms, disasters all the time, that's been going on for thousands of years, that doesn't come on your TV".

Bangladesh is a wonderful land of beauty that raises her children with courage, struggle and resiliency. I see December 16th is the most appropriate time to dedicate my writing as we often forget ignorance and ambivalence are our biggest enemies. 'Bangladesh is the Best' plans to put out hundreds of interactive sketches on Bangladesh that will take you to the sources of information unedited to qualify and justify the notion of this article.

Wait until the victory day of Bangladesh, December 16th.

Ruling Party Neglects Abu Hena's Favor

2005-11-26T05:53:00.000+06:00

In the recent week, Bangladesh has witnessed increasing warm up in the political arena. It usually happens mostly in the winter time when political meetings and processions are quite environment friendly due to mild winter in Bangladesh. Awami League did a mass rally to publish its 23 point action plan. In the mean time, Mr. Abu Hena, recently expelled Government Parliament member, has tried to favor his ruling party by complaining against some of his political colleagues’ involvement in religious militancy. BNP has been so obsessed by their Jamati and Islami friends that they did not even bother to heed to their own party member's complaint. As election is nearing up, most politicians usually are at loss to redirect their political ships for winning popular support. BNP has lost its golden opportunity to listen to their own parliament member Mr. Abu Hena and take drastic action against those ministers and advisers who are part of the intrigue and also involved in recommending government pardon for the Islamic militant leaders in the past.

I feel bad for poor Interpol, FBI, and Scotland Yard Agents who rushed to Bangladesh to interview the apprehended militants who were allegedly involved into attacking Shah AMS Kibria, Ex Finance Minister, Mr. Anwar Chowdhury, British High Commissioner and others. If they had waited until now, at least they could have requested few more interview sessions with some folks in the ruling party! I think the government has even lost its moral ground to be in power for any single more day. If it happened in any other democratic country, they would have resigned by now and ask for new election. Read the rest of story form today’s Daily Star.

Why is Bangladesh the best? Update 1

2005-11-24T21:20:00.000+06:00

As I'm planning to present my article "Bangladesh is the Best" on December 16th, I would appreciate readers feedback on Bangladesh issues. Read the rest in Bangla:

Grand Political Rally: Lessons Unlearned

2005-11-22T22:57:00.000+06:00

Bangladesh has seen one of the biggest political rallies in Dhaka organized by the opposition party Awami League and the 14 Party alliance. Addabaj has closely looked at the 23 point common national program for political action announced by the opposition parties. Their 23 points basically outline establishing secular democratic government, holding free and fair election, freeing communal forces and militants from government and society, ensuring speedy trial of war criminals, alleviating poverty, ending corruption and increasing accountability of the elected representatives, strengthening uniform educational system etc. All these demands don’t hold any surprise/secret as they reflect the popular view points and demands of the common people in Bangladesh.

I can not relate the basis of BNP-Jamat’s fear about this grand rally. Why has the current government shown unreasonable fear and anxiety about the action plan of their counter part? Why have they played a childish game by calling transportation strike on the eve of the grand rally (dramatic call of strike and its end right after the rally)? Has that reduced the number of audience and participants in the grand rally? How does a grand rally impact a sitting government? A popular nationalistic BNP-Jamat government should not be subject to this kind of baseless fear. They should have come up with their own action plan to encounter this 23 point program and present their achievements to the general public that could make more sense. Don’t forget that People are the base and heart of democracy. Why does this critical lesson remain unlearned all the time? I know people have answer for that, too.

Why is Bangladesh the Best?

2005-11-22T07:43:00.000+06:00

Bangladesh is a land of beauty where nature and people have come together to create the tapestry of lives for thousands of years. As our patriotic song echoes in our mind,

“You’re the only Bangladesh,
You’re conscious people
A surprise of this whole world
You’re my pride...”

Bangladesh presents a living legend of resiliency. People’s lives have always been shattered in this wonderful land by nature, by occupation, and by its own people. Yet, Bangladesh proudly comes back to its heart to regain its loss and to rebuild its life. That is why, Bangladesh is unique. Our pride and resiliency will move us to solidify our resolve for a new day of hope and progress. Who will dispute me that after every dark night, a bright morning waits for us to greet and embrace? Wait for facts as we need enlighment. Adda is going to present on December 16th, “Why is Bangladesh the best?”

“Our treasures are......
heaps and paddy at the farmer’s courtyard,
crisp, puffed rice, stars and glow-worms,
mango blossoms, ceaseless crooning of cicadas,
homemade cakes in fascinating designs.....
dark woods.... pigeons and parrots in green woods....
quiet bathing ghats close by our homes
mirroring a million stars,
housewives washing themselves,
the late autumnal afternoon sun
making filigree designs on a meadow,
happy shaplas (water lily), idols of watery marshes,
falling leaves...........” Poet Sanaul Haque
Translated by: Kabir Chowdhury

Personal Political Encounter: Looking Retrospectively

2005-11-21T06:49:00.000+06:00

It happened some years ago. Awami League was in power. At that time, people definitely had valid concerns about subversive behaviors of some Awami Leaders. One time, I had a rare opportunity to meet one of the Awami League leaders to talk freely about politics, history and freedom fight. I knew him very well as an honest, sincere and dedicated Awami Leaguer. During our conversation, he told me since you’re so concerned about issues like freedom fight, religious fundamentalism etc. “Why don’t you join Awami League? I replied, “Let me think about this and I’ll get back to you within next few days”. After few days, I went back to his place and we’re again involved into the same discussion. At one point he asked, “Did you make up your mind about joining Awami League?” I told him, “Yes, I’ve planned to join Awami League, if your party is going to expel these leaders/parliamentarians....” He knew very well what I was talking about. I didn’t look at his eyes to see his frustration. May be, I overheard a big sigh. He and his reverend leader knew few of their own party people who were engaged in undermining the image of their own party....

I know very well the current Prime Minister knows the names of all the bad apples in her party, too. Unfortunately, all these political leaders ultimately become hostage to their own people. Their biggest enemy is not their counter part or the Opposition party. Rather, their biggest enemy is their own people who put them down altogether. If Sheikh Hasina comes back to power in the next election, will she put back those same people....those faces...again? Who knows?

Well, I’ve not joined in any party politics yet. Although, my blog “Adda” has been allegedly blamed by some ardent readers for political bias. As Bangladeshi, we faithfully practice, “Either it is my way or Highway”. No one over here tolerates dissidence; no one wants reality check... So, if it’s not my way, you’re blamed, because you are now part of an international conspiracy against your country. Fortunately, Freud was not born in Bangladesh; otherwise he would have definitely added another defense mechanism that our responsibility escaping political leaders are clinically skilled to practice...that’s called, “Conspiracy Theory”.

A Poet's Peril, A Society's Burden

2005-11-20T21:45:00.000+06:00

A Bangladeshi Poet’s life right now is in danger. Fazal Shahabuddin, a renowned Bangladeshi Poet, has been threatened by criminals to pay ransom of Taka 50,000. As reported, if he fails to pay this ransom, criminals have threatened him to raise the ransom amount to Tk. 500,000. They claim, “if he fails to give the money, they will bomb him”. Creating terror by asking ransom has become a daily feature of city life in Bangladesh. Citizens have become hostage to criminals where Police are mostly inactive and inefficient in law enforcement. Their efficiency mostly rests in collecting bribe and channeling it to higher ups. Addabaj is sure that there are still few honest police officers left in Bangladesh but they are cornered and numbered.

In the mean time, a renowned poet is in distress. Fazal Shahabuddin is one of our Bangladeshi poets who presents our aesthetic identity and cultural legacy. Poets are the heart of our rich cultural identity. Now, a poet’s life is in threat. He feels unsafe and insecure to threats of criminals. As per the report, he was crying while he was stating his threat to the Journalists. Suddenly, a Poet’s peril has become a society’s burden. Read the rest of the story in a Bangla Daily today: “Give us 50,000 Taka right now”.

Revisiting Bangladesh Constitution

2005-11-19T07:24:00.000+06:00

I've found this following article to be very interesting. We need to revisit our constitution to make it more accountable and democratic in its mandats. Repealing Article 70 of our constitution will be a milestone to open up free expressions by Parliamentarins. This article presents a major drawback in our constitution:

Repealing Article 70
Saleh Md. Shahriar
Chittagong University

"It seems to me that Article 70 of our constitution is undemocratic. After achieving independence in 1971, Bangladesh has taken a new constitution based on the fundamental principles of democracy. At that time, the Article was incorporated into the constitution in order to ensure party discipline. But today's socio-economic situation and political environment of the country are significantly different from those of the past. In addition, the Article is in clear contradiction with the democratic spirit of our constitution. Because it leads to the establishment of party dictatorship. I think it is irrelevant today.

However, Article 70 forbids an MP, who is elected as a nominee of a particular party, to vote against that party in the parliament or to abstain from voting defying party directives. Those who fail to comply with this Article risk losing their membership of the parliament. Thus the Article obviously limits the free role of MPs. Not only that, it is a major obstacle to discordant views within the party structures. So it impedes the healthy development of political parties' internal democracy".

Jamat Unmasked

2005-11-16T22:33:00.000+06:00

Jamat Unmasked: The True Colour of a Fundamentalist Party
Published in April, 2001, NCRS, Dhaka, Bangladesh

This is one of the original books about Jamati Islami in Bangladesh. People who get confused and oblivious about Jamatis' role in fundamentalism and islamic militancy in Bangladesh, this book is a must read:

"Jamati Islami or Jamate Islami Bangladesh is known as the communal, fundamentalist part not only in this Bangladesh but also all over the Indo-Pak subcontinent. This party is know in India for its sycophancy of the nasara English. At the beginning of the independence of Pakistan it was Known as the ‘Anti –Pakistan and Now it is familiar as the associate of the pro –Moududi Pakistani military ruler. This part is familiar in Bangladesh as the anti-independence and anti-liberation forces, as well as the port of the organizers of the killer Albadar, Rajakar, Al-Shams i.e the accomplices of brutal Pakistani Army in 1971.

The Jamati claims itself as the flag carrier of Islam. This party presents such Moududi style analyses and explanations of Hadith, which are not only misleading but also terribly harmful for the Islam and the Muslims. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the real identity of Jamat and its actual characteristics.

The Identity of Jamat:
Jamate Islami is based absolutely on the discarded thoughts and ideas of Moududi. In other words, it can be said that in order to protect the interest of the vested interest group, Moududi formed Jamate Islami Hind Party on 26th August of 1941 by propagating his rejected thoughts and ideas in the name of Islam. Though Moududi is called Moulana, he never expressed his educational qualification. Actually, no evidence is traceable to justify as a Moulana. However, so far it is know that at the early stage of his life he was involved with a newspaper. At one stage he moved to Hyderabad. There under the patronization of Nizam who was an enthusiastic fan of the English, he published a periodical titled Tarjamanul Quran’. At one stage, he could come in favour of the then colonial rulers through the Muslim bureaucrats who were sycophants of the British. He was placed at Pathan cote of Punjab under the supervision of a retired Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). He started his activities from this place to promote the causes of British through the ‘Tarjamal Quran’. He used to abuse both the Congress and the Muslim League in harsh languages. Even the community of religious scholars of this sub-continent were not spared from his vituperation. On the other hand, to promote the British in the undivided India, he said ‘if your enmity with the English is as because that he is an English, came here from six thousand miles away, not the inhabitants of our country, then your enmity is not Islamic enmity, that will be enmity of ignorance.’ (Siasi Kashmakash---- Moududi).

Thus Moulana Moududi and his party, Jamate Islam were engaged in sycophancy of British colonial power until the partition of India in 1947. He came to Lahore after the independence of Pakistan and founded the Jamate Islam Pakistan. At that time, Moududi and his Jamate Islami faced harsh criticism for anti-Pakistan role. However, under the situation, Moududi pretended to have forgotten his past role absolutely.

On arrival in Pakistan, Moududi and his part Jamate Islam took side of the vested interest group of Pakistan. Bangladesh Jamate Islam also followed that principle of their guru Moulana Moududi. The role of Jamate Islam in Bangladesh war of Independence is not unknown to all. The followers of Jamate expressed their armed support by organizing Rajakar, Albadar during the War of Liberation. They also used the holy Islam as an instrument. They used to make propaganda that Islam would not exist if Pakistan doesn’t survive. India would take over this country. Bangladesh have become independent in spite of the anti-Bangladesh role of Jamate. There is Islam, and there will always remain Islam in this country. India has not taken over this country.

