| by Swadesh Roy
( May 25, 2013, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) World recession could not hit the economy of Bangladesh in last four years rather country was doing better in the economy. But, economy of the country is now in danger and it is not for the ongoing world recession, it is for our internal politics. It is clear now in the name of politics, which is running it is a conspiracy for destroying the economy. Encomiast Abul Barakat, who works on the economy of the fundamentalist in Bangladesh, said that, the fundamentalists of Bangladesh are doing this in a planned way. They want to destroy the spinal cord of the general economy of the country against of their fundamentalist economy. It is one of the strategies of the fundamentalist, because if in any country economy run in a good mode it is tough for the fundamentalist to spread their support. If economy of the country run well, the living standard and of the people rise rapidly. Besides that, literacy rise fast. Rising of literacy make women empowerment.
Rising literacy, good living standard and women empowerment is the main obstacle for the fundamentalist. Fundamentalism always spread to base on the poverty, illiteracy and to keep out the women from education and modern life. The fundamentalists of Bangladesh have understood that, the women literacy of Bangladesh is rising fast. Besides illiterate women -workers are now a big social force and they did not want any type of so-called religious boundary, which will make them to puss inside the home. There are another revolution is happening in the society in a silent mode that is government sponsored school education. Government has ensured free school education with free books and free meal for the students. So, now most of the poor people of the society are sending their child to the school not to the madrassa. They know that, if a child goes to the school and if he can achieve a general education he will get a job and his life will be changed. In previous time, government did not give the book, and meal. So the poor people would send their child to a madrassa, without getting any way. In addition, the present government has nationalized twenty-five thousands primary school. It is also a social revolution. These twenty-five thousand nationalized schools are situated in the remote village. These schools are now getting all the government facilities. There is no tuition fee in those schools besides; they can provide free books and meal for the student. It has opened a door for modern education for a huge number of poor students. Before that, most of the students of poor family would go to the madrassa. Now their guardians have a chance to send their children to school for modern education. The education policy of this government is in favor of modern and technical education, which can make a student as a skill person. On the other hand, if a guardian sends a child to madrassa, he may achieve an expertise in religious subject but it has no imply in economy or job sector. Therefore, it does not give him any way to get a good job or lead a good life. It has no market in the internationally even in the Muslim countries. So, now people like to send their child for the general education. That is why; those madrassa is only for religious education which necessity is losing their market in the society day by day. On the other hand, in Bangladesh private educational institute and English medium education boom has been happened. They produced smarter graduate. Some madrassas have an opportunity that they can produce graduate but they are not smarter, and they cannot fight with the public and private university graduate. So, a natural decaying is happening in the madrassa sector in Bangladesh. The fundamentalists have understood it that their breeding ground, madrassa is going on the way of natural death like the `toal’ of Hindu religious school, which was dominated in Indian subcontinent more than three thousand years. The leader of the fundamentalist party, mainly Jammat-E- Islami understood it more than thirty -five years ago. So, last thirty years they have tried to motivated the general and technical student even the student of English medium but they could not make a good success. They have made some militant but they could not create huge supporters though they have spent huge money.
That is why; they have understood that, it is impossible for them to make a mass support in society. They have also understood that, without poverty they could not spread fundamentalism. Therefore, they always try how they can make obstacle in the economical and social prosperity of the country. For that reason, when they were in power with the collaboration of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) they did not do any fundamental work that could help the country to stand on a basic development infrastructure. We know that, in the era of Jammat-BNP they did not produce any electricity. Is corruption the only cause of it? Corruption is not the only cause of it rater if we analysis the five year regime of the Jammat-BNP we will find that, they did not make any basic infrastructure that could help to strengthen the economy of the country. It is not only in the regime of the Jammat-BNP in Bangladesh but also it is all over the world, where the fundamentalist rule the country; they never run the country for a good economy rater they destroy the economy. Poverty and fundamentalism goes by shake hands a truth.
Now one thing is clear that the fundamentalist are not in a good position rather they are facing tough time for the first at after the independence. Due to information- technology people of Bangladesh are more cautious than previous time. They get more information how they will get a good life? Therefore, they take their decision in favor of modern life it is one of the social components that are protecting the spread of fundamentalism in Bangladesh. On the other hand, government and the people demand is the trial of the war criminals that is ongoing. These war criminal groups are one of the so-called Islamic fundamentalist groups of the country though they have international connection. This ongoing trial has given an indication that, if country run in this way they could not sustain in this country.
With this object, it is clear for the fundamentalist in Bangladesh that either it is the last battle for them or they are passing a tough time that is by the social and the political cause. So now, they have only one way by destroying the economy if they can make a breathing space. People can easily understand that, for this reason in the name of strike they are destroying the economical infrastructure. We have seen many strike in our country but we never seen that type of ruining work what they are doing. We have never seen what the Jammat have done after the verdict of Sydee; we never seen what the Hefajat have done in the capital on five may. No doubt what they are doing now, their goal is to destroy economy and to make obstacle on the progress of the economy. Because now they have only one weapon, if they can destroy economy they may get a breathing speech for a while besides that it is clear there is no room for the fundamentalist in the future generation of Bangladesh.
Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, the Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangaldesh
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