Mohammed Fokor Uddin 

There was a time when politics stood for change, justice, and courage. Leaders marched alongside the people, armed not with riches but with ideals. Today, that vision lies buried under gold chains, designer watches, and contract-sharing deals.

This decay isn’t isolated—it reflects a broader collapse of political morality. In post-independence Bangladesh, politics has morphed from public service into private enterprise. Leadership is no longer about vision; it’s about patronage, territory, and syndicate power.

Take student politics: once the cradle of mass uprisings, now reduced to turf wars, recruitment meddling, and campus extortion. Loyalty to party trumps merit. Books gather dust, while leaders count contracts.

This transformation stems from a deeper malaise—ideological bankruptcy. Incumbent leaders resist fresh blood, surrounding themselves with loyal beneficiaries who trade past sacrifices for present perks. Revolutionary credentials have become commodities.

For ordinary people, this new political theater is disillusioning. Youth now see politics not as a mission, but a career shortcut. When crimes are concealed behind party banners, when public funds come pre-loaded with commissions, and when ideals are for sale, democracy becomes a farce.

The tragedy? The state no longer fears revolution—it recruits it. Former firebrands are now pawns in election management and syndicate expansion. Truth is no longer silenced—it’s camouflaged.

But change isn’t impossible. Reform must start within political parties—by embracing honesty, competence, and ideological clarity. Only then can politics reclaim its soul.

If we fail, “revolution” will survive merely as a punchline—a satirical entry in the dictionary of failed idealogy.

The writer is a political analyst and social activist.He can be reached at