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The Daily Star

Nation at 46
Much achieved, much yet to be
,
.
As we step into our 46th year of independence and celebrate our freedom, we bow our
heads to all the freedom fighters known and unknown, who put up spontaneous resistance
to the dastardly Pakistani forces not knowing what lay ahead.

.
We recall the leadership of the Father of The Nation whose clarion call (
7th March coagulated(

on

the people, and also his able lieutenants

under whose direction the nascent(

, ) nation was guided through the nine-month long

war.

If economic emancipation(

and a pluralistic democratic dispensation(

were the

twin objectives of our liberation struggle it becomes a day also of taking stock of what we
have achieved and where we might have done better than we actually have.

We can justifiably be proud of the progress made in the economy and agricultural sector.

We have crossed the threshold of a low middle income country and are able to feed a
population that has nearly tripled since 1971.

Our social indicators and our efforts to reduce child mortality and empower women have
elicited (
praise internationally, and we have ventured on one of the most
ambitious projects - the Padma Bridge-on our own
,

However, it is in the field of politics where fractious attitude has kept the people divided on
national issues.
,

Our democratic institutions remain vulnerable to extraneous pressure and if elections are
the index of the political adulthood of a nation, then the recent union parishad elections
would suggest that we have a long way to go.
;

It cannot be lost on our leaders that whatever might be our shortcomings(

those can only be overcome by shedding our differences and coming together on vital
issues of national concern.

The Daily Star

When going to school is life threatening

Repair the building immediately
.
The derelict primary school in Bera municipality in Pabna is a tragic accident waiting to
happen.

Constructed in 1969, the school building was declared abandoned in 2013 but three years
on, students continue to attend classes there risking their lives.
,
About two months ago, plaster fell from the ceiling, injuring several students and a teacher.

One would think it would be a wakeup call to the authorities but it wasn't.
,

Who will take responsibility in the event of the derelict building collapsing on the children?
?
According to the headmaster, the only reason why they are still taking classes there is
because there is no alternative facility to accommodate the students and maintain regularity
of classes.

The government prides itself on the increasing enrollment at the primary and secondary
levels, which is commendable.

Also, in the post-MDG era, discussions about bringing up the quality of education make
headlines in the media.

Is this the way to deliver on the lofty promise of ensuring quality education for all?
?
.
Local officials have, reportedly, appealed to the relevant authorities several times but to no
avail.

Is it the lack of will or lack of adequate fund that is hindering the construction of a new
building?

?
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education should look into the matter without delay.

But before that, an alternative, temporary arrangement must be made for the students and it
should be made sure that no student attends classes in this run-down building.

The Daily Star

by>>> Nasim Bin Jasim
Save the DND project area

Go after the canal encroachers

The objectives for which the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra dam project was taken up in the
1960s have been, to a large extent, nullified by the indiscriminate urbanisation of the project
area and fish farming by damming the canals.

The picture carried in this newspaper yesterday, depicting how a part of the canal has been
dammed for the purpose of fishing, says all about the management of the project. The canal
network is the lifeline of the people living inside the DND area.

This paper has been constantly highlighting the plight of water bodies in the country and
particularly the rivers that serve the major cities of the country, but the authorities seem to
be quite unconcerned over the issue.

DND project is a case in point where lack of a long term plan to address the problems has
put the nearly two million residents of the area in constant hardship, particularly in the rainy
season when the situation is compounded by hindered runoff of rainwater due to blocked

canals. Reportedly Matuail, Dakkhinpara, Muslimnagar, Mogolpara and Medical Road are
areas in particular, where several hundred fishing farms have mushroomed.

,
,

Also canals have been filled up to set up gas and petrol filling stations in the area. This is all
the more galling since the government conducts anti-encroachment drives from time to
time, only for the canal to be refilled and reoccupied.

We reiterate the call of the experts to immediately form a task force to take a coordinated
effort to resolve what has become a deep rooted problem. Apart from the technical issue
there ought to be arrangements for constant supervision of the area to prevent
encroachment.

The Daily Star

.
Abject disregard for public safety

Put appropriate measures in place

.
A construction worker working at the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover without minimum safety
gear like a hard hat died on March 16 when an iron bar fell on him in Eskaton of the capital
city.

.
.

He along with hundreds of workers employed in the construction of the 8.7km long flyover
have little or no safety gear to avoid injury or fatality.
,
.
Not only that, we are looking at a scenario where thousands of people and hundreds of
vehicles commute below the ongoing construction work and it is only a miracle that stops
more accidents like this from happening.
,

This is horrifying and we find it unconscionable that such an important infrastructure project
as this is being constructed in violation of minimum safety requirements.

We have long highlighted the plight of workers in various sectors doing dangerous jobs
without proper safety gear.

.
And this is not the only project that is violating the safety rules.

The excuse by project authorities of the flyover that workers have been provided with safety
gear but apparently they are not at ease using them is very difficult to believe.

There is a general lack of enforcement by authorities to make sure contractors adhere to

official guidelines.
.
Now that a major accident has occurred, we hope it will serve as a wakeup call for the
LGED that is executing the project, to do the needful and put requisite safety measures in
place in the greater interest of public safety.

The Daily Star

Recognised as freedom fighters at long last

.
More needs to be done to support the war heroines
..
It is, indeed, a momentous occasion when 26 war heroines are finally recognised by the
state as freedom fighters for their contributions during the Liberation War, even if the
acknowledgment comes almost 45 years too late.
,
.
.
This recognition, on a very material level, means that they will receive the same benefits as
freedom fighters' a monthly allowance of Tk 8,000 and special quotas in government jobs,
among others but beyond that, it is an official affirmation of the importance of their
sacrifices to our collective struggle for liberation, a belated acknowledgement that fighting a
war does not simply entail shooting the enemies with a gun.
,
,

.
Forty-five years is a long time to be subjected to humiliation, ostracism and neglect by
society for being raped and tortured by the Pakistani army and their collaborators.
,
..

It is our collective shame that rather than treat them with the respect and provide them with
the support they deserve, we have maligned them, and marginalised their trauma.
,
.
The state's failure to recognise them as freedom fighters from the beginning, and terming
them as Biranganas, apparently to 'honour' them, have only served to mark them as
'dishonoured' women in society's eyes.

,.
While the process of recognising Biranganas as freedom fighters is a step a process
initiated last year in the right direction, more needs to be done to eliminate the stigma
attached to their roles in the war and concrete steps taken to support them, financially or
otherwise, so that they can lead the rest of their lives in dignity.

.
The government should prepare the full list of Biranganas to be recognised as freedom
fighters as soon as possible and incorporate a progressive narrative about our war heroines
in our curriculum.

The Daily Star

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Cybercriminals operating with impunity
Bangladesh worst affected

..
.
The recent siphoning off of US$101 million from Bangladesh Bank (BB) by international
cyber criminals has brought to the limelight the security unpreparedness of Bangladeshi
institutions and end users alike.

As per a Reuters report, we understand that a criminal gang of international cyber hackers
have stolen about $1 billion from 100 financial institutions over the last two years.

While financial institutions such as BB has the resources to combat these attacks , we are
left to wonder how end users in Bangladesh, where about 22 percent of mobile users have
faced one form of malware attack or another over the last one year - which according to
Kaspersky data is the highest in the world - are going to protect themselves.
,
;

.
Looking beyond internet-enabled mobile usage in the country, we also find an increasing
tendency of such criminals to attempt to infect computers to steal money via online access
to banks.

While the bulk of users in the country use one form of anti-virus software on their
computers, the fact is that a large percentage of consumers now use their smart phones for
their computing needs.
,
.
There is a greater need also to educate the public about the dos and don'ts of internet

usage.

End users or customers do need and should be getting the security they deserve for online
transactions from the service providers themselves, in this case, financial institutions.
,

.
We hope authorities will prioritise drafting policies that will make it mandatory for financial
institutions to initiate end-to-end secure and encrypted communication to safeguard clients'
information that will foil future malware attacks.

The Daily Star

.
Air cargo flights to UK suspended
Address the security concerns
The ban on all air cargo flights out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the UK has
just come into effect on security grounds.

This spells disaster for exporters, not only readymade garments but also the lucrative export
of fresh and processed foodstuffs that include vegetables, fish and fruits.
,
,
The UK is home to the largest Bangladeshi expatriate community and a ban on flights out to
that country has a lot of businesses worried sick.

Why did we let things come to this stage?

?
The UK is the second country after Australia to slap a ban like this.
And although this is being touted as temporary by Bangladeshi authorities, the cost in terms
of reputation and business will have far reaching implications.
,

We are informed by media reports that the Civil Aviations Authority of Bangladesh has been
working towards ensuring foolproof security but this has come too little too late.

We should have moved faster to procure the requisite security equipment immediately after
October 2015 when the UK put Shahjalal Airport on a list of 38 airports as being too
vulnerable in security terms, but we did not pay enough heed.

,
The recommendations for engaging security personnel to operate cargo complex using
modern scanning machines were not taken seriously enough.

It is high time we got our act together.

There is a review coming up by a UK team on March 13 and we need to show our good
intent to get the message across that authorities are working seriously on addressing
security loopholes.

A ban such as this is the last thing our exporters need.

The Daily Star

Vulnerability of minority communities

We are failing in our duty
.
.
.
If it is true that a nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable
members, we are very far from it.
,
.
From a report published by a group representing the minority communities, the HinduBoudhha-Christian Oikya Parishad, the picture we get of the state of the three communities
in the country is reprehensible, to say the least.

.
24 people belonging to the minority communities have been murdered, 25 raped, and more
than 1500 families affected, in 2015 alone.
,
,
.
What is a matter of concern is that it is evident from the said report, which is a collection of
the accounts of minority persecution appearing in various newspapers, that they are not
victims of the law and order state that prevails in the country.

;
In fact their marginalised position in society has been exploited and they have been
deliberately targeted as a consequence of that.

These communities have been victimised for their property, and there have been cases of
forced conversion too.

.
What is even more galling is that the main perpetrators, allegedly, are those that are linked
with the powerful and the political quarters.

And this is one of the reasons why the police are reluctant to take the complaints or the
reports seriously.

Can we really call ourselves civilised if the minorities are made to suffer while the state fails
to take action to ensure their safety and security?

.
we suggest that the government take immediate cognizance of the report and initiate urgent
action to bring to book the perpetrators and make examples of them to restore the
confidence of these communities.

The Daily Star

.
,
No school buildings for students for three years!
When will they be rebuilt?
?
..
.
It is a shame that students of nine government primary schools in Jhenidah are being

compelled to attend classes under the open skies or in makeshift huts, as their school
buildings were deemed too risky and abandoned three years ago.

Our report states that after the Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013, an inquiry team
consisting of officials of LGED and the Education Office, inspected schools in the district
and served notices to nine at-risk school buildings.

.
It was a laudable and timely initiative, no doubt, to identify unsafe buildings and save
students' lives, but what we are at a loss to understand is why no attempts have been made
by the authorities since then to move the students to a safer location (i.e. another building)
or make renovations to the existing building to make it compliant with the safety codes.

Three years is too long a time for students to make do with no building, and to study out in
the open or dilapidated provisional structures braving unfavourable weather conditions.

.
.
It is no surprise that the number of students in these schools is declining each year, with
teachers fearing that their schools will have to be shut down unless they are allotted a new
building.
,

It is appalling that the elected representatives of the concerned upazilas have ignored this
pressing issue for so long.

