Rescuing our freedom
It is high time we start thinking about revamping our political attitude and perspective. New ideas and people, who believe in freedom, ethics, participation and transparency, are needed to build a Bangladesh of our dream. According to Watts, Griffith and Abdul-Adil (1999), oppression is seen as unjust use of power by one socially salient group over another in a way that creates and sustains inequity in the distribution of coveted resources. Isn't this statement reflected in Bangladesh's situation? Unfortunately, oppression against citizens is not a new phenomenon but a repetitive scenario that has been occurring with consecutive governments in power. Is it amnesia that they are suffering from when they become totally oblivious of the past mistakes? How could they think that they could get away with anything and treat all of us as ignorant zombies? How can they speak about development when most of us tend to be chained and are being denied our social and political freedom? It is a pity that we are still prisoners of a despotic political system where the people who wear the crown tend to capitalise on their position for their individual gains and also get away with it. We just cannot let this situation prevail anymore and should start thinking about a citizens' intervention to save our beloved country from the clutches of the self-indulging and immoral people. Until or unless we can free ourselves and realise the political and social freedom, it is certain that we cannot achieve the desired economic freedom. It is high time all Bangladeshis from both home and abroad start mobilising themselves for the greater good through media, community meetings, mosques, schools, universities and other organisations, not to disrupt the nation's progress but to show both the government and the opposition that we are sick of their political game, mud-slinging and what we want now is a real change in the outlook, which will pave the way to real democracy.
If we as a nation once stood up against the oppression by foreign powers, we can surely stand up once again against the evil domestic powers.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.