14-09-2021

TUESrdAY, SEPTEMBEr 14, 2021
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Imperative is Integrated
Energy Planning
It is very important to address the overall energy situation
under a carefully considered master plan that would address
all sides to the development of energy sources. Once it is
firmed up as soon as possible and clear signals are received about
its full implementation, the same will raise investors' confidence
and accelerate the growth momentum in the economy.
Essentially, such a comprehensive plan for the energy sector must
be an 'integrated' one forging relationships in developmental
activities between the energy sector's sub sectors to lead
cumulatively to a desired outcome.
For example, both power generation and supply capacities have
increased a great deal. Serious load shedding is now more in the
imagination of people than a reality. But the dilapidated
transmission systems frustrate efficient distribution of power .
Even after additional generation of power, users cannot have the
benefits of the same all the time at all places as worn out
transmission lines fail to supply the additionally available power
efficiently to them ; the lines are found frequently getting disabled
by accidents. Thus, complete overhauling of the transmission
lines needs to be a priority as much as the on going all out drive to
boost production of power in tandem with targets.
There will have to be comprehensive plans to know what the
effective demand for electricity is in the country and what would
be that demand, say, twenty-thirty years from now. More
significantly, it has to be similarly known how much of that power
would be aimed for production by using gas. And then it would
be very important to take stock of whether this amount of
additional gas would be produced in the coming years along with
installation of capacities to produce power from gas. In that case,
matching investments will have to be made in the gas sector in
exploration and production activities to find new deposits of gas
and getting it ready for supply to the power plants. In sum, there
will have to be synthesis in the operations of the two major subsectors
in the energy sector--power and gas -- so that the main
goal of energy availability for the users can be smoothly and
progressively met.
The integrated policies in the energy sector must also examine
and clearly prepare a vision and guideline for the development of
energy sources in the other sub sectors such as coal, non
conventional power from wind, sun's rays, nuclear power,
biofuel, etc. Steps to be taken for the development of all of these
alternative energy sources should also be an integral part of the
integrated plan for the development of the energy sector as a
whole. For instance, plans should provide clear projections of the
requirements of energy to be met by the non conventional sources
so that the same do not conflict with planning objectives in the
areas of the conventional sources of energy.
According to reports, the country's lone crude oil refining
plant, Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) currently produces 1.5
million tons of refined fuel oil and other petroleum products
whereas the annual demand for the same is 3.7 million tons.
Thus, when production at ERL has been remaining static or
stagnant in the face of rising demand, the state owned Bangladesh
Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has had no other option in this
situation than importing directly huge quantities of refined oil
and other petroleum products from international markets at
higher prices in the past. Clearly, the energy costs for the country
could be much lower if the ERL had been functioning at higher
capacity.
According to various projections, the country's demand for
refined oil and other petroleum products would reach some 10
million tons by 2030. In order to meet this demand, ERL needs
to set up its second refining plant at the fastest apart from
carrying out the urgent balancing, modernization and overhaul of
the existing plant. Government must mobilize funds on
emergency basis for the ERL's expansion and overhauling . The
government may decide to have long term contracts with
suppliers of crude oil to get the same at stable prices. But for
receiving and storing of crude oil also, the capacities of the ERL
will have to be much increased and improved Meanwhile, the
country's own gas production must be increased and also
exploration activities to find more hydrocarbons. It seems that
pockets of oil in the existing gas fields have been already found.
Some of this oil, known as condensate, is already in use. More
condensate can probably be found in the existing gas fields and
turned into fuel oil for various uses. A major aim should be to use
a bulk of the produced gas in the country's road transportation
sector by replacing the use of imported diesel, petrol and octane
with compressed natural gas (CNG). The rate of CNG conversion
of vehicles will have to be speeded up for the purpose and the
number of CNG fuelling stations also must be simultaneously set
up in greater number so that the CNG converted vehicles can be
serviced smoothly. Conservation of power also must be
recognized and addressed as a priority under comprehensive
energy planning. One may be astounded to know how much of
power is simply wasted every day from keeping light bulbs
switched on carelessly as the users have underhand deals with
meter readers to pay fixed amounts in bills no matter how much
power they consume. Shopping malls remain lighted up long
beyond authorized hours and even the publicly operated street
lights can be seen burning in the day time because someone has
had no time to switch them off from a central control point.Easy
bikes that run on power suck up freely hundreds of megawatts of
power from the supply lines for charging their batteries. There is
no regulation in the matter.Unauthorized and temporary
connections are taken from power supply lines and there is hardly
anycontrol over such thieves. In sum, only from stopping such
lack of care and stealing, nearly one fourth of the current effective
demand for electricity in the country can be met.