.
We urge the UNOs of the concerned upazilas, the MP of the district and the education
ministry to sanction new buildings for these students without any bureaucratic delay.
,

A safe physical space for students where they can concentrate on their studies is the least
we can guarantee for our future generation.

The Daily Star

.
Community clinics in crisis
Give them enough resources
,
,
.
.
Almost all of the 51 community clinics in Gaibandha Sadar upazila, with no physicians,
supportive staff and medicine, have become a microcosm of the broken healthcare system
of the country.
,
,
.
According to a report published in this newspaper, some of them lack even basic amenities
like electricity and water.
,
.
That's no way to run a healthcare facility.

Why has the authority stopped supplying essential drugs to patients who are now told to
buy medicine from the market?

?
Why have the employees not been regularised under the revenue budget?
?
How can the government expect them to show up at work if they are not paid enough to
make a living?
?
The idea of the community clinics across the country, established by the government in
2009, was to bring health care to the doorstep of people.

.
To a great extent, they did the job by contributing significantly to the improvement of the
overall antenatal and postnatal care family planning and nutritional services, providing
treatment for diarrhoea, pneumonia and other childhood infections and counseling on the
consequences of early marriage.
,
,
,

.
It is difficult to understand the logic behind setting up such people-friendly health complexes
around the country and then not monitoring and following up their performances.

A number of things need to be done to revive the community clinics that are often the only
place where people in remote areas can get some kind of healthcare.

Doctors must be trained to work in rural areas.

And the government should offer incentives to those who do.

The Daily Star

The reluctant election commission

Holding free and fair elections should be the priority

.
,
..
.
We are surprised to see that the election commission (EC) is yet to take any action on
allegations that many candidates were barred from filing nominations for the upcoming
Union Parishad elections.

.
According to media reports, candidates, particularly BNP and Awami League rebels, faced
threats, intimidation and physical assault from ruling AL men when they tried to file
nominations.

,
.
In his parliamentary speech on February 28, Workers Party President and Civil Aviation
Minister Rashed Khan Menon also alleged that his party men have been subjected to
similar impediments.

.
Ensuring submission of nominations by all the candidates is a prerequisite to holding fair
polls.

The EC is entrusted primarily with this responsibility.

.
. Quite contrarily, the EC seems to be indifferent to the alleged irregularities in the electoral
process.
,
.
The reason given by the EC -- that if it starts addressing complaints by candidates it would
not be able to maintain the election schedule -- is unconvincing.

.
We want to ask whether it is justified to hold a flawed election just to maintain the election
schedule.

.
A questionable election will certainly put the EC's credibility further at stake and hurt the
grassroots democratic polity.

.
We urge the EC to take cognizance of the complaints and probe these as soon as possible.

It should take immediate actions if they are found to be true.

The Daily Star

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Freeing up parking spaces

City corporations must be firm

.
Dhaka North City Corporation has issued a one month period to all building owners who
must remove illegal structures that have sprung up in the underground spaces designated
for parking vehicles.

We think this is a very good idea.

Dhaka city has been facing the problem of illegal parking on roads that adds more chaos to
an already chaotic traffic situation in the capital.

..
Moreover, the move by both city corporations to remove commercial activities in residential
zones is a move in the right direction.
,

According to the law, there is no room for commercial establishments to be housed in

residential areas, but the practice has been allowed to go on for years.
,
,
.
We would like to know why Rajdhani Unnayan Kattripokkho (RAJUK) has allowed this illicit
practice to prosper for so long.
Kattripokkho (

Although the move is to be applauded, we find that due to several thousand injunctions and
court cases against the authority, its ability to take action against offenders is impeded.
,
,

That said something needs to be done to systematically zone the city into residential and
commercial areas.

.
.
This is how things are done in other countries and it works well for managing traffic
movement in a city as large as ours.

Obviously, there is graft involved that allows for builders to get away with obtaining permits
to construct commercial buildings in the heart of residential areas.
,
.
We hope the city fathers will be able to make headway in tackling these pockets of
corruption and clear not only parking spaces but parks, footpaths and other public spaces
that have been illegally occupied for decades.
,
,

The Daily

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Relocation of tanneries
It has become a farce
The project to relocate Hazaribagh tanneries to Savar, considering environmental and
health hazards, has become a travesty with lapsed deadlines and no acceptable excuse.

,
The irony is that, it was an outcome too apparent to all but the government which has failed
to make the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in the new location fully operational for

proper treatment of toxic waste spewed out by the tanneriesthe main objective of the
much-hyped relocation move.
;
CET

The whole exercise is quixotic.

How can the government expect factory owners to move when the construction of CETP is
yet to be completed?
CETP
?
Why has the project floundered since it was started in 2003?
?
Hazaribagh, with about 200 tanneries, forms the backbone of the country's leather industry
contributing about USD 1 billion to the annual export basket.

However, these factories operate in a virtual enforcement-free zone in which they are
subject to little or no government oversight with regard to environmental regulations or
labour laws.
,

.
The consequences are there for everyone to see: a river, once the lifeline of Dhaka, running
black with pollution from the tanneries and workers exposed to hazardous materials daily.

Ensuring compliance of all tanneries with international standards and Bangladeshi law is an
opportunity to firmly establish the leather industry to strengthen the economy.

But first and foremost, the government must show genuine commitment in ending the
relocation fiasco by getting the Tannery Industrial Estate in Savar up and running as per
guidelines.
,

The Daily Star

. --------------------------------------------------Remembering Ekushey's true spirit

All mother tongues must be preserved
..
TODAY is a day filled with pride and passion, for Bangalis in particular, being the flag
bearers of a unique movement in which precious lives were sacrificed to uphold the honour
of a mother tongue.

The uniqueness of the Language Movement has been recognised by the world over, with
February 21 being declared as the International Mother Language Day.

.
As the pioneering movement that led to our ultimate independence, Ekushey invokes the
emotional attachment we have for our mother tongue, which provides us with our most
basic identity and creates that inexplicable bond with our motherland.

.
The observance of Ekushey is therefore not just a ritualistic commemoration but an
assertion of our right to speak our language and our right to be free from oppression and
discrimination.

This is why Ekushey has such universal appeal and will resonate with people of all
ethnicities.

And this is why as a nation, the foundation of which was created by our Language Martyrs
and Heroes, we must uphold the spirit of their sacrifice and struggle by not only preserving
the dignity of Bangla, the language of the majority, but all other languages of this land,
some of which are on the verge of extinction.

It is unfortunate that we have not been able to ensure that children from indigenous
communities receive primary education in their mother tongue, even though we pledged to
do so 19 years ago through the signing of the CHT Peace Accord.
,

When we recognise the importance of mother tongues of all ethnic groups in our country,
we are in essence, acknowledging their rights as equal citizens.
,
.,
As Ekushey symbolises our secular, pluralistic values as a nation, such acknowledgement
is a moral obligation and embodies the true spirit that defines this day.
,

The Daily Star

.
Freeing Footpaths
Who will police the police?
?
.
That a few members of the police force are standing in the way of the eviction drives by
Dhaka South City Corporation, according to Mayor Sayeed Khokon, to free footpaths of
illegal occupation in Gulshan area, seems a measure of how things have gone out of hand.
,

The mayor had launched the laudable initiative in December last year with the objective of
clearing out street vendors in that area in 30 days.

.
That quite didn't work out the way it was envisioned, with footpaths being re-occupied by
vendors the same day they were evicted because of a few policemen, according to the
mayor.
,
,
The well-made pavement free for pedestrians to walk on is a distant memory in this city.

.
According to several reports, more than 70 percent of the footpaths are occupied by
different kinds of vendors who eke out a living by selling all sorts merchandise.
,
,
How can the eviction drives of the city corporations be successful if the police do not
cooperate?
?

Under what circumstances a mayor has to express his grievances at a programme held at
the National Press Club?

?
.
How can the mayors be effective if they are not given enough power and support to do their
job?
?
.
At the same time it is well to remember that eviction drives, no matter how well-intentioned,
will not be productive without making arrangements for the rehabilitation of the hawkers.
,
,
,

The Daily Star

.
Japanese companies prefer Bangladesh
Tackle problem areas seriously

In its latest survey of Japanese companies operating in Asia and Oceania, Japan External
Trade Organisation (JETRO) took inputs from CEOs of more than 9,500 Japanese
companies in 20 countries over October and November, 2015.
CEO

The results point to both favourable and unfavourable conditions.

.
On the positive side, we find that Bangladesh leads over Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand and
Pakistan on cost factors and the country offers a far better wage advantage than other
Asian countries like China, India to name but a few.
,
,

Business confidence of Japanese firms scored a healthy 63.3 points pointing to a

favourable business performance in the current fiscal.

.
With 67 per cent of respondents stating that they are likely to expand their operations in
Bangladesh over the next two years.

However, the country is perceived to be lagging behind in connectivity and problems with
worker productivity have been highlighted.
,

Lack of free trade agreements between Bangladesh and Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) is seen as a hurdle since Japanese industry has a large footprint in
ASEAN.

,
.
Had there been such deals in place, Bangladesh could look at serious Japanese
investments for producing intermediary products to be shipped to plants in ASEAN where
the final products could come together.

.
We have our set of problems with regulatory issues where investment friendly policies
have been highlighted as a major hindrance to Japanese FDI.

.
These are issues that can only be addressed at policy level and doing so could open the

gates for meaningful investments from Asia's second largest economy.

The Daily Star

..
Women trafficked to Syria
Slave trade in the 21st century?
?
The stories of human sex trafficking from Bangladesh to Syria, as documented by a
prominent Bangla daily, are truly horrifying.

.
From the statements of the victims and their families as well as Rab informants, we are to
gather that women and girls are being sold as slaves in different cities of Syria for $3000
or less, after being tricked into believing that they would get jobs as domestic workers in
Lebanon.
,

They are being forced to work and live under unbearable conditions, with no means of
protesting their plight or escaping their confinement.
,

We are alarmed that not only are women from Bangladesh being subjected to
insurmountable violence, but that their pleas for rescue are falling on deaf ears of the
authorities.
,

Last year, three women who had been sent back to Bangladesh due to illness, claimed that
there was an organised transnational network trafficking who were conducting this trade
from Bangladesh.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a severe lack of coordination among different government

bodies to identify the agencies involved in the trade and to rescue the women from Syria.
,

With each institution pointing the finger towards another, and failing to take action, more
and more women are falling victims to this terrible trade, while those in confinement are
continuing to live under slave-like conditions.

We urge the concerned ministries to stop dilly-dallying on this matter and take urgent steps
to rescue the women from Syria, and if need be, seek help from international agencies.

They must waste no time in identifying the recruiting agencies who are conducting this trade
and bringing the perpetrators to book.

The Daily Star

.
Maddening noise pollution
.
Laws alone not enough
,
Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most pervasive occupational health problems in
the city but usually goes unnoticed because it is gradual, according to an expert.

Sound pollution increases blood pressure and enhances the rate of autism among children,
affecting their normal development, he said at a recently held seminar.

It is alarming but should not come as a surprise in a city where practices like blowing the
horn out of pique rather than warning someone of danger has become the norm, adding to
the higher-than-permissible intensity of sound.
,

Bevies of research show that social and behavioural effects of noise exposure are complex,
subtle, and indirect, giving rise to aggressiveness, unfriendliness and disengagement
attributes beginning to define the residents of this overcrowded and unplanned city.
,
,
,
Noise pollution also impairs performance at school and at work, decreasing motivation and
increasing errors.
,
Considering the impacts on public health, the Noise Pollution Control Guideline 2006 must
be strictly followed and unnecessary honking banned and heavily penalised.

