08-25-2004, 02:51 AM
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http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/08/25/d...501110.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Letter from America
Attack on Sheikh Hasina is unacceptable
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed writes from Princeton, usa
This is serious, folks! When the leader of the opposition and the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, is targeted for assassination <span style='color:red'>five times this year alone, it is clear that the terrorists are determined to kill her. </span> If the government's response is simply to "condemn" those responsible and not scour every inch of Bangladesh with the army's assistance to apprehend and punish the criminals, sooner or later, Allah forbid, the terrorists will succeed. Then what? Once the former Prime Minister is assassinated, the terrorists will then target the current Prime Minister, because the terrorists would like to put an end to democracy in Bangladesh and usher in anarchy in which terrorism thrives. Mere condemnation of the attempt on Sheikh Hasina's life is not enough; it is unacceptable. It should not have happened.
Expatriate Bangladeshis are appalled at the carnage at the Awami League rally last Saturday in which the leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was almost killed, and many of her top lieutenants maimed. The scene resembled a battlefield with blood, severed limbs, and several human beings either dead or severely injured and crying for medical aid. The only difference was that the victims were not battlefield combatants but unarmed civilians attending a peaceful political rally on whom descended grenades and bullets. The terrorists are such cowards! They lobbed grenades at the unsuspecting civilians whose backs were turned, and took potshots at them as they were fleeing the scene of mayhem. Terrorists never have the moral courage to confront their victims face to face.
Law and order is primarily the responsibility of the government. People elect governments so that they can live in peace and security as they pursue their livelihood. If the government cannot provide security, they fail in one fundamental responsibility they are entrusted with. And the government has to crush terrorists of every stripe with equal vigor. The government cannot be partial to its own terrorists, in which case the mission is doomed. For the sake of the country and for the sake of their own political parties, it is time every political party in Bangladesh agreed to disown their own party hacks and treat them for what they are -- criminals. Pursuing of the terrorists of other parties alone will only exacerbate the political turmoil.
There are speculations in the press that Sheikh Hasina's attackers were Islamic fundamentalists, religious fanatics, or terrorists of similar persuasions. Speculation is not enough; we must find out. America broke the backbone of the racist Ku Klux Klan and the Italian mafia by infiltrating these groups with government agents. Bangladesh intelligence, too, must infiltrate these fringe elements and find out who they are and what they are up to. Without inside knowledge, it will be impossible to fight and eliminate these hate groups.
During the writer's recent visit to Bangladesh he was dismayed at the unrelenting political and religious violence in Bangladesh. <b>The target of political violence was mostly the opposition parties, and that of religious violence the minorities. I cannot speak for anyone else, but the Islam that I know and practice teaches that ALL houses of worship are sacred, because the worshippers in those houses of worship attempt to reach God in their own way. In Islam it is forbidden to destroy or desecrate any house of worship whether it is a mosque, a church, a synagogue, a Hindu temple, or a Buddhist temple.</b>Â <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â It will be hypocritical of Muslims to be incensed at those non-Muslims who demolish mosques, and at the same time condone the acts of Muslims who dishonour and ravage places of worship belonging to people of other religions.
<b>The writer was surprised, during his trip to Bangladesh, to see the government treating the Islamic terrorist, the so-called Bangla Bhai with kid gloves. </b>Justice is supposed to be blind and laws are supposed to apply to everyone equally. If Bangla Bhai has committed crimes or has defied the government, which he has, he should be arrested and punished for it. If the government is afraid of the likes of Bangla Bhai and fearful of arresting him, the government itself will slide down the slippery slope where its loss of credibility will be quickly followed by loss of the political power, thus betraying the people's trust.
To regain the people's trust, the government must ensure that anytime the leader of the opposition speaks at a location, the location is properly secured. If the government cannot guarantee her security, they must not let her hold a rally there. Of course, this must not degenerate into a farce, where the leader of the opposition is continually prevented from holding public meetings because the government cannot guarantee her security. The leader of the opposition must be allowed to hold as many rallies as the Prime Minister herself, in secure locations. What really worries me is, unless these terrorist acts are taken seriously as a challenge to the authority of the nation's elected government and the terrorists apprehended and punished, the Prime Minister herself may be a target one of these days.
Those of us who love Bangladesh are worried. Bangladesh is at a watershed moment. If we can curb political violence, treat our minorities with fairness and respect and restore law and order, Bangladesh is on the threshold of taking off and becoming a prosperous and one of the most important small nations in the world. Anyone visiting Bangladesh cannot fail to feel the entrepreneurial energy average Bangladeshis are bursting with. Channeled properly, such creative energies will endow Bangladesh with limitless possibilities. On the other hand, currently as far as law and order is concerned, Bangladesh is at the lowest rung of tolerability. If Bangladesh's culture of violence is to deteriorate one notch downward, Bangladesh will descend into utter chaos and anarchy, where democracy will perish and only terrorism will thrive. The two choices for Bangladesh are as stark as heaven and hell.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Who is this "Bangla bhai " ? BD version of Dawood ? Ek iske naam pe bhee <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/08/25/d...501110.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Letter from America
Attack on Sheikh Hasina is unacceptable
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed writes from Princeton, usa
This is serious, folks! When the leader of the opposition and the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, is targeted for assassination <span style='color:red'>five times this year alone, it is clear that the terrorists are determined to kill her. </span> If the government's response is simply to "condemn" those responsible and not scour every inch of Bangladesh with the army's assistance to apprehend and punish the criminals, sooner or later, Allah forbid, the terrorists will succeed. Then what? Once the former Prime Minister is assassinated, the terrorists will then target the current Prime Minister, because the terrorists would like to put an end to democracy in Bangladesh and usher in anarchy in which terrorism thrives. Mere condemnation of the attempt on Sheikh Hasina's life is not enough; it is unacceptable. It should not have happened.
