The Expedient Zone!

The Expedient Zone!

Ashim Kumar Paul

Living in a mega city like Dhaka means living with some exasperating experiences. Of them, traffic congestion sketches out its distinctive feature on the lives of the city dwellers. It is conspicuous that traffic congestion has brought the wheel of development almost to a standstill while the modern world is now swiftly on the run on the moving wings of globalization and its other blissful attributes. On account of the curse of traffic jam, it is hard for us to keep pace with the nimble change of the world. Various measures that incorporate the construction of over bridges, fly-overs, and the availability of mass transportation cannot subdue in a prolific way the immensely terrific traffic jam. Traffic congestion, in fact, amounts to a loss of quite a few million work hours, swallows the mettle and mental composure of the dwellers and grinds the socio-economic development of the whole country to a halt. Nonetheless, as a dweller of this frenzied city, you could hardly think of a day when you, keeping your feet on road, would not
encounter with the inevitable veracity.

However, unlike the statistician, I am not likely to extend an analytical study and disadvantages of traffic congestion before the readers. Rather, I wish to share an about-turn on the dark truth of everyday city life. To me, not only does traffic jam trigger the stratum of exasperation but also provide some food for thought! Thought that compel me to take hold of my pen!

“More haste, less speed” does not always brace its implication. Hastiness sometimes rewards you with its lavish presents. Think of my friend who, in a hurry, was successful to catch the bus already leaving from Gulistan to Dhamrai and to manage a seat behind the driver. The bus with its slow pace in keeping with other motor vehicles as usual got stuck in a jam off Azimpur signal. The scorching sun displayed its grand power, pierced the thirsty world and let the commuters feel almost throttled.

However, the scenario that all vehicles stood immobile maintaining the process of order and the drivers were seated with deep patience notwithstanding going through the protracted queue was nothing but a snapshot of the regular experiences of the Dhakaites. Time went on briskly and vehicles of other sides could exchange their route several times but the unfortunate queue found no chance to move forward. The vexed commuters shouted, screamed and sighed. The helpers and conductors were busy with their chit-chats beside the clogged vehicles. Some elderly people began to curse upon the blunt traffic system while others joined in their heated discussion. Political gossip further loomed large in their talks. In the meantime, the question by my friend why their queue did not move prompted the driver to gush out a flurry of insults. As the traffic sergeant, he said, was yet to be fed with his regular carrot, it was up to him to let the vehicles proceed! Ultimately, feeding carrot to the sergeants was the only resort to end the sufferings. My friend found a new commotion in his mind that this innovative way of forcing the drivers to meet the illegitimate claim of our sergeants, no matter how offensive it was, must deserve a high acclaim indeed!

Everything on earth needs the proper supply of nutritious food to stay fit and fight for the snags. Otherwise, paucity of nutritious food may stand in the way of gaining growth and maturity. If you are not convinced with my words, please look around your plowed garden where you have planted the trees, which are not properly nurtured owing to your busy schedule, now looking scrawny, frail and puny. The same is applicable to our traffic sergeants who need the uninterrupted flow of carrots to keep his paunch fit and your way smooth, preventing the odds. And most importantly, if you wish to afford your brain to work best and produce something extraordinarily creative, then let go of the thought to provide the food for our pot-bellied sergeants on roads!

 

Bleak Dream

Bleak Dream

Ashim Kumar Paul

Good governance - some may call it a mere daydream or reverie, while others may opine that it still is a possible thing which matters for Bangladesh. In fact, good governance is a matter of great debate for developing countries like ours. As views asserted by experts, many issues revolve around the process of good governance and nothing can be left unaddressed which is responsible for the absence of it. Formal education, anti-corruption watchdog, political stability, fair and transparent participation of mass people in relevant sectors, social security and absence of violation of laws can play the vital role in ensuring the practice of good governance. These indispensable requirements of acquiring the much needed act of governance are all inter-related and the efficacy of one hinges upon the other; a problem in any ingredient of it will, in the end, compromise the success of the other. If there is any interruption in the flow of good governance, one can be sure that there will be absence of public access to their basic rights and privileges.

However, many assent to the view that formal education and mass awareness are two of the main components required to build up the structure of good governance. If availability of formal education and mass awareness is ensured, the beginning of good governance must and will mark its mammoth footprint. But, it is a matter of great dismay that in our country, the rate of achieving formal education is often substituted with the number of mere literacy (the ability to read and write one’s name only). Gaining the aptness of literacy means mastering the level of education, but that very concept is absolutely absurd. I would like to draw the picture with the following experiences of my friends who had gone through a huge trauma of finding their glowing dreams go off the rails.

