Duty first, duty last, and duty always

‘During our time, we always kept in our mind that “sebai manab dharma”. There were few private practitioners. We used to treat patients attentively in the hospital. At present, I see that almost all the physicians are busy with private practice. They may have forgotten that to serve people is supreme’ - Doctor Zohra Begum Kazi

Doctor Zohra Begum Kazi entered history at a time when Muslim women in the Indian subcontinent did not have a voice in the public arena. They were guided by superstitions and expected to remain within the confines of their home. As the first Muslim female physician in the British ruled Indian subcontinent, Doctor Zohra ushered the way for modern medical treatment, particularly for these Muslim women. Through her teaching, she paved the way to progress for the subjugated women of the then British Raj. Doctor Zohra Begum Kazi, a Bengali woman, not only provided medical treatment but was also responsible for inspiring a social revolution.

Zohra Begum Kazi was born at Rajnangaon in Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh), India on October 15, 1912. Her father Doctor Kazi Abdus Sattar grew up Gopalpur, a village in Madaripur, Bangladesh. After a neighbour died during delivery, Zohra’s father was determined to make his daughters physicians. Zohra attended primary school in different areas of India as her father was a physician he was often appointed to different places. She finished secondary school in 1926 and was admitted to the Aligarh University where she completed her intermediate examination in science with a distinction. She was the first Muslim female who received a stipend from the university as a reward for her academic excellence. In 1935, she completed MBBS from the Lady Harding Medical Collage for Women. The first ever medical college for women in Asia was established by the then viceroy of India Lord Harding and named after his wife. As she obtained first class first in MBBS, the British government awarded her the prestigious ‘Viceroy’s’ medal. She also received a scholarship from the central government of the then India. Zohra’s only sister Shirin Kazi was also a physician.

Zohra started her profession as a voluntary gynaecologist at Sebashram, a charity organisation organised by Mahatma Gandhi that provided free medical care for the poor. Zohra’s father also worked at the organisation as a volunteer. Both father and daughter strongly believed in Gandhi’s philosophy and devoted themselves to the pursuit of social development. Zohra’s relatives, however, disapproved of her and her father actions as they thought that she was spoiling her family’s reputation by constantly relocating herself to provide medical treatment.

Apart from being a government doctor she worked voluntarily in different charity organisations in India before she immigrated to Dhaka. She worked as an honorary secretary of the Kastura Bai National Memorial Hospital and worked hard to improve the hospital.

After coming back in Dhaka in 1948, Zohra was offered a teaching job at the Mitford Medical College which she declined as she wished to pursue her education and do research. Later in 1949, she received another proposal to join Dhaka Medical Collage as their resident surgeon. She agreed and joined as the only Bengali Muslim doctor.

Doctor Akhtar Iqbal Begum, former additional director general of health services of the government, was a family friend of Zohra Begum Kazi. ‘I knew her since my childhood. On 14 August, 1948, Zohra came to our house in Raipur, India, and told my father that she was immigrating to East Pakistan. She urged my father to send me to Dhaka with her to attend Dhaka Medical College. My father consented, hoping a bright future lay ahead in Dhaka,’ she continued, ‘I came with her leaving my family behind in Raipur and lived with her. She admitted me to the Dhaka Medical College.’ ‘She took great care of me and showered me with motherly affection. As a person, she had superb human qualities.’

When Zohra was 32 years old, she married the former lawmaker Raziuddin Bhuiyan of Narsingdi. Her husband died in 1963. They had no children together. ‘She did not regret her childlessness. She considered her students and patients to be her children. She devoted her life to serve people,’ describes Doctor Lutfunnahar, Zohra’s former student.

In 1964 the Pakistan government conferred Zohra with the title ‘Taghma-e-Pakistan’ for her contribution in the healthcare field.

Being the first Bengali female doctor of the country she had many opportunities to work in different areas within the healthcare field. She became the head of the gynecology department of DMCH. Zohra also worked as an honorary colonel of Combined Military Hospital and taught as an honorary professor of Holy Family Hospital and Bangladesh Medical College.

Kazi Ashraf Mahmud, Zohra’s elder brother also studied at the medical college until he was expelled for his political involvement. He later became a distinguished politician and a poet in Hindi. He also taught botany at Dhaka University and closely associated with Comrade Mozaffar Ahmed, the legendary left politician, who took an active role in the anti-colonial movement. He was the secretary general of All India Student Federation when the president of the organisation was the national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam.

A 1952 Language Movement veteran, Zohra directly extended her help to the freedom fighters during 1971 Liberation War. She was the only female recipient of the title The Bangladeshi government had awarded her with the ‘Begum Roquiah Padak’ while the Bangladesh Medical Association honoured her with a gold medal for outstanding contribution to humanity and medical services.

Doctor Zohra also shared her brother’s affection for the Kazi Nazrul Islam, Mozaffar Ahmed, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque and other distinguished personalities of her time. Famously, Kazi Nazrul Islam is said to have once asked young Zohra about her aim in life and she replied, ‘I will read, and will teach and serve people. You will pray for me.’

Doctor Zohra had a specially soft sport for the Gandhi family. ‘Gandhiji used to say to me “never be scared in life. You may lose your life. As you have born you must die”, the advice still resonates in my ear,’ Zohra Begum Kazi would tell her students, relatives and well-wishers. Gandhi and his wife Kasura Bai were very affectionate towards both Zohra and her sister Shirin. Both the sisters worked at the Sebagram, established by Mahatma near Nagpur of India. ‘I have sweet memories with Gandhiji. When we went there we had a lot of fun. Gandhiji requested us to have this and that when we were having meal together. His wife Kastura Bai was a very kind person. It was a one hour journey from Nagpur to Sebagram and yet she insisted on always giving us food when we were coming back,’ Zohra Kazi recalled her memories in an interview to the magazine ‘Saptahik 2000’ published on April 21 in 2003.

Zohra Begum Kazi, widely known as the ‘Lady Doctor’, had inspired her students to strive for the betterment of people. ‘It was very difficult for a female doctor to go from place to place to visit the patients’ houses, but she did not hesitate to do so even at night. She fought against illogical superstitions and convinced female patients on the need for modern medical treatment,’ she added. ‘“Duty first, duty last, and duty always” was her famous line to all her students,’ said Lutfunnahar.

Zohra Begum Kazi died on November 7 at the age of 97.

Ramadan begins across Muslim world

Ramadan, a month of day-long fasting, spiritual reflection and sometimes night-long revelry, has begun for most of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims.

The holiest month of the Islamic calendar, the start of Ramadan is traditionally determined by the appearance of a new crescent moon. But the lunar sighting often divides Muslim communities over its exact date.

Across much of the Muslim world, Ramadan began on Thursday, although Libyans and Nigerians began the fast one day before.

During the month, Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn until dusk. And in many Muslim countries, offices are required by law to reduce working hours.

Life thus slips into a lower gear during the day, and activity peaks between "iftar", the breaking of the fast at sunset, and "suhur", the last meal of the day before sunrise.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Ramadan began under the shadow of an earthquake, after an 8.4 tremor struck off Sumatra island.

