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A Professional Journal of National Defence College

Volume 12 Number 2 December 2013

National Defence College Bangladesh

EDITORIAL BOARDChief Patron

Lieutenant General Mollah Fazle Akbar, ndc, pscEditor-in-Chief

Brigadier General Gazi Md Solaiman, nswc, afwc, psc, GEditor

Colonel Muhammad Shahnoor Rahman, afwc, pscAssociate Editors

Captain Syed Misbahuddin Ahmed,(c), afwc, psc, BNLieutenant Colonel Md Muniruzzaman, psc, Engrs

Assistant EditorsSenior Assistant Secretary Mohammad Nazmul Hasan

Civilian Staff Officer-3 Md Nazrul Islam

DISCLAMERThe analysis, opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NDC, Bangladesh Armed Forces or any other agencies of Bangladesh Government. Statements of fact or opinion appearing in NDC Journal are solely those of the authors and do not imply endorsement by the editors or publisher.

INITIAL SUBMISSIONInitial Submission of manuscripts and editorial correspondence should be sent to the National Defence College, Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. Telephone: 88 02 9003087, Fax: 88 02 8034715, E mail : [email protected]. Authors should consult the Notes for Contributions at the back of the Journal before submitting their final draft. The editors cannot accept responsibility for any damage to or loss of manuscripts.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electrical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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5, B.C.C Road, Nawabpur, 2nd Floor, Dhaka-1203, BangladeshPhone: 880-2-9514119, 7125057, E mail: [email protected]

CONTENTS

Page

College Governing Body iv

Vision and Mission Statement of the College vi

Foreword by the Commandant vi

Editorial vii

Faculty and Staff viii

List of Individual Research Papers: 2012 ix

Abstracts x

Impact of Good Governance on National Security of Bangladesh 1By - Brigadier General Md Siddiqul Alam Sikder, ndc, psc

Managing the Edible Oil Market for Consumer Benefit in Bangladesh 21By - Commodore Mohammad Abdur Razzak, ndc, psc, BN

Total Quality Management (TQM) in Bangladesh: An Imperative for RMG Sector 37By - Group Captain Ashraf Uddin Faroque, ndc

Branding Bangladesh: Ideas and Challenges 53By - Director General Md Shameem Ahsan, ndc

The Fall of LTTE – Implications for National, Regional and International Security 71By - Air Commodore P. D. K. T. Jayasinghe, ndc

Community Health Clinic in Bangladesh: An Assessment of the Essential Service Package (ESP) Delivery 95By - Brigadier General A K M Mustafa Kamal Pasha, ndc, MPH

Construction of Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh-An Illusion or a Reality 117By - Commander Joynal Abedin, (ND), afwc, psc, BN

Police – Public Relations: Confidence Building for Law Enforcement in Bangladesh 135By - Deputy Inspector General Md Mesbahun Nabi, ndc

The Arab Spring in the Middle East: Implications 157By - Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Anwar, afwc, psc

IV

COLLEGE GOVERNING BODY

PRESIDENTSheikh Hasina

Hon’ble Prime MinisterPeople’s Republic of Bangladesh

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc (retd)

VICE PRESIDENT

General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, psc; Chief of Army StaffVice Admiral M Farid Habib, (ND), ndc, psc; Chief of Naval StaffAir Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari, ndu, psc; Chief of Air Staff

MEMBERS

Lieutenant General Mollah Fazle Akbar, ndc, pscCommandant, National Defence College

Lieutenant General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul, Huq, ndc, psc Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division

Mr. Abdus Sobhan SikderSenior Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration

Major General Sheikh Md. Mamun Khaled, pscVice Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Professionals

Major General Sajjadul Haqueafwc, pscCommandant, Defence Services Command & Staff College

Mr. Fazle Kabir, ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Finance

Khondokar Md AsaduzzamanSecretary, Ministry of Defence

Md Shahidul HaqueSecretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser ChowdhurySecretary, Ministry of Education

Professor Dr. A A M S Arefin SiddiqueVice Chancellor, Dhaka University

Professor Dr. Anwar HussainVice Chancellor, Jahangir Nagar University

Professor Dr. Harun-or-RashidVice Chancellor, National University

MEMBER SECRETARY

Brigadier General Md Latiful Haider, ndc, psc,College Secretary, National Defence CollegeCaptain A Z M Jalal Uddin, (C), psc, BN

Colonel General Staff, Defence Services Command & Staff College

V

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS OF THE COLLEGE

VISION

The National Defence College is dedicated to be the premier national centre of excellence in security, strategic and development studies.

MISSION

To educate and train selected senior Armed Forces and Civil Services officers at operational and strategic level of national security and development.

To focus on long term national security and development issues and suggest appropriate national response.

To support the national agencies in policy making on security and development matters.

To support the Armed Forces on strategic and operational level planning of warfare.

To strengthen Civil-Military relation in Bangladesh.

To strengthen Military to Military cooperation in the region and beyond.

VI

National Defence College is on its track since 1999 with a vision: ‘‘to develop as the national centre of distinction on security studies - meeting the challenges of the 21st century’’. Since then the college has been relentlessly presenting time - befitting academic curricula to the potential policy planners, leaders and strategic thinker of the future. Intent of the college is to create a balanced outlook and bring a visualization amongst the Course Members with a strategic and operational level understanding. Now 15 years track record recognizes this premier institution at home and abroad profoundly.

National Defence College has always been emphasizing on conducting research in contemporary issues on defence and national security. The main aim of the research is to enable Course Members to make an original contribution to a subject of national or international interest, that has a bearing on the national security of any country. The college journal is a mirror image of the research works that are carried out at the college. I am pleased to note that the second part of 12th issue of the NDC Journal contains the selected “Individual Research Paper” of the Course Members of both National Defence Course - 2012 and Armed Forces War Course - 2012. The Editorial Board has accommodated assorted subjects and stepped up the excellence. It is my firm believe that the readers will find the articles worth reading and academically thought-provoking.

I congratulate all the members who have contributed to this journal. I thank the Editorial Board for editing and publishing the journal timely. This issue of the journal is yet another landmark in the path of advancement of National Defence College, Bangladesh.

MOLLAH FAZLE AKBARLieutenant GeneralCommandant

FOREWORD

VII

EDITORIALNDC Journal (Volume 12) is a bi-annual publication of National Defence College, the premier national centre of excellence on Security, Strategy and Development Studies. The articles for the journal are selected from individual research papers that the members of the Course had submitted as part of the course curriculum. The Course Members, during nearly a yearlong stay in the NDC spent a lot of time doing research on security and development related issues. The College believes that a senior officer from military and civil service should have a good understanding of the major economic, political and social issues facing the nation and be able to recommend measures to face the challenges.National Defence College has been very regular in bringing out its `NDC Journal` every year on time. This speaks of highly of the laborious effort and genuine commitment on the part of both the editorial staff and writers. While research papers are usually of 10000 -15000 words, the abridged versions are of 4000 -6000 words. The abridgement is executed in a manner that the inner significance and depth of the contents do not lose their objectives and preciseness. Sixty three members of the National Defence Course-2012 and twenty four members of Armed Forces War Course-2012, as integral part of their course requirement, prepared Individual Research Papers (IRP) on topics pertinent to national security and warfare strategy. Out of all IRPs in total 9 (nine) have been adjudged for publication in the current issue in abridged form. The articles reflect complex and intricate multidimensional issue emanated from the long diversified experiences and the curriculum based deliberations and discourse during their trainings on various topics concerning comprehensive national security. This volume includes papers of different categories concerning national security. These draw attention to Impact of Good Governance on National Security of Bangladesh, Police – Public Relations: Confidence Building for Law Enforcement in Bangladesh, Security Challenges for Pakistan in 21st Century, The Fall of LTTE – Implications for National, Regional and International Security, Community Health Clinic in Bangladesh: An Assessment of the Essential Service Package (ESP) Delivery, Managing the Edible Oil Market for Consumer Benefit in Bangladesh, Total Quality Management (TQM) in Bangladesh: An Imperative for RMG Sector, The Arab Spring in the Middle East: Implication and. Construction of Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh-An Illusion or a Reality. A reader, before getting into the pleasure of reading, can get an idea of what these papers are about from the abstracts included at the beginning of this journal. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Chief Patron Lieutenant General Mollah Fazle Akbar, ndc, psc, the Commandant of NDC for his valuable guidance. Research is a highly committed undertaking. Despite all efforts, unintentional errors in various forms may appear in the journal. We ardently request our valued readers to pardon us for such unnoticed slights and shall consider ourselves rewarded to receive any evocative criticism. We hope that all papers included in this volume will satisfy our readers.

GAZI MD SOLAIMAN Brigadier GeneralSenior Directing Staff (Army)

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LIST OF FACULTY AND STAFF

COMMANDANTLieutenant General Mollah Fazle Akbar, ndc, psc

NDC FACULTY

Major General AKM Abdur Rahman ndc, psc, SDS (Army-1) [Incoming]Rear Admiral Muhammad Anwarul Islam, ndc, afwc, psc, BN, (SDS (Navy)

Air Vice Marshal M Sanaul Huq, ndc, psc, SDS (Air)Brigadier General Gazi Md Solaiman, nswc, afwc, psc, G, SDS (Army-1) [Outgoing]

Brigadier General Mesbah-Ul Alam Chowdhury, ndc, afwc, psc, SDS (Army-2)Joint Secretary A F M Nurus Safa Chowdhury, ndc, SDS (Civil)

Director General Saquib Ali, ndc, SDS (Foreign Service)AFWC FACULTY

Brigadier General Muhammad Shams-Ul Huda, afwc, psc, Chief InstructorColonel F M Zahid Hussain, afwc, psc, DS (Army-1)

Colonel Abu Sayed Mohammad Ali, afwc, psc, DS (Army-2)Colonel Md Faizur Rahman, afwc, psc, DS (Army-3)

Captain Syed Misbahuddin Ahmed, (C), afwc, psc, BN, DS (Navy)Group Captain Javed Tanveer Khan, afwc, psc, GD(P), DS(Air)

STAFFBrigadier General Md Latiful Haider, ndc, psc, College Secretary

Colonel Muhammad Shahnoor Rahman, afwc, psc, Director, Research & AcademicLieutenant Colonel Md Muniruzzaman, psc, Senior Research Fellow-2

Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, afwc, psc, GSO-1 (Trg)Lieutenant Colonel Hasan Shahriar, psc, GSO-1 (Admin)

Major SK Golam Mohiuddin, Staff OfficerMajor Md Shahidul Alam, Staff Officer

Major Md Mizanur Rahman Sikder, psc, GSO-2 (P&C)Major Khan Mohammad Fazle Mukit, QM

Squadron Leader M Farhad Hossain Khan, psc, GSO-2 (SD)Major Wasiuddin Ahmed, GSO-2 (Admin)

Major Mohammad Masudur Rahman Khan, GSO-2 (Network Admin)Major Mohammad Shahed Chowdhury, psc, GSO-2 (Coord)

Major Mohammad Ali Akkas, MTOMajor Md Mukim Uddin, GSO-2, AFWC Wing

Lieutenant Commander Mahbuba Afroze, (L), BN, GSO-2 (TS)Captain Md Alamgir Hossain, GSO-2 (Accounts)

Senior Assistant Secretary Mohammad Nazmul Hasan, Research CoordMr Md Nazrul Islam, CSO-3 (Library)

Flight Lieutenant Saifa Zaman Bubli, Admin, GSO-3 (TS)

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LIST OF INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PAPERS NATIONAL DEFENCE COURSE - 2012

1. ASEAN Regional Forum – Progress or Digression from ASEAN Charter Lieutenant Colonel Hussein bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohamad, ndc2. Impact of China’s Security Situation on the Korean Peninsula Colonel Li Jinsen, ndc3. Egyptian Security Strategic Interests in the Region of the Nile Basin in light

of International Changes Brigadier General Yassen Saber Mohammad Attya, ndc4. Turkish Role in the Middle East: Strategy of Cooperation for the National

Security of Egypt and the Arab world Brigadier General Nasser Kamaleldin Fathalla Saleh, ndc5. Indo-Bangladesh Land Border: A Boundary without Enclaves Brigadier Alok Singh Kler, ndc6. Piracy in Indian Ocean Region and Possible Role for the Regional Navies to

Counter the Menace Commodore Mukul Asthana, ndc7. The Iranian Military Capabilities and their Impact on the Security of the

Arabian Gulf Colonel Ahmad Mesleh Mohammad Al-zoubi, ndc8. Al Qaeda and its Regional Allies: Challenges to Security and Stability in

Southeast Asia Brigadier General Dato’ Md Tajri bin Alwi, ndc9. Ro Hin Gya’s Predicament: Implication for Bangladesh – Myanmar

Relations Colonel Sein Tun Hla, ndc10. Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Militants in the

Niger Delta Region: An Analysis of the Implementation Strategy of the Amnesty Programme

Colonel Ibrahim Manu Yusuf, ndc11. Decline in Education Standards in Nigeria: Implications on National

Security Colonel Stevenson Oluabenga Olabanji, ndc

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12. Nigeria’s National Security: Challenges and Prospects for the Armed Forces Colonel Ben Bella Ahmed Raji, ndc 13. Global Peace Support Operations : Imperative for a New Strategic Vision

with Special Attention on Nigeria Captain (NN) Onche Ebenehi Adoga, ndc14. Minimizing Sea Blindness of Policy Makers for overall Development of

Nigeria: The Way Forward Captain (NN) Emmanuel Azugu Israel, ndc 15. Modern Management Techniques in Nigerian Armed Forces: An

Assessment Captain (NN) Abraham Olema Adaji, ndc 16. Nigeria’s Maritime Resources Protection: Strategies for the Armed Forces Captain (NN) Williams Onovuhe Kayoda, ndc17. Arab Spring: Lessons Learned for Developing Nations with Special

Emphasis on North Africa Captain (NN) Odey Marcus Odey, ndc 18. The Economics of Peacekeeping Operations: The Nigerian Experience Group Captain John Kwasu Baba, ndc19. Human Resource Development in the Nigeria Armed Forces: An Appraisal

of the current NAF Training Group Captain Tunde Asimiyu Awoyoola, ndc20. Banking Sector Reforms and Economic Development in Nigeria Group Captain Abubakar Bala Bagare, ndc21. Religious Extremism and National Security in Nigeria: The Boko Haram

Case Study Group Captain Saddiq Ismaila Kaita, ndc 22. Privatization and National Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects Group Captain Frank Gordnews Oparah, ndc23. Security Challenges for Pakistan in 21st Century- Impacts in the South

Asian Region Brigadier Saeed Zafar Dar, ndc24. Iranian Quest for Nuclear Power and the West Brigadier General (Pilot) Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, psc

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25. The fall of LTTE – Implications for Regional and International Security Air Commodoree Punyasri Darmaravindre Kalyanatissa Tissera Jayasinghe, ndc26. Trends of Multi Polarity: Analysis, Implications for Regional and Global

Peace: Recommendations Brigadier General Gaudence Salim Milanzi, ndc27. Piracy in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden - Implications in Global Trade

& Sea Routes of Communication Captain (Navy) Galib Bin Dakhilullah Wasal Al Guthami, ndc28. Rain Water Harvesting for Better Water Management in Bangladesh Brigadier General Md Moazzem Hossain, ndc, psc29. Political Economy of Tourism in Chittagong Hill Districts BrigadierGeneralAKMShafiulMowla,ndc,psc30. Green House Effect and its Impact on the Socio-Economic Activities in

Bangladesh Brigadier General Md Golam Mowla Bhuiyan, ndc, psc31. Transit to India: Effect on the Economy and Security of Bangladesh Brigadier General A K M Sadat Hossain Chowdhury, ndc, psc, G32. Extension of Compulsory Primary Education up to Grade VIII – Challenges

and Way Forward Brigadier General Md Shah Alam Chowdhury, ndc, afwc, psc33. Informal Border Trade – Impact on Bangladesh-India Relations Brigadier General Md Mehdi Hassan, ndc, afwc, psc34. China-Myanmar Relations: Implication for Bangladesh Brigadier General Tameem Ahmed Chowdhury, ndc, psc35. Unifying Madrasa Education under National Curriculum with Emphasis to

Vocational Training: Challenges and Prospects Brigadier General Md Firoz Rahim, ndc, psc, G36. India’s Strategic Interest in the 21st century: Implications for Bangladesh Brigadier General Md Abdur Razzaque, ndc, psc37. Economic Cooperation for Poverty Reduction in South Asia - Challenges

and Opportunities Brigadier General A K M Akhtaruzzaman, ndc, psc

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38. Earthquake in Bangladesh: Need for a Comprehensive Plan Brigadier General Kazi Sharif Kaikobad, ndc, psc, G39. Human Security in South Asia: Meeting the Challenges Brigadier General Md Obaidul Haque, ndc, afwc, psc 40. Non-Traditional Security Issues in Bangladesh with Particular Reference to

Health Brigadier General Mohammad Yusuf, ndc, afwc, psc41. Global Recession: Challenges for Bangladesh and the way ahead Brigadier General Abul Kashem Md Ibrahim, ndc, afwc, psc42. Bangladeshi Women in Socio- economic Development : Analysis and

Strategy for Future Brigadier General Md Mahbubul Haque, ndc, afwc, psc43. Impact of Good Governance on National Security of Bangladesh Brigadier General Md Siddiqul Alam Sikder, ndc, psc44. Trans- Border Trafficking in South Asia – Implications for Bangladesh

Major General Mizanur Rahman Khan, ndc, afwc, psc45. Community Health Service – A New Horizon for Bangladesh Brigadier General A K M Mustafa Kamal Pasha, ndc46. Waterways: An Instrument of Comprehensive National Security Commodore Mohammad Akhtar Habib, (ND), ndc, ncc, psc, BN 47. Importance of Intermodal Transportations and Communication Infrastructure

in Developing Present Hinterland Connectivity with Ports of Bangladesh Commodore Yahya Syed, (C), ndc, afwc, psc, BN 48. Managing the Edible Oil Market for Consumer Benefit in Bangladesh Commodore Mohammad Abdur Razzak, (S), ndc, psc, BN 49. Integrating the Street Dwellers in the Development Process of Bangladesh:

Challenges and Prospects Group Captain Md Salamat Ullah, Engg, ndc50. Extent and Magnitude of Urban Poverty : Challenges and Way Ahead for

Social/Economic Development GroupCaptainMohammadMostafizurRahman,ndc,psc,GD(P)

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51. Total Quality Management (TQM) in Bangladesh: An Imperative for Growing Industries

Group Captain Ashraf Uddin Faroque, Engg, ndc52. Effectiveness of Legal Framework for Juvenile Justice in Bangladesh Additional Secretary Mr. Md Anwarul Islam Sikder, ndc53. Bangladesh – Russia Economic Relations : Trends and Opportunities Joint Secretary Mr. Mohammad Abdul Quadir, ndc54. Engendering Civil Service in Bangladesh Joint Secretary Begum Zikrur Reza Khanam, ndc55. Population Control in Bangladesh: Challenges & Prospects for Socio-

Economic Development Joint Secretary Mr. Md Zaydul Haque Molla, ndc56. Potentiality of Bangladeshi Commodities in the Japanese Market – Problems

and Prospects Joint Secretary Mr. Abul Mansur Md Faizullah, ndc57. New Challenges to Public Governance in Bangladesh Joint Secretary Gazi Mohammad Julhash, ndc58. E-Governance in Bangladesh: Challenges and Prospects Joint Secretary Mr. Md Rezaul Karim, ndc59. Employment Generation in Bangladesh –Role of ICT Joint Secretary Md Aminul Bar Chowdhury, ndc60. Role of CAG in Ensuring Financial Discipline Joint Secretary Mr. N. M. Jahangir Hossain, ndc61. Participatory Action Research for Human Development of the Scavengers

in Bangladesh Joint Secretary Begum Salma Nasreen, ndc62. Police – Public Relations: Confidence Building for Law- enforcing Agencies

in Bangladesh Deputy Inspector General Mr. Md Mesbahunnabi, ndc63. Branding Bangladesh: Ideas and Challenges Director General Mr. Md. Shameem Ahsan, ndc

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LIST OF INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PAPERS ARMED FORCES WAR COURSE - 2012

1. Prospect of Maritime Resource Exploration in Bangladesh Maritime Zone

Lieutenant Colonel Md Afzal Hossain, afwc, psc,Engrs

2. Eradicating Child Labour: Options for Bangladesh

Lieutenant Colonel Kabir Ahmed, afwc, psc, Inf

3. Management and Skill Development for Unemployed Population

Colonel Md Faizur Rahman, afwc, psc, Inf

4. Prospects and Challenges of PPP by Bangladesh Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Md Ahsanul Kabir, afwc, psc, Engrs

5. Migration due to Climate Change: Implications

Lieutenant Colonel Ejaz Hakim Afriecq, afwc, psc, Arty

6. Energy Security of Bangladesh: Effects and Remedies

Lieutenant Colonel Abu Mohammad Sarwar Farid, afwc, psc, AC

7. Capital Market of Bangladesh – Causes of failure in exploiting its Potential for Industrialization and Probable Way-out

Lieutenant Colonel Iqbal Ahmed, afwc, psc, Sigs

8. FDI inflow in Bangladesh: Challenges and Way Ahead

Colonel Md Tajul Islam Thakur, afwc, psc, G, Arty

9. Non Traditional Security with focus to Health, Education and Internal Security

LieutenantColonelMohammadHafizurRahman,afwc,psc

10. Technology Transfer: Whether a Gateway to Economic Development of Bangladesh

Lieutenant Colonel Md Maksudul Haque, afwc, psc, Ord

11. Economic Development and National Security: Bangladesh Perspective

Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Wasim-ul Haq, afwc, psc, Inf

12. Bangladesh-India Land Border: Issues and Management

Lieutenant Colonel Md Mahbub Ul Alam, afwc, psc, Inf

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13. Arab Spring in the Middle East: Implications

Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Anwar, afwc, psc, G, Arty

14. Future Security Challenges in South Asia: Preparedness of Bangladesh

Lieutenant Colonel Mamun-Ur-Rashid, afwc, psc, Inf

15. Expatriate Bangladeshi Workers and Capacity Building for Skilled Manpower: Challenges for Bangladesh

Lieutenant Colonel J M Emdadul Islam, afwc, psc, Inf

16. Prospects and Challenges of introducing Solar Energy System in Bangladesh

Lieutenant Colonel Md Naheed Asgar, afwc, psc, ASC

17. Bangladesh India Common Rivers Water Sharing Issue: Problem and Prospect

Captain Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury, (G), afwc, psc, BN

18. Construction of Deep Sea Port: Prospects and Challenges

Commander M Joynal Abedin, (ND), afwc, psc, BN

19. Prospects and Challenges of Ship Building Industries in Bangladesh

Commander A K M A Azim, (S),Afwc, psc, BN

20. Non-Formal Education in Bangladesh: Implications

CommanderMMostafizurRahman,(TAS),afwc,psc,BN

21. Climate Change and National Response: Bangladesh Perspective

Group Captain Javed Tanveer Khan, afwc, psc, GD(P)

22. Transnational Security Threat: Relevance to Bangladesh

Wing Commander Md Readad Hossain, afwc, psc, ADWC

23. Building up a Modern Task Oriented Defence Force in Bangladesh: Options and Implications

Wing Commander Md Ahsanur Rahman, afwc, psc, GD (P)

24. Minimizing dependency on RMG and Diversification of Export

Wing Commander Md Siddiqur Rahman, afwc, psc, Log

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ABSTRACT

IMPACT OF GOOD GOVERNANCE ON NATIONAL SECURITY OF BANGLADESH

Brigadier General Mohammad Siddiqul Alam Sikder, ndc, pscWith the increasing role of the state in modern societies, bureaucratic control in socialandeconomicfieldsandtheincreasinguseofadministrativediscretiononvarious matters, scholars and development partners have put emphasis on the quality of its governance. Despite the continuing efforts of Bangladesh and its partners to enhance the quality of governance in the country; it is still suffering, among other things, from numerous governance related insufficiencies andcomplexities, Good governance has a very close and intermingled relationship withnational security.Theconceptofnational security isno longerconfinedwithin the domain of military only. The centre of gravity has been gradually shifted towards various non-traditional security issues such as economic security, environmental security etc. A huge number of poverty stricken people battered by natural disasters at regular interval, if not governed well are likely to create security hazards. Only good governance can assure these people of social justice, equitable distribution of wealth across the country and peaceful environment to live in. An attempt has been made in this study to critically analyze the concept of good governance and national security including their inter-relationship, the present state of governance and the impact of governance on national security. The author suggests that, Bangladesh Government should undertake immediate reforms in her various organs and state institutions. In the process, the author further suggests the Government to formulate a comprehensive defence policy which will further enhance the existing friendly relations with her good neighbours. The study also suggests that a sustained economic growth coupled with stable political situation is the driving force in ensuring national security. The political masters should remember that the close link between good governance and national security has put up a compulsion on them to ensure good governance in Bangladesh.

MANAGING THE EDIBLE OIL MARKET FOR CONSUMER BENEFIT IN BANGLADESH

Commodore Mohammad Abdur Razzak, ndc, psc, BNEdible oil is one of the many daily essential commodities in the market. Annual demand is about 1.3 million MT. Approximately 75% of the consumer demand is met with Palm Oil and 25% with Soya bean oil. But household consumers,

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the largest consumer segment in the edible oil market, disclosed that they buy Soya bean oil, not Palm oil for their daily cuisine. This study revealed that customers in the loose oil market are prone to be defrauded by sellers in the wholesale or retail market. Consumer demands, Soya bean or Palm oil, are met through import. Import dependent edible oil market at times become volatile and surely during special occasions like Ramadan. In a market there are different forces to act and react. But they should not be and cannot be left at their will. Government has the responsibility of regulatory management of the market. Therearedifferentgovernmentapparatuswithdefinedtaskandjurisdictiontocontribute in managing the edible oil market. There are persistent weaknesses in the government machinery which needs improvement. This study attempted to examine the system that government is managing the edible oil market and the options, if any, to improve market management for consumer benefit inBangladesh.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) IN BANGLADESH: AN IMPERATIVE FOR RMG SECTOR

Group Captain Ashraf Uddin Faroque, ndcTotal Quality Management (TQM) is a philosophy based on quality and productivity. Effective implementation of TQM in any organization requires committed leadership and motivated workforce. Leadership comes from the management while motivated workforce is the outcome of motivational Human Resource (HR) practices of that organization. TQM, which came into being in Japaninearlyfiftiesasaqualityconcept,hasnowbecomeaglobalphenomenonin thefieldofmanagement.But, inBangladesh,TQM is still apopular topicfor academic discussions, and organizations are still devoid of standard HR practicesrequiredforimplementingTQMinthefieldofrealbusiness.Assuch,thematic approach of this study is ‘TQM in Bangladesh’ for which ‘HR practices’ has been chosen as the key word. The study shows how different management approacheshaveevolvedandwhyTQMwasrequiredinthefieldofmanagement.The aim of the study is to present an effective TQM framework for different business organizations. Special emphasis has been given on the RMG sector because this sector, at present, accounts for more than 78 percent of our export earnings and engages a huge workforce of about 3.6 million. It is found during study that prevailing HR practices including the level of compliance in the RMG sector are not satisfactory. It is also revealed that the garment workers are not satisfiedwith theirpresent salaries,welfare, safetyandbenefits.Asa result,labor unrest has become rampant in the sector where productivity is still a critical issue. TQM approach can be considered as an effective tool for resolving

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this problem. For this purpose, the sector’s prevailing HR practices need to be improved for creating motivated workforce which is an imperative for effective implementation of TQM in the sector for increasing productivity, reducing cost and improving quality.

BRANDING BANGLADESH: IDEAS AND CHALLENGES

Director General Shameem Ahsan, ndcWe live in a branded world. Bangladesh has made impressive and laudable progress in many fields, but international perception about the country seems largelynegative. Many countries, both developed and developing, are now aggressively trying to” brand” themselves in order to imprint on the minds of the international audience. They have taken multiple strategies to brand themselves with the unique characteristics and traits of the country/nation. Bangladesh should not be seen laggard to aggressively pursue country branding which is closely linked with her overall development efforts. Bangladesh has several signature issues to take pride on but the “vibrancy” of the people seems to be the single most important factor which has been the driving force for the country. An attempt has been made in this paper to analyze the rationale for branding the country as “Vibrant Bangladesh” while touching on the other unique characteristics of the country and its people. It is believed that effective and sustained persuasion of public diplomacy can help achieve the objective though it will require concerted efforts by all stake-holders, both at the public and private sector. Nation branding is not an option but a necessity, and this was the major highlight of the article.

“THE FALL OF LTTE”- IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Air Commodore PDKT Jayasinghe, ndcThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, are a separatist group in Sri Lanka agitating for a homeland for ethnic Tamils for last three decades causing death of over 80 000 Sri Lankans of all ethnicities. Consideringthethreattothelivesofitscitizen,thehistoryofatrocitiesinflictedon its people, and theLTTE’s repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement,Sri Lankan government had no resort but to order its military to liberate the people of the North and East from LTTE control and free all Sri Lankans from theLTTE’sterror.AfterthreeyearsoffearsomefightingOn18May2009,SriLankan armed forces defeated the LTTE, bringing an end to the three decades of conflictandsuffering.

Today, Sri Lankans of all ethnicities, living in all parts of Sri Lanka, are free from

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LTTE terror and no longer lives in a state of fear. Democracy is restored in the North and the East, the electoral process has been resuscitated after decades, internally displaced persons have been resettled in their homes, infrastructure is being restored, former armed groups have been disarmed and have joined the political process, child soldiers conscripted by the LTTE are back with their families, and other cadres who surrendered are being reintegrated into civilian life after rehabilitation. Sri Lankans have begun the process of rebuilding their country.

Although, the LTTE is militarily defeated in Sri Lanka, its international networks with the backing of Tamil Diaspora are still active and even formed a provisional trans-national government of Tamil Eelam which they famously called as government in exile. The aim of the LTTE’s international network is to re-organize the group and commence their brutal war again to pursue their ideology of bifurcation of Sri Lanka to create a separate home land for Tamil speaking people. Success of such terror group not only threatens the stability and security of Sri Lanka but the region and world at large. The insurgents groups having transnational networks cannot be fought by domestic governments without a transnational capability and capacity. Thus, the nation states should be united to prevent resurgence of this kind of terrorist organizations. The traditional roles of defence and foreign affairs establishments deliberate for deterrence and bilateral relations do not have the institutional mechanisms to meet the threat posed by 21 centaury terrorism. Therefore, an integrated, multipronged and a transnational strategy is the key to address today’s National, Regional and International security dimensions.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC IN BANGLADESH: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE PACKAGE (ESP) DELIVERY

Brigadier General A K M Mustafa Kamal Pasha, ndc, MPHMuch improvement is noticed in Bangladesh in some of the health indicators over last decades, but the utilization of health care service in public sector still remains very low. The study was to see the utilization of services provided by Community Clinic, assessing its performance in achieving delivery of Essential Service Package (ESP) and also to see the perception of the community people regarding the quality of services including community participation for its smooth functioning.

The paper is based on research work, which was conducted using primary and secondary data utilizing qualitative and quantitative approach. To collect primary dataacross-sectionalstudywasconductedinthefiftyhouseholdhavingchildren

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less than 2 years of age in the catchments area of Mirergoan Community Clinic in Gazipur district from February 2012 to August 2012, adopting purposive sampling and utilizing semi structured questionnaire.

Community Clinics were established with a view to cover 80% rural population but except partial immunization coverage (72%) all other services were found behind the target. Perceived quality of health care greatly influencesthe utilization. Perception was mostly dependent on availability of drugs and attitude and behaviour of health personnel to the patient. The waiting time, non-availability of water and lavatory facilities etc in Community Clinic is also found significantinbuildingclient’sperception.

CONSTRUCTION OF DEEP SEA PORT IN BANGLADESH- AN ILLUSION OR A REALITY

Commander Joynal Abedin, (ND), afwc, psc, BNChittagong being themajor port of the country dealsmore than 92% of thetrades where as Mongla Port handles a marginal share. With the growing economy, Chittagong Port is about to exhaust its capacity. Moreover it cannot accommodate large ship due to depth limitation. Hence for economic and regional context, Government decided to build a Deep Sea Port (DSP) at Sonadia and carried out feasibility study in 2006. But till today nothing mentionable progress could be achieved. This research found out that the government, troubled with Padma Bridge, could not manage funds for this mega project. Now, government is in dilemma over whom to pick from three countries – China, India and the US -- showing interest in building the DSP at Sonadia. In addition choosing right management and PPP model for investment is also a challenge. On the other hand, building DSP by Myanmar is obscuring the prospect of Sonadia DSP as regional hub. Now, top level of the GOB should involve implementing the project faster so that missing train consequence like submarine cable does not repeated. Thus this paper has studied all the relevant pros and cons for early implementation of DSP applying mostly interview and content analysis method.

XXI

POLICE-PUBLIC RELATIONS: CONFIDENCE BUILDING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN BANGLADESH

Deputy Inspector General Md. Mesbahun Nabi, ndcIn Bangladesh, police is primarily concerned with the maintenance of law and order and security of persons and property of the individual; it also plays a vital role in the criminal justice system. The relationship between the members of the publicandPoliceinBangladeshideallyshouldbemutuallybeneficial.

The present study titled “Police- Public relations: Confidence building forlaw enforcement in Bangladesh” has been undertaken in order to make an elaborate assessment on status of the present Police- Public relations, legal frame work of Police- Public relations, identify the strength and weaknesses under the present legal system in terms of Police- Public relations. Moreover, study of public perception and the ground reality about reciprocity of police and public, interpreting the present scenarios on police- public relationship and its implications on the performance of police in Bangladesh and recommendations for effective police- public relations for the overall development of the country have been added in the research.

Bangladesh Police does not have any institutional framework on police- public relations, inadequate legal framework is also a weaker part of it. During the study a survey was carried out at six different districts on different classes of people including police officers. The study identifies some important factorswhich contribute to present police- public relations; which includes Social, organizational and human & psychological factors. The study also gave some recommendations to enhance the existing relation between police and public.

Being the main machinery of the government to look after the safety and security of the people Bangladesh Police should endeavor to be graduated from the traditional enforcement approach to the modern service oriented approach throughitspro-peopleactivitiesandgainingconfidence.

XXII

THE ARAB SPRING IN THE MIDDLE EAST: IMPLICATIONS

Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Anwar, afwc, psc, G, ArtySince time immemorial Middle East had been a point of interest and focus area for the world powers mainly because of it’s geo-strategic importance and rich oil deposits. The region still holds good as an important area in the globe for itssignificantinfluenceintheworldpolitics.RecentArabSpringinMiddleEastand North African countries has given rise to the new political, economic and security dimensions in the region. The issue concerns Bangladesh being a third world developing country inadequately endowed with the natural resources and therefore, need to explore the opportunity in the region specially the remittances through migrant workers. Again Bangladesh being a Muslim country, its vast populations are vulnerable from religious exploitation by the vested groups. All these factors make the recent Arab Spring important to us. Therefore, it is essential to identify the reasons of such situation including its impact on socio-politico and economic aspects of Bangladesh and suggest measures to address the situation for future.

IMPACT OF GOOD GOVERNANCE ON NATIONAL SECURITY OF BANGLADESH

Brigadier General Mohammad Siddiqul Alam Sikder, ndc, psc

INTRODUCTIONThe term ‘governance’ and ‘good governance’ are being increasingly used in

the development literatures. Governance describes the process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented. Governance is broader notion than government, state and regime and is the interaction between formal institutions and civil society.1 In general terms, governance denotes “how people are ruled, how the affairs of the state are administered and regulated as well as a nation’s system of politics and how these function in relation to public administration and law”.2

Since her inception Bangladesh has experienced a traumatic journey in the arena of governance. In spite of countable achievements in ensuring better governance, Bangladesh is often criticized as a country that falls short of good governance. Many of the indicators of good governance do not qualify to the world standard in present day Bangladesh. During 1990s and onward Bangladesh has notably improved both its economic performance and human development indicators. Unfortunately, all such achievements and successes have largely faded away because of the “poor governance” in the broader politico-administrative system and process.3 There is a growing concern regarding how far the economic growth momentum can withstand a ‘weakening’ of the institutions of political governance.4

There is a relationship between good governance and effective national security. When a country is well governed, the fear of insecurity dissipates because the government has no reason to be afraid of insurrection or any violent opposition. Good governance entails a political system in which the leadership is responsive, transparent and accountable to the citizens. It entails respect for the constitution and the rule of law by all. Good governance requires a fair distribution of the national wealth so that all citizens, groups, states, and regions of the country benefit. An imbalance in the distribution of the national wealth tends to lead to insecurity because those who are left out are likely to react in a manner that threatens the national security. As such, good governance is definitely a major pre-requisite to ensure national security of Bangladesh.

1. Aminuzzaman, 2012.2. Mills and Serageldin,1991.3. Aminuzzaman, 20064. Ahluwalia and Mahmud, 2004

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Impact of Good Governance on National Security of Bangladesh

CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Good GovernanceGood governance is a normative concept that denotes some ‘ideal type’

governance process and outcome.5 Due to this normative orientation, there is a tendency in the literature to define good governance with some common dominant concepts like accountability, transparency, efficiency, fairness, equity and justice.6 According to a general concept of governance, only relatively better governance may determine the merit of a country. Good governance remains as the perpetual idea under almost all circumstances. Good governance is distinctly characterized by participation, accountability, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus oriented, equity and inclusiveness and effectiveness. The discussion of good governance naturally also implies that there is failure of governance or bad governance. The act of omissions and commissions that provokes corruption, violation of human rights, violence, etc. that may characterize any government anywhere be it in a developed or a developing country, should be seen as governance failure or bad governance.

Good governance depends on a whole range of institutions and their capacity to exhibit a number of traits in order to play the desirable role. In this sense, good governance seems herculean job, almost impossible to achieve in a resource scarce situation. Grindle attempted to resolve this dilemma by proposing that it is sufficient for a country to strive for a minimum level of good governance that is sufficient to maintain the momentum of growth of a country within its affordable resources.7 He termed this phenomenon as ‘good enough governance’. Given the severe resource constraint in Bangladesh, this paper views the state of governance from ‘good enough governance’ perspective to circumscribe our discussion on a few critical governance institutions and traits.

Concept of National SecurityThe concept of national security developed mostly in the United States

of America after World War II. Initially focusing on military might, it now encompasses a broad range of facets, all of which impinge on the non military or economic security of the nation and the values espoused by the national society. National security is the collective security aspiration of the citizens. Conventionally, national security is defined as the immunity of a nation from 5. Simionis, 2004.6. Mr. Guido Bertucci, International Conference on Building Partnership for Good Governance. New York,

2000.7. Grindle, M.S., 2007. “Good Enough Governance Revisited’, Development Policy Review, 25 (5), Pp.

553-574

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external aggression. The state ensures national security by having a military force capable of defending its territorial boundary and ensuring the exercise of sovereign authority. Today national security means not only immunity against foreign aggression, it also includes an absence of hunger and disease, poverty and illiteracy. Political leaders and policy makers have to carefully balance the country’s defence and social needs. This has always been a difficult task. It is an irony that the developing countries spend greater percentage of their wealth on the military than the developed countries.

Inter-relationship between Good Governance and National SecurityAlthough, most definitions confine good governance to politics and sociology, in

reality, good governance is also linked inextricably with national security. Security is inseparable from good governance, since good governance helps prevent conflict and ensure peace. The link had been spelt out more than 200 years ago by Kant when he said, “People who feel secure and free, governed by the rule of law and not of men, are much less likely to go to war with each other - either within or across borders – than those who don’t”.8 It needs little emphasis that if governance relates to directing the proper utilisation of resources and the state institutions for the benefit of the people, anything that weakens the process of governance will lead to instability and flux and which would consequently affect national security.

Experts opine that improvements in good governance are closely linked with security and stability. If the goals of good government are the consolidation of political structures and the establishment of legitimate democratic institutions such as the promotion of constitutionality, power-sharing and human rights, a clear legal instrument which enables development of the private economic sector and the fight against corruption, attaining this particular level of governance would engender peace. This is how the OECD sees the link. It says, “Security is important for improved governance. Inappropriate security structures and mechanisms can contribute to weak governance and to instability and violent conflict, which impact negatively on poverty reduction”. It therefore follows that insecurity or lack of peace is the result of violence stemming from social or political instability. If there is a causal link between instability and violence which adversely affect good governance then perhaps one could also suggest that there is a reverse causality, in that, lack of good governance engenders violence and thereby instability and insecurity. Therefore, suffice it to say that good governance = good government = stability and security, and the reverse is true too.9

8. Kant, in “Perpetual Peace” quoted in «Peace, Security and Good Governance», ibid9. Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan (retd), ‘Good Governance and National Security’ a concept paper

presented in BIISS

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GOVERNANCE IN BANGLADESH : THE PRESENT SITUATION Bangladesh has shown wonderful progress in achieving a sustained economic

growth for last one decade. During the recent world economic recession, Bangladesh has displayed remarkable resilience in sustaining the economic shock. The huge potential of our economy is likely to graduate us to a status of ‘Middle Income Country’ by 2021. Bangladesh has also notably improved in all the ‘Human Development Indexes’ (HDIs). But all these successes are likely to be faded away if we fail to ensure good governance in the country. We still bear the image of a country with poor governance.

