Hiren Pandit: Culture makes a person a real person. According to researchers, culture combines language, literature, customs, values, knowledge, peace, bravery, faith, traditional customs and attitudes. All things, actions, practices, and pursuits of life are culture. Cultural diversity is celebrated to recognize the contribution of cultural diversity in establishing peace and stability in the world. Cultural pluralism is essential for social mobility. A common ethical framework is also necessary. In that case, it is vital to read morality and cultural diversity side by side. It is essential to be clear about the differentiation between the two. That responsibility is definitely on all levels of society.
Cultural diversity is the driving force of development. It is related to economic growth and people’s spiritual, emotional, moral, and intellectual development. Cultural diversity is an asset that is essential for achieving the goals of poverty eradication and sustainable development. Mutual respect should be developed in the society. For this, media and information technology can make a significant contribution. For development and peace, we have no way without respecting and respecting each other. For the world’s existence, human society must accept this difference; cultural diversity and truth must be acknowledged.
Tolerance and solidarity are virtues and necessities in a diverse society like ours. Our country is a melting pot of languages, cultures, religions, and ethnicities. The discourse on gender and disability diversity is also gaining momentum. We are committed to sustainable approaches that harness the power of culture to build a prosperous nation, ensuring a balanced flow of cultural goods and services, integrating culture into sustainable development frameworks, and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The presence of human dignity is essential for preserving and celebrating cultural diversity. Achieving cultural rights creates the environment to protect cultural diversity. Again, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, pluralism of languages, and equal rights in arts, technology, and science education play a role in preserving cultural diversity. When cultural diversity is respected in society, it facilitates productive dialogue and encourages creativity. Not only that, cultural diversity contributes significantly to developing social bonds, cooperation, communication, development and peacebuilding, and relations between government, non-governmental organizations, and civil society.
The ongoing culture of people living in Bangladesh is divided into urban culture, folk culture, and primitive culture. Urban culture is enlightened by modernity and influenced by Western culture. Urban culture is reformist and hybrid in nature. Educated citizens quickly acquire these cultural materials. There are thousands of cultural materials used by the people living in Bangladesh. Again, there are many varieties of those materials. Within these diverse cultures are hidden ways of living, different conditions of life, human rights of people, their values, their prevailing traditions and beliefs, etc.
This diverse culture gives the people of Bangladesh an intelligent life and powers of reasoning and instills a sense of morality in people. Through this diversity of cultures, we learn values and get an opportunity to introduce ourselves to others or overcome our limitations. Diversity of culture was, is, and will be in the future. Bangabandhu was the undisputed leader of the Bengali middle class. He took various steps emphasizing the importance of art and culture in building a secular and non-communal state. After becoming the general secretary of the Awami League in 1953, Bangabandhu, the father of the nation, realized the needs of people’s lives by visiting the country’s villages.
Later, based on the people’s aspirations, he formulated one political program after another. Similarly, after returning to the country in 1981, as Awami League president, the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, visited the remote areas of independent Bengal for several decades and consulted experts on the causes of people’s poverty and ways to get rid of it. As a result, after the formation of the Awami League government, she took several initiatives to remove seasonal hunger (Manga) from the country and employ people. Bangladesh Awami League has given a manifesto to develop the new generation digitally with the inspiration of Bengali nationalism by nurturing modern Bengal’s traditional peace and harmony culture. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is walking on the path of development, progress, and prosperity, facing various domestic and foreign challenges.
She is relentlessly trying to build a progressive, democratic, and non-communal Bangladesh free from hunger and poverty. Four foundations are being successfully implemented to build Smart Bangladesh, working tirelessly to construct intelligent citizens, a smart economy, a competent government, and an innovative society. Apart from this, the plan of how the delta will be in the year 2100 has been undertaken. All work in Smart Bangladesh will be done through technology, and every citizen will be proficient. Smart Bangladesh of 2041 will be a cost-effective, sustainable, intellectual, knowledge-based, and innovative Bangladesh.
In the discussion of the cultural affairs sub-committee of Awami League titled ‘Advancement of Prosperous Smart Bangladesh in Cultural Diversity’ the chairman of the sub-committee, Monchosarothi Ataur Rahman, they were told about the robust action needed in this regard in the discussion moderated by Bangladesh Awami League Cultural Affairs Secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil. General Secretary of Awami League, Minister for the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Obaidul Quader, MP, mentioned that the present government is actively building Smart Bangladesh.
Everyone must work to accelerate the progress of a prosperous Smart Bangladesh by accelerating the country’s cultural development. The country will move forward with a new oath through the 75th founding anniversary of the Awami League. All the expectations of the people from Awami League to practice and develop the thousand years of indestructible and immortal culture. The government cultural activists and organizers are working as expected.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs, Naheed Ezaher Khan, State Minister for Ministry of Cultural Affairs, KM Khalid, former State Minister for Cultural Affairs, and Member of Parliament of Dhaka-10 Constituency Film Star Ferdous Ahmed participated in the discussion. Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee Member Anisul Islam, members of the Culture Affairs Sub-committee, and other dignitaries were also present at the event. Awami League is working tirelessly to create a renaissance in the ordinary people through the protection and development of culture through the desire for prosperity in cultural practice.
On the one hand, it is possible to create a non-communal mentality among the young generation through healthy cultural practices; it is also possible to give incentives to develop as humane people. Looking at the current reality and future social trends, the need for non-sectarian and humane people cannot be overstated. So, the smart government must commit to educating the young generation in a tasteful culture.
Everyone hopes that the hands of new generations will successfully sustain all our developments and creations. Looking at the history of Bangladesh’s cultural heritage, we can see that the region’s cultural diversity has served as a source of infinite strength in various political and social movements. If we consider it in today’s context, we can trace why Bangladesh’s cultural diversity is vital for our political and philosophical movement. The role of the Bengali cultural movement in the great liberation war of 1971 is undeniable.
The writer is an essayist, researcher and columnist.