I find it great to work, I do! No wonder people, and people I love and care about, come to me complaining that I prefer my work to them. I understand, and sometimes even loathe myself for it. But it's in my blood to give my 150% to a passion, to a cause I believe in, and nothing gives me more satisfaction than knowing that I did my best for it.
That's what the Flood Action Campaign has turned out for me - a passion. No, it's not the rising mercury of donations that elevate my senses - it is indeed a sense of belongingness with the poor people who suffer in this country behind the veil of ignorance that we, the bourgeois, live in. A closeness that I gained in the 7 days I went door-to-door in a Manikganj village called Burundi. The hospitality and affection I received from those lovely people have slapped me back to my senses - reminding me how unlike them we treat a stranger knocking on our iron-clad doors in the City. And now I feel at one with them, and feel unfairly privileged every time I take the elevator up to my flat on the 4th floor, thinking how many peoples' precious possessions are waist deep in muddy water.
So I've put my entirety into this campaign, forgetting everything else that was nibbling away at my time all these three months that I've been away from College, and filling up every blank space that remained in my life. Naturally, I feel content that I'm trying to do something for them. But today, I came across yet another blessing that this campaign has brought for me. One person, whom I've met only a few days back through this campaign itself, said a few words today that not only made my day, but which I will probably remember for the rest of my life. The person (whom I'm not going to reveal) affectionately stared at me, and said in a tone which exposed the welling emotion inside - "Rubayat, when I see people like you, I feel hopeful that this country has a future after all!"
He said many more things, even went as far as offering to pay for my application fees for graduate school, but nothing remained etched in my mind more than those few words. This is not the first time I have had people believing in me, but nobody has ever put it so beautifully, and so candidly.
It just shows that when you are passionate, you are rewarded many times more than what you give, not the least of which is the admiration and faith of people who matter.
Tuesday 14 August 2007
Tuesday 24 July 2007
PAB is back
Phiriye Ano Bangladesh is back after a hiatus.
If you are in facebook.com, please join the group as soon as possible as our membership is growing by the day.
Here is the next set of events which you can attend.
August 2: screening of Deshantori and discussion of PAB at ULAB
August 5: PAB Young Leaders Forum -- please register by sending an email to the takebackbangladesh@gmail.com. Places are limited.
August 7: screening of Deshantori at BRAC University:
If you want to partake in any of these activities, please send a note to takebackbangladesh@gmail.com
This is your chance to get involved and make a difference.
If you are in facebook.com, please join the group as soon as possible as our membership is growing by the day.
Here is the next set of events which you can attend.
August 2: screening of Deshantori and discussion of PAB at ULAB
August 5: PAB Young Leaders Forum -- please register by sending an email to the takebackbangladesh@gmail.com. Places are limited.
August 7: screening of Deshantori at BRAC University:
If you want to partake in any of these activities, please send a note to takebackbangladesh@gmail.com
This is your chance to get involved and make a difference.
Thursday 8 March 2007
Can We Stay United?
By "we" I mean the so called "generation-now" ‑ the target demography of Phiriye Ano Bangladesh (PAB). By "united" I mean being a team when it comes to implementing the vision of PAB. The theme of PAB is that party allegiance should not divide us as a progressive young group that potentially can put the collective thoughts on the table and find ways to bring Bangladesh back from the disastrous path. Regardless of whatever hat you wear while rallying for you candidate of choice, when you are under the PAB banner you are working hand-in-hand with your teammates to energize the rest of the young populace into thinking about 'politics'. Thinking politics is not by any means being a thug on a party pay roll; or holding an elected office so that you and your friends might get rich. Being political is having a conscientious mind on the government policies, how they were formulated, whether or not it needed amendment, demanding transparency in administrative decision-making process etc. The bottom line is having a say and making a difference through your voice.
In Bangladesh it is difficult to engage in any constructive criticism on politics without being branded one way or the other. Last five years when the political institutions were marred with staggering corruption tales, speaking against the then governing body would earn you a tag "pro-Awami League". If you criticized something Hasina uttered (and oh god she had so much foul to say) then you are unequivocally pro-BNP. Once you are endowed with these tags there was no getting out of it. Everything you had to say would be weighed in by that scale. May be it is time to stop being on the extreme end of the spectrum and join together on some common grounds. But to think along that line first you have to have the mind set to "agree to disagree" on political ideology.
It's no secret that the very young ones, people in early 20's, who were supposed to jump at the prospect of voting for the first time are not even willing to find out whether they were registered voters in their constituency or not. Many of us would agree that the apathy stems from the obvious breakdown in administrative and bureaucratic structure and the blatant corruption in every sector of the country that thrived for last 30 some years. It has turned off a lot of clear thinking individuals in their 20's or 30's from taking active interest in politics. The political figures both sitting in the governing body as well as the opposition failed to set a good precedence and grow nationalistic attitudes among the young ones. What is worse is that the parties have historically used their student wings in bringing stronger and more passionate divide in the college campuses. The attitude has been "either you are with me, or you are against me". The major political alliance would never sit down together to discuss on what is in the best interest of the mass. Consequentially the majority of non-party students stopped caring for local politics, and settled on education, career or socializing in cafes. Meanwhile the religious bigots have continued to prey on the confused young ones and smooth talk them into being recruited, and effectively turn them more non-democratic.
