…is a thorough and complete reformation and transformation of the very political culture of Bangladesh. What we need now more than ever is a thorough changing of the guard-a bona fide democratic regime change. While some may dismiss this as Mission Impossible for an impoverished, corruption-ridden nation like Bangladesh, President Barack Obama's decisive personal victory over the historic and formidable "glass ceiling" for African Americans should give all of us Bangladeshis (both native and probashi) hope for a better future. Instead of the same faces and dynastic families (or worse-war criminals) who have all basked in the noxious cesspool of corruption for decades, we need a new generation of progressive, accomplished, magnanimous, and virtuous leaders to lead our nation in a way which restores the faith and trust of the Bangladeshi people and reinvigorates the considerable regional and international respect we command as one of the few democracies of the Muslim world. These are the candidates who should be nominated by every existing political party because the people demand and deserve no less.

Indeed we need massive reform in every sector-from the way in which labor unions (such as those of the flourishing garment industry) are treated to the brave and industrious but underinvested institutions of law and order so that something as tragic and disgraceful as the so-called “BDR mutiny“ never occur again. One particular issue I'd like to see the Bangladeshi government tackle is oil and natural gas exploration and development in the Bay of Bengal as this has the real potential revolutionize the economic conditions of our people and our nation. I sincerely believe this is a vital investment for our future which we cannot fail in its implementation, especially with the recent and aggressive Burmese incursion into our territorial waters. Although I am certainly no war-mongerer or advocate of violence, I believe the military junta of Myanmar pose a fundamental existential threat to not only her neighbors but to her own people.

Yet such reform cannot take place under the status quo. Our nation has been in a state of crisis since independence and our citizens can and will no longer settle for mediocrity. We have been victimized for decades by the corrupt practices of the state and we will no longer cynically accept "politics as usual." Therefore we must put cast aside our petty differences and collectively unite as one: religious or secular; Muslim, Hindu, Christian, or Buddhist; Bangali or non-Bangali; rich or poor-for we are one people and this is one Bangladesh, our Bangladesh. Even in the aftermath of the historic 2008 general election (which has been hailed by many analysts as one of the most transparent, violence-free, and all-around democratic elections in South Asian history) the solution does not lie within the confines of the Awami League, the BNP, or any of the other 95 political parties. It is not contained within the context of partisan bickering, but in the unshakable strength and endurance of the Bangladeshi people.

As Bangabondhu once boldly declared to the world: "Nobody should try to suppress 70 million people for in their collective determination to achieve something nobody can suppress them today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. They must win."

Then it was 70 million of our people actively striving and sacrificing for a socio-political revolution to liberate themselves from the oppressive heel of Pakistani colonialism and neo-imperialism as Bangladesh struggled for her birthright of independence and freedom for all of her citizens. Now we are over 150 million strong and the goal is a democratic revolution for liberation from gross incompetence, apathy and the noxious stain of corruption. Through my participation in my first Presidential election as a Bangladeshi-American Muslim citizen, I have witnessed true change begin its arduous yet beautiful journey through the American heartland, so surely the waves of reform must eventually but inevitably break down the oppressive bulwarks of corruption and sweep Bangladesh in its sweet embrace as well. Joy Bangla, for Insha’ Allah yes we can.

Salaam Alaikum! For my debut on MB, I thought it would be prudent to touch on some pertinent and critical issues affecting not just the Bangladeshi-American community, but the greater Muslim American community at large by sharing an article I wrote right after Barack Obama was elected to the Presidency. If there are any whom I offend by my words, please accept my humble apologies and forgive me for I sincerely intend no malice upon anyone. Indeed in this particular article as well as any and all future articles I may write, anything I say in error will be attributed to my own ignorance while any truth will be attributed to the grace and boundless knowledge of Allah (SWT).

So Barack Obama has finally triumphed. He has managed to overcome perhaps the most noxious display of Islamaphobia in one of the most vicious (and at times outright libelous) presidential campaigns in the history of American politics and carried over ninety-percent of the Muslim American vote (on par with the African American vote) in the process.

Yet while it is of course far from “mission accomplished” by any means for Muslim Americans, this is perhaps the best time in American history to actively voice our concerns and aggressively push for our issues to get addressed on a national level. Now, more than ever, we must come together as Muslim Americans from all walks of life in order to first forge and then aggressively promote a common platform. Only then will we truly become a political force to be acknowledged and reckoned with. Unfortunately it isn't mere activism which will help further our agenda-funding to support our endeavors is also a very critical issue. Therefore not only must we maintain a robust and visible presence on the political activism scene, but we must also generously contribute towards progressive campaigns, think-tank groups, and academics who are more willing to objectively view issues vital to national, and Muslim American interests as well as issues regarding the global Muslim ummah. We must be as generous with our wallets and hearts as we are ambitious with our plans.

