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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

[chottala.com] protest against....

Dear All,
Salam …
I have decided not to go through the Daily Newspaper
"Prothom Alo" in my rest of life. This is my protest
against making cartoon of our Rasul
Sallallahu-Alaihiwassalam.
With regards


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[chottala.com] To restore Democracy

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Gastright meets Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda at his office in the capital yesterday. Photo: STAR
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of state John Gastright is telling Chief Election Commissioner A.T.M. Shamsul Huda to restore democracy at the earliest.
But the question is with whom the democracy will be restored. With the same
previous corrupted people
Dr.Siraj uddowllah
Windsor,Canada. 


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[chottala.com] Ex Finance Minister's son Naser Rahman jailed 9 years

 
Dear All chottala readers,
Our finance Minister Saifur Rahman's son Naser Rahman former M.P.  jailed for nine years for "Chanda Baazi"and others. Saifur Rahman himself being a finance minister is a defaulter in tax paying. During his tenure as finance minister he used to tell the incometax people to collect incometax from the people by hook or by crook. But he did not pay taxes. If these people were our leaders who ruled our country for such a long period then how our poor country will progess and proceed further forward. 
 
Dr. Siraj uddowllah, Windsor, Canada. 


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[chottala.com] U.S. Tells Bangladesh to Restore Democracy at the Earliest

 

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Gastright meets Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda at his office in the capital yesterday. Photo: STAR
U.S. Tells Bangladesh to Restore Democracy at the Earliest
 

By Jay Shankar

Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. wants Bangladesh's military backed government to restore democracy as soon as possible, John Gastright, deputy assistant secretary for South Asian affairs, told the country's election chief.

``Full democracy is vital to the country,'' Gastright said, according to an e-mailed statement from the U.S. embassy in the capital, Dhaka, yesterday. ``Full participation in the electoral process is vital to democracy.''

Gastright, the first senior U.S. official to visit Bangladesh since the interim government took power in January, offered U.S. support to Chief Election Commissioner A.T.M. Shamsul Huda, according to the statement. They discussed the steps underway for elections slated for December 2008.

Bangladesh, a country of 150 million people, has been under a state of emergency since the government canceled elections scheduled for January after months of clashes between supporters of political parties. The administration has arrested about 150 politicians in a crackdown on corruption since then, including former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina Wajed.

Gastright welcomed a decision by the government on Sept. 9 to lift a six-month ban on indoor political meetings to allow talks with political parties. Discussions with 18 political parties have begun on changing voting laws in order to hold elections before the December deadline, Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossain said.

The government plans to relax more laws, Mainul Hosein, adviser to the government, said Sept. 13 by telephone.

Gastright, who is on a two-day visit to the South Asian nation, will also meet Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed and Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossian, the government said in a faxed statement yesterday.

Voter List

The government wants to hold elections at the earliest possible date and a list of voters with their photographs is being prepared, commissioner Hossain said last week.

The exercise will reduce ``excess voters'' by about 10 million, he said. ``The final list may have more than 70 million voters,'' he added.

Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Wajed's Awami League alliance have been invited to take part in the talks. The BNP won the last general election in 2001.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jay Shankar in Bangalore at jshankar1@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: September 18, 2007 19:50 EDT
US Tells Bangladesh to Restore Democracy at the Earliest
Bloomberg - 50 minutes ago
By Jay Shankar Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The US wants Bangladesh's military backed government to restore democracy as soon as possible, John Gastright, ...
 
US urges restoration of democracy in Bangladesh
Reuters India, India - 10 hours ago
DHAKA (Reuters) - The United States urged Bangladesh on Tuesday to take further steps to restore democracy after a decision this month by the army-backed ...
 
US official visits Dhaka to assess political scenario
Hindu, India - Sep 16, 2007
Dhaka, Sept. 17 (PTI): A top Bush administration official will arrive here tomorrow on a two-day visit to weigh the country's latest political development ...
 