Approximately 60% of our country's daily electric power
consumption is used to run electric motors. The digital intelligent
motor controllers (IMCs) when installed with an induction motor
provides optimal power management and results in energy
savings up to 40%. An IMC also can increase a motor's life by
decreasing its operating temperature. It is estimated that with the
application of IMCs, we can save up to 720 MW electricity daily.
Consumers in Bangladesh still are largely hooked to
incandescent bulbs (IBs). But the compact fluorescent lamps
(CFLs) can give the same illumination as that of an IB with 80%
less energy. Moreover, the life span of CFLs are 10 times higher
than IBs.. In Bangladesh, auxiliary consumption of the power
plants is about 6 to 7% of total generation. By proper energy
auditing, energy management and installation of the latest energy
efficient devices, auxiliary power consumption in the power
plants can be reduced significantly.
Iraqi Kurdistan may be new arena for Turkish-French rivalry
Turkey and France this summer
pledged to ease the tensions
between them and open a fresh
page in relations, but new areas of rivalry
may occur between these two NATO
allies. After Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and his French
counterpart Emmanuel Macron met on
the sidelines of the NATO summit in
Brussels in June and vowed to resolve
their differences, French Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared
that Ankara and Paris were in what he
described as a "recovery period." The
Turkish foreign minister even paid a twoday
visit to Paris ahead of the NATO
summit - the first high-level diplomatic
contact between the two countries after
months of rising tensions.
On the Turkish side, outreach to France
was part of a broader reset in ties with the
EU, but the "recovery period" is yet to
show whether Ankara and Paris will agree
to disagree on several topics they have
clashed over in the past.
Needless to say, despite being NATO
allies, the points of contention between
the two countries are many, including
Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, North
Africa, the Caucasus, and Iraq. They have
taken opposing positions in each of these
conflicts. France was critical of Turkey's
support for Azerbaijan against Armenia
during last year's conflict over the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, while
Ankara was irritated by Paris's close
relations with the Kurdish militias in
Syria that it considers to be terrorist.
Moreover, Turkey and France backed
opposing sides in Libya and this was also
FOR well over a few years, India has
been ravaged by a plague of criminal
prosecutions for sedition and cognate
offences. Sedition has been abolished in the
country of its origin, the United Kingdom.
Its nuances cannot be understood by
magistrates, sessions judge, police officers
or the cleric who heads Uttar Pradesh,
Swami Adityanath, the chief minister
handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. One of the great constitutional
lawyers A.V. Dicey wrote: "With us every
official, from the prime minister down to a
constable or a collector of taxes, is under the
same responsibility for every act done
without legal justification as any other
citizen. The reports abound with cases in
which officials have been brought before the
courts, and made, in their personal capacity,
liable to punishment, or to the payment of
damages, for acts done in their official
character but in excess of their lawful
authority." Could this have been achieved if
the police were subservient to the man in
power? Justice Jeevan Lal Kapur of the
Lahore High Court came to India on
partition and rose to be a judge of the
supreme court of India.
In this capacity he was appointed to
preside over a commission of inquiry into
reflected in the broader Eastern
Mediterranean region. France's sending
of naval assets to the Eastern
Mediterranean to support Greek
warships at Turkey's expense further
escalated the tensions. In response to
France's growing security partnerships
with Greece and Egypt, Ankara
consolidated its presence in Africa,
especially with former French colonies
like Niger, Mali and Algeria, which raised
eyebrows in Paris. Ankara has even
signed a number of economic
cooperation and defense agreements with
these countries - a clear challenge to
French influence.
Erdogan and Macron both engaged in
tit-for-tat criticisms as the two ambitious
leaders competed for international
influence. In an attempt to rally the EU to
impose sanctions on Turkey for its actions
in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean,
France called on the bloc's top diplomats
to discuss "the Turkish question," which
earned a harsh response from Ankara.
Relations reached rock-bottom last
October, when Erdogan said Macron
needed "mental checks" and expressed
his hope that France would "get rid of"
SINEM CENGIZ
A.G. NOOrANI
him as soon as possible. Despite all these
bitter developments, the two countries
have taken some steps toward
reconciliation. However, Macron's recent
visit to Iraqi Kurdistan, where Turkey has
a meaningful influence, has raised
questions about whether the Kurdish
region could turn into a new area of
rivalry between Turkey and France.
