Hearts and Minds

Now you might be wondering what I have to say about the new CG and why I haven't been "active" in the blogsphere the last week. As many might already know my boss (and mother) Geeteara Safiya Choudhury has taken up a position in this government. This in turn means that now I have to do three times the work (she being a workaholic heaped on her plate more than any I know). Also I don't want anyone to think I have any inside track (or ear) to information. I am like the rest of you outside looking in.

And as usual I have some very strong opinion on the current role of the CG.

Those who have been reading my blog over the last six months or so, will attest to the fact that I've been a proponent of an quasi army/technocrat government. I don’t clearly know where the balance of power lies in this government. But I believe there are a few things that need to be done.

As the American’s in Iraq had so rightly assessed (and so miserably failed) the real victory is in the “hearts and minds” campaign. Similarly whatever the structure or powerbase of the current government might be, one thing is for sure, they need to win the public opinion to their side.

So far the general public has given its overwhelming endorsement to the new administration. I have not yet seen any dissent. Even the major political parties have welcomed the opportunity that it represents. But for how long will it last? The CG has to show that they mean business. Show that they are different from their predecessors (ie BNP, AL and previous CG) and more effective.

To do this they need to do a few things without delay:

1. Declare to the nation their intentions
2. Dialogue with various stakeholders
3. Be (and be seen to be) active with day to day governance
4. Move out of Dhaka to the districts and meet “common” deshis!
5. Crackdown on the big daddies of corruption.

I believe that if the advisors of this CG break out of the mould created by the previous rulers of the nation, they will create a new benchmark of what our leaders should be like. They have the citizens behind them now. It is now up to them to them to carry the nation into a democratic future.

Our Time Has Come

Every cloud has a silver lining.

I am not going to get into the discussion about the state of emergency that prevails in the country at this moment. There are far more capable people than I to debate this. What I want to take up a bit of your time on is the contention that the Caretaker Government (CG) that is going to be announced soon should have representation from Generation 71.

Gen 71 is the term some of its members are using to refer to people under the age of 40 (give or take a few years). This generation was either born after 1971 or were too young at that point of time to have vivid first hand experience of the pains of liberation. We have always been Bangladeshis. We were too young to know Shiekh Mujib or General Zia. During the formative years of the Ershad regime we were still busy deciding which toy to buy. Politics these days seem reliving history over and over again. It is governed by what happened in the past. Who said what when and who did what to whom where. We have been shackled by the past and are not building bridges to the future.

Demographically speaking we are in the majority. 115 out of 140 million Bangladeshis are below 40. Gen 71 makes up more than 70% of the current voter roll. But are we represented in Parliament or decision making politics with equal gusto? Barring a handful this is not the case. Now before you give the “you are too young” speech, let me point out that in other spectres of Bangladeshi life the Gen71 are making their mark. Be it sports or journalism, business or culture, NGOs or rock bands, IT or banking, I can give you literally handful of names of people who are redefining their fields. Alas this is not the case in politics.

I wonder why? Student politics has always been in the forefront of political change in Bengal. Be it the Language movement or the 1969 movement that laid the foundations of the Liberation War or the anti-Ershad movement. When young got involved things got done. Dr. Kamal Hossain was in his early 30s when he wrote the Constitution. Rehman Sobhan a young lad when was the author of Bangladesh’s economic roadmap. Tofail Ahmed or Moudud Ahmed or Rashid Khan Menon or ASM Rab or Mannan Bhuiya all were in their 20s and 30s when they played a their part in the formation of our country. But 30 odd years later it is the same face we see running the nation. No disrespect meant but has their “sell-by” date not passed? Are we not now victim of stale thinking? Are we not held ransom to the experiences that they have lived through? It is time for fresh ideas, fresh way to look at things, fresh impetus for change. Only will the passion and vigour of youth bring about such a revolution. Give Gen 71 a chance. Let the future decide the future.

