Developments for and against anti-discrimination movement

Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive

But to be young was very heaven

Nothing could be more appropriate for Bangladesh right at the moment than the famous couplet penned by William Wordsworth in his The Prelude. Living in this time is bliss because it opens the prospect of correcting the systemic wrongs for the nation's journey to its cherished goal. But why is it heaven to be young? It is because they have dared to be the torch-bearers of not only an adventure on the road to a dream destiny but also challenged the rest of society to become their co-travellers.

First, they did it successfully by bringing down the government that represented the obsolete authoritarian system. Then, again they led from the front to take society at large along with themselves in mitigating the sufferings of the flood victims in the south-eastern areas of the country. The contrast between responses from either the deposed government or the people in general in the wake of cyclones Amphan or Remal and floods in Sylhet and those now witnessed is unmistakeable. Sure enough, the country's students or youths are the beacon of hope for the nation.

However, is the nation or even a section of students ready to go all the way with the mainstream students who have been striving to cement the student-people bond in favour of a social transformation for the better? Certainly, there are forces within the ranks of both students and people who joined the mass movement ---and those apart from anti-social elements ---inimical to the causes the leaderships of students are fighting for. The 200 or so higher secondary examinees who stormed the secretariat to wrest the cancellation order from the newly installed government expose a glaring deviation. Then the numerous incidents of resignation by teachers under duress in several cases accompanied with humiliation and physical assaults are contrary to the spirit of the anti-discrimination movement.

The other negative development is the non-compliance at the grassroots level of instructions issued by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) hierarchy. There are reports that immediately after the entrenched extortionist gangs of the deposed government left the scene, their places have been taken over by the counterparts from the BNP. Initially, students monitored some lucrative spots for extortion such as Karwan Bazar and the new batch of extortionists could be kept at bay. With the student vigilance gone on account of concentration to both study and collection of relief materials for the flood victims, the social parasites have staged a comeback.

However, one particular incident involving such a takeover of Shimulia ferry ghat (jetty), fish jetty and trawler jetty inspires hope. More than a hundred BNP lower ranked leaders and followers, reports a contemporary, brought out a protest rally demanding expulsion of the president and general secretary of the BNP unit of Kumarbhog, Louhajang for their capture of the jetties and starting extortion from there and shops all around. Remarkably, the general secretary of the Krishak League of Louhajang Upazila took lease of the jetties from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on payment of Tk 16,000,000 for the current fiscal year.

In this case, the protest has come from within the party rank and file. This bodes well for all including the interim government because such social resistances make its job easier. There is no alternative to banishing extortionists from society. Not only do they hold hostage business and transports but also contribute to stoking inflation. Now is the time to bring an end to this anti-social culture once for all. The social parasites ---no matter which party they belong to ---must not be given any space if the purpose is to create a society free of discrimination.

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