Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
It is well known that there are three traits of human beings bestowed by nature. These are ‘Mother, Mother Tongue and Mother Land’. They are unchangeable and deserve respect and devotion. There are many citations quoted from religion, cultures and Bengali literatures. They teach us mending our ways of lives through religious tolerance, peaceful livings and communal harmony shunning any intrigue for personal aggrandizements to step forward humanly. We may ensure our progeny to take a look at Political Science, Sociology, Islamic History and Culture taught in universities and colleges, chart and assimilate these courses, which would surely make the human beings social, not ego-centric. In this context, our teachers are surely honored for avoiding partisan tract for own career in outside of the campus for government posts and NGOs. If one has such ambition, one is at liberty to leave this noble profession that call for devotion and sacrifices to raise future leaders of the country.
At this moment, it flashed in my mind that our respected Professor of Political Science and Civics of Comilla Victoria College F. Karim lectured Civics In 1955-57 at our intermediate classes on person, family, society, citizenship and nation that we still carry on in our mind in our day to day pursuits of life. He told you’re citizen of Comilla, citizen of the country and citizen of the world. It is the birthplace where we use common language and culture, live together with contiguity in a physical boundary demarcated by nature called motherland that builds your nation. Beyond it, you will meet nations in succession, ignoring political partition at the behest of colonial powers etc. We carried this lesson to degree level at Dhaka University and learnt nationalism is not fascism, it is the high way to internationalism. In 1981 F Karim Sir was happy to see I took onerous responsibility of Finance to establish Head Office of Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd in Comilla, and asked me to write to his son Anwarul Karim Manju to return to country from America, who was my brilliant friend at school and college, turned out as outstanding engineer well settled in USA. Sir asked, have you not passed your life in this country? I had no answer, kept mum and felt my friend – his son- will not listen to. Another day my young teacher in Bengali Prof Nurul Islam hurriedly came to my office and assured me land will be available to construct Head Office complex at Chapapur as he convinced land owners about the benefits of the project. Look at the patriotism and affection for ex-student, which current generation of teachers should not fail to notice but follow their illustrious predecessors.
Soon we felt the burning of divisive politics when we started to organize Old Victorians (ex-students of Comilla Victoria College) with the objective to revive the glory of the College and render social services in coordination with the Principal of the College. After first few years of early 1980s it lost the enthusiasm due to vested interests of some to seize committee posts only without any contribution that made the organization gradually defunct. Where unity is all that needed, we must share same sentiments for the college in the spirit of patriotism and service selflessly not utilizing the organization as a stepping stone. Hard labor of BADC’s Zahirul Islam and Director of Radio music exponent Mubarak Hossain Khan went in vain.
It is known, some people who crossed the borders, took shelter in Indian camps during Liberation War of 1971, got first opportunity of attracting sympathy of western relief distributors etc. Those opportunists sought political asylum in their country alleging to escape death. So a new start begun after those from Sylhet left for London and settled there since British rule which was not looked with grace. There were some people who went to London or other western countries for higher studies missed no time after completion of studies returned to homeland in the spirit of patriotism and contributed to development of the country as the case may be. But some preferred to stay there before and after independence, which tendency increased manifold particularly from 1980s. Even those who went on government or foreign scholarships for obtaining degrees or trainings did not return and managed to reside abroad. That’s the way brain drain going on, but none to stop.
But we have bright example before us. Our Finance Minster Lotus Kamal, an old Victorian may recall that the Cumilla Banking Corporation Ltd started its journey from a beautiful two storied Head office building in 1914 from our home town, its branches were set up in various places of India. We knew a lifelong bachelor Fellow of Royal Economic Society (FRES) London loved to run this bank from Cumilla. Since 1963, this building has been used by Pubali Bank and its frontage came to be known as Pubali Bank Chattar, Kandirpar to express public relief in the heart of the city.
True, time changes and we are to step with time keeping national identity like our neighboring countries. Globalization since 1980s changed the mindset, opened gates of immigrations on several grounds which even well to do Bangladeshis Muslims and Hindus alike competed unhesitatingly for better living in western countries. So much so, even Bengali veteran composer of Ekusheyer Gaan of 21st February Language Martyred Day Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury left for London after liberation, settled there and never returned on this plea that his socialist spirit now pro Awami League contemporaries confide. But should he be happy remain busy with partisan politics in London, visiting Dhaka time to time, sending partisan columns which are published in various vernacular dailies in Dhaka, without a follow up as to what benefits it confer on the readers or satisfy only power elite! Not only has he, a lot of retired bureaucrats-cum-interim columnists write to please some authorities for profit!
It is the responsibility of the national government and political quarters like our neighboring countries to ensure equitable distribution of our national income growth fed by increasing wage earners remittances mainly from Middle East countries and western foreign capital that need vast reservoir of labour of Bangladesh at low cost. International manufacturing and marketing companies get our labuor and market of 180 million populations in a small country of 55 thousand square miles where recipient families have wage earners’ remittances in their pockets to purchase. Apartment buildings, shopping malls, private universities, cars etc. come up. A portion of them started whitening black money under law since 1987 of autocratic Ershad regime. But, what happen to those who have none, unemployed including educated unemployed, reported in the media.
A word of caution, a retired government officer eye specialist who got his citizenship visa to America performed prayer in our nearby mosque before Eid-ul-Azha this year. He went to USA along with his wife, returned to Dhaka with a very happy mood, kept his wife there and told he ought to have gone 10 years before. That is America where you can practice Islam better than here, live peacefully — he exclaimed! But, immigration facilities have been reduced now and none can draw benefits without permanently staying there. So, he would stay in motherland devoting himself with some more stringent measures discouraging immigration to America.