Indeed this isn't just up to the professionals and more fortunate among the Muslim community, but must be a widespread, massive grass-roots endeavor (just like Obama's campaign) since even modest activism and donations matter! This is the political goal to strive for, and the time to do so is now. President-elect Obama is probably as intelligent, engaging, dynamic, open-minded, widely-respected and all-around virtuous of a president that we can expect to witness in our lifetime. For instance in his interview on Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria, he demonstrated a remarkably insightful understanding of the shifting trends facing the Muslim world and the various realities of Islam and Muslim society in ways no prior US president has ever been able to (here is part one of the three-part interview for those who are interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGJgbDxy_xk).

Here is a president who not only understands the complexities, nuances and immense diversity of the Muslim world (as opposed to viewing it as one monolithic entity as so many others have done and continue to do) but embraces them and is clearly willing to intellectually engage with it on a global level. For the American Muslim community to remain sitting on the sidelines and not recognize the unprecedented opportunity we have to finally have our grievances addressed would be the height of complacence and cynicism. Indeed all of my prior suggestions in terms of potential actions (such as forming lobbies, contributing to campaigns, establishing a common agenda, etc.) are indicative of the reality that it's not about whether our voices are currently heard or not, but whether we can make our voices worthy of being heard by the powers that be.

However before we can even hope to bring about any change on a political level, it's up for us to first change our own communities from within. For us American Muslims, I believe it means doing more strengthening our own ummah at home including adequate financial support of every American Masjid. Many of our fellow African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and other reverted believers have justly complained about the fact that far too often, mosques run by predominantly immigrant Muslims send back nearly all of the surplus contributions they raise abroad without reinvesting any of it in the American Muslim ummah here. As a first generation Bangladeshi-American Muslim myself, I have personally witnessed this unfortunate phenomenon occurring within several of our communities. There are incredibly well-funded mosques in the US, while on the other end of the spectrum there are dilapidated mosques which are barely able to operate from month to month-but sadly we have yet to see any nationwide cooperation and aid from the former to the latter.

As far as community-based Muslim unity is concerned, our deen itself has made it perfectly clear that Islam is not about establishing exclusive ethnic or nationalistic-based communities-it's about all of us actively coming together to acknowledge the oneness of Allah (SWT) and to worship and function as one united entity bounded by our faith. Indeed by its very definition this is what being a true ummat al-mu'minin is all about. Personally I find it so depressing to go to large metropolises like New York and see all of these homogenous mosques catering only to a certain demographic of Muslims. Is not Islam's greatest strength is in our breathtaking diversity? Do we really want to witness our most precious ummah being tragically sliced up into competing "Desi mosques", "Arab mosques", “Latino mosques“ "black mosques", "white mosques", etc? These are the issues that our generation must address if we are to have any chance of forging a visible, united and empowered Muslim ummah here in America. It means “reaching across the isle” and building bridges transcending the bounds of race, religion and ethnicity and it means proving to America once and for all that Muslims are patriotic, hard-working, intelligent, and valuable members of society.

So can we do it? Accomplishing any, much less all, of this will do doubt be a daunting task and will take much time, effort, and patience on behalf of everybody-but has that ever been a real obstacle for those who in their collective determination are passionately devoted to achieving something? After all, if our generation of American Muslims does not actively strive to unite and fails to capitalize on this unprecedented atmosphere of unity, optimistic hope and the desire for change and reform which has so permeated through American society, then we have nobody but ourselves to blame for abdicating our responsibilities and it will be something that we will one day have to painfully explain to our children as we transfer this burden to them. Enough noxious pessimism, enough bitter cynicism, enough loathsome apathy, and enough lame excuses. Now is the time for proactive action. Now is the time for noble deeds to consumate our virtuous words. President-elect Obama may be able to bring about change for our nation, but only we can bring about comprehensive and lasting grassroots change for our ummah. Insha' Allah, yes we can.

Bangladesh has so many problems and it’s hard for any government, corrupt or not, to deal with them. It’s always up to the bureaucracy to solve and take care of all of the 145 million Bangladeshis. But it shouldn’t be up to the government to provide everything to the people; the government should have limited jurisdiction of how much they should get involved in the lives of the common people. The government should act as a regulator instead of a mother to the Bangladeshi people.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a great humanitarian and his theory of banking to the poor was out of the question for conventional banks so he took it upon himself to give loans to the poor. His Grameen Bank has helped millions of Bangladeshis get out of poverty. His method is spread to other countries such as India, China, and Brazil and it’s working and helping so many people. The URL of this video is an episode of The Daily Show with Dr. Yunus as the main guest.

Dr Yunus said you need to go to the local level and give the poor the first dollar so they can catch the next dollar to build up the local economy. He also mentions that 97% of his customers are women.

Education Can Solve Bangladesh’s Problems
What I believe is providing free education to common people is the key to solving all of Bangladesh’s problems. Just think about it, why do you think probashi Bangladeshis want to go back and help, because most to all of them are shikkitto (educated in Bangla). Educated people have the capacity to govern and positively handle situations independently.

