I am starting this thread to discuss the possible alternative to the two mainstream parties in Bangladesh, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party


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In Bangladesh, the political arena is occupied by mainly two parties, the left-leaning Awami League(AL) and the right-leaning Bangladesh Nationalist party(BNP). These parties have alternated in power since the beginning of democracy in Bangladesh. There are many smaller parties, but during election time they invariably join one or the other big parties.

These two parties are considered universally to be corrupt. There is no internal democracy to speak of within the parties, and corruption, nepotism, patronage, crime, use of terrorist thugs and extortion are routine in both the parties. During the era of these two parties, Bangladesh has earned the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt country in the world, with very high rates of poverty, widespread crime and a large gap between the rich and poor.

The AL and BNP are led respectively, by Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. To be frank, none of the two can be said to have gained their position by merit. Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, given the title of Bangabandhu by his supporters, and who was the leader of the Bangladesh Independence movement and founder of the AL, while Khaleda Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, who is given the title of Shaheed by his supporters, and is the founder of the BNP. Under the leadership of these two women, both parties have indulged in widespread corruption, nepotism and patronage of crime and terrorism. Unfortunately, since these two parties are the largest parties in the country, during election time, honest people fall into a dilemma as to which party to vote for, since both these parties are corrupt. Instead of doing anything positive for the country all these two parties have done in reality is to enrich themselves to the detriment of the people. The common citizens of the country are in a state of despair as to the direction the country is heading in, since it is not possible to imagine a prosperous Bangladesh under the leadership of any of these two parties.

Therefore, there is talk among the citizens, especially the educated elite, of a "Third Force" emerging in politics in Bangladesh. The logic being that since there are a large number of dissatisfied people in the country who are not satisfied with the two mainstream parties, they would be likely to vote for a party which avoids the mistakes of the bigger two. At the same time, it would be difficult for any new party to emerge, even if it had enough funding, because, since the two parties are linked with crime and terrorism, they would most probably intimidate, or even kill, any person who dares to challenge their hegemony over the politics of Bangladesh.

This is a thread to discuss about this "Third Force" in politics, since I believe that most of us here are honest people with integrity, who do not indulge in corruption themselves and do not wish to vote for people who are corrupt, who are desperate to see their country advance to a respectable position among nations, who are clever enough to separate the rhetoric of the two mainstream parties from their actual actions, who believe in real democracy (both internal and external), and those who are to be the most likely supporters of such a "Third Force" party, should it arise.

I would like to ask all the commentators to this thread to keep a civil discussion and debate with logic, not with emotion.
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Citizens' Forum (Bengali: Nagarik Samiti), also known as Citizens' Power (Bengali: Nagarik Shakti), was a proposed political party in Bangladesh which was to be founded by Muhammad Yunus to contest the next Bangladeshi parliamentary election.[1]

The name "Citizens' Forum" was not the official name of the party, but the favorite of Yunus at that time.[2] Yunus, a Nobel Laureate for Peace known as the Banker to the Poor, said the party would be based on support of volunteers in the local and ward levels of Bangladesh. Supporters of Yunus were expected to form groups of 20 citizens Yunus Samarthok Gosthi (Yunus Supporters' Groups) that would work using their own money and resources to elect representatives. Yunus claimed: "If local people want to see good people elected, they will have to spend their own money. You will not get good people in your own area by spending other's money."[2] The Citizens' Forum strategy would have rejected the current mode of elections in Bangladesh, which had torn the country apart over debate on election reform and killed 34 people in violent protests.[3] The main platform of Citizens' Forum would have been to be to empower the poor and end the dominance of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League: Yunus wanted "complete emasculation of the established political parties", since "at the very least, it would indicate a strong desire to cleanse the polity of massive corruption."[4]

Yunus dropped the idea in early May 2007.[5]

Source: Wikipedia

^^ The "Nagorik Shakti" was one of the first "Third Force" parties to be floated in Bangladesh. Unfortunately it was stillborn as the prime backer Dr. Mohammed Yunus stepped away from it.

We need a probashi Bangladeshi to run for election. And we need Probashi Bangldaeshis abroad to support that candidate. Bangladeshis abroad have seen beautiful cities like Dubai and Rome and Washington DC. They probably wonder why Bangladesh can't be like that. Probashis feed in $10 billion to Bangladesh every year, most of it comes from workers of the middle east. If the third force can get their support then it is possible to remove AL and BNP.. I mean look at them they are in their 60s..how long can they do this for..not only that they are uneducated...only 1% of them know how to use a computer.

Usually the leftist parties such as Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party, Jatiyo Shamajtantrik Dal have formed alliances to make a third force. In the last election Dr. B Chowdhury's party also joined them.

Theres always the option of voting for independent candidates.

So, I think most of us agree on one point:

Problem 1: Bangladesh is in desperate need for an honest party to take it forward, because BNP/AL just not up to the mark.