Expatriate Bangladeshis are appalled at the carnage at the Awami League rally last Saturday in which the leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was almost killed, and many of her top lieutenants maimed. The scene resembled a battlefield with blood, severed limbs, and several human beings either dead or severely injured and crying for medical aid. The only difference was that the victims were not battlefield combatants but unarmed civilians attending a peaceful political rally on whom descended grenades and bullets. The terrorists are such cowards! They lobbed grenades at the unsuspecting civilians whose backs were turned, and took potshots at them as they were fleeing the scene of mayhem. Terrorists never have the moral courage to confront their victims face to face.
Law and order is primarily the responsibility of the government. People elect governments so that they can live in peace and security as they pursue their livelihood. If the government cannot provide security, they fail in one fundamental responsibility they are entrusted with. And the government has to crush terrorists of every stripe with equal vigor. The government cannot be partial to its own terrorists, in which case the mission is doomed. For the sake of the country and for the sake of their own political parties, it is time every political party in Bangladesh agreed to disown their own party hacks and treat them for what they are -- criminals. Pursuing of the terrorists of other parties alone will only exacerbate the political turmoil.
There are speculations in the press that Sheikh Hasina's attackers were Islamic fundamentalists, religious fanatics, or terrorists of similar persuasions. Speculation is not enough; we must find out. America broke the backbone of the racist Ku Klux Klan and the Italian mafia by infiltrating these groups with government agents. Bangladesh intelligence, too, must infiltrate these fringe elements and find out who they are and what they are up to. Without inside knowledge, it will be impossible to fight and eliminate these hate groups.
During the writer's recent visit to Bangladesh he was dismayed at the unrelenting political and religious violence in Bangladesh. <b>The target of political violence was mostly the opposition parties, and that of religious violence the minorities. I cannot speak for anyone else, but the Islam that I know and practice teaches that ALL houses of worship are sacred, because the worshippers in those houses of worship attempt to reach God in their own way. In Islam it is forbidden to destroy or desecrate any house of worship whether it is a mosque, a church, a synagogue, a Hindu temple, or a Buddhist temple.</b>Â <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â It will be hypocritical of Muslims to be incensed at those non-Muslims who demolish mosques, and at the same time condone the acts of Muslims who dishonour and ravage places of worship belonging to people of other religions.<b>The writer was surprised, during his trip to Bangladesh, to see the government treating the Islamic terrorist, the so-called Bangla Bhai with kid gloves. </b>Justice is supposed to be blind and laws are supposed to apply to everyone equally. If Bangla Bhai has committed crimes or has defied the government, which he has, he should be arrested and punished for it. If the government is afraid of the likes of Bangla Bhai and fearful of arresting him, the government itself will slide down the slippery slope where its loss of credibility will be quickly followed by loss of the political power, thus betraying the people's trust.
To regain the people's trust, the government must ensure that anytime the leader of the opposition speaks at a location, the location is properly secured. If the government cannot guarantee her security, they must not let her hold a rally there. Of course, this must not degenerate into a farce, where the leader of the opposition is continually prevented from holding public meetings because the government cannot guarantee her security. The leader of the opposition must be allowed to hold as many rallies as the Prime Minister herself, in secure locations. What really worries me is, unless these terrorist acts are taken seriously as a challenge to the authority of the nation's elected government and the terrorists apprehended and punished, the Prime Minister herself may be a target one of these days.
Those of us who love Bangladesh are worried. Bangladesh is at a watershed moment. If we can curb political violence, treat our minorities with fairness and respect and restore law and order, Bangladesh is on the threshold of taking off and becoming a prosperous and one of the most important small nations in the world. Anyone visiting Bangladesh cannot fail to feel the entrepreneurial energy average Bangladeshis are bursting with. Channeled properly, such creative energies will endow Bangladesh with limitless possibilities. On the other hand, currently as far as law and order is concerned, Bangladesh is at the lowest rung of tolerability. If Bangladesh's culture of violence is to deteriorate one notch downward, Bangladesh will descend into utter chaos and anarchy, where democracy will perish and only terrorism will thrive. The two choices for Bangladesh are as stark as heaven and hell.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Who is this "Bangla bhai " ? BD version of Dawood ? Ek iske naam pe bhee <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->