In Rememberance

End of an Era: Students Speak

Elita Karim

Mishuk Munier, Photo: ATN

At an age when young people are desperately looking for an idol in the society, a figure they can look up to, it turns out to be so much more than pain and shock when heroes like Tareque Masud and Ashfaque Munier Mishuk pass away. Once the news of their tragic death spread all over the country like wild fire, not only were the personalities in the various fields of media shocked, many of the young students were also left dumbfounded and in tears.

"Tareque Masud's is the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of alternative filmmaking in Bangladesh," says 22-year-old Ahmed Iqbal Ryan, a BBA student. "I was very young when the film 'Matir Moyna' was made and released and could not apprecited it properly. But after a few years, when I watched it again and also spoke to Tareque sir during a workshop, I was greatly inspired by him and had decided to be involved with filmmaking and creating visuals. I think it will take a long time for some one like him to reemerge in this field, in Bangladesh, and that is definitely a great loss."

Last week, thousands of students flocked the Shahid Minar to get a last glimpse of Tareque sir and Mishuk sir. While some could not stop their tears from flowing, many were simply numb, unable to believe the untimely deaths of the two personalities.

"Everyone knows Mishuk sir for his friendly nature and his unconventional methods, when it came to teaching and explaining media technology," says Arif Shobhon, a student of Mass Media. "I have quite a numper of senior friends who have had the opportunity to work directly with Mishuk sir and directly, or indirectly, sir influenced my thoughts and many others' as well.

His death has now created a gap in the field of broadcast media, which will take years to fill up."

The deaths of the two individuals mark the end of yet another era in Bangladesh. However, thankfully enough, they have managed to create a generation of young people who believe in asking questions, creating visuals from their imaginations and dream of making this country a better place to live in.

Lives on the Line

Saad Adnan Khan

Tareque Masud, Photo: ATN

The thousands who die in road accidents everday, include not only porminent personalities, but also students, the future of the nation. The country faces a grave situation, because when intellecuals, artists and activists die, the nation feels crippled and helpless. Added to that, when the lives of young people are terminated forever through petty, yet fatal road accidents, we are only left with ugly roads with potholes and an inefficient government who cannot create and preserve a safe, secured country for the people.

Students are afraid to travel now, on buses and other public transports, and why shouldn't they be? “There aren't any proper bus stops at most places. The public do not even know where to stand and wait for buses. The bus drivers are so inconsiderate, they don't hit the brake when they see people running towards the buses. Of course the public will be reckless - it's Ramadan, and students and office goers get off from universities and offices at the same time. But how can you justify the careless attitude of the drivers?” says Nabila Zaman, an Economics major from East West University. She adds, “When I went to Chittagong with my friends by bus, it wasn't very difficult to understand that the driver was in a drunken stupor.”

“Public buses are always packed. Sometimes students rely on other modes of transport like CNGs and mishuks when they are in a hurry. But CNGs are so expensive for students and mishuks are sometimes not allowed to enter places like Gulshan and Banani,” says Lamia Bashar, a Business major from IBA.

“Where are we supposed to go? If we don't have proper public transport, we can always walk on the dirty, badly planned roads and maybe get run over,” points out Farhan Huda, Marketing and Human Resource major from Uttara University. “I am planning to buy a bicycle to travel on roads, but I don't think I'll feel very safe doing that,” says Tahmid Abtahi, Engineering major from BUET.

The youth love the nation; it is clear from how much they are willing to do and are already doing for society, but that does not change the fact that they are also scared to live in such dangerous conditions in constant fear and anxiety of losing their lives.