But laws alone are not enough to combat this new plague, educating people on the adverse
effects of sound pollution, for instance, excessive use of mobile phones, is equally important
to meet our instinctive need for quiet and peace.
,
,

The Daily Star

The slaughter of children
Killers must receive the harshest punishment
.
We have been covering the steady rise of murder of children nationwide over these past
few weeks, but what has happened in Habiganj leaves us speechless.
,

Four children aged 7 to 10 were murdered and buried in a field.

.
The bodies were discovered by chance by a labourer.

Although the police are investigating the matter and suspicion lies with two rival groups over
the control of the area, it is beyond comprehension how low we have sunk as a people that
we commit the most horrendous acts on helpless children.
,
.
The killing of children has become something of a trend and this latest incident was not
about mere kidnapping for ransom which points to a severe moral degeneration in society.

.
There is also a general idea that in many cases such crimes go unpunished which has
encouraged the criminally inclined to carry out their heinous acts with impunity.
,

The lives of the families have been shattered and we really have no words of condolences
for the bereaved ones left behind.

What is amply clear is that the strongest of punishments must be handed down to those
responsible for planning and carrying out these murders.

It takes people with no soul to spill the blood of innocents.

We must send a clear message to such perpetrators that such diabolic acts will result in the
most severe of punishments.

.
We must also examine the factors behind this rise in brutality against children and find all
possible solutions to put an end to it.

The Daily Star

.
Why monopolise Malaysia recruitment?
?
Bangladeshi companies should be involved too
..
It is surprising that the government has approved the draft MoU with the Malaysian
government for the employment of Bangladeshi workers where a single private Malaysian
company will be in charge of recruitment including collecting job demand letters from
employers.

The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), has a point

when it says that a single agency should not be given the job of recruiting the estimated 1.5
million workers from Bangladesh that are needed for the Malaysian economy over the next
three years.

,
This paper has run extensive investigative reports on the malpractices of local recruitment
agencies who have taken thousands of prospective workers on a ride in the promise of
overseas employment.

Having said that, we do however have serious reservations about a single company
controlling a single overseas market.
,
Yes, there have been irregularities committed in the past, but to blacklist en masse an entire
sector of service providers because of some bad eggs is, we believe an injustice.
,
,
.
Allocating such a huge job to a single company will inevitably lead to a monopoly and
despite claims to the contrary, we cannot be fully confident that there will be no
overcharging.

As this is a foreign company located on foreign soil, perhaps a rethinking is required here to
look into ways whereby the inclusion of Bangladeshi agencies in the recruitment policy can
be incorporated.
,
It would allow for healthy competition, which the system under consideration now, excludes.

.
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The Daily Star

.
Workers Welfare Associations
Keep ILO Convention in mind

.
The government's approval of a draft law that allows workers to form a 'Workers Welfare
Association' in Export Processing Zones (EPZS) would be laudable but for the confusion
associated with the move.

While the government's stance is that such an association would work like a trade union,
labour rights leaders are of a different opinion.
.
,
As far as workers are concerned, these two are not the same thing, and to say so would be
misleading.

It seems that the draft law is a compromise to cater to the needs of the rights groups as well
as the investors who have resisted such provisions.

.
According to the Bangladesh EPZ Act 2010, trade unions are not allowed in EPZs which is
possibly why the government has chosen to approve of a 'workers welfare association' that
it says will incorporate the rights guaranteed in a trade union and will work as the central
bargaining agent for the workers.

However, we feel that such an arrangement related to the welfare of the workers should
have been in place long before now.
,
.
It is important that we fulfill all the conditions stipulated by international convention,
including ensuring the rights of workers as stipulated by the ILO Convention which
Bangladesh has signed.

.
This includes the freedom of association and right to collective bargaining which are the
basic tenets of a trade union.

.
There is no doubt that the workers welfare association will bring a big improvement in
working conditions and workers benefits.

The fear expressed by worker rights activists, however, that the current draft law provisions
will be passed off as the right to form trade unions, should be allayed by the government.
,
,

The Daily Star

.
Barbarism against children continues
Society must rise against this now
.

Barbaric treatment of children, the most vulnerable group in society, has become a
dangerous trend these days; the horrific beating of two young boys for being suspected of
stealing a mobile, attests to this.

;
.
The terrifying murders of Rajon and Rakib, both children mercilessly tortured to death by
grownups, continue to haunt us.

,
.
The fact that two of the assaulters of this case, were members of security and law
enforcement agencies, makes this all the more reprehensible for if the protectors of law
become ruthless torturers of children, what hope have we that this malaise will be
eliminated?
,
,

.
The two children were picked up and inhumanly beaten in order to extract a confession to
the theft.

.
A video footage, uploaded in social media, that shows the two members of security forces
taking part in the beating, helped to make the incident public.
,
.
We can only wonder how many other children are victims of such violence everyday and
have to suffer in silence.

.
This despicable trend displays degeneration in moral values and a rise in brutalisation that
is extremely toxic to the very fabric of society.

.,
It is therefore crucial that the legal system must circumvent all elements that may put such
cases in the backburner.
,
The society moreover, must rise against this evil that threatens the lives of our children.
,
Mass awareness regarding child rights and public shaming of these acts of brutality, have to
be initiated and carried out all over the country.

The Daily Star

.
Power plants near Sundarbans
Independent impact study is in order
.
We are all for adding to the current level of power generation, but without adversely
affecting the ecology.
,
We, therefore, concur with the recommendation of the National Committee to Protect
Sundarbans, a citizen platform of 101 eminent activists and scholars, that the development
activities of Rampal power plant and the adjacent private Orion power plant should be held
in abeyance until a new environment impact assessment (EIA) is conducted by a UN-led
independent team.
,

.
The committee, which has consistently highlighted the dangers of constructing a coal power
plant only 14 km away from the largest mangrove forest in the world, has also urged
Unesco to recognise the Sundarbans on the list of its World Heritage in Danger.
,

.
Environmental experts, both in the country and abroad, have raised serious concerns about
the EIA approved by the Department of Environment on August 5 2013, arguing that the
assessment was flawed, unscientific, and downplayed the severity of the environmental
cost of the project.
,
,

.
Notably, the EIA was carried out by a government-owned institution rather than a nonpartisan body, which may well give rise to questions.
,
.
It is telling that the EIA was also rejected by various relevant national and international
bodies; The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Bangladesh has also
called for an independent scientific EIA.
,

Last year, three French banks and two Norwegian refused to invest in the Rampal power
plant for the risks it posed to the critical ecological area and highlighted the limitations with
the current EIA.

.
Environmentalists' demands that the coal power plant be relocated to a different, less

environmentally sensitive location have, thus far, fallen on deaf years.

,
.
The least the government can do is facilitate an independent EIA to objectively determine
whether it's safe to carry on development activities in this region.

the Daily Star

..
Major highways near completion
..
But why the time and cost overrun?
?
..
It is good to know that work on two major highways, i.e. Dhaka-Chittagong and DhakaMymensingh, being converted to dual-carriageways is near completion.
,
..
Whilst that is the good news, both projects have been plagued by repeated failure to meet
deadlines for completion and the cost escalation has been stupendous.

..
The highway connecting Dhaka to the port city of Chittagong is arriving three years late and
project cost has risen nearly 2.5 times to Tk 3,800 crore.

..
And the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway has taken two years more and final project cost is
double the original estimate of Tk 904 crore.

.
We find it disheartening to see that this has become very much the norm in practically all
major infrastructure projects in the country.

..
There has been constant delay in implementation due to lack of proper planning.
..
Why couldn't sourcing of various construction materials be done with proper contracts
management prior to the start of such major projects?
.
?
..
Running out of soil for earthwork, crisis in procuring stones for roadwork and so on, point to
a contractor which is either not up to the task of managing such projects or there is a lack of
coordination between the contractor and the department looking after highways.
,

.
The benefits of these two expanded highways are obvious.

..
It will allow for faster movement of goods and people and facilitate trade and tourism.
.
Yet, at the end of the day, it is ultimately the tax payers' money that is squandered when
such essential infrastructure projects continually miss deadlines and project costs are
revised upward.
,

The Daily Star

.
Legalising Bangladeshi workers
Much welcome move by Malaysia
.
We are very happy to learn that the government of Malaysia has decided to legalise some
400,000 Bangladeshi workers working there without proper work permits.
.

..
That the decision has come against the backdrop of a government-to-government (G2G
Plus) initiative to take some 1.5 million more of our workers over the next three years is
extremely good news for Bangladesh.
G2G Plus (

.
The process should be concluded within the next year and our workers there who have had
no problems with the law should take advantage of regularising their papers with the
authorities.

..
It would provide them with safety, better pay from employers and rights none of which is
presently available to illegal workers.
,
.
Kuala Lumpur deserves praise for the initiative especially in the backdrop of growing
demands by many Malaysians to deport illegal workers in that country.


.
With papers regularised, the hundreds of thousands of illegal workers who remit a mere
US$112 million a year should be able to earn much better wages and the remittance basket
from Malaysia should grow significantly.

..
It should also send a strong signal to human traffickers who have taken advantage of poor
Bangladeshis desperate to get to a foreign land to earn a living a dream that more often
than not turns into a nightmare.

.
An undocumented worker has no place to go and is hostage to unscrupulous employers.

.
With this move, we hope that relations between the two countries will smooth out over the
near future and we can look forward to a mutually beneficial agreement that profits both
economies.

The Daily Star

Address impediments to investment

Govt must improve business climate

The quarterly economic review unveiled by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry on February 10 has called on the government to do more to bring back investors'

confidence in the economy.

Presently the investment rate falls far below the required 35 percent of the GDP to achieve
the government's target of achieving 7 percent annual growth.

.
For that to happen, the overall business climate must improve.
,
,
We agree with the findings that political stability, improved infrastructure and ease of access
to bank credit are all fundamental prerequisites to investment.
,
.
Besides these, issues that scare away many investors are the manner in which public policy
fluctuates, the regulatory framework governing foreign investments and general lack of
industrial estates and rules that apply to such estates.
,

.
Unless a way out of the lack in quality and consistent power supply is found, investments in
new manufacturing units will not be so easily forthcoming.

.
While it has been found that the services sector is performing well, further government
support is needed to make the sector flourish.

.
The stock markets, however, have not rebounded primarily due to a failure to allay
investors' fears despite efforts by regulators.

.
All in all, there has to be a general rethinking to address these impediments at the policy
level if we are to see a surge in private sector investments.
,
It is all about changing perceptions of investors that Bangladesh is a safe place to invest in
through policy reforms and getting crucial infrastructure projects off the ground in a timely
fashion.

The Daily Star

.
Alarming rise in child killings
Not merely a law enforcement issue
/
As per a news report in a leading Bangla daily, some 1,085 children have been murdered in
the country over the last four years.

Experts and social scientists agree that criminals are being employed to abduct and if
necessary kill these children to settle personal animosities and disputes over property
ownership, as children are the easiest targets.

With the steady degradation of social and moral values, we find children falling victim to the
most serious of crimes, i.e. murder.

.
We witness with horror the murdering of children in cold blood even when these children are
taken for ransom and the ransom is paid, as in the case of 11-year-old boy Abdullah found
murdered in Keraniganj recently.

Legal experts point out that although 'Child Act 2013' was promulgated, neither have the
ordinances been set nor is there any application of the law.

The police merely react to situations as they emerge.

