I teach literature, a subject that is closely related to everyday life and hence cannot be divorced from political happenings. When interpreting literary texts, I often draw examples from political contexts.
On occasion, I ask my students if they are interested in politics. Their answer is generally in the negative, but the more cautious among them remain quiet as they refuse to take a stand for or against politics.
However, all my students burst into laughter when I tell them that, although they are not interested in politics, politics is very much interested in them. Then I explain to them that elected officials make decisions that directly or indirectly affect the quality of our life.
The negative attitude towards politics among students and members of the public is not necessarily because of any inherent flaw in the profession. It is precisely because politicians devalue their own worth and that of their profession by the way they usually operate. They are often associated with corruption and broken promises of which Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 2009-2024 rule presented some of the worst examples.
I am one of those who believe that politics opens ways for engaging with real issues and brings opportunities for rendering public services. However, I don鈥檛 have sufficient skills and adequate patience that are essential for a successful political career. Academia is my way of serving and giving back, and this is where I invest most of my time and energy. 听
While we are annoyed by the conduct of politicians, it cannot be denied that many of them devote themselves to building a just society. People count on honest and responsible political leaders who are dutiful to their country and stand by their people in times of troubles.
However, the behaviour of a broad swath of typical politicians is driven almost entirely by partisan political interests. Often their actions are strongly influenced by their own career goals and self-serving interests.
When a Bangladesh air force plane crashed into Milestone School & College campus in Dhaka鈥檚 Uttara in broad daylight on July 21, 2025, burning dozens of its teachers and students to death and severely injuring over a hundred of them (with most victims being children), we saw an outpouring of kindness emanating especially from people from across the capital city. Many generous souls rushed to the scene to help, and blood donors responded to the call for blood donation and went to various hospitals where the plane crash survivors are being treated.
While such incidents are tragic, they help lay bare our human impulses. We come together to mourn and support; we bring healing and comfort to those who suffer. Thus, our hopes for a better world and for a better future ring loud and clear.
We also notice that political leaders unmistakably pay visits to such crisis scenes. Sheikh Hasina used to do it a lot. Regrettably, her hospital visits to see the July Revolution victims were nothing but theatrical acts of compassion.
I take conventional politicians鈥� visits to victims of such catastrophes with a pinch of salt. Many of them use such occasions to gain political capital through their public display of sympathy or their performative feats of philanthropy. 听
In the aftermath of the jet crash tragedy in Uttara, political leaders flocked to the scene and visited various hospitals to show sympathy and compassion for the victims and bereaved family members. They arrived at various healthcare centres with large followings as well as entourages of paparazzi and press photographers.
I have read an online post that describes how security forces in front of a hospital had to clear the way and drive away volunteers and blood donors because of the sudden arrival of a political leader with his people to sympathise with plane crash patients.
I don鈥檛 think the jet crash victims, their family members, or healthcare providers welcome the presence of such large groups of people on hospital premises. Such crowds are not helpful for doctors and other medical professionals in their supremely important work.
Since I came of age, I have seen that politicians use such moments of crisis to seize opportunities to augment their public image and accumulate political dividends. They seek to make a show of philanthropic gestures in order to realise their political objectives. They visit those affected by natural calamities like floods, storms, cyclones and other extreme climate events as well as disasters like plane crashes.
If I put myself in the shoes of those who are affected by the Milestone tragedy, I would suggest unrelated people including politicians keep away from the victims if they are not needed for medical and other legitimate purposes. There are many ways to help the injured, without crowding the hospitals and without disrupting the health system 鈥� and most of all without using the victims鈥� near-death experiences as photo opportunities.
I also acknowledge that politicians sometimes feel pressured by public expectations. If they don鈥檛 visit victims, they get accused of not showing enough sympathy. Therefore, we must eliminate the culture of accusations and counter-accusations on the basis of which politicians have visited disaster victims and who have not. 听
If political leaders do not visit those affected by such tragedies, no great harm will come to pass. We will not hold them responsible for catastrophes not caused by their corruption or wrong policies.
However, we need politicians鈥� assistance in other areas which they control and for which they are one hundred per cent responsible. We want them to bring an end to the crime of听chandabaji听(money extortion); we want them to stop patronising henchmen who do their bidding and harass us in the streets and mistreat students at university campuses. We want them to stop being corrupt and to start living honest lives. We want them to deliver their promises once they are in power.
If the above list seems long, I am ready to reduce all my demands to one for now: Please spare us the practice of听chandabaji听that is perpetrated by your henchmen. Once this is done, we will respect you and will let you know if you will need to come to hospitals where victims of various calamities are given medical care.
听
Dr Md Mahmudul Hasan is professor in the department of English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Malaysia.