The ordinary agents, who used the holy religion for politics and as an instrument of exploitation, got the fight to live in Bangladesh during the rule of Bangabandhu. However, they did not get any opportunity to be rehabilitated politically. The anti-Independence and anti-liberation communal parties were declared prohibited. However, the Pakistan-style politics were introduced again after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu on 15 August 1975 by the conspiracy of the imperialist forces and their agents in this country.

The military government of General Zia proclaimed an Ordinance in January 1976 enabling the Rajakars, Albadars and other similar anti-liberation elements to come out from the prisons in spite of their accused involvement in killing, rape, arson, plundering etc. Thousands of Rajakars and Albadars were set free to move around boastfully in different places of the country including cities, towns, villages, business centers etc. The unfortunate parents, widows and children of the martyred intellectuals and freedom fighters had nothing to do except shedding their tears silently. But ‘freedom fighter` Ziaur Rahman, the protagonist of these events, who was inordinately powerful at that time, did not remember at all the supreme sacrifice of the freedom fighters during the war of liberation. He did no try to realize what would be the reaction of the martyred families of the accomplices of Pakistani forces and killers of freedom fighters and the intellectuals were set free.

Actually, General Zia had no time to think of those matters. Then he was busy with forming a part with the help of anti-liberation elements. He did not hesitate a little to rehabilitate the identified anti-liberation elements like Shah Aziz and Abdul Alim in the council of Ministers.

Whatever it is, the ‘Political Party Ordinance’ was proclaimed in August 1976. The anti-liberation parties took advantage of this Ordinance to get recognition of the military government. Golam Azam, the disciple of Moududi and the associate of Pakistani hanadar forces, entered Bangladesh carrying Pakistani passport as a citizen of Pakistan. He entered Bangladesh with visa for three months on the plea of visiting his ailing mother. The government of Zia granted Golam Azam to visit Bangladesh. Later, under a clandestine contract with Zia, he started residing in Bangladesh permanently.

Jamati Islami Bangladesh was floated first in Dhaka on 25, 26 and 27 May of 1979. Golam Azam was secretly elected Amir on condition of gaining citizenship. While, Abbas Ali Khan was openly made temporary Amir and Moulana Yusuf, the Secretary General. Golam Azam emerged openly as the Amir of Jamat during the time of BNP in 1992 disregarding the tumultuous movement all over the country. The BNP government instated a case of treason against the 24 persons who had been at the forefront of the movement under the leadership of Jahanara Imam demanding legal proceeding against the war criminals of 71 including Goalam Azam. However, Golam Azam was rather rewarded with the citizenship. He stood aside from the position of Amir of Jamat in November 2000. Matiur Rahman Nazami, the chief of anti-liberation Albadar force, constituted during the liberation war, has been made Amir of the Party now.

If the politics of Jamate over the last 60 years is reviewed, it will become evident that this part never stood away from their principle of hypocrisy, opportunism and sabotage to protect the vested interest in the name of religion. Of course, sometimes with destructive design, they pretended themselves to be involved in the movement of people’s demand.

Jamate Islam’s Love of Democracy:
Jamate Islami now speaks in strong voice about democracy. In short, the have been pretending as the initiator for democracy. But it is to be thought of, when did Jamat turn an admirer of democracy, or whether their claim in this respect is at all correct. A change was noted in Moududi during the first half of 1955. The democracy, which had so long been unrealistic, illegal and cursed from the point of view of his Islam, began to get different meanings by him at that time. He started describing democracy as legal, essence of Islam and to be followed by the whole nation. Moududi always worked against democracy through his writings, speeches and statements from 1933 to until he was put in prison in 1953. He gave analysis and explanation to justify that Islam and democracy are absolutely in contradiction.

He said, “All the democratic systems accepted now, are absolutely contradictory to the tenets of Islam. (Tarjamanul Quran, December 1935). “I speak unto them (Muslims) clearly, the irreligious (secular) national democracy is absolutely in contradiction with your religion and faith. If you bow down before it, then that will mean showing back to the Quran. Establishment and preservation of that will mean treachery with own prophet. Standing to raise the flag of that, would mean declaration of revolt against own God.” (Jamate Islami Ki Daowat---- Moududi).

“The Jamats, which manifest themselves with the powerful ideals and verdant complete (Ijtemae) philosophy, are always in the minority. In spite of their minority, they rule the big vast majority. The Fascist part of Musolini had only four hundred thousand members and when hey were on march to Rome the number stood at three hundred thousands. But this minority swept over forty five million Italians. This was the case with Nazi Party of Germany as well. An well-organized strong party can come in power only by dint of faith and discipline. It does not matter eve if the ratio of their members with the inhabitants of the country is not one for a thousand.” (Siasi Kashmakash---Moududi).

Thus the soft feelings and allegiance of Jamat to Fascism have been expressed. Fascism gradually turned into the ideal of Jamate indeed. “I am not a supporter of the ideology---government of the people, by the people, for the people’ (Siasi Kashmakash---Moududi). This is why I say, it is haram to become a member of and caste vote for the council and parliaments which based on the democratic principles of present time.” (Rassayel and Massayel—Moududi).

Moulana Moududi at one time says democracy is the essence of he Quran and Sunnah, while at other time says democracy is absolutely in contradiction with Islami ideology. Democracy is in contradiction with the religion and faith of the Muslims. Bowing down before the democracy is nothing but showing the back to the Quran. Participation in establishing democracy and its preservation means betraying with the prophet. Declaring revolt against the God. The essence of Islam is always in fight with that of democracy. Islam and democracy cannot compromise mutually on any matter. Moulana emphasizes on the views of majority on one hand, while on the other hand says, the general people are ignorant. What can be a more glaring example of using Islam as an instrument for cauterization of self-interest? Actually the political technique of Jamate Islam is to speak according to the suitability of situations. Jamate Islam has been following the same technique in Bangladesh as well.

The Views of Jamate about the Rights of Women:
Jamate always publicizes that their ultimate objective is to establish Islamic social system in the country; but it will not be an exaggeration if it is said that there is no conformity between heir publicity and the deeds. In fact the have no principles. The can assume any color as and when necessary. However, one thing is always remarkable in all their deeds, which is, the always put the mask of Islam on their face. They never put this mask off. They always try to triumph in disguise of the so-called religion. You have already seen a number of evidences in support of our this claim. Another example of this sort, is the presidential election of Pakistan in 1965. The role that the played in favour of the female candidate for the head of State, exceeded all the previous records. Until a few days before the election of Pakistan in 1965, Moulana Moududi said in a number of his explanations-analyses that, bringing the womenfolk in politics, giving them the rights to become members of Legislative Assembly, even their appointment in any responsible government position, are against the principles of Islam. Headed, it was nothing but following the western world blindly.

Moududi always tried to pas his personal opinions as the rules of he Quran. According to him, “giving the women the right to become members of Legislative Assembly means following the western nations blindly. The principles of Ilam do not permit that at all. The politics of Islam and the administrative reponsibilites of the country lie only on the men. These responsibilities are beyond the boundary of women’s domain of activities.” (Dasturi Tajabiz – Moududi).

He has presented a self-styled explanation of the holly Quran, to say “ Is there any scope to say, after the clear instruction of the holy Quran, that Muslim women will become the members of Council and Parliament? Will remain bus in social activities outside their homes. Will work wih the men in government offices, will learn a colleges with the boys, perform the responsibilities of nursing at the hospitals for the male, will be used for pleasing the passengers in airplanes and railcars, and will go to America-England for education?” But though Jamate did not change their anti-women attitude for the sake of their political interest, the never hesitated to present suitable new explanations about the role of women.

He Combined Opposition Parties (COP) nominated Ms Fatema Jinnah as the candidate in the Presidential election of 1965. Jamate Islam and Moulana Moududi, driven by their greed for grabbing the share of power as the members of COP, set aside their explanations and fatwas of the past, and presented new ones in the name of holy Quran to support Ms Fatema Jinnah i.e. in favour of the political rights of women and their becoming the head of states. Moududi and Jamate Islam issued a lot of statements to different newspapers in support of Ms Fatema Jinnah.

The Anti-Independence activities of Jamatee:
The actual purpose of Jamate Islami was nakedly expressed when the Pak occupation forces started the planned killing of weaponless Bangalis on the black night of 25th March in 1971. Golam Azam, under the leadership of notorious Nural Amin, met the blood thirst General Tikkha Khan at the first opportunity on April 4 and ‘assured him of heir full cooperation in restoring total normalcy in the entire province immediately’. Golam Azam met Tikkha Khan again separately tow days later on April 6. During that meeting, Golam Azam identified, like other sycophants, the liberation struggle as the Indian interference and infiltration. He said, “the patriots of the province will help the armed forces to demolish this ill motive of India.” (The Daily Pakistan, 7 April, ’71)

Jamate Islam played the principle role in constituting the ‘Peace Committee’ on April 10 with the end to extend cooperation in the brutal process of nipping the Independence War of Bangladesh in the bud. Later, the Amir of East Pakistan Jamate Islam, Golam Azam was nominated as the number three member of the provincial Peace Committee. Khwaja Khoyerudding of Muslim League was the Convenor. (The Daily Pakistan, 17 April, ’71).

The Peace Committee started their anti-liberation activities in April everywhere in Bangladesh at war. Jamate Islame took over the lead of those activities at the district and sub-divisional levels. The sycophants of Jamate would guide the Pak military forces in different places of the villages. They would plunder the cattle and assets, set the houses of freedom fighters on fire and assist in humiliating the women. During the war of Independence, Jamate Islam attuned their activities to butcher Tikkha Khan. On August 14, at a symposium organized at Curzon Hall of University of Dhaka, to mark the Independence Day of Pakistan, Golam Azam said, “but thousands of enemies have been created within Pakistan his time. So, the crisis of this time is hard. Because the in-house enemies are more dangerous than the external enemies.”

It is understandable from the statement given four days later, how much fed up Golam Azam became with the freedom fighters. On August 18, he said in Lahore, “India has been helping the miscreants (the Pakistani rulers termed the freedom fighters of ’71 as miscreants). Therefore, Pakistan should attack India without any delay and occupy Assam.” On August 23, Golam Azam said in Lahore about the war of independence, “What has been happening in east Pakistan is the result of conspiracy of India and its spies. The strength of Islam can only save the country from being divided.”

On August 31, Golam Azam expressed at a press conference in Hydrabad, the demand of fresh election to the seas in National Assembly and Provincial Assembly. In this respect, Golam Azam said, “most of the 88 members elected with nomination from the banned Awami League and declared by the government as standing, are not present in Pakistan.” He said, “the most essential need of the present time is to strengthen the hands of the patriotic and Islamic people. Those people have been ring expensively to control the situation in East Pakistan. They have also been providing fll cooperation to the administration and the army to suppress the rebels and the anti-stae activities of the ‘miscreants’. Extolling the role of army in saving the countr from being fallen apart, Professor Golam Azam Said, ‘situation in East Pakistan is quickly becoming normal’. The following day, Golam Azam demanded a ban on all he separatist political parties of East Pakistan and punishment to their leaders.

Golam Azam further said, “no good Muslims can be the supporters of so-called ‘Bangladesh movement’. He further added, the like-minded and the patriotic people have been working together to demolish the separatists in East Pakistan.

Sensing the inevitable defeat of Pakistan, Golam Azam left Dhaka on November 22, 1971 for West Pakistan leaving behind his friends and allies amidst danger. He was able to enter Bangladesh seven years after that on 11 July 1978.

On November 27, Golam Azam said in Rawalpindi, “the majority people of East Pakistan will fight against India until there is an end, and the will never allow the Indians to occupy an inch of their holy motherland. The last news about Golam Azam was published on December 2 and 3. APP news from Lahore said, on return to Lahore after a meeting with Yahia Khan on December 1 in Rawalpindi, Golam Azam said, “people of East Pakistan never wanted support of Ms Indira Gandhi to their demand.” In reply to a question, Professor Golam Azam said, “Jehad should be declared against India immediately for the sake of the existence of Pakistan.”

It can be said with certainty on the basis of the information and events presented so long that, Jamate Islam did not only take stand in the opposition on the point of liberation struggle of Bangladesh, but also tried comprehensively o destroy it for good.