At least nine people were killed and dozens injured as emergency teams headed for the remote region.

Restricted hours

Meanwhile, conservative Indonesian Muslim groups have warned they will act against nightclubs and other "dens of vices" that disregard restricted opening hours for the month.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Thailand's army on Wednesday lifted a night curfew meant to pressure separatists in Muslim provinces, where people will also begin fasting on Thursday.

Singapore is marking Ramadan alongside the Chinese mid-autumn festival and the Indian Deepavali festival next month.

In Bangladesh, the government has offered rice at a 20 per cent discount around the country, while also opening 100 convenience stores in capital Dhaka to sell other foods at reduced prices.

Dhiraj Malakar, secretary for food and disaster management, said: "We want poor and middle class people to have a comfortable Ramadan."

In Cairo, a shopping frenzy began weeks ago despite soaring prices. Egyptians prepared for the first day of fasting, gathering extended families to break fast traditionally on Thursday with dates and milk.

Traffic police have been banned from taking time off during Ramadan in the teeming city of 18 million notorious for gridlock. Extra wardens have been deployed to control pre-iftar accidents as cars clamour to get home by sunset.

Public eating

Gulf countries, including Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have banned restaurants from operating during the day throughout Ramadan.

The Kuwaiti interior ministry threatened a 100 dinar ($356) fine or one month imprisonment for anyone caught eating in public or encouraging others to do so before dusk.

Confusion about when Ramadan was starting led some people to wake up in the Afghan capital Kabul at 3am on Wednesday for a pre-dawn meal - just in case it was the first day of the month-long fast.

Once the sun was up, broadcasters said that the holy month would start on Thursday, with restaurants opening only in the evenings and government offices closing by 1pm.

The Taliban has threatened to use Ramadan to launch a new wave of attacks on government and Western military targets throughout the country.

But in Baghdad, where thousands of US troops are deployed, the US military said levels of pre-Ramadan violence were lower this year and expected the trend to continue.

The nightly curfew in the Iraqi capital and a vehicle curfew are to be eased during Ramadan to help families break fast together.

Baghdad's 400-year-old Shorja market has been bustling with activity with war-weary residents stocking up on spices, sugar, tea and nuts - mostly imported from Syria.

Iraq's Sunni community will begin observing Ramadan from Thursday, followed a day later by the country's Shias, religious leaders in Baghdad said.

Unity

Rival Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza argued over the content of mosque sermons and collection of donations during the month, but agreed to start observance together on Thursday, nominally preserving unity during the holy period.

Gaza residents are bracing for clashes after Fatah and other Palestinian groups called for sunset street prayers despite a Hamas ban.

Nabil al-Ali, one Gaza resident, said: "The prayers and religious practices should not be transformed into manifestations of violence and hate.

"We just want a little serenity and calm to bring us closer to God."

In a gesture of good will, Hamas announced on Wednesday plans to release on bail about 80 prisoners, including 25 Fatah supporters, Abu Obeida al-Jarrah, a Hamas commander, said.

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is preparing to receive an expected one million pilgrims to perform Umrah, or a smaller pilgrimage, to Mecca during the month.

As generosity towards the poor peaks during the month, Kuwait is monitoring fund-raising activities by Muslim charities and has banned any cash donations to make sure that charity money does not reach extremist organisations.

Begum Zia arrested

Authorities in Bangladesh have jailed former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on corruption charges.

Ms. Zia, who left office last October, and her son, Arafat Rahman Coco, were detained early Monday.

A judge in Dhaka refused Ms. Zia bail and sent her to jail, while her son will be held in custody for questioning about the case.

The charges filed Sunday allege that Ms. Zia misused her powers in awarding government contracts, including one for development of port facilities in Chittagong, to a private company.

Ms. Zia's older son, Tarique Rahman, has been in jail since March, and he is currently awaiting trial for extortion.

The military-backed government that took power in Dhaka nearly nine months ago also filed new charges Sunday against Ms. Zia's bitter rival and predecessor as prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

Ms. Hasina already is in jail, awaiting trial on previous corruption charges.

The additional charges filed Sunday against Ms. Hasina allege that she illegally took payments of more than 400 thousand dollars during her term as prime minister, from 1996 to 2001.

Ms. Hasina is said to have used the money to buy land for a charity that she heads, the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.

Months of violent clashes last year between supporters of Ms. Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Ms. Hasina's Awami League prompted the military to cancel scheduled elections and take power in Dhaka on January 11.

An interim government appointed by Bangladesh's military has ruled the nation since then, vowing to fight corruption, reform electoral rules and clean up the nation's politics before calling new elections.

Mannan Bhuiyan expelled from BNP

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Monday expelled Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan from the party as secretary general.

She made the announcement while on her way out of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka where she had been produced following arrest in a corruption case.

Khandaker Delwar Hossain replaces Bhuiyan and will work as the acting secretary general, said the former prime minister, after she was ordered to jail.

Delwar will be assisted by two senior BNP leaders—ASM Hannan Shah and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.

Bangladesh honours Nobel laureate with stamp

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Wednesday formally released a commemorative postage stamp along with a first day cover on Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for winning the most prestigious international award.

the Bangladesh Postal Department published the commemorative stamp of 10 taka (1 U.S. dollars equals about 70 taka) denomination and a first day cover of 6 taka, private news agency UNB reported.

The commemorative stamp and the first day cover are being sold in all main post offices of the country from Wednesday. The stamp and inaugural envelope would be available in sub-district post offices too.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said it was a very joyful moment when entire Bangladesh got overwhelmed hearing the news on Oct. 13 last year that Prof. Yunus and Grameen Bank won the Nobel Prize.

He said this achievement is not only for Prof. Yunus but also for whole Bangladesh as it brought pride for the country.

Expressing his feeling over publishing the commemorative stamp, Prof. Yunus said it will help keep the big achievement of Bangladesh memorable and further encourage all for attaining bigger achievements for the country.

BD stoped exporting Hilsha fish

The Government yesterday decided to ban exports of the much-adored Hilsha fish from Bangladesh for at least six months, with a view to reducing its high price in the domestic market during the current peak season resulted from the supply constraints. An inter-ministerial meeting took the decision as in the recent days huge quantity of Hilsha known as the' king of fish' to the Bangalees of both Bangladesh and the West Bengal of India for its delicious and unique taste have been exported to India at a price which is lower than the domestic sales price.
Bangladesh is the top Hilsha producing country and this year the production is higher than that of the previous years due to the ban imposed on catching of Jatka (Hilsha having a length of 6 inches or less) during the breeding season.
Livestock and Fisheries ministry adviser Dr CS Karim who chaired the meeting told newsmen that though the amount of Hilsha yield this year is higher than that of the previous year, yet due to the massive exports of it to India, domestic market was experiencing a supply crisis during the ongoing peak season. He hoped that the decision to ban the export would reduce the prices of Hilsha in the domestic market.
The meeting was also told that in April this year 6700 KGs of Hilsha were exported to India at 2.5 US dollar per KG whereas the price of it in the local market is nearly 5 US dollar per KG.
The meeting also asked the joint forces, BDR and Coast Guard to prevent the smuggling of Hilsha following the imposition of this ban.
Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation and Fisheries Department would monitor the prices of Hilsha in the local markets to assess the impact of the ban, the meeting decided.

