In the Middle of Nowhere

A lead newsitem following Mr. Wahidul Haq’s death was donation of his body for medical science. His body was handed over to BSMMU. In the past, several similar gestures and wishes could not be fulfilled due to family unwillingness as well as inaction of the authority citing lack of guideline and law. When Aroj ali Matubbor first donated his body for medical science, that created a huge backlash and controversy. Writer Humayun Azad’s wishes could not be fulfilled as apparently the family was not sure about it. In this context after death, Mt Wahidul Haq created another milestone in Bangladesh. He finally succeded in donating his body while all previous attempts failed.

With his donation Mr Wahidul Haq threw a challenge to the medical community of Bangladesh. Now it was the responsibility of the medical community to harvest all the organs and save multiple lives by transplanting them. I don’t know what exactly happeneded with his body, but I doubt his organs could have been harvested for proper transplantation. We simply do not have an efficient system in effect to harvest body organs and parts those can be life saving to others.

In this juncture I also take the opportunity to remember Dr Enamul Haq who first donated his cornea in Bangladesh. In a very humble move late Shahadat Chowdhury, ex editor of Bichitra and 2000, was the one who came forward to receive that cornea for his injured eye. Thanks to the way they showed, only organs that is regularly harvested in Bangladesh is the cornea (eye).

I hope, thanks to the way Mr Wahidul Haq showed just showed us, someday our poor healthy young man and women will no longer have to sell their organs. Posthumous donations will ensure enough organs for transplantation.

Related Blog is here.

I sent the following letter to the daily star day before yesterday. We all need to raise our voice about this issue. I urge to all who are affected, please mail a letter to the newspapers in Bangladesh and voice your opinion about unplanned shortsighted actions against VoIP operators in Bangladesh. .

WE ARE DISCONNECTED

While I and all my siblings are living outside Bangladesh, my elderly parents live in Bangladesh. Daily phone calls from me and my siblings used to keep them going with their lonely life.

There are hundreds of thousands of non resident Bangladeshi and as a consequence, in a situation similar to us, there are thousands of lonely elderly parents who are emotionally dependent on overseas calls from their children.
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During last years of Ershad, there was a tide of road building projects throughout Dhaka. ‘Bijoy Swaronee”, “Pantha Path” and “Malibagh Biswa Road’. Beautifully paved road, walled out from the neighborhoods by ceramic/grill walls. There was bougainvillea blossoming on still grilled structures in short intervals. They all really looked like parkways and malls rather than a 3 rd world country road.
Soon after Ershad fall, all the beautification vanished. Pantha path pavments and Biswa road footpaths turned into slums, and fish markets. Those bougainvilleas all are gone. The still frames for bougainvilleas turned into structures holding the shanties. Middle class people resented democracy and thought Ershad was better off. (more…)

About Turkey and Algeria

Robert Kaplan had the following to write about the current state of democracy in Turkey. This is an excerpt from the Globalist.
“In the past, when a Turkish general announced a coup, he also promised to hold elections and return the army to its barracks after a designated period. Now the military’s role is more insidious, and it is more likely to become a permanent presence in Turkish politics. As one Turkish analyst told me, ‘At National Security Council meetings, the generals bring thick dossiers from which to lecture, and the civilian cabinet ministers come as tourists. ‘
Without actually doing anything official, through a soft, postmodern process in which … the deep military state lying beneath the civilian surface had reasserted itself. It was not deep in a conspiratorial sense but deep in the sense that it was firmly grounded. To middle-class Turks, the generals were… well-meaning and paternalistic notables. ”

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So what really happened? Who forced Iajuddin to take the U-turn? Or Iajuddin is still in charge and suddenly got back his integrity?

Let’s take the help of Mr. Motiur Rahman, the editor of Prothom-alo. Mr. Motiur Rahman is known for his strong military liaison. He was the first journalist to break the ages old taboo and wrote incisive articles on irregularities in Military weapon purchase and other secret military issues.
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Developments in Dhaka are quite ominous. Although on the outside everything looks like a perfect solution of the current crisis, I have an eerie feeling that Bangladesh democracy has just taken a leap backwards.

Where nobody in Bangladesh know what is going on, even the major two political parties were trying to understand the situation, Bangladesh just got two unexpected spokesperson. One is the US government and the other is the UK high commissioner. Before anyone else they started saying that the emergency was declared for good reason, it was change towards good etc.

Then another set of developments stunned the nation. Under curfew cover, certain political leaders and ex elected representative and NGO officials were arrested. Nobody knew what specifically happened to arrest them without warrant or charges using emergency power.

