Zakaria Arifin writes for DOT :
As Bangladeshi, what basic necessities and fundamental rights we expect from our society and in broad sense from our country? Well, the answer to this question will vary in large degree. But if we want an answer appreciable to all, and if we envision a developed country as per vision 2041, which we definitely desire, then we might have to resort to our constitution (The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh). Under chapter II, section 11 and under chapter III, the basic necessities and fundamental human rights that each citizen of Bangladesh deserves are mentioned: the right to basic necessities of life, the right to work, equality before law, equality of opportunity in public employment, freedom of thought and conscience and of speech etc. Interestingly or by coincidence, most development economists have cited these basic necessities and fundamental human rights as inevitable indicators of a developed economy. Perhaps, realizing the significance of these indicators, Advisory committee of our Constitution drafted these needs and rights in the constitution of Bangladesh.
But we live in such a complex society that these basic necessities and fundamental human rights are difficult to achieve at individual level and are hardly emphasized at national level. People have to make sure or even struggle that these fundamental human rights are met. Sometimes, they can’t move freely and perform their work or exercise their freedom of speech, thus questioning the validity of the provision of ‘freedom of movement’ in the constitution of Bangladesh. Even if people strive to improve their own fortune or to bring positive changes in the society, their initiatives are suppressed under social curse such as: corruption, injustice, inequality, unethical conflict of interests, etc. For instance, if someone wishes to start up a company, he must fulfill all the prerequisites as the company acts dictates, and the registrar of the Joint stock of Company, upon satisfaction, permits him to start his company. But if the registrar’s individual’s interest intervenes, the person willing to start a company find himself in a complex social web and might have to do something unethical that he was completely unaware of. Now, consider another similar instance at national level. Every ministry of the people’s republic of Bangladesh is delegated under the constitution to work for the best interest of our country and its people. But if individual interest of any minister intervenes and gets preference over national interests, people get deprived of their fundamental human rights and a complex social web is created.
There are numerous instances where individual rights, expectations, and endeavors are suppressed under another individual’s unethical interests and to answer the article opening question, this is what we don’t expect and we, the people, find ourselves in a complex web of a society bounded with so much unpredictable externalities that individuals find difficult to control. These attributes of a society are likely to shift individual’s locus of control. People with internal locus of control find their convictions weak and are likely to leave their actions to luck or chance. As a result, frustration grows up in both individual and social level and the country might not be able achieve its vision 2041 with such complex social web and frustration.
Referring to Amartya Sen in the opening chapter, UN Human Development Report (1994) asserts “Human Beings are born with certain potential capabilities. The purpose of development is to create an environment in which all people can expand their capabilities, and scope for opportunities can be broadened for present and future generations. The real foundation of development is universalism in acknowledging the life claims of everyone”.
Bangladesh has seen an appreciable and unprecedented growth in its economy over the tenure of current government led by our Honorable prime minister sheikh Hasina and people of this country have been the most significant ingredient in this achievement. Now, many countries around the world take the instance of Bangladesh as it has people with immense potentials in terms of skill, intelligence, and strong culture. By developing a strong nationwide attitude that no injustice, inequality, or unethical interest take place around us, we can enhance our potentials and accelerate the country’s economic growth so as to achieve vision 2041. We can’t completely eradicate injustice, unethical practices, or inequality from our society but we can remove them as much as we can. In this process, we can reinforce our attitude from generation to generation and the complex web will be wiped out. Remember, a strong attitude for national interest forms the basis for best individual decision which in turn make a society progressive, but whenever an individual unethical interest intervenes, the decision maker say: wait on! I have a devil’s plan to hit upon and a complex web is created.
The writer is Lecturer, Department of Marketing, Patukhali Science and Technology University.
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