Look inside your own house first before coming after us

Several intellectuals, politicians and human rights activists in North America and Europe have been extremely critical of the status of democracy and sporadic incidents of violence and human rights abuses in Bangladesh. They fail to see how far Bangladesh has come in terms of establishing democracy given the challenges posed by extremists. Changes cannot be expected overnight, particularly those related to the socio-economic and socio-political arena. Bangladesh has emerged strong despite our history of the loot and plunder of British colonisers and the wrath of ethnic conflicts that have lasted several decades. 

Both the US and Canada share a bloody history of ruthless exploitation, plunder, rape and mass murders of helpless and defenseless aboriginal inhabitants of the land by European settlers. Will the Canadian and American governments walk the path of democracy to return the huge tracts of lands that their forefathers have stolen from native inhabitants through cruel persecution and violence? If yes, then I have no problem in accepting their criticisms of Bangladesh. However, if the answer is no, then I would humbly suggest them to refrain from making loose suggestions to other countries.

Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge, AB, Canada