We don't want freedom of unnatural deaths

Newspaper reports about three incidents and accidents that took place in recent times in the country have pained me, shaken me.

In the first incident, a report in the Chittagong-based daily Azadi, 'Child dies in speedboat capsize in Sandwip channel, one missing', it was stated that due to inclement weather, a speedboat travelling from Kumira capsized near the Sandwip coast. The accident took place at 9:00 Wednesday morning. There were around 20 to 22 passengers in the speedboat. Till the last update, 18 of them have been rescued. A 15-year-old girl who was in the speedboat was rushed to the Swarnadwip Hospital in Swandip where the physicians declared her dead. Three other children reportedly remain missing.

A report on the second incident appeared in the daily Kaler Kantha under the heading, 'School managing committee election: Guardian member killed in clashes'. A newly elected member among the guardians in the committee had been killed when clashes ensued over the election to the managing committee of Beshainkhan Shaheed Smriti Secondary School in Kirtipasha union of Jhalokathi sadar upazila. This incident took place on Tuesday in the village Beshainkhan.

The third incident is known by all and grabbed the headlines of all newspapers. Prothom Alo's lead news was, 'Day-long clashes, pedestrian killed'. On Monday night and even throughout Tuesday violence prevailed in the capital city's Eid shopping hub, the New Market area. Caught in the midst of the clashes between Dhaka College students and the shop owners and salesmen of the markets in the area, a young man Nahid Hossain was injured and later died. In the latest update, another person, a shopkeeper by the name of Mursalin, also died. Two lives lost in the same incident.

The three reports are linked by one common factor and that is unnatural deaths. I term these as unnatural deaths as the young girl who was killed in the speedboat capsize at Sandwip had been returning home after bidding farewell to her expatriate father in Chattogram.

In the Jhalokathi incident, according to police and the family of the deceased, Md Shah Alam Howladar had been elected with the highest number of votes to the Beshainkhan Shaheed Smriti Secondary School managing committee as guardian member. His winning the election and supporting the managing committee's president candidate sealed his fate.

Nahid Hossain who was killed in the New Market clashes in Dhaka, was just 20 years old, a courier service deliveryman. And Mursalin, who died late Wednesday night while undergoing treatment, was also just a 25-year-old young man. He was a salesman at a readymade clothing shop in New Super Market.

The three deaths spread a pall of gloom over the families of the deceased. The wailing of the mother who lost three children in the speedboat accident filled the air, "My darlings, my three dearest hearts are gone! How will I survive?" The same wails are heard in the home of Nahid in Kamrangirchar and in the home of Shah Alam who was killed in the village Beshainkhan while going to offer his tarabi prayers. Nahid had married just seven months ago. The Daily Star published a heartbreaking photo of his young wife's hand etched with the words in henna, 'I love you Nahid'.

These incidents were not the result of any natural disaster or any sudden mishap, but all manmade disasters. In the Sandwip incident, initially it was said that the accident occurred due to a nor'wester, but now the survivors of the incident say that the speedboat didn't sink because of any storm. When the boat got entangled in some fishing nets, the helmsman jumped out of the boat. Water then entered the speedboat and the passengers had to leap into the water. That is how the deaths occurred.

Over a decade ago, the commute by ships from Sadarghat and Chattogram to Sandwip was halted and since then the people of Sandwip have faced extreme sufferings. Added to this hardship, the persons involved in the management of the ghats or jetties have no sense of passenger service or responsibility. And without even providing proper service or safety, they are hiking up the fare. The government is very visible in the communication system all over the country except here. The youth in Sandwip are active in their efforts to resolve the problem, but the people's representatives are least bothered. Yet it is the people's representatives who should be at the forefront of addressing such issues.

Everyone is well aware of the politicisation of school and college management committees. Construction tenders, extracting fees from students on various pretexts, sharing the 'remuneration' from the notebook publishers and such, take precedent over studies at the schools and colleges. That is why other than those devoted to education, it is these people with vested interests who take part in the committee elections, which lead to these clashes.

In Dhaka, a battle raged between the New Market traders and the Dhaka College students. Initially it was said that there had been an altercation between the salespersons and the students over an incident in a food shop. Now it is being said that the ruling party student front in Dhaka College wants to take over New Market and this instigated the violence. That is why, perhaps, the police failed to take immediate action.

What is to be done?

This is not the first accident in the commute to and from Sandwip. Five years ago in this same month 18 persons died in the red boat accident. In that accident, those responsible for the mishap were not punished and no compensation was paid to the families of the deceased. The case filed in this connection remains pending in court. Had the punishments been enforced and the compensation paid, the recent incident and those in the future could have been avoided.

The people of Sandwip have long been demanding safe travel facilities in all sorts of weather. If necessary, advanced modes of transportation like hovercrafts and helicopters could be introduced under joint public-private ventures.

Sandwip must be declared a port and its jetty is to be maintained in accordance to the prevailing rules and regulations. An end must be brought to the monopoly of the ghat leaseholders and steps taken for safe travel and, in the long run, a Chattogram-Noakhali connecting bridge.

It is now essential for the school and college managing committees to be depoliticised. And a minimum educational qualification must be determined to qualify being a member of the managing committee.

Toll collection has taken on proportions of an epidemic in the country's shopping centres and transport system. Legal action must be taken against all extortionists, no matter whether in the government or private sector, regardless of party affiliation. This first calls for reforms within the police force because the police are accused of being directly involved in toll collection or aiding and abetting the extortionists.

Within the shortest span of time possible, an investigation must be made into the above mentioned three incidents, those responsible must be punished and the families of the deceased must be provided with compensation.

Other than unnatural deaths, also linked to these incidents are corruption and the lack of good governance. These accidents make it clear that corruption has now become life threatening. So we must now deal a blow to what Robert Klitgaard terms as 'corrupt equilibrium'. Exemplary punishment must be taken against corrupt politicians, people's representatives and high ranking civil servants. Rather than being involved in tenders and foreign training trips, the government must engage in public welfare and must do so now.

We want freedom of the press, we want freedom of expression, we want to be able to vote for whomsoever we want, we want to be able freely practice our respective religions, we want all sorts of freedoms. But we do not want this freedom of unnatural deaths.