How to turn the burden into an asset?
Is the growing population a problem or an asset? There is an intensive controversy about this. According to many experts, if the population is properly utilized, it can be the most powerful asset for the country. China, Malaysia, Iran, and many other countries in the world have become developing by properly channeling their manpower in the right way. The total population of Bangladesh was 75 million when it became independent in 1971. But in only fifty years, the population grew to over 180 million. It increased by 140%. At present, 40 million people are living below the poverty line. Whereas around 20 million are extremely poor. They don’t even have the basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing, etc. According to experts, Bangladesh should receive demographic dividends now. They pointed out the urgency to take long-term, reliable actions that address the problems that arise from overpopulation. They also advise turning this huge population into an asset with the help of modern technology and advanced education. To eradicate poverty, food shortage, malnutrition, illiteracy, superstition, and unemployment, we must ensure economic growth and educational improvement. We need to focus more on vocational education and training. So the farmers become familiar with relevant technologies and get essential training to improve our agriculture sector. Most importantly, we need to increase the productivity of the country and ensure its prosperity. To list Bangladesh among developing and self-reliant countries, citizens must come forward. Well-planned private and public initiatives are required. Only then can this huge population be turned into an asset.
What are the consequences of it?
How do you define corruption? A quick definition would be: dishonesty from the authority. When politicians, officers, government, organizations, or any other responsible authority takes illegal personal advantage of the power, corruption takes place. It is one of the major problems of a country and a barrier to its development. Nowadays corruption is widely spread into many sectors, including politics, economy, administration, judiciary as well as education. Corruption is everywhere: from the highest president to the lowest security guard. It’s rapidly spreading like a plague, resulting in loan defaulters, illegal possession of government property, stock market fraud, custom evasion as well as theft of electricity, water, gas, and so on. Consequently, residents are losing their rights and facing tremendous difficulties in life. On the other hand, the image of the country is being tarnished internationally, and debts are increasing continuously. So, in order to develop an ideal civilization, any traces of corruption have to be erased. According to sociologists, corruption occurs because of financial scarcity, unemployment, selfish mentality, lack of ethical knowledge, and weak legislation. To prevent this, we need to draw people’s attention to religious teachings, moral values, judicial punishments, and all other negative consequences of it. And there have to be Halal jobs and business opportunities. After considering all of the above, Silent Hands Support Society is taking the following actions to wipe off all the corruption, once and for all:
• Increase awareness through posters, leaflets, billboards, and social media.
• Educating children morally and religiously. And sowing the seeds of morality in their hearts.
• Arranging occasional workshops and training on anti-corruption activities.
• Creating job opportunities for young generations. Giving them technical training.
• Providing new entrepreneurs with well planned interest-free loans.
• Always staying up for them with proper guidance and essential help.
“United we stand, divided we fall”
How to alter the situation?
Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. A quarter of the population is still struggling to make a living. A huge part of the population is not able to meet their basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, education, and medical care. One of the main reasons for this is unemployment. To eliminate poverty in Bangladesh, we need to create more employment opportunities, improve our agriculture, advance our farming and mobilize all our handicrafts. We have to help our new entrepreneurs with information, technology, investment, and proper guidance. We shouldn’t forget that the women in our country can equally contribute to this mission. So we have to give them the right to work. Launching interest-free microcredit projects can add extra value to such initiatives. The major part of the country’s assets is owned by a handful of top-class wealthy people. The unequal distribution of wealth is making the rich richer and the poor poorer. The government itself is having a hard time solving this issue. That’s why Zakat-based financing is vital to redistribute wealth among the lower class. So the Silent Hands Support Society has already taken multiple well-planned initiatives to attain this goal. We will not rest until we succeed.
Nobody is going to sleep hungry
again.
How can we get rid of this curse?
Bangladesh has the seventh highest unemployment in the world. More than 27 percent of the people do not have a job here. Poverty is increasing in this country for the following reasons:
• lack of vocational education
• Old and inefficient education system.
• political uncertainty.
• lack of capital for investment.
• lack of technical knowledge.
• underdeveloped agriculture.
• lack of promotion and expansion of indigenous raw materials.
• lack of technology based cottage industries.
• regular natural disasters. and mental inferiority of youth.
