Patriotism:
Patriotism is often considered a very noble virtue. It inspires a man to do everything just and fair for the wellbeing and betterment of the country. It is the quality that impels a person to sacrifice his own interest, , pleasure and even his life for the sake of his country. Patriotic zeal makes a man dutiful, energetic and enthusiastic. He obeys the laws, pays taxes and thinks for the country. Patriotism teaches a person fellow-feeling, fraternity, love and sympathy for the countrymen. A patriot is also praised and honoured by his countrymen. An unpatriotic man, on the other hand, is an ignoble person. He is selfcentred. He engages all his time in achieving his evil or mean end. He causes harm to the country by his unyielding and reckless activities. He is an enemy to the liberty and sovereignty of the country. He gets his return in the same way. He may have high titles, immense wealth, high social prestige and noble birth. But despite his worldly achievements, he remains a worthless person. His power and pelf fail to bring him any glory. Because, during his lifetime such a man is never honoured by anybody. Rather, he is despised because of his treachery. No minstrel ever sings for him. Such a man dies a double death. During his lifetime, he possesses a dead soul and he remains completely forgotten by the people. This is his first death. Then comes his natural demise. After his physical death, his body is mixed with the vile dust from which it sprang. Nobody remembers him or shows any honour to him. Nobody sheds tears for him. He sinks into oblivion. Thus an unpatriotic man dies for the second time, and ultimately he dies forever whereas a patriotic man lives in the heart of the people perpetually.
Shaheed Minar:
The Central Shaheed Minar, designed by Hamidur Rahman, was built in honour of the martyrs who were killed in 1952 during the historical Language Movement. It is located at the premises of Dhaka University, beside the Dhaka Medical College. The Shaheed Minar is not simply a memorial but something more. It is of great importance and significance in our national life. The Shaheed Minar is the symbol of our national hopes and aspirations. It has been designed with a view to focussing on the Language Movement as the central concept. The Shaheed Minar conveys the aspirations of the people. The basic horizontal and vertical forms of the Shaheed Minar bring out the concept of Bengali solidarity and unity for her national identity. The vertical lines are the manifestations of inner strength and the four columns on both sides of the central structure reflect the balance and harmony of a united stand. Thus, the Shaheed Minar stands for the unified aspirations of Bengali identity and nationalism. The original design had included stained glass with hundreds of eyes, through which the sunlight could pass. The marble floor of the Shaheed Minar is to reflect the moving shadows of the columns showing an unending process of revolt from dawn to dusk. In the basement of the Minar, architect Rahman has designed a grand fresco work of 1500 square feet that depicts the language movement. Every year on 21 February, people with flowers and wreaths go to the Shaheed Minar early in the morning to show respect to the valiant language martyrs. When we stand before a Shaheed Minar, we feel honoured and proud of our own motherland. Our heart lifts with pride for those brave sons who dedicated their souls for our mother tongue and for our own identity.
Digital Bangladesh:
―Digital Bangladesh‖ means an ICT based modern country where there will be adequate power supply, well-networked infrastructure, use of internet, use of open-source software, e-banking, e-commerce and egovernance. Of late, the phrase ―Digital Bangladesh‖ has been much talked about. On the eve of the election, Bangladesh Awami League, first declared vision 2021 with the aim to turn Bangladesh into a digital country by the next decade. However, it refers to an e-state where all its activities of governance, commerce, education, agriculture etc will be powered by computer and internet. To cherish such a dream is easy, but it is too much difficult to materialize this dream. Land phone, mobile, computer, laptop, emagazine and diary, e-book reader and many more tools of information technology will be available in every nook and corner of the country. People will no more have to stand in queue to collect tickets, results etc or to deposit and withdraw money or to buy and sell things. Broadly speaking, a digital society ensures an ICT driven knowledge-based society where information will be readily available online and where all possible tasks of the government, semi-government and also private spheres will be processed using the modern technology. So, ―Digital Bangladesh‖ must guarantee efficient and effective use of modern ICT in all spheres of the society with a view to establishing good governance. For materializing the plan, we need to ensure power sufficiency, better network infrastructure, proper use of internet, use of open source software, high English literacy rate, use of modern technology in agriculture, e-learning and e-commerce etc. Time has come for Bangladesh to develop her information technology and to turn her ―Digital Bangladesh‖. We need to bear in mind that to be away from enriched information technology means to live like a frog living in a well. We should look at the advanced countries of the world so that we can get modern ways and strategies from them to bring about a revolution for our ICT based society. Like Mahathir Muhammad‘s Malaysia, we have to have our all-out efforts to materialise our desired Vision- 2021 for our betterment and own existence.
Our desired vision:
In the last ninth parliamentary election, almost all the mainstream political parties made up with a lot of election promises and commitments to attract the voters. In the manifesto, the Bangladesh Awami league mentioned some distinct and unique promises. The special two promises of them are Digital Bangladesh and Vision-2021. By Digital Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina means a country with all the facilities of modern technology and by Vision-2021 she means that Bangladesh will achieve a number of goals between 2010 and 2021. The government of the Bangladesh Awami League is very firm to ensure 100% net student enrolment at primary level within 2021. Supply of pure drinking water for the entire population will be ensured within 2011. Bangladesh will gain self-sufficiency in food within 2012. Each house of Bangladesh will be brought under hygienic sanitation in 2013. 87% annual growth rate will be attained within this year. Moreover, within this same year Bangladesh will generate 7000 megawatt of electricity, which will be further increased to 8000 megawatt in 2015. And in 2021, 20000 megawatt of electricity will be generated. In 2013, degree level education will be made tuition-free especially for women. And then in 2021 a number of goals will be achieved. Contribution of agriculture, industry and service sector to GDP will stand at 15, 40 and 45 percent respectively. Unemployment rate will be reduced to 15% from 40% at present. Labour in agriculture will come down to 30% from 48% at present. Labour in industry will be increased to 25% from 16% at present, in service 45% from 36% at present. Poverty rate will be reduced to 15% from 45% at present. Bangladesh will be known as a country of educated people with skills in information technology. 85% of the population will have standard nutritional food. The poorer section of the people will have at least 2122 calories of food. All types of contagious diseases will be eliminated; longevity of life expectancy will increase up to 70 years. Infant mortality will come down to 15 from 54 per thousand at present. Maternal death rate will come down to 1.5% from 3.8%. Use of birth control methods will be increased to 80% and many more targets will be fulfilled. However, we have to have our all-out efforts to materialise our desired Vision-2021 for our own betterment