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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Re: [chottala.com] Needs information about Rotary Ýnternationational Ambassadorial Scholarships Program

Dear Moin,

To apply for Rotary International, Ambassadorial Scholarships u need to contact with local Rotary club for nomination as an applicant. Its a unique scholership. thousands of student awarded every year by Rotary International. you can prepare yourself for the year 2009 scholarship program. the deadline of 2008 is over, for more information u can search rotary webportal ; www.rotary.org

Reza Karim
Past President
Rotary Club of Chittagong Sagorika

----- Original Message ----
From: moin uddin <moin_cse99@yahoo.com>
To: chottala@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 3:13:42 PM
Subject: [chottala.com] Needs information about Rotary Ýnternationational Ambassadorial Scholarships Program


Dear Sir,

My name is Sheikh Mohammad Moin Uddin. Ý am a Bangladeshi and my home district is Chittagong. Ý had completed my Bachelor degree in Computer Science & Engineerig from Chittangong University of Engineering and Technology. And i had passed from Rotary Betagi Union High School. Ý want to make a application for Rotary International, Ambassadorial Scholarships .

For that reason i need information. When and how can i make application.

Please send me information.

Thanking you.

Sheikh Moin uddin.

------------ --------- --------- ---
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[chottala.com] US death toll in Iraq war hits 4,000

**
* US Military Fatalities: 03/23/2008


Period US UK Other* Total Avg Days
6<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=6>
914 45 9 968 2.32 417 5<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=5>
933 32 20 985 2.39 412 4<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=4>
715 13 18 746 2.35 318 3<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=3>
580 25 27 632 2.93 216 2<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=2>
718 27 59 804 1.9 424 1<http://icasualties.org/oif/SumDetails.aspx?hndRef=1>
140 33 173 4.02 43 Total 4000 175 133 4308 2.35 1830 U.S. Wounded and
medical evacuations
As reported by the DoD as of 3/1/2008
MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTS (HOSTILE AND NON-HOSTILE)
Total =
40,229
See datails at :
http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx


[image: AP]<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03;_ylt=AvaC3HpB2g3Ge09nuOK8O5cUewgF/*http://www.ap.org>


A US soldier stands guard in the area where a suicide car bomber detonated
his load in Shula, Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2008. At least seven
died and 14 were wounded in the blast. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
US death toll in Iraq war hits 4,000

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 19 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday,
the military said, pushing the overall American death toll in the five-year
war to at least 4,000. The grim milestone came on a day when at least 61
people were killed across the country.

Rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone, underscoring the
fragile security situation and the resilience of both Sunni and Shiite
extremist groups despite an overall lull in violence.

The soldiers with Multi-National Division — Baghdad were on a patrol when
their vehicle was struck at about 10 p.m. in southern Baghdad, the military
said. Another soldier was wounded in the attack.

Identities of those killed were withheld pending notification of relatives.

Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, a military spokesman, expressed condolences to all
the families who have lost a loved one in Iraq, saying each death is
"equally tragic."

"There have been some significant gains. However, this enemy is resilient
and will not give up, nor will we," he said. "There's still a lot of work to
be done."

Attacks in Baghdad probably stemmed from rising tensions between rival
Shiite groups — some of whom may have been behind the Green Zone blasts. It
was the most sustained assault in months against the nerve center of the U.S.
mission.

The deadliest attack of the day was in Mosul when a suicide driver slammed
his vehicle through a security checkpoint in a hail of gunfire and detonated
his explosives in front of an Iraqi headquarters building, killing 13 Iraqi
soldiers and injuring 42 other people, police said.

Iraqi guards opened fire on the vehicle but couldn't stop it because the
windshield had been bulletproofed, said an Iraqi army officer. He spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the
information.

Mosul, Iraq's third largest city about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, has
been described as the last major urban area where the Sunni extremist
al-Qaida group maintains a significant presence.

In Baghdad, rockets and mortars began slamming into the Green Zone about
sunrise, and scattered attacks persisted throughout the day, sending plumes
of smoke rising over the heavily guarded district in the heart of the
capital.