These wouldn't have happened if the parties would hold off their party allegiance for once and just discuss the pros and cons of different platforms, and become more involved in the different elements that can actually rectify the faulty systems. Why wouldn't they get their heads together and find a solution that works for the entire nation, and not just a few opportunists. PAB hopes to groom the next generations of politicians who will be more genial and willing to listen to each other. This is in fact the line of thinking that gave birth to PAB. The idea of this blog has been to provide a platform for sharing thoughts and ideas on how to make people of different political ideologies interact with each other and energize other young folks into having active interest in politics.
PAB's goal to raies political consciousness among the youth can be achieved by educating the young generation across the board on different element of government and its branches – executive, legislative and judiciary. Also by involving young ones in lively debates and discussions on how a political body works, who do they represent, how policies get formulated, how do they get passed, how do they serve or not serve the people etc. The people need to be reminded that the MPs are elected to serve his/her constituency, and that the voters have every right to demand actions from them after election is over.
Lately Dr Yunus' entrance in politics has given new hopes to a lot of young citizens of Bangladesh. Even though how successful he'll be into actually materializing his ideas is yet to be seen, but the shake up he already brought to different parties is somewhat pivotal to our politics. Some of us immediately believed in him, while some of us felt that he needed to mature as a political figure, and then there are those who have rejected him altogether as a future policy shaper for \nBangladesh. Regardless of which group you fall into we at PAB want to hear your thoughts. Because we at PAB believe that all of us are extremely proud of our nation and we do not want to allow some handful of individual take advantage of our resources, and we want to see our country prosper and feel prouder. So I'll ask the readers of PAB again – do you have it in you to work together as a team and have a united front? That seems to be the challenge of the time.
In Bangladesh it is difficult to engage in any constructive criticism on politics without being branded one way or the other. Last five years when the political institutions were marred with staggering corruption tales, speaking against the then governing body would earn you a tag "pro-Awami League". If you criticized something Hasina uttered (and oh god she had so much foul to say) then you are unequivocally pro-BNP. Once you are endowed with these tags there was no getting out of it. Everything you had to say would be weighed in by that scale. May be it is time to stop being on the extreme end of the spectrum and join together on some common grounds. But to think along that line first you have to have the mind set to "agree to disagree" on political ideology.
It's no secret that the very young ones, people in early 20's, who were supposed to jump at the prospect of voting for the first time are not even willing to find out whether they were registered voters in their constituency or not. Many of us would agree that the apathy stems from the obvious breakdown in administrative and bureaucratic structure and the blatant corruption in every sector of the country that thrived for last 30 some years. It has turned off a lot of clear thinking individuals in their 20's or 30's from taking active interest in politics. The political figures both sitting in the governing body as well as the opposition failed to set a good precedence and grow nationalistic attitudes among the young ones. What is worse is that the parties have historically used their student wings in bringing stronger and more passionate divide in the college campuses. The attitude has been "either you are with me, or you are against me". The major political alliance would never sit down together to discuss on what is in the best interest of the mass. Consequentially the majority of non-party students stopped caring for local politics, and settled on education, career or socializing in cafes. Meanwhile the religious bigots have continued to prey on the confused young ones and smooth talk them into being recruited, and effectively turn them more non-democratic.
These wouldn't have happened if the parties would hold off their party allegiance for once and just discuss the pros and cons of different platforms, and become more involved in the different elements that can actually rectify the faulty systems. Why wouldn't they get their heads together and find a solution that works for the entire nation, and not just a few opportunists. PAB hopes to groom the next generations of politicians who will be more genial and willing to listen to each other. This is in fact the line of thinking that gave birth to PAB. The idea of this blog has been to provide a platform for sharing thoughts and ideas on how to make people of different political ideologies interact with each other and energize other young folks into having active interest in politics.
PAB's goal to raies political consciousness among the youth can be achieved by educating the young generation across the board on different element of government and its branches – executive, legislative and judiciary. Also by involving young ones in lively debates and discussions on how a political body works, who do they represent, how policies get formulated, how do they get passed, how do they serve or not serve the people etc. The people need to be reminded that the MPs are elected to serve his/her constituency, and that the voters have every right to demand actions from them after election is over.
Lately Dr Yunus' entrance in politics has given new hopes to a lot of young citizens of Bangladesh. Even though how successful he'll be into actually materializing his ideas is yet to be seen, but the shake up he already brought to different parties is somewhat pivotal to our politics. Some of us immediately believed in him, while some of us felt that he needed to mature as a political figure, and then there are those who have rejected him altogether as a future policy shaper for \nBangladesh. Regardless of which group you fall into we at PAB want to hear your thoughts. Because we at PAB believe that all of us are extremely proud of our nation and we do not want to allow some handful of individual take advantage of our resources, and we want to see our country prosper and feel prouder. So I'll ask the readers of PAB again – do you have it in you to work together as a team and have a united front? That seems to be the challenge of the time.
Saturday 24 February 2007
Where’s Your Team, Professor Yunus?
by Syed S. Kaiser Kabir
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author's alone and does not necessarily reflect that of Phiriye Ano Bangladesh's
Professor Yunus has been my hero for nearly 25-years. He’s a rare gem who not only thinks big, but also delivers spectacularly.
So, when he threw his hat into the political arena, one expected a wave of support bordering on hysteria. Yet, the response has been distinctly tepid. Even my own reaction as the self-appointed president of his fan club has been far from euphoric. Why?
To put it bluntly, the general perception is that the esteemed Nobel Laureate is going about it the wrong way.
For starters, Professor Yunus seems to be under the impression that his success as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) would be easily replicable to the political landscape. There is some merit in this belief. After all, his success is not limited to microcredit only. Think telecom, textile, and health foods. In each of these areas, he knew nothing about the respective field when he started. So, the fact that he is a political novice is not an insurmountable obstacle, but just a temporary setback.