Political Governance in BangladeshDemocracy as an institution is not very old and still in a developing stage in

Bangladesh. Since her independence, Bangladesh has witnessed several political turmoil including assassination of two presidents, two army coups and two major political movements that caused the downfall of the political regimes. As a matter of fact, Bangladesh polity in the last forty years oscillated between autocracy and democratic rule. Since 1971 till date, Bangladesh is experiencing eight major regimes having a variety of political system with different styles of governance. It is interesting to note that with the changes in regime, all new governments deliberately opted to bring about modifications, alteration or abolishment of policies, both state and public.

Bangladesh, very unfortunately is experiencing a culture of confrontational politics for last twenty one years of democratic regimes. The 1996, 2001 and 2008 elections were preceded by a lengthy Opposition boycott of the Parliament. The Opposition was engaged in prolonged violent street agitation causing considerable damage to the economy and the entire political system. Political culture is characterized by regular confrontation and intolerance. Political parties are organizationally weak and poor agents of democratic transformation.10 They even lack democracy within the parties. Party programs or ideologies seldom mobilize voters during elections. Both the major parties bank on populist approach of symbolism and sentiments as the major instruments for mobilizing voters. A favourite weapon to harass a sitting government is calling a HARTAL, a general strike which paralyses most economic activities, especially transport, sometimes for days. It is widely recognized that the prevailing state of confrontational politics is having an adverse effect on the state of governance and thereby undermining development prospects of Bangladesh.

10. Hasanuzzaman, 1998.

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Corruption in Different SectorsBangladesh was ranked as the “number one corrupt country” in the world

five times consecutively by the Transparency International of Bangladesh (TIB) in the past, although the situation has improved to some extent at present. At this moment Bangladesh is ranking at 13th from the bottom. According to the report of TIB, in 2003, 4.7 percent of GDP was drained away due to corruption.11 Table-2 shows that corruption in the public organization is severe whereas the quality of service is poor.

Table 1: Public Corruption Score Card

Agencies Corruption Ratings (Evaluation)

HH Ent.

Thana Complaint Office 4.5 8.6

Traffic Police 6.1 8.8

Police Excluding Traffic Police 6.6 8.9

Public Registry (ID, Passport) 5.7 8.6

Anti Corruption Bureau 8.1 8.7

HH : House hold, Ent : Entrepreneur, 0 = Low, 10 = High

Source: Bangladesh: Improving Governance for Reducing Poverty, Report of World Bank, p-6, November 2002.

Weak JudiciaryWeak judicial system has led to weak law enforcement, which stands as a

major obstacle to good governance. A survey report of the WB shows that 55 percent of respondents are now dissatisfied with present situation and they are under confident on present judicial system due to corruption.12 The IGS (2009) reveals that the widespread perception that those with political and economic influence are prepared to interfere with the independence of the courts in Bangladesh.

11. Dr Rahman, Mizanur, Op Cit, p.9512. Report of World Bank, November 2002 : Bangladesh : Improving Governance for Reducing Poverty,

P.10,

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Administrative Limitations A sound system of public administration is the propelling force for good

governance. A recent report of the Public Administration Reform Commission (PARC) has described the present system as “rigid, unresponsive, inefficient and ineffective, pre-occupied with process rather than results”.13 The IGS shows that, people are not satisfied with critical public services like electricity supply, health service delivery, water supply and education.

While rating the efficiency of the administration by survey respondents, the result shows that politicization of administration, excessive corruption, deep rooted administrative secrecy culture and low emphasis on meritocratic career are mainly downgrading the administrative performance for good governance (Table-3).

Table 2: Factors affecting Administrative Performance

CausesDegree of Affect

Most Average Partial Negligible

Politicization of administration 11 2 1 0

Corruption 12 0 2 0

Financial constraint 4 2 2 6

Administrative secrecy 8 6 0 0

Low emphasis on merit based career 6 6 2 0

Lack of manpower and infrastructure 2 3 5 4

Low salary 5 3 3 3

Source: IGS Survey 2009

Weak Financial Accountability Weakness in the system of financial accountability has taken their toll on

the development outcomes. Bangladesh procures approximately annually US$3 billion worth of goods, works and services. In that, due to delay and procurement related corruption, the annual loss of government is estimated to a range between $300 and $450 million.14 This is a sorry state of procurement sector which poses a grave threat towards ensuring good governance.

13. The World Bank Report 2003, Bangladesh Development Policy Review: Impressive Achievements but Continuing Challenges, Executive Summary, P.23

14. Bangladesh Development Policy Review,2003: Impressive Achievements but Continuing Challenges, P.23

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Dependency on International Donors Over the last two decades international donors progressively took over the

control of the development vision of Bangladesh. This process has been driven by an increasing dependence on foreign aid to underwrite Bangladesh’s development process. Aid dependence has provided leverage to the aid donors to influence the direction of policy agendas of Bangladesh. Thereby donors impose extensive conditionality and pressure for reforms as their terms of assistance. Sometimes these conditions are unrealistic and difficult to carry out. Fortunately Bangladesh has remarkably reduced her dependency on donors in last few years.

Ineffective Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)Since its inception, ACC was not allowed to be fully activated, neither it

could work independently owing to different reasons. There is no permanent source of funding for the ACC to take initiatives independently for the various purposes essential for its anti-corruption drive. In order to make the ACC more independent, a long-term block grant could be provided by the Parliament at the beginning of each new term.15

Constraints of the Election Commission (EC) Though Bangladesh EC has the constitutional status, it perhaps could not

carry out its far-ranging responsibilities in many occasions. Most importantly, the EC faced difficulties in restoring its image and credibility during the democratic regimes. The fact remains that if the elections at all levels are free, fair and credible, political instability will be minimal and governance quality will improve. 16

Politicization of the Public Service Commission (PSC)It almost has become a tradition to bring change in the PSC Chairman and

member’s position with the change of the government. The majority of the members are perceived to be politically affiliated with the ruling party and as such the entire management of the PSC is likely to be politically manipulated.

15. Institute of Governance Studies, 2007. Background Paper on Anti-Corruption Commission16. Jahan, F., Shahan, A. and Haque, M. Ashraful, 2008. Background Paper on Bangladesh Election

Commission.

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OmbudsmanAll the successive governments could not succeed in setting up an office of

ombudsman. An Ombudsman act was enacted in 1980, though no initiative to execute this act was undertaken. The key impact of an effective Ombudsman lies in its power to focus public, legislative and government attention to grievances of citizens. 17

HEADWAYS FOR GOOD GOVERNANCEThe strategy of promoting good governance basically emphasizes on certain

critical reform dimensions. For ensuring good governance the followings are to be ensured:

Strengthening Public and Private Sector Rule of Law, pro-active private sector, low level corruption and participatory

approach that permits a partnership between the state, business and civil society are the essential factors for enhancing state capability that contribute to good governance. Specific options are discussed below:

a. Civil Service Reform. Civil service reform is an important step in governance reform, and an area in which substantial progress is possible over the medium term. The reform should focus on institutional building on the term of efficiency, transparency and accountability.

b. Private Sector Reform. Better governance demands more coordination, less bureaucratic intervention and greater facilitation (reducing transaction cost, better port facilities, and easy banking and communication facilities) by the government in the private sector.18 Private investment should be encouraged through inter-active government policy and an independent regulatory agency.

Improvement in Democratisationa. Electoral Process. Establishing tradition of free and fair election is

fundamental to democracy and escape from endemic corruption. Moreover, accountability is the universal remedy for corruption and only free and fair periodic elections can ensure accountability.

17. Iftekharuzzaman, 15 May 2007. “Ombudsman for Good Governance in Bangladesh: Why Now and How, a paper presented at the seminar organized jointly by Manusher Jonno Foundation and TIB.

18. Muhammad Zamir, June 12, 2004. Good Governance and economic progress, The Daily Star. Dhaka,

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b. Political Reform. Bangladesh needs new roles and new behaviour from its political leaders who should be more tolerant, transparent and committed to the people. The strengthening of political parties, therefore, is an urgent endeavour. Undue politicisation of various organs needs to be avoided for delivering service to the public and ensuring social justice.

c. Politico-Bureaucratic Harmony. The relationship between civil servants and politicians should be based on trust, confidence, and mutual respect. But such situation does not exist in Bangladesh. The earlier we arrive at a healthy and fair politico-bureaucratic understanding in Bangladesh, the better it would be for creating an environment for establishing good governance.19

d. Effective Parliament. We have passed about twenty one years of parliamentary democracy. But unfortunately, due to absence of ideal parliamentary culture and continuous absence of the opposition have made the parliament ineffective.

Accountability and TransparencyTo ensure free flow of information and make government transparent

and accountable, certain public accountability institutions are required to be strengthened. Institutions like Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the office of CAG, ACC should be strengthened and a wide range of authority should be given to them for enforcing their decisions.

Rule of LawHuman rights are sometimes violated by the so-called black laws that abridge

basic rights and legalize arbitrary and coercive actions by the state. These laws must be examined very carefully and ways to be found to retain necessary authority for good governance without compromising fundamental rights. Police reform is a priority component of any long-term governance reform strategy.

Decentralization / Local Government Local government should be made more participatory and people-oriented.

Government should genuinely focus on the empowerment of the local authorities and improve their institutional efficiency. The members of the local government should be elected locally and development should take place as per the local choice and decision-making process.

19. Combined Study Group -2, P.7,1999. The Administration in Bangladesh, A research paper prepared in National Defence College, Mirpur, Dhaka.

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GOOD GOVERNANCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY: THE IMPACT

General National security is inseparable from good governance, since good

governance helps prevent conflicts and ensures peace. Looking at the matter in a more down-to-earth manner, good governance is in fact good management that would ensure security of the people; and if people are secure so will be the state.20 The aspiration should be to strive for absolutely good governance that fulfills all the universally accepted criteria.

Traditional Security Threats to Bangladesh

External Security Threats to Bangladesh

Threats from India. The bilateral relation between Bangladesh and India has reached to a new dimension during the present regime. However, fresh water is going to be one of the most important resources in the next century on which the bilateral relation’s future will hinge upon. The insurgency in India’s North-eastern states might also interrupt Bangladesh’s security due to close proximity. Some other outstanding issues like illegal migrants, cross-border insurgency, demarcation of remaining 06 km land and demarcation of maritime boundary; exchange of enclaves etc might have security implication in the future.

Threats from Myanmar. Bangladesh’s small border with Myanmar had been eventful in the past two decades. There had been two waves of ethnic Muslim minority Rohingya refugees forced into Bangladesh in 1978 and 1992. Very recently, Myanmar Government has denied the existence of the Rohingya people in the soil of Myanmar which has made thousands of the Rohingyas homeless for the third time. It is a wonderful opportunity for both the countries to improve their bilateral relation drastically, as the long outstanding maritime demarcation dispute has been recently resolved through a historical verdict.

Internal Security Threats to BangladeshInsurgency in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The implementation of CHT Peace Accord, particularly, the rehabilitation of tribal refugees, land disputes settlement and functioning of political process in terms of Regional Council has not yet been materialized. Alarmingly, a dissident faction of the former Shanti bahini has not surrendered arms who are opposing the implementation of the Peace Treaty.

20. Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan (retd), 04 March. How good is good enough? , Daily Star.

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Arms and Drug Trafficking. Bangladesh is positioned between the “Golden Triangle” and the “Golden Crescent” the two major narcotic growing areas of the world. The ports and airports of Bangladesh are allegedly used as transit routes for drugs. Inflow of arms and drugs are increasing at an alarming pace.

Terrorism. Rise of terrorism had always been a growing concern for Bangladesh. Though present Government is very successful in keeping the threat to a minimum level, the terrorists are likely to take the any advantage created in the country due to poor governance.

Communal Riots. Communal riots created by the religious extremists in the neighbouring countries may ignite the locals specially, people living in the border areas. These may create unwanted communal violence in Bangladesh which is likely to threaten the national security as a whole.

Non-Traditional Security Threats to BangladeshLaw and Order Deterioration and Social Violence. The south western districts and northern districts sometimes get volatile and restless following increase in the number of incidences of killings and intra-party violence by the banned underground political parties. The increasing rate of urban crimes and social violence are creating an insecure environment for the citizens. Internal disorder and lawlessness can lead to a situation that may disintegrate the national security of Bangladesh.

Use of Bangladesh Territories by Insurgents and Outlaws. This includes the North East insurgents, outlaws like Rohingya refugees who reportedly undergo arms training in the jungles of Cox’s Bazar, Ramu, Ukhiya. The borders are very porous and resource crunch does not allow Bangladesh to patrol the borders rigorously.

Human Security issues. Several sources of threats to human security may be identified. These are: repression by state apparatus, death in custody, law and order problem and rise of social violence, rising extortions and rent seeking activities at all levels and layers, gender violence, women and child trafficking, land related violence, disaster, drought and river erosion resulting in destitution and rural-urban migration, plight of the border and enclave population, plight of the minorities and settlers in CHT, and other tribal population.

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Mass Poverty as Source of Insecurity. Poverty in Bangladesh has been historically overwhelming. Income poverty trends although showing a declining trend in last ten years, yet 31.5% of the total population is living under poverty line. UNDP Human Development Report 2011 says that Bangladesh ranked 146th among 187 countries in the overall HDI. The present HDI of Bangladesh is 0.500 while the regional average is 0.548, placing Bangladesh even below the regional average. This is a matter of concern, because it is poverty that leads to social unrest and imbalance the pendulum of national security.

Environmental Security Threat to Bangladesh Global Climate Change and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries of the world. Environmental disasters like tropical cyclones, storm surges, floods, tornadoes and droughts ravage the country almost every year. Due to the constant sea level rising, people in the coastal areas are being internally displaced and creating enormous pressure on the cities. As such, urban crimes are at rise and people are insecure.

Forestry Related Environmental Degradation. Unplanned destruction of forest causes recurring and highly devastating floods and also the reverse, droughts. Due to unprecedented siltation, the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems are to carry over 2.2 billion tons of sediments each year.21 This results in the rise of riverbed in between 6 and 12 inches a year, thus, making it impossible for the rivers to drain the water. The ultimate consequence of it is recurring devastating floods.

Impact of Good Governance on Traditional and Non-Traditional Security Issues National security considerations in the context of threat for the third world

countries are significantly different from those in the developed World. The main threat here is socio-economic and emanates from consequences of such socio-economic causes. Even the threat of external intervention and foreign initiated political instability are possible because of internal weaknesses arising out of socio-economic imbalances and maladies. In most of the Third World countries internal political instability is as much a threat to vital national values as threats that originate externally and Bangladesh is no exception to that.22

Threats emanating from domestic socio-economic realm are perhaps more significant in Bangladesh like many other Third World countries. Bangladesh is one of the least developed countries with a per capita GNP of only 800 US$.

21. A. H. Shibusawa, “Co-operation in Water Resources Development in South Asia”, South Asia Journal, Vol.1, No.3, p.319

22. Brigadier General Salim Akhter ,1999. National Security : Strategies for Bangladesh- a research paper written in NDC.

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The economy is primarily agrarian that still absorbs about 52% of the total work force and contributes about 18% of its GDP which reveals conditions of abject poverty for the majority of the people. Though Bangladesh has shown an excellent improvement in all the socio-economic indicators in last few years along with a sustained growth rate above 6%, yet a huge number of people are living below the poverty line. These poverty stricken people, for obvious reasons, cannot be expected to contribute to the security of the country. This is where good governance plays the most vital role in arresting the poverty and ensuring the national security.

There are examples all round us of peace and security being at risk when governance breaks down. That’s why aid agencies around the world are devoting a higher and higher proportion of their resources trying to improve national governance. There is a lot to be learned from the multiple failures of governance that have contributed to conflict in recent memory. So far as individual countries are concerned, there are problems of which the world is now acutely aware with failed states like Somalia and Afghanistan – where the lesson seems to have at last been painfully learned.23 It is rather persistent failures of governance at multiple levels: political leadership, constitutional structures, judicial system, administration, micro-economic management, civil-military relations and the internal operation security sector institutions that may lead to a situation where country like Bangladesh is likely to face traditional security threats. If not taken care of in time, governance state of Bangladesh may reach to a point where external (UN) intervention could be seen as the last option. So it is the people of Bangladesh who have to be offered with good governance to ensure our national security

The Way ForwardArriving at a National Consensus. Bangladeshis are yet to develop national consensus on many issues, which are essential for maximizing national objectives. At this critical juncture of political chaos and confusion, the country now require public or national consensus on issues like sharing of water, transshipment/transit to India, settlement of different enclaves, decreasing trade deficit etc.

Sustained Economic Development. Bangladesh does not have any option left except to adopt a strategy of sustained economic development. Failing to do so, the ever increasing population will pose the biggest threat and it may turn into a state of social anarchy and lawlessness.

23. Address by Gareth Evans to EU-UNU Tokyo Global Forum, 24 January, 2002, Governance Across Borders – National, Regional and Global, United Nations University, Tokyo.

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Friendship and Accommodation with Neighbours. Bangladesh must adopt a policy of friendship and accommodation to her big and powerful neighbours. But it should not compromise with the core values of political independence and the sovereignty of the country. Bangladesh should also exploit good relation and friendship with her other important neighbour in the East, to the best economic interest of the country. Bangladesh must sort out the “Rohinga Refugee” issue.

A Comprehensive Defence Policy. The military strategy and doctrine must be related to the objectives of our foreign policy, to the nature of external threats that are perceived, and to the military capabilities of the potential adversaries. In this context, Bangladesh should maintain close ties with the power blocks to get the security umbrella in the events of crises threatening her sovereignty.

Dealing with Incipient Insurgency. An important consideration of dealing with incipient insurgency which eventually snowballs into full-fledged insurgency is the inter-temporal cost of mitigating the root causes of insurgency. It is possible to head off an incipient insurgency at a lower cost which may not be allowed to linger and harden.

Integrated Border Management. Borders have become porous and with flow of information and easy access to technology, cross-border movements of insurgencies, arms and drugs, even trafficking of women and children are common phenomenon. Construction of barbed wire fencing along the Bangladesh-India borders is a point of concern. It is submitted that openness and free flow of information, rather than closing the doors is the best remedy for intrusion of unwanted elements.

Cooperation on Environmental Security. Environmental security, especially issues like flood, natural disaster, presents another logical basis for thinking in terms of cooperative security among the neighbours.

Institutionalization of Democracy. Further institutionalization of democracy, even if slow and painful, should continue to sort out vulnerabilities in the non-traditional security areas, and a policy suggestion will be to resist temptation of any short cut and allow the political process to continue even if the process turns out to be traumatic.

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RECOMMENDATIONS The subject study puts forward the following recommendations:

a. Bangladesh Government should ensure a reform in the Civil Administration which shall focus mainly on merit, capacity building, enhancement of service delivery including the implementation of present Civil Service Commission’s recommendations. This should be considered as a Top Priority.

b. A national consensus to be arrived for reviewing article 67(1)(b) of the Constitution with a view to preventing the boycott of Parliament by the political parties.

c. ACC to be strengthened by ensuring administrative and financial independence, adequate and competent manpower and autonomous recruitment of routine staffs.

d. Government should immediately establish Rule of Law by creating independent investigation department, government prosecution service, corruption free Judiciary, access to legal aid and judicial accountability.

e. EC and the Political Parties should take attempts for the democratization of the political parties by ensuring party reforms including financial transparency.

f. A comprehensive National Security Strategy must be adopted for combating terrorism by establishing inter-ministerial committees to meet and liaise with established public and private institutions.

g. A workable regional and international cooperation mechanism should be chalked out by Bangladesh Government to ensure our National Security.

h. The Government should pursue a policy of sustainable economic development through development oriented macroeconomic policies.

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CONCLUSION Good governance ensures that political, social and economic priorities

are based on broad consensus in societies and the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable are heard in decision making. Good governance in terms of quality should be seen having such attributes as accountability, transparency, efficiency, empowerment, participation, sustainability, equity and justice. Throughout this study, we attempted to show that Bangladesh does so far have a grim state of governance mainly due to its failure to develop some critical state institutions with right kind of abilities. Given the resource constraints, Bangladesh should follow a good enough governance strategy by developing some key institutions like the legislature, the judiciary, the bureaucracy, ACC, PSC and the OCAG with credible accountability and transparency. Bangladesh has done quite well against apparent governance failure during the last two decades. GDP has grown by over 6 percent annually in last 10 years. The HDIs have gone up considerably. Bangladesh has committed for attaining the targets embodied in the Millennium Declaration by 2015. If these are fulfilled by 2015, the impact would be highly beneficial for Bangladesh. It is therefore high time to concentrate on governance reforms so that those gains can be sustained with further acceleration.

Security is inseparable from good governance, since good governance helps prevent conflict and ensure peace. Experts opine that improvements in good governance are closely linked with security and stability. Inappropriate security structures and mechanisms can contribute to weak governance and to instability and violent conflict, which impact negatively on poverty reduction. Insecurity or lack of peace is the result of violence stemming from social or political instability. security, stabilisation, democratization and constitutionality are the basic conditions needed for individual well-being, peaceful coexistence and social, political and economic development. Appropriate measures should promote mechanisms providing peaceful solutions to conflicts and reconciliation and contribute to the protection and integration of minorities and underprivileged groups. And these are what guarantee security of the people. And if people are secure so is the state.

17

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books1. Aminuzzaman, M Salahuddin. 2006. Governance and Development:

Bangladesh and Regional Experiences. Dhaka: Shrabon Prokashoni.

2. Hye, Hasnat A, 2000. Governance: South Asian Perspective. Dhaka: UPL.

3. Karim, Aminul Mohammad. 2006. Contemporary Security Issues in the Asia-Pacific and Bangladesh. Dhaka: Academic Press and Publishers library.

4. Karim, Aminul Mohammad. 2008. Selected Papers on Security and Leadership. Dhaka: Academic Press and Publishers library

5. Mohammad, Golam.2010. National Security: Bangladesh. Dhaka: UPL

6. Osmany, R. Mufleh and Afroze, Shaheen. 2008. Democracy, Governance and Security Reforms: Bangladesh Context. Dhaka: Academic Press and Publishers library

7. Pierre, J. and Peters, G. 2000. Governance, Politics and the State. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.

8. Siddiqui, Kamal, 1996. Towards Good Governance: Fifty Unpleasant Essays. Dhaka: UPL.

9. Yadav, S.N and Baghel, Indu. 2009. Good Governance and Human Development. New Delhi: Jnanada Prakashan.

Periodic/Journals/Publications 10. Abdul Khalek, January 13, 2005. Instituting Good Governance; Role of Civil

Society Imperative, The Daily Star, Dhaka.

11. Brigadier ATM Zahirul Alam and Lieutenant Colonel AKM Humayun, 2000, Security Challenges for Bangladesh in the Twenty First Century, a publication in the Army Journal.

12. Brigadier Usman Ghani, 2001, Good Governance : Reasons for Failure : Strategy for Future, a paper published in NDC journal.

13. Grindle, M.S., 2007. “Good Enough Governance Revisited’, Development Policy Review, 25 (5), pp. 553-574.

14. Mohammad Aminul Karim. 04 October, 2007 National Security : Bangladesh and Global Perspective, a paper published in BIISS journal on 04 October, 2007

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15. Muhammad Zamir, June 12, 2004. Good Governance and Economic Progress, The Daily Star. Dhaka,

Articles/Documents16. Aminuzzaman, M.S., 1991. Introduction to Social Research. Dhaka:

Bangladesh Printers.

17. Brigadier (retired) M Abdul Hafiz. 10 February in 1999. National Security Management of Bangladesh in the Context of Post Nuclear South Asia, a seminar paper presented in Defence Services Command and Staff College.

18. Brigadier General Shabbir-Ul Karim. 19 April 2011. Governance and State Institutions, a seminar paper presented in National Defence College.

19. Brigadier General (retired) Shahedul Anam Khan. 05 June 2012. Development Process and the Search for Security, a paper presented in National Defence College on

20. Frederick T. Temple. 18 January 2003. Governance Problems in Bangladesh : Ten remedies to correct the ills, an article published in Daily Star.

21. Iftekharuzzaman, 15 May 2007. “Ombudsman for Good Governance in Bangladesh: Why Now and How” a paper presented at the seminar organized jointly by Manusher Jonno Foundation and TIB.

22. Institute of Governance Studies (IGS), 2009. The Judicairy: Policy Note.

23. Mohammad Atique Rahman. Human Security and Good Governance: Exploring the Emerging Nexus in the Context of Bangladesh, a presentation paper

24. Tasnuva Islam. 22 June 2007. Good Governance in Bangladesh: My Thoughts an article published in Daily Star .

25. Tawfiq-E-Elahi Choudhury. 19 November, 1999. Governance in Bangladesh: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a paper presented in a workshop on governance issues in South Asia in Yale University.

26. Zannatul Ferdous Moon. 29 May 2007. Good Governance : an Ideal Difficult to Achieve, an article published in Daily Star.

27. World Bank. 1992. Governance and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank.

19

Reports28. Ahmed Shamim, November, 2002, Good Governance and Accountability in

Bangladesh, A Workshop Report.

29. Executive Summary of a World Bank Report, November 2002. Bangladesh : Improving Governance for Reducing Poverty,

30. Institute of Governance Studies (IGS), 2009. The State of Governance Report, Dhaka, BRAC University.

31. Jahan, F., Shahan, A. and Haque, M. Ashraful, 2008. Background Paper on Bangladesh Election Commission.

32. Jahan, F. and Shahan, A. 2010. Institution of Accountability Series: Background Paper on the Judiciary. Dhaka, Institution of Governance Studies.

33. The World Bank Report 2003, Bangladesh Development Policy Review: Impressive Achievements but Continuing Challenges, Executive Summary, p 23.

34. Transparency International Bangladsh, 2009. Parliamentary Watch: First Session of the Ninth Parliament.

35. TIB, 2002. Diagnostic Report on the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Dhaka.

36. TIB, 2007. Diagnostic Report on Bangladesh Public Service Commission.

Research Papers37. Brigadier Genaral AHM Mokbul Hossain. Good Governance : Reasons for

Failure in Bangladesh and Strategy for Future, a research work conducted as the part of M.Phil in 2008 session.

38. Kaufmann, D. and Kraay, A., 2002. Growth without Governance, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 2928.

39. Nurul Momen and Marzina Begum. 2005. Good Governance in Bangladesh : Present Situation and Future Challenges, a joint research work.

40. Sobhan, Rehman, 1998. How Bad Governance Impedes Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh, OECD Development Center Working Paper No. 143.

41. Uddin, S. M. Anowar, 2010. Impact of Governance on Development in Bangladesh: A Study. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Rockslide University, Denmark.

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Webliography45. www.independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/14/14012005ts.htm.

46. www.bangladesh.gov.bd

47. www.lcgbangladesh.org.

48. http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/C_0327.HTM.

49. www.worldbank.org/wbi/ governance/pdf/2-1_GCR_Kaufmann.pdf, pp 2-3

50. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National Security.

51. www.nationalsecurity.gov.au

52. http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/P_0097.HTM.

53. http://bibliothek.wz-berlin.de/pdf/2004/p04-005.pdf accessed on 15 May 2012

AuthorBrigadier General Mohammad Siddiqul Alam Sikder is a Course Member of

NDC 2012. He was born on 01 October 1965. He was commissioned in the East Bengal Regiment on 19 May 1985 with Sword of Honour and Academic Gold Medal. Besides his regimental appointments as Company Second in Command, Adjutant, Company Commander, in three infantry units, he commanded one of the reputed Infantry units in Bangladesh Army in most adverse condition in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Besides being a staff officer in the Adjutant General’s Branch in Army Headquarters, he served as a platoon/term commander in Bangladesh Military Academy. He was the chief instructor in Special Warfare Wing in the School of Infantry and Tactics. He was also appointed as a Senior Instructor of Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT). He served as the Colonel Staff in one of the infantry divisions. He commanded an infantry brigade before joining National Defence Course – 2012. He attended number of courses at home and abroad. He is a specialized Commando who attained his basic parachute training from Fort Benning, USA. He is a sky diver as well. He attended a course on special operation from Malaysia. He served as an operation officer in UN mission in Bosnia. He visited many countries across the globe. He obtained first class in Masters on Defence Studies from National University of Bangladesh. Brigadier Sikder is a proud father of two sons, both of them are students. His wife is a doctor. His hobby is playing golf.

MANAGING THE EDIBLE OIL MARKET FOR CONSUMER BENEFIT IN BANGLADESH

Commodore Mohammad Abdur Razzak, ndc, psc, BN

INTRODUCTIONEdible oil is an essential ingredient in any cuisine culture. Besides being

cooking ingredient, edible oil also adds to calorie intake. Requirement of edible oil does not arise as a primary source of calorie, but to complete the process of protein intake from food. Although edible oil is important ingredient in cooking but its aggregate expenditure is less compared to spending on other food items like rice, meat, fish, vegetable, egg etc. The key difference is that meat, fish, vegetable, egg, etc. have substitutes/equivalents.

International supply market is the primary source of edible oil for Bangladesh. Private importers/producers are the suppliers to domestic market. From the government side, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has the responsibility to supply edible oil to domestic market. Such assignment comes as an effort to keep the edible oil market competitive and stable. Market instability becomes prominent ahead of occasions like Ramadan, Eid festivals etc and TCB consistently failed to perform its assigned role.

Consumers’ expectation from the market is fair price and quality. Adulterated edible oil is hazardous to health and burdens household economy. It is government’s obligation to ensure consumer access to this very essential commodity at a competitive price and in its right quality, all the time through regulatory management of market forces.

With this short introduction the paper aims to study the scope of improving the government’s regulatory management of edible oil market for household consumer benefit in Bangladesh. The paper first differentiates between ‘Managing the Market’ and ‘Marketing Management’. Then it examines consumer behavior. The paper also assesses industry capacity against market demand. It also identifies the nature of the market and reviews functional efficiency and effectiveness of government bodies playing regulatory roles. Finally, the paper recommends some measures for the improvement of market management system.

22

Managing the Edible Oil Market for Consumer Benefit in Bangladesh

‘Managing the Market’ and ‘Marketing Management’: Brief Theoretical Discourse

‘Managing the edible oil market’ has two elements. First is the edible oil market; second is managing the market for consumer benefit. The second element has couple of components- the market and its management in regulatory context; consumer and consumer benefiting from the market management. FAO’s (2009) definition of managing market in consumer benefit states “… arranging food security for them. Food security is defined as ‘having access to safe and nutritional food for all people at all times’ to maintain a healthy and active life in the society.”1

“Marketing management is the preparation and execution of objectives, strategies, and plans used in the development of products and services, and the efforts used in pushing or pulling these through channels of distribution into the hands of the customers or end users.”2 Business enterprise’s marketing management has profit motivation and government’s endeavor in managing the market is to regulate market forces. Regulatory management of the market forces can be viewed as ‘enacting law, preventing cartel, facilitating fair competition, setting product standard and facilitating logistics’.

Consumers and Consumer Behavior Consumer Segments. Consumers in the edible oil market can be divided

into following segments:

• Household consumers represent people who maintain family.

• Commercial consumer segment include in hospitality businesses like restaurant/fast food shop/bakery/catering services etc and small food manufacturing factory.

• Corporate consumer segment comprises of large manufacturers of food products.

Household Consumers’ Perception. Household consumers have differing understanding about edible oil. Educated consumers have concern for cholesterol in body while poor consumers have no idea what cholesterol is. Educated consumers prefer ‘vegetable oil’ believing that it reduces cholesterol or it is cholesterol free. Consumers do not know that edible oil originating from plant is called vegetable oil and all are lipid material i.e. contain fat. 1. Pk. Md Motiur Rahman, Noriatsu Matsui and Yukio Ikemoto: London, 2009, p. 91.2. Encyclopedia of Professional Management, Vol-2, 1988, P. 546.

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Household Consumers’ PreferenceIt was revealed through household consumer survey during this study that,

• 100% consumers buy Soya bean oil.

• 0 % buys Palm oil.

• 60.71% of the respondents occasionally use mustard oil to prepare very traditional delights.

Survey of commercial and corporate segment and also edible oil industry sources revealed that 100% consumers consume palm oil.

Consumers Buying PatternConsumers’ buying pattern revealed through consumer survey is given

below. They buy from local grocery shops or wholesale bazaar.

• 14.00% consumers buy monthly• 2.67% consumers buy fortnightly• 0% consumers buy weekly • 83.33% consumers buy daily or less than a week’s requirement

Commercial consumers source their requirements in bulk from wholesale market or shops in the bazaar. Their buying pattern is spread over weekly requirements to monthly requirements. Corporate consumers procure oil from local manufacturers under contractual agreement.

Household Consumption Pattern. Different consumer groups have varying consumption patterns. Household consumers with good income have higher rate of consumption ranging between 4~7 ltr/month. Aggregate daily consumption of this consumer group is 0.159 ltr (159 ml)/day.

Household consumers with uncertain and variable income (daily laborer, for example) showed monthly consumption ranging between 2~3 ltr. Aggregate daily consumption of this group was found 0.087 liter (87 ml)/day. Combined aggregate consumption of all household consumers found during the study was 0.10 ltr (100 ml)/day.

Commercial and Corporate Consumers. It is difficult to draw consumption trend for the commercial and corporate consumers as it depends on market situation influencing sales.

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Industry AnalysisOil Seed Production in Bangladesh. Mustard seed is most cultivated oil

seed in Bangladesh. In the 1960s mustard oil was most preferred cooking oil in less than 70 million populous Bangladesh with more arable land than now. Preference shifted to soya bean and palm oil over the years. Today, population is approximately 160 million and arable land has shrunk. Rolling back the situation is unlikely. It might be possible to use mustard oil as cooking oil in limited scale if the high yielding variety of mustard and other management practices of oil crop can be applied properly in the farmers’ field3.

Soya bean production is limited to some parts of the coastal districts of Noakhali, Laxmipur, Bhola and Hatia4. Domestically grown Soya bean are not crushed to extract oil because there is no crushing unit in the country but are used in producing soya food, flour etc. Palm production requires (70-80)% moisture during fertilization and rainfall at regular interval. Palm may be grown in Bangladesh after the development of suitable varieties5. State of seed production in the country is given in table 1. The data transpires Bangladesh’s dependence on import in the future.

3. Online Interview , Chief Scientific Officer, Oil Seed Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh, 24 May 2012.

4. Online Interview , Chief Scientific Officer, Oil Seed Research Division, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh, 24 May 2012.

5. Online Interview , Chief Scientific Officer, Oil Seed Research Division, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh, 24 May 2012.

Table 1. Oil Seed Production in BangladeshOil Seed Variety

Production (MT) by Year Land Area (Lac Ha)

Districts2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Ground nut 45,910 44,268 46,533 53,0000.90

(DAE-2012)

Noakhali, Laxmipur, Kishorgonj, Sirajgonj, Pabna and different charland.

Linseed 8,180 7,810 7,050 7,000 Not known No Statistics

Mustard 188,880 227,930 202,717 222,0004.81

(DAE-2012)

Tangail, Manikgonj, Sirajgonj, B Baria, Comilla etc, more or less all over the country.

Soya bean seed

57,715 59,158 59,395 NA0.60

(DAE-2012)

Noakhali, Laxmipur, Bhola, Hatia

Source: Chief Scientific Officer, Oilseed Research Division, BARI, 24 May 2012.

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Domestic Production of Edible Oil. There 18 active refining units having about one million ton capacity of which about 65-70% is refined Palm Olein and Super Palm Olein and the rest refines soya bean oil; annual refining capacity of about 150,000 tons6.

In 2010-2011 259,589 MT crude Soya bean oil and 516,358 MT crude palm oil were imported (Table 3). Market survey reveals that the market has only Soya bean oil in consumer pack or PET bottle. Market size for consumer pack is approximately 200,000 MT. Edible oil industry’s refining capacity will be exhausted to refine crude Soya bean oil leaving 61,589 MT as ‘goods in process’ or stock of crude Soya bean oil. Therefore, it is a question where 516,358 MT crude Palm oil is refined? This situation suggests that oils in the market should be laboratory tested to ascertain purity. Given the import volume of 2010-2011 (table-3), optimum productivity is presented in table-2.

Table-2: Edible Oil Production 2010-2011

Year

Soya bean Oil Palm Oil Mustard OilTotal

Production

Crude Refined Production Crude Refined ProductionMustard

SeedProduction

2010-2011

259,589 533 249,738 516,358 117,230 602,607 162,400 53,592 905,937

Crude and Refined Soya bean Oil Yield Ratio 1:0.96Crude and Refined Palm Oil Yield Ratio 1:0.94Mustard Seed and Mustard Oil Yield Ratio 1:0.33

Source: Oil CSO, Oil seed Research Division, BARI, 2012.

Market AnalysisNature of the Market. Crude and refined Soya bean and Palm oil dominate

edible oil import. Annual import from 2006-07 to 2010-11 is given in table 7. In 2010-2011 there were 49 importers for soya bean oil and 53 for palm oil. All importers are not regular in edible oil business. In this context edible oil market in Bangladesh is oligopoly.

6. Bangladesh: One of the Biggest Markets of Edible Oil; www.weeklyblitz.net, dt accessed 11 Jun 2012.

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Table 3: Edible Oil Import in Bangladesh

Year

Soya bean Oil (MT) Palm Oil (MT)

Grand Total Import

Degree of Import Dependence (%)

Crude RefinedTotal

Import Crude Refined

Total Import

Soya bean oil

Palm oil

2006-07 232,566 147 232,713 706,636 811 707,447 940,160 24.75 75.25

2007-08 325,435 7,887 333,322 603,674 3,490 607,163 940,485 35.44 64.56

2008-09 202,720 1,259 203,979 737,631 161,003 898,635 1,102,614 18.50 81.50

2009-10 184,926 161 185,087 483,151 76,803 559,954 745,041 24.84 75.16

2010-11 259,589 533 260,122 516,358 117,230 633,588 893,710 29.11 70.89

Source: MIS, Custom House Chittagong

Market Size by Consumer Segment. Household Segment. There are 32,067,700 households7 in Bangladesh. According

to the distribution of households and aggregate daily consumption, annual requirement of edible oil is 1,170,471 MT. Approximately 48.67% household consumers have irregular purchase of mustard oil. Irregular purchases indicate aggregate consumption is 0.01 ltr per household/day. At this rate of consumption annual requirement in the 48.67% of the household consumers is estimated at 56,967 MT. Annual demands/requirements of edible oil by divisional territories are presented in table-4.

Table-4: Annual Requirements by Divisional Territory

Division No of HouseholdEdible oil (Soya

bean oil etc) (0.10 Ltr/day)

Mustard oil (0.01 Ltr/day)

Barisal 1,837,700 67,076 3,265Chittagong 5,604,700 204,572 9,956Dhaka 10,802,100 394,277 19,189Khulna 3,740,500 136,528 6,645Rajshahi 4,481,900 163,589 7,962Rangpur 3,815,500 139,266 6,778Sylhet 1,785,300 65,163 3,172Total 32,067,700 1,170,471 56,967Source: Population and Housing Census 2011 and Author.

7. 2011 Population & Housing Census: Preliminary Results, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

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Commercial and Corporate Segment. Corporate consumers have preference for palm oil only. Some of the corporate consumption trend is presented in the table-5. According to industry source, Palm oil market size in the commercial and corporate segment is approximately 200,000 MT.

Table-5: Corporate Consumer Consumption Data

YearPalm oil Mustard Oil

PRAN Square Ltd ACI Ltd PRAN Square

LtdACI Ltd

2006-07 1,800 900 0 1,200 Negligible 0

2007-08 2,100 1,050 200 1,450 Negligible 550

2008-09 2,500 1,250 220 1,650 Negligible 560

2009-10 3,800 1,420 200 1,800 Negligible 540

2010-11 6,450 1,500 240 2,000 Negligible 600

Source: www.beol-bd.com, dt accessed 11 June 2012

Annual Market Demand. Demand for edible oil is variable and depends on numbers of factors like consumer’s purchasing power, preference, changes in dietary, commercial or corporate consumers’ business expansion or reduction etc. Estimated annual demand for edible oil is summarized in table-6.

Table-6: Annual Demand for Edible Oil 2010-2011

Market Segment Soya bean Oil (MT)

Palm Oil (MT)

Household Consumers 1,170,471

Commercial and Corporate Consumers 200,000

Total 1,370,471 MT

Source: www.edibleoilreport.com, dt accessed 11 June 2012.