Over the next day or two the new Caretaker Government will be constituted. I am sure in the list will be prominent and capable names. But now is the time to also include in that lists a couple of names of people who have the potential to create a difference. Gen 71 should, if by nothing else but the virtue of the fact that we are the majority in the nation, get representation in the CG.

I strongly believe and I am sure many of my peers will agree that this will be one of the catalyst to bring back the interest of the majority of the young to the noble calling of politics and statehood. And that in turn will infuse life into the most dynamic group in any civilization. Look across the world from Georgia’s President Saakashvili to Jordan’s King Abdallah; US’s Senetor Obama to UK’s Leader of the Opposition Cameron; the young are now moulding the future of our world. Why should Bangladesh be left behind?

Hallelujah Emergency at last

BTV scroller declared at 7 pm Bangladesh time that that President has proclaimed "a state of emergency". Curfew has been announce from 11 pm to 5 am everyday till further notice. President to address the nation soon. Advisors sent home (update: they have been asked to go back to Bangabhaban)

Story so far: UN Sec Gen's representatives announced today that the upcoming election will not be legitimate and withdraw all assistance to the process. Army rank and file, rightly deduced that a illegitimate election = illegitimate government and hence no recognition from UN and hence no peacekeeping duty. That acted as a catalyst to get the supreme leaders do go to Bangabhaban and ask the President to call for emergency.

Likely next steps: El Presidente will resign as head of CG and remaining advisers asked to resign. Then the "President" will appoint a new CG head and set of advisers. A reshuffle of the EC is in the cards. Election in 3 to 6 months. I believe Chief want to leave earliest but has got sanction that to ensure that a proper and acceptable election to take place they can take up to 6 months. UN, US, EU will make the requisite mumblings but not impose any sanctions.

Will keep you posted on the developments.

Into the Future!

Happy New Year; Eid Mubarak; Merry Christmas; Happy Hanukkah; Swraswati Puja-er Obhinondon!

I guess with all these holidays I was on a vacation mode. Sorry. I seem to have this knack of going AWOL when major happenings occur! Maybe it is me hiding from making comments on so much happenings.

Okay now that I have made somewhat of an apology for not writing for so long I’ll now bore you with some self-publicity! But given my advertising background I can not but help it. It’s so engrained in my D.N.A!

The good folks in the swell newspaper New Age has come out with their annual “Heroes” issue. And guess who makes and appearance? Well not as yet in the main heroes section but in the one titled “Faces for the Future”.

Here is what they had to say:

Nazim Farhan Choudhury
Idealist
The deputy managing director of Adcomm Limited is also the co-founder of political action group Take Back Bangladesh. The group is a social platform aimed at involving the younger generation in politics. ‘When we say “getting involved”, we don’t mean standing for an election or attending a rally,’ says Farhan, ‘but about being aware and understanding one’s rights.’ The group recently held a concert to raise awareness of their cause, and currently stands with several hundred members. ‘After 1971, our country was shaped by young people like Kamal Hossain; the youth have not had a significant influence after that. Now, it is time for this generation to take a stand for the country.’

I think I should categorically add here that I am but another cog in the Take Back Bangladesh movement. (I am NOT being modest!) All its success owes to everyone who have contributed, motivated, energized and supported us.

Interestingly to quote the last paragraph of Ms. Naila Kabeer’s write-up (she making it into the Heroes section) ‘Just this morning, I heard about something else, that also made me hopeful,’ says Naila. ‘Some of my friends were discussing a concert held at the Dhanmondi Lake, where bands were singing under a theme titled “Take back Bangladesh”. That sentiment just needs to be spread.’

Let us hope 2007 is the year we start taking back our great country!