A U.S. public address system in the Green Zone warned people to "duck and
cover" and to stay away from windows.

At least five people were injured in the Green Zone, a U.S. Embassy
statement said without specifying nationalities. The zone includes the U.S.
and British embassies as well as major Iraqi government offices.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was
not authorized to release the information, said those injured included an
American and four third-country nationals, meaning they were not American,
British or Iraqi.

Iraqi police said 10 civilians were killed and more than 20 were injured in
rocket or mortar blasts in scattered areas of eastern Baghdad — some of them
probably due to misfired rounds.

Also in the capital, seven people were killed and 14 wounded in a suicide
car bombing Sunday in the Shiite area of Shula in the capital, police
reported. Such attacks are the hallmark of Sunni religious extremists.

Gunmen opened fire on passengers waiting for buses in a predominantly Shiite
area in southeastern Baghdad, killing at least seven men and wounding 16
people, including women and children, according to police.

Police also found the bullet-riddled bodies of 12 people — six in Baghdad,
four in Mosul and two in Kut, scene of clashes between government troops and
Shiite militiamen.

No group claimed responsibility for the Green Zone attacks, but suspicion
fell on Shiite extremists based on the areas from which the weapons were
fired.

The attacks followed a series of clashes last week between U.S. and Iraqi
forces and factions of the Mahdi Army, the biggest Shiite militia loyal to
radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Sadr led two uprisings against U.S.-led coalition forces in 2004. Last
August he declared a six-month cease-fire to purge the militia of criminal
and dissident elements.

U.S. officials have cited the truce, which al-Sadr recently extended, among
the reasons behind a 60 percent drop in violence since President
Bushordered 30,000
U.S. reinforcements to Iraq early last year.

But the cease-fire has come under severe strains in recent weeks. Al-Sadr's
followers have accused the Shiite-dominated government of exploiting the
cease-fire to target the cleric's supporters in advance of provincial
elections expected this fall.

Al-Sadr recently told his followers that although the truce remains in
effect, they were free to defend themselves against attacks. Al-Sadr
followers have demanded the release of supporters rounded up in recent
weeks.

U.S. officials have insisted they are not going after Sadrists who respect
the cease-fire but are targeting renegade elements, known as special groups,
that the Americans believe have ties to Iran.

But the pattern of the attacks against the Green Zone could be a signal to
the Americans and their Iraqi partners to ease their pressure against
mainstream Sadrists or the special groups.

Elsewhere, 12 gunmen were killed Sunday in a raid against a suspected
suicide bombing network east of Baqouba, the U.S. military said.

Iraqi police reported a dozen civilians killed in an airstrike in the same
area. But the military said those killed in the raid were insurgents,
including six who had shaved their bodies apparently in preparation for
suicide operations.

A police commander was shot to death along with his driver in Balad Ruz, 45
miles northeast of Baghdad.

A roadside bomb near the northern city of Tuz Khormato killed four Iraqi
soldiers, including an officer.

The violence was reported by police officials who declined to be identified
because they weren't supposed to release the information.

Last year, the U.S. military deaths spiked as U.S. troops sought to regain
control of Baghdad and surrounding areas.

The death toll has seesawed since, with 2007 ending as the deadliest year
for American troops at 901 deaths. That was 51 more deaths than 2004, the
second deadliest year for U.S. soldiers.

The 4,000 figure is according to an Associated Press count that includes
eight civilians who worked for the Department of Defense.

