Other side of the coin...

The Saarc and Asean regions have to work closer to lessen human suffering and handicaps resulting from weak political and regional policies.

The trade within the regions has to multiply several times (it can), as we are dealing with two and a half billion people (consumers). Where else do we get such ... vast market? The raw materials and the human resources are there, and the regional products can replace outside imports to a large extent. Japan and S Korea failed as they put most of the eggs into one basket (US and EU markets). The West is declining, receding into sunset years; so we have to tap alternate markets.

This calamity is an opening for ending the civil war in Sri Lanka. And India and Pakistan should put more energy and vision into solving the man-made Kashmir dispute. What's at stake while living peacefully? A major portion of the defence budgets of these two 'poor' countries would be diverted to people-oriented development projects. We have to compete with the affluent industrialised countries (call it North or West). We can, if we unite, be cooperative.

Start with the quick use of the Asian Highway. Too much politics within Saarc. Saarc is powerful in the RMG sector, and we have enough natural energy, technological resources to reduce imports from outside. We can clothe half the world cheaply. Why bother about trading only in US dollars? When the chips are down, there are alternative ways to rise. We need entrepreneurship more than the others with money. It is time we dictated the terms in some sectors.

A Husnain

Dhaka

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Almost all countries around the world, small or big, came forward to extend their assistance to the people affected by the Tsunami disaster, the largest earthquake in the world during the last four decades. This is an unprecedented response to the cause of humanity as we observe in the affected areas right now. The role of the Secretary General of the United Nations is also highly commendable. He took the initiative to invite all the countries and people to help the distressed population in 11 affected countries.

As it appears, the government of India has declined to accept any external assistance or relief for the affected people. The government has granted Rs. 1,00000 lakh for the family of each victim. A controversy has been generated among the public at large whether this step of saying 'no' to external relief was a correct one, when the government of Tamilnadu was not experienced enough in providing relief or managing such a colossal disaster with efficiency.

The majority of Indian people support the government's decision, because accepting external help is a bit humiliating to them. This is what we call national pride. A nation should learn from trial and error but live with dignity and image.

In Bangladesh, we have by this time achieved excellence in managing disasters with adequate infrastructure and technical know-how to overcome any natural calamity. In future, we should take it as a challenge to manage any relief and rescue operations with our own arrangements, resource and capability.

We need to make the country self reliant in all sectors including management of the disasters and calamities, come what may, with the support of people at large.