Macron was the only EU leader to
attend the regional summit held in
Baghdad last month to promote
cooperation and partnership. While some
countries were represented at the head of
state level, some sent their foreign
ministers instead, including Turkey.
Following the summit, Macron's next
stops were in Mosul and Irbil, cities that
are critical to Turkish interests. After a
meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Macron vowed to
continue supporting Iraq and said he
would maintain France's anti-terrorism
military presence in the country, even if
the US withdraws.
Thus, the withdrawal of the US and the
general indifference of other EU countries
have given the opportunity for France to
play a greater role in regional issues.
Rash of prosecutions
the assassination of M.K. Gandhi. He ruled
emphatically that no minister of
government can order the police to arrest or
release a suspect. That would be the end of
the rule of law.
Our right to speak, write, move and meet
should not depend on ministers' whims.
This is the test. Our right to speak, write,
move and meet should not depend on the
whim of some minister acting through a
minion. The law was authoritatively
declared by the celebrated Lord Denning in
these words: "I hold it to be the duty of the
commissioner of police of the metropolis, as
it is of every chief constable, to enforce the
law of the land. He must take steps so to post
his men that crimes may be detected; and
that honest citizens may go about their
affairs in peace. He must decide whether or
HAI HONG NGUYEN
not suspected persons are to be prosecuted;
and, if need be, bring the prosecution or see
that it is brought. But in all these things he is
not the servant of anyone, save of the law
itself. "No minister of the Crown can tell him
that he must, or must not, keep observation
on this place or that; or that he must, or
must not, prosecute this man or that one.
Nor can any police authority tell him so. The
responsibility for law enforcement lies on
him. He is answerable to the law and to the
law alone."
A question may be raised as to the
machinery by which he could be compelled
to do his duty. On principle, it seems that
once a duty exists, there should be a way of
ensuring its enforcement. This duty can be
enforced, either by action at the suit of the
attorney general or by the prerogative writ
Macron's participation in the Baghdad
summit was a clear indication he intends
to move in that direction.
France, which pursues an ambitious
and individual strategy in the region,
wants to fill the American vacuum in Iraq
and the Kurdistan region.
The French president's visit to Iraqi
Kurdistan could also be seen from a
different aspect, instead of a broader Iraqi
dimension. In his first visit to Irbil,
Macron met Kurdish Regional
Government President Nechirvan
Barzani, who previously met with the
French leader on a visit to Paris in March.
Macron also met with Kurdistan
Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani.
Nechirvan Barzani, who also enjoys
good relations with Ankara, hailed the
French support for Iraqi Kurdistan,
where more than 35 French companies
operate, according to Rudaw. France
currently has more than $3 billion worth
of investments in Iraq, 30 to 35 percent of
which are in the Kurdistan region.
Macron then travelled to Mosul to meet
with political and religious figures. He
even announced that France would open
a consulate there soon, pledging that it
would support the reconstruction of the
city.
Macron was also planning to visit Sinjar,
where tens of thousands of members of the
Yazidi religious minority fled in 2014 to
escape Daesh, but this visit was canceled.
Last year, Nechirvan Barzani praised a
French aid organization's plan to build a
hospital in Sinjar.
Source: Arab news
Vietnam in pragmatic balancing act between China, US
The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has announced that Chinese
State Councillor and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will pay an official
visit to Vietnam from September 10-12
and co-chair the 13th meeting of the
Vietnam-China Steering Committee for
Bilateral Cooperation at the invitation of
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham
Binh Minh and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Bui Thanh Son.
The announcement did not provide
further details of his schedule while in
Hanoi, but as is customary in the
relationship between the two Communist
Party-ruled states, Wang is expected to
pay courtesy calls on top Vietnamese
leaders, possibly including the ailing party
boss Nguyen Phu Trong.
Notably Wang's trip to Hanoi follows
two recent consecutive visits by two senior
officials in US President Joe Biden's
administration, Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin in July and Vice-President
Kamala Harris in late August.
Concerns certainly remain in Beijing
from the proposal raised by both Austin
and Harris during their meetings with
Vietnamese leaders to elevate the US
relationship with Vietnam from a
comprehensive partnership to a strategic.
Looking beyond the announced
purpose of Wang's visit, a question might
be asked by many as to whether Vietnam
is playing a balancing act between the US
and China. Nevertheless, viewing the visit
from another perspective, one may ask if
China is wary of Vietnam's increasingly
close relationship with the US and wants
to pull it back in line. Since the breakout of
Macron was the only EU leader to attend the regional
summit held in Baghdad last month to promote cooperation
and partnership. While some countries were represented
at the head of state level, some sent their foreign
ministers instead, including Turkey. Following the
summit, Macron's next stops were in Mosul and Irbil.
the Covid-19 pandemic, which started in
China's Wuhan province in late 2019 and
early 2020 and continues today, Vietnam-
China ties have seen more rhetoric than
actions, and to a certain extent reached a
lower mood than the Vietnam-US
relationship.