Rioters on the Streets
I never understand why these people go on the streets and fight against their fellow Bangladeshis for political leaders who don’t care about their lives. Most to all of these people don’t have the proper education to realize that rioting on the streets only harms the country as a whole, as it stops businesses from functioning and tightens up security. If these people would be given proper education then they would realize that Hasina and Zia are not the only candidates that can come to power; they will realize that there are leaders better than them.

Women Need the Education More
Women in Bangladesh are the key to the development of future generations of the country. Dr. Muhammad Yunus targeted women to give loans because women, unlike their male counter parts, will used the money for good and they will not spend it on gambling or drinking. Women, with their natural instincts, will use the money to raise the standard of living for their families.

Now, giving free education for women will secure the primary education for future generations. Women are the ones who stays home and takes care of the kids, and as mothers they will do whatever it takes to secure their children’s future; they will teach their children everything they know. My proposal is similar to why Grameen Bank targets women to develop the poor society to higher levels of living, because they are the ones who can fix Bangladesh in the local level.

I remember going to Sunflower Primary School in the Kishorgonj district during General Ershad’s rule when I used to live in Bangladesh and they taught me well. I believe primary education was free for everyone at that time, correct me if I’m wrong. However, today some schools can’t even function and teachers can’t teach due to lack of funding because of the corrupt bureaucrats taking money form the reserves.

In the video, Dr. Yunus said, referring to the poor people, “people have a lot of capacity to do things for themselves, to change their lives”; and it is a concrete fact. If we aggressively distribute free education to majority of the Bangladeshi population, if not completely to everyone, then we would build a foundation for society to develop.

Emerson said “There is no knowledge that is not power” as in there is no power if there is no knowledge. If we distribute education then we distribute power; that’s the whole idea of democracy, power to the people.

What Should We Do
There are a lot of NGOs and other types of organizations who come together and feed the poor; they can do better if they diversify what they use the money for. It’s good to feed the poor but food is consumed and it’s gone; however, if education is given then that investment is kept by the poor for their lifetime. They can use what they learned such as reading, writing, math/economics, and law to build themselves up.

Instead of completely using your fund raising money, or your Zakat money to buy food, use half of it to pay teachers to teach the poor. A lot of NRBs send Zakat money back to feed the poor, don’t do it, only spend half of it to feed the poor, and use the other half to give them free education. If they don’t want education then bargain with them, give them free food (from the Zakat money), in exchange for them to receive free education. Give the the common people the power of knowledge.

Let’s go back and help our Bangladeshis out, “Bangladesh Zindabad!”

BRAC has made tremendous developments for Bangladesh. Over the three decades BRAC with the Grameen Bank has made significants annihilation of poverty. BRAC, which stands for Bangladesh Rural Advancement Communities, has combined education, microcredit, health improvements, and liberation of women to all work together and alleviate poor people out of poverty; Khadija Rehma reports.

We can take it further by empowering the poor with the education they need to raise their living standards and help their fellow poor Bangladeshis.

Education for Food Program
I emphasize strongly that education can help solve all of Bangladesh’s problems because education itself will help people make right decisions. These decisions will empower the massess to build upon what they learned so they can use their resources to better their lives.

The plan

• Go to each village and build a modernized community center and use the community center as a the teaching ground.
• Hire teachers based on the number of children, adult males, and adult females; one teacher for every 20 people on a classroom. Organize kids based on the age, with a group of kids having 1-3 years in difference in a class.
• If the parents don’t want to participate then get the children. Exchange 1 meal for the family to send all of the kids. If kids do well in school then give the family 3 meals a day, that way the parents of the poor will encourage their kids to excel in acedemics.
• Schedule the classes so three groups of kids will be taught in one day. Example: group 1 will be taught 8-10, group 2 will be taught 10:30-2:30, and group 3 will be taught 3-6.
• Using BRAC’s format of using the country’s standard 5 year primary school to be taught in 4 years, we can improve the literacy rate of the country from 41% to 91% in about 10 years.

Money
Money should not be a problem. Bangladeshis abroad are tired of seeing their mother country suffer and they will be more than happy to donate as long they know where the money is going to. If this program ever surfaced in the future then we should set up offices in different cities abroad where Bangladesi communities lie; that way, the offices would give contact information on where their money is going to.

International Image
After Bangladesh seperated from Pakistan, the country went down hill in development until the rise of NGOs who are helping the country significantly. Currently Bangladesh is doing a lot better than Pakistan in the civil sector, while Pakistan is doing better in the military sector. Even with the natural disasters and with widespread poverty, Bangladesh is heavily reducing poverty with the various socioeconomic programs. With development programs reducing poverty, it will shine Bangladesh in the international arena. Positive reputation of Bangladesh will help lure in more and more foreign investors to the country.

I hope for a grand Bangladesh, and insh’Allah we can bring it to reality.