____

Associated Press Writer Kim Gamel contributed to this report.
Four US soldiers killed in Iraq, death toll
4000<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/23/AR2008032302380.html>
Washington Post - 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A roadside bomb killed four US soldiers in Baghdad on
Sunday, the military said, bringing the number of US military deaths to 4000
since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Iraq: US Death Toll in War Hits
4000<http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD8VJIATO0>
The
Associated Press
13 Iraqis Killed by Shells Fired at the Green
Zone<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/world/middleeast/24iraq.html?bl&ex=1206417600&en=ee843edaa49474bc&ei=5087%0A>
New
York Times
Bloomberg<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5uDALSiduV4&refer=home>
-
International Herald
Tribune<http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/23/africa/iraq.php> -
Kansas City Star <http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/543823.html> - BBC
News <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/1.0/-/2/hi/middle_east/7310173.stm>
all 1,267 news articles
»<http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&ncl=1144871919&topic=h>


Turkish Press <http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=221653>


Full Coverage: Iraq<http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Iraq;_ylt=AmkP0VWdQyxhd7iigh5GyCAUewgF>

Off the Wires
- US death toll in Iraq war hits
4,000<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080324/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_78;_ylt=AjOTywTsCybAmaa.sOarbAwUewgF>
AP,
13 minutes ago
- Four U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, death toll
4,000<http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080324/ts_nm/iraq_soldiers_dc_4;_ylt=Akam2BP6h3savtIrtmtZnNYUewgF>
Reuters,
23 minutes ago


Feature Articles
- Same war. Same platoon. Two paths since leaving Iraq.
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/feature_articles;_ylt=AqA97LeV171fgCDS1WiQBgUUewgF/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080321/ts_csm/atwovets>
The
Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News, Mar 21
- Hounded by Iraqi Musclemen, a Journalist Awaited His Own
Liberation <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/feature_articles/SIG=14bncai1o;_ylt=AsB0V.ooC0AVaM1A4mQu2C4UewgF/*http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/hounded-by-iraqi-musclemen-a-journalist-awaited-his-own-liberation/index.html?ref=world>
at
The New York Times, Mar 20


News Stories
- Pentagon divided on Iraq strategy
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/news_stories/SIG=12mrtha60;_ylt=AiVGZ2c.4P8VF2C4YhxFmwUUewgF/*http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-milassess20mar20,0,2536700.story>
at
The Los Angeles Times, Mar 20
- Iraq leader sombre on anniversary
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/news_stories/SIG=11h17k5ck;_ylt=AosI6XyihqzGcQ.XDh5MMTIUewgF/*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7306093.stm>
at
BBC, Mar 20


Opinion & Editorials
- Iraq, five years later -- still too soon to judge
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/opinion___editorials;_ylt=AjmWyFCBVLdfvWdMGYknRjcUewgF/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080320/cm_csm/ymoyar>
The
Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News, Mar 20
- Mission Still Not Accomplished
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fc/World/iraq/opinion___editorials/SIG=123k6goc1;_ylt=AkVWMomx4A2MNWtQNlEZjR4UewgF/*http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/opinion/20thu1.html?ref=opinion>
at
The New York Times, Mar 20

US soldiers watch as a plume of smoke rises from an air-strike

Aljazeera.ne<http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A5AEE6E2-D2CA-4F12-8680-458E6AFEDFEC.htm>

President George W. Bush poses with an injured soldier
*


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[chottala.com] AIPAC Propaganda against Barak Obama

*Who is Dr. Richard Benkin —Really?*
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a national
membership based group which describes itself as "America's Pro-Israel
lobby"

The article speaks for itself. The author Dr. Richard Benkin is
registered<http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/04/10/d6041001033.htm>as a
foreign agent with the United
States Department of Justice <http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fara/index.html>,
under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), for the Government of
Bangladesh. [Click
here<http://www.shuchinta.com/Resources/BenkinFiling.tif>to see the
registration document.]