But wait! In these other fields, the role of Yunus was primarily to ensure that right team took over at the helm. So he enlisted the help of companies such as Telenor and Danon who are experts in their respective fields. Where is his team in this political expedition?
The Professor must recognise that he is a novice in politics. His role during October 2006 to mid-January 2007 ---- one of the darkest periods of this country’s history was bewildering. His unthinking statements and acts of the time deserve no better than a capital F.
His latest gaffe is the “Yunus Shomorthok Goshti.” At a time when the Nation is seeking to move away from personality cults, this move of his is a public relations Hiroshima. Clearly, he’s being badly advised, or more likely, not being advised at all. Also, how else can one explain the call to the general public form 20-person committees at neighbourhood levels at their own initiative? How does one control for quality? Team building is the primary function of a leader. It cannot be taken lightly.
Undoubtedly the Yunus brand has voter appeal. But it would be a monumental mistake to think that he could win on the celebrity card alone. He needs a strong team that devises and implements a winning strategy.
What would a winning strategy look like? In business, a company rarely achieves greatness by taking its rivals head-on. Instead, it rewrites the rules of the industry through innovation or intelligent positioning. For Professor Yunus the strategy has to be similar. There are four key areas where his party should focus:
First, demographically the largest segment of the electorate is under 35. To this group, Mujib and Zia are legendary figures in the history books. This group grew up with essentially no living national heroes with whom to identify. All that changed of course when the Professor won the Noble Peace Prize. Significantly, as numerous surveys have shown, this group is also politically apathetic mainly because of their disgust and disillusionment with the present menagerie of politicians. This group represents a natural constituency for Professor Yunus. In stark contrast to the political culture that mainstream politicians have fostered, Yunus is visionary, forward-looking, managerially competent, and honest.
The key question here is does the Professor know how to reach out to this young group? Does his team include bright young professionals who understand the youth and can communicate with them?
Second, apart from a brief flirtation by General Ershad, the mainstream political parties have tended to marginalise local government despite promises to the contrary. Power has become increasingly concentrated in the Centre. Decisions for local development are decided upon and funded by the Centre. Yet, local government represents the biggest opportunity for Professor Yunus to deliver a googly to his opponents. The argument is simple: As power is concentrated in the centre, the Member of Parliament (MP) becomes supremely important in a given constituency. However, if Professor Yunus can credibly promise to promote local government, meaning shifting power to local levels, then the role of the MP becomes less important. In other words, the history of the MP as a person who has worked on behalf on the constituency for many years becomes less important, making entry easier for a new political party.
Credibly promising power to local governments requires specialised knowledge at the Upazilla level. Who are the Professor’s team members that are experts in local government?
Third, there are about 12 million microcredit borrowers. This group could conceivably lean towards the Professor. However, it is not clear whether the microcredit borrowers, especially non-Grameen members associate microcredit with Professor Yunus. Even if they did so, their warm regards might waver once the Professor sheds his banker’s robes for those of a politician.
Clearly, a major communication exercise has to take place between the Professor’s party and the borrowers. The question therefore is who are the public relations experts in his team that can deliver on this front?
Fourth, there are certain constituencies, mainly located in urban areas where voting largely represents the mood of the Nation. In such areas, the role of the MP tends to be minor. As the mood of the Nation is anti-mainstream political party at the moment, these constituencies should be relatively easy pickings for the Professor.
The key exercise is to identify the right ones. Here the Professor has to rely on electoral math wizards. Will these geniuses in the Professor’s team please stand up!
There is a wonderful American folk-saying, “If you can get it all done by yourself, then you ain’t got much ambition.” Bangladesh has huge ambitions for the days ahead, and the Nation needs the Professor to rise up to the challenge.
So, Professor, my hero of a quarter of a century, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Build a great team; listen and rely on them.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author's alone and does not necessarily reflect that of Phiriye Ano Bangladesh's
Professor Yunus has been my hero for nearly 25-years. He’s a rare gem who not only thinks big, but also delivers spectacularly.
So, when he threw his hat into the political arena, one expected a wave of support bordering on hysteria. Yet, the response has been distinctly tepid. Even my own reaction as the self-appointed president of his fan club has been far from euphoric. Why?
To put it bluntly, the general perception is that the esteemed Nobel Laureate is going about it the wrong way.
For starters, Professor Yunus seems to be under the impression that his success as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) would be easily replicable to the political landscape. There is some merit in this belief. After all, his success is not limited to microcredit only. Think telecom, textile, and health foods. In each of these areas, he knew nothing about the respective field when he started. So, the fact that he is a political novice is not an insurmountable obstacle, but just a temporary setback.
But wait! In these other fields, the role of Yunus was primarily to ensure that right team took over at the helm. So he enlisted the help of companies such as Telenor and Danon who are experts in their respective fields. Where is his team in this political expedition?
The Professor must recognise that he is a novice in politics. His role during October 2006 to mid-January 2007 ---- one of the darkest periods of this country’s history was bewildering. His unthinking statements and acts of the time deserve no better than a capital F.
His latest gaffe is the “Yunus Shomorthok Goshti.” At a time when the Nation is seeking to move away from personality cults, this move of his is a public relations Hiroshima. Clearly, he’s being badly advised, or more likely, not being advised at all. Also, how else can one explain the call to the general public form 20-person committees at neighbourhood levels at their own initiative? How does one control for quality? Team building is the primary function of a leader. It cannot be taken lightly.