The Jamates proceeded with horrible programmes to eliminate the Bangali nation. With this end in view, the formed the Jajakar and Badar forces, joined in Peace Committee and provided unqualified support and cooperation to the barbarous army of Pakistan. Their well-planned programmes to kill the intelligentsia and educated Bangalis as well as their attempt to change radically the education system by utilizing the opportunity of being a Minister had also evolved from this point of view. The Jamate Islami in the name of Islam and Muslim nationalism, took arrogant steps during the war of liberation to materialize the process of transforming Bangladesh into a permanently fallen region for exploitation and administration, which came down from the time of the creation of Pakistan. The objective of all the arrangements of Jamates was to eliminate the ethnic identity of Bangalis.

The Rajakar, Al-Badar Forces :
At the same time, the Jamate Islami formed the Rajakar Force to make the all out anti-independence actitivies through the Peace Committee. Jamat leader Moulana A. K. M Ysuf formd the first group of Rajakar force with 96 Jamat workers at the Ansar Camp of Khanjahan Ali Road of Khulna in May 71. This armed force of Jamate Islam worked not only as the sycophants of brutal Pakistani forces in creating terrorism, oppression and killing during the war of Independence, but in most cases their oppression also caused much more harm and destruction. Not a single family in the invaded Bangladesh is found which had not fallen victim of oppression, plundering and killing of this Rajakar.

Pakistani military janta made the Rajakar forces, formed b the initiative of Jamate Islam, a para-military force within a few days. Official arrangement was taken for a three to four-week training for the Rajakars, so that the could help the Pak military forces effectively against the freedom fighters. They were usually armed with 303 rifles. The Rajakars also got official recognition for their ‘patriotism`. General Neazi during his tour of Sylhet on July 8, 1971 appreciated the Rajakars for their successful fight against the ‘destructive activities of he miscreants’. Governor Tikkha Khan, on August 11 in same tune said in Rangpur, “the Rajakar has been playing necessary role by watching the bridges and culverts, and protecting the own respective areas in the face of the attack of miscreants.” On September 16, General Neazi while inspecting the on the training Rajakars at Chittagong, appreciated their morale and enthusiasm.

Jamate Islami also attuned to their voice o the views of Pak army on the issue of Rajakar. At a press conference in Karachi, on September 1, Golam Azam also referred to the activities of Rajakar as very good.

On September 25, at a congregation of Jamate at hotel Ampire in Dhaka, Golam Azam attempted in justify the participation of Jamae Islami in Peace Committee and the Rajakar force. In this respect, he referred to the existence of Pakistan and said the workers of Jamate Islam do no agree to accept Bangali nationalism by sacrificing the ideologies of Muslim nationalism.” Golam Azam said, “the workers of Jamate have made the enemies of Pakistan to understand by embracing the martyrdom that, the are prepared to embrace death, but they will never accept division of Pakisan into parts.” Golam Azam futher added, most of the several thousands of people whole were martyred even after the entire province had come under the control of military, are workers of Jamate.” (ibid, 26 September, 71).

Moulana Yusuf, the founding leader of the Rajakar, on October 11 at a Rajakar congregation in the Khulna district school auditorium, extolled the role of Rajakar for ‘their performance in suppressing the activities of the miscreants and Indian insurgents.’ (ibid, October, 71)

Another attempt of the Jamate Islami to finish off the war of Independence, was creation of the armed killing force known as Albadar. The Albadar was founded at Jamalpur at the end of April. ‘The Albadar’ would be guided in collusion with the Pak occupation forces under the total supervision of Jamate Islami.

The Albadar was under the absolute command of Golam Azam. The present Amir of Jamate Islami, Matiur Rahman Nizami (Chief of Albadar in all-over Pakistan), Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid (provincial Chief), Mir Kashem Ali (the third leader) and central Publicity Secretary Mohammad Mamruzzaman (Chief organizer) were openly in leadership positions of the Albadar.

The Daily Sangram, the mouthpiece of Jamate Islami also stimulated the Albadar at that time. In a report titled ‘Albadar’, The Sangram wrote on September 14, “Albadar is a name! A wonder! Albadar is a commitment! Where there is the so-called freedom fighter, there is the Albadar. Where there is the miscreant, there is the Albadar. Albadar is the Ajrail (angel of death) in presence to the Indian spies or the miscreants.”

Badar Bahini Chief Matiur Rahman Nizami Said on 23 September in a rally of Badar Bahini Camp situated in Dhaka Alia Madrasa, “Only those who love Islam also love Pakistan. We have to make all out efforts so that our political intellectuals do not forget this discovered truth.”

Being imbued with the success of the day of Badar, Badar Bahini Chief Matiur Rahman Nizami wrote in the November 4 issue of the Daily Sangram, “Insha Allah we will see the qualities of Badar fighters that we have discussed so far, in the personalities of young mujahids of the Albadar, … That day is not far away when the youths of the Albadarwill hoist the flag of victory of Islam in the whole world by defeating Hindu forces and destroying Hindustan fighting alongside our armed forces.

A gruesome picture of cruelty of Badar Bahini was depicted by hundreds of reports published in different new papers immediate after independence. That picture is thousand times more horrifying than Gestapo of Hitler, Maili of Vietnam or massacre of the Palestinians in the Sabra Satila camp in Lebanon.

Anti-Bangladesh Campaign:
The other accomplices of Jamat, Razakar, Al-badar, Al-shams and Pak invading forces went in hiding after Bangladesh had become independent. Many went out of the country. “The East Pakistan Recover Committee” under the leadership of Jamat leader Professor Golam Azam was constituted in lahore in January of 1972. The committee led a week long so called East Pakistan Recover Movement by holding processions, meetings and other programmes. Golam Azam left Pakistan with a Pakistani Passport in 1972 in order to give extensiveness to anti-Bangladesh movement. He, was leader of East Pakistan Recover Movement, built up strong anti-Bangladesh sentiment in the Muslim countries of the Middle-East until March, 73. He appealed for help by spreading ridiculous and religiously sensational speech’s like, “the Hindus have occupied East Pakistan, the Muslims are being killed and persecuted there, the mosques are being converted into temples etc.” A huge amount of money was collected under the process and there is allegation against him of misappropriation of a big chunk of such collected money.

Such activity of enraged Golam Azam got greater force after the cancellation of his citizenship on April 22, 1973. He went to London in that ver month. With that, the headquarters of East Pakistan Recovery Committee also stood established in London. His activities continued until 1977. It was learnt that after liberation of Bangladesh, Golam Azam collected a subscription to the tune of 45 lac ryal from a country of the Middle East upon appeal for reconstruction of the ravaged mosques. Golam Azam purchased a house in Manchester of the united Kingdom by a portion of that money. Apart from living a luxurious life abroad, Golam Azam raised a huge personal fund by collecting money from different success. He kept his authority over Jamat intact by dint of that money.

Killing of Intellectuals, Armed Activities and Terrorism:
The Jamat is a merciless fascist circle. There are innumerable instances of fascism in 60 year’s history of the Jamat. Though it is preached that Islam is the ideal of the Party, the slightest proof the broadness, magnitude and tolerance of Islam, the great religion of peace, have never been witnessed in its activities, especially while facing the political opponents. The opponent forces, whether the are Muslims or non-muslims, are termed ‘kafirs’ (non-believers) by Jamat.

Golam Azam is one of the main architects of the killing of the intellectual. Golam Azam placed a blue print of intellectuals killing in the early part of September of 1971 in a meeting with Rao Farman Ali. As per that blue-print, subsequently the intellectuals were brutally killed in December. The documents found available after the independence relating to killing of intellectuals contained clear directive that, “it may not be possible to save East Pakistan. However, one job must be done, all intellectuals, engineers, doctors, scientists living here will have to be finished off for ever, so that the can not run the country if Pakistan is defeated.” Golam Azam directed his party cadres, Razakars, Al-Badars, Al-Shams to execute the blueprint. Areas of such responsibilities were also allocated.

The Jamat was declared banned in Bangladesh after independence. After remaining in hiding for sometime, the Jamatees soon got recognized. They kept the arms received in 1971 concealed, and were awaiting a chance. The Jamat appeared in public with patronization of the military ruler General Zia, at one stage of the political changeover that took place through assassination of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on 15 August 1975. But their fascist destructive activities did not change a little even in independent Bangladesh. The are cutting the veins of hands and legs of the opponents and killing them. The have killed many people all over the country in the past. On July 12, 2000, the terrorists of the Jamat-Shibir killed 8 people in Chittagong, including 6 Students League leaders. Dalim, a ferocious cadre of Jamat-Shibir of the Cox’s Bazar district, was recently arrested by police. While in police remand, he confessed that he spent crores of taka earned illegally for the Jamat-Shibir organization. Jamat-Shibir extended active cooperation to him to impart armed training and raise a cadre force. Everybody in the Dalim Bahini is trained with arms operation. They have raised a number of organizations named ‘Rangs.’ (Ajker Kagoz, 18 November, 2000).

A sensational report about Jamat-Shibir was published in the November 27 last issue of the Daily Janakantha. It has been said, in the report that a sensational report was placed before the top level of the government about the secret activities of the armed cadre organization, Islami Chatra Shibir of Fundamentalist Jamat. The report has disclosed many worrying informations including the clandestine camp for the armed training of the Shibir cadres, use of government arms, connection of getting the arms, and direct connection with the foreign armed groups. The report has also provided information and evidences forever incident. This elaborate report has also disclosed the present and future plans for the appointment of Jamat cadres in different important organizations of the administration.

A special department of a government organization has prepared this eight-page report after a long investigation. The report has furnished evidences for every incident. The report has stated that the largest camp of the Shibir in the country is situated in Chittagong and South Chittagong. The countrywide extensive activities are guided from there.

The Shibir has close contact with an organization named RSO or Rohinga Solidarity Organization of Maynmar. This RSO has connection with an armed group named Arakan Army of Myanmar.

Infantry training is imparted to Shibir cadres in Soabil Hill of Fatikchari Upazila of Chittagong. Refresher courses are also conducted. Before making the armed cadre, the Shibir members are tactfully inducted in the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC). Arrangements are also made to dispatch them to different camps. The report further stated that such opportunity of using government arms is being exploited as the initial opportunity for knowing about the arms and learning about their uses.

The Islami Bank Foundation Legal Aid Committee, an organization of the Islami Bank, extends financial assistance when workers and cadres of Shibir are implicated in an cases. Again, ‘Baitulmal’ is there to collect subscription form the workers.

Blood donating group is kept ready to meet a situation when a member man require blood on emergency basis. There is a list of their names, addresses, locations and blood groups. The report has also furnished a list of names of such enlisted blood donators.

The report also depicts how efforts are underway to recruit the Shibir supporters in different important professions including Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) long course and the police. In recent times, an organization named the Forum of Engineers and Architects has been founded at the initiative of the Shibir. The main objective of this organization is to bring the posts of office bearers of the Institute of Engineers of Bangladesh under the control. The report has disclosed the list of the Board of Directors consisting of 21 Engineers of the Chittagong centre of the Form of Engineers and Architects.

The report has also furnished a detailed picture of how the organize induction of members, capture of mosques, establishment of mess-coaching centres, publication of yearly guides and establishment of their own libraries. At last, Shibir has undertaken a plan to build an organization among the non-Muslims in Indian BJP style.

The report has also referred to different stages of the selection of membership. A person is at first recruited in the Shibir as well –wisher followed by active well-wisher, supporter, active supporter, worker, active worker, friend, active friend and finally a member. Friends Management Committee is set up with active friends. Own sentry is always posted on guard during the meeting of Friends Management Committee. The Shibir has also a religious teaching group, who impart political education to the workers. Shibir has recently expanded its NGO activities. Shibir funs NGOs in local and foreign titles in order to bring common people in their fold.

Moududi’s Audacity about Prophet:
Moududi has made many audacious comments about prophets, followers of prophets, Imams and Muslim scholars. We are mentioning here a few extracts as instances from his different write-ups.

All Imams and Islamic scholars entertain same view about the innocence of prophets. But only Moududi expresses different view while sing, “to be innocent is not a natural virtue for the prophets. Rather Allah has strategically kept them safe from faults and deviation in order to enable them to correctly perform the responsibility of prophet-hood. Had the protection of Allah been revoked from them for a movement, the might have fallen into errors like ordinary men. Here is a subtle issue that, the Almighty Allah withdrew his protection at some times or other times, from ever prophet, allowing him to indulge in one or two sins, so that men do not identify the prophets with Allah and understand that they are also ver much human beings. “ (Tafhimat, part II, Page 43---Moududi).

Such comment of Moududi does not admit of any explanation. It is ver clear. He has expressed absolute wrong and discarded ideas in the name of Islam. He has displayed the audacity of staining the innocent character of different prophets in his bid to justify such comments. Asregards Hazarat Musa (pbuh), Moududi has said, “Before becoming a prophet, Hazarat Musa (pbuh) committed a big sin. He killed a man.” (Rasaal and Masael, Part I pgae 31-Moududi).

