The answer is yes if we focus on the operational dynamics of state institutions and processes.Institutions do not mean bricks, walls, furniture and files. When do not mean bricks, walls,furniture and files. When individuals interact with institutions or when institutions deal with each other, the folk occupying key positions matter. Their disposition and agenda, as well as how these change over time, influence institutional disposition and agenda. The survival and collapse of institutions depend on personal, group and corporate and professional, group and corporate and professional interests of the key individuals in these institutions.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE
Is democracy under siege in Pakistan? The answer is both yes and no. It is no if we take a textbook approach to politics. The standard argument is that state institutions are more important than the individuals who occupy key positions. These individuals come and go but the primacy of institutions should not be compromised. Current political challengers are being faced by some people who hold key positions in the government, they may be under siege, but not the political institutions or democracy.
The answer is yes if we focus on the operational dynamics of state institutions and processes.Institutions do not mean bricks, walls, furniture and files. When do not mean bricks, walls,furniture and files. When individuals interact with institutions or when institutions deal with each other, the folk occupying key positions matter. Their disposition and agenda, as well as how these change over time, influence institutional disposition and agenda. The survival and collapse of institutions depend on personal, group and corporate and professional, group and corporate and professional interests of the key individuals in these institutions.
The answer is yes if we focus on the operational dynamics of state institutions and processes.Institutions do not mean bricks, walls, furniture and files. When do not mean bricks, walls,furniture and files. When individuals interact with institutions or when institutions deal with each other, the folk occupying key positions matter. Their disposition and agenda, as well as how these change over time, influence institutional disposition and agenda. The survival and collapse of institutions depend on personal, group and corporate and professional, group and corporate and professional interests of the key individuals in these institutions.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
EARTHQUAK RISK OF BANGLADESH
ASM Maksud Kamal, National Adviser on Tsunami, cyclone and Earthquake Risk of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, told UNB reporter Rafiqul Islam that Dhaka is highly vulnerable to great damage from an earthquake under the Madhupur Rault, as the phenomenal uarbanisation, density of population and high-rise structures are growing fast here.
"We can't even imagine how much causalities and economic losses will be there in the city in case of a apowerful tremor originating from Madhupur Fault" he said.
According to a government study, over 130,000 people will die instantly while over 130,000 will be injured and need to be hospitalized if a 7.5 magnitude earthquake from Madhupur Fault jolts the city.
In case of an 8-magnitude earthquake from plate boundary Fault-2, the study says, there will be about 70,000 instant deaths while over 80,000 others will need to be admitted to hospital. In this case, the casualties will be less despite stronger tremor because of distance from the epicentre.
The incidence of earthquake has become too common across the world with the recent one hitting Haiti, leaving some 200,000 people dead. In 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 230,000 people across a dozen countries.
Adequate preparations are needed to minimize casualties and loss of property in the event of any possible devastating earthquake, as Dhaka is highly vulnerable to tremors under the Madhupur Fault, 90 miles from the capital.
Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) under Food and Disaster Management Ministry counducted the study with the help of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).
The United nations Development Programme (UNDP), UK Department for International Development (DFID) and European Commission provided financial support for the research project conducted from February 2008 to August 2009.
The study reveals that at least 10 major hospityals in the capaital will be destroyed and over 200 hospitals and clinics partially destroyed in case of a 7.5 magnitude quake, mounting pressure on the city's other hospitals and clinics to treat the possible huge injured people.
It shows that only 24,000 hospital beds will be available on the day the quake will strike for the use of the already-admitted patients and earthquake-injured people after the 7.5 jolt, which is only 41 percent of the demand.
A week after the quake, only 54 percent of the beds will be available for use while after a month, 72 percent will be come available, the study said.
About 37,000 hospital beds, which is only 63 percent of requirement, will be available for the treatment of injured people on the day of an 8 magnitude earthquake. About 76 percent of the beds will be back in service after a week while about 87 percent will be fully operational after a month.
"We can't even imagine how much causalities and economic losses will be there in the city in case of a apowerful tremor originating from Madhupur Fault" he said.
According to a government study, over 130,000 people will die instantly while over 130,000 will be injured and need to be hospitalized if a 7.5 magnitude earthquake from Madhupur Fault jolts the city.
In case of an 8-magnitude earthquake from plate boundary Fault-2, the study says, there will be about 70,000 instant deaths while over 80,000 others will need to be admitted to hospital. In this case, the casualties will be less despite stronger tremor because of distance from the epicentre.