This is not only a law enforcement issue; rather it requires a far more comprehensive
approach that will bring together political parties, society at large and the police to tackle a
malady that is both criminal and social in nature.
,
,
.
The media need to be involved to disseminate information that it is morally reprehensible to
target children; religious figures like the Imams should be giving sermons to the faithful on
the issue and there is a role for civil society organisations to spread the message to both
rural and urban audiences.
;

Only together can we fight this scourge that is now threatening our children.

the Daily Star

.

Most teachers ignorant of the creative education method

Why have authorities not enforced its adoption?
?
.
Undoubtedly, our education needs major overhaul, especially when it comes to changing
the way children are taught.
,
.
The age-old system of memorising material without true comprehension does nothing to
develop a child's creativity.

.
Which is why five years ago the 'creative education method' was introduced to primary
schools so that students would have to read and understand the textbook and be able to
answer questions, based on their comprehension.

.
But a recent survey by Research for Advancement of Complete Education (RACE), has
found that more than half of the 100 primary school teachers who took part in the research
do not know what such a method entails.
RACE)
,

.
Even more alarming is that half of the teachers surveyed rely on guidebooks to prepare
lessons while 92 percent of the students in the sample prepare for tests using such
guidebooks.
,

There is, therefore, a major gap between the directive given by the education ministry and
its implementation at the ground level.
,
The sample study may reflect the same situation in most public primary schools.
.
This nullifies the significant success the government has achieved in terms of high
enrolment rates and pass rates.

.
The real issue is to make sure that students are able to retain and comprehend what they
are being taught in school and this is only possible if the said creative education method is
wholeheartedly adopted by teachers.

.
Education has become corrupted by money-making motives, allowing non-creative methods
like rote learning and complete dependence on guidebooks to thrive.

This is detrimental to the intellectual development of students.

.
The education ministry must be more proactive in enforcing the adoption of the creative
method by all teachers through extensive training.

the Daily Star

.
Loss of agricultural productivity
Take action against brick kiln owners

.
In five upazilas of Lalmonirhat, 500 bighas of farmland lose productivity every year.

This happens because the owners of these lands are forced to sell the topsoil to some 40
brick kilns to make bricks.

The downside to removing topsoil from a farmland plot is that it renders the land useless for
years.
.
Almost all the nutrients needed to grow crops and regenerate the land for future cropping
comes from topsoil.

.
But what makes this situation particularly unpalatable is that the nexus of brick kiln owners
is forcing farmers to sell topsoil and the local administration is in no position to aid hapless
farmers.

/
That traditional brick kilns are causing serious damage to the environment is an established
fact.
.
Now food security is being threatened, not just in Lalmonirhat but also other districts, which
is a worrying development.
,
.
Ironically, it is also impossible to make bricks without topsoil.
,
/

The Brick Burning Control Act 1989 (revised 2013) specifically prohibits the utilisation of any
soil from agricultural land.

.
While having the Act is reassuring, we are distressed to see that there is no official agency
to monitor whether the Act is being violated or not.

.
This explains why the brick kiln industry is making hay in places like Lalmonirhat and food
security is being threatened through loss of agricultural productivity.

/
It is time for authorities to act on this very serious issue.
/
With nearly 7,000 brick kilns in operation nationwide, there is serious need for a watchdog
to oversee that farmlands and farmers are protected for the greater interest.
,

the Daily Star

.
Road to higher middle income economy
Transportation system needs major overhaul
.
It is indeed heartening to see the prime minister declare the establishment of the
Bangladesh Development Authority to help foster business and economic activities in the
country.

.
The government's plan to create 100 more Special Economic Zones will also be crucial in

attracting more Foreign Direct Investment.

.
There are, however, some serious impediments before Bangladesh's goal to become a
higher middle income country.
,
.
The 45th largest economy in the world has one of the worst logistics and transport services
in the region.

.
It still does not have a modern multimodal transport system to speak of, as a result of which
local exports lose competitiveness in the global market.

.
Not only that, our ports, road, rail and air services are still to become at par with their Asian
Tiger counterparts.
,
,
,
,
.
So are our workforce and technology.
.
As discussants at the Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit have said, in the last
decade, there has been no marked improvement in the container handling capacity of the
Chittagong Port.
,
/
The completion of the four-lane highway connecting the capital with the port city has been
given a time extension for the fourth time last month.

.
The project, which was supposed to finish four years ago, has been delayed because of
unavailability of stone chips.
.
Bangladesh's transportation system needs to go through an overhaul.
.
Gridlock in the highways bleeds the country's economy, and bringing about a sustainable
solution to the menace is the order of the day.

.
Barge services between Chittagong and Dhaka can be a good beginning.
.
It is essential to improve ports, road, rail, and air services.
,
,
,
.
Private sector, which is ready to invest in transport infrastructure and trade logistics, can
team up with the government.

The Daily Star

.
A strike protesting accountability?
/
?
Patients must come first
/
The recent physicians' strike at private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres of

Chittagong, in protest of cases filed against their colleagues for medical negligence, is in
contradiction to the noble Hippocratic oath that all doctors are bound by.
,
,
/
In one of the cases filed, the doctor mistakenly left the bandage inside the body of a patient
during surgery.
,
Such occurrences may be unusual but it is true that hundreds of patients have suffered or
died due to medical negligence.

.
Most patients do not file cases against medical practitioners, intimidated by the high cost of
doing so and the fact that it is unlikely that the errant doctor will be punished.

./
Now that cases have been filed against some of them for alleged negligence, doctors have
gone for a punitive strike that has caused immeasurable suffering to patients seeking
treatment.
/
,

Cases of negligence by any professional have traditionally been disposed of at court and
through a judicial process.

/
Why shouldn't this be the same for allegations of medical negligence?

?
/
The striking doctors, spearheaded by Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Chittagong,
have demanded a specialists' panel to investigate the allegations before any case can be
filed.

/
Such a proposal may merit discussion but not under the sword of a strike.
/
/.
Over the decades, our medical professionals have acquired greater expertise in their fields
to the great benefit of the people.

/
It is therefore all the more unfortunate that instead of trying to improve standards of
healthcare by making sure incidences of negligence do not occur, doctors have chosen to
hold patients hostage in a bid to force their agenda.

/
This is not what we expect from members of this noble profession.

The Daily Star

Suspicious blaze at Kalyanpur slum
Utter disregard for humanity
.
The fire that was allowed to burn down the shanties and shops at the Kalyanpur slum
shows utter disregard for human lives.

/
The circumstances of the fire raises question and we condemn, in the strongest possible
terms, those who tried to stop the fire brigade vehicles from reaching the spot to tackle the
fire.

.
According to a number of slum dwellers, they belonged to the ruling party.
,
/
The eviction drive to free a piece of government land was suspended after the High Court
ordered the authorities to stop the eviction for three months during which the latter was
barred from harassing and threatening the residents without specific allegations.

,
Then came the fire which, according to news reports, many local residents believe was lit by
ruling party men who would benefit most from several projects when the land is freed.
,
.
We support the government's initiative to recover land from unlawful occupation.

But there must be a proper and humane way to do this.

How are the residents of the slum going to survive the winter without a place to live?
?
Could the authorities not wait till the winter was over?
?
.
Where will they go from a place they have called home for so many years?
?

Where does the muscle power to obstruct an emergency vehicle emanate from?
?
.
More importantly, how could a market and a slum be constructed on government land in the
first place?
,
?
An investigation should be launched immediately to find out if there was any foul play
behind the Kalyanpur fire.

.
And in the long run, the government should come up with more humane ways to free up
land from illegal occupation.

The Daily Star

.
Rajuk's demolition drive in the city
Ensure cleared spaces remain cleared
.
/
Rajuk has launched simultaneous drives in various parts of the city to reclaim footpaths,
parking spaces that were being used for other purposes.
,
/
While we laud the freeing up of spaces designated for use of commuters on foot and
parking lots in basements, we can not but have our doubts.

,
/
Such drives are nothing new in the city.

/
The fact of the matter is that once the drives are over, we see a return of illegal structures
and the reoccupation of footpaths by vendors and it is back to business as usual.
,

The whole matter has become repetitive and it will take more than the occasional drive by
the city authorities to make the changes stick.

/
Going by what has been printed in this paper, we find that some owners of shops who had
bought space in a parking lot from the owner in Dhanmondi area have been plying their
business for nearly 20 years.
,

/
These businessmen have alleged that they pay taxes to the city corporation.

How could this happen?

?
And why action was not taken when the shops were being constructed in an illegal area?
?
It is obvious that the much hyped and declared drives to free up public or private spaces will
not bring the desired results unless rules on paper are enforced throughout the year, every
day of the year.
,
///
Property owners must be fined heftily for wrongful use of parking spaces and floating
vendors simply cannot be allowed to set up shop wherever they feel like.

The Daily Star

.
Police or politician?
?
Such blatant partisanship is regrettable
/
We are flabbergasted by the comments made by officer-in-charge of Hatibandha Police
Station, of a decidedly political nature, at two consecutive programmes at which 1100
former BNP and JP activists formally joined the AL at Gaddimiri union.

/
//
//
The OC welcomed the former activists to the party and commented that they took the right
step in joining the AL.

//
//
We wonder, is the OC, as a civil servant and law enforcer, the right person to welcome
anyone to the AL?
,
?
//
//
Is it within his term of reference to attend and address a political gathering, quipping in a
manner that befits only a politician?

?
//
/
The OC, when asked if he, as a law enforcer, could make such political speeches, defended
himself by saying that his speech was aimed at maintaining law and order, and not at
politics.
,
,
,
/
/
Needless to say, the logic of the OC is lost on us.
,
/
This sort of blatant partisanship on the part of law enforcers highlights the extent of
politicisation of public institutions and reinforces the public perception that law enforcers
serve the narrow interests of the party in power, rather than that of the people.

The AL should not feel elated in any way by the OC's remarks.

/
/
It must remember that this same OC might become as blatantly anti-AL as he is anti-BNP
now, if and when the wind changes.
,
/
It is unfortunate that successive governments have turned the police, in particular, into a
partisan tool.
,
/
Rather than discourage partisan behaviour, we are disturbed to see the ruling party allowing
law enforcers to act as party spokespersons, thereby putting the professional neutrality of

the force into question.

,

The politicisation of the police reflects poorly on democratic governance, and should be
stopped.

The Daily Star

Shipbreaking workers in peril
Proper safety measures, monitoring needed

In this paper we have written many times about the hazardous working conditions at
shipbreaking yards.

/
Regrettably, there has been very little progress in ensuring safety measures for the workers.
,
/
According to an estimate, in the last five and half years 60 workers were killed and another
125 injured in accidents at the yards.
,
/
Though there is a clear directive that all ships must be cleaned of toxic materials before
they are exported to ship recycling yards, it is hardly followed in Bangladesh.

/
`The workers are exposed to poison contamination and explosion of leftover gas and fumes

which are the prime causes of accidents in the yards.

/
According to international rules, workers must use personal protective equipment (PPE) at
works but it is alleged that many companies do not provide adequate safety gears.
,

.
Furthermore, owners usually hire unskilled workers who do not have training on
shipbreaking works and are unaware of safety measures.
,
/
Owners also do not allow workers to exercise their rights.
/
These malpractices ultimately result in frequent accidents and high casualty numbers.
/
There are High Court directives and government safety guidelines on shipbreaking, but very
little is being implemented due to owners' apathy and lax government monitoring system
which also suffers from acute shortage of inspectors.

/
There are only two inspectors in Sitakunda for around 100 shipbreaking yards in the
Upazila.

/
The government should gear up the monitoring mechanism of the yards and ensure safety
of the workers.

