[Attachment(s) from Ripan Biswas included below]
Dear Editor,
Hope you are doing well and thanks for publishing my previous write ups.
This is an article titled "My Airplane, My country". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article.
Thanks
Have a nice time
With Best Regards
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York, U.S.A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you are doing well and thanks for publishing my previous write ups.
This is an article titled "My Airplane, My country". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article.
Thanks
Have a nice time
With Best Regards
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York, U.S.A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Airplane, My country
Ripan Kumar Biswas
Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com
Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com
On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III masterfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on New York's Hudson River just minutes after takeoff from New York's LaGuardiaAirport. An altitude of 3,000 feet, the plane struck a flock of geese and instantly lost thrust in both engines. At once Captain Sullenberger realized that both engines were failing and imminent danger awaited the passengers and crew. He quickly put his hand on the side stick, called out "my airplane" and took over the control of the aircraft. His skillful leadership and expert piloting saved the lives of all 155 people onboard the jetliner. There was no panic, no fuss, no paralysis, no moment of indecision, no blaming others -- just calm, competent leadership, confident action, and a responsibility to save the passengers and crews.
Yes, a big responsibility of a leader is to save and secure his/her followers or dependants. While it's a duty of any state or leader to give the security of the citizens, but the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina once told 'it is not possible to guard bedroom of someone" after the killing of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi on Februray 11, 2012. Similarly, how much responsibilities Begum Khaleda Zia, the ex Prime Minister and the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), feels the responsibilities towards the citizens! Just ahead of beginning countrywide shutdown on April 21 due to disappearance of M. Ilias Ali, a high profile BNP leader, her supporters set afire in different parts of Dhaka city and a bus driver was burned to death and his assistant suffered severe burn injuries. At least five people were killed in the anti-strike violence and hundreds of people injured in a number of incidents of clashes in many parts of Bangladesh during the dawn-to-dusk strike on April 22- 24 and April 29-30.
Roger Toussaint, the ex President of Transport Workers Union of the union of New York City Transit Authority employees, who called the 2005 New York City transit strike after a protracted contract dispute with the New York City Transit Authority, concerning worker salaries, retirement age, pensions, and working conditions, was sentenced to jail and the union was fined with $2.5 million dollars and suspension of automatic due deductions to all members for striking. Because according to the "Taylor Law" in US, strike is prohibited.
While everyone understands the bad impacts of strikes and criticizes it including US ambassador to Dhaka Dan Mozena, BNP defends its position saying that when the country's now ruling party AL was in opposition, they called strikes more than hundred days. But they called only 13 days of strikes since Hasina's AL came to power in January 2009. General strikes are common opposition tactics in Bangladesh due to a fragile parliamentary democracy. Both the parties have called hundreds of days of strikes against each other despite sensing very well how it takes toll on the economy as well as the life of mass people. But no one made any law to stop calling strikes nor there is any fund created to support strike victims' and their families.
According to Cornel West, an American philosopher and civil rights activist, "You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people if you don't serve the people." Unfortunately for Bangladesh, a different kind of pseudo-leadership keeps emanating from all political parties. Everyone else is responsible for all that's wrong in Bangladesh. Everyone blames everyone.
Negative political rhetoric only serves to drive the people further apart at a time when everyone needs to be working together. Thirty three senior opposition leaders in the country were charged and arrested with involvement in an arson attack during the last anti-government strike. The opposition says the arson charge is politically motivated and the bail rejection is aimed at suppressing the opposition movement. Many observers speculate that the sending of so many opposition leaders at a time to the jail is an unexpected incident and this would increase the conflict between the two major political camps and deteriorate the political situation.
Regardless of the type of responsibility involved, every citizen is directly responsible for the care and safeguarding of public property. Because the destruction of public property poses a threat to society, modern statutes make vandalism a crime. If the present government of Bangladesh really cares about the public property and disfavors strikes why not they pass a law against the strikes since they have absolute majority in the parliament? The penalties upon conviction may be a fine, a jail sentence, an order to pay for repairs or replacement, or all three. In addition, a person who commits vandalism may be sued in a civil tort action for damages so that the damaged property can be repaired or replaced.
Politics in Bangladesh, which won independence from Pakistan after a bloody conflict in 1971, has been marked for decades by the personal rivalry of Sheikh Hasina, head of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL), and Khaleda Zia, leader of the BNP. Although Bangladesh started its political journey with a parliamentary system right after independence, but very few came out as successful leaders with good image. Experiment with the people of Bangladesh time to time was a matter of exchanging power between the political parties. They were busy to grab power and make money whether they were in power or not. They always tried to control the desire or need of Bangladeshis. They hardly had time to give any attention to reform anything for public interest.
In a recent reaction in a party meeting in Kishoreganj on May 15, 2012, the general secretary of AL and LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam, criticized the talk-show participants of different television channels in Bangladesh and reminded everyone about the glorious history of AL and the leadership in it.
Ashraful is right. The leader behind the independence of Bangladesh struggle was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party AL. On March 7, 1971, his fiery address "this time the struggle is for our freedom, this time the struggle is for our independence," inspired the people of Bangladesh to brace themselves for an impending war against the Pakistani military rulers. Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, rose from the ranks and established himself as a very able leader and led the revolt against the Pakistan Army by declaring the independence of Bangladesh on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh had great four leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Md. Mansur Ali, and Abul Hasanat Md. Quamaruzzaman, who successfully led the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971.
But now, Bangladesh is in short of politicians who fit the mood not only of their own populace, but that of the world and who tackles well the fiscal policies of the country and encourages growth and confidence in the community and the standing in the eyes of the world. Many Politicians in Bangladesh have forgotten that they are the servants and voice of the people. This may be idealistic but a future of true representation would see a more even-handed approach to services and utilities throughout the country.
One of the key tenets of leadership is leading by example. Bangladesh needs leaders who really can call out "my country, my people" and feel responsibility in any crucial moment. Leaders, who care for and listen to those they represent, and are willing to live under the same laws and regulations they create. Who are genuine public servants and do what's best for the long-term safety, prosperity, and security of everyone -- individuals who are ready to serve, not to be served. Who are humble, and unafraid to speak the truth, and lawmakers who admit when they are wrong and take accountability for their actions. Bangladesh needs real shepherds who practice what they preach and are willing to lay down their lives for their flocks!
Thursday, May 24, 2012, New York
Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York
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