During the local government poll, two of my friends residing in Dhaka had gone to their village to cast their vote and lend their supporting hands to a local friend, who was one of the five aspirants in his own ward. The aspirant friend became much glad and sanguine at their lively presence. Maintaining the rules and regulations ordained by the Election
Commission, they joined in the election campaign and tried their best to make the people understand about the competency of his candidature. After a several-day-long campaign, my friends were convinced that despite their seemingly poor educational background, the villagers would not at least turn in their valuable votes to the incompetent candidates like before. Following the expiry date of the campaign, when they had nothing but to reckon the possible number of votes casted for their friend, they were much hopeful about his triumph.

It is noteworthy that the process strictly followed by the Election Commission and local administration to hold a fair and credible poll was really laudable and exemplified. No fake voting was attempted and no violation of laws was even seen. The village looked like a festive arena and the villagers preserving order and discipline were found in cosy mood. However, from the moment when the name of the winner was to be announced, my friends were thrilled as they were waiting to hear their friend’s name as the winner. But to their utter disappointment, he failed to win the election and received a severe defeat. Nothing but words of commiseration could be said to solace him.

Few days after the election, while my friends were roaming around their village and talking about the unexpected defeat of their friend, a quinquagenarian man, who, at that time, was passing by, intervened their discussion. He informed that it was the grand feast for the villagers arranged by the winner, dodging the eyes of law during his campaign that played the key role in the defeat of their friend. They were thunderstruck at his words. They could hardly find a word to express their exasperation.

It is really sad to say that the blazing star of their dream was sunk in the beginning of its ascent. While they were gripped in foreseeing the materialisation of their aspiration and dream, the foolish act of those people left them deserted. I put forward to you a question to muse on: how can we dream of good governance that will act for the welfare of the country and her citizens when these people are easily convinced to trade their valuable votes in exchange of a grand feast or some money?

The Fall of Humanity

 

The Fall of Humanity

Ashim Kumar Paul

As an engulfing social curse, eve teasing or sexual harassment has, in recent times, become a deadly phenomenon that is occurring more and more every day all over the country. Alongside the social, economic and cultural differences, girls fall prey to eve teasing – an inhumanely odium deed committed by morally degenerate people. Almost every day, via the mass media, we are being informed of the dreadful violence that our girls are subjected to. It would not be exaggeration if we say that those victims are destined to be persecuted, given our socio-economic scenario.

In today’s world, eve teasing is not only confined to verbal abuse. Women are subject to physical harassment in almost every sphere of life – when they are on the way to their school/college/university, workplaces or any other destination. As a matter of fact, nowadays, no place can be deemed ‘safe’ or ‘secure’ for women. The evil of eve teasing is so rampant that women do not even feel safe in their own houses. As a result, helpless parents feel extremely insecure about allowing their daughters to step outside their homes. At times, parents even feel compelled to either stop their daughters’ education or marry them off. Sometimes, the victims are even driven to committing suicide to forever rid themselves from the torment of eve teasing.

There are certain reasons behind this viciously expanding social disease. The erosion of religious and moral values, social injustice, laxity of family bonds and norms, reckless exposure to the cyber world with no assurance of security, and the dwindling state of our culture are vehemently responsible for the degradation of people’s collective morality, especially the younger generation. With the aggression of western culture and thriving information technology, our social, moral and religious values are waning away. Moreover, most people have chosen the negative sides of tech-benediction instead of the positive side. The advantages of technology are abused over and over again to strangulate the bright prospects as well as luminous dreams of many girls.

Although victims, in a few cases, come forward to protest the humiliation they face, they hardly find justice, especially because in times of need, these victims are scarcely supported by the society. They are often unjustly blamed for the harassment they have to endure. In most cases, they are even coerced into withdrawing the impeachment filed against the felons. Otherwise, the security of their life and their family is put at stake. Most of the times, eve-teasers are directly or indirectly involved in native politics. As a result, they “enjoy” the privilege of being a part of their affiliated political wings.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” – this famous line from Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare’s masterpieces, can be applied here to illustrate the contaminated mentality of those people who are incessantly eroding the valuable lives and creating hindrance in the way of progress. More specifically speaking, what is a fair attitude to the women is supposedly an unfair job to those aberrant people. On the contrary, some men derive a perverted pleasure from publicly harassing women. In practice, their sense of morality and humanity has been occupied by the outright abhorrent psyche.

The development of an entire country requires equal participation of both male and female citizens in all the developing sectors. Hence, to speed up the wheels of progress, the rights, security and evaluation should be maintained by giving both parties equal attention. Sadly, what we now witness is nothing but a true reflection of inequality and social victimisation of the female populace. Due to eve teasing and other social tyrannies that women are subject to, they are unable to be at par with their male counterparts. In fact, the tumour of eve teasing has become such a deadly threat that it is hampering women’s overall advancement. The 21st century is a mark of progress; progress in the ground of education, science and technology, business and society. Hence, to progress with the light of knowledge and evolution, we need to purge ourselves from the prevailing social prejudices that make us retreat from the path of development. We must begin by changing ourselves.

