A strong collective faith and trust on the institutions of modernity is a fundamental ingredient to build a nation. Unfortunately, most people of Bangladesh have lost their faith in, for example, the legal system, politics, business, and most importantly, the nation's ability to prosper and move forward.
As knowledge and technology race ahead in the globalised world, people in Bangladesh are left behind, panting in ignorance, increasingly unable to understand and control the complex corrupted institutions and mechanism on which they depend. Even if they understand, they increasingly feel helpless and hopeless. Politicians today are making errors and are often blind about the grave risks. Restoring the collective faith in the nation's institutions is obviously a daunting task, but without it the nation cannot prosper.
One of the abhorrent legacies of the recent political development is that it has generated a "retrogressive intra-inflicting cultural nationalism". Driven by a politics of hate, this nationalism has taken a powerful shape and is often expressed through different forms of violence, obscenity, and insanity, not against other rival nations but people from within the nation. An intolerable "otherness" has been constructed discursively from within the nation through different mechanisms of hatred, political obduracy, and, in part, ideological differences.  Consequently, one's pleasure and ecstasy emanates from the pain and ruin of those constructed "others". This nationalism is "retrogressive".
What is needed today is to eschew what is not needed. Bangladesh has been engulfed by a politics of hate and intolerance. The nation needs a second wave of liberation movement, a movement that will liberate the country from its decades-long baggage and blockage. This movement must fight against gnashing hatred, political vendetta, widespread corruption, and various forms of injustice; and replace them with mutual respect and pluralism, tolerance and social cohesion, inclusion and social justice, and democratic norms and rule of law. The movement must contain a real commitment for a zero tolerance on corruption and nepotism; and for nurturing a culture of meritocracy, pro-poor growth, and environmental protection. For a new Bangladesh, the whole nation has to be united under common slogans such as, "Our country is small, but our dreams are not"; "One nation: Many stories" etc.
Young generations, the future leaders of Bangladesh, must launch this second wave of liberation considering the following visions to rebuild the nation:
n Making a "powerful tie among various forces of the nation's identity" emanating from its religion, history, language, geography, and ethnicity in a "moderate form" that excludes elements of extremism, and then blending it with powerful economic nationalism;
n Strong media house and bringing forth the ethics of journalism;
n Addressing the basic needs: food security, energy security (electricity in particular), introducing low-cost community housing in both rural and urban areas;
n Decentralisation of administration: moving some ministries, for instance, from Dhaka to other cities;
n Pro-business approach with strong attention on the lifeline of the nation's economy and its sustainability: labour market overseas, garments industries, shrimp industry, medicine (drug) industry etc.;
n Giving the opposition parties their proper "social and politics space" so that they can break the decades-old political deadlock and start contributing to the nation alongside the ruling party;
n Making "invited spaces" for brilliant, honest, and patriotic intellectuals into politics; and
n Taking every step possible to make a world class education system, a world class transportation system, and a world class healthcare system.
Ideas and models are in abundance; what is lacking is a strong, robust and far-sighted political will. While many nations are moving fast, Bangladesh is walking behind and embracing a "growth of under-growth". Bangladesh is waiting for strong and visionary leaders to bring the nation into a new height.
Dr. Md Saidul Islam is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
msaidul@ntu.edu.sg.
Towards a second wave of liberation
Md Saidul Islam | Published: March 12, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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