Bangladesh!! Are we in the right direction???

I would like to start by sharing an experience I had few hours (17/10/2014) ago at a restaurant in Mohammadpur. I was having some junk foods with my cousin. It’s an open BBQ restaurant with live music. While having our foods and listening live music we realized that there is a family in front of us. They were enjoying with us as well. After like 5-6 minutes I noticed that the women is smoking cigarette and the man is smoking and drinking something that I have never seen in Bangladesh. I was shocked when I saw the man taking a bottle of alcohol (something that I have never touched) from his bag and put it on the table in front of their children. They were drinking and dancing with their friends and family members.

Was he doing something wrong? Well it depends how you see it. Bangladesh is a capitalist country (or is it?). Under capitalism you have the right to maximize your wealth and spend them according to your wish. So they were not doing something wrong.

Bangladesh is also a democratic country (at least in paper) and democracy is a system of government by the whole population. Under democracy all people have the right to express their views and enjoy their life as long as they don’t disturb others. Where they disturbing?? Well I don’t know. There were other families with kids enjoying foods and music. No one even tried to stop them from drinking alcohol and smoking cigarette (not even me and my cousin). No one even left (well we left) the restaurant because of them.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction (Newton’s 3^rd lows of motion). I am convinced that what I have seen today is the opposite reaction of having  uncontrolled economic development, our careless attitude towards our culture, values and religious ideology. Am I against economic development? Well certainly not? My concern is the consequences of having uncontrolled economic development and not knowing what to do with their wealth. We were happy when we had less. We respected our elders when we had less. We cared for each other when we had less. We abided by the laws when we had less. We did not have many conflicts when we had less. Now we have more!! But why do we have so many conflicts in our society?? Why alcoholism and cigarette smoking by man and women are normal?

Am I fundamentalist? well it depends on how you define fundamentalism!!! If you believe in a happy nation where there will be tolerance, respect for elders, no/less conflicts, caring for each  other and a sustainable economic development then I am not a fundamentalist. 

Am I scared? Yes!! Am I hopeless? Certainly not, because I have seen some amazing people working for change. I have seen people grew up/studied in developed countries, came back and trying to bring a positive change in our society.

Thank for reading guys. Stay tuned.