Abahani limited: pioneer of modern sports in BD

‘Abahani’ is a well known name in the Bangladeshi sports world. Today Abahani is a large, very popular sports club. They have a huge number of fans, supporters, and well-wishers spread all over the country. Abahani didn’t take long to put themselves into that position. They earned the glory and the honor in an amazingly short period of time. It was possible by displaying their quality, highly skilled and magical performances on the field; and of course, it was all about soccer. Abahani is the founder of modern soccer in Bangladesh. They have always been a very strong side in every soccer tournament. They are one of the two giants in the country’s sporting arena. They have gained the same prestigious positions in cricket and hockey as well. “Abahani Limited” used to be known to people as “Abahani Krira Chakra”, and before that, it was called “Abahani social welfare co-operative”.

Abahani was not the result of any long term plan. However, Abahani formulated a number of long term plans and brought them to fruition as a part of their contribution to the country’s sports. That is the basic structure of today’s Abahani Limited. Abahani’s birth was prompted by an individual instance. Forty one years ago, in 1966, the former Pakistan Government suddenly decided to use the playground next to 22 Dhanmondi (today’s Abahani field) in Dhaka city for residential buildings. Local students, teenagers, and young players had been using this ground for everyday practice and other activities for a long time. This playground meant a lot to them. They all stood united against the Government’s decision. At a certain point, young student political leaders encouraged the protesters and eventually got involved into the protests, too. The whole thing turned into a social movement. Finally, the Government had to step back from their plan under this pressure. That’s how the playground stayed as it was and became Abahani field later on.

After this movement, it was necessary and demanded by the time to form an organization to hold the unity among everyone. That’s how “Abahani social welfare co-operative” began. Literature, culture, and sports – these were the three major sections that Abahani started with. Abahani’s victory over the Pakistan Govt. caught the eyes of the political leaders. Harun ur Rashid (the general secretary of the club later and now one of the directors), one of the protesters, personally knew Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangabandhu very often gave advice and guidelines to carry this club toward a bright future. Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Jamal, two sons of Bangabandhu, got involved with Abahani at this point. With Kamal’s true affection to sports and Bangabandhu’s proper guidance, Abahani got a new life. At Kamal’s suggestion, Abahani arranged a cricket tournament in honor of Tofazzal Hossain (Manik Mia) [founder editor of the daily ittefaq]. This was their first tournament. It was before the Bangladesh liberation war. The liberation war took place at the end of that tournament. A number of brave hearted Abahani club members including Sheikh Kamal, joined the battle of liberation in 1971.

Abahani started their journey again after the glory of independence. Since Abahani was starting to focus exclusively on its various sporting activities, Kamal proposed to reform Abahani as a sports club. Everyone else agreed with him. That’s how “Abahani Krira Charka” was formed. However, Abahani faced great obstacles to their joining the Dhaka soccer league. By the rules and regulations, any team who wants to participate in the league, has to qualify by playing and winning third and second division soccer leagues. Abahani did not have any experience playing either of these leagues, but this was not enough to stop them. Abahani found a good way out. There used to be a non-bengali club, called “Iqbal Sporting Club” in Mohammadpur. Most of the officials of this club were involved in anti-Bangladesh activities during the war. Therefore, after independence almost all of their executives were gone. Iqbal sporting club had only a few Bengali officials and clerks, but they helped and played effective roles when the Abahani and Iqbal sporting clubs were unified. After that there were no more worries about Abahani’s enlistment in the league. In a similar way Abahani started hockey and cricket too. The “Ispahani sect” officially proposed that Abahani manage and direct their hockey and cricket club under Abahani’s name. Abahani officials accepted their offer. That was a good turn in Abahani’s journey. After getting their chances in the three major sports, Abahani tent in Dhanmondi was full of happiness.

Abahani wanted their players to be confident about their paychecks. They offered a generous amount of money to the players. They wanted the players to take sports as a profession, not just entertainment. That’s why Abahani had kick starts in all of the three (soccer, cricket, hockey) major leagues when they started. They had a good collection of talented and skillful players on their teams. Therefore, they were able to get the desired result. In 1973 they were runners-up in the soccer league and held third position in hockey. Next season, in 1974 Abahani was champion in all three leagues, which really brought them into the front row. After that, Abahani did not have to look back any more. Abahani has made great contributions in modernizing Bangladeshi sports. Abahani presented and introduced a number of new ideas and styles into our country’s sports. It enriched Bangladeshi sport’s glamour. Foreign players have been playing in the Dhaka soccer league for decades, but Abahani tried something different. They began hiring players who performed in FIFA world cup soccer. Other big clubs in Dhaka could not do this before Abahani did. In 1987, Abahani surprised everyone by hiring Karim Mohammad and Samir Shakir. They were from the Iraqi national soccer team which played in the world cup. Also Sri Lankan Layones Pirich, Pakir Ali, Prem Lal, Najar Ali, Russian Sergi Moiechiv… played in Dhaka Abahani for several seasons. Later on, Samir Shakir even coached the Abahani soccer team.

Also, in Bangladeshi cricket, foreign players used to mean sub-continental players only. Abahani broke this cycle in 1993-94 when English national cricket team member Neil Fairbrother and Ellingworth came to Dhaka to play for Abahani. Another English national player, Defrites played on the Dhaka Abahani cricket team also. The list of star players that played in Dhaka Abahani is quite long. Pakistani Wasim Akram, Basit Ali, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hossen, Iqbal Sekander, Naved Anjum, Jahoor Elahi; Sri Lankan Delip Mendis, Ashoka de Silva, Samara Sefera; Indian Romon Lamba, Ajay Jadeja, Arun Lal….a lot of star players in world cricket came to play for Abahani. Abahani is not behind in hockey either. High class standard players like Indian Dhanraj Pellai, Abu Baki; Pakistani Kamar Ibrahim…played in the Dhaka hockey league wearing Abahani’s blue-yellow jersey.

Abahani constantly makes star players for Bangladesh national teams. Talented players like Kazi Salauddin, Asraf Chunnu, Amili, Mohsin, Monem Munna, Rumi, Satyajit Das Rupu, Mamun Joarder, Zakir Hossain, Dhonu, Aslam, Nazrul, Arif Khan Joy… kept the Abahani tent and national team happy all the time. Abahani’s Amlesh Sen is a legend to those who are just starting soccer coaching in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi cricket found promising crickers like Gazi Asraf Lipu, Golam Nowsher Prince, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Akram Khan, Khaled Masud Pilot, Naimur Rahman Durjoy…from Abahani. All of these men gained respect and made our country’s name brighter in worlds of soccer and cricket.