/
There should also be a probe into the accidents by independent inquiry committees and the
persons responsible should be taken to court for their sheer disregard for workers' lives.

The Daily Star

Gross violation of traffic rules
Will it ever stop?
?
/
Just days after two schoolgirls were killed within hours in road crashes at the Shahbagh and
Matsya Bhaban intersection, reckless driving of buses continues unabated.

/
Buses can still be seen blatantly violating traffic rules, stopping in the middle of the street to
pick up and drop off passengers while the latter pay no heed to the danger posed to their
lives.
,

Despite there being three footbridges at Shahbagh intersection, pedestrians continue to

cross the street amid moving traffic as traffic sergeants remain oblivious to the noncompliance to traffic rules.

It is common knowledge that deaths caused by road accidents in Bangladesh are,

unfortunately, a disturbingly regular phenomenon.
,
/

As per a recent report by the Bangladesh Passengers' Welfare Association, at least 8,642
people were killed and 21,855 injured in road accidents across the country in 2015.
,
,

/
Sadly, vehicle drivers, the traffic police and pedestrians -- through their flagrant violation of
traffic rules -- continue to contribute to the growing menace of road accidents.
,
,
/
The issue of road safety is one that Bangladesh has been plagued with for longer than we
can remember.

/
The failure to fully enforce traffic rules and the culture of impunity that allows reckless
drivers to go scot-free has exacerbated traffic woes.

/
We have now reached a point where the epidemic of road accidents threatens our very
urban existence and the need to reverse the trend of road space abuse has never been
greater.

The Daily Star

Bangbandhu Bridge lights off to save electricity
What about saving human lives?
?
. //
/
We are aghast by the discovery of a Daily Star report that during the horrific pile up on

January 9 on Bangabandhu Bridge that left six people dead, the lights of the bridge, were
off.

//
/
Experts and eye witnesses have said that poor visibility due to thick fog and lack of
illumination led to the accidents.
,
//
/
Even more shocking is that generally only half the lights are on because Bangladesh Bridge
Authority (BBA) claims it is 'saving electricity' by doing so.
,
//
/
Does this mean that the BBA, which is responsible for the bridge's maintenance and
smooth functioning, is more concerned about saving electricity rather than lives?
?
//
/
It is clear that the BBA was least concerned about the challenging weather conditions, in
this instance, poor visibility, which in any case, warrants extra precautions to be taken.
,
BBA
,
//
/
Primarily this includes keeping all the sodium lights on until the fog clears.

//
/
This small detail could have prevented the catastrophic pile up.

//
/
In addition, the authority could have suspended vehicular movement until visibility improved,
slowed down the release of vehicles from toll booths and forewarned drivers of the situation.
,
,
,
//
/
But for Providence, the consequences in terms of lives lost and damage to the bridge could
have been even more.

In this case the authority should have tailored the lighting system according to weather
conditions.
/
/
Unless the BBA does its job properly, utilising the manpower and resources at its disposal,
there will be more accidents, more lives lost and damage to the Bangabandhu Bridge,
especially during times of reduced visibility.
,
BBA
,
,
/
/
Such utter negligence calls for an immediate reform by the government in the management
of the bridge.

The Daily Star

/
/
Reckless drivers continue to kill

How much longer will it go on?

?
/
The death of two budding young students apparently caused by reckless driving within a
span of only eight hours, around Shahbagh area, cries out for the re-structuring of the public
transportation system and strict punishment of the parties at fault, under law.

/
We offer our deepest condolences to the families of Sabiha Akhter Sonali, 14, and Khadija
Sultana Mitu, 12, for the unrecoverable losses.

/
We feel that such accidents occur in a sheer state of lawlessness where buses, many of
them unfit to operate, driven by drivers, often without valid licenses, can run someone over
and not bother to stop and take responsibility, as was the case in the death of Sonali who
wanted to become a doctor.
,

/
Policymakers must stop thinking of road safety as a mere transport issue and recognise it
as a public health and sustainable development problem as poor families are more likely
than those better off to lose the head of household and suffer direct and indirect expenses,
such as medical costs, insurance loss, property damage and family income losses.
/

,
/

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road traffic injuries cause a loss of
about 2 percent of GDP in Bangladesh.
/
/
Umpteen reports and editorials have been written on road accidents in Bangladesh.
It is high time we adopted an internationally accepted approach to road safety, taking into
consideration vehicles, roads and road users to prevent crashes and strengthening the legal
system to deal with the responsible parties which must include owners as well as drivers.
,
,

--------

The Daily Star

/
Banned pesticides in use!
Hold the authorities to account
/
/
It is extremely concerning that substandard, fake and banned pesticides are being marketed
across the country, under the very nose of the authorities, at great risk to public health.
,
,
Speakers at a roundtable titled Food Safety and Responsible Use of Pesticides
highlighted that even though the government has banned as many as 195 hazardous
pesticides over the last few years, many of these continue to be sold in the markets and
used by farmers as a result of lack of systematic monitoring on the part of concerned
authorities.

As many as 377 types of pesticides, which are already banned in developed countries, are
still in use in the country, posing a serious threat to food safety.
/
,

The excessive use of pesticides on crops can have debilitating effects on public health,
causing cancer, birth defects, and damages to the nervous, reproductive and endocrine
systems.
,
,

/
It is estimated that at least 2 lakh people die annually from pesticide poisoning.
/
/
In addition, the use of pesticides has an irreversible(

effect on the

environment.
,
.
/
It is alarming that despite the severity )
posed by pesticides, their use has increased by a staggering(

of the threat
six-fold in the

last six decades.

;

It is unacceptable that no action is being taken at the national or grassroots level by

concerned authorities to root out toxic and illegal pesticides from the country.
.

/
Officers, who are allowing the unfettered trade of these pesticides, must be identified and
punished, and stern action must be taken against traders selling these products in the
market.
/

/
The Ministry of Agriculture and other government bodies must raise awareness about the
health hazards caused by pesticides and encourage farmers to use non-toxic alternatives.

The Daily Star

Fugitive(

war crimes accused(

Double the efforts to arrest them

In this month of our nation's victory over the Pakistan occupation army(
, we reinforce our call to bring all the
perpetrators of the heinous war crimes of 1971 to book(

/
We note with concern that a lot of the accused have been absconding(
while some have fled(

the country(


/
The law enforcing agencies(

are also, reportedly, showing a

lack of interest in arresting the alleged(

war criminals(

/
It is indeed unfortunate that the investigation and prosecution process(
not have any comprehensive(

does

strategy to get the job done either(

/
This will certainly hamper(

the crimes against humanity trial(

, and run the risk(to make possible a particular result) of the work of the
investigators going in vain(

/
/
There is no denying that the setting up of our International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in 2010
has been crucial in handing down (
justice to the Bangladeshi
collaborators who fought(

alongside(

the Pakistan army during the

country's independence war in 1971.

/

/
It certainly aims at upholding(
law(
turbulent(
/

the rule of

by giving this nation a chance to a get closure(

past.

with its

/
Even though some of the war crimes accused have been punished, a lot of them have not
yet faced trial.
,
/
/
It is imperative(

that the ICT is given unfretted(

allowance for the smooth functioning of its activities as permitted by the law of the land.

In this regard, we call upon the government to remove any barrier(

the due diligence(

that hinders(

of the investigation and prosecution

process.
/
,
/
It is also necessary to arm the delegated(
to conduct(
renewed(

institutions with the logistics(

the war crimes trial as per the book with

vigour.(

The Daily Star

Martyred intellectuals
Always a beacon(

of inspiration

Of the most calumnous((

perpetrated(

and barbaric(

acts

in post-World War II era,

the killings of our intellectuals in 1971 by the marauding(

and rapacious(

occupation army of Pakistan stand out (

horrendous(

as the most

and atrocious(

.
Our intellectuals were among the first to be targeted on the night of March 25, 1971,
and the final act of
brutality(

of the retreating(

army was directed against

the intellectuals too, on December 14.(

.
Some of the luminaries(

of our intellectual world, from all walks of

life, were targeted during the entire(

nine months of the Liberation War. (

Needless to say(

, it was an attempt(

to deprive(

the nation about to attain statehood after nine long months of a bloody war(
intellectual leadership and leave the fledgling(
virtually(

, of

nation

'brainless.' (

The nation has come a long way since(

our martyred intellectuals has been badly(

, and the absence of

,

felt(

But we have been inspired and will continue to be

inspired by their work and their sacrifices(

in the future(

Yet as we recall the sacrifice of the martyred intellectuals whose killers have been held to
account(
and brought to justice(
as per

the law,( , we cannot but be overcome by a foreboding(

spectre(

that the
of the Pakistan army may be

reappearing(

in the form of the extremists(

.
These extremists, albeit(

in insignifican

numbers, are gnawing(

at the heart of the nation, compelling (

us by force to abjure(

our secular(
inclusive(

and freethinking(

life.(

way of
,

As we mourn(

the martyred intellectuals, we must

resolve(
to stand collectively(
all the evil forces(

to thwart(
that want to destroy the spirit(

,/

that helped us endure(

,
and achieve our independence.(

The Daily Star

.
A historic day for the country

the nine months of pain and hardship(

,

Main work of Padma Bridge starts

.
PRIME Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the main construction work of the
Padma Bridge on December 11(
We congratulate her for undertaking the single largest infrastructure
project in the country so far. (
The 6.15km bridge will connect Dhaka with other districts in
the South (

and will

significantly reduce travel time from districts like Khulna, Barisal and Jessore(
,

And after completion, it will add 1.7

percent to GDP(

that will

come from the savings in travel time and fuel, productivity gains,(

and increase in traffic volume(

added freight(

, the

that will be carried(

and also the increased employment generation

Estimates point a boost of up to 29 percent in construction, 9.5 percent in agriculture and
about 8 percent in manufacturing and transport.(

,
That the government has decided to forge(

ahead with construction of the bridge without foreign assistance(

demonstrates a
confidence in its ability to get the job done within a short timeframe, i.e. 2018
While
we applaud the decision to move ahead with Padma Bridge(
experts have pointed out the parallel investment of about
US$6 billion to develop associated infrastructure to reap the full benefits of the bridge.(

These include building up

a comprehensive road and rail network on both sides of the bridge(.