Link to the New Age Heroes Section: http://www.newagebd.com/2006/dec/28/newyear07/newyear07.html
And to my write-up: http://www.newagebd.com/2006/dec/28/newyear07/ff.html#02

I am so proud to be a Bangladeshi

I am a lucky person indeed. I have a loving family, supportive friends, a rewarding career, and most of the luxuries I might need (… well almost!). From my office desk I have a view that is an object of envy to many who see it. The site that I see everyday fascinates me. I see so much from just that one view. Banani-Gulshan Lake, tall buildings of posh Dhaka, big green open field, people boating. Quite breathe taking at times.

But then there is another way of looking at it. I also see a bosti, open sewer emptying into the lake, children bathing in it, dingies made of thermocal boards that ferry essentials. The ugliness of the city that we have grown immune to.

Every now and then someone comes along and breaks up this bosti. At times it are the wealthy landowners whose views they block. At times it are the cops who try to bust up a vice den or another. At times it is the sever rain or flooding. But then slowly but surely they come back up. I don’t know if it is the same group of people every time or not but like ants, one dhue tin, two bamboo pole at a time, the slum like the phoenix rises again and again.

I am not judging if they are right or wrong to “grab” this sliver of land on the lake. I think it is metaphoric to the struggle of everyday life in Bangladesh. We have a lot of hardship and struggle. At times when we think everything is over, we find the strength to give it one more push. That spirit is so great.

Another interesting fact: the neighbours to the bosti are fascinating as well. On one side on land “reclaimed” from the lake is the monstrous house of an ex-AL mayor of Dhaka. And on the other side, the coldly efficient office of a man whose name is taken as the mastermind behind the BNP’s “Bhaban” based business and politics. Caught in the middle the struggling plebeians!

And irony does not end here. To celebrate Bijoy Dibosh, guess who are the only ones flying the national flag?

There is hope for our nation. You can remove one person. End one life. Break one soul. But behind us there are 140 million more flags that will fly proudly.

I am a lucky person indeed!

Small acts, small event like drops of water collect to form an ocean of change. Muktir Gaan captures the trails of such group of young patriots who decided to fight the might of the Pakistani army with the weapons they have in their hearts.

I have the privilege of working with some of the best young minds of our nation. I know the immense potential that they have. The young Gen71ers are doing such great work in so many varying fields. Be it business, IT, sports, culture, journalism, law, you name the field and they are etching their mark. One big exception seems to be politics. While it is true that some have entered the fray, I still see apathy and despair written across the face of most of our generation. We often balk at the task of leading change. But it has to be done. And it can be done. Little by little, we need to make our stand. We need to do what it takes to take back Bangladesh from the path of destruction it is heading down.

Now that I think of it, most of you who are / will read by blog are probably in your own ways championing the cause. But we need to amplify our voice. We need to reach out to others in our generation. We are the new intelligentsia of Bangladesh. We have the education, the exposure, the networks, the resources and the desire to see it happen. And in the words of a friend “dehina kon shalai tha-maai!”

What should the Army do?

Here is what they should do. They should do what they have been brought in to do – ensure a free and fair election. All civilian approach in fixing our current political impasse seems to have fallen flat on its face. Military might, backed by some politically astute and rational thinking, can salvage the situation within the framework of the constitution. At this end they need to request President Iajuddin to give up his role as the Head of the Caretaker Government and merely be the President. By re-allocating his minders the Army can effectively cut him off form the puppet-master. As the head of the CTG they should request the constitutionally mandated next in line to KM Hassan to take charge and choose his own set of advisors. I believe given the situation over the last few weeks Justice Mahmudul Amin Choudhury as the head of the CTG will be very fair indeed. Also if he chooses a mixture of Advisors from the current (including resigned) and past CTGs then we should have public buy-in. The new CTG can go about in re-shuffling the administration effective so that it has no negative bearing on the fairness of the polls. The Army then can set about reconstituting the Election Commission. If it is headed by a retired bureaucrat who is well versed in the intricacies of the system then a reform of the electoral roles, presiding officers and the election process in general can happen very fast. And free and fair elections be held, say over the next 60 to 90 days.