**
*Who is Barak Obama—Really?*
*Dr. Richard L. Benkin writes from USA*
On a recent trip to Europe and South Asia, I was struck by press coverage of
the American presidential election. If I knew nothing about American
politics and used that coverage as the basis for my opinions, I would have
to arrive at two conclusions. One is that there really is no point for
Republicans to run a candidate because they have no chance of winning. And
two is that one of the two Democrats still vying for the nomination is
something of a mythical figure, something of a rock star; an individual who
is captivating America and offers the rest of the world hope for a "new"
America, whatever that means. His name is Barak Obama. To be sure, most
journalists outside the United States have only a surface understanding of
US politics at best; but the fact is that even within my country, the media
seem to have a love affair with this particular politician. And a
politician is exactly what he is.
I find it extremely difficult to comprehend why people really like this guy.
The fact is that—as has been the case throughout his political career—he is
blessed with a lot of luck. He is benefiting from the fact that many
Americans feel alienated from both political parties. Obama has come along
saying: "Vote for me. I'm not like the other guys and don't have the same
baggage [read: experience] that everyone else does. And he has captivated
the alienated, the young, and the naïve. Whether or not that translates
into the Presidency will become clear after the summer. It is then that the
campaign begins in earnest, and it is then that the sort of enthusiasm he
generates either will maintain itself or fade away. That is what journalist
should be watching come September.
I don't know if they will or if they will continue to ride the fantasy that
is Barak Obama; but unlike most of the journalists who write about Senator
Obama, I actually have some experience with him. You see, he is from
Chicago, and I am from Chicago, where I have seen his history in one of the
world's most political cities. He also represents my state, Illinois, and
therefore me in the United States Senate. And I have had some personal
contact with him on a serious human rights issue and seen that his fancy
rhetoric is so much wind. So, I believe that I have some basis for
dispelling the myths of a political messiah that have become current in a
swooning international press.
Myth #1: That *Barak Obama has done anything in his political
career*. Whenever
I ask Obama supporters to name one thing—just one—that he has accomplished
in his political career, they can't. They might titter and say that he
inspires people or brings people together, but they cannot point to anything
he actually has done. That's because there is nothing there. One of a
Senator's most important jobs is to lead by proposing and passing new
legislation. Yet, in his three-year Senate career, *Obama has not sponsored
a single bill that was passed by the **US** Senate—not one!* His name can
be found on a few procedural amendments to existing bills, honorific
resolutions, or as part of an undifferentiated mass of co-sponsors on
someone else's bill. Legislators often do those things to fulfill party
obligations or to pad their statistics. For instance, Obama's people
proposed several bills on the same day with none or almost no co-sponsors;
bills that lie dormant never to see the light of day. In contrast, Senator
John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, has seen five bills he
sponsored become law during that same period; this in addition to his record
of leadership on major legislation outlawing torture, funding elections, and
ending a judicial impasse.
Myth #2: *That Barak Obama is a figure who brings people of both parties
together*. As a member of the Illinois legislature—the only political
office he held before becoming Senator—Barak Obama took every hard left
position that presented itself. He was a partisan who built no effective
bridges with large groups of people. Again, his rhetoric does not match his
actions. Even his election to the Senate was a fluke made possible only
because his two major rivals had to drop out due to scandals; it was not a
function of "bringing people together" as his supporters would have us
believe.
Myth #3: *That Barak Obama represents a "new" type of politician, untainted
by corruption and self-seeking behavior*. Obama's people have been working
overtime to keep the Chicago media away from their candidate. Why? Because
coming up through the political system in Chicago, Obama has some dirty
laundry that would tarnish the image he is trying to craft. An indicted
influence peddler, Tony Rezko, entered into sweetheart financial deals with
Obama that helped the candidate on his way up. That information is
beginning to surface, especially since the connection has sparked the
interest of the US Attorney. Obama also has built a political machine with
Chicago operatives. Does that make him excessively corrupt? No, but it
hardly sounds like the "new" sort of politician Obama keeps trying to
convince people he is. Back on the streets of Chicago or Philadelphia where
I came of age, we would say that Barak Obama "talks a good game" but that's
about all.
Myth #4: *That Barak Obama would not be a tremendous disaster for the **United
States**, and all peoples fighting an onslaught of Islamist terror*. This is
the most important myth of all to burst. Obama has stated numerous times
that if he becomes president, he would sit down and talk with Iranian
President Ahmedinejad and every other terror supporter in the world. Like
many of his followers, Obama totally misreads the threat of international *
jihad*. He has made it clear that he is ready to make compromises to win
over these terrorists, and he does not see them as the existential threat
they are.
While he has sponsored little legislation, one of those resolutions he has
sponsored would disallow the use of force against Iran. Fortunately, his
measure has not found a single co-sponsor in the Senate. Obama voted no on
the Foreign Intelligence Bill and did not vote at all on implementing
recommendations of a commission studying the September 11, 2001, attacks. And
he is one of only ten Senators who voted against funding for US troops in
Iraq because the legislation did not have a retreat date for the US.
Does anyone see a pattern here?
But Obama is on top of all that, a moral coward and someone who does not
have the internal fortitude to stand up for victims of Islamist terror. Since
2003, I have been fighting with some success on behalf of jailed anti-*jihadi
*Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. I personally
approached about 15 percent of the US House for support in my struggle; and
either personally or through associates approached a handful of Senators. The
response was overwhelming. Everyone was supportive; everyone took public
action. As a whole, both houses have held up Bangladeshi trade legislation
as part of their response. In fact, within the span of a few days, I
approached a US Senator about as far to the political left as we find *and *a
US Senator equally far on the political right. Both responded positively
and identically. In fact, of all the Senators and Congressmen I approached,
everyone wanted to help, everyone took action. Everyone, that is except
one; that's right, Barak Obama. He was the only member of Congress who did
not take action on this human rights issue. I spoke to him twice about it,
spoke to his aides, and at their request sent them volumes of evidence. But
they did nothing. Right now, the world does not need a US President who
will cower in the fact of Islamist terror.
And that, my friends, is Barak Obama.
*Posted on 21 Mar 2008 by Root*
*Read about **The Talented Dr. Richard
Benkin*<http://www.docstrangelove.com/2007/03/12/the-talented-dr-richard-benkin/>
at:
http://www.docstrangelove.com/2007/03/12/the-talented-dr-richard-benkin/


