THE sad death of Adnan Kabir in Uttara, Dhaka has become a burning issue in Bangladesh right now. Adnan who belonged to a youth gangster group was killed by his rivals. This incident sparked many questions and uncovered a number of horrifying incidents and activities that happened and are happening not only in Dhaka city but also across the country. Teenagers who are supposed to be busy with their studies are getting involved in different gangs and committing crimes all over the country.
Experts from different sections of society are giving their opinions on this issue from different angles. I am not an expert on this issue but as a guardian and an educationist, I would like to share my views and feelings with others. First of all, one of the root causes for recent situation is the irresponsible acts by guardians. They fail to communicate with their children properly, monitor their activities and create a healthy environment for them. Let me share a piece of my own experience that occurred in my native village in Tangail district. About two years ago, one gangster member misbehaved with me and threatened me. The reason behind was, he along with his gang who are backed by his rotten father, a former UP member, was trying to erect some shops encroaching government properties. I protested it and foiled his plan. So, they got angry with me and threatened me. However, I gave him a good lesson later.
There are at least 100 guardians in the village who can bring their children back on track. There lies the true spirit of guardianship. They will give necessary instructions to their children and monitor their activities for a month or two and advise them on various issues. It may not be effective at the beginning, but it ultimately will be. If it does not, they will call children and give them a piece of their mind and a deadline to correct themselves. If it works this way, the mission is accomplished. If it does not, guardians will punish their children in front of other guardians so that they feel disgraced in front of others. This is to be done for the benefit of the boys as well as for the sake of peace in society. Nobody is likely to be against it. On the contrary, people from all walks of life will gladly stand beside these guardians. The guardians will have to be united and do it for the sake of our own children and a peaceful society.
Khandaker Zia Hasan
Communication Trainer & Journalist
[email protected]