US expects extra steps to restore democracy
The Daily Star, Bangladesh - 6 hours ago
The US government expects Bangladesh to take additional steps for restoring democracy as soon as possible. Visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State ...
 
US official to hold talks in Bangladesh on elections
Reuters AlertNet, UK - Sep 17, 2007
DHAKA, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A US official will hold talks with Bangladesh leaders on Tuesday on plans by the country's army-backed interim administration to ...
 
Gastright due tomorrow
The Daily Star, Bangladesh - Sep 16, 2007
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, John Gastright Jr, will arrive tomorrow on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. ...
 
US official to visit Bangladesh to review political situation
TopNews, India - Sep 16, 2007
Dhaka, Sept 16: A senior official from the United States will visit Bangladesh, now under a state of emergency, on Tuesday to take stock of the country's ...
 
US suggests further steps for early restoration of democracy in ...
NewKerala.com, India - 7 hours ago
By Nazrul Islam, Dhaka, Sept 18 : A visiting senior United States official today said that his government looks forward to additional steps by Bangladesh ...
 




 
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[chottala.com] Bangabir Kader Siddiqui demand banning Jamaat --SA Hannan (Jamaati) Fights back

Re: [khabor.com]  A Party Out To Divert Attention --editorial of Asia post, Dhaka,18.9.07

 
Mr. S A Hannan
 
When did Mujib provide amnesty to the war criminals? In what capacity?
Was there a gazette notification? Is the amnesty, a part of our
constitution?
 
Did Mujib had the constitutional authority to provide blanket amenesty
to the war criminals, or any criminal as a matter of fact, without going
through a process?
 
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda is talking like
a politician on the issue of anti-liberation and anti-people activities of
Jamaat. Does he have a soft-corner for Jamaat? Is doing politics under
the cover of neutral election comission? [Think about the connotations of
his utturing ..."It was you [politicians]" etc. ...
 
What is he, a monarch?  a bureaucrat? a servant of the army? or a Public
servant?  As I understand that he is an appointed public servant for doing a
specific job - that is to conduct a fair election without any bias towards any
political party or a vested interest group like the so-called patriotic Army.
 
He has to look for the interest of the people only, not the interest of the
Army, bureaucracy or Jamaat-e-Islami.
 
Bangabir Kader Siddiqui has every right to demand banning
Jamaat and exclude it from contesting the election in any forum
he finds it appropriate. His heroic fight against the Pak Army
and it's proxy Jamaat-e-Islami is unparallel in the history of
our Liberation War.
 
On the other hand, Mr. SA Hannan, you are a life long
Jamaat-e-islami cadre. Can you deny it?
 
It is not surprising that you wil try to defend the Jamaat,
its cohorts and hidden supporters at every opportunity that
you get. See how skillfully you tried to  avoid mantioning Jamaat's
role in 1971?
 
In your own words:
 
" We are unable to understand the demand of a party KSJL
   which is hardly known beyond the district of its President
   Tangail  demanding banning of a national party Jamaate
   Islami  who are  working in the country since  1955 except for
   a short period  between 1972-75."
 
Did you forget Jamaat's role in 1971?
 
As a Pakistan Government's employee, what did you personally 
do in 1971? Help Jamaat and it's paramilitary wing Al-badar
to keep your beloved Islamic Republic of Pakistan  intact?
 
Have you ever deplored your past roles and ever aplogized for
your and your party's [Jamaati's] anti-people role in the name
of Islam?
 
BTW, do you still approve Jamaat's opportunistic role as a
partner-in-crime during Jote Sarker?
 
