Opinion
For a Better Tomorrow
Yet another year has disappeared into eternity and said 'good-bye' bringing us closer to a new century.
1998 was interesting and eventful. We suffered from a l-o-n-g devastating flood; we were worried about the nuclear test by India and Pakistan; we were taken aback by recent bombing of UK-US on Iraq; enjoyed World Cup Football, Wills Cup Cricket at Dhaka; embarrassed with the news of sex scandal and impeachment of US President Bill Clinton.
We were very happy to see Jamuna Bridge opening - and to receive Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize laureate at Dhaka.
We were ashamed of many happenings in our country, especially the rape cases at Court Building, and also at universities which also made us extremely unhappy. Murder, political violences and strikes made us anxious of our future.
So what are the wishes we want fulfilled this year?
We all wish that all of us be happy. We all wish to live in a socio-politically undisturbed country. Like Tagore said: "where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is tree....... where the mind is led forward into ever-widening thought and action; into that heaven of freedom...........".
These words are most relevant today as we approach the new century. We want to live in dignity, in peace and in harmony. We do not want hunger, poverty, decease and injustice; we do not want gender and racial discriminations; frustration, fear, sorrow and conflicts due to selfish reasons; we also do not want nuclear war, global warming, toxic pollution, acid rain, ozone depletion etc.
Is it possible to fulfill all those wishes? How to - and when to - get those wishes and dreams come true is a big question for all of us. We all want to strengthen democracy which augments progress and development and fulfillment of all those wishes. By working side by side, men and women together, we can try to build a prosperous and free society.
At the end of the twentieth century, we are facing a daunting challenge to ensure economic freedom and liberty for the people to strengthen democratic institutions. As Bill Rechardson of the US last year said in a speech in Bangladesh: "compromise, not confrontation; accommodation, not acrimony must be the words we need to use for democracy."
We should display accommodation and tolerance to ensure a free and fair society, ensure the rule of law, freedom and human rights. And for all of those what is needed most is commitment and patriotism which inspire people to work hard to see one's own country occupying a position of honour in the internation arena.
In my opinion under-development of Bangladesh so far has been a consequence of the lack of real patriotism, true love for the country which needs sacrifice, sincerity and honesty. All of us together should vow to create an environment in which people of Bangladesh get the inspiration to build a better Bangladesh.
We want to live in honour, in peace, in love in the next century. We wish all the peoples of the world to live for love, with love and by love.
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