Pledge to create a ‘Smart Bangladesh’
Dr. M. Mesbahuddin Sarker :
The 4th Industrial Revolution is underway. Human intelligence, industrial production, agriculture and other daily activities are being managed using artificial intelligence. By using 4IR technology, Bangladesh is going to create a country namely ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041. Along with smart devices and technology, citizens of the country need to be smart in their thinking, behavior and culture.
For example, if garbage is dumped on the road and later scattered by people, it spreads stench, obstructs traffic, and spoils the environment. So, we can fill them with polythene and keep them in specific places. We can cite another example of sidewalk. Can pedestrians walk on the sidewalk? Make-shift shops, construction materials, bi- cycle, motor cycles, used cartoons and many other goods are kept on the footpath. Even if you make the roads free from hawker, it usually doesn’t last long.
Every country in the world reduces prices of goods marking the occasion of religious and national festivals, makes supply of products normal and readily available. But in our country, in the month of Ramzan, prices of all products increase creating an artificial crisis in the market to raise public sufferings. Weighing less, giving buffalo meat instead of beef, or cheating with mutton is almost common. In spite of huge reserves, artificial dollar crisis, LC shortage, natural calamities and transport strikes raise commodity prices arbitrarily. Hiding the actual prices of products in supermarkets, adding formalin to food, fattening cows by eating manure, adding water to milk and sugar to honey etc. are heinous crimes. In times of disaster, we see people in long queue for TCB products where supply is less than demand.
At present, begging is seen as a profession. Beggars beg in neighborhoods, markets, hospitals, shopping malls, footpaths and even classes in educational institutions. They keep knocking on the windows of the car at the signal points of the busy road. There is no relief until money is paid. There are also the shouting of hawkers and vegetable vendors, the sound of vehicles, construction works, calling bells, unwanted mobile calls etc around us. These are very incompatible in a smart city.
Reckless movement of vehicles run by unlicensed drivers, making sudden stoppage in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off passengers, frequent incidents of crooked parking, arguments with passengers about fares etc. are seen always. Harassment in the name of searching vehicles on the road, releasing illegal vehicles for a small fee, putting drugs in the pockets of accused in the name of terrorist investigation, connivance of law and order forces with jailed militants, illegally occupying of canals, rivers and government land, sending money abroad with loans in the name of development, building a second home in Malaysia-Canada, using government cars in the name of wife and children as a high-ranking official, going abroad if necessary or not, chatter of mischievous youths at neighborhood and road junctions, eve-teasing of school going girls, extortion and consumption of drugs etc. are very shameful for the nation. We must vow to avoid them in this month of victory.
Mishandling of brokers in government service, land registry of others by paying money in land office, no speed in litigation, violence by brokers in government services, land registry of others by paying money, no speed in litigation, busy in private and coaching instead of teaching in class, question paper leak, e-commerce and online cheating, missing after payment, long time waiting to get products, stuck with micro loan money, slow internet, phone disconnection is like a daily routine work. Fake medicine, foreign packaging of cosmetics and baby food, chambers instead of hospitals, high visit fees, unnecessary lab tests, bill of lakhs of taka in the name of live support, road digging, ticket black market, fire terror, bombings, sticks procession etc., do they work in civilized society? The over bridges and underpasses built at a cost of crores of taka are impassable, occupied by pickpockets and drug addicts. Traffic signals don’t flash, activities are done by whistle, stick or hand signals. Only if these are automated, the progress of Smart Bangladesh will be accelerated.
Bangladesh is now 52 years old and with the strong pledge of the present government, the country’s achievements during its regime are not less. Implementation of various mega projects including Padma Bridge, Bangabandhu Tunnel, and Metrorail with own financing has strengthened the country’s foundation. Bangladesh’s position in international development index is now very strong. The citizens are now enjoying the results of the government’s promise, desire and sincerity towards the people. As a citizen, we should do something for the country. How do we do that? A change in our habits is enough to solve the problems. So we swear no more garbage, no dead cars, no wrong parking, abandoned lands and rivers are not occupied, no market in the playground, no money laundering abroad, no formalin in food. Sidewalks will be for pedestrians only. Not a loud voice, not a profession for begging, no price gouging, no underweight, no harassment in the name of search, no reason-free travel abroad, no loss of loan money, no online fraud, no stockpiling of consumer goods to make people suffer.Let’s love the country, the soil and the people, inspired by the spirit of the liberation war, and swear once again that we will correct and control the above problems ourselves.
(The writer is Professor, Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University).