 
So long & Thanks
 
Syed Aslam
 

 Please read S A Hannan's posting below to get the context: 
 
On 9/18/07, S A Hannan < sahannan@... > wrote:

 
 

 

A Party Out To Divert Attention 

 

 

 

News papers have reported that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda on Monday  said although war criminals should have been tried immediately after the country's independence, all the successive governments refrained from putting the anti-liberation forces on trial. Responding to a proposal for banning Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh from carrying out its political activities including its right to contest in parliamentary elections, the CEC said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman provided amnesty to war criminals, but he also said people who had specific charges against them were not eligible for the amnesty. "It was you [politicians], who made anti-liberation leader Shah Azizur Rahman the prime minister after 1975. Anti-liberation people were made ministers of the immediate past government. Now how we are to go ahead disqualifying them from contesting in the polls?" the CEC asked. "Give us a mechanism, give us a proposal for approaching the matter," Huda said while holding a dialogue with Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) on electoral reforms in the EC Secretariat conference room.

 

We are unable to understand the demand of a party KSJL  which is hardly known beyond the district of its President Tangail demanding banning of a national party Jamaate Islami  who are working in the country since  1955 except for a short period between 1972-75. The election commission is not the forum for such demand unless it is for senselisation and drawing attention of electronic media which normally  they do not get. They should have gone to the Supreme Court to question the constitutionality of the Jamaate islami.The party has raised all sorts of allegations against this national party in a forum which is to conduct election, not judge the history of the parties .The leader of the party says that Jamaate islami was an agent of British colonialism which we have not read any where in any book of political history of the sub-continent.It seems that some politicians will never learn even after what have happened to the politicians in the last nine months.We deplore this de-meaning of politics.



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Re: [chottala.com] BAKSAL

Dr. Sijaj Uddowllah
 
Thanks for your short description of BAKSAl.
Sure, within reason, it sheds some light on that
chapter of our history.
 
Syed Aslam


 
On 9/17/07, Siraj uddowllah <uddowllahsiraj@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am just trying to understand the historical significances of BAKSAL]
Syed Aslam

 
 
 
Dear Mr. Syed Aslam,
Though I cannot remember all those in detail about BAKSAL after a long gap of 32/33 years but somehow or other I will recollect from my memory and try to explain its historical significances and probably its motivation. Let me give a brief idea what I really understand about BAKSAL.
 
BAKSAL was introduced by Bangabandhu at the time when he saw there was no other alternative around him just to give some relief to his Bengali people from a most sirious disastrous condition the country was passing at that time. Femine broke out and that was artficially created by some international circle to create chaos and confusion in the country to put him in a awkward position in his own Bengali Nation, to make him unpopular to his own people. At the same time he saw there were nobody around him who can help him sincerely, advise him properly how he can overcome the crisis. The country was passing a crucial moment at that time.
 
Everybody especially his own Awami Leagure around him were busy in looting from all side putting him in a more difficult situation. To be very frank he saw complete darkness around him at that time. With extreme frustation one day in one meeting he told "Don't tell me Bangabandhu any more. You have killed Bangabandhu and put him under the grave alive. Different countries are getting the gold mines, copper mines and all sorts of mines , but I got the mines of thieves. In whatever direction I try to see, on my right there is thieves, on my left there is thieves and behind me also there is thieves. On broken heart Bangabandhu was telling how I can run the country surrounded by so many thieves"  which he hinted to his own Awami leagures as there was no other party more stronger than his one.
 
During extreme femine when people are dying of hunger in the street and not getting any type of nutritious food, nutritious biscuits came as an aid from foreign countries just to supply some sorts of nutrition to the poor and needy people free of cost. Later on that biscuits were found to be sold in the street of Calcuuta, West Bengal. 
 
Without seeing any other alternatives and to overcome all these, one day he suddenly declared all party should be abolished and there will be one party only in the name of BAKSAL and except four newspaper all other newspapers were band. We don't know from where he got the idea of one party system in the name of BAKSAL at that time. As bcoz people started thinking a man who fought throughout his life for democracy why suddenly he made one party system in a newly democratic country and finished the democratic system by uprooting it completely. As people were still liking him too much they accepted his decision and wanted to see what may be the after effect of this and wanted to see whether Bangabandhu can overcome the crisis or not.
 