While interpreting an ayaat of the Holy Quran, Mr. Moududi said about Hazrat Ibrahim (A…), “Here arises another question that, on watching the star when Hazrat Ibrahim (A…) said, ‘it is m Lord’ and when watching the Sun and the Moon designated those as his Lord, then did not he subject himself to the shirak (sin of comparing with God) temporarily?” (Tafhimul Quran, Part I, P-558).

Mr. Moududi has said about Hazrat Yunus (A…) in his tafsir, “It clearly appears from a detailed analysis of the indications in the Holy Quran and the book of Yunus--- (Sahifa) that Hazrat Yunus had little lapses or negligence in discharging the responsibility of prophet hood. Probably, he became impatient and left the residence before the right time.” (ibid, Sura Yunus).

Here Mr. Moududi has charged three accusations upon Hazrat Yunus (A…). First, he neglected to discharge the responsibility of prophet hood. Secondly, he became impatient and left the residence before the time fixed by Allah. Thirdly, he did not fulfil the evidence (Huzzat) of Allah to his own community.

Mr. Moududi has compared Hazrat Yusuf (A…) with the heated dictator of the twentieth century Mussolini. He has equaled the status of Hazrat Yusuf (A…) to that of Musolini. He said, “Yusuf’s (A…) claim was not merely restricted to the prayer for the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance, as deemed by some people. That was rather for gaining the dictatorship. As a result, the status that Hazrat Yusuf (A…) achieved, was rather similar to that of the Musolini of this day.” (Tafhimat, part II, P-112).

Mr. Moududi has said about Hazrat Daud (A..), “It naturally establishes that, the deed that was done by him (HazratDaud) had somewhat the influence of his evil inclination. That also had some link to his inconsistent manner as a ruler. And that was such a deed, as was unbecoming of an upright ruler.” (Tafhimul Quran, Part IV, P-227).

Allah has stated with significance in the Holy Quran about his favour to Hazrat Daud (A..). Allah has highly praised Hazrat Daud (A..). But Mr. Moududi had shown the audacit to comment on this prophet of great honour so as to say that he (Daud), was influenced by evil propensity, and misused power. No conscientious man can help being surprised to see such discarded thoughts of Mr. Moududi.

Moududi has also criticized the Great Prophet (pbuh) in his different write-ups and has made audacious remarks about him. In the contest of discussion about Hadiths relating to Dazzal, he said, “The speeches that have been stated in the Hadith from Hazrat in this connection, were mainly his deductions (Quias). He himself was skeptic about those. He said all that not on the basis of revelations, but on surmises.” (Rasyel and Masayel, P-55-56).

Mr. Moududi has said about Hadith of Great Prophet (pbuh), “Hadith has been handed down from man to man in oral tradition. Those can at best be surmised as correct, but can not be strongly believed. And it is clear that, Allah do not like endangering people by depending on descriptions of a few people about important matters of the religion of Allah that differentiate between the believers and non-believers.” (ibid, P. 67).

Mr. Moududi has said about evaluation of the Holy Quran, “The Quran karim is enough for guidance, but not for salvation.” (Tafhimat, Part I, P-312)

From the angle of Islam, temporal wellbeing and salvation of the life hereafter is the only objective of adopting guidance or the right path. In view of Mr. Moududi, ‘The Holy Quran is sufficient for guidance, but not for salvation.’ What an audacious remark about the Holy Book of Allah! Question naturally arises from such peculiar comments of him, should then human beings follow another religious book for salvation? Are those the write-ups of Moududi? Probably he intends to mea that tactfully, though he does not dare to say that straightway.

The Status of Sahabas (followers) are after the that of prophets. The Great Prophet (pbuh) has said about them, My sahabas are like the stars. Whomsoever of them your follow, you will gain the right path.” Whereas the sahabas, praised by the Great Prophet, have not been exempted from the criticism of Moulana Moududi. He has said about them, “After the teaching and guidance of the long time, the Prophet (pbuh) used to bring them to the battle field. Though the great revolution was depicted in their mind and mentality, the sahabas used to commit mistakes repeatedly in understanding the basic significance of Jeehad (Holy War).” (Tarzamanul Quran, Rabiussani, 1357H.).

Mr. Moududi has said about the sahabas, “Many of the sahabas have described hadiths as the feel like.” (Tarzamanul Quran, 35th (edition).

“Bad habits of the era of ignorance were repeated in sahabas.” (Tafhimat, Part II, P-155).

“Sometimes mental weakness also used to prevail over the sahabas. They used to attack and abuse each other.” (Tarzamanual Quran, 3rd edition).

Mr. Moududi has written about the first Caliph of Islam Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.), “Islam has commanded man not to be influenced by passions. It is aver delicate mater. Once, a man free from passions like Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique, and fearful of and devoted to Allah, also failed to fulfil that.” (ibid).

In the same edition of Tarzamanul Quran, Mr. Moududi has said about Hazrat Omar (R.), “The world used to bow down head before the each High, and each spiritually elevated person was used to be considered at some higher position than commoners. Sometimes, the path of abolition of the influence of such impression would become clear---, Probably, such impression of individual supremacy subdued Hazrat Omar for sometime at the time of death of the Prophet of Allah.” (ibid).

In context of the description of onslaught by the Jaheliat (the ignorant) on the Calipath of the four Caliphs, Mr. Moududi has said criticizing Hazrat Osman, “On the one hand the job was becoming increasingly harder because of the fast expansion of the Islamic State, on the other hand, Hazrat Osman, in whom was reposed the load of this tough job, was not in possession of that much capability and traits as his predecessors had. As a result of that, the Jaheiat could make way to penetrate into the Islamic social system.” (Tazdid and Ahiyae Deen, P-33).

When revenge was demanded against the assassination of Hazrat Osman (R.), Hazrat Ali (R.) the fourth Caliph said addressing the people of Maiabia, “Now the situation is out of control. This assassination will certainly be avenged in right time. But Mr. Doududi has said criticizing these words of Hazrat Ali (R.), “Do justice, had you been Maiabia, or had not been Maiabia, but an ordinary citizen of Syria, would you, in the context of stated background, consider such words of Hazrat Ali as honestly intended, than being only a pretext, hesitation hoax and denial?"”(Tazalli, December, 1957).

The religious scholars of the sub-continent are strongly critical of such comments of Moulana Moududi, but the Jamatis believe those to be true. The essays of Moududi are being propagated as correct interpretations and theology of Quran and Hadith. Such books and interpretations of the Quran are being disseminated in a planned manner among the modern educated people of the country including the students of schools, colleges, madrasas and universities. The pious people having limited knowledge of Islam are being deluded by such objectionable and showy interpretations of Moulana Moududi in the name of Islam.

The followers of Moududi describe him as the greatest Mujaddid of the world. It can not be allowed. The conscious citizenry of the country, and especially, the community of religious scholars, will have to take the pioneer role in this regard. And it’s the religious and moral duty of the community of Islamic scholars.

The Spiritualists and Devotees in the Eye of Jamat:
In the history of Islam and Muslims, imparting spiritual education or the system of peer-murids (spiritualists and devotees) based on shariat is in vogue. Islam has achieved publicity and expansion through spiritual leaders, Aolia-Darvish and Peer-Mashaekhs. Especiall in the sub-continent, they have indeed discharged this great responsibility.

But Mr. Moududi has made highly objectionable comments against this historical trend of spiritual education. He has said, “After becoming baiyat or murid, there remains no difference between the Peer and Mushrik of the tarikat or the ods of the believers in partnership.” (Tazdid and Aiyeae Din). We have mentioned earlier more than once that, Moududi has made innumerable self contradictor comments in order to use Holy Islam as a weapon to achieve selfish ends. In the name of Islam, he has termed the same subject as acceptable at one time and unacceptable at other time.

Bangladesh has now many Peer-Mashaekhs. Some of them have devotees numbering several lakhs. But though unpleasant, it is true that exception or two, none of them speak about Jamat, ‘Bibhisan the enemy at home.’ We will request the Peer-Mashaekhs of the country, you look back upon the history of past fifteen hundred years of Islam and Muslims. You will agree with us that the discarded groups (Ferkahs) masquerading the Holy Islam have done mischief to the Muslims many more times, than the open enemies or opponents could do. That it why Allah has provided for stringent punishment in the Holy Quran against the munafiks. Our appeal to the Peer-Mashaekhs, look at the underlying significance of the declaration of stringent punishment by Allah against the munafiks. Open your mouth against the discarded ferkah Jamat. Expose the real colours of Jamat to the simple minded Muslims of the country. Especially your respective devotees and murids. You can not avoid this responsibility from the standpoint of the religion. We consider this to be your sacred duty.

Opinion of the Community of the Religious Scholars:
Jamat claims that all their activities are aimed at protecting Islam. Their ultimate and real aim is to achieve publicity, expansion and establishment of Islam. They explain everything from Islamic standpoint. But in practice, Jamat is a fascist circle masquerading Islam. The advent of Jamat took place in the beginning of the decade of forties on the basis of the peculiar thoughts of Mr. Moududi. As an especial technique. Mr. Moududi annexed the name of Holy Islam to the name of his party. Now we will venture to put forward in brief the views of a few leading and universally accepted Alem (religious scholars) about Jamat and Moulana Moududi.

It has been said in a fatwa of Olema Keram of Dewband, “The relationship that should be maintained with Sahaba Keram and Imam-Mujtahid in order to keep linkage with relation, is hampered by the books and booklets of Jamat. And it is certainly harmful for the religion of the Muslims. It is why the movement-Jamat, based upon the books of Moududi is considered by us as fallacious and harmful for the Muslims. For that reason we declare total termination of relationship with all that. (Du’Masale, P-16).

In another fatwa awarded by Hazrat Moulana Syed Mahadi Hasan, the Chief Mufti of Darul Ulum Dewband it was said about Jamat that, “Muslims should never participate in this movement. It is life-destroying venom for them. People will have to be desisted from participating in this movement. Otherwise they will become Gomorrah. It is harmful for them instead of their wellbeing. It is not at all Jayej (permissible) to participate in such movement from the standpoint of Shariyat. One who furthers the aims and objectives of the Jamat, commits sins instead of virtues. He can not keep himself safe from its harmfl effects. And he invites man to sins. If any Imam of any mosque in a member of the Jamat of Moududi, performing priers behind him will be makrul.” (Jamate Islami Ka Rukeh Kerder, P-168).

Harzrat Moulana Mohammad Yusuf, son and successor of Hazrat Moulana Ilias, the founder of Tablig Jamat, has said in the context of discussion with a few members of the Jamat of Moududi, “The Jamat of Moududi is a party of political and power greed. The expect such things which are not permissive in the see of the shariat.” (Jamate Islami Ka Ruken Kerder, pp. 41-42).

Hazrat Moulana Mostafa Khan Saheb Berelbi and Moulana Sayed Afzal Hossain Mufti, Darul Ulum Manzarul Islam Berelbi, renowned religious scholars of the Berelbi Thoughts, awarded a fatwa about the Jamat of Moududi and his thoughts. In that fatwa, they said, “Basically, the movement of Moududi is nothing but finding faults with Islam, creation of rifts among the Muslims, and kufri and kafri.” He makes different meanings of Islam. He does not consider the common muslims as muslims.” (FetnayeMuddiat, p.58).

Moulana Syed Mohammad Rezwan, another renowned religious scholar of Berelavi Thoughts, has said about Moududi, “on reading different quotations of Moulana Moududi, I have reached this opinion that his head is full of discourtesy and insolence towards the universally respected scholars and Ambia keram. M appeal to world Muslims, be aware of his faith and thoughts-ideas. Prophet (pbuh) has said, ‘Before the appearance of the real Dazzal, thirty more Dazzals will appear in order to make his path clear.’ In m view, Moududi is one of them.” (Moududiat Ka Post Mortem. P.7).

Renowned Mohaddis Moulana Abdul Wahab, Chairperson of All India Ahle Hadis Conference says, “ I request the Ahle Hadis brothers to protect themselves from this infectious disease. Else, this disease will destroy not only them, but also the intire Ahle Hadis Jamat. ….. We have to face courageously the Jamate Islami and have to indentify its power.” (Colour of Moududi’s Jamat, p.365).