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[chottala.com] Politics of power based on religion is not religious at all - it seems.

Politics of power based on religion is not religious at all - it seems.
But those who are for it and who opposes it, both are driven by flawed
logic! This is not a fact, per se, but an opinion. If you do not agree,
could you forward your alternative view?

It seems that all the hoopla about politics of power based on religion
are ill-informed and without merit most of the cases. This applies to
both group of people who argues in favour and against the proposition.

The general people who favors doing politics of power based on religion,
they wrongly thinks or believes that its a good way to be religious. The
groups who aims to move forward this cause are usually ill-informed
and/or illiterate. But there are quite a few educated informed people
too, who are morally corrupt. Every political parties have their share
of corrupts, the religion based parties are not any exception.

The general people who opposes doing politics of power based on
religion, they wrongly thinks or believes that its an issue that can be
tackled with top-down approach. Look around the world and look at the
established democracies. There are many religion based political
parties. On the philosophical level, you could argue the merit of this,
whether it falls within the purview of individual rights to form
political parties based on religious faith. On the very theoretical
level, in general, the argument in favour of thinking it as an
individual right - seems to be straight-forward. Many would agree. But
the opposing forces would mention "too many" bad examples of the past
where the use of religion in the politics have resulted in a disastrous
results. But, again on the theoretical level, one can not base the
argument on the basis of past "mistakes" - if those can really be
characterized that way. Thats why.. opposing the right to form political
parties based on religious faith do not seem fair.

So what is our message here? Or is there a stand that we take?

In order to answer that let us start with a question. Just a
clarification, since we are talking about this in the context of
Bangladesh and the majority of people of our country are Muslim, we will
use the context of Islam whenever necessary while discussing a specific
religious perspective.

Why did Allah create human being, while He already had ferestas to obey
all His orders perfectly and to the point?

