Get up, stand up, stand up for your right - Take Back Bangladesh
Get up, stand up, stand up for your right - Take Back Bangladesh
Will the young take the helm?
Awareness event to claim back democracy
Faizul Khan Tanim and Imtiaz Ahmed Chowdhury
Stop for a moment and think! It’s 2006. You’re 18 years old and an adult. So, are you aware of the political situation of the country? Are you at all interested about the incendiary evening news shown daily on television? Think about it…ever since you were born, you have known Bangladesh to be a cauldron of corruption, mass killings, bribery and dishonesty!
Indeed, the list of irregularities can go on and on. Ever since you were born, you’ve seen your parents take part in heated conversations, expressing their anger towards thieves disguised as ministers; ever since you were born, you’ve witnessed every single person criticise the ‘SYSTEM’.
Are you still not interested in whatever that’s going on outside your cosy home? Well, the time has come for you to stop complaining (or simply JUST listening to them) and start acting instead. If not, do not blame the country’s failure when the next political fiasco fires up and you migrate in the name of higher studies and never come back. Time has come to take authority onto your own hands and restore democracy of the country that undoubtedly belongs to you and, not to politicians, whose motives for wrangling in most cases are for their own benefit.
Chowdhury Fazle Shakib, vocalist and bassist of the band Cryptic Fate in fact conveyed these lines, ‘if you (the young generation) do nothing, then you don't have the right to complain about your country.’ We, agree wholeheartedly.
It was this exact patriotic thought that inspired one of the biggest awareness events on the Rabindra Sarovar, Dhanmondi on December 2. The concert was organised by a new citizen’s platform Take Back Bangladesh (takebackbangladesh.org), inspired by expatriate Bangladeshis and concerned citizens of the country.
The concert was a huge success attended by almost 15,000 people and it was truly spectacular.
Cryptic Fate blasted off first with CHOLO BANGLADESH (best possible start for a cause such as this) with guest artists Imran from The Watson Brothers and Ashraf from Breach.
Breach came up to the stage next, followed by Arbovirus, Renaissance and Parthibo and Sharmeen Murshid from Muktir Gaan. Lyrics from a Renaissance track contained enthralling words like Ekush shotok e Bangladesh aaj, gonotontrer e kon kaal? Jonogoner nabhishhash tule aaj, rajnitir eki haalchal and literally made the audience explode.
The stage was then taken by a different clan of artists - Fire Spinners. They dazed the audience with their performance and, after the fires were extinguished the true objective of the concert was voiced once more.
Finally, it was Guru Hyder Husyn with his turbulent songs filled with lyrics that pique our senses and motivate us to act. While he came onstage to perform his stipulated two songs, persistent demands turned into six.
At the end of the day, it were the SAME privileged youngsters (who are often termed rich spoilt brats) of the local underground music scene, who took a musical stand against the sorry state of politics. These musicians boldly stood their ground and conveyed their message. It was simple: those who fought for independence are now old and to an extent disillusioned. But now it’s the duty of the new generation, the progeny of liberation to pick up the pieces and start a new movement –that to make independence more meaningful.
So, now the question is, where do YOU belong? Are you at all bothered to claim back what’s rightfully yours? Or are you the type who avoids getting into a mess and prefers running instead? If it’s the latter, rest assured that no matter where you run, you can never run away from yourself and your roots. No matter how far you go, you’ll never understand where you are going. Not unless…you look back to understand where you came from. So, let’s work together and pull down the monolith of dysfunction.
Will the young take the helm?
Awareness event to claim back democracy
Faizul Khan Tanim and Imtiaz Ahmed Chowdhury
Stop for a moment and think! It’s 2006. You’re 18 years old and an adult. So, are you aware of the political situation of the country? Are you at all interested about the incendiary evening news shown daily on television? Think about it…ever since you were born, you have known Bangladesh to be a cauldron of corruption, mass killings, bribery and dishonesty!
Indeed, the list of irregularities can go on and on. Ever since you were born, you’ve seen your parents take part in heated conversations, expressing their anger towards thieves disguised as ministers; ever since you were born, you’ve witnessed every single person criticise the ‘SYSTEM’.
Are you still not interested in whatever that’s going on outside your cosy home? Well, the time has come for you to stop complaining (or simply JUST listening to them) and start acting instead. If not, do not blame the country’s failure when the next political fiasco fires up and you migrate in the name of higher studies and never come back. Time has come to take authority onto your own hands and restore democracy of the country that undoubtedly belongs to you and, not to politicians, whose motives for wrangling in most cases are for their own benefit.
Chowdhury Fazle Shakib, vocalist and bassist of the band Cryptic Fate in fact conveyed these lines, ‘if you (the young generation) do nothing, then you don't have the right to complain about your country.’ We, agree wholeheartedly.
It was this exact patriotic thought that inspired one of the biggest awareness events on the Rabindra Sarovar, Dhanmondi on December 2. The concert was organised by a new citizen’s platform Take Back Bangladesh (takebackbangladesh.org), inspired by expatriate Bangladeshis and concerned citizens of the country.
The concert was a huge success attended by almost 15,000 people and it was truly spectacular.
Cryptic Fate blasted off first with CHOLO BANGLADESH (best possible start for a cause such as this) with guest artists Imran from The Watson Brothers and Ashraf from Breach.
Breach came up to the stage next, followed by Arbovirus, Renaissance and Parthibo and Sharmeen Murshid from Muktir Gaan. Lyrics from a Renaissance track contained enthralling words like Ekush shotok e Bangladesh aaj, gonotontrer e kon kaal? Jonogoner nabhishhash tule aaj, rajnitir eki haalchal and literally made the audience explode.
The stage was then taken by a different clan of artists - Fire Spinners. They dazed the audience with their performance and, after the fires were extinguished the true objective of the concert was voiced once more.
Finally, it was Guru Hyder Husyn with his turbulent songs filled with lyrics that pique our senses and motivate us to act. While he came onstage to perform his stipulated two songs, persistent demands turned into six.
At the end of the day, it were the SAME privileged youngsters (who are often termed rich spoilt brats) of the local underground music scene, who took a musical stand against the sorry state of politics. These musicians boldly stood their ground and conveyed their message. It was simple: those who fought for independence are now old and to an extent disillusioned. But now it’s the duty of the new generation, the progeny of liberation to pick up the pieces and start a new movement –that to make independence more meaningful.
So, now the question is, where do YOU belong? Are you at all bothered to claim back what’s rightfully yours? Or are you the type who avoids getting into a mess and prefers running instead? If it’s the latter, rest assured that no matter where you run, you can never run away from yourself and your roots. No matter how far you go, you’ll never understand where you are going. Not unless…you look back to understand where you came from. So, let’s work together and pull down the monolith of dysfunction.
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