In 2020, Vietnam and China marked
the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic
ties but no high-level visits were
exchanged. In his Southeast Asia tour in
late 2020 and early 2021, Wang Yi went to
all ASEAN member states except
Vietnam, which was the regional bloc's
chair last year.
In contrast, then-president Donald
Trump's secretary of state Mike Pompeo
and national security adviser Robert
O'Brien visited Vietnam to celebrate the
25th anniversary of the normalization of
diplomatic ties between the two former
enemies.
China's aid to Vietnam to fight Covid-19
is greatly outmatched by that provided by
the US. In addition, the first donated
shipment of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm
vaccines were prioritized to inoculate
Chinese nationals in Vietnam. The
Chinese Ministry of Defense recently
donated 200,000 doses of Sinopharm
Covid-19 vaccines and 201,600 single-use
syringes to its Vietnamese counterpart.
China's assistance to combat the virus is
not up to the level of its comprehensive
cooperative strategic partnership with
Vietnam yet. The top four powerful pillars
of Vietnam, namely the party secretary
general, the state president, the prime
minister and chairperson of the National
Assembly, in their tele-meetings with
Chinese counterparts requested Covid
assist vaccination distribution efforts in all 63 provinces.
Beijing was likely feeling the fire when witnessing Washington's
ties with Hanoi became increasingly intimate. Xiong Bo, the
Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, had an unplanned meeting
with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the
morning of August 24, the day Harris arrived in Hanoi.
vaccines donated to Vietnam.
As it has turned out, thus far only note
has been taken of the requests, but no
action. China's inaction implicitly
cultivated disappointment in Hanoi and
made any friendship rhetoric Kafkaesque
or delusive. The disappointment has been
fortified by China's continued aggressive
actions in the South China Sea, or East Sea
as the Vietnamese call it.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has received
considerable support and assistance from
the US. Thus far, 6 million doses of
vaccines have been donated, of which a
million doses of Pfizer vaccines arrived in
The reports abound with cases in which
officials have been brought before the courts,
and made, in their personal capacity, liable to
punishment, or to the payment of damages,
for acts done in their official character but in
excess of their lawful authority."
Vietnam while the US vice-president was
in Hanoi. In addition, the value of
technical assistance and programmatic
support by the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) and
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) under the American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other
emergency assistance funding has
reached nearly US$44 million. The US
Department of Defense provided 77 ultralow-temperature
vaccine freezers to assist
vaccination distribution efforts in all 63
provinces.
Beijing was likely feeling the fire when
witnessing Washington's ties with Hanoi
became increasingly intimate. Xiong Bo,
the Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, had
an unplanned meeting with Vietnamese
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the
morning of August 24, the day Harris
arrived in Hanoi.
At the meeting, Xiong announced that
China would provide an additional 2
million doses of Covid vaccines to
Vietnam. In response, Chinh reiterated
the country's policy of independence,
autonomy,
diversification,
multilateralism, and non-alignment with
one country against another country.
However, Beijing continued to indicate
its dissatisfaction with Hanoi. While the
US vice-president was in Hanoi, the
Global Times, an outlet affiliated with the
People's Daily controlled by the
Communist Party of China, published
articles that implicitly threatened
Vietnam.
Source: Asia times
of mandamus. But it is a very wide remedy
which has always been available against
public officers to see that they do their public
duty.
Could what Dicey described have been
possible of the police acted as tools of the
government? But it is this law which
guarantees equality before the law. Not the
police but the judges are the guarantors. The
worst to suffer are minorities. The
prosecution system was reformed by the
Prosecution of Offences Act, 1985. Until
1986, in England and Wales, most criminal
offences were both investigated and brought
by the police; in theory they were private
prosecutions. The 1985 act does not take
away the right of private prosecution, nor
does it deprive the police of their
investigatory role or their power to decide
whether or not to initiate proceedings. It
entrusts the final decision of whether or not
to prosecute and the conduct of
prosecutions be gun at the instance of
the police, to a na tional Crown
Prose cution Service and gives to that
service the power to discontinue
proceedings. Thus indirectly, there is a
control over the police discretion to
prosecute in individual cases.