MONGA BLUES

It is very sad that yet another year Monga (a famine like condition) is taking its toll on hundreds and thousands of Bangladeshis in the northern region. Everybody know that in Bangladesh, whoever comes to power, look after the interest of the rich and ignore the poor. In the national budget, there are special allocations for tackling Monga, but till today Tk. 500 million lies unutilized due to bureaucracy. Because of rampant corruption a large portion of these relief would go to the touts and the hungry will remain without food. And the politicians will waste man hours on this issue instead of doing something substantial.

Whoever cares if some souls die of starving? Everybody is so busy with shopping and preparing for Eid and Diwali festivities. O' you pseudo-religious' don't you ever learn from your religion that every festivity, every richness should be shared with your neighbors, relatives. Many of them can only spare some minimum cost clothing called 'Zakaat cloth' for the poor who cannot satisfy their hunger with it. If all the Muslims in Bangladesh would gave away Zakaat as prescribed, the disparity between rich and poor would be minimum and you would not find any poor. But 20% have 80% of the country's wealth in this hypocritical Muslim majority country. And yet they spend it in huge consumption show-offs including having a holiday abroad. Some of them are ultra-religious in going to Mecca for 'Hajj' while their relatives and neighbors back in village homes cannot secure three meals a day. What a pity, what a contradiction of the religious teachings.

The opposition MP of northern region, Asaduzzaman Noor (a renowned celebrity and activist) has started an initiative for helping the Monga stricken people. He has made a touching appeal (via Imtiaz) please read it. Imtiaz has contributed his Eid shopping budget. And he has asked what can you give? I know surely we can start giving away according to our capability, our judgement. We would like to see the end of the sufferings real soon. That will be our Eid, our greatest festivity. Can we change the situation?