Deficit in good governance but hope is not dead

An oft-repeated anecdote regarding Sonar Bangla goes like this: one foreign friend who used to be an atheist claimed to have become a believer after a few months' working holiday in Bangladesh. 'There must be God !' he declared, 'Or how else can one explain the fact that the country functions and remains afloat despite such glaring deficit in good governance, and all the odds and hazards ordinary people have to put up with ?' Indeed, this beloved country may well be the land of 'Allah Jaane' ---- to use what another development worker dubbed it in his book of the same title. Some have coined the term 'Bangladesh Paradox' to describe the situation: that despite so many obstacles in the form of a persistently puerile, if not out-and-out criminalized, politics and worse governance, this land-scarce, population-dense country has been scoring fairly good marks in 'food security' and 'human and social development' since the last decade of the past century. Credit for this should of course be given first to ordinary people --- the 99 per cent, one might call them in these 'Global Occupy' times ---- whose relentless struggle to fend for themselves and their families, both at home and abroad is indeed legendary. But while government officials are often found to brag about bumper harvests, remittance earnings and other good scores (as if it is to their personalpolitical credit!), precious little thought is 'lost' on the actual toilers themselves behind these gains. Surely they do deserve tangible rewards, such as solid and sustained welfare programmes, that can enhance their lives as well as those of their family members? The World Bank's Gender Development series 2008, it may be mentioned, credits women in particular for playing a significant role in pushing the score upwards. This, it says, is largely the result of countrywide microcredit programmes and the readymade garments sector, both proving to be significant change-makers. The other boost is from the flow of remittance from Bangladesh's migrant workers. Even with the apparent slump in recent years, a global survey by the World Bank (WB) Migration and Remittance Unit last week, listed Bangladesh among the top ten remittance earners, the 8th largest, with US$11.99 billion to its credit. It is in the 5th position among developing countries, says WB. The estimate was prepared, we are told, on the basis of information available until September. As migration from Bangladesh for jobs abroad increased rapidly since 2007, growing from 200400 thousand workers to as many as 900 thousand in 2008, remittance has been rising steadily. In return, unfortunately, our governments, at present and in the past, have hardly been as mindful of the welfare of these migrant labour which they ought to have been. In recent times however, the conscience of the authorities concerned seem to be a wee bit raised in this regard. This tardiness is because true pro-people governance has not developed yet. Neither have good democratic practices developed, in parliament, or outside, or within the political parties themselves. What dominates instead is a kind of festering tribalism with a fierce fascist-feudal mindset, and this pathological 'culture' pervades every 'front' --- teachers and tycoons, students and labour unions, bureaucrats and traders. No group or association seems willing or able to come out of it. Everyone has a tag --- Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-i-Islami or whatever. Anyone simply pro- people and pro-Bangladesh is considered suspect in these [moronically-political] times! On the campus for example it has become the norm for every ruling party cadre to take 'control' of student halls, snatch commercial bids, terrorize non-partisan students to comply with these so-called leaders' wishes. And the godfathers and godmothers, whether they be teachers or politicians, mind not at all, when thuggery, masquerading as student politics, takes over. Lately, mercifully, some youth were heard calling for 'responsible politics and accountable governance.' Perhaps the long dark night ---- four decades to boot ---- will be over soon and a robust, well-informed political movement will emerge once again to arrest this terrifying decline sooner rather than later. It is also reassuring to find that the number and frequency of intellect-honing activities for young people have been growing too. Hopefully, these can drive out mindless 'functions' and obscene displays of adulation of this or that hero, regardless of how honourable they happen to be in our cultural, political or religious lives. As everyone knows, a sound intellect and a yearning for spiritual growth are indispensable attributes of 'the people of understanding', if one may quote from the Holy Book of the predominant religion in Bangladesh. It is, in fact, the very same requirement that 'deep ecologists' demand, if the planet earth, our one and only habitat, is to be saved' for our children. But it is only with a truly comprehensive education that such perceptive and expansive minds can be developed. Are we really on that path with the 'new education policy'? Not quite, for much essential education, such as a comprehensive health science for schools, remains too rudimentary to be of any help in enabling the taught to take care of their primary health needs. Unfortunately, the 'enlightened committee' determining the education policy did not apply their minds to the far-reaching benefits of a comprehensive health science course in schools. It would have contributed significantly to reducing Bangladesh's disease burden, some 80 per cent of which is said to be due to nutritional deficiencies, lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation. So-called religious instruction here is also perfunctory ---- confined to simply getting by rote a few Quranic verses, minus the need to become true 'people of understanding'. It hardly serves any purpose save creating 'closed' minds that remain largely marginalised. The secular national curriculum by itself is also quite inadequate and hardly inspires intellectual curiosity and a yearning for knowledge --- unless the students are privileged, having access to world class means and methods of learning. The sobering fact is, forty years of careless governance has left the people of Bangladesh in a dire state of malnourishment --- both in mind and body. Is treatment and true healing possible? It may not be too late provided young, thinking people, with positive mindsets, act together and demand pro-people development --- more investment in education, training and productive employment, proper food security, basic health care ---- in other words, real good governance.