Undoubtedly the Yunus brand has voter appeal. But it would be a monumental mistake to think that he could win on the celebrity card alone. He needs a strong team that devises and implements a winning strategy.
What would a winning strategy look like? In business, a company rarely achieves greatness by taking its rivals head-on. Instead, it rewrites the rules of the industry through innovation or intelligent positioning. For Professor Yunus the strategy has to be similar. There are four key areas where his party should focus:
First, demographically the largest segment of the electorate is under 35. To this group, Mujib and Zia are legendary figures in the history books. This group grew up with essentially no living national heroes with whom to identify. All that changed of course when the Professor won the Noble Peace Prize. Significantly, as numerous surveys have shown, this group is also politically apathetic mainly because of their disgust and disillusionment with the present menagerie of politicians. This group represents a natural constituency for Professor Yunus. In stark contrast to the political culture that mainstream politicians have fostered, Yunus is visionary, forward-looking, managerially competent, and honest.
The key question here is does the Professor know how to reach out to this young group? Does his team include bright young professionals who understand the youth and can communicate with them?
Second, apart from a brief flirtation by General Ershad, the mainstream political parties have tended to marginalise local government despite promises to the contrary. Power has become increasingly concentrated in the Centre. Decisions for local development are decided upon and funded by the Centre. Yet, local government represents the biggest opportunity for Professor Yunus to deliver a googly to his opponents. The argument is simple: As power is concentrated in the centre, the Member of Parliament (MP) becomes supremely important in a given constituency. However, if Professor Yunus can credibly promise to promote local government, meaning shifting power to local levels, then the role of the MP becomes less important. In other words, the history of the MP as a person who has worked on behalf on the constituency for many years becomes less important, making entry easier for a new political party.
Credibly promising power to local governments requires specialised knowledge at the Upazilla level. Who are the Professor’s team members that are experts in local government?
Third, there are about 12 million microcredit borrowers. This group could conceivably lean towards the Professor. However, it is not clear whether the microcredit borrowers, especially non-Grameen members associate microcredit with Professor Yunus. Even if they did so, their warm regards might waver once the Professor sheds his banker’s robes for those of a politician.
Clearly, a major communication exercise has to take place between the Professor’s party and the borrowers. The question therefore is who are the public relations experts in his team that can deliver on this front?
Fourth, there are certain constituencies, mainly located in urban areas where voting largely represents the mood of the Nation. In such areas, the role of the MP tends to be minor. As the mood of the Nation is anti-mainstream political party at the moment, these constituencies should be relatively easy pickings for the Professor.
The key exercise is to identify the right ones. Here the Professor has to rely on electoral math wizards. Will these geniuses in the Professor’s team please stand up!
There is a wonderful American folk-saying, “If you can get it all done by yourself, then you ain’t got much ambition.” Bangladesh has huge ambitions for the days ahead, and the Nation needs the Professor to rise up to the challenge.
So, Professor, my hero of a quarter of a century, don’t try to do it all by yourself. Build a great team; listen and rely on them.
Thursday 22 February 2007
The New Adventures of Doc Y!
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author's alone and does not necessarily reflect that of Phiriye Ano Bangladesh's. As one of the tasks of PAB is to encourage political debate we will be more than happy to look at publishing divergent political thoughts.
Trouble brewed in Gotham City. The evil empress KZdam attacked mercilessly, while her henchman the Clown cleared out the bank vaults. On the other side of town the Hissina spewed venom on all that was good. Everyone ran helter-skelter. Is there no respite from this hell on earth? Will we never return to the days of the good? Is our salvation, our promised land just a dream? Just then across the sky, blazed a light. We looked up and asked, “Is it a social worker? A businessman? A politician?” “No!” came the reply “It’s Doc Y!”
Okay, I am prone to hyperbole. But I needed to match the dramatics that the good Dr. created with his letter to the nation. First of all as a practitioner of the art of Public Relation, I thought this move by him was a pure stroke of genius. Unfortunately it is the only one that I have seen from him in the recent past.
What surprised me the most was that the reaction was not, like I expected it to be, all saying this is the best thing since Mama’s Halim. Regardless of which newspaper you turned to, the balance between the yah-sayers and the nay-sayers was, I would say, a 55:45 split! The biggest argument in the positive side being that “give the man a chance” and on the other, “he can never succeed.”
What was my reply to the open letter? I was torn. Doc Y and I, as those who read my writing [http://nazimfarhan.blogspot.com] know, have a love-hate relationship. Well a relationship, if you take into consideration that I do not think he ever does read my writings. But as I’ve always maintained, he has this immense capability of luring me with his hypnotic spell of doing-good, only to leave me standing all alone at the alter. Be it the Citizen’s Anti Corruption Council or the need to find Clean Candidates. I wonder why I get a sense of déjà vu?
If I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, Dr. Yunus’ latest adventure is a very well meant attempt. He has, if nothing else, an innate understanding of where he sees Bangladesh heading and he has the ability to rally popular support behind that. I believe one of our nation’s biggest problems is the lack of vision of our leaders. Dr. Yunus brings a remedy to that problem.
I also hope his foray into politics will break the myth that there is no place for good honest citizens in nation building or in politics. I wish that I had a taka for every time someone told me that I would not be a successful politician because I did not have the requisite talent in corruption and mastan-giri. I pray the beacon of hope is lit and that many more flock to the arena.