According to Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd (BEOL) edible oil market size is 1.4 million MT/Year and rural consumption is 70%8. Another estimate suggests that the market size is 1.3 million MT/Year approximately9.

8. www.beol-bd.com, dt accessed 11 June 20129. www.edibleoilreport.com, dt accessed 11 June 2012.

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In rural area loose oil and brand sales ratio is 4:0.9610. Due to the poor communication infrastructure and low per capita income, rural mass people depend on cheaper priced loose edible oil. Due to the inability of the poor to afford branded quality products, loose oil became the ultimate solution which is not only harmful to health but also incurring extra costs for health hazards generated from using loose oil11.

Retail Price Soya bean Oil and Palm Oil. Soya bean oil is sold at a higher price than Palm oil. TCB monitors retail price of edible in the Dhaka City markets and promulgates on its website. Significant difference is observed between TCB’s information and price on ground. Detail is given in table 7.

Table 7: Retail Price Comparison-Soya bean Oil and Palm oilSoya bean oil Palm Oil Loose

Date TCB’s Website Retail Market Price Survey TCB’s Website

Retail Market Price Survey01 Ltr Bottle Loose 01 Ltr Bottle Loose

31/5/2012 130.00~135.00 120.00~124.00 127.00~130.00 130.00 102.00~104.00 108.0015/6/2012 130.00~135.00 118.00~120.00 134.00~135.00 130.00 95.00~96.00 103.00~105.0030/6/2012 132.00~135.00 118.00~120.00 134.00~135.00 132.00 97.00~98.00 105.00~106.00Source: Author.

Packaging. Edible oil is marketed in consumer pack or PET bottle and in wholesale pack (drum made of plastic or tin). Oil in tin or plastic drum is marketed for the corporate customers and customers in loose oil market. Observation on retail market revealed that preservation or storage in drums or tins and oil handling during retail sale are very unhygienic. Further, there is open opportunity to adulterate loose oil. It was also found that there is hardly any price difference between Soya bean oil in PET bottle (1 ltr) and loose Soya bean oil (1 ltr) as can be seen in table 8. Price difference between Loose Soya bean oil and Palm oil is found to be Tk. 22.00~24.00 per liter.

Table 8: Retail Market Price Comparison-Oil in Pet Bottle and Loose OilPrice Range

Date Soya bean Oil in PET Bottle

Soya bean oil (Loose) Palm Oil (Loose)

31 May 2012 129.00~132 130.00 108.0011 May 2012 134.00 127.00~130.00 103.00~105.0030 June 2012 134~135.00 132.00 105.00~106.00Source: Author.

10. www.beol-bd.com, dt accessed 11 June 201211. www.beol-bd.com, dt accessed 11 June 2012

29

Companies’ Distribution Channel. There are 6,926 distributors appointed by the companies across the country12. Some companies use third party logistics to deliver consumer pack only to distributors’ warehouses. According to the law, distributors cannot sell or hand over Supply Order (SO) to third party i.e. distributors are to take delivery of goods and transport to their respective sales territory.

Companies selling oil in drums generally do not have logistics arrangements. Distributors are to arrange collection from the mill and transport to designated sales territory. Following weaknesses appeared to exist in this system:

A distributor ‘X’ in territory ‘T1’ for example, is authorized to collect 05 MT edible oil per month for his sales territory as fixed by the company ‘Y’. Let’s assume that the distributor is scheduled to collect 05 MT oil on 10 Apr 2012. If the distributor ‘X’ sells the SO for quick profit to a ‘merchant’ in territory ‘T2’ then the ‘merchant’ can collect 05 MT oil on 10 Apr 2012 from mill gate presenting the SO. Neither the company nor the government’s market monitoring committees can detect such diversionary sale. The scheduled goods do not go to territory ‘X’ and ‘Short supply’ is created in that territory.

Company’s sales return to Tariff Commission will show that 05 MT oil was delivered to distributor ‘X’ in ‘territory ‘T1’. But it does not have the mechanism to snap check sales to 6,926 distributors across the country.

Market Management Bodies: Functions, Efficiency and EffectivenessA commodity market does not behave as desired by consumers. Market

behavior is the resultant actions of market forces. To manage market forces there are different departments and laws. The Essential Commodities Act 1956 is one such regulatory instrument which lists 23 classes of commodities. Power conferred by Section-3 of the act, the government formed three tier market monitoring committees namely National Committee, District Committee and Upozila Committee to regulate edible oil market (and also sugar market).13 Each committee has very complex composition14. To assemble all members on regular basis appeared extremely difficult. Article 16 of the gazette requires District Committee to evaluate distributor’s activities related to drawl, stock, sale and price. But government orders have not been implemented in any district.15 12. The Daily Somokal, 27 Mar 2012.13. S.R.O 63-Law/201114. National committee has 13 members from 11 different organizations and departments. A District

Committee has 9 members from 9 different organizations and departments. All UNOs are also members of the committee. Upozila Monitoring Committee consists of 9 members from 9 different departments. All UP Chairman under the Upozila are also members of the committee

15. The Daily Somokal, 27 Mar 2012.

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Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) TCB’s mission is “To run the organization commercially and sometimes

intervening the market during sky rocketing of price of essential commodities or crisis period or during some special events (like the holy Ramadan or disaster) with a view to keeping it within the reach of general mass.”16 To be effective in market stabilization, TCB should maintain continuous presence to meet at least 25% of market demand. But it does not do so. TCB’s authorized capital was Tk. 50 million in 1972 and remained same in 2012. Government gives subsidy on TCB’s sale which is objected by private entrepreneur. During the period between 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 TCB’s procurement was less than 1% of country’s annual import (table-9).

Table-9: TCB’s Edible Oil Import 2006-2007 to 2010-2011

YearSoya Bean Oil (MT) Palm Oil (MT) % of National

ImportCrude Refined Crude Refined2006-2007 Nil 100 Nil Nil 0.042007-2008 Nil 500 Nil Nil 0.152008-2009 Nil 500 Nil Nil 0.242009-2010 Nil Nil 5,896 Nil 1.052010-2011 1,250 Nil Nil Nil 0.48Source: TCB, 2012

Note: TCB does not have a refinery. Crude oil is refined in local refineries and then sold through dealers. Sometimes TCB buys oil from local producers and sell in the market at subsidized rate.

TCB has other limitations too. Ministry of Finance approves budget and Ministry of Commerce dictates the goods to be procured, approves sales price and approves allocation to dealers. Commodity procurement under PPR 2008 is difficult. TCB neither analyzes international supply market nor domestic market. It has no idea about annual demand of edible oil. It cannot plan supply on the basis of household distribution by division or district. It does not have effective means to monitor and control dealers’ unethical practices, if any. TCB’s dealers are frustrated by its persistent casual business attitude17. TCB claims to have supplied following edible oils during the month of Ramadan from 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 (Table-9). However, data in table-10 does not corroborate the claim.

16. www.tcb.gov.bd.17. The Daily Ittefaq, 13 Apr 2012, p.19.

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Table-10: TCB’s Supply during the Ramadan in 2006-2007 and 2010-2011

Year Demand in Ramadan

TCB’s ContributionRemarks

Qty (ltr) % of Market Demand

2006-2007 100,000 MT 1,00,000 0.102007-2008 110,000 MT 500,000 0.452008-2009 120,000 MT 500,000 0.42

2009-2010 130,000 MT 5,896 MT 4.53Crude oil was refined in local refineries

2010-2011 140,000 MT 7,180 MT 5.13

Purchased from local market and sold to distributors at subsidized rate.

Source: TCB, 2012

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI)It is the only national standards body under the Ministry of Industry (MoI) with

defined role to develop and promote industrial standardization. It prepares standards for all articles, products, methods and services. Following edible oils are under BSTI’s ‘mandatory certification marks’ but there are other types of oil like olive oil, rice bran oil, corn oil etc traded in the market with BSTI’s endorsement18.

• Soya bean Oil• Edible Palm Oil• Edible Sun Flower Oil• Refined Palm Oil• Fortified Soybean Oil

Among the products in the market BSTI has the capacity to test following edible oils19:

• Soya bean Oil• Mustard Oil• Palm Oil• Palm Oil• Sun Flower Oil

18. www.bsti.gov.bd19. www.bsti.gov.bd

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National Consumer Rights Protection Department (DNCRP)

DNCRP was established on 01 November 2009. Consumer Rights Protection Act provides necessary safeguards to protect a plaintiff. There is also provision of giving incentive to the complainant if the grievance is correct. After lodging the complaint the applicant has no other responsibility or expenditure to incur in settling the complaint. DNCRP does everything on behalf of the consumer. Only in March 2012 its existence was communicated to consumers through mobile operators’ SMS and advertised in six national dailies.20 Yet consumers are not aware about the department.

Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB)

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), a non-government organization was founded in February 1978. The vision of CAB is to contribute in the creation of an environment where both consumers and businesses will have a safe, fair and competitive marketplace….21 CAB aims to empower people with the knowledge and skills for protection of their rights and interests as consumers. But any visible activity is yet to be seen.

RECOMMENDATIONS

There is no quick fix to improve the regulatory management of the edible market. Measures to improve existing market management system can be spread over:

• Short term-where actions may be implemented within 2 year.

• Midterm-where actions may be implemented within 5 years.

• Long term-where actions may be implemented in 10 years.

Short term, midterm and long term measures can be undertaken simultaneously or in staggered time having consistency and linked with each of the actions.

Short Term Measures

Enacting Law. Government may enact law to ban loose oil sale in the retail market. Besides selling oil in PET bottle, the law may require manufacturers selling edible oil in 100 ml poly pack and other convenient sizes for the benefit of poor consumers. To prevent cartel government may enact Competition Act.

20. The Daily Prothom Alo, 29 April 201221. www.consumerbd.org, dt accessed 10 Mar 2012

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DNCRP. DNCRP may undertake massive awareness program on radio, TV and news paper for the consumers about its functions and the benefit that the consumers can get from it. Then it may make periodic publicity as reminder to consumers. It should also use mobile operators SMS facility. For the purpose of publicity NGO Affairs Bureau may ask CAB to contribute or complement such program. DNCRP may immediately build a web site. The web site may contain information how the consumers can reach concerned authority.

Tariff Commission. Tariff Commission may be organized with personnel trained and educated on market management or people having knowledge on the subject.

Midterm MeasuresReforming TCB. To make TCB operationally effective and efficient

following steps may be considered:

• MINCOM may consider making TCB autonomous in its true sense.

• TCB’s paid up capital may be increased to Tk. 2,500 million. Government may give this amount to TCB as interest free loan in perpetuity.

• Due to fluctuating character of international commodity market TCB’s procurement rule may be separated from PPR 2008. It may also have detail operating procedure.

• TCB may have ‘professional officers and personnel’ as required by President Order No. 68/1972. Personnel in managerial positions must be educated on Supply Chain Management.

• TCB may undertake international and domestic market research.

• TCB may be empowered to prepare and approve its annual budget.

• TCB’s BoD may be given full financial power to incur expenditure on commodity procurement without any reference to MINCOM or MoF.

• TCB’s Chairman may have full financial power to incur expenditure on administrative matters without any reference to MINCOM or MoF or BoD.

• MINCOM may devise effective way to monitor TCB’s functional effectiveness and efficiency that it is present in the market with edible oil and other essential commodity round the year.

• MINCOM may set Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to evaluate TCB’s performance.

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Establishing Crushing Unit. Government may encourage establishment of Soya bean and Palm crushing plant and also persuade Soya bean and Palm kernel import.

Entrepreneur Development. Government may encourage facilitate entrepreneur development in the edible oil industry.

Foreign Investment. Government may take measures to attract foreign investment in the edible oil industry.

Long Term Measures

Research Program. • Ministry of Agriculture may undertake research to develop a variant of

Palm suitable for Bangladesh climate.

• A research may also be undertaken to invent hybrid variety of Soya bean for cultivation in coastal areas.

• A research program may also be undertaken to develop high yield variety of mustard.

CONCLUSIONBangladesh’s edible oil market is import dependent. Couples of regular

importers and manufacturers import crude or refined oil. In this context edible oil market is oligopoly. Soya bean oil and Palm oil are the two principal commodities in the market. The government has the obligation to do the regulatory management of the market forces. To manage the market forces Government enacts law and applies through its apparatus created at different times. Government created TCB to maintain presence in the market with edible oil. Neither government apparatus nor TCB were found effective and efficient.

Apart from government managing the market, consumers’ wrong perception does not contribute in managing the market. Household consumers, the largest segment has rigid preference for Soya bean oil. Although huge quantity Palm oil is traded in the market but due to consumers’ liking for Soya bean oil or vegetable oil business enterprises sell Palm oil in different brand names like Super oil/Super Vegetable Oil/Vegetable Oil etc at the price of Soya bean oil. Consumers are ultimate losers because they do not get benefit of price difference between Soya bean oil and Palm oil.

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Palm oil is vegetable oil. But due to lack of awareness, there is demand pressure for Soya bean oil and business enterprises exploit market demand. Palm oil supplied in the market is consumed by household consumers directly or indirectly. Household consumers’ awareness can benefit them in terms of price.

On the quality issue, the problem mainly lies in the loose oil. Edible oil is prone to adulteration in the loose oil market. Another problem in the loose oil market is unhygienic storage and sale. BSTI is unlikely to be able to trace the origin of adulterated oil. To prevent adulteration, rule stopping loose oil sale needs to be enacted. Quality verification of oil is convenient while in traded in ‘pack’.

Edible oil market being oligopoly, mere market monitoring cannot encourage fair competition. To make the market more competitive, government needs to ensure that TCB maintains presence round the year in the market with 25% of consumer demand for edible oil. TCB should not make subsidized sale and not be a part of cartel and it should not aim profit maximization. To be functionally effective and efficient TCB needs thorough restructuring. Last but not the least, edible oil sector being capital intensive, government should encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship development and also attract foreign investment into the edible oil industry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books/References1. Understanding the Corporate Environment, ITC, Geneva, 2000.2. Analysing Supply Markets, ITC, Geneva, 2000.3. Developing Supply Strategies, ITC, Geneva, 2000.4. Encyclopedia of Professional Management, Volume 1, Connecticut, USA, 1988.5. Encyclopedia of Professional Management, Volume 2, Connecticut, USA, 1988.6. Pk. Md. Motiur Rahman, Noriatsu Matsui and Yukio Ikemoto, The Chronically

Poor in Rural Bangladesh, Routledge, London, 2009.7. Joseph Stiglitz, State Versus Market, The University Press Limited, Dhaka, 1999.8. Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh, Bureau of Statistics, Bangladesh, 2009.9. Managing Logistics in the Supply Chain, ITC, Geneva, 2000.

Websites10. Ministry of Commerce-www.mincom.gov.bd on 23 Feb 2012.11. Trading Corporation of Bangladesh-www.tcb.gov.bd on 23 Feb 201212. Consumer Association of Bangladesh-www.consumerbd.org on 10 Mar 2012

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13. Department of Agriculture Marketing-www.dam.gov.bd on 11 Mar 201214. Bangladesh Tariff Commission-www.bdtariff.gov.bd on 17 Mar 201215. Directorate General of Food-www.dgfood.gov.bd on 08 Apr 201216. Ministry of Commerce- www.mincom.gov.bd on 21 Apr 201217. LGED-www.lged.gov.bd on 23 April 201218. Vegetable Oil Global Over View-www.bioenergytrade.org on 14 Apr 201019. Analysis of the World Oil Crops Market- www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu on 14 Apr 201220. Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd-www.beol-bd.com/brand_content on 11 Jun 201221. Edible Oil Report-www.edibleoilreport.com on 11 Jun 201222. Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Bangladesh-mpoc.org.bd on 21 July 201223. Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution-www.bsti.gov.bd on 17 Oct

2012

AuthorCommodore Mohammad Abdur Razzak, ndc, psc, BN was commissioned on

01 June 1984. He did his staff course from DSCSC, Mirpur, Dhaka in 2000 and Naval War Course from Naval College, Turkey in 2001. He attended International Purchaser Course in the Defence Institute of Security Assistance Management, USA. He obtained International Diploma in Supply Chain Management from International Trade Centre, Geneva in 2010. He has written couple of books on purchasing and supply management for Bangladesh Navy. He has more than a dozen papers published in different journals like Bangladesh Armed Forces Journal, Journal of BIISS, Proceedings, US Naval Institute Journal, Headmark, Journal of Naval Institute Australia, The Naval Review, UK etc. His paper titled Protecting Bangladesh was adjudged Second Honorable Mention Winner in the International Navies Essay Contest 2000. He worked as Supply Officer on board ships and establishments, Staff Officer and Director at NHQ, Commanding Officer Naval Stores Depot, School of Logistics and Management of Bangladesh Navy. He was Executive Director, Mongla Cement Factory from 2006 to 2008.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) IN BANGLADESH: AN IMPERATIVE FOR RMG SECTOR

Group Captain Ashraf Uddin Faroque, ndc

INTRODUCTIONQuality Circles (QCs) are basic method used for developing employees in

the basics of problem solving and eliminating some problems in the employee’s realm of control. The steps for QCs follow the logic of ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’. The idea of QCs is commonly attributed to the Japanese, though discussions, groups and generating suggestions for production improvement were known in the UK and elsewhere in the 1950s and earlier (Towers, 2000, p.230).

Theory of TQM was originated in 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. TQM is a wide approach to improve quality and customer satisfaction. This approach needs commitment from the organization. Human Resource (HR) is one of the essential assets to provide the organization with well qualified individuals, who can perform a highly standard work. Effective HRM (Human Resource Management) can help TQM through developing skilled and motivated workforce required for the organization.

The concept of HRM in Bangladesh is new and the idea of TQM is even newer. Until the end of the last century, Bangladeshi business organizations used to be structured with personnel department for managing their workforce. Most of the government organizations are still running with old structures where personnel management has been blended with administration. World class MNCs (multinational companies), wherever they operate, always try to keep pace with the change of management concepts. Number of such MNCs in Bangladesh is rather less. Moreover, some of them prefer limited scale of operations in Bangladesh. As such, their modern management approaches such as TQM etc could not influence Bangladeshi business enterprises that significantly.

Although Bangladesh is yet to be developed in large scale industry, her garment industries have grown very rapidly. She is now known as the second largest RMG exporter in the world (BGMEA, 2011). It is the leading manufacturing sector of Bangladesh in terms of employment and foreign exchange earnings.

At present, this sector accounts for more than 78 percent of total export earnings of Bangladesh and engages a huge workforce of about 3.6 million. But this sector lacks effective HR practices. ELR (Employer Labor Relations) in this sector is not very good. Recently, labor unrest has become rampant in this sector.

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Total Quality Management (TQM) in Bangladesh: An Imperative for RMG Sector

Sometimes, it even creates crisis scenario which indicates the sector is devoid of quality management. As such, the problem of labor unrest in the RMG sector of Bangladesh needs to be addressed with due importance and implementation of TQM will help this sector come out of the present crisis. Moreover, TQM is required for laying a solid foundation for sustained economic growth of Bangladesh under the environment of ever increasing global competition.

Prevailing HR Practices in RMG Sector of BangladeshHRM is the most ignored area in Bangladesh. It is due to the availability

of abundant and cheap labor in the country. HR practices in the RMG sector are related to two important aspects: the level of compliance and the standard of HRM. Compliance standard deals with workers’ welfare and safety while HRM deals with workers’ salary/wage, incentives and other monetary benefits. Inadequate salary (at present minimum TK.3000.00), insufficient benefits, and unsatisfactory welfare and safety are the root causes of labor unrest in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. As such, the sector is still faced with challenges of poor compliance standard and ineffective HRM. The Sixth Five Year Plan (FY2011-FY2015, Part-2, p-84) of the government of Bangladesh describes the situation as follows:

“In addition to speedy supply, the social dimensions of the RMG industry are getting more attention from consumers, social workers, welfare organizations and brand name international buyers demand compliance with their “code of conduct” before placing any garment import order. Although Bangladesh was able to solve the problem of child labor very successfully in the mid-1990s, the country’s performance in improving the factory working environment is not yet satisfactory. Informal recruitment, low literacy levels, wage discrimination, irregular payment and short contracts of service are very common practices in the RMG factories in Bangladesh. It is true that the country still enjoys some comparative advantages in manufacturing garment products based on low labor costs. However, such advantages cannot be sustained forever nor can they be expected from humanitarian perspective. Rented factory premises, narrow staircases, low roofs, closed environments, absence of lunch rooms, unavailability of clean drinking water and no separate toilets or common rooms for female workers, low wages etc are other concerns in the garment factories of Bangladesh.”

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Evolution of Management TheoriesThe production of goods for sale, at least in the modern sense, and the

modern factory system had their roots in the Industrial Revolution which began in the 1770s in England. The same revolution spread to the rest of Europe and to the USA during the nineteenth century. Prior to that time, goods were produced in small shops by craftsmen and their apprentices with the help of simple and indigenous tools because the machines that we use today had not been invented (Stevenson, 2007-2008, p.19). Industrial Revolution ultimately aimed at greater productivity with lesser cost and better quality which depends on the efficient use of workforce in the field of production.

This requirement led to the study of management through developing following five theories/approaches (Ivancevich et al, 1996, Pp.36-46):

a. The Classical Management Approach

b. The Behavioral Approach

c. The Decision and Information Sciences (DISC) Approach

d. The Systems Management Approach

e. The Situational Management Approach

TQM Approach

Introduction and DefinitionUntil Second World War, the process of industrialization had its national

or territorial boundary and traditional management theories were adequate to perform management activities even with their inherent limitations. But in the post-war era, the same process gradually expanded beyond national boundaries and appeared as a global phenomenon which was finally termed as ‘globalization’ in early 90s. This new phenomenon demanded new management style because traditional management approaches appeared to be inadequate to address management problems unfolded by the process of globalization.

Almost everyone involved in the management businesses felt the said inadequacy. This feeling made the Western Corporate Houses adopt Management by Objective (MBO) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) as new management styles. The same feeling made Japanese companies adopt TQM approach. In fact, the Japanese did not invent this style of quality-focused, team-

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concept management rather it is the American quality pioneers who took the process of quality techniques to Japan in the fifties. However, in 1990s, TQM became popular worldwide including America.

TQM is composed of three words: Total, Quality and Management. Total means made up of the whole; Quality means degree of excellence a product or service provides; and Management means act, art or manner of handling. Therefore, TQM is the art of managing the whole to achieve excellence (Besterfield et al, 2008, p.1). Product, process, organization, leadership and commitment are the five pillars of TQM (Creech, 1995, p.7).

TQM as a Management ToolTQM approach has proved itself as the best tool for crisis management.

The classic example in this regard is ‘SHIFT: Inside Nissan’s Historic Revival’ (March 21, 2006) written by Carlos Ghosn and Philippe Ries (Carlos Ghosn is CEO, Renault-Nissan Alliance). In the early 1990s, the Malaysian government began to focus on how to create efficiencies in a bureaucratic system. TQM was deemed the most appropriate and logical reform approach to create their efficiencies (Website of the Government of India, 2012).

Effective TQM FrameworkTQM is a top-down approach and primarily based on knowledge provided

by the TQM gurus (Deming, Juran, Ishikawa and Crosby). This knowledge helps the top management develop effective tools and techniques; and introduce supportive principles and practices to implement TQM in the organization. Figure-1 illustrates effective TQM framework.

Figure-1: TQM Framework

Source: Besterfield et al 2008, p.6

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Tools and Techniques for TQMThere is a host of tools and techniques which an organization may develop for

implementing TQM. Following four are the most important ones in this regard:

a. Benchmarking: It refers to the method of measuring an organization’s own practices against the best industry practices. Benchmarking is an increasingly popular tool.

b. Quality Management System (QMS): Primarily, QMS focuses on identifying needed organizational processes and methods for arriving at results. Processes are management activities, provision of resources, product realization, and measurement.

d. Quality Function Deployment (QFD): QFD focuses on customers’ expectations and requirements. As such, it is often referred as to the voice of the customer.

c. Statistical Process Control (SPC): SPC is a statistical assessment tool which can substantially contribute to addressing process variability and improvement. SPC starts with the histogram which graphically estimates the process capability data through describing the variation in the process as illustrated by Figure-2.

Figure-2: Frequency Histogram


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Principles and Practices for TQMImplementation of TQM in an organization requires following principles and

practices:

a. Leadership: It is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Management is about coping with complexity while leadership is about coping with change. TQM needs both managerial skills and leadership.

b. Customer Satisfaction: For any business enterprise there are two types of customers: external and internal. One basic concept of TQM is an unwavering focus on customers, both external and internal.

c. Continuous Process Improvement (CPI): Process refers to business and production activities of an organization. CPI is one of the basic concepts of TQM philosophy. Figure-3 illustrates CPI in the form of ‘input/output process model’.

Figure-3: Input/output Process Model


d. Supplier Partnership: Purchasing raw materials, components, and services is almost common for all business organizations. Therefore, suppliers’ quality can substantially affect the overall cost of product or service.

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TQM and Employee InvolvementFor achieving motivated workforce, an organization should implement

required employee involvement programs. There are four forms of widely accepted employee involvement programs (EIP) : Participative Management, Representative Participation, Quality Circle and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (Robbins, 2000, p.194).

TQM and Standard HR PracticesIn order to develop a conceptual framework to examine HRM in developing

countries, it is important to define HRM in the broadest sense (Debra & Budhwar, 2001, p.5). HRM deals with one of the essential assets to provide the organization with well qualified individuals, who can perform high standard and high quality works for the organization. TQM needs not only qualified but also motivated and committed workforce which is not attainable without following standard HR practices:

a. Formal Recruitment: This is the beginning of HR practices carried out by any organization. There are two ways of recruitment: formal and informal.

b. Employee Remuneration: Effective management of employee remuneration starting from fixing fair pay to making the payment in time is very vital to the success of an organization (Aswathappa, 2002, p.243-244).

c. Training and Development: Benefits of training and development include opportunity for self improvement, improved job satisfaction, chance to learn new things, flexibility for job rotation, and ability to adapt to and cope with changes (Aswathappa, 2002, p.172).

d. Performance Management: It is one of the important functions of HRM. When operated successfully performance management will give the means for evaluating and improving both individual and company performance against pre-defined business strategies and objectives (Neale, 2004, p.7).

e. Recognition and Reward Management: Recognition is one of the most powerful workplace motivators. It is about the development, implementation, maintenance, communication and evaluation of reward processes (Armstrong & Murlis, 1998, p.1).

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f. Employee Welfare: Welfare facilities are designed to take care of well-being of the employees-they do not generally result in any monetary benefit to the employees. Employee welfare measures are divided into two broad groups: welfare measures inside the workplace and welfare measures outside the workplace.

g. Employee Benefits: These include any monetary benefits that the employees receive in addition to their direct remuneration (wages/salary and incentives).

Implementing TQM in RMG SectorLabor intensive industry like RMG is the most appropriate sector for labor

surplus economy like Bangladesh. About 80 percent of the labor force of this sector is disadvantaged and economically poverty stricken women (BGMEA, 2012). As such, employment of labor in the RMG sector of Bangladesh is relatively cheaper. The cheap labor has put Bangladesh in an advantageous position compared to other competing Asian countries in terms of price competitiveness. The so called price competitiveness is primarily based on cheap labor. But under TQM, price competitiveness should be achieved by reducing cost of other business activities.

Cost Components of Business OrganizationsLabor cost is one of the cost items of manufacturing and service organizations.

In this regard, other important cost items are cost of capital, cost of rent, cost of machineries, cost of raw materials, cost of inventory, and cost of transportation/shipment. As such, competitive advantage for business firms does not depend only on the cheap labor rather it depends largely on the effective and efficient management of their operations. RMG sector of Bangladesh has so far enjoyed competitive advantage based on cheap labor but time has probably arrived to shift that advantage on to the other cost areas through practicing effective and efficient operations management. It is also required to ensure well-being of the RMG workers as per modern business ethics.

Productivity and CompetitivenessThe basic idea of overall productivity enhancement is to ensure full

utilization of resources to produce maximum output. Higher productivity reduces overall manufacturing cost thus improves cost competitiveness. RMG sector of Bangladesh still has enough scope to improve competitiveness through productivity enhancement.

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Prevailing HR Practices and Level of MotivationPrevailing HR practices in the RMG sector of Bangladesh is not satisfactory.

It is the source of grievance and disappointment for the workers who are now at a very low level of motivation. There is tremendous lack of morale, commitment, and sense of belongingness among the workers which is, time and again, making them counterproductive even within their own factories. As such, standard HR practices (including adequate motivational programs) need to be introduced as an organizational culture in the RMG sector of Bangladesh for creating environment for implementing TQM in the sector.

Motivational and Welfare ProgramsAs per Abraham Maslow’s motivational theory of ‘Hierarchy of Needs’,

garment workers of Bangladesh still belong to the lower order needs. Even their survival needs are yet to be fulfilled. As such, very basic motivational theory of Abraham Maslow may be applied for motivating the workforce of the RMG sector of Bangladesh through addressing their survival and security needs. BGMEA has been carrying out a host of welfare programs for the garment workers (BGMEA, 2012). But their efforts appear to be insignificant compared to the huge workforce of the RMG sector which has been growing at a rate of over 20% for the last two decades (BGMEA, 2012).

TQM and Productivity TQM is the philosophy of managing all available resources for the best

quality and the highest level of productivity. Labor productivity is directly related to the level of skill and motivation of the workforce of an organization. Implementation of TQM with the participation of highly skilled and motivated workers will increase the overall productivity and quality of products of the RMG sector of Bangladesh. Motivational and skill development programs for the workers will increase the labor cost of the RMG sector to some extent but that additional cost will be compensated by the increased productivity.

Training and Skill Development for RMG SectorRMG sector of Bangladesh still has a shortage of 0.8 million skilled

manpower, which accounts for 25 percent of the present workforce (BGMEA, 2012). BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association), as the apex trade body of the sector, is running training programs through 27 Technical Training Centers and 3 other centers with the objective of producing skilled workers for the RMG sector. BGMEA has already trained 15,000 people

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and employed them in the factories (BGMEA, 2012). But, it is not enough to meet the sector’s huge requirement of skilled manpower. More training centers are required to produce adequate skilled manpower for supporting implementation of TQM in the sector.

Around 17,000 foreign experts are currently working in the RMG sector to produce high quality garments (BGMEA, 2012). BGMEA has established “BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology (BIFT)” in 2000 for producing local professionals for this sector through organizing courses on ‘Fashion Designing’ and ‘Garment Merchandising’. BGMEA is trying to transform the institute into university (BGMEA, 2012). It requires capacity building in terms of technology and expertise for producing local experts as well as professional mid-level managers for implementing TQM in the sector with lesser cost.

Need to AddressedTotal three professionals/experts have been interviewed for getting their

opinions on the implementation of TQM in RMG sector of Bangladesh. All of them have opined that improved HR practices will resolve the present issue of labor unrest and pave the way for implementing TQM in the sector. However, they have expressed their concerns about following aspects which, they think, need to be addressed with due importance for effective implementation of TQM in the RMG sector:

a. Regulatory Bodies for RMG Sector. The expansion of RMG sector in Bangladesh (at a growth rate of over 20 percent over the last two decades) took place in an unregulated way. BGMEA has been trying to bring the sector under regulatory framework by formulating and executing vital policies and programs. But this framework is not strong enough for regulating such a huge sector like RMG. As such, BGMEA needs government support for developing an effective regulatory framework for the sector.

b. Factory Management for RMG Sector. Factory management in the RMG sector of Bangladesh still works under the shadow of ownership. They lack managerial skills and leadership required for operations and labor management. As such, garment factories of Bangladesh need to be provided with neutral and efficient management which can act as an effective bridge between owners and workers.

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c. Workers’ Welfare Programs. At present, garment workers are organizing different movements for fulfilling their 10-point demand. BGMEA needs government’s help to fulfill some of the demands such as, dormitory and ration for the garment workers. Fulfillment of these two demands will ensure wellbeing of the garment workers outside their workplace.

RECOMMENDATIONSIn view of the above, following recommendations are made for effective

implementation of TQM in RMG sector of Bangladesh:

a. Salary and Allowances. Minimum salary for the garment workers (both male and female) may be made equivalent to the minimum salary (Tk 4,100) of the public sector employees. Garment workers may be provided with two festival allowances per year which are popularly known as Eid-bonus (Festival Bonus). BGMEA in coordination with concerned government agencies may ensure timely payment of salary and bonus for the workers of RMG sector particularly before the commencement of Eid-holidays.

b. Maternity Leave and Childcare Facilities. At present, public sector employees enjoy six months maternity leave with full pay. The government may make the same mandatory for the private sector (including RMG) as well. Garment factories may be provided with adequate childcare facilities particularly for breast feeding babies of woman workers who leave their babies back at home and pass their working hours with anxiety.

c. Canteen Facilities and Tiffin-break with Tiffin. Garment factories may be provided with adequate canteen facilities so that the workers can have their working meals in a healthy and befitting manner. At present, garment workers enjoy Tiffin-break but in some factories Tiffin is provided only during overtime. The same arrangement may be introduced for normal shifts as well.

d. Formal Recruitment with Incremental Pay Structure and Career Progression for Long-term Employment (5-10 years). It is one of the very basic HR practices for any company/enterprise but difficult for the new factories to introduce. However, couple of established garment factories may introduce this practice under the guidance of BGMEA for examining the result. If the result is good then the same practice

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may be introduced by other garment factories. Long-term employment will remain incomplete without introducing pension benefit in the form of provident fund. This practice will make the workers try to keep their factories fully functional until their tenure of engagement is over.

e. Employee Involvement Programs. If a company shares its good time with its employees, then its employees get mentally ready to share the company’s bad time as well. Otherwise, for the employees, there will be no difference between the company’s good and bad times. BGMEA may encourage its member companies to introduce one or two employee involvement programs such as profit sharing etc for improving employee involvement in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. At the same time, garment factories may develop effective mechanism so that expected performance can be appraised and the best performers can be recognized with appropriate reward/incentive.

f. Compliance Standard. In 1990s, it was the weakest area of the apparel industry of Bangladesh. With the effective monitoring arrangement of BGMEA, the situation has improved a lot. There are still some areas where the standard can be improved for ensuring welfare and safety of the workers in their workplace. BGMEA along with concerned government agencies may continue their efforts to improve the compliance standard of garment factories of Bangladesh.

g. Neutral and Efficient Factory Management. Garment factories of Bangladesh may be provided with neutral, efficient and knowledge-based management so that they can get out of the shadow of the ownership. At the same time, the factory management should be empowered enough to develop dynamic leadership required for implementing TQM. BIFT may introduce short course on TQM for serving mid-level managers of garment factories. In addition, government may allocate necessary fund for public universities/institutes/centers to initiate diploma/post-graduate courses for developing mid-level management professionals in the RMG sector.

h. Recreational and Welfare Programs. Owners of garment factories may organize monthly cultural programs, half-yearly get-together, yearly picnic and other recreational/social programs for their workers. This type of program will help the garment workers get rid of work related boredom and anxiety. The government may take necessary steps for introducing ration and constructing low cost dormitory for the garment workers of Bangladesh.

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j. Producing Skilled Manpower. The government may help BGMEA for setting more training centers/institutional facilities with need-based training curriculum for producing required skilled manpower for the RMG sector. The government may also help BGMEA for building capacity of BIFT so that it can produce required local experts for the RMG sector.

k. Regulatory Framework and Special Facilities for RMG Sector. The government may activate its regulatory bodies, if required, through improving existing laws and rules for developing a workable and effective regulatory framework for the RMG sector of Bangladesh. At the same time, the government may think of providing the RMG exporters of Bangladesh with some special facilities like adequate duty-free bonded warehouse, special railway container service, special economic zones etc for reducing their dependency on cheap labor for maintaining their existing price competitiveness.

CONCLUSION Quality control is an old concept of industrial process. Initially, the concept was

product oriented and there was less concern for productivity. But, with the rapid industrial growth, business organizations in different sectors found themselves in increased competition both at local and international markets. As a result, issue of productivity became equally important and manufacturing companies tried to find their own ways to increase productivity to remain competitive in the market with better quality and higher productivity. In fact, that was the environment after industrial revolution within which different management theories evolved.

After 2nd World War the process of industrialization became a global phenomenon and the business world became even more competitive. At that time, the issue of production cost came into consideration and some smart companies tried to achieve the best quality and the highest level of productivity at the least cost. The approach was later termed as TQM which is now viewed as the modern theory of management and successfully practiced not only by manufacturing companies but also by different service organizations (both public and private) across the globe.

RMG sector has relieved Bangladesh from over populous unemployment burden through providing the largest employment next to agriculture and transport sectors. The sector is accounting for more than 78 percent of the yearly foreign exchange earnings of the country. As such, sustainability of the sector is a

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matter of great importance for Bangladesh where low productivity and poor HR practices still remain as crucial issues. Implementation of TQM in the sector may be considered as an effective tool for addressing these issues. For this purpose, dynamic leadership may be developed to create required motivated workforce for the sector through implementing standard HR practices for ensuring well-being of the garment workers both inside and outside their workplace.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books1. Armstrong, M. & Murlis, H., 1998. Reward Management. 4th ed. New Delhi:

Kogan Page India.

2. Aswathappa, K., 2002. Human Resource Management. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited.

3. Besterfield, H.D. et al., 2008. Total Quality Management. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited.

4. Budhwar, S.P. & Debrah, A. Y. eds., 2001. Human Resource Management in Developing Countries. London: Routledge.

5. Creech, B., 1995. The Five Pillars of TQM. New York: Truman Talley Books/Plume.

6. Ghosn, C. & Ries, P., 2006. SHIFT: Inside Nissan’s Historic Revival. New York: Currency Douleday.

7. Ivancevich, M.J. et al., 1996. Management (Quality and Competitiveness). 2nd ed. Chicago :IRWIN.

8. Neale, F. ed., 2004. Handbook of Performance Management. 3rd ed. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.

9. Robbins, P.S., Organizational Behavior. 9th ed. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited.

10. Rothwell,J.W. & Kazanas,C.H., 1989. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Inc.

11. Stevenson, J.W., 2007-2008. Operations Management. 8th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited.

12. Towers, B., 2000. Human Resource Management-A Manual. New Delhi: Infinity Books.

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Document/Report 1. Centre for Policy Dialogue, 2011. Bangladesh Economy in FY 2010-11

(Second Interim Review of Macroeconomic Performance). Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue.

2. The Government of Bangladesh, 2011. Sixth Five Year Plan (FY 2011-FY 2015), Part-2. Dhaka: Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning.

Websites1. BGMEA, 2011. PM opens BATEXPO 2011 [Online]. Available at: http://

www.bgmea.com.bd/home/pages/PM_opens_BatExpo_2011 [accessed on 7 February 2012].

2. BGMEA, 2011. BATEXPO 2011 ends [Online]. Available at: http://www.bgmea.com.bd/home/pages/BATEXPO_2011_ends [accessed on 7 February 2012]

3. BGMEA, 2012. About BGMEA AT A GLANCE [Online]. Available at: http://www.bgmea.com.bd/home/pages/aboutus [accessed on 7 February 2012].

4. Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Pensions & Public Grievances, Government of India, 2012. Total Quality Management in Malaysia (Online). Available at: http://indiagovernance.gov.in/bestpractices.php?id=150 [accessed on 10 June 2012].

Interview1. Ahsan Habib, CEO, Haantex Bangladesh (Importer of Garment Machineries)

[interviewed in Dhaka on 04 August 2012].

2. Fikret Cicek, President, Turkey-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry [interviewed in Dhaka on 28 July 2012].

3. Md Shahidullah, General Manager, Pinaki Group (RMG Manufacturer) [interviewed in Dhaka on 04 August 2012].

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AuthorGroup Captain Ashraf Uddin Faroque, ndc, was born in May 1965. He was

commissioned in the Maintenance Branch in Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) in 1989. He joined BAF as an engineer. He completed B Sc in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1988. He also completed MBA with major in Human Resource Management from American International University-Bangladesh in 2008. He attended number of professional courses both at home and abroad. He did basic professional course at Officers’ Training School (OTS) of BAF in 1990 and advanced professional course in Pakistan Air Force in 1994. He also did basic Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) course in Turkish Air Force in 1995. He attended Junior Command and Staff Course (JC&SC) at Command and Staff Training Institute (CSTI) of BAF in 1997. He served BAF at various capacities. He served as Officer Commanding of 203 Maintenance Unit of BAF twice. He also served DGFI as GSO-I (Air). He was Director of Armament at Air Headquarters before being detailed for the National Defence Course (NDC) - 2012. He did two UN peace keeping missions with BAF contingent deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo. He can read, write and speak two international languages: English and French. He visited a good number of countries across the globe. He is married and father of one son and one daughter. His recent hobbies include travelling, reading books and listening folk-songs.

