China, India in arms race

A subtle arms race between China and India is going on without any furore anywhere. Pakistan perhaps is in the know of the dangerous development that could imperil all efforts at peace and harmony in the region. China’s supremacy in the region is incontrovertible much to the discomfiture of Washington.

Increasing military spending
The US is not averse to China growing as a major economic mega-power, but Washington would not like to see China building its military muscle as well. So Bush administration encouraged India to beef up its military power to match that of China. China’s military said that it needs to be stronger to face containment abroad stressing Beijing needs to continue to invest more in equipment, salaries, logistics to modernise its army to fend off threats to national unity including separatists in Tibet under the iimplicit inspiration of Dalai Lama and in energy-rich Xinjiang, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
China has been steadily increasing spending on its military to expand its strategic influence in Asia and is beginning to project its power further; a trend that has worried Washington who fear China could emerge as a potential rival power.

US missiles for India
Meanwhile the US is in preliminary talks with India over sale of missile shield systems to help New Delhi guard against nuclear threat. It was not clear the perceived threats are coming from China or Pakistan. The talks got underway during Bush administration.
Indo-US talks have taken place mainly at the technical level. US defence officials had conducted computer simulations with their Indian counterparts to demonstrate the capabilities of such technology, the Financial Times in a recent report cited Pakistan as a potential threat which is Washington’s strongest ally in its war against Muslim insurgency.

Live launches
India experts watched two live launches of missile used in the shield system. The development highlights the fast changing nature of the strategic engagement between Washington and New Delhi after decades of frosty relations. India had so long been doing its military shopping from Moscow.
“India is a partner of ours and we want to provide it with whatever it needs to protect itself. This fits into overall strategic partnership we are building,” FT quoted one US official as saying.
Pakistan is preparing itself to take counter-measures to respond to any Indo-US deal Washington wants New Delhi to be a partner in the process of policing the international system. India will be careful about not acting as proxy for the US.
“India and US are developing joint capabilities that will have net effect of circumscribing the latitude and propensity of China for unilateral action,” FT quoted an Indian defence analyst as saying. India is planning to acquire 126 new fighter aircraft at a cost of $10 billion to replace its ageing Soviet built MiG aircraft.
China says its military budget is purely for defensive purpose adding its defence expenditure has accelerated but it still is a fraction of what US spends. China would soon add aircraft carrier to its naval fleet.
Pakistan can comfort itself with the fact that Hillary Clinton has named three special envoys one will be for Iran, the other for Palestine and Israel and the third one Richard Hallbrook who was US ambassador to UN, will exclusively deal with Pakistan.

