Whither justice?

The use of cane as a 'deterrent' to unruly behaviour of the school students vis-a-vis to indifference to learning by a few, has been indeed a very primitive process to bring about administrative discipline By and large, and with the advent of the new millennium along with massive advances in the world of technologies, the use of cane in schools has turned out to be redundant. Unfortunately, however, some of the schools claiming themselves as 'ideal' ones still value cane as the most 'vital tool' to teach. And that's how Dipu lost his life.

Coincidentally, in the Indian state of West Bengal another 12-year-old student died around the same time as Dipu breathed his last due to merciless beating of a teacher of his school. A 4/5 year old child was also shown on an Indian TV channel with severe bruises all over his body. His parents were reported to have filed a case against the defaulting teacher there.

Dipu's unfortunate death must have been an eye opener to the teaching community. Hopefully, they will immediately work out a more congenial modality to make their individual teaching proficiency more and more attractive for their students. It is a genuine and spontaneous love and affection -- a richer bond of closeness with the students -- that can make their labour more rewarding. That's how, this writer proudly remembers, even after sixty-five years, many of his school teachers. Teachers of today are surely capable of following the footsteps of their great predecessors, meantime, I shall urge upon the government to ban use of cane in schools forthwith.

Peace in conjugal life is, in my personal estimation, essentially linked to upholding human values. From them generate the ultimate strength to hold the forte. That's how in the yonder years, existed large, firmly knit joint families where the elders used to rule and the youngers followed with unfettered respect and allegiance. Those golden days are no more. Individualistic approaches to promote one's own thinking, rightly or wrongly, have been more rampant now than ever before. When combined with irrational stubbornness on the part of such promoters this quite often drives the contesting parties to a point of no return. And that's how barring the myriads of households in the lower echelons of the society, many family precincts in the upper middle class and the so-called affluent part of the society are often threatened with disintegration. And when the division takes place between a mother and a father in front of their small off-springs, boundless tragedy befalls the latter. When such domestic feud is dragged outside and subjected to endless legal battle in the court the innocent small children suffer most.

The recent legal battle of a pair belonging to the highest tier of the society, may, in the political arena, posed such an 'awesome predicament' to the little child who himself was also reported to have been a retarded one. His parents have at least realised that they loved the child. Such natural yearnings have eventually paved the way to a sort of compromise between the mother and the father. They shall enjoy weekly custody of the child to fulfil their parental love and affection. The poor child however continues to be a victim of an ominous, agonising gamble. Yet, he is alive moving like a shuttle cock not knowing his fate on the morrow. One can, however, imagine that he is no better than our Dipu this write-up started with.

Genuine parental love and affection for the children must have been an invaluable gift from heaven. When the parents are gone their children left behind store their memory till they depart. Such spiritual episode persists from one generation to the other. The children and the grandchildren are used to take pride if their parents either jointly or separately leave examples of some remarkable acts during their lifetime. For instance, the children of the assassinated police sergeant Forhad do even today recall how their dear father was gunned down by a student leader while on duty in 1999. His widowed wife moved heaven and earth imploring hauling up of the killer and giving him exemplary punishment. The government of the time responded instantly and ensured arrest of the main culprit. Formal process in the court were also being initiated. There was eye-witness account of the harrowing tale but, with the change of government, the killer was bailed out. Political victimisation was, as usual, the concocted ground for such blissful exoneration. His 'tremendous contributions' to the student and youth organs of the political party concerned got large-scale publicity and patronage.

Consequently, his abhorring and ghastly image as a diehard criminal in the old part of Dhaka city was conveniently ignored. Yet, he was destined to die an equally tragic and pitiable death on the street, which must have presented a replicated scenario of the ill-fated Sgt Forhad lying in a pool of blood on the street. The suspected killers are yet to be identified though there have been some expressions linking the whole episode to a series of clash on material interests. To the orphaned children of Sgt Forhad the death of their father's alleged killer could have a natural end as would partially-indicate their wounded feelings. But that too must have been viciously neutralised when they and the whole nation witnessed the massive mourning participated by the party chairperson and all other leaders. All of them very liberally extolled the 'great organising abilities' of the 'martyred' youth leader. Still then let us not grudge the prayers offered for the salvation of the departed soul. Let us not also forget that the dead man paid back by his own counterpoint coin.

Sweden has been quite popular for her strange hospitality to fugitives seeking asylum there. Even some of our boys have earned notorious reputation prefixing the name of this European country to their names, One such fellow, languishing behind the bars being convicted by the court of law for a couple of years now can be cited as an example. His name itself -- a novel one, is enough to portray a beastly picture of a diabolical killer rising from the inferno. Even in jail he is reported to have been as powerful and outrageously omnipotent as a free man outside. His lieutenants, equally 'capable' give their boss continuous 'feedback' on the operational aspects, prospects and possibilities, financial status etc of the 'empire'. The chief in the prison appears to have no strong political linkage which could get him out in the open.

The man referred to above is apparently outrun by yet another person who had been in exile in Sweden for two decades with a rope of the gallows around his neck. He and a few 'compatriots' were sentenced to death by hanging by a military court in early eighties during army rule. They were charged with murder. He has been fortunate enough to have been able to flee the country but his co-accused, who were hauled up, have been already hanged. Their appeal for mercy or presidential clemency was turned down. Here too, the person alluded to, has reaped the undue advantage of his political linkage. Curiously, however, it took him a very long time to earn the coveted patronage of the administration. On the recommendation of the home and law ministries, endorsed and recommended by the head of the government, the President of the Republic granted, the man sentenced to death by hanging, mercy and relieved him of the charges. The mysterious manner by which the appeal of the man was handled, the unworldly rapidity by which the whole process was accomplished and the hush-hush all around had been deviously preposterous. And, somehow, the secret manoeuvre and patronage besides some alleged 'personal care and interest' taken by some cabinet members leaked out to media. Having been caught off-foot the concerned ministers, particularly the law minister is out to defend himself frantically but the arguments proffered are being vehemently contested and challenged by the political adversaries and the press. The whole episode, in their opinion, is tantamount to setting up of a very bad precedence. Whither justice?

Kazi Alauddin Ahmed is an industrial management consultant.