Abahani has very impressive statistics. There are no domestic tournaments (soccer, cricket, and hockey) where Abahani did not perform and could not win the championship. Abahani is the very first unbeaten champion in Dhaka soccer league history. It’s astonishing that Abahani was also the first to win hat trick championships in all of the three (soccer, cricket, and hockey) different leagues. In the hockey league, it was in the 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1977-78 seasons (there was no league in 1976-77). In cricket, 1984-85, 1985-86, and 1986-87; and in the soccer league, 1984, 1985, and 1986 Abahani won hat trick championships. Later on, they won hat trick hockey championship again in 1987-88, 1988-89, (there was no league in 1989-90) and 1990-91 (jointly champion).

Abahani won a number of international championships and brought respect for our country. In 1989-90, Abahani won the “Nagjee cup” soccer tournament in India, also in 1994 they were unbeaten champions in both “Charms cup”, and “Invitation cup” soccer tournament in Calcutta. Abahani was also champion in the prestigious “BTC club cup tournament” at Dhaka in 1991. The six top ranked soccer clubs from both Bengals (East Bengal, Mohunbagan, Mohamedan from West Bengal and Brothers Union, Mohamedan, Abahani from Bangladesh) had played in this tournament.

In our country, usually a sports club runs on donations from businessmen or by the sponsorship money from Government executives. Abahani is very different from other clubs in this respect. Abahani has found some great hearted sports organizers in their long, progressive journey. People like Salman F Rahman, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Kazi Shahed Ahmed, Ajan Chowdhury, Pintu, A H M Mostafa Kamal, Harun ur Rashid, Afzalur Rahman Sinha, Ali Asgar Lobi…. they have altruistic love for the Abahani club. They have always helped Abahani to get over any obstacles. Indeed, an infinite amount of love will always remain for our favorite club, Abahani, from fans and supporters all over the world.

BD gets permission to set up nuclear power plant

Bangladesh has got permission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to set up a nuclear power plant to meet its growing demand of power.

"Bangladesh was in the top of the list of eight developing countries which were approved to set up nuclear power plants," Tapan Chowdhury, adviser to the interim government and head of the energy ministry, told media on sunday.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco and some small countries in central Asia got the approval for setting up nuclear reactors.

“We have now got the approval from the organization and already there is an offer from (South) Korea to finance 60 per cent of the project,” he said, without elaborating. Bangladesh is suffering from acute shortage of electricity. The country faces around 2,000 MW shortage of electricity every day and the shortage is being covered through load shedding of electricity.

Last year, violence over power cuts in a northern Bangladesh town (Fulbari) left at least 20 people dead in clashes between police and farmers who had demanded increased power supply for irrigation. The country’s military-backed government, which took over in January after an emergency was imposed and elections cancelled over vote-rigging allegations, has made tackling the power crisis one of its top priorities.

Bangladesh has already attempted to import electricity from India, Nepal and Bhutan, but finally abandoned the idea due to complicacies.

US ambassador says engage political parties in reforms

Outgoing US ambassador Patricia Butenis says she hopes Bangladesh will have a new democratic government by next year and a better climate for foreign investment inflows.

Speaking on a state-run BTV program on friday evening, Butenis cautioned: "We've got a way to go." She said political parties must be allowed a role in the current process of reforming political and electoral institutions.Reforms were a must, she said but warned they wouldn't be possible "without engaging the political parties".

"No one has accused majority of the membership (of a political party) of being corrupt," Butenis said in a recorded interview on "shomoyer kotha" program. Her clear emphasis was on an early lifting of the ban on politics. "Wouldn't it be better to make them partners in this process?" she told interviewer Syed Munir Khasru. "Resolving of the issue of leadership" was also possible "if all the parties talk together".

Butenis, who is departing Dhaka Saturday to take up her new assignment in the US mission in Baghdad, described Bangladeshis as "warm, friendly and hospitable". She also said she will remember Bangladeshi hospitality, culture, and mango. But she joked Bangladeshis also at times tended to be "conspiratorial".

The outgoing envoy denied the United States having any secret agenda in Bangladesh. She assured Bangladesh of easing the visa procedures for "true and genuine" Bangladeshi applicants.

She continued with her characteristic attack on the Bangladeshi media that the ambassador often accused of attributing to her statements she had never made or activities she had never undertaken. Although, she made it clear that the solution was not to shut them up but to help them learn and improve.

Butenis described the transition from democracy to a state of emergency as 'difficult time'. She said a lot of people were relieved when the state of emergency was imposed. Answering a question on interference, she said: "Political problems in Bangladesh are not simple. One problem goes into another. Obviously you cannot solve all the problems in 18 months." She however appreciated the government's efforts to bring changes to people's attitude which she described as positive. She said the best way to solve the problems was to have an elected government.

On having assistance from the US for the elections, Butenis said, "We are working with the government and ready to offer any sort of funding that may be required." The US government is working with the Election Commission but not "dictating" it.

On the critical turning point in national politics, she said: "I don't know how one can proceed in political reforms by keeping politicians in the box. Reform must be done taking them on board as partners. "When we talk about reforms in politics we are talking about leadership that should go way forward. By holding the politicians back you are denying their participation. "It was very frustrating when the political leadership failed to agree on selecting a leader for the caretaker government. I tried to promote dialogue on this issue but I really didn't think they were serious."

Ms. Butenis was appointed by the US Senate as mission chief in Bangladesh on 16 February 2006. She joined Dhaka office on 17th march as the thirteenth US ambassador in Bangladesh. She worked in Pakistan before Bangladesh.

Patricia Butenis was graduated on international relationship from Columbia University in New York. She joined the US foreign administration in 1980.

Expatriate Bangladeshi voters to be enrolled

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to enlist the expatriate voters in the electoral roll to ensure their right to franchise. The EC is planning to set up a separate desk in the Bangladesh embassies in foreign countries in this regard."The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and we, the two Election Commissioners (ECs), have agreed to enroll the expatriate voters in the voter list to ensure their right to vote. Now we are thinking on how to enlist them properly," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain said while talking to newsmen at his office yesterday.The EC said that a separate desk would be opened in each of the Bangladesh foreign embassies and an official of the embassy would be appointed as Assistant Registration Officer (ARO) there. The ARO will enroll the expatriate Bangladeshi voters of that country but it would be the responsibility of the voters to come to the embassy for their enrollment in the voter list, he added."This desk for enrollment of expatriate Bangladeshi voters will be set up only in those countries where Bangladesh embassy exists and only one desk will be opened in each country, irrespective of whatever the size of the country. The voters may have to endure a bit trouble for this but we hope they will not feel disinterested," Sohul said.The EC said that no new law would be necessary for enlisting the expatriate voters in the electoral roll-only a minor reform in the Representation of People Order, 1972 (RPO, 1972) would be needed for this purpose.Replying to a query of journalists about the process of casting vote by the expatriate voters, the EC said they might cast their votes through the concerned Bangladesh embassies. But those who will live in Bangladesh during elections they will be able to cast their votes from their local address, he added."The Commission is also thinking of online voting system, as many of the would-be expatriate voters have opined in favour of the system but the voting process is yet to be finalised," he said.Sohul said that the Commission has primarily thought about the above-mentioned matters. But all the matters related to franchise of expatriate Bangladeshi voters will be finalised after making discussion with the Home Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry, he added.According to Mr Sohul, more or less 12.5 million Bangladeshi people live in different countries of the world and nearly 8 million of them are eligible to become voters. Most of the Bangladeshi people live in the countries of European Union, in USA and in the Middle Eastern countries, he added.The EC said that many expatriate Bangladeshi people have requested the Commission to ban the branches of Bangladesh political parties in foreign lands, as activities of those political branches tarnish the image of the country.

