What is there to celebrate?
I got an invitation from Bangladesh Embassy to celebrate the Victory Day on December 16 at the Bangladesh Embassy to Sweden. In 1971, I was about 16. I clearly remember my active and energetic days, starting after hearing the historic speech of Bangabandhu over radio on March 7, 1971….
On December 18, 2012, I thought, what is there to celebrate? What have we achieved to celebrate? I recollected the faces and memories of friends, teachers, cousins and relatives who got killed in 1971. I recollected the cry, pain and sorrow from the flow of thousands of families walking for days with women and children to cross the border to save lives from the evil forces. Many were tired, sick, and hungry. Many were left behind….
In 2012, 40 years after 1971,
- All our children can not go to school because of poverty.
- 70% of the people do not have access to quality and affordable health care services. The government hospitals do not provide quality services because the doctors are more focused on their more financially attractive private clinics.
- Many people do not have access to clean drinking water and still suffer from diarrhoeal diseases. People in Dhaka do not get clean air and children and elderly suffer from respiratory diseases.
- Almost 80% of the students do not get quality education because the teachers at schools, colleges are more focused on their financially more attractive private coaching.
- The university students can not focus on studies because they have to serve the evil purpose of the political parties.
- University graduates cannot find creative jobs, so they get involved in evil political forces, and under the political leaders' shelter, commit all sorts of brutal crimes.
- Children are being kidnapped and dying on the way to school.
- The administrative and judicial system cannot function professionally due to the political pressure from the ruling party.
- Investors do not find Bangladesh safe to invest because they do not like the political situation, transportation system, interrupted power supply, lack of security, etc.
What is there to celebrate? Whose victory shall we celebrate?
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