A very interesting point was the action taken by the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed, which included a "No" vote option on the voting ballots. From anecdotal evidence, it seems to me that all my friends (around age 20) voted for the "No" vote. From this we can conclude that a lot of persons in BD do not want to vote for the AL/BNP. Let us call the people who do not want to vote for the BNP/AL as the "Non-partisan population" (NPP).

However, the "No" vote option was quickly taken off from the ballot papers after our current government took power.

If many Bangladeshi voters want a new, honest party to vote for in future elections, somehow that honest party has to rise up. A party does not spontaneously rise up when there is popular demand for it, but somebody has to do some work to set it up.

Problem 2: So how will this honest party, let us call it the Hypothetical Third Force Party (HTFP), rise up? And how will it avoid the fate of many small "third force parties", like for example, the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party, B. Choudhury's party, and the three "King's Parties" of the caretaker government, and of course, Dr. Yunus's Nagorik Shakti?
All of these parties were started with very good intentions, but all of them failed for one reason or the other.

But still, we NPP's desperately want an honest forward-looking party to take our country forward. We are all desperate to kick out the corrupt politicians from power and move slowly towards development. There is a large undercurrent of frustration in BD. Every single educated person wants to somehow leave the country. But this is not a solution, the real solution is to do something to make the situation in the country better. And I believe that in the end it falls upon the honest people in the country to do something to make the country a better place to live. If honest people just sit at home and talk with each other about how this country is going to the dogs, then how will the situation improve?

As I said in another thread, I believe that now, due to the Internet being widely available, the NPP have a new chance, which was not there previously, of collaborating with each other and maybe making a difference for the better, for the country.

We need a probashi Bangladeshi to run for election. And we need Probashi Bangldaeshis abroad to support that candidate. Bangladeshis abroad have seen beautiful cities like Dubai and Rome and Washington DC. They probably wonder why Bangladesh can't be like that. Probashis feed in $10 billion to Bangladesh every year, most of it comes from workers of the middle east. If the third force can get their support then it is possible to remove AL and BNP.. I mean look at them they are in their 60s..how long can they do this for..not only that they are uneducated...only 1% of them know how to use a computer.

You are right, a expat has a wider mind about things and would probably be a better candidate for PM. However, we cannot just sit back and discuss how we need a great leader, or how we need another Mahatir. If we want a change for the better, then I think we will have to make it ourselves.

Problem 2: So how will this honest party, let us call it the Hypothetical Third Force Party (HTFP), rise up? And how will it avoid the fate of many small "third force parties", like for example, the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party, B. Choudhury's party, and the three "King's Parties" of the caretaker government, and of course, Dr. Yunus's Nagorik Shakti?
All of these parties were started with very good intentions, but all of them failed for one reason or the other.


Yunus' Nagorik Shokti was nothing but a plan of the caretaker government. They actually had a plan of placing him as the Chief Adviser but he declined and recommended Dr. Fakhruddin. The original plan was to implement the minus 2 (smthg imported from Pakistan) and put Dr. Yunus in power.

1/11 takeover was the masterplan of foreign forces like Butenis and all. Firstly the takeover was praised by everyone but then they moved on to their excesses which is typical of the army.

you know what no matter how much you try it wont change, you need to change the mentality of the people first

third force tenth force 50th force now matter what you bring people will not accept it, because people vote symbols not people and votes are bought with 100 or 200 taka and some pre election feasts.

Yunus' Nagorik Shokti was nothing but a plan of the caretaker government. They actually had a plan of placing him as the Chief Adviser but he declined and recommended Dr. Fakhruddin. The original plan was to implement the minus 2 (smthg imported from Pakistan) and put Dr. Yunus in power.

1/11 takeover was the masterplan of foreign forces like Butenis and all. Firstly the takeover was praised by everyone but then they moved on to their excesses which is typical of the army.
they only had two years and it was free from chandabazi during that time, the only people who opposed that regime were the black money holders and people who used to take unfair advantages!

and the common man on the street was nothing but a paid goon and so was the media they tried a lot to put the government out of balance

if the army did excesses then what are the politicians doing, the last army regime was the best regime to take over bangladesh ever!

they only had two years and it was free from chandabazi during that time, the only people who opposed that regime were the black money holders and people who used to take unfair advantages!


:nuts:

They walked into my friend's house just like that and asked me to pay 1 koti taka chada or they would file a case against him for a worker who died in his factory in an accident.

No my chadabaji my ass!

:nuts:

They walked into my friend's house just like that and asked me to pay 1 koti taka chada or they would file a case against him for a worker who died in his factory in an accident.

No my chadabaji my ass!

Who is this "they"?

if the army did excesses then what are the politicians doing, the last army regime was the best regime to take over bangladesh ever!

So you agree they are at the same level as the politicans? Atleast politicians wont bite the hand that feeds. They wont take chada from someone like Salman F Rahman since his company employs thousands of people. Army has no baap ma they will take chada from everyone no matter how big the enterprise is.

