If there has been a proliferation of rude public behaviour in Bangladesh surfaces as a moot question these days. To many, this is not a right question to ask as the phenomenon is global, meaning many other countries are also witnessing this nuisancical trend. To some, it is not too wrong to raise the question only because same thing is also happening in other parts of the world. The former argument seems to ignore a harsh reality which has a long-term implication on the future of society. So, it is better to take cue from the latter argument and try to find the answer in brief.
Rude public behaviour may be labelled as an absence of good manners or bad manners. Generally manners are behaviours that reflect an individual's attitude to others. It also means the way a thing is done or happens. So, manners are what everyone use and show every day and directly related to the personality of a human being. The horizon of manner is quite vast as it is not just giving thanks and expressing gratitude to others. It is being polite, understanding others' feelings and treating others the way someone himself or herself wanted to be treated. That's why manners are needed every day, and in public.
Now, in this country, almost everywhere it seems people are being told to mind their manners. Pushing, shoving, yelling, shouting, and jumping queues are quite common now. It appears that nobody cares about the others. Almost everywhere in Bangladesh has there been a dearth of road manners. Motorists honk and curse disregarding traffic rules. They are a menace to pedestrians as well as other motorists. Much has been said about mobile-phone manner. Generally the public appears to be indifferent and so there is always a loud public conversation over the cell phone.
Though children are taught good manners in school, many of them don't bother with small courtesies in public places. Perhaps, behavioural refinements continue when they are reinforced by parents and families. Unfortunately, today's parents are also not careful about their own conduct and attitude.
What is becoming almost impossible is try to mend the rude manners. Those who break a queue don't feel ashamed at all. If anyone tries to protest or request not to do so, the queue- breaker gets angry. This sometimes creates unwanted scuffles in public. In fact, there is no doubt that, irrespective of education and social status, there is an erosion of manners in the country which is reflected in everyday rude public behaviour. There may be a number of reasons behind the manners and in some cases there may also be no option for someone but being rude. It doesn't justify bad mannerism.
Accepting rudeness in public as a normal thing is pathetic. It is spreading a wrong message across society that there is little need to be good in behaviour and attitude. Greater propensity among people to behave rudely is increasing intolerance in society and reducing room for social cooperation. All this is ominous for a decent future.
