Looking back at BTV's iconic serial 'Ain Adalat'

The entire nation is now reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has adversely affected the country's education sector. Schools, colleges and all other educational institutions remained closed since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. During this difficult period, our culture has taken a quick visual turn resulting in their detachment from the cultural root.

Now, they have virtually turned towards Internet and social media. Besides viewing pleasure, they regularly encounter violence, sexuality and drugs. In such a reality, one can easily realise how the mix of drugs and temptations of Tik Tok kind can be so dangerous, and how heavy a price we have to pay for the youth's daily exposure to violence and their disconnect from the cultural root.

Moreover, they remain unprotected from Internet predators and cyberbullying. In the ongoing situation, it is of vital importance to bring back the purpose and pleasure in education, make culture a means of meaningful self-expression and peer bonding, and revive the forgotten role of the family in walking a child through to adolescence and beyond.

During the 1980s, the country's cultural representation was distinctive. At that period, life was more peaceful and less complex.Television entertainment had a different meaning. The state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) was the only television channel that entertained the entire country. As Internet and gadgets were unavailable, people, specially youths used to look forward to BTV programmes.All members of a family used to sit together in front of the television to enjoy the programmes together, forgetting their generation gap.

The memory of the golden times is everfresh in the hearts of the TV viewers. As far as we remember, a law and human rights-related programme, 'Ain Adalat'  became a household topic at that period. All family members eagerly waited for watching theTV serial presented byBarrister Rezaur Rahman, then a bright young advocate and a human rights activist, in a lively manner.

He ran the programme from 1983 to 1987 during which it earned tremendous popularity among the BTV viewers. The programme earned the nation's trust because of the anchor's fight against injustice and for his role in creating awareness about human rights. The programme brought many cases of human rights violations to the public eye and was able to generate an awareness about human rights amongst the TV watchers.

He shouldered an enormous risk by defending the people's rights. It is worth-mentioning to cite the version of Barrister Rezaur Rahman, now a successful lawyer in Canada where he practices Canadian Citizenship and Immigration law. He said: "It was in 1984, just one year after kicking off the TV show, I presented a most dangerous programme. Overcoming threats of life and all kinds of fear and intimidation, I uttered the truth which was probably a universal truth."

Entertainment and socially appropriate programmeis always rare in any TV show, but, he skillfully accomplished the uphill task. There were both security and dependency. Above all, it was a purely innocent entertainment.  He also proved that there is no alternative to good legal advice.'Ain Adalat,' provided an occasion when all the members of a family could sit together and spent quality time in front of the television. That was how 'Ain Adalat' had climbed to the apex of public attention.It was the reason behind the craziness for thatspecial TV show among the members of all age groups.

At a time when an entertainment of electronic media was not as abundant, Barrister Rahman broke out of the TV screens and touched people's hearts. And that is what will immortalise him to his fans, specially young fans.Nowadays, the youths crave more privacy than that time.

They do not prefer watching the TV programmes.Presently, they have so many options like smartphones and the internet where too many movies, serials, series, dramas and short films are available.All these things have led to them being alienated and the drawing room culture of watching television with families has become almost out of practice. But, quality TV programmes  can help change the trendto make culture a means of meaningful self-expression and family bonding.