In the religion of Islam, the concept of feresta is a very vital one. We
know that Allah had created feresta before human came into being. At a
later time, He created human. There might be many explanation to this -
based on religious in-depth knowledge. But let us just mention one -
that is common sense. The difference between feresta and human is the
earlier obeys the order by default and the later obeys order by choice -
if he or she chooses to. Now, if Allah wanted human beings to be
following orders by default - always - there was no point in creating
them. Becasue there were already ferestas who would obey order by
default. Isn't it true? Since human beings are given the capacity to
disobey, thats why human are more interesting to Allah and thats why
they are described as the best of the creatures. Isn't it true?

Now, if you agree with this logic, would it make sense to tell human
being to follow religion by creating law? No, it does not seem it would
make sense. Say for example, in many Muslim majority countries you have
to shut down or pause your business for prayer. If that is true and if
it is obligatory, then where do you keep the flexibility of choice that
is the core message of Islam. One becomes Muslim and stay Muslim by
choice - there is nothing to force. Any time force comes into being -
which is essentially the case if you include religion within the
statecraft - Islam (or any other religion for that matter) is
essentially shown out of the door. What is needed is whether one has the
choice of practice their religion if they wishes to. As long as
individuals are free to choose the way they lead their life, that would
be the best environment to flourish Islam, or any other language for
that matter.

Our point is practice of religion should be kept as what it is - a
choice of better life which should be chosen by the believers as a
freewill. Anything more than that should be deemed as unnecessary and
un-religious. Are we saying that there is nothing that religious
people can do to influence the statecraft? Of course, there is. Within
the democratic framework, where people practice their life according to
own freewill, the statecraft should give all the choices needed or
demanded by its people. But it can not impose. Just as an example, few
years ago there was no choice for a Muslim to do banking without being
involved in a interest scheme, which is prohibited in Islam. However,
when Malaysia used their innovation to create a new choice in the modern
banking, it was a welcome move. Several decades later, now Islamic
banking is a choice which all the major brands are offering.

But when the Mullahs to start politicking, they will opine that all
other banks should be banned because those are not Islamic. Thats where
things start going wrong. If one believes that and tries to implement
that and more importantly gains the power to do that, religion no longer
stays as a choice. From that point on, things start going wrong.

So, whenever someone - be it a King or be it a Supreme Leader in other
countries, or be it some leaders of religious organization in Bangladesh
- whenever any of these people tries to force religion upon its people,
there should always be doubt whether they are doing it for religious
purpose. They are actually hurting Islam by forcing it upon people - we
would argue. If you do not agree with this opinion, we would welcome
your counter argument.


Now comes the difficult part. If that is our position, what is the
problem of banning it?

There are many problem.

First of all, any time you ban something, you make it more attractive
than it actually is!
Secondly, this is just one interpretation and one perspective. This may
not be most logical one, though it seems to be so to us.
Thirdly, if the logic is correct, people within the religion should
automatically resist any such attempts if there is a democratic practice
or choice.
Fourth, banning it sound morbid and cowardice. If their position is
inferior, why do you bother? Can't you be confident enough to fight a
inferior and illogical and un-religious position through a democratic
process?
We could go on .... but we would leave those to our readers to mention
and discuss.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please
forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular
traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the
journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with
them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line

========================================================================\
==========================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet
based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new
generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as
someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column,
please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for
publishing the article.

Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so
it should come under attention of the head of the government please
forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor:
feeedback@pmo.gov.bd <mailto:feeedback@pmo.gov.bd> or at
http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php
<http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php> . Also, if you thought
the article was important enough so it should come under attention of
the EC, please forward the message to them. Email address for the EC:
ecs@bol-online.com <mailto:ecs@bol-online.com> or you can use this
link: http://www.ecs.gov.bd/contact.php3
<http://www.ecs.gov.bd/contact.php3>
The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back
to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy.
========================================================================\
===========================


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[chottala.com] Dr. Tamim needs to set aside the hat of petroleum expert and put on the hat of E

Dr. Tamim needs to set aside the hat of petroleum expert and put on the
hat of Energy Advisor
Being an expert and being a policy maker are not the same. Unless our
presumptive policy makers understand this, people will suffer in the
long run.