Iajuddin’s speech last night was reminiscent of all the speeches delivered at the onset of military coup.
I strongly feel Bangladesh is now ruled by a military installed and protected civil leadership. And the military is being backed and protected by the “west”.

Yes Bangladesh is now like Algeria, Turkey, and Pakistan where western supported Military is the main power broker.
Bangladesh just created a very bad precedent. We used to have a free society, have freedom and democracy. Even if an elected government takes over in few months, this will be, in fact an Army installed government.

At this point rather than cheerleading the Military for their populist arrests, we need to protest the hidden military rule. First of all, the emergency must go. All arrested people must be released. We need to know who is running the Bangavaban.

In a democracy, elected political parties should run the country. In case of Bangladesh it could be Awami League or BNP. Military is the paid security apparatus of a nation. Their job is to guard the homeland and do errands to fix issues at home, not ruling the country.

In 1982, Awami League supporters were happy at Army takeover. That was definitely a short sighted approach. Everybody irrespective of party line must protest the disguised west backed military rule in Bangladesh.

Say Yes to Democracy. No to a military backed impotent democracy

The 22 January election is postponed.
A new election is in the horizon.
Let’s see what paradigm shift we achieve in voter’s list.

But most importantly BNP led alliance must take part in this poll. We can’t afford another 80 days of destructive politics.

There must not be another boycott. There must not be any support for any negative politics by BNP. I condemn BNP’s boycott of the ceremony. Whatever mysterious was the circumstance leading to this new developments, whatever shadowy are the main players now, BNP should give face value to this gesture and to the persons involved.

Again, I urge people to boycott BNP if they come out negative again. We are here now due to “Oti Chalaki” of BNP. I partly blame them for bringing in the suspected semi military rule in Bangladesh. Further negative politics, further “Oti Chalaki” will definitely hand them a “Golay Dori”.

Let people take part in polls. Let there be a election with fanfare.

Let the olive green dark cloud move out of the horizon.

Justice Fazlul Haq new CA.

No news yet about election date.

Is it a win win for all?

Awami League gets what it wants.
BNP still keeps Iajuddin in charge of all vital ministry.
Justice Falul Haq becomes the new CA. ( Was he the jamaat nominee in the advisory committee?).
Judiciary remains the same. EC may possibly face a minor change.
Ershad remains off election.

Now on what demand should mohajote keep off election?

Politics in Bangladesh lately has turned very depressing. Different TV discussion shows like ‘Tritiyo Matra’ etc are testimony to the insane rift in our society. However if you look at this ” Tritiyo Matra” type program in Al Jazeera TV, you will definitely feel, ” Hey are not there yet, we are definitely much better off”.

But the question is, are we too far away from this sort of divide?

We will know tomorrow whether Awami League AKA Mohajote will go to election or not.

Even as late as last week all the indications were that AL was going to election and AL leaders said that under prevailing situation, it was possible to go to election. A grand alliance nomination list was finalized and submitted.

Now as Ershad’s nomination got cancelled, the situation has changed. Again suddenly the prevailing situation is apparently being perceived to be hostile for a ‘free and fair election’.

Can Awami League boycott the election at this point?

1. Won’t the nation think that AL is boycotting the polls for the fallen dictator Ershad? (Coincidentally another dictator Saddam got hanged publicly in the same week).

2. AL just signed a very controversial, self conflicting electoral pact with some religious bigots. Without an election, how would this pact help AL in its upcoming street agitations?

3. Wasn’t it Ershad who forced AL into election by repeated statements that JP will go to election with candidates in 300 seats if AL boycotts the polls?

4. There is a damaging lack of analysis or legal statement supporting the court ruling against Ershad. All people are hearing are either from Ershad’s lawyers or Mr. Jalil. My only source other then Ershad lawyers is a TV interview with Retd Justice Golam Rabbani, who is definitely not a BNP aligned judge and a much respected Prothom-Alo legal contributor. Justice Rabbani was very very confident and vocal in favor of the RO and EC rulings against Ershad. Statements from eminent jurists like Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister Amirul Islam would have helped the nation at this time.

5. Not surprisingly, Ershad, who is dreaming of a comeback, is again flanked by some “Boshonter Kokils”. They were never seen after fall of Ershad. Anisul Islam Mahmood, Ziauddin Bablu (Father of destruction of student politics), Kazi Zafar didn’t face much of the wrath of most of the post Ershad governments.

6. AL lost the street agitation momentum it created just before the power handover. Election is only 3 weeks away. Is it sufficient time to create another massive agitation? With a single declaration of deploying army, Mr. Jalil started saying that the call for Bangavaban blockade was a rumor. How much mohajote can do with Army actively in the field?