Recently, a video of a brawl among a woman doctor, an executive magistrate, and police has become the focus of discussion through social media. As seen in the video, people of both professions have tried their best to go beyond the 'Code of Profession and Code of Conduct policy of their profession. Though the arrogance of power and the practice of power is a daily occurrence here. Everyone wants to power practice here and is used to it. Anyone who does not have the right to power practice can also create the right to that power practice here.
I am so-and-so, I will see you - these are the everyday spoken languages of the people of this country.
According to philosophy, one of the criteria for knowing a nation is how the people of that nation behave, how they treat others. As seen in the video, the woman doctor started arguing with the executive magistrate and the police at one stage and she started asserting her power by saying that she was the daughter of Bir Bikrom. At one stage, by sacrificing endurance, magistrate and police also began to play the role of their predecessors in the war of independence.
Here the quarrel among the doctor, the magistrate, and the police started with the 'movement pass'.
Doctors don't need a movement pass so they can move without a movement pass. But an executive magistrate can summon anyone at any time in his power. The same thing happened to the woman doctor on the road trip and it is part of the professional responsibility of the magistrate. It's alright that she is a doctor. So there is no need to movement pass. But he also needs to confirm his identity as a doctor. If you wear medical clothes, not everyone becomes a doctor anymore, there may be masked people- as is commonly seen. Ambulances do not always carry patients, many times carry good people, and many times terrorists- which we all know. In this case, the executive magistrate was in the right position to perform his duties.
When the executive magistrate asked the doctor to show her ID card, she broke his professional conduct instead of showing the ID card and started misbehaving as 'tui-tukari' and became desperate to practice his power. She showed her power and said- she is the daughter of Bir Bikrom, she is so-and-so. Now the topic of discussion is - what is the conformity of the state rules and laws with the title of the daughter of the heroic freedom fighter. Whether he/she is president of the United States or the most powerful person in the world, the law is the same for everyone. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.
At one stage of that conversation, the doctor despised the qualifications and positions of the police and magistrate. She taunted the magistrate and said, "You are a magistrate because you did not get a chance in medical college. I am a doctor because I got a chance in medical college." A truly wise man, a responsible professional man can never behave in such a disrespectful and arrogant way, can never insult the profession of others by elevating his own profession to the pinnacle of honor, can never use the profession as a tool to violate state rules and laws. A Doctor, a magistrate, a policeman, and the people of other professions have given the same amount of diligence to establish themselves.
All kinds of professions have equal value and dignity in society. We people of every profession are equally dependent on each other. We can't suffice without doctors, we can't suffice without police and magistrates. Similarly, people from all walks of life are equally important to us.
No one's contribution to building society is less in any part. A rickshaw puller, a day laborer but also continues to play an effective role in building society and beautifying our daily lives.
In the altercation among the doctors, the magistrate, and the police, the doctor threatened the executive magistrate saying- "How many doctors have died in Covid-19 and how many of you have died." I don't know of any rudeness or behavior in such rude talk. The executive magistrate has asked the woman to show her ID card and she is dragging Covid-19 fact. Understanding the scene of capitalizing on Covid-19 everywhere was left to be seen here too! In this Covid-19 pandemic situation, where the Covid-19 pandemic should be resisted with the joint venture of people from all walks of life, there is doing a professional mockery on Covid-19 and politics is being done. It is a matter of thought that, where we are stayed and where our mentality has gone.
The altercation among the doctor, the magistrate, and the police would not have become the focus of discussion now if the woman doctor had not 'created the scene' and tried to demonstrate power practice. If she wanted to, she could have explained the matter politely and humbly without arguing. But on the contrary, she displayed arrogance, power grab, disrespectful and arrogant behavior. She introduced herself as an amateur, irresponsible and irrational person.
The conduct that she displayed, the executive magistrate could have sued her in his executive capacity. If he wanted, he could have punished her. If this happened in any other country of the world except Bangladesh, such measures would have been taken.
Professor Dicey was given the most acceptable definition of law. "Everyone is equal in the eyes of law," he said. Article 27 of the Constitution of Bangladesh also states, "All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of the law." But in most cases in our country, the opposite picture of this definition of law can be noticed. Here, not everyone wants to see the law equally or does not want to obey the law properly. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law, but in fact, everyone is equal? As can be seen here, those people who have power do not obey the law and they refrain from the punishment of the law. The powerless common people fell victim to the loopholes in the law.
People obey the law when they are afraid of punishment. But one thing is ingrained in the minds of the people here that one can get away with breaking the law, without having to face any kind of punishment, even if- it is insignificant. Because he/she knows there is a shadow of power behind him with which he/she can get away with breaking the law by committing a crime. Crime is on the rise due to this tendency to break the law and the rule of law is being disrupted. Now is the time to pull the reins. Proper implementation of the doctrine of 'law is equal for all is the need of the hour.
And if this implementation is possible, people's confidence in the law will return, good governance will be established, and people will respect the law.
A country will be able to stand with its head held high in the world only when there is a rule of law in that country, good governance will be established and the people of that country will be good citizens. Therefore, a proper rule of law should be established, and an effective role should be played to develop the citizens of the country as good citizens.
The writer is a poet, columnist, journalist, and cultural activist.
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