Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
It is astonishing to see former Awami League Minister, President Candidate and now Gano Forum Chairman, Dr Kamal Hossain, in a press conference July 22, 2019 has called government for national dialogue to help flood hit people when the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is away in London for an eye surgery and other programs reported in the media. He has not given any suggestion from his long experience, time and agenda for dialogue as the PM is monitoring the grave flood situation from London and giving directives to Ministers and officials. As their contemporary what vexes us — there is hardly any concern of Ministries concerned and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) for flood control, except bifurcating erstwhile East Pakistan Water and Power Development (EPWAPDA) in 1972 into two Boards. Flood Action Plan (FAP) received huge foreign assistance since autocratic Ershad regime which was squandered in various ways. At the end we also saw Dhaka Protection Embankment raised land for distribution as Rajuk plots to MPs etc. And other party muscles grab lands of innocent owners, say at Kallyanpur case in Dhaka.
Of course bifurcation was done by Minister of Water and Power Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed facilitating politicisation with increasing headquarters’ overheads costs; when the crying need was economy and rehabilitation of war torn projects infrastructures, which should be in know of Dr. Kamal Hossain as a cabinet colleague. Mushtaq became Minister cum Chairman of Board, a queer management, for personalization! Chief of Maritime Personnel ML Rahman lamented ‘Personnel Directorate’ became ‘personal’ to me. One cited for example Khandaker Rashedul Huq on return from bordering refugee camp was appointed by him in Board who however managed to survive in subsequent governments also retired as Chairman of a Corporation. In this way WAPDA that had high efficiency and integrity was lost in spite of heavy doses of foreign assistance received as sympathy to ameliorate the sufferings of war hit people and as least developed country.
We would however like to remind the PM and Opposition Oikya Front leader who has a Gano Forum MP in current Parliament a Bangladeshi expatriate citizen in London take respective look of Krug Mission Report, Master Plan and Development Projects prepared and implemented by erstwhile WAPDA, Press clippings on FAP etc. which should be in hand of Public Relations officials at each level. One may take help of Abul Kalam Azad, Awami League MP, who was in the Public Relations Directorate in erstwhile WAPDA. Over the preceding decades I wrote articles in national print media in English. And vernacular Sangbad whose editor Bazlur Rahman was my batch mate at Dhaka University in 1961 and solicited me in 1994 to write in his paper that will carry my thinking to all. In 2006 one day I asked him what is the result, he said you’re dear to the readers; but it is not that end for which I wrote but wanted implementation that was expected from him as NAP leader and his connections too. My wife Prof Laila Akhter was amazed at it, how come he could not understand you, are you the victim of class struggle? I had no answer, but digest.
Let me quote from Krug Mission in 1957 for quick reference the following words which eloquently described the role of water development: “Probably nowhere else in the world, is there such a confluence of great rivers as in East Pakistan. Probably nowhere else do following waters pose at once such a challenge and such an opportunity? The destructive floods of recent years call for control measures to protect the growing population. Such a vast programme cannot be completed soon; it will take many years and large expenditures. Most of all, it will require sound organization, perseverance and spirit of cooperation.”
Following the above a vibrant efficient EPWAPDA was established with model service rules, which filled various classes of posts by capable personnel on competitive basis, who devoted to the gigantic task, prepared Master Plan and Development Projects for implementation countrywide as per the delegation of administrative and financial powers and Program Management Action Cycle. In 1964, I was appointed in the central Directorate as Deputy Director Finance, which enabled me give my mite to the cause of people under enlightened guidance as well as contribute to democratic culture and freedom in continuation of peaceful academic atmosphere passed out of Dhaka University in 1961 and joined as Economist under government thru Public Service Commission in 1962. Strangely who took subscriptions from my monthly salary regularly as full timer managed to forget on return from bordering camps. Anyway, be that as it may, as I did it in good spirit for mother tongue and motherland that would be acceptable to Allah.
As regards flood relief, traditional responses of students’ community under control of teachers and guardians countrywide now lacking in Bangladesh which is strewn with violence such as in Dhaka University, Begum Rokeya University at Rangpur and other places alongside the flood hit current reports in the media. There had been no efforts to revive that volunteerism that one may carry in career in future work places and lead the country, as the university teachers are partisan in own self-interest mind little to impart education in classes. If Dr. Kamal Hossain who led Nagorik Samaj in 2000 combat campus violence collected one lakh signatures but could not make time to submit it to the President now wishes to take up may request a dialogue giving the agenda, which the general students and guardians will welcome; but ‘No’ to dialogue to apportion flood relief, government and foreign, among political parties for obvious reasons.
It is now high time raise the levels of integrity and efficiency of organisations for water development flood control, and relief, borne in National Budget 2019-20, foreign funded NGOs a post Bangladesh phenomenon, and not politicalise water issue. The European Commission has mobilised fund to help 11 lakh flood affected marooned people, who need safe drinking water, food and sanitation etc. We have no other alternative but to request PM Sheikh Hasina in her very busy schedule to look into the above from her life experience at her convenience.