It is well known that there are three traits of human beings bestowed by nature. These are ‘Mother, Mother Tongue and Mother Land’. They are unchangeable and deserve respect and devotion. There are many citations quoted from religion, cultures and Bengali literatures. They teach us mending our ways of lives through religious tolerance, peaceful livings and communal harmony shunning any intrigue for personal aggrandizements to step forward humanly. We may ensure our progeny to take a look at Political Science, Sociology, Islamic History and Culture taught in universities and colleges, chart and assimilate these courses, which would surely make the human beings social, not ego-centric. In this context, our teachers are surely honored for avoiding partisan tract for own career in outside of the campus for government posts and NGOs. If one has such ambition, one is at liberty to leave this noble profession that call for devotion and sacrifices to raise future leaders of the country.
At this moment, it flashed in my mind that our respected Professor of Political Science and Civics of Comilla Victoria College F. Karim lectured Civics In 1955-57 at our intermediate classes on person, family, society, citizenship and nation that we still carry on in our mind in our day to day pursuits of life. He told you’re citizen of Comilla, citizen of the country and citizen of the world. It is the birthplace where we use common language and culture, live together with contiguity in a physical boundary demarcated by nature called motherland that builds your nation. Beyond it, you will meet nations in succession, ignoring political partition at the behest of colonial powers etc. We carried this lesson to degree level at Dhaka University and learnt nationalism is not fascism, it is the high way to internationalism. In 1981 F Karim Sir was happy to see I took onerous responsibility of Finance to establish Head Office of Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd in Comilla, and asked me to write to his son Anwarul Karim Manju to return to country from America, who was my brilliant friend at school and college, turned out as outstanding engineer well settled in USA. Sir asked, have you not passed your life in this country? I had no answer, kept mum and felt my friend – his son- will not listen to. Another day my young teacher in Bengali Prof Nurul Islam hurriedly came to my office and assured me land will be available to construct Head Office complex at Chapapur as he convinced land owners about the benefits of the project. Look at the patriotism and affection for ex-student, which current generation of teachers should not fail to notice but follow their illustrious predecessors.
Soon we felt the burning of divisive politics when we started to organize Old Victorians (ex-students of Comilla Victoria College) with the objective to revive the glory of the College and render social services in coordination with the Principal of the College. After first few years of early 1980s it lost the enthusiasm due to vested interests of some to seize committee posts only without any contribution that made the organization gradually defunct. Where unity is all that needed, we must share same sentiments for the college in the spirit of patriotism and service selflessly not utilizing the organization as a stepping stone. Hard labor of BADC’s Zahirul Islam and Director of Radio music exponent Mubarak Hossain Khan went in vain.
It is known, some people who crossed the borders, took shelter in Indian camps during Liberation War of 1971, got first opportunity of attracting sympathy of western relief distributors etc. Those opportunists sought political asylum in their country alleging to escape death. So a new start begun after those from Sylhet left for London and settled there since British rule which was not looked with grace. There were some people who went to London or other western countries for higher studies missed no time after completion of studies returned to homeland in the spirit of patriotism and contributed to development of the country as the case may be. But some preferred to stay there before and after independence, which tendency increased manifold particularly from 1980s. Even those who went on government or foreign scholarships for obtaining degrees or trainings did not return and managed to reside abroad. That’s the way brain drain going on, but none to stop.
But we have bright example before us. Our Finance Minster Lotus Kamal, an old Victorian may recall that the Cumilla Banking Corporation Ltd started its journey from a beautiful two storied Head office building in 1914 from our home town, its branches were set up in various places of India. We knew a lifelong bachelor Fellow of Royal Economic Society (FRES) London loved to run this bank from Cumilla. Since 1963, this building has been used by Pubali Bank and its frontage came to be known as Pubali Bank Chattar, Kandirpar to express public relief in the heart of the city.
True, time changes and we are to step with time keeping national identity like our neighboring countries. Globalization since 1980s changed the mindset, opened gates of immigrations on several grounds which even well to do Bangladeshis Muslims and Hindus alike competed unhesitatingly for better living in western countries. So much so, even Bengali veteran composer of Ekusheyer Gaan of 21st February Language Martyred Day Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury left for London after liberation, settled there and never returned on this plea that his socialist spirit now pro Awami League contemporaries confide. But should he be happy remain busy with partisan politics in London, visiting Dhaka time to time, sending partisan columns which are published in various vernacular dailies in Dhaka, without a follow up as to what benefits it confer on the readers or satisfy only power elite! Not only has he, a lot of retired bureaucrats-cum-interim columnists write to please some authorities for profit!
It is the responsibility of the national government and political quarters like our neighboring countries to ensure equitable distribution of our national income growth fed by increasing wage earners remittances mainly from Middle East countries and western foreign capital that need vast reservoir of labour of Bangladesh at low cost. International manufacturing and marketing companies get our labuor and market of 180 million populations in a small country of 55 thousand square miles where recipient families have wage earners’ remittances in their pockets to purchase. Apartment buildings, shopping malls, private universities, cars etc. come up. A portion of them started whitening black money under law since 1987 of autocratic Ershad regime. But, what happen to those who have none, unemployed including educated unemployed, reported in the media.
A word of caution, a retired government officer eye specialist who got his citizenship visa to America performed prayer in our nearby mosque before Eid-ul-Azha this year. He went to USA along with his wife, returned to Dhaka with a very happy mood, kept his wife there and told he ought to have gone 10 years before. That is America where you can practice Islam better than here, live peacefully — he exclaimed! But, immigration facilities have been reduced now and none can draw benefits without permanently staying there. So, he would stay in motherland devoting himself with some more stringent measures discouraging immigration to America.
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam, economist, advocate and columnist e-mail:[email protected])