Source: Weekly Holiday

Eyebrow raised over joint task force

Bangladesh initiatives to form a regional task force and hold joint military exercise in India’s troubled state of Assam raised alarm among the political circle and defence analysts.
Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty on Wednesday said Bangladesh and India might form a new platform to fight terrorism and insurgency across the two countries. “A new body could be formed that will deal exclusively with the issue of terrorism, insurgency, cross-border crime and so on,” Chakravarty told reporters after his first call on new foreign minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday. They also talked about the possibility of the new regional panel or taskforce as was outlined by Awami League in its election manifesto.
Khandakar Delwar Hossain, secretary general of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party said the presence of foreign troops in Bangladesh territory on the plea of a South Asian regional task-force to combat terrorism raises questions over its sovereignty, and the people would not tolerate any threat to the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Earlier, a Bangladesh army spokesman told the news agency AFP on January 15 that it was planning to hold its first joint military exercise with Indian troops, in the troubled Northeast Indian state of Assam next month. An armed forces spokesman said that the small-scale exercise involving 20 para-commandos from each country would be held at Jorhat in insurgency-hit Assam from February 22-March 7.
Bangladesh Army spoke about the joint move only after the BBC aired the news on January 14 quoting Indian defence ministry spokesman Group Captain Ramesh Kumar Das.
“With India keen on securing Bangladesh’s firm co-operation in rooting out anti-Indian terror and insurgent outfits operating from its soil, the armies from the two countries will come together to hold their first-ever counter-terrorism exercise,” Das said.
“This exercise was planned and conceived as a confidence-building measure between the two countries as both are threatened by terrorism.” Das told the BBC
The move for a joint military exercise comes just weeks after Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party won a landslide victory in Bangladesh’s general elections.
However, the plans for the joint exercise were discussed during the visit of a Bangladesh military delegation to Calcutta’s Fort William, headquarters of India’s Eastern Army, in the last week of December 2007. Bangladesh’s army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed took the initiative to develop military-to-military ties with India when he visited Delhi and Calcutta early in 2007.
Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, the then chief Advisor of the caretaker government, first mooted the idea in the last SAARC summit held in Colombo last year. He sought military cooperation among the SAARC states despite the fact that Bangladesh is already involved in bilateral military cooperation like academic training, exchange of institutional information and disaster response with SAARC member countries. Apart from UN peacekeeping, Bangladesh is also engaged in many military programme in the international level where either India or Pakistan is included.
Defense analysts believe that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, being fully aware of the relations with apparently tried to make her position clear by promising for a regional task force that should include not only India but also Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other SAARC member countries. She ventilated her views in a recent interview with the editor of Kolkata daily The Statesman in Dhaka. However, Indian authorities want it to be a bilateral cooperation between the two armies of Bangladesh and India.
In recent years the ties have often been strained by border skirmishes and New Delhi’s accusations that Bangladesh-based Islamic groups were behind a number of blasts across India. There have been repeated border clashes between the countries in recent years.
There is nothing wrong with a military exercise if it is held under any international or regional umbrella and with a transparent objective, said the defence analysts
Public has the right to know about the purpose and objective of the joint military exercise in a troubled state of India, said Major General (rtd) Moinul Hossain Chowdhury adding that there should not be any hide and seek in matters of national interest. He said there was no problem with a south Asian task force if it was organised under SAARC umbrella.
Lt Gen (RTD) Mahbubur Rahman, a former Army Chief and presently a member of BNP’s policy making standing committee told the Holiday that he had no knowledge about the objective of Bangladesh army to join the exercise with Indian troops in an insurgency-prone area of Assam.
However, he feared that Bangladesh by getting involved in Indian counter insurgency programme may invite trouble for herself which is not desirable. He also pointed out that Bangladesh should also move carefully by taking into consideration the concerns of her trusted friend China which borders with troubled states in the north-eastern India. China should not get any wrong signal that a military alliance is taking shape close to her soil and along the border of Mayanmar.
Major General (rtd) Fazlur Rahman, former Chief of Bangladesh paramilitary force, BDR, warned against any ill desire by a big neighbour having the ambition of expansionism. In a regional task force, Bangladesh may find itself dominated by the big brother of the region, he apprehended. Moreover, Bangladesh may become a target of attack by the insurgent groups of Northeast India, General Fazlur Rahman said adding that India may also want a reciprocal operation inside Bangladesh which might undermine our national sovereignty.
The move to form a regional task force may also give rise to terrorist activities inside Bangladesh as what is happening in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the former BDR chief said. He suggested to calculate the sovereignty issue while entering into such a strategic move. Defence experts say it is too early to move with such a military cooperation, specially in view of the sensitivity of the very issue.

Source: Holiday

Jamaat to take on war crime trial: Plans to say sorry for 1971 political stance, not war crime

Not from any conviction but to save its skin from the move to try war criminals, Jamaat-e-Islami plans to make a strategic apology not for its war crimes during the Liberation War but for its political stance in 1971.

Besides, the Islamist party is discussing some other measures like getting rid of a few “controversial” party leaders.

Majlish-e-Sura, the highest policymaking body of the religion-based political party, began a two-day meet yesterday to decide the party’s next course of action in the current situation.

