“The students outcry for justice and improved road safety”.
It was one rainy afternoon that various students in Uttara and Mirpur questioned the empty pathways, whilst awaiting their cars. Uncertainty and a nagging restlessness haunted them on the jampacked way back. Something was wrong, they knew. It was evident by the unusual glass-covered roads of Dhaka. Something was wrong. But the reality of the situation hit them after they learned what really happened, and thus catalyzing the voices of protest.
At the tender stage of their life students from all types of institutes unite on the streets after ‘hilarious’ hit and run of two teenagers by a speeding Bus on Sunday, 29th July (So hilarious that only man was laughing). Since then the students have rallied together, demanding justice for the victims and improved road safety for everyone, protesting not only in Dhaka but all over BANGLADESH.
As the protest continued, students had started to expand their campaign gaining allies from all types of students, regardless of the medium of their education thus overcoming the usually present division that is often seen amongst them. As a result of this massive support, transport owners have taken their buses off the streets inconveniencing many commuters.
Although commuters have faced quite a lot of trouble, many of them have joined hands with the students in a show of support. People of all ages, all occupations have taken up the platform of social media to express their thoughts, show their support.
For the protest is not only for the people who died on Sunday. It is for all of us who walk the streets.
One of the major worldwide organization Save the Children has also showed its support towards the young protesters by asking the government to negotiate with the students. But it has not been all rainbows and butterflies in this fight for justice. Young protestors had to face trouble in different forms. From the very beginning the protestors faced many obstacles; ‘Safety’ reasons, examination pressure etc, they had countless reasons to stop and go home. But they had countless more reasons to continue at every step. And they showed us. Oh boy, did they show us the power of youth, maintaining the streets in a much more disciplined fashion that this country had seen before. Many newspapers and channels showed pictures and reports of students in their mid-teens lining up vehicles and checkingdriving licenses and even operating and emergency lane on the streets which is a rare sight for Bangladesh. Though the protest consisted mainly of students there was also participation from the families of the victims of various road crashes over the years, for example a woman in her 80s who lost her son in an accident around six years ago, joined the student protestors of Rajshahi demanding safe roads.
On the other side, despite the much commendations garnered by the protestors, there remains a fact that blocking the roads as such cripples an economy since normal life stilts to a halt.If such protests continue further it may lead to Bangladesh’s productivity and trade competiveness falling for the next few months. Herein lies the controversy. The economy will suffer and its very close to the BCS exams, Eid, and result day for us English mediums. Although it’s fun now it will start getting annoying when too much work is being missed and people have families to fend for. Bangladesh may now have a damaged reputation with its foundation as a newly emerged MEDC very shaky. Yet the situation begs many moral questions: Do we ignore the public outrage at the loss of the nation’s children that could have been easily prevented with revised traffic laws and safety regulations, so that we can carry on with our daily lives until such deaths are the new norm? Do we go back to the safety of our homes with the authorities who want the ‘best’ for us, knowing that it was someone else that day, but it could be one of us under the bus the very next day? In each parties’ views the other party is the villain but it seems that a very simple story is being blown up in gigantic proportions.
Martin Luther King Jr. said “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals”. The youth of Bangladesh have taken this step towards the goal of better secure Bangladesh.
We want justice. We want safety. We want our fundamental rights as a citizen ensured before a digital Bangladesh.
ELHAM AYMAN CLASS X, BLUE
ARYANA EKRAM CLASS X, MAROON
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