I was working as Medical Officer in Bangladesh Shipping Corporation at that time and one day as I remember in 1975 when I was in Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Office I was given a BAKSAL membership form to fill it up and to pay 4 anna (siki) as membership fees. People in the whole office became the member of BAKSAL by paying four anna membership fees as compulsary. No question of Ziaur Rahman agreed or not or any other person agreed or not. At that time it was a compulsary process to be a member of BAKSAL. In short this much I can recollect in my memory after a long gap of so many years.     

Here I like to request my lerned friends of chottala, if anybody of that period are still present in this chottala groups and if I am wrong in my description to please correct me. I will be more happy if he or she enlighten me by throwing some more lights in this regard.
 
Dr. Siraj uddowllah, Windsor, Canada.


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[chottala.com] Institutionalisation of Communal Biases

Posted by: "ram puniyani" ram.puniyani@gmail.com
Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:55 pm (PST)
A Tale of Two Reports

Institutionalisatio n of Communal Biases

Ram Puniyani

In the wake of the punishments being mated out to the culprits of
Mumbai blasts of 1993, the logical demand of punishing the guilty of
92-93 Mumbai carnage came up from different sections of society. Many
a delegations met the political leadership to urge for implementation
of Shrikrishna Commission report. This report impeccably pointed out
the role of different leaders, from Shiv Sena-BJP and even some from
Congress in the Mumbai riots. Their crimes of commission and omission
are there for all to see in this report. The present government,
Congress-NCP, had come to power on the promise that they will
implement the report. Despite long years of being in power; they
cleverly sat pretty, giving some flimsy answers about the actions
which they seem to have taken. One sampler will do, for the crime
which calls for few years of imprisonment, they transferred some one
from one to the other department, bravo! Now with the revival of the
pressure from the victims and concerned citizens, again some white
wash is being peddled out with the promise to take action.

At the same time, those involved in the riots threatened against the
implementation of this report. Same political formations had earlier
rejected the report as being anti Hindu, and challenging that if the
report is implemented, it will be the political death of those who
will do so. An argument is being rehashed as to why should the wounds
of the riots be reopened, unmindful of the fact that wounds of the
victims may heal only and only if the culprits are given the
punishment. A subtle threat has been given that its implementation
will bring in more violence. It's clear that those who are the
victims
try to call for justice and those who are the patrons of criminals or
criminals themselves peddle these arguments to avoid their own
punishment and to protect their political interests.

The second report which is under attack is the one related to the
socio-economic condition of the Muslim minority. This report, like
the
previous report on the same issue, Gopal Singh Commission, pointed
out
the abysmal condition of the Muslims, their low levels of incomes,
social deprivation, economic destitution, their being side tracked
from the jobs, welfare schemes and other ladders for progress. As the
present UPA government is trying to take this seriously, is accepting
the idea of forming of Equal Opportunities Commission in principle,
some political elements have termed this affirmative action of the
government being like throwing 'an Atom bomb at Hindu community'. It
is warning that it will take to the streets to oppose this
'appeasement of Muslims'.

There are lots of parallels in the attitude to both the reports. As
such these two reports genuinely reflect the twin aspects of the
problem of the minorities, the socio-economic aspects and the
physical
security. Both have a strong impact on each other and also on the
existence of the community as a whole. One infers from Sachar
committee report that as a community, Muslims are the only one's
whose
economic and social situation has slumped down in last sixty years.
And Shrikrishna report delineates the anatomy of a riot, the
expression of depth to which communalism has sunk in our society. It
demonstrates as to how one type of political leadership, the one like
BJP-Shiv Sena instigates and launches the attack, getting its
legitimization in advance from the propaganda that the minorities are
a threat, are attacking, so we have to retaliate to protect
'ourselves'.

