Politics and Bureaucracy
Brief defeat of Iran's hardliners
Reformist leader Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as the President of Iran. He defeated hardliner Saeed Jalili by 28,000 votes in the second round of voting, becoming Iran's new president with 16.3 million votes, while Jalili received 13.5 million votes. This election took place two and a half years into the government’s term following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash.
Where are Abed Ali's customers?
Abed Ali, the former driver of the PSC chairman, has admitted that he has amassed a vast fortune by selling exam questions. Is there no connection between those who got government jobs through Abed Ali's leaked questions and Abed Ali himself? Of course, there is. No one severs ties with such a crucial contact because every year there are exams, and Abed Ali's customers look for questions for their siblings, friends, and relatives. This way, government job seats get filled with those who acquired Abed Ali's questions, sidelining the deserving candidates and boosting the unqualified ones.
How rational is BNP's opposition to India?
Since the formation of the Awami League government after 2008, the BNP has held press conferences every time the Prime Minister of Bangladesh has visited India, criticizing the visits. The BNP has consistently opposed the agreements and treaties made during these visits, presenting negative comments. Dear readers, do you think that all the memorandums of understanding and agreements with India since 2009 are unreasonable and anti-national? According to the BNP, they certainly seem to be. Is it possible that the BNP has reached a point where opposing the Awami League government means opposing India as well?
A less commendable's thoughts on merit
Students across the country have initiated a movement called "Bangla Blockade," demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs. The "Bangla Blockade" involves sit-ins that aim to paralyze Bangladesh. They have been organizing protests and human chains since 2018, leading the Awami League government to issue a notification abolishing the quota system for first and second-class government jobs. In 2021, several children of freedom fighters challenged the government's decision to abolish the freedom fighter quota in the High Court. On June 5 of this year, the court declared the abolition of the reserved quota for freedom fighters illegal. The quota system was initially implemented by the Awami League government, and it was the same government that later abolished it.
Quota for eliminating discrimination, not for creating it
Following the Supreme Court's directive to reinstate the quota system in government jobs, the country has once again become heated with protests against the quota. The ongoing student movement is causing daily hardships for the general public. Although Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself supports the quota system, she abolished it in 2018 in response to widespread protests. Now, the matter has reached the courts, and even if she wanted to, the Prime Minister cannot abolish the quota system again. In response to the students' appeals, the Appellate Division has suspended the High Court's ruling for four weeks. Despite this, the students have declared that they will continue their protests. They assert that their movement will persist until their demands are met by the executive branch. However, given the directive from the Appellate Division, the executive branch has no authority to act on this matter, which the protesting students should understand.
Why is the discussion about quotas focused only on government jobs?
In April 1971, Captain Mahmud Hossain Akand of the army, the eldest son of A.K. Mosharraf Hossain Akand (1917-1995), a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee of Bangladesh, was brutally killed by the Pakistani army at Chittagong Cantonment.
Why is ban imposed after the confirmation of emigration of the corrupt!
Everyone knows that corruption occurs in Bangladesh. It has now become a pervasive trend. What was once merely a perception has now emerged as a stark reality. Corruption exists to some extent in every sector in Bangladesh. Where it is less prevalent, there are fewer opportunities for corruption; where it is more prevalent, there are more opportunities for corruption. The difference lies only in the opportunities available. If someone claims that there is no corruption in a particular sector, it means that there are no opportunities for corruption in that sector. Many people are honest due to a lack of opportunity. If you place that honest person in a corrupt environment, you'll see that they too become part of the corruption cycle. This has become a common trend. However, don't think that there are no honest people in Bangladesh.
Boycott is now a major tool in global politics
There is an ongoing debate on social media about the boycott of Coca-Cola. A survey was conducted in Bangladesh to determine the number of people in favor and against the boycott. The survey revealed that 89% of people are in favor of boycotting Coca-Cola. The call to boycott Coca-Cola was made after the Israeli attack on Gaza last October, but it did not receive much response initially. Recently, a Coca-Cola advertisement has reignited the subdued boycott campaign. The advertisement claimed that Coca-Cola's owner is not Jewish and that they have a factory in Gaza. Following this, renewed calls to boycott Coca-Cola have emerged. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the emotions of Bangladeshi citizens are being leveraged to boost the sales of local soft drinks. The company behind the local brand 'Mojo' has launched a campaign called 'Mojo Support Palestine' to stand by the affected people of Palestine.
Corruption and Power of Matiur Defeat Badiur Rahman
I was listening to Sheikh Badiur Rahman on Desh Television discussing Matiur Rahman, President of the Customs, Excise, and VAT Appellate Tribunal of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Badiur Rahman was the Chairman of the NBR during the army-backed caretaker government. He joined Bangladesh Bank as an 'Officer Class One' in 1976 and later moved to Cadre Service after passing the BCS examination. I remember seeing him at the house of my elder brother Mohiuddin Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During their conversation, I noticed that Badiur Rahman only ate puffed rice (muri).
Government officials, despite being the main actors, remain beyond accountability
A long time ago, when I was in China, I saw big cranes all around the hotels building tall skyscrapers. Cities were emerging overnight. Nowadays, as I travel around various places in Bangladesh, I feel a sense of excitement in my heart seeing the construction of large buildings and high-rise structures. Development work is taking place in every nook and corner of the country, streetlights are shining in villages and towns, and the quality of life for people is improving. I am immensely happy to see Bangladesh progressing even in challenging environments. However, due to a few corrupt government officials and touts, the country is suffering from bad publicity. As a result, foreigners are finding opportunities to advise us, which is a matter of national shame.
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