EC to begin grand task of issuing NIC from Aug in BD

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to initiate work on introducing digital National Identity Cards (NIC) from August. The NIC could also be used as Voters' Identity Cards. A pilot project is likely to be started at some pocket areas like Savar or Joydebpur in this regard in 10 to 12 days.
Under this system, EC officials will not visit voters' houses for collecting information. Rather voters have to go to the camps selected by EC for providing their (voters) particulars.
This was disclosed yesterday by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda to newsmen at the EC headquarters in the city. Earlier, the CEC and two other Election Commissioners Brigadier General (Retd) Shakhawat Hossain and Muhammad Sahul Hossain had a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the latter's office.
Explaining the system, the CEC said under this arrangement the EC would set up about 12,000 camps to be selected from existing 60 to 69 thousand polling centres in the country. At least four persons are to be deployed at every camp with digital camera and other necessary equipment for collecting voters' data, photographs and other information.
"Under this system, voters have to go to the camps once for all and after completing all required formalities, they would get their NICs within a span of 20 to 25 minutes from EC's field level officials," Dr Huda mentioned.
"The army would assist EC officials in conducting this task. They would be deployed at the upazila level. We are not giving any sub-contract of the project to any firm," the CEC mentioned.
He said the camps would be set up at different schools, colleges and community centres across the country.
Mentioning the timetable for providing information by the voters, the CEC said, in the cities it would be from 12 noon to 10pm, while in the villages it would be in the afternoon or in the evening.
Stressing the need for bringing the mass people under this process, the CEC sought cooperation from media and NGO personnel in encouraging the voters to enrol their names with the camps.
"The NIC would be a vital document for anyone to make his/her passport, open bank account, get VGF (vulnerable group feeding) card and getting all sorts of government assistance," he said while mentioning its importance.
The CEC said neighbouring countries like Pakistan, India and Bhutan have successfully followed this system for preparing their NICs.
Terming the task 'Spanish Bull Fight', he said he and his colleagues are sincerely working hard for implementing the project.
"If we could record success in the project then it would be a milestone for us," the CEC said and called upon all (voters) to cooperate with the EC officials for preparing the NIC.
He said that the Chief Adviser assured all kinds of assistance from his government to the EC for implementing the project.
"The existing voter registration form is to be amended for implementation of the project and preparation of flawless NICs," Dr Huda said adding it would take some time for printing of nearly 10 crore people's forms.
Photograph, voters' information, fingerprint and signature would be integrated in full digital method, the CEC told reporters yesterday.
CEC Huda said they increased the number of units who would work at the field level, from earlier calculated 8,000 to 12,000, as they want to complete the task of NID along with voter list with photograph as soon as possible.
"No, we are not going door to door (for doing the task). We are doing it establishing camps at the 69,000 polling stations that are fixed for local-body elections," he replied to a query.
Asked if the field-level task would be done simultaneously across the country, the CEC replied in the negative, saying that they don't have 69,000 units. "So we have to concentrate on pocket to pocket."
He said the EC might complete the task of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporations first.
About what the EC discussed with the CA, Huda said they discussed the matters of digital method and procurement. "Procurement is a most complicated matter… The first installment of the procurement may be in hand in the last week of July… It will take September to get all."
The 12,000 units that will work in the field would include four types of manpower, he said. Of the four, one would be the enumerator and one would do the task of taking photograph and data entry. The two others would be engaged in the task of scanning and taking bio-matrix.
"Primarily it has been calculated that each group will stay at a camp for seven or eight days… But we didn't calculate yet how much time it would take to cover the whole of the country… It will not be right to say before having the filed-level experience," CEC Huda said, adding that more than one unit could work at a camp simultaneously.

Who's to blame for Windies slump?

Sobers played international cricket for the West Indies from 1954-1974Leading figures in West Indies cricket are in disagreement as to the reasons for the team's poor World Cup showing.
Barring a run of unlikely results the hosts will make an early exit.
Veteran broadcaster Tony Cozier blamed skipper Brian Lara and said: "The buck stops with the captain, who has failed as skipper for the third time."
But Windies legend Sir Garfield Sobers said: "Sometimes people don't look at facts, over the last few years the West Indies board has had huge problems."
The Windies won all three games in their preliminary group but have since been well beaten by Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa in the Super 8s.
"There is no way Lara can stay on, what sort of message would that send out?" Cozier told BBC Sport. "Someone has to be held culpable for this."
Cozier added: "This was a home event for us and we've failed badly in it. Bold measures need to be taken."

There is indecision and incompetence throughout
Tony Cozier
Sobers, one of the greatest West Indian players of all time, who scored 7,999 Test runs and took 235 wickets, said there were fundamental reasons for the decline that had nothing to do with Lara.
"One, the board didn't have enough money to have enough camps," he said.
"Two, there were always problems with not being able to field a strong West Indies team, there were strikes and there were all kinds of problems.
"To build a house, if you don't have a solid foundation and you build a house, you are going to have problems later on."
Cozier, who has been commentating on West Indies matches for almost 50 years, says the damage was done going into the tournament and it has been exacerbated by a lack of discipline since the competition started.
"There has been a lack of intensity and poor preparation. The fitness coach gave up on the team in frustration in Pakistan and they haven't replaced him.

Who is to blame?
"The contractual dispute with the players was only solved when the tournament started - there was a very real threat of the team going on strike.
"We don't have a fielding coach, so it's no wonder they have struggled so badly and we have received authoritative reports that players have been out at night.
"There is indecision and incompetence throughout and you can't just blame one or two individuals."
Cozier says action needs to be taken quickly, with the team due to depart for England soon after the World Cup finishes.
They play four Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs and Cozier says the timing is far from ideal.
Meanwhile, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Ken Gordon has pledged that changes will be made.
"You better believe that they have started already," Gordon said.
However, he took aim at the Caribbean media and former players who he accused of destabilising West Indies hopes by constant criticism and demands for the resignation of Lara as skipper.
"It is unfair to be criticising the team and its captain in the middle of a series like this," added Gordon.
"Let's face it, Lara was put there by the management, and I would be prepared to take whatever responsibility for it when the time comes.
"We all know that on its best day this team can beat anybody, but the reality is that the team is not enjoying its best days.
"We continue to send extraordinarily talented youngsters out there almost as sacrificial lambs."
The West Indies have two more matches to play - against Bangladesh on 19 April and England on 21 April, both in Barbados.