But personal honesty or unremitting charisma cannot be the only criteria for successful politics or for the ability to manage the affairs of a state. A “clean-and-honest” candidate is not the end itself. But rather it is one of the many requirements for a successful statesman. I am sure that just about now I’ll be hit by the argument that Dr Yunus has managed the growth of Grameen Bank and its subsidiaries quite successfully. I would love to get into the debate about what are the parameters to measure success but I think that will derail from my main premise. I do not think Dr. Yunus will be successful in his efforts.
“Why?” you ask. Well for one he has been extremely politically naïve in the last few months (if not longer). He made more than several well-documented blunders. Say by giving President Iajuddin an “A+” when the rest of the nation looked on helplessly. Or the fact that he came up with the desire to go into polls come what may. Or even the fact that he towed the BNP line of constitutional requirement of the polls by a certain time, only to abandon it when the new caretaker government took oath. This coupled with his ill thought out “clean-candidate” speech, makes me question the capability of his advisers. Or for that matter if at all he is taking any advice to start with. And if he is, from whom is it coming?
Some of the events of the last few weeks have bewildered me. For one the fact that Dr. Yunus is so blatantly circumnavigating the current Emergency ordinance prohibiting any political activity. Secondly that he has asked people to form “Preparatory Committees” of 20 people at local level. Now who will be a part of these committees? Of course it would be nice if a common Joe (or in this case Jamal) would sign up. But is this not open to any and sundry to join? How do you identify who is a genuine “Yunuster” and who is an opportunist? I am not even getting into where the funding for such a large-scale mobilisation will come from. But let us not be naïve to think that no money is required to build up a grassroots based organisation. Are we looking at Grameen Foundation, vested interests or even a foreigner like George Soros to give the money?
Well to sum up my case, I believe that Dr. Yunus’ escapade into politics is, while well-intentioned, full of holes big enough to make any political observer squirm in his armchair. I know, I know! The nation is crying out for a change. By my own reporting 53% of the voters have lost faith in both the main political parties. Does it not leave an opportunity for a third force to emerge? Yes it does. But I don’t think Dr Yunus needs to be this force. And even more worryingly I have a feeling he is headed down the Gono Forum route.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not opposed to Dr. Yunus having a role in the government. But I think that he needs to rise above the political divide. We do not need another player in the field. It would not even matter that he is a Pele. What we actually do need is a good referee. Though he dismissed it offhandedly, I thought a better position for him to assume is that of the President of Bangladesh. While he is right that this is currently a mere ceremonial role, I would have thought he has the prudence to see the bigger picture. Not all powers have to be vested. Some come when one earns it through courage, respect, forbearance and integrity. For example Mahatma Gandhi never had a constitutionally mandated role in India. But can we ever overestimate his influence in the events of his times? Or what about the ceremonial Presidents of India? Most of them have left indelible mark on his nation’s conscience. In Thailand the King is a constitutional monarch. But a mere suggestion from him can sway a nation. Could Dr. Yunus not play the role of the Chief Vision Architect of the nation? As the President he can guide our collective actions into the right path. He could act as a political ombudsman to the brawling parties that govern us. He could be mentor to the young and a friend to the poor. He could shower us with hope, faith and aspirations. He could actually be the answer we are looking for instead of the debate we are getting into.
Does it mean that I’ll not vote for Nagorik Shakti, let alone support it? Like I said, I am torn. I just hope that Dr. Yunus has the foresight to surround himself with able people, from whom he can get solid advice. Unlike Grameen Bank, governing the country is a different beast. Despite being owned by “poor women of Bangladesh” the former has always been the autocratic fiefdom of its founder. Now he is potentially the head of an organisation that has 140 million often vocal “shareholders”. Only way he can manage this is through investing in a team. He needs to build consensus while delegating responsibility. The first signs of the longevity of his experimentations with politics will be in the constitution of his core team. For that the nation waits anxiously.
While I think Doc Y will not succeed, I do want him to. More importantly I want Bangladesh to benefit from his dreams. Either each way, I think the sky over Gotham has changed forever.
Trouble brewed in Gotham City. The evil empress KZdam attacked mercilessly, while her henchman the Clown cleared out the bank vaults. On the other side of town the Hissina spewed venom on all that was good. Everyone ran helter-skelter. Is there no respite from this hell on earth? Will we never return to the days of the good? Is our salvation, our promised land just a dream? Just then across the sky, blazed a light. We looked up and asked, “Is it a social worker? A businessman? A politician?” “No!” came the reply “It’s Doc Y!”
Okay, I am prone to hyperbole. But I needed to match the dramatics that the good Dr. created with his letter to the nation. First of all as a practitioner of the art of Public Relation, I thought this move by him was a pure stroke of genius. Unfortunately it is the only one that I have seen from him in the recent past.
What surprised me the most was that the reaction was not, like I expected it to be, all saying this is the best thing since Mama’s Halim. Regardless of which newspaper you turned to, the balance between the yah-sayers and the nay-sayers was, I would say, a 55:45 split! The biggest argument in the positive side being that “give the man a chance” and on the other, “he can never succeed.”
What was my reply to the open letter? I was torn. Doc Y and I, as those who read my writing [http://nazimfarhan.blogspot.com] know, have a love-hate relationship. Well a relationship, if you take into consideration that I do not think he ever does read my writings. But as I’ve always maintained, he has this immense capability of luring me with his hypnotic spell of doing-good, only to leave me standing all alone at the alter. Be it the Citizen’s Anti Corruption Council or the need to find Clean Candidates. I wonder why I get a sense of déjà vu?
If I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, Dr. Yunus’ latest adventure is a very well meant attempt. He has, if nothing else, an innate understanding of where he sees Bangladesh heading and he has the ability to rally popular support behind that. I believe one of our nation’s biggest problems is the lack of vision of our leaders. Dr. Yunus brings a remedy to that problem.
