The image that we create...

This was precisely what happened in our case as we were pushed towards the wall and had to fight back as the outcome of a democratic decision-making process was not upheld by a leadership devoid of any sense of shame. As a result, the nationhood, the fruits of which we are now being able to enjoy, is based on a legacy of democratic choice of which we can legitimately feel proud. The media sympathy that we have enjoyed back then was derived largely from such objective and logical conclusion.

For almost thirty-two years since then Bangladesh never again enjoyed that much respect in international media. The brief exposure filled with sympathy and respect was quickly overshadowed by a critical approach focusing on our failure and mismanagement in solving pressing issues of poverty and backwardness. Moreover, it didn't take much longer for a new phenomenon of bloody political infighting to join the rank of critical evaluation as the democratic legacy of our heroic emergence soon submerged into military totalitarianism that reigned for almost half of the period of our existence, and by doing so created a new legacy contrary to that of what triggered our aspiration to become free of the shackles of dependency.

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A new democratic set-up at a much later stage was made possible only through a popular uprising against the military elite and its civilian cronies. But the resurgence of democracy in Bangladesh has unfortunately failed to overcome the barrier of division that received continuous greasing through subverted political the period of repeated military processes. What this division hampered most is the important tasks of finding the right path that would lead us out of the maze of underdevelopment. As a result, the subsequent focus of the world media had so much been on the negative side of our social and political life that we have by now been compelled to conclude that the country has a longer problem and it needs to be addressed if we are to attract the attention we deserve. But how to correct that distorted image remains a difficult question as we also remain divided on what image the country should have in international arena.

Most people like to portray the image of the country as a moderate Islamic nation. Saddam Hussein's Iraq was by far the most moderate Islamic country in the whole region of the Middle East and we now see what has happened to the country and its people as it simply slipped out of favour of the mighty and powerful. Moreover, in moderate Islam there is not supposed to be any option of nurturing and protecting those whose views run contrary to any form of liberalism, be it political, social or religious.

Who does not like to see Bangladesh as a country where harmony exists? But one has to take into consideration that harmony of various groups and sub groups can only be achieved through a consensus on the issue among major political players. But as major players are in a state of confrontation the eventual result is a great logjam that nobody seems to be aware of how to be cleared. And in this logjam thrive parasites. No wonder, our own media these days are ceaselessly reporting about loan defaulters, contract killers, godfathers, rapists, extortionists and hijackers having their days in a country that once nurtured the gallant freedom fighters.

Only the dreams of our fallen freedom fighters can show us the right way. One of my senior friends in college gave his life fighting for the liberation that we are now enjoying. I still remember vividly the last conversation I had with Nizamuddin Azad. It was in the outskirts of Agartala only a few days before the final hour came for him. He was young, energetic, handsome and full of vigor. He knew the risk we all were taking, but was optimistic that no sacrifice would go in vain. As we parted without having the slightest hint that it was to be for the last time, he leaned forward and murmured, "we might die, but I won't regret if our people would be happy and content."