Farhad Uddin Ahmed Bhuiyan
To begin with, I must portrait a reality that a nation is deemed to be developed based on its citizens who are educated, highly trained, having utmost morality, patriotic spirit and ethics. Actual development is there where there is skilled, motivated and trained citizens. Infrastructural development cannot be in real sense the sustainable development of any country.
As a conscious citizen of this land, I have been able to realize the inner significance that the way students in respect of all level are being deviated from ethics, morality, patriotism etc. through reckless lifestyle and flying with the trend of open air cultural feelings and so called modernity and as such I have filed a writ petition in the High Court division of the Honorable Supreme Court of Bangladesh and I moved the writ petition on 05.01.2020 and after hearing a division bench of high court comprising of Mr. Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Mr. Justice Md. Mustafizur Rahman issued Rule Nisi to show cause as to why the respondents should not be directed to take all required steps to appoint Counselor(s)/Clinical psychologist(s) in all universities, Colleges, schools, Madrasas and other educational institutions owned, controlled and/or managed by the state to ensure properly trained and motivated ideal citizens by nourishing their moral education, spirit and patriotism.
It is true enough that every citizens of Bangladesh are entitled to get and enjoy all constitutional rights to ensure their quality and meaningful life, including morality, ethics & proper education acquiring is crying need for every human beings and the students of all level of education, but in fact, in the last couple of years to date, the whole nation is experiencing one after another hatred, cruel consequence & incidence of gross moral defalcation of the students of different academic institutions of Bangladesh.
Admittedly we see that from primary school to university level, students, morality, moral education, knowledge for dedication equity and patriotism are about to die out in Bangladesh with the rapid expansion & improper use of various Hi-tech, Social media etc. resulting drug addition, eve teasing, suicidal, attempt, killing, involvement in criminal offences, reckless lifestyle, dropping out, moral defalcation, depression, emotional turmoil, personality disorder, unwillingness to concentrate on study, unstable and unrest way of living etc. for which students, parents, society and the nation have to pay and suffer a lot chasing them towards an uncertain fate.
That is why, I think every one may agree with me that it has been badly needed to take all required steps to appoint counselor(s)/Clinical psychologist(s) in all universities, Colleges, schools, Madrasas and other educational institutions owned, controlled and/or managed by the government to ensure properly trained and motivated ideal citizens by nourishing their moral education, spirit and patriotism. Not only this, on different print and electronic media, every now & then I including all other citizens have been seeing the crucial outcome of the students, dealing and moral defalcation for which we have limitless worry about the future and fate of our country’s millions of potential students. The crucial reality is that in the name and excuse of fashion and modernity, students tend to be involved in drug addiction too; embracing a certain dark chapter of life.
Apart from this, having assorted type of personal, family and/or other problems and complications, students cannot take the proper decision and become perplexed or take a decision detrimental & destructive to their life, the nation as well. In fact, when needed, proper guidance and consultancy on moral lesson, personality, religious spirit, patriotism health and life style and career can radically help the students to be the perfect human being and resources for the nation.
We know that the core objectives of the education were and are to become perfect and civilized human being and workforce by which the society, nation and the whole universe will be benefited in multiple aspects towards the sustainable development goal achievement. But every now and then we are seeing and realizing the utmost moral defalcation of the people in our society who were and/or are the final products of different reputed educational institutions of Bangladesh.
Truly stating, the real ray and the light of education can be used as a beacon light of the society and nation without which a nation crawling towards standing with its own backbone is absurd and will turn to go astray and as such the inner beauty, ethics, generosity, moral education & patriotic spirit in the heart of the millions of students of Bangladesh have to be ensured by the state to safeguard the existence of civility, esteem and our long cherished dream of being developed nation in the world . It is well settled that human being having high standing morality, patriotic spirit, honesty, laboriousness and knowledge had been and will have been able to snatch the crown of success and present a nation skyrocketing towards prosperity in all aspects and thus, it has been crying need to pay heed to make our millions of students studying in different academic institutions perfect human being by developing their inner sense of humanity and morality. Despite that the government and concerned authority have not been caring for ensuring the constitutional right of the millions of students of Bangladesh as guaranteed by article 15(a) of the constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Again, in article 15(a), it has been stated that “It shall be a fundamental responsibility of the state to attain, through planned economic growth, a constant increase of productive forces and a steady improvement in the material and cultural standard of living of the people, with a view to securing to its citizens:
a) the provision of the basic necessities of life, including food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care; and as such you the state is bound to ensure the constitutional rights of basic necessities for the citizens of Bangladesh. But in fact, the authorities are not ensuring the rights of the millions of students studying in different academic institutions of Bangladesh and thus, they are depriving the constitutional rights as guaranteed under Article 17(b) of the Constitution of Bangladesh which runs as follows:
“17. The state shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of- b) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs;”
Since there is a clear provision in article 17(b) of the constitution of Bangladesh that to make the education consistent with the need of society and to avail and ensure proper trained citizens, the state shall adopt effective measures and as such you the notice receivers have been failed to ensure the spirit of article 17(b) of the constitution of Bangladesh. Hence, government and the concerned authorities must have to take all required steps to appoint counselor(s)/Clinical psychologist(s) in all universities, Colleges, schools, Madrasas and other educational institutions owned, controlled and/or managed by the respondents to ensure properly trained and motivated ideal citizens by nourishing their moral education, spirit and patriotism.
In Article 18(1) & (2) of the constitution of Bangladesh it has clearly been stated to preserve & ensure the public health and morality of the citizens of Bangladesh. Hence, the authorities concern have not been working positively and properly to eradicate immoral practices and educate moral ethics to the millions and potential students of Bangladesh resulting and chasing them to be derailed, dishonest and corrupted citizens of Bangladesh welcoming a serious consequence for the nation in the long run.
We know very well that the state is bound to ensure equality of opportunity to all citizens of Bangladesh which has been preserved by article 19(1) of the constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, but students of school, college, universities and other educational institutions of Bangladesh are not getting equal treatment in nourishing their moral education in both their academic curriculum, moral lesson too. The life of every citizen must be healthy, sound and quality with comfortable environment and it shall not be deprived by the state and as such students of academic institutions of Bangladesh have right to protection of life as guaranteed under Article 32 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
There is no denying fact that taking all required steps to appoint Counselor(s)/Clinical psychologist(s) in all universities, Colleges, schools, Madrasas and other educational institutions owned, controlled and/or managed by the state to ensure properly trained and motivated ideal citizens by nourishing their moral education, spirit and patriotism have been very much urgent.
At the very border of my write up, I would like to convene to all the concerned to stand in a unique platform to resolve such kind of issues irrespective to politics, cast, religion, race etc. for presenting and bringing to light a potential nation building workforce in deed. My whole-hearted trying and concerted efforts will remain unchanged to win over my writ petition pending on the said issue.
(The writer is an advocate of the supreme Court of Bangladesh , President of Lawyers’ English Debating Society(LEDS) and Head of Chambers, Farhad Ahmed Bhuiyan & Associates , who can be reached at supremecourtlawyer.bd.uk@gmail.com and/or 01715819457, 01711428527).