The other type of leadership sits back and lets these elements do
their communal polarization, and also does accommodate some elements
from these parties for the sake of power. Congress which claims to be
secular easily slips when principled actions are to be taken. During
the Mumbai pogrom Congress Chief Minister Sudhakarrao naik was
sitting
pretty paralyzed by inaction and silently supporting the attack led
by
Bal Thackeray. When a delegation of industrialists led by Tata called
upon him to stop the mayhem, he told them to meet Thackeray to
request
him whatever they want. The same party later admitted into its fold
the likes of Narayan Rane and Sanjay Nirupam, who were loyal sainiks
of Thackeray. The third player in the game, the state machinery, the
police and bureaucracy and partly judiciary is infected by the
institutional biases against the minorities and aids and abets the
anti minority carnage in different ways, that's how you see so many
of
police officers blundering and participating in the violence and
getting a pat from their political masters.

Sachar Committee shows that condition of Muslims is worsening. No
democracy worth its pluralism and equality can ignore a chunk of its
society and ignore the affirmative action for weaker sections of
society. Here it seems so far the democratic values have been put on
hold as far as weaker sections are concerned. Here one type of
leadership, the right wing is dead opposed to any affirmative action,
equating it to nuclear attack on the Hindus. The other leadership,
which so far slept over the issue, is hopefully trying to wake up to
it. The third major player the bureaucracy is by now too communalized
to be bothered to let the affirmative action take place. The tragedy
is that on one hand there is no effective affirmative action for
minorities and on the other even the token talk on this issue is
presented as a threat to Hindu community.

Can we let this denigration of minorities go on? One recalls that our
earlier caste system had totally marginalized the low castes. Today
in
the communal scenario another chunk of population is being relegated
to secondary position. Are we creating new type of exclusionary
social
system? Sprawling ghettoes like Mumbra, Bhendi Bazar on one hand
their
absence in the social sphere on the other, totally violates the
spirit
of national community.

Golwalkar, the second supremo of RSS, the most important ideologue of
RSS-BJP and affiliated organizations which are leading the anti
minority tirade, wrote "…non Hindu people in Hindustan must either
adopt Hindu culture…they must cease to be foreigners or may stay in
the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation claiming nothing,
deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment, not
even
citizens rights.". One may add to that they will also be subjected to
differential legal system! Are we heading towards this terrifying
vision of the patron saint of RSS-BJP?

(Writer is Secretary of All India Secular Forum)


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[chottala.com] Must read article

Posted by: "ram puniyani" ram.puniyani@gmail.com
Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:55 pm (PST)
A Tale of Two Reports

Institutionalisatio n of Communal Biases

Ram Puniyani

In the wake of the punishments being mated out to the culprits of
Mumbai blasts of 1993, the logical demand of punishing the guilty of
92-93 Mumbai carnage came up from different sections of society. Many
a delegations met the political leadership to urge for implementation
of Shrikrishna Commission report. This report impeccably pointed out
the role of different leaders, from Shiv Sena-BJP and even some from
Congress in the Mumbai riots. Their crimes of commission and omission
are there for all to see in this report. The present government,
Congress-NCP, had come to power on the promise that they will
implement the report. Despite long years of being in power; they
cleverly sat pretty, giving some flimsy answers about the actions
which they seem to have taken. One sampler will do, for the crime
which calls for few years of imprisonment, they transferred some one
from one to the other department, bravo! Now with the revival of the
pressure from the victims and concerned citizens, again some white
wash is being peddled out with the promise to take action.

At the same time, those involved in the riots threatened against the
implementation of this report. Same political formations had earlier
rejected the report as being anti Hindu, and challenging that if the
report is implemented, it will be the political death of those who
will do so. An argument is being rehashed as to why should the wounds
of the riots be reopened, unmindful of the fact that wounds of the
victims may heal only and only if the culprits are given the
punishment. A subtle threat has been given that its implementation
will bring in more violence. It's clear that those who are the
victims
try to call for justice and those who are the patrons of criminals or
criminals themselves peddle these arguments to avoid their own
punishment and to protect their political interests.