Hazarat Maolana Faizullah Sabeb, Mufti of Chittagong Hathazari Darul Ulum Madrasa, has issued a fatwa about the Jamat of Moududi. He has said in that, “Moulana Moududi entertains illusionary and faulty thoughts and ideas contrary to the principles and philosophy of Ahale Sunnat Waal Jamat. The great prophets have not been spared from his insolent attack. Therefore, it is in no way permissible to move and keep kinkajou with that party.” (Do, p. 345).

Seventeen leading religious scholars of the then East Pakistan signed in agreement with that fatwa of him. In the context of signing of that fatwa, Hazarat Maolana Tazul Islam of Brahmanbaria has written, “I support the views of Mufti Faizullah.”

Renowned Muhaddis Hazarat Maolana Zakaria (R.) has written a book enriched with information, and titled “Fitnaye Moududiat” about the Jamat of Moududi. He has, in that book of him, interpreted the anti-Islamic issues of the Jamat of Moududi in the light of Quran and Hadith. In one place of his book, he has made comments about the Jamat of Moududi, “I consider joining this part has haram. It is very harmful to read their books.”

Hazarat Maolana Samsul haque Faridpuri, Principal of Lalbag Jamia Korania has written a book tilted ‘Corrigendum’ to warn that countrymen against the anti-Islamic thoughts and ideas of Jamat. In one place of the book, he has written, “……..It will not be permissible for any Muslim to Join, and work in Jamat. Those who indulge in finding faults with Sahaba Ekram, whoever they may be, it will certainly not be permissible to make them Imams and say prayers being them. Because, on account of finding faults with Sahaba Ekram, they have stood discarded from Ahale Sunnat Wal Jamat.”

Hazzrat Maolana Mohammad Ullah Hafezzee Huzur, founder of the Khelafat Movement, has written a book titled “Warning” about the Jamat of Moududi. In that book, he has described the erratic philosophy of Moududi and Jamate Islami as a fitna destroying the faith and religious belief of the Muslims. He has appealed to the Muslims to remain aloof from this party masquerading Islam. More than four hundred leading Alem of Bangladesh agreed with this book of Hafezzee Huzur and endorsed it with their signatures. Shayekhul Hadis Maolana Aziaul Haque is also among them. Besides, at the close of his translation work of Bukhari Sharif, he has written 70 pages criticising the Jamat. Now, of course, he has made alliance with the Jamat. What can be more surprising than that!

Hazarat Maolana Obaidul Haque, Khatib of Baitul Mukarram Mosque has remarked about the Jamat of Moududi, “Blindness is spreading among the ordinary and newly educated people through the illusionary books of him.” (Moududi Fitna, pp.35-36).

Mufti Fazlul Hque Amini, Principal of Lalbag Jamia Korania Arabia Madrasa has said about the Moududism, “The Moududism on which the politics of Jamat is founded, that ism of Moududi has been expressed by our religious scholars and spiritual leaders as illusionary.” It is interesting that Mufti Amini has now made alliance with Jamat.

76 Imams and renowned Alems of Jalalabad Imam Samit have issued a fatwa about moulana Moududi and his Jamate followers. In the at fatwa, they have said, “Mr. Moududi is trying to introduce a new religion opposed to Ahale Sunnat Wal Jamat. Threrefore, thousands of Olema, Mashaekh and Muftis of the sub-continent of all shades of opinions and parties have declared Moududi as deviated, joinnin his party as haram and sying prayers behind Imams believing in the Aqida of Moududi as Makruheh Taharimi.” (Fatwa dated 1-5-88 by Jalalabad Imam Samity).

Besides, other leading religious scholars of the sub-continent, who have written books or given fatwas against religious business and illusionary ideas of Moududi and his Jamat in the name of the holy religion, include renowned tafsirker Maolana Abdul Majid Dariabadi, former Jamat leader Maolana Amin Eslahi, Hazarat Maolana Golam Gaus Hazarbi, Hazarat Maolana Mufti Mohammad Shafi, Hazarat Maloana Jafar Ahmed Osmani Hazarat Maolana Atahar Ali, Maolana Solaiman Nadvee and others.

The aforesaid versions of the leading religious scholars of all shades of faith and path in the sub-continent are amply clear. Those versions do not call for any explanation. They have expressed their thoughtful opinions in a very lucid and plain language about the real colours of Moududi and his thoughts and ideas. The real colour of Jamat putting on the mask of Islam, is not indistinct to all these religious leaders acknowledged all over the country. That is why they have described Jamat as seriously harmful for the iman-akida of the Muslims. Not only the aforesaid religious scholars, but also the genuine religious scholars of the sub-continent have expressed similar views about Jamat. Many of them have written books in different languages against Jamat. It is not possible to mention all those in this limited space. We are of the view that the aforesaid views of the religious leaders are enough for any truth-searching Muslim in the matter of taking a decision about Jamat.

Conclusion:
Jamat, in the mask of holy Islam, is a real reflection of fascist thoughts and ideas. Its ultimate objective and aim is to ascend to the throne of power through appendage of reactionary power. The activities of last sixty years of Jamat and its founder Moulana Moududi prove that exactly indeed. They have selected Holy Islam as a weapon to achieve that objective. The architect of Jamat-e-Islam, Moulana Moududi, in his early life used Islam in the interest of Nizam of Haidarabad. Islam was his only weapon during the collaboration with British colonial power. He abused the Congress and its leaders in the name of Islam. He used the same weapon while opposing the Muslim League, its leaders and Pakistan. He used Islam on the one hand as a weapon to oppose the awarding of social status to women, and on the other hand, in the decade of sixties, to support Ms Fatima Jinnah in the preseidential election of Pakistan. It is in the name of Islam that, Moulana Moududi described democracy as cursed. Again uttering the name of Holy Islam, he said that democracy is the essence of Islam. Islam was the weapon of Jamat to oppose our Liberation War. It is again in the name of Islam, that Jamat collaborated with the Pakistan occupation forces in plundering, rape of women and killing of innocent people. At one stage, their own workers were made to start killing of the Bangalis with the signboards of Razakar and Al-badar. And they say, they did all that to establish Islam in this country and to save Pakistan. During the days of Liberation War, the slogan of the Jamatees was, Islam can not be saved unless Pakistan can be protected in this part of the sub-continent. India will occupy Bangladesh. Signs of Islam and Muslims will not be there in this country. But Jamat could not prevent the independence of Bangladesh in spite of their all whole-hearted effort. Bangladesh has become independent. India has not occupied this country. They are as they had been before. This proves how much dishonest and politically motivated and hypocritical are the slogans of Jamat in the name of Holy Islam. That is why, the leading religious leaders of the sub-continent issued fatwa in one voice that Moududi'’ thoughts and ideas in the name of Islam are illusionary. Jamat of Moududi is a discarded ferka. It is hundred percent obligatory for the Muslims to keep aloof from Jamat. It is not permissible to say prayers behind followers of Moududi.

Islam is a religion of peace, justice, fraternity and equality. Jamat-Shibir is opposed to the Islam of that doctrine. They want to set ablaze the fire of unrest. Their aim is to turn Bangladesh, a Pakistan. The Jamatees will not hesitate to shed the blood of Bangalis again in the name of Holy Islam as they did in 1971. Those who use religion for the dishonest purposes of attaining the selfish and mean individual, collective and party interests, are actually the enemies of Islam. So it is obligatory for every Muslim to oppose Jamat".

Terrorism in Bangladesh: Stand up Again Please!!

2005-11-15T11:12:00.000+06:00

It happened again very sadly. Terrorist group in Bangladesh yesterday killed two judges. Read the news in detail from Bangladesh News: JMB Suicide Bomber kills two judges on their way to court. This is an unfortunate trend in the recent years where fundamentalism and religious militancy in Bangladesh have been on rise. Since, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has allied with the wicked Jamat-i-Islami and Islami Forum to come to power; Islamist groups have been politically and administratively patronized in Bangladesh. BNP has utilized Bangla Bhai Inc. and their partners to protect and solidify their political vision and interest. We sadly witness that their patronized protege has now become Frankenstein of our time and has really gone out of their grip.

I passionately appeal to my fellow Bloggers/friends to join me to condemn terrorism and abandon all political forces that sponsor, join and tolerate religious fundamentalism and militancy in Bangladesh. Bangladesh became independent twice before, first time from the Pakistani force in 1971, second time from HM Ershad’s military junta in 1990. Now, it’s another call for all of us to free our beloved land- Bangladesh from the evil shadow of religious extremism for today and forever. Stand up and raise your hands once again with the same spirit of independence.

SAARC Summit Coverage: Western Media Bias or Neglect?

2005-11-13T10:02:00.000+06:00

Picture: Courtesy of New Age

SAARC summit started in Bangladesh on November 12th. Seven head of states of South Asian Countries sat side by side who represented 1.5 billion people- one fifth of the world population. It’s true that SAARC has neither yielded much cooperation among member countries nor subsided bitter animosity or mistrust between India and Pakistan or its neighbor. Yet, the spirit of SAARC can usher renewed commitment to friendship, mutual understanding, and openness in bilateral and multilateral relationships among member countries. The ultimate success of SAARC cooperation can dramatically uplift the South Asian countries towards a common goal of prosperity and peaceful coexistence.

SAARC Media Coverage by Western Media Outlets as of November 13th 9:05 am (Bangladesh Time):

BBC: 3rd item only under the South Asian section: Regional leaders meet in Dhaka
CNN: No news about SAARC Summit in the main page or in its international section.
Reuters: 6th item under International news coverage: No India, Pakistan progress at South Asian summit
AFP: AFP news coverage via Yahoo news: Under World-Asia section- South Asian rivals say only peace will end poverty.
Google News Search: Google news search shows summit coverage mainly by Indian, Pakistani and Chinese news outlets.

The destiny of 1.5 billion south Asian people is sadly intrigued by an alarming precedence of poverty, natural disaster, nuclear threats, and terrorism. Undoubtedly, a fire cracker blast in Dhaka city on the eve of SAARC Summit could potentially draw much more media attention in the Western news channels than a blissful and cordial summit of these seven head of states!!! Unfortunately, this significant happening has been pitifully neglected by the Western media outlets. Is it western Media bias or intentional neglect? Addabaj is not begging or whining for big media coverage of the summit, rather he is challenging the big western media channels to redefine responsible journalism dedicated to promote human peace and understanding. Believe it or not, this World is really getting smaller where communities living on both sides of the Atlantic uniquely share the same pain and threat whether that’s been covered by these Media channels or not.

SAARC Reality and Agenda

2005-11-11T22:18:00.000+06:00

SAARC summit has brought a lot of excitements in the capital of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Over 10 million Dhaka city dwellers have been disillusioned by the royal arrangements. City has been secured by elite 40,000 sophisticated law enforcement members. Yaaa... it is party time for the big leaders of the poor nations. We’re spending almost 2.2 million dollars for a two-day summit. How much do we need to spend and waste for a picture perfect summit show? Do the poor South Asians dare to put some questions on the table for their beloved, esteemed and celebrated leaders on the eve of the SAARC summit?

· Why do we fight with our neighbors?
· Why do we build up big military forces?
· Why do we race for nuclear powers?
· Why do we have big brother attitude?
· Why do we sponsor and tolerate religious extremists?
· Why are we so corrupt?
· Why do we starve?
· Where is our vote?
· Why don’t we have democratic governments?
· Why aren’t you accountable?
· Why do you think governments are your inherited properties?

There is no answer. Please next time arrange a SAARC Citizen summit for the unsung people of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka who can freely and fearlessly talk about their right, suffering, desperation and deprivation. Yes, these people are the center point of this summit. Yet, they don’t have any voice or face. They are the forgotten and neglected mass....lost in numbers. See the real picture of the SAARC countries for 2003 from the World Bank data compiled by this Addabaj:

Noor Hossain's Sacrifice for Democracy

2005-11-10T22:47:00.000+06:00

Noor Hossain in Bangladesh died today in 1987. His sacrifice was a milestone in the democratic movement of Bangladesh. Adda could not find much coverage about Noor’s sacrifice in our dailies on the 18th anniversary. Thank you New Age for interviewing Noor Hossain’s mother. Correspondent Arif Newaz Farazi writes at the New Age on November 10, 2005, Noor’s mother proud of son:

“Mariam Begum could not hold her tears speaking about her son. ‘It is hard for any mother to lose her son. But I have no sorrows,’ she said. ‘I am proud of Noor.’ Noor Hossain was shot dead by the Law enforcers near Zero Point in Dhaka, when he joined a procession, which was part of a movement calling for an end to the military dictatorship of HM Ershad.

