China on the way to surpassing US in peaceful competition

I am writing with reference to : 'Gunboat diplomacy in offing', by Mohammed Amjad Hossain (Dec 19). In a recent hard -hitting articale, 'How China Can Defeat America', in the New York Times, Yan Xuetong , professor of political science at Beijing's Tsinghua University wrote: 'To shape friendly international environment for its rise, Beijing needs to develop more high -quality deplomatic and military relationships with every country in the world, thus core of competition between China and the United States will be to see who has more high quality friends. And in order to achieve that goal, China has to provide higher-quality moral leadership than the United States.' In fact, China may be winning the competition. While the United States has been losing friends abroad because of its flawed military missions, China is expanding its economic and diplomatic presence around the world. By the end of 2010, China has replaced the United States as Japan's biggest trading partner, it has also replaced the United States  . With the countries belonging to the European Union facing a seemingly insurmountable debt crisis, they are looking towards booming China for support. The United States, facing its own financial crunch, can provide little help. China seems to be well on the way to defeat America peacefully . With the United States facing a financial meltdown and political gridlock at home, it does not have the means and energy left to enter into a new era of gunboat diplomacy against China. With China bankrolling America's budget deficit , the United States is hardly in a position to bite the hand that feeds it.As professor Yan so corrently remarked, ' This will mean competing with the United States politically, economically and technologically. Such competition may cause diplomatic tensions, but there is little danger of military clashes.'

Revitalising our railways

   The induction of a ministry for only the railways should bring some positive results. There is much talk on the subject, along with advises in the audio-visual media; and the press and the dailies have not remained behind. This is another addition to the list; but hopefully it is rational and somewhat factual; though with a teahnical bias. How ever the ideas are pragmatic, and needs to be addressed with urgency.
   Priority-wise, two items top the list. First and foremost , the passenger and goods tariff  needs to be rationalised in line with present day price levels. Hand in hand, secretarial and traffic manpower needs to be improved . Next, or for that matter the first priority should be the proper repair and overhaul of the locomotives ( diesel & diesel-electric) to ensure their reliable operation. These two issues should be the concentrated upon by the minister and once these are  resolved attention needs to be given on improving the existing inter-city railway links; more so because of the situation of city traffic.
   Given the bottlenecks and the frequency of tragic road accidents; there is every scope for rail transport to attract passenger. There is the potential of also cutting down passenger travel time compared to time normally taken by inter-city buses. With improvement in punctuality and improving general cleanliness of the passenger coaches; there is no doubt that railways will regain its lost popularity and position for transporting people. With these two main objectives; I am sure that it will not be long before railways generate surplus for the government . This is quite feasible, and if needed once the advantages are realised; more capital should be provided for the railway; as it becomes the main artery for becomes the main artery for passenger and goods traffic.

Amazing integrity of a street kid

     It was a busy summer day in the city when vehicles were stuck at a traffic signal at Matsha Bhaban Mor, in  Segunbagicha Some hawkers were selling their goods to passengers. At that juncture , a child hawker started selling 'Tasty  Hazmi' holding up his fingerless hand. A passenger offered two takas showing sympathy on him and he provided two pieces of 'Tasty Hazmi' to that passenger. The passenger wanted to return them but the obstinate boy said loudly 'I do not beg. So , please take your money back.' And he left the place quickly after returning the money . Almost every passenger watching was left puzzled and inwardly thanked the child because many people in this city, even those who are physically sound , want to beg instead of doing any kind of work.  

Stop border killing

     The Indian authorities have repeatedly assured us that they will not lethal weapons. However, the Border Security Force keeps killing unarmed Bangladeshi civilians in the border regions. According to Odhikar, a human rights organisation, from January to September 2011, the BSF allegedly killed 21 and injured 51 Bangladeshis, also abducted 12.They have killed about 900 Bangladeshi in the past 10 years. On January 7, 2011, a 15-year-old girl, Felani, was shot and killed by the BSF and her body had been hung on barbed -wire fence for about five hours.
      If anyone illegally crosses the border, then punishment should be meted out according to the laws.According to international laws. shooting unarmed people is a punishable offence, However , the BSF has consistently violated the laws.
    The Bangladesh government should strongly protest against such killings by the BSF, to protect its citizens' right to life. There will be no meaning of friendship with India if the BSF continues killing Bangladeshis,

Bagin New Year with a safety message

    Natural and anthropogenic disasters (e.g. earthquake , cyclone , fire etc.) can occur at any time and cause a national crisis in Bangladesh .In a densely populated country like Bangladesh such disasters could be catastrophic if we are not prepared . We will be better off to deal with such situations and save millions of lives when we have adequate preparations and trained citizens.
   Countrywide mass safety training and mock rehearsals will help people to be aware about the emergency situations during any disaster and take right course of actions. I request the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management to take the initiative of mock safety training countrywide. The training can be held once in a year.
   For example , a country wide training on safety can be held in the first week of New Year, preferably on a weekday. During the mock emergency training period people will stop working for an hour, participate in the training and evacuate workplaces, homes, hospitals, educational institutions and public gathering places. Evacuees can conduct a head count and record . People can resume their works after the mock training.
   The ministry can involve security forces including Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Defence force and other private security forces to coordinate the training. I also request the government to make such training mandatory to every government establishment in the country . Such training will be useful to make people aware about emergency situations, adopt right action, save public lives and reduce disaster management costs significantly.