The second report which is under attack is the one related to the
socio-economic condition of the Muslim minority. This report, like
the
previous report on the same issue, Gopal Singh Commission, pointed
out
the abysmal condition of the Muslims, their low levels of incomes,
social deprivation, economic destitution, their being side tracked
from the jobs, welfare schemes and other ladders for progress. As the
present UPA government is trying to take this seriously, is accepting
the idea of forming of Equal Opportunities Commission in principle,
some political elements have termed this affirmative action of the
government being like throwing 'an Atom bomb at Hindu community'. It
is warning that it will take to the streets to oppose this
'appeasement of Muslims'.

There are lots of parallels in the attitude to both the reports. As
such these two reports genuinely reflect the twin aspects of the
problem of the minorities, the socio-economic aspects and the
physical
security. Both have a strong impact on each other and also on the
existence of the community as a whole. One infers from Sachar
committee report that as a community, Muslims are the only one's
whose
economic and social situation has slumped down in last sixty years.
And Shrikrishna report delineates the anatomy of a riot, the
expression of depth to which communalism has sunk in our society. It
demonstrates as to how one type of political leadership, the one like
BJP-Shiv Sena instigates and launches the attack, getting its
legitimization in advance from the propaganda that the minorities are
a threat, are attacking, so we have to retaliate to protect
'ourselves'.

The other type of leadership sits back and lets these elements do
their communal polarization, and also does accommodate some elements
from these parties for the sake of power. Congress which claims to be
secular easily slips when principled actions are to be taken. During
the Mumbai pogrom Congress Chief Minister Sudhakarrao naik was
sitting
pretty paralyzed by inaction and silently supporting the attack led
by
Bal Thackeray. When a delegation of industrialists led by Tata called
upon him to stop the mayhem, he told them to meet Thackeray to
request
him whatever they want. The same party later admitted into its fold
the likes of Narayan Rane and Sanjay Nirupam, who were loyal sainiks
of Thackeray. The third player in the game, the state machinery, the
police and bureaucracy and partly judiciary is infected by the
institutional biases against the minorities and aids and abets the
anti minority carnage in different ways, that's how you see so many
of
police officers blundering and participating in the violence and
getting a pat from their political masters.

Sachar Committee shows that condition of Muslims is worsening. No
democracy worth its pluralism and equality can ignore a chunk of its
society and ignore the affirmative action for weaker sections of
society. Here it seems so far the democratic values have been put on
hold as far as weaker sections are concerned. Here one type of
leadership, the right wing is dead opposed to any affirmative action,
equating it to nuclear attack on the Hindus. The other leadership,
which so far slept over the issue, is hopefully trying to wake up to
it. The third major player the bureaucracy is by now too communalized
to be bothered to let the affirmative action take place. The tragedy
is that on one hand there is no effective affirmative action for
minorities and on the other even the token talk on this issue is
presented as a threat to Hindu community.

Can we let this denigration of minorities go on? One recalls that our
earlier caste system had totally marginalized the low castes. Today
in
the communal scenario another chunk of population is being relegated
to secondary position. Are we creating new type of exclusionary
social
system? Sprawling ghettoes like Mumbra, Bhendi Bazar on one hand
their
absence in the social sphere on the other, totally violates the
spirit
of national community.

Golwalkar, the second supremo of RSS, the most important ideologue of
RSS-BJP and affiliated organizations which are leading the anti
minority tirade, wrote "…non Hindu people in Hindustan must either
adopt Hindu culture…they must cease to be foreigners or may stay in
the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation claiming nothing,
deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment, not
even
citizens rights.". One may add to that they will also be subjected to
differential legal system! Are we heading towards this terrifying
vision of the patron saint of RSS-BJP?

(Writer is Secretary of All India Secular Forum)

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[chottala.com] For individuals having academic interest in SAARC

Posted by: "Shantu Sharma" shantu_22003@yahoo.co.in

Forwarded by
Ziaur Rahman
IITM -iitmbd.org
Dhaka

SAARC nations move on multi-transport road - (SOUTH ASIA)

http://www.financia lexpress. com/news/ Saarc-nations- move-on-multi-
transport- road/216980/

ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Friday , September 14, 2007 at 2359 hrs IST

New Delhi, Sep 14 South Asian countries have inched forward in
developing a multi-modal transport system for the region by
identifying some select pilot projects.