The resources of our country are very limited. About 52 percent of the total manpower of our country is dependent on agriculture. So we need to take initiatives toward increasing productivity in this sector by applying technology and producing on demand crops. We have to train our farmers to expand efficiency. We have to draw people’s attention toward our handicrafts and cottage industries. Today there’s a huge demand for them, we have to take advantage of that. Job opportunities have to be made in private sectors through foreign investment and donation. Work-from-home jobs should be offered to women, so that they become an asset instead of a burden on the family. Dairy, goat and chicken farming can also be distributed among them. Silent Hands Support Society dreams about building up a society with 100 percent independent men and women. And the organization is working tirelessly to make their dream come true. They’re finding out people’s needs, then trying to fulfill them. So far they provided sewing machines, rickshaws, grocery stores, just to name a few. It will continue across the country In Sha Allah.
A massive movement is required.
The death rate in road accidents is increasing every single day. If a person leaves home in search of income/work, the whole family worries until he/she returns home safely. Because there’s no guarantee that they’ll not fall victim to a ruthless road accident. According to NirapodSarok Chai (Nischa), about 4702 road accidents occurred in 2019 alone and around 5227 people were killed in them. This year, in the first two months about 1,300 people lost their lives. On average, 18 people die every day. The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges of Bangladesh, drivers and vehicle owners, as well as the common pedestrians, are responsible for this. Road accidents are increasing day by day due to:
• Lack of strict traffic rules, and their implementation.
• Lack of knowledge and awareness of the rules among the common public.
• Overloading and careless high-speed driving.
• Competitions and overtaking tendency.
• Driving when tired, drunk, or drugged.
• Using the phone while driving.
• Impatient and indifferent behavior of the pedestrians.
The death of a single person is not the end of the story.
Most often it’s a horrible tragedy for the whole family. Because we all know
what happens when the backbone of a family passes away! That’s why we need to
make sure more awareness, proper road marks, effective transition on
intersections, road crossing, over bridges, speed limit, presence of the
authority like police, Immediate action if the rules are violated, careful
analysis of the whole sector, and taking actions accordingly.
Ways to prevent it:
Drug addiction is a very complex and serious problem all over the world today. The variety of drugs and the number of addicted people are increasing quicker than ever before. Drug addiction is a type of physical and psychological state that causes countless life-threatening diseases and disorders. For instance, frustration, fatigue, insomnia, abnormal weight loss, and infertility. It also negatively affects the brain, heart, and lungs and gradually leads to death. Diseases like HIV can be caused by some drugs. In society, from lying and swearing to robbery and rape are mostly done by the drug-addicts. They isolate themselves from their family. Their children lack identity and self-esteem and get criticism and condemnation from other people. Love and unity disappear and conflict and chaos take place in the family. They can’t maintain a good marriage. It is mainly because of curiosity, bad company, the availability of drugs, and the lack of religious values. We need to take some thoughtful steps, such as:
• Arranging meetings and seminars in educational institutions.
• Reducing Unemployment and mental stress.
• Several sports can be arranged by the initiative of voluntary organizations.
• Organizing guardians-conferences and alerting them about their teenagers.
• Moral values have to be instilled in the minds of children from childhood from the family, society, and country.
For the proper implementation of antidrug laws, public opinion can also be raised to reduce the availability of drugs through social media. We’re glad to let you know that Silent Hands Support Society is already working toward that goal.
Reasons behind:
Our entire society is overwhelmed with various crimes including theft, robbery, torture, rape, drugs, child labor, murder, bloodshed, and smuggling. And they are increasing day by day. People from all walks of life are more or less involved in these crimes and most importantly our teenagers, too, are involved in it. Our society is filled with many types of crimes. But the worst of them is clashes among teenage gangs. Sociologists say crimes are increasing day by day due to a lack of good governance, declining social values, social instability, misuse of information technology, and indulgence of political leaders. Public awareness must be enhanced to prevent these crimes. We have to be united to prevent the degradation of social values. The criminal policy of the government needs to be made peoplefriendly. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law. It is often seen that big criminals with political identities easily get away and later come up with even bigger crimes. To establish good governance of law, awareness must be increased. Silent Hands Support Society will take necessary steps to raise public awareness about the dreadful consequences of all sorts of crimes and evil deeds.