 

Of Truthfulness, Naivety and Coeval Ethos

Of Truthfulness, Naivety and Coeval Ethos

Ashim Kumar Paul

One of the biggest lessons in life has recently been learned by me although that lesson leaves me in the lurch to choose the coeval meaning of what is right and what is wrong. That honesty is not always the best policy turns me aside from my hoary principles. Rather, it teaches me that grabbing the relic of being honest hardly provides you the gift you really dream of. Trust me, I am not luring you to be bamboozled but my untoward experience may derail you from the path of your long-nourished moral values.

I was invited to take part in an interview assessment of a renowned institution for its online section. As I always rear a dream to work for that particular institution, I was much enthusiastic hoping that I would be a part of the organisation; it is simply because I had managed to surmount a written exam for the very post. However, on the day I appeared for the interview session, I was really in a cosy mood and had a conversation with other applicants in the office. I could hardly believe my presence in my dream place.

In the meantime, after some of the candidates, I was called upon for the interview. With a sense of excitement and trepidation, I entered the room and in the very beginning, I encountered a question: What are you doing now? To that, I was preparing for MBA admission test was my instant answer. But my naive answer did not suit best. I found the concerned official disappointed, as he over and over again pointed out that their efforts and time would get emaciated if I got admitted into MBA program and consequently, I would run after lucrative jobs after the completion of my MBA degree. Though I tried to shield my admitted words by saying that I was attending the MBA admission coaching just to make use of my spare time until my academic result got published and I was fervently yearning to work for the institution, I sensed my plea might lose its might.

After my interview session, I came back to the cubicle where the rest were seated. As I had already acquainted with them and grown a warm relationship, I admitted to them of my fledgling words in the appraisal. They, however, tried to comfort me that the assertion would not create any hindrance in the way of selection if my words were rightly reckoned. When the last candidate rushed back, one of the officials in the interview board informed us that they would confirm us over phone. Despite my naivety at the interview session, in truth, I was optimistic about their call.  But my expectation had not been paid off. Couple of days ago, while I was preparing myself to leave my house for Dhaka, I found a call from one of the candidates in the assessment. What I assumed seeing his number on my phone screen did truly go off. He informed that he was asked to be present at the office on the following day and he solaced me to wait. Another aspirant who also got the green signal contacted me on that very day. I was convinced that it was my ineligibility that barred my dream from being materialised. But when I came to know that all but me were appointed, I was flabbergasted at the news. My perception got tottered: Was I wrong by preserving honesty and naivety in my speech?

In the dim childhood memory, if I am not mistaken, we were taught the proverbial speech: Always speak the truth. We were further educated by our mentors that only speaking the truth can act for the welfare of us as our mighty saviour. But today’s hectic modern city life orbited by the intriguingly corporate world draws a strong contrast with the longstanding axiom and leaves for us a seemingly opposite message. Those who can manage to survive, by fair means or foul, in this crafty world are the ultimate champions and the rest are deemed as the losers. 

Dear readers, you might also be overwhelmed with my naive effort to prop up my naivety that may cost your valuable time and the space of this magazine. If so, I apologise for my delinquency. But a question is left up to you to weigh up: Is honesty always not the superlative weapon to guard you best?

Experiences on roads

Experiences on roads

Ashim Kumar Paul

Getting out of home and on the way to your next destination means gaining an assortment of experiences; these are hardly experiences that enrich your memorial fund with sweet recollections, on the contrary, you have to endure some bitter and nauseating memories especially if you are on the move via public transport. (However, if you are lucky, you may successfully draw out your forthcoming path, a path exclusive of acrimonious confrontation which I often encounter on my way.

With a plan to visit my cousin who’s studying and living in a resident college in Dhaka, me along with my masi (aunty) set off to our journey from our hometown Ishwardi to Dhaka, via railway. Following a long-drawn-out ride, we reached and got down at the Airport Railway Station in order to change our route to find another means of transport. While looking for a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at the premises, I congratulated myself on being fortunate enough to find one. But the happiness behind my privileged situation did not take too long to evaporate once we reached our destination. I paid the fare displayed on the fare meter but the driver still insisted on receiving another twenty taka from me! The more I reminded him of the rules and regulations ordained by the government, the more adamant he was in demanding additional pennies. He did not just stop at that, but he jeered and cursed at the government! He went on to state that no other public transport would give us their services unless we agreed to pay the extra amount of money the drivers charged us. Compelled and embarrassed, I had to pay the amount he demanded. While our legislators seem to constantly try to abate the sufferings and harassment of the city dwellers by setting new rules and regulations, several mischievous CNG-run cab and auto-rickshaw drivers are busy innovating new ways of bullying to compel passengers to meet their unlawful demands - blocking our rightful transportation privileges.