In the end all the army did was pave the way for AL to take power. Gen Mooen is an Awami League-er.

@Tislam bhai: They = army officers during during the last CTG rule.

You are right, a expat has a wider mind about things and would probably be a better candidate for PM. However, we cannot just sit back and discuss how we need a great leader, or how we need another Mahatir. If we want a change for the better, then I think we will have to make it ourselves.

Well let's just say there are other people who are planning something, there are other probashi Bangladeshis. I'm not involved but that's where I get my ideas, but I hope I would be involved sometimes later.

1. Understand the mentality of Bangladeshis. Take two years and go to all 64 districts and sit down with these people and talk to them and get to know them and ask them what they want from their leader. You cannot believe how happy they will be to ask them of their opinion.

2. Setup businesses that will promote the social welfare to the voters. Set up businesses that will produce products which are a necessities such as agricultural advancements (food surplus), clean water, health care, and energy production. These four things will win the hearts of Bangladeshis. And we have probashi Bangladeshi scientists who are already masters in these fields.

3. Have seminars in UK, USA, Canada, Australia to promote this party and the development.

4. Get young probashis to connect with the youth in BD and create a bond. Remember Bengali students helped get India's independence as well as Bangladesh's independence. A lot of probashi Bangladeshis my age in are currently in medical schools, law schools, grad schools, and they will be ready once a leader rises up.

5. Sit down with businessmen in Bangladesh and tell them of efficient economic plans such as 25% corporate tax instead of the ridiculous 40% corporate tax.

6. Sit down with the press and tell them once the Hypothetical Third Force Party (HTFP) is in power then they will have free of speech and by executive law they are protected to express their opinions.

7. Sit down with students and businesses and show the outline of installing more sub marine cables to increase internet speed because this is will help open communication to the world which will boost businesses and help students gain opportunities. Each installation costs around $150 million I beleive.

@Tislam bhai: They = army officers during during the last CTG rule.

Wouldn't it be foolish to expect otherwise? After all, who and where are these officers from? They not non native nor are they space aliens. If every other Bangladeshi is corrupt, always looking for a shortcut, always on the lookout to make a fast buck, always scheming to make money in devious ways, isn't that army officer, from that "every other" crowd? The only difference is that while they are within the defense forces and not directly exposed to the civilian side of the government, they have very little recourse but to follow and obey their code of conduct and abide by military laws, rules, and discipline.

:nuts:

They walked into my friend's house just like that and asked me to pay 1 koti taka chada or they would file a case against him for a worker who died in his factory in an accident.

No my chadabaji my ass!
i find that hard to believe i am pretty sure your friend isnt as straight as he claimed....

and look at the money the earned the govt exchequer

general moyeen doesnt seem like a very bad person i can see him often walking beside the golf club

i find that hard to believe i am pretty sure your friend isnt as straight as he claimed....


You may find it hard to believe but thats what happened. They demanded 1 koti taka from him or else "apnar factory te je worker accident e mara gese tar case e apnake fashae dibo". Thats what they said. This happened on many cases. I think someone in this forum (was it Mirza?) mentioned the same thing ahppened to him.

and look at the money the earned the govt exchequer

From where?

general moyeen doesnt seem like a very bad person i can see him often walking beside the golf club

Ah ofcourse if one walks beside the golf club he becomes a very good man. :lol:

You may find it hard to believe but thats what happened. They demanded 1 koti taka from him or else "apnar factory te je worker accident e mara gese tar case e apnake fashae dibo". Thats what they said. This happened on many cases. I think someone in this forum (was it Mirza?) mentioned the same thing ahppened to him.



From where?



Ah ofcourse if one walks beside the golf club he becomes a very good man. :lol:
how about i show you more instances where the opposite has happened and factory owners in bangladesh are the nicest of people right?

they bombared into my dads office too, i dont feel sorry for that they pretty much did what they had to do, i dont see you praising tjem for the stuff they did good did you see how they busted those corporates who were hoarding and selling substandard stuff and literally cheating the people out

do you see any politicians on the street walking like a common man?

So you agree they are at the same level as the politicans? Atleast politicians wont bite the hand that feeds. They wont take chada from someone like Salman F Rahman since his company employs thousands of people. Army has no baap ma they will take chada from everyone no matter how big the enterprise is.

In the end all the army did was pave the way for AL to take power. Gen Mooen is an Awami League-er.
just because salman rahman employs people he is guilt free? like wow man going by that rule exon mobile must be an angel

You may find it hard to believe but thats what happened. They demanded 1 koti taka from him or else "apnar factory te je worker accident e mara gese tar case e apnake fashae dibo". Thats what they said. This happened on many cases. I think someone in this forum (was it Mirza?) mentioned the same thing ahppened to him.