How to unroot this curse?
Illiterate people are blind even with eyes. The inability to read and write is called illiteracy. Many countries consider it a curse. The illiteracy rate in Bangladesh is 41.1% which is about half of the total population. According to UNESCO, threefourths of all illiterate adults are living in 10 developing countries. Bangladesh is one of them. The tide of Illiteracy is constantly rising due to poor economy, improper planning, insufficient funding in the education sector, lack of educational facilities, weak infrastructure, lack of direct involvement of the government, etc. Poverty is one of the main reasons for illiteracy. Many parents send their children to work instead of school due to poverty. There is no alternative to universal education to prevent illiteracy. Mobile schools should be introduced in remote villages, slums, and stations. And the ‘Food for Education-program should be introduced everywhere. Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah said ‘The most hated person among all is the one who is educated but does not teach others.’ Therefore, every educated person should take initiative toward mass literacy and think of it as part of their duty. Everyone in society must come forward from their position to eradicate illiteracy. Silent Hands Support Society is determined to come up with innovative well-organized solutions and implement them to completely unroot illiteracy from every corner of Bangladesh.
Point to concentrate.
No religion supports extremism. Extremism destroys social harmony, breeds intolerance, and drives the youths toward inevitable destruction. Mostly, it spreads through social media, and our young generations get easily involved in it. Our teens and young adults deserve proper religious and spiritual teachings and moral education. So we have to make it available to them. In order to eradicate extremism completely, posters, leaflets, and social conferences against extremism must reach schools, colleges, mosques, temples, churches, and all the other places of worship and education. The government and all social organizations have to come together. Administrations must be strict against it and take rapid action when needed. Parents and teachers need to come forward and take part in this mission. Together, we have to minimize all the options and take responsibility to ensure that there’s no possible way for our youth to become part of this evil movement. The Silent Hands Support Society is already on the way to bringing more awareness against religious extremism and wiping it off society altogether
Demand to be more aware.
In building an ideal and civilized society women’s contribution is no less than that of men. Even then, they’re neglected and negatively attributed for many years. Women-oppression is constantly increasing. They’re being victimized in and out of the house: sexual harassment, physical and mental abuse, dowry, rape, gang rape, murder, etc. Bangladesh ranks second in the world in terms of violence against women by men. About 61% of men in the country think violence against women is not a crime. Although poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy are considered the main causes of violence against women, but it is mostly done by so-called educated, respected, and influential people. In order to prevent domestic violence, the following initiatives can be taken:
• People must obey religious rules and beliefs.
• Increase mutual respect and sympathy.
• Motivate people to lead a life based on human values.
• Remove unethical and unstable educational systems.
• Take the necessary steps to create awareness and develop human values.
• Extensive CCTV connections in all important places: schools, offices, courts, and secret places.
• Various leaflets and educational discussion meetings can be organized. Silent Hands Support Society has a clear goal and a very practical plan to prevent domestic violence at any cost.
The anxiety of the society!
A person wanting to satisfy his sexual desire against one’s will call sexual harassment. People of all ages are being sexually harassed in one way or another. It occurs in many different parts of the country including educational institutions, offices, factories, workplaces, and even on the roads and moving transports. Sadly, the elderly, teenagers, and children are also victims of it. But mostly teenage girls are the main target of those evil and ugly-minded people. They usually do such immoral acts under temptation and physical force. They take advantage of weaknesses like innocence, dependence, disability , and so on. This is how children and teenagers become mentally broken and lose their self-esteem. Parents need to understand that this kind of thing can happen anytime with anybody. So they always have to be cautious and monitor their children’s activity with a keen eye. They have to maintain a close and friendly relationship with the kids and teach them the necessary steps and initial self-defense. All kinds of social organizations can play a major role in this field, and the government has to declare strict rules and punishments. Silent Hands Support Society has taken various initiatives to create public awareness about Sexual Harassment, and to prevent it from happening any more.
Another challenge to overcome.
