An open letter to our lawmakers

I address this letter to you since I do not know any better. The country is passing through difficult times. It is high time for you to act prudently and without fear or favour. God has bestowed upon you the sacred duty of guiding the nation and the administration; you should be grateful for that. You represent the most powerful organ of the state machinery. It is time to hammer out all differences that exist amongst you. Much valuable time has already been lost in determining as to who did what to whom in the past and that too from the floor of the Parliament. We all know it is not easy being a politician in this country; but most of you are not new to the "system" Your one and the only function is to find ways and means for the welfare of the people at large, being completely free from partisan considerations whatsoever. Putting party loyalty aside, it is your sacred duty to stand by the people at all times, a task that may be difficult but not impossible. We, at times fail to realise that Bangladesh is a country with high potentials. It has made some progress in certain areas but certainly a lot remains to be done. Since I have but limited understanding of our kind of politics and development issues like economic, industrial or otherwise, I shall not dwell upon them. My main purpose of addressing such a letter to you is to draw your attention to a number of emerging social issues - and those which are alarming and have long-term ramifications for the nation as a whole and certainly have the potential of putting the country into bad light to the civilised world. Sheer formation of strict rules of procedures does not ensure equitable application of it all. Without speedy and effective implementation, the matter becomes redundant. Please turn your attention to the thousands of villages and the entire rural areas of the country that was once the very symbol of amity, hospitality and tranquility. The people living there are now in disarray and passing their days in anguish. Sadly though, some of these people who are responsible for disturbing this equilibrium are linked to either the hierarchy of the political authorities or some other powerful elements of the society. Millions in this country believe that there has to be a drastic change in our political culture, of which you too are aware. Your collective efforts and sincere commitments are the only way to help us achieve that goal. Bangladeshis are ardent believers in democracy in its purest form, where the concerns and the will of the people reign supreme. There are thus other matters of ensuring social justice and free the simple village folks of any undue terror and anxiety. With absolute honesty, each of you should stand up against the rising incidents of rapes and stalking of young women in the rural areas. Only then peace and tranquility shall return to our villages and the rural areas. After all being the lawmaker from a particular constituency who else is better qualified for the job than you. The least you can do, help the local law enforcing authorities nail the culprits and bring them to justice. You see it is not possible for any government to deal with every emerging issue from the centre. The cultivable land of our villages and the rural areas is fast shrinking. We often come across media reports wherein substantial evidence is provided indicating stray lawmakers' involvement in land grabbing. I do not know what to make of it. Please use power and authority vested on you judiciously and with caution. For God's sake refrain from any kind of undue arrogance; be a friend of the people to the best extent possible. Allah forsakes those who cross their limits. Be straightforward, honest and upright and stand up against any form of injustice. People have reposed their trust in you. Ask yourselves if you have been worthy of that trust? A man's worth is not measured by what position of authority he holds, but what he stands for and how he has served his fellow beings. Surely your job could not be confined to mere fault-finding mission against the opposition. One last request, please refrain yourself from any kind of character assassination of your opponents. Be humble, be forgiving and be generous. May God be with you. The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com