Living up to spirit of Independence

Politics at its most absorbing, highly participatory and, of course, tumultuous brought for the people of this part of the world an independent and sovereign nation-state called Bangladesh in 1971. After 44 years, only six years short of its golden jubilee, this nation does unfortunately find woeful inadequacy of politics vis-à-vis its economic progress. To the outside world, the incongruity between the growth of economy and politics which is yet to come of age, remains a paradox. But certainly not to keen observers at home who have a ready explanation for this lop-sided development concerning economy and politics.
The country's achievement is enviable on some of the social indices, particularly when compared to its more matured neighbours. Independence has admittedly been a key to making all such success stories possible. Its common hard-working and highly resilient people are the heroes of the real-life stories. Farmers have single-mindedly worked to feed the nation by producing enough foods, their little educated or even illiterate sons have managed to go abroad with employment so that they could improve the condition of their families back home. Remittance sent by them has strengthened the country's economy. Their girls are the driving engine of the country's garments industry, its number one foreign exchange earner. During the Liberation War, it was the youths -- lettered or unlettered from farming and labour background -- who fought and won against the Pakistani occupation army. Now they are pushing economy ahead. And its entrepreneurial community has also been playing an increasingly important role in the process.  
But the country's politics seems to be quite outdated compared to the pace of social and economic progress as also technological adaptability to its advantage. What is glaringly absent is institution-building. This nation had shown its mettle in the 1971 war. The then political leadership with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the helm was pivotal to forging a rock-solid unity of the people against the oppressors and for freedom and independence. This nation would have certainly been a proud achiever of balanced development had it been true to the dreams of the martyred sons and daughters of the soil. Time and again its journey on the road to democracy in the post-Independence period has been disrupted by the authoritarian rulers. This has made institutionalisation of set-ups at different levels of the administration very challenging. Civilian governments struggled for most part of their tenures to come out of this lingering shadow.
Yet the country's transformation from a basket case into a fast developing one is amazing. Corruption and the failure to establish the rule of law have been its two most acerbating vices. To its credit, the country has -- despite all sorts of conspiracies by the recalcitrant and obscurantist forces that are deeply wedded to bigotry -- has maintained a steady commitment to communal harmony, religious tolerance and peace. There is no doubt about the country's potential. But it awaits to be exploited. Society's economic prosperity does not necessarily mean that it is at peace with itself. Economic disparity and cultural backwardness together can undo all such achievements.
It is because of this, there is a need for a cultural synthesis -- one that helps a society evolve from within. In the throes of expectation the country set a few goals before it at the time of its inception but the subsequent generations have not been quite equal to that expectation. The golden jubilee of the country is beckoning the nation to fulfil the unmet demands. Keeping that landmark in sight, let the nation take a vow on this Independence Day to renew its commitment for shaping it on the collective dream of its people in 1971 and also in tune with the felt-needs of the present time.