“We are thinking of seeking formal apology for Jamaat’s anti-Liberation War role to save the party from the present crisis,” a top Jamaat leader said.

But this apology, if it ever comes, will be worded in such a way so that the party never acknowledges any war crime committed by Jamaat leaders during the war, sources said.

This Jamaat stance is reflected in the party’s cobbling together a panel of lawyers to tackle the war crime charges that the party now stares at, Jamaat insiders said.

Jamaat leaders say they would accept the verdict of any trial conducted and supervised by the United Nations and would eliminate those who would be found guilty in the trial.

Party high-ups admitted they are in a grave crisis at present and also fearing severe troubles in the coming days centring the issue of trial of Jamaat leaders who were involved in war crimes in 1971.

“We will eliminate the leaders from the party if they are found guilty of committing crimes in the trial,” a senior Jamaat leader told The Daily Star.

The issue of the trial of war criminals has surfaced and gained mass support after the landslide victory of the Awami League-led grand alliance in the December 29 parliamentary elections.

Jamaat-e-Islami directly opposed Bangladesh’s War of Independence and many of its leaders were allegedly involved in committing war crimes.

Anticipating sure defeat, the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators–Razakars and members of Al-Badr and Al-Shams who were mostly leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shangha–picked up leading Bangalee intellectuals and professionals on December 14 and killed them en masse with a view to crippling the nation intellectually.

War records show Jamaat formed the Razakars and Al-Badr forces to counter the freedom fighters. The then secretary general of Jamaat Moulana Abul Kalam Mohammad Yousuf established the Razakars and Al-Badr with Islami Chhatra Shangha members.

Thousands of people still bear the brunt of the war crimes committed by Jamaat and its student front now known as Islami Chhatra Shibir, and a few other groups such as Muslim League and Nizam-e Islami.

“A severe crisis is waiting for us in the coming days centring the issue of trying the war criminals,” Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman told The Daily Star on Wednesday. “We are discussing how to tackle the situation and a panel of our lawyers is already working on it.”

Party insiders said discussion is going on within the party to eliminate a few party high-ups who are widely criticised for their role during the Liberation War. “We are thinking of seeking formal public apology for the actions of many of our leaders during 1971,” said a Jamaat leader.

He, however, did not make clear if Jamaat will seek apology for committing those war crimes or for its political decision to oppose the Liberation War.

Jamaat has never since the birth of Bangladesh sought an apology for its anti-Liberation War role and Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid recently claimed that there are no war criminals within his party.

On November 5 last year, the Sector Commanders Forum made public its preliminary list of 50 war criminals including Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Mujahid.

Earlier on April 3, research organisation War Crimes Facts Finding Committee unveiled a list of 1,597 war criminals responsible for mass killings, rapes and other atrocities during the Liberation War. Nizami, Mujahid and Kamaruzzaman are among the top Jamaat leaders on that list.

The Awami League government has already started working on the issue of trying war criminals and sought international assistance.

When UNDP Resident Representative and UN Coordinator in Bangladesh Renata Lok Dessallien called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday the PM sought the United Nations’ help in holding trial of the war criminals, saying prosecuting them has become a national demand.

Source: The Daily Star

Quick trial of war criminals: JS adopts resolution

Signaling a major turning-point in Bangladesh’s history, Parliament yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution on taking initiative quickly to put to trial identified war criminals of 1971.

Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury from Sylhet-3 constituency moved the resolution which was passed by voice vote in the absence of opposition.

Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, some senior Awami League leaders and some other treasury-bench MPs took part in discussion on the motion.

Taking part in the discussion, the Prime Minister said unequivocally that her government must try the war criminals as it has become a national demand.

“I want to state it clearly we must try the war criminals. I support the resolution,” said Sheikh Hasina, whose party and allies have an overwhelming majority in the newly elected parliament.

She informed the House that her government already has taken various initiatives to bring those who committed war crime during the 1971 Liberation War to book as the war-crime trial is one of her party Awami League’s election pledges.

