A new Age report on Sunday states that several thousand former and current students blocked roads in Shahbagh demanding increase in the age limit for seeking government jobs. They demanded the bar must be raised to 35 from the existing 30. The students blocked roads for three hours. Bangladesh General Students Council, a platform of the general students organised the demonstrations threatening the government of tougher agitations including self-immolation unless the demand was not met in a week.
It is not important what I feel about their demands. The disturbing thing is that why the students always have to take the hard ways to express their demands! It seems that there is no one in the administration to hear their demands which they must take to the streets. Or they just do not want to sit and talk but intend to go straight to the path which is proven to produce better results! And why not? I remember the last time when government had decided not to take the admission test for the MBBS entrance; the students have tried to raise voice against the decision peacefully. But the government agreed to consider their demands only after they have taken the streets.
Is this the way of effective communication today? Is it what we are teaching to the younger ones? I will not be very much surprised if I find the primary school students taking the streets in near future.
Because it appears to me that in this country everyone - apparel workers, students, teachers, political parties and even the government believe that the only effective way of expression is blockades and strikes causing damage to human lives and properties. There are attempts of negotiation by the civil society activists but those people are humiliated and mocked by both the ruling and opposition quarters. I feel that the politicians are not ready to take any suggestions from non political entities and at the same time they are not ready to sit down and talk peacefully!
We may talk how much we wish, about the GDP growths, the endless possibilities of our country and the successes achieved in last decade, but if the culture of expression remains unchanged, all those could go in vain. The most disturbing side of Sunday’s news is that it is not about the political parties.
Hurain J Husna
Dhaka