I also hope his foray into politics will break the myth that there is no place for good honest citizens in nation building or in politics. I wish that I had a taka for every time someone told me that I would not be a successful politician because I did not have the requisite talent in corruption and mastan-giri. I pray the beacon of hope is lit and that many more flock to the arena.
But personal honesty or unremitting charisma cannot be the only criteria for successful politics or for the ability to manage the affairs of a state. A “clean-and-honest” candidate is not the end itself. But rather it is one of the many requirements for a successful statesman. I am sure that just about now I’ll be hit by the argument that Dr Yunus has managed the growth of Grameen Bank and its subsidiaries quite successfully. I would love to get into the debate about what are the parameters to measure success but I think that will derail from my main premise. I do not think Dr. Yunus will be successful in his efforts.
“Why?” you ask. Well for one he has been extremely politically naïve in the last few months (if not longer). He made more than several well-documented blunders. Say by giving President Iajuddin an “A+” when the rest of the nation looked on helplessly. Or the fact that he came up with the desire to go into polls come what may. Or even the fact that he towed the BNP line of constitutional requirement of the polls by a certain time, only to abandon it when the new caretaker government took oath. This coupled with his ill thought out “clean-candidate” speech, makes me question the capability of his advisers. Or for that matter if at all he is taking any advice to start with. And if he is, from whom is it coming?
Some of the events of the last few weeks have bewildered me. For one the fact that Dr. Yunus is so blatantly circumnavigating the current Emergency ordinance prohibiting any political activity. Secondly that he has asked people to form “Preparatory Committees” of 20 people at local level. Now who will be a part of these committees? Of course it would be nice if a common Joe (or in this case Jamal) would sign up. But is this not open to any and sundry to join? How do you identify who is a genuine “Yunuster” and who is an opportunist? I am not even getting into where the funding for such a large-scale mobilisation will come from. But let us not be naïve to think that no money is required to build up a grassroots based organisation. Are we looking at Grameen Foundation, vested interests or even a foreigner like George Soros to give the money?
Well to sum up my case, I believe that Dr. Yunus’ escapade into politics is, while well-intentioned, full of holes big enough to make any political observer squirm in his armchair. I know, I know! The nation is crying out for a change. By my own reporting 53% of the voters have lost faith in both the main political parties. Does it not leave an opportunity for a third force to emerge? Yes it does. But I don’t think Dr Yunus needs to be this force. And even more worryingly I have a feeling he is headed down the Gono Forum route.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not opposed to Dr. Yunus having a role in the government. But I think that he needs to rise above the political divide. We do not need another player in the field. It would not even matter that he is a Pele. What we actually do need is a good referee. Though he dismissed it offhandedly, I thought a better position for him to assume is that of the President of Bangladesh. While he is right that this is currently a mere ceremonial role, I would have thought he has the prudence to see the bigger picture. Not all powers have to be vested. Some come when one earns it through courage, respect, forbearance and integrity. For example Mahatma Gandhi never had a constitutionally mandated role in India. But can we ever overestimate his influence in the events of his times? Or what about the ceremonial Presidents of India? Most of them have left indelible mark on his nation’s conscience. In Thailand the King is a constitutional monarch. But a mere suggestion from him can sway a nation. Could Dr. Yunus not play the role of the Chief Vision Architect of the nation? As the President he can guide our collective actions into the right path. He could act as a political ombudsman to the brawling parties that govern us. He could be mentor to the young and a friend to the poor. He could shower us with hope, faith and aspirations. He could actually be the answer we are looking for instead of the debate we are getting into.
Does it mean that I’ll not vote for Nagorik Shakti, let alone support it? Like I said, I am torn. I just hope that Dr. Yunus has the foresight to surround himself with able people, from whom he can get solid advice. Unlike Grameen Bank, governing the country is a different beast. Despite being owned by “poor women of Bangladesh” the former has always been the autocratic fiefdom of its founder. Now he is potentially the head of an organisation that has 140 million often vocal “shareholders”. Only way he can manage this is through investing in a team. He needs to build consensus while delegating responsibility. The first signs of the longevity of his experimentations with politics will be in the constitution of his core team. For that the nation waits anxiously.
While I think Doc Y will not succeed, I do want him to. More importantly I want Bangladesh to benefit from his dreams. Either each way, I think the sky over Gotham has changed forever.
Monday 19 February 2007
On Dr. Yunus' new Nagorik Shokti party
Phiriye Ano Bangladesh is a non-partisan group, and so members cannot be explicitly for or against any particular party. Having said, that, however, it seems to me that Dr. Yunus' talk of a new party has already produced some very good results, and will hopefully produce even more. Let's look at some of these.
Firstly, everyone is fed up with the current parties and their personality cults. No one cares any longer who is pro-Mujib or pro-Zia, but that is all Bangladesh politics has been about. During the last BNP government, the following graffiti turned up all over the place: Ziaur Rahman is our philosophy, Khaleda Zia is our leader, Tarek Rahman is our ultimate destiny. It perfectly summed up the sorry state of our useless political parties, who have no real philosophy, no real leadership and no plan for the country's future. So naturally, the public expects nothing good to come from them. In this vacuum, any change is good. Yunus coming into politics is potentially a big change.
