Agitated people

By Abdus S. Wahed, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh
6 May 2006, 18:00 PM
We saw the agitated youths throwing stones at police and burning tires. How did they get those stones or tires? Did police supply those? Probably they broke some sidewalls or medians to get the stones and put some vehicles on fire before getting the tires out. Why do we have to destroy state property in the name of establishing people's rights?

I am just curious. When I was in Bangladesh, I used to participate in "Anti-Ershad" movement. I used to do the same that these young people are doing. There was no representative parliament or government back then. When there are elected representatives in the parliament and in the government, why are they destroying our own properties in the name of democratic movement?

I have a request to make to these youths fighting to establish the fundamental rights of the people. You have the power, you have the energy. Do not spoil it by throwing stones at police and, for that matter, by being the weapons of some political party. Changing a government is not going to help you any way (you have seen that in the last fifteen years) unless you want to be a corrupt leader or a corrupt businessman. Spend your energy for fighting for yourself. Fight for work. Fight for education. If every one of you, who participated in the agitation, could be provided with decent education and work, we would have solved the most important problem of our country. Do you think a reform to the electoral process or a change in government will help solve this problem?