The 25-year-old became an icon of democratic movement. With ‘down with autocracy’ painted in white on the back and ‘free democracy’ on the chest, Noor took to the streets 18 years ago on this day. A picture of Noor from behind, hands flung out in protest and the inscription ‘down with autocracy’ shining boldly, has become one of the symbols embodying the spirit of democratic movement of the late 1980s. Mariam said she was grateful to the subsequent governments for providing for her family and naming Zero Point as Noor Hossain Square.... Noor Hossain’s killing was among the many factors that sparked off widespread violent protests against HM Ershad’s military regime and its subsequent fall on December 6, 1990, paving the way for restoration of democracy”.

Addabaj finds inspiration in Shamsur Rahman’s poem dedicated to Noor Hossain:

Roar, O Freedom
Shamsur Rahman

"...A horrid monster comes, casting dark shadows
all around;
in a moment he crushes under his heels
the foundation of new civilization,
he hangs the full moon on the scaffold,
declares unlawful the blossoming
of the lotus and the rose.
He bans my poems, stanza by stanza,
quietly, without any fanfare,
he bans your breath,
he bans the fragrance of your hair.

By the bent body of the young girl
sitting on the lonely porch of old age.
waiting for the dawn of happy days.
By the long days and nights of Nelson Mandella
spent behind the bars.

By the martyrdom of the heroic youth
Noor Hossain,
O Freedom, raise your head like Titan,
give a sky shattering shout,
tear off the chain around
your wrists.
Roar, Freedom, roar mightily"!

Translation: Kabir Chowdhury

SAARC Summit: No More Beggars in Dhaka

2005-11-08T06:10:00.000+06:00

It's interesting news item that's been neglected by most of the news outlets in Bangladesh that on the eve of the SAARC Summit in Dhaka, Bangladesh Government has tried to physically remove all the beggars from Dhaka city streets until November 14th. Dhaka city has become off limit to beggars as they may cause embarrassment and security concern in front of the foreign dignitaries. Police force has actively worked to apprehend most beggars that range from 27,000 to 100,000. Their presence in the capital city will definitely undermine the SAARC agenda for poverty alleviation in South Asian countries!!! Read the rest from a Bangla newspaper coverage:

Story of 71

2005-11-07T06:25:00.000+06:00

It’s amazing to find how the internet has brought us closer to each other or even a click away. As I’ve been searching for 71er golpo (story of 71), I’ve come across a noble initiative by a group of Bangladeshi generation in Washington DC Metro area. This group is working to present a stage show on the story of 1971. This performance will take place in Virginia on November 12th by the young children of expatriates from Bangladesh in the USA. I’m really excited to see a small step for raising awareness of culture and history of Bangladesh. Wish you the best from Adda’s page!!!

Living painfully outside the eid celebration

2005-11-06T22:38:00.000+06:00

We’ve just celebrated joyous eid here in Bangladesh. People are watching eid entertainments on TV screens, some folks are venturing outside at crowded parks, Zoo, museum, local and foreign tourist spots for recreation. Eid brings food, fun, and festivity after a month’s of fasting that puts rich and poor together in experiencing hunger and deprivation. On Eid day, TV news lines beamed the royal celebration of the big guns, politicians, and on. People lined up to see a glance of her highness.

Sadly, have these jubilant crowds forgotten almost 2 million hungry people at the northern districts of Bangladesh from the semi-famine condition that called “Monga”? Famine in the northern districts contrasts the abundance of richness of the Haves in cities of Bangladesh. A popular Bangladeshi Actor and Parliament member Asaduzzaman Nur appeals to the people for relief, fund and assistance for the deprived and hungry people. Mr. Nur has passionately asked people to share the joy of eid with the poor and the deprived folks in the northern districts. Opposition party demands the ruling party’s resignation for failure to tackle Monga. On the other hand, Government claims the Monga situation is media portrayed picture. A Bangladeshi blog Salam Dhaka puts out the picture of famine from a daily, an elderly person died while waiting for relief. I looked at one academic scholar’s writing on famine (monga) perspective and its solutions over the Daily Star column last year.

People die as they are poor, powerless and helpless in the northern districts of Bangladesh. Their images of suffering are false and fabricated as they’re non-existent anyway in the eyes of the ruling party. Their death and suffering won't hit the headline as they're not going to decide who’ll come to power in the next election. Adda wants to put them in the headline and ask all of you to join hands and hearts to help and reach the hunger stricken faces-that’s the real teaching of fasting. I recite our Great poet Nazrul Islam’s poem Eid Mobarak that resembles the current situation:

“...Says Islam, we are all for one another,
share joy and sorrow equally,
Is it ordained for some people
to shed tears and for others to
light up chandeliers!
And just two people to have princely
luck, millions to suffer from bad luck?
That is not the prescription of Islam.
So has Idul-Fitr ushered in the new dispensation,
you who are hoarding up, you should
give away all surplus,
you must have food to satisfy your hunger!
The cup of enjoyment boils over in your hands,
but those who are thirsty have a
share in the cup,
you must, O my hero, give them
and then enjoy profusely...”

Translated by: Basudha Chakravarty

Victory of Humanity at Disaster

2005-10-31T21:52:00.000+06:00

Massive earthquake in Pakistan has again shown people’s helplessness and vulnerability to natural disaster. We see immense loss, grief, immeasurable suffering and anguish. We see how the humanity comes together to reach and help. We see human sacrifice and assistance redefine altruism. Humanity wins one more time. Political disputes, conflicts, anxiety and tension disappear to help people in distress. Over 55, 000 people died in Kashmir and 17,000 were children. Images from the disaster areas were very painful. A girl has been rescued after eight days from the rubble gives new hope, illuminates the victory of human sacrifice and love.

When people come from all over the world to help the victims of earthquake, it shows people are for people across the world. It reunites and reconnects the humanity across the border to show what we are supposed to be for!!! Then, we forget again until another disaster hits us. We hardly strive to see, sustain, and uphold this brighter side of humanity. Unconditional human love and care for each other cross all religious, national, racial boundaries at the crucial time of disaster. This Addabaj from the disaster prone Bangladesh proudly proclaims the victory of humanity. Lalon, Bengali mystic singer, sings the victory of love that we often forget and neglect:

“There is so much happiness
in the kingdom of love
that it is impossible to tell it all.
One who has come there
has lost himself in (love);
He has no wish
to go to another kingdom...”

Songs of Lalon (Translated by Br. James)

3000 Katrina Victims Laid off at New Orleans

2005-10-05T16:01:00.000+06:00

It is very sad when another blow to Katrina victims took place quietly. 3000 non-essential city workers who are half of the city workers lost their job. First, they lost their loved ones and belongings to Katrina and now they lost their job to dry up funding and negligence. When billions of dollars are promised and being spent for Katrina victims, a quiet departure of 3000 city workers is outside of the relief scope. New Orleans city does not have enough money to maintain them in pay roll when paying distressed empolyee is not public or federal responsibility!!! This move will save the city around 8 million dollars a month!!! My heart from Bangladesh goes with another 3000 victims who are unsung and forgotten heroes. I really hate to phrase that these 3000 city workers actually live outside the American dreams!!! May be, poverty, helplessness, ambivalence and indifference have no political borders. Please read the rest frm BBC: New Orleans sacks 3000 workers...

Breaking the Cycle of Monotony

2005-10-04T06:26:00.000+06:00

The monomanial expression in Adda has created some sort of monotony in the mind of readers. The reality escaping minds want to hear positive and bright side of life in Bangladesh. The continuous feeding of bad and sad news in and around Bangladesh may not yield much optimism and sanity in our mind. It may sound frustrating when Addabaj prefers to live in the page of history just to escape the touch of reality. Looking back at the history is not that much bad, it may energize the mind to move on and to break the cycle of monotony. Life moves on a small boat at the sunset. The destination seems very far away that won’t despair the mind to row. I quietly listen to Tagore’s song to break the cycle of monotony:

"This is my delight, thus to wait and watch
at the wayside where shadow chases light
and the rain comes in the wake of summer.
Messengers, with tidings from unknown skies,
greet me and speed along the road.
My heart is glad within, and
the breath of the passing breeze is sweet.
From dawn till dusk I sit here before my door,
and I know that of a sudden
the happy moment will arrive when I shall see.
In the meanwhile I smile and I sing all alone.
In the meantime the air is filling
with the perfume of promise".

Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali

Click here to read this posting in Bangla:

Rescue me from bias and save my ethos!!

2005-09-30T06:53:00.000+06:00

I read news, blogs and talk to friends. I get comments, compliments, and complaints. I see bias, prejudice, and petty interest. I see how greed, deception, helplessness, loneliness, enmity, anger, tension, danger rein our mind, our life, our society and our world. Our window of conscience suddenly becomes narrower. Our shadow starts getting longer and darker. Suddenly, we love to live in the past; we start singing “...If I could change the world”.

Then I feel I’ve lost my lonely voice right here in Bangladesh. My voice is buried in the noise of nuisance, it murmurs in my lips. I wish if I could sound like thunder, so that every one could clearly hear, and lightning suddenly could reenact the past that we deny all the time as blinds. Trying to be blind is more painful than being a blind. Truth is absolute, it has no substitute. Poor Socrates died only to teach “Know Thyself”. Our pride lives in truth, not in ignorance, not in arrogance. I quietly write in Adda, “Rescue me from bias, save my ethos”. My mind is not for sale; my soul and my world are not dead and occupied by prejudice. I regain confidence when I see Gilgamesh has survived almost 4700 years. As this mythological hero’s story retold by: Herbert Mason, I renew my commitment to overcome today’s shadow and loss:

"....you must return
And bury your loss and build
Your world anew with your own hands.
I envy you your freedom".

Jamati and Moududi Thoughts: An Illustration of Bankruptcy

2005-09-25T21:49:00.000+06:00

I’d like to assure Adda’s readers that I absolutely have no personal or political agenda in Adda. I feel ethically obligated to express my thoughts and ideas independently and objectively when most of the Islamic and nationalistic ideas in Bangladesh are basically bankrupt, distorted and politically biased. Jamati Islami, as a fundamentalist and extremist Islamic party in Bangladesh, needs to look at their misdeeds and misrepresentation of Islamic thoughts that really hurt them and absolutely undermine the Muslim world.

Jamatis inherited their Islamic ideologies from Moududi, a Pakistani literary scholar who has never had any in-depeth Islamic knowledge and background even he appears to be as an Islamic scholar to Jamatis and its followers. Basically, Jamatis read his “Tafhims” (explanation of Holy Quran) as text books and frequently use them as references. Tafhim was considered controversial about different statments on prophethood and sunnah. Any literate person can browse books in this regard that highlighted distortion in Moududi's thoughts. Moududi, like Jamati leader Golam Azam, lacks any academic background and expertise in Islamic teaching. Yet, their books and booklets are text books for Jamatis that simply ignite their Jihadi political spirits based on narrow and misleading explanations of Islamic tenets. Philosophically, Jamatis follow the Taiymiah explanation and thoughts that have narrowly followed basic Islamic beliefs and drastically lacked the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions' teaching.

In Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries, they have followed Taiymiah’s strict teaching of Islam that Jamatis and their leader Moududi have always allied with. Saudi assistance and influence have generously benefited Jamatis and their followers to establish financial and academic institutions in Bangladesh. Islamic scholars in the mainstream Muslim world have always rejected Wahabi and Moududi’s fundamentalist thoughts as false and misguided. Islam in its belief and practice has never endorsed any political party system and putting a party in this effect, indeed, can be considered as a misguided innovation.

Jamatis perceive political islam as their mainstream ideology where extremism reins their thoughts and practice. For example, few blind people were asked to depict an elephant by touching. Each blind person explained an elephant based on the body part or limb he touched as an Elephant. Jamatis are like those blinds who firmly believe in and fight only for the fundamentalist form of political Islam that simply lacks the complete and fair expression and practice of Islamic tenets. Islam teaches peace, compassion and leaves no place for violence in its practice.

In Bangladesh, politically active and conscious people who rejected Jamatis have never been adequately equipped to refute Jamati view points in larger context other than their disgraceful collaboration with Pakistanis in mass killing of innocent Bangladeshis. On the other hand, Islamic scholars in Bangladesh who fundamentally exposed the bankruptcy in Jamati and Moududi thoughts have mostly failed to articulate and present their writings to the larger audience of conscious people. In reality, Jamatis have found ways to reappear as Epiphytes in our political system. History has shown us independence loving Bangladeshis' hearts and souls have never been deceived for a long period. People will wake up to put Jamatis in the dustbin of history.