The incidence of earthquake has become too common across the world with the recent one hitting Haiti, leaving some 200,000 people dead. In 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 230,000 people across a dozen countries.
Adequate preparations are needed to minimize casualties and loss of property in the event of any possible devastating earthquake, as Dhaka is highly vulnerable to tremors under the Madhupur Fault, 90 miles from the capital.
Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) under Food and Disaster Management Ministry counducted the study with the help of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).
The United nations Development Programme (UNDP), UK Department for International Development (DFID) and European Commission provided financial support for the research project conducted from February 2008 to August 2009.
The study reveals that at least 10 major hospityals in the capaital will be destroyed and over 200 hospitals and clinics partially destroyed in case of a 7.5 magnitude quake, mounting pressure on the city's other hospitals and clinics to treat the possible huge injured people.
It shows that only 24,000 hospital beds will be available on the day the quake will strike for the use of the already-admitted patients and earthquake-injured people after the 7.5 jolt, which is only 41 percent of the demand.
A week after the quake, only 54 percent of the beds will be available for use while after a month, 72 percent will be come available, the study said.
About 37,000 hospital beds, which is only 63 percent of requirement, will be available for the treatment of injured people on the day of an 8 magnitude earthquake. About 76 percent of the beds will be back in service after a week while about 87 percent will be fully operational after a month.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
STATE OF DENIAL
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon in Lahore. There have been several deadly incidents during the last two years. What distinguishes the terrorist attacks on October 15 is the coordinated assault at three different locations belonging to law enforcement agencies.
The Lahore incidents are part of the latest series of terrorist attacks that began with the suicide bombing at the UN food programme office in islamabad on October5,follow by the suicide attack at a market place in peshawar and a daredevil attack on the outer perimeter of the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. On October 15, when attention was focused an Lahore, two attacks took place in kohat and peshawar ,raising the total number of attacks to five in one day. Never in the past have five attacks taken place in one day in urban areas.On October 16, Peshawar experienced two suicide attacks.
The Lahore incidents are part of the latest series of terrorist attacks that began with the suicide bombing at the UN food programme office in islamabad on October5,follow by the suicide attack at a market place in peshawar and a daredevil attack on the outer perimeter of the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. On October 15, when attention was focused an Lahore, two attacks took place in kohat and peshawar ,raising the total number of attacks to five in one day. Never in the past have five attacks taken place in one day in urban areas.On October 16, Peshawar experienced two suicide attacks.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
CHILDREN RIGHTS
According to UNICEF, an estimated 6.3 million children aged 5-14 are currently engaged in child labor and hazardous work in Bangladesh. But 250 of them were lucky as they had a day off to attend the National on Monday.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the week right to protect children well, Commitment for change days.Our children are the foundation of our future and they will take responsibility at every level and sector in the future.For our own betterment,our children must be given all facilities from now on,"she said. Children are special.To children,childhood is a special time- - a time for wonder,for learning ,and growing.We strive to love our beautiful planet by loving and sacrificing for each other,and loving treasures, our children. It is our utmost expectation and hope that our society,social services,our employers,and our legal and court system will actually work and function to protect our most precious resource,the children. Understanding the extent of abuse of children's rights is a first step to building an environment where children are protected and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.But children around the world are experiencing fundamental infringements of their human rights, and suffering physical and psychological harm that has wide - reaching, sometimes irreparable effects. There is no country untouched by child-protection concerns and violations. According to the ILO,218 million children aged 5-14 worldwide are at work and are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labour ; in armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation /cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the week right to protect children well, Commitment for change days.Our children are the foundation of our future and they will take responsibility at every level and sector in the future.For our own betterment,our children must be given all facilities from now on,"she said. Children are special.To children,childhood is a special time- - a time for wonder,for learning ,and growing.We strive to love our beautiful planet by loving and sacrificing for each other,and loving treasures, our children. It is our utmost expectation and hope that our society,social services,our employers,and our legal and court system will actually work and function to protect our most precious resource,the children. Understanding the extent of abuse of children's rights is a first step to building an environment where children are protected and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.But children around the world are experiencing fundamental infringements of their human rights, and suffering physical and psychological harm that has wide - reaching, sometimes irreparable effects. There is no country untouched by child-protection concerns and violations. According to the ILO,218 million children aged 5-14 worldwide are at work and are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labour ; in armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation /cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
THE ADVENTURES OF SHAKIB AL HASAN
There's something of the Huckleberry Finn in Shakib Al Hasan. That mischievous smile, the boyish face, and of course of endless array of tricks up his sleeve when he's bowling his left arm finger spin. And bowling them with intelligence and daring. He is a master at varying the flight of his deliveries, so that even though he is restricted by the finger spinner's arsenal, he does still manage to work in the most subtle of variations. And that arm ball is an absolute gem of course.
