No one believes we are equal to each other in Bangladesh. The world is different for the powerful and the powerless as well as those in-between. So people are careful not to disturb those who matter and they are plenty. However the overwhelming majority have little or no power and therefore the only thing they try to do is avoid the powerful. Two or three separate worlds exist inside the country.
Take the case of access to legal protection and how the image of a man crouching in the court and talking on a cell phone symbolizes that. This man is accused of murder but that has not interfered with his access to facilities and benefits.
But it has been so from the very beginning. In fact, these people were not only protected and promoted but considered essential for the functioning of law and order. It just so happens that due to bad luck , the man is accused of murdering an ex-army personnel and various serving and ex-army guys raised a hue and cry.
However, most of us are not related to people serving in the army and nor are we ex-members. So we have accepted the fact that if anything happens to us or our close ones, that’s it. We expect little. That doesn’t mean we don’t break the law but when we do we depend on bribes and all that to get something. Fortunately for us, there are many who are ready to accept money and do us favours.
But it’s also true, there are limits to the VIP treatment and we are not VIPs. If we were, we would first go to the PG hospital, or take zoom calls or even better get our GFs inside and so on. But then we are used to being second class and just hope that we get in return for payment what is due to us as second class prisoners or accused or whatever.
The point is, from the beginning, this crouching man with a cell phone seems to have been a privileged prisoner and enjoyed many benefits. However, not all qualify and there has to be reasons to be recognized as a VIP and by that logic the crouching man is one. Why ?
In this very class conscious society, police station OCs are not VIPs but he is . It’s rumored that he is one of the biggest drug players in the country. Another says he is close to the neighbouring county, another says it’s all in the system and who knows who is important and who is not…
What we know is that we are not and the man inside the court openly using a cell phone is a good image of that we are not and why …