Branding Bangladesh: ideas and Challenges

director general Md. shameem ahsan, ndc

inTrOdUCTiOnBangladesh represents an interesting case among the developing countries.

Despite its huge potentials and impressive success in many sectors in recent decades, notwithstanding its numerous failures, its overall image in the outside world remains largely negative. A section of the global media also tends to downplay its achievements and overplay its negatives which also contribute to its negative posturing. As a result, Bangladesh lacks the level of visibility in the international arena which it rightfully deserves. Quite ironically, its name appears in the international media more often with incidents associated with, among others, floods, poverty, corruption, political instability and likely worst impact of global warming. It is imperative that necessary steps are taken to aggressively pursue “country branding” in a way which not only creates a positive image about the country but also upholds its unique characteristics and attributes before the international community and also to her own people.

In an increasingly globalised world, a country with poor or negative perception cannot thrive. A Bangladesh brand can play a critical role in boosting trade, increasing foreign investment, and eventually fostering economic growth. This is also important to forge mutually beneficial strong relationship with the foreign countries and international entities. Correct country branding may be effectively utilized to address both the reality and the misperception Bangladesh is currently confronting.

Bangladesh is a paradox in the sense that despite being ridden with endemic poverty, massive corruption, frequent natural disasters and confrontational politics, it showed commendable success both at home and abroad which earned appreciation worldwide. This was largely possible due to the vibrancy and resilience of the people who were always an energetic force for the country to move on despite numerous odds. This vibrancy was identified as the most single unique characteristic to brand the country before the world. An effort was made in the article to argue, with ample justifications, in favor of branding the country as “Vibrant Bangladesh” while elaborately touching on the other unique traits and credentials which also speak about the strength of the society and prospects and potentials of the country.

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Branding Bangladesh: Ideas and Challenges

It is hoped that correct branding, if pursued aggressively, could mark the beginning of a journey to change the image of Bangladesh which will ultimately generate greater interest about the country. This may eventually help Bangladesh prosper and earn a respectable place in the comity of nations.

Branding : an Overview“Branding” has become a fascinating issue in Bangladesh recently and

has gained huge attention among the marketers, business communities, and consumers as well. Similarly, the concept of “Nation Branding” also attracted the policy-makers, diplomats, bureaucrats and other stake-holders of the country.

The Concept of nation BrandingNation branding is all about positioning a particular country or a nation in the

minds of people. In other words, earning reputation for a country by utilizing its inner resources and opportunities. The concept of nation branding was elaborated by brand guru Simon Anholt in 1998 through his article “Nation Brands of the 21st Century” in the Journal of Brand Management where he pointed out that “brands create a value that is invisible”1. In 2005, Anholt introduced the Anholt-GMI Nation Brand Index along with GMI, an e-business solution provider. Based on responses from about 25,900 consumers drawn from 35 countries, the index provided a score addressing six core areas of a country depicted through a hexagon: Tourism, Culture, Governance, Exports, People and Investment.

Figure: 1: How to change the perception2

Source: Anholt, Simon(2007)The Anholt Nation Brand Index, Q I1. “ In Search of Another “Brand” for Bangladesh”, Bhattacharya, Debapriya, Executive Director, Centre

for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka.2. Anholt, Simon(2007)The Anholt Nation Brand Index, Q I

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The top 10 countries (in descending order) were: UK, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Japan, France, Australia and USA.

Till date, Anholt-GMI Nation Brand Index, widely considered for brand rating of the nations, has not yet included Bangladesh. But as Bangladesh moves on, it will hopefully generate enhanced interest in the international community and the sponsors of the index is expected to include the country in its exercise in near future. A limited survey carried out by the CPD, among a set of young professionals ranked the six core areas of brand reputation under the Anholt Index, found that the numerical distance of the weakest area (governance) was significant from the rest.

Misperceptions about nation BrandingUnfortunately, when there is a discussion about nation branding, many bureaucrats

and policy-makers refer to traditional lobbying with overseas investors, beautifying the cities with billboards with sporting idealistic slogans. Advertising people often get confused especially between country branding strategy and advertising. Ads are part of a country’s branding strategy, yet often simple tourism advertisements are confused as a country’s branding strategy. They may be part of a larger country branding strategy, but those ads in themselves do not represent the complete country branding strategy, because that focuses on its micro perspectives.

nation Branding versus Product BrandingNation branding is substantially different from product branding and can be

explained in many different ways. Nowadays, we hear catchy words used by several nations primarily for promoting tourism in their countries, for example “Malaysia-Truly Asia”, “Incredible India” and “Amazing Thailand”. Although the underlying principles are same, there exist differences between branding a product and branding a nation. Mercedes Benz, Giorgio Armani or Nike, these are corporate brands. But when we talk about U.S. education, Italian opera, or French holidays, these are nation brands.3

3. Ahsan, Mohammad Badrul. Brand Bangladesh. The Daily Star, 30 September 2005.

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nation Branding: an option or necessity ?In this age of competition, nation branding has become a necessity rather

than an option. Bangladesh has suffered long due to negative brand image created by misrepresentation both at home and abroad. The time has come to rebrand Bangladesh to highlight the amazing accomplishments of its people despite the hardships.

Why branding mattersDiplomatically, a positive and clear image of a country can help generate

interest. Economically, the image can facilitate trading concessions and incentives as well as greater flows of investments. These in turn stimulate the national economy which eventually help create jobs and increase wealth with consequent rise in tax revenue.

Branding a country by taking all the ingredients is not an easy task. The people, geography, history, literature, art, folklore, music, and culture form a country’s personality. It is an umbrella concept, where the “spirit of a nation” is depicted.4

nation Branding: an analysis of few cases There has been a growing feeling that nation branding should be associated

with specific themes or slogans which characterize the potentials or represent its true strength. It will appear that successful themes have been well-received worldwide.

Many countries are coming up with catchy, smart, and intelligent slogans and symbols to re-brand their countries fitting the current business needs. Some of the popular slogans are: “China: Factory of the World, “Malaysia: Truly Asia,” “Uniquely Singapore” “Incredible India,” “Amazing Thailand,” “Sri Lanka: The Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. Few more instances are : “Cool Britannia”, “Simply Thai”, “Korea Sparkling”, South Africa’s “Alive with Possibility” etc. Even small countries like Bhutan, is trying to use their image of being small, unique, unspoilt and fragile that is envied by the developed world.

Kerala has been named as “Gods Own Country” to show how pristine and natural it is. “Dubai: The Jewel in the Desert”, Hong Kong ‘Asia’s World City’, Shanghai ‘China’s Cheerleader’ are some other cases of the exercise of city branding.

4. Waheeduzzaman, A N M, Bangladesh’s Image needs a(R)Branding?, Daily Star, Dhaka, July 2, 2007.

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initiatives for nation Branding: Bangladesh experience The official brand name of Bangladesh is “Beautiful Bangladesh”.

Meanwhile, many enthusiasts have come up with various themes and ideas to brand Bangladesh. Some of them are as under:

1. Hospitable Bangladesh

2. Bangladesh: Nature’s Gifted Child

3. Bangladesh: Voice of The South Asia

4. Bangladesh: the Heart of Asia

5. Bangladesh: Global Tourist Map

6. Bangladesh: Touch of the East

7. Bangladesh: The Greenest Delta

8. Breathtaking Bangladesh

9. Bangladesh: Undiscovered Gem of Asia

10. Bangladesh: The Nation of Language Heroes

11. Invincible Bangladesh

12. Indomitable Bangladesh

13. Bangladesh, the Next Asian Tiger

14. Bangladesh, the Emerging Asian Tiger

15. Bangladesh: The Next IT destination

16. Bangladesh: Asia’s Next Big Opportunity

17. Digital Bangladesh

18. Experience Bangladesh

19. Vibrant Bangladesh

Some suggested Jute (the golden fiber of Bangladesh) for branding the country for its unique traits (biodegradable, historic place in the history of the Bangalee’s movements in 60s etc.). Some argue for projecting Bengali New Year or International Mother Language Day to brand Bangladesh using the mega event as a strong tool of our distinct culture. Some also felt that projecting Kazi Nazrul Islam, the National Poet, could help promote the image of the country.

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It is imperative and desirable that while branding the country, Bangladesh’s unique attributes which broadly characterize the whole nation should be reflected, not by any element which partly represents the country. Any branding which represents a segment of the country’s total personality may not suffice. It is important that branding is all inclusive and not sectoral.5 Country branding has far broader focus than branding for tourism purposes.

The official brand-name of Bangladesh is ’Beautiful Bangladesh’. Projecting Bangladesh as “beautiful” is, no doubt, a good idea but it does not actually identify any unique characteristic of the country as many countries may appear beautiful or they will be keen to claim so! .

The themes (vide serial: 1-9) primarily sound more touristic than encompassing broader national traits. Title at serial 10 primarily relates to a particular glorious sacrifice of the nation. Themes at serial 11-12 may be applicable to many nations. Driven by investment and commercial interests, branding the country (vide serial 13-16) perhaps overlooks the broader non-economic aspects of the nation. Terming “Digital Bangladesh”(serial-17) essentially suggests an ambitious vision to digitalise the country i.e. a national priority than describing the unique trait(s) of the country. “Experience Bangladesh”(serial-18) is more like an inward looking approach. It appears that “Vibrant Bangladesh” truly represents the unique traits of the country.

how should We Brand Bangladesh?There are divergent views as to how we should brand the country/nation.

Anholt’s National Brand Index (NBI) score is made up of six categories: People, Governance, Exports, Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Investment and Immigration. An attempt has been made to contextualise these categories while other aspects, not directly related to the Index, have also been highlighted to give a broader perspective in this regard.

Bangladesh is not known well enough outside and it deserves better. This was the tone of the discussants at a seminar held in Dhaka on branding Bangladesh.6 There were general agreements that the country had good ingredients for a strong brand, but lacks initiatives both from the public and private sectors for a brighter image.

5. Quayes, Mijarul , Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh at a seminar held at BICC, Dhaka on 25 November 2011 organized by the BGMEA on “ Nation branding & Export: How can it Impact Bangladesh economy”.

6. At a seminar held in Dhaka on 25 November 2011 at the BICC organized by the BGMEA on “ Nation branding & Export: How can it impact Bangladesh economy”.

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Branding strategy

PeopleThe people of Bangladesh are hard-working, resilient, and religiously

moderate. The people of Bangladesh can themselves be a major drawing factor for tourists.7 The resilient people of Bangladesh has also shown incredible courage despite being struck by disasters like floods and cyclones over and over again.

Bangladesh may not have Aamir Khan(India’s Brand Ambassador), but iconic cricketers like world’s best all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan can be effectively used in the branding campaign. As some positioned themselves as cricket-loving countries in the world of cricket playing nations, Bangladesh can also position itself as the cricket loving nation. Considered as the Father of tabular designs for high-rises and Einstein of structural engineering, Bangladeshi architect Fazlur Rahman Khan was the designer of the 110-storey Willis (Sears)Tower – the tallest building in the United States (the tallest building in the world for over 20 years). He was also the architect of the Chicago’s 100-storey John Hancock Centre. Bangladeshi national Jawed Karim was one of the creators of You Tube- a video-sharing website. Bangladeshi expatriate engineer Dr Maksudul Alam and his team members were successful in decoding the crucial genome sequence of jute which is, by all counts, a fundamental contribution in scientific research. Mr. Alam earlier decoded the genome of papaya in the US and rubber plant in Malaysia. The latest ground-breaking findings in the search for the Higgs boson called “the God Particle” is also (alongwith Peter Higgs) associated with the name of Satyendra Nath Bose, a Bangladeshi physicist born in Bikrampur, Dhaka. A Bangladesh-born architecture student Saiman Miah’s design won as the official commemorative coin of London Olympics 2012.

Culture and heritageRich culture and heritage of the country needs to be highlighted. Ekushe

February has got worldwide recognition as the International Mother Language Day. Bangla is the 7th largest spoken language and it is only the country named after a language. Great events like Pahela Baishakh could showcase country’s rich and varied culture and heritage. Country’s glorious past can easily put the whole nation into a civilisational image. Therefore, its history and civilization; its glorious war of liberation; its rich cultural diversity; music, song and dances; its cuisine; its economic successes; all should be woven into a theme. That would be the branding part.

7. Meet Bangladesh-Asia’s Big Opportunity, Brand Bangladesh Forum.

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TourismBangladesh has a good number of interesting and attractive tourism spots

which could entice many people from around the world. So great were the attractions of Bangladesh that French traveler Francois Bernier was quoted saying “ it has a hundred gates open for entrance but not one for departure”.8

One of them is the Sea Beach at Cox’s Bazaar, best known as the longest unbroken beach in the world. Bangladesh has other attractions like the Sunderbans (the largest mangrove forest in the world), and a few historical and archeological heritage sites. These can and should easily attract tourists if branded properly. Also Bangladesh can benefit from religious tourism. The second largest congregation of the Muslim world-Bishwa Ijtema, takes place in Bangladesh annually. Rash Mela of the Hindus is another major annual event where people from outside world come and attend.

rMg and Other exportsFor hundred of years, Bangladesh (Eastern Bengal) was known for its muslin

and silk fabric. These are powerful perceptions that can help build a Bangladesh textile brand.9

Bibi Russel, the astounding model of Bangladesh, is currently promoting Bangladeshi fabrics and handicrafts for domestic and international markets under the slogans ‘Fashion for Development and Positive Bangladesh’. Aarong, an iconic Bangladeshi brand and the country’s largest retail chain, stands out as a unique mix of design, quality and convenience of the traditional and the contemporary.

Bangladesh has developed a world-class ready-made garment industry that demonstrates Bangladesh is a player to be reckoned with in the global marketplace. Today, be it Wal Mart, Macy’s, JC Penny, GAP, Sears or Zellers, or any other retailer, the “Made in Bangladesh” tag has become ubiquitous abroad. Our RMGs are of high quality and in many ways are the silent ambassadors of our country. Despite the global economic recession, earnings from RMG sub-sectors are continuously increasing. During the FY 2011-12, the sector earned US$ 19.09 billion (78.6% of total export revenue of US$24.28). In addition, nearly 3 million workers are employed in the garments industries, and most of them are females. This is directly contributing to women empowerment. It is pertinent to mention it here that although every single person of the country enjoys the benefits of this sector, directly or indirectly, this sector was never branded positively.10

8. Islam, Asiful . Term Paper on “Branding Bangladesh: How to Proceed”. 9. Ries, AI , The future of Bangladesh Depends on One Word: Brands, Best Brand Award Bangladesh , A

Bangladesh Brand Forum Initiative, 2008.10. Ibid

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healthBangladesh has made tremendous progress in the health sector which is quite

visible and also earned international recognitions. Health indicators of socio-economic development show that there is a sharp decline in the child mortality and birth rate. A revolution has also taken place with birth control in Bangladesh and it is now cited as an international success story. Child immunisation and vaccination is another matter of great pride for Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received MDG Award during the 65th UN General Assembly and the Duhphine University in Paris also awarded her a medal in recognition to Bangladesh’s laudable success in the social and other sectors.

ORS (Oral Rehydration Salt) therapy was developed in the late 60s by researchers in International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh for the treatment of cholera. ORS is thought to have saved the lives of over 40 million people and it is still saving millions of people from diarrhea and fluid loss.

remittancesBangladeshis should feel proud of her expatriate community, working in

different countries and sending billions of dollars in remittances. Despite the global economic recession, remittances have continued to grow and have played an important role in reducing the poverty rates and in keeping the buoyancy of the economy. During the fiscal year 2011-12, Bangladesh earned $.12.84 billion as remittances which makes Bangladesh one of the largest recipients of remittances among the LDCs.

Things to PonderSome of the impressions that dominated the psyche of all governments of

the country are ; Bangladesh’s beauty, its longest unbroken natural beach in the world; its glorious war of liberation; and its sacrifices for language etc. Many would argue that while these factors are useful for domestic consumption; these have little saleable value internationally.11 For instance, the love of Bangladesh’s poets in the country’s beauty. Notwithstanding, such beauty is average in comparison to natural sites in other countries. Country’s longest beach may be a geographical fact but shorter beaches round the world attract much more tourists. Bengalee nation’s singular contribution for mother language has won UNESCO recognition but again it does not perhaps appeal to other nationalities

11. Islam, M. Serajul in “ Branding Bangladesh and Image Building: Some Problems” Published in The Bangladesh Journal of National and Foreign Affairs, Volume 8; Number 1, March, 2011.

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as such. The above perspective may sound partly rational, but its appeal can be maximized which will eventually add values to those issues if it can be convincingly presented before the world.

It is imperative that branding exercise takes into consideration of the distinctive traits of the country. Bangladesh can take pride on many of its successes which outnumber its failures. All aspects of her traits need to be highlighted but the vibrancy of the people should be the core issue which should figure prominently in the branding exercise.

rationale for Branding as “Vibrant Bangladesh”

Bangladesh’s achievements outnumber its failures, and the branding exercise demands that there should be a one-liner identity to characterize the country. Vibrancy of the people had been the driving force of the country and this unique characteristic may be used to brand Bangladesh internationally.

rationaleThere is no denying to the fact that Bangladesh possesses some unique

characteristics, unlike other nations, which may help project it to the outside world. But the debate still goes on as to what should be the “central theme” of the nation branding exercise in the context of Bangladesh. It is strongly felt that “vibrancy” of the people had been the single most dominant trait which defined the nation and its history while other factors also facilitated its march towards progress and helped gain some sort of international visibility.

“Bangladesh Paradox” is often cited globally in the discourse on development and related issues. The country has shown remarkable resilience in terms of sustaining all sorts of turbulence-political, economic or natural despite numerous challenges. The global flag ship publications and financial institutions also predict of a prosperous Bangladesh provided it can overcome confrontational politics, consistently pursue prudent fiscal and other policies and improve governance. Bangladesh is widely recognized as a “contributing member state” in the international community and UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon often quoted Bangladesh as a ‘Development Model” for the developing countries.

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The significant transformation in Bangladesh within forty years from “a basket case” to a modern self-reliant, enterprising and promising country primarily speaks about the vibrancy, resilience and innate strength of the people. This amply justifies to brand the country as “Vibrant Bangladesh” which needs to be pursued aggressively.

Bangladesh truly represents the characteristics of a vibrant country. This is the most unique characteristic which can be focused, and sustained effort to popularize the theme (Vibrant Bangladesh) may help to gain a positive image about the actual strength of the country as well as the huge potentials it holds.

The issue of image: a Million dollar Question

Perception about BangladeshBangladesh, ironically, faces a reputation deficit which is popularly known as

its “image problem”. It is regrettable that resilience and endurance capacities of the people of Bangladesh to struggle against overwhelming odds and, still, her ability to make steady and visible progress in various fields are often overlooked and the negatives, ranging from corruption to colossal policy blunders, are generally focused. More often, the only associations that come to mind are those of floods, poverty and the impact of global warming.

Bangladesh badly needs a major face lift as far as its image is concerned.A favourable international rating or image would help the country in trade, business, investment and tourism. Image is closely related to national and international events (for example, the winning of the Nobel Peace Prize and the intermittent success of the national cricket team positively contributed to country’s image),

impact of Country ratings on image-BuildingBangladesh is being regularly ranked at the low end by organisations as diverse

as the World Economic Forum, UNDP, UNCTAD, Transparency International, Freedom House, State Department’s Trafficking in Person’s Report etc. Despite their perceived bias and methodological problems, they are useful indicators for “marketing a nation” to the world.12 Governments, international organisations, and multi-nationals use them for environmental scanning, business investment, entry strategy, market development, segmentation and policy purposes.

12. ibid

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Bangladesh ParadoxTermed as the “Bangladesh Paradox”, Bangladesh grew consistently around

6% for over two decades despite the country’s confrontational politics, endemic poverty and natural disasters. Data suggest that per capita income considerably increased, inching the country towards a middle-income status.

World’s leading financial services institutions Goldman Sachs has included Bangladesh in their list of “Next Eleven”; and J.P. Morgan, one of world’s most trusted investment Banks, in their “Frontier Five”. Citi Investment Research & Analysis of Citigroup, in its Global Economic Review in February 2011, ranked Bangladesh as one of the countries expected high growth and profitable investment opportunities. In Moody’s and S&P’s current ratings, Bangladesh also ranks high for stability in monetary and financial management, ahead of all other South Asian countries, apart from India. This is otherwise corroborated by forecast made by Goldman Sachs Economic Research team about Bangladesh turning into the 22nd largest economy in the world by 2025, with a GDP of US$208 billion.13

Bangladesh represents a success story among the LDCs marked by distinct achievements in the socio-economic sectors. These achievements are lauded by the members of the international community. Statistics also suggest that Bangladesh has experienced a tripling of food production, significant reductions in population growth, steady manpower exports, emergence as the world’s 2nd 14largest RMG exporter, continuous growth of shipbuilding and pharmaceutical industries, largest troops contributor in peace-keeping operations under the UN, contributions of the NGOs, and educational opportunities especially for women. Bangladesh is overpopulated but nobody noticed that it could feed them as well. Our export basket is widening and Export/GDP ratio experiencing a steady rise. Bangladesh maintained this growth performance in the face of many odds including the recent global economic downturn. On the human development front, Bangladesh has in its record impressive achievements, particularly in the Millennium Development Goals. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received MDG Award during the 65th UNGA in recognition to Bangladesh’s visible progress in meeting MDG targets. Bangladesh today belongs to the medium human development group as per the rankings of the UNDP. The Nobel Peace Prize earned by Professor Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank and the Knighthood accorded to Fazle Hasan Abed of BRAC are other singular attainments that serve as value additions to the nation’s image. Furthermore, through her support for the 13. Available at blog (http://www.defence.pk/forums/bangladesh-defence/120472-need-branding-bangladesh-

successfully.html) dated 16 July 2011.14. Ibid

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creation of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) gave the world oral rehydration therapy (ORT) which now saves the lives of about 6 million children globally each year.15

Bangladesh has come a long way from the “Basket Case” as depicted by the former US Secretary of State by Dr. Henry Kissinger. Bangladesh has today achieved the best preparedness against natural calamities like cyclones and floods that has made the world acknowledge the country’s resilience and its abilities. In fact, when an international conference was held in Japan after the Tsunami, Bangladesh was invited as a special guest to talk in the conference because of its successes in dealing with natural calamities although the country was not affected by Tsunami.16

Possible role of the government and the Private sector in Branding BangladeshNation branding is a complex process and it should involve all major-stake-

holders, both in the public and private sectors. Only a well-co-ordinated approach with correct vision may help achieve the desired target.

It is imperative to remember that the very concept of nation branding is not only for foreigners, rather for the people of the country who are the biggest stakeholders of the concept. Without their support and embodiment of the brand identity, all nation-branding efforts will be futile.

Country branding is a combined responsibility of all citizens under a government leadership and Foreign Office should be the lead Ministry in this regard. The technical details of re-branding Bangladesh can be taken care of by professionally qualified international media firms/consultants, with support from local media/advertising agencies. The team may consist of representatives from relevant government bodies (Foreign Ministry, Parjatan Corporation, Export Promotion Bureau, and Board of Investment etc.), academia, media, political parties, religious leaders, civil society, professionals, private sector, cultural world, and business representatives from export oriented firms, and the hospitality and entertainment industries should be there.

engaging Bangladesh diaspora for Branding drive Bangladesh Diaspora is an underutilized resource that can play a special

role in developing and promoting the country.17.Members of the Diaspora have 15. Greenough, Dr. Wlilliam B., in Vibrant Bangladesh, published by Embassy of Bangladesh, Washington

DC to commemorate the Independence and National Day, 2010.16. Islam, M. Serajul in “ Branding Bangladesh and Image Building: Some Problems” Published in The

Bangladesh Journal of National and Foreign Affairs, Volume 8, Number 1, March 2011.17. Ibid

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already developed personal connections across the world specially in UK, USA, Australia and some other important countries. Bangladesh can use its Diaspora serve as “Brand Ambassadors.” Bangladesh Missions have a major role to play to engage our Diaspora effectively. Embassies can sensitise them so that they contribute particularly in the form of sharing their valuable ideas.

Challenges aheadThe nation branding exercise, however, could be disrupted by one major

factor, among others, i.e. the confrontational politics in the country. The fallout of this divisiveness has already affected every major institution in Bangladesh which is expected to produce future leaders.

It would be self-defeating for us to engage in the blame-game and put the entire responsibility on the international community for the poor focus on Bangladesh. We have to admit our inability and failures in projecting the country and the true spirit of the people, necessitating the brand building of Bangladesh. National reputation cannot be constructed, it can only be earned. 18.

reCOMMendaTiOns• For the sake of policy uniformity and institutional continuity, there

should be take an initiative to frame a bipartisan approach in country branding which will ensure that it does not suffer due to change of guard at governance.

• There should be a brand cell headed by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh to oversee branding activities at the national level and to co-ordinate with other-stake-holders, both in the government and the public sector.

• Bangladesh needs to find an effective strategy to leverage her Diaspora. This might involve creating an NRB database and greater support and encouragement for events.

• Media should play an important role in the country’s branding effort.

• SNS like on-line tools including Twitter, Face Book, Blogs, forums, YouTube, lobbyists etc. can be utilized to convey the positive message about the country.

18. Anholt, Simon , Places-Identity, Image and Reputation, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

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COnClUsiOn Branding Bangladesh globally and locally is a big challenge, and a daunting

task, indeed but the inherent and innate strength of the country is definitely a plus for the country. Country’s vibrant people remain her greatest asset. Their resilience and vibrancy demonstrated time to time reinforces the belief that this great nation of 160 million people will prove to the rest of the world that they deserve a better place among the comity of nations. Vigorous country branding with the right focus (Vibrant Bangladesh) can help Bangladesh reach to that height. This optimism finds expression in the words of the marketing ‘Guru’ Philip Kotler, ‘not everyone would be interested about Bangladesh, but Bangladesh should be able to occupy the mind space of the right kind of people or relevant section of the international community’.19

BiBliOgraPhY

Books1. Simon Anholt, Competitive Identity; the New Brand Management for

Nations, Cities and Regions, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

2. Simon Anholt, Places-Identity, Image and Reputation, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

3. Morgan, Nigel and Pritchard, Annette and Pride, Rodger, Destination Branding: creating the Unique Destination proposition,2005

4. Kant, Amitabh, Branding India-an incredible History,2009

5. Aminuzzaman M Salauddin, Introduction to Social Research, Adorn Publishers, Dhaka, 1991.

6. Dinnie, Keith -Nation branding, concepts, Issues, Practice, 2009

7. B IL S (2007). Jute: Potential and Problems. Dhaka, Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies.

8. GMI “How the World Sees the World: The Anholt Nation Brands Index (2nd Quarter 2005).”

9. Kozlowski, R. (1996). “Bast fibrous plants as a source of raw materials for diversified areas of application.” Fiber Corps 21(3): 51-55.

10. (1999). “A Review and meta-Analysis of Country-of-Origin Research.” Journal of Economic Psychology 20: pp. 521-546.

19. Rashid Mamun, Marketing in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Marketing, Daily Star, Dhaka, 12 May 2012.

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11. Anholt S (1998). Nation-brands of the 21st Century. J. Brand Manage., 5(6): 395-406.

12. Domeisen N (2003). Is there a case for national branding? International Trade Forum, p. 14.

13. Florek M (2005). The country brand as a new challenge for Poland. Place Brand., 1(2): 205-214.

14. Gudjonsson H (2005). Nation branding. Place Brand., 1(3): 283-298.

15. Kay MJ (2007). Strong brands and corporate brands. Eur. J. Mark.,40(7/8): 742-760.

16. Olins W (2002). Opinion piece: Branding the nation: The historical context. Brand Manage., 9(4/5): 241-248.

17. Papadopolous N (2004). Place branding: Evolution, meaning and implications. Place Brand., 1(1): 36-49.

18. Papadopolous N, Heslop L (2002). Country equity and country branding: problems and prospects. J. Brand Manage., 9(4): 294-314.

19. Porter M (1990). The competitive advantage of nations, 1st Ed. London and Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Limited.

articles20. Rashid , Mamun “Rebranding Bangladesh” , Daily Star, 15 July,2008

21. Rashid Mamun, Marketing in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Marketing, Daily Star, Dhaka, 12 May,2012.

22. Waheeduzzaman, A. N. M., “Bangladesh’s image and country rating,” The Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 28, 2007.

23. Dholakia, Ruby Roy, PhD, Why Branding a Nation is Harder than Branding a product but Just Necessary, Best Brand Award Bangladesh 2009.

24. FAN, Ying. 2006. “Nation branding: What is being branded?” Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12:1, 5-14.

25. The Story of Successful Brands: What Do They represent? Neilson & BBF Research team Best Brand Award Bangladesh 2009.

26. Anwar, Dr. Ferhat , Evolution of Branding: The Bangladesh Story, Best Brand Award Bangladesh; A Bangladesh Brand Forum Initiative,2009.

27. Anwar, Syed Ferhat, Branding Bangladesh: Importance of Political Vision, AmCham Journal, Vol-3, No-1, 2010.

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28. Ahmad, Dr. K. Anis, Brand Education, Best Brand Award Bangladesh , A Bangladesh Brand Forum Initiative, 2008.

29. Waheeduzzaman, A. N. M., “Bangladesh’s image: Need a (re)branding?” The Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 2, 2007.

30. Kabir, Ekram, Branding Bangladesh: Let’s Not Extend Aid-Bowl Anymore, Daily Sun, Dhaka, 27 December, 2011.

31. Imam, Hasan Ali, Globalisation and the Bangladesh Dream, Daily Star, January 10, 2007.

32. Zamir , Ambassador Muhammad, Improving Image abroad, Daily Star, 27 October,2007.

33. Rashid, Mamun, The Bangladeshi Brands, Daily Star, 17 February,2007.

34. Rashid,Mamun, Branding Bangladesh Versus Bashing Bangladesh, Daily Star, 7 November, 2006.

35. Khurshid, Aftab Mahmud, Branding Bangladesh(March Issue,2011).

36. Mahmud, Parvez , Unleashing our Potential, Monthly Magazine, Bangladesh Brand Forum, January, 2011.

37. Ahmed Shamsuddin, Branding Bangladesh for Tourism promotion: Daily Star, Dhaka, 10 August, 2012.

38. Hasan, Khalid-2010-Branding Bangladesh: Approach and Strategic Directions 2010-2015, AmCham, Vol-3, No.4, Issue-October,2010.

souvenirs/other publications39. Khan, Nasir U, Branding Bangladesh-An Added Perspective, in AmCham:

Journal of the American chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh, Vol-3, No-3, Issue, July,2010.

40. Best Brand Award-Bangladesh-A Brand Bangladesh Forum Initiative-2008.

41. Best Brand Award-Bangladesh-2009

Websites42. http://ambassadorseraj.blogspot.com/2011/03/branding-bangladesh-and-

image-building.html Posted by Ambassador Serajul Islam(visited on 28 August,2012).

43. http://rezwanul.blogspot.com/2005/10/branding-bangladesh-bangladesh-has.html

44. Posted by and Rezwan visited on 10 July,2012

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AuthorA career diplomat, Md. Shameem Ahsan joined the Bangladesh Foreign

Service on 1 April 1993. His current position is Director General(External Publicity) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and deals with public diplomacy and media management issues.

He served at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC from September, 2008 as Deputy Chief of Mission/Minister(Political). Mr. Ahsan also served in Bangladesh Missions in Italy, Kenya, Qatar and Kuwait in various capacities. He acted as the Focal Point at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Kenya for the UNEP and UN-Habitat headquartered in Nairobi. He also served in various positions in the Ministry.

Mr. Ahsan attended a number of international conferences and meetings and participated various training programmes on diplomacy, environment, security, immigration and language issues in USA, Italy, India, Kenya and Kuwait. He attended seminars/Talks at Universities, Think-tanks and at the Capitol Hill, USA as a part of public diplomacy effort.

Born on September 1, 1966 in Pirojpur, Mr. Ahsan was educated at Dhaka University and has a Masters & Honors in Political Science (First Class First in both) from the same University. He obtained First Division at S.S.C. and H.S.C (first position in Board in order of merit).He received numerous awards throughout his student life for his academic feat which also included Chancellor Award from the President.

He has authored two books on Diplomacy and International Relations. One of his publications includes near 1000-page “Kutnitikosh” (Encyclopedia of Diplomacy). He has also published several articles on various issues, among others, on diplomatic front of the liberation war of Bangladesh, climate change, international economic relations, regionalism, South Asia & Middle East.

An ardent debater and a passionate poem reciter, Mr. Ahsan actively participates in literary and cultural activities. He received a President Gold Medal during his school days for the best written essay at the national level.

Mr. Ahsan is married to Mrs. Guley Ferdousi Forhad and has a daughter Nahla Ahsan.

“THE FALL OF LTTE”- IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Air Commodore PDKT Jayasinghe, ndc

INTRODUCTIONThe LTTE is a terrorist organization gradually expanded its wings

internationally over the last three decades mainly through wide variety of assistance provided by the Tamil diaspora. The enormous external support base provided by the Tamil diaspora, its international networks and other international links established with terror outfits all over the world paved the way for the organization to engage in a prolonged war aiming to achieve the ultimate object of establishing a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Although, the LTTE is militarily defeated in Sri Lanka, their international arm is still intact and effectively functioning without any hindrance due to freedom extended by many western nations.

The terrorist activities committed by LTTE had a great impact on the security of the South Asian Region and International security environment as a whole in addition to its effect in Sri Lanka. The brutal assassinations, suicide bombing, drug trafficking, money and human laundering, illegal weapons transactions through their own shipping network and recruitment of child soldiers are key features of the organization which had a great impact on regional and international security. This paper will analyze the present state of the organization and to identify the threat posed on national, regional and international security.

THE RISE OF THE LTTE AND ITS “FALL”Sri Lanka is an ethnically diverse state having total population of 19 million.

Sinhalese are the most dominant ethnic group, which comprise 82% of the total population. On the other hand, only 9.4% are Tamils, 7.9% are Muslims and others are 0.7%. Out of the total population 70% is Buddhists, who are mostly Sinhalese and 15.5% follow Hinduism that involves mainly the Tamils.1

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was formed in 19762 under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, and it began to campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.3 Thereafter, starting from the 1. Hon Wanasundara R.S., Sinhala Commission.17 September 1997.2. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Tigers_of_Tamil_

Eelam [accessed 14 June 2012].3. Gunaratna, Rohan., 1997. International and Regional security implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil

Insurgency. Colombo: Alumni Association of the Bandaranayke Center for international studies Sri Lanka., p. 8.

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“The Fall of LTTE”- Implications for National, Regional and International Security

assassination of the Mayor of Jaffna by the LTTE leader Prabhakaran, a number of acts of terror have been committed by the LTTE. In 1983, the LTTE ambushed an army convoy and killed thirteen soldiers which triggered the over two decade long conflict in the island.

Prabhakaran built his military apparatus like a conventional force having infantry, artillery and logistics units. He even supplemented the ground troops with a naval wing and managed to build an air wing comprising few light aircraft. In August 2005, the assassination of Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, who himself is a Tamil reignited the conflict. Mr. Lakshman Kadiragamar was a world-renowned diplomat and this barbaric act was condemned by the international community. This was one of the main reasons to intensify the ban on LTTE by the European Union.4

In 2006, following a well crafted strategy formulated by Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksha, the president’s younger brother and Secretary of Defence, President Rajapaksha’s government applied Military power to weaken the LTTE to facilitate a political solution5. Diplomatic tools were applied to ban the LTTE overseas and prevent external support. Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksha was a war veteran who himself fought the LTTE very bravely6 and retired as a colonel in the Sri Lanka Army had no fear in confronting this ruthless outfit. The initial thrust started in the eastern province in year 2006 and following a fierce, three year-long military offensive, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksha, the Sri Lankan government claimed in 18 May 2009 that it had militarily defeated the separatist group and killed its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

It was the loss of its logistics vessels in a series of air and Naval attacks from 2007 to 2009 and the multi-pronged ground operations by several Sri Lankan military divisions marching in tandem across different axis that ultimately proved to be the LTTE’s downfall.7 The Freezing of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) accounts had positive financial affect on the LTTE.

4. The Rise and Fall of the LTTE: An analytical observation written by Leel Pathirana Asian Tribune available at http://www.asiantribune.com [accessed 25 March 2012].

5. President Mahinda Rajapakse., 2009.” Prabakaran Closed the Door on Me. I Wanted Peace.” interviewed by Indrejit Badhwar. Colombo. Daily Mirror, 1 August.

6. Author who was a SLAF helicopter pilot himself flown the officer for missions along with his troops.7. The Times of India available at http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-18/india/28207800_

1_ prabhakaran-ltte-coastal-districts. [accessed 25 March 2012].

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Is the LTTE totally eliminated?Although, the LTTE has been militarily defeated and most of its leaders

and cadres killed or surrendered, its international network remains more or less undisturbed. There is enough evidence that the Tiger remnants are trying to regroup and take the struggle forward using this network. They are also awaiting the resettlement of displaced personnel to mix-up with civilians. Many LTTE ‘sleeper cells’8 that exist all over the island is another potential source of perpetuating violence.

The international wing of the LTTE requires a rationale for continued existence; to disprove the claim of the Sri Lankan government that the LTTE has been decimated; and to sustain the aura of the group among the Tamil diaspora. Irrespective of factions, the external wing has been trying to revive the Eelam movement in the island.9 The Sri Lankan foreign minister Mr. GL peiris during his recent visit to Bangladesh stated that “Tamil diasporas are still ‘rigid’ against stability in Sri Lanka even after the end of 26 years of military conflict in the South Asian nation.”10 Thus, it can be concluded that there is a strong possibility of resurgence of the LTTE if appropriate safeguards are neglected by international community.

The transnational vivid terror activities committed by the LTTE previously is a clear example of greater threat posed to the national, regional and international security by way of their enhanced ideological, technological and financial interaction with overseas insurgent groups if re-emerged. Therefore, an understanding of the existing international infrastructure of the LTTE as well as their relationship with the Tamil Diaspora is vital for improving national, regional and international stability and security.

8. Existence of LTTE sleeper cells were confirmed by unpublished and classified sources.9. Dr. Manoharan, N., Dismantling LTTE’s International Network. Article No.1424 dated 04 November 2009

Centre for Land Warfare Studies Site. Available at http: //www. claws.in [accessed on 30 April 2012].10. Peiris, G.L.,Diaspora gainst stability in Sri Lanka. Colombo Gazette On Line available at http://

colombogazette.com/diaspora-against-stability-in-lanka/ [accessed 08 Aug 2012].

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THE EXISTING LTTE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE A series of ethnic riots erupted from 1956 to 1983 scarred the memories

of a substantial segment of Tamils who left Sri Lanka as victims of communal riots.11 They soon established themselves as the Tamil diaspora in many Western and European countries after seeking political asylum in these countries. The LTTE having identified this trend from the very inception, made every effort to gain control over the Tamil diaspora in its efforts to establish the position that the LTTE was the sole representative of Tamils. However, less than 10% of the radicalized segments of Tamil diaspora get actively involved in promoting LTTE interest whilst majority remains neutral. Despite recent declines in overseas financing, the LTTE continues to raise an estimated USD 200 - 300 million per year through the collection from its diaspora and illegal activities.12 The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora population in western countries is approximately 1.2 million.13

LTTE Front Organizations Since the opening of the first LTTE Front Organization in London in 1984,

LTTE expanded its international network through establishing number of Front Organizations across the globe in 48 countries. Initially, the LTTE International Secretariat functioned from London and Paris. In 2002, it shifted to Northern area in Sri Lanka. Since then, the LTTE international activities were coordinated by Manivannan, alias Castro, under direct supervision of the LTTE leader until its military defeat in 2009. Activities of LTTE Front Organizations could be broadly categorized into Fund raising, Procurement and Propaganda. Though their tasks invariably overlap, there is a significant autonomy of operation in each. According to intelligence sources, 90% of the money collected overseas through its Front Organizations was utilized to strengthen its war coffers.

Following the death of LTTE leader Velupillai prabhakaran, former LTTE arms procurement chief Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, took over the control of LTTE International Network in May 2009. However, Nediyawan, a hardcore follower of Castro who was the former head of LTTE international network

11. Gunaratna, Rohan., 1997. International and Regional security implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency. Colombo: Alumni Association of the Bandaranayke Center for international studies Sri Lanka p. 10

12. Jane s spells out LTTE s annual income, August 12, 2008 available at http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/jane-s-spells-out-ltte-s-annual-income/ [accessed on 15 may 2012].

13. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°186, 23 February 2010 and information from unpublished and classified sources from Sri Lanka

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challenged KP’s leadership and this resulted in the formation of another faction in June 2009. Nediyawan was backed by many extremists and radical elements namely Jeychandran of Tamil Net, Fr (sic) Emmanuel of Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and some remnants of LTTE who managed to flee the country. The key policy difference between these two factions is that the KP Faction declared they would continue their struggle through democratic means whilst Nediyawan declared that it was only by following Prabakaran’s ideology and tactics that they could achieve their objectives.

However, following the arrest of KP in August 2009, his key advisor, V Rudrakumaran, a USA based LTTE activist and the international legal head of the LTTE, took over the leadership and continued to work towards concept of establishing the so called “Government in Exile”, or the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE) whilst Nediyawan continued to expand his network based on Prabakaran’s ideology and tactics. A brief description of existing LTTE international networks are given below:

a. Transnatianal Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) - Rudrakumaran Faction The prime aim of establishing the TGTE is to lobby with Foreign Governments

for the establishment of a separate state in the North and East of Sri Lanka. It has established offices in almost all European countries where the Tamil Diaspora is significant. Rudrakumaran has appointed a 14 member committee which consists of prominent Pro LTTE activists as an advisory group to study TGTE concept and in May 2010 the elections were held to elect 135 members. The Tamil Diaspora did not respond positively to the TGTE elections as more than 85% refrained from voting. Subsequently, TGTE has held three sessions in USA in May and September 2010 and February 2011 where Rudrakumaran and 22 other elected activists were appointed respectively as Prime Minister and Ministers of so-called TGTE. The latest development of this process is that 1/3 of the elected members of TGTE who are loyal to Nediyawan faction have revolt against the policies of Rudrakumaran and wanted to remain as an independent group.14 It would be interesting to see how Rudrakumaran will proceed with TGTE concept when 1/3 of his own elected members are opposing him.

14. The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora after the LTTE. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°186, 23 February 2010. p.13

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b. Tamil Ealam People Assembly (TEPA) Tamil National Council (TNC) - Nediyawan Faction. This organization was inaugurated in June 2009 by Nediyawan based on the LTTE ideology and Thimpu Principles. The Nediyawan faction controlled most of former LTTE assets and Front Organizations that existed prior to its military defeat. Nediyawan is only a figure head of this organization and it is actually controlled by a group of pro LTTE activists namely Jeyachandran alias Jeya, the editor of Tamil Net based in Norway, Senathirajah Jeyanandamurthy, a former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament now based in UK and Thiruchelvam and Neru from Canada.

c. Global Tamil Forum (GTF) -Fr. S J Emmanuel Faction. The GTF emerged in February 2010 following the initiative of BTF with the backing of local politicians to lobby for Eelam cause in the pretext of fighting for justice for alleged war crimes against Tamils. Fr. (sic) S J Emmanuel was selected to head the GTF due to his intellectual and religious background and his ability to reach the international community as a religious dignitary.

d. The British Tamil Forum (BTF) - Suren Surendiran Faction. The British Tamil Forum (BTF) is an umbrella organization established in 2006 with the prime aim of mustering the support of Tamil community and local Politicians for the Eelam cause. The motive of this later action is to attempt to influence the political thinking of the British government in favour of LTTE interest, gain access to voter lists and target Tamil residents for extortion.

e. LTTE Ex-Combatants / Criminal Elements - Vinayagam Faction. This group consists of ex-LTTE combatants and criminal elements have started functioning from early 2010. In this group, Vinayagam, the senior most intelligence cadre who managed to escape during the last stage of humanitarian operation, along with Achchudan, Samraj and Shankar who operated overseas at the time of LTTE military defeat are reported to be active. At present, some of them are linked to certain other LTTE Fronts Organizations as well.

f. LTTE / Pro-LTTE Media Network. Media is one of the main tools extensively used by LTTE to propagate its ideology and raise funds from Tamil Diaspora during its military struggle and even after its military defeat. To this end, LTTE maintaining number of TV and radio stations, websites and printing presses in most European capitals where the Tamil Diaspora is significant. Some of these establishments are funded by outside parties for different reasons. The LTTE also maintain close links with certain international media establishments and journalists to promote its interests among Diaspora and International Community and some of them have come under regular payments by the LTTE and its Front Organizations.

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g. LTTE Finance Network. LTTE maintained an international financial network consisting of its own money exchange offices and couriers across the Europe to ensure that money collected are channeled to meet its ultimate terror activities. Saana Chandran who is also known as Saana Group is responsible for running this financial network under the direct supervision of Castro. it is observed that since May 2009, the LTTE fundraising ability has decreased by 80%. Despite this 80% reduction, the LTTE Front Organizations still managed to spend millions of dollars monthly to meet their functional expenses and organize various public events to mobilize the support of Diaspora and international community.

h. LTTE Shipping Network. The LTTE was operating eleven vessels in Southern Asia for gun running in addition to legitimate commercial freight operations.15 Except for the PLO and the IRA, the LTTE is the only insurgent group that owns and operates a fleet of deep sea going ships.16 It is evident that today LTTE has established links with many underworld agencies in order to collect funds by transporting narcotics, weapons and other commercial goods. After LTTE lost its access to Tamil Nadu due to ban of LTTE by the Indian government, the LTTE shifted its operation to Myanmar and Pukhet area in Thailand where bulk of activities had been carried out from these destinations.17 Hence, the unchecked expansion of the LTTE fleet may pose adverse implications for regional and international security especially due to their arms smuggling activities.

Is the Security and Growth of Sri Lanka Challenged by the LTTE Interna-tional Network?

a. Effect on Political Stability. The present government of President Rajapaksha managed to pursue a positive policy on the LTTE terrorism and the well crafted strategy of Defence Secretary Mr. Gotahbaya Rajapaksha which finally eradicated the terrorism totally from the Sri Lankan soil. As a result, President Rajapaksa gained widespread popularity among the Sinhalese majority for ending the war and established political stability in the island after three decades.18 However, some scholars viewed that the military victory over the LTTE is only one half of the solution towards peaceful political stability in Sri Lanka (emphasis added).19

15. Davis, A., “A secret Tamil guerrilla bares embracers Bangkok”. Bangkok Post, 15 Jun 2000. Also see Peiris GH, Secessionist war and Terrorism in Sri Lanka: Transnational Impulse, available at http://www.satp.org/satporgtp /publication/books/global/peiris.htm [accessed 29 March 2012].

16. Gunaratna., op.cit. p.27.17. Gunaratna., op.cit. p.28. Also see LTTE’s flourishing shipping network. Available at http://www.

burmalibrary.org/reg.burma/archives/200003/msg00066.html [accessed 14 June 2012].18. Vaughn B, Sri Lanka: Background and U.S. Relations-June 16, 2011 Congressional Research service

available at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL 31707/.pdf p.1 [accessed 04 May 2012].19. Rajasingham Senanayake, Darini., From National Security State to Human Security: The Challenge of

Winning the Peace in Sri Lanka. ISAS Working Paper No. 72 – Date: 9 July 2009. Institute of south Asian studies, National university of Singapore,p.3.

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The LTTE problem not only effected internal stability but led to the intervention of regional and international actors to the internal politics of the country as well. The Indian intervention in many instances as well as deployment of IPKF in Sri Lanka can be sited as an example. The Indian food dropping in Jaffna on 04 June 1987 with two AN-32 aircraft escorted by Mirage 2000 fighters was clear violation of sovereignty of Sri Lanka.20 The recent resolution passed at UNHRC also viewed as interference to the internal affairs and sovereignty of Sri Lanka by many nations.

The existence of LTTE Phenomenon will continue to provoke Tamil population and may lead to political instability in the country. India too will be involved either like it or not due to its approximately 60 million large Tamil population in Tamilnadu state.21 The LTTE’s strategy of leadership elimination had direct effect in country’s political stability which may again pursue by the LTTE through its underworld connections if resurgence takes place.

b. Effect on Economy. The country in order to fight a prolonged war for nearly three decades had to bear a huge amount of finances for the war effort from the annual budget. The tourism industry almost came to stand still with the LTTE terror attacks carried out in the capital city and its suburbs. The decline in tourist arrivals to the country was one of the main setbacks experienced during the war which was boosting the national revenue. Thus, if the LTTE problem re-emerges, it will have definite impact in Sri Lanka’s economy.

c. Dilemma in Foreign and Economic Policies. Another notable point was deviation in foreign policy and rapid economic growth of Sri Lanka during late 1970’s due to its adoption of open economy similar to Singapore and Malaysia had a strategic effect in economies of certain countries. This could be considered as one of the strategic aims to arm and train LTTE terrorists by interested parties. Thus, if the LTTE is allowed to regroup again, the history may repeat itself in case of an unfavourable Sri Lankan foreign policy and economic growth which affect other nations. It is a known fact that regional and international actors always consider their own economic interest over any other issues in the region.

20. Indian Air force Operation Poomalai available at http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1987IPKF/1022-Chapter01.html [accessed 04 May 2012].

21. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°186, The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora after the LTTE 23 February 2010 p22 (The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, with some 130 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict).

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Hence, this rapid economic growth of the country can be brought to a standstill if the LTTE resumes its activities again. However, it is a viable question to ask who’s economy get effected in a scenario of vibrant Sri Lankan economy which may have indirect bearing to the LTTE factor.

d. Internal Security Situation. Although the LTTE has been defeated militarily in 2009, LTTE supporters oversee is continued to agitate to revive the group.22 The arresting of three LTTE arms smugglers in Tiruchi with the possession of over 5,000 bomb detonators in June 2010, by the intelligence wing of Tamil Nadu police is an example.23

Dr. Rohan Gunaratna24 contended that the most powerful element of the LTTE was its ideological element and thus the greatest threat to the future security of Sri Lanka stems from it in case of resurgence. Both the Government of Sri Lanka and the local media would have to do much more in countering this threat.

e. Funding and Support for the LTTE from Diaspora. Approximately one-quarter of the Tamil population lives outside the Sri Lanka. As per the U.S. State Department, the LTTE has also used charitable groups, like the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), as a front organization for fundraising. In the January 2008 report, the Congressional Research Service said the LTTE continues to raise an estimated USD 200 - 300 million per year despite recent declines in overseas financing.25 The Jane’s Defence Intelligence Review also confirmed that the LTTE’s sophisticated fundraising mechanism earns “some USD 200 - 300 million a year”.26

f. Dilemma in True Intention of World Power Bases. The western countries adopted a very suspicious new approached in all developing countries where some communal disturbance or disagreements exist. Many projects sphere headed by powerful western organizations promote and emphasis concepts such as autonomy on the minds of native people to break away from the sovereign nation states. There is a strong possibility that this may be a strategic plan to keep

22. Gunaratna Rohan Although LTTE defeated overseas supporters carry on, The Island April 11, 2012 on line available at http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46705 [accessed 14 may 2012].

23. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°206, 23 June 2011, India and Sri Lanka after the LTTE, p31 also see “Three LTTE cadre held”, The Hindu, 21 June 2010.

24. Head of Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research and Professor of Security Studies, Nanyang Technological University. Prof Gunaratna also serves on the Advisory Board of International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in the Hague

25. Vaughn B, Sri Lanka: Background and U.S. Relations-June 16, 2011 Congressional Research service available at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL 31707/.pdf [accessed 14 May 2012].

26. Jane s spells out LTTE s annual income available at http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/jane-s-spells-out-ltte-s-annual-income/[accessed 14 May 2012].

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the developing nations in its status quo in order to find market for their products and arms trade to ensure the security of their economies. The activities of certain organizations in Chittagong Hill tracks in Bangladesh and north eastern part of Sri Lanka are an example for above hypothesis. If all countries develop and becomes self sufficient the present power bases has to face a paradigm shift.

What has been the Sri Lankan Government Response?The Sri Lankan government presently doing its best to emphasis and

convince the international community of the danger lying ahead, if the LTTE resurgence takes place through its diplomatic missions abroad. As a result of its effort many leading nations such as USA, UK, Canada, India etc. has further banned the LTTE in their countries. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence through its intelligence organizations working positively and tirelessly in collecting information of latest development and denying expansion of LTTE international arms with the assistance of Interpol and their counterparts in friendly countries. The arrest of Kumaran Pathmanadan alias KP abroad can be sited as one their great successes as a result of above corporation.

IMPLICATIONS ON REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Threats to Regional SecurityThe assassination of Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, killing of

15 members of rival Group in Madras and the bomb explosion of Meenabakkam airport in Madras, are some of the major LTTE terrors committed in India. The LTTE is the only group to have successfully assassinated two world leaders, namely Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India in 1991 and Ranasinghe Premadasa of Sri Lanka in 1993. In both instances, the Tigers carried out extremely well planned and orchestrated suicide strikes that successfully defeated the tightest security cordons of the Indian and Sri Lankan intelligence services.27 When analyzing the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, it is evident that either LTTE may have done so to avenge the grudge of declaring war on them through IPKF or they may have thought his existence in Indian politics is detrimental to the organization. A group of Sri Lankan Tamil militants once made an attempt to overthrow the President Abdul Gayoom’s Government of Maldives as well by military means.28

27. Chalk Peter, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) international organization and operations - A preliminary analysis, Commentary no.77, March 17, 2000. Canadian security intelligence service publication, available at http://www.vigilonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=68 [accessed 01 May 2012].

28. Hewitt., op.cit. p. 73.

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However, Madras politicians continued to harbor LTTE cadres even though the central government of India is totally opposed it. It is no secret that India, specifically Tamil Nadu, would be the most likely and logistically convenient place for the Tigers to regroup and rearm, given the anonymity that its Tamil population provides, as well as its proximity to Sri Lanka.29 The Indian Home Ministry notification, May 2010 reported, “even though the LTTE has been decimated in Sri Lanka, recent reports revealed that remnant cadres and leaders are regrouping in Tamil Nadu”.30 In November 2010, testifying in a tribunal investigating the validity of the re-imposed ban on LTTE, the Indian Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.S. Chandhikok said, “The LTTE remnant is regrouping in India”, and again “the possibilities of these remnant cadres using India, especially Tamil Nadu, as a rear base for the re-grouping activities thus cannot be ruled out”, referring to the recent arrests of LTTE cadres who had illegally entered the country.31 The ASG also expressed the central government’s anxiety that the various pro-LTTE groups in India and abroad, publicly organizing in support of Tamil Eelam, threatened India’s sovereignty and security.32 In December 2010, press reports cited unnamed Indian intelligence sources warning of an LTTE plot to assassinate Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.33

The connection between some of the Left Extremist Groups (LEG) in India and the LTTE has often been highlighted. There is a view that the erstwhile People’s War group34 or PWG. Now Communist Party of India (CPIM) had links with the LTTE and had received expertise in using improvised explosive devices from the Sri Lankan outfit.35 Bandaru Dattatreya, then Union minister of State for Railways, stated in the Lok Sabha on 10th December 1991 that the group had acquired 60 AK-47s and 20 sten guns from the LTTE.36 The international affiliations and fraternal ties of the extremists groups in India with the Nepalese Maoists and supposedly the LTTE add to the threat they pose to the Indian state and the region (emphasis added).37

29. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°206, India and Sri Lanka after the LTTE, 23 June 2011, p. 30.30. Notification of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, Notification S.O. 1090 (E),

issued on 14 May 2010.31. Excerpts from the ASG’s testimony see J. Venkatesan, “LTTE’s unlawful activity still on, Centre tells

tribunal”, The Hindu, 1 November 2010.32. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°206, op.cit. p. 31.33. Ibid. p.31. For details of the alleged plot, see “LTTE plans to attack PM, home minister, TN CM: Intel”,

Press Trust of India, 15 December 2010.34. PWG is one of the Left Extremist Group operating in Andhra Pradesh35. “PWG has Links With LTTE: Advani”, The Hindu, October 6, 2003 New Delhi.36. Ramana,P.V. “Internal and International Linkages of Naxalites,” http://www.asthabharati.org/Dia_

Apr05/ ramana.htm. [accessed 03 March 2012].37. Singh, Amit Kumar .The Rising Tide of Left Wing Extremism in India. Manekshaw Paper No. 8, 2008.

Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi.

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The activities of secret services of regional powers are another concern. In one unconfirmed article it is stated that intelligence organization of one country previously has developed close linkages with LTTE to establish bases in South India particularly in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.38 The emphasis added in the article was possibility of manipulating Tamils to establish separate state initially in Sri Lanka and then to use it as launching pad for separation of Tamil Nadu as a strategic aim.

However, a victory of the Tamil diaspora and the establishment of a separate state is definitely detrimental to Indian interest. Sri Lanka’s geographical location is of strategic importance to the Indian national security and the Indian Ocean and has since the time of British, been incorporated within Indian defence policies.39

A viable solution to Sri Lanka’s terrorist problem is also important in safeguarding India’s security interests due to geographical locations of two countries. Mr KM Panikkar, in his influential book India and the Indian Ocean, noted that Sri Lanka was intimately linked to the India’s security although he refrained from spelling out the consequences of it.40

Threats to International Security

LTTE Narcotic and Arms SmugglingTerrorism in Asia registered a huge rise with incidents such as movement

of large quantities of explosives by land and sea in Southern Asia.41 LTTE has strong links with the arms smugglers in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Burmese insurgent groups and at least with four separate insurgent groups in India.42 Indian authorities have once managed to seize around two tons of weapons belongs to the LTTE. In 1994, 50 tons of TNT and 10 tones of RDX explosives were sold by a chemical plant in Ukraine to the LTTE.43 It is evident that LTTE has smuggled some fraction of these explosive and weapons to the Indian terrorist groups. LTTE has been involved in illicit trafficking of weapons and drugs to South Asia and regular supplier of drugs to the European market. LTTE maintains links with 38. Jamwal NS, Counter Terrorism Strategy, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis. Strategic Analysis,

Vol. 27, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2003, New Delhi. Available at www.idsa.in/system/files/strategicanalysis_jamwal_0303.pdf [accessed 01 May 2012].

39. Hewitt, Vernon., The new international politics of South Asia, Manchester University press, Manchester 1997, p. 68.

40. Hewitt., op.cit p. 68.41. Gunaratna, R., 1997. International and Regional security implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency.

Colombo: Alumni Association of the Bandaranayke Center for international studies Sri Lanka. p. 32.42. Kartha, Tara., “Proliferation and smuggling of weapons and narcotics in South Asia”, (IDSA 2000).43. Gunaratna,R., op.cit. p.14. e copy available at http://212.150.54.123/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=57

[accessed 23 April 2012].

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insurgent groups who trade narcotic and arms in Afghanistan, Turkey, Palestine, Myanmar, and Thailand underworld. Tamil tigers have regularly accessed the black and gray markets in Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine and Turkey and are reported as having ports of call for remaining Tamil tiger ships in those countries.

The LTTE has managed to carry out its narcotic and arms smuggling with the help of other insurgents and mafia groups specially by using the LTTE shipping network. They were believed to be sailing from ports in Indonesia. Far- East destinations were always suitable places for the Tigers to smuggle arms since various terrorist groups are operating in the Far East and South Asia such as Al Queda cells in Bali Indonesia. Another key aspect is wealthy Tamil businessmen in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia who were always their sympathizers.

From 1980s onward, the LTTE developed a global network with cells in over 50 countries which are still intact despite their military defeat. In addition to furthering the LTTE’s objectives through the conduct of a propaganda war, this network engaged in a number of illegal activities. These activities include human trafficking, narcotics and arms smuggling etc in order to raise funds for the LTTE to procure arms. Hence, even after the demise of the LTTE’s military organization in Sri Lanka, the LTTE’s global network remains strong and continues to pose a significant threat to law and order around the world.44

Money Laundering and Extortion In a report released by the European Police Office (Europol), the 2011

EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) highlights the LTTE’s ‘rejuvenation’ not in the area of actual terrorism but the collection of funds through numerous legal and illegal means.45 The question is why should the pro-LTTE elements in the European Union region need to raise funds and for what purpose as singled out by the TE-SAT report of the Europol.

44. Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 – May 2009, published by Ministry of Defence, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, July 2011

45. Gamage, Daya., “Wake-up call for Sri Lanka from EU 2011 Terrorism Report: LTTE fund raising identified”. Asian Tribune Foreign News Desk, Washington, DC. 16 October 2011 available at http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/10/15/wake-call-sri-lanka-eu-2011-terrorism-report-ltte-fund-raising-identified[accessed 20 may 2012].

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The PKK/KONGRA-GEL (Partiya Karkeran Kurdistan or Kurdistan Workers’ Party)46 and LTTE also collect money from their members, using labels like ‘donations’ and ‘membership fees’, but are in fact extortion and illegal taxation. In addition to organized extortion campaigns, there are indications that the PKK/KONGRA-GEL and the LTTE are actively involved in money laundering, illicit drugs and human trafficking, as well as illegal immigration inside and outside the EU. 47

The immediate objective of the remnants of the LTTE is to haul Sri Lanka before an international court for alleged human rights violations, violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and crimes against humanity in order to create favourable environment for them to re activate their struggle with the international sympathy. But the long term target, as Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran is currently involved in, is the bifurcation of Sri Lanka into a separate independent state for the minority Tamil.

International CrimesThe LTTE has committed few crimes in the European countries too. The LTTE

Canadian Leader Suresh Kumar was deported from Canada due to illegal activities committed. At the 19th session of the United Nations Human Right Council on March 2012 in Geneva, Sri Lanka with deep concern noted that remnants of the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) international network continues its criminal activities and its secessionist agenda. Referring to the resolution passed against Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said passing of the resolution could be precedent setting to pave the way towards resurgence of the very terrorism that was eliminated as a consequence of Sri Lankan Government action and policy and something the world should praise.48

Illegal Collection of Ransoms The LTTE, evidently in order to ensure a regular minimum inflow into its

coffers, made an appeal (backed up where necessary by compulsions) to the Tamils living in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia, for commitments to regular monthly donations on a per family or per capita basis. An estimate by the Sri Lanka embassy in Ottawa placed the monthly contribution of the Tamils

46. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan ), commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK (Freedom and Democracy Congress of Kurdistan) or KONGRA-GEL (Kurdistan People’s Congress), is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan which is sharing similar ideology with LTTE.

47. Gamage, Daya., op.cit.48. The Passing of US Resolution At Geneva A Mere Response To Sri Lanka’s Bickering Adversaries Mostly

To Appease Them But There Are Dangers, LankaWeb Weekly Editorial March 28th 2012. Available at http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2012/03/27/

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living in Canada at the equivalent of about US$ 730,000.49 The average monthly collections from other countries (whether entirely from donations is not made clear) as estimated by Davis in 1996, work out in USD equivalents to 660,000 from Switzerland (this probably includes transfers from other countries), 390,000 from the United Kingdom and 200,000 from Germany.50 Another estimate, made in 2008 by Jane’s Defence magazine, placed the LTTE annual income world-widely between 200 and 300 million US Dollars through collection of money from Tamil Diaspora and illegal businesses.”51

Techno-TerrorismAs a terrorist group, LTTE acquired cutting edge technology in many areas.

Today LTTE suicide bomb technology is used by the Hamas, Algerian FIS, Kurdish and PKK. The LTTE suicide body suits were more advanced than the body suits used by any of the other groups. The expansion of the LTTE network overseas had brought them closer in contact with other insurgent groups. The LTTE had developed ideological, financial and technological linkages with other insurgent groups.52

Cyber Threat poses by LTTE Online NetworkThe LTTE has also ventured into cyber crime on many occasions. The LTTE

has used the Internet to hack into Sri Lankan government networks in 1997, the first recorded use of internet terrorism in the world by any conventional terrorist group53. A wing of the Tamil Tigers calling itself the Internet Black Tigers bombarded the Sri Lankan embassies and consulates with junk e-mails, up to 800 per day. This cyber-terrorist attack, which swamped embassy computers for two weeks, is reputedly the first ever reported as per the US intelligence officials. The LTTE is also reported to have used the Internet for criminal profit, as evidenced by the University of Sheffield case 54, which exposes the more serious issue of internet identity theft by terrorists.

49. Davis,A., Tiger International: How a secret global network keeps Sri Lanka’s Tamil guerrilla organization up and killing. Asia week Cover Story 26 July 1996. Available at http://www.lankalibrary.com/pol/tiger%20 international.htm [accessed 24 June 2012].

50. Davis,A., op.cit. Also see Peiris, G.H., Secessionist war and terrorism in Sri Lanka: Transnational impulses. Available at http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/books/global/peiris.htm [accessed 24 june2012].

51. Jane’s spells out LTTE s annual income, August 12, 2008 available at http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/ 2008/08/12/jane-s-spells-out-ltte-s-annual-income/ [accessed on 15 may 2012].

52. Gunaratna, R., 1993. Indian Intervention in Sri Lanka, South Asian Network on Conflict Research. Colombo. p.44.53. Tekwani, shyam. January 2006. The LTTE’s online network and its implications for Regional security.

Paper No.104, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies Singapore. P. 2454. Perera, J., LTTE a trend setter in cyber terrorism. Asia Tribune. Colombo, 29 October. Available at http://

www.asiantribune.com/node/8018 [accessed 19 September 2012].

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“Madrasa’ type schools in West to spread LTTE ideologyA total of 420 pro -LTTE schools are functioning in five European countries

operated by the Tamil Diaspora with the aim of passing views and beliefs of the LTTE to the next generation and to keep alive the separatism ideology, according to information received by the Defence and Urban Development Ministry of Sri Lanka.55 These schools are functioning in Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands and Denmark. Approximately 20,000 Tamil students between the age of 4 to 20 are studying in these schools.

According to sources, there are 145 schools in Germany, 133 schools in Switzerland, 65 schools in Denmark, 52 schools in France and 25 schools in the Netherlands. LTTE front organizations use most of these students not only to promote LTTE interests’ overseas but also as a source of income as well.

LTTE, a Threatening Force to the Global PeaceThe expansion of LTTE had taken place beyond India and South Asia.

The Western Intelligence and Security agencies had confirmed that LTTE had established links with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since LTTE had purchased vessels that could cross the Atlantic or the Pacific and reach Latin America. Further, the LTTE had exchanged and procured weapons from the Khmer Rouge and maintained links with Namibia’s South Western African People’s Organization (SWAPO), Eritrea’s Eritrea People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) and Ethiopia’s Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and very little is known about its Middle Eastern connections, except for the fact that Tamil insurgents had trained at least in Lebanon with Fatah, with Militant Wing of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and with Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Bekka Valley.56 At these training camps, Tamil groups came into contact with a number of other groups, including the Japanese Red Army, Kurdish PKK, and Afghan mujahidin and the Kashmiri mujahidin, which LTTE had had substantial technological links. These interactions of LTTE with many foreign insurgent groups contribute to the instability and insecurity of nation-states beyond Sri Lanka and purely acting as a destabilizing force in South Asia.

55. The radicalization of children-An insight into LTTE administered Tamil schools in Europe.2011. Published by Ministry of Defence and Urban development, Sri Lanka.

56 Gunaratna, R., 1997. International and Regional security implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency. Colombo: Alumni Association of the Bandaranayke Center for international studies Sri Lanka. p.33.

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RECOMMENDATIONSHence, in order to arrest the resurgence of this terrorist outfit following

national, regional and international responses are recommended.

Recommendations at the National Levela. Development with Good Governance. This should be the key area for

any counter strategy to be effective and productive. The perception of neglect and underdevelopment brought frustration and a feeling of alienation among the local population, which could be exploited by LTTE and other interested parties. During interactions with the civil population in the terrorism-affected areas, it is invariably reported by them that the civil administration seldom pays them any visit to listen to their grievances and sort out their problems. Such complaints are more in remote areas where the youth join militancy as a source of livelihood.

b. Utilization of Development Funds. Development of the affected areas is the cornerstone of any counter terrorist strategy. It is observed that the funds released for development purposes are not utilized properly due to wide spread corruption. The government should find an alternative way of utilizing these developmental funds for tangible effects. One of the ways could be their utilization through NGOs or through the security forces operating in remote areas.

c. Dealing with Surrendered Militants. Surrender of militants to be encouraged and given opportunity to join the mainstream after rehabilitation. The militants are to be offered jobs or incentives to lure them to surrender. It has also been seen in some cases that militancy becomes a means to get a job on surrender. In some cases militants have either rejoined militancy or become informers. It is recommended that before such persons are given jobs, the law must take its own course on such cases.

d. Counter Terrorism Institute. Even though the LTTE is militarily defeated in the island, all agencies involved in fighting terrorism are now operating in their own watertight compartments or on a need to know basis. As a very important step towards formulation of strategies and also to act as a source of expertise, it is imperative to establish a Counter Terrorism Institute in Sri Lanka (CTI) where research work is to be carried out on projects ranging from institutionalization of lessons learned, improving the ability to respond to future terrorist incidents, upgrading the ability to detect and respond to the threats in advance specially in international arena etc.

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Recommendations at the Regional Levela. Coordinated Actions. There is a requirement of cooperative security in

which the region as a whole must be built up to face threats to its security. The following measures are the most prominent recommendations.

(1) Confidence Building and Cooperation. Today cooperation is the generalized norm and interstate military conflict increasingly an abnormal phenomenon. In South Asia, there is a need to build bridges of trust and friendship. There is a need for new framework to re-examine and solve the bilateral problems in a spirit of accommodation and mutual trust. The states should rise above transient political perspectives to inspire greater confidence building and bilateral cooperation.

(2) Military Cooperation. With military cooperation between the South Asian states, the routes for small arms smuggling, narcotics trafficking and cross border insurgent movements will come under pressure. Building of database, exchange of information, regular meetings and joint border management are some of the areas of cooperation for effectively dealing with these trans-border activities. Regional military cooperation is particularly necessary in preventing destabilizing activities from each other’s territories.

(3) South Asian Peace Force. A wave of ethnic conflicts has swept across the South Asia during recent past. An alternative step towards ethnic conflict resolution could be to build regional organizations which would take care of the ethnic conflicts and solve them. The instruments to deal with the conflicts could be implemented by a “South Asian Peace Force” a force comprising of troops from different South Asian states using African Standby Force57 (ASF) as a model.

b. Role of SAARC. There is a compelling need for strengthening of regional mechanisms and intensifying intelligence sharing in order to secure the region’s collective prosperity, peace and stability in combating terrorism.58 Some of the problems of the states of South Asia, like those dealing with drug trafficking, arms smuggling and illegal movement of people are not national but regional problems. SAARC conventions on eliminating terrorism and drug trafficking are very important steps forward in evolving regional mechanism to tackle these problems. The countries of the region need to make the supplementary mechanisms like the SAARC Terrorist Offence Monitoring Desk, SAARC Drug Offence Monitoring Desk etc operational to make the existing arrangement efficacious. 57. See http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/AUC/Departments/PSC/Asf/asf.htm [accessed 01 June 2012].58. Abeyratne, Dr. Ruwantissa., Role of SAARC in combating terrorism, ensuring regional peace. Daily

News 04 December 2008, on line. Available at http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/12/04/

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c. Economic Cooperation. Many of the security problems of the South Asian states are linked with economic under-development and hardship of the people. The problems of insurgency, social unrest and political extremism can be addressed through economic means. What is needed is serious economic cooperation for mutual growth of the states. South Asia has tremendous economic potential. Therefore, all efforts should be focused on poverty alleviation, accelerating socio-economic and scientific progress in the region to pave the way for ushering in an era of prosperity on wider dimensions.

Recommendations at the International Levela. Security and Intelligence Cooperation. Transnational networks cannot

be fought by domestic governments without a transnational capability and capacity, both to monitor and operate. The lack of global intelligence network had been a boost for the LTTE to operate freely without being noticed. The LTTE had built up a strong support base through Tamil Diaspora to raise funds to support the prolonged war. Development of an integrated and a unified intelligence strategy is seen as a major requirement for nation states to combat terrorism.

b. Advancing Global Security and Countering Terrorism. The threat posed by terrorism and violent extremists emanating from one state impact beyond the region. Therefore, resolute and credible steps must be taken to eliminate safe havens and sanctuaries that provide shelter to terrorists and their activities. The safe havens and sanctuaries provided to terrorist organizations by certain countries undermine security and stability in the region and the world at large. Necessary measures are to be decided on a Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative to expand collaboration on counterterrorism, information sharing, and capacity building and finally imposing ban on those organizations.

c. Counter Propaganda Network. The current counter propaganda machinery of the governments to fight the terrorism overseas is weak. The governments can make this machinery strong by allocating more resources and personnel.

d. Freezing of Overseas Assets. Terrorists need funds for multiple purposes. It acts as a lifeline for any terrorist movement. Funds reach militants through banking and non-banking channels. Though a bulk of the funding is carried out from abroad, where funds are generated, collected and sent through non-banking channels like money laundering etc. Money received officially as “Aid” may also be channeled for funding some of the militant organizations, if proper checks are not carried out. As a result of strong protest made by the Sri Lankan

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Government, certain countries housed LTTE assets took immediate measures to freeze them and that had positive impact on their activities.

e. Deterrence on Proliferation of Arms and Light Weapons. The weapons are proliferated into the hands of terror groups through a network of organized crime and other transnational actors. Since the domestic routes for weapon induction are under pressure due to action of the security forces, it is alleged that the weapons are transferred through neighbouring countries. The territories of neighbouring countries offer transit point and storage area for weapons. Therefore, careful check and balance of all cargo flow through borders or sea are to be closely monitored by the respective authorities concerned.

CONCLUSIONThe three decade long conflict had claimed over 80,000 human lives and

destroyed the key infrastructure facilities thus bringing far reaching consequences to the political, economic and social stability of Sri Lanka. It would not have been possible for the LTTE to survive as a terrorist organization for such a long period, if not for the un-hindered support received by its Front Organizations and radicalized segments of the Tamil Diaspora both in the terms of procurement, propaganda and fundraising. Unfortunately, today the same Front Organizations together with pro LTTE activists and less than 15% of the radicalized segments of Diaspora population who helped to sustain the LTTE terrorist campaign over many years, are still engaged in carrying out same activities as they did in the past in the pretext of “safeguarding the rights of Tamils” and using the human rights banner. These developments as well as LTTE’s links and interactions with many international criminal and terrorist groups in the past provides sufficient evidence to determine, how dangerous it could be, if the LTTE Front Organizations were allowed to rebuild and strengthen their networks overseas. Finally, the sophistication of the LTTE and its impact on Sri Lanka and outside world should serve as a lesson to all Governments facing terrorism today including the countries those who are wittingly or unwittingly permitting their soil to be used to nurture or condone terrorism thus leaving a fearful challenge for the world tomorrow.

Therefore, Regional and International community should assure continuous assistance to Sri Lanka to crack down LTTE covert international operations of fund generation, human smuggling, arms smuggling, money laundering and propaganda operations through a strict network of legislative and judicial remedies. Further, they should strengthen greater cooperation to enhance the intelligence services to curb LTTE global activities across borders and using maritime resources. Complete paralysis of LTTE international networks will

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have a direct impact on political and economical stability of Sri Lanka and its neighbours which would ultimately pave the way for peaceful region and a lasting peace and harmony between all ethnic communities in Sri Lanka.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books1. Dixit, J.N., Assignment Colombo, Konark Publications, Delhi, 1998.

2. Gunaratna Rohan., 1993. Indian Intervention in Sri Lanka, Colombo: South Asian Network on Conflict Research.

3. Gunaratna, Rohan., 1997. International and Regional security implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency. Colombo: Alumni Association of the Bandaranayke Center for international studies Sri Lanka.

4. Hewitt, Vernon., 1997. The new international politics of South Asia, Manchester: Manchester University press.

5. Hoole, Rajan.,Somasundram, Daya., Siritharan,K. & Thiranagama, Rajini., 1992. The Broken Palmyra – The Tamil crisis in Sri Lanka: An inside Account. Claremont, CA: The Sri Lankan Studies Institute.

6. Jamwal, NS., Counter Terrorism Strategy, Strategic Analysis, Vol. 27, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2003, New Delhi: Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

7. Kadian, R., 1980. India’s Sri Lanka Fiasco, New Delhi: Vision Books.

8. Peiris, G.H., 2001 “Clandestine Transactions of the LTTE and the Secessionist Campaign in Sri Lanka”, Ethnic Studies Report, (bi-annual journal of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.

9. Rajasingham, Senanayake Darini., From National Security State to Human Security: The Challenge of Winning the Peace in Sri Lanka, ISAS Working Paper No. 72 – Date: 9 July 2009 Institute of south Asian studies, National university of Singapore.

10. Sankaran, Krishna., 2001. India’s Role in Sri Lanka’s Ethnic Conflict, Colombo: Marga Institute.

11. Seevaratnam, N., 1989 The Tamil National Question and the Indo Sri Lanka Peace Accord, Delhi: Konark Publications.

12. Singh, Depinder., The IPKF in Sri Lanka, Trishul Publishers, New Delhi, 1992.

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13. Sumantra Bose., 1994. States, Nations, Sovereignty, Sri Lanka, India and the Tamil Eelam Movement, New Delhi: Sage Publications.

14. Swamy, Narayan., 1994. Tigers of Lanka: From Boys to Guerrillas, Delhi.

15. Tekwani, Shyam., The LTTE’s online network and its implications for Regional security, January 2006, Paper No.104, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore available at www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/WorkingPapers/WP104.pdf.

Journals16. Davis, Anthony., “Tracking Tigers in Phuket”, Asia week, 16 June 2000

17. Jamwal, N.S., Counter Terrorism Strategy, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, IDSA Journal Vol 27 Issue 1 (January 2003), New Delhi

18. Jane’s spells out LTTE s annual income available at http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/jane-s-spells-out-ltte-s-annual-income/

19. Maylivaganan, M., Re-emergence of the Tamil Nadu Factor in India’s Sri Lanka Policy, IDSA Journal Vol. 31, Issue 6 (November 2007)

Reports20. Chalk, Peter., ‘LTTE’s International Organization and Operations – A

Preliminary Analysis’, A Canadian Security Intelligence Service publication dated March 17, 2000, Commentary No. 77

21. Gunaratna R., 1993. Indian Intervention In Sri Lanka, Colombo:South Asian Network on Conflict Research.

22. Humanitarian operation factual analysis July 2006 – may 2009, published by Ministry of Defence, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, July 2011.

23. Indian Air force Operation Poomalai available at http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1987IPKF/1022-Chapter01.html

24. International Crisis Group Asia Report N°206, 23 June 2011, India and Sri Lanka after the LTTE.

25. Karim, Maj. Gen. A., 1993.Transnational Terrorism- The Danger In The South. New Delhi: Lancer paper.

26. Kartha, Tara., “Proliferation and smuggling of weapons and narcotics in South Asia”, (IDSA 2000)

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27. Kartha, Tara., “Trans- National Crime and Light Weapons Proliferation”, IDSA Strategic Analysis (December 1999): 1452.

28. Manoharan, Dr. N., Taming the Tigers: Factors behind LTTE’s Military Downfall. Article No.1270, Centre for Land Warfare Studies Site. Available at http: //www. claws.in [accessed on 20 April 2012].

29. O’balance, Edgar., The Cyanide War. Asian Security 1989-90.

30. Singh, Amit Kumar., .The Rising Tide of Left Wing Extremism in India. Manekshaw Paper No. 8, 2008. New Delhi: Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS),

31. Wanasundara, Hon. R.S., Sinhala Commission.17 September 1997.

Articles37. Abeyratne, Dr. Ruwantissa., Role of SAARC in combating terrorism, ensuring

regional peace. Daily News 04 December 2008, on line.

38. Advani,”PWG has Links With LTTE:, The Hindu, October 6, 2003 New Delhi.

39. Anon, 1995. “Funding Terror: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and their Criminal Activities in the Western World”, Toronto.

40. Davis, A., “A secret Tamil guerrilla bares embracers Bangkok”. Bangkok Post, 15 Jun 2000.

41. Ekram, Kabir., “Is Colombo Alone?” The Daily Star 23 June 2000.

42. Ikram, Sehgal., “Emancipating South Asia Economically and Politically” The Daily Star 4 July 2000.

43. Padmaja, Murthy., “Relevance of SAARC”, IDSA Strategic Analysis (January 2000): 1785.

44. President Mahinda Rajapakse., 2009.” Prabakaran Closed the Door on Me. I Wanted Peace.” interviewed by Indrejit Badhwar. Colombo. Daily Mirror, 1 August.

45. Sri Lanka Guardian, Future Security &implications of the PTA/ERs in Post-war Sri Lanka, March 18, 2010, Singapore city.

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Author Air Commodore PDKT Jayasinghe is a Course Member of NDC 2012. He

was born on 09 March 1966 in Sri Lanka. He was commissioned in the General Duties Pilot branch on 02 January 1987 in Sri Lankan Air Force. Besides his Squadron appointments as Adjutant, Flight safety officer and Officer Commanding Operations, he commanded one of the flying squadrons of Sri Lanka Air Force. During 2005-06, he was staff officer operations - 1 at Directorate of Air Operations, which is responsible for flying operations in Sri Lanka. He served as Commanding officer Air Defence Command and Control Centre in 2007 to mid 2008 and finally became the Overall Operations Commander - Air Defence in Sri Lanka Air Force. He commanded two Air Bases before joining National Defence Course – 2012 at Bangladesh.