We always knew he was quality, and reflecting back, one would be very hard pressed to find faualt in his performances over the last one year, but the award for Wisden Test Cricketer of the Year still came as a surprise. Not that he didn't deserve it. Just that the sheer scale of the accolade means we hardly think one of our players could ever win it. But this year, if Shakib hasn't been the best cricketer in the world, who has been? it makes perfect sense. one can go on talking about his bowling indeed just that arm ball alone would take up a week or two's worth of paint perhaps but how brilliant he has been with the bat as well. The most wonderful thing shakib brings to the team, apart from his natural talent, is his infectious, positive attitude. You can see it almost pouring off him as he dives around the field. Or as he flights another one that the batsman flashs at to dispatch over cover but shakib doesn't hang his head he cannot contain his excitement at having had the batsman play exactly the shot he'll get him out to. In everything he does, Shakib al hasan just radiates an innate intelligence, and plenty of clean. If the martians are coming, he'll be one of the first names on the team-sheet to take them on. That all-rounder spot, whether in tests or OD's, is his.
POLITICIANS ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is not having a great year. Apart from his wife filing for divorce, his sex life has also come up for scrutiny. And now Italy's Constitutional Court has overturned a law granting him immunity from prosecution while in office. The move opens the possibility that Berlusconi could stand trial in at least three court cases, including one in which he is accused of corruption. The judges said immunity violated the principle that all citizens were equal. This is taking place in Europe, which has a laong tradition of judicial independence but it carries lessons for us because it challenges the very ides of immunity of public officials however high they maybe.In case of Bangladesh it carries great meaning because we have become accustomed to the idea that immunity is a perk of political office.
The BBC says that the news has stunned Italy,a where Berlusconi has widespread public support, although it has dipped in recent times. The opposition has already called on him to step down, although it remains unclear how Berlusconi's coalition partners will react. There have been cases against him before, but he has survived them and he has declared that he will do the same while accusing the magistrates of being Leftists.
The roots of a abad cultural apractice
In Bangladesh, the culture of impunity has deep roots. It began with a series of actions that began immediately after independence and has continued since then. No legal action has ever been taken, no judicial precedent set that can discourage those who wish to break the covenant between law and society. The week governance system makes such transgressions constant, pushing the possibility of rule of law more distant every day.
Berlusconi and his lawyer's argued that he needed the immunity law to carry out his duties as prime minister while those chellenging him said that immunity put him above the law and needed to be reversed. This is the second time italy's highest court has thrown out berlusconi's bid for immunity,after an earlier attempt in 2004 failed.
IS THE NOBEL BECOMING LESS NOBLE?
The nobel is never free from influence. those who still believe that someone out there, living in total obscurity and working assiduously will one day win the ultimate global recognition is actually living in la la land. well,there is nothing wrong in believing in ideals free of any sort of chicanery,but then, in the real world things have a puzzling way of unfolding in their own way. They call it reality and in that real world obama has own the nobel eace prize. Not abad thing at all and before we start questioning the purpose of the prize and start looking for the US president's actual achievements,we need to look ahead and try to speculate what this prize may do to influence obama's future decisions and actions. All around there is widespread criticism and some are even foaming and fuming with outrage. Of course, these people are trying to look at the nobel from a very traditional format. The interesting thing is that the prize had ceased to fit within a conventional setting long ago.Oh, we knew it but ypu know how the human mind works. sometimes the truth is very hard for us to accept openly. We want ideals to rule life without realizing that if that had been the case,then living would have become so prosaic.
Obama has not achieved much, at least if we look for tangible results there isn't much to defend the person to put him under the glory of the Nobel, but he has stared a lot of things that have changed global dynamics in many ways. In a time when the global problem of radicalism is severely affecting the general perception about Islam as a religion of space, he has extended a hand of friendship to the general Muslim people, acknowledging their support to win over a deviant from of religious extremism. And that is a great attainment.
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