windies coach seeks new approach

West Indies coach Bennett King has urged his players to "knuckle down" and make the most of a second chance given to them by Bangladesh.
The World Cup hosts looked to be heading out of the tournament after three defeats at the Super 8 stage.
But Bangladesh's win over South Africa has re-opened the race for the fourth semi-final spot.
"We've got another opportunity - and we've just got to put our best foot forward this time," said King.
"The players to a man recognise they have a lot of responsibility, especially in the engine room up in the top four.
"They haven't clicked, and when sides are doing well you'll usually find one of the top four scoring a hundred.
"There's no secret to it - we've just got to knuckle down and put our heads down and apply ourselves better, make the right decisions."
West Indies will still probably need to win their remaining Super 8 games against South Africa, Bangladesh and England to have a chance of making the last four.
But King is hoping a week off following their 113-run defeat by Sri Lanka has enabled the players to re-focus.
"Having a break from the whole tournament and going back to people who love them and care for them is quite important - trying to break that cycle we seemed to be in," he said.
"The three back-to-back matches obviously took their toll physically, but I'm very happy with the unity in this group. They're getting on well and they're trying hard.
"They are always fairly quiet. But internally, we have our characters - and the mood around the camp has been excellent all the way through."

windies stumbled against the champs

West Indies captain Brian Lara said his side had been well beaten by Australia and they could have had no complaints.
Lara top-scored with 77 and Denesh Ramdin hit 52 but the hosts were all out for 219 to lose by 103 runs.

The loss of the early wickets left the hosts facing a near-impossible task and Lara lamented the batting performance in the opening 10 overs.

"The most important thing about chasing 300-plus is that one of the top three or four batters has to bat through," he said.

"To lose three wickets in under 10 overs I think that was a major setback and the major factor in the game.

"Myself and Ramnaresh Sarwan had to try to consolidate and rebuild the innings and in doing that of, course, we chewed up a lot of balls."

Lara, who batted at number five said he was not about to alter his batting line-up.

"I still have a lot of confidence in the guys up there, Chanderpaul got a hundred in our last game, Chris Gayle is an outstanding batsman," Lara said.

"Sarwan has been our top player in one-day games in the last couple of years and Marlon Samuels has been coming to the fore.

"One game is not going to change things but of course we are going to discuss it. I still have confidence in the top four to do the job that is required, though."

"They outplayed us over the two days. They deserve congratulations for a very good performance," he added.

bangladesh plunges into twin celebrations

It was a delayed, stop-start affair that was reduced to 21 overs-a-side but will go down as one of the biggest moments in Bangladesh's sporting history, a sweet seven-wicket triumph that surged them into the second stage of the World Cup. What a special gift for the nation on a very special day! Bangladesh made history by qualifying for the Super Eight stage of the Cricket World Cup with the event coinciding with the 36th anniversary of Independence Day celebrations.

Their comfortable victory meant that India were well and truly ousted from the competition, leaving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to carry forward the Asian hopes from here on.


It was a wet, gloomy affair at the Queen's Park Oval but one that ended in a wave of Bangladeshi elation. They kep
Bermuda down to 94, largely owing to Mashrafe Mortaza and Abdur Razzak, and then got home by seven wickets in conditions where the ball was moving around prodigiously. Chasing a meagre 96, Bangladesh were shaky at 37 for 3 but Mohammad Ashraful and Saqibul Hasan stitched together a 59-run stand to seal the issue.

west indian heroes roll on with hope

The feel-good bubble had to burst sometime, and Ireland will be relieved that it came in this match, with qualification for the Super Eights already guaranteed. They will take solace from the fact that they were shown up by a magnificent innings from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and remain quietly confident that an upset or two remain possible even in the august company they'll find themselves in when they journey to Guyana.

Guyana of course is home to Chanderpaul, and there would have been more than a few celebrations in Unity village as he overcame his sluggish start to the competition with an innings of style and substance. Four fours in one over rather messed up Boyd Rankin's figures, and Andr� Botha's Scrooge-like spell against Pakistan was relegated to the recesses of the memory with two magnificent hits down the ground. The pick of the bunch was probably the six against Kyle McCallan though, traipsing down to the pitch of the ball and walloping it against the spin over the legside.

The emphatic nature of the victory also sets West Indies up nicely for a tilt at Australia in their opening game of the Super Eights. The return of Ian Bradshaw was clearly a positive, and the new-ball bowling of Daren Powell continues to be hugely impressive. If Jerome Taylor, who took a hat-trick against Australia in the Champions Trophy last October, can rediscover that sort of form, the West Indian attack won't cede ground to anyone. On the surfaces that they know so well, the offspin of Chris Gayle and the medium pace of Dwayne Bravo will be factors as well.

For Brian Lara, things are going as well as they could be. "We're building to a point where we want to get on to the bigger games, like Australia and South Africa. The majority of the batsmen have had a hit and that's good for us. We just need to up the ante a little bit."

The prospect of facing Australia in their opening Super Eights game didn't faze Lara. "We've done well against them in the recent past," he said. "And in the last couple of global tournaments since the 2003 World Cup, we've won one and finished runner-up in the other. We want to keep growing as a team."

He admitted that he would have preferred to see Pakistan go through from the group. "We thought they might be able to take points off some of the other teams in the Super Eights," he said candidly. "But Pakistan panicked, while Ireland held their own throughout. These things can happen."

So, on a day when India joined Pakistan on the tournament scrap heap, the hosts moved serenely on. They're not quite the finished article, but the atmosphere at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua should certainly inspire them on Tuesday. And if they can overcome Australia, the whispers of a return to the glory days will certainly grow a little louder. After such a miserable week for cricket, it was certainly heart-warming to see so many thousands heading home with a smile on their faces.

why socialism?

"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive." -Albert Einstein

Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is.

Let us first consider the question from the point of view of scientific knowledge. It might appear that there are no essential methodological differences between astronomy and economics: scientists in both fields attempt to discover laws of general acceptability for a circumscribed group of phenomena in order to make the interconnection of these phenomena as clearly understandable as possible. But in reality such methodological differences do exist. The discovery of general laws in the field of economics is made difficult by the circumstance that observed economic phenomena are often affected by many factors which are very hard to evaluate separately. In addition, the experience which has accumulated since the beginning of the so-called civilized period of human history has -- as is well known -- been largely influenced and limited by causes which are by no means exclusively economic in nature. For example, most of the major states of history owed their existence to conquest. The conquering peoples established themselves, legally and economically, as the privileged class of the conquered country. They seized for themselves a monopoly of the land ownership and appointed a priesthood from among their own ranks. The priests, in control of education, made the class division of society into a permanent institution and created a system of values by which the people were thenceforth, to a large extent unconsciously, guided in their social behavior.



