The sub-continent
What has gone wrong with Bangladesh (and Pakistan)? Why India [all a part of the former British Indian Raj] escaped such historical inflictions we are experiencing today? Pakistan, after the Partition in 1947, was without a capital and experience of central government governance. Besides Rawalpindi, [later, Islamabad], the Pakistani capital was far away from East Pakistan. The communication, cultural, and distance gaps were huge; with a hostile, huge country in between. The separation of East Pakistan (Bengalees) was a foregone conclusion. East Pakistan was replaced by sovereign Bangladesh in 1971, in just one generation. Today both Pakistan and Bangladesh are limping; and India is emerging as a giant in Asia, next to China.
We migrated to Dhaka from Calcutta soon after partition, but some of our relatives did not. Today the presence of Muslims in Indian West Bengal is hardly noticeable in the Indian satellite TV channels [within the news, social and cultural events as seen from Dhaka on the screen]. The wounds have yet to heal.
The horrible standard of our political culture is no surprise the have-nots cannot rule. There is no moral restraint to resist temptation misuse of power and position. In Dhaka, how many vips [not VIP in capitals!] do you find who display the motto of plain living and high thinking? The powerful minority has displaced the good majority. That is the birth of the neutral caretaker form of government. Are we proud of this novel invention? Even the earlier contaminated CTG had to be replaced.
We have experimented for 36 years (one generation) calculate the cumulative systems losses for 120-130 million people. We have a demographic problem the highest density of population in the world; plus no provincial governance; and local self-governance is cunningly avoided by the successive political regimes.
I speak as a [double] pensioner. I am wondering about the future of our son-circumstances made him a virtual citizen of the world. Born in Dhaka, he had his primary education abroad (in an Asian country); graduated from Dhaka; worked for a few years in Dhaka [as a young executive in the private sector]; got fed up; and has gone abroad with his own funds (saved), for the Master's, and possibly PhD. How many of our young educated generation come back (patriotism) the grass is greener on the other side [Western Materialism]?
Asia, Africa and S America are full of examples of struggling new nations coping with the options Western Democracy has to offer. The superpower is not making it easier for the Third World to chart a decent plan of living. Bangladesh today is a hidden target of powerful vested foreign cartels, due to the shifting sine wave of civilization, now moving from the West to the East. God gives a chance to everyone!
Back to local technicalities of governance in overcrowded Dhaka. Political governance has lost its credibility; and it is not going to be restored soon (the healing and reformatory attitude). Our past perverted leadership has created an unnecessary and avoidable gap. Why cyclone Sidr had to come now? Life is a mystery; but there are traps and solutions. The divine Law of Compensation cannot be side-tracked it would take its toll. Many alleged corrupt persons are living in cells now, and black wealth cannot help at the time of their special needs.
The year 2008 looks gloomy and uncertain.
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