King Birendra’s assassination  and Gyanendra ascendinged the throne had all the ingredients for an end to the monarchy in Nepal. On Wednesday, the country’s Constituent Assembly voted overwhelmingly to abolish the 239-year old monarchy in that Himalayan kingdom the pave the path for a “secular, indivisible, independent and sovereign” republic. King Gyanendra has been given fifteen days to vacate the palace after which it will be turned into a museum.

Jimmy Carter revealed that Israel has 140 nuclear weapons. This reveleation frankly speaking has put the United Nations, its nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency and its chief Elbaradei, US President George Bush and many other western leaders on the dock. At the prodding of the Security Council the IAEA has been playing hell with the “rogue” Iranian and North Korean regimes on alleged charges of developing nuclear weapons secretly.

Some 10 percent of our population are disabled. Panelists at a meeting urged the government to enhance the allocation in the next national budget for the disabled and integrate them with the mainstream of development. Bangladesh Disability Forum and Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad jointly organized the meeting in the city on Tuesday.

It will be futile exercise of the caretaker government in setting stage for dialogue if the two major political parties remain stubborn in their demands about joining the dialogue. The AL and BNP have borne the brunt of the CG’s massive anti-corruption shelling but that does not change the reality that these two parties enjoy massive support of the people. If the next elections are free and fair as promised, these two parties are expected to retain their pre-eminent positions even with their supreme leaders in prison.

A welcome gesture indeed

The Home Ministry has reportedly circulated a paper among all other ministries suggesting formation of a Cabinet Committee on National Security,  a National Security Council and a Joint Intelligence Unit to counter terrorist threats in a coordinated way. Interestingly at a time when the Home Ministry and some people are demanding the NSC a study conducted by Global Peace Index, an independent think tank, has ranked Bangladesh as the most peaceful country in the region.

Preparing budget

The government has set a target to plant 10 crore saplings across the country under public and private initiatives during the forthcoming rainy season. This is a welcoming programme. Again, the time of tree plantation has been extended from one month to three months this year considering the importance of plantation in the changed climate situation. Forestation is urgently necessary for our very survival.

The caretaker government(CG) must take extra caution to prepare the national budget 2008-09 in such a way that the democratic administration does not find it embarrassed to implement it. Rates of growth in the agricultural sector should not continue to lag behind those in manufacturing and services as it did in 2007-08. It is still feared that high inflation could entrench itself since the central bank has not tightened monetary policy and is unlikely to do in the near future.

Finally the long awaited trumpeted dialogue kicks off. The entire fate of the poll roadmap announced by the government depends on its outcome. We appeal to both the sides to act responsibly this time so that the talks do not fumble and fail leading to stability of the state.

Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the single largest producing sector of economy since it comprises about 30% of the country’s GDP and employing around 60% of the total labour force. According to the report, GDP growth originating in agriculture is about four times more effective in reducing poverty than GDP growth originating in other sectors.

It is very sad to note that some Bangladeshi agencies tarnished country’s image regarding manpower export to Malaysia. Punitive steps must be taken against these agencies through proper investigation so none dares to indulge in such anti-state acts. They caused a great loss for the nation and dimmed all prospects of our hard-working workers going there and earning precious foreign exchange for our country.

With oil prices climbing dramatically, it is just a matter of time before its mighty waves hit Bangladesh also. There is something very mysterious about the galloping oil prices.. Before the oil embargo of 1973, oil price was hardly two dollars a barrel, in 1995-96 it was between ten and twelve dollars and now it is 128 with experts predicting 150 to 200 in not-too-distant a future.

The Chief Adviser, Dr Fakharuddin Ahmed at a conference recently gave a clarion call to people of different social strata  to contribute in a bigger way to the welfare of the disabled as part of their social obligation. He was speaking at a reception to mentally retarded sportsmen and women in the city on Saturday. It is highly encouraging to note 48 mentally challenged sports persons clinched 71 medals including 32 of gold in Shanghai Special World Olympic Games last year.

No breakthrough in curbing train accidents though one followed the other in short gap of time has yet been achieved in the country. On 16th April 1853, the first train in the Indian subcontinent set off from Bombay for twenty-one mile trundle down to Thane. Since then train travel has been a cheap and convenient means of travel for the people of Bangladesh and the rest of the SAARC region.

We now hear of a residential project, now under implementation by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakha that is set to dot the Dhaka horizon. The nine square kilometer project is known as the Uttara third phase. RAJUK has promised serene and peaceful environment, all modern facilities and an infrastructure designed to accommodate future demands. Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Mirpur Dhanmondi, Banani, Gulshan, Baridhara and Uttara all have become almost like slums with a degree of commercialization that is sickening.

A disaster-ridden world looms as a result of climate change due to environmental pollution and other harmful effects of economic activities today. More and more people in our country are migrating from rural areas to urban locations because of frequent natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, which wreak havoc in the rural areas causing death and destroying houses and shelters of the poorer people, making the regions unlivable .

There was a time when Bengal used to produce more food than its population needed. With population growing at a brisk pace and agriculture not getting the attention it deserves, the scenario has changed radically. If a recent study is any indication, a large section of our people suffer from calorie needs.

The decentralization of power to local government institutions and their representatives helps enables the state to serve the people at all levels throughout the country. The Adviser at a workshop recently held said that the government would very soon set up a local government commission in fulfillment of the need for devolution of power to serve the people and allow all public agencies to reach the people in all walks of life.

Bangladesh perspective