Apprehension remains as the several highways including the Dhaka-Mawa road network
expansion project are yet to gather full steam.(
Without building
several ring roads around the capital which will facilitate smooth transportation of vehicles
from northern, western and eastern regions to travel over the bridge, the benefit of the
potential of the bridge may not be realised fully.(
,

The Daily Star

.
Govt rehabilitates the displaced
Address locals' concerns
We are encouraged(

government's move(

,
to rehabilitate(

displaced(
construction(

, ) by the

people

by land acquisition(

for the

of the Padma Bridge)(

The government's plan to

train(

those who have lost their jobs, as a result of the land

acquisition to help them find alternative means of livelihood, is reassuring(

According to the
project director of the Padma Bridge project, 97 percent of acquisition has been completed
and 70 percent of the displaced people, numbering around 3,000 reportedly, have been
rehabilitated thus far.(
The Padma Bridge project has already started showing signs of an economic

impact.(

Housing rent and

land prices have shot up in the area(

paving the way for increased income for locals(

; people

from other parts of the country, hoping to find work, are relocating near the site of the
construction.(

However, while many have been able to switch to new jobs successfully, those who were
fully reliant on farming, remain jobless(
,
Some farmers have said that
they have not been awarded proportionately by the government(
, i.e. they have lost more land than they have been
compensated with(

It

has also been alleged that (

Chinese companies involved in the

project hired workers from other parts of the country, depriving locals of job
opportunities.(

In this regard(

, the government must address the plight(

farmers who (

of the

, because of their limited

occupational labour mobility

need specialised

training to acquire other skills(

The issue of limited funds needs to be solved immediately
and the rehabilitation scheme adjusted(
,

,
Authorities must also allay(

displaced locals who are unfairly(

project.(

The Daily Star

.

accordingly(
,
being left out(

the concerns of
of the construction

Women ignored by two major parties

So much for women's political participation!
.
It is one of the greatest ironies(

that the two major parties of the country, both of

which are headed by women, should be so apathetic(

when it comes to including

women in local government. (

,
This is

evident(

, ) from the measly(

number of mayoral nominations given out by

the two parties. (

Out of the 234 mayoral posts the ruling Awami League nominated(
only 7 women while the BNP only one woman for the upcoming(

December 30

municipality polls.(
As for all the other parties, not a single
one had nominated a female candidate.(

Such blatant(

jarring(

in the wake of(

gender discrimination(
tall talks(

is

by the two major parties,

especially, regarding women's empowerment(

The
excuse

that women candidates were not chosen because they do not enjoy

the same level of popularity as the nominated male candidates is not acceptable(
This the responsibility of each political party to
groom(

and evaluate(

women leaders at the

grassroots level(
so that they can actively be part of the local government
elections(

The most

important benchmark(

of women's empowerment is their increased

political participation.(
By excluding women from contesting the polls, these parties have shown their
prejudice (

against women in the political arena.

And added to that the EC's issuing of stereotyped(

electoral symbols for women

candidates, such as gas stove, doll and frock, reinforce(

chauvinistic(

the

political environment that women with political

aspirations(

have to contend(

with(.(
,
It is a shame that the major parties have
echoed(

such sexism(

in the way they have chosen to ignore

women in the local government elections.

(

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------Trump's irresponsible(
utterances(
Neurotic(

comments are counterproductive

We are constrained(

that the irresponsible comments coming out of some GOP

presidential hopefuls have only helped to spawn(

Islamophobia(

in

the USA, the most recent of which is Donald Trump advocating(

shutdowns(

of all Muslims entering the US, even Muslim US citizens who happen

to be abroad at the moment. Trump's suggestion comes in the wake of(

the killing in

San Bernadine.
While it is understandable(
vent(

that as a part of free speech everyone has the right to

his or her feelings, what has been uttered in the name of campaign

speech is regrettable (

and utterly(

alarming is to see the number of adherents(

Populism may fetch(
undoing.(

reprehensible(

And equally

to Trump's views.

a few votes for a candidate but carries within it seeds of his

History tells us that all fascists were once popular leaders.

Our concerns stem (from the likely serious and far reaching (
consequences(result/
over(

such comments will have long after the elections are

Even if Trump were not nominated,(

hope that he would not be, (

and we
his utterances are

bound to create a mindset among a segment of Americans about Muslims that may not be
easy to erase.
We are happy to note that there have been across the board condemnation of the
comments(
including
Trump's fellow Republicans. (

and both

President Obama and Hilary Clinton have hit the right chord(
It will be a gross mistake(

to target

the Muslims in general.

The Daily Star

------------------------------------------------------Non-functional health complex
Redress problems quickly
We are perplexed as to why there is a 31-bed hospital in an isolated area in Kishoreganj
that is practically inaccessible to people.

It has medical equipment, but lacks technicians to operate them.

So, the 160,000 residents of Itna upazilla
must travel to district headquarters to get treatment for anything serious(

and the health complex at the upazilla is for all practical

purposes, redundant.(
It is unfortunate that pregnant mothers have to face lengthy travel to district headquarters
for safe delivery of children(
More serious patients with injuries or

having cardiovascular complications may not survive that journey but have no choice
because the health complex is unable to give the service required.(

Given the geographical characteristics of Itna(

, an area

that remains inundated for six months of the year(

, a journey by boat to the nearest operational health facility can take up to three and a
half hours while a bus ride requires an hour(
,

The problem is when a

medical crisis occurs relying on public transport is hardly practical.

The situation becomes
that much more complex when a patient needs treatment urgently(
and timely medical assistance is of
the essence.(
We wonder why such an inaccessible, remote area was selected in the first place to set up
a health complex (

,
and why has the ministry not made

efforts to hire technical personnel to operate complex medical equipment which have been
bought with public money.
Given that a large amount
of money has been spent there,

we hope that the government

would ensure that not only is the health complex fully operational but also reaching it is
made hassle free.(

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------.
Seeking int'l support for development
(
We support PM's call

WE echo (

the prime minister's call (

to the

development partners(

gathered at the Bangladesh Development

Forum for their sustained support to Bangladesh in its pursuit of unimpeded

development(
The premier is justified in making the appeal
to the international community (
given the country's extraordinary success in achieving most of the targets
of the MDGs(

all the while (sustaining a steady rate of six-plus annual GDP growth despite a global
economic meltdown and political unrest here at home. (

Going forward, we, however(

face some formidable hurdles, namely(

,
, energy sector reform(

infrastructure development(

and competitiveness as per

recommendations of some development partners(

Reforms are necessary in the pricing policy to attract investment in the
energy sector (

and the

tax-GDP ratio has to increase to arrange financing in the infrastructure sector

according
to a senior official of the IMF(

who also stressed

the importance of generating more revenue from domestic resources and removing the
barriers of doing business. (

All these are sound economic advice(

But to what

extent these policies will actually work depends largely on good governance which also
includes aid utilisation and public safety(

Reportedly, more than half of financing

of social and physical infrastructure still comes from foreign aid(

,
That being the

case, efficient utilisation of aid and the implementation of programmes, assume

importance.(

Therefore, improving governance and safety - preconditions for foreign investment and aid
(

,
should be the priority in the 7th Five Year Plan(
and the government, civil society organisations, academia, private sector

and development partners should work together towards reaching this shared goal.(
,

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------.
Occupying playground for 'Bijoy Fair'
Is this the best way to demonstrate patriotism?
?
The construction of structures for a Bijoy Fair (

on a

playground shared by two schools in Chandpur(

does justice neither to the spirit of our glorious Liberation War nor to the
students who need a playground for their overall development.(

According to a photo in this newspaper(

construction has already begun (

,
meaning the playground

will be off-limits to the children of these two schools for over a month(

We feel that in attempting to commemorate our hard-earned liberty

the organisers of the fair(
are in fact stealing

the children's freedom to play(

which, ample research showsis necessary for their physical 6growth

behaviour, achievement in test scores and more importantly, their social, cognitive and
creative development.

Couldn't there be a better way to celebrate our victory

? Is there no other ground in that area where the fair could be
organised?(

? If no,

could it not be limited to a week instead of being allowed to go on for more than a
month?(

?And if

the idea is to uphold and promote the ethos of 1971(

, could it not be done by other means
such as

;educating students on the history of the

War(

and engaging the public through

cultural programmes and activities(

that do not warrant occupying a playground for a month
?
The local administration should reach out(

to the local community for a

consensus on how to better observe one of the most important days in our nation's
history.

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------.
We are relieved that at last Nur Hossain has been brought back from India(
The very manner in which he fled
the country had raised many questions(
Now we are perplexed(
prime(

accused(

times is not being quizzed(

in the most gruesome(

as to
,

why the
murder in recent
And in

asking why Nur Hossain has not been taken on remand so far(
, we are only echoing public sentiments.(

Are we to assume(

that

in a murder case

that involves an agency of the state(

, the police have nothing

further to find out from the prime accused(

? On the contrary(

, we feel,(

there are many

unanswered questions.(
Was Nur acting alone(

, or in collusion with others

? How is it that a unit of Rab got involved in the matter without the higher
authority getting a wind of it(
? And how did he manage to escape (
the dragnet that was supposed to be in place when the murders were discovered
? These are mysteries(

that can only

be demystified if Nur Hossain is taken on remand(

We

wonder how can the case be proceeded with on the basis of the current charge sheets
(
when the main character in the case has not been questioned even once(
; how can the investigation be deemed
complete(

We feel there is a need for further probe(

because, according to common perception(

, there is more than

just the involvement of Nur Hussain(

And there is the name of a state agency(
which needs to be cleared by determining (
indeed

those who

that (

participated in the killings were acting on their own.(

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------..

An indomitable(

father-daughter duo(

Why is society blind to the potential of disabled persons?

?
We are heartened (

by the real life story published in this paper(

of a young girl leading her blind

father from the crossbar of a rickshaw as he drives it(

She has been her father's eyes since she was five-years-old.(
Every day, after she finishes school, the
father-duo takes to the streets with a rented rickshaw to earn some money for the family.
(
Monir Hossain, blind since he was a toddler(

, has been pulling the

rickshaw for 28 years now.

The indomitable
spirit of this father and his family,(
zest for life(

and their
, should serve as an inspiration for us all.

(
The story should also be a reminder of the ways in which we treat physically challenged
persons amidst us we think of them as liabilities rather than assets, (
as victims in need of our pity rather than productive citizens of this country
(

who, too,

deserve an opportunity to make the best of their lives.(

A little more than 9 percent of our total population has varying
disabilities(

, but

with adequate education, capability-based training and other services, they can become an
integral(
,
part of the workforce and society(
,
Concerned ministries must allocate specific budgets(
and draw up(
action(
members.

to incorporate(

a comprehensive plan of
them into society as active

(
Meanwhile(

, the media must play its part in changing societal preconceptions by

highlighting these stories of struggle and success(

We are humbled(

that, following the publication of this story, the

local administration has pledged to give Monir khas land and materials to build a home as
well as a job that is not as strenuous(
as rickshaw pulling.
,

The Daily Star

------------------------------------------------------Rescuers now being harassed!
It only affects public confidence in police
It is disturbing to note that (

police have allegedly

unnecessarily kept three people for 'interrogation' in relation to the case of attack on
constables at Ashulia Checkpoint.
Two of the detainees helped take
the injured policemen to a nearby hospital (
and the third one is the sibling of one of the rescuers who
wasn't even present at the scene! (

Several days have passed (

but still the family members have

been kept in the dark about the three detainees.(

Police has refused to divulge any specific detail about the detained
persons, even their names.(
Most worryingly(

, they have denied

arresting one of the rescuers named Saikat(

According to Saikat's wife(
picked up by police last Thursday (

, he was
and has been

missing ever since(

The police authorities must have credible

answers to the queries of the family members of the missing persons.(

They also
cannot shrug off the responsibility of finding the whereabouts of a key witness of the attack.
(

People in general, do not want to get involved in helping victims of a crime, fearing
harassment from police.(
Now, those who would have will think
twice before coming forward to assist a person in need (
, more so if it is a law enforcing
agent.(

It is outrageous(
that law enforcing agents instead of expressing their gratitude to those who lent

their hands to save their colleagues, are allegedly unnecessarily detaining them(.
,
The
authorities must immediately probe into this matter (
and make sure that those conscientious(

individuals who

spontaneously helped the injured policemen are released without delay

The Daily Star

------------------------------------------------------Already more than 2000 arrested
Are they all criminals?
?
The government's countrywide drive to arrest 'suspected troublemakers'
in the wake of

the recent killings

of law enforcement agents(

other subversive(

activities

and
is giving out mixed signals(

Already more than 2000 people have been arrested.