(Hold on before getting on my case about the constitutional stipulation of voting within 25th January ’07. Mr. Nazim Kamran Choudhury in his commentary (“The Constitution is neither Bible nor play-thing”, Daily Star 5th December 2006 [http://nazimkamranchoudhury.blogspot.com/2006/12/constitution-is-neither-bible-nor-play.html]) argued that this clause is but a small hindrance that should not amount to anything more than a bump in the road. In any case, to look for examples of exceptions being made, one only need to look at the seats vacated during the last Parliament by the deaths of Col (Retd) Akbar Hossain and Khurshid Jahan Haq.)

Resigned to our fate?

So they have resigned.

I don’t want to get into the discussion about why they did it. There is a time in one’s life when you need to decide that if one’s self-respect is above the trappings of power. For these four Advisors the time had come when they felt that they could no longer be part of the charade that is taking place and illicitly implicating them.

What I want to explore is, if they should have resigned and what might happen next.

The easy bit first. I’ve read (and in Hassan Mashud’s case heard) their justification for the resignation. Yes it is true they were trying their level best to make some sense to the madness that has come down upon us. And, if the applause given to Ali Akber during the recent CPD’s Nagorik Forum is any indication, winning the hearts and minds of the general public. We watched on as the Advisors toiled effortlessly to ensure that meeting of the minds happened in the political arena. They left no stone unturned, no door unknocked or no favours uncalled, to work towards ensuring that an acceptable compromise was reached. They had to deal with two political poles that and best of times were unwieldy with eccentricities of their heads and the temperaments of their leaders. They had to deal with a President and Caretaker Government Head who was not always present either physically or mentally – a man who, proving our worst fears, have turned out not only to be absent of individuality but blatantly shameless as well. They had to deal with the partisan bureaucracy, judiciary, and police force not giving them one inch of leeway. And they had to deal us the “intellectuals”, the “civil society”, and common Abdul in the street who poured over every detail, every look, every utterance, with a magnifying glass. Given these circumstances I am sure you will agree their resignation is justified. But was it wise?

The basic premise for the resignation of each of the four, it has been reported, is that they feel they no longer have an impact on the holding of free and fair elections. Here is where I disagree with them. By resigning, they abdicate their responsibility. They have thrown in the towel and hence they, other than proving to the nation that they are not with the President, are not doing anything more. Are they stopping the election from being rigged? Or for that matter not happening at all? Or is the Army going back to the barracks? Election Commission reforming? Political deadlock being resolved? No to all the above. Being inside, challenging each and every move of the President would have helped the nation far more. I read this phrase somewhere that I thought was brilliant. “Leave no answer unquestioned.” Their job could have been to question, debate, probe, criticise, deliberate, prod, discuss, enquire, scrutinize, explore, disagree, censure, argue, investigate…

But instead they give the President the opportunity to appoint four puppets to take their place. Does that benefit the nation?

As I had indicated earlier in my article the Power of One, [http://nazimfarhan.blogspot.com/2006/11/power-of-one.html#links] the Head of the Caretaker Government does not have any power over and above the other Advisors. Any decision taken by the CTG has to be a consensual one. That means if the Chief of CTG is on one-side and majority of the Advisors are on the other then the latter “win”. The Army having been called in will have to report to the CTG and hence to the majority of the Advisors. Staying inside the CTG the Advisors could have challenged this point through the courts. They could have shown dissent and distance themselves from the President. They could have moulded public opinion and support behind a free and fair election. But now alas here in the cold of the outside they are nothing but just another victim.


Now to “what next”? The difficult answer. Things are changing every hour. What was true a few minutes ago is no longer reliable. And as neither logic nor precedence is being followed in any decision, it is hard to say with any certainty what news we will wake up to tomorrow. So I want predict only two things.