According to food and agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), close to 50% of Bangladesh’s population is primarily employed in agriculture, with more than 70% of its land dedicated to growing crops. But only 22% of the total GDP comes from this sector. About 8,300 hectares of agricultural land every year, that is 22.73 hectares per day, is being lost to build roads, factories, unplanned buildings, and infrastructure. Due to massive paddy cultivation, fruit and vegetable production is diminishing. A healthy person should eat an average of 115-120 grams of fruit every day. But we are producing only 35-40 grams. Vegetable production also doesn’t meet its needs. As a result, most people are suffering from a lack of vitamin and malnutrition, and their immune system is continuously weakening. So they’re easily getting sick and consuming drugs and medicines, which is leading to more disease. It often causes complex diseases like cancer, gastric, ulcer, heart and kidney disease, brain injuries, etc. That’s why experts think vegetable and fruit production should be increased while maintaining the need for rice in the country. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers destroy the soil’s microorganisms. Consequently, the environment is facing tremendous adversity along with biodiversity. Farmers need to be aware of these issues and should be trained in modern agricultural technologies. Governments as well as social organizations can launch various agricultural projects and play an effective role in this field. They need to provide the farmers with the necessary training, consultation, guidance, and monitoring of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for farming and cultivation. They also have to make sure of the proper use of these while maintaining the natural fertility of the soil. Launching a ‘Micro Loan Scheme’ can dramatically increase the growth of the whole sector. The Silent Hands Support Society with the help of the government is taking many necessary initiatives to educate and train the farmers and improve the entire agricultural system.
Kind approach required.
According to food and agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), close to 50% of Bangladesh’s population is primarily employed in agriculture, with more than 70% of its land dedicated to growing crops. But only 22% of the total GDP comes from this sector. About 8,300 hectares of agricultural land every year, that is 22.73 hectares per day, is being lost to build roads, factories, unplanned buildings, and infrastructure. Due to massive paddy cultivation, fruit and vegetable production is diminishing. A healthy person should eat an average of 115-120 grams of fruit every day. But we are producing only 35-40 grams. Vegetable production also doesn’t meet its needs. As a result, most people are suffering from a lack of vitamin and malnutrition, and their immune system is continuously weakening. So they’re easily getting sick and consuming drugs and medicines, which is leading to more disease. It often causes complex diseases like cancer, gastric, ulcer, heart and kidney disease, brain injuries, etc. That’s why experts think vegetable and fruit production should be increased while maintaining the need for rice in the country. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers destroy the soil’s microorganisms. Consequently, the environment is facing tremendous adversity along with biodiversity. Farmers need to be aware of these issues and should be trained in modern agricultural technologies. Governments as well as social organizations can launch various agricultural projects and play an effective role in this field. They need to provide the farmers with the necessary training, consultation, guidance, and monitoring of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for farming and cultivation. They also have to make sure of the proper use of these while maintaining the natural fertility of the soil. Launching a ‘Micro Loan Scheme’ can dramatically increase the growth of the whole sector. The Silent Hands Support Society with the help of the government is taking many necessary initiatives to educate and train the farmers and improve the entire agricultural system.
They deserve respect.
There are around 15 million elderly people in Bangladesh, which is nearly 8% of the total population. All of them are in need of food, shelter, and medical treatment. And most importantly, they need care and respect from their family. But unfortunately, they are often neglected in the family and sent to the nursing homes. Their children drive them out of their own home because they are old and weak. It is the children’s responsibility to take good care of their parents but if they don’t perform their duty, there is a penalty up to 100,000 taka and imprisonment for up to 3 months. The law alone cannot resolve this issue, because it’s a matter of love, respect, humanity and ethics. Law can probably shape and control your behavior on the outside, but it can’t change your mentality on the inside. The sense of humanity and morality has to come from the inside. Children need to be instructed from an early age about their responsibilities and duties towards their parents. And children learn what they see. So if we take care of our parents, our children will learn. If we respect, we’ll be respected. If we care, we’ll be taken care of. Silent Hands Support will take various steps in this regard and if necessary, the discussion meeting and various education programs will be arranged for creating religious and ethical values.
Time to be more concerned!