A Child from Katrina: I know her!!!

2005-09-20T06:29:00.000+06:00

I look at the pictures of Katrina victims as I follow the news. I see the young children, almost 2000 of them are lost and separated from their families. I see a young girl, who's so young that she can not speak. Her eyes only show her immense helplessness, sadness, anguish, despair, detachment, and sorrow...She looks around for known faces, laughter, giggle, warmth, close hug. She misses them altogether very abruptly. I know her. She's the one who shows us the pain of loosing everything. I've seen the same child in Bangladesh in 1988 and 1991 when we had flood and tornado. She is the one who doesn't know the party politics, race relations, social responsiveness, consciousness, good samaritarian's hands.

All she knows that she needs her long lost mummy, her brother, her world. Who'll find her mummy, her loved ones? It's very shocking, very painful, and very tragic that I can hardly put her pains into words. What can I offer from here in Bangladesh is my best wishes and my prayers and a sense of inspiration to rise to help and to reach. May be a prayer song from our Great Poet Rabindranath Tagore has some healing voice and goodness:

"...Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor or
bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above
daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my
strength to thy will with love".

Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali

Wal-Mart and children of Bangladesh

2005-09-16T23:06:00.000+06:00

In the recent weeks, headlines touched children from Bangladesh. Wal-Mart, one of the largest retailer stores in the USA, has been sued for allegedly violating labor practice and child labor law. Read the news from Yahoo. Children must have been very happy in Bangladesh as someone has finally seen their plight, their abuse and lack of right. They don’t have to work anymore, now they can start begging in the street. I’m just kidding!!!

I know Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million associates all over the world with a business worth of almost 300 billion dollars. Now, please close down all the Wal-Mart stores where typically people flock to get merchandise at a reduced rate and transfer all the assets to the poor children and their attorneys.... Suddenly, children are at front page, when their community, society, government and their mothers deny and undermine children’s rights every day, suddenly a law suit will change their destiny forever. Welcome to globalization.

I read an interesting article that’s called “Wal-Mart is rich, let’s suit them!” I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but they say, “some parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World”. But who can show the real picture down to the earth right now in Dhaka, Bangladesh. May be a nine year old child can tell you the real story that doesn’t hit the headline.

Rehabilitating Terrorists

2005-09-11T06:07:00.000+06:00

Today is September 11, the 4th anniversary of terrorist attacks in the USA. On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked and killed three thousand innocent people. Everyone is remembering and mourning the prescious lives of the lost and loved ones. It's a traumatizing incident that caused havoc and immense loss. What's the USA is doing? Their force and the intelligence are going from the North to South, East to West to find these culprits. If I ask you, are they going to rehabilitate these terrorists? You'll respond, "are you crazy"?

But in the same token if you look at three million innocent Bangladeshi who lost their lives by the Pakistani army and its collaborator Jamatis in 1971, it turns quite different and opposite. Now the same terrorist Jamati group has allied with the party in power in Bangladesh. If the Americans can not forgive the few terrorists that killed three thousands, how can we forgive and forget the fundamentalist and terrorist Jamati group that killed three million innocent people in nine months?

Is justice going to be redefined now? Is the law of land going to be blind? How can the humanity be indifferent and neglectful? While I express my full sympathy with the Americans for the enormous loss of three thousands in the USA, I would also challenge you to go through the horror of loss of three millions in Bangladesh. Life is life across the border... Click the picture below to read the whole book:

Propaganda against Jamati Islami in Bangladesh

2005-09-09T06:36:00.000+06:00

I received a few interesting comments about my article on August 24th on the blame game regarding recent bombing incidents in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate reality in Bangladesh that Jamat and its followers have betrayed and collaborated wtih the Pakistani military junta in the hienous mass killing in Bangladesh. They’ve always promoted extreme millitant explanation of Islam. Philosphically, they’re guided by a so-called Pakistani literary scholar Moududi whose incomplete and inaccurate explanation promoted Islamic extremism and fundamentalism for the last four decades in the South Asia. Jamat has always subscribed to the fundamentalist tenets following Moududi’s explanation. Some of you may even have forgotten how many wrists they had cut off in Chittagong and Rajshahi Univeristy in the name of Islam!!!

Now, Jamat has suddenly reappeared as a patriotic and nationalist force in Bangladesh. Have they ever committed any crime against humanity? No, never ever. They’re only a patriotic, democratic and peaceful political movement guided by the islamic idelogy that promotes islamic political process!!! What a hypocracy??? How can they even hide their blood soaked hands that killed so many innocent Bangladeshis in 1971? Now, their followers are causing havoc by 459 small bombs just to prove that all this is a simple propaganda against innocent Jamatis??? What a historic tragedy for the most distressed and helpless people in Bangladesh!!! Read the rest in Bangla...

Dancing monkeys playing blame game...

2005-08-24T06:17:00.000+06:00

Bangladesh has sadly hit the infamous headline again . On August 17th, 459 small bombs (Daily Star) simultaneously exploded all over the country to testify the subtle existence of the so-called unpatriotic Jihadi group in Bangladesh and to validate the "Conspiracy theory". The party in power allied with the Islamist group (Jamati & Islami Jot) formed the Government to override the existence of the radical islamist group in Bangladesh. Indeed, the same Jamati group and its brethren were responsible for killing innoncent Bangladeshis in 1971.

If you refresh your memory, even in the recent past they terrorized students and political activists. Now as they are dressed with powerful, and colorful political dress ups, every one seems to forget and deny their terror and massacre. Read my two columns from March this year where I sent an "Open Letter to My Friend" on "History Lesson". Who cares? We thought monkeys would be quiet with bananas (of power). It seems very comforting for us to quickly and tactfully shift blame on the opposition party and/or the foreign government.

Aren't the dancing monkeys playing blame game to cover up the reality? Jihadi terrorist groups are not part of the Bangladeshi community. They don't and won't reflect the inner heart of the general Bangladeshi people. Rediscovering "Conspiracy Theory" is the most valued defensive shield for political show for right now. Let's rerun the political game show one more time to fool most of us until this nation gets treatment for political amnesia.

Fishing a dead fish: An Ex-President's tale

2005-07-07T06:39:00.000+06:00

Does it happen only in Bangladesh? May be not? Who does fish a dead fish in dirty water? How does it look like when you catch a dead fish in dirty water, if you ever can? Who does have the interest? Who does run the startling political drama around a marital problem of an ex-president in Bangladesh? In the recent weeks, we’ve been really tired over the overzealous coverage of a marital dispute of an Ex-President of Bangladesh, H M Ershad. His divorce drama was really interesting. His ex-wife Bidisha’s ill-fate drew nationwide sympathy for her. Didn’t Bidisha know how many women were allured, seduced and tragically exploited by this Ex-Gentleman...? Where’s justice? Haven’t we seen the enormous efficiency and competency of our law enforcement and justice sytem to try Bidisha? Indeed, we have.

To me, Ershad is a dead fish politically and personally. I only remember his regime of tyranny, his imposing poetry (self-proclaimed poet), student movement for democracy, loss of education years due to strikes and closings, bloodsheds, hypocracy, most travelled President, and Nur Hussain’s sacrifice for demorcacy.... It’s a smart move to introduce political drama over a marital issue of an ex-fish.

Please fish a dead fish for new excitements, fool us again, when the poor Bangladesh quietly begs for peace, stability, transparency, honesty, justice, and accountability. It’s really fishy now. What’s next? Wait for the next episode now.

Coming out from hibernation ...

2005-07-04T11:22:00.000+06:00

It’s amazing to be in hibernation. Suddenly, this Addabaj (Gossip) has disappeared from the horizon of webblog. I’m living right around the corner as a non-existent. I’m alive and well but I feel as I'm lost and grounded. I simply needed some time only for myself. Life suddenly appears to me as a moving car that takes turn and stops for a while before it speeds up again. My inner feeling energizes me to drive my life as a car to its destination without fear and anguish.

I’ve chosen 4th of July to post my first column after this hiatus. Let me wish my friends in the USA the very best on America’s indepndence day. Freedom is for all in its entirety. The spirit of independence needs to uplift the humanity all over the world against injustice, oppression, and intolerance. When 4th of July will illuminate the sky all over the USA, I hope it’ll greet all of us right here, there, and everywhere with a genuine awakening of the worth of real human freedom and independence, not the artifical and superficial one. Long live freedom!!! Cherish and celebrate independence in our very thoughts, expressions and works!!! Let's enlighten our minds with the real spirit of independence- that's the real beginning when you really want to come out from hibernation and alienation.

Visit the following resources to find out more about the 4th of July celebration in the USA:

Sorry, No Posting in June'05

2005-06-28T13:10:00.000+06:00

Sorry, no posting in May'05

2005-05-30T13:08:00.000+06:00

"Selling Eye" took over my thought

2005-04-24T22:35:00.000+06:00

"Desperate mother puts eye on sale” from Bangladesh has attracted Reuters coverage for oddly enough news. Shefali Begum has not sold her eye. In the mean time, her story got huge hit in the news even she had not asked to sell her 2½ year old daughter, had not injured or killed anyone, had not abandoned her child. She has tried to sell one of her eyes for money, for subsistence- a huge denial of social darwinism. She is definitely pursuing her freedom of choice for the pursuit of happiness and success. She has taken her own intiative in providing for her needs-the definining idea of individualism.

Only thing she has forgotten to realize in a world where she is trying to sell eye for money, a lot of eyes with abundance and affluence have already been sold to personal lust, greed and growth. Unfortunately, these eyes don’t see her plight and anguish, and don’t feel her pain. This news is very sad and odd for us. A lot of discussions are now going on in the message borad to reach her, to help her and to be humane afterall again. With an oddly enough news, she may have opened a lot of eyes and insights for the time being as we feel very embarassed and humiliated.

As I was reading one of my favorite writers, Michael Harrington’s The Other America, Poverty in the United States of America, I found, “...the poor are politically invisible. It is one of the cruelest ironies of social life in advanced countries that the dispossessed at the bottom of soceity are unable to speak for themselves. ... They (the poor) are without lobbies of their own; they put forward no legislative program. As a group, they are atomized. They have no face; they have no voice”. Shefali Begum from Bangladesh, a developing country from South Asia, has come up in the news media with a new face and voice of desperation that only resides in poverty.

“The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds” (Keynes).

Living inside bubbles

2005-04-18T06:14:00.000+06:00

Poverty is increasing both in the poor and the rich in Bangladesh. While the poor are becoming poorer financially as economic opportunities are shrinking and the rich are becoming poorer mentally as they’re increasingly living outside the touch of reality and sanity. Bangladesh is no longer a test case of development, it is presenting the glowing picture of the best consumeristic economy in the developing world. Look at the goods and luxury items in Dhaka city’s crowded shopping centers! Look at the Models of cars people are now driving in the Metropolitan areas! Some People over here even wait for Lexus model cars from the car dealers.

Who dare to say people are poor over here. We are all living inside bubbles and feeling very safe and secured !!! I’m not going to refer to statistical models or findings right here. We are definitly and successfully creating a show case of development that shows richness and abundance for the “Haves”. Even the capitalistic societies in the West have some sort of social safety net for the poor. We are amazingly creating a wonderful safety net for the poor in paper, planning and political speeches!!! That is why Addabaj is searching a new framework of understanding for all of us who are living inside bubbles. Who will remind us that bubbles are very transient and unsafe by nature, as I see children are busy in making bubbles. In my next blog, I’ll reconceptualize individualism in Bangladesh context. Read the rest in Bangla:

Happy Bangla New Year

2005-04-14T06:17:00.000+06:00

Happy Bangla New Year

Bangla New Year is deeply rooted in Bangladesh. In the rural areas, small buisnessmen and store owners open new books and collect their debts from the patrons on the First day of Bangla month of Baisakh. People go to fair and enjoy colorful shows. In order to know more about Bangla New Year festival, please visit:

New Ideas for Adda

2005-04-10T19:34:00.000+06:00

Life is entangled with busy tasks of every day. I try to find time from my busy life schedule. I’d like to write on the wonderful human transition from industrial revolution to information revolution. I want to present our self identity, renaissance, tradition, historic consciousness, religious fanaticism, negative change in social values, instability, poverty, inequality, political intolerance and crisis in democracy. Social changes come through evoliving ideas and introspection. Next time I’ll be back with our eternal tradition and cultural heritage to observe Bangla New Year. Read the rest in Bangla:

My First Job Interview

2005-04-08T10:00:00.000+06:00

It happened right after my graduation from Dhaka Univesity. I was referred by my Professor to the Country Representative of a renowned donor agency in Dhaka. At the very end of my inerview, I was asked whom did I vote for in the Student Union? My interviewer was happy when they found that I voted for BJCD who were elected at that time. I was too happy to find out that they did not ask me whether I've ever joined in any student procession. If they did, I had to tell them one time I joined to protest the fundamenatlist Chatra Shibir's atrocity in the student campus and the one other time to protest Ershad's millitary governemnt. I'm glad they did not. I got the job right then that I needed too much. Read the rest in Bangla:

Lost her job!!!