Firstly that a few more (probably 3) Advisors will resign. After making the long-winded argument against Advisor’s resignation, I have to say that now that it has happened, others must follow suit. Otherwise they tactically give the President approval for his action. I believe if a section of the others do come out in support of their fallen comrades it puts beyond a shadow of doubt the illegitimacy of the CTG. If not, being a part of the circus just makes one look as another clown waiting for the ringmasters next command.

Secondly do not underestimate the Army. Over the last few months we have tiptoed around this topic. Some of the leading newspapers have self-censored themselves and not printed anything on indicate the possibility of an Army takeover. (To read what I was saying earlier about the Army’s possible involvement you might want to read my writing New Arithmetic 1+1 = -53 [http://nazimfarhan.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-arithmetic-11-53.html#links] or Swadee Khrab General : Some Answers Questioned [http://nazimfarhan.blogspot.com/2006/09/swadee-khrab-general-some-answers.html]) If my discussion with all and sundry are any indication, an Army intervention is not going to be unpopular. The Generals, I thought, should great fortitude and had not jumped in earlier when at multiple times the occasion had arisen. Now that they are in, what shall they do? If nothing else they need to be brutally just and even handed. They will go after every criminal and every hoodlum at a pace that will leave even the men in black RAB, in a tizzy. But then what? As the law and order is restored they will need to focus on other aspects. It is matter of time before, if not already, the popular sentiment move against the President and the parties he serve. What will the Army do in this case? Who are their lord and master? To whom do they owe allegiance? Do they prop up an unelected partisan President? Or do they throw their might behind the citizens of the nation? Or do they take power themselves?

Well like I said, it is a bit too early to be able to answer these questions. But I can assure you we can never be sure what is written in our fate till it actually happens.

World Human Wrongs Day

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Preamble to
the United Nations Universal Declearation of Human Rights
General Assembly resolution 217 A (III)


Today 10th December is the International Human Rights day.

In 1948 few years after the genocide of Jews and other in the hands of Nazi Germany, members of the United Nations with great foresight signed one of the most significant documents in human history. This is a declaration of basic rights of any person irrespective of nationality, religion, gender, age, creed or caste. It gives us the recognition that as a human being I have the right to live a life as fulfilled as my neighbour or for that matter my enemy.

Some 58 years later, it is sad that this is the biggest failure of the UN. Not only do we not have equality in real terms, we do not have in place mechanisms to ensure that we are even moving towards that end. We, the world turn a blind eye to Dafur, Palestine, Israel, Guantanamo, and many such neglected areas of the world. We choose to be ignorant of the plight of our fellow brothers and sisters. We choose to remain silent to the cry for justice. We choose to give up our sense and sensibilities numbed to the reoccurring violence that we see on TV news. We are guilty by association of such crimes. Rape, murder, torture, molestation, infanticide, corruption, slavery, and barbaric hate filled crimes – all are in our hands and on our conscience. And till we stand up and say that we are not for this anymore we will give up a part of our own rights as well.


"dem come for de rasta and you say nothing
dem come from the muslims you say nothing
dem come for the anti-globalist you ay nothing
dem even come for the liberals and you say nothing
dem come for you and will speak for you? who will speak for you, who ?"

Asia Dub Foundation
song “Round Up” from album “Tank”


Link
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Advertising and me!

With all that is going around now and keeping me busy, I often forget I have an advertising man side of my life as well. (I hope my boss isn't reading this!)

Well here are two articles that came out recently about advertising and my opinions on it.

* From December 3rd's issue of JaiJaiDin:

Exciting Career in Advertising by Nawrin Sultana interviews me

Read : http://www.jaijaidin.com/magazine/view_article.php?News-ID=1744&issue=110&mnav_id=21
{the article is in Bangla and you might need to install fonts}

* From December 1st's issue of New Age Xtra

Has TV advertising finally come of age? by Syed Tashfin Chowdhury quotes me extensively.

Read :
http://www.newagebd.com/2006/dec/01/dec01/xtra_inner3.html