“Already I have sought cooperation of the United Nations and talked to the key persons behind the trial of war criminals in other countries. We will arrange having expert opinions on this issue,” she said.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (retd) ABM Tajul Islam said the people of Bangladesh have already started trying war criminals. In last parliaments there were 17 “war criminals”, but the number reduced to a great extent this year.

Detailing government’s initiatives already taken in this regard he said nothing should be done so that the process of trying the war criminals becomes questionable.

He said the trial would be held in a transparent and credible manner.

The minister suggested the House that there should not be any hurry in trying the war criminals.

He also pleaded that since the present government has already taken various measures regarding trial of the war criminals, the resolution could be withdrawn.

But the MPs, including Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, pressed for passage of the resolution.

Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam pointed out that it is not the job of the Liberation War Ministry to address the issue rather it should the job of Law and Foreign Ministries.

All those MPs who took part in the discussion demanded trial of the war criminals through a special tribunal, saying that it has been now the demand of the nation and the government is pledge-bound to do it.

Source: UNB

Jalil complains of torture

Ruling party’s front ranking member Abdul Jalil last night in parliament raised a serious allegation of inhuman torture on him by an intelligence personnel after the January 11 changeover.

Jalil, also general secretary of Awami League, demanded a parliamentary committee to probe ‘torture on him’ by the personnel of an intelligence agency.

Taking part in the debate on the thanks giving motion for the President’s inaugural speech in parliament the ruling party stalwart suggested the operation of intelligence agency should be limited within the armed forces so that ‘general people, businessmen, politicians are not subjected to ‘intolerable torture’.

Visibly emotional Jalil narrated the ordeals he underwent for long 18 months in custody. “It’s a matter of joke for the intelligence men to humiliate the politicians,” he said.

He said he would write to the Prime Minister who is in charge of the Defence Ministry formally raising the matter and seeking permanent measure for preventing torture by the agency men.

The AL general secretary said after arrest from his office in 2007 he was blindfolded, drove to unknown destination and subjected to inhuman torture by the intelligence without having any allegation against him.

He said, “The agency did not show minimum respect to me as a citizen of the country, as a former minister, as a former MP and overall as a freedom fighter.”

Jalil said those who are responsible for abuse and maltreatment should be punished so that the innocent people are not subjected to torture in future.

He claimed that his reported bad remarks about his party president Sheikh Hasina were fabricated.

Jalil also demanded immediate dismissal of the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission for his partisan role in dealing with corruption. ACC had sought details of my property but did not ask for the wealth statement of Syed Iskander, brother of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Source: The New Nation