While it is laudable that

the

government is going all out to catch alleged criminals and militants in a bid to restore
security to the nation
, that most of the arrested belong to members of the opposition
parties, will raise questions
It is reminiscent(

of other similar drives in the past ((

by whichever party has been power,(

during which the majority of those apprehended happened (

to belong to rival parties (

or were random passersby on the street.(

If these individuals have criminal cases against them as law enforcers have
stated(
, it begs the question(

why weren't they caught before?(

Why wait for the situation to get so volatile before nabbing

suspected criminal elements? (
?

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------------------------Rana Plaza disaster case
(
Government officials should not be above the law

Government rule (
proceed(
standing(

requiring(

the inclusion(

to

against any government official(

is

against the completion of the legal process(

of the Rana Plaza disaster.

to learn(

its clearance(

We are surprised(

that the Labour Ministry has refused(

to approve(

of three of its officials in the charge sheet of the Rana

Plaza case(
official at the ministry has reportedly said
there is "no legal and factual reason" (

A senior
that
to include

the officials in the charge sheet (

as the case was filed

for murder.

We cannot

agree.(
These three persons were factory inspectors(

and

were supposed to monitor factories(

, and issue

certificates of their safety and usability(

In the case of Rana Plaza(

, they were in clear dereliction(

of duty as the building was not structurally fit to hold so

many garment factories, (

which makes them complicit(

in the death of as many as

1,136 people(
whether (

We wonder(
the Labour Ministry should offer legal opinion on a matter that can (
and should be proven only in the court

of law. (
The law of the land should apply(

to the persons

in question who

should face trial (

where they can prove their case(

We also want to reiterate our position(
that this particular law(
(

to indict(

our constitution (

requiring

government permission

its officials(

runs contrary to

by putting a category of people above others in the

eyes of the law(

and is a hindrance to
establishing a society based on justice and fair play(
It should be done away with at the earliest.(

The Daily Star

Action against District Judge

Shouldn't lower court come under the HC?
?

It is not very common to see(

a judge subjected to disciplinary

action(

Yet in what is a rare case(

, the law ministry has initiated disciplinary action against a district (
and sessions judge(

finding allegation (

of his misconduct(

after

to be true(

The accusation against the judge(

is that

he had

exempted two accused from a murder case(

, based not on judicial(
considerations(

but,

allegedly, other

The law ministry and the Supreme Court deserve

compliment(

for the promptness in taking

cognizance of the complaint(

and initiating

proceedings against the said Judge(

That and the action of the government against a lower court judge(
brings up the question of oversight, of the performance and control, of the
lower judiciary(

which happens to be

in the hands of the government(

the country(

and not the apex court of

And in this regard(

the comments of the Chief

that if rules of

Justice in May this year(

discipline of lower court judges and right to take disciplinary measures against them remain
in government hands(
, then HC will have no controlling power over the lower court (
deserve serious
consideration of the government(
that

Because without

, the much needed supervision and control will continue to be absent.(

The Daily Star

Many unable(
Still a long way to go(

to decide(

their healthcare needs(

for women's empowerment

At least 37 percent women in Bangladesh are (

unable to

take decisions about their own healthcare(

according to a report published by UN Women titled, (

Progress

of world's women 2015-2016:Transforming economies, realizing rights.

,

Despite the tremendous

progress made in terms of women's empowerment over the last decade(

that women must still depend on their husbands
(

or other family members for their own

healthcare needs (
goses to show (

that there is still a long way to go(

before equality can be established within the household (and the larger community(

In both rural and urban areas(

women(

, a significant proportion of
are unaware of their sexual and reproductive rights(
or are unable to exercise them(
, because of constraints(

societal restrictions(

, lack of education(

resources(

such as
, and limited access to

Patriarchal mindsets in our society dictate

that women remain passive within the

household(

, suppressing their

views(

and ignoring their medical conditions(

, no matter how severe(
This has had disastrous impact on

maternal health(

child mortality(

and overall quality of life

, life expectancy(

of many women(
The UN Women report states that (

women's economic

empowerment plays an important role(

in increasing her access to decision-making in the family(
As more and more women become financially independent(
,the hope is that they will be better
able to challenge patriarchal norms (
and have more of a say,(
when it comes to their own lives.(

particularly

Consciousness-raising at different levels( , among both men and women(

, is necessary (

to establish(

importance of enabling women(

the

to make their own decisions

At the same time

, we need to ensure ( quality yet

affordable healthcare for all women.(

The Daily Star

--------------------------------------------------------Women trafficked as sex slaves(
Government must put a stop to this(
We are deeply(

troubled(

by the allegations(

women from Bangladesh(

that

are being trafficked(

Syria(

to war-ridden

as sex slaves and domestic workers(

According to a report in a leading Bengali daily, (
Rab has expressed concerns regarding the issue(
to the government(

cases(

, citing(

at least 43

of women being trafficked to Syria

Three victims(

, upon being sent back to Bangladesh(

once they fell grievously(

ill(

, told the newspaper(

hundreds of women from Bangladesh(

that
are being used as

sex workers in different cities of Syria(

after being tricked(

into believing(

domestic workers in Lebanon(

that there is an organised transnational network trafficking

women
approximately(
We are at a loss(

that they would get jobs as

The victims

claim(
appearances(

of different ages and

,

, from Bangladesh and selling them for

Tk 3 lakh.(
to understand(

how these women ended up in

Syria(

when they were supposed to go to Lebanon

Did they have the necessary documents to go

to Syria(

, and if not, how could

they pass the immigration(

Trafficking of women and girls is a serious crime(

and one which the government must take a zero tolerance policy on(
The foreign and home ministries must work together
to rescue(

the women who are

already there(

, and take urgent steps(

to identify(

and bring to book(

the networks and agencies involved in this(

particularly those that have already been named by victims and their families.(

The Daily Star

-------------------------------------Fatal(
,
,

attack on police(

----------------------------------------Enough talk(
, take action
The attack on the police in Ashulia yesterday,(
which killed one and injured four others,(
just ratcheted up(
order(
(

has

the problem in an already jittery(

law-and-

situation. That police on duty(

can be attacked

from very close quarters(

daylight (
the attack shows(

was hitherto(

in broad

unheard(

of. The manner of

that this was a careful operation(

and the attackers had worked out the plan (
that ensured a safe getaway.

This is the second fatal attack on the police in a fortnight (

If the intention was to strike terror into the hearts and minds( the idea of
persuading enemies instead of defeating them by force) of the masses that no one, not
even the police, is safe from attack, then it is succeeding.
Attacking law enforcers is equivalent to an attack on the State (
The statement given by the minister
of home affairs in the aftermath of the latest incident is not enough(

The State should respond

effectively(

and decisively(

bring to book(

Failure to

Those responsible for the recent spate of deadly attacks

on writers and now the police (

strengthen(

will merely
the hands of whoever is responsible for masterminding

these operations.(
It's worth noting(

that the home minister has not brushed the attack

aside as an isolated incident

But he must act decisively now.
Delay in nabbing(
will erode(

the perpetrators(

confidence of the people in the State(

as the ultimate(

guardian of peace and safety for its citizens.

We repeat, the law enforcing agencies should be allowed to function free of political
interference(
and their proficiency(
against surprise attacks(
rigorous(

including their ability(

should be enhanced(

to protect themselves
Through more

training and appropriate equipment.

The Daily Star

Most rape victims are minors
Why are the rapists not caught?
?
A study by this paper has found that 82 percent of rape victims are under the age of 20,
many of them minors.

More than half of the victims were schoolgirls who were raped on their way to or from
school.

About twenty-two percent were sexually abused at home.

What is more alarming is that this research, based on The Daily Star news reports, reveals
that around 80 percent of the rapists were known to the victims, neighbours or men who live
in the same locality as the victims.
The Daily Star
,
It is therefore surprising that most of these perverts escape arrest and punishment.

These findings allude to the fact, one that has been corroborated before by human rights
organisations, that the arrest and conviction rates of rapists are very low.

Those who are caught and arrested, often use their influence, to get bail or even go scot
free through an out of court arrangement.
,
The victims and their families are often forced to make compromises because they are
threatened with further repercussions if they pursue the case.

It is clear that despite a very stringent law against rape, especially of minors, loopholes in
the legal system, and lack of support from the community, allow these rapists to escape
punishment while the victim remains traumatised, sometimes for life.
,
,

In a country that is committed to promoting the education of girl children, it is also crucial to
ensure their physical safety and mental wellbeing.
,
The outrageous number of rapes of young girls is a wakeup call for the government, and the
society as a whole, that we must take all measures possible, to protect our girls and women
from sexual predators.

The Daily Star

BBIN landmark deal inked
,
,
,
A boost to regional connectivity

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) have mapped out a plan of action that will
pave the way for movement of passenger and cargo vehicles across their borders.
,
,
,
,
we welcome the agreement as the first step towards greater regional integration that holds
the potential to boost trade in the region by nearly 60 percent.

The essential thing now is to enhance the state of infrastructure in each country.

While the plan of action estimates that it will take five years from signing of the agreement
for it to become fully operational, one has to deal with the financing, and in this, we feel that
India, being the largest country, will have to take the lead.
,

we are informed that the cost of upgrading infrastructure across BBIN will be to the tune of
US$8 billion.
,
,
,
As the bulk of transit will take place over Bangladesh territory, it becomes imperative that
donor partners come forward in this regard.

Without requisite financial assistance, the major road links cannot be upgraded to
international standards.
It is heartening that the Asian Development Bank has already committed to finance one of
the corridors, Dhaka-Sylhet two-lane into a four-lane one.

The other point that needs to be kept in mind is the fixation of toll rates.
Realistic toll fees need to be fixed at all border crossing points that will generate revenue for
maintenance of key road links.

As traffic will increase in volume exponentially, we need to stay on track to put the
necessary regulatory framework in place that will govern the movement of vehicles from
other nations.
,

The Daily Star

Editorial
Indigenous women and girls need protection
Free the administration of prejudice
Despite the government's pledge to adopt a zero tolerance for violence against women and
children, there has not been significant progress in the ground realities.

Indigenous women and girls, particularly, are vulnerable because of prejudice in the
administration.
These were some of the findings revealed at a recent seminar.
According to Bangladesh Indigenous Women's Network, violence against indigenous
women and children increased twofold between 2013 and 2014.
,

This includes rape, abduction and murder.

,
The recent plight of a Garo woman having to go from one police station to another to file her

case of being gang-raped is an example of how state agencies show bias in the way they
treat victims from these communities.

The unresolved case of Kalpana Chakma who was abducted 19 years ago from the CHT
region is an indication of how far back this discrimination can be traced to.

Despite various government initiatives to combat violence against women, the lack of
coordination among the government's helpline service, victim support centre and one stop
crisis centre, makes it challenging for victims to get the medical and legal help they need.

For indigenous women, who often face hostile treatment from law enforcement agencies, it
is even more difficult.

,
Thus many cases remain unreported.
Perpetrators of such violence invariably enjoy impunity due to their ability to influence the
legal system, resulting in such crimes going on unabated.

The obvious first step is to make sure that the police stations and support centres work in
unison so that victims of such reprehensible crimes can get immediate medical attention,
file their cases and ultimately get justice.

,
The government must also ensure, in all tiers of the administrative system, that there is no
prejudicial treatment of indigenous victims which is contradictory and unacceptable to our
democratic values.

The Daily Star

Worsening flood situation
The government should reach out to the affected

A flood is raging in the north and northeastern part of the country, badly affecting the lives of
thousands.

A huge swathe of land has been inundated as some of the major rivers such as the
Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and the Dudhkumar are flowing well above the
danger level at several places.
,
,
,

Bhurungamari-Sonahat Land Port Road has been declared off limits to all heavy vehicles as
torrential rain has claimed a strip of the important highway.