But historic tradition is, so to speak, of yesterday; nowhere have we really overcome what Thorstein Veblen called "the predatory phase" of human development. The observable economic facts belong to that phase and even such laws as we can derive from them are not applicable to other phases. Since the real purpose of socialism is precisely to overcome and advance beyond the predatory phase of human development, economic science in its present state can throw little light on the socialist society of the future.

Second, socialism is directed toward a social-ethical end. Science, however, cannot create ends and, even less, instill them in human beings; science, at most, can supply the means by which to attain certain ends. But the ends themselves are conceived by personalities with lofty ethical ideals and -- if these ends are not stillborn, but vital and vigorous -- are adopted and carried forward by those many human beings who, half-unconsciously, determine the slow evolution of society.

For these reasons, we should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society.

Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered. It is characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the group, small or large, to which they belong. In order to illustrate my meaning, let me record here a personal experience. I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supranational organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: "Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?"

I am sure that as little as a century ago no one would have so lightly made a statement of this kind. It is the statement of a man who has striven in vain to attain an equilibrium within himself and has more or less lost hope of succeeding. It is the expression of a painful solitude and isolation from which so many people are suffering in these days. What is the cause? Is there a way out?

It is easy to raise such questions, but difficult to answer them with any degree of assurance. I must try, however, as best I can, although I am very conscious of the fact that our feelings and strivings are often contradictory and obscure and that they cannot be expressed in easy and simple formulas.

Man is, at one and the same time, a solitary being and a social being. As a solitary being, he attempts to protect his own existence and that of those who are closest to him, to satisfy his personal desires, and to develop his innate abilities. As a social being, he seeks to gain the recognition and affection of his fellow human beings, to share in their pleasures, to comfort them in their sorrows, and to improve their conditions of life. Only the existence of these varied, frequently conflicting strivings accounts for the special character of a man, and their specific combination determines the extent to which an individual can achieve an inner equilibrium and can contribute to the well-being of society. It is quite possible that the relative strength of these two drives is, in the main, fixed by inheritance. But the personality that finally emerges is largely formed by the environment in which a man happens to find himself during his development, by the structure of the society in which he grows up, by the tradition of that society, and by its appraisal of particular types of behavior. The abstract concept "society" means to the individual human being the sum total of his direct and indirect relations to his contemporaries and to all the people of earlier generations. The individual is able to think, feel, strive, and work by himself; but he depends so much upon society -- in his physical, intellectual, and emotional existence -- that it is impossible to think of him, or to understand him, outside the framework of society. It is "society" which provides man with food, clothing, a home, the tools of work, language, the forms of thought, and most of the content of thought; his life is made possible through the labor and the accomplishments of the many millions past and present who are all hidden behind the small word "society."

It is evident, therefore, that the dependence of the individual upon society is a fact of nature which cannot be abolished -- just as in the case of ants and bees. However, while the whole life process of ants and bees is fixed down to the smallest detail by rigid, hereditary instincts, the social pattern and interrelationships of human beings are very variable and susceptible to change. Memory, the capacity to make new combinations, the gift of oral communication have made possible developments among human beings which are not dictated by biological necessities. Such developments manifest themselves in traditions, institutions, and organizations; in literature; in scientific and engineering accomplishments; in works of art. This explains how it happens that, in a certain sense, man can influence his life through his own conduct, and that in this process conscious thinking and wanting can play a part.

Man acquires at birth, through heredity, a biological constitution which we must consider fixed and unalterable, including the natural urges which are characteristic of the human species. In addition, during his lifetime, he acquires a cultural constitution which he adopts from society through communication and through many other types of influences. It is this cultural constitution which, with the passage of time, is subject to change and which determines to a very large extent the relationship between the individual and society Modern anthropology has taught us, through comparative investigation of so-called primitive cultures, that the social behavior of human beings may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing cultural patterns and the types of organization which predominate in society. It is on this that those who are striving to improve the lot of man may ground their hopes: human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate.

If we ask ourselves how the structure of society and the cultural attitude of man should be changed in order to make human life as satisfying as possible, we should constantly be conscious of the fact that there are certain conditions which we are unable to modify. As mentioned before, the biological nature of man is, for all practical purposes, not subject to change. Furthermore, technological and demographic developments of the last few centuries have created conditions which are here to stay. In relatively densely settled populations with the goods which are indispensable to their continued existence, an extreme division of labor and a highly centralized productive apparatus are absolutely necessary. The time -- which, looking back, seems so idyllic -- is gone forever when individuals or relatively small groups could be completely self-sufficient. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that mankind constitutes even now a planetary community of production and consumption.

I have now reached the point where I may indicate briefly what to me constitutes the essence of the crisis of our time. It concerns the relationship of the individual to society. The individual has become more conscious than ever of his dependence upon society. But he does not experience this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence. Moreover, his position in society is such that the egotistical drives of his make-up are constantly being accentuated, while his social drives, which are by nature weaker, progressively deteriorate. All human beings, whatever their position in society, are suffering from this process of deterioration. Unknowingly prisoners of their own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple, and unsophisticated enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society.

The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor -- not by force, but on the whole in faithful compliance with legally established rules. In this respect, it is important to realize that the means of production -- that is to say, the entire productive capacity that is needed for producing consumer goods as well as additional capital goods -- may legally be, and for the most part are, the private property of individuals.

For the sake of simplicity, in the discussion that follows I shall call "workers" all those who do not share in the ownership of the means of production -- although this does not quite correspond to the customary use of the term. The owner of the means of production is in a position to purchase the labor power of the worker. By using the means of production, the worker produces new goods which become the property of the capitalist. The essential point about this process is the relation between what the worker produces and what he is paid, both measured in terms of real value. In so far as the labor contract is "free," what the worker receives is determined not by the real value of the goods he produces, but by his minimum needs and by the capitalists' requirements for labor power in relation to the number of workers competing for jobs. It is important to understand that even in theory the payment of the worker is not determined by the value of his product.

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of the smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.

The situation prevailing in an economy based on the private ownership of capital is thus characterized main principles: first, means of production (capital) are privately owned and the owners dispose of them as they see fit; second, the labor contract is free. Of course, there is no such thing as a pure capitalist society in this sense. In particular, it should be noted that the workers, through long and bitter political struggles, have succeeded in securing a somewhat improved form of the "free labor contract" for certain categories of workers. But taken as a whole, the present-day economy does not differ much from "pure" capitalism.

Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an "army of unemployed" almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers' goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.

This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career.

I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow-men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual. The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralization of political and economic power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of bureaucracy be assured?