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam, economist, advocate and columnist; [email protected])
It is astonishing to see former Awami League Minister, President Candidate and now Gano Forum Chairman, Dr Kamal Hossain, in a press conference July 22, 2019 has called government for national dialogue to help flood hit people when the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is away in London for an eye surgery and other programs reported in the media. He has not given any suggestion from his long experience, time and agenda for dialogue as the PM is monitoring the grave flood situation from London and giving directives to Ministers and officials. As their contemporary what vexes us — there is hardly any concern of Ministries concerned and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) for flood control, except bifurcating erstwhile East Pakistan Water and Power Development (EPWAPDA) in 1972 into two Boards. Flood Action Plan (FAP) received huge foreign assistance since autocratic Ershad regime which was squandered in various ways. At the end we also saw Dhaka Protection Embankment raised land for distribution as Rajuk plots to MPs etc. And other party muscles grab lands of innocent owners, say at Kallyanpur case in Dhaka.
Of course bifurcation was done by Minister of Water and Power Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed facilitating politicisation with increasing headquarters’ overheads costs; when the crying need was economy and rehabilitation of war torn projects infrastructures, which should be in know of Dr. Kamal Hossain as a cabinet colleague. Mushtaq became Minister cum Chairman of Board, a queer management, for personalization! Chief of Maritime Personnel ML Rahman lamented ‘Personnel Directorate’ became ‘personal’ to me. One cited for example Khandaker Rashedul Huq on return from bordering refugee camp was appointed by him in Board who however managed to survive in subsequent governments also retired as Chairman of a Corporation. In this way WAPDA that had high efficiency and integrity was lost in spite of heavy doses of foreign assistance received as sympathy to ameliorate the sufferings of war hit people and as least developed country.
We would however like to remind the PM and Opposition Oikya Front leader who has a Gano Forum MP in current Parliament a Bangladeshi expatriate citizen in London take respective look of Krug Mission Report, Master Plan and Development Projects prepared and implemented by erstwhile WAPDA, Press clippings on FAP etc. which should be in hand of Public Relations officials at each level. One may take help of Abul Kalam Azad, Awami League MP, who was in the Public Relations Directorate in erstwhile WAPDA. Over the preceding decades I wrote articles in national print media in English. And vernacular Sangbad whose editor Bazlur Rahman was my batch mate at Dhaka University in 1961 and solicited me in 1994 to write in his paper that will carry my thinking to all. In 2006 one day I asked him what is the result, he said you’re dear to the readers; but it is not that end for which I wrote but wanted implementation that was expected from him as NAP leader and his connections too. My wife Prof Laila Akhter was amazed at it, how come he could not understand you, are you the victim of class struggle? I had no answer, but digest.
Let me quote from Krug Mission in 1957 for quick reference the following words which eloquently described the role of water development: “Probably nowhere else in the world, is there such a confluence of great rivers as in East Pakistan. Probably nowhere else do following waters pose at once such a challenge and such an opportunity? The destructive floods of recent years call for control measures to protect the growing population. Such a vast programme cannot be completed soon; it will take many years and large expenditures. Most of all, it will require sound organization, perseverance and spirit of cooperation.”
Following the above a vibrant efficient EPWAPDA was established with model service rules, which filled various classes of posts by capable personnel on competitive basis, who devoted to the gigantic task, prepared Master Plan and Development Projects for implementation countrywide as per the delegation of administrative and financial powers and Program Management Action Cycle. In 1964, I was appointed in the central Directorate as Deputy Director Finance, which enabled me give my mite to the cause of people under enlightened guidance as well as contribute to democratic culture and freedom in continuation of peaceful academic atmosphere passed out of Dhaka University in 1961 and joined as Economist under government thru Public Service Commission in 1962. Strangely who took subscriptions from my monthly salary regularly as full timer managed to forget on return from bordering camps. Anyway, be that as it may, as I did it in good spirit for mother tongue and motherland that would be acceptable to Allah.
As regards flood relief, traditional responses of students’ community under control of teachers and guardians countrywide now lacking in Bangladesh which is strewn with violence such as in Dhaka University, Begum Rokeya University at Rangpur and other places alongside the flood hit current reports in the media. There had been no efforts to revive that volunteerism that one may carry in career in future work places and lead the country, as the university teachers are partisan in own self-interest mind little to impart education in classes. If Dr. Kamal Hossain who led Nagorik Samaj in 2000 combat campus violence collected one lakh signatures but could not make time to submit it to the President now wishes to take up may request a dialogue giving the agenda, which the general students and guardians will welcome; but ‘No’ to dialogue to apportion flood relief, government and foreign, among political parties for obvious reasons.
It is now high time raise the levels of integrity and efficiency of organisations for water development flood control, and relief, borne in National Budget 2019-20, foreign funded NGOs a post Bangladesh phenomenon, and not politicalise water issue. The European Commission has mobilised fund to help 11 lakh flood affected marooned people, who need safe drinking water, food and sanitation etc. We have no other alternative but to request PM Sheikh Hasina in her very busy schedule to look into the above from her life experience at her convenience.
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam, economist, advocate and columnist; [email protected])