India had introduced a concept paper on South Asian Postal Union
which was favourably discussed at the first meeting of the SAARC
transport ministers in New Delhi on August 31, this year.

With several multi-modal transport projects on the anvil, Sri Lanka
has proposed setting up of a panel for monitoring of projects and
development of institutional capacity building. It was also decided
to include Afghanistan in the multi-model transport system for the
region.

The region's multi-modal transport projects would attract financial
technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank. Establishment
of modern border crossing facility, including immigration, parking
and cargo handling in Phuntsholing in Bhutan, is one of the
identified pilot project.

The development of this facility would help to increase the Himalyan
kingdom's border trade which has suffered due to traffic congestion.

India would initiate pilot projects to develop connectivity with its
eastern neighbours.

It is proposed to connect Birgunj-Kaatihar- Singhabad- Rohanpur-
Chittagong in Bangladesh with links to Jogbani and Biratnagar in
Nepal and Agartala in Tripura. Other proposed links are to connect
Kathmandu-Birgunj- Kolkata/Haldia and Agartala-Akhaura- Chittagong.
Frequent air connectivity is also proposed between Male in Maldives
and New Delhi and between Islamabad andNew Delhi.

Sri Lanka would initiate pilot projects like rail corridor no 5
between Colombo and Chennai in India and ferry services between
Colombo and Kochi in India and between Colombo and Tuticorin in
India.
------------ --------- --------- --------- -----

SAARC harps on economic union

http://www.financia lexpress. com/news/ Saarc-harps- on-economic-
union/217397/ 0

ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Sunday , September 16, 2007 at 0337 hrs IST

The sub-continent may soon be in for a kind of economic structure
similar to that of the Asean. The eight-nation South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which met here on
Saturday, discussed a number of issues to promote this.

The finance ministers of the eight-nation bloc held formation of the
South Asian Economic Union, which eventually may become an Asean-
type structure. It is expected to take shape by 2010 and will
integrate the region economically.

The ministers also discussed the proposed Saarc Development Fund,
the South Asian Customs Union, enhancing collaborations between
capital market regulators in the region and study ways to counter
terror funding. However, speaking to reporters after the meeting,
finance minister P Chidambaram, made it clear that "one capital
market or cross-border listings are for the distant future".

Commenting on the South Asian Economic Union, Chidambaram
said, "While an economic union envisages full and complete
integration of the economies, the first step towards that is hassle-
free procedures at the border."

For this, the ministers have requested the inter-governmental group
on customs cooperation to finalise its recommendations on
harmonisation of customs tariffs. The South Asian Customs Union
would also be an important step in this direction.

The ministers have also decided to set up an expert group on the
development of capital markets, which would recommend ways to
facilitate cooperation in this field. They have also recommended
harmonisation of securities market regulations for enforcement,
compliance, investor protection and information sharing. Such
efforts would be essential to pre-empt financial crises and prevent
regulatory failures.

Chidambaram said there was now a growing awareness that capital
markets in each member country would require some kind of
coordination and integration. However he added, "I think, questions
about one capital market or cross-border listings are for the
distant future. At the moment, what we are trying to see is whether
capital market regulators can work together, share information and
cooperate with each other through MoUs."An inter-governmental expert
group on financial issues would develop the road map for the South
Asian Economic Union, the South Asian Customs Union and the SAARC
Development Fund, in a gradual and phased manner, the minister
added.

The finance ministers of the regional bloc also agreed to
operationalise the proposed SAARC Development Fund as soon as
possible. The fund, with a corpus of $300 million, will work on
economic, social and infrastructure issues in the region.

Meanwhile, finance secretaries of SAARC, which met on Friday, have
decided to study ways to counter terror funding in the region.

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