At the arrival of 2013: Case of Bangladesh

[This was published on 7 January 2013 in the African Herald Express, South Africa. Abridge of it under the title ‘For many a leader’ was published on 04 January 2013 in Dhaka Courier, Bangladesh]

Bangladesh has by now been recognized as a land of ample opportunities, realities and possibilities by many a national, regional and international organizations, think-tanks, medias, academic and researches institutions including United Nations, European Union, OIC, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, US National Intelligence Council and the Guardian. Needless to utter twice that the underlying truth is that a country whether it is developed or developing cannot flourish and reach at the goals without matching, forward-looking and dynamic leadership of various natures, forms and dimensions in almost all the areas of concerns. Certainly, political leadership is the heart and wheel of a nation’s focus and identity at home and abroad. But leaderships in all other fields encompassing arts, industries, science and technology, religion and culture and so on are equally important and unavoidable. Therefore, on the eve of the arrival of happy New Year 2013 let, let our felling and urges be overhauled and geared up In expectation of getting many a leader in almost all the possible areas in Bangladesh after the spirit, vision and mission as follows:

Sensing, sensing from reality taking place in Bangladesh

Understanding, understanding from reality taking place in Bangladesh

Realizing, realizing from reality taking place in Bangladesh

I am waiting not for a leader single in the field having all the powers

Ranging from party to parliament to government concentrated in the fist

Showing thumbs to democracy and possible routes to the

Growth and development of leaderships more and more

I am waiting not for a leader single in the field
Surrounded by followers
Mostly sycophants, uncommitted, insincere and opportunists
Beating the drums all the time of having been impregnated with
So-called patriotism and humanitarianism after the spirit of
Party’s ideological goals and objectives and being faithful
Honestly to the electoral charter and manifesto as if
As if, nobody can match them on any accounts today or tomorrow.

Sensing, understanding and realizing  from reality taking place in Bangladesh
I am waiting for many a leader whose
Feelings, thoughts, beliefs, studies and pursuits
Full of patriotism, rhythms, wave and intonation
Tuned stanchly to the soil of the land
Remaining ever fresh whose vision and mission for
Taking the nation to the cherished goal and destination.

I’m waiting for a many leader whose
Words and deeds allow no chasm between
Movements, waves, practice and directions
Neither shall they suffer from mere political romanticism
Nor be they emotional at cheap clapping;
Neither shall they be a demagogue
Nor be they a dictator
Neither shall they be a Fabian
Nor be they a non-vigilant
Neither shall they get indulged in philosophical jargons
Meaningless or useless in their entirety
Nor be they reluctant to such queries in case of a necessity;
Neither shall they shed tears in time of
Odds, distress, crises and challenges coming from
Right or left or from
Front or back or from
Up or under or from
Two or more or even, even from all;
Nor be they over confident during the period of
Peace, tranquility and happiness.

I am waiting for a many leader who must not be
Parsimonious or hesitant or fell shy even to
Accept truth and beauty as they are;
Neither shall they budge from showing courage to
Acknowledge mistakes, follies and loopholes
Embracing corrections fittingly leaving
Leaving no a shade of hesitation and hypocrisy
Nor shall they be thrifty in appreciating other’s contributions
Big or small.

I’m waiting for a many leader distinctive who shall be in
Making a nice recipe of politics, economics, culture, religion
Science and technology and so on
Striking convincingly the essentials of sustainable development indeed
Indeed in the perspective of native land,
Holding rightly and tightly the nation’s interests at home and abroad
Keeping guarded eyes on the matters of
Bi-lateral, regional and global dimension and standing,
Past, present and future without major mistakes and follies
Sans fear or favor like a Royal Bengal Tiger,
Going above the interests of self, group or party on average
Waging relentless, unbending war against
Mendacity, injustice and unfairness.

I am waiting for many a leader who shall be away from
Playing foul with the people using the shields of
Democracy, human rights and social justice
Off and often or all the time almost.

I am waiting for many a leader who shall speak same on
National interests and issues making no sense of difference following
U-turn policy of double-standard while in power and while not
Upholding accountability and transparency even in the face of
Himalayan challenges.

I am waiting for many a leader who shall not hang merely after
Money, wealth, business, deals, name or fame for
Ensuring, consolidating and cementing life along the so-called line
‘From better to the best’ to the extreme of hedonism
Sidetracking or suppressing the millions
Anguishing and suffering from dearth of food, shelter and medicare.

I am waiting for many a leader at various stages and points encircling
Political parties, their wings and associate bodies
Civil societies, Think-tanks, NGOs
Medias and Government as a whole.

I am waiting for many a leader who shall be bold enough
With the head held high in pride, not hung down in shames in the face of
Crude reality of globalization and challenges hereto.

I am waiting for many a leader who can laugh and cry

Sense, understand and realize readily the pulse and nerve of the people

People with and around

People far and near

I am waiting for many a leader who believe and relentlessly continues to believe

Time and tide waits for none

Who believe and firmly stick to the belief that

The most important time is now upon which rests future

Who believe and overhaul themselves all the time bearing in mind

Mere dependence on the glorious past amounts

Amounts to no action leading to fall down

Putting, putting full stop of the tone and tune of life.

Yes, yes, yes, I am eagerly waiting for many a leader who shall thus turn
Turn the state machinery into tools for serving the
Motherland and people regardless of
Caste, creed, color, religion, language and
Come what may not.

And sensing, understanding and realizing from reality taking place in Bangladesh

I’m waiting for many a leader who shall come and continue as a
Friend, guide and philosopher in the areas respectively like
Like a Loadstar in the evening sky.

Yes, there is no denying the fact that the very theme and spirit of the above-mentioned words and sentences written in a prose-poetry form more or less echo and represent the asking and aspirations of all the peoples and nations in the world at large from the respective state of standpoints. Let the peoples in the countries in the continent of Africa as well feel free and be realistic enough to utter the same as above with a view to overhauling them again and again in expectation of better cemented and fortified future. Along with more and more Nelsen Mandela, Let there be more and more leaders in almost all areas in the soil of Africa to take and place it befittingly in the comity of nations.