So what did your entrepreneur friend do? Pay up? One crore isn't quite chump change, you know? And what is this some worker dying in his factory in an accident?

So what did your entrepreneur friend do? Pay up? One crore isn't quite chump change, you know? And what is this some worker dying in his factory in an accident?
i want to hear that too :P

that will clarify things!

Third Force will never work. Infact they might end up doing more harm than good. Imran Khan of Pakistan has done more good deeds for his country without ever being in power than his counterparts PPP and PML (both ruled the country). He set up a Cancer hospital for free treatment of poor. He set up University on the most remote part of Pakistan with international faculties to provide education for free for the under previledged and most recently he has been the most active person working towards flood relief. He gathered more than 100 crore rupees for flood victims.Go Visit any Pakistani political forum and he has the overwhelming support. However he never wins any seat at the parliament. Although chances are that he will just win one seat next time from his own constituency. With that he can do nothing anyways.

Bangladesh politics is not too different from Pakistans. Dr Yunus have helped shape the life of millions with his MicroCredit but at the end of the day he is still a business man. He is a Nobel Laureate but he is no Imran Khan. You will never see him working tirelessly to gather fund for the needy all day long.

If Mohammad Yunus does come to power than he will not win anything for a significant time, at best he will capture Liberal voters and effect the vote banks of AL more than BNP. While I totally agree that both parties are bad however I personally want AL in power since they are more secular of the two and since I know a third party idea would never work.

how about i show you more instances where the opposite has happened and factory owners in bangladesh are the nicest of people right?


You dont have to because I know of such cases. But that has nothing to do with the topic on hand. Dont try to take this off on a tangent.

i dont see you praising tjem for the stuff they did good did you see how they busted those corporates who were hoarding and selling substandard stuff and literally cheating the people out

Doesnt mean they should be allowed to get away with the wrong they did.

Third Force will never work. Infact they might end up doing more harm than good. Imran Khan of Pakistan has done more good deeds for his country without ever being in power than his counterparts PPP and PML (both ruled the country). He set up a Cancer hospital for free treatment of poor. He set up University on the most remote part of Pakistan with international faculties to provide education for free for the under previledged and most recently he has been the most active person working towards flood relief. He gathered more than 100 crore rupees for flood victims.Go Visit any Pakistani political forum and he has the overwhelming support. However he never wins any seat at the parliament. Although chances are that he will just win one seat next time from his own constituency. With that he can do nothing anyways.

Bangladesh politics is not too different from Pakistans. Dr Yunus have helped shape the life of millions with his MicroCredit but at the end of the day he is still a business man. He is a Nobel Laureate but he is no Imran Khan. You will never see him working tirelessly to gather fund for the needy all day long.

If Mohammad Yunus does come to power than he will not win anything for a significant time, at best he will capture Liberal voters and effect the vote banks of AL more than BNP. While I totally agree that both parties are bad however I personally want AL in power since they are more secular of the two and since I know a third party idea would never work.


Please don't compare Bangladesh to Pakistan. Pakistan has it worst than Bangladesh plus Pakistan's politics is a lot more complicated. Look at the ethnicities for Pakistan. There are the Punjabis, the Mohajirs, the Bolachis, the Pakhtoons, the Afghanistanis, the Sindhis, and more minor ones. If you were a Punjabi Pakistani you will not vote for a Sindhi; you will vote for someone from Punjab. Bangladesh has over 90% Bengalis, we are only one ethnicity.

Imran Khan is a Punjabi and I know from the Pakistanis that I interact with, Punjabis are one of the most hated group of people in the country. He may do so many good deeds but it will not be enough to satisfy the Mohajirs or the Sindhis let alone the tribal Pakhtoons and the Balochis.

Yunus was weak, he is a businessman but he has no leadership aggression. Yunus showed fear and that's why he couldn't be successful. Fearless leaders only survive otherwise they won't be able to lead a country of 150 million.

And Bangladesh politics is no longer like Pakistan politics. Even though BD politics is bad it is not near the brutality of Pakistan's politics. My generation of Bengali politicians will be successful than the East Pakistan generation of Bengalis of current day Bangladesh; Yunus is one of the East Pak generation.

You dont have to because I know of such cases. But that has nothing to do with the topic on hand. Dont try to take this off on a tangent.



Doesnt mean they should be allowed to get away with the wrong they did.
just because the politicians cry for democracy they should be allowed to get away with it

kool story bro!

I believe that the "Third Force" idea will never go away, because of one reason:

1. There is a demand for it, amongst the people. Look at all the people who voted "No" during the last election. The new generation of Bangladeshi people (of whom I am one) do not care for AL/BNP. They don't give a damn who declared independence "first". They do not care for symbols. They want an honest party to vote for, who will take the country forward, and not just fatten themselves. (Not all of us can just go to America to have a good life, or afford to go to Singapore for medical treatment.) There is a demand for an honest party, that is why this idea will never go away. Think of it like this:
The third force "chemical reaction" will happen spontaneously, it just needs the 'activation energy' to start the reaction. dell G is negative for this reaction.