Biswa Ijtema begins today: 3m including foreign devotees expected to attend

The second largest Muslim congregation after the Hajj the 44th Biswa Ijtema beginning today on the bank of River Turag at Tongi near the capital. Ijtema sources said more than three million Muslims, including nearly 10,000 foreign devotees with larger chunks from China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA and Kuwait are set to join the Ijtema. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has converged an elaborate message regarding the holy Ijtema. Special arrangements have been made for accommodation of foreign pilgrims in the northwest corner of the Ijtema ground. To accommodate the ever-increasing number of devotees, the prayer ground has also been expanded to the western direction by filling earth in the riverbed. Members of Armed forces, for the convenience of the devotees, have also set up seven bailey bridges across the river. The home ministry ordered helicopter patrols and close circuit television monitoring as part of anti-terrorist vigil ahead of the’; Bishwa Ijtema”, Meet will take place today at the Ijtema ground, a five-square kilometre area on the bank of Turag River at Tongi. Bangladesh has been hosting the congregation organised by New Delhi-based Tablig Jamaat since early 1960. Security officials said, they have designed a three-tier security system including helicopter and deployed 7,500 law enforcers including the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as organisers expecting more than two million Muslims this year from across the country and world to join the meet. Observation towers have already been erected to keep vigilance on the entire Ijtema by members of the RAB and foolproof security billed as one of the biggest gatherings of the Muslims in the world. Dhaka Metropolitan Police in cooperation with Gazipur district police has taken special measures to streamline traffic movement in and around Tongi and Ashulia to facilitate the transportation of devotees. In a message the Prime Minister said Biswa Ijtema – a mammoth annual religious congregation – has become a part of Bangladesh’s national tradition and is a glorious event. “We feel proud and happy for the faith of the Muslim Ummah in us in arranging this grand and dignified congregation. I think Biswa Ijtema has been significantly contributing to the spread of the essence of Islam such as universal peace, fraternity, honesty, generosity,” she said. Sheikh Hasina hoped that the grand gathering would continue to strengthen the bond of unity, solidarity and brotherhood of the people of all walks of life and the Muslim Ummah. “The identity of real simplicity, hospitality, and endurance of the people of Bangladesh, grown up with its non-communal tradition, will be further flourished before the world community,” Hasina hoped. The PM prayed to Almighty Allah for the temporal peace, happiness and welfare and eternal salvation of the countrymen as well as uplift and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah. She wished overall success of the Biswa Ijtema, billed as second-largest Islamic assembly after Hajj. The State Minister of energy affairs Shamsul Alam Tuku told yesterday at the ministry that they had already taken all initiative to supply the electricity to the Ijtema areas. Earlier, State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj and State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Mohammad Shahjahan Miah visited the venue to see for themselves the preparations for the Ijtema. Source: the New Nation

Presidential election on February 16

The voting to elect new President of the Republic for the nineteenth tenure will be held on February 16, said a notification of the Election Commission yesterday.

As per schedule, the last date of filing nomination paper to the office of Chief Election Commissioner is February 8 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM while scrutiny of the papers will be done on February 9 and the last date of withdrawing candidature is February 11.

The voting by the parliament members will take place at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on the day from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

If only one candidate files nomination paper then there will be no need for voting, the nominee will be declared as President on February 11 after the date for withdrawal expires, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Wednesday told reporters at his office, adding, “No contest appears to take place in the election as a person for the post has already been selected earlier”.

The qualification to contest for the post of President is similar to that of parliament members to contest in national election.

It may be mentioned that the incumbent President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed had taken oath as President of the Republic of Bangladesh on September 6 in 2002.

Source: The New Nation

Row over seating arrangement: Opposition stays away from JS session

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday demanded three more frontline seats in the house for ending their ongoing walkout of the inaugural session of the Jatiya Sangsad.

The BNP and its allies Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) have also been staying away from the house since Wednesday’s walkout over the rearrangement of seats by the Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid.

The demand of the opposition BNP was made when a parliamentary delegation of the party led by senior MP MK Anwar met the Speaker Advocate Adbul Hamid.

After the meeting the Speaker told the journalists that he had already conveyed the demand of the BNP to Awami League’ s Chief Sheikh Hasina and Chief Whip of the parliament Abdus Shahid.

“The BNP demands three more seats in the front row as a condition to return to ongoing parliament session,” Hamid added. Asked whether the BNP would resort to permanent boycott, the Speaker said, ” They (BNP) did not give any threat on permanent boycott of the parliament”.

He said he would take consent of the ruling party and allocate seats if the ruling party allowed. ” Without the sacrifice of Awami League I can do nothing,” he noted.

Chief Whip Shahid said BNP should get three out of the total 29 seats on the front benches. Asked on BNP’s position MK Anwar said, “We are still holding our position. Now, it is up to the speaker to decide the matter”.

However, the BNP leader did not disclose any details of their meeting with the Speaker.

He said that they would not return to the House before resolving the issue.

But the Chief Whip of the opposition Joynal Abedin Faruk yesterday hinted that they would take decision on Sunday at the parliamentary meeting of the party.

Earlier BNP staged a walkout as parliament resumed on Wednesday, protesting a new seat arrangement by Speaker Abdul Hamid that reduced the main opposition party just four front row seats from the nine allocated by outgoing speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar.