Air Commodore Jayasinghe attended number of courses at home and abroad. He is a graduate from National Defence University, Pakistan and Kothalawala Defence University in Sri Lanka. He obtained a “A” grading in MSc in War studies and Defence Management from National Defence University, Pakistan and Merit Pass on MSc (Def. Stu.) in Management from Kothalawala Defence University in Sri Lanka. He also attended a course on Comprehensive Security Response for Terrorism in Hawaii, USA and Netherlands Defence Orientation Course in Netherlands. He visited many parts across the globe including Europe, Africa, Middle East, China, Ukraine and USA.

Air Commodore PDKT Jayasinghe is a father of two daughters and a son. His wife Sandhya Malkanthi Jayasinghe is a house wife. His hobbies are reading, collecting coins and watching television.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC IN BANGLADESH: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE PACKAGE (ESP) DELIVERY

Brigadier General A K M Mustafa Kamal Pasha, ndc, MPH

INTRODUCTIONHealth is a basic human right. One cannot imagine social development or

sustained economic growth without health; the development process itself must also aimed at improvement of health and quality of life for all. No organisation or community can function properly when its population is not in good health, regardless of the causes. On the other hand, the need for partnerships between public and private in health has been recognised for many years. The challenge of developing a private sector which supports public policy goals is a major one. The move toward greater involvement with the private sector especially in the form of people’s participation requires a sound understanding of which kinds of public-private mix will add value.

Bangladesh has made significant progress in recent times in many of its social development indicators, particularly in rural health services. This country has made significant achievements in providing Primary Health Care (PHC) since the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978. Concept of establishing Community Clinic (CC) is also based on principales of PHC to serve the greatest interest to the largest population. But some of this progress is uneven and there still exists inequalities between different groups and geographical regions.

BackgroundBangladesh is one of the most densely populated and low income country in

the world, has the highest percentage of people living in poverty in rural area. Success of public sector in providing health services to the rural Bangladesh was not up to the expectation of people. During 1996-2001, government planned to establish Community Clinic at the village level to extend PHC at the door step of the rural people all over Bangladesh. It was expected that where the community is involved, the programme would succeed to build a partnership of public sector facilities and providers with the community to address the health needs of the local population efficiently and effectively and to ensure long-term sustainability. It needs to be mentioned that CC is a unique example of Public Private Partnership (PPP) as all the CCs are constructed on community donated land, construction done by the government, medicine and all necessary logistics supplied by the government, service providers are employed by the government but managerial part is done both by the government and the community.

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Community Health Clinic in Bangladesh

In this context the government planned to establish 18000 CCs and decision were taken to construct 13500 CCs and establishing CCs unit in 4500 existing health facilities at Upazila (Sub-district) and union level. 10723 CCs were constructed during 1998-2001 of which 8000 started functioning but due to change of government in 2001 CCs were closed and remained as such till 2009. Due to long 8 years of non-functioning and remaining uncared, 99 CCs were demolished due to river erosion and some other reasons.

Patient Satisfaction: Key to SuccessThe Alma Ata declaration emphatically embraces community participation in

health care and stresses the links between health and other sectors of society. As far as health care delivery is concerned, the key issues are access and affordability and ensuring its utilization.

The attitude of the health provider and patient satisfaction with treatment play a role in health seeking behaviour. The role of patient satisfaction is a crucial determinant for utilization and success of health care delivery system and its long term viability.

Studies in the developing world have shown a clear link between patient satisfaction and a variety of factor, among which service quality has been prominent (Rao, 2006: 414-421). This link is also important in the health care system of Bangladesh. Not only in the developing countries, the developed world also recognize the importance of patient satisfaction and his good perception on health care delivery services for long term viability and success of health care delivery system. Donabedian (1988) in his study ‘The quality of care: how can it be assessed?’ suggests that patient satisfaction may be considered to be one of the desired outcomes of care.

HEALTH SECTOR AND SERVICE DELIVERYA health system consists of all organizations, people and actions whose

primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health.

Building Blocks of Health SystemAccording to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the health system is

composed of six building blocks (Figure-1) that contribute to the strengthening of health systems in different ways to achieve its goals.

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Figure-1: Building blocks of health system

Source: WHO, 2007

Health Sector OrganisationIn line with the general system of public administration in Bangladesh, the

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) management structure comprises of 2 main groupings, both headed by the Secretary under the leadership of the Minister. The executive agencies include Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), each led by a Director General (DG) supported by Additional DGs, Line Directors and Hospital or Specialist Agency Directors. Both the directorates have separate management and delivery structures from national to union/ward level. Under the MoHFW there are several executive authorities and regulatory bodies. Revitalization of Community Health Care Initiatives in Bangladesh Community Clinic Project is one of them.

Health Service DeliveryThe MoHFW delivers health services directly through its own facilities

under the direction of two separate executing authorities, the Directorates of Health Services and Family Planning. Figure-2 illustrates the public sector health services arrangements by administrative level.

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Figure-2: Structure of the Health Services Delivery System in the Public Sector

Central

Secrataryfor Health

DGHS

InstituteDirectors

DivisionalDirector

Civil Surgeon

DeputyDirector

FP

Upazila FPOfficer

Upazila Health andFP Officer

AssistantHealth

InspectorMedicalAssistant

HealthAssistant

FW visitor FPInspector

FWA

NGOs

DivisionalDirector

InstituteDirector

DGFP NNP

Medical Colleges (18 public, 41 private) Specialty Hospitals (7)

6 DivisionSpecialist Hospitals (31)

64 DistrictDistrict Hospitals (DH: 61, MCWC: 95)

481 UpazilaUpazila Health Complex (460)

4,498 UnionRural Subcentre (1,449)

WardCommunity Health Clinic (9,722)

Source: MIS-DGHS, 2010

Health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)The deadline for achieving the MDGs is 2015. Assessment is ongoing throughout the

world to find the answer whether or not the countries made sufficient progress. Although much progress has been made, much more has yet to be achieved. The same is also true for Bangladesh. Table 1 shows the current position of Bangladesh in this regard.

Table-1: Health related MDGs Goal Targets

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among under five children

Goal 5: Improve maternal health Reduce by three quarter the maternal mortality ratio

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who needHalt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Reduce by half the percentage of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilities

Source: Compiled from DGHS Health Bulletin, 2011.

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Health Policy of BangladeshHealth care systems are dynamic; changing needs, new policy directions and

medical developments may all necessitate health care-reform. As a result, it is quite difficult to place health-care systems into static compartments.

The first health policy of independent Bangladesh was proposed in 1990. During 1996-2001 government approved a policy on April 24, 2000 which includes establishing CC. The following government neither supported the policy nor scraped it. An outcome of the 2000 policy, on 6 March 2012 a 13-page new Health Policy 2011 was placed in National Parliament in line with the achieving MDGs, National Development Strategy and National Poverty Reduction Plan to ensure access to equitable health services to the poor (Rabbani, 2010).

Challenges of Health Care Service of BangladeshChallenges of health care includes: the challenge of population growth,

poverty, changes in the spectrum of diseases, insufficient budget and poor health knowledge.

In Bangladesh, demand for health care services increases as a result of steady population growth on the one hand and increasing awareness of poverty driven citizens and changing pattern of diseases on the other hand.

COMMUNITY CLINICThe Community Clinics are the public health care delivery centres at the

grass root level to deliver the initial services of ESP. These CCs under the supervision of a unified management are to bring family planning, preventive health services and limited curative services closer to the population and to improve the efficiency of service provision, partly by replacing outreach services provided from a fixed point.

Background of Community ClinicBefore introduction of Health and Population Sector Programme (HPSP) on

1st July 1998, the MoHFW used to have two separate cadres at all levels to provide and manage health and family planning services. But the clients could not obtain health, reproductive health and family planning services from the same service point. The separate service structure was an impediment for delivering the planned ESP because it had integrated health and family planning services. Therefore, the government decided to reorganize services by unifying health and

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family planning services at upazila level and below. The establishment of CC – a one stop service delivery centre, is based on the experience of a pilot project at Abhaynagar in Jessore district and Mirersarai in Chittagong district (Sarker, 2001). After change of government in 2001, there was interruption of services of the CCs as the policymakers decided to shift from the concept of CC during 2002 to 2009.

Revitalization of Community Clinic: Top-most priorityWith the overwhelming mandate in the National Election held in December

2008, the current government took initiatives for revitalization of the CCs as the topmost priority project in health sector shortly after taking the oath on 6 January 2009. A project titled “Revitalization of Community Health Care Initiatives in Bangladesh” was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 17 September 2009. Implementation period of the project is from 1st July 2009 to 30th June 2014. For about last two and half years 10,322 CCs are functioning and measures are already taken to strengthen them through increasing manpower and logistics.

Rationale for Establishing CCIn addition to the success of pilot project, government had the following

view for establishing CCs:

a. The public sector health services were unsuccessful in providing health and family planning care according to expectation of people. It was expected that where community is involved, the programme would succeed (www.Bangla2000.com, 2000).

b. The CCs would provide ‘one stop’ community-level ESP services in a consistent location designed for easy access at the time of need and thus a much more comprehensive range of services could be provided (Programme Implementation Plan, MoHFW, 1998).

c. CCs would replace labour intensive and costly health services with cost-effective extensive health and family planning services at one location (Routh et al, 1997).

d. The studies on consumers’ preferences and the experiences of combined EPI outreach and Satellite Clinics had shown that the rural people of Bangladesh prefer one-stop provision of a package of Essential Services to address their basic health needs (Hasan et al, 1997).

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Community Clinic: A People Oriented PHC ApproachThe decision of establishing CC at village or ward levels is to provide ESP

to the rural people, particularly the poor at free of cost, in a consistent location designed for easy access at the time of need (Figure-3).

Figure-3: Community Clinic

Source: www.communityclinic.gov.bd

CCs are to provide services for around 6000 people, and it is envisaged that their location would make them accessible for 80% of the population within less than 30 minutes walking distance. One Health Assistant (HA) and one Family Welfare Assistant (FWA) have been posted in each CC to provide health and family planning services from 9 AM to 4 PM on all working days.

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A doctor has been assigned to supervise the activities of each CC. All the necessary medicines are being provided in adequate amount to the CCs; initially, the package consisted of 25 items of drugs. However, depending on the need and reality, the package has been revised and extended to have 29 items. Table-2 shows details of medicine supplied to the CCs after revitalization.

Table-2: Medicine supplied to CCs

Financial yr # of items

Amount in Taka Sent up to Per CC/yr

(Taka) Remarks

2011-2012 29 103 crore Upazila 99,000 By Dec’112010-2011 28 91 crore Upazila 85,000 Supplied2009-2010 25 58 crore District 72,000 Supplied

Source: http://www.communityclinic.gov.bd

Construction and ManagementThe design is simple - two rooms with drinking water and lavatory facilities

and a covered waiting area. Funds for building the clinics were provided centrally, but communities are to donate land. This is planned to create the sense of ownership in the community. As shown in Figure-4 the CCs are managed by a body of local people, called Community Group (CG)

Figure-4: Diagrammatic representation of Community Group

Source: http://www.communityclinic.gov.bd

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This is a 9 to 13-member management body, represented by different sectors of population from within the catchments areas of respective clinics. Four of the CG members are female. CG plays a vital role in the management of a CC through mobilizing community involvement, participation and ownership, ensuring the sustainability of the CC activities. The common responsibilities include day-to-day maintenance, cleanliness, security, local fund-generation and transparent use thereof, monitoring, evaluation and local planning for smooth functioning of the CC. Besides the CG, there exist three other support groups in the catchments area of each CC. Each support group comprises 10 to 15 members and works under the leadership of CG members. (DGHS Health Bulletin, 2011: 27).

Services provided from CCThe major services that are provided from CC are as follows:

a. Maternal and neonatal health care services

b. Integrated Management of Childhood Illness

c. Reproductive Health and Family Planning services

d. Expanded Programme of Immunization, Acute Respiratory Tract Infection, Chronic Diarrhoeal Disease

e. Registration of newly married couple, pregnant women, birth & death, preservation of Expected Date of Delivery

f. Nutritional education and micro-nutrient supplements

g. Health and Family Planning Education & counseling

h. Identifications of other severe illnesses like TB, Malaria, pneumonia, life threatening influenza, obstetrical engineering and refer to higher facilities

j. Identification of emerging & reemerging diseases & refer to higher facilities

k. Other services as identified by GoB to be provided

l. Treatment of minor ailments

m. Establishing effective referral linkage with higher facilities

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The Community Clinic and ESP ServicesIn the reorganized service-delivery plan, the CCs will be the only major

service-delivery outlet at the grassroots level to provide basic health and family-planning services (Normand, 2002). Nevertheless, limited home visits by the CC providers will still be continued as a back up to prevent dropout of critical services and to provide services for population with limited access.

MoHFW devised an ESP for phased implementation in Bangladesh. A key component was the development of the new ESP to meet the needs of the poor, especially in rural areas and particularly women and children. The elements of ESP are grouped into the following five areas:

a. Reproductive healthcareb. Child health carec. Communicable disease controld. Limited curative caree. Behavior change communication

Perceived Quality Care and Utilization of CCExperiences in Bangladesh and also in China, Nepal and other countries

provide growing evidence that the perceived quality of health care service has a strong impact on patterns. The low utilization of health care service to a large extent is due to consumers’ perceptions of low quality of care.

Table-3 shows that as the time passes numbers of service seekers are increasing which indicates growing positive perceptions about quality of care in CC.

Table-3: Utilization of CC after revitalization in 2009

Period# of service

seekers attended

# of service seekers referred

Average # of service seekers

Remarks

Jan’11-Dec’11 3,72,99,744 6,71,395 29 Health & FP Services

Jan’10-Dec’10 2,78,46,053 5,68,503 19 Health & FP Service

April’09-Dec’09 1,11,41,356 1,72,312 12 Health ServicesSource: DGHS Health Bulletin, 2011

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RESULTS

Selective ESP DeliveryThe following selective ESP delivery instruments are being assessed for the

study requirement.

a. Utilization of CC for Immunization.

(i) Immunization to the children. Seventy two percent of children were vaccinated from CC and rest were not vaccinated from the CC.

(ii) Tetanus immunization to pregnant mother. Eighty six percent of pregnant mother had their vaccine during pregnancy from the CC.

b. Utilization of CC for Contraception. It has been found that out of total 50 study sample 40 were using various contraceptives. Figure-5 shows collection of contraceptives.

Figure-5: Collection of contraceptives

Source: Authorc. Utilization of CC for Ante Natal Care (ANC). Sixty six percent of

mothers had the ante-natal care from the CC and the rest 17 did not receive that from CC.

d. Utilization of CC for limited Curative Services

(i) Treatment of children for minor illness. It has been observed that 62% of children treated in CC for minor illness and the rest 38% of were treated in other health facilities.

(ii) Treatment of family members for minor illness. It was found from the frequency distribution that 66% of family members had their treatment for minor illness from the CC and the rest from other than CC.

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Support and OutcomeSupports for smooth functioning of the CC are being assessed in the

form of infrastructure facilities, assessment of supplied drugs and community participation. On the other hand outcome was assessed on the basis of perceived quality of care provided by CC and satisfaction of clients.

a. Infrastructure facilities. Following infrastructure facilities of CC were assessed and some of them are presented graphically in Figure-6 below.

Figure-6: Infrastructure facilitiesAdequacy of Waiting Room

and Examination RoomAdequacy of Instruments

for detecting diseases Suitability of Service provider

for treatment of women

Source: Author

(i) Latrine facilities. Though the CC is having two latrines within the building; but those were found non-functional.

(ii) Water and electricity supply. In the reported CC there was no electricity and water supply. Tube well of the clinic was also not functioning.

(iii) Privacy. Privacy to examine the female patients is available in CC.

b. Assessment of supplied Medicine. Medicine that were supplied to the CC were being assessed by clients perception on Figure-7.

Figure-7: Assessment of supplied drugsStandard of drug Drug Collection Drug Requirement

Source: Author

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c. Community participation. It was observed that monthly meetings of CG were not convened regularly. Promotional activities by CG were also found unremarkable. CC under study was poorly constructed and not well maintained. There was no approach road, fencing and night guard. Standard of cleanliness of reported CC was not up to the mark. There was no citizen charter displayed in front of the clinic. CG has recently decided to collect nominal fees from the patient.

d. Satisfaction of clients. Perceived quality of care provided by CC and satisfaction of the clients were determined by using the following parameters: (Figure-8)

Figure-8: Perceived quality of care of CC and clients satisfactionDistance of Community Clinic from Residence

Service providers attitude towards patient

Diagnostic Capability of service provider

Source: Author

Other Important IssuesCertain issues were unearthed during discussion with the key informants,

which can be summarized as:

a. Existence vulnerability of CC after change of political government.

b. Role of media to accelerate people’s participation and utilization of services of CC.

c. Establishment of ‘Community Trust’ will minimize the fund depletion; which will enhance sense of belongingness as well as will minimize vulnerability of discontinuation of CC after political regime change.

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CASE STUDYTwo elderly women were gossiping under the shade of a tree near the

Mirergoan Community Clinic. They were holding some medicines in their hands. Researcher was passing by; he stopped at once and tried to listen their conversation, keep in mind the ethical limits. There was nothing personal, rather related to their recent experience of visiting the Community Clinic. Today they had to wait for a long to get the physician’s advice and medicine, due to long queue. The long waiting hampered their daily routine of household duties. Nevertheless, they were happy due to compassionate behaviour of` their known service provider, who seems to be from their same village. In their younger days they had to go to the nearest pharmacy at Shalna Bazar for their health problems and to get medicines, paying a considerable amount of money. At that time the road condition was not good. Now they are getting medicines at their door-step free of cost.

It came out from their discussion that the medicines that are being supplied from the clinic are very effective. Both of them had visited the clinic due to some health problems in the previous month also. They were narrating that their problems were addressed very efficiently with proper advice and medicine. One of them was bed-ridden, but within a couple of days she could start doing her daily work as usual.

DISCUSSIONIt was found in the previous study in 2002 that CCs were playing a very

limited role in the delivery of ESP services for those most in need.

Selective ESP deliveryESP delivery is the key instrument of CC to achieve health related MDGs.

a. Utilization of CC for Immunization. Immunization coverage among children was found to be significantly lower in study CC (72%) when compared with the national coverage levels (90%). It is probably due to persistant outrage services, activities of NGOs etc. Rate of immunization coverage in rural Bangladesh are widely depends on: proximity to health facilities, frequency of visit by health worker, respondent’s mobility, media exposure, economic status of household, gender and order of child (Bhuiya, 1995: 304-311).

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On the other hand it was encouraging that 86% pregnant mother had their TT vaccine from the CC. In Bangladesh Year wise Protection At Birth (PAB) coverage estimate in 2010 was 93% (http://www.who.int/ immunization_monitoring/data).

b. Utilization of CC for Contraception. Those who are using various contraceptives 42% of them have collected their contraceptives from the CC and rest from other facilities.

c. Ante-Natal Care (ANC). During 1998–2003, the ANC attendance rate rose from 57% to 70% in rural areas of Bangladesh, while it remained stable 96% in urban areas (Nikiema et al, 2010: 67–75). In a rural set up of CC it was found 66%, which is within range.

d. Utilization of CC for limited Curative Services. It was encouraging to notice that 62% children and 66% of family members received treatment from CC for minor illness.

Support and Outcomea. Infrastructure facilities. A mixed response was observed on adequacy

of waiting room, examination room and instruments. Similar study on CC (Rahman, 2003) observed 50% of CC functioning in a clean environment. The others did not have either water supply or usable sanitary latrines.

b. Assessment of supplied Medicine. Aggregates of parameters used to assess clients perception of supplied medicine was found little frustrating.

c. Community participation. Monthly meeting and community financing is one of the important aspect to be addressed by CG. A study conducted by DGHS, (Hossain, 2009: 28) where 72% CG member identified lack of money as a problem. As per the policy directives written in CG Training Guideline, (Nargis, 2012: 35) decision was taken to collect fees from the patients to generate fund. In this study CC lack of promotional activity by CG were noticed.

d. Satisfaction of clients. Satisfaction in regards to the distance of CC from residence, diagnostic capability of the service provider, state of patient examination and recovery percentage of treated patients were found satisfactory. But all satisfactions were overshadowed by service provider’s attitude towards patients. (36% not at all compassionate, 36% somewhat compassionate and rest 28% very compassionate).

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It contradicts with the information gathered by case study. But by using ‘Triangulation methodology’ (Denzin, 1978) through FGD a conclusion was drawn that some attitude and behavioural problems are there among the service providers.

The CC under study is one of the CC which remained uncared and non-functional for long 8 years. After revitalization it’s performance to be praised worthy in rendering service to the marginalized people. ESP components those are more or less successfully delivered by the CC under study are enumerated in Table-4 below:

Table 4: Implementation status of ESP component in CC under studyESP Components StatusReproductive Health Care

Family Planning services i.e. distribution of temporary methods, TT vaccination

Child Health Care EPI vaccination, distribution of ORS packets & Vitamin-A, Treatment of ARI, Common Cold, Fever etc.

Communicable Disease Control No substantial contribution

Limited Curative Care

General trauma, Fever, Common Cold, Diarrhoea, Dysentery, PUD, Headache, Backache, General Weakness, Hookworm etc.

Behaviour Change Communication

Counselling on safe drinking water, sanitation, use of sanitary latrine, personal hygiene, ORS preparation and use, importance of vaccination etc.

Source: Author

Service-support-outcome is interlinked. It is expected that more the support provided to a provision more outcomes can be achieved. On the other hand, difference of opinion in terms of perception may exist. But the smooth functioning and key to achieve the desired outcome from a CC is by enlarge depends on unified support from government as well as the community it belongs to.

RECOMMENDATIONS‘Do the right thing’ is what people need from the government support

systems, but people also to be made responsible for their actions. CC is the flagship programme of the present government. Undoubtedly, it is a pro-people health initiative. If quality health services can be ensured near door-steps even

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at the remotest corner of the country, people will spontaneously seek necessary service from the well trained care providers of the health facilities instead of the untrained traditional healers. It is expected that CCs will ensure provision of quality healthcare for the mass population of rural Bangladesh, particularly for the poor, vulnerable and the underprivileged and will contribute to the achievement of the health related MDGs within 2015. Following recommendations are proffered on the basis of the study findings:

General• A written assurance to be issued to the trained service providers at

present working in CC to mitigate their fear of joblessness after termination of project.

• Health and Family planning sector are united at its two extreme. Administrative and functional unification at all stairs of health and family planning sector may extract more benefit in provision of service.

• Education, awareness and motivational strategies through media campaign are essentially needed for proper functioning and utilization of CC. Television and radio programme (including community radio), newspaper advertisement, poster, banner, billboard etc can be used. Local awareness programme through role play, drama, campaign etc may also be taken into consideration.

• Flexibility to be given to the land donor so that CC can be named as per his/her desire. If he/she is interested to give it in the name of his deceased father, mother or other relatives it should be encouraged. Because it will enhance emotional attachment of that donor to the clinic.

Community Group (CG) • CG should participate actively on promotional activities, which will

definitely have a stronger impact on the rural population they belong to.

• To facilitate presence of maximum CG members, CG meeting can be arranged anytime of the day, not necessarily in the morning.

• To promote the utilization of CC, areas from where responses of people to visit the CC are less, representative from those areas can be co-opted in the CG.

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• School children could be informed about services provided at the clinic by the CG. This would help the children influence their parents to receive services from the CC.

Training and Monitoring• Skill, knowledge and behavioural aspect of the health personnel should

be improved through continued training programme.

• Regular monitoring especially on opening hour of CC and impact assessment of the CC to be carried out.

• As part of the community based training, medical students can be sent to the CC for On Job Training (OJT).

• There should be extensive operational research work through expert research team to see the utilization and progress of services and to find out the loop holes.

Capacity Building• Adequate supply of drugs and the availability of health personnel to be

ensured.

• The services of CC was found more commonly utilized by the people with low socio-economic status and poor level of education, so the programme and approaches should be designed in a form which is more acceptable to them.

• Where electricity is not available, solar panels may be an alternative source. Water and lavatory facilities to be ensured.

• There should be good waste disposal system in CC.

CONCLUSIONCommunity Clinic is a changing pattern of health care system, from a

system where the public sector has predominated to a system where the people’s participation is becoming increasingly important, poses new challenges to health services in Bangladesh. The government should be proactive in dealing with the issues ensuring involvement of all the stakeholders that might adversely affect the health benefits of the underprivileged segments of the populations. Functional CCs with adequate staff, supplies and logistics is required to be rapidly

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institutionalized to improve the delivery of ESP, particularly for vulnerable women, children and marginalized population.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books1. Denzin 1978, A theoretical introduction to sociological methods, McGraw-

Hill, New York.

2. MoHFW 2011, Health Bulletin 2011, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Directorate General of Health Services, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212.

3. MoHFW 1998, Health and Population Sector Programme 1998-2003: Programme Implementation Plan (Part-I), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Directorate General of Health Services, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212.

4. Revitalization of Community Health Care Initiatives in Bangladesh 2012, Community Group Training Guideline, Dr. Makhduma Nargis, BMRC Bhaban, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212.

Journals5. Bhuiya Abbas 1995, ‘Factors affecting acceptance of immunization among

children in rural Bangladesh,’ Health Policy Plan, Oxford Journals, Vol. 10.

6. Donabedian, A 1988, ‘The quality of care: how can it be assessed?’ Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), Vol. 260.

7. Hasan, Y, Barkat-e-Khuda, A Levin 1997, ‘Strengthening outreach sites through an approach combining satellite clinics with Extended Program on Immunization (EPI)’, ICDDR,B working paper, Vol. 87.

8. Hossain, AMZ 2009, ‘Rapid Assessment of Community Clinics in Bangladesh’, Director General of Health Services, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212.

9. Nikiema, L et al, 2010, ‘Quality of Antenatal Care and Obstetrical Coverage in Rural Burkina Faso’, Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, Vol-28(1).

10. Normand, C, MH Iftekar and SA Rahman 2002, ‘Assessment of the community clinics: Effects on service delivery, quality and utilization of services’, Health Systems Development Programme, HSD/WP/12/02.

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11. Omidvari, S, H-R Baradaran and S-A Azin 2008, ‘Factors affecting quality of care in family planning clinics: A study from Iran’, Oxford Journals, Vol. 20(4).

12. Rabbani, GM 2010, ‘Agenda Setting on Community Health in Bangladesh’, Thesis, Masters in Public Policy & Governance Programme’, Dept of General & Continuing Education, North South University, Dhaka.

13. Rahman, SA and N Charles 2003, ‘Situation Analysis of the maternal Health care delivery System in Bangladesh’, The UK Department of International Development (DFID). HSD/WP/02/03.

14. Rao, KD, DH Peters and K Bandeen-Roche 2006. ‘Toward patient-centered health services in India - a scale to measure patient perceptions of quality’. International Journal for quality in Health care. Vol. 18.

15. Routh, S et al, 1997, ‘Developing alternative service delivery strategies for MCH-FP services in urban areas: findings from an experiment’, ICDDR,B working paper, Vol. 106.

16. Sarkar, S, et al, 2001, ‘Operational research on ESP delivery and community clinics in Bangladesh: transition plan on shift from outreach to community clinic based service delivery system; a study of perspectives of stakeholders’, ICDDR, B working paper, Vol. 146.

17. Veron, R and J Foreit 1999, ‘How to help clients obtain more preventive health care’, International Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 25 (4).

Conference18. WHO 1978, Primary Health Care: Report of the International Conference

on Primary Health Care held 6-12 September 1978, Alma-Ata, USSR.

Internet19. http://www.Bangla2000.com

20. http://www.communityclinic.gov.bd

21. http://www.dghs.gov.bd

22. http://www.who.int/immunization_monitoring/data

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Interview/Discussion23. Professor Dr Sayeed Modassar Ali, Adviser to the Honourable Prime Minister

for Health & Family Welfare, at Prime Minister’s Office, 05 July 2012.

24. Professor Dr Khondhakar Md Shafayetullah, Director General of Health Services, at Directorate General of Health Services Office, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, 07 June 2012.

25. Dr. Makhduma Nargis, Additional Secretary & Project Director, Revitalization of Community Health Care Initiatives in Bangladesh, at BMRC Bhaban, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, 07 June 2012.

Focus Group Discussions (FGD)26. FGD-1 with Community Group (Management Body of Community Clinic),

at Mirergoan Community Clinic, 06 June 2012.

27. FGD-2 with Mother of Children < 2 years of age, at Mirergoan Community Clinic, 06 June 2012.

Visit :28. Nandiora Community Clinic, Rajnagar Union, Moulovibazar, 21 March

2012.

29. Mirergoan Community Clinic, Kawaltia Union, Gazipur , 06 & 21 June 2012.

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AuthorBrigadier General A K M Mustafa Kamal Pasha, ndc, MPH was born in

Kishoreganj district on 22nd October 1963. After obtaining MBBS degree from Mymensingh Medical College he was commissioned in Bangladesh Army in February 1989 (Ante-date seniority February 1986). Later he has completed his Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from National Institute of Preventive & Social Medicine in 2004.

During his service carrier he has served as MO, RMO, SMO & various Command & staff appointments in different medical units, Infantry Battalion, Inter-Services unit, Divisional & Army Headquarters and in Bangladesh Air Force. He was also deputed to Kuwait Armed Forces as Medical Officer of an Infantry Battalion. Before being detailed for the course NDC-2012 Brig Gen Pasha has been serving as Deputy Director General of Medical Services. He has attended many courses, seminars and workshop at home and abroad including ‘Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)’ course in 2011 and workshop on ‘Military Medical Ethical Dilemmas’ in 2012 in Switzerland. He has visited many countries across the globe.

He is happily married and proud father of a daughter. His lady Yasmeen Khan obtained Masters in Social Welfare from Dhaka University who is an ex-teacher of Scholastica a leading English Medium School in Dhaka.

CONSTRUCTION OF DEEP SEA PORT IN BANGLADESH- AN ILLUSION OR A REALITY 1

Commander Joynal Abedin, (ND), afwc, psc, BN

INTRODUCTIONBeing the prime seaport of the country, Chittagong is used as a feeder port as

no vessel longer than 186 meters or draft with over 9.20 meters could enter the port due to restriction of the channel depth and length of berth2. With vessel access as the primary concern, even when berth space is available, vessels have to wait for a favourable draft before it is able to berth. The same is true for a departing vessel that has to wait for favourable draft before it can leave the port. In case of Mongla Port, the situation is far worse than Chittagong. To recover their cost of waiting, shipping companies charge higher rates and the cost to the economy of higher shipping rates is quite substantial3. So need for a port with deeper channel to accommodate deep draft vessel and reduce cost of transportation was felt long before. Besides, dependency on one port would be disastrous in case of any crisis. Moreover, considering the strategic location, Bangladesh has been dreaming for a hub port of the region having deep draft births in a suitable location. Bangladesh’s present export volume through seaports is about 45.6 million tons4 and it is growing at a rate of 10 per cent every year5’6. In one hand trade volume would soon cross the capacity of Chittagong port and on the other; with the construction of a Deep Sea Port the export volume would increase several times more. Besides, neighbouring countries and specially land lock countries of the region like Nepal, Bhutan and Seven Sisters would also be interested to use the DSP for their export and import trading. All these opportunities and needs prompted Bangladesh to go for a DSP at Sonadia, Cox’s Bazaar.

1. Commodore Moqsumul Quader, Port Management – A precondition to maritime Power- Bangladesh Context, Individual Research Paper at NDC, 2007, p.28

2. The Daily Star of 30 July 2010(Business Page) at http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=148649 accessed on 29 August 2012.

3. Calculated fromOfficialWebSitesofbothChittagongandMonglaPort (http://cpa.gov.bdandhttp://www.mpa.gov.bd) accessed on 29 August 2012.

4. Opcit Commodore Quader p.285. Calculated from CPA Web Site, accessed on 29 August 2012.6. Hossain, Mr Shakhawat, Technical Body Prefers Sonadia as Site for Deep Sea Port, p 1, 28 April 2007

http://www.bangladesh-web.com accessed on 29 August 2012.

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Construction of Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh- An Illusion or A Reality

Location of the DSP Location of proposed DSP is situated on the South East coast of Bangladesh in

between Sonadia Island and Maheshkhali Island. It is approximately 90 km (48 Nautical Miles) South of Chittagong, 300 km from Dhaka and about 15 km North West of Cox’s Bazar in position of Latitude 21 °33’00” N and Longitude 91°51’00” E.

Figure 1: Location of Proposed DSP

Source: Primary and DSP Cell, Dhaka

Port FeaturesThe maximum permissible draft of the DSP will be 14 meter7. It is quite encouraging

compared to 9.2 meter at Chittagong Port and 6 - 8 meter (for Anchorages)8 of Mongla Port. A maximum length of 250 meter for general cargo (Bulk) vessel and 300 meter for container vessel will be permitted to enter the port. Where the maximum length of ship is permitted at Chittagong Port is 186 meter only9.

Estimated Project Cost The total project cost is estimated to be US$ 2.229 billion for short term plan.

Another US$ 559 million will be required for road and rail link to the project. With present exchange rate (1 US $ = 82 Taka) the cost would be BD Taka 18,277 Crores. Final phase by 2055 would cost a total of US$ 5 billion (40,100 crores Taka)10.7. DSP Cell, 145 New Baily Road, Dhaka8. Opcit.MonglaPortofficialWebSiteaccessedon29August2012.9. Opcit. Year Book p. 2610. Opcit. The daily Star of 28 September 2012 (Front Page).

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Chittagong DSP - Compared to other DSPs in the RegionFollowingtabulatedfigureshowsthepositionofSonadiaDSPcomparedto

other DSPs in the region. Comparatively Sonadia is the lowest in size (as shown infollowingfigure)andhighestincost.Iftheprojectcouldbematerialisedatthetime of other DSPs probably cost would be much lower.

Table 1: Comparison of DSPs of the Region

Deep Sea Ports

Maximum Size of Vessel

handling Capacity

Depth of

Water

Operation Basis Cost

Sonadia DSP, Bangladesh 50,000 DWT 14

meterNot yet decided

2.229 Billion US $

Hambantota, Sri Lanka 1,00,000 DWT 17

meter

By Sri Lanka Ports Authority

0.361 Billion US $

Gwadar, Pakistan 2,00,000 DWT 14

meter BOO 0.248 Billion US $

Krishnapatnam, India 1,80,000 DWT1 18

meter BOST

0.620 Billion US $ (32.39

Billion Rupees)

Dhrama Port, India 1,80,000 DWT 17

meter BOOST1 Billion US

$ (5200 Crore Rupees)

Source: Respective Websites11 and DSP Cell, at Dhaka

Progress of DSP ProjectAfter the submission of site selection report in 2007, PCI has carried

out further study on project appraisal and submitted their final report in July200912. The recommendation of the report was approved by a meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs. According to the recommendations, the

11. http://ppp.cgg.gov.in/ProjectDesc.aspx?Recordkey=%2723%27, http://www.dhamraport. com/projectplan.asp, http://www.krishnapatnamport.com, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwadar_port, http://www.slpa.lk/port_hambantota.asp?chk=4, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14418114 accessed on 27 August 2012.

12. Opcit. DSP Cell.

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government has selected the Sonadia Island for the deep-sea port. The cabinet committee also recommended for PDPP (Preliminary Development Project Proposal)forfindingsuitabledonorfortheproject.InthemeantimeGoBhasformed a DSP Cell in August 2010 for quick execution of port-related decisions. Failing to make any headway, the project was again sent to the meeting of the cabinet committee for AIP (Approval in Principle) to implement the project under PPP on 11 September 2011.13 According to the instruction of the committee the opinionofPPPofficewassoughtinthisregard.ThePPPofficeopinedthattotalcost of the project is 2.229 billion dollar of which only 766 million dollar can befinancedbyPPP14.Rest1.463billionwouldhavetofinancedfromnonPPPsource like Chittagong Port and Government own funds. In addition rail, road and other infrastructure construction will require another 559 million dollar from non-PPP sources. As such a total of 2.022 billion (1.463billion +0.559 billion) dollar would be required from public sources. Having troubled with Padma Bridge funding, The cabinet committee on economic affairs has abandoned the idea of any PPP. Finally on 01 September 2012 the committee has given AIP for Government to Government (G2G) initiatives to implement the project. Meanwhile the cabinet committee has given AIP on draft Sonadia DSP Authority Act 2011 on 02 January 201215’16.

It is felt that the government, however, is going slow on the DSP issue, as itfinds itself inaquandaryoverwhomtopick from threecountries–China,IndiaandtheUS--showinginterestinbuildingtheport.ChinawasthefirsttomakeaformaloffertoinvestandaChinesecompanyhadevenopenedanofficein Bangladesh three years ago17. Acknowledging Bangladesh’s dilemma, China offers to build the DSP in partnership with other countries. China might even give soft loans for the implementation of the project. The American embassy in Dhaka and visiting US envoys have talked to government policymakers on the issue more than 20 times18. Considering the geostrategic importance of the deep-sea port, India too has talked to government policymakers at least seven times, whileChinacameupwithopenproposalsmorethanfivetimes19.

13. Daily Inqilab 26 August 2012 and the daily Star 28 September 2012.14. Ibid.15. The Daily Sun of 12 August 2012 at http://www.daily-sun.com accessed on 12 September 2012.16. The daily Samakal of 03 January 2012 at http://www.samakal.com.bd accessed on 12 September 2012.17. The Daily Star, 28 September 2012 (Front Page)18. Opcit. The daily Star 28 September 2012.19. Ibid.

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The Benefits, Strength and Weakness of Sonadia Deep Sea Port

More Ports More Economic PotentialEconomy of Bangladesh is growing at about 6%20 where as number of sea

ports to support this growth did not increase. Since independence no new port could be constructed. Whereas one of the two ports, Mongla, is in the verge of decline. In India, number of major ports doubled within the same period21. Today India has 14 major ports including DSPs and 38 medium and minor ports along their coast line. Similarly Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Myanmar have been dynamically developing their sea ports for sustained economic boost. As per the DSP Cell Dhaka, length of coast per port (in km) of Myanmer is 280 km, Pakistan 200 km, Srilanka 148 km and India 110 km where Bangladesh is 360 km.

Lower Operating Cost from Higher Vessel SizeWith the construction of new facilities in existing ports the trade handling

capacities would not increase much. Because, both existing ports are handicapped in their water depth of quay and approach channel. On the other hand, container ship sizes deployed on the main routes and some feeder service routes are becoming increasinglylargertoaccommodatethetrafficgrowthofinternationalseabornecontainers,therewithprofitingfrom“economiesofscale”22.Thefollowingfigureshows how vessel’s operating costs comes down with higher capacity of ships. It is estimated that with larger ships the freight charge of one container would come down by US$ 52.523. This freight reduction would be enjoyed by DSP, not by Chittagong and Mongla Port. Hence for economic reason, DSP with 14 meter depth is the solution to shallow depths (7 - 9 meters) lacuna of existing ports.

20. www.tradingeconomics.com/bangladesh/gdp-growth accessed on 29 August 2012.21. Opcit. www.indiacatalog.com22. Asignificanttrendincontainerizationistheincreaseinthesizeofvesselsemployed.Between1992and

2002, the size of the largest containership in service increased front 4,500 TEU to 8,400 TEU. New vessels, now on order, exceed 14,000 TEU (See Talley, Wayne K, Port Economics, Routledge, New York, 2009 pp.10 at http://books.google.com.bd/books?id=awclWUpzVDoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=port+economics&source=bl&ots=soB9fry6Ks&sig=GUFQq8n21xr8yQeO8u--LuV3L0o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IDAjUJzPJc Tb4QTNg4DgDA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=port%20economics&f=false accessed on 09 August 2012)

23. PCI Report December 2008. Part IV, P. 2-21

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Figure 2: Vessel Size vs Vessel Operation Costs (Container Ship)

Source: PCI Japan, Market and Business Assessment Report Part IV, December 2008.

