We can do many things
M. Hassan 3801 Rolling Hills TX, USA
As a country of 34 years,Êwith a history and culture of thousands of years- Bangladesh is now at the crossroads ofÊmoving forwardÊor getting mired in intolerance, injustice and corruption. There is no denying the fact that we Bangladeshis can excel and prove our talent in a well structured, tolerant and corruption free environment.Recent incidents involving religious extremism along with social corruption have put our nation in a delicate position. If we are not prudent and look at the bigger picture - we, as a society,Ê will pay the price in anarchy, social injustice and depravity. Being an avid reader of The Daily Star, I find it ironic that we spend a great deal of our time criticising other nations. It is good to have opinion about world politics but we have to come to the realisation that, due to our failure in growth, development and respect for human value, the voice of 120 million people rarely matters in the world arena. We don't have a strong economy to make any difference, nor do we have the moral authority to criticise others. We try to identify ourselves with the Arab/Muslim world - knowing that none of those countries care about our progress and justice in society. Moreover, none of those countries are of any standard to follow. We don't value human life or rights. We have a veiled class system between the economically advantaged and disadvantaged. We rarely provide adequate benefits for the children - be it in health care or education. Our professionals are corrupt to the point that it has become the norm. We cannot protest any injustice without violence. We don't ensure equal rights for women or the less privileged. It is time that we control our own destiny by encouraging honesty and hard work. We have to reward honest and hardworking people who do business ethically. We have to stop student politics forever. We have to ensure that our teachers are not corrupt. They are there to teach and students are there to learn. No less and no more. We have to produce tolerant and educated people to talk about religion- as our religion itself requires such an approach. A vast majority of our people derive their moral and social values directly from intolerant, close minded religious teachers. They are their only source of learning . These religious teachers are making our society intolerant. Lastly, we have to value individuals, regardless of their religion, economic condition. We need to be tolerant about the diversity in culture or religion. We have to remember that no matter how loud we shout, the opinion of 120 million people will not make any difference to the world-- unless we become an example of tolerance, progress and honesty.
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