Abul Barkat uses slur against the disabled as abuse

Prof. Abul Barkat, while addressing a special meeting to discuss the Disability situation in Bangladesh used the term "disabled" as a form of abuse. He called the Finance Minister Muhith, his arch foe, "disabled" in a very negative sense.

Prof. Barkat said the budget was not disability-friendly and then described Muhith as one. This also shows how the powerful in Bangladesh look upon disability and why the disabled are considered to be incompetent.

By calling Muhith disabled, he pointed out how he thought him ineffective. Thus he insulted the entire disabled community in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's elite class looks upon the disabled as a subject of contempt, though composing almost 10% of the total population.

It's therefore interesting that Sheikh Hasina has decided to award the "retard" with the "Swadhinata Padak". This is quite embarrassing because rewarding "retards" with such high honours would not meet Prof. Barkat's approval, would it.

This is not about Abul Barkat, who has been rewarded by the present government for reasons best known to them. Another economist who was given due reward was Atiur Rahman, who managed the Bangladesh Bank in such a manner that Bangladesh has become the symbol of the ultimate "goof" in the international financial world.

It looks so bad that even thieves are rumoured to be feeling sorry for Bangladesh and many are saying that the money should be returned to "poor Bangladesh". This humiliation was not necessary, and Atiur must shoulder the blame for making Bangladesh an object of fun due to the incompetence of the system he was supposed to supervise.

The PM however has an unusually high sense of loyalty and she has never forgotten all who stood by her, just as she never forgives those who went against her.

So Atiur and Barkat are both banking on their past services that they may have delivered to the PM and her allies. But insulting the disabled is taking the privilege way too far. The PM must agree.

Why did Barkat insult Muhith by calling him "Disabled"?

It's simple.

He was removed by Muhith from Janata Bank after a spell as a Chairman. Barkat was also alleged to have spent CSR money on projects that were unacceptable to the government. Barkat, being very unhappy with his removal, said so publicly.

However, Muhith defended his decision by saying that while it remained true how the government would like to reward its loyalists by giving them important assignments, everyone must get a chance, and Barkat had his day and a new person must come in.

Since then Barkat has been fuming and after the Bangladesh Bank fiasco, got his chance and took revenge by calling him a "retard".

After all, he wasn't referring to Muhith's physical infirmities but his mental ones, and his indication was clear that anyone who can't develop a proper balanced budget must be mentally deficient or "mentally retarded."

One wonders what Saima Wazed would think of such remarks as she has been working long to erase the stigma that mental disability carries and is now internationally recognised as a champion of the mentally challenged.

So if a high profile campaigner like Saima Wazed has been trying her best to fade away the stigma hanging around the issue, Barkat has only served to add to it, by using it as a term of offense and insult.

Why he had to use that particular term is illustrative of why we make so little advances in the efforts to make space for the disabled, who may be both mentally and physically challenged. Our social leaders are against the disabled.

But is it all good with Abul Barkat? There have been allegations about his integrity.

In fact bdnews24.com published a report when he was charged in the court for perjury in 2009.

It said that Dhaka University Prof. Abul Barkat was charged with publishing research in his own name coauthored with others. Apparently the Dhaka University authorities sent him a letter on this in 2004. However, Prof. Barkat had said he had not received such a letter.

Another Dhaka University Economics teacher Barkat-e-Khuda, Javed Hilali, and Barkat himself had prepared a report in 1991.

In 1997, Barkat apparently published part of the report in the university's 'Social Science Review' in his name, without giving credit to the other researchers.

A fact-finding committee in 2004 with then Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor AFM Yusuf Haider as convener found the allegations to be true. It was stated that the university did not punish Prof. Barkat, because he had promised to apologise, the then Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Haider told bdnews24.com.

He was apparently warned by the syndicate, in its July 24, 2004 meeting.

A letter, the bdnews24.com report says, dated Aug 18, 2004 and signed by then the deputy registrar Nurunnabi, was sent to him. Copies of the letter were sent to the Dean of the Social Sciences faculty, Chairman of the Economics Department, and to the complainant.

Abul Barkat, however, said that he had not received any such letter and said he had published the part of the research report which he himself had done.

Barkat said that some jealous people were taking advantage of a complication over the research firm co-owned by 'his and Barkat's wife's' to malign him.

He also added a one-member committee was formed in 1999-2000 with then the Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Shahadat Ali, which exonerated him.

We don't know what went on in 2009, but whatever it was, it got a rebuke from the court and the Dhaka University authorities. Given this past record, one assumes that it's important to place one's credential upfront, and face up to it.

Credibility is not enhanced by name-calling of the Finance Minister but having a blemish free reputation.

But by using the term "retarded", Barkat has committed an offence which would have ended his professional career in most other countries. Nothing will happen to him as we continue to use the term 'retard' as an abuse quite strongly, but he has abused the retarded.

There should be no excuse; he must apologise, not just to the disabled community, but for abuses to everyone unlike him.