Police Refuse to Change Despite New Independence: Manna
In the bustling town of Bogura, the echoes of change are met with a resounding resistance from the local police force. As the chairman of Citizen Unity, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, emphatically states, the key to reform lies in the reformation of the police force, followed by a thorough overhaul of the country’s electoral system. Manna emphasizes the need for competent officers in every district and police station to restore the public’s faith in law enforcement. However, despite the recent wave of independence, the police seem reluctant to adapt. When citizens file complaints at the local stations, officers are often hesitant to conduct thorough investigations due to fear of reprisal. This reluctance stems from a deep-rooted culture of corruption within the ranks, where officers prioritize personal gain over serving justice.
The Crux of the Issue: Police Culture and Public Trust
The prevailing sentiment among the populace is that without honest and dedicated officers manning the stations, the country’s progress will remain stunted. Manna paints a vivid picture of Sheikh Hasina’s development initiatives as conduits for corrupt practices, citing exorbitant expenditures on projects like the Padma Bridge, which cost a staggering 40 billion taka for a mere 6 kilometers. Comparatively, India managed to construct an 11-kilometer bridge for slightly over 100 billion taka. Similarly, the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh incurred costs of 183 billion taka, while India built a nuclear facility of similar capacity for 83 billion taka. These stark discrepancies highlight the pervasive culture of graft and inefficiency that plagues the nation’s development projects, fueling public disillusionment and discontent.
The disillusionment with the current state of affairs has catalyzed a groundswell of activism, with individuals like Abu Sayed Bukh standing as symbols of resistance against the status quo. Thousands have rallied behind this movement, demanding greater accountability and transparency from the ruling elite. Sheikh Hasina, once hailed as the harbinger of progress, now finds herself at odds with a populace disillusioned by broken promises and unfulfilled potential. The people crave justice and accountability, urging for a reevaluation of the prevailing laws to ensure that those in power are held to the same standards as the common citizen.
The Call for Reform: Dr. Yunus and the Imperative of Change
In the pursuit of a more equitable society, Mahmudur Rahman Manna extols the virtues of Dr. Yunus as a paragon of virtue and integrity. As a Nobel laureate and global luminary, Dr. Yunus embodies the ethos of service and selflessness, inspiring a generation to strive for a better tomorrow. Manna envisions a future where the principles of fairness and justice guide every facet of governance, culminating in elections that reflect the will of the people. However, he warns that failure to institute genuine electoral reform will only pave the way for entrenched power structures to manipulate the democratic process for their benefit. Thus, the onus lies on reforming the police force to ensure that elections are conducted fairly and transparently, safeguarding the democratic rights of every citizen.
It was on a Thursday afternoon in Bogura that Manna delivered his impassioned plea for reform at a workers’ assembly hosted by the District Council. The event, presided over by the convenor of the Bogura District Branch of Citizen Unity, Matiur Rahman, saw special guest speaker Abdul Rajjak Talukdar, a central member of Citizen Unity, echo Manna’s sentiments. Throughout the gathering, leaders from various echelons of Citizen Unity voiced their support for the cause of reform, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
As the sun sets on another day in Bogura, the echoes of Manna’s call for change linger in the air, a clarion call to action in the face of entrenched resistance. The road to reform may be fraught with obstacles, but with unwavering resolve and a steadfast commitment to justice, the people of Bogura stand poised to reclaim their democratic rights and usher in a new era of accountability and transparency.