Saving in Vessel Waiting TimeAs the berthing as well as handling facilities have not increased proportionately,

congestion of vessels at Chittagong Port is natural24. Moreover, in the past Chittagong Port has earned bad reputation for being the most expensive and inefficientport.Themainreasonisabnormallylongturn–aroundtimeofshipswhich costs the owners $ 10,000-15,000 per day per ship25. Vessel waiting time was not a result of non-availability of berthing space, rather the draft which limited ship’s to/from the port. Moderately large vessels coming for Chittagong Port remain at anchor near Moheskhali/Sonadia Island and smaller lighter vessels unload cargos taking long time26. Therefore increasing port capacity would not be feasible due to draft constraint. Figure 3 shows the vessel waiting time in the region

24. Joint Secretary Md. Ershad Hossain, Chittagong Port : Bottlenecks Affecting Its Efficiency and Probable Solutions, Individual Research Paper at NDC, 2007, p.15

25. Ibid. p.1426. The Daily Star of 3 January 2012, Web Site, accessed on 20 October 2012.

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Figure 3: Comparison of Vessel Waiting Time in the Region

Source: Respective websites of ports27’ 28’ 29’ 30

Source: Respective websites of ports27’ 28’ 29’ 30 accessed on 17 May 2012

Abovefigureshowsthatwaitingtimeisthehighestinourregion.Therefore,the ship owners may divert their ships to other ports or impose surcharge per TEU to maximize their return. That is why ship owners imposed surcharge US$130/container in 200631’32.

Savings from Vessel Service TimeThe vessel Turnaround Time33 of Chittagong Port is 6.934 days, which may be

brought down to 1 day to attain international standard. By doing so, the operating cost of ship owners would further come down. Each day operating cost of 1000 TEU size container ship and 15000 tonnage cargo ships is over 10,000 US dollar (approximately)35. The total cost of clearing a container out of Chittagong port hasbeenestimatedtobeUS$600comparedwithUS$150–200inneighbouringcountries36. Since 2003-04 service time or turnaround time of Chittagong Port is rising the pressure on the ship owners is further intensifying. 27. Opcit. Chittagong Port Web Site accessed on 22 June 2012.28. http://www.chennaiport.gov.in accessed on 22 June 201229. http://www.kolkataporttrust.gov.in Accessed on 22 June 2012.30. http://www.vizagport.com/Doc/PERFORMANCEPARAMETERS.pdf Accessed on 22 June 2012.31. PCI Japan, December 2008, Pp.2-1732. http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=35778&cid=3 accessed on 29 August 2012.33. Vessel Turnaround Time is the process needed for loading, discharging and servicing a vessel from

berthing until vessel’s departure.34. Opcit. CPA Web Site accessed on 29 August 2012.35. Opcit. PCI Japan December 2008, Part IV, Pp.2-1636. Opcit. Jobair p.28

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This may shy away ship owners to divert their ships or impose further surcharge. Therefore, saving service time would be competitive edge for DSP to encourage ship owners to selectDSP as their profitable destination in theregion. PCI Japan has estimated that the service time savings of DSP would be equivalent to 19.1 million US Dollar by 203037.

Reducing Cost of Doing BusinessHaving number of natural and manmade limitation and constrains as

mentioned above, shipping companies charge higher rates and the cost to the economy of higher shipping rates is quite substantial. Naturally the cost of doing business goes high which has spill over effect throughout the businesses and economic activities. In 2012, the cost of importing a container was 1370 US Dolar in Bangladesh wherer 1070 in China, 545 in India, 705 in Pakistan, 745 in Srilanka and 940 in Vietnam.

Doing Business estimates that the logistics time for Bangladesh to import and export are higher than regional countries as shown below. According to USAID a 5-day reduction in export processing time could increase Bangladesh’s GDP anywhere from $2.4 billion to $3.8 billion annually38.

Figure 4: Time Require to Import and Export a Container in Regional Countries

Source: www.countrycompass.com/_docs/library

37. Opcit. PCI Japan, December 2008 Pp.2-19 38. USAID, Bangladesh Economic Growth Assessment, June 2010, p. 15 at http://www.countrycompass.com/_

docs/library/Bangladesh%20Economic%20Growth%20Assessment.pdf accessed on 29 August 2012.

125

Overcoming Saturation of Chittagong PortsPresently Chittagong Port is utilising its (60 to 90)%39’40 capacity with an

annual growth of approximately 12%41.FollowingfigureshowsthattherequiredcargotrafficthroughChittagongPortwillbedoublebynextfewyears,whereasthe capacity cannot be increased at that rate.

Figure 5: Cumulative Growth and Trend of Container and Cargo Handling by Chittagong Port

Source: http://cpa.gov.bd/portal/home.php

An Alternative PortThe closure of Chittagong Port due to any unforeseen reason, either natural or

war, will bring the country at the brink of economic collapse42. Thus, undisturbed flowofshippinginandoutofourportsisvitaltothesurvivalofthecountry43. Since handling a negligible amount of cargo and having no rail connectivity, Mongla would not act as viable alternative in case Chittagong Port closes, whereas with more than 50% share DSP would be able to take cargo load of the country.

39. Opcit. Year book p.440. CPAOfficial(MemberOperation,HarbourMasterduringVisit).41. CPA Web site, accessed on 20 June 2012.42. Opcit. Quader, Pp.10-1143. Ibid p.11

126


Supporting Growing Economy of BangladeshBeing in the advantageous place of cross road of Asian giants, Bangladesh

has been making great successes in maintaining an impressive growth rate over the past decade. Bangladesh economy has been recording moderately accelerated growth of 5.5% to 6.5% since 1996.44 Bangladesh export earnings were US$ 348 million45’46 in 1972-73 and US$ 22.93 billion47infiscalyear20010-11recordinga growth of 6.5% over the last 40 years. During next 40 years similar growth would be attained. Already, GoB targets a minimum 7% GDP growth rate in the coming years to achieve accelerated poverty reduction48. Commensurating with this required GDP growth, export and import level has to be achieved by our ports. Therefore, it is obvious to have DSP to share additional load before it become impossible by hurdle prone existing ports under the threat of surpassing capacity.

Huge Employment Opportunity and Poverty ReductionTaking the burden of 150 million people with 5.1% unemployment rate,

40% under employment49 and 31.5% percent below poverty line50, population is considered to be the main problem of Bangladesh. As per statistics the population of our country is doubled within last 43 years and it may reach 168.3 million by 202051 requiring a huge investment to create new jobs. Employment opportunity of proposed Sonadia DSP compared to other port is encouraging. Besides, the port will also create thousands of indirect jobs in port related business like EPZs, SEZs, shipbuilding and repair facilities etc. For instance, the Hambantota DSP of Sri Lanka will create 10,000 direct and over 60,000 indirect new job opportunities.52

44. Rahman M Abdur, Bangladesh Economy and Trades: An Overview, Export Promotion Bureu.2011.45. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19890326&id=d6RUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YZADAA

AAIBAJ&pg=7050,2654823 accessed on 29 August 2012.46. Dr Mohammad Farashuddin, Founder Vice Chacelor of East West University, June 2012, Lecture at

NDC.47. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=215525 accessed on 04 May 2012.48. Brigadier General Anisur Rahman, Emerging Challenges; Need for Enhancing Capacity of Chittagong

Port, Individual Research Paper, NDC, 2011 p. 2649. http://www.indexmundi.com/bangladesh/unemployment_rate.html accessed on 20 June 201250. http://data.worldbank.org/country/bangladesh dated 19 October 2012. 51. Dayal Talukder and Love Chile, Estimation of Population and Food Grain Production in Bangladesh by

2020: A Simple Moving Average Approach to a Time Series Analysis, Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology. Volume 8, Number, July 2011 p. 13 at http://www.bangladeshsociology.org accessed on 19 October 2012.

52. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-port-opening-promises-economic-boost-for-sri-lanka-108954969.html accessed on 14 Sep 2012.

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Economic Boost through Cascade Effect53 of DSPMost of the manufacturing and processing industries establish their

installations at or near waterway sites to take advantage of low-cost inbound suppliesandoutbounddeliveryoffinishedproducts54. With the increasing draft, size and 24 hours operation it would surely attract investor to invest in EPZs or Free zones near the proposed DSP. Moheshkhali, being isolated from the mainland has the potential to develop EPZs and IZs in large areas. Sri Lanka has built Hambantota DSP to boost economic activities and creating employment opportunities in the southern part of the Sri Lanka. Upcoming industries at or near Hambantota and Krishnapatnam DSP are shown below:

Table 2: Upcoming Associated Industries around Regional DSPsHambantota Port

(Sri Lanka)Krishnapatnam Port

(India)Dharma Port

(India)

Cement Grinding PlantCement Storage and

Bagging PlantFertilizer Storage/

Processing Bagging LP Gas Distribution

FacilityWare Housing ComplexVehicle Assembling

PlantFlour MillFood Processing &

PackagingOther Business Related

to Import and Export Sector

South India Edible Oils

Emami FoodsAdani WilmarSaraiwaala Agri

RefineriesGemini OilsFoods, Fats &

Fertilisers

Manufacturing Hub

Shipbuilding Yard

Petro-chemical Industries

Gas-based Industries

Steel Plant2

Source: http://www.slpa.lk/port, http://www.krishnapatnam.com/pipeline, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

53. A Cascade Effect is an unforeseen chain of events due to an act affecting a system.54. Opcit. Bazlur Rahman, p.6

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24 Hours, 365 Days All Weather Service for Large and Deep Draft VesselVary name of Deep Sea Port, implies that it can berth deep draft vessel and

Sonadia DSP has proposed for up to 14 meter draft and 50,000 DWT ships55. Draft of Kolkata Port is only 7.2 meter which offers port services to Nepal56. As depth is not a problem to call Sonadia DSP, the vessel can approach to the port at any time of the day or night, any day of the whole year. Thus it will have competitive edge over our neighbouring port Kolkata.

Cheap and Inbuilt Inland Water Ways Being riverine country, inland water ways connects almost all the major cities

of Bangladesh through 22 inland river ports and few hundred landing stations (Ghuts)57. An inland container depot at Pangaon, Narayangong is already built to accommodate containers and cargo from Inland Water Transport. Waterway being the cheapest means of transportation, DSP would be functional without road and rail connection. Moreover, there is no additional cost involve in utilizing inland waterways (IW) directly from DSP.

Lack of Road Rail Connectivity to HinterlandLack of integrated transport network for hinterland linkage and door to

door delivery of containers acts as a bottleneck in attaining expected level of efficiencyofChittagongport.ThesituationwouldbemuchworseforDSPasthe Sonadia site is not connected to hinterland by rail and road. As per DSP plan about 62%58cargo would be carried by rail and road - construction of which would be time consuming. Use of inland waterways would ease the problem initially. Deep sea ports at Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Kyaukphyu in Myanmar and Krishnapatnam in India had to build rail, road and airport to connect hinterland.

Away from International Shipping Lanes (ISL)Considering the geographical location of Bangladesh, it is unlikely that mother

vessels on Asia-Europe service routes with very tight schedules will call the new DSP. However, with increasing volume it expected that large container carriers would call Sonadia DSP59. Having similar positional disadvantage of Sonadia, the new DSP of Krishnapatnam of Andhra Pradesh at Bay of Bengal started it operation successfully since 2008 without possibilities of transit cargos. But the major part of their trade volume would be borne by local industries and businesses.

55. Opcit. DSP Cell.56. http://www.kolkataporttrust.gov.in/draftindex.html accessed on 20 June 2012.57. http://www.biwta.gov.bd accessed 29 August 201258. Opcit. PCI Japan, December 2008, p.1359. PCI Japan Report January 2007, p.3-1

129

Figure 6: Distance of Proposed DSP from International Shipping Lanes (ISL)

Source: DSP cell at Dhaka

Piracy Prone Image of Chittagong PortAs per the International Maritime Bureau reporting Chittagong is categorized

as one of the piracy prone destination of the world. Many of the port users opined that although this port cannot be called as an unsafe port but the available safety marginsdonotgeneratemuchconfidenceamongtheusers.Specially,somepettymatters like pilotage factors, stealing of mooring ropes, not repairing the buoy lights, not maintaining the jetties and the mooring buoys etc always keep the users apprehensive60.

RECOMMENDATIONSConsidering all the above viewpoints followings recommendations are made

for successful and early implementation of DSP project at Sonadia:

a. To start the construction of DSP without delay. China, India and US is to be taken onboard at a suitable partnership. As national urgency, PrimeMinisterOfficeshouldinvolveinexpeditingtheimplementationand interfering any missing train syndrome.

b. Having troubled with Padma Bridge fund, foreign assistance under Government to Government (G2G) deal may be aggressively pursued. GoB and Chittagong Port should also provide a share of fund in G2G deal. For investment in superstructure or PPP portion of the fund, assistance should also be sought from World Bank, IMF or ADB. Even aportionmayberaisedbyfloatingshare.

60. Opcit. Bazlur Rahman, p.11

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c. For PPP portion of the fund (766 Million US Dollar), appropriate modalities for PPP under Land Lord Port Management Model taking the assistance of interested port operators (National or Foreign) should be planned early. For early implementation of the project and to ensure efficient and effective functioning of the port later, port operatorsmay be offered to invest with suitable operational basis (BOO, BOT, BOOST etc) having tax holiday and flexible terms and conditions.Instances of other regional port may be taken into consideration.

d. If, necessary fund could not be raised in time, then construction of the port may even be started without road and rail link to the project, so that US$ 559 million for road and rail could be raised later. Until such time transportation of cargo can be done utilising waterways.

e. To overcome the piracy prone image of Chittagong Port, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard will have to intensify anti-piracy and robbery operation in pursuit of recovering image for new DSP including ensuring security of the port. Plan for BN and BCG installations and bases should be incorporated into overall perspective plan.

f. Training of required personnel for manning specialised posts of DSP should commence early at home and abroad for capacity building.

g. Taking the bitter lessons of Chittagong and Mongla, GoB should take all necessary steps to keep the DSP and its administration including its labour force free from any political polarisation, so that the vary image and tradition of the port remain professional and uplifted from the beginning.

h. Construction of basin and terminal of DSP should take care of such effects of climate change like sea level raise, taking the lessons from other ports in the region.

j. Constructive diplomatic engagement should be adhered to sign agreements/protocols amongst Bangladesh, North Eastern States, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China with win win terms and conditions forfreeflowofgoodstoandfromDSP.

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Road Map for Recommendations A high level governing body consisting of all concern technical experts and

bureaucrats may be formed under Ministry of Shipping to carry out further study on implementation challenges of recommendations and implement the entire project as per following Roadmap:

Figure 7: Roadmap

Source: Author

CONCLUSIONChittagong being the prime seaport of the country, it suffers from lot of

disadvantages like capacity of lesser length and draft of vessel, vessels waiting time for favourable draft before entering and a narrow band in the channel. All these make entering into the port a risky venture for multimillion dollar ships loaded with huge cargo. After all it is one of the congested ports with very high turnaround time. By 2020 it is going to surpass its capacity. In case of Mongla Port the situation is far worse than Chittagong. To recover the cost of waiting, shipping companies charge higher rates and the cost to the economy of higher shipping rates is quite substantial. Additionally, because of the smaller vessels transits in both the ports the import-export cost goes very high which increases the cost of doing business in Bangladesh. So need of a port with deeper channel to accommodate large/mother vessels was felt long before. Besides, dependency on one port would be disastrous in case of any crisis. On the other hand, construction of DSP would bring booming economic activities creating huge employment opportunities through EPZs, IZs etc. Even it would boost the country’s GDP growth by 2 percent. Moreover, considering the strategic location, Bangladesh has been dreaming for a hub port of the region having deep draft births in a suitable location. In one hand trade volume would soon cross the capacity of

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Chittagong Port and on the other; with the construction of a DSP the export volume would increase several times more. Besides, land locked neighbouring states like Nepal, Bhutan and Seven Sisters would also be interested to use the port. Due to various reasons the well deserved port yet to see any headway, but in the mean time neighbouring countries are building port infrastructure in Myanmar.Myanmarport,ifusedbyIndiaandChinaprofitablythenprospectofDSP as regional hub will soon be eroded. However, the importance of DSP for Bangladeshremainsasvital.Conflictinginterestofpowerfulcountriesshouldnotmake such a vital project hostage and sick of missing train syndrome. Therefore we should be bold and decisive in decision making. Implementation of a road mapwilldefinitelychangeourlongwaiteddreamofaDSPintoreality.

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13.“Africa’s Infrastructure:ATime forTransformation”,A co-publication of the Agency Franchise de Development and the World Bank, edited by Vivien Foster and Cecilia Briceño-Garmendia, Washington, USA, 2010.

14.CaptainMusa,Mohammad2011,“CounterPiracyOrchestratingResponse”NDC Journal Vol 10, Number 2, Pp 123-138.

15.SharifMHossainandIshtiaqueShelim2006,“Sino-BangladesheconomicRelations: Prospects and CHALLENGES”BIIS Journal, Vol 27, Number 6, Pp 338-356.

16.ManjurAlam,Mayor,ChittagongCityCorporation,“FutureDevelopmentPotentials of Chittagong Port in Bangladesh”. The Daily Star, Dhaka, 01 July 2012.

17.AbdullahAlMahmud,“SonadiaDeepPort,DebateoverFeasibilityReportTomorrow”, The Daily Star, Dhaka, 11 April 2009, online edition.

18. Bimonthly Journal,“InternationalAffairs”,Vol.88,No.4,July2012.

Lecture and Briefing 19. Brief on Mongla Port by Commodore M A K Azad, ndc, psc, BN, Chairman,

Mongla Port Authority, 09 June 2012.

20. Lecture by Former Ambassador Humayun Kabir for AFWC on ‘Contemporary USA: Changing Global Role in 21st Century- Implications for Bangladesh’ on 08 August 2012.

21. Lecture by Former Ambassador Humayun Kabir for AFWC on ‘Strategic Partnership and Collective Security’ on 08 August 2012.

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Interview 22. Interview with Mr Syed Monjurul Islam, Secretary In Charge, Ministry of

Shipping, 15 October 2012.

23. Interview with Commodore M A K Azad, ndc, psc, BN, the Chairman, Mongla Port Authority, 09 June 2012 and 6 October 2012.

24. Interview with Commodore Jobair Ahmad, ndc, Director General, Department of Shipping, 4 October 2012.

25. Interview with Md Alamgir Khan, Director, Department of Shipping, Dhaka 16 July 2012.

26. Mohammad Farid Uddin, Harbour Master, CPA.

27.InterviewwithOperationOfficer,ColomboPort,SriLanka,3July2012.

28. Lieutenant Commander W W M Perrera, Trincomalee Port Sri Lanka, 03 July 2012.

29. Commander Kanchana Bangoda, Sri Lankan Navy (Regarding Hambantota Port), 4 July 2012.

30. Commodore Anwar Hossain, Ex Chairman, Chittagong Port Authority, 12 June 2012.

31.Officer inCharge,BNhydrographic&OceanographicCentre,Chittagong10 September 2012.

32.LtCdrHabib,BN,SeniorHydrographyOfficer,CPA,Chittagong12June2012.

33. Mr Habib Uddin, DSP Cell At 145 New Baily Road, Dhaka(Number of times)

Author Commander Abedin joined Bangladesh Naval Academy on 1st July 1990 as

cadet and commissioned in Executive Branch on 1st Jan 1993. After commission he has served in number of BN ships and establishment including Bangladesh Coast Guard in various capacities. He has done number of courses at home and abroad. Few of the mentionable courses are Advance Turkish Language Course in Turkey, Navigation & Direction Specialization in India, Missile Command & Tactics in BNS ISSA KHAN, Container Handling Course at CPA and MBA in MIST. He is also a member of Mirpur Staff College. He has commanded number of small ships including BNS DARSHAK in UN Mission in the River Nile, Sudan. In 2012 has completed Armed Forces War Course (AFWC) at NDC.

POLICE-PUBLIC RELATIONS: CONFIDENCE BUILDING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN BANGLADESH

Deputy Inspector General Md. Mesbahun Nabi, ndc

INTRODUCTIONPolice is the main law enforcement agency in all the countries in modern

day world including Bangladesh. Though police is primarily concerned with the maintenance of law and order and security of persons and property of individuals, it also plays a vital role in the criminal justice system. Due to colonial legacy Bangladesh Police is considered to be a reactive force with a philosophy of public control rather than community service. The public image of the police in Bangladesh is not satisfactory and a widely held perception exists that police are inefficient and corrupt. (PRP Report, 2007).

The relationship between the members of the public and Police in Bangladesh must be mutually beneficial. The absence of a communication strategy and the establishment of agreed mechanism for more effective two way engagement between police and the community is a constrain for progress. Police must maintain an accessible relation with the members of the public for a safe and secured society. Police must earn the confidence of the people on the other hand, people have the same responsibility to assist and cooperate with police for a common safe and secured society.

BANGLADESH POLICE: AN INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEWPresent state of Bangladesh Police is a result of evolutionary process through

the ages. Being the part of an ancient civilization, maintenance of peace and stability of the state had always been a concern for the rulers. Bangladesh Police as an organized entity with legal and administrative framework started some hundred and fifty years ago which is stated below.

Growth and Evolution of Bangladesh PoliceIn the ancient time during the rule of emperor Ashoka the concept of policing

was confined within the collection of intelligence to safe guard the king only. In the medieval age Mughals had a policing system to maintain social order at important localities. During the British period formal policing started in the year 1861 few years after the great Sipoy Mutiny in 1857, the main objective of raising such policing in this sub-continent was to protect the British rulers from

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Police-Public Relations: Confidence Building for Law Enforcement in Bangladesh

any activity which might go against them. Pakistan also maintained the same legacy. After the independence it was hoped that, Bangladesh police would get a pro-people shape but no significant change took place especially in terms of legal and administrative framework.

Structure and Institutional FrameworkBangladesh Police is the only government agency to do all policing activities

in the country. It is headed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). Under the control of Police Headquarters, Bangladesh Police is divided into different branches; such as - Range and District Police, Metropolitan Police, Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Railway Police (GRP), Highway Police, Industrial Police, Special Security and Protection Battalion (SSPB), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Police Academy and Training Institutions. In addition there are other specialized units working attached to Metropolitan Police and District, those are – Detective Branch (DB), Tourist Police, District Special Branch (DSB), Traffic Police and Immigration Police.

REVIEW OF LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF BANGLADESH POLICEBangladesh Police is constituted under the law called Police Act of 1861.

Bangladesh Constitution is the fundamental legal base for all government services. Some other laws and regulations also govern police, related parts of which are narrated below.

Bangladesh ConstitutionAs per article- 21(2) every person in the service of the Republic has a duty to

strive at all times to serve the people. Because of the nature of services provided by police it is implied that, police should maintain good relation with all classes of the people.

Police Act of 1861It is considered to be the legal base of Bangladesh Police which was enacted

by the British rulers in 1861. If we analyze the contents of the act we find it as colonial and unmatched for an independent country. It is a long pending demand from the civil society and also from police to have an updated police act which would be able to meet the demand of the age.

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PRB (Police Regulations of Bengal 1943)It is the fundamental document which describes and gives guidance about

police operations. It is divided into 3 volumes; Volume- 1 is the main part containing all regulations, Volume-2 shows all the forms and registers used in Police Department and Volume-3 is the index of the regulation. Police Regulations of Bangladesh though passed during the British rule in India contains significant rules and regulations on operational aspects of police.

POLICE-PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP – CONCEPT AND PRACTICERobert Peel’s often quoted words ‘the Police are the Public and the Pubic are

the Police’ has been widely accepted all over the world. Most of the developed countries have incorporated public participation to their policing system.

Review of Best PracticesBuilding an effective relation with the public all major police departments all

over the world adopted different strategies. Some of them are discussed below.

Police-Public Relations in the NetherlandsThe Dutch Police have a dualistic approach towards policing - social

policing and law enforcement policing. “Community Policing” is practiced on an informal basis where contact between the police and the public is made by neighborhood teams of police officers, or by community liaison officers who work in the neighborhood. Dutch Police does not have any structured system to maintain relation with public. But the democratic atmosphere of the country ultimately creates a relation with the public (Dutch Police 2012).

Police- Public Relations in Los Angeles Police The Community Relations Division (CRD) of Los Angeles Police is based

upon recognition of the need for mutual understanding and constant interchange of communications between the Department and the public. The mission of the Community Relations Division is to develop, recommend, and strengthen policy and programs that enhance police-community relations, increase cooperation and reduce the fear of crime. (www.lapdonline.org).

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Police-Public Relations in Japan PoliceJapan Police is considered to be one of best police in the world in terms

of service delivery and pro people attitude. The most popular branch of police in Japan is known as ‘Koban’ which is a model for other countries to follow. Despite legal limits on police jurisdiction, many citizens retain their views of the police as authority figures to whom they can turn for aid.

Analyzing three police departments from three continents we find that, Dutch Police does not have any structured department to handle such matters where as Los Angeles Police Department maintains a separate department only for this particular matter. Japan police also maintains ‘Koban’ police which is assigned to handle all community related matters, the ‘Koban’ system is considered to be a very much successful system in the area of police- public relations. Bangladesh has its own culture, history and different perspective so it cannot adopt any particular model but with required modification Bangladesh police can also have an organized police- public relations mechanism for a safer society.

POLICE- PUBLIC RELATIONS: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVEBangladesh Police does not have a well organized police- public relationship

mechanism. Legal and organizational framework still needs proper review and changes. Following discussion focuses on the present context of the issue.

Legal framework of Police-Public Relations in the Context of BangladeshIn Bangladesh legal bindings regarding police- public relations are not

adequate and distinct, Police Act- 1861 does not say anything about such relations. Police Regulations Bengal- 1943 gives some guideline to police regarding police- public relations. Criminal Procedure Code of Bangladesh keeps some provision for the public to assist police and magistrate. Related clauses of the two legal provisions including Community Policing Manual and draft Police Ordinance 2007 are stated below.

PRB (Police Regulations of Bangladesh): Regulation-33 of PRB determines the legal binding for police about maintaining relation with public. According to the regulation (regulation # 33) police is bound to show courtesy to all classes of people. Rudeness is strictly forbidden. Promotions will be affected who disregards the above. Senior officers are instructed to show courtesy to local people. Newly recruited police officers are to be trained to respect local people.

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CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code): Section 42 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) gives binding on the members of the public to assist magistrate and police to prevent the escape of a wanted person, suppression of breach of peace and to protect public property. Section-44 of the same law also puts binding on public to give information of certain offences to magistrate or police such as subversive activities against the state, unlawful assembly, murder, robbery, mischief by explosives, unauthorized entry in a house for causing any offence which is punishable by death or life term imprisonment, unauthorized entry in a house during the night.

Community Policing Manual: Community policing strategies vary depending on the needs and responses of the communities involved. Community Policing Manual of Bangladesh did not indicate any specific strategy of building relation between police and the public. It is still a guideline, not yet adopted as a legal document

Police Ordinance-2007 (Draft): According to clause-56 members of the public will participate to police affairs through formation of ‘Police- Public Committees’ where both members of police and members of public will be in the committee. The committee will identify, plan and solve related issues jointly and will keep the community informed about it. Clause 66 says about tackling social security issues and human rights issues jointly by police, community and the civil society members.

Practice and Perceptions on Existing RelationsThe vision of Bangladesh Police is ‘to provide service to all citizens and

make Bangladesh a better and safer place to live and work.’ The mission of Bangladesh Police are ‘upholding rule of law, ensuring safety and security of the citizens, preventing and detecting crime, brining offenders to justice and to maintain peace and public order.’ (Bangladesh Police 2012). The depth of relation with public mainly depends on the successful implementation of the above missions by police.

Attitude of the government is an important factor for such relations. Last almost two decades Bangladesh is being run by democratically elected governments but expected democratic atmosphere did not prevail all the time. As a result as part of the government police attitude towards the public was not democratic always. Public attitude towards police was never very positive because of its failure to be pro- people, so it is very difficult to change the attitude, even in some cases good initiatives of police are not being accepted by the people.

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The Daily Star and Nielsen (2011) conducted a survey which revealed interesting findings. Respondents were asked to rate the performance of the police. Only 27% were aggregately satisfied or very satisfied in metro areas and rural respondents were substantially more satisfied and very satisfied with aggregate figures of 47%. In terms of citizens’ dissatisfaction it was 50%.

Due to the absence of an official framework of the relation between police and public a gap always exists between the two. Most of the people do not know how many hours a police works in a day, what is his living condition, what are the logistical and manpower support a police station has, what are the impediments police have for which they cannot render the desired service, what is the status of humane relation within the organization. A small example may clarify the situation. When police requisitions a vehicle, the vehicle owner definitely gets annoyed but they never want to understand that, police does this unpleasant job for doing patrols because of the shortage of police vehicles.

However, with the initiative of the Police Headquarters some police units are conducting ‘Open House Day’ where members of the community are coming to the police unit on monthly basis to express their opinion freely in the presence of senior police officers. Some units even maintaining a Public Relations (PR) section at their units but again it is not in a formal shape.

Effective and cordial relation between police and public is needed for the mutual benefit of both the sides. Improved relations allow people to have more trust and less fear of police, have a safer community, have less tension and conflict, gain greater cooperation from police, gain increased safety for children and seniors and gain quicker resolution to crime.

Survey Findings: Citizens Perspective and Expert ObservationsThe survey was conducted in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangamati, Noakhali,

Comilla and Kushtia districts. It aimed at finding the status of police- public relations, police service delivery, legal framework of police- public relations, trend of the relations and strategies to improve the relations. Three sets of questionnaires were used to make the survey on general people, police personals and elite people respectively.

Perception of General PeopleTotal number of respondents were 58, a number of respondents were from

the tribal population. Information about the respondents and the synopsis of the survey result is given in Table 1.

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Table:1 (Profile of the respondents- General People)Age group Profession Gender Education Residence

20 to 30=4 Doctor=6 M F Class VIII=2 Div. hq

Disthq

UZhq Vill

31 to 40=9

House wife =2 51 7 SSC=1 33 18 1 6Expatriate=1

Farmer=1Engineer=1 HSC=2

41 to 50=24 Teacher=7 Bachelor=1251 to 60=16 Business=7 B.Sc Engi.=261 to70=4 Private job=7 MBBS=6

71 to 80=1Govt. Service=20 Masters=33

Journalist=5Artist=1

Source: Author

Forty Five respondents have ages ranging 41 to 80 which can be considered to be very much matured. All of them are professionals and 53 respondents have educational qualification of bachelor degree and above, 52 of them are living in the urban areas. Fifty one males and seven females, percentage wise it is 88% male and 12% female.

Table: 2 (Assessment of police- public relations and police service delivery)Ques.

# Question Answer No. of responds

Percentage%

1

How do you assess the overall Police- Public relation in Bangladesh?

Very good 1 1.72Good 19 32.76

Neither good nor bad 21 36.21

Bad 14 24.14Very bad 3 5.17

2How would you assess the overall service delivery of Police?

Very satisfactory 1 1.72Satisfactory 9 15.52

Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory

29 50

Unsatisfactory 16 27.59Most unsatisfactory 3 5.17

Source: Author

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Table: 3 (Factors for police- public relations, measures to improve relations/ suggestions)

Ser # Question Answer No. of

responses

1

Questionaire No.What are the factors that contribute to the nature of Police- Public relationship?

Professionalism of police 40Police attitude 32Outside interference 28Service delivery of police 18Reciprocal sincere relationship 16Police corruption 12Police ethics 6Police image 3

2 Questionaire No.What is needed most to improve the relation?

Logistics and salary to increase 30

Updated training 23

Police to build relation with public 23No outside interference 19Accountability of Police 18More interaction with public 16Police to build confidence 15Pro-people policing 11Police reform 11Corruption to be addressed 10Reward and punishment 10Fair recruitment and promotion 10Community policing 9Police quick response 8Involvement in public affairs 8Zero tolerance to corruption 7Positive role of media 4Follow best practices 3Gender sensitiveness for police 2

Source: Author

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Figure: 1 (Assessment by general people about police service delivery and police-public relations)

Source: AuthorAnalysis of the Survey on General People: The survey shows that, the

respondents assessed the overall Police- Public relation as follows. Very good 1.72%, good 32.76%, neither good nor bad 36.21%, bad 24.14% and very bad 5.17%. They assessed the overall service delivery of Police as very satisfactory 1.72%, satisfactory 15.52%, neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory 50%, unsatisfactory 27.59% and most unsatisfactory 5.17%. The above outcome reveals that most of the respondents found police-public relations as not very good, on the other hand overall service delivery of police found to be neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory.

Question number 3, 4 and 5 was non-structured and the respondents answered according to their own choices. The responses were counted according to occasions. Third question was regarding the factors that contribute to the nature of Police- Public relationship; the respondents responded the highest in favor of police professionalism which was on 40 occasions, followed by the second highest in favor of police attitude which was on 32 occasions. Third highest was outside interference on police which was on 28 occasions.

The 4th question was regarding immediate actions to be taken to improve the relation. On 23 occasions they opined that, Police should build relation with public; on 19 occasions they responded that, outside interference on police to be stopped. On 18 occasions they emphasized on establishment of police accountability.

The 5th question was regarding improvement of police- public relations in Bangladesh. On 30 occasions they suggested to improve the logistics and salary of police personnel, on 23 occasions suggestion was to update the training curriculum of police, on 16 occasions they suggested to have more interactions

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between police and public, on 11 occasions each suggestions were made to have pro-people policing, positive media role and police reform. Other major suggestions were fair recruitment and promotion, reward and punishment for police, community policing activities, quick response of police and police involvement in public affairs etc.

Perception of Police OfficersThe total numbers of respondents were 29. Information about the respondents

and the survey result is given below.

Table-4 (Respondents profile- Police officers)

Age group Rank Gender Education Residence

20 to 30= 1 S.I = 3 M F SSC=0Div. hq

Disthq

UZhq

Vill

31 to 40=17 Inspector= 5 26 3 HSC=1 10 18 1 0

41 to 50=9 A.S.P = 12 Bachelor=8

51 to 60= 2

Additional S.P=4 Masters= 20S.P = 5

Source: Author

Out of 29 respondents 26 are of above the rank of Inspector which may be considered as experienced and senior group and 28 of them are having educational qualification of Bachelor Degree and above, 3 were female police officers.

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Table: 5 (Assessment by police officers about police- public relations, service delivery and legal framework)

Ser # Questionaire Answer No. of

responsesPercentage

(%)

1


Very good 2 6.90Good 17 58.62

Neither good nor bad 7 24.14Bad 3 10.34

Very bad - -

2

How would you assess the overall service delivery of Police?

Very satisfactory 2 6.90Satisfactory 18 62.06

Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory 6 20.69

Unsatisfactory 3 10.34Most unsatisfactory - -

3

Is the present legal framework adequate to improve Police- Public relationship?

Adequate 10 34.48Not adequate 16 55.17

Not at all 2 6.90No idea - -

No legal framework needed 1 3.44

Source: Author

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Table: 6 (Nature of police-public relationship and suggestions to improve the relation)

Ser# Questionaire Answer No. of

responds

1

What are the factors that contribute to the nature of Police- Public relationship?

Police attitude 31Outside interference 20Police professionalism 18Police response 11Media role 9Police ethics 4Proper law enforcement 4Rule of law 6Public Confidence on police 5Transparency 4Police job dissatisfaction 2

2

What is needed most to improve the relation?

Increase logistics and salary 22Police involvement in social activities 14Community policing 14Change police attitude 13Update police training 11Police reform 9Quick response of police 8Fair recruitment/ promotion 8Reduce police- public ratio 6Establish rule of law 6Public to cooperate police 4Stop corruption 3No involvement in politics 3Social status of police to be enhanced 3Police harassment to stop 2Police to be included in school text book 2Police higher mgt. to be efficient 1Law reform 1

Source: Author

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Analysis of the survey on Police Officers: Question number 1, 2, and 3 were structured questions and question number 4 and 5 were non-structured. The 1st question was regarding their assessment on over all police- public relations in Bangladesh. Seventeen respondents felt it as good, 7 as neither good nor bad, 3 as bad and 2 as very good. The 2nd question was regarding their assessment on overall service delivery of police, 18 felt it satisfactory, 6 termed it as neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory, 3 found it unsatisfactory and 2 as very satisfactory. The 3rd question was regarding the legal framework of police- public relations, 16 found it not adequate, 10 as adequate, 2 not at all adequate and 1 opined as no legal framework needed.

On the 4th question which was about the factors that contribute to the nature of police- public relationship; on 31 occasions they found it police attitude, on 20 occasions it was outside interference, on 18 occasions it was police professionalism, rests were police response, media role, rule of law, public confidence on police, police ethics, proper law enforcement, transparency and police job dissatisfaction.

The 5th question was about what is needed most to improve the relation. On 22 occasions they emphasized on increase of police logistics and salary. On 14 occasions they opined for community policing and police involvement in social activities. On 13 occasions suggested to changing police attitude. Other suggestions were updating police training curriculum, police reform, fair recruitment/ promotion, quick response of police, rationalization of police- public ratio, establish rule of law , public cooperation to police, uplifting status of police, stopping police involvement in politics, police corruption to stop, stopping police harassment, including police matters in the school text books and reformation of law.

Perception of Elite People Eight persons were included in the survey; they were from the elite class of

the society with different professional background. Result is shown below.

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Table: 7 (Assessment by elite people about police-public relations and police service delivery)


respondsPercentage

(%)

1


Very good - -Good 1 12.5Neither good nor bad 4 50Bad 3 37.5Very bad - -

2

How would you assess the overall service delivery of Police?

Very satisfactory - -Satisfactory 1 12.5Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory 4 50

Unsatisfactory 3 37.5Most unsatisfactory - -

Source: Author

In this study 13% of elite peoples’ perception is good about police public relation where 38% is bad and 49% neither good nor bad. In services delivery of police according to elite people showed the same result, as their satisfaction, unsatisfaction and neitheir satisfaction nor unsatisfaction.

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Table: 8 (Nature of police-public relations, trend and suggested strategies for improvement)


responses

1

What are the factors that contribute to the nature of Police- Public relationship?

Police attitude 6Media coverage 2Public awareness 2Confidence on police 2Professional capacity of police 2Atmosphere at police station 1Police-public ratio 1Police logistical support 1Law & order, political situation 1

2

Do you see any trend in Police- Public relationship in Bangladesh?

No positive trend of change 6Positive trend of change 2Less confidence on police 1Com. Policing, victim support, NGO & media relation is better now 1

3

What is your suggestion to develop credible strategy for better Police- Public relationship in Bangladesh?

More pol.-pub. Interaction 6Fair recruitment/promotion 4No political interference 3Stop corruption 3Updated training for police 3More meetings between senior pol. Officers & public 3Police attitude to change 3Build relation with media 2Conducive atmosphere at police stations 2Police to maintain neutrality 2Salary & status of police to enhance 1Better police performance 1Promote best practice 1Ethical training for police 1Effective supervision 1

Source: Author

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Analysis of survey on the elite people: There were 2 structured and 3 non-structured questions for them. The 1st question was related to their assessment about the overall police- public relations in Bangladesh. 4 of them found it neither good nor bad, 3 termed it as bad.

The 2nd question was about their assessment regarding overall service delivery of police. Four respondents opined it as neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory, 3 of them found it unsatisfactory and 1 satisfactory. Besides these structured questions 3 more non-structured questions were there. The 3rd question was about their opinion regarding the factors that contribute to the nature of police- public relationship. On 6 occasions they found it police attitude, on 2 occasions it was public awareness, professional capacity of police, media coverage and confidence on police. Rests were police- public ratio, police logistical support, atmosphere at police stations, law & order and political situation. The 4th question was whether they see any trend in police- public relationship. On 6 occasions they found negative trend of change, on 2 occasions they found positive trend of change and on 1 occasion the trend was termed as losing confidence on police and on the other hand in the areas of community policing, victim support, NGO and media relation it is improving.

The 5th question was about their suggestion regarding development of credible strategy for better police- pubic relationship. On 6 occasions they emphasized on more police- public interactions, on 4 occasions it was fair recruitment/ promotion policy, on 3 occasions the suggestion was to change police attitude, more interactions with senior police officers and public, updating of police training curriculum, stopping police corruption and political interference. Other suggestions were neutrality of police, conducive atmosphere at police stations, building relations with media, ethical training for police, enhancement of salary and logistics, better police performance, promoting best practices and effective supervision at all levels.

OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGSThe study was made on three categories of people- the general people,

police officers and the elite people. Each group had diverse age, education and professional persons. The questions were designed according to the need of the study. In this chapter all groups of respondents and similar type of responses will be combined to make a holistic finding. The following table will show the comparison of the perceptions of different groups of respondents on different issues.

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Table: 9 (Perception comparison of the respondent groups)Questions General Public Police Officers Elite People

Police-Public Relations Mostly neither good nor bad Good Neither good nor bad/bad

Police Service Delivery Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory Satisfactory Neither satisfactory nor

unsatisfactoryLegal Framework (For Police Officers only) --- Not adequate ---

Factors contributing nature of Police-Public Relations

Police professionalism, Police attitude, Outside

interference

Police attitude, Outside interference,

Police professionalism

Police attitude, public awareness, police professionalism

How to improve relations

Police to build relation with public, Increase

police logistics, Updated training for police

Increase police logistics, Social

involvement of police, Change police attitude

---

Trend of the relations(For Elite people only) --- --- No positive trend of

change

Strategy for better police-public relations (For Elite people only)

--- ---

More police- public interaction, Police attitude to change, Senior officers’

interaction with public

Source: Author

After analysis the following findings clearly emerged:

1. The study portrays that, the overall police-public relations in Bangladesh remains between neither good nor bad and bad with the exception of police respondents’ they found it between good and neither good nor bad.

