Nation building initiatives a crying need now

Bangladesh has set world record of singing the national anthem by lacs (hundreds of thousands) of voices at the National Parade Square on the occasion of observing 44th Independence Day. Two lac fifty-four thousand six hundred and eighty-one people attended at the Square for singing the national anthem simultaneously with a thousand and one people all over the country singing the same at the same time. Bravo! The people of Bangladesh have made history again as a patriotic nation! They have shown their spirit of united love for the country. We are the only nation in the world who has shown united efforts for the well-being of the country in the Liberation War of 1971, Language Movement of 1952 and during the time when the country is severely affected by devastating natural calamities. This is our tradition of working together as a nation during the time of facing crises as well as celebrating occasions. No other nation in the world can proudly own this type of spirit like Bangladeshis. Thanks to the ministry of cultural affairs and Bangladesh Army for taking such type of nation building initiative. It is, however, true that we as a people are noted for our overwhelming emotion. When needed, we get united and work hard with a patriotic zeal.
But unfortunately we often fail to maintain the spirit. Then it seems that we have lost our sincerity, honesty and dedication in our respective fields of work forgetting our commitment and love for the country. As a result desired progress of the country is seriously hampered. This also compels the country to lag behind compared to other developed nations in the world.
Now the question is - why are we lagging behind compared to other developed nations in the world? Developed nations have the positive attitude of applying civic senses to protect and properly utilize their public assets and resources. Moreover they are very much aware of protecting and saving natural beauties and resources. They are respectful to the existing laws and regulations in every sector. They are very much sincere and honest in their respective field of work. On the contrary, we prone to misusing our valuable cultivable lands, rivers and lakes for urbanization and industrialization, polluting water of rivers and lakes by throwing wastages from industry, making houses by cutting hills and misusing natural resources like gas, forestry etc. Due to hampering natural flow of water management cities and towns are submerged seriously during the rainy season. Our public properties are being victimized seriously with vandalism by political activists and agitators in the name of political programme and agitation. On the other hand many people of the country are regularly being victimized due to immoral activities committed by businessmen, service holders, teachers, doctors and other professionals for getting rational and satisfactory services from them. We don't have the tendency of showing respect to traffic rules and civic senses. We are not accustomed to abiding by existing rules and regulations. Our teachers and physicians are busy in private practices/coaching rather providing services at work places. Stakeholders concerned are being deprived of getting equitable services from public hospitals, public educational institutions and other public sector offices. Businessmen have the bad practices of rising commodities' prices without any authentic reasons. Moreover they have the unethical mentality of increasing prices of commodities during religious festivals. People never think of poison-less foods, fishes, vegetables etc in the market now-a-days. People from villages are coming to towns only for earning money leaving their predecessors' traditional profession and simple and hazardless happy life. They are being compelled to live in the slums in unhygienic conditions. Slums are the safe haven of drug business and other unlawful and anti-social activities. This is the darkest scenario of the country which is created by our people and may dishearten everybody who thinks about the future progress of the country.
However, we have also bright positive things that definitely give us hope for the better. We have laborious manpower, fertile land, affluent natural resources and country loving people with spirit of commitments for the betterment of the country.  We only need to take some initiatives like Ministry of Cultural Affairs just to motivate our people to apply commitment, civic senses and morality in respective fields of work. We also need to be respectful to the existing rules and regulations in every sector. We should possess characteristics of good citizens. Moreover we should perform our responsibilities in respective fields being inspired by patriotism. So, inspirational initiatives should be taken to create awareness among people for possessing the highest quality of citizenship towards building the nation.
Like the Ministry of Cultural Affairs other ministries may utilize Independence Day, Victory Day, and Language Martyrs Day and other national and international days by organizing motivational campaigning programmes as nation building initiatives. Ministry of Religious Affairs may take the initiative of campaigning for not telling lies. Telling a lie is the root of all sorts of unethical activities in the country. Ministry of Agriculture might come forward with the initiative of campaigning for preventing people from urbanization and industrialization in cultivable lands. They may also encourage people to grow indigenous foods as well as ensure cultivation in the fallow lands. Ministry of Law may take the responsibility of launching campaigning programmes on abiding by existing rules and regulations in every sector, applying civic sense and possessing characteristics of good citizenship. Ministry of commerce can take motivational campaigning programmes on ensuring availability of poison-free fishes, vegetables and other foods in the markets for building a healthy Bangladesh. Ministries concerned may launch campaigning programmes for motivating people on the theme like "Protect water of rivers and lakes from pollution", "Public property is my property so we should protect it", "Services with honesty and sincerity for an enlightened Bangladesh", "Public sector administration is only for providing services", "Villages are a paradise of healthy living", "Protect our natural beauties from suicidal damages", "Prevent people's exodus to towns as villages are resourceful storages of generating income" etc.
Honourable Prime Minister, ministers, parliament members, ruling and opposition party leaders, intellectualists, renowned professionals etc might ensure their active and spontaneous participation in these nation building campaigning programmes at their respective districts, upazilas and even villages. People from all sections of the community like students, youths, teachers, professionals, workers, farmers, service holders etc need to ensure their participation too. Electronic and print media can play a vital role in successful organization of these campaigning programmes. After completion of campaigning programmes each and every activity should be properly monitored by officials of the ministry concerned throughout the country whether people are responding spontaneously or not. We should be optimistic as we have remarkable records of success in nation building initiatives taken earlier. We have been able to eradicate illiteracy and curse of copying in the examinations to a great extent. We made history of dispelling polio disease from the country. We achieved success in reducing child and women mortality rates through proper implementation of immunization program. We ensured gender equity in education, job and other sectors. These were the outcomes of running smooth campaigning programs. So, we don't need to be disheartened to get positive outcomes from campaigning programs. To make the nation building initiatives a success the government only needs to be strict and impartial and have positive intention of developing the country. However individuals and organizations can never be more influential than the government. The government should work according to the existing rules. The government shouldn't resort to nepotism, biasness and relaxation while taking stern action against violation of rules to make the campaigning programs a success. Rather the government needs to provide financial and logistic support and compensation as well as extend continuous patronization to individuals and organizations who respond positively to the theme of the motivational campaign.
The writer is working for primary education in Bangladesh. Email: auparbayazidkhan@gmail.com