Youth Factor

I have an incurable disease as my friends are saying; even some of them named it “Youth factor” as I’m wasting (according to my friends) most of my time behind searching, commenting on youth network, activities and youth contribution to development and positive changes,  through my broadband internet connection.


I don’t mind as my friends tease me because it is true that, googling youth network, & youth participation is my every day routine work. At list five times a day I Google the word “youth”… and try to hold the power of this word.


“A Bangladeshi Dream builder-youth have conquered Mt. Everest; an Australian youth completed her expedition around the world through sea route within 210 days, an American teenage conquered Mt. Everest at a very youngest age, and youth contribution in promoting MDG, struggle against AIDS, Poverty, climate change, conflict and so on.” A number of charming & shaking news created by youth make me charmed, confident and increase my thirst  to do something better for my country and society.


We know that, youth are the most important factor for all kind of development and positive change. Unfortunately in my country this very crucial factor is highly ignored & most underestimated factor. Youth are the true epicenter of all hopes of the nation. To combat against all critical challenges only youth can be the real soldiers.
Psychological research tells us that our lifelong behaviors are determined in large part by the influence of our circumstances. Although we are blaming youth continuously for their wrongdoing but never recognize that their environment also responsible for their behavior. Misdoing of youth is not a problem it is a symptom. To solve a problem we must find out the problem first, not the symptoms.


It is known to everyone that our youth has a legendary role in our national history, from 1952 to 1971 they played vital role in building the fate of our nation. But now what miracle & misfortune is driving our youth in a way that is destructive? This is a million dollar question to know the answer.


After the 32 years of Independence our nation is now passing its very crucial moment, though we have achieved freedom but we failed to make it meaningful for our people as they deserve it. The true meaning of freedom that are- free from poverty, discrimination, right of education, economic freedom, cultural dominance, mental peace all are still unfulfilled.
Youth constitute a major portion of our total population; they have power, intelligence, passion and patience for a change. But question is what kind of change they will bring it actually depends on how we use and channelize the power of youth. 


Today our nation is prepared for a social and economic transformation to make our future much better and secure. To mobilize & make this transformation smooth youth can play leading role but this is the responsibility to rest to give them opportunity and make them capable for leading such a responsibility.


For the sake of making our freedom meaningful the YOUTH FACTOR must be taken into proper consideration.
Eligible, effective & efficient plan should be taken to utilize the power of youth in productive field. Steps should be taken to build youth capabilities and create opportunities for exercising their choice.


Youth are promising to bring change but their voices are bound to lose in political rhetoric and overreaction. Steps should be taken to engage youth in decision making process. Process of political participation should be more transparent and unbound to ensure youth participation.


Proper opportunity, common platform, Quality education, efficient steps to empower, positive milieu should be enacted by all responsible authority.


Without utilizing power of youth it will be impossible to realize the expectation of Freedom. So this is the right time to take right steps for utilizing youth power.

Circle of Devil and our youth

I looked at them with strange eyes; their number is increasing day by day. When I first saw them they were four in number. All have hardly dressed and face of malnutrition. Now yesterday I saw another two joined with them. A good sign from their perspective, it gives them extra advantage in trouble.

“You know in street everything is uncertain, under open sky god own is unwilling to take our responsibility” one of them told me.

I’m talking about street children. All those I have found in my way to and back every day to my University hall. Akas, Selim, Hasan and Bellal are the four I know. They all live near my University campus. Simply trying to earning their living by selling fence chocolates, flowers. Sometimes they beg money and they have a very common slogan, “Duida( two) Taha( taka) den Kishu Khamu”. In evening when I go to TSC I feel an unknown addiction to talk to any one of them. When I asked them about their parents, “They also live in street near Kakrail”, – unwilling said Akas.

In a picture of poverty, everything reveals, from the humanity to personal responsibility, education to development, illiteracy to malnutrition. It has become a representative of the speed of one nation’s civilization and a multi-sectors parameter. As a source of the future, these children determine the competence of one country. Their ultimate existence will determine our sustainable development.

The parents who have no job or have below-standard-income and are living in a poor condition, they likely raise their children insufficiently, without enough food and adequate education. The children will grow as part of uncompetitive young adult population, hard to find job, and become young parents who will continue the remarks of their parents; raising their inborn children in a poor condition. This is an unscrupulous circle. People are living into this circle continuously getting the bitter experience of life. As the situation is going it seems their children will also remain under this circle-a circle of devil, where reality is harsher than imagination. The following result is a broken generation which named as an 

underdeveloped nation, unproductive and unprogressive too.

Every day we are talking about our population, population problem and so on. But why we do not talk about human resource. Ultimately population is turned into resource. Problem is we are getting failed to understand this reality. The most important issue to consider is realizing the importance of today’s child. It means recognizing the tomorrow’s leaders.

