As Western countries embark on a path of democracy’s decline, many countries, like Bangladesh, are grappling with the demise of democracy. Amidst this, the notion of utilizing digital methods to dissolve democratic processes has sparked fervent debate.
However, it’s sorrowful that digital enthusiasm, devoid of prudence, renders democracy devoid of its essence. Nonetheless, Sweden, by leveraging digital methods, has voiced profound disillusionment among its youth towards democracy and politicians through the Digital Index Forum. This shift attributes the decline of democracy and politics to the utmost concern of the present generation. This report was published yesterday in the national media and TV channels of the country.
Yesterday morning, while planning to go to the city with my daughter for an errand, we arrived at the train station only to find that the scheduled train had been canceled due to technical issues. The next train would arrive in twenty minutes. Consequently, we couldn’t afford to allocate the time reserved for our meeting. What to do? Without delay, I called for a taxi, and it arrived promptly.
Sweden’s train system has been failing to provide satisfactory service for several years due to various reasons, causing inconvenience to passengers. There is a rule here that if a vehicle is delayed by more than twenty minutes, taxis can be used. However, this system has its own complications, such as uncertainty about which train, when, how, and where passengers will travel, leading many to try to avoid such hassles.
Nevertheless, during our journey, I spoke with Jessica to understand her opinion. Despite not speaking much, I wanted to know her thoughts. She simply said, “Dad, there’s conflict everywhere, war on all sides, disputes between people worldwide, and the media constantly portrays various societal issues. However, the younger generation isn’t actively involved, yet they closely follow these events through the media, which gradually leads to their disillusionment.”
As a result, the trust of the younger generation in the elders or the responsible members of society is diminishing, along with questioning democracy. Her words struck me, so I decided to jot them down on the train journey back. Sometimes, it’s impossible to predict what will happen! Despite everything, it feels like the time of democracy’s departure is near, as capitalism begins to knock on the minds of the younger generation. I wonder, what is the situation of Bangladesh’s new generation? Do they think like others? I’m eager to find out!
Rahman Mridha, Former Director, Pfizer, Sweden.
Email: [email protected]
The opinions and views expressed in this article are the author’s own.