2. Overall service delivery of police also found to be between neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory and unsatisfactory also with the exception of police respondents, they opined it as satisfactory and neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory.

3. The factors that contribute to the nature of police- public relations are many. The most significant factors that came out were police attitude, professionalism of police, reciprocal sincere relationship between police and public, outside interference on police, police response to the public and media role.

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4. Measures to improve police- public relations are- police to build relations with public and build confidence, address police corruptions, ensure police accountability, increase police logistics and remuneration, police involvement in social activities, community policing, police reform, change of police attitude, updating police training, fair recruitment of police, quick police response to public call, no outside interference on police and reducing police- public ratio.

5. The trend of police- public relations found to be mostly negative though in some areas positive changes were observed, they are community policing, victim support and media/ NGO relations.

6. Suggested strategic directions to develop a credible relations between police and public are- more interaction between police and public specially with the senior police officers, creating conducive atmosphere at police stations, neutrality of police in their actions, reformation of police training, fair and transparent recruitment and promotion policy, addressing police corruption, build relation with media, no political interference and replication of the best practices.

7. Existing legal framework for improving police- public relations was not found adequate according to maximum number of respondents.

Analyzing the study, reviewing the existing literatures and studying the growth and evolution of Bangladesh Police it was found that, the factors contributing police- public relations in Bangladesh may be categorized into the followings.

Social FactorsRelationship inherited through history. Image created through the course of

time, outside interference, public awareness, media role, public confidence on police, law and order, political situation etc.

Organizational FactorsPolice professionalism, police service delivery, proper law enforcement,

police response to public calls, police job (dis)satisfaction, transparency, police- public ratio, police logistical support, atmosphere at police stations and police accountability, supervision by superior officers.

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Human and Psychological FactorsPolice attitude, ethics of police, general perception about police etc.

RECOMMENDATIONSOn the basis of the study the following recommendations are given to improve

the existing relation between police and public:

a. Organizational behavior and set up: Police professionalism shall have to be given the highest priority. For a better performance police is to act strictly according to law. Better performance will lead to better police-public relations. Public relations should be included in the organizational structure of police to give it an institutional shape.

b. More interactions: Due to historical reason mass people do not accept police as their guardian even though police at times gives extraordinary service to the people. People will have to change their notion and try to understand its limitations; this change may take place gradually through interactions between the two.

c. Strategic efforts: At the highest political level there should be a consensus about making a pro-people police in the country which will be capable to fulfill the needs of an independent democratic country. Draft Police Ordinance needs to be approved.

d. Policing through consent: In a democratic society starting from state level down to the local level things shall have to be done with the general consent of the people. Policing should also be done following democratic norms for overall sustainability.

e. Inclusion of police- public relation in the legal framework: Existing legal framework should be updated. Legal binding for both police and citizen should be made more clear and distinct.

f. Integration of people in the enforcement ethos: Police managers always complain that police is misunderstood in its process of law enforcement. In this context there should be some form of mechanism to integrate the people in the enforcement ethos of police with a focus to explore the genesis of crime and the role played by the other agencies of the criminal justice system.

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CONCLUSION It is today an accepted axiom that, police anywhere in the world cannot

perform their functions effectively to the perceived satisfaction of the people without their willing cooperation. If there is no spontaneous reciprocity between the law enforcers and the members of the society, then it sounds that the law enforcers are staging the drama of ‘Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark’.During the study it was found that the existing gap between police and public is still wide which is detrimental for a safe and secure society. Much change did not take place through evolutionary process though two major political developments occurred during last sixty years in the geo-political arena of Bangladesh. Though the study result shows that the police- public relation remains between good and neither good nor bad but general perception does not tally with this result. If we accept the hypothesis that police- public relation is not that congenial as it is expected then we have enough scope to improve it.

As a last word on the subject of police- public relations, all of us have a vision for Bangladesh police as a highly professional police service which earns the full confidence and cooperation of the people by its own behavior and performance. On the face of it, the whole thing may appear to be utopian against the existing situation. But if other countries can achieve it by and large there is no reason why Bangladesh cannot aspire to be a secured society by dint of extraordinary professionalism, dedication, neutrality, integrity and gallantry feat of police.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books1. Begum, S. Mehartaj (1996) ‘District Police Administration’, Anmol

Publications Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India.

2. Chatterjee, Basudev (1973) ‘ A study in the Police Administration of West Bengal’, Aapurba, Calcutta, India.

3. Dhillon, Kirpal (2005) ‘Police and Politics in India: Colonial Concepts, Democratic Compulsions: Indian Police 1947-2002’, Manohar Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, India.

4. Kibria, A. B. M. G. (1976) ‘Police Administration in Bangladesh’, Khosroz Kitab Mahal, Dhaka. Khandaker, A. R. (1998), ‘ Society Politics and Public Order, Memoirs of A Police Chief’’, The University Press Limited, Dhaka.

5. Khan, Sultan Kabar (1983) ‘Power, Police and Public’, Vishal Publications, Kurukshetra, India.

155

6. Mehra, Ajay K. (1985) ‘ Police in Changing India’, Usha Jain Publications, New Delhi, India.

7. Prof. (Dr.) S.M. Diaz (1993), ‘Police and Public Cooperation’, Encyclopaedia of Police in India, Volume II, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, India.

8. Rahman, Md. Motiar (2011), Constable Sargrantha, Robi Publications, Chittagong.

9. S.K Ghosh, F.K Rustamji, (1993) Encyclopedia of Police in India, Volume II, Part-A, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, India.

10. Shah, Giri Raj (1993) ‘Image Makers: An attitudinal Study of Indian Police’, Abhinav publications, New Delhi, India.

11. Wright, Alan (2002) ‘Policing an introduction to Concepts and practice’, Lawman (India) Private Limited, New Delhi, India.

Reports12. Bangladesh Police (1998), ‘Strategic Plan July 1995 - June 1998’, Police

HQs, Dhaka.13. Bangladesh Police, (2000), ‘Auspicious Inauguration, Bangladesh Police

Staff College’, Police HQs, Dhaka.14. Bangladesh Police (2001), ‘Action Plan for Bangladesh Police’, Police HQs,

Dhaka.15. Bangladesh Police, (2003), Action Plan for Bangladesh Police (Revised),

Police HQs, Dhaka.16. Draft Police Ordinance 2007, Ministry of Home Affairs website, (www.

mha.gov.bd/).17. Report of the National Police Commission of India (1980), (www.angelfire.

com/theforce/npcreport).

Journals18. G. Douglas Gourley (1954), Police Public Relations, Annals of the American

Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 291, pp. 135-142, Sage Publications Inc, USA.

19. Patil, S (2008), ‘Bangladesh in Feudal Forces: Reform Delayed - Moving from Force to Service in South Asian Policing’, pp16-31, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, India.

20. Rahman, Md. Motiar (2010) ‘Public Security and Police in Capital Dhaka from 1971-2008’, Politics- Society Administration, Vol-1 (2011).Asiatic Society, Bangladesh.

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21. Roy, Jaytilak Guha (1999), ‘Policing in Twenty-first Century’, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, India.

Articles22. Agarwal, K.P (1973), Police- Public relations, CBI Bulletin, September

1973, India.

23. Huda, Muhammad Nurul (2009), ‘Bangladesh Police- Issues and Challenge’, The University Press Limited, Dhaka.

24. Karzon, Sheikh (2006), ‘Bangladesh Police: Existing problems and some reform proposals’, The Daily Star, October 14, 2006, Dhaka.

25. William J. Patsche (2007), ‘Mayberry v. Starsky & Hutch: Public perception of police work’, POLICE ONE.COM, March 30, 2007.

26. Micheal P. Tranoglie (2004), ‘Police and Public Opinion’, WWW.FRONTPAGEMAG.COM, 05 April 2004.

AuthorMd. Mesbahun Nabi, DIG of Police, is the youngest son of his police officer

father. He did his B.A (Honours) and M.S.S in Public Administration from the University of Chittagong before joining police service in 1986. During his 26 years of police carrier he served in different districts and metropolitan cities at different positions. In the rank of DIG of Police he served in Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet divisions also at Anti-Corruption Commission as Director General. In addition to his professional trainings in Bangladesh he attended Crisis Response Team Training (CRTT) in USA. He has wide experience of serving in UN Peace-keeping missions in Cambodia, Angola, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Kosovo and Sudan; before joining NDC he served in UNAMID (AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur), Sudan as Sector Commander of Police. He attended international conferences on anti-corruption and human rights in Australia and Switzerland respectively. He wrote articles on road safety management, child labour, urban beautification etc. published in newspapers. Travelling is his hobby, among the countries he visited many parts across the globe-Europe, Africa, USA, Australia, Middle East, East, South and South East Asia.

THE ARAB SPRING IN THE MIDDLE EAST: IMPLICATIONS

Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Anwar, afwc, psc, G, Arty

INTRODUCTIONIn the years between 1975 and 2000, the world had experienced dramatic

changes wherein a number of countries were ranked as ‘free country’ and the proportion of the world under totalitarian rule or dictatorship shrank considerably.1 A number of strategically important and economically successful Asian countries also embraced democracy and made strides towards a political freedom. In the face of such worldwide democratic surge, the Arab Middle East (ME) remained trapped in political stagnation. The ME was no longer one region out of many where autocracy was the rule and the status described as ‘freedom deficit’.2 The recent Arab spring is nothing but the aftermath of undesirable ‘freedom deficit’ environment in the region for a protracted period in contrary to the democratic surge in other parts of the world. The series of protests and demonstrations across countries of Middle East and North Africa (MENA), known as Arab spring have erupted as people’s frustration which eventually had overthrown the tyrannical governments from the power in four countries. The events further unleashed popular uprising and major civilian protests in many more countries within and outside the region.3

Arab human rights organization do not regard the Permanent Arab Commission on Human Rights within Arab League as part of the universalistic human rights movement. This Commission, founded by the Council of the League of Arab States in 1968, has done little to promote human rights in Arab world. Likewise numerous other factors have led to such protests, including dictatorship, absolute monarchy, human right violations, government corruption, unemployment, economic decline and many others demographic structural factors. The Issue therefore, gives diverse signal for the third world Muslim countries including Bangladesh. On the other hand, Bangladesh depends on remittances from the ME in a significant scale which substantially contribute in the GDP. Therefore, the core issue of the problem is -

1. Arch Puddington, ‘Democracy’s Stake in the Arab Spring’ Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, 2011. p.14.

2. Ibid.3. Ibid.

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The Arab Spring in the Middle East: Implications

“Latest Arab spring in the ME has become an important issue for the region itself. The issue concerns Bangladesh being a third world developing country with numerous problems. Again Bangladesh is a Muslim country where people are vulnerable from religious sentiment point of view. Therefore, it is essential to identify the reasons of such situation including its impact on our socio-politico and economic aspects and suggest measures for Bangladesh to address the situation for future.”

Causes of Arab Spring

The Arab MENA Country’s history, political structures, socio-economic progress, cultural practices, human rights features, media management, and dictatorship by the authoritarian government etc are the root causes of such uprising.

Lack of Political Freedom. As of February 2012, there were more than 100 registered political parties in

Tunisia. Before Ben Ali fled the country on January 14, 2011, there were fewer than 10 parties, with none able to effectively challenge the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (DCR).4 The DCR under President Ben Ali won all seats in the Chamber of Deputies in 1989, and won all the directly elected seats in the 1994, 1999 and 2004 elections. The oppressive political environment, coupled with opaque political decision-making and the government’s insensitivity to popular demand for greater freedom gave rise to a popular revolution that began on December 17, 2010. The modern Egypt also bears the testimony of a single party authoritarian government, political domination and bureaucratic regime historically.5 On the other hand, the long 40 years rule and dictatorship in Libya by Gaddafi put the entire nation in to a cage from where people needed to come out seeking freedom and democracy.

Poverty and Unemployment. It is really surprising that in the most Arab countries, around 50% of the

population is under the age of 25.6 The average unemployment rate of these countries is 10% is higher than any other region in the world, and rapid population

4. Available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5439.htm accessed on 05 May 2012.5. ‘Egypt Table of Contents’ available at http://countrystudies.us/egypt/105.htm accessed on 03

May 2012.6. Alanoud Al Sharekh, ‘Reform and Rebirth in the Middle East’ ‘Survival Journal’ Volume 53,

IISS Routledge & Francis Group. p. 52.

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growth is not accompanied by similar economic growth.7 Food prices in Tunisia soared in June 2010, and with limited salaries the consumers were unable to afford basic foodstuffs. In Egypt, the much-touted ‘open market’ policy could do little to stop the standard of living falling below the acceptable limit. The trend elsewhere is also similar. In Jordan, protests continued in response to country’s instability to solve the food-price crisis.8 Unemployment brought the region in to a trouble spot over the time. International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its April 2011 regional outlook for the ME and Central Asia also revealed the same.9 From Table 1, it can also be felt that the low median age, low Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and high unemployment factors can all together act as catalyst for popular uprisings and regime change.10

Table 1: Poverty and Unemloyment State

Country Population(million)

Unemployment rate (%)

Median Age

Population Below Poverty

levelAlgeria 34.6 9.9 27.1 23Egypt 80.5 9.7 24 20Jordan 6.4 13.4 21.8 14.2Lebanon 4.1 29.4 28Libya 6.4 30 24.2 33Morocco 31.6 9.8 26.5 14Syria 22.2 8.3 21.5 11.9Tunisia 10.6 14 29.7 3.8Yemen 23.5 35 17.9 45.2Source: Regional Outlook - 2011

Implementation of Human Rights. In most Arab countries, the Sharia or Islamic law defines the rules of

traditional social behaviour. Under the law, women are accorded a role inferior to that of men, and are therefore, discriminated with regard to personal rights and 7. Ibid.8. Ibid. p.53.9. Ibid.10. Vivian Salama, ‘Middle East Leaders Address Unemployment in Arab Spring Wake’, op.cit.

p.53.

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freedoms. In Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Morocco, Oman and Yemen, married women need their husbands’ written permission to travel abroad. According to the UN, “Utilization of Arab women’s capabilities through political and economic participation remain the lowest in the world in quantitative terms”.11 On the other hand, in most of the Arab countries Worker’s Right is not preserved. In Saudi Arabia, there exist no labour laws, unions or collective bargaining. While child labour had been a problem in Egypt in the past, there has been marked improvement recently.12 The labour rights are severely violated in Morocco as well.13 Only a few human rights NGOs can operate freely in Arab countries.14

Corruption and Lack of Good Governance. Corruption flourished at all levels in the ME, specially at structural level involving government’s ‘contracts and commissions’ on oil business. More than 90% of participants in a survey for the Arab Human Development Report (2004) believed it to be pervasive.15 The survey noted that politicians, businessmen and high-ranking officials head the list in the spread of corruption while the same is also prevalent among the judiciary. In the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2008 compiled by Transparency International, only one Arab country ranked among the top 30 (out of 180). Qatar secured 28th in the list and was regarded as the least corrupt, while Iraq and Somalia were the most corrupt.16 Transparency International’s CPI standing for last five years are appended in Table 2 below.17

11. Mitchell G. Bard, ‘Human Rights in Arab Countries’ available at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource /myths/ mf16 .html accessed on 05 May 2012.

12. Ibid.13. Human Rights Watch, Available at http://www.hrw.org/news/2008/09/01/middle-eastnorth-

africa-treat-domestic-workers-fairly-ramadan, accessed on 05 May 2012.14. Pail J.Magnarella, ‘Middle East and North Africa - Governance, Democratization, Human

Rights’.op.cit. p.2.15. ‘An Open Door to Arab World’ available at http://www.al-bab.com/arab/background/

corruption.htm accessed on 06 May 201216. Ibid.17. Transparency International, ‘Corruption trends in the Middle East and North Africa Region

(2007-2011)’ available at accessed on 04 May 2012.

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Table 2: CPI of Mena Countries 2007-2011Year Egypt Jordan Libya Morocco Tunisia

2011 2.9 4.5 2 3.4 3.82010 3.1 4.7 2.2 3.4 4.32009 2.8 5 2.5 3.3 4.22008 2.8 5.1 2.6 3.5 4.42007 2.9 4.7 2.5 3.5 4.2

Source: Regional Outlook - 2011

Islamic Fundamentalism and Social Media Revolution. It is a fact that following the Arab spring, various Islamic groups are coming in the scene trying to gain the ground. The new Islamist mainstream, which includes Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Tunisia’s Nahda party, has evolved over the years, and now promising that they would not universally impose Sharia law.18 Means to say that the revolutions which promised to usher in democracy are now being remoulded to enable the takeover by religious extremists.19 On the other hand, the due to the internet and satellite proliferations, the events of Arab Springs reverberated much faster across the borders and added fuel to it. The demonstrations in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere were watched across the globe by thousands of billions of audiences and were viewed as an attempt to oppress the innocent population. A young goggle executive was detained for 12 days before being released in response to pressure from youth protesters, who had designated him their leader in absentia.20

EVENTS AND ANALYSIS - TUNISIA, EGYPT, LIBYA AND YEMEN

EventsThe Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests

occurred in various Arab states that began on 18 December 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen while the civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria. Major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Oman; and minor protests 18. The Economists Column, ‘Islam and the Arab spring’ available at http://www.economist.com/

node/21525401 accessed on 05 May 2012.19. A topic on ‘Arab Spring for fundamentalism’ available at http://broadmind.nationalinterest.

in/2011/10/13/arab-spring-for-fundamentalism accessed on 07 May 2012.20. Alanoud Al Sharekh, ‘Reform and Rebirth in the Middle East’ ‘Survival’ ‘op.cit’ p.56

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have occurred in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. Clashes at the borders of Israel as well as protests by Arab minority in Iranian Khuzestan have also been reported.21 An analysis is shown in table 3 below on four nations only whose Governments were forced from power.

Table 3: Analysis on Four Countries.

CountryDt

startedOutcome/Events

Death toll

Sit

Tunisia 18 Dec 2010

Overthrow of Ben Ali; Ben Ali fled into exile in Saudi Arabia• Resignation of Prime

Minister Ghannouchi• Dissolution of the political police• Dissolution of the DCR and

liquidation of its assets• Release of political prisoners• Elections held on 23 October and

new govt came in power

223 Govt Overthrown

Egypt 25 Jan 2011

Overthrow of Hosni Mubarak; Mubarak charged for killing protesters• Resignation of Prime

Minister(s) Nazif and Shafik• Assumption of power by

the Armed Forces• Suspension of the Constitution,

dissolution of the Parliament• Disbanding of State Security

Investigations Services• Dissolution of the NDP, the

former ruling party of Egypt and transfer of its assets to the state

• Prosecution of Mubarak, his family and his former ministers

846 Govt Overthrown

21. Available at http://www.wikiepidie.org accessed on 13 May 2012.

163

CountryDt

startedOutcome/Events

Death toll

Sit

Yemen 27 Jan 2011

Overthrow of Ali Abdullah Saleh; Saleh granted immunity from prosecution• Resignation of Prime

Minister Mujawar• Resignation of MPs from

the ruling party• Approval of President’s

immunity from prosecution by Yemeni legislators

• Al-Qaeda linked militants take con of several cities in southern Yemen

• Presidential election held to replace Saleh.; Mansur Al-Hadi elected as new president

2,000Govt

Overthrown

Libya 15 Feb 2011

Overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi; Gaddafi was killed by rebel forces• UN-mandated military

intervention took place and ended with NATO withdrawal

• Opposition forces takes control of all Libyan cities

• Assumption of interim control by NTC

• International recognition of NTC as the sole governing authority for Libya

• Beginning of sporadic low-level fighting and clashes

30,000-35,000

Govt Overthrown.New Govt

already Elected

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AnalysisTunisia. According to the 2011 Global Peace Index (GPI) data, Tunisia’s

global peace ranking is 44 out of 153 countries.22 It was given a status of ‘Not Free’ by the ‘Freedom House’ since it is not an electoral democracy. According to their website, former President Ben Ali exercised authoritarian rule since seizing power in a coup in 1987. Beginning in 1989, he won five consecutive five-year terms in tightly controlled elections. Tunisia had a very low political participation ranking of 2.22/10 and a high level of disrespect to human rights ranking of 3.0/5.0, according to the GPI report.23 According to reports, around 2,000 people have been convicted of offences under the anti-terrorism law since 2003, including many who were tried and sentenced in their absence in trials that often failed to meet international fair trial standards.24 According to Transparency International’s 2010 CPI, Tunisia scores 4.3/10, making it a highly corrupt country.25

Egypt. The suppression of general mass and the corruption of Government machineries were evident in long time practices of Egypt. Firstly, Egypt adopted a rent control law, with all the perverse incentives that entailed gentrification which was a concern for downtown residents.26 Secondly, Egypt received a lot of fund from the United States, the European Union and the World Bank for ‘health reform’ between 1998 and 2009 but no significant measure was undertaken.27 Thirdly, Egypt’s tobacco tax increased to 40% on July 2010.28 In Egypt the police were brutal, elections were rigged and corruption was rampant. Life was more difficult for the masses, as the rich grew richer and the poor grew poorer. All these actually made Egypt susceptible to such violent explosion.

Libya. The 2011 GPI data shows that Libya had a significant drop of falling 83 places from the previous year.29 The data shows that it ranks 143 out of 153 countries.30 It was given a status of ‘Not Free’ by the Freedom House since it is not an electoral democracy. Power in Libya was theoretically vested with a system of people’s committee, but in practice those structures were manipulated to ensure the continued dominance of Gaddafi, who held no official title. Political parties were more or less illegal and joining a political party was punishable. Libya

22. ‘Information on Tunisia’ available at http:/www.wikiprogress.orgindex php Tunisia accessed on 1 May 2012.

23. Ibid.24. Ibid.25. Ibid.26. ‘Economic causes of Egyptian Revolution’ available at http:/www.futureofcapitalism.com201102economic-

causes-of-the-egyptian-revolution accessed on 17 May 2012.27. Ibid.28. Ibid.29. ‘Information on Libya’ available at http:/www.wikiprogress.org index.php Libya accessed on 18 May

2012.30. Ibid.

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had a very low Political Participation ranking of 1.11/10 as reported by the EIU Democracy Index.31 Human Rights Watch reported in 2009 that 500 political prisoners remained in custody despite having been acquitted of all charges or served their full prison sentences.32 According to Transparency International’s 2011 CPI, Libya scores 2.9/10, making it a highly corrupt country.33

The country had GDP per capita above the world average (US $ 12,062 in 2010).34 But it saw its GDP per capita falling from US $ 14,313 in 2008 to US $ 9,511 in 2009.35 Libya has seen its unemployment rate rising in recent years. The latest data of 2004 reflects that the unemployment rate of Libya is 30%.36 According to World Investment Report 2009, FDI in Libya quadrupled between 2005 and 2008.37 The government used to maintain strict control over all media outlets. A new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists had found Libya’s media the most tightly controlled in the Arab world.38

Yemen. The 2011 GPI data shows that Yemen had a significant drop of falling 11 places from the previous year.39 It ranks 138 out of 153 countries according to the GPI 2011 report.40 It was given a status of ‘Not Free’ by the Freedom House since it is not an electoral democracy. The country’s political system is dominated by one party (the General People’s Congress). Yemen had a very low Political Participation ranking of 3.33/10 as reported by the EIU Democracy Index and a very high Level of Disrespect to Human Rights ranking of 4.0/5.0, according to the GPI report.41 According to Transparency International’s 2010 CPI, Yemen scores 2.1/10, making it a highly corrupt country.42 It also maintains a monopoly over the media. The country has nine government-controlled, 50 independent, and 30 party-affiliated newspapers.43 Epidemic and infectious diseases like diphtheria and malaria are widespread.44 All these contributed to the recent demonstrations.31. Ibid.32. Ibid.33. Transparency International, ‘Corruption trends in the Middle East and North Africa Region (2007-2011)’,

op.cit.34. ‘Unemployment: A Major Problem in Arab World’, available at http://yallafinance.com/2011/04/13/

unemployment-a-major-problem-in-the-arab-world/ accessed on 18 May 2012.35. Ibid.36. Ibid.37. ‘Information on Libya’, op.cit.38. Ibid.39. ‘Information on Yemen’, available at www.wikiprogress.org index.php Yemen accessed on 10 May

2012.40. Ibid.41. Ibid.42. Ibid.43. Ibid.44. Ibid.

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INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES AND IMPACT ON MIDDLE EAST REGION

International Responses

NATO’s Response The uprising in Libya and later to an armed conflict resulted in a NATO-led

operation namely ‘Operation Unified Protector’ against the regime of Tripoli whose first priority was to protect civilians. NATO took action as part of a broad international effort and was legitimately authorized for militarily intervention through UNSC Resolution 1973. The support from the Arab League added to the political legitimacy for the intervention.45 ‘Operation Unified Protector’ received criticisms as only a small number of allies (eight) contributed to the airstrike operation.46 NATO justified its position in the plea of pursuing a new policy aiming to address the dire needs and interests of the peoples.47

EU’s Response The EU’s strategic response to the Arab Spring came as early as 8 March 2011,

with the communication of the high level representative and the Commission proposing ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’.48 The EU committed both in the short and long term mission to help its ME partners particularly in facing two main challenges. Firstly, to build deep democracy and secondly, to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development without which democracy will not take root.49

UN’s ResponseUN’s overall response to Arab spring was generally impressive. Politically,

the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon immediately called on the Egyptian Government to respond positively to the demands of those demonstrating in Tahrir Square.50 Since then, he made a series of consistent and bold statements on Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain in favour the civilians. Following the uprising the Secretary General paid a visit to UK and made a powerful speech at

45. ‘The Arab Spring’s Implications for NATO’ available at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabah-ghezali/the- arab-springs-implication 1462866.html accessed on 25 July 2012.

46. Ibid.47. Arik Segal, ‘NATO’s Response to the Arab Spring: A New Public Diplomacy Approach’ available at

accessed on 24 July 2012. 48. ‘The EU’s response to the Arab Spring’ available at http://europa.eu/rapid/press ReleasesAction.

do?reference= MEMO/11/918 accessed on 24 July 2012. 49. Ibid.50. ‘The UN’s Response to the Arab Spring - One Year On’, available at http://ukun.fco.gov.uk/en/news/

?view =PressS&id=730248882 accessed on 27 July 2012.

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Oxford University on humanitarian intervention to these countries. 51 The wider UN system also reacted positively. The General Assembly adopted its first ever Human Rights Resolution on Syria in December 2011. The UN had been active elsewhere in the Region too.

Arab League’s ResponseIn general the Arab league did not echo with the Government of various

affected countries. Rather it stood for the affected people of the countries and took measures for their protection. Arab League headquarters being a couple of hundred metres away from Tahrir Square, in central Cairo was not much reactive to the situation. In March 2011, the League voted in support of a no-fly zone over Libya. The stance of Arab League facilitated the move leading to a UN resolution and subsequent NATO intervention.52

Amnesty International’s ResponseThe Amnesty International, during its 50th anniversary celebration in

London, analyzed the situation of human rights in 155 countries, and placed special emphasis on the ‘unprecedented protests’ during 2011 that took place in MENA.53 It also said, ‘The failure of leadership has become a global issue in the last year, in which politicians have responded to the protests with brutality or indifference’. In connection with the protests of the Arab spring, the report also revealed the lack of action of the UNSC before such abuses.54 The report highlighted that the UNSC had done nothing while crimes against humanity were committed in Syria.

USA’s ResponseUS President Barack Obama’s speech on the ME policies was a belated

response to extraordinary events over which the USA has so far exercised overt little influence. The president praised the spirit of people’s power that had animated ‘Arab spring’ but also made clear that direct US involvement in the region would remain selective.55 For example, Saudi Arabia, one of the most

51. Ibid.52. ‘Arab Spring revolution at the Arab League’ available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-

middle-east-15714771 accessed on 27 July 2012. 53. ‘The Delta World’ news on ‘Amnesty International considers the Arab spring as a missed

opportunity’ available at accessed on 28 July 2012.54. Ibid.55. ‘Barack Obama signals selective US response to Arab spring’ available at http://www.

guardian.co.uk/world /2011/may/19/barack-obama-response-arab-spring accessed on 26 July 2012.

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repressive countries in the Arab world and a key US ally and oil supplier, did not get a single mention in the speech. Obama had harsh words for Syria, where hundreds had been killed by the security forces. On Bahrain issue which is US’s a long-standing partner (and home of US fifth fleet), was not much concerned.56 Besides, US’s responses in Arab Spring raised internal controversies inside the country.

China and India’s Responses In contrast to other organizations and western countries, China and India’s

response were different. Chinese President Hu Jintao as regards to NATO action at Libya said, “If military action brings disaster to civilians and causes a humanitarian crisis, then it runs counter to the purpose of the UN resolution”. On 17 March 2011, the People’s Republic of China abstained from voting, rather than use its veto to block, the UNSCR to establish a Libyan no-fly zone. It is to be noted that India also abstained from voting on the UNSCR to establish a Libyan no-fly zone in its capacity as a non permanent member.57

Impact on MEArab uprising in MENA countries has its political, economic and balance of

power implications in the region:

Splitting the Region in Clusters. The ME has been divided in four separate clusters following the Arab Spring. These are- the transition countries, the teetering countries, the reforming countries and the countries with no political change. The transition countries are - Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia. The only Teetering country is - Syria. It has seen huge uprisings and has become more pronounced as the governments used violence to quell them. The reforming countries are - Jordan, Morocco, and Oman. All these countries are ruled by monarchies, which came under pressure and felt the need to promise reforms. The countries with no political change are rest of the countries in the region.

Change in Balance of PowerIran and Turkey. In recent years, alongside the struggle between the two

axes, it had also been the emergence of rivalry between the two rising non-Arab actors in the region – Iran and Turkey. The Arab spring has only brought this contest to the surface and intensified it. The Iranian model and the Turkish model compete for the hearts and minds of the Arab public that has risen up against 56. Ibid.57. ‘International reactions to the 2011 military intervention in Libya’, op.cit.

169

its leaders. It seems now that the importance of Turkey as a player in regional influence is greater than that of Iran. While another conclusion may be that the western influence in the region specially that of USA will remain alive.58

Syria and Iran. Arab Spring occurred at a point in time when the USA and Israel are in quest of a positive change in the balance of power in the Arab world. In this connection, Syria’s relation with Iran will play an important role. Uprising in Syria is threatening the regime of Assad. Should the regime fall, the new regime may not work together with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah nexus like the previous regime which might facilitate the USA to exert its influence. If Assad’s regime continues, it will keep challenging USA and Israel but may be much less than what happened in the past Following Figure 1 shows the present nexus.

Figure 1: Power Nexus of Middle East

Source: Author

Saudi Arab and Egypt. The Arab spring also affected the positioning and conduct of Saudi Arab and other conservative states including Iraq and Kuwait in the Gulf. These countries had stirred quite well and are currently conducting a more assertive foreign policy than in the past. On the other hand, the Egypt after the toppling of Mubarak has given a message of democracy for the entire region. This is also going to serve the purpose of the western bloc specially USA.59

58. Yoel Guzansky, ‘One Year of the Arab Spring: Global and Regional Implications’ available at http:///www.inss .org.ilupload (FILE) 1330948414.pdf accessed on 25 July 2012.ark A. Heller, Editors

59. Ibid.

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Impact on ME Peace Process. The changing dynamics in the ME are not good for either Israel or for Palestine. Israel always desires for a peace agreements with democratic ME countries which is a far cry. More so, much will depend on future Syria-Iran relation and Co-operation by Syria and Egypt. Egyptian stepped down President Mubarak followed a relatively pro-USA and Israel policies which may not continue in future.

Impact on Economy Countries those witnessed revolutions, economic impacts are related to the

macroeconomic as a whole via GDP losses, fiscal balance deterioration, depletion or exhaustion of foreign reserves, drying up of foreign investment, and enlarged current account deficits. According to the IMF, GDP losses in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain are estimated for 2011 alone at US$ 20.56 billion. GDP growth of various MENA countries before and after Arab Spring is shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4: GDP Growth of Mena Countries

Country GDP Growth2006-2010

GDP Growth2011-2012

Egypt 6.2% 1.7%Tunisia 4.6% 0.6%Yemen 4.0% -6.9%Syria 4.9% -5.8%Libya 3.2% 0.5%

Saudi Arabia 2.8% 6.0%UAE 3.2% 3.4%

Source: Regional Outlook - 2011

IMPACT ON BANGLADESH AND MEASURES REQUIRED

Impact on BangladeshPolitical Viewpoint. The very incident can be a source of popular uprising,

though not seem to be very promising one, at any point in time. Ours is country where a substantial percentage of population live below poverty level. Taking the weak areas in consideration any interested corner may try to derive political benefit. Following example would clarify the aforementioned fact of utilizing the Arab Spring as ill political motive.

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Condemnation Conference by Bangladesh Crisis Group (BCG).60 Following the Arab Spring, a gathering of community organizations, human rights activists, academics, lawyers and members of civil society was held in London on 3 October 2011, to condemn the human rights abuses and state-led terrorism towards the people and members of the opposition in Bangladesh. The conference was titled ‘Bangladesh in Crisis: Government at War with its People’. The participants very clearly highlighted the situation of Bangladesh as an emergency and explained how government was using the pretext of the War on Terror to suppress opposition voices, mainly Islamic organizations. Such actions could fuel the general mass against the ruling Government and create chaos throughout country.

Economic Viewpoint Following the civil war, in early 2011, over 35,000 of the 70,000 Bangladeshis

working in Libya returned home.61 Table 5 shows the growth trend of Bangladeshi workers in ME countries with a down trend in various countries in 2009-2010 only62

Table 5: Worker’s Remittances in Bangladesh (US$ in Million)Country 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010Bahrain 61.29 79.96 138.2 157.43 98.69Kuwait 454.38 680.7 863.73 970.7 602.67Oman 153 196.47 220.64 290.06 218.72Qatar 161.43 233.17 289.79 343.06 222.94

Saudi Arab 1562.21 1734.7 2324.23 2859.09 1985.13UAE 512.64 804.84 1135.14 1754.92 1100.45Libya .16 2.61 0.36 1.25 1.01Iran 1.68 2.36 3.24 3.28 2.74

Total in ME 2906.8 3734.8 4975.3 6380.1 4232.4Source: www.freepatentsonline.com on 15 August 2012.

60. Ibid.61. ‘Manpower exports to War-torn Libya Restored’ available at http://mashiurrahaman.

wordpress.com/2011/12/22 /manpower-exports-to-war-torn-libya-restored accessed on 16 August 2012.

62. ‘Workers’ Migration and Remittances in Bangladesh’ available at http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Journal-Business-Strategies /229896357.html accessed on 15 August 2012.

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However, due to the prudent actions by the Government, the worker’s export state has improved in 2012. Overseas employment rose by 68% in the first quarter of the year.63 But it is to be noted that if the Arab spring would have resulted in significant return of workers from many affected countries including those from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries then it would have marked influence in our economy.

Security Viewpoint The political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption at every sphere of

life, insufficient power supplies and slow implementation of economic reforms etc are the unpleasant truth for our country. Therefore, Bangladesh remains vulnerable from a wide variety of internal crisis like food security, health security, job security, political disharmony and so on. With so many internal crisis and indirect influence of global and regional actors, Bangladesh’s security remains threatened.

Self Organized Society64

A great lesson of Arab Spring is that a structural framework backed by recognized leadership is not always necessary to articulate and organize the people for a successful revolution to happen. This is the age of self organized society carrying out mass revolution without leadership and structures.

Social and Media Viewpoint

Social networking and Media plays important role in spreading the message in a much faster way than anything. Internet and satellite proliferations had definite contribution in promulgating the uprising and strengthening the protests. The impact of ‘twittering masses’ and social networking tools on any revolution in future will remain significant also.

Measured Required Bangladesh can take a lot of lessons from the recent Arab Spring that swept

through the entire MENA countries in varied magnitude. The impact of such uprising is remarkable and needs to be arrested well in time.

63. ‘Manpower state in Libya’ available at http://regionbuzz.com/Africa/Libya/---04042012 accessed on 16 August 2012.

64. Rahman Mahmud ur ‘Revolution in The Arab World, Lessons for Bangladesh’ available at ‘Defence Journal’ p.20.

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Good Political Practices. Political instability is an important issue which put the country in turmoil very often. The promise and hope by the political parties need to be met in due course of time. We observe lack co-operation between the ruling parties and the oppositions also which hinders implementation of the project and government machineries to function.

Social Awareness. Government may take some steps to grow social awareness among the citizens highlighting the consequences of such uprising which can never be good for any country. When a nation is divided among them, the third party is always the beneficiary.

Good Governance. In order to save the country from such disorder and chaos in future, the good governance is a pre-requisite. But as per CPI of 2011 Bangladesh scores only 2.7 out of 10 which is one of the lowest.65 Therefore, Bangladesh must pursue for good governance system.

Transparency in Policy Formulation. As part of good governance system, transparency in policy formulation is essential. Policy should not serve the purpose of the individual or political parties. Rather it should aim at fulfilling the national requirement.

Good Civil-Military Relationship. A well developed Civil-Military relationship with mutual respect and co-operation is very much essential to take the country to a long way.

Positive Media Performance. Media plays an important role to arrest such disturbance and also to fuel the same. Therefore, Bangladesh should formulate a conducive media policy and thereafter, develop the culture of using the same positively in the interest of the nation.

Clear National Security Strategy. Bangladesh needs to determine its National Security Strategy integrating all the agencies with clear allocation of responsibilities and continuously update the same. The National Security Council should meet on a regular basis and devise the strategy to meet the national requirement.

65. ‘Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2011’ available at http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results accessed on 18 August 2012.

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CONCLUSION The Arab MENA countries underwent the mass uprising and demonstrations

of varied magnitude commencing towards the end of 2010 and many countries have already changed their Governments. The main causes of Arab uprising are lack of political freedom, poverty, unemployment, human rights violation, non implementation of worker’s and women’s right, not allowing the human rights organization to work freely etc. Corruption and lack of good governance was common for all affected countries. On the other hand, Islamic fundamentalism and social media revolution added fuel to the crisis. It was the spontaneous expression of long awaited deprivations by the general mass of the country against the autocratic rulers.

Following the Arab spring various MENA countries and international organizations had shown varieties of concerns. In general most of the international organizations condemned the oppressive regime and violent use of security forces against protestors. In Libya the NATO had to intervene militarily under the operation ‘Unified Protector’ to protect the civilians and change the regime. Arab League also provided the legitimate political support in this regard. The EU committed itself both in the short and long term mission to help its MENA partners to build democracy and to ensure sustainable economic growth. UN’s overall response to Arab spring was generally impressive though military intervention in Libya earned mixed feelings. The Amnesty International analyzed the situation as a gross violation of human rights and the brutality displayed by the politicians and the regimes. USA in general was little tacit and praised the spirit of people’s power.

Arab Spring has multidirectional implications like political, economic, ME peace process and balance of power shifting in MENA region etc. More importantly, it has the implications of westerns interests in the region and their far reaching vision of engaging with the partners and dominating their rivals. The changing dynamics in the ME are not good either for Israel or for Palestine. The economic impacts are also tremendous in the countries those witnessed revolutions. These are related to the macroeconomic environment as a whole via GDP losses, fiscal balance deterioration, depletion or exhaustion of foreign reserves, drying up of foreign investment, and enlarged current account deficits.

The recent Arab Spring in the ME has enormous impact on Bangladesh from political, economic, security, social and media view points. Taking the many vulnerabilities of Bangladesh into cognizance, any vested or paid organization might exploit the situation to fulfil an ill political motive. Bangladesh being swamped with numerous problems like food, health, job, political disharmony etc is prone to security threat. Under such situation, a crisis similar to Arab spring sponsored by any

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corner might affect the country unless handled carefully. A clear national strategy together with good political practices, social awareness, transparent policies, good governance system, positive media management etc are key essential for avoiding such uprisings in future.

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Author Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Anwar, psc, G was commissioned with 22nd BMA Long Course on June 22, 1990 in the Corps of Artillery. He is a graduate of Defence Services Command and Staff College. He is also a graduate of Masters on Defence Studies and Masters of Science (Technical) from National University. He served in various Artillery units in regimental appointments and in number of Headquarters both at home and abroad as staff officers. He also served as Instructors in two Schools of Instructions. He performed United Nations assignments in Kuwait and Democratic Republic of Congo. Before attending Armed Forces War Course 2012, he was serving as GSO1 in Headquarters 11 Infantry Division.