Secondly, we need real competition in the political scene. It's not a coincidence that Awami League dropped its awful pro-fatwa pact with the Khelafat Majlis as soon as Yunus turned up. Suddenly, AL is worried that they can no longer take their vote base of progressive-minded people for granted. They are actually responding to the wishes of their grassroots supporters rather than the political cattle-trading of Jalil and Hasina. Imagine that.
Thirdly, we should consider the religious element, which is strong in Bangladesh regardless of how we feel about it. Even though Yunus has not announced any political agenda, look at what Grameen Bank, the institution he has built, represents; a secular institution, actively non-Islamic in its reliance on interest, which is nonetheless accomplishing the work of improving the human condition that everyone always claims is the goal of Islam. We need someone to stand up and say that conventional Islamic concepts such as interest-free banking and Sharia law are not important, and be able to show more working examples of how the relevant religious principles of uplifting the poor can be upheld in a secular framework.Yunus is the only political figure in Bangladesh capable of subverting the Islamist paradigm in this way, and we badly need someone to do that.
Unfortunately, he has already made a mis-step by proposing that his party's local committees be called Yunus Samarthak Goshthi, which just seems to be creating another personality cult around himself. The reliance on his own personality is intensified by his lack of a personal ideological stance on religion or otherwise. He should resolve both of these shortcomings quickly if he wants to continue to build public support.
Footnote: For more information on Grameen Bank as the ideal "Islamic bank", please read the article debunking Islamic economics at my web site.
Firstly, everyone is fed up with the current parties and their personality cults. No one cares any longer who is pro-Mujib or pro-Zia, but that is all Bangladesh politics has been about. During the last BNP government, the following graffiti turned up all over the place: Ziaur Rahman is our philosophy, Khaleda Zia is our leader, Tarek Rahman is our ultimate destiny. It perfectly summed up the sorry state of our useless political parties, who have no real philosophy, no real leadership and no plan for the country's future. So naturally, the public expects nothing good to come from them. In this vacuum, any change is good. Yunus coming into politics is potentially a big change.
Secondly, we need real competition in the political scene. It's not a coincidence that Awami League dropped its awful pro-fatwa pact with the Khelafat Majlis as soon as Yunus turned up. Suddenly, AL is worried that they can no longer take their vote base of progressive-minded people for granted. They are actually responding to the wishes of their grassroots supporters rather than the political cattle-trading of Jalil and Hasina. Imagine that.
Thirdly, we should consider the religious element, which is strong in Bangladesh regardless of how we feel about it. Even though Yunus has not announced any political agenda, look at what Grameen Bank, the institution he has built, represents; a secular institution, actively non-Islamic in its reliance on interest, which is nonetheless accomplishing the work of improving the human condition that everyone always claims is the goal of Islam. We need someone to stand up and say that conventional Islamic concepts such as interest-free banking and Sharia law are not important, and be able to show more working examples of how the relevant religious principles of uplifting the poor can be upheld in a secular framework.Yunus is the only political figure in Bangladesh capable of subverting the Islamist paradigm in this way, and we badly need someone to do that.
Unfortunately, he has already made a mis-step by proposing that his party's local committees be called Yunus Samarthak Goshthi, which just seems to be creating another personality cult around himself. The reliance on his own personality is intensified by his lack of a personal ideological stance on religion or otherwise. He should resolve both of these shortcomings quickly if he wants to continue to build public support.
Footnote: For more information on Grameen Bank as the ideal "Islamic bank", please read the article debunking Islamic economics at my web site.
Tuesday 13 February 2007
Beyond the Live Aid model
Rock concerts are well and good, but I am wondering if we should be more ambitious than that? If we are trying to get young people more involved, there are many things that they can potentially do. The problem with encouraging young people to "get involved with politics" or "support clean candidates" is that these are very long term projects. I think it will be much more rewarding for them if they can see some good results immediately.
I remember reading about an excellent voluntary effort amongst DU students years ago where they organized primary education classes for street children in the campus area. I think it was called Orko? I don't know if it's still around. But that's the sort of thing we should be trying to encourage; political awareness through experience dealing with social problems.
At various times when Dhaka was badly flooded, I also remember university students helping to collect and distribute relief chal, dal, etc.
What about trying to organize university students to collect donations and then distribute some sort of relief for all the slum dwellers/hawkers who are currently being rendered homeless and destitute? This is certainly the most disastrous policy that the caretaker government has initiated, but it seems not much is being done about it.
If you folks think this is a good suggestion, we should actually get in touch with some people in the NGO sector about stuff like this. They know a lot more about organizing the details of a project like this than we do.
I remember reading about an excellent voluntary effort amongst DU students years ago where they organized primary education classes for street children in the campus area. I think it was called Orko? I don't know if it's still around. But that's the sort of thing we should be trying to encourage; political awareness through experience dealing with social problems.
At various times when Dhaka was badly flooded, I also remember university students helping to collect and distribute relief chal, dal, etc.
What about trying to organize university students to collect donations and then distribute some sort of relief for all the slum dwellers/hawkers who are currently being rendered homeless and destitute? This is certainly the most disastrous policy that the caretaker government has initiated, but it seems not much is being done about it.
If you folks think this is a good suggestion, we should actually get in touch with some people in the NGO sector about stuff like this. They know a lot more about organizing the details of a project like this than we do.
Sunday 11 February 2007
The next concert: 26th March, Dhaka University
The next Phiriye Ano Bangladesh free rock concert will hopefully be held in Dhaka University campus around Independence Day. All depending on getting the relevant venue bookings and permissions.
Interested DU students are requested to volunteer to help organize it.
Musicians who buy into our vision statement and are willing to contribute some free performance time should also get in touch.
