1984/2016
Ishra Chowdhury
It seems… It seems, 2016 has entered the warped world of George Orwell’s 1984, a book written in the late, late 40’s about government surveillance, censorship, “democratic” dictatorship and espionage; to put it mildly. Devastatingly portraying a brutal parallel in the current tensions globally, and most recently domestically here in Bangladesh.
In the wake of the tragic July 1st Holey Attack, the country saw two of the most conniving forces at work; one of national love and solidarity, the other of a more sinister and divisive nature, a general mistrust of fellow countrymen.
These are dark and difficult times, where we are asked —nay, expected to trade in privacy for security. But where does it end? Does it have a fine line or is it open season now?
A fine few months prior to the attack at Holey the local police, patrolling residential areas asked residents to hand incredibly sensitive and private information about household stuff and personal arrangements, needless to say it invited quite a few raised eyebrows.
Today, that is no longer a courtesy or a necessary; it is the law.
Keep in mind that before they became “militants”, these were boys who went missing for months, whose families filed General Diaries to the police, yet there was no noise. It is quite perplexing that the officials could not find these “boys” but in a matter of days found out these “militants” residence and aliases.
How much we can truly put our trust in our police forces?
Later in an interview with the press the home minister had said, they had anticipated terrorist attack in any of the diplomatic quarters. This begs the question why they failed to take strict security measures in time.
Government cannot afford to hail unjust surveillance any longer, be it the cellular kind or the most crude of ways that will ultimately result in harassment of citizens. But it is up to citizens, the general populace, right now to dictate how much the governing body can get away with. You cannot cry “national security” every time it does a job to complete the rhetoric of fear. This is what separates democracy from dictatorship.
Decency with Demagoguery.
We need to recognize what we are willing to sacrifice and if it is worth it in the long run.
But I guess, for now, Big Brother’s Watching.