One Friday, amidst the cheerful company of my aunty, her son, and one of my friends, when I sought out a taxicab to visit one of our relatives, again I was caught in the same net– in hushed tones, the driver stated that I must pay an extra charge alongside the fare displayed on the fare meter. As we left, our merriment and joy evaporated since I had to concede with the wished-for wage the driver demanded.

During the ride, I dared to question the driver and enquired why they continued to charge extra amounts from the passengers a move which is strongly opposed by the government. I was lucky that the driver was not as rough as others I had acquainted with. He silently smiled and gave an answer that took us by surprise. According to his words, most CNG auto rickshaw owners have reduced the amount of hours a driver can drive to 12 hours, as a result of which drivers are compelled to demand extra payment from commuters to make up for the lost profit they used to make when they drove for longer hours. Alongside this malpractice, many drivers also manipulate the fare meter behind the backs of commuters in an effort to make some extra cash.

I know that these scenarios are familiar episodes to those city-dwellers who do not have the privilege of owning a private motor vehicle and usually travel using private cabs and auto-rickshaws. All in all, it is depressing how easily dwellers have, readily accepted the nuisances as one of the endemic truths that is a part of their daily experiences. However, immediate measures should be taken to ensure the right and privileges of the civilians and to help implement the laws and orders set by the government to create an improved transportation environment.

To view its internet edition, click: Experiences on roads

Too Easy To Manipulate

Too Easy To Manipulate

Two of my friends from Dhaka went to their village during the local government polls to cast their votes and support a friend who was one of the five aspirants in his own ward. Maintaining the rules and regulations ordained by the Election Commission, they joined the election campaign and tried their best to convince the people about the competency of his candidature. Following the expiry date of the campaign when they had nothing but to reckon the possible number of votes cast for their friend, they were quite hopeful about his triumph.

The election process was strictly maintained, the Election Commission and local administration's dedication to hold a fair and credible poll was really laudable. No fake vote was attempted to be cast and no violation of laws was seen. However, the moment of announcement of the winner gave my friends a real thrill, as they were convinced that their friend would win. But to their utter disappointment, he failed to win the race and received a severe defeat. Nothing but words of commiseration could be said to him.

A few days after the election, while my friends were roaming around their village and talking about the unexpected defeat of their friend, a man who was passing by, intervened in their discussion. He informed them that it was the grand feast for the villagers arranged by the winner during the campaign that played a key role in the defeat of their friend. How can we dream of good governance that will work for the welfare of the country and its citizens when the people are easily convinced to trade their votes in exchange of a grand feast?

Ashim Kumar Paul
Government Edward College
Pabna

To view its internet edition: Too Easy To Manipulate

Game of Gambling?

Game or Gambling?

Ashim Kumar Paul

Modern city life is often deemed synonymous to an epicentre of stress, arising from work-place to family hub that often leaves its dwellers shattered, depressed, drab and sluggish. Boredom, frustration and lethargy, in the wake of extreme working pressure and stress, swallow their mettle and mental composure. Besides, the children hardly find any play ground to exercise their physical potentiality and to relieve themselves of the heavy study load and mental strains generated from their education institutions, private tuitions, their guardian’s close watch and unremitting expectations. In this regard, a park, specially
arranged so that people can walk there for pleasure or children can play, bags a lot of significance. However, most of the parks have unfortunately become a heaven for gamblers, dodging the eyes of law enforcement agencies even in broad daylight!

A few months ago, two of my friends and I had gone to the Suhrawardy Udyan in a declining afternoon to enjoy our spare time. While strolling in the park, we saw some people flocking around beside a narrow path in the park. Being curious, when we approached there, we found that a game was going on. Three cans of energy drinks had been arranged in a row and for TK 10 a person could take part in the round once. The person who could hit the cans from a fixed distance with a tennis ball would be given the cans. Being enticed, many people were found much enthusiastic to participate. However,
what struck me most was that some teenagers and children had been induced into the gamble. I wonder how our young people are enticed and led to the drain of such vile game but exasperatingly enough, no one cares about the despicable bustle.

A park is a public place, where safety must be ensured. The exquisiteness and charm of a park should not be polluted. Besides, such activity will encourage other illegal ventures and this type of immoral going-on in the name of game should be forbidden. Otherwise, our children might get caught in the web of gambling.

Internet Edition:Game or Gambling?