2005-04-07T06:32:00.000+06:00

I could not believe my eyes when I browsed this six month old news from BBC. Could someone be fired for blogging without any warning from her employer? If it's in Iran, I could believe it. It's really shocking? I hope, this airline attendant has already hired a good lawyer. I'm really shocked!!!Read the rest of the story from BBC:

See the snap shot from BBC:

My Favorite Hide Outs

2005-04-05T06:11:00.000+06:00

It's really interesting to share with you my very favorite hide outs. Almost every day, I used to stop by one of these hide outs on my way back home from the University. I think, these hide outs had lasting effects on my academic career and personal growth. These hide outs were my favorite spots to escape the scorchy summer and to browse quietly to advance my learning curve.

As I told you before, I love books. I still remember, during my childhood, whenever I had a fight with my elder sister, my father used to give me children's books and usualy asked me to go and read the book. He told, `Read this story book, it'll never fight with you'. Thanks Dad, I'm really blessed!!! So, I used to read quietly and it continued when I grew up. My secret and favorite hideouts were:

American Center Library (Used to be at Dhanmondi, right now at Banani!!!)
British Council Library
Community Development Library

Please visit my favorite hangout and hide out places that I adore a lot. In the coming edition, I'll take you to my first job interview. Signing off right now to venture my long day. Thanks for stopping by.

In Search of Human Relationship

2005-04-03T00:56:00.000+06:00

Read in Bangla:

My First Love

2005-04-01T17:39:00.000+06:00

I've received an overwhelming response from my friends who can hardly wait to hear about my First Love one more time. I don't know what and how much I should put out. After all, this is my life and my story. I thought, I should honestly share my real story. Before I say anything, I've really forgotten that today is the April full day. How come did they forget? Hahhhhaaaa.. Read the rest in Bangla:

Send your comment to addabaj.

Who will read blogs?

2005-03-30T05:04:00.000+06:00

Blogging is a quick and concise way to publish personal thoughts and ideas in the virtual world. As Timmermans tries to define in her blog: “A blog is a frequently updated website of personal ideas, thoughts, musings, news, information, or discussions on perhaps what one has eaten for breakfast, or who is winning the war. More succinctly, a blog is a frequently modified web site with entries in reverse chronological order”.

I’m a late comer in the world of webblog. As I started writing, some of my addabaj friends questioned, “Who’ll really read”? “Who has time”? Why are you writing on serious issues?? To answer their questions, I say, I'm really writing for me, for my friends and for soul searching indpendent minds. As a curious Bangal, I browse a lot to know and see in the limitless virtual world and try to unfold my ideas in Adda.

As per my friends’ request for lighter issues, I’ll dedicate my story about my “First Love” in my next blog. You’ve to wait until Friday. Signing off until then.

Good morning, Bangladesh

2005-03-26T10:01:00.000+06:00

MARCH 1, 1971
By: Syed Shamsul Huq

"See, I'm unarmed, but
I have the kind of arms that is
Never exhausted, which with every use
Only grows sharper and sharper - my life.
I don't have only one life,
But millions and millions of lives.
See, I do not have a flag
In my hand, but the flag I possess
Is not raised on the mast of some braggart
My flag is my mother's face.
I don't have only one mother,
But millions and millions of mothers..."
Courtesy of: Kothon

Good morning, Bangladesh!!! We wake up on March 26th to celebrate our freedom fight in 1971. Look at Bangladesh Holocaust 1971, a pictorial history of our freedom fight. You can read on-line in Acrobat format Muntassir Mamoon’s The Vanquished Generals and The Liberation War of Bangladesh, 2000, Translated from Bengali by Kushal Ibrahim, Dhaka, Somoy Prokashan.

This day I revisit my memoir with all of us in the home. I take out Dhaka 1971, a pictorial book from the bookshelf and look at the books as I tell them about March 1971 and afterwards. Read the rest of my article in Bangla:

Why It's So Hazy?

2005-03-20T21:58:00.000+06:00

March always reminds me our dichotomy in observing our freedom fight. I've always found it to be very fascinating that odd moves by the political interests and their pundits in Bangladesh to monopolize the freedom fight and history of freedom for petty political interests. Our freedom fight was a collective effort and sacrifice. Look at the picture of genocide in Bangladesh in 1971. Do you see how all of us have sacrificed and fought? Visit Bangladesh Genocide Memorial. I've no more to add. I silently look at Kazi Nazrul Islam's poem, "Some Forget":

Some remember
Others forget,
The memories
That past begets.

Some weep
Struck with grief
Some sing
For relief.

Some feel,
In the clouds
The horror of
Thunder abounds.

...Some keep awake
With doors open
For the new
Moon of tomorrow
(Translated by Syed Mujibul Huq)

What R U Doing today to honor the sacrifice of the freedom fighters that gave you a map, a flag and a Bangladeshi identity?

Open Letter to My Friend

2005-03-18T22:37:00.000+06:00

After reading my columns at Adda, one of my friends has recently sent me an e-mail questioning my intention. He was asking me why I was bringing up issues about the collaborators who joined Pakistanis in mass killing in Bangladesh in 1971. It's true that only in Bangladesh justice never comes or even it comes, it's too late. That is why, the mass killer Rajakars don't face justice the way Nazis faced the Nurmebarg trial. It always turns to the opposite in Bangladesh as these killers get rehabilitated socially and politically. I think, our new generation will wake up in consisousness. Read my column in Bangla:

Name of a Road...

2005-03-12T10:08:00.000+06:00

Salimullah Road at Mohammadpur in Dhaka city was named after Saheed Salimullah who was killed by the Pakistanis in the month of March. Read my column in Bangla:

History Lesson

2005-03-09T17:15:00.000+06:00

That's the closing statement of my history teacher in almost every class when I was in the school. History appeared to us to be very colorful, adventurous and painful in our young minds the way he presented history to us. We always loved to go back and travel to the past with our history teacher. The whole class used to be very quiet and attentive. The last thing he used to say is: "The biggest lessson of history is that no one takes lesson from it". It always comes back in my mind when I look back at our history in Bangladesh.

It's true whether we accept it, admit it, or deny it, history is very ruthless and unforgiven. In our lifetime, we've seen so many times history repeated itself. The strongest regime collapsed and tumbled down to its feet when the masses woke up. Look at 1969, look at 1971 and look afterwards. Nothing stopped the mass uprising. In the back alleyes of history, attempts were taken to obsess and seduce the collective consiousness through money, poetry, and terror. All those attemtps ended at the garbage can of history. We survived and won. All the powerful buildings collapsed, obsessive poetries evaporated. Epiphytes in the political arena may temporarily survive but can not take the root in our collective consciouness. In my lonely mind, I get inspired as I listen:

Two Great Poets

2005-03-01T20:37:00.000+06:00

March symbolizes the month of freedom fight and sacrifice in Bangladesh. In order to honor our freedom fighters and to wake up from hibernation, I've offered few lines from the two great poets. Great Poet Dr. Maya Angelou from the USA and the Rebellious Poet Nazrul Islam from Bangladesh wrote these two poems at two different turning points of history. Nazrul’s poem “The Rebel” was inspirational to fight 2oo hundred year old British occupation in the Indian subcontinent. Two poems at two different times invite us to rise and raise ourselves for justice, freedom and equality that we all aspire.

Kazi Nazrul Islam
The Rebel (Bidrohi)

“Say, Valiant,
Say: High is my head...

I shall uproot this miserable earth effortlessly and with ease,
And create a new universe of joy and peace.
Weary of struggles, I, the great rebel,
Shall rest in quiet only when I find
The sky and the air free of the piteous groans of the oppressed.
Only when the battle fields are cleared of jingling bloody sabres
Shall I, weary of struggles, rest in quiet,
I the great rebel.

I am the rebel eternal,
I raise my head beyond this world,
High, ever erect and alone...”
(Translated by Kabir Chowdhury)

Maya Angelou
Still I Rise

“Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise...”

February 21st Again

2005-02-27T21:39:00.000+06:00

We've just observed February 21st. To us, February is a month that we observe to celebrate our language, our cultural identity, heritage and honor. Our brothers had sacrificed their lives to save our language Bangla from the Pakistani ruler who wanted to make Urdu our state language. After 53 years, when we celebrate our language movement, I get really upset. What happened to our beloved Bangla language? Are we quickly forgetting Bangla? Can we speak correctly? Can we write? Can we express our thoughts in Bangla?

Alas!!!! We can not even speak. Look at the Media outlets like TV and radio channels. Most of them can not speak Bangla. Look at the politicians, bureaucrats, educators, journalists? Don't know how to speak Bangla... They talk...trash..h... to me. Sorry... Do we know what happened? We know, our education system has collapsed. We are getting degrees mostly without quality. Are we loosing our very language when the whole world is supposed to celebrate International Mother Language Day on February 21st? Shame for us. February 21st has truly turned to a symbolic event. We have perfectly decorated us once again to celebrate one single day to humiliate our Martyrs' sacrifice as we have simply confined our sentiment to one single day. February 21st is coming back again next year... Get ready for another show up...

Lost My Thought

2005-01-27T07:46:00.000+06:00

I was thinking and thinking. I was thinking to put my thoughts into words. I was listening Rabindra sangeet's melody that was helping me to think through. It's a chilly night, I'm right in front of my computer by the table lamp that's illuminating my thought. I am craving for a cup of tea right at this moment. Suddenly, electricity is gone. I'm all alone in the darkness. Everything is covered by a black curtain. Where's light? No where to find even a candle. I kept sitting on the chair. I could hear in the very darkness of my surrounding, I could hear it in the very silence:

"Light my light, the world-filling light,
the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening light!
Ah, the light dances, my darling,
at the centre of my life;..."-- Tagore.

For the first time in the very darkness, I no longer need light. I can see the light is coming from the nearby along with the rhythm of music...Light my light, the world-filling light...

Eid and then

2005-01-25T08:20:00.000+06:00

I celebrated eid with friends and family. Everyone of us was very happy to see the arrangement and entertainment. Food was delicious and was too much for one day. Dhaka was more enjoyable than any time of the year as people abandoned Dhaka for their villages. Suddenly, Dhaka turned out to be a very ideal city.

I enjoyed to move channels and take the snap shots of all attractive features on the TV screen. Enjoyed none. I was tired of too much ads on TV during prime time shows. I was thinking to send mails to the TV channels to put donation boxes outside their stations and in the shopping centers. I'll donate some changes in exchange of too much repetitive TV ads. Who cares about the TV viewers? Isn't running TV shows a business? Who cares about what I like or not. We're imprisoned by.... It's not so bad as I say. Didn't they offer few programs that were quite edible with delicisous dishes?

I hear the noise is back again, I can feel the traffic is coming back. Can we put away all the bus and rail connections to Dhaka for few more days? Everyone is coming back to Dhaka again. To me, eid is more celebratory occasion as it gives me some break from traffic nightmares. I'm the selfish one!!! I think only about me. I want to see an ideal Dhaka city- "a perfect showcase of development", a city of excellence and abundance. Dhaka is my Bangladesh. I think about Eid and then after a few days... again... clumsy, busy, smoky Dhaka returns to its very original form. Please forgive me, right now I've started count down for Eid again......

Adda: The Last Resort

2005-01-05T21:12:00.000+06:00

We need some break, silence and pause in our busy life. Need to spend time with friends. Adda (bangla word for gossiping) is dedicated to my friends who love, adore and promote adda. We are here to spend quality time together in Adda's blog. I welcome you to come and stop by. I'd like to express my thoughts that I face and deal with every day right here.

We are bonded with a common thread of friendship and we share wonderful memories at Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Life has put us in different places, time has changed our appearance?? and perspectives, but it has not taken away our lust for adda (gossiping). Welcome to Adda. Adda is right here to escape from busy days, terrible traffic jams and last hundreds things to do. It's my monologue, my independent thought that I want to share with my fellow friends. Can it be our last resort for fun and virtual refreshments? May be, most likely not. Who cares....?