2. Lets not derail the thread with anecdotes of crimes of the past CTG please, keep it for other threads.

3. Since we are citizens of BD, and do not live under any king, I believe that it is our duty to seek ways of making it possible for an honest pary to come to power. If we don't take any action to make our life better, then who will do it for us?

4. I'm aware that the task is enormous, and cannot be achieved by just one person, or even a small group of persons. But we have to try, because, as I said, we are citizens and its our own country.

5. In my own personal opinion, this HTFP, if it ever comes into existense(which is a rare probability) would have to be a party, not controlled by a single person, but a party of rules, which has very well-defined procedures for how it is to be run. There would be enough safeguards to ensure that the party cannot be hijacked by a single person or group. This HTFP would have safeguards put into place to ensure that criminals cannot join the group, or that its members, if they get involved in corruption, are quick expelled.

6. I've said it before, that the Internet, I believe, has the ability to bring together enough like-minded people that together they can accomplish something positive. For example, the Linux kernel has been written totally by volunteers. It would take a private company at least 1.4 billion dollars to write something like this from scratch.
I would like to request you to visit the website of the Fedora project, http://fedoraproject.org/*. Look at it. Right at the left, there is an option, "Join Fedora". That page lists many ways in which ordinary people can join the project, in order to help it.

7. Imagine that this HTFP does the same thing. The difference will be, instead of software projects, there may be real-world projects, like schools, etc. Probashi members of the HTFP can set up "Bangladesh Trade Offices" in their country of residence. People are welcomed to join in the projects. There are forums and mailing lists to discuss current events, inside and outside BD.

8. The HTFP doesn't have to be a political party only. If the HTFP succeeds in bringing together educated and honest BDeshis, then there is a scope for many projects. For example, a very important project would be to open a weekly magazine or something like that, which would print deep analyses of Bangladesh and its politics and/or policies. Like for example, a member was talking about the 40% corporate tax. This would increase awareness amongst ordinary BDeshis about affairs important to the country. Basically what I said in point 7.

Sorry for the long post, but in summary:
1. We, the people of BD, WANT a Third Force desperately.
2. It falls upon us to set up this "Third Force", because nobody else is going to do it for us.
3. I've discussed some ways in which the Third Force might be set up, and might work.

* I'm not affiliated with Fedora in any way, I just liked their organization.

I believe that the "Third Force" idea will never go away, because of one reason:

1. There is a demand for it, amongst the people. Look at all the people who voted "No" during the last election. ....

Yeah, right. Is that the reason why AL came in with a "landslide"? :)

I believe that the "Third Force" idea will never go away, because of one reason:

1. There is a demand for it, amongst the people. Look at all the people who voted "No" during the last election. The new generation of Bangladeshi people (of whom I am one) do not care for AL/BNP. They don't give a damn who declared independence "first". They do not care for symbols. They want an honest party to vote for, who will take the country forward, and not just fatten themselves. (Not all of us can just go to America to have a good life, or afford to go to Singapore for medical treatment.) There is a demand for an honest party, that is why this idea will never go away. Think of it like this:
The third force "chemical reaction" will happen spontaneously, it just needs the 'activation energy' to start the reaction. dell G is negative for this reaction.

2. Lets not derail the thread with anecdotes of crimes of the past CTG please, keep it for other threads.

3. Since we are citizens of BD, and do not live under any king, I believe that it is our duty to seek ways of making it possible for an honest pary to come to power. If we don't take any action to make our life better, then who will do it for us?

4. I'm aware that the task is enormous, and cannot be achieved by just one person, or even a small group of persons. But we have to try, because, as I said, we are citizens and its our own country.

5. In my own personal opinion, this HTFP, if it ever comes into existense(which is a rare probability) would have to be a party, not controlled by a single person, but a party of rules, which has very well-defined procedures for how it is to be run. There would be enough safeguards to ensure that the party cannot be hijacked by a single person or group. This HTFP would have safeguards put into place to ensure that criminals cannot join the group, or that its members, if they get involved in corruption, are quick expelled.

6. I've said it before, that the Internet, I believe, has the ability to bring together enough like-minded people that together they can accomplish something positive. For example, the Linux kernel has been written totally by volunteers. It would take a private company at least 1.4 billion dollars to write something like this from scratch.
I would like to request you to visit the website of the Fedora project, http://fedoraproject.org/*. Look at it. Right at the left, there is an option, "Join Fedora". That page lists many ways in which ordinary people can join the project, in order to help it.

7. Imagine that this HTFP does the same thing. The difference will be, instead of software projects, there may be real-world projects, like schools, etc. Probashi members of the HTFP can set up "Bangladesh Trade Offices" in their country of residence. People are welcomed to join in the projects. There are forums and mailing lists to discuss current events, inside and outside BD.

