Expedition against Anti-social Activities
Actions speak louder than words, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reaffirmed by remaining uncompromising in her new war to free the country out of corruption, drug and casino dons. Setting aside all political and ideological differences, all political parties in the country must acknowledge and support her war waged against corruption and drug menace.
Bangladesh is a country in transition with many opportunities. Bangladesh is a country in transition with many opportunities. It has achieved tremendous progress in terms of reducing extreme poverty, changing its agro-based economy into the industry and service-based order, making some shining successes in MDGs and journey towards sustainable development, and using its geo-economic as well as geostrategic strengths. But Bangladesh’s sustainable developmental dream highly depends on how the state is going to visualize its challenges of developmental sustainability.
If Bangladesh follows the pathway of economic development only without ensuring political, social and cultural development, then the visions of sustainable development will be a far cry. In the point of view the government takes many expeditions against different anti-social activities like casino, drug and corruption.
What is Casino?
Casino is basically a facility for different types of gambling along with food, drinks and some other forms of entertainment including dance and music. In many countries, casinos are legal and tourist attractions. However, from moral and religious point of view, casino is not acceptable as it has many negative impacts on society. It encourages criminal and immoral activities and damages social harmony. It also distorts traditional culture.
Casinos in Sports Club
Recently gambling in casinos inside different sports clubs has been the talk of the country. Huge corruption and malpractices were revealed surrounding these sports clubs. According to the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has started a drive against corruption throughout the country and its first phase was apparently against these casinos.
These families of our country by taking away every possible asset of these families. But the addiction to gambling is very hard to overcome and despite realizing the destruction, many could not resist from getting ruined.
This dangerous game cannot be a sport by any means. But seemingly this has turned out to be very popular throughout the country and this has grown under the wings of government-backed leaders, youth leaders, and students’ leaders. These sports clubs are being identified as the sources of gambling in Bangladesh. Clubs like Fakirapool Young Men’s Club, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Arambagh Krira Sangha, Victoria Sporting Club – have earned the titles of national football, cricket or other sports competition on several occasion. But it is very different now.
Drive against Casinos
Law enforcement agencies reportedly have prepared a list of some 60 casinos in the capital Dhaka that enjoy a transaction volume of 1.2 billion Taka per night.
On 10 September 2019, law-enforcement agencies started the drives against illegal casinos and bars. Crime busting agencies have launched a crackdown on the sports clubs on allegations that illegal casinos were being operated there. During drivers, RAB found casino equipment in several clubs in the capital and one club in Chattogram.
In the few days, the RAB and police raided 22 sports clubs and 5 bars. About two hundred people were arrested in the drives, including some powerful political leaders.
What is Drug?
A drug is a substance that causes a change in an organism’s physiology or psychology when consumed. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin or dissolution under the tongue. The most widely used drugs in the world include caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, which are also considered recreational drugs since they are used for pleasure rather than medicinal purposes.
Drive against Drug
Bangladesh’s drive against drugs is an ongoing campaign against alleged drug dealers and users by the government of Bangladesh. Bangladesh started a major ‘Yaba’ crackdown in mid-May, 2018 in response to a surging trade of ‘Yaba’. Fifty-two accused drug dealers were confirmed killed in the first 10 days of the operation. According to a Bangladesh police spokesperson, about 15,000 people were arrested in nationwide raids in the first three weeks of the operation. 22,000 people were arrested from mid May 2018 to July 2018 as a result of alleged involvement in the drug trade.
As Yaba has been entering into Bangladesh mainly from Myanmar, it enters through the border areas of Taknaf and Cox’sBazar and then spreads throughout the country. Because of the trade booming in the area, most godfathers belong to that area and operating their syndicates. On February 16 of 2019, a total of 102 yaba traders and drug kingpins surrendered at a ceremony in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar. Although people thought this would be a continuous process as part of ending the drug menace, it ended with a single mass surrender.
During the recent drive against casinos come sports clubs are associated with drug peddling as it was evident from recovery of huge amounts of alcohols and drugs from the clubs. Drugs being the major reason for the destruction of our youths are spreading rapidly throughout the country.
What is Corruption?
Corruption means adoption in unfair ways to achieve something being without morality and by defying the regulations of a country. In general, corruption is a form of dishonesty or criminal activity undertaken by a person or abuse of entrusted power for one’s private gain.
Drive against Corruption
At the moment, corruption has become the most devastating problems in Bangladesh. Within Bangladesh, corruption has engulfed the administrative, commercial, political plus social sectors and also financial sectors. It has enlarged its paw in education sector too. Law enforcing agencies are classified as the most corrupted department in Bangladesh according to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report.
The media had been rife with report on corruption. There was the ‘nuclear pillow’ referring to a pillow being bought at exorbitant costs for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project. Then there was a deluge of corruption reports involving curtains for the Faridpur Medical College Hospital, tin sheets for the roof of a building in Bandarban, medical colleage books and other government purchases.
In the time of the ongoing drive against corruption, the Prime Minister had ordered senior leaders, law enforcement officials and high officials not to compromise and spare any godfather, extortionist, tender manipulators, drug smugglers or any other corrupt person or groups. Many are being arrested at the district level for corruption during this drive. Government has declared that it will continue until criminalization and corruption are uprooted.
Human Development Initiatives
For a country to progress, development is surely required. But that is useless if the human development does not take place. If the next generations or the youth become obsolete or useless, then no development can be sustained. With the spread of gambling, drugs, corruption, eve-teasing, rape, gang culture, brutal murders and many crimes else, the fate of our next generation is under serious threat.
For a country to progress, development is surely required. But that is useless if the human development does not take place. If the next generations or the youth become obsolete or useless, then no development can be sustained. With the spread of gambling, drugs, corruption, eve-teasing, rape, gang culture, brutal murders and many crimes else, the fate of our next generation is under serious threat.
Though Prime Minister took so many development initiatives during the last decade which actually changed the landscape of Bangladesh, the main thing will remain to sustain these developments. But with a rotten young generation, these developments or progresses will go in vain.
We are changing so many dreams for the past few years to become a middle income country, to become a developing country to attain all our SDGs, to attain vision 2021 and 2041 and most importantly to build ‘Golden Bengal’ which Bangladesh dreamt of. But we cannot expect reaching those goals and to sustain those with a paralyzed young generation.
The ongoing drive against illegal casino, corruption, drug and terrorism is widely appreciated by the peace loving people of the country that make the country free from corruption, drug and terrorism.