Victorious Bangladesh: The Journey So Far

Dr. Mohammad Abdul Majid :

Human beings, both as individuals and as collectives, and every nation-state, wish to live within the world shaped by their own beliefs and convictions.

They prefer to consider all their actions justified by their own standards. Perceptions and responses relating to country, society, and family are guided by one’s particular mindset and consciousness. Differences in perspective naturally arise depending on the boundaries of one’s mental horizon.

Anthropologists and sociologists, respectively, view heredity and environment as key determinants in shaping human beliefs. These two perspectives are not contradictory; rather, they complement each other. The fusion of inherited pride and environmental influence creates a powerful conviction within individuals that drives both personal and collective social movement. To determine whether a society is progressing or regressing, building or collapsing, anthropological and sociological analysis is indispensable.

Above all else, the realization that human beings are supreme has no alternative.
Humanity shapes itself and others, controls time in the dimensions of past, present, and future, and governs the construction of family, society, and the state. The same human agency that builds civilization and culture also creates the causes of their destruction.

A free and open mind broadens vision and illuminates thought, while suppressed consciousness leads to intellectual darkness.

The challenge of choosing between right and wrong has remained unresolved since the dawn of time—and it is precisely this unresolved tension that keeps life and society dynamic. A society’s character is revealed through its attraction to what is lawful or unlawful.

Creativity is one of humanity’s defining traits. People apply intellect and imagination to transform nature’s vast resources and beauty into forms that serve multiple purposes.

The refined human instincts that lie dormant within can flourish abundantly when nurtured by a supportive environment. Yet creativity can lead to both construction and destruction. Whether it builds or destroys depends on the care, effort, and demands of the surrounding environment.

The true causes of events lie behind the scenes; the visible actor is often merely an instrument. Just as it is essential to punish a hired killer, it is equally important to identify who hired them and why—if justice is to be complete. Otherwise, moral balance and trust in social values begin to erode.

It is an immutable law of nature that those who create and fuel an environment of wrongdoing are more culpable than the direct perpetrators themselves.

There is no escaping this truth. Nothing happens without cause, and no action goes without consequence. The political and social transformations witnessed by the victorious nation since 16 December 1971 over the past 54 years—in democracy, sovereignty, human rights, and the rule of law—are outcomes of cumulative actions and reactions.

Societies experience events in various forms and contexts that signal the direction of their trajectory. Constructive actions enrich society. Infrastructure development brings science and civilization within easy reach, expanding thought and opening new avenues for institutionalizing fundamental rights. People struggle to end exploitation, deprivation, and inequality, aspiring to establish a just society free from oppression.

When people see their sacrifices translated into tangible achievements, they find meaning in their struggles and are energized with renewed determination. Through collective effort and unity, development and cohesion are strengthened. A satisfied society whose aspirations are fulfilled cannot be easily misled by division or discord.

As stated earlier, people constantly seek justification for their actions based on their own perspectives. However, when noble sacrifices are undermined by narrow self-interest, confusion, and repeated failure, the rationale for active participation weakens. Misinterpretations begin to grow in the space between intention and outcome, expectation and achievement. Over time, such distortions solidify into barriers. This is deeply troubling for the driving force of society.

Yet individuals and collectives alike continue to strive to keep pace with an intensely competitive and rapidly advancing global system in pursuit of comparative prosperity. It is therefore crucial to continuously evaluate successes and failures, identify flawed decisions, adopt better alternatives, and remain vigilant so that conspiracies of confusion and division do not obstruct the path of development.

Individuals, families, societies, and states are interconnected, and the present moment holds immense significance. Only by logically connecting a proud past to a meaningful present can it become a stepping stone to a prosperous future. Today’s present will one day become history. If attention remains fixated solely on glorifying the past, what becomes of the present? The identity under which the present will be recorded in history demands serious reflection.

Learning from the past is the only way to reconstruct the present and realize the dream of a golden future.

When adopting reform-oriented or development-focused policies, priority must be given to feasibility and the resolve to implement decisions. Without this, sincere execution cannot be ensured.

Short-sighted actions and superficial measures never yield lasting results. If initiatives are designed only to be completed within one’s own tenure, and successors habitually dismiss or reverse previous efforts, sustainable development inevitably suffers. National development planning requires visionary architects, deep commitment, and unwavering determination.

If limited resources are exhausted merely responding to emerging problems, both capital and confidence for genuine development will be depleted. In households where salt runs out while fetching oil, prosperity remains a dream.

Problems are interconnected, bound together like links of a chain. Law and order are tied to personal security; personal security to social security; and social security to income-generating activities. The fight against poverty requires a stable and healthy environment for earning livelihoods.

Education enhances skills; healthcare strengthens capacity; together they expand productivity, industry, and trade. Such an enabling environment—where limited resources and opportunities are optimally utilized—is essential everywhere. Ignoring one issue effectively worsens many others.

Solutions must target the roots of problems. This task belongs to everyone, not to individuals alone. Decisions must aim at resolving problems, not sustaining them.
For any reform initiative to succeed, constructive efforts are essential to build public trust, consensus, and sustained commitment.

Reform is never easy; it demands firm resolve. There can be no room for indecision, appeasement, or compromise with entrenched, opportunistic, and self-serving mentalities. Consciousness is equally vital in selecting lessons from the past.

Nothing is more self-destructive than justifying present wrongdoing by citing historical precedent. Good precedents enrich the present and future, while bad precedents cause far greater harm. If past misdeeds are used to legitimize present failures, constructive values will not only stagnate but exact an exponentially higher cost from the future—as they did in the past.

The promise was, after all: “If you were unjust, why should I not choose to be just?”
As one reviews the joys and sorrows, achievements and disasters, hopes and outcomes of 54 years of national life, and suddenly looks out the window, countless faces appear. At this dawn of the twenty-first century, in our republic and society, people of all ages, colors, classes, and types remain colonized by outdated practices, policies, and rules.

Alongside weary laborers stand shrewd, polished trade union leaders; beside the uneducated educated masses are technologically brilliant minds; next to free-thinking, calm intellectuals appear sudden faces of fundamentalism; alongside development workers stand NGO leaders focused on personal gain; frightened citizens coexist with self-sacrificing police sergeants who embrace danger; homeless victims of conspiracy smile within food and shelter programs; selfless relief workers stand beside opportunists with dishonest intentions; honest but suppressed civil servants coexist with profiteers disguised as public servants; reckless bus helpers, intoxicated truck drivers, professors in white and blue, one-eyed pseudo-intellectuals, political performers, loan defaulters, briefcase-carrying new industrialists, counterfeit suppliers, helpless principals before arrogant student leaders, terrorists out on bail, dog-meat sellers, acid-burned young women—and, in the same land, a century-scoring cricketer.
(The author is a former Secretary to
the Government of Bangladesh)