The government apparently has been taken unawares.

It is not as though the situation was unanticipated given that areas upstream had been hit
by heavy rains.

It was imperative to take precautionary measures to relocate people to safer places and
give them succour.
Indeed potable water and medicine should be made available to them on an urgent basis.
,
The government relief agencies should raise their preparedness level, keeping pace with
the surge of the monsoon; meteorologists believe that the flood situation might worsen.

,
,

It is at a time like this that sustained cooperation in the exchange of metrological data
between Bangladesh and India is of crucial importance.

The Daily Star

Rapeanother crime of human traffickers at sea
Myanmar and Malaysia must work together to stop this
An investigative report by this paper has unraveled the horrifying sexual abuse of Rohingya
women while they make their perilous trips at sea.
,
These women travel to Malaysia to join would-be husbands or brothers and fathers who
have fled persecution in Myanmar.
,
,
However, they are subjected to continuous sexual violence throughout the trip by the
traffickers and their cohorts who often confine them later, in the slave camps of the
destination points where the abuse resumes.
,
;

The story of two such women who had been held at a transit camp in Malaysia for more
than six months, becoming pregnant as a result of gang rape by the traffickers, shows how
easily these criminals have been carrying out their diabolical(
activities in these
slave camps.

Sexual violence is the latest human rights abuse on the long list of abuses by these
trafficking rings which have the complicity of officials of the destination points that allows
them to carry on their nefarious activities without getting caught.
;

The physical and psychological trauma these women face are unimaginable.
The international community, especially Myanmar, from where these victims are fleeing,
and Malaysia, the destination point, must come forward to find ways to rescue these
helpless women and catch these criminals who are guilty of kidnapping, torture, killing and
now rape.

,
Again, all this just points to the reality that Myanmar must put a stop to the persecution of
Rohingya Muslims and give them the citizenship they rightfully deserve.
,
That would significantly reduce the number of Rohingyas, including many women, fleeing
their homeland and risking their lives in the process.

The Daily Star

Shortfal(

in ADP utilisation

Enhancing implementation capacity key

Most ministries and divisions of the government fail to utilise the full financial allocation
made to them annually.
Indeed the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the current fiscal is also not likely to
be implemented in full.

,
It has been found that, on average, only 67 percent of allocation was spent in the first 11
months of the last fiscal.
,
Given current trends of ADP implementation, the pattern that emerges is that work is
sluggish at best for the first half of the year.

With only six months to go, the various bodies go into hyperdrive in an effort to expend
allocated resources.

This brings into question two issues: the quality of spending given the race with time and
the efficiency of planning.
Some fundamental rethinking in project implementation is required if we are to get the value
for money.

Whilst(

policymakers go through the motions of expending budgetary allocation

in the remainder six months, it is highly unlikely that the taxpayers' money is being well
spent.
,
Going by what has been reported in this paper, Local Government Division has utilised 78
percent of its allocation while the Bridges Division has utilised less than 50 percent of its
financial target.
,
Yet with each passing budget we see a scramble by various ministries and divisions for
more budgetary allocation than that of the preceding fiscal.

Unspent monies are a waste in terms of development goals remaining unachieved.

This is where a rethinking is required on what sort of projects are to be undertaken so that
we can break out of this cycle of sluggish implementation.

The Daily Star

Bank heists by militants
Drives to stamp them out must continue with vigour
Following the arrests of nine suspected operatives of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihadal-Islami (Huji) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) the police has revealed the formation of
an umbrella organisation 'Bangladesh Jihadi Group' that has come up with a new way to
raise funds for religious militancy: through bank heists.
9
Already two such robberies have occurred and the efficiency and brutality with which the
crimes have been carried out are hallmarks of militant organisations.

Needless to say, this is a very worrying trend.

,
It shows that pockets of militant outfits, some known, others assuming new names, exist all
over the country.
,
Detectives have also arrested a suspected ISIS member from Banani who has been
recruiting activists for his new militant organisation, through the internet and even given
them training in his home.

It is laudable that the government and its law enforcement agencies are serious about
catching extremists who are plotting and planning to carry out violent, deadly attacks on
people to spread terror.

The regular arrests of members of various militant outfits and the unearthing of their
hideouts that often have bomb making materials, weapons and material to instigate
militancy, demonstrate the efficiency of the law enforcement agencies in catching these
extremists.

We hope that the same level of expertise will be shown in arresting and punishing those
militants who have carried out a number of brutal assassinations of writers and bloggers.

We urge the government to continue with their anti-terror drive with this kind of vigour and
determination in order to purge our country of militancy and terror in the name of religion

The Daily Star

----------------------------------------------Budgetary allocation for people with disabilities
It should be revisited and enhanced
Jatiya Pratibandi Forum (JPF), in a press conference on Sunday, highlighted that there has
not been any significant allocation for development of people with disabilities in the national
budget, despite assurances earlier from the Finance Minister himself that several ministries
would be allocated specific budgets for mainstreaming people with disabilities.

Small allowances provided through the social welfare ministry is simply not enough to
address the multifaceted problems faced by people with disabilities.

With an estimated 16 million people in Bangladesh living with disability with insufficient state
support, excluded from mainstream society, we implore the government to revisit the
proposed budget and allocate the promised amount to concerned ministries.

Muhith, at a views-exchange meeting with JPF representatives on May 11, had pledged to
allocate the money to a few ministries including education, local government, health and
women and children affairs so as to enable people with disabilities to be integrated into
society.

As an Ain O Salish Kendra research notes, currently, only four percent of children with
disabilities have access to education in any form;

;
public health centres remain inaccessible to people with disabilities, and there are
inadequate disabled related services in the country, such as early identification, aids and
appliances, educational or therapeutic services or vocational rehabilitation.
,
,

In addition, they are denied the same rights, freedoms and quality of life as other citizens of
this country, with their freedom of movement severely restricted.
,

Under these circumstances, it is imperative that the different ministries work together to
integrate people with disabilities, providing them with education, skill development training
and other services that enable them to be active members of society.
,

The Daily Star 'r

Another terrifying(

arson attack

A grisly reminder
Just when we had started to feel a sense of relief, that the horrific incidents of arson attacks
during the BNP led opposition hartal-blockade were over, it has struck again.

Eight people have been burnt by arsonists who hurled petrol bombs on a running bus.
It happened on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, near Comilla, at midnight when many
people were offering Shab-e-Barat prayers.

The attack is a chilling reminder that we are still vulnerable to these deadly attacks which
killed at least 95 people and wounded more than a thousand during the first three frightful
months of this year.

It is a wakeup call that reminds us that all those men, women and children who were killed
or disfigured for life in those three months, have yet to receive justice.
,

Apart from the various cases against leaders of the opposition we have not seen arrests
and trials of those individuals who actually carried out these gruesome attacks.

Without a single culprit of those crimes being brought to book, it is not surprising that
arsonists feel confident enough to go on another spree of killing and maiming.

It must be stopped right now not with wholesale arrests of political opponents but through
proper investigation and by following due process that will ensure the severest punishment
for these killers.
,

The Daily Star 'r

Budget aims high
Implementation to test institutional preparations

The finance minister has presented the 44th annual budget of a record size in parliament.
We are giving our preliminary reactions to it at this stage; deeper analysis will follow.
,
Standing at Tk 2.5 trillion, this year's budget places greater emphasis on human resources
development.
Proposed allocation for the education sector is Tk 316.18 billion.
However, the rate of implementation of the annual development plan (ADP) remains a
major concern.
,
Its rate of utilisation stood at slightly over 50 percent in the first 10 months of the last fiscal.
While a 7 percent growth rate is envisaged(

, ), economists and

experts alike have pointed out that without institutional and policy reforms, attaining growth
rates at such a high notch may not be feasible.

There is a renewal of pledges to complete mega projects such as the Padma Bridge and
metro rail; the emphasis on infrastructure development is welcome.
,
On the positive side, tax exemption(

threshold for women and senior citizens

above 65 years has been raised from Tk 2,75,000 to Tk 300,000 while for physically
challenged people, exemption has been raised from Tk 350,000 to Tk 375,000.
, ,
,

The new pay scale for public servants remains an area of concern, and although
government employees are set to be included in the tax bracket, it is not clear where from
the additional Tk 16,000 crore will be generated.
,
,
Indeed this year the revenue target has been revised upwards by Tk 500 billion.
The increased revenue will have to come from a widened tax net, value added tax and tax
at source.
,
,
It can be challenging.
At the end of the day, the government needs to get its act together in terms of
implementation; otherwise the bulk of allocations will remain unutilised and the quality of
spending may be compromised.
,
;

The Daily Star

Citizenship for Rohingyas
High time for Myanmar to accord it

The recent tragedy of hundreds of boat people floating in the wilderness(

of the sea without food and other basic amenities(
attention to the protracted(
Rohingyas.

has drawn the world's

,

suffering of the

Various governments, UN organisations, human rights groups and eminent personalities

like Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have urged the Myanmar government to stop
persecution(
of the Rohingyas and grant(
,
them citizenship
and basic human rights.
,

,
It is time the global community intensifies(

its effort to make the

Myanmar government see reason(Adopt a sensible course of action, let oneself be

persuaded) and end the ordeal(
of the Rohingyas by accepting them as citizens
of Myanmar.

In the wake of the recent crisis, the Myanmar government had denied its responsibility for
the protection of Rohingyas.
Rather, they blamed it out on Bangladesh by referring to the floating Rohingyas as
Bangladeshi citizens.
They even did not want to entertain(

any discussion on the issue.

However, later the Myanmar government attended the emergency conference on boat
people held in Bangkok.
,

Although the meeting ended without any viable(

that Myanmar at least recognised(

answer to the Rohingya question,

the crisis {went down well with (

} the observers.
,
As a solution to the problem, resettlement (
has been discussed by various forums.

of Rohingyas to a third country

For the time being it sounds plausible(

but in the long run it is not a

sustainable option.
Moreover, this precludes(

Myanmar's fundamental responsibility to accept

its own citizens under international law.

,
In a recent visit to Malaysia, US Secretary of State for Refugees Anne Richard said that the
answer to the Rohingya issue lay in peace and stability in the Rakhine state and
acceptance of Rohingyas as citizens of Myanmar.

We fully endorse(

her views.

The Daily Star

Evicting(

hawkers from streets

Rehabilitation is key
The two Dhaka city corporations are set to clear footpaths from July 1.
That the small-scale eviction drive in Gulistan on June 2 fizzled out(

was a foregone conclusion.(

Given(

that the street hawkers have no designated (

spaces to ply (

,
,

their trade, it is hardly surprising that after the cleanup drive in the morning the traders
returned to the same place in the evening.

Yes, the ubiquity(

obstruction to traffic.

of thousands of hawkers and street peddlers poses an

Yet, one cannot overlook the fact that they provide citizens belonging to middle and lower
income groups invaluable service by selling ware(
nearby(
, at prices
they can afford.

The reason why such drives will prove ineffective is primarily because they deprive
hundreds of thousands of people in the city of their livelihood.

These traders have families to support.

They cannot be wished away by ad-hoc measures.
The new mayors should have taken into consideration the consequences(

of such

sudden eviction drives.

If each major locality in the city has designated spaces and hours of the day for the hawkers
and small traders to carry on their business, it would secure their livelihood as well as
cater(
for middle and low income group buyers.

The bottom line(

is, first provide them with viable alternative locations and then,

take actions against those who persist(

in their old ways.

,
To this end, we need to stamp out(
and the influence(
,

of vested(

petty(
,

, ) groups.
,

bribery