We find digital banners, very costly, here and there describing many development activities done by the government. The advertisements bear the pictures of government leaders. Banners, describing development works of the incumbent government, can be found even in each government primary school.
Public realization however is the opposite. During the last few years, people could not give their votes according to their choices and festive mood, as described, do not prevail across the country after the elections.Democracy has turned into autocracy after the polls of January 5. The expectations of members of the public have been tarnished through capture of polling centres, pushing the opposition from the centres and giving threats to others not to come to the polling stations by the party cadres during the last upazila election. Muscles had been flexed not only by party cadres but also done law enforcers and the administration.
It seems to us that the country is only for those who are members of the ruling party. A few days ago, upazila doctors were recruited on an ad-hoc basis. It is alleged that all were members of the ruling party. This has been reflected in every sector. Bribe in education is an open secret and it has gone very high during the last few years. Chairmen of the Schools, Colleges, Madrasahs and other organisations were earlier government officials. They have now been replaced by party activists. This started as soon as AL came to power in 2009. It seems the only motto is to collect money from these institutions as bribe through recruitment of party workers as teachers and employees.
Not very long ago, a report of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh was published where students and teachers had to demonstrate against torture cells at every hall as one student died after torture. Normally students affiliated to opposition parties are tortured.
The government has been doing the same thing to the members of the opposition parties in various forms including filing of cases against them. For torture of the members of the opposition parties, they have been using the members of law enforcing acencies and local administrations.
One Officer in Charge (OC) of a Thana humiliated an Upazila Nirbahi Officer during the the upaziala election. Case was not taken against the OC even after getting the nod from EC as well as the home ministry. Action finally was taken after a report was published in a daily regarding the tension existing between the administration and police.
Some TV channels and a print media organisations like newspaper have been banned. It is alleged that TV journalist Sagor and Runi had been murdered at the instigation of influential quarters. So, media people can not express their opinions freely.
Gas crisis is severe at many places in the Dhaka city. Load shedding of electricity is major problem in the rural areas though rate of the electricity has been increased.
Law and order condition has deteriorated significantly. Road accidents rape and torture have also increased significantly – girls and women have been raped even in moving buses – something unheard of before.
Once copying in the public examination was a great problem. I has returned starting in class ten. Now students can consult their answers before writing those in PSC and JSC examinations. Teachers are asked to give extra marks. One of my known teachers told me he will not be examiner from the next year as his head examiner wants students scoring 18 mark in SSC to be given pass mark. He is an examiner of Math. He asked how he could give pass mark to a student who has not given a correct answer? Public examinations like PSC and JSC are used to show 100 percent pass in the schools.
A country is destroyed if its education system is in disarray – it is said. We see all the negative indicators- but the slogan remains – ‘Desh agochchhe’. Thanks to those in the corridors of power.
Sheuly Haque
Sirajgong
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