Being an expert on something comes with a baggage. For some, these
baggage could mean different things. Baggage that comes from expertise
could bad in a good way or good in bad way. For some, it gives you the
title of 'dalal' in Bangladesh. Being opinionated in expert knowledge is
a good trait, however when the opinions (though innocent might be) align
with certain special interest groups, expert knowledge could bring you
some unwanted baggage. Many of the colleagues of Dr. Tamim, the current
energy advisor would readily tell you that he has gathered more than a
fair share of baggage compared to many others in the field.

However, we do not dwell on these baggages today, neither do we intend
to debate whether those baggage are fair to the member of the
presumptive government of current day Bangladesh. Our intent today is
somewhat different. Does expert knowledge on something makes one unfit
to become a policy maker? It seems it is!

Certainly, you might be intrigued - how. We would use the policy makers
of our energy ministry as a point of case discussion.

If one wanted to focus on the policy makers of last few decades, it
would be hard to actually discuss. With the exception of Dr. Iqbal
Mahmud, most of those policy makers were thieves. Some proven, some not.
Dr. Iqbal Mahmud realized that its not his piece of cake to become an
Energy Minister (while also being honest), so he resigned.

For the first time in our history, we got a relatively better
government, though only for two years of time.

Right now, Dr. Tamim do not have any undue pressure to do things that
does not make sense.

So, why is he talking and doing non-sense? Is it only incompetence or
something else that many would indicate?

So far, to us, its a sheer incompetence. He is acting, talking and
thinking like a petroleum engineer what he professionally is. But his
current job description does not require to act as a petroleum engineer,
rather he has to put the hat of energy policy maker of the country. Hope
he would start doing that - soon.

Energy future and security of Bangladesh do not depend on gas, petrol or
coal - as many would like you to believe. Energy security of Bangladesh
depend on the effective use of our renewable energy - specifically solar
energy and waste management. We have not heard a single policy statement
on this regard from any of the senior policymakers of current
government.

If a country like Germany can expect to benefit from heavy use of
photo-voltaic cells, why can't Bangladesh do that? We have more sources
of energy in solar compared to many of the countries. When we have one
of the best reserves, why do we have to waste this reserve and spend
money on other things by importing something else? Moreover, using our
reserve would also create a lot of jobs. So what is the problem?

If Grameen can sell 5000 units of solar system every month, why can't
government take programmes that sells 5 lacs in every month?

There was a time when NGOs was engaged in child heathcare in the rural
level - for many years. Once government decided on policy level that
they want to immunize all the kids of the country, it become a hugely
successful programme. Now its one of the best example of private -
public partnership project in the public health. For that to happen, we
had to wait for many years.

Similarly, why do we have to wait long years for the same initiative of
partnership to happen in the energy sector? Why can't government decide
that they would be installing 5 lacs solar home system and waste
management system combinely with all the private sector stakeholders?

Also, why can we take a policy like California where people can supply
to the national grid when they generate extra energy from their own
solar farm?

If the government and banks can give money to start a poultry farm, why
can the same can not happen for a solar farm? It seems to us that the
need for root level solar farms are even more higher given our energy
sector condition.

So, we would like to finish our article with one single message for Dr.
Tamim.

Start using your brain - if you have one - instead of using the books
you read in your student life. There are enough things to do other than
being a sales agent and marketing agent. We know what you would say -
Bangladesh needs good marketing agents. We agree. But the job of Energy
Adviser is not to become a marketing agent - it is much harder than
that. Do not judge your current job description with what was
accomplished during the energy ministers of Hasina or Khaleda. Those
were mostly thieves. Those were not ministers. And the least thing the
nation expect that you become one!!

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please
forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular
traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the
journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with
them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line

==============================
====================================================================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet
based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new
generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as
someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column,
please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for
publishing the article.

Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so
it should come under attention of the head of the government please
forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor:
feeedback@pmo.gov.bd <mailto:feeedback@pmo.gov.bd> or at
http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php
<http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php> .
Also, you can send it to energy division to info@powerdivision.gov.bd
<mailto:info@powerdivision.gov.bd> or
http://www.powerdivision.gov.bd/index.php?page_id=145
<http://www.powerdivision.gov.bd/index.php?page_id=145>
The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back
to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy.
==============================
======================================================================


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


------------------------------------

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* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]
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[chottala.com] Changing the investment multiplier for remittance dollar

Changing the investment multiplier for remittance dollar
What do you top policy-makers say?


Every dollar that non-residents send to Bangladesh has a multiplier
effect of 3.3 on overall economy in GNP terms.

In lay-man's term, if some worker sends 1 dollar to Bangladesh, it does
not increase the GNP by 1 dollar, rather it increases the national GNP
by 3.3 dollar. Its a very promising statistics, isn't it?

Don't be too ecstatic. Take a second look.

Where does that that 3.3 dollars of additional GNP comes from? 2.8
dollars from consumption and 0.5 dollars from investment.

Now if 2.8 dollars is spent on consumption - its a good sign too. The
market size growth rate is healthy.

However, if all of those consumption is fulfilled by imported goods, it
wouldn't be a good news. So, to be on the safe side, the ratio of
imports in local consumption has to go down that would help us to
prevent those 2.8 dollars to take an U-turn and go out of the country
again.

How do you do that? Not easy task, but to achieve that two pronged
strategy is needed.

Increase the overall investment multiplier of the economy.

Increase the share of the dollar amount that goes into investment when a
remitter send 1 dollar of their hard-earned money; i.e. push that 0.5
dollars to something higher.

How do you do that?

If we start talking about that in detail, it would need another
afternoon. So, we leave that to the experts. Or search the
scholar.google.com <http://scholar.google.com/>

But here is a clue - change the incentive structure to the businessman.
Do not give cash incentive directly on export dollars. Businessman will
export as long as they can sell it. What they do not find attractive is
- specifically the lazy ones who are after quick money - they do not
re-invest their export-earned dollars. Give incentive to investment -
through the use of tax filing system. In other words, do not give cash.
Give double tax breaks on investment dollars. Give tax break in R&D
dollars. Give tax break in donations to educational institutions.

Its very unfortunate that govt gives tax break if someone gives handout
to the poor (through donating to the central relief fund), but govt do
not give tax break if someone gives poor students money to study, or
make an investment in an educational institution.

Hopefully the Chief Adviser, Finance Adviser and NBR Chief will look
into these issues - for the next budget (short term). We also expect you
to start a national dialogue to devise a strategy about how to increase
the nations "investment multiplier" so that multinational companies do
not come here only to sell their products, but also choose Bangladesh as
their investment destination.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please
forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular
traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the
journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with
them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line

==============================
====================================================================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet
based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new
generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as
someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column,
please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for
publishing the article.

Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so
it should come under attention of the head of the government please
forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor:
feeedback@pmo.gov.bd or at http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php .
The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back
to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy. It is already proven
that this government responds to the feedback.

You can also send it to Bangladesh Bank at this email:
gm2combb@bangla.net

Don't forget to send it to the NBR man himself (most important):
bdnbr@mail.com

And to the Ministry of Finance info@mof.gov.bd
OR
http://www.mof.gov.bd/contact/email.html
========================================================================\
===========================


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[chottala.com] Needs information about Rotary Ýnternationational Ambassadorial Scholarships Program

Dear Sir,

My name is Sheikh Mohammad Moin Uddin. Ý am a Bangladeshi and my home district is Chittagong. Ý had completed my Bachelor degree in Computer Science & Engineerig from Chittangong University of Engineering and Technology. And i had passed from Rotary Betagi Union High School. Ý want to make a application for Rotary International, Ambassadorial Scholarships .

For that reason i need information. When and how can i make application.

Please send me information.

Thanking you.

Sheikh Moin uddin.



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