8. The HTFP doesn't have to be a political party only. If the HTFP succeeds in bringing together educated and honest BDeshis, then there is a scope for many projects. For example, a very important project would be to open a weekly magazine or something like that, which would print deep analyses of Bangladesh and its politics and/or policies. Like for example, a member was talking about the 40% corporate tax. This would increase awareness amongst ordinary BDeshis about affairs important to the country. Basically what I said in point 7.

Sorry for the long post, but in summary:
1. We, the people of BD, WANT a Third Force desperately.
2. It falls upon us to set up this "Third Force", because nobody else is going to do it for us.
3. I've discussed some ways in which the Third Force might be set up, and might work.

* I'm not affiliated with Fedora in any way, I just liked their organization.

I agree with you, our generation will wipe the Bangladesh's political arena clean. Our generation is very aggressive and very patriotic compared to the previous old generation. We just need a leader from our crowd who will look at those political thugs and give them the middle finger.

Yeah, right. Is that the reason why AL came in with a "landslide"? :)
http://forums.ratedesi.com/images/smilies/ownedsmiley.gif

I agree with you, our generation will wipe the Bangladesh's political arena clean. Our generation is very aggressive and very patriotic compared to the previous old generation. We just need a leader from our crowd who will look at those political thugs and give them the middle finger.
are you even serious??

you see the chatro league fights? they are from our generation, i see no sence of patriotism whatsoever they frown upon the lable "made in bangladesh" will leave the country for good at any given oppertunity, they will get into buet n co so that they can land a post grad course for a scholarship and then leave for good

are you even serious??

you see the chatro league fights? they are from our generation, i see no sence of patriotism whatsoever they frown upon the lable "made in bangladesh" will leave the country for good at any given oppertunity, they will get into buet n co so that they can land a post grad course for a scholarship and then leave for good

Right on the money. One only needs to cite examples like Shohel Taj, once dubbed as the new generation rising star in Bangladesh political arena.

are you even serious??

you see the chatro league fights? they are from our generation, i see no sence of patriotism whatsoever they frown upon the lable "made in bangladesh" will leave the country for good at any given oppertunity, they will get into buet n co so that they can land a post grad course for a scholarship and then leave for good

but they are not Probashi youths, u gotta keep that in mind..i spoke to someone from BD earlier who is studying BBA/MBA who is around 22 and he told me that most youth in BD don't know what they live for, they have no goals in life because there are hardly any opportunities...the Probashi youth have more power than the youth of BD and they are civilized...just wait and see

but they are not Probashi youths, u gotta keep that in mind..i spoke to someone from BD earlier who is studying BBA/MBA who is around 22 and he told me that most youth in BD don't know what they live for, they have no goals in life because there are hardly any opportunities...the Probashi youth have more power than the youth of BD and they are civilized...just wait and see
right! i am from bang la dash nicca!

for everything there are signs i dont see any i know a lot of people who think that god has removed them from a curse because they no longer have to be in bd

people my age who went to canada to study also applied for refugee status under the false pretense of being forced to get married

.i spoke to someone from BD earlier who is studying BBA/MBA who is around 22 and he told me that most youth in BD don't know what they live for, they have no goals in life because there are hardly any opportunities

This is very true tho. Explains why the youth are so heavily into drugs. Im 22 plus and I dont know what to do with my life myself.

This is very true tho. Explains why the youth are so heavily into drugs. Im 22 plus and I dont know what to do with my life myself.

I doubt the veracity of the above statement. For someone 22+, you seem to know a lot about world economics and I'm sure can find a lot of opportunities where that knowledge is sought.

I doubt the veracity of the above statement. For someone 22+, you seem to know a lot about world economics and I'm sure can find a lot of opportunities where that knowledge is sought.

I second Shakil's sentiments. Mr King Nothing, I'm rather taken aback by your statement that you do not know what to do with your life. You appear to be well read and very aware of the world around you. Unless you have other issues that we are unaware of, and of course we have no intention of invading your personal life, you have plenty to look forward to, in life. Nothing is impossible unless you given given it your best efforts.

Yeah, right. Is that the reason why AL came in with a "landslide"? :)

I believe that people voted for AL because the alternative (BNP/Jamaat), was too horrible for them to contemplate. Most of the people who vote AL come from a relatively intellectual/rich/secular/minorities backgrounds. They would be afraid of letting the BNP win another term, and possibly 'turn the country into an Afghanistan'. In addition, the BNP proved to be very corrupt during their term. Even though both AL/BNP are corrupt, the BNP's crimes were fresher in the people's memories. Also, a big factor was the promise to try the war criminals. But still, I believe that if people had an alternative, then definitely they would vote for it. Don't you remember how angry Hasina got when Dr. Yunus came into the scene? She was angry because she was afraid all the intellectuals would desert the AL and go for Dr. Yunus.

are you even serious??

you see the chatro league fights? they are from our generation, i see no sence of patriotism whatsoever they frown upon the lable "made in bangladesh" will leave the country for good at any given oppertunity, they will get into buet n co so that they can land a post grad course for a scholarship and then leave for good

dopekhor is absolutely right. I see absolutely no patriotism at all amongst my classmates(I'm in BUET), at least. Most of them care more about when the latest FIFA competition will be held, than about things that affect their own country. And 90% of them want just one thing: graduate and go abroad.

