Dream of a peaceful, humanitarian Bangladesh
Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Ours is a democratic state and all the ideas for a welfare state ensuring Human Rights declared in the Declaration of Human Rights in the UNO has been embodied in our Constitution, either as fundamental rights or as a fundamental principle of the state policy.
According to Aristotelian expectations, the state should ensure that all people and society live a safe, happy and dignified life.
No statesman has ever given a reason or condition for being in favor of or against the government of a citizen in a country.
In the defunct Soviet Union, in Russia, the history of the existence of progressive liberalism in the authoritarian state system has been observed, but today the authoritarians are extinct in the republic.
At one time, those conservatives are starting a new anti-narcotics policy by calling the religion as a drug.
The authoritarian state system of that time introduced socialism to remove discrimination between the rich and the poor among the people.
Today, as history has shown, the libertarians are the first to shake hands and liberate the state system.
There is no genuine democratic or socialist state to be found in the entire world.
All the countries of the world are now religion dominant.
The American president rushes to church without taking the oath of office.
In our country India is an openly Hindu country where eating beef is forbidden for the first reason.
The non-Hindus are being deported from Assam.
The Rohingyas were being chased away from Myanmar for a number of reasons.
There is no country in the world now where the majority does not predominate.
All states co-exist with all states recognizing the primacy of the majority.
There is no such thing as partiality.
However, no one indulges in stupidity or encourages in the name of death.
No one forbids the mentally retarded or orthodox.
A key determinant of a modern peace and welfare state is valuing pluralism and freedom of expression.
When Bangabandhu was awarded the Julio Curie Peace Medal, Bangladesh was yet to be a member of the UN.
Only a little percentage of people recognized Bangladesh.
One of the elements of Bangabandhu’s vision of peace is the peaceful solution of any conflict by avoiding war, the establishment of a just national and international society through the elimination of all forms of deprivation and exploitation.
Bangabandhu always fought against the opposition.
So he says, ‘We want the money spent on arms development to be used for the welfare of the poor people of the world.
Then it will be easy for him to remove the stigma from the world and the following work will be easy for him.
In his speech given at the UN on September 25, 1974, Bangabandhu laid emphasis on the prevention of arms proliferation, peace promotion and international harmony.
Bangabandhu in all sense lies in Bangladesh.
He thought about the overall liberation of the people.
Especially he struggled for economic emancipation.
On March 7, 1971, he repeatedly pronounced the word.
With the response to that call, the youth of this country were ready to accept maximum sacrifice for the country as a freedom fighter.
Millions of militant people were martyred and Bangladesh was liberated by their sacrifice.
After taking the responsibility of the independent Bangladesh, Bangabandhu planned for future development and fell into the country’s reconstruction.
But on 15 August 1975, Bangabandhu was killed along with his family members.
Progressive adventure for inclusive development of Bangladesh stops. The country began to move on to the opposite direction.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been making the Bengalese prepared for a final showdown for achieving Independence.
In an opportune moment, he gave the clarion call to fight the enemy till the last drop of blood.
Taking his call as a directive, the valiant sons of the soil had fought a bloody battle against the Pakistani Military and only in a nine-month war they compelled the Pakistani army to accept an ignoble surrender on the soil of Bangladesh.
The much expected new nation -Bangladesh- appeared on the world map.
So, this can be said clearly that if the Bangabandhu were not born, the creation of an independent Bangladesh would have remained a dream only.
Historically, Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are inseparable.
So the birth of Sheikh Mujib is a gift from God for the people of Bangladesh and for the people of the world.
In the end, we can say that Bangabandhu is the forerunner of peace and humanity.
He was awarded Julio curie world peace medal on July 23, 1973, which is increasing dignity, honour and peace for Bangladesh.
Therefore, in the continuation of dignity respect and peace, we have to take a vow of support for a tolerant and humane Bangladesh.
Black laws need to be revisited.
Only then, actual the rule of law will be implemented.
Bangabandhu dreamt of rule of law.
He realized that without the rule of law, it would not be possible to build a democratic state.
So let us all be patriotic and free citizen of state.
The state might be respectful to people by taking steps to focus and build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh free from exploitation and oppression.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP).