Only six weeks to go! It's not that much time. Please get involved, and bring friends.
Interested DU students are requested to volunteer to help organize it.
Musicians who buy into our vision statement and are willing to contribute some free performance time should also get in touch.
Only six weeks to go! It's not that much time. Please get involved, and bring friends.
A broader horizon, but a smaller view
Photo: daily starMust read for all.
Irum has nailed it and has done a fantastic job here to give a complete picture of the current urban youth, their apathy towards politics and the lack of ideology in their direction. The million dollar question is how can we change it and engage them for social change...
Take a look....its a long read but a very comprehensive one and yes, also try to answer the question.
A broader horizon, but a smaller view by Irum Ali Khan
When you ask any of the group in question what they ‘believe’ in, most of them will be at a loss for words. This is a generation of cynics, not idealists. Their grandparents dreamt of a free India, their parents dreamt of a free Bangladesh, their older siblings dreamt of a government free from dictatorship. What do the current generation dream of? A better life, for sure, but a better life that concerns only them. This is not to accuse them of selfishness, but merely to highlight the absence of any guiding socio-political philosophy that would tether them to their society. The radical leftist and/or pro-independence political leanings of their parents’ generation seem a distant dream to a group of youth who are wary of politics. They see politics as destructive, and ultimately pointless. Look at their Dhaka University brethren, they say — caught in the mire of endless session jams due to the whims of the all powerful student wings of the major political parties. Nothing will change, and one party is as bad as the other, so why get involved? They see no marked ideological difference in the manifestoes of the reigning parties, and see elections as a merry-go-round where one party steps off to let the other on while the music and background remain the same. One party in practice is as bad as the other, so what’s the point in being engaged in the political process at all?
Asking them about the possibility of social change through activism unallied to politics brings forth an equally indifferent response. What’s the use, they shrug? All the aid money gets pocketed or squandered, NGOs are a rip-roaring business, the poor will get poorer and according to the news and we will remain the most corrupt country in the world. All around them, they see the failure of civil institutions to serve the needs of the people. Many of the young do not demonstrate an iota of faith in the power of advocacy to change society. They exhibit a feeling of helplessness that eventually morphs into apathy and a desire to do what they can for themselves, rather than fight a losing battle for a lost cause. They do not see the power of small changes, of small steps forward. They see the process of degeneration as too far gone to halt. If people truly do define themselves through a sense of place, draw their identities from the cultures they live in, then the culture has failed our young — it might have given them material advantages, but it has failed to give them faith in their own abilities to make a difference.
Full write up
Tuesday 6 February 2007
Reaching out to the public
The first concert was quite a while ago. The question is, what's next?
Take Back Bangladesh's initial focus on free and fair elections without hartals only works if there are political candidates worth voting for. This issue has been finally been brought to the foreground by the arrest of quite a few senior politicians yesterday on allegations of corruption.
Everyone will no doubt agree that we need a political renewal to make democracy work in Bangladesh. But there seems to be a shortage of ways to accomplish it. In this vacuum, sometimes it seems as if our only hope is for Professor Yunus to use the momentum of his Nobel Prize to start a new party. That only raises another question, though. He's one person; even if he wanted to start a new party, what could he do on his own? There isn't any grassroots movement which could push for clean candidates all over the country in the way that the established political parties can.
The segment of the population which has the most to gain from cleaner politics is the youth. After all, they will have to deal with Bangladesh's problems for the rest of their long lives. Furthermore, most of them are being totally marginalized by political parties who only care about recruiting more hooligans for their street agitation.
In the 1980's, the youth of Europe and North America were introduced to the issue of famine in Africa by means of the Live Aid concerts. That youth-based activism seems to have paid real dividends. Global issues relevant to the poor, such as fair trade and climate change, are a far bigger issue now than they were 20 years ago. It's no coincidence that Bob Geldof who organized Live Aid has also become a spokesperson for fairer trade agreements.
This model of political engagement driven by youth culture needs to be transplanted to Bangladesh. The question is how. More rock concerts? Political street theatre? Something totally different?
If you have any suggestions, please let us know by commenting. And please get involved.
Take Back Bangladesh's initial focus on free and fair elections without hartals only works if there are political candidates worth voting for. This issue has been finally been brought to the foreground by the arrest of quite a few senior politicians yesterday on allegations of corruption.
Everyone will no doubt agree that we need a political renewal to make democracy work in Bangladesh. But there seems to be a shortage of ways to accomplish it. In this vacuum, sometimes it seems as if our only hope is for Professor Yunus to use the momentum of his Nobel Prize to start a new party. That only raises another question, though. He's one person; even if he wanted to start a new party, what could he do on his own? There isn't any grassroots movement which could push for clean candidates all over the country in the way that the established political parties can.
The segment of the population which has the most to gain from cleaner politics is the youth. After all, they will have to deal with Bangladesh's problems for the rest of their long lives. Furthermore, most of them are being totally marginalized by political parties who only care about recruiting more hooligans for their street agitation.
In the 1980's, the youth of Europe and North America were introduced to the issue of famine in Africa by means of the Live Aid concerts. That youth-based activism seems to have paid real dividends. Global issues relevant to the poor, such as fair trade and climate change, are a far bigger issue now than they were 20 years ago. It's no coincidence that Bob Geldof who organized Live Aid has also become a spokesperson for fairer trade agreements.
This model of political engagement driven by youth culture needs to be transplanted to Bangladesh. The question is how. More rock concerts? Political street theatre? Something totally different?
If you have any suggestions, please let us know by commenting. And please get involved.
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