Victory Day

      December 16, a red letter day in the history of our country, has come again. It was on this day we won our independence after a nine-month long bloody liberation war. It was gained at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives.
      After 40 years of our victory when we consider our achievements , question may arise how victorious we really are.The dream of the freedom fighters was such a country where there would be no hunger , poverty and injustice.There will be industrialisation and employment, nobody will remain illiterate, and country will be advanced in education, knowledge and science.
    True victory will be achieved only when we can claim to have eradicated poverty once and for all, removed the last vestiges of hunger, and provided opportunity for all work and earn a decent living. The glory of Victory Day will be meaningless unless we fulfil our martyrs' dream. Today on the occasion of Victory Day, let us promise that we all will come together to build a prosperous Bangladesh and fulfil the dream of our freedom fighters.

Betel leaf export ban

      The European Union has banned the import of betel leaf from Bangladesh, as reported in the dailies on December 13.This matter needs to be followed up for our personal health protection, as the leaf was found to be contaminated with hurmful bacteria.Our health ministry should take it up and find out what it is and how betel leaf can be made safe for chewing.
    It is a general health matter and our authorities should look into it and advise the public on precautions that needs to be taken before betel leaf is chewed, which is a popular delicacy for Bangladeshis.

War crimes trial

       Like many other law abiding citizens of Bangladesh, I am very pleased to know from your esteemed daily that the prosecution of the International crimes Tribunal on Tuesday pressed 52 war crimes charges against former Jamaat-e -Islami amir Ghulam Azam.Considered by many a symbol of war crimes, he was also accused of perpetrating all atrocities committed across the country from March 25 to December 16,1971. The charges include leading the mass murder of intellectuals on December 14, 1971 and the killing of 38 prisoners of his home district jail.According to the charges, under his leadership, the collaborators committed offences like murder, extermination,enslavement ,deportation , imprisonment, abduction, confinement, torture and rape of helpless innocents during the liberation war.He is also accused of being directly and indirectly involved in all crimes against humanity ranging from conspiracy against the independence of Bangladesh to genocide,
     Justice for crimes against humanity must be ensured.And it's time for everyone to get to work.The struggle for democracy and human rights in Bangladesh is a struggle for life and dignity .It is a struggle that economic aspirations.

Hospital risks

      Your staff correspondent's front-paged report on December 13 on our High Court raising the issue of fire hazard at hospitals and clinics of fire hazard at hospitals and clinics deals with important issue. However, along with fire hazard, safe disposal of infected waste materials by hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories should also be dealt with. Both these matters are important to contain cross infection through carelessness or accidental mistakes. Proper procedures need to be established for fire protection as well as all clinical waste management . Once the procedures are established, health authorities must carry out routine inspections to ensure that these are properly followed. These are serious safety matters related to accidents by fire or accidental infection of innocent people by germs let loose along with hospital or clinic wastes. Our authorities should take up these important issues seriously and resolve it before something undesired happens, putting ordinary people's life at risk.

Defiance of CNG drivers

         It is a very common for the commuter of Dhaka to face all kinds of chaos and disorder when they want to travel from one part to another part of Dhaka. Especially older people, women and school going children go through much ordeal to reach their destination.Apart from mind numbing traffic jam the Dhakaites are victims of the whims and wishes of CNG run auto rickshaw drivers.They charge as they like and will only go to the destination of their convenience.Although there is a meter to calculate fair hardly any drivers use it.It seems to me that the meter is only a decorative part of three wheelers.The authorities have many times tried to bring some order but it seems all has gone in vein.The poor commuters have no way but to accept the situation.I don't think we need foreign experts' advice to bring order in the transport sector.We only need to implement the existing law strictly so that no one dares to violate it. An improved situation will bring some solace to the already overwhelmed Dhakaites.

Persecution of schools

     Today I received a note from our area committee denouncing schools and other 'illegal' educational establishments. This was droll, and lugubrious. I gave up business because I couldn't pay bribes. Instead, i chose to be a humble tutor of English, teaching a limited number of students in my apartment . I earned the scorn of both my family and friends. If i had been a businessman paying generous bribes, I would have been successful and praised by both family and friends.
     Now, I learn from the committee that this activity is illegal: this is a curious moral , and the immoral is the criminal. My heart goes out to the schools that are being asked to vacate Dhanmondi. When I was in London as a child, my school was smack in the middle of a residential area: it had to be so.This was the catchment area.Local children were expected to walk a short distance to their local schools.
     Are the schools expected to move to a specially designated are, such as Tejgaon? 'Tejgaon Industrial Area': are our children to be herded into industry-like compounds? What is galling is that the millionaires who have made dubious fortunes own flats in Dhanmondi, yet these shady businessmen are calling educational establishments ' illegal'. What an irony! They have the money and the time to hire lawyers: I don't . Therefore, one despairs of justice from the highest courts of the land.One can only look towards heaven for justice.

Lost glory of Bangladesh football

      I used to be a huge fan of Bangladesh football in the early 1980s and Dhaka football league had a huge fan following . Fans used to come from every corner of Bangladesh to watch the Dhaka derby. I used to go to Dhaka stadium every other day to watch my favourite team Abahani's game. During the 1980s and 1990 s football was such a craze. But when I see the present feeble state of Bangladesh football feel very sad. The Bangladesh football team, once a respectable football power in South Asia, now fails to reach the semi-finals of SAF football. In South Asia all nations are moving ahead in football and whereas we seem to be moving backward. Once minnows has come far.I still wonder how our football has reached such a potiable stage and who is to blame. We have to seriously ponder to retrieve the lost glory of football.In any game spectator are the souls.We have to bring back the spectators and for that we need to arrange international football tournaments like President Gold Cup, Agha Khan Gold Cup, etc. I believe we have a pool of talent and it won't take much time to bring back the lost glory of our football.