EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

        

 

Law minister-CJ's verbal tiff

Both sides have merit

We take note of the verbal exchange between the Law Minister and the Chief Justice, not merely as a riposte of the latter to the former's criticism of the performance of the judges but for the merit that both sides have in what they have articulated. The exchange occurred during the foundation laying ceremony by the prime minister of the Judges' Complex last Saturday

Although one would have liked these issues to have been much rather discussed in the confines of the four walls of the office, but, it is just as well that the opinions were expressed in public, since it has brought out the real problems that ail the judiciary.

The Law Minister has very rightly pointed out that the number of pending cases is very high. We feel that this could be reduced greatly with a little more diligence from the judges. The tendency to give dates without detail hearing, and to dispose of only a few out the listed ones, is the norm rather than the exception. The cause of justice as well the interest of the common man will be well served if the court hours are strictly followed, which, regrettably, is not so in many cases. And in delaying justice we are denying it to the aggrieved.

By the same token, there is no denying that there is a woeful shortage of judges at all levels of the judiciary as the Chief Justice has pointed out, and he must be complimented for reducing the number of pending cases substantially since his assumption of office. The judges must be accorded all facilities to dispense justice. It is unfair to expect quick disposal of cases when there not enough courtrooms for the judges to sit separately in. And, while we want expeditious disposal of cases, we cannot agree more with the CJ that justice hurried is justice buried.

It would be erroneous to think that these are matters for the judiciary or the law ministry alone to resolve. These are issues that affect the vast majority of those seeking redress of their complaints from courts, and which the law ministry as well as the judges ought to address immediately.

Meeting rising demand for food

Farming diversification needed

Bangladesh needs to invest more on research to introduce improved varieties of seed for meeting the rising demand for foods, that too in the face of the negative impact of climate change. This was underscored by experts in a roundtable at the Daily Star on Saturday. They also suggested diversifying crops and focusing more on livestock and fishery sectors anticipating that people would consume less rice and spend more on other food items in the years ahead.

We could not agree more with the discussants. Bangladesh is one of the highest rice consumption countries in the world. Therefore the rice output has shot up over the last couple of decades bringing in its wake degradation of soil and fall in underground water table.

Consumption of rice has to be reduced and other food times like, maize, wheat and potatoes should be switched over to. Simultaneously, efforts must be directed to rapid development of livestock and fishery as alternative food sources.

For all this, we need a coordinated approach to focus on balanced use of fertilizer, increased production and use of pesticide, dissemination of already developed technologies and practices that require less water, fertilizer and integrated pest management approaches.

We shall also have to strengthen the institutional capacity of agricultural research agencies in putting together adaptation measures to secure and step up agriculture, livestock and fishery production by containing the effects of climate change.

In the ultimate analysis, we need to tackle the population growth if we are to feed increasing number of mouths on a sustained basis. To this end, incidence of poverty would have to be reduced in tandem with containing baby boom.