This condition of unscrupulous poverty should be eradicated as quickly as possible. Otherwise as a nation whole we will be failed to meet the challenges of future. But the reality is difficult. To ensure education for these underprivileged children is a tough task to materialize. The truth is that, only government may fail to make it happened. So government should take contingent approach. 

This approach can be in many types. But to me engaging our highly capable youth in this development process can make this process smoother. Our young generation is highly interested in development activities. It is said that more than 80% of youth are willing to participate in development programs and community development activities. Government can take this enthusiasm of youth to educate our underprivileged children. Through launching some youth lead community project can reduce this acute and devastating problem.

But our young generation is also in a circle of devil. The world of young generation is also full of frustration. Youngsters living in this country have greater aspiration than their access to modern amenities.

“Be careful; don’t try to see the reflection of our young in continuous student violence or in hip-hops of western night clubs rather they live in elsewhere, away from luxury and despicable madness. These youth have extra-ordinary dreams and capabilities to bring about positive changes.”

Think about Roni, an undergraduate student of Dhaka University, who takes the responsibility to teach slum children living near her home. MUNNI is an only example of our largely capable youngster. There are number of RonIS’ doing their best to make this country prosperous and a better place to live. But unfortunately they get our little attention and seldom get recognition for their accomplishment to society.

It is true that our youth have a number of necessities to utilize their capabilities. But in simple what they want are all about a place to express their thoughts, a source for getting inspiration in their hurdle, a station for refueling their tank of motivation, a compass for finding right direction, moreover some example to follow

Save the children save the future

photo credit-Google

Children are more than angel, trusting, full of potentials and full of heavenly love. And the power of children is always extraordinary to bring serenity if that get proper care and opportunity.
Every child is extraordinary and have right to live extraordinary life with all rights to grow up properly. The childhood of all children should be safe and happy and they should be grown up in a healthy environment so that their physical and mental development should not be hampered. You know, today's children are tomorrow's responsible citizens. Healthy growth of their thoughts and other aspects of life are important for sake of our healthy future.

The mind of kids is like bed of seeds; as they start growing up their thoughts start to transform into a concrete shape; that will lead their life in future when they will become young, if you nurture and sow high yield seeds then it give you to reap good crops, if you do inverse then result also like that.

Formation of strong, positive, right & mature thought in mind of youth should be started from their childhood. Only than this thought can make them righteous citizen for this country; who works for the betterment of the country that will create a prosperous future for all of us.  
But reality around us says differently and we seldom paying heed to this. Child abuse, child laborers, child malnutrition, child illiteracy are some common problems and common words too. Every day children are facing abusive behavior in homes, schools and in workplaces. Moreover here in Bangladesh children who are working as housemaids, have a very luxurious fate of being abused. The degree of exploitation to child labor; physically, mentally and economically are beyond calculation. Many of them are extreme victim of bullying and violence. In workplace children are made bound to do heavier job than their capacity; and most perilous news is that; day by day this unscrupulous treatment is increasing geometrically.

We have huge children without shelter and living in street and this number of street children is also increasing day by day. They are growing up without education, nutrition, proper health care, starvation and in insufficient living condition.

And the truth is that this most deprived population is our next generation, our future, our future leader. If this is the condition of our future; than think what is waiting for us; a broken generation with insufficient opportunity and productivity bound to build a broken nation.
As far I know, Bangladesh is the one of the signatory countries of UN child Rights Convention of 1998 but what is happening now is simply cruelty to our future.

Our future mustn’t live in such hazardous life. They must not live in abuse, in exploitation, in hunger, in malnutrition, and in illiteracy. They have right to live healthy life, right to get proper education and shelter. They have right to get nutritious food and recreation. They have also right to get proper and timely health care.
But it seems that we are highly indifferent about this crucial issue. But time is running out to take action. We certainly know that we must stop this, we must save our future. But problem is that, in our society the habit of taking responsibility in individual level is very low still now. Besides government initiatives on this very issue is highly insignificant.

UNICEF, Save the Children and other organizations who are advocating and working for children rights emphasizing on speaking out about children rights. And to speak out and raise voice is really an effective method to bring changes in society.

Besides, charity begins at home; in individual level we should be careful that we are not abusing any children and giving our children their rights adequately. Practice of listening child also important as children have the right to be heard according to UN child rights convention 1998, article 12. Authority must listen from children about the decisions that affect them. Listening from children grow the capability of communication and leadership in our future generation.

For underprivileged children; we all should feel responsible. We should take initiative to ensure proper education and nutrition for those broken fate children because they are our real future. We talked enough and we have enough workable theories and ideas to begin now what is needed is taking action without looking back and talking more. We know better that, there comes a time when execution is more important than theory.

Our children,our future and saving this future is our responsibility.