From Monthly Review, New York, May, 1949.
[Re-printed in Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein]
Transcribed by Lenny Gray

bengal tigers causes first upset

Bangladesh sealed a famous five-wicket victory against India with a thrilling performance in Port-of-Spain. Three of their teenagers passed fifty, 17-year-old Tamim Iqbal with calypso strokes in a stunning 51 off 53 balls. There were late scares but Mushfiqur Rahim, aged 18, took them to the 192 target with nine deliveries remaining. Rahul Dravid chose to bat but when he fell in the 25th over India were 72-4, and though Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh shared 85 it was insufficient. Iqbal's spirit was exemplified in the seventh over, bowled by left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan. India were convinced they had dismissed him at slip when the ball flew close to his gloves and ricocheted off his grille. 606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on the match Having engaged in some forthright discussion with the bowler, Iqbal smashed the final two balls of the over for four and embarked on a flurry of remarkable strokes. The pick of them was also against Zaheer. Having hit successive fours earlier in the over, he took a step down the pitch and piroueted into a drive, despatching the ball against the wall of the upper tier of the stand beyond wide long-on. Aftab Ahmed's shot selection was not so good, however, and his attempted pull to a full delivery that trapped him bang in front and made it 79-3 was particularly ill-advised. When it appeared the Tigers may be feeling the pressure, 19-year-old Saqibul Hasan took the runs required below 100 with a confident cut for four off Agarkar. Sachin Tendulkar is dismissed Tendulkar is gleefully pouched by keeper Mushfiqur Rahim Next, Rahim brought up the team's 100 in style with a glorious, towering straight six having advanced down the pitch to Harbhajan. Dravid turned to Sachin Tendulkar but by this stage the batsmen had put the enormity of the situation to the back of their minds and were comfortably nudging their way patiently towards victory. Not that they at any point went on the defensive. Saqibul slapped the first ball of Munaf Patel's new spell straight back past him. He reached his third ODI fifty in fabulous fashion, striding down the wicket and lofting Harbhajan over cover for six. India looked a beaten side but Virender Sehwag atoned for his lack of runs by enticing the left-hander down the pitch unnecessarily for a stumping. If Saqib's dismissal for 53 was excusable, Habibul Bashar's in almost identical fashion for one, was not. Harbhajan spilled a low chance in the deep when seven runs were needed and the ebullient Tigers were not to be denied, Rahim appropriately striking the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 56. Having won only once in 14 meetings with India, the Tigers cannot have been in overly-confident mood, particularly after failing to win a match in South Africa four years ago. But they came into the match with 17 victories from their last 20 matches, albeit against lower grade opponents. Tamim Iqbal Iqbal's scintillating strokeplay gave Bangladesh a fantastic start Their new-ball pairing of Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel immediately applied the pressure and were rewarded in the third over. Out-of-form Sehwag, with only one fifty in his last 13 innings, tried to cut a ball that seamed back from Mortaza and edged into his stumps. The first boundary came in the sixth over but in the next Robin Uthappa drove Mortaza to point. After 14 overs the first bowling change brought success, as left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak snared the prize wicket of Tendulkar. The maestro hit one sumptuous four off his toes but got an inside edge into his pad and the ball looped gently to wicketkeeper Rahim. When nagging left-arm seamer Rasel was bowled through, 25 consecutive overs of slow left-arm followed, 30 in total for the innings. Again a change resulted in immediate success, Mohammad Rafique's first ball trapping Dravid, the captain infuriated with the decision as the ball appeared to drift down the leg-side. Yuvraj flicked the only six of the innings to record the 150 in the 42nd over, but in the next he was back in the hutch after top-edging to short fine-leg. Attempting to charge Rafique, Ganguly succeeded only in flat-batting to mid-wicket. Any threat of Mahendra Dhoni blasting his team out of trouble ended three balls later when he cut to point for a duck as a total of five wickets fell for two runs in 10 balls, which left India 159-9. Last pair Zaheer and Patel hit two fours each to add 32 from 28 balls which but might have significant, but Iqbal and his young colleagues had other ideas.

west indies gleams despite scrappy affair

Captain Brian Lara guided West Indies into the Super 8 phase with 44 not out as they beat Zimbabwe by six wickets. Chris Gayle (40) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (21) had given the hosts a good start with an opening stand of 73 before they both edged catches to slip. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels also fell, but Lara and Dwayne Bravo saw them home with 13 balls to spare. Sean Williams (70 not out) and Brendan Taylor (50) had earlier helped Zimbabwe make 202-5 after losing early wickets. The hosts went into the game knowing that victory would see them become the second team after Australia to book their place in the second phase. As Lara won the toss and put Zimbabwe in, his fast bowlers took an early stranglehold on the match after both sides, wearing black armbands, had observed a minute's silence for the late Bob Woolmer. 606: DEBATE It wasn't a convincing victory Mike Pacemen Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell removed the Zimbabwe top three cheaply with Friday Kasteni, one of three changes to the side, yorked by Taylor off the first ball of the second over. His partner Vusi Sibanda then foolishly shouldered arms and was clean bowled by Powell, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 2-2. Although Lara kept the pressure on and took both powerplays immediately, Powell and Taylor allowed their line to stray and sent down a number of wides to push the score along. But just as it looked as if Zimbabwe were building a recovery, Justice Chibhabha was bowled by Taylor, and soon Stuart Matsikenyeri spooned a catch to Powell at mid-on from the bowling of Dwayne Smith to leave them 59-4. It was left to wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor to stem the tide for the African side, and he was supported well by Williams as they put on 83 in 23 overs before a mix-up saw Taylor stranded in mid-pitch and run out. West Indies players observe a minute's silence for the late Bob Woolmer A minute's silence was observed for the late Bob Woolmer Then Williams, who made his fourth ODI half-century, and Elton Chigumbura accelerated during the final overs and give the total a respectability which could not have been anticipated after those early wickets. Powell also had time to judge, juggle and ultimately drop a skier in the deep from Williams in the 47th over. With the required run-rate just 4.06 per over, Gayle and Chanderpaul made a steady start. As the pair eventually began to cut loose, Gayle brought up the fifty stand with an enormous straight six off Tawanda Mupariwa - and cleared the ropes twice more off the next two deliveries. Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya rotated his bowlers in an attempt to stem the tide, and bowled some tidy off-spin himself, conceding just 26 runs in his 10 overs. The breakthrough came when Chanderpaul edged Chigumbura to slip where Sibanda took a low catch - and the opener walked without waiting for the umpire's verdict. The very next over, wicket-keeper Taylor got a hand to Gayle's edge, but Sibanda was alert enough to catch the rebound - and with both openers gone, the Windies were suddenly 73-2 with two new batsmen in. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels brought the hundred up before Sarwan gave a return catch to seamer Anthony Ireland - which brought captain Lara to the crease. Lara and Samuels eased the total along until Samuels slashed Tawanda Mupariwa to Chibhabha at point for 28, leaving them 129-4 with 17 overs remaining. Zimbabwe were potentially one or two wickets away from having a great chance of an upset against the hosts. But Lara, who hit just one boundary during his first 34 runs, made sure his side kept up with the run rate as he passed 1,000 World Cup runs and he enjoyed an unbroken stand of 75 with Bravo. All-rounder Bravo also played his part, pulling Mpofu over the boundary for six as he made an unbeaten 37 - although he was dropped at fine leg on 32 by substitute fielder Gary Brent, on for the injured Ireland, off Christopher Mpofu. Lara finished it off in style, swatting Chigumbura for a four and then a six to finish on 44 not out and win the match.