Bangladesh: political crisis and a hint of hope

Everybody knows that there is a political crisis going on in Bangladesh. I think the crisis is not only political but the lives of the nation are in crisis too. The real root of this crisis lies in the tremendous accumulation of wealth of a few quarters. We were always known as a nation with sufficient resources; fields were filled with crops and the ponds with fishes. But our nation accumulated much wealth after the liberation in 1971. We accumulated many times more in thirty years, what we could not achieve in three thousand years. But this achievement did not come smoothly. Most of us went crazy after the chances that were created when the nation was in a building process after the devastation of war. In past our nation always knew that modest living is our virtue and neglected wealth. But in these 32 years many of us have allured wealth forgoing our ethics, our virtues and oppressing the poor. We ran after money, simple as that.

Our main two political parties are in the heights of their conflict. But think where the difference lies. They are fighting for their own interests, not for ideologies or for betterment of the country. The robbers of the country have taken shelters under the two parties, because they need protection from justice. One party had ruled for five years (and robbers under their shelter robbed the country) and then another party had ruled for five years (ditto). This cycle may repeat also. But where are the common people's interests? You have to belong to a party, take a shelter. Otherwise you won't be heard. You won't get your rights. It is our interest or their interest. There is no common interest. There are no ethics, morality, virtue or more of these nice words. Those who still hang on to those morality or ethics are the loneliest person in this society.

But there is also another positive thing in this accumulation of wealth. If the people of the nation develops individually then the nation develops also. These individual developments transforms to a collective development after sometime. I think the nation is slowly thinking about this notion of collective development (apart from personal interests). Those who accumulated wealth robbing the society are now trying to give some of that back to the society. Because, the nation is becoming more aware of the situation as the literacy rate is growing up. And nobody wants a robber as a leader. I think someday more and more people will be able to comprehend the interests of these culprits and their greed and selfishness won't be materialized.

There is also a hint of hope. There is a saying in our country that the first generation of riches only robs, occupies, buys or steals wealth from others. They do it like crazy because they don't have a penny in the sack yet they want to be rich and famous. The second generation of riches comes to the world inheriting great wealth. They do not have to steal, oppress others for wealth and also do not understand why their parents had to engross this wealth from others and what were their problems. They think their parents are uncultured and not posh enough to live a life as rich and famous. They think of themselves as blue blood and most of them inherit the savageness of their parents too. But some of them also try to do something for the society. As they do not have to earn their living, they sacrifice their wealth to the society. The third generation is the best of the three. Many of them are not inclined to accumulation of wealth, involved in intellectual and aesthetics thinking of the society. They want to make a mark in the society by giving away or selling their inherited wealth.

Now our nation is still reined by the first generation of the riches. Our hint of hopes lies here that the second generation will be prominent soon. Our politicians are critic about the quality of education in the country. Instead of doing something about it, they are keener to have their kids educated abroad. But these kids are also a part of the society. Many will come back. They will play the role of the second generation of the riches. I hope that they will not be robbers like their parents if they are properly educated in other countries (and have seen the morality of other nations). Because they do not have to try to accumulate wealth, which their parents have done before and relieved them of that headache. Our efforts should also be to educate the other kids in our country, to enlighten them with the real picture, what is right and what is wrong. We have to do it. Our escape plan lies with the next two generations.