The age between 9 and 20 is called the age of puberty or adolescence. This is the period when boys and girls reach adulthood from childhood. Their mind and body go through a major change in this time: certain parts of the body change and new thoughts, desires, and emotions form in the mind. The sex organs begin to develop and sex hormones make a profound impact on their mind. Suddenly everything seems unfamiliar, alien, and hostile to them. Their mood swings very quickly. They feel shy, weird, and scared and tend to isolate themselves from everyone else. They confront depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, and so many other new mental and physical conditions. Sometimes they feel so overwhelmed that they even commit suicide. Parents have to pay close attention to their children during this period. They have to be approachable, understanding, and friendly with the kids so they can share everything with them and get proper guidance, and don’t make any mistakes. Silent Hands Support Society is actively working on these issues and planning for further initiatives like discussion meetings, one-on-one counseling sessions, and educational events to ensure the proper growth and development of our future generations.
Consciousness is required.
Health is wealth. A person without good health cannot progress physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually. But most people don’t understand it. So they get infected by various diseases, viruses, and other physical and mental issues. Consequently, they struggle to find ease, peace, and happiness in their lives. On the other hand, health-conscious people are active, happy, and content. We have to be careful about good food and hygiene. Eating healthy food, like fruits and vegetables, are vital to keeping in good health. Similarly, cleanliness is very important for a healthy life. Also, we have to stay away from all sorts of junk food and untidy environments. Regular physical exercise is a key point to maintaining physical and mental fitness. Nutritious and vitamin-rich food should be produced more. Gymnasium facilities should be available in every area. Awareness campaigns on health and hygiene can be organized. Especially for Women, they need to know more about their health and hygiene. So we have to reach them in person and deliver the essential tips and important messages to their houses. Silent Hand Support is working on bringing more health consciousness, and reducing health issues both in men and women in easy and innovative ways.
Another killer!
Do you know why there’s no life on Mars? Because there isn’t enough water. So water is life. But water can take lives as well! In Bangladesh, unsafe drinking water is taking so many lives each year. In Bangladesh, people usually consider tube-well water to be safe. But arseniccontaminated tube well water is not safe at all. Arsenic is a type of carcinogen that’s gray, silver, or white in color. Arsenic is extremely poisonous to humans. Arsenic poisoning, or Arsenicosis, occurs after the ingestion or inhalation of high levels of arsenic. Drinking arsenic-contaminated water can cause diarrhea, typhoid, and jaundice. Continuous Arsenic ingestion can even cause cancer. So, there is no substitute for drinking safe water to keep us healthy. In areas where pure drinking water is not available, deep tube-well should be installed. Water purifier tablets, alum, and water filters should also be distributed. Boiling for 30 minutes is an easy way to disinfect any unsafe water. People need to know all the other domestic methods of water purification. Silent Hand Support is closely monitoring the unsafe water issue all over Bangladesh and taking various initiatives and trying to reach as many people as possible.
An alarming issue for the society
In Bangladesh,
marriage laws are based on a combination of religious and civil law. Civil laws
dictate that the legal age of consent and the minimum age for marriage is 18
for women and 21 for men. Getting married under this age is called early
marriage. It is actually violating the human rights of our children. Bangladesh
has the highest rate of child marriage in Asia and the fourth highest rate in
the world. Some of the main reasons for this are poverty, illiteracy,
insecurity, family pressure, social disorders, natural disasters, and so on.
Early marriage is harmful to both boys and girls, but it causes the most
trouble for girls. First of all, they are being deprived of education. Then
they face a tremendous change, lots of responsibilities and so many adversities
at such an early stage of life. Early-married girls have a lower status in
their husband’s families. Sometimes they’re being abused by her husband and his
whole family. The early marriage breaks her health down. Most often they can’t
cope with them and can’t ensure proper growth. Early-married couples have
little to no thoughts in family planning. So they usually become parents early.
When a young girl conceives, she suffers from malnutrition and other diseases.
Teen moms go through so many other physical and mental challenges. As a result,
they give birth to weak and often disabled infants. Sometimes they even have to
sacrifice their lives when giving birth to a child. And teen dads also have an
unimaginably hard time earning for the family and maintaining everything. They
can’t make the right decision at the right time because of their immaturity.
Consequently, they become stressed, anxious, and mentally broke. And their
children suffer a lot. All these are alarming for our society. So, early marriage
must be stopped at any cost. Silent Hands Support Society is closely working on
this issue and is committed to taking action to reduce it through mass
awareness programs, so that people easily realize the evil consequences of
premature marriage and consciously work against it