But on the positive side, as far as I can say, none of them like either AL/BNP. Other than the hardcore AL/Chatra League supporters(one or two max), I think some of them at least, would vote for an honest party, if it ran for elections.

But unfortunately, I have the impression that very few of them would ever lift a finger to actually do anything for the country, no matter how small the task may be.
:nuts::nuts::nuts:

I believe that people voted for AL because the alternative (BNP/Jamaat), was too horrible for them to contemplate. Most of the people who vote AL come from a relatively intellectual/rich/secular/minorities backgrounds. They would be afraid of letting the BNP win another term, and possibly 'turn the country into an Afghanistan'. In addition, the BNP proved to be very corrupt during their term. Even though both AL/BNP are corrupt, the BNP's crimes were fresher in the people's memories. Also, a big factor was the promise to try the war criminals. But still, I believe that if people had an alternative, then definitely they would vote for it. Don't you remember how angry Hasina got when Dr. Yunus came into the scene? She was angry because she was afraid all the intellectuals would desert the AL and go for Dr. Yunus.

I doubt people voted AL due to it being secular and BNP being Islamist (excluding the usual vote banks for either party). The election cycle in Bangladesh is such that crimes/corruption of the incumbent regime becomes too much for the electorate to bear and they choose the opposition as it is the lesser of the two evils.

I'm pretty sure if AL doesn't deliver on its promises, come 2013 people are going to be fed up with it. Stupid BNP will then look good to the masses.

I believe that people voted for AL because the alternative (BNP/Jamaat), was too horrible for them to contemplate. Most of the people who vote AL come from a relatively intellectual/rich/secular/minorities backgrounds. They would be afraid of letting the BNP win another term, and possibly 'turn the country into an Afghanistan'. In addition, the BNP proved to be very corrupt during their term. Even though both AL/BNP are corrupt, the BNP's crimes were fresher in the people's memories. Also, a big factor was the promise to try the war criminals. But still, I believe that if people had an alternative, then definitely they would vote for it. Don't you remember how angry Hasina got when Dr. Yunus came into the scene? She was angry because she was afraid all the intellectuals would desert the AL and go for Dr. Yunus.

The basic problem people make is to go for the binary choice (0 or 1), i.e., one party or the other. For all practical purposes, nearly all countries across the globe are dominated by two main political parties. Such being the choice, neither of the parties ought to be given a mandate. People ought to vote for individual candidates, regardless of party affiliations, thus forcing a coalition government. In Bangladesh context, it should be a razor thin coalition. Given the level of hypocrisy and corruption in both the major parties, a coalition government would compel them to work together and only those things would get done, where there is a broad consensus. Furthermore, voting for individual candidates will bring other parties like JSD, BCP, etc., into the fore, there by providing some balance. There are indeed many talented politicians with intellectual bent and of upright moral character, in many of the fringe parties who never get voted in since they do not belong to AL or BNP.

I believe, interested civic groups in Bangladesh ought to take up a campaign to educate people, the citizenry, at the grassroots level that they should evaluate every single candidate running for a political office, on their own merit, and NOT for which party the candidate belongs to, and vote accordingly. I am certain that would bring about a qualitative change in the composition of the national Parliament and thereby the government, for the positive.

......

people my age who went to canada to study also applied for refugee status under the false pretense of being forced to get married

I wasn't aware of people seeking "political asylum" or applying for Canadian immigration under "refugee" status by Bangladeshis, until recently. I came to learn about it because my wife's cousin's friend got married to one such hapless character, who is now getting his papers straightened out owing to being married to a Canadian citizen. He was to be deported from Canada as he became illegal. The fellow entered Canada with a student visa but wanted to remain permanently. Apparently he hired an immigration lawyer who advised him to apply under the refugee status. Initially they thought that his application was accepted and the petition granted, however, he was notified that his application has been rejected after a year or so, owing to the backlog of applications. The poor guy met his wife-to-be, in the nick of time, thus saving himself from deportation.

The woman told me that there are many unscrupulous immigration attorneys who dupe many unknowing and helpless people by advising people to seek Canadian immigration under the refugee status or political asylum, when in fact they would not be eligible.

Refugee status for a Bangladeshi is pretty far fetched because by definition, that status is meant for people whose country is at war for which a large number of people have become displaced or for people who belong to a certain segment who are being persecuted like the Rohingyas, or like in Darfur, or those Iraqis who actively assisted the coalition forces, who perceive of being in danger if they continue to live in Iraq. Political asylum is more plausible since it is always possible to show that one was active in politics and that the current regime seeks to persecute him/her, etc.

