BREAKING NEWS: ANOTHER SUICIDE BOMBING IN NETROKONA

At least four people have been killed and approx. 50 injured in another wave of suicide bombing in Netrokona (northern Bangladesh) (BBC, CNN). According to local TV channels, the bombs were targeted at Udichee (a cultural organization) district office and its head along with two suicide bombers are dead. The police had defused another bomb in the area an hour before the incident.

So it is evident that the JMB onslaughts are aimed to create panic among common people, not against specific targets like the courts. They are being successful because the government has failed to take any actions against the terrorist apologists in their party and the qualition. They are yet to deploy special forces to hunt these beasts down.

I wonder how many innocent people will have to give their lives before the government realizes their failure to tackle this. Drishtipat summarizes the current situation in Bangladesh and demands real actions to be taken. I ditto their request and urge every Bangladeshi to unite and resist the onslaught whatever way they can.

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TODAY'S LINKS

* Wow, what an offer! Switch to Firefox and earn US$ 1.

* Jeremy David Pope, founder of Tranparency International is a true anti-corruption crusader. Read more about him.

* Prof. Juan Cole writes: "How Bush created a theocracy in Iraq"

* Stephen Cohen's "The Idea of Pakistan" is a critical look at pakistan, the idea that shapped it,what has become to that country now and whether it can acheive that idea.

* "The parked domain monetization" business is surprisingly profitable but unethical.

* The maids of Singapore finally get world's attention.

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BILL GETS VVIP TREATMENT

I was surprised to see that Bill Gates got unprecedented welcome from Bangladesh just like a head of state. His and Melinda's portraits were hung in front of the VVIP lounge of ZI Airport. Prime Minister personally greeted him in front of her room. All the major ministers were present at different discussion sessions.

Bangladesh is a business potential for Microsoft as due to absence of strict intellectual property/piracy law a major portion of PCs in Bangladesh use pirated Microsoft software. Unlike other countries you can buy an assembled clone desktop PC without software very cheap ($400-$500) and you can buy the pirated software CDs @$1. But now the situation is changing. More local Business houses are keen to get licensed software to be compliant to certain standard. As soon as there are strict IP act in place, everybody will have no option other than to buy the licenses unless they choose open source applications (like Linux based). But Microsoft is widely popular here. And Bangladesh hardware market is growing in exponential rate.

So Gates had no hesitation to sign an agreement with Bangladesh ministry of education to train 10,000 teachers and 200,000 students over the next three years. Obviously the estimated $15 million dollars required for this training would be an investment for potential market for Microsoft software these users will create.

I see the benefit for Bangladesh in the Microsoft announced grant of $15 million for the Asian Women's University in Chittagong. Even from the richest person in the world that is very generous. And Gates also assured that Microsoft will include the Bangladeshi Bangla typing layout in its Windows OS. Currently the layout is based on the Indian INSCRIPT layout which is unfamiliar to most Bangla speaking community.

Bill Gates is also keen to expand investment in Bangladesh.

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MONICA YUNUS IN DHAKA

Monica Yunus is quickly establishing herself as one of America’s most promising young sopranos. A 2003 Sullivan Foundation Award winner, Ms. Yunus has already performed with numerous opera companies throughout North America. If the family name is familiar to you then you have guessed it right. She is the daughter of Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and the pioneer of micro-credit. Monica was born to Yunus and his Russian wife in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1977 and left for USA after only three months. She was bred up by her mother in New Jersey. Muhammad Yunus married a Bangladeshi in 1980 and has been living in Bangladesh. But he still maintains contact with Monica. Monica has been a prize winner in numerous competitions, among them The Florida Grand Opera Competition, Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Lee Schaenen Foundation Award, and most recently The Mirjam Helin International Competition in Helsinki, Finland. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.

Monica is scheduled to come to Dhaka today for a couple of performances and visits to Grameen Bank. Welcome to Bangladesh, Monica.

Related: Dr Muhammad Yunus, a great man.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"They want to destroy hope, therefore I shall preserve it by any possible means.

They want to kill trust. Thus I will reach out to others, Africans, Asians, Arabs, Americans and Jews alike.

They want to imprison people in labels and stereotypes. I will strive to maintain a dialogue, always focusing on the individuals rather than the symbol.

They want to kill joy in me, thus I will laugh again.

They want to paralyze me, therefore I will take action. They want to silence me--therefore I will speak out."


- Mariane Pearl, wife of Danniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter kidnapped and killed by extremists in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002

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BREAKING NEWS: ANOTHER SUICIDE BOMBING IN GAZIPUR

This is freaking outrageous. Today at 11:45 AM another powerful bomb went off outside the main administrative office in Gazipur, where lawyers were marching as part of a daylong strike called by the lawyears in protest of the tuesday's bombings. About 25 people including police officers and journalists were injured. No reports of casualties yet but the condition of some of the wounded is serious and they have been moved to the capital Dhaka. (BBC, Reuters)

A young man selling tea had hid the bomb in a flask - while being frisked by security men he allegedly threw the bomb at the policemen, who were checking people in front of the gate of the district administrator's office. The suspected bomber was caught from the scene with injury.

Update I: One dead, Jamayetul Mujahideen is responsible.
Update II: Police recovered a live bomb today at an administrative building at Narayanganj town, 16 km (10 miles) east of the capital Dhaka.
Update III: Prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia postpones visit to UAE. Important ministries received fresh bomb threat.

Meanwhile the High Court yesterday issued a rule on the government why its continuous failure to discharge constitutional obligations to hold impartial, adequate and effective investigations into the bomb blasts on court premises since August 17 should not be declared a failure in protecting fundamental rights (The daily Star).

The government should act now before these menaces cripple the country. Otherwise, soon the people will give their ruling and there will be no return.

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BANGLADESHIS REACT

The rise of suicidal militancy and the current political situation have shaken the nation. People have started questioning. Ishtiaque writes a fascinating piece which reflects what many Bangladeshis are thinking. It's a must read. Some excerpts:

"It’s high time something gets done.

Is changing the government a solution? I don't think so. They are all the same. These politicians lack the creativity and dynamic nature that is required in order to solve critical problems. They can only solve some mundane problems, or allocate budget for solving it. They never do the follow up and check how the allocated resources and approved plans are being executed.

And we call them law makers, policy makers, and the Government. I wonder why these stupid, incompetent and half-educated people should make laws for us.

Irony…"

It is a warning to the politicians to stop the bickering and get their acts together. Because if the people rise, they will get no place to hide. It's a psychological war of the nation against some derailed people and their masters. Politicizing it will only lead the nation to hell.

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