But the Awami League has opposed former speaker’s seat arrangement terming it disproportionate to the total number of seats won by the opposition.

Source: The New Nation

Aishwarya to fight national elections

Will Aishwarya Rai fight Lok Sabha elections on Samajwadi party ticket? The question has become more intense following the sudden announcement of Sanjay Dutt’s candidature from Lucknow on Samajwadi party ticket.

It seems amazing but unfortunate that a follower of Lohiya, Mulayam Singh Yadav has started running behind Bollywood stars, even tainted ones in order to win some Parliamentary seats.

It is not just an issue of Aishwarya Rai. She is a wonderful woman and a great actress, but there are already several Bollywood personalities who anyhow overshadow this Lohiyaite Mulayam Singh Yadav.

There are already two Jayas, Jaya Parda and Jaya Bachchan. Now there will be along list of other stars who will give company to these Bollywood personalities.

Samajwadi party is trying to rope in everyone it seems fit to win election to contest next Lok Sabha elections for it. Just two days ago the party announced the name of Sanjay Dutt as a candidate from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat.

Aishwarya’s in-laws are good friends of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav. Her mother in law Jaya Bachchan is a Rajya Sabha MP of Samajwadi Party.

Aishwarya Rai is one of the most successful actresses of Bollywood and she can be a sure bet for Samajwadi Party provided she decides to plunge in the dirty waters of politics.

When most actress of her age have turned dotting wives and moms, the former beauty queen is experimenting in new and newer roles that are coming her way. She is still much in demand in Bollywod and also in Kollywood from where she began her acting stint.

Her beauty still sets films on fire and ensures the success of the film. Her endorsing a product ensures producers that the company will get better response from consumers. With her father in law and husband she makes the biggest Bollywood brand in the country.

Often acclaimed as the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai made her movie debut in Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film Iruvar in the year 1997 opposite Mohanlal. She had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans 1998, and came to the attention of Bollywood through her blockbuster Hindi movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999.

The film directed by celebrated film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was a super duper success.

The film won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and she successfully performed in Bhansali’s next project, Devdas opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the year 2002. the film gave her second Best Actress Award at the Filmfare.

Since then, Aishwarya Rai has acted in over forty movies in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English, including the international productions Bride & Prejudice (2003), Mistress of Spices (2005), and The Last Legion (2007) in English.

Source: Bollywood

Bollywood: Hurman goes public about his break-up with Priyanka Chopra

They might have never committed to being ‘committed’, but on and off the couple – Hurman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra have been sending out signals of their break-up far and wide. The Baweja lad, who until now had opted to stay mum on his much-eyed love connection with Piggy Chops, has for the very first time accepted that their love affair has gone kaput.

Rumours of Priyanka being sweet on Hurman had been doing rounds ever since the duo came together for their very first flick ‘Love Story 2050′. The film that was touted as the biggest flop of the decade brought much criticism to Priyanka. And many believe that it was this cynicism that made their relationship bitter.

However even though the awesome twosome never accepted to being involved, Hurman’s break up admission has finally validated all the speculations of them being lovers. Hurman who was recently asked by a news daily as to has it been tough to shoot with Priyanka after you’ve parted ways, said, “Not at all. Whether we were together or not, I don’t think our work can ever get affected. We’re thorough professionals about this. We’ve been great friends and we still are. It was fabulous working with her earlier. It’s fabulous now. I don’t think personal relationships should affect work.”

What’s more is that the actor even slammed rumours of him using Priyanka for publicity. “I never needed to latch on to anyone for professional or personal gains. I never have, never will. I don’t understand why I had to face so much flak after the release of Love Story 2050 . I’m not the first debutant to deliver a dud.”

Looks like the actor has finally matured as he has made the most candid admissions of ’2050′ being a dud and Priyanka being his arm-candy.

- Zeenews