I wasn't aware of people seeking "political asylum" or applying for Canadian immigration under "refugee" status by Bangladeshis, until recently. I came to learn about it because my wife's cousin's friend got married to one such hapless character, who is now getting his papers straightened out owing to being married to a Canadian citizen. He was to be deported from Canada as he became illegal. The fellow entered Canada with a student visa but wanted to remain permanently. Apparently he hired an immigration lawyer who advised him to apply under the refugee status. Initially they thought that his application was accepted and the petition granted, however, he was notified that his application has been rejected after a year or so, owing to the backlog of applications. The poor guy met his wife-to-be, in the nick of time, thus saving himself from deportation.

The woman told me that there are many unscrupulous immigration attorneys who dupe many unknowing and helpless people by advising people to seek Canadian immigration under the refugee status or political asylum, when in fact they would not be eligible.

Refugee status for a Bangladeshi is pretty far fetched because by definition, that status is meant for people whose country is at war for which a large number of people have become displaced or for people who belong to a certain segment who are being persecuted like the Rohingyas, or like in Darfur, or those Iraqis who actively assisted the coalition forces, who perceive of being in danger if they continue to live in Iraq. Political asylum is more plausible since it is always possible to show that one was active in politics and that the current regime seeks to persecute him/her, etc.

I have heard of Bangladeshis seeking asylum in Scandinavia and Canada by calling themselves Rohingyas as it is hard to tell the difference.

I have heard of Bangladeshis seeking asylum in Scandinavia and Canada by calling themselves Rohingyas as it is heard to tell the difference.

With no intentions of insulting anybody in particular, I must then comment that their immigration folks aren't too bright. It has to be the business of the immigration department to equip themselves with subject matter experts i.e., there ought to be specialists for all major spoken languages and as well as ethnicity, don't you think?

With no intentions of insulting anybody in particular, I must then comment that their immigration folks aren't too bright. It has to be the business of the immigration department to equip themselves with subject matter experts i.e., there ought to be specialists for all major spoken languages and as well as ethnicity, don't you think?

I think Rohingyas speak a language similar to "Chatgaiyya" or Chittagonian, so there's similarity in that in addition to appearance. Also, I think there are over a quarter million Rohingyas in Bangladesh and it might not be too difficult for an enterprising Bungu to usurp a Rohingya identity to seek refugee status.

I think Rohingyas speak a language similar to "Chatgaiyya" or Chittagonian, so there's similarity in that in addition to appearance. Also, I think there are over a quarter million Rohingyas in Bangladesh and it might not be too difficult for an enterprising Bungu to usurp a Rohingya identity to seek refugee status.

Yes, I can see it may be tricky to differentiate.

dopekhor is absolutely right. I see absolutely no patriotism at all amongst my classmates(I'm in BUET), at least. Most of them care more about when the latest FIFA competition will be held, than about things that affect their own country. And 90% of them want just one thing: graduate and go abroad.

But on the positive side, as far as I can say, none of them like either AL/BNP. Other than the hardcore AL/Chatra League supporters(one or two max), I think some of them at least, would vote for an honest party, if it ran for elections.

But unfortunately, I have the impression that very few of them would ever lift a finger to actually do anything for the country, no matter how small the task may be.
:nuts::nuts::nuts:


Just be optimistic for a change in the future. No one will believe anything until someone with a lot of guts come to the political arena. Most people on this forum are pessimistic until someone does something instead of just talking. But insh'Allah there will be change.

This is very true tho. Explains why the youth are so heavily into drugs. Im 22 plus and I dont know what to do with my life myself.


Aren't you the same fellow who was lecturing on why Bangladesh should keep high tariffs to enable domestic growth of industry?

Given you have access to the internet, you can look into learning a popular programming language ( http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-092-introduction-to-programming-in-java-january-iap-2010/ ) and then start doing free lance work ( http://www.elance.com )

There are many such freelance software sites. My suggestion is learn several languages and start out by doing small projects averaging $50 / project and then build up from there. Focus on one core area that you like.

Unless you were born rich, nothing in life will come easily. If you are good and dedicated, you can easily generate a income of more than $1000 USD / month. The worst thing in life is wasting time without goals.

Aren't you the same fellow who was lecturing on why Bangladesh should keep high tariffs to enable domestic growth of industry?


Eh? Come again? What does that have to do with anything?

Given you have access to the internet, you can look into learning a popular programming language ( http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrica...uary-iap-2010/ ) and then start doing free lance work ( http://www.elance.com )

Thanks but I already have a job. Definitely not one I enjoy and forsee myself doing for the rest of my life.

If